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INSIDEPeople In The News . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1Community Spotlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Community Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Op-Ed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3National . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4Business Service Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Arts & Entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Career Opportunities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Sister Tarpley . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Church Happenings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Church Directory . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 & 10
Awarded attorney and authorBobbie Edmonds will hold abooksigning and discussion atDallas' Jokae's African AmericanBookstore located at 3223 W.Camp Wisdom Road onSaturday, March 17th from noonuntil 2 pm.
Attorney Edmonds has servedas legal counsel on a number ofhigh profile cases over the years.One of which resulted in thewriting of her book The LegalNavigator: Essential Tips for the
Parent and Student Involved in the School DisciplinaryProcess. Attorney Edmonds will be signing and discussingthe book at Jokae's Bookstore.
Edmonds serves as a member of the Tarrant County CivilService Commission panel,, and is also an alternate judgefor the City of Forest Hill. She is a board member of theTarrant County Black Bar Association. Edmonds also prac-tices before the United States Supreme Court, United StatesDistrict Court of the Northern District, the United StatesFifth Circuit court of Appeals and many others.
Attorney Edmonds was named Lawyer of the Year in 1996by the Tarrant County Black Bar Association, and has beenrecognized as a KKDA African-American Hero.
For more info call 214-331-8100.
InauguralCommunity
Service Award
Page 10
Legendary IsleyBrothers
Perform AtNokiaPage 7
Minority Opportunity News -The Gazette 1100 Summit, Suite 101 (@ Avenue K) Plano,Texas 75074
Some People Just Don’t Get It – Page 3
Around 80,000 children inthe southern African countryof Mozambique have nowbeen displaced by floodingafter Friday's cyclone addedto the misery of almost a
month of floodsthat destroyed thehomes of at least160,000 people,the United NationsChildren's Fund(UNICEF) saidtoday, adding thatthe next week willbe critical in avoid-ing outbreaks ofdisease.
Persistent heavyrains across southern Africahave wreaked havoc for hun-dreds of thousands of peoplein the region over the pastmonth but Cyclone Favio last
Children Displaced Page 8
Chambers Boost CollinCounty Day Efforts
An estimated 1,200 AARP-Texas membersfrom every corner of the state – some boardingtheir buses as early as 4 a.m. -- rallied at thesouth steps of the Texas Capitol Tuesday,February 27 to demand an end to high electric-ity rates in Texas and health care reforms.
APNAACP President Bruce S. Gordon is quit-
ting the civil rights organization, leaving afterjust 19 months at the helm, he told TheAssociated Press on Sunday.
Gordon cited growing strain with boardmembers over the group's management styleand future operations.
"I believe that any organization that's goingto be effective will only be effective if the boardand the CEO are aligned and I don't think weare aligned," Gordon said. "This compromisesthe ability of the board to be as effective as itcan be."
Gordon said he will give up his duties beforemonth's end. He spoke by phone from LosAngeles, where he attended the NAACP ImageAwards.
Dennis C. Hayes, general counsel of theBaltimore-based National Association for theAdvancement of Colored People, is expectedto serve as interim president, Gordon said.Hayes filled the same role after Kweisi Mfumeresigned the presidency in 2004 after nine
Dallas Chapter of the ContinentalSocieties, Inc., – Hosts Annual
Mardi Gras “Naw’lins Jam”
March 08 - March 14, 2007
F i f t y C e n t s
Volume XVI, Number IX
Naw’lins Jam Page 6
Collin County Day Page 5
Almost 100,000Children Displaced By
Cyclone And Floods
1,200 Seniors Rally At CapitolFor Lower Electric Rates
People InThe News
Dr. Sharon Blackman, presi-dent of Brookhaven College, hasbeen appointed to serve as amember of the Commission onCommunity Colleges, a newproject of the College Board’sCenter for Innovative Thought,effective February 2007.Brookhaven College is one ofseven individually accreditedinstitutions in the Dallas CountyCommunity College District.
Blackman, who previouslyserved in several administrative
positions at Richland College, has 32 years of experience inhigher education administration, program development,counseling and teaching. She taught at Richland andEarlham colleges, and she earned her bachelor’s and mas-ter*s degrees from the University of Tennessee atChattanooga.
Blackman holds a doctorate in educational administrationfrom the Scholars Practice Program at Baylor University.
Blackman is involved in a number of professional organi-zations at the state and national levels, including theAmerican Association of Community Colleges, and she alsois an active member in the Farmers Branch Chamber ofCommerce (board of directors); Carrollton-Farmers BranchRotary (board of directors); the National Council on Black
American Affairs and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc.,among others.
Dr. Motsoko Pheko, Presidentof the Pan-Africanist Congress ofAzania (PAC), Member of SouthAfrican Parliament and author ofseveral books on history, law,political science and theologywill speak at the Pan-AfricanConnection Bookstore onSaturday, March 10, 2007 at 7p.m.
His latest book is, ‘HowAfricans can regain Their LostPower; Land is Money andPower’.
Dr. Pheko has been a memberof the PAC since 1960. He is a former Representative of theAfrican Liberation Struggle at the United Nations in NewYork and at the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva.During the struggle against apartheid and colonialism, Dr.Pheko was imprisoned for his anti-apartheid activities. Hisorganizing forced him into exile for 30years.
He holds a B.A. degree from the University of SouthAfrica ; a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Zambia,a Master of Laws from the University of London, and aDoctor of Jurisprudence from the University of Kensington.
The Pan-African Connection Bookstore and ResourceCenter is located at 612 E. Jefferson Blvd, Dallas. For moreinfo, call 214-943-8262.
On Saturday, March 10 atthe Park Lane Ranch, 8787Parklane, Dallas, Texas, theDallas Chapter of theContinental Societies, Inc., willhost the organization’s annualfund-raiser Mardi Gras Event“Naw’lins Jam”.
The Honorary Chair is Dr.Wright L. Lassiter, Jr.,Chancellor of the DallasCounty Community CollegeDistrict and the Celebrity Kingand Queen for the event isDallas County DistrictAttorney and Mrs. CraigWatkins.
Proceeds from the event willbenefit the Dallas Chapter ofthe Continental Societies, Inc.,scholarships and children’sprojects. Previous beneficiar-ies have included Bryan’sHouse, the AIDS BabiesProject at Parkland Hospital,Gateway Apartments, St.
Collin CountyBlack Chamber
PioneersLuncheon
Page 5
years.Gordon said that while the
NAACP is an advocacy organ-ization, it needs to be morefocused on service and findingsolutions.
"I'm used to a CEO runningan organization, with the boardapproving strategy and policy,"Gordon said. "But the NAACPboard is very much involved."
Gordon said he made thedecision in recent weeks and
NAACP President Resigns Page 4
AARP Rallies For Electric Page 9
Seventeen buses, alongwith vans and personal vehi-cles, descended upon Austinshortly before noon to kickoff 3 hours of frenzy, led offby a rally attended by severalmembers of the Legislatureand a large press contin-gency.
Senator Juan Hinojosa ofMcAllen and RepresentativeSylvester Turner of Houstonlead a group of legislatorsfrom both parties in publicly
signing an AARP petition call-ing for the restoration of anelectricity fund that protectslow-income Texans, the prohibi-
Plano’s Eyes In Sky –Serving The City Wirelessly
Technology Services DavidStephens, “The primary usersat this point will be Police, Fire,Facilities Management,Transportation Engineering,and Customer and UtilityServices. Other departmentswill be added as the network isbuilt out and services availablecitywide.”
In the long term, there areplans to offer Internet servicefor residents, but it will not bethrough the MotoMesh net-work as it is for city servicesonly. It utilizes radio spectrumsof 4.9 GHz, key to supportingPolice and Fire operations, and2.4 GHZ for other city serviceswith redundant data routes forreliability. The MotoMeshtechnology was originallydeveloped for battlefield com-munications. Stephens added,“As more municipalities buildout 4.9 systems, the options forinteroperability will increase. Atthis time, our network will be aclosed system in that onlyPlano employees will haveaccess to it. As we progress
The City of Plano Technology ServiceDepartment has teamed up with the PlanoPolice Department to take securing Plano to awhole new level – sky level. The project beganin June 2006, when City Council approved thepurchase of a highly-integrated mobile broad-band system from Motorola called MotoMeshto aid with public safety and City services.
The total project will cost approximately $21million. That includes the design costs, hard-ware purchase, installation, management soft-ware and make ready costs for various sites.The planned deployment will take approxi-mately two years.
Public Safety (primarily Police) was the ini-tial target audience. As planning progressed,other departments were incorporated into thephased deployment. According to Director of
charge for Collin CountyDay, but this year, with thetransition to a new countyjudge, it was agreed thechambers would take thereins for organizing the event.The first step was to build thecommittee tapping most (ifnot all) of those who hadserved in the past. Membersof this year’s committeeincluded representatives fromnot only the chambers men-
In a new attempt to grow theactivities around CollinCounty Legislative Day inAustin, the Allen, Frisco,McKinney and PlanoChambers agreed to take onthe organizational responsibili-ties for the 2007 CollinCounty Day events.
Back in the late summer, aseries of meetings took placebefore the actual handoffoccurred. Historically, theCounty Judge’s office leads the
Philips Episcopal School andCommunity Center, OurBrother’s Keeper, Jonathan’sPlace, Shaun’s Place, Girls,Inc., A Lift for Life and anumber of schools in DallasCounty.
The cocktail affair, optionalcostume, will begin at 7:30pm and feature musical enter-
Plano’s Eyes In The Sky Page 8
NAACP PresidentResigns After 19 Months
Craig Watkins
Page 2 • March 08 - March 14, 2007 • Minority Opportunity News - The Gazette Visit Our Website At www.MONTheGazette.com
Community Spotlight
Around The Town
OngoingThe Allen Public Library
will feature films with all blackcasts or have African-Americanthemes will be featured eachTuesday night during February.On February 6th and 20th,guests will be treated to extreme-ly rare viewing of “Beulah” a tel-evision program from the1950’s. For more info call TomKeener at 214-509-4911.
The Collin CountyChapter of the AmericanBusiness Women’sAssociation meets the fourthTuesday of the month atEldorado Country Club, 2604Country Club Drive inMcKinney
Free Tenant LegalWorkshops are at 6 p.m.Tuesdays at DouglassCommunity Center, 1111 Ave.H in Plano. Call 972-941-7174.
Alpha Beta Chapter ofBeta Sigma Phi a social serv-ice cultural sorority meets thesecond Monday of each monthin members home in Frisco,McKinney, and the Plano area.Call 972-473-9089.
Assistance League ofGreater Collin County meetsthe third Wednesday of eachmonth. Visit www.assistance-league-gcc.org.
"EVOLVE," a social net-working opportunity forwomen, meets from 7:30 to 9p.m. the second and fourthWednesdays of the month at thenorthwest corner of ParkBoulevard and Coit Road, Suite202. Call 972-267-4452.
A free legal clinic is offeredfor residents who meet low-income guidelines, 6:00 p.m.,second Thursday of eachmonth, First United Methodist
Church, 601 S. Greenville Ave.Applicants must be Collin Countyresidents and income eligible. Call1-800-906-3045.
Free HIV Testing offered by theLaSima Foundation from 6 p.m. to 8p.m. every Thursday at two differentlocations. For locations and moreinformation, call 214-928-9303.
The Frisco Housing Authority isoffering tenant-based rental assis-tance to 22 eligible families and indi-viduals for rental housing in Frisco.Call 972-377-3031 for information.
Kumaasi African Ensemble DanceClasses from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.West African dance classes held everySaturday at the South Dallas CulturalCenter, 3400 S. Fitzhugh Ave. Formore info call S-Ankh Rasa at 214-298-5858.
Late Night at the DallasMuseum of Art. Join us on the thirdFriday of each month at 1717 N.Harwood. $10 for adults, $7 for sen-ior citizens and $5 for students withcurrent school I.D. 214-922-1200,[email protected].
Dallas Baptist University-North Leadership EmpowermentLuncheon Series is from 11:30 a.m.to 1 p.m. the first Wednesday of themonth at Dallas Baptist University-North, 3211 Internet Blvd., Suite100. For more info, call 214-333-5777 or e-mail [email protected].
The Yundrae Show the live televi-sion taping every Thursday.The doorsopen at 7pm and the show starts at7:45pm. There are door prizes andgiveaways each week. Tickets are $15at the door. Check it out at;www.theyundraeshow.com
March 9, 2007“Long As You Live In My
House” at 7:30 p.m. Friendship-WestBaptist Church, 2020 W. Wheatland,Dallas. For more info, call MushellSullivan at 972-228-5200.
Plano Business Interchange at 7:30a.m. Chamber Office, 1200 East 15thStreet
Plano. For more info, call 972-424-7547.
Ambassadors Meeting at 11:45a.m. Plano Chamber Office, 1200East 15th Street, Plano. For moreinfo, call 972-424-7547.
Women's Division Deadline at12:00 noon. Plano Chamber Office,1200 East 15th Street, Plano. Formore info, call 972-424-7547.
Fashion at the Park a public fash-ion and media event from 8:00 a.m. to5:00 p.m. North Park Center, 1030North Park Center, Dallas. For moreinfo, call 1-888-767-3966.
Job Fair from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00p.m. Lone Star Park, 1000 Lone StarParkway, Grand Prairie will host acustomer service and hospitality JobFair. For more info, call 972-237-1177 or visitwww.lonestarpark.com/jobs.
Mother Goose Storytimefrom11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. for fourto 18-month-olds. The event will beheld at the Central Library, 801 WestIrving Blvd., Irving. For more info,call 972-721-2458 or visit www.irv-inglibrary.org.
March 10, 2007Savor Dallas - An International
Experience of Wine, Food, Spirits andthe Arts experience dedicated to fab-ulous wine and food from 50 ofDFW's top chefs. For more info, call866-277-7920 or [email protected].
The Jazz Swing Era film and dis-cussion sessions at Central Library’sFine Arts Division, 4th floor DallasPublic Library & Music Library andthe Division of Jazz Studies at 2:30p.m. For more info, email [email protected].
Kick 4 College from 8:00 a.m. to5:00 p.m. at Plano Centre, 2000 EastSpring Creek Parkway, Plano.
National Karate League tournamentseries. For more info, call Kasey at972-838-5425 or 214-352-5425 orvisit www.kick4college.com.
Personality Plus/BoundariesSeminar from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.at Plano Centre, 2000 East SpringCreek Parkway. For more info, callGarry Mensch at 214-293-7215 oremail [email protected] or visitGKseminars.com.
Jamie Foxx with Special GuestSpeedy at 7:30 p.m. at the Nokia. Topurchase tickets, contact Ticketmasteronline at Ticketmaster.com or byphone at 214-373-8000, metro972.647.5700. Tickets are also avail-able at all Ticketmaster outlets.
March 11, 2007Plano Bridal Show at Plano
Centre, 2000 East Spring CreekParkway, Plano from
12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. For moreinfo call, 972-713-9920, or visitwww.bridalshowsinc.com.
March 12, 2007Eric Roberson "LIVE" at 9:00
p.m. Petrus Lounge (4th floor ofLuqa), 1217 Main Street, Dallas. Formore info, call 214-264-2904.
March 13, 2007New Visions, New Voices a spring
playwriting festival from 8:00 a.m. to5:00 p.m. at Southern MethodistUniversity, 6101 Bishop Blvd. Formore info, call 214-768-2787.
Business Development Meetingat the Plano Chamber Office, 1200 E15th Street at 8:00 a.m. For more infocall, 972-424-7547.
Chamber Prospective MemberOpen House 4:30 p.m. at the PlanoChamber Office, 1200 E 15th Street.For more info, call 972-424-7547 orRSVP to [email protected].
Power Networking at 5:30 p.m. atthe Plano Chamber Office, 1200 E15th Street. Please RSVP [email protected] or for more
info, call 972-424-7547.March 16, 2007
4th Annual Weekend Festival ofBlack Dance “Rhythm And SoulOf A People” at Purse AuctionNaomi Bruton main stage at 8:00p.m. For more info, call 214-743-2440 or contact Monica Ellington [email protected] or call972-831-8866.
March 17, 2007Roundtable Writer’s Breakfast
with award winning playwright P.J.Gibson from 10:00 a.m. to noon.Event will be held t the BlackAcademy of Arts & Letters in roomT203.
Dallas Wellness Lifestyle Expo atwo day event at Plano Centre, 2000E. Spring Creek Pkwy, Plano. 10:00a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For more info, callAdjuvant Expos at 972-504-6358 orvisit www.dallaswellnessexpo.com.
March 20, 2007“My Sweet Potato Pie” runs
through Sunday, 25th. Naomi BrutonMain Stage. For more info, call 214-743-2400.
March 21, 2007Disney on Ice Princess Wishes
thru Sunday, March 25th, atAmerican Airlines Center, 2500Victory Avenue, Dallas. For moreinfo, call 214-373-8000.
March 23, 2007The Isley Brothers at 8:00 p.m. at
The Nokia. To purchase tickets, con-tact Ticketmaster online atTicketmaster.com or by phone at214.373.8000, metro 972.647.5700.Tickets are also available at allTicketmaster outlets.
Heart of Texas Arts and CraftsShow at Plano Centre 2000 E. SpringCreek Parkway, Plano from 3:00 p.m.to 8:00 p.m. and Saturday, March24th, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. andSunday, March 25th, from 11:00 a.m.to 5:00 p.m. For more info, call
Sponsored By:
Proud To Be An ActivePartner In The Community
Earline Walters at 903-217-8081or visit www.heartoftexasshow.com.
March 24, 20072007 Meatout Festival, a free
educational and health screeningevent featuring speakers, foodsampling, and exhibits related tothe vegetarian lifestyle, at theCenter for CommunityCooperation, 2900 Live OakStreet, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00p.m. For more info, call 214-331-2812 or 972-578-0370 orvisit www.bvstx.org.
5 Men On A Stool Concertat 3:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. Ablend of contemporary R & B,Jazz and Spoken Word held at theClarence Muse Café Theatre.
March 27, 2007Retaining Your Workforce
for Future Growth from 8:30a.m. to 11:00 a.m. For more info,call the Plano EconomicDevelopment Board at 972-208-8300.
"Meet Your Candidates"Town Hall Meeting and PoliticalForum 6:50 p.m. at the
Women's Activity Center, 713Austin Street, Garland. For moreinfo, call 972-381-5044.
March 29, 2007Citizen of the Year Awards
Dinner at 6:00 p.m. at theMarriott Dallas/Plano LegacyTown Center. Speaker: GaryKelly, Vice Chairman and CEO,Southwest Airlines. For moreinfo, call 972-424-7547.
April 28, 2007Senior Achievement Award
Ceremony at Dallas City HallPlaza hosted by deputy MayorDon Hill And Cleo-GlennJohnson of Black United Fundsof Texas. For more info, call 214-650-7065 or [email protected].
Jarvis Christian College – Ninth Annual Heritage Scholarship Banquet
Dallas ISD Students Star InDallas Water Utilities Commercial
2007 TACA Grant AwardsMichelle Coleman & Rev. Claude O’Dell Maples
James Gilyard of Sammons Center forthe Arts/Sammons Jazz,and Connie
Carreker,TACA board member.
Reverend Denny Davis
Heritage Award HonoreesDarryl Davis, Mae Beck,Wynfred C.Watkins, Nancy Williams, HackettShaw, Nina Malone Williams, Ada Marie Evans Willis, Clara Dwberry.
Dallas ISD students take a break during the commercial shoot withDWU Conservation Manager Carole Davis; students from left to right
include Marlon Johnson, Jacob DeLeon, Josefina Ruiz, Robyn Lam,Helanna Padgitt, Kristin Barnes, Lauren Adams and Nicole Pinon.
The City of Dallas WaterUtilities (DWU), students ofSidney Lanier ElementaryVanguard for the ExpressiveArts in Dallas ISD, and DWUCartoon Contest DrawingWinner Helanna Padgittteamed up yesterday to shoot a
new commercial that delivers theimportance of water conservationthrough the eyes of Dallas youth.
The new commercial is expect-ed to air on network affiliates andcable stations throughout theDallas/Fort Worth market begin-ning April 2.
On February 1, TACA-TheArts Community Alliance con-tinued its 40th anniversary cele-bration and grant awards pres-entation by distributing
$760,000 to 37 local arts organ-izations. The event was held atthe Dallas Museum of Art withTony Award-winning actressBetty Buckley giving emotionalremarks about being an artist.
Mr. Odell Brown,The Occasion
Dr. Sebetha Jenkins, PresidentJarvis Christian College
Dr. Sherron C. Patterson
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214-638-5930Law Offices Of Vincent NdukweLaw Offices Of Vincent NdukweAnn Williams of the Dallas Black
Dance Theatre and Irving Weiser,recent retired chairman of RBC
Dain Rauscher and TACA sponsor.
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Jarvis Christian College in con-junction with the Dallas AlumniChapter recently held it’s Ninth
Annual Heritage ScholarshipBanquet at the Fairmont Hotelin downtown Dallas.
Minority Opportunity News - The Gazette • March 08 - March 14, 2007 • Page 3
Advisory Board:
Advisory Board Committees:
Chairman EmeritusJim Bochum
Published ByMinority Opportunity News, Inc.
Assistant To PublisherRosie Roberts
Office ManagerCynthia Westley
ProductionRobert Booker
Special Projects ManagerEdward Dewayne “Preacher Boy” Gibson, Jr.
Account ExecutiveShannon GalesCarolyn Lowe
Religious/Marketing EditorShirley Demus Tarpley
EditorPaul Hailey
Assignment EditorFelecia Winfrey
PublicistCheryl Jackson
Contributing WritersJustin Jones
Ruth FergusonLaKeesha Joe
ColumnistPaul Hailey
PhotographyPatrick “PJ” Johnson
Laquisha HosleyRonald Coleman
Publisher’s Office:Phone: (972) 516-2992
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Website: www.MonTheGazette.com
MON-The Gazette assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material and reserves the right to edit and make appropriate revisions.
Where Do You Want To Go Today?
MON-The Gazette formally Minority Opportunity News, was founded July, 1991,by Jim Bochum and Thurman R. Jones
John Dudley
Myrtle Hightower
Fred Moses
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1100 Summit, Suite 101 • Plano, Texas 75074
Willie WattleyCoty Rodriguez-Anderson
B. J.WilliamsDenise Upchurch
Barbara Simpkins,ADVISORY BOARD SECRETARY
Op-Ed
I knew it was going to betrouble as soon as I read thetitle of the article: “TheManifesto of Ascendancy forthe Modern AmericanNigger”. I thought it soundedlike an extremely bad propa-ganda booklet for the Ku KluxKlan. I mean, what would youthink if somebody gave you amagazine article to read withthat title?
That’s exactly the same thingI thought when I read it.
Writer, director, producerJohn Ridley recently penned anessay with the above title inEsquire magazine. Forget thatI have read Esquire everymonth for the past 15 years, orthat I too occasionally penessays, Ridley’s article pushedme to a point where all I coulddo is sit quietly and shake myhead for about five minutes. Iwish I could write somethingclever or witty aboutthe…words John Ridley usedin his essay. I wish I had somebiting and sarcastic response tothe points he made in his arti-cle after he sucked me in withhis vicious title. But I don’t. I’lllet the opening words of JohnRidley’s piece speak for them-selves-you be the judge.
“Let me tell you somethingniggers, the oppressed minori-ty within our minority. Alwaysdown. Always out. Alwayscomplaining that they can’tcatch a break. Notoriouslypoor about doing for them-selves. Constantly in need of aleader but unable to follow inany direction that’s navigatedby hard work, self-reliance.And though they spliff anddrink and procreate their wayonto welfare doles and WIClines, niggers will tell you theirstate of being is no fault oftheir own.They are not respon-sible for their nearly 5 percentincarceration rate and their 9.2percent unemployment rate.
Not responsible for the 11.8percent rate at which they dropout of high school. For the 69.3percent of births they create outof wedlock.”
This from a black man inAmerica. But wait, there’s more:
“In the forty years since theNew Deal was brokered, sincethe voting rights act was signed,there have been successes forblacks. But there are still toomany blacks in prison, too manykids aggrandizing the thug life,and way too many African-Americans doing far too littlewith the opportunities othersearned for them. That whichretards us in the worst of ‘us,’those who disdain actual ascen-dancy gained by way of intellec-tual expansion and physical toil-who instead value the posture ofan ‘urban,’ a ‘street, a ‘real’ exis-tences, no matter that such aculture threatens to render themextinct. ‘Them’ being niggers.”
Wow. Do you see how Ridley’swords might be inflammatory tome?
Ridley goes on for another8000 words about how the high-water mark in “ascendancy” forAfrican Americans came ineleven days in March 2001,when Dr. Condoleeza Rice andGeneral Colin Powell assumed“real power” during an interna-tional plane incident withChina. Condi and Colin weregiven full control over the inci-dent by President Bush; theyalone were in charge of negotiat-ing with the Chinese on therelease of twenty-four detainedcrewmen from a U.S. plane thatwas shot down.
Ridley’s piece went on abouthow this watershed moment forblack ascendancy into realpower got overshadowed byrioting “niggers” in the Over-the-Rhine section of Cincinnation April 9, 2001.
By that time, I didn’t carewhat argument or point Ridleywas trying to make. JohnRidley’s piece was wrong on somany levels it is hard for me torationally discuss them.
For starters, black people, (as I
have written in this space on sev-eral occasions), are not niggers. Idon’t like it when white peoplerefer to us niggers and I’malmost equally offended whenuse the term toward each other.I get antsy when anyone startsthrowing around stereotypes andgeneralizations, while they usual-ly contain a nugget of truth, it isonly a nugget. Ridley’s wordshave a dangerous undertone ofself-loathing attached to them,or at the very least, outrighthatred for a segment of hisown race.
And that’s where I have thebiggest problem with JohnRidley. I agree there are largenumbers of people, both blackand white, who possess an unre-alistic sense of entitlement andrefuse to take responsibility fortheir own actions. Those peopleare a drain on all of society, notjust black members. But blatanthatred is not going to solve anyof those problems.
Ridley confuses a cause with aconsequence. U.S. ghettos pro-duce human misery, not “nig-gers”. “Niggers” didn’t createslavery or Jim Crow or racismor mandatory minimum sen-tences. I agree that black peo-ple need to find a solution tothe current state of drugs, alco-hol, abuse, despair, murder andsuicide. But the historical rea-sons for the current situationare not unclear; the unclear partis the solution. Which is some-thing the Ridley piece neverprovides, and that makes himsuspect.
It’s also suspect that theRepublican Ridley wrote hispiece in December, the monthfollowing major Democraticgains in the November elections.
I like quoting a brother ofmine from time to time. Hisfavorite line is “some get it,some don’t”, which refers to thelunacy of people in understand-ing the obvious. For all his blus-tering and nastiness, I don’tthink John Ridley gets it.
Paul Hailey can be reached [email protected]
Some People Just Don’t Get It
woman.After several days of wearing
the wig and interviewing blackwomen, I found that the straight-hair phenomenon has little to dowith a need to fit into main-stream social settings. Rather,these long weaves may reflect ourdesire to try on a different femi-nine persona that has historicallybeen appropriated for whitewomen.
I knew my hair was being mis-taken for my femininity uponentering the Asian-owned beau-ty-supply store in my predomi-nantly black neighborhoodwhere I went to buy my wig.Perhaps because the elderlyAsian sales lady kept saying: "Ohyou pretty . . . with the wig."Malena
It became even clearer once Ireturned home with the long,black, straight wig in hand andsaw the label name Nikita. Eventhe manufacturers figured that bywearing this wig, I was to trans-form myself into another woman.
A few weeks later, I moved toNew York and met an actress andprofessor of aesthetic studies atthe University of Texas-Dallas.Venus Opal Reese has inter-viewed hundreds of blackwomen in researching this hairtransformation.
During the opening night ofher one-woman play "SplitEnds," which takes an in-depthlook at black women and theirhistorical tangle with hair, Reesebombarded a small stage wear-ing a skimpy dress and a TinaTurner wig just as wild as herflailing arms. Seconds later, thewig flew off and fell to the floor.As the crowd yelped with laugh-ter, Reese hurried to pick it up,and kept waving the hair in herhand as if still attached to herswirling head.
"Being a woman is a perform-ance," she said in the skit. "It's afull-time, thankless job."
Her point was to show that bywearing weaves and wigs, blackwomen are dressing up in theirown drag, whereby they canbecome the type of woman theyaren't otherwise expected to be.Black women weaving up has somuch to do with our need to feel
By: Malena Amusa,This past winter, I noticed
something very unsettling while Iwas visiting my family in St.Louis.
Almost all the black women Iencountered were sporting lav-ishly long hair weaves, fake locksthat can add length and volumeafter being sewed or glued to thescalp. Weaves come in straight,curly and kinky textures. Butmost black women with weaveswear them to extend andstraighten the appearance of theirnaturally coiled and nappy hair.
Everywhere I turned, from thechurch to the mall, black womensuited up in this straight-hair uni-form.Was I missing something? Ithought. Would my close-cutAfro set me too far apart fromother black women?
Natural, kinky hair -- which ismost associated with blackness --has also been tied to inferiority inthe United States. We can thankentrepreneur Madam C.J.Walker, the late 19th centuryinventor of the hot pressing comb-- literally a comb-shaped iron --for the subsequent years of blackwomen burning their disobedienthair into submission. Still todayamong African Americans, thereexists a strata between those with"bad hair" and "good hair," thelatter being hair that is most insync with the dominant culture.
Walk into any pharmacy andyou'll see a deluge of harsh chem-ical products that promise blackwomen unnappy hair. Manybelieve this is a demonstration ofself-loathing.
This perplexed me becausearound St. Louis, so many every-day women who have no celebri-ty stakes to claim were subscrib-ing to this myopic image of beau-ty wrapped around these hairweaves that, by the way, can takehours to glue onto the scalp andcost hundreds of dollars.
I wanted to walk in their shoesand understand them, so I decid-ed to get a long, straight wig.Without the labor-intensiveprocess, I achieved the lusciouslocks of a weave so I could learnwhat the non-celebrity womanhad to gain from emulating thestraight hair of non-African
feminine and strong at differentpoints in our lives, Reeseargued later in a phone inter-view.
"Hair is a navigator," shesaid. "It's a negotiator, it's adeal-breaker."
I'd say. In a world whereblack women are constantlyblunted by racial and sexualdiscrimination, it makes sensethat we'd begin adopting count-er-representations of ourselves.
That's what the wig did forme. It gave me the freedom tobe aloof, to flirt and to smilewithout fear of not receivingsmiles in return.
I made several outings withthe wig. During one trip, I wentto a mall. The weave made myconfidence soar. Heading there,I drove faster than usual. Andevery time I reached to pick upmy cell phone, I dramaticallytossed my hair back and said"Haloh!" roaring and perky likea valley girl. I was ready toexplode onto the mall sceneand attract all kinds of men.
As I entered the slidingdoors, my hair swooshed aboutmy face and I loved it.And aftersome time, I noticed that I wasmoving around like a butterfly,flighty and irregular. I couldn'tstop giggling like a school girland tossing my hair lightly backas I rolled my eyes sensuouslyaround while talking.
The wig had changed me;with it, I felt excited to becomeNikita, who I assumed was afun-loving white woman.
I believed I could seducewith my hair without thinkingmen wouldn't return my vibesbecause I was too black.Whatever that feeling -- call itfemininity if you like -- I hadmore of it. And while I hatedthe persistent itch of the wigand those fluffy bangs scratch-ing my eyes, for the first time,I saw clearly the power ofweaves.
Malena Amusa is the com-munications associate at theOakland-based racial justiceApplied Research Center/Colorlines Magazine in NewYork. More of her work appearsat ARC's blog at Racewire.org.
Hair Weaves Tangle Self-Image For Black Women
By: Earl Ofari Hutchinson,BlackNews.com Columnist
Kenneth Eng has been cruci-fied for writing in Asian Weekthat blacks are weak-willed,Asianhating, and were complacent insubjection to slavery. But was hetotally wrong? Did he have theright to say his hurtful words?Did Asian Week have the right topublish them? And was the pas-sion and anger that Eng whippedup warranted when measuredagainst the big-ticket problemsthat hammer blacks daily?
A few days after Eng’s inflam-matory column sent Asian Weekpublishers back-peddling fast toutter mea culpas, drew denuncia-tions from politicians and mediaactivists, got his sci-fi book pulledfrom Amazon.com, and got himbanned to writer’s Siberia, across-section of black activists,politicians, and writers at aroundtable in Los Angelesweighed in on Eng, Asian Weekand relations with Asian-Americans. They answered theabove questions far differentlyand surprisingly than those out-raged at Eng’s column and himhave. The views ranged from, itwas much ado about nothing, toa near defense of him. The rea-sons for their relatively muted,even benign response, aren’t hardto find.The week before the Engfuror broke the Los Angeles CityCouncil debated a resolution thatwould have put the city on recordbacking a Congressional bill toestablish a reparations studycommittee. It passed, and a bigargument that swayed the councilwas the current plight of blacks.
They continue to have thehighest rates of poverty, infantmortality, violence victimizationrates, and health care disparitiesthan any other group in America.
They are still more likely to live insegregated neighborhoods, berefused business and home loans,their children attend failed publicschools than any other group, andare more likely to be racially pro-filed on America’s urban streets.These were the issues that theroundtable participants repeated-ly said were the things blacksshould get enraged about, andtake action on. Those problemswould exist and demand outrageand action even if Eng had neverwritten a word. The racial lethar-gy on major social problemsengenders deep frustrationamong many blacks. And those atthe roundtable reflected that frus-tration.
Blacks also have watched andlistened with mounting fury as alegion of foul mouthed rappers,comedians, and entertainers con-tinue to use and defend the Nword, as well as propagate andglory in the most vile and repul-sive stereotypes about black menand women in films and in TVsitcoms. They are and rightlyshould be appalled that there isrelatively little outcry from otherblacks about them. Even worse,judging from the success of thesilly, and degrading EddieMurphy film Norbrit, they stillwill pack the theaters to seethem. But when a white politi-cian, celebrity, or known publicfigure slips, deliberately uses theN word, makes a racial gaffe, orwhen a white gay comedianShirley Q, Liquor slurs blackwomen in his act, or Eng bashesthem in his column, blacks stam-pede to the barricades todenounce them.
Then there’s the issue of a writ-ers right to say what they please,even it’s idiotic and insulting.More than one participant flatly
said that Eng had that right towrite his column, and thatblacks should defend it. Thiswas not just a rote ACLU pro-tect hate speech no matter whatline, though a compelling argu-ment can always be made forthat. It’s a practical concern.
The worst thing that couldhappen is to censor even themost odious racial slanders thatwould make it impossible forthem to be publicly challenged,and blow a chance to educatethe public on the colossal harmthat they do. Eng’s column isthe best example of that. If theeditors at Asian Week hadpulled it, the public would nothave known how widespreadthe myths, misconceptions, andnegative stereotypes aboutAfrican-Americans are amongsome Asian Americans andAsian immigrants. That forced,blacks, Asians, and many othersto make the painful admissionthat the prejudices exist andthen confront them. Eng andAsian Week in effect did a valu-able service by printing hisviews.
There were many things thatthe roundtable participants saidthat they hated about the prob-lems that blacks face, and whatblacks often fail do about them.Eng’s column was not one ofthe problems that botheredthem.They were right.
BlackNews.com columnistEarl Ofari Hutchinson is apolitical analyst and socialissues commentator, and theauthor of The Emerging BlackGOP Majority (Middle PassagePress, September 2006), ahard-hitting look at Bush andThe GOP’s court of black vot-ers. For order information, seewww.blackgopbook.com.
Misfiring On 'Why I Hate Blacks'
PaulHailey
Page 4 • March 08 - March 14 • Minority Opportunity News - The Gazette Visit Our Website At www.MONTheGazette.com
National
NAACP President Resigns Page 1
told the board at its annualmeeting in New York City inmid-February.
NAACP leaders were sur-prised by his decision andengaged in hours of discus-sion, he said.
"They expressed disappoint-ment," Gordon said. "Weattempted to see whether therewas a way to continue but thatdidn't happen."
Gordon sounded weary ashe boarded a flight home toNew York City on Sunday.
"I don't view this as I'm rightand they're wrong. I view thisas I see things one way and
By: Jim MaloneThe U.S government is
forming a partnership withsome prominent civil rightsgroups to identify and investi-gate unsolved murders com-mitted during the U.S. civilrights era of the 1950's and1960's. VOA National corre-spondent Jim Malone hasmore from Washington.
The partnership involves theJustice Department, theFederal Bureau ofInvestigation and civil rightsgroups like the NationalAssociation for theAdvancement of ColoredPeople, the National UrbanLeague and the Southern
Poverty Law Center.The announcement came at a
Washington news conferencewhere Attorney General AlbertoGonzales issued a warning tothose who have so far escapedprosecution and punishment formurder and civil rights viola-tions perpetrated decades ago."And to those individuals whocommitted these crimes andwho have lived with their guiltyconsciences for these manyyears, our message should beclear. You have not gotten awaywith anything. We are still onyour trail," he said.
FBI Director Robert Muellersays federal investigators areconsidering about 100 cases at
the outset, and have reopened10 to 12 cases that involve sus-picious deaths from decadesago.
Mueller says he cannot guar-
antee all the cases will be prose-cuted or will result in convic-tions. But he says the govern-ment, with help from the civilrights groups, is determined toreopen cases that have beenignored for years. "In too manyinstances, the truth has beenhidden for too long. Many indi-viduals have, quite literally, got-ten away with murder. We can-not turn back the clock.We can-not right these wrongs. But wecan bring a measure of justice tothose who remain. Justice hasbeen delayed, but we are deter-mined that justice will not bedenied. We will do everythingwe can to close these cases andto close this dark chapter in our
nation's history," he said.The civil rights groups
involved in the effort will shareinformation and leads aboutunsolved murder cases with thegovernment. Organization lead-ers are urging witnesses whohave remained silent fordecades to come forward if theyhave information regarding amurder or other crime from thecivil rights era.
Stephanie Jones of theNational Urban League says thecooperative effort is an impor-tant step in the continuingprocess of racial healing in theUnited States. "The history oflynchings and racial violence inthis country has left a stain on
the fabric of our country. Andit is up to all of us to eradicatethat stain and one of the waysto do it is to work together tobring justice, both for thosewho have been harmed by thisand those who have perpetrat-ed the harm," she said.
Federal and state prosecu-tors have had success in recentyears in obtaining convictionsfor murder and civil rights vio-lations in cases that hadremained unsolved for years.
In January, a 71-year-old for-mer member of the racist KuKlux Klan was charged in con-nection with the kidnappingand murder of two African-American men in 1964.
they see things a different way,"he said. "That misalignmentbetween the CEO and the boardis unhealthy."
Asked about his plans afterleaving the NAACP, Gordonsaid: "I'm going to catch mybreath."
"What I've clearly learned inmy tenure here is that all is notwell in black America, that's forsure," he said. "I believe I have alot to offer. I've got to find a wayto be engaged that optimizeswhat it is I bring to the table. Myintention is not to disengage,but to find a different way."
NAACP spokesman RichardMcIntire declined to comment.
Gordon, 61, was a surprisepick for the NAACP's top post.When he took over on August 1,2005, he had no track record intraditional civil rights circles. Hehad spent 35 years in thetelecommunications industryand retired in 2003 from hispost as president of the RetailMarkets Group for VerizonCorp.
Critics said he wouldn't be agood fit for the nearly 98-year-old organization.
However, he smoothedstrained relations between theNAACP and the White House,meeting with President Bushthree times in less than a year.
He used his corporate ties tolend quick assistance to blackNew Orleans residents afterHurricane Katrina. And hehired a number of key nationalemployees whose reputationsinspired staff members.
Gordon "brought a level ofcompetence that we hadn'thad," Julian Bond, chairman ofthe board, said last year.
Bond also has acknowledgedthat, with 64 members, theNAACP's board of directors islarge and sometimes unwieldy.But he has defended it, saying itallows a wide range of membersvoices to be heard.
Ronald Walters, a University
of Maryland political scienceprofessor who has followed theNAACP closely for years, wassurprised at the news, but addedthat he had suspected thatGordon may not fit in at theNAACP.
"I thought very early on thatthere might be a cultural con-flict," Walters said. "Somebodywho came out of a corporateculture and was used to a set ofagenda items and managementstyle in one field might not havebeen able to make the adjust-ment totally to another field."
Willis Edwards, a board mem-ber from Los Angeles, said, "Wetried a certain type of guy, a
business guy we didn't have acivil rights guy. Maybe he had adifferent philosophy of what acivil rights organization isabout."
Rupert Richardson, a boardmember from Louisiana, said itwas clear Gordon wanted theNAACP to do more socialservice work, but that was notthe decades-old mission of thegroup.
"I think he saw his job asremaking us to make us moreeffective, but his job was to dowhat the board and manage-ment wanted," she said. "Hewas not a good fit for us, but hecould have been."
US Renews Effort To Solve Civil Rights Era Murder Cases
San Franciso ChronicleThe author of the "Why I
Hate Blacks" column pub-lished Friday in AsianWeekhas been dismissed, and edi-tors say publication of thepiece was "a serious lapse ineditorial judgment."
"The failing of our editorialprocess in allowing this pieceto go forward was an insensi-tive and callous mistake thatshould never have been madeby our publication,"
AsianWeek editor-at-large TedFang said today at a news con-ference organized by the localbranch of the NAACP.
New York-based KennethEng will no longer be writingfor the paper, Fang said.
The news conferencebrought together leaders fromvarious faith-based organiza-tions who condemned the col-umn and also discussed how toimprove race relations in thecity.
Eng stated in his column that"blacks are easy to coerce," andthat "blacks are weak-willed."He said that those of Africandescent were "the only racethat has been enslaved for 300years. It is unbelievable that ittook them that long to fightback."
These statements and othershave created a huge backlash ofcriticism against Eng for writ-ing the article and Asian Weekfor publishing it.
"Racism is very much aliveand well," said Doris Ward, for-merly a San Francisco supervi-sor and city assessor. "All of ushere are responsible for doingsomething."
Amos Brown, president ofthe San Francisco branch ofthe NAACP, said the incidentshould be used as an opportu-nity for the city to do a betterjob at racial relations.
Eng, an AsianWeek contribu-tor who wrote roughly every
two weeks, listed in his columnseveral "reasons" to discrimi-nate against AfricanAmericans.
Past columns include "ProofThat Whites Inherently HateUs" and "Why I Hate Asians."
Prominent Asian Americansimmediately condemned theFeb. 23 column and were laterjoined by San Francisco MayorGavin Newsom, the Board ofSupervisors and SpeakerNancy Pelosi.
Asianweek Dismisses Author Of Racist Column
Attorney General Alberto Gonzales
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Minority Opportunity News - The Gazette • March 08 - March 14, 2007 • Page 5Visit Our Website At www.MONTheGazette.com
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Collin County Day Page 1
tioned above, but many of theother chambers in CollinCounty as well as representa-tives from the Junior Leagueof Plano, Collin County, ourstate representative’s and sen-ator’s local staff, the variouscities, economic developmentoffices and Collin College.
Through the efforts of thisstrong committee, 318 resi-dents registered for the eventand Collin County Day cameoff without a hitch. We werejoined by Governor Rick Perryfor the opening luncheon andheard from a panel of expertsaddressing issues specific toCollin County. Included onthat panel was MaryKatherine Stout from theCenter for Healthcare Policyat the Texas Public PolicyFoundation; Steven Polunsky,the Director of the TexasSenate Committee onTransportation andHomeland Security and CobyChase Director ofGovernment and BusinessEnterprises Division for
TxDOT. After the issues panel,the attendees were off to theCapitol to visit with all of theelected officials offices to sharethe Collin County issues papersand make them aware of localissues for Collin County.
The first day’s activities endedwith a reception at the AustinClub honoring the local CollinCounty Senate and House delega-tion along with their colleagues.We received updates from SenatorShapiro and RepresentativesMcCall, Madden, Laubenbergand Paxton. We even had a sur-prise visit from House SpeakerTom Craddick.
The next morning began witha breakfast featuring RossRamsey, Editor of Texas Weekly.Mr. Ramsey enlightened theaudience with facts and humorof the current session and thesignificant bills that have beenfiled. Following breakfast, thedelegation was off to the capitalagain to receive recognition inthe House and Senate Chamberhonoring Collin County Day.Before going to the respectiveChambers, the delegation had
their picture taken on the capi-tol steps with another surpriseguest, Lt. Governor DavidDewhurst. All in all, the entiretrip was a great success and theparticipants look forward to
returning to Austin in 2009!In the coming months, look
for a new Collin County DayWeb site featuring the 2007 visitas well as plans for 2009 includ-ing online registration.
Financial Focus To Build Wealth, Look At Both Sides Of Balance Sheet
Collin County Black Chamber of CommerceInaugural Pioneers Luncheon Photos By: E. Dewayne Gibson Jr.
Comerica To Move Headquarters To Dallas
MarciaDonaldson
To achieve your financialgoals, you need to be a diligentsaver and investor. But youneed to do more than just buildyour assets — you also must doa good job of managing yourdebts. If you let your debts getout of control, they will eventu-ally erode your savings andinvestments — and when thathappens, the road to financialsuccess can get pretty bumpy.
Unfortunately, your fellowAmericans are doing a poor jobof saving money and stayingout of debt. Here are sometelling statistics:
• Debt is rising. BySeptember 2006, household
Comerica Inc., a financialservices company with $58 bil-lion of assets, on Tuesday said itwill move its corporate head-quarters to Dallas from Detroitto be closer to most of its mar-kets.
The move is a blow forDetroit, which is reeling from adifficult environment forautomakers and a flight thathas seen the city lose more thanhalf its population since 1950.
Comerica's Detroit rootsstretch back to 1849, when theDetroit Savings Fund Institute
took in $41 of deposits on itsfirst day of business.
The company, however, gener-ates much of its business in thelarge, fast-growing southernstates, and has offices in Arizona,California, Florida and Texas. Ithas 71 banking offices in Texas,where it has been doing businessfor nearly 20 years.
"Moving our corporate head-quarters will give us greaterproximity to all of our markets,and the additional resources inthese markets will lead to accel-erated growth," Chief ExecutiveRalph Babb said in a statement.
"The vibrant and diversified
economies of Dallas, Houstonand Austin will be particularlyhelpful," he added.
Comerica expects to completethe move by the end ofSeptember, and plans soon topick a site for its headquarters. Itwould become by far the largestTexas-based banking company,and said it will look for "fill-in"acquisitions in Texas.
The company said it has11,270 employees, including7,539 in Michigan, 2,082 inArizona and California, 1,351 inTexas, 162 in Florida and 136.
debt had reached 130.9 percentof disposable income, accordingto the Center for AmericanProgress. In plain English, thatmeans we owe about a thirdmore than we have available tospend after we’ve paid our taxesand met our expenses.
• Savings have fallen. Formost of 2005 and all of 2006,the personal savings rate wasnegative, according to the U.S.Commerce Department.Previously, we haven’t had anegative savings rate since theGreat Depression. In short,we’ve gotten into the habit ofspending more than we save.
These grim figures foretell adiscouraging financial future formany of us. Every dollar you payfor debt is a dollar you can’t useto invest. Furthermore, if youhave too little in savings, youmay well be forced to dip intoyour existing investments to pay
for short-term needs, such as acar repair or an expensive newappliance. And the more youtake from your investmentstoday, the less you will haveavailable tomorrow — when youmight need the money to helppay for retirement or your chil-dren’s college tuition.
So what can you do to protectyour savings and investmentsagainst the demands of debt?You probably already are famil-iar with some steps you can taketo cut costs: Extend the life ofyour old car, eat out less often,look for cheaper phone andcable service, etc. In short,review your entire lifestyle, andtry to separate the “nice tohave” items from the “musthave” ones. If you can reduceyour expenses, you can startwhittling away at your debt.
While you’re taking steps tocut your costs, you can still add
to your investments. How? Forstarters, increase your contribu-tions to your 401(k) or otheremployer-sponsored retirementplan every time you get a raise.Until you retire, you generallywon’t be able to access thismoney without taking a big taxhit, so you won’t be tempted to“raid” your 401(k) to pay offdebts. [You can, however, typi-cally take loans from a 401(k) orsimilar account.]
You also may want to “payyourself first.” Each month,before you pay the mortgage,the utility companies and yourother obligations, set aside anamount for your investments.It’s easier if you set up a bankauthorization to move themoney directly into the invest-ment you choose. By having themoney taken out this way, youare less likely to “miss” it —and, hopefully, you’ll be less
likely to look at it as a source offunding for your daily life.
By cutting your debts, boost-ing your 401(k) contributionsand paying yourself first, youcan help yourself get a firmergrip on your financial situation
— today and tomorrow.[Article contributed by
Marcia Donaldson, a licensedFinancial Advisor withEdward Jones Investments.You can contact her at (972)542-1530.]
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Page 6 • March 08 - March 14 • Minority Opportunity News - The Gazette Visit Our Website At www.MONTheGazette.com
Education
Naw’lins Jam Page 1
tainment, dancing, dinner, amasked judging contest, for-tune telling, casino and silentand live auctions.
We are proud that the DallasChapter of the ContinentalSocieties, Inc., has been recog-nized locally and nationally forits outstanding service to chil-dren. Since 1980, our non-profit organization has provid-ed scholarships; NASA SpaceCamp grants; housing assis-tance for homeless women andchildren; teen mentoring pro-grams; funding for learningand computer centers; artsand humanities programs;and career exploration oppor-tunities. Additionally, Dallas
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This year we are involved inserving the children and youthat the Myrtle Davis/Mattie NashRecreation Center, The VogelAlcove Day Care for Homelesschildren and several schools,including Stults ElementarySchool., Dallas MontessoriAcademy, Obanino MiddleSchool and Thomas EdisonMiddle School. Tickets are$75.00 per person. Please callfor ticket information call.
DCCCD Students Meet U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling
Richardson/Plano Alumni Chapter Guide Right Foundation Scholarship
UT Dallas Chamber Singers, Jazz Band to Perform ATribute to Manhattan Transfer Concert March 16 & 17
Four students from theDallas County CommunityCollege District recently trav-eled to Washington, D.C., to
Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity,Inc., a college fraternity iscomprised of functioningUndergraduate and AlumniChapters on major collegecampuses and in citiesthroughout the country.Founded on the campus ofIndiana University inBloomington, Indiana onJanuary 5, 1911, it is the crys-tallization of a dream
In 1922, the Fraternityadopted Guide Right as thenational service program.Brother Leon Steward of theSt. Louis Alumni Chapter
introduced Guide Right. Heproposed a program of guid-ance to be designated as GuideRight with the purpose of assist-ing high school seniors tochoose and pursue usefulcareers, consistent with fraterni-ty purpose. The focus of GuideRight from its inception was toprovide scholarships to needyand talented students, to trainfor leadership and to informyoung people of professions andcareer options. TheRichardson/Plano Guide RightFoundation was incorporated inApril of 1999 to serve the phil-
anthropic arm of theRichardson/Plano Chapter ofKappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc.
Richardson/Plano GuideRight Foundation, Inc.Scholarship Requirements
Scholarships are granted eachyear to four high school stu-dents. Each student is awardedan individual scholarship in theamount of $1,000. The scholar-ship is payable to the student inone lump sum, upon verificationof enrollment as a full-time stu-dent at an accredited college oruniversity. All material is to bepostmarked and sent to this
address P.O. Box 831834,Richardson, TX 75080 by April21, 2007. If you have questionsplease contact Gary Freeman at469-360-0016.
Selection Criteria:1. Scholarships are limited to
students attending public highschools in the Northern DallasArea.
2. Preference is given to stu-dents who require financialassistance to achieve their edu-cational goals and who havedemonstrated exceptionalinvolvement and service to thecommunity.
3. To be eligible for the schol-arship, the student must have a2.50 grade point average or bet-ter.
4. An eligible candidate mustbe a graduating high school sen-ior.
5. An eligible candidate mustbe enrolling as a full-time stu-dent in a two or four-yearaccredited college or universityin the fall semester.
6. Students must complete ascholarship application andsend in five (5) copies of allrequested materials, includingan official high school tran-
script, standardized test scores,typed essay of 250 words orless, a detailed listing of allextracurricular activities andvolunteer work, and at leasttwo letters of recommenda-tion.
7. All applications areweighed as follows:
• Transcript/Test Scores 10% • Letters of
Recommendation 10% • Extracurricular Activities/
Volunteer Work 15% • Essay 20% • Interview 20% • Need 25%
Collin College FacultyNamed Co-PresidentsFor State Organization
PSHS Academic Decathlon TeamHeaded to Honolulu, Hawaii For
National Championship, AfterWinning Texas AcDec Competition
Collin College prides itselffor the award-winning andinvolved facultyand staff itemploys. ElaineBoski-Wilkinson,department of edu-cation chair, ofAllen, and SharonHirschy, earlychildhood develop-ment professor, ofCoppell, wereinstalled as co-pres-idents of the ChildD e v e l o p m e n tE d u c a t o r ' sAssociation forTexas AssociateDegree Programsduring the annualTexas CommunityCollege TeachersAssociation confer-ence held in Austinin February. __TheTexas CommunityCollege TeachersAssociation is com-prised of educatorsfrom every disci-pline in addition tocounselors, librarians andadministrators from publicand independent community,junior and technical collegesin Texas. It is the largestorganization of postsecondaryeducators in the state. Theorganization's annual conven-tion is the largest gathering ofcommunity college faculty inthe country.
For more information about
the association, visit their web-site at www.tccta.org. __Collin
County Community CollegeDistrict (Collin) serves morethan 41,000 credit and contin-uing education students annu-ally and offers more than 100degree and certificate pro-grams. The only public collegein the county, Collin is a part-ner to business, governmentand industry, providing cus-tomized training and work forcedevelopment.
PSHS Academic Decathlon Teammates: Jonathan To,John Thompson, Lorelei Nguyen, Lily Yan, AronHughes, Gary Wang, Tracy Huang, Ning Zhang,
Calvin Liu; Coaches: Bill Borowicz and Sheila Kolb
participate in the 2007Community College LegislativeSummit, sponsored by theAssociation of Community
College Trustees and theAmerican Association ofCommunity Colleges. Theyattended program sessions andalso scheduled visits with legis-lators from the Dallas area toshare their experiences aboutbeing a student at one ofDCCCD's seven colleges inDallas County. The studentswere accompanied to the con-ference by Dr. Wright Lassiter,the district's chancellor, plusseveral members of theDCCCD board of trustees,including Kitty Boyle, who alsois currently ACCT's nationalchair, plus Martha SanchezMetzger and CharlettaCompton.
U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling,District 5, welcomed the groupto his office and spent timetalking with the DCCCD stu-dents.
The University of Texas atDallas’ premier performingensembles, the UT DallasChamber Singers, directed byKathryn Evans, and the UTDallas Jazz Band, directed byKelly Durbin, will appeartogether in their eight annualconcert collaboration on Fridayand Saturday, March 16 and 17in the University Theatre at 8pm. The concerts are free andopen to the public.
The ensembles will presentworks made famous by TheManhattan Transfer. The pro-gram will include Snowfall,Choo Choo Ch’boogie,Operator, A Nightingale Sang inBerkeley Square, Java Jive,Route 66,Twilight Tone,TuxedoJunction and Ray’s Rockhouse.
More information about this
concert may be found ath t t p : / / a h . u t d a l l a s . e d u /season0607/jazzsing.htm
For information about themany musical, arts, theatre,dance and other performancesand exhibitions held throughout
the year at UT Dallas, pleasecall 972-UTD-ARTS (972-883-2787), [email protected], or visitthe School of Arts andHumanities’ web site athttp://ah.utdallas.edu/.
(Left to Right): Joseph Balancier of Mesquite, who attendsEastfield College; U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, District 5; Jeffrey Evans of
Cedar Hill, who attends El Centro College; Jacquelyn Gonzalez of GrandPrairie, who attends Mountain View College; Roslynn Almas of Dallas,
who attends Brookhaven College; DCCCD Trustee Martha SanchezMetzger; and Dr.Wright Lassiter, DCCCD's chancellor.
Sharon Hirschy (Left), early childhood develop-ment professor, and Elaine Boski-Wilkinson,
department of education chair, were installed asco-presidents of the Child Development
Educator's Association for Texas Associate DegreePrograms during the annual Texas Community
College Teachers Association conference.
Minority Opportunity News - The Gazette • March 08 - March 14, 2007 • Page 7Visit Our Website At www.MONTheGazette.com
Email EntertainmentNews And Events to
Legendary Isley Brothers PerformAt Nokia Grand Prairie
Indulge Yourself In Dance, Spoken Word,Literature And Comedy This March At
The Black Academy Of Arts And LettersFirst formed in the early'50s, the Isley Brothersenjoyed one of the longest,most influential, and mostdiverse careers in the pan-theon of popular music,
The first generation of Isleysiblings was born and raised inCincinnati, OH, where theywere encouraged to begin asinging career by their father,himself a professional vocalist,and their mother, a churchpianist who provided musicalaccompaniment at their earlyperformances. Initially a gospelquartet, the group was com-prised of Ronald, Rudolph,O'Kelly, and Vernon Isley; afterVernon's 1955 death in a bicy-cling accident, tenor Ronaldwas tapped as the remainingtrio's lead vocalist. I
In 1957, the brothers wentto New York City to record astring of failed doo wop sin-gles; while performing a spirit-ed reading of the song "LonelyTeardrops" in Washington,D.C. The call-and-responseclassic "Shout" failed to reachthe pop Top 40 on its initialrelease, it eventually became afrequently covered classic.
Still, success eluded theIsleys, and only after they leftRCA in 1962 did they againhave another hit, this timewith their seminal cover of theTop Notes' "Twist and Shout."Like so many of the brothers'
early R&B records, "Twist andShout" earned greater commer-cial success when later renderedby a white group -- in this case,
the Beatles, During a 1964tour, they recruited a youngguitarist named Jimmy James toplay in their backing band;James -- who later shot to fameunder his given name, JimiHendrix -- made his firstrecordings with the Isleys,including the single "Testify,"issued on the brothers' own T-Neck label.
In 1973, the Isleys scored amassive hit with their rock-funkfusion cover of their own earliersingle "Who's That Lady," reti-tled "That Lady, Pt. 1"; thealbum 3 + 3 also proved highlysuccessful, as did 1975's TheHeat Is On, which spawned thesmash "Fight the Power, Pt. 1."As the decade wore on, the
group again altered its sound tofit into the booming disco mar-ket; while their success on popradio ran dry, they frequentlytopped the R&B charts withsingles like 1977's "The Pride,"1978's "Take Me to the NextPhase, Pt. 1.
On March 31, 1986, O'Kellydied of a heart attack; Rudolphsoon left to join the ministry,but the group reunited in 1990.Although the individual mem-bers continued with solo workand side projects, the IsleyBrothers forged on in one formor another throughout thedecade; in 1996, now consistingof Ronald, Marvin, and Ernie,they released the album Missionto Please. Ronald and Erniehooked up several years later forEternal (2001), a brand-newselection of R&B cuts featuringcollaborative efforts with JillScott, Jimmy Jam and TerryLewis, and Raphael Saadiq. Onthat particular release, Ronaldalso introduced the alter egoMr. Biggs. Body Kiss (2003)and Baby Makin' Music (2006)followed. ~ Jason Ankeny, AllMusic Guide
The Silent Partner PresentsThe Isley Brothers, March 23rd, 8:00 PM at The Nokia. Topurchase tickets, contactTicketmaster online atTicketmaster.com or by phoneat 214.373.8000, metro972.647.5700.
Rap mogul Jay-Z has beenchosen to induct hip hop pio-neers Grandmaster Flash andthe Furious Five into the Rockand Roll Hall of Fame duringits ceremony in New York onMarch 12.
Also, the legendary ArethaFranklin has agreed to per-form in honor of the lateAhmet Ertegun, who served asthe Chairman of the Rock andRoll Hall of Fame Foundationand spoke during the opening
of each induction ceremony.For the first time ever, VH1
will air the Rock and Roll Hallof Fame ceremony live. PearlJam's Eddie Vedder will inductR.E.M. and the Rolling Stones'Keith Richards will usher in theRonettes. Patti Smith will beinducted by reclusive RageAgainst The Machine vocalistZach de la Rocha.
Also, Velvet Revolver willintroduce Van Halen, whomade headlines last week after
their summer tour with originalvocalist David Lee Roth wasscrapped.The group's camp hasyet to make any statementabout which members, if any,will attend the event.
March explodes with dance,music, literature and comedy atThe Black Academy of Arts andLetters (TBAAL). With vibrantprograms including TBAALhosting the 71st NationalAssociation of Dramatic andSpeech Arts Conference, the3rd Annual Weekend Festival ofBlack Dance, RoundtableWriters Breakfast with P.J.Gibson, Five Men on a Stool,and Comedy Night at the Musefeaturing BET’s ComicViewStar, Muhammad, March willjump with excitement atTBAAL.
If industry professionals intheatre, film, television and artsadministration are looking foryouth with promise, take a jour-ney to Dallas, March 14-17,2007 as TBAAL hosts the 71stNational Association ofDramatic and Speech Arts(NADSA) Conference.NADSA is one of the country’sonly predominantly African-American educational theatreconferences that showcase someof the brightest students frommore than thirty African-American institutions. Studentscompete in various theatricalcompetitions critiqued byindustry professionals. Notedcelebrities who are slated toserve as guest judges and lectur-ers include Erykah Badu,Meshach Taylor and ToneaStewart.
The 3rd Weekend Festival ofBlack Dance kicks the month ofMarch into overdrive under thetheme “Rhythm and Soul of aPeople”, Friday, March 16 and
Saturday, March 17, 2007, 8p.m. nightly on The BlackAcademy of Arts and Letter’sNaomi Bruton Main Stage.
Noted playwright, author,poet and laureate, P.J. Gibson,joins TBAAL in its extremelypopular Literary Voices Series –Roundtable Writes Breakfast,March 17, 2007 from 10 a.m. –Noon in TBAAL’s Room T-203.A powerful voice in black andAmerican theatre, she will talkabout her works and lead aprovocative discussion on thestate of black playwrights andtheir presence in American andWorld theatre.
If you enjoyed the musicalgenius of 3-Mo Tenors, thenwait until you see 5 Men on aStool, Saturday, March 24,2007 at 3 p.m. and 8 p.m. inTBAAL’s Clarence Muse CaféTheatre. This Atlanta basedphenomenon is a contemporary
R&B/Jazz ensemble accompa-nied by a touch of the spokenword. The group consists offour tremendously talentedindividuals with an All-Starrhythm section representingthe “fifth” man.
Closing out March withriotous laughter is P. Diddy’sBad Boys of Comedy andBET’s ComicView star,Muhammad. Comedy Nightat the Muse is a night of side-splitting laughter, Friday,March 30, 2007 and Saturday,March 31, 2007 at 9 p.m.nightly on The Black Academyof Arts and Letters ClarenceMuse Café Theatre stage.
For ticket information toany of these breathtaking pro-grams, please call TBAAL’sBox Office (214) 743-2400,Ticketmaster (214) 373-8000or visit our website atwww.TBAAL.org.
Dallas Theater Center AnnouncesOpening Night Of Fences
Jay-Z, Aretha Tapped For Rock Hall Ceremony
Dallas Theater Centerannounces the opening night ofAugust Wilson’s Fences onTuesday, March 13, 2007 at7:30pm, Kalita HumphreysTheater, 3636 Turtle CreekBlvd. at Blackburn.
A modern masterpiece byone of America’s finest con-temporary playwrights, Fencesis the best of August Wilson’sepic cycle of plays chroniclingthe African-American experi-ence in the 20th century.Wilson zeroes in on TroyMaxson, a former star of theNegro Baseball Leagues who iscoming to terms with his ownlost dreams while struggling to
hold onto his pride and keep hisfamily together. Fences is a stun-ning portrayal of a family at themercy of the American dream.
Directed by Jonathan Wilson,
Fences is produced in collabora-tion with Hartford Stage andPortland Center Stage.
Call 214-522-8499 for moreinfo.
West Africa’s Amazones Women MasterDrummers And Dance Company of Guinea
Page 8 • March 08 - March 14, 2007 • Minority Opportunity News - The Gazette Visit Our Website At www.MONTheGazette.com
IRVINGDO YOU WANT AN EXCITINGAND REWARDING CAREER?
PURSUE A CAREER AS A POLICE OFFICER OR FIREFIGHTER!
The City of Irving does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, reli-gion, age, or disability in employment or the provision of services.
www.ci.irving.tx.us
SIGN UP TO TAKE THE CITY OF IRVING’S NEXT
CIVIL SERVICE ENTRANCE EXAM. CALL (972) 721-2532 TO REGISTER.
• Competitive wages• Array of benefits• Education incentive pay• . . . and more
CITY OFPLANO, TEXAS
POLICE HOTLINE (972) 941-7299
FIRE HOTLINE (972) 941-7402
24 HOUR CAREER INFORMATION HOTLINE
(972) 941-7116
Home Page: www.plano.gov
FAX (972) 941-7239
AA / EOE /ADA
Career Opportunities -Contact Marketing to advertise in our career opportunity section 972-606-7498
Fax or Email copy for quote: Fax: 972-509-9058; Email: [email protected]
Seeking An Energetic, Telephone Advertising SalesPro For Classified and Small Business Accounts.
Must have: Experience, Sales Skills, Good People Skills, the Ability toClose. Part-Time (aprox. 20 hrs per week).
Hourly pay + Commission + Bonuses
Call: 972-606-3891 voicemailFax resume to 469-366-7473 or Email: [email protected]
$10 - $12 Per Hour
Looking for a Fun Job?
Trying to Get YourFoot in the Door?Community Newspaper seeking Freelance Writers to coverCommunity Events. Familiarty with AP style a plus. Please
send your resume along with a writing sample.
Attn: Publisher • Email: [email protected]: 972-606-3891 • Fax: 469-366-7473
EOE
We are currently looking for Photographers. If you havePhoto Journalism experience or excellent photography
skills, please email or fax your resume to:
Attn: PublisherEmail: [email protected]
Phone: 972-606-3891 • Fax: 469-366-7473EOE
CITY OF CARROLLTONCivil Engineer-Building Inspection
Detention Officer I
Dispatcher III –Shift Supervisor
Equipment Operator II—Asphalt
Internal Auditor
Maintenance Technician
Plans Examiner
Public Safety Dispatcher I
School Crossing Guard
Seasonal Maintenance Worker
Signs & Markings Installer
Utilities Service Repairer
Victim Advocate
P. O. Box 110535 Carrollton, TX 75011-0535FAX: (972) 466-4789 Email: [email protected]
Website: http://www.cityofcarrollton.com Job Hotline: (972) 466-3376Human Resources 1945 E. Jackson Road
Equal Opportunity Employer
Temporary Warehouse PositionsHarcourt, Inc., a major international publisher, has immediateopenings for temporary warehouse persons at its Lewisville, TXDistribution Center. Salary $8.50-$9.00 per hour.
Responsibilities: Responsible for the physical & parts of the cleri-cal receipt, storage, picking & shipping of product, done in an accu-rate (quality), safe & timely manner. Must be willing to work invarious departments; cross-train; assist where needed.
Experience: Must be able to communicate, do a wide variety ofphysical tasks such as stand & walk for long periods, handle &move boxes up-to 45 lbs., operate a variety of powered industrialvehicles, work with moving machinery, exercise caution in workingwith such vehicles & machinery. Must also be able to read andinterpret replenishment labels, picking labels, safety signs, do basicmath (match numbers, count, etc.) & other related paperwork.
Applications accepted M-F between 8-3 at:
Harcourt, Inc.1175 N. Stemmons Freeway
Lewisville, TX 75067972-459-6000
EOE / M / F / D / V / AA
Closing Date: 3/16/07
TISEO PAVING COMPANY419 E. Hwy. 80, Mesquite, TX 75150
Tel: (972) 289-0723 Fax: (972) 216-5637www.tiseopaving.com
Performing Concrete StreetPaving in the Metroplex Area
We Accept Subcontracting Bids For AllPublic Works Project in the Dallas Area
We Are Accepting Applications forConcrete Mixer Drivers and Heavy
Equipment Mechanics
Equal Opportunity Employer
CITY OF PLANOinvites applications for POLICE OFFICER.
The Plano Police Department is a nationallyaccredited law enforcement agency with strongcommunity values. Historically, Plano achieves
one of the lowest crime rates for Texas cities witha population over 100,000. Training and equipment
are provided. After 36 months, a Plano officer’sbase salary is more than $66,000.
The City of Plano Civil Service EntranceExamination will occur on
Saturday, May 5, 2007 at 8:00 AM.
You must pre-register to take the exam.Additional information, eligibility requirements, andregistration packets are available by phoning the
hotline at 972-941-7299 or by visiting www.planop-olice.org. Registration forms must be received
prior to 5:00 PM on Monday, April 16, 2007.
Plano’s Eyes In The Sky Page 1
along, we will investigateprocesses for allowing others togain access to critical informa-tion.”
Through the MotoMesh net-work police officers will be ableto take laptops into the field toaccess important crime data,and to generate and submitreports from the field. The sys-tem also enables them to useonboard cameras to sendinstant video footage back tothe dispatch center during traf-fic stops. The system isexpandable, secure and flexi-ble. It also includes cameras toperform surveillance on areaswith increased incidents ofcriminal mischief. These cam-eras can be monitored remote-ly from the field via laptopsequipped with a special PCnetwork card. The in-vehiclecamera can maintain connec-tivity at speeds up to 150 mph.The system also allows forpositioning and resource track-ing without the use of GPS
Satellites in much quicker time.The Fire department will be
using the network to transmit
data for patients in route to thehospital. The ability to transmitvideo to the hospital from theambulances will enable betterdiagnosis of a patient’s conditionand provide an additional levelof service. Future plans includethe ability to download blue-prints for a facility prior toarrival at the scene, so theresponders know whether there
are mitigating circumstances,such as hazardous material(HazMat) issues.
The first of the mobility corri-dors will be put in place in thespring along 15th Street andCoit Road for field reporting.The City will continue imple-menting mobility corridors.
As applications become avail-able, other departments will beable to mobilize their workforce,and the use of the MotoMeshnetwork will expand. The instal-lation of the system has occurredover the last year in phases.Nineteen “hot spots” wereinstalled and became opera-tional in mid December.Stephens said, “Currently we areworking on what we call ‘Phase2.’ This encompasses the designand deployment of access pointsto cover all major arterial streetsin Plano. The final phase will beto locate access points to ‘fill-in’the neighborhoods we can haveseamless coverage throughoutPlano.”
The system consists of four
radios inside a box with two ofthe radios set up for proprietarydata, one radio is used for thebackhaul transport and theremaining radio could be avail-able for public usage, mountedin various locations throughoutthe City. Public Wi-Fi accesswill be offered through an inde-pendent vendor in the nearfuture.
Plano joins a handful of U.S.cities deploying mesh systems,including Philadelphia, PA andAnaheim, CA. In November2006, Motorola brought itswares to Plano Centre for a gov-ernment exposition, allowingPlano city personnel as well asother communities and agenciesin north Texas to view up closethis emerging technology. Manycities are watching to see howPlano utilizes the new technolo-gy to decide whether they stepforward into this new frontier.Plano continues to live andthrive by the promise it made itscommunity to be “A city ofexcellence” through Technology.
Children Displaced Page 1
week, which killed at least twochildren in Mozambique, alsoseverely damaged the centralhospital at Vilanculos, as wellas an estimated 220 class-rooms.
"It is rare for a country tobe hit by two massive andsimultaneous emergencieswithin such a short period oftime," said the Head ofUNICEF in Mozambique,Leila Pakkala. "Mozambiqueresponded quickly to the
flooding, but there is no quickfix, and all our problemsaround water and sanitation,shelter, health, and educationare now exacerbated by thissevere cyclone."
The next week is "absolutelycritical" for children who havelost homes, schools and are indanger of contracting diseases."The response has been expressand effective, but it must bestressed that this can only con-tinue while resources andactions on the ground are
maintained." Current priorities for the
Government, UN agencies andnon-governmental organiza-tions (NGOs) are to ensurewater facilities are clean andserviceable, temporary healthstructures are functioning,children are back in school,and drugs and health equip-ment are delivered to all affect-ed areas.
UNICEF has already spent$3 million on helping the floodand cyclone victims, in particu-
lar by responding to the growingneeds of populations now shel-tered in camps, with such assis-tance as 500 tarpaulin sheets tobuild shelters, 10,000 cans andbuckets for fresh water andother emergency supplies.
UNICEF is the lead partnerfor nutrition, water, sanitationand hygiene and is co-leaderwith Save the Children in edu-cation and protection. It alsoworks in health, which is led bythe UN World HealthOrganization (WHO).
Minority Opportunity News - The Gazette • March 08 - March 14, 2007 • Page 9Visit Our Website At www.MONTheGazette.com
New Mt. Zion Baptist Church of DallasSunday ServiceMorning Worship
7:30 am & 10:30 am9:00 am Sunday School
Wednesday ServicePrayer Meeting 7:00 pm
Brotherhood 7:00 pmMissions 7:00 pm
Singles Group 7:00 pmBible Study 7:45 pm
Dr. Robert E. Price,Senior Pastor
A Praying Church Family“Watchmen on the Walls”
214-341-6459 (Phone) • 214-342-8403 (Fax)9550 Shepard Road
Dallas, TX 75243
www.nmzb.org (Website) • [email protected] (Email)
Church Directory
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Shiloh Missionary Baptist Church920 E. 14th Street Plano, TX
Pastor Isiah Joshua, Jr.
Sunday Worship Services 8AM & 11AM
For more information call (972) 423-6695www.shilohbaptistchurch.org
Sunday 9:45AM Sunday School
Monday 7PM Youth, Brotherhood, Mission & Young Adult Ministries
Tuesday 7PM Bible Study & Men’s ChoirWednesday 7PM Mid-Week ServiceThursday 7PM Mass Choir
Again, I thank God for wonder-ful Black women that have been agreat part in who I am and what Ihave done with my life. Each ladyis very precious and dearly loved byme.
Mrs. Cedella BakerDemus, my mother forbeing a great mother andthe glorious memories thatshe left behind. Mrs. JessieBaker Green, my aunt inClovis, NM. MinisterSheila Tarpley Lott, mydaughter; Mrs. Jewel PriceMcKenzie, my teacher andmentor; Mrs. PhemiaTinner, my precious friend;First Lady Elizabeth Whiteof Love Chapel COGIC;my sisters: Nurse EloydDemus Avery; Beautician &Hair Stylist Billie IvereeDemus Daye; EvangelistIda Demus Eggins; andTeacher Rose Demus Fielding; theyare the greatest.
Some friends over the years (inalphabetic order): Doris Bonner,Veola Bryant, Vivian Evans, StellaJohnson, Eloise Joiner, Doris King,Barbara Lewis, Frankie McFadden,Shirley Moore, Theresa Simpson,Ora Watson, Pat Wesley, AnniePearl Williams, and Judy Williams.
Black Women Postage StampHonorees: Abolitionist HarrietTubman in 1978; the first womanto be honored on a U. S. stamp, andthe first honoree in the BlackHeritage series; she organized theUnderground Railroad. MaryMcLeod Bethune in 1985, anoted educator and social activist,she was an advisor to PresidentFranklin D. Roosevelt. Sojourner
tion of electric disconnectionsduring the intense summerheat, and a provision to guaran-tee a rate based on the cost ofproviding electricity. Some ofthe participants were also rec-ognized in the Senate and alarge number of them got tovisit with their legislators and
AARP Rallies For Electric Page 1 staff. This was generally regard-ed as AARP’s most successfulrally ever in Texas and the firstone of its kind in nearly a decade.
AARP is a nonprofit, nonparti-san membership organizationthat helps people 50+ have inde-pendence, choice and control inways that are beneficial andaffordable to them and society as
a whole. They produce AARPThe Magazine, publishedbimonthly; AARP Bulletin, ourmonthly newspaper; AARPSegunda Juventud, our bimonth-ly magazine in Spanish andEnglish; NRTA Live & Learn,our quarterly newsletter for 50+educators; and our website,AARP.org.
SisterTarpley
Truth, considered one of the great-est orators of her time, she traveledand lectured on women’s rights andthe evil of slavery in1986. Ida B.Wells in 1990, she devoted her life toeducating people about the horrorsof discrimination and lynching.Bessie Coleman in 1995, the firstwoman to earn an international avia-tion license and the first licensedBlack aviator. Madam C. J.Walker
in 1998, she was one of the nation’sfirst female millionaires and an advo-cate of women’s economic independ-ence and empowerment. PatriciaRoberts Harris in 2000, she was acommitted public servant and cham-pion of civil rights, the first Blackwoman to holds a U. S.Ambassadorship and serve as amember of a Presidential Cabinet.Singer Marian Anderson in 2005,she was invited to sing the “open” atLincoln Memorial Park inWashington which drew 75.000 peo-ple; this was the largest crowd at thetime to assemble at the Memorial.Hattie McDaniel in 2006, she wasthe first Black to win an AcademyAward (the Oscar); and for 2007,Jazz Singer Ella Fitzgerald. Log onwww.usps.com for more informa-tion.
Distinguished Black Woman:Phillis Wheatley, an internationallyknown poet during theRevolutionary Period (1753-1784);Maria Stewart, outspokenAbolitionist, the first Black womanto speak in public and leave extanttexts of her addresses, her farewellspeech “What If I Am A Woman,”defended her right to speak againstslavery; Mae Jemison, M. D., the
first Black woman astro-naut. Constance Motley,first Black female federaljudge in 1966; ElizabethDuncan Koontz, an edu-cational leader who devotedher life’s work to building abetter quality of life for chil-dren through schooling andthe support of women.Hallie Quinn Brownbecame well-known as ateacher and elocutionist(the art of public speaking),she taught at AllenUniversity and TuskegeeInstitute, is probably well-known as a speaker and dra-matic reader; she recited the
works of Paul Laurence Dunbar inGermany, France, Switzerland andGreat Britain, where she appearedbefore Queen Victoria. JeanBlackwell Hutson a curator of theprestigious Schomburg Collection ofNegro Life and History, a specialnon-circulating library andautonomous research division withinthe NY Public Library system.
Email: [email protected] Office: 972-516-4191Voice Mail: 972-606-3878
Fax: 972-516-4197
Let MON-The Gazette help yourchurch accomplish the Prayer of Jabez,“Enlarge our territory to expand opportuni-ties that may impact in such a way that wetouch more lives for God’s glory. Let us domore for Him.”
March Is Women’s History Month
Dr. Leslie W Smith,Senior Pastor
NORTH DALLAS COMMUNITY BIBLE FELLOWSHIP
9 7 2 - 4 3 7 - 3 4 9 31010-1020 South Sherman Street • Richardson, TX 75081
www.ndcbf.org
SUNDAY WORSHIP SERVICES:8:00 AM • 9:30 AM • 11:30 AM
“A Spiritual Oasis for a Thirsty World” Isaiah 55:1
Church HappeningsChurch News
Healthy Beginnings Child Development Center - 972-404-1412
14120 Noel Road • Dallas, TX 75254972-239-1120 (Office) • 972-239-5925 (Fax)
[email protected] (Email)Dr. Jerome E.
McNeil, Jr., Pastor
Temple of Faith Christian Chapel C.M.E. Church
Sunday Worship Experience - 8:00 am & 10:45 amWednesday Bible Study - 12:00 Noon & 7:00 pm
“Where Jesus is the Main Attraction”
Mt. Olive Church of Plano740 Avenue F Plano, TX 75074 972-633-5511
WWW.MOCOP.ORG
Serving the PlanoCommunity for 13 Years
Sunday Worship10:00 am
Wednesday Night7:15 pm
Call Pastor Sam on:“Vision & Truth Live”
Radio Broadcast: KWRD 100.7 FM Sundays 9pm – 10pm
HEAR PASTOR SAM DAILY ON: “TRUTH MADE SIMPLE”KGGR 1040 AM MONDAY – FRIDAY @ 5:25pm – 5:30pm
Pastors Sam & Gloria Fenceroy
St. Luke A.M.E. Church (aka – SLAME)“Where we slam dunk the devil and serve up Jesus”
Reverend Charles E. Franklin, Pastor
521 W. Avenue E Garland, TX 75040 972.487.9703
Email: [email protected]
Sunday8:45 a.m. Church School
9:45 a.m. Praise & Worship10:15 a.m. Worship Experience
Thursday7:00 p.m. Choir Rehearsal
Tuesday7:15 p.m. Bible Study
Wednesday6:30 p.m. Prayer Service7:00 p.m. Church School
SundayEducation Ministries... 9:30 a.m.Worship Celebration... 11:00 am.– Nursery Facilities Available –
WednesdayFamily Ministries... 7:00 p.m.
Friendly Fellowship with A Family FocusFor More Information Call 972.542.6178
www.saintmarkbc.com • [email protected]
1308 Wilcox Street, McKinney TXPastor Charles S. Wattley
Teaching parenting and life skills,live debt free, repair or improvecredit. Learn to make nutritionalmeals, marriage and love renewalclasses. Newly wed classes; plana marriage or a divorce?Make an appointment today at972-602-3035
Divine Grace Family InstitutePastor Marshall EromonseleExecutive DirectorP.O. Box 165103Irving,TX 75016-5103972-602-3035
DENTON FULL GOSPELHOLY TEMPLE CHURCH
Last Two NightsMarch 8 & 9 @ 8 pm
Please join us for the last twonights of our Harvest TimeCrusade 2007 @ the UNTGateWay Center, 801 North TexasBlvd, with guest speakers Supt.Corby Bush, Dr. Dorinda Clark-Cole, and Dr. Marvin Sapp. Therewill be a great move of God; youdon’t want to miss this event.
For more information, please call940-484-0963.
Denton Full Gospel Holy TempleChurchElder F. H. Daniels, III, Pastor529 Bolivar StreetDenton,TX 76202940-484-0963
FELLOWSHIP BAPTISTCHURCH OF ALLEN
March, 2007FBCA Education Department is
providing GED preparationincluding pre-testing and tutoring,this FREE service is providedevery Wednesday @ 6 pm. If youor someone you know needs assis-tance, please contact the church @972-356-9956 for further details
March 23 @ 7 pmPlease join us as our Men
Empowered by Christ presents“2007 TransformationConference” with Pastor EricBrown, The Living RevelationCenter.
March 24 @ 8:30 amOur Saturday’s Seminar will fea-
ture Pastor A. A. Todd fromPleasant Grove Missionary BaptistChurch who will speak on “Men ofGod—Men of Purpose, Peace,
Promise and Prosperity.” Rev.Dwight Harris from FBCA willspeak on “Transformation intothe Likeness of Christ.” PastorCharles Malone from The LittleBethel Baptist Church will speakon “Transformation into a BetterHusband and a Better Father.”Pastor Perry from True ImageMinistry will provide the“Ministry of Music.”
March 25 @ 11 amYou don’t want to miss Pastor
Darrell Ferguson from ShilohBaptist Church,Wilmington, NCas he speaks on “Ministry of theWord.”
For more information and reg-istration fees about the above2007 Transformation Conferenceplease call Deacon Michael Polk@ 469-667-3068
Fellowship B. C. of AllenRev.W. L. Stafford, Sr., M. Div.Senior Pastor200 Belmont DriveAllen,TX 75013972-359-9956
NEW LIFE FELLOWSHIPCHURCH OF ROWLETT
March 18th @ 4 pmPlease join us for our Church
Celebration in 2007. This year’stheme is, "Getting Ready for theAbundant Harvest," Amos 9:15.The dynamic and anointedspeaker of the hour will be PastorW. L. Stafford, Sr., M. Div.,Senior Pastor of FellowshipBaptist Church of Allen, TX andhis congregation. Also, specialguest, Bishop Eric Henderson,Pastor of New Life Ministry inDallas and his congregation. Weare expecting a Spirit-FilledWorship Service with you as wegive praises to God for 17 yearsof ministry!
For more information, pleasecall New Life Fellowship Church@ 972-463-4964.
New Life FellowshipChurch of RowlettBishop M. E. Johnson, Jr.,Senior PastorPastor Bobby J. Hill, Jr.,Co-Pastor7401 Miler RoadRowlett,TX 75088972-463-4964
AVENUE F CHURCHOF CHRIST
March 18-21, 20079:45 am & 2:30 pm
You are cordially invited to ourSpring Revival; this meeting hasbeen tailored to rejuvenate, revital-ize and recharge each of us; mind,body and soul. Brother RodneyDulin of the Central Pointe Churchof Christ and Brother ThomasFitzgerald, Jr. of the East SideChurch of Christ in Forney willproclaim God’s plan and purposefor our lives.
Sunday Morning Bible Class willbegin at 9:45 am; Morning Worshipat 10:45; and Sunday afternoonprogram begins at 2:30 pm; we willhonor Brother Oscar Bailey for hisdedication and love toward thiscongregation for over 45 years. Allservices through the week will beginat 7 pm. Please come and get refu-eled with us.
Avenue F Church of ChristBrother Ramon Hodridge,Minister1026 Avenue F Plano,TX 75074972-423-8833
COALITION OF CHURCHESIN PRISON MINISTRYOn-Going Mentor Program
True Lee Baptist Church, 3907Bertrand Avenue, Dallas, TX75210, 214-421-9435, Rev. DonaldParish, Pastor, is working with amentor program for children of par-ents that are incarcerated. Come orcall to find out how to get involved.
For more information, donations,and volunteering, please callCarolyn Johnson @ 972-235-6432.
Coalition of ChurchesIn Prison MinistryRev. Isaac Johnson,CoordinatorP. O. Box 225863Dallas,TX 75222-5863972-235-6432 or 214-632-6519
DIVINE GRACEFAMILY INSTITUTEEvery Saturday in 2007
9 am - 11 am or 4 pm - 6 pmA Division of DGIM, Inc. 501 (c)
3 non-profit organization; we are,“Helping to raise families that willhear God’s voice and do His will.”
Picture of The WeekMotivational Speaker Angle Clay (right); she auto-
graphed a copy of her CD,“Experiencing God’s Lovein The Midst of . . .” for Sister Tarpley.
Avenue F Church of Christ1026 Avenue F • Plano, TX 75074 • 972-423-8833“Our Pilgrimage to Heaven in 2007” -
Hebrews 11:13-16Sunday Bible Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9:45 amSunday Morning Worship . . . . . . . . . .10:45 amMen Bible Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5:00 pmWomen Bible Class . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5:00 pmEvening Worship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6:00 pmWednesday Bible Class . . . . . . . . . . . . .7:00 pm
Radio Program @ 7:30 am on KHVN 970 AM Sunday MorningsEmery Tease, Associate Minister
www.avefchurchofchrist.orgRamon Hodridge, Minister
Page 10 • March 08 - March 14, 2007 • Minority Opportunity News - The Gazette Visit Our Website At www.MONTheGazette.com
Church Directory – To Advertise Please Contact Us At 972-606-7498
Minority Opportunity News -The Gazette 1100 Summit, Suite 101 (@ Avenue K) Plano,Texas 75074Phone: 972.516.2992 Fax: 972.509.9058 Email: [email protected]
Macedonia Ministries702 S. Mill Street • Lewisville, TX 75057
9 7 2 - 4 3 6 - 2 0 1 1
“We Choose Love to Nourish and Cherish One Another”John 13:34 & Ephesians 5:28-29
www.macedoniaministries.com
Saturday: Intercessory Prayer @ 7:00 am
Sunday Services: Sunday School @ 9:30 am • Morning Worship @ 11:00 am
Monday Service: Men’s Group & Women’s Group Bible Study @ 6:30 pm
Wednesday Service: Family Bible Study @ 6:30 pm
T.J. Denson, Pastor
New Life Fellowship Church of RowlettBishop Miller E. Johnson, Senior Pastor
New Worship Home7401 Miller Road • Rowlett, TX 75088
972-463-4964Sunday Life Bible School . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9:30 a.m.Sunday Life Celebration Worship Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10:45 a.m.First Sunday: Ingredients for Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4:00 p.m.Wednesdays: Life In The Word Prayerand Bible Study . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7:00 p.m.
A Place of New Beginnings. . . II Corinthians 5:17
“The Church with a Vision”
Dr. C. Paul McBride, Pastor
4396 Main StreetThe Colony, Texas 75056
(972) 625-8186website: www.fbc-online.net
Friendship Baptist Church
Schedule of Services:Sunday
Early Morning Worship8:00 a.m.
Sunday School Classes9:30 a.m.
Morning Worship11:00 a.m.
Evening Worship (1st Sunday) 6:00 p.m.
TuesdayEarly Bird Bible Study 6:00 p.m.
WednesdayMorning Bible Study 9:30 a.m.Prayer Meeting and 7:30 p.m.Evening Bible Study
Mocha Sisters Inaugural Community Service Award
Collin County Gospel Explosion Hype And Humble Empowerment Breakfast
Dr. C. Paul McBride, SeniorPastor of Friendship BaptistChurch of The Colony; was therecipient of the InauguralCommunity Service Award ofThe Mocha SistersOrganization, Inc. (MSO) attheir first Annual ScholarshipBanquet for the support andcontributions his church hasmade over the years to TheColony and other surroundingcommunities.
Pastor Paul, as his membersand friends call him, has beensenior pastor of FriendshipBaptist Church for 23 years.He has been married to SisterIda for 43 years. They have
three children: Paul,Vickie, andChris. They have nine grand-children, and two great grandchildren.
Pastor Paul’s awards anddegrees are many: AssociateDegree in Computer Science,Child Development, andMoney Management. He is aCertified MarriageCounselor and DeaconTrainer. He has served onvarious committees with theDallas Baptist Association(DBA) and the BaptistGeneral Convention of Texas(BGCT), including Presidentand First Vice President ofBCGT.
He was chosen by the BaptistWorld Alliance for a MissionTrip to Africa. Pastor Paul and
Sister Ida also attended OxfordRound Table ReligiousDiscussions held in Oxford,
England. As Pastor of FBC,they completed three buildingprograms. Out of all of his
awards and accolades, theMocha SistersOrganization, Inc.Inaugural CommunityService Award is amonghis proudest. He is quickto say, “My churchbelieves in service to peo-ple and communities; thisis a great part in whatGod commands us to do.We don’t do communityservice to be seen or get a
pat on the back; we are honoredand grateful that God hasblessed us to be noticed by oth-
ers and to be an example forothers to see. We pray that theyemulate God’s love and Hisconcerns.”
MSO, a 501© (3) non-profitorganization stated, “We proud-ly elected you as the recipient ofone of our 2006 ServiceAwards.” “Since the majority ofour members’ time is spent incommunity service; we believethe community service works ofFriendship Baptist Church mir-ror those of our organization,which is why we have chosenyou as a recipient.”
MSO’s mission is, “To articu-late and promote communityawareness (community service);
bring unity among women,teach networking skills withother influential and innova-tive women of color; providescholarships and a mentoringprogram for African-Americanfemales.” View them online:www.mochasisters.org orwww.mochasisters.com.
Mr. Tim Brown, HeismanTrophy winner and a 17-yearNFL veteran was the Masterof Ceremony. The event washeld at Paul Quinn College inDallas. There was excellentfood, wonderful music, greatentertainment, raffles, a silentauction and a salute to BlackHistory Month.
If the first is an example ofwhat’s to come, citizens inCollin County and surround-ing counties can look forwardto bigger and better things inthe future.
Pastor Wayne L. Stafford,Sr. M Div of FellowshipBaptist Church of Allen(FBCA) was energized andvery enthusiastic when hecame on the stage; and withthe line-up of entertainmentyet to come, it became clearwhy he was excited aboutwhat was in store for theaudience.
The 1st Annual CollinCounty Gospel Explosionwas a rousing success. If any-one left un-inspired and un-motivated they were there inphysical presence only.
Pastor Stafford stated thatGod had given him thisvision to uplift and encourageadults and young peoplealike. This great event had tobe God-Inspired.
As the Master ofCeremony, Pastor Staffordwas on fire for God the entireconcert and when time wasup, members in the audiencewere not ready to leave, in
fact, it seemed that the prais-ing and honoring God was justgetting started. PastorStafford predicted that Godwill take future events to thenext level; and with the recep-tion that the gospel explosionreceived, the 2nd CollinCounty Gospel Explosion in2008 will be highly anticipat-ed. Start making your plans fora great time in the Lord in2008.
The Gospel Explosion beganwith an opening prayer byReverend Dwight Harris, fol-lowed with Holy praises toGod by the Voices ofInspiration, the FBCA PraiseTeam. The True Praize MusicGroup brought the audienceto their feet as they addedtheir voices. Soloist, PastorCharles Lasiter, II, didn’tleave a stone unturned whenhe was on the stage.
The FBCA Choir under thedirection of Sister EvelynBeachum kept the GospelExplosion moving in praises toGod. They returned to thestage featuring the dynamicand on-fire-for-God, ElderDaniel Davis. The audiencewas in for a special treat when
Pastor Davis joined the choir;everyone was on their feetclapping and praising God tothe highest.
If you ever have an opportu-nity to hear Pastor Niyi Adamsplay his saxophone or get oneof his CD’s don’t miss theopportunity. He was absolute-ly wonderful. He took theaudience to Heaven and back.
Pastor Stafford personallythanked Pastor Nosa of Ariseand Shine Ministries introduc-ing FBCA to his Sons in theGospel, Pastor Daniel Davisand Pastor Niyi Adams.
Ms. Candace Watson, TV host/producer, author, founder andCEO of Hype and Humble, host-ed the organization’s first Texas“Empowerment BreakfastConference at the Melrose Hotelin Dallas. Hype and Humble is anon-profit organization thatassists adults and youths in crisissituations, they are also dedicatedto empowering individuals backto stability.
Ms.Watson, Angela Clay, andMON-The Gazette’s ReligiousEditor, Sister Shirley Tarpley gavemotivational speeches.
Ms. Clay empowered the atten-dees to improve their lives bylearning and using five goodwords: Dream, Believe, Pursue,Focus and Expect.
Sister Tarpley spoke on thetopic “12 Things the Negro MustDo For Him/Herself” by NannieHelen Burroughs, written in theearly 1900’s. Although the essaywas written over 100 years ago,Sister Tarpley expressed how thepoints were still relevant today.
Hype and Humble has futureplans for a day of pampering forwomen in homeless and domes-tic violence shelters; celebrity auc-tions, makeovers and job training.They offer resource and referralprograms for individuals in need.
Candace Watson can be con-tacted at [email protected],Angela Clay can be reached atwww.angelaclay.com.
Pastor Daniel Davis leading FBCA Sanctuary Choir in songs and praises.
Pastor Nosa of Arise and ShineMinistries with Pastor W.L. Stafford,Sr. of FBCA @ the 1st Annual Collin
County Gospel Explosion.
Group of attendees (L to R) Front: Shelia White;Wanda Jones;Tashmdra Smith;Vanessa Womac; Pastor Wanda Walker; and
Candace Watson, Founder & CEO of Hype and Humble.(L to R) Back: Angela Clay, Motivational Speaker; Jenette Smith,
Dwana Kibby, Roslyn Dodge, and Kanisha Causey.
