VOL XIII ISSUE 22 June 17, 2015 www.garlandjournal.com

GARLANDJournal

We salute you -Joyce Ann

Brown

JUSTICE

2 ,JUNE 17, 2015 w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m METRO

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w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m J U N E 17, 2015 3 METRO

A salute to Fathers

By Congresswoman

Eddie Bernice Johnson

Eddie Bernice Johnson represents the state of Texas’ 30th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives.

When I was growing up my late father, Edward Johnson, was deeply proud of me, my two sisters and my brother. He encouraged us to excel in school, to read books, to attend

church and to prepare for our futures. He was always there for us, during times of great joy and sadness.

Like my father, most fathers want the very best for their children. They want them to have a better quality of life than they experienced, and they do all that they can to ensure that their children begin life with a solid foundation.

Fathers have always worked very hard to provide their families with the basic necessities of life. Often, some have worked more than one job to pay the bills, and to purchase those items that their children said that they had to have. Fathers have been anchors in the lives of their children.

Once each year in this country we take time to say a very special “thank you” to our fathers if they are still living, and to remember those who are no longer with us. Ties, socks, wallets, suits, shoes and other items are purchased and given as gifts. Special messages of appreciation and reflection are written inside of Father’s Day cards.

Being a father is very special, and the day to salute all of those who have stood tall and strong is celebrated this year on June 21st. The first Father’s Day was held on June 19th in 1910. It came two years after the first Mother’s Day celebration.

In 1966, former President Lyndon Baines Johnson issued a presidential proclamation that officially designated the third Sunday in June as Father’s Day. Six years later, former President Richard M. Nixon signed legislation acknowledging Father’s Day as an official United States holiday.

I would like to salute every father in the 30th Congressional District, and fathers everywhere who have nurtured and guided their children through good times and bad. I applaud them for loving their children, for protecting them and for insisting that they pursue excellence as students and greatness as human beings.

I salute all fathers for the sacrifices that they have made, for the encouragement that they have given, for the prayers that they have uttered and for the examples that they have set. All that they have done has been helpful to their children, and for that their children will remain eternally grateful. Have a blessed Father’s Day.

- WRR-FM, the station for classical music and the arts will launch a new jazz show on Sunday June 7th at 7:00 pm. Jazz at Fair Park will be a new weekly program that can be heard throughout North Texas at 101.1 FM or worldwide at wrr101.com. Jazz music will be added to the classical format because WRR views jazz as an American form of chamber music. This important musical genre has influenced generations of classical composers and performers just as jazz has been influenced by classical music. It is also a part of the fabric of American life and is closely interwoven with Broadway, television, film and most forms of popular music that appeals to the listeners of WRR. Jazz at Fair Park will be hosted by DFW-area arts & cultural expert and jazz aficionado Vicki Meek. The one hour show will feature occasional interviews, music and “live” performances by jazz musicians of note from the local area, Texas and around the world. Each month will feature a particular jazz style or period in history influenced by jazz music and musicians. This is the first full-length jazz program produced by WRR and one of the few available anywhere in the nation. Jazz at Fair Park is a reflection of the station’s commitment to bringing great music and art to all residents of its listening area. “I am so thrilled to be able to continue promoting jazz by hosting WRR’s newest show, Jazz at Fair Park. I have been committed to sharing this music which Chamber Music America includes in the American classical music genre and what better place to do that than on Dallas’ premier classical radio station. I hope all those classic jazz fans will tune in on Sundays to hear some great music - because that’s

what I promise to bring them,” stated Vicki Meek. Jazz at Fair Park will be produced and broadcasted from the historic WRR studios in Fair Park. WRR is a program of the City of Dallas / Office of Cultural Affairs. For more information call (214) 670-8888. WRR 101.1 FM is a 24-hour classical music station; the only one of its kind in the State of Texas and is the oldest same-owner station in the United States. WRR was the first licensed broadcast station in Texas and one of the nation’s five inaugural stations. Owned by the City of Dallas and operated by the Office of Cultural Affairs, the station was licensed in August 1921 and originally served as a Dallas Fire Rescue communications tool. When not fighting fires, the fire fighters blazed the broadcast trail by playing music. An integral component of the City of Dallas’ commitment to providing arts access and opportunities to all its citizens, the 100,000 watt station broadcasts a digital signal with a 100 mile terrestrial reach and is streamed online at wrr101.com. WRR generates revenue through advertising to sustain its operations budget and maintains a capital improvement fund. For more information about chamber music log onto (www.chamber-music.org

JAZZ is in the air at WRR-FM

Commissioner John Wiley Price on Juneteenth4 ,JUNE 17, 2015 w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m EDITORIAL PERSPECTIVES

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w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m J U N E 17, 2015 5 EDITORIAL PERSPECTIVES

Dr. Curtis King is a man who maintains his spiritual and moral balance by keeping one foot firmly ensconced in history and the other foot fastened to the future. The CEO and founder of The Black Academy of Arts and Letters is always a step ahead because like the Sankofa Bird, his duality of vision allows him to see South and North simultaneously. But I ain’t gon’lie…When I heard that this year’s youth production was entitled “Congo Street, The Musical, it sent me scrambling for answers.

So let me confess, I’m like most of you. You know you don’t know, but you want to make it look like you know, so you Google it. I Googled it. But there was no mention of “Congo Street the Musical” that ever played on Broadway or any other theatrical venue in Manhattan. It has not been seen on the East or the West coast nor has anyone witnessed this play in any of the artsy enclaves around the country.

If you are going to see “Congo Street, The Musical,” you will have to make your way to Dallas’ Black Academy of Arts and Letters for their 31st Annual Summer Youth Arts Institute. And when you show up, ticket in hand on June 26th and 27th, its gon’ go down like four flat tires on a Cadillac. You ain’t never had this much fun for $4, and more importantly, you will lift the hearts of almost 500 young people who will make this scintilla of Dallas’ history come alive.

It is a rare occasion that editorialists have the need or opportunity to interview one-on- one. But I was gifted with a chance to sit down and talk with a man who never has time to sit down and talk. After posing my first question, which related to the method and meaning of Congo Street, the vision and vapor of Dr. King’s passion for this work filled the room.

But first let me give you a little background about how the Congo

Street project; situated on what looks like a short alley in Jubilee Park (Old East Dallas), came to be.

According to the Inhabitat website which tracks innovation and technology in civil engineering, Congo Street was a lofty Green project.

“Before work began, Congo Street was a collection of small houses in a state of disrepair. Many residents had lived there for years in houses that had been handed down from parents or grandparents, but the area was slated for redevelopment. Rather than evict the residents, the project began to sustainably reconstruct the street and give residents secure, low maintenance and reliable housing. bcWorkshop held many community workshops and meetings to come up with a workable plan, which involved building a whole new house for families to live in while their own home was being rebuilt.

Working with architecture students from UT Arlington as well as AmeriCorps, Volunteers in Service to America, and several local service groups, bcWorkshop carefully deconstructed each home and then rebuilt new ones to accommodate the families. The original homes were around 625 sq ft and the largest of the new homes was increased to 975 sq ft. Wood and siding from the original dwellings was reclaimed and reused as siding, stairs, railings and decorative finishes.

After the homes were completed, the next phase of work began to make Congo Street Dallas’s first “Green Street.” This involved incorporating storm water management, retention, and bio-filtration into the street to make it a safer place to live, and solar power and thermal systems were installed on each rooftop to reduce utility costs. These projects were all funded with support from the city, various community foundations and many volunteers.”

The good news is that Dr. Curtis

King went to see what couldn’t be seen with the naked eye. He was bold enough to beg the question of cultural residue and what happens to our history when gentrification takes root. It is a question that we need to ask forcefully and far more often because slowly what African Americans once knew as our community is being bought or bossed by someone else.

“What I think was fascinating is how our community is being

gentrified and I have to blame us. Even when communities moved from their rural havens to urban hubs, they took their folkways and their mores with them. They

stored communal memories and mannerisms in old trunks and boxes. The grandmothers and great-great grandmothers gathered birth certificates and the family bible whose preface contained the line and lineage of their respective clans.

They would make scrapbooks of the few pictures they had. Even though their communities were being shattered, they reconstructed and regained the culture” says

King. “They transferred their history and sadly we are not doing that. We allow people to destroy our culture as they create their own new communities.”

Dr. King began his own historical

sojourn and visited the community after talking in depth with his friend, Philip Collins. “These people were clinging to their history by the skin of their teeth.” King said that the residents talked about one resident would listen to the Blues with their windows open on a street full of shotgun houses and provide music for the whole community. Artists like B.B. King and KokoTaylor (“We gonna’ pitch a Wang Dang Doodle all night long”) fused the souls and spirits of a people who commiserated about their hard times and poverty but never lost hope.

The hopes for the success of “Congo Street, The Musical” are so high that WFAA Channel 8 and John McCaa came knocking to see what all the fuss was about. And as you listen to these children…your children; sing secular and sacred songs during rehearsal, you will want to come to see what’s going

on too. Bring your FOUR dollars and

your FIVE senses to see “Congo Street, The Musical.” You will laugh, you will love, but most importantly you will learn!!!

Quit Playin’ Vincent Hall

Vincent L. Hall is an author and award-winning columnist.

HALL: Congo Street – A Lesson Learned!

6 ,JUNE 17, 2015 w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m CALENDAR DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE

Cordially invites all District 4 citizens to our

Appreciation DaySaturday, June 20, 201510 a.m. - 3 p.m.Saturday, June 20, 201510 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Glendale Park1515 E. LedbetterDallas, Texas 75216214-670-0781

Glendale Park1515 E. LedbetterDallas, Texas 75216214-670-0781

FREE foodand beverages

Prize drawings

Music

Attendees areencouraged tobring a pre-sliceddessert to sharewith others

CouncilmanDwaine R. CarawayDistrict 4

June 18The Dallas Civil Rights Museum, housed at the Martin Luther King, Jr. Community Center, has launched its new Dr. Jerry B. Chambers Lecture series, named after the former MLK Advisory Board member who passed away in April 2015. Dr. Jerry B. Chambers was a long-time educator and Civil Rights activist with a passion for teaching students about Black history.The first speaker in the lecture series is Cheryl Brown Wattley, author of A Step Toward Brown v. Board of Education: Ada Lois Sipuel Fisher and Her Fight to End Segregation.

BALCH SpRINGS CHAMBER OF COMMERCE  11:30AM-12:30pM

                   SpEAKER: GENE DUBOSE, ESq., pRINCIpALDUBOSE LEGAL GROUp, pC

 TOpIC: "CASE CLOSED: WHy yOU NEVER WANT TO FILE A LAWSUIT UNLESS yOU CAN AFFORD TO

LOSE"   

Entrepreneur Chris Howell Sr. is coming to Th3rd Thursday Champion's Luncheon, June 18, 2015 @12noon. Salazar Center, 2201 Main Street, Suite 440 Dallas, TX  75201 

June 20Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas will host a prostate Health Educational Symposium. Reverend Dr. Frederick D. Haynes, III, Senior pastor, and Reverend James L. Fitzgerald, pastor of pastoral Care and a prostate cancer survivor, are inviting members of the local community to learn more about the disease and to get free prostate cancer screening.

***********Volunteer opportunities at the 35TH National Veterans Wheelchair Games, Saturday, June 20 through Saturday, June 27 at Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, Dallas Sheraton and other venues during the week including Southern Methodist University, Fair park and McInnish park.*****MetropCS presents Juneteenth Celebration and Festival – June 20thFree family friendly event is being held from noon to 6 p.m. at City Hall plaza

******First Annual Juneteenth Collard Green Cultural FestivalCelebrating African Cultural Traditions and Historical Contributions of people of African Decent,

while promoting Family Unity and Healthy Eatingpan African Connection and Resource Center AT 7p.M.Call 972-897-3736 or 214-943-8262

**************District 4 Appreciation Day, with Councilman Dwaine Caraway, 10a-3p at Glendale park

June 21HAppy FATHER’S DAy

The Bad Boys of R&B - Starring Jodeci + Tony!  Toni ! Tone'! and more! at Verizon Theatre , 1001 performance place Grand prairie, TX 75050

A Fathers Table 2015 at Gilley’s

June 24Great Chefs. Great Food. Great Cause.   The 2nd Annual Flavors of Dallas is a unique gourmet experience with DFW Top Chefs assembling for a night of exquisite food, fine wines, and elaborate table décor designed by each chef.  Each guest sits tableside while watching and interacting with the chef throughout the evening as a 5 course dinner paired with wines is prepared and served for a table of 12.  6:30 p.m. – No Host Reception/Silent Auction Hyatt Regency Dallas, 300 Reunion Blvd Dallas

June 2721st Annual Cheryl Smith’s Don’t Believe the Hype Celebrity Bowl-a-thon, USA Bowl, featuring comedian Dick Gregory, actress Angela Robinson (The Haves and the Have Nots), media personalities Andrew Whigham, Clarence Hill, Alecia Speeds, Amanda Fitzpatrick, Dareia Tolbert, Nicole Barrett, Lynne Haze, former NFL star Bethel Johnson, Hon. Derick Evans, Judge Andrea Martin, Judge Kim Cooks, Judge Tammy Kemp, Sen. Royce West, Rep. Helen Giddings, T’keyah Crystal Keymah and a host of other local and national celebrities Call 214-941-0110 for registration, vendor or sponsorship opportunities. Brought to you by LDI, McDonalds, I Messenger Enterprises, Evans Engraving, Ash Britt Jene Celebrity Spa, MOCCA Cosmetics, Image Advantage, and the Emmett J. Conrad Leadership program. www.myimessenger.com

*********DIRK NOWITZKI’S 2015 HEROES CELEBRITy BASEBALL GAME pRESENTED By BAyLOR MEDICAL CENTER AT FRISCOBenefiting the children’s charities of the Dirk Nowitzki Foundation and Heroes Foundation at 6:30 p.m.Dr pepper Ballpark7300 RoughRiders Trl, Frisco, TX 75034

w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m J U N E 17, 2015 7 CALENDAR DON’T BELIEVE THE HYPE

Saturday

June 27, 2015

6-11 p.m.

Register your team

214-941-0110

USA BOWL 10920 Composite Drive, Dallas

Fun for the entire family!Featuring: Amanda Fitzpatrick, Dareia Tolbert, Angela Robinson (The Haves and the Have Nots) , Dick

Gregory, Robert Ashley, Lynne Haze, Clarence Hill, John Beckwith, Sam Putney, Thurman Jones, Frances Jaye, Ken Bell, Virlinda Stanton, Atty. Bobbie Edmonds, Demond Fernandez, Latoya Silmon, Bethel

Johnson, Steve Nice, Brandon Truttling, Judges Andrea Martin and Kim Cooks, radio personality Alesia Speeds, Hon. Derick Evans, Hon. Helen Giddings, Hon. Royce West, Carmina Barnett, Eva Coleman,

Sista Sondra, Andrew Whigham, Vince Hall, and a host of others

8 ,JUNE 17, 2015 w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m LIFESTYLE

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10 ,JUNE 17, 2015 w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m

Joyce Ann Brown led a life that movies are made of. Known around the world, she was a daughter, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, mentor, advocate and friend. In the battle of life, many took comfort in having her on their side because she was also a Warrior. Joyce died, Saturday, June 13, 2015. She was 68. From her humble beginnings in Wills Point, Texas where her parents, Sylvester and Ruby Spencer raised their five children, to stages across the country; the story of her life is filled with intrigue, romance, violence and drama; while also celebrating good, justice, love, faith and honor. Joyce Ann was a spirited young child, who loved excitement and challenges. When her family moved to Dallas, Texas, the small-town girl was very happy. She attended Booker T. Washington High School and graduated from Franklin D. Roosevelt High School where she was also a cheerleader. After graduation she immediately went to work and then moved to North Dallas. For a brief time she was married to a local entertainer, James Brown. Joyce loved to have fun. As a young adult, she was known around town at all the nightspots as a stylish dresser who loved to party with two of her “running buddies” Gwen and Eva. She also was known for the love and care she showed to her daughter, Koquice, and sons Lee Jr., and Mygeish. Taking seriously her role as a responsible adult with children, she made a career change that ultimately was life-changing. While working at Koslow’s Furs, she found herself in what would become the first of thousands of headlines and news reports when she was arrested, charged and found guilty of aggravated robbery.

Joyce always maintained her innocence in the May 6, 1980 robbery and murder at another furrier, Fine Furs by Rubin. Although there were several witnesses who said Joyce was miles away at work; the victim’s wife provided an eyewitness identification, another inmate told of a “jailhouse confession” by Joyce and there was a rush to prosecute attitude. Consequently, Joyce was taken from her family to spend her life behind bars, ineligible for parole for at least 20 years. Admittedly Joyce was angry when she entered the Texas Department of Corrections. She was a God-loving woman who felt only the guilty went to jail. She also had a praying mother, and family. There was also her church family, Bethlehem Christian Church, McKinney, TX, under the leadership of Rev. Travis Lee and Kavin E. Brown, that continued

to lift her up in prayer.Joyce always said she did not commit the crime and she shared her plight with anyone who would listen. Unfortunately behind bars her plea was a familiar one that fell on deaf ears. In her biography, Joyce Ann Brown: Justice Denied, written with journalist Jay Gaines, Joyce’s poignant words tell a story of a woman who was at first confused, disappointed, and yes, angry at a system that failed her.

Fortunately she had a family, led by the matriarch,

affectionately called, MaDear, who believed Joyce and was committed to standing by her until her freedom was gained, regardless of how long it took. While incarcerated, she thought about when, or if, she would ever be free to do as she pleased, sleep in her own bed, wear the clothes and shoes she loved so much, and spend time with her family whenever she desired! A low point during her incarceration was when her son, Lee, Jr. died. Being unable to attend the funeral frustrated her even more. But she was a praying woman and her faith helped her endure. Determined to do the time and not let the time do her, Joyce enrolled in college, receiving her bachelors degree while continuing to write letters professing her innocence and seeking assistance. She prayed often, making a commitment to help others in the same predicament if she was ever freed.

Although there was no guarantee that any efforts would result in her freedom, Joyce was ecstatic when Jim McCloskey and Centurion Ministries took her case. In October 1989, millions saw Joyce’s story on the award-winning CBS newsmagazine show, 60 Minutes, where correspondent Morley Safer laid out the facts of the case, showing just how far-fetched the idea was of Joyce being able to leave work, commit the crime and return to clock back in 36 minutes later.

Also, Dallas Morning News staff writers Steve McGonigle and Steve Blow’s coverage of Joyce’s plight helped call attention to the travesty of justice.

People around the world were outraged. The future started looking even brighter when the request for a new trial was granted and a date set.

MaDear and Koquice were joined by hundreds who gathered as Joyce was released on bond on November 3, 1989. Joyce spent nine years, five months and 24 days in prison for a crime she didn’t commit! But now she was home. Joyce’s story continued to dominate headlines, but all she was concerned with was going home, climbing into the bed with MaDear, spending

Joyce Brown with daughter Koquice and granddaughter Brittany at annual Don’t Believe the Hype Celebrity Bowl-a-thon.

Joyce Ann Brown: A true warrior

w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m J U N E 17, 2015 11 SPIRITUALITYtime with Koquice and Mygeish and becoming acquainted with her granddaughter, Brittany.

It would take a few more months of “posturing” by a district attorney whose office would later gain a reputation for misconduct, for charges to be dropped. When Joyce finally went back to court her attorney Kerry Fitzgerald told her something she had been longing to hear for quite some time, “It’s over, Joyce. You can go home. You’ve won!”

But Joyce was a realist. She had a promise to keep and she needed to earn a living. Sure folks were there with promises as long as the cameras were live, but for a minute, the future didn’t look too promising because of the hollow offers of support. However, at a live broadcast on Soul 73 KKDA-AM, she met Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price and once again came an offer of support. Smiling as she always did, Joyce didn’t let her skepticism show on her face, but she was really getting tired of the posturing. Much to her surprise, unlike the others, the Commissioner’s offer of help was sincere and resulted in her working almost a decade in his office and gaining a friend for life. While still working with the Commissioner, she founded MASS, Inc. -- Mothers (Fathers) for the Advancement of Social Systems, and eventually left Dallas County to run the non-profit full-time, working to benefit the wrongfully convicted, formerly incarcerated, and their families. People from all over wrote and called Joyce for help with their problems. She also received requests to speak at colleges, churches, community events, conferences, criminal diversion court programs and talk-shows. Joyce’s speeches were profound and captivating. She would begin: “I’m Joyce Ann Brown and I spent nine years, five months and 24 days in prison for a crime I didn’t commit.” She would go on to talk about how she was not bitter and she always managed to bring her audiences to tears. More importantly, people had a clearer understanding of how injustices are being perpetuated daily and innocent people are being incarcerated. Joyce is the face of the wrongfully and unjustly accused. She gave a voice to the voiceless. And she was about family.

Joyce dealt with some health challenges over the past few years but she still remained active. Whether she was working with legislators or collaborating with other agencies to deal with issues, she was serving and helping. Joyce remained involved with Centurion Ministries working to free other wrongly convicted persons and challenging unjust laws. Joyce was always on the forefront helping the formerly incarcerated to make the transition and hopefully avoid returning to prison. In 2014, Joyce, along with Koquice, joined Friendship-West Baptist Church, Dallas, TX, under the leadership of Pastor Frederick D. Haynes III. Joyce also made sure that her family members were never far away. She had an open-door policy at her house and the MASS offices--for family, supporters and constituents.

Joyce loved rounding everyone up for family nights and excursions to Oklahoma. It wasn’t uncommon to find a gathering either at Joyce’s or MaDear’s, where it always seemed like a family reunion was in progress.

And the official family reunions were also a highlight for Joyce because they were a big production, full of performances, fun/games, and good food. A highlight of these events had to be her show-stopping performances as Aretha Franklin, Etta James or Monique. Joyce leaves a legacy of love and commitment. She looked for the best in everyone and gave her best in all that she did. Joyce believed the justice system could be fixed and that this world could be a better place and she was doing everything she could to assist.

She was preceded in death by her father Sylvester Spencer; son Lee Viser, Jr.; brother James Clayton and special friend Lee Viser, Sr. Left to celebrate her life and cherish her memories are: Parents Robert and Ruby (MaDear) Kelley and Addie Mae Spencer (Sylvester); Daughter Koquice Spencer; Granddaughters Brittany and Jereny; Great Granddaughters Jh’Mia Spencer and E'Myia Davis; Son Mygeish and grandchildren Christopher Miller-Dennis, Mygeish Dennis Jr., Joshua Dennis, Destinae Dennis, Chryshareaya Cook Dennis, Aleea Walker, T’Kedrian Fields, Mya Dennis, Gianni Sneed and MiCah Dennis; Stepdaughter Shannon Anderson; Brothers Robert Spencer (Barbara Ann); Horace Spencer (Donna); John Spencer Sr. (Mayme), Sylvester Spencer Jr. (Debra), Marvin Kelley (Barbara), Jimmy Dell Spencer (Brenda), Lago Spencer (Taneicesaya); Sisters Mary Black (Benny), Vickie Wilson (William), Jean Reed (Richard), Judy Jones (John), Tangila Thomas (Walter), Addie Spencer, Stacy Spencer, Debra Lyons and Patricia Wright; Special Grandchildren Dwight Kennedy, Andre Smith, Alayna Smith, Annya Smith, and Ayanna Smith; Godchildren, Eric Proctor (Myshia), Valencia and Audrey McBride, LaTonya Roque, DeAmber Nelson, Jeff Liscum, LaToya Mace, Lowell Burrell and Jacque Burrell; numerous nieces and nephews and thousands of other relatives, supporters, MASS members and friends.

12 ,JUNE 17, 2015 w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE

Come on PEOPLE!

Don’t you CARE?

POLICE have not apprehended Pookie the serial rapist.

Aren’t you concerned? Do you care?We know he has attacked members of

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. and there is a $5,000 reward offered by Crime

Stoppers.

If you have ANY information, PLEASE call Crime Stoppers

877.373.8477Do you know this man?

TRISHA MANN-GRANT

TONY HIGHTOWER

BRENDA ELLIS

ANN NESBY

TONY GRANT

MARQUINN MIDDLETON& THE COMMUNITY CHOIR

w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m J U N E 17, 2015 13 LIFESTYLE LIFESTYLE

While a member of the Texas legislature, I introduced legislation that mandated providing meals to children from low income families. It is extremely important that during the summer months, school children from low-income households are provided with healthy and nutritious meals. During the school year approximately 70 percent of Dallas County students receive free or reduced meals. During the months of June, July and August, many of these children do not know where they will receive their next meal and are at great risk of going hungry or consuming unhealthy food items.This should not be the case, because these same children are eligible to participate in the summer meals program funded by the United States Department of Agriculture and administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture. Various non-profits and faith-based organizations have established feeding sites throughout North Texas.

The summer feeding sites are open from June 8th through August 21st, three days before the start of school year. According to the Texas Department of Agriculture, only ten percent of the approximately 173,000 eligible children in North Texas participate in the summer feeding program, and throughout the state of Texas, only 12-percent of the nearly three million students who receive free or reduced meals are enrolled in summer feeding programs. CitySquare, the Dallas based non-profit organization, operates approximately 110 sites throughout Dallas County and feeds approximately 15,000 children on a daily basis. The organization, which also has feeding sites in Houston and Austin, has vans that travel to apartment complexes to feed children whose parents do not have transportation or who work during the hours that meals are served.In Dallas County, there are more than one thousand approved feeding sites where children under the age

of 18 can be fed. Participating providers include churches, apartment complexes, libraries, civic organizations and schools. The involvement of faith-based organizations in summer feeding programs is crucial and welcomed. Such organizations can become sites for feeding, and through their outreach programs, can make children and their parents aware of various feeding sites. If a non-profit is unable to participate as a feeding site, it may provide volunteers for existing sites who serve meals to eligible students or provide them with recreational and academic activities. Together, we can ensure that children are fed during the summer months and work to eliminate hunger in our communities.For additional information concerning feeding site locations, please call 2-1-1 or text FOODTX to 877-877. It is not too late for students to enroll and receive nutritious meals during the summer months.

Dear Alma, I’m friends with my next

door neighbor. She’s not my BFF, but we hang from time to time. Her husband is in the military and she doesn’t have family in the area. She and I have a lot in common — we’re around the same age and like the same things. She has a son, and I have a daughter. The kids both go to the same high school. Yesterday my neighbor stopped by to tell me they are moving.

Her husband has been transferred to another state. She asked me if I would let her 17-year-old son live with us while he finished his last year of school here in our town. She said they would pay room and board for him. I’m not married, and I’m not sure how it would be with a teen boy in my house. What do you think?

Name withheld

Good googalie woogalie, my Mama use to say. That’s a whole lot of turkey, greens, potatoes and gravy served up on your fine china. Hmmm, let’s ponder, should you try to eat all of it, fork-full by spoon-full or just push yourself away from the table without a bite? Listen to your stomach. Do you have an appetite for this?

Yes, it’s a risky situation, we both would agree. I don’t know this young man, and since you didn’t speak of his personality or character, this leaves me to assume. I’m going with a positive approach, concluding he’s a pretty good kid.

Here’s what I’d suggest, make a list. Yep, write down the pros and cons of this possible yearlong endeavor. Identify every thought that comes to mind — what you expect and what scares you the most. I’d say work on this for more than a couple of days. You need to be prayerfully on your knees for at least a week.

You also have to consider your daughter. This

would be life-changing for her as well. All three adults need to sit down at the table hashing out the good, bad and the ugly.

Thoroughly examine what room and board will cover. Obviously rent and utilities, but what about food? Boys his age can eat you out of house and home.

This I know for sure. Will he stay with you during the week and go home on the weekends? What about extracurricular activities? Are you responsible for getting him there, or does he have a car? Does he have a girlfriend? Are you friends with him, or does he see you as an authoritative adult?

Like I said, we’re talking a full plate here. It could be a sacrifice and or a blessing to all involved.

Taking in this teen doesn’t have to be a bad thing. It’s only temporary, and he has parents. Many teens who were taken in by outside adults have gone on to do great things. One example is Michael Oher, the professional football player whose story inspired the movie “The Blind Side.”

Remember? He was cared for by a family so he could finish high school. If you like this young man and wouldn’t mind him living in your home, tell his parents you’re willing to give it a try for the first semester — that’s three months.

If things seem to work out, commit to the next semester. That way, he knows he has to follow the rules and live up to your and his parents’ expectations. This is a huge responsibility, and the answer to the question of “will this work” is up to him.

I salute you, single mama. You must be holding it down. Otherwise, his parents wouldn’t have asked. In the same vain, you are not obligated. If you don’t want to, don’t do it, and don’t feel badly about it.

Tell his parents it just wouldn’t work for you and your daughter right now. Best wishes and blessings to you while you pray on your decision, whatever you decide is the right thing to do.

Alma

At times, it is ironic to me that so many different churches profess the belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, was crucified, died and was buried to arise again on the third day and sits at the right hand of His Father in heaven. From Catholic to Pentecostal, from Baptist to Presbyterian, from Episcopalian to Methodist, from Church of God in Christ to Lutheran, from Evangelical to just being saved, each denomination wants to set itself apart from the others based upon its doctrine being more in line with God than any of its Christian cousins. Throughout history so called Christians have persecuted other so called Christians in the name of being more in tune with God’s Word than that denomination being persecuted. It’s just the more I read the bible the more confusing this becomes, or the more ridiculous. As a point of reference in my own faith walk, one of the

things that got in my way was the decision about which church to actually join. I was introduced to rural Baptist traditions by my grandmother, only to be baptized Catholic as a young boy and subsequently not follow any particular religion most of my adult life. Even now I sometimes question which church I should attend only to have the Lord backslap me with the fundamental question, “How does where you go to church have anything to do with my Son’s ministry?” When you actually think about it, do you really believe God is paying attention to the marquee of the church you attend? Do you really believe that where you go to church on Sunday carries more weight with God than what you do on the other six days of the week? When I get confused on this issue, I’m reminded to pick up a bible and rekindle the notion that faith is an internal measurement that refuses to succumb to external pressures. In this instance the external pressure is manmade and not God sent. For those who believe their religion or theology is better than someone else’s, they surely have missed the entire point of the life and times of one Jesus Christ. My reading of scripture confirms for me, maybe not for you, that Jesus was anti-theology and pro faith. I mean we are talking about someone who rather angrily turned over tables in the Temple because He was insulted by the goings on there; something to do with not using his Father’s house for prayer, but rather as a den for robbers. Everything Jesus stood for seems to translate into acts of faith,

acts of worship, acts of love and kindness and forgiveness and yes, acts of mercy. These acts don’t confirm for one moment that one person’s religion is better or more meaningful than the religion practiced in the church up the street or around the corner. If Jesus was alive today, would you be Sadducees of Pharisees? Would you be Jew or Roman? Would you be a member of the Sanhedrin? Either way, if you were not carrying out the will of God the Father, you more than likely would have problems with God the Son. You see the Law, your religion, your theology will be forever secondary to the will of God. Now I didn’t say this. Jesus did. In closing let me confirm that there is no better place to follow the simple edict, practice what you preach, than in church. Which church is actually quite irrelevant as I see it. “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10. May God bless and keep you always.

James

Which ChurchSpiritually Speaking

by James A. Washington

Ask AlmaAlma Gill’s newsroom experience

spans over 25 years, including various roles at USA Today, Newsday and the Washington post. Email questions to: alwaysaskalma@yahoo.com. Follow

Feeding our children By Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson

14 ,JUNE 17, 2015 w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m

44th Annual Denton Juneteenth Celebration Friday, June 19, 2015

Gospel Extravaganza...Live music begins at 6 p.m. Fred Moore Park Denton, Texas -Flag Football Tournament...6 pm softball field

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w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m J U N E 17, 2015 15 CADNET CLASSIFIEDS

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16 ,JUNE 17, 2015 w w w. G A R L A N D J O U R N A L . cO m