Rufus Shaw posted a blog titled  The Bond Election: An Afterthought? at Dallasblog.com on Monday.  He questions whether the Black electorate will turn out at the polls to support the $1.3 Billion Capital Bond Program that will be on the ballot in November.  The program will invest over $365M to streets and transportation, $335M to flood protection and storm drainage, and $307M to Parks and Recreation.  The rest will be distributed among other areas, such as Police and Fire, Cultural Arts, Library and other City Services. Rufus raises and interesting question in his blog.  It is always hard to predict which issues will inspire the black populace of Dallas to make a mass showing at the polls.  Obviously the south was instrumental in the defeat of the Strong and Stronger Mayor Proposals.  And many have forgotten the role Southern Dallas voters played in raising the funds necessary for American Airlines Center and the yet to be realized Trinity River Project (my apologies to the ponds under the I-45 bridge). Black voters will show up at the polls when given a cause, that's generally the way it is.  Elections involving Ron Kirk, Laura Miller, even George W. Bush have inspired high voter turnout among African-Americans ...

A year after Hurricane Katrina, I can see why they choose to give names to these powerful storms that batter the coastlines of America, and sweep through the islands of the Caribbean.  Katrina now seems like someone that I know, or at least know of.  She has been personified in so many ways since this time last August.  In some ways, Hurricane Katrina reminds me of the ex-girlfriend of a close friend or brother.  You hear him talk about her and how bad she was.  He tells you there's no way to describe how malicious or cruel she was, or how she wrought havoc on his life.  Since you never met her personally, or dated anyone like her, all the sympathy in the world can't comfort the devastation you see on the brother's face.  He has a look that wasn't there before...before her.  And you wonder: what was he even doing there in the first place?  Why didn't he just leave when he saw the signs? What part did he play in it?  But because he's your homeboy, and you share a history with him, you know that there was something more at work here.  You can only see that she blindsided him.  Something bigger is at ...

As I watched Tiger Woods wrap up another major golf title, I noticed a news crawl at the bottom of the CBS broadcast.  I couldn't imagine it being a whether alert, unless it had said, "It's still hot as hell!"  But as I read, it was the disturbing news that 4 officers had been shot in the Johnson County town of Midlothian.  The report suggested that the shooter was still holed up in an apartment, and that the standoff continued.  While flipping channels, I saw that CNN was showing live on the scene footage of the events in Midlothian.  My initial thoughts were what I assumed many others reading this blog were thinking: "I wonder is he black?"  The name of the suspect, Richard Miles, Jr. could go either way. I thought back to another Sunday 4 weeks prior, where Samuel Jones led local authorities and media helicopters on a three county chase in an 18-wheeler (See my blog, Were We The Only Ones Watching).  However this time shots had been fired, officers were down, and the situation seemed more urgent.  Still I wondered about Richard Miles. I read news accounts last night of Mr. Miles seeming on edge in recent weeks.  He ...

In the 80's, the crane was often referred to as the state bird of Texas.  I did pass Texas History in the 7th grade, and any native Texan would know that the State Bird of Texas is the mockingbird.  However, the tongue in cheek mention of the crane refers to the building bonanza that was happening throughout the state, prior to the big real estate bust.  Construction cranes dotted the skylines of Texas cities, as speculators built on any available space. In Dallas, after years of stagnant growth, there are a number of new building projects around town.  If you want to find where the action is taking place, look towards the sky and find the cranes, they will lead you to progress. Downtown Dallas, the Arts District, as well as Uptown have a number of new projects underway, including condos, entertainment complexes, and office buildings.  You can find cranes working on the Ritz-Carlton in Uptown, the Hunt Consolidated Headquarters Building downtown, One Arts Plaza in the Arts District, and Victory Park will be a sanctuary for cranes as the area builds on the success of The W Hotel.  To be fair, the majority of commercial construction is taking place downtown.  Traveling in any direction there is not a lot of big activity.  However, ...

Enough Already!  The media storm has not stopped since it was announced that Terrell Owens, the man who stood on the star, would be wearing the star for the 2006 NFL season.  But the latest turn in the 'T.O.' saga has gone from the ridiculous to the sublime.  First was the signing, and whether he would break up the Cowboys, then there was the book.  And now what are they talking about?  In the immortal words of Allen Iverson: Practice.....We talkin' about practice....not the game, not the game...we talkin' about practice man... (please check out this classic audio at you tube ). It amazes me, how athletes like T.O. and Dennis Rodman can play the media to such a degree.  Local sports talk -especially ESPN 103.3- print and TV sports have all followed every move Terrell has made on his stationary bike over the last week or so.  Apparently they aren't buying that Terrell has a hamstring injury, opting to spout off conspiracy theories and doomsday predications.  And to think they get paid for this mess. Sports Talk specifically, and the sports media in general, have become an easy avenue for men who wish they had made the pros, to spew venom ...

The National Medical Association, the nation's oldest and largest black physicians organization, concludes its week long meeting today.  The conference which began last Saturday, has been held at the Dallas Convention Center. The NMA which, was established in 1895, boasts a membership of over 25,000 physicians.  Dr. Daniel Hale Williams was one of the first officers of the organization. The NMA, led by President Sandra L. Gadson, M.D., discussed a number of pressing health concerns facing the African-American Community.  There were also sessions relating to Hurricane Katrina, one of which was titled Disaster Preparedness in the United States: The Aftermath of Katrina.  The session highlighted the medical response to the devastating hurricane, as well as the current shortage of physicians in New Orleans and the surrounding areas.   Other topics discussed at meeting were HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and asthma disparities among African-American children.  The NMA will be hosting a Post Convention Seminar next week on a Seven Night Alaskan Cruise. Next year, the NMA will hold their annual conference in Hawaii.  This convention represents a recent up tick in convention business for the city of Dallas.

This morning, the Dallas Morning News reports that the Dallas Black Fire Fighters Association has filed a lawsuit against the city of Dallas, alleging discrimination in the hiring, training, transfers, promotions, and discipline of 'minorities' and women.  The article by Tanya Eiserer states that a suit filed last month seeks more that $75,000 in damages for each person.  This is not the first time the Dallas Fire Department has been sued for discriminatory practices. I must admit, I'm always cautious when it comes to claims of racism.  I believe that any claim of discrimination, warranted or unwarranted, hurts each successive claim that is made.  So before anyone decides to use the so called "race card", there should be a well thought out plan in place, and all alternatives should be sought. With all that said, this does not excuse people or institutions who perpetuation racism and discrimination.  To most Americans (the so called majority or mainstream), claims of racial injustice have become tiresome and bothersome.  Most will admit that these evils still exist, but are hesitant when it comes to justice being served, or God forbid righting past wrongs.  The prevailing thought tends to be "let's just move forward." The Black Fire ...

  This weekend was the grand opening of the new Hampton-Illinois Branch of the Dallas Library.  It is a welcome addition, as the old branch was nothing more than a relic, a reminder of days gone by.  The new branch, containing over 24,000 square feet of space, will be connected to the new J.T. Brashear Elementary School, serving a dual purpose.  of the Dallas Library.  It is a welcome addition, as the old branch was nothing more than a relic, a reminder of days gone by.  The new branch, containing over 24,000 square feet of space, will be connected to the new J.T. Brashear Elementary School, serving a dual purpose.These are positive investments in Dallas Citizens, especially the children. Investments like these are not cheap, but in order to right some of the wrongs that have been wrought on Southern Dallas, they are necessary.  We were forced to make due with the facilities that we had at the previous location, and there are still other libraries (like Polk-Wisdom) that are lacking. I will say that the city has made plans to address some of the aging facilities, but having to make up for 20 years of neglect continues to shift the focus away from ...

Yesterday, I visited the campus of David W. Carter High School.  Carter is located on Wheatland Road in Southern Dallas, just north of Interstate 20.  I've been on the campus a number of times, but I had never ventured towards the back of the school, where the gyms and practice fields are located.  I felt like I had stepped into a scene of the movie Wildcats as I watch the band in summer practices.  The feeling was similar to my experience walking the halls of Carter, seeming as if I was a character in the Morgan Freeman hit Lean on Me. Comparing Carter to Wildcats or Lean on Me is cliché, and borderline offensive, but this has nothing to do with activity or behavior.  My comparisons are based on facilities.  The predominantly black schools portrayed in the aforementioned movies were plagued by sub par facilities, along with a plethora of other problems.  Walking towards the steep steps of the gymnasium at Carter, the sidewalk -well I can't really call it a sidewalk- I'll say the concrete path, was barely passable. On the way back to my car, I chose to walk in the dirt. My mind then went back to the last day of the 2005-2006 school year, when I ...