I’m telling Mom!

When you were small, those words were often enough to send a chill down your spine. One quick tattle to the woman who bore you, and you were in trouble. That simple phrase always kept you in line, at least until you were grown. By then, as in the new book, “A Soldier’s Wife” by Blair Underwood with Ylonda Gault, Mom had something to tell you.

Marilyn Underwood had kept every scrap of paper that ever passed through her fingers.

That, says her son, author and actor Blair Underwood, is how it seemed. After her death from multiple sclerosis nearly six years ago, Mrs. Underwood’s children found piles and piles of notes, notebooks, lists, random thoughts, and memories she’d written down. Paper was everywhere.

She’d said many times that she was “putting together a memoir of sorts,” and after looking over what she’d left, Underwood thought the collection would make a good children’s book. He was later convinced that his mother’s story was bigger than that.

Marilyn Ann Scales Underwood was an only child, and was raised to be independent. Born and reared in Buffalo, New York, she attended an all-girls school with a big dream to work in the fashion industry. She indicated that her mother was brave to let her go, but Underwood knew that her career was really in New York City. She was right; she thrived there.

Laser-focused on her work, Underwood was in no hurry to do as most late-1950s women did, and get married; though friends urged her to date, it was not a priority until she met the love of her life, Frank. She loved him instantly. They were engaged three weeks after meeting, and married three months later.

“One thing about me,” she wrote. “When I set my mind on something, you can believe it’s as good as done.”

There are really two ways to look at “A Soldier’s Wife.”

On one side, it feels almost random. Marilyn Underwood was a strong, independent woman, an inspiration to those who knew her – but most of us didn’t. While the writings author Blair Underwood compiles here are wise and funny, they’re not earth-shattering and there may be times when they won’t hold your interest.

But they’re exactly what you need, exactly when you need them.

Reading this book is like getting a letter from your grandma. The essays here are warm, with reminders to pray to a purposeful Higher Power, that life’s a struggle but it’s worth living, and that suffering happens. There’s love in this book – lots of it! – gratitude, gentleness, and old-fashioned values. It’s sweetly quaint, but firm. And yes, it’s random, but consider it as a hug from somebody’s mom when you’re down, because that’s rather what it is.

Just remember that no book has to be read cover-to-cover. You can skip around, and you’ll be fine with this one, whenever you need its comfort. “A Soldier’s Wife” could be meaningful or meaningless to you at various times, only you can tell.

The post NDG Bookshelf: ‘A Soldier’s Wife’ is Like a Warm Voice from the Past appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.

After several months of mayhem in our house, things began to quiet down. It was beginning to get back to our normal way of life.

Of course, because of the mayhem, many things that needed to be done did not get done. That made The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage jump in line to try to catch up with everything around the house. If there’s one thing undone, she cannot sit down.

I was able to get into my office and begin working on projects. I sure missed all that time working on my favorite projects. But I was committed to getting up to date with everything in my office. Of course, my up-to-date definition does not compare with The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage’s.

I noticed there were a lot of dishes to be cleaned, so I went up to The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage and said, “Would you like me to do the dishes today?”
After a long period of laughing, she looked at me and said, “Do you remember the last time you did dishes for me?”

My memory isn’t always up to date, and I had to think a little bit about what she was talking about. Then it occurred to me.

About 20 years ago, I did the dishes for her. I think she was away shopping or something, so I decided to step in and help her with some of these kitchen chores.

I packed all of the dishes into the dishwasher. It took me quite a while because I couldn’t figure out where they all went. Eventually, I got them all in.

Now I had to find soap to clean these dishes. I looked everywhere, and I couldn’t find any soap in the kitchen. I finally went back to the laundry area and found a big box of soap there. I took that soap, went to the kitchen, opened the dishwasher, and just poured it all on those dishes. My goal was to make them cleaner than they’ve ever been.

I made sure every dish and utensil had a little soap on it. I was going to make The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage proud of her husband’s work in the kitchen.
I put everything in the dishwasher, along with the soap, then closed the door and turned it on. I smiled as I heard it working there before me. I then went back to my office to do a bit of work while the dishwasher ran.

While I was in the office, I began to hear a lot of noise from the kitchen that I couldn’t explain. It could be the dishwasher, since I’ve never heard it make that kind of noise before. What was happening in the kitchen?

I got up from my desk and went into the kitchen, and just as I entered the kitchen, I stopped in great shock. Soap from the dishwasher was pouring onto the kitchen floor.

The dishwasher was cleaning the kitchen floor, which I’ve never seen before.

That soap kept coming out of the dishwasher. I didn’t know what to do. I’ve never been in a situation like this before. I’ve never washed dishes before.

I ran over to the dishwasher and turned it off. In a minute or two, the flow of soap ceased coming out of the dishwasher. I looked all over the kitchen floor, and it was soaked with soap.

I did not know what to do, and as I stood there, I heard the front door open, and in walked The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. She came into the kitchen, stopped, and yelled as I’d never heard her yell before.

“What have you done?” She said to me rather strongly.

I looked at her with some puppy-dog eyes and confessed, “I thought I could help you by doing the dishes today.”

She looked at me, looked at the kitchen floor, then looked back at me.

I’m not sure how to resolve this situation. Still, The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage looked at me firmly and said, “Why don’t you just go to your office and do your work, and I’ll stay here in the kitchen and do my work?”

Not knowing what to do, but knowing I was in a great deal of trouble, I did what she said and went back to my office. It took her most of the morning to clean up that mess I created.

That was 20 years ago, and I’ve never had that incident happen again. So, when I ask The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage if I could help her in the kitchen, I began to realize that the best help I could do for her was to get out of the way and go to my office.

I later found out that the soap I used was not for dishes but was for something completely different. How did I know there was a different soap for each project?
While in my office, I was reminded of a verse of scripture.

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord” (Psalm 27:14).

In my Christian life, the best thing I can do is get out of God’s way and let Him do His work His way. If I don’t, I mess up everything in my life.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website www.jamessnyderministries.com.

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(Newswise) — New research suggests electricity demand from data centers and cryptocurrency mining is likely to increase power costs in some parts of the country by up to 57% by 2030, with a national average increase of 6%-29%. Electricity demand related to data centers is also likely to increase CO2 emissions by up to 28% by 2030, relative to a future with no data center growth, according to the analysis from North Carolina State University, Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Toronto.

“Power demand in the U.S. was relatively flat for almost 20 years,” says Jeremiah Johnson, corresponding author of a journal article on the work and an associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at North Carolina State University. “But in the past couple of years we’ve seen a significant increase in power demand, due largely to data centers and – to a lesser extent – cryptocurrency mining.

“We wanted to understand the implications of this increased demand,” Johnson says. “What new power infrastructure will need to be built? Where? How will these systems be operated? What will that mean for the cost of electricity? And what will it mean for carbon emissions?”

The researchers drew on recent research to estimate data center and cryptocurrency power demand through 2030, and then made use of computational modeling tools to forecast what technologies would be used to generate that power.

“Specifically, we used an energy system optimization model,” says Anderson de Queiroz, co-author of the paper and an associate professor of civil, construction and environmental engineering at NC State. “An energy system is the full supply chain that delivers energy to people. And optimization models are tools that can be used to search for the least expensive ways to plan, maintain and operate energy systems in order to meet energy demand while complying with existing laws and regulations.”

“The optimization model we used for this work was designed to focus on electrical power generation,” says Johnson. “We were able to look at energy supply and demand on an hourly level for 26 regions of the power grid, covering the lower 48 United States.”

One key finding from the optimization model is that increased demand will lead to increased carbon dioxide emissions from electricity generation, by up to 28% over the next three and a half years.

“The power sector has made progress in reducing carbon emissions over the past 20 years, but the increased demand will essentially erase a lot of that progress,” says Johnson.

“We also found that electricity costs will increase by an average of 6%-29%, nationally. However, those prices could increase as much as 57%, depending on where you are in the country.”

Those electricity price increases would be most pronounced in Virginia, eastern North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, west Texas, Ohio, West Virginia and New York.

“But those future price increases depend on where new data centers are built,” Johnson says. “For example, price increases in Virginia jump due to substantial expansion of data centers. If the data centers are distributed more broadly across the country, Virginia won’t be hit as hard. Prices will still go up for everyone, but the expense will be spread more evenly across the country.

“There is a great deal of uncertainty regarding the cost of installing new natural gas turbines and the cost of natural gas itself,” Johnson says. “But regardless of fuel cost and the cost to build new natural gas plants, we still see substantial increases in electricity cost and CO2 emissions.

“The public and policymakers need to be aware of these near-term challenges – 2030 is less than four years away,” says Johnson. “Our findings highlight the need for regulators and utilities to make informed decisions about near-term power generation, and for government officials at all levels to make informed decisions related to the construction of data centers.”

The paper, “Power System Costs and Emissions from Data Center and Cryptocurrency Mining Expansion in the United States,” is published open access in the journal Environmental Research Letters. The paper was co-authored by Cameron Wade of Sutubra Research; Michael Blackhurst of the University of Pittsburgh; Joseph DeCarolis and Paulina Jaramillo of Carnegie Mellon University; and Daniel Posen of the University of Toronto.

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The study also found that employment among remaining immigrants declines 4% on average after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement surge, likely due to a “chilling effect” in which they stop going to work out of fear.

The study is the first national assessment of the impact the Trump administration’s immigration policy has had on the labor market.

It was published May 4 by the nonprofit, non-partisan National Bureau of Economic Research.

“We show that heightened ICE activity is harming the labor market overall, and we find no evidence that it is benefiting U.S.-born workers,” said author Chloe East, associate professor of economics at CU Boulder. “If anything, job opportunities for U.S.-born workers are going down as a result.”

Thousands of lost workers

For the study, East and co-author Elizabeth Cox, a research assistant with CU’s Institute for Behavioral Science, analyzed data from the federal Current Population Survey (CPS)—a monthly employment survey of about 59,000 households. They also looked at detailed data on ICE arrests across 58 regions around the country.

When comparing regions that had experienced a large and sudden increase in monthly ICE arrests between January 2025 and October 2025 with regions that had not, they found major differences in labor markets.

On average, in a region that had experienced an ICE surge, 4% fewer “likely undocumented” immigrants remaining in the community reported working in the previous week. (Because no U.S. survey asks for immigration status, economists use a proxy to estimate undocumented immigrant populations).

The study found no evidence that employers increased wages to attract U.S.-born workers to jobs once taken by undocumented immigrants, or that U.S. workers had more job opportunities after ICE enforcement surges.

But it did find that, on average, in regions which had experienced an ICE surge, 1.3% fewer U.S. born males with a high school degree or less had jobs.

These reductions in workforce are on top of the number of immigrants removed from communities through detention, arrest or deportation, notes East.

For instance, in a region where 1,200 people were arrested or detained by ICE over the study period, approximately 7,574 fewer undocumented immigrants and 1,200 fewer U.S.-born men with a high school degree or less would be employed, the study suggests.

“For every six male undocumented workers lost, we found that the labor market also loses one male U.S.-born worker,” said East.

Employers cutting back

The CPS survey does not ask exactly why people leave the workforce. But previous studies of enforcement surges during the Great Depression and the Obama administration have shown that heightened immigration enforcement can have a chilling effect on remaining immigrant communities, prompting them to avoid going out in public—including for work.

That effect has been much stronger during the recent ICE surge than in previous enforcement upticks, the study suggests. That’s likely due to a change in tactics in which agents are arresting more people in public spaces, such as schools, streets and churches, and more people without criminal records are being detained.
Forty-three percent of U.S. immigrants report being concerned about themselves or someone they know being deported, according to previous research.
For U.S.-born workers, East said job opportunities can wither when employers—unable to find foreign laborers willing to do lower paying or more dangerous jobs—are forced to turn down jobs or decrease their production.

This phenomenon has been particularly strong for the U.S. agriculture sector, in which 17% of workers are undocumented, the manufacturing sector, in which 6% are undocumented, and the construction sector, in which 13% are undocumented.

For instance, in the construction sector, recent immigration enforcement surges appear to have had twice the average impact on U.S.-born workers with a high school degree or less, reducing their employment rate by 3%.

“There is a common narrative out there that mass deportations will free up job opportunities for U.S.-born workers, but numerous studies, including ours, have shown that is false,” said East. “If a construction company can’t find laborers, they’re going to take on less work and hire fewer people overall.”
Longer term, the contraction of the labor market could lead to other problems for the economy, reducing supply and driving prices of things like homes and manufactured goods up, said East.

“I hope our study gets people thinking beyond the headlines and rhetoric about the real economic impacts these enforcement actions are having on communities, the labor market and our pocketbooks,” she said.

The post Heightened ICE Enforcement Harms US-Born Workers, Shrinks Workforce appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.

“The analysts from Fitch and S&P conducted very thorough reviews, and I am pleased to report both agencies confirmed the City’s AAA-stable rating,” Carrollton Chief Financial Officer Diana Vaughn said. “This is literally the highest credit rating achievable and reflects a team effort among elected officials, City leadership, and the City’s Finance Department to ensure City resources are managed effectively across Carrollton’s 37.1 square miles of residences, businesses, and green spaces.”

Vaughn said the City’s “AAA” rating of waterworks and sewer system revenue bonds was achieved with particular thanks to the work of Carrollton’s Public Works, Engineering, Utility Customer Service Departments, and the Resolution Center, all of which ensure safe, reliable water and sewer service is provided to more than 38,000 residential and commercial water customers.

Fitch said Carrollton’s “AAA” waterworks and sewer system rating reflects the utility’s exceptionally strong financial profile, very strong operating risk profile, and defensibility.

S&P cited the City’s robust drought management plan, backup generators for severe weather and emergency events, and continued investment in additional generators to meet state requirements.

The bonds represent senior lien obligations of the City’s combined water and sewer system, payable from net system revenues. Because the City does not own any treatment facilities, it purchases treated water on a wholesale basis from Dallas Water Utilities (DWU) and wastewater treatment services from Trinity River Authority (TRA).

Proceeds from the waterworks and sewer system revenue bonds will fund utility system improvements, including upgrades, replacements, storage, distribution, and maintenance projects, as well as issuance costs.

The City will use the proceeds from the series 2026 GO bonds to fund various permanent public improvements, ranging from public safety and the tennis center to street and other infrastructure improvements.

Both Fitch and S&P cited Carrollton’s strong reserve levels, budgetary flexibility, and manageable long-term liabilities in affirming the ratings. The agencies also noted the City’s strong demographic and economic indicators, including educational attainment, median household income, and unemployment rates.

The City has experienced continued growth in taxable value driven by commercial, industrial, and retail investment, along with appreciation in the tax base. Additional growth is anticipated through multifamily residential projects and transit-oriented mixed-use developments in and around Downtown Carrollton.

The DART Silver Line Regional Rail project, in operation since December 2025, is strengthening east-west connectivity and creating additional economic opportunities throughout the region.

“Carrollton’s strong financial position reflects stable leadership and the long-term vision and support of the City Council,” Vaughn said. “We appreciate Fitch and S&P Global recognizing the City’s strong financial practices and consistent financial performance, even during economic downturns.”

S&P said Carrollton benefits from a strong and diverse regional economy, continued economic development, strong operating performance, robust reserves and liquidity, and comprehensive financial management policies and procedures.

According to Fitch and S&P, Carrollton’s general obligation debt is rated above the sovereign because the agencies believe the City could maintain stronger credit characteristics than the federal government under a stress scenario. The agencies also cited the City’s financial flexibility.

“An efficiently and successfully-run City like Carrollton is built on strong financial management, long-range forecasting, and consistent budget monitoring,” Mayor Steve Babick said. “The City Council regularly reviews capital improvement plans, budget reports, and quarterly investment reports provided by City staff. These practices, along with fiscally responsible budgeting and strong financial leadership, position Carrollton for continued growth.”

The City’s GO bonds are backed by an annual ad valorem tax levied on taxable property within the City, subject to limits prescribed by law. S&P noted Carrollton’s tax levy remains well below the maximum level.

S&P Global Ratings is a division of S&P Global that provides credit ratings, financial research, and market analysis. Fitch Ratings, Inc. is a global financial information services company providing credit ratings and market research in more than 30 countries.

For more information about Carrollton’s fiscal status, visit cityofcarrollton.com/finance.

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The nation’s largest free blues festival returns with a citywide lineup honoring Chicago’s blues legacy, while highlighting established musicians and the next generation of blues performers.

“Chicago is the birthplace of modern blues, and this festival reflects the sound, soul and resilience that define our city,” said Mayor Brandon Johnson. “By investing in free, accessible cultural events like the Chicago Blues Festival, we are supporting artists, strengthening communities and ensuring this legacy continues for generations to come.”

“The Chicago Blues Festival is both a celebration and a living archive of this art form,” said DCASE Acting Commissioner Kenya Merritt. “This year’s programming honors the pioneers who shaped the blues while elevating emerging artists who are expanding its future while activating downtown Chicago as a global stage.”

The festival begins Thursday, June 4, at Ramova Theatre in Bridgeport with an opening night program, followed by three days of performances June 5–7 at Millennium Park. All performances in Millennium Park are free and open to the public.

The Chicago Blues Festival is sponsored by Chicago Jazz Publishing, Chicago Transit Authority, Millennium Garages, Millennium Park Foundation, Mississippi Delta Tourism Association, Mississippi Development Authority, NRG Energy, Rosa’s Lounge, the Lloyd A. Fry Foundation, WDCB 90.9 FM and WVON 1690. Festival partners’ continued support helps ensure the festival remains free and accessible while celebrating Chicago’s rich blues heritage.

As in previous years, outside alcohol is not allowed for the Chicago Blues Festival, but alcohol may be purchased inside the venue. Before visiting, please be advised of other prohibited items at MillenniumPark.org.

ASL Interpretation will be provided for all mainstage shows. Please email dcase@cityofchicago.org by May 27 if other accommodations are needed.

Opening night at Ramova Theatre — June 4

Doors open at 5 p.m., with programming from 6 to 10:30 p.m. The event is open to guests 18 and older; minors must be accompanied by a guardian. Tickets can be reserved online. Seating is available on a first-come, first served basis and an RSVP does not guarantee a seat. Guests are encouraged to arrive early to secure admission. For ADA accommodations, please reach out to box@ramovachicago.com.

The evening includes a panel discussion, “Fireside Chat: 20 Years of the Mississippi Blues Trail,” followed by a double-bill concert:

7:15-8:30 p.m. – John Primer: Tribute to Theresa’s Lounge
8:45-10:15 p.m. – Willie Clayton

Millennium Park Lineup — June 5–7

Festival hours are noon to 9 p.m. daily across multiple stages, including the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Mississippi Crossroads Stage, Rosa’s Lounge Stage and Wrigley Square.

Friday, June 5 — Millennium Park

Jay Pritzker Pavilion:

3:30-3:45 p.m. – Emcee Intro Remarks + National Anthem + Lift Every Voice
3:45-4:45 p.m. – Marquise Knox
5-6 p.m. – C.J. Chenier & The Red Hot Louisiana Band
6:15-7:15 p.m. – Elvin Bishop & Charlie Musselwhite Duo
7:30-9 p.m. – 55 Years of Alligator Records featuring Lil’ Ed & The Blues Imperials, Ronnie Baker Brooks, Toronzo Cannon, Nick Moss, and Tinsley Ellis

Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage:

Noon-1:15 p.m. – Mississippi Marshall
1:30-2:45 p.m. – The Big Time Rhythm & Blues Band
3-4:15 p.m. – Eden Brent
4-5:45 p.m. – Ra’shad the Blues Kid

Rosa’s Lounge Stage:

12:30-1:45 p.m. – Nick Alexander Blues Band
2-3:15 p.m. – Funky MojoDaddy
3:30-4:45 p.m. – The Mike Wheeler Band with Demetria Taylor
5-6:15 p.m. – Tom Holland & The Shuffle Kings
6:30-7:45 p.m. – The Freddie Dixon Blues Band

Wrigley Square — Next Generation of Blues:

Noon-12:45 p.m. – Walter H. Dyett High School for the Arts
1-1:45 p.m. – Chicago West Community Music Center
2-2:45 p.m. – Curie Metro High School
3-3:45 p.m. – The People’s Music School
4-4:45 p.m. – Kenwood Academy High School
5:15-6:15 p.m. – Meaza Joy
6:45-7:45 p.m. – VanderCook College of Music

Saturday, June 6 — Millennium Park

Jay Pritzker Pavilion:

3:45-4 p.m. – Emcee Intro Remarks + National Anthem + Lift Every Voice
4-5 p.m. – Dylan Triplett
5:15-6:15 p.m. – Shakura S’Aida
6:30-7:30 p.m. – Ruthie Foster
7:45-9 p.m. – 75 Years of Billy Branch with Kenny Neal and Ronnie Baker Brooks

Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage:

Noon-1:15 p.m. – John Clayton White
1:30-2:45 p.m. – Anissa Hampton
3-4:15 p.m. – Cuz Band
4:30-5:45 p.m. – Dexter Allen

Rosa’s Lounge Stage:

12:30-1:45 p.m. – Theo Huff & The Legacy Band
2-3:15 p.m. – Melody Angel
3:30-4:45 p.m. – The Nick Moss Band
5-6:15 p.m. – The Gerry Hundt Trio
6:30-7:45 p.m. – Oscar Wilson Blues Band

Wrigley Square — Next Generation of Blues:

Noon-12:45 p.m. – WDCB Presents
1-1:45 p.m. – Nicholas Senn High School
2-2:45 p.m. – BandWith Chicago
3-3:45 p.m. – Fernando Jones Presents the Blues Kids of America Jam Session
4-4:45 p.m. – Whitney M. Young Magnet High School
5:15-6:15 p.m. – Chicago Blues Revival
6:45-7:45 p.m. – Midwest Young Artist Conservatory

Sunday, June 7 — Millennium Park

Jay Pritzker Pavilion:

3:30-3:45 p.m. – Emcee Intro Remarks + National Anthem + Lift Every Voice
3:45-5 p.m. – Women in Blues Tribute to Mama Yancey and Big Mama Thornton with Mary Lane, Deitra Farr, Katherine Davis, Nora Jean Wallace, Melody Angel, Lee Kanehira, and Lynne Jordan & the Shivers
5:15-6:15 p.m. – Sue Foley
6:30-7:30 p.m. – Chris Cain
7:45-9 p.m. – Taj Mahal and the Phantom Blues Band

Visit Mississippi Crossroads Stage:

Noon-1:15 p.m. – Libby Rae Watson with Bill Steber
1:30-2:45 p.m. – Fred T and The Band
3-4:15 p.m. – Mzz Reese & Reese’s Pieces
4:30-5:45 p.m. – Jaye Hammer

Rosa’s Lounge Stage:

12:30-1:45 p.m. – A Patch of Blues
2-3:15 p.m. – Dan Souvigny Band with Carlos Johnson
3:30-4:45 p.m. – Bob Stroger – Windy City Blues Legend
5-6:15 p.m. – Rick King’s Royal Hustle
6:30-7:45 p.m. – Gerald McClendon (The Soulkeeper) & The A-Team Band

Wrigley Square — Next Generation of Blues:

Noon-12:45 p.m. – Wendy and DB
1-1:45 p.m. – King College Prep
2-2:45 p.m. – Jones College Prep
3-3:45 p.m. – Will Carter Music
4-4:45 p.m. – Alex Olson
5:15-6:15 p.m. – Knott Us Band
6:45-7:45 p.m. – The Chicago Academy for the Arts

Gerry Hundt’s Legendary One-Man Band will perform Friday-Sunday from 1-3 p.m. in various spaces throughout Millennium Park.

Maxwell Street Blues Series — June 7

The blues continues with a neighborhood celebration at the legendary market on Maxwell Street, between South Halsted Street and South Union Avenue, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Schedule

10-11 a.m. – DJ James Porter
11 a.m. – 12 p.m. – Studebaker John’s Maxwell Street Kings
Noon-12:30 p.m. – DJ James Porter
12:30-1:30 p.m. – John Primer & Steve Bell
1:30-2 p.m. – DJ James Porter
2-3 p.m. – Harmonica Hinds Duo

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Scholarly interest in telling the full story of American art is stronger than ever, but organizations that hold key historical records connected to Black art often lack the funding needed to process collections and make them available to the public. Getty’s grants are transforming the discoverability and visibility of artist papers, exhibition records, educational materials, photographic documentation and more by helping institutions process and digitize tens of thousands of archival documents. Support is also making it possible for them to activate the archives through community events, exhibitions and other creative projects.

“These grants will help cultural institutions across the country uncover an abundance of untold stories of Black creativity and resilience,” said Miguel de Baca, senior program officer at the Getty Foundation. “We can’t wait to see how these projects will make such inspiring collections more available to researchers and community members.”

Projects will kick off at eight institutions, including Afro Charities, Inc.; Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History; Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive; Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History; Morgan State University’s Beulah M. Davis Special Collections Department; South Side Community Art Center; South Side Home Movie Project at the University of Chicago and the David C. Driskell Center at the University of Maryland.

A common thread across projects is a focus on Black female artists, including the Auburn Avenue Research Library, which is digitizing historic records, photography and other exhibition planning materials tied to leading Black women arts administrators and artists in Atlanta, like Stephanie Hughley, Kathleen Joy Ballard Peters and Mary Parks Washington. Celebrated abstract painter Alma Thomas is among the artists whose career and social life was chronicled in the AFRO, the oldest family-owned African American newspaper whose archives are being processed by Baltimore-based Afro Charities. The Driskell Center is activating the archives of Where We At Black Women Artists, Inc., a collective that promoted the development of feminist artists like Faith Ringgold, Dindga McCannon and Kay Brown.

“Arriving as The Driskell Center marks its 25th anniversary, Getty’s grant secures the records that make Black art histories possible, ensuring they are preserved and widely accessible,” said Jordana Moore Saggese, director of The Driskell Center. “Through the processing and digitization of these vital collections, alongside a new digital platform for public access, the project extends David C. Driskell’s lifelong commitment to expanding who and what counts in American art.”

The initiative supports archives connected to a wide range of art forms. The University of Chicago’s South Side Home Movie Project will use funding to identify, digitize and make publicly accessible rare moving image documentation of mid-20th-century Black visual arts and arts institutions. Public programming and a digital resource guide will activate unprocessed footage that documents the vibrant cultural life of Chicago’s South Side. The Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA), home of the nation’s largest institutional collection of quilts made by Black artists, will use their grant to digitize materials and create a finding aid for archival materials about quilts from the collection of Eli Leon, including slides and photographic documentation, artist files and field recordings.

“The significance of the African American Quilt Collection at BAMPFA does not truly emerge without the family names, historical details and stories that reside in the archive,” said Elaine Yau, associate curator and academic liaison at BAMPFA. “Getty’s support of this work is especially meaningful at a university art museum, where there is exciting potential for students, researchers and quiltmaker descendants to collaborate and further amplify stories of creative ingenuity and love that are embodied in quilts.”

Getty formed the initiative in consultation with professional organizations and specialists in Black archives, including independent scholar and archivist Dominique Luster. Black Visual Arts Archives is one of several efforts by Getty to broaden awareness of and preserve Black cultural heritage, including Conserving Black Modernism, African American Historic Places Los Angeles and its joint acquisition of the Johnson Publishing Company archive and the archive of architect Paul R. Williams.

2026 grantees for Black Visual Arts Archives:

Afro Charities, Inc.

Baltimore, MD

Grant amount: $235,000

The oldest operating Black-owned business in Maryland, AFRO American Newspapers stands as a record of Black artistic life, chronicling the careers and social worlds of artists like Alma Thomas and Augusta Savage and the newspaper’s employment of leading visual and literary figures like Romare Bearden and Langston Hughes during an era of segregation. Getty funding will help Afro Charities process production files, research notes and business records spanning AFRO News’ regional editions in Baltimore, Washington D.C., Richmond, Philadelphia and Newark from roughly 1900–2011. Working with an art historian, the project archivist will identify artists from their soon-to-be processed archives to plan two public seminars.

Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History

Atlanta, GA

Grant amount: $220,000

The Auburn Avenue Research Library on African American Culture and History is the first library in the Southeast to offer specialized reference and archival collections focused on African American heritage and the African diaspora. The library will use Getty funding to reprocess and digitize two major archives central to Atlanta’s Black Arts Movement—the Neighborhood Arts Center and Phoenix Arts and Theatre Company records. They will digitize materials about leading Black women arts administrators and artists in Atlanta, like Stephanie Hughley, Kathleen Joy Ballard Peters and Mary Parks Washington, which will inform digital and physical exhibitions and content for the Digital Library of Georgia web platform. They are also planning traveling exhibitions for schools and community centers, programs, digital research guides and a conference on Black visual arts.

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive

Berkeley, CA

Grant amount: $250,000

Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) is home to the nation’s largest institutional collection of quilts made by Black artists, made possible by a single bequest of Bay Area collector Eli Leon, a largely self-taught scholar who emerged as a leading authority on African American quilt making in California. BAMPFA will process an archive of Eli Leon papers, which include notes on quilts, slides and photographic documentation, artist files and field recordings. These materials centered on Black artists and makers who moved West in the mid-20th century offer rare insight into the traditions and social practices through which quilts were made, preserved and passed down. Digitized materials, a finding aid and an exhibition will engage the public with the history of West Coast African American quilting traditions, which remains largely absent from major archival collections.

Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History

Detroit, MI

Grant amount: $240,000

Located in Midtown Detroit, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History is one of the world’s largest and oldest independent African American museums. Amid Detroit’s 1967 uprising, art flourished in Black communities—a history that is not well known or studied, despite local artists having achieved national and international prominence. The Wright is processing and conducting research to strengthen documentation around eight unprocessed collections related to Detroit luminaries like Catherine Blackwell, Allie McGhee, Gilda Snowden and Shirley Woodson. The team will produce downloadable finding aids, a project website and periodic archiving workshops and programs to bring the newly processed collections to the public.

Morgan State University’s Beulah M. Davis Special Collections Department

Baltimore, MD

Grant amount: $235,000

Morgan State University’s Beulah M. Davis Special Collections Department is using Getty funding to process, digitize and produce finding aids for archival collections related to the founders of its Department of Fine and Performing Arts. Records relate to visual artist and founding chair James E. Lewis and the university’s first and second African American presidents, Dwight O. W Holmes and Martin D. Jenkins. The team is integrating oral histories to offer a fuller narrative of the department’s contributions to visual arts education. The project also includes a digital exhibition and LibGuide (a web-based, curated research guide) on the history of visual arts on campus and a searchable collective access database that will be integrated into the library’s Special Collections website, enabling researchers and the public to explore newly digitized materials.

South Side Community Art Center

Chicago, IL

Grant amount: $250,000

South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) was founded as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA) and is the nation’s only WPA art center operating in its original location and observing its original mission as a community-based center for Black artists. A team of archivists is processing records tied to the Chicago Black Renaissance, in particular the papers of Dr. Margaret Taylor Goss Burroughs, a Black artist, educator and co-founder of SSCAC and the Ebony Museum of Chicago (now the DuSable Black History Museum and Education Center). The project will also process smaller collections, including Chicago artists William McBride and Douglas Williams, exhibition records and materials on artists who helped establish Chicago as a hub for Black muralists. To support community access to materials, SSCAC will develop archive policies for digital and on-site access and organize public programs focused on the activation of archival collections.

University of Chicago (South Side Home Movie Project)

Chicago, IL

Grant amount: $170,000

The University of Chicago’s South Side Home Movie Project collects, preserves and digitizes home movies created by Chicago’s South Side residents. Getty is funding a two-year project to identify, digitize and make publicly accessible rare moving image documentation of mid-20th-century Black visual arts. Collections include documentation of the collective mural “Wall of Respect,” an important gathering space during the Black Arts Movement; footage of the artist communities connected by relationships with the Lake Meadows Art Fair, the South Side Community Art Center and the DuSable Black History Museum; and films of events hosted by the Photographers Guild of Chicago. Artists, curators, collectors and historians who were active in Chicago’s arts community during this period will be invited to share insights on collection footage. A finding aid, enhanced catalog records, public programming and a digital resource guide will activate hundreds of pieces of unprocessed footage documenting the vibrant cultural memory of Chicago’s South Side.

University of Maryland

College Park, MD

Grant amount: $225,000

The Driskell Center is a leading hub for archives and scholarship on Black visual art, having acquired nine new archival collections and more than doubled its footprint since 2023. With Getty support, they are processing, digitizing and creating finding aids for five collections: records related to West Coast painter Dewey Crumpler; curator Robert L. Hall, whose career spanned Fisk University and the Anacostia Community Museum; Philadelphia collector Lewis Tanner Moore; the archives of Where We At Black Women Artists, Inc., a collective that nurtured feminist artists like Faith Ringgold, Dindga McCannon and Kay Brown; and McCannon’s personal papers. In alignment with the university’s commitment to open access, materials will be available online through integrated, web-based discovery tools, including full operability with its library systems. The team is also planning a pop-up exhibition and public programs to engage communities and increase awareness of its collections.

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My mother, my brother, and I were making plans for Memorial Day. I would pick up my mother, and my brother’s family and my family would meet at the cemetery that morning. When we had finished decorating the graves, we would go to my house for a barbecue.

“Can you bring lilacs with you?” my mother asked. “Lilacs are one of my favorite flowers.”

My mom had just been to our house for Sunday dinner, and before she left, I cut her a bouquet of lilacs. She was still enjoying their fragrance.

“When I die,” she said, “make sure you bring lilacs to put on my grave.”

“I’m quite partial to mums, myself,” my brother said. “Our lilacs are past blooming, so I think I will stop at the store and buy some mums to bring.”

“What about you, Daris?” my mom asked. “What flowers do you like best?”

I thought about that question. Though I enjoy the fragrance and beauty of flowers, I must admit that what I like most is tied more to feelings and memories. I’ve grown roses, irises, tulips, and just about every type of flower. I love to watch my wife and children enjoy them. I also like to see the children carry them in to their mother. But strangely, the flower that brings the fondest memories is one I don’t even grow, at least not on purpose. That flower is the dandelion.

I remember as a boy going into the pasture and seeing a sea of yellow and thinking it was the most beautiful sight in the world. But even more, I loved to see the wonder in the faces of my own children when the flower we too often think of as a noxious weed filled the countryside with a golden hue.

Only a couple of weeks ago, my two-year-old granddaughter was going across the yard, stopping to pick the small flowers. Each time her chubby little fist couldn’t hold anymore, she would come and deposit them on my lap for safekeeping.

I thought of her own mother as a little girl. She would pick the dandelions. When I would get home from a long day of work, she would bring them to me in a cup of water her mother had helped her arrange.

“Here are some daddy wyons for you,” she would say. “I picked them specially for you because you’re my daddy.”

I would pull her onto my lap and give her a big hug. Then I would often read a story to her, or we would sing a children’s song together.

Over the years, almost all my children brought me bouquets of “Daddy lions.” When they were small, they thought their daddy was the smartest and best guy in the world. But then they grew up, and as they did, daddy seemed less and less competent. When they became teenagers, to them daddy’s esteemed value seemed to turn into an exponentially downward spiral until he was old-fashioned and knew next to nothing about what was good for them. That finally seemed to turn around some when they married and had children of their own.

Still, dandelions remind me of what I felt were some of the best times of my life. They remind me of working in the yard or playing in the park with my family. They remind me of picnics, hikes, and camping trips together. But mostly, they remind me of my love for them and pulling them onto my lap for a hug, a story, or a song.
When my granddaughter finished gathering dandelions and brought the last bunch to me, she gave a big handful to me and took the rest to give to her daddy. So, when my mom asked me what flowers I loved best, to her surprise, I had an unusual, but ready, reply.

“I just hope my children will bring me handfuls of Daddy Lions to put on my grave when I’m gone.”

Daris Howard, award-winning, syndicated columnist, playwright, and author, can be contacted at daris@darishoward.com; or visit his website at http://www.publishinginspiration.com, to buy his books.

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Dallas CASA will present its annual Parade of Playhouses from May 22 through June 7 at NorthPark Center. The free indoor event features one-of-a-kind playhouses custom-designed and donated by local architects, builders, schools and community organizations.

The annual fundraiser supports Dallas CASA, the nonprofit organization that recruits and trains volunteer advocates for children who have experienced abuse or neglect and are living in foster care.

This year’s lineup includes playhouses with themes such as “BOOKWORM” and “STORYTELL,” along with designs inspired by cafés, historical homes and cozy reading nooks. Students in the MAPS program at Highland Park High School are also contributing a playhouse modeled after a home designed by architect Charles Dilbeck, whose distinctive houses are well known in the Park Cities area.

The 17-day event concludes with raffles for the custom playhouses. Raffle tickets will cost $5 each or five for $20 and can be purchased during the event or through Dallas CASA’s website.

Since launching in 1996, Parade of Playhouses has become one of Dallas CASA’s signature public events and its largest “friend-raiser,” drawing more than 1 million visitors each year. Organizers say the event not only raises money for advocacy programs, but also introduces community members to volunteer opportunities supporting children in foster care.

This year’s event is scheduled earlier than usual because of the upcoming 2026 FIFA World Cup matches set to take place in Dallas in June.

The event is presented by Crest Auto Group. More information about raffle tickets and volunteer opportunities is available through https://dallascasa.org.

The post The Parade of Playhouses Returns to NorthPark Center on May 22 appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.

Beginning in Fall 2026, students in OnePath will be co-enrolled at both institutions, following a structured degree plan that aligns coursework and student support services. The inaugural pathways include business degree programs offered online and at UNT at Frisco, as well as a biology bachelor’s degree with pre–healthcare advising at the Collin College Frisco Campus. Upper-level biology courses are offered in Denton or at UNT at Frisco.

Collin College and UNT have partnered to launch the OnePath program in Frisco.

“As this partnership grows, it will create more opportunities for students to move seamlessly through shared coursework as they work toward a UNT degree,” said Dr. Neil Matkin, Collin College district president. “This partnership expands opportunity for students by combining the strengths of both institutions in a single, coordinated pathway.”

Co-enrolled students will have access to academic support, career services, and campus life resources across campuses while progressing toward a UNT bachelor’s degree.

“Every qualified student who commits to learn with us deserves a clear path forward — and this partnership makes that possible from day one,” said Dr. Harrison Keller, UNT president. “This is exactly what it looks like when institutions work together to create enduring value for the public good.”

The co-enrollment model simplifies the transition from associate to bachelor’s degree, reducing transfer barriers and expanding access to in-demand programs that support workforce needs in Collin County and across the North Texas region.

For more information about OnePath, visit www.collin.edu/academics/onepath.

Collin College serves more than 60,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 200 degrees and certificates. For more information, visit www.collin.edu.

The University of North Texas is a Carnegie R1 public research university and the largest university in Dallas-Fort Worth — one of the most dynamic regions in the world. Through its campuses in Denton and Frisco, Texas, UNT serves nearly 44,000 students with 242 degree programs.

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As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically. Intelligence plus character, that is the goal of true education.”

Our students are gaining essential leadership qualities alongside their academic preparation.

Renovations at the Charmaine and Robert Price Career Institute South have opened a gateway to career-focused learning opportunities for students. On May 19, 2026, Dallas ISD held a building dedication ceremony and open house to celebrate this exciting new resource for students. Thank you for joining us in commemorating this important milestone.

At CIS, students from David W. Carter and Justin F. Kimball high schools have the opportunity to earn certifications and gain hands-on experience that will directly prepare them for the workforce. Recent renovations include expanded classrooms for the health sciences program, new labs for hands-on training in the automotive center, and additional space for plumbing, electrical and solar technology pathways.

These renovations ensure that the excellence of each program at the career institute is reflected not only in instruction, but also in the spaces and resources that support our students daily.

At Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy, students are excelling academically. Natalia F., a graduating senior, received the Chancellor’s Scholarship from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, a full academic scholarship valued at $108,000.

The campus has earned an exceptional 97 rating from the Texas Education Agency. This A rating, along with its recognition as a Blue Ribbon School, makes it a premier learning environment. With a 90 percent reading proficiency rate, students benefit from an early college curriculum that allows them to earn both a high school diploma and an associate degree from Dallas College Cedar Valley Campus.

In addition to these exciting academic achievements, we are still celebrating our boys basketball teams for their recent win at the state championship. At the April 23 board meeting, we recognized student-athletes and coaches from Kimball and Carter high schools for this outstanding achievement.

The Kimball Knights boys basketball team won its second consecutive UIL 4A Division I State Championship with an impressive 62-42 victory, defeating Fort Bend Crawford. This dynamic win secured their ninth state title.

The Carter Cowboys won their first UIL 4A Division II State Championship, defeating La Marque with an outstanding 67-41 victory.

Lastly, I want to thank every voter who contributed to my re-election as District 6 trustee. While there is still progress to be made, I am proud of what we have accomplished so far.

In the months ahead, I look forward to representing you for another term and serving as a voice for our students, families, schools, and staff. Together we can continue to build better futures for our students.

Thank you, District 6.

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Registered voters may cast ballots at any early voting center, offering flexibility for those with busy schedules ahead of the Memorial Day weekend..

Dallas County Elections Department officials note that registered voters can vote at any of the Early Voting locations. Voters should bring an acceptable photo ID, such as a Texas driver’s license, passport or military ID. Those without proper ID may still vote with a supporting document by completing a Reasonable Impediment Declaration.

On Election Day, Tuesday, May 26, polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 7 p.m. at numerous Vote Centers across the county. Anyone in line by 7 p.m. will be allowed to vote. The county uses a Vote Center model, so voters are not restricted to a single precinct location.

Key races on the Democratic ballot include the county clerk contest between Ann Marie Cruz and Damarcus Offord, and the Criminal District Court No. 5 race featuring Mareen Alexander and Lakesha Smith. Republican runoffs and other local contests also appear on ballots depending on the voter’s party participation in the March primary.

Mail ballots must be received by election officials by 7 p.m. on Election Day if not postmarked, or by the following day under certain conditions. Voters can check their sample ballot, find locations and verify registration at dallascountyvotes.org or by calling the elections office.

Officials urge residents to vote early to ensure their voices are heard in races that will help determine nominees for the November general election. For wait times, locations and more details, visit the county’s interactive dashboard or download the election information sheet.

The post Early Voting Already Underway to Decide Primary Runoffs on May 26 appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.

Each student worked alongside an adult driver and participated in race preparation and pit crew operations throughout the event. Races took place in a controlled environment with extensive safety measures, including regulated go-karts, emergency kill switches, and onsite safety infrastructure. Go-karts were limited to a maximum speed of 25 mph.

Presented by Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc.’s Theta Alpha STEM Academy in partnership with Fair Park and L.A. Motor Toys, the event celebrated youth achievement in STEM education while promoting mentorship, teamwork, and real-world learning experiences.

The Grand Prix was named in honor of the late Warren G. Lee, Jr., for his contributions to the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Theta Alpha Chapter in Dallas. Mr. Lee served as the Grand Basileus from 2006-2010, and 2nd Vice Grand Basileus from 1972-1974. His contributions to STEM were in the areas of mathematics where he was an accountant serving as a tax preparer for local black residents in the inner city of Dallas. He also served the fraternity as the Grand Keeper of Finance from 1992-1998.

Gayelord Gray, Basileus of Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s Theta Alpha Chapter said STEM education is vital for innovation and career readiness. “The chapter continues to be at the forefront of community service in the greater Dallas Metroplex, sharing the responsibility of leadership for area youth through mentorship and educational programs focused on helping young people achieve high academic, moral, and ethical goals.”

“The STEM Youth Excellence Prix fosters interest in STEM education and creates an inspiring, community-centered event that highlights mentorship, youth empowerment, and collaborative learning opportunities for students,” said Joe Cabrera, STEM liaison for Omega Psi Phi Fraternity’s Theta Alpha Chapter.

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In a new analysis published May 13 in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association, researchers from UC San Francisco and Trinity College Dublin, estimate the prices required in 174 nations for these new Alzheimer’s therapies to attain local willingness to pay for health gains. Their study suggests that only global price-setting would permit widespread benefit from these disease-modifying therapies.

The authors used the “value-based pricing” method to align the market price of the therapy with its estimated health benefits to the healthcare system and society and set a price that matches local ability to invest in these interventions. Their assessment examined a narrower health care perspective (considering only medical costs and excluding other factors like market returns) as well as a broader societal perspective.

“Given the current market prices of lecanemab and donanemab, they are unlikely to be cost-effective in all 174 countries,” said study senior author James G. Kahn, MD, MPH, emeritus professor at the UCSF Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies and in the UCSF Global Brain Health Institute. “The threshold analysis provides prices for what these 174 countries could justify for these therapies, which would need to vary substantially by country.”

For example, the study found that for the U.S, the price required for lecanemab is $9,388 with the health care perspective, and $17,257 using the societal perspective. The comparable results for donanemab are $13,964 and $26,829. This compares with current list prices in the U.S. of $26,500 for lecanemab and $32,000 for donanemab. These findings suggest that price reductions of 16% to 35% would be needed to achieve the value-based pricing in the U.S. Lower prices would likely improve access and therefore use.

The value-based pricing substantially less in low- and middle-income countries. In low-income countries, the target price is between $4 and $32 — representing price decreases of 97% to 99%. In lower-middle-income countries, the value-based price ranges from $11 to $956.

“Lecanemab and donanemab bring important health benefits, but at current market prices they are too expensive for most health systems worldwide,” said study first author Men Thi Hoang, a health economics research associate at Manchester Centre for Health Economics and PhD candidate at Trinity College Dublin.

There is historical precedent for lowering costs for important new medications. In the early 2000s, the price for anti-retroviral therapy for HIV disease was decreased by 99% from U.S. levels for lower-income nations. The result was widespread uptake of these life-saving therapies.

“We learned 25 years ago with HIV drugs that transformative new treatments can be priced to reach people around the world,” said Kahn. “I hope the same happens with Alzheimer’s medicines.”

The authors say the study provides provisional value-based pricing estimates that can inform market access decisions. Importantly, their model offers a flexible framework that can be adapted and refined with country-specific data to inform drug price negotiations, and countries can enhance estimates with local data, which may reduce the uncertainty of decisions when setting drug prices.

Additional authors: Sanjib Saha, Dominic Trépel

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In a new paper, “Protecting the Integrity and Quality of the Medicare Advantage Program: A Position Paper from the American College of Physicians” published in Annals of Internal Medicine, ACP examines growth of the Medicare Advantage program and its implications for the delivery of fair, high-quality and fiscally responsible care to older adults and people with disabilities.

Medicare Advantage is the private option in Medicare that now enrolls more than half of all Medicare beneficiaries. The plans are offered by private insurers approved by the CMS and integrate Part A and Part B of traditional Medicare coverage into a single plan with additional coverage options, such as prescription drugs, dental, vision and even gym memberships.

The additional coverage appeals to beneficiaries, but beneficiaries often face challenges in navigating plan choices, unexpected costs, prior authorization and access to clinicians and post-acute services. These barriers disproportionately affect those who are low-income, live in rural communities, or have several chronic conditions. Medicare Advantage risk adjustment policies have created payment vulnerabilities and favorable patient selection, whereas quality measurement of the plans remains fragmented and overly complex.

In the paper, ACP details several position statements and recommendations for policymakers to ensure that traditional fee-for-service Medicare remains a strong, sustainable option for beneficiaries and advises that Medicare Advantage plans should not be used to replace or privatize traditional Medicare. These plans also must provide transparent, standardized benefit designs, which would improve beneficiaries’ decision making, enhance accountability and ensure that plan offerings prioritize meaningful health benefits rather than serving as an incentive to select a plan.

The transparency should extend to the promotion of Medicare Advantage plans, as well. ACP strongly advises robust oversight and regulation of Medicare Advantage marketing practices to prevent misleading advertisements and says that plans engaging in deceptive marketing should face penalties. Medicare Advantage plans should also be required to provide clear, standardized cost disclosures to protect beneficiaries from unexpected financial strain, and CMS should ensure that Medicare Advantage plans prioritize affordability alongside access to care. ACP says the plans should enact balanced and transparent risk adjustment mechanisms to better reflect patient complexity and avoid excessive coding practices.

Prior authorization requirements in Medicare Advantage plans are a common concern for physicians and patients due to administrative burden and potential delays in necessary care; ACP calls for streamlined prior authorization processes with faster response times and improved transparency. ACP also recommends that Medicare Advantage plans offer comprehensive and accessible telehealth options to benefit rural and underserved populations.

The plans should also report to CMS and the public on the usage and outcomes of supplemental benefits, such as telehealth, dental, vision and hearing services to ensure accountability. Finally, ACP urges policymakers to prevent restrictive contractual clauses in Medicare Advantage models that interfere with physicians’ abilities to serve their patients. Regulatory frameworks should prioritize patient-centered care over administrative or financial considerations.

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Rainbow coalitions have a history of leaking on Black folks. There are tons of stories behind that claim; that’s probably not relevant right now, but I digress.
In Southern politics, the Black electorate has been the engine of the Democratic Party for more than half a century. They’ve provided the votes, the grassroots infrastructure, and the moral authority that’s kept the party alive. That said, at this point, they know when they’re being asked to provide the labor for a coalition that doesn’t prioritize them.

So when Mayra Rivera-Vázquez, a Latina candidate, is running for Congress in South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District as the state legislature carves up the only Black district in the state, the question isn’t only if she’s qualified. The first question is whether she’s a legitimate option or, to be more direct, are we really in the same boat?
Eight days after the Supreme Court gutted Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais, South Carolina Republicans are moving to trash the June 9 primary and push it to August so they can redraw the congressional map. Democracy is just too risky unless they can guarantee the outcome. Today, the South Carolina Senate is expected to vote on whether to authorize a special session for redistricting. President Trump says he will be “watching closely.” The target is Jim Clyburn’s 6th District. He holds the state’s only Democratic seat and is the only Black representative from South Carolina since Reconstruction.

This isn’t the first time. In 2023, Republican lawmakers moved roughly 30,000 Black voters out of District 1 and packed them into District 6 to hit a specific racial target. 17% of the Black vote, to be exact. A federal three-judge panel called it an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The Supreme Court overturned that ruling in 2024, calling the motive partisan rather than racial, as if the two aren’t the same thing in South Carolina. Now, the Callais ruling has given them permission to finish the job.
The numbers are the only thing that matters in this story. Before redistricting, Black voters made up 21.4% of District 1. Today, 17.8%. Hispanic voters went from 7.9% to 8.2%. One group diminished with precision. The other was statistically consolidated.

John Morgan, a Republican map consultant, testified before the House panel that the proposed map was drawn to deliver a 7-0 Republican sweep of the state’s congressional delegation. If you don’t believe me, he said that on the record. The cost of this latest maneuver, according to state Election Commission Director Conway Belangia, is at least $2.2 million in taxpayer money. And that doesn’t include county costs. It also renders the military ballots already in the mail dead on arrival.
And that’s where the public conversation starts telling on itself.

The poetic hypocrisy is hard to miss in South Carolina politics. Nancy Mace, the Republican who held the seat Mayra Rivera-Vázquez is running for, wrote in a New York Times op-ed that women in her own party are stuck in “the token slots,” claiming they are boxed in while the real power operates behind closed doors. But Mace backs the same anti-DEI crusade that South Carolina Republicans have used to dismiss Black achievement and the credentials of women of color as unearned. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, white women were the largest beneficiaries of DEI initiatives. Mayra says to be taken seriously by state lawmakers, she practically has to carry her three advanced degrees like a permission slip at all times, “just because of the fact that I am Latina and a woman.”

District 1 in 2026 is a different beast from the one Mace first won. Mount Pleasant is 90% White with a median household income of $124,000. Kiawah Island’s median income exceeds $213,000. The new math isn’t designed to care for the deeply specific, land-related issues facing the Geechee-Gullah people in places like St. Helena, Wadmalaw, and Johns Island. This is the ghost map Mayra Rivera-Vázquez is running against—an algorithm engineered for the wealthy and for suburban developments, drawn to erase Black districts.

But here’s where the coalition question gets uncomfortable. According to the US census, a significant portion of the Latino population in the Lowcountry identifies as white. A middle-class Latino family in Mount Pleasant has a fundamentally different relationship with this district than a Black family that was redistricted out of it. When a chunk of your coalition shares more economic interests with the people who drew the map than with the people who were erased by it, that ain’t a coalition.
Mayra says she’s not a politician. She’s a lawyer, an economist, and the former chair of the Beaufort County Democratic Party, the first Latina to hold that position in South Carolina. She’s spent 14 years in the Lowcountry.

She stopped a rezoning effort for a golf course on Gullah Geechee land in Beaufort. She organized coalitions against a data center project near the ACE Basin. She’s been in hearing rooms fighting for Black land before ever filing to run for anything.

Mayra says she’s drawn “lines in the sand” for working families in the Lowcountry. In fact, she is the only candidate in the District 1 race who can say to the families on St. Helena, “As former chair of the Beaufort County Democratic Party, while Nancy Mace was busy drawing you off the map, I was fighting to keep you in it.”
When I asked Mayra whether Black voters being displaced should trust a Latina candidate to carry their fight, she didn’t dodge the question.

“Being a Latina, I could not run for Congress without the fight the Black community in the ’60s fought. They helped everyone get the right to vote,” she said. “It’s because of them that I am even a possibility.”

Mayra understands whose shoulders she’s standing on and isn’t pretending otherwise.

Are we really in the same boat?

I asked her that directly.

“Only if we are rowing in the same direction.”

The post Are We Really in the Same Boat? appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.

They join the distinguished lineage of theatre-makers and cultural artists who have led the festival, including 2024 Co-Chairs, Tamara Tunie and Clifton Davis, and Black theatre royalty such as André De Shields (2001), Debbie Allen (1997), Sidney Poitier (1993), and Maya Angelou (1989).

Their leadership continues a proud tradition of celebrated artists helping guide one of the world’s premier gatherings dedicated to the artistic brilliance and global legacy of Black theatre.

Widely known for their starring roles on Tyler Perry’s hit series The Haves and the Have Nots, Robinson and Parros appeared on the show throughout its eight-season run from 2013 to 2021 on the Oprah Winfrey Network (OWN TV).

Angela Robinson is globally recognized by television audiences as the formidable “Ice Queen,” Veronica Harrington. For her performance, Robinson received the 2015 Gracie Award for Outstanding Female Actor: One to Watch.

A stage actor at heart, Robinson has built an extensive and celebrated career in musical theatre, appearing on Broadway in The Color Purple as Shug Avery alongside Fantasia, as well as in Wonderful Town, Bells Are Ringing with Faith Prince, and Play On! with André De Shields.

Her national tour credits include The Wizard of Oz alongside Eartha Kitt and Dreamgirls with Frenchie Davis. Off-Broadway, Robinson has appeared in Call the Children Home and Radiant Baby opposite Billy Porter under the direction of George C. Wolfe, as well as in three productions with New York City Center’s Encores!.

On screen, Robinson appeared in Mea Culpa opposite Kelly Rowland and had a recurring role on Lady in the Lake alongside Natalie Portman. She is an alumna of Florida A&M University and trained at The William Esper Studio. Robinson is a proud member of Actors’ Equity Association and SAG-AFTRA.

A passionate champion for the stage, Robinson shares:

“Theatre is the foundation for most other acting platforms. The blending of music, dance, writing, design, visual, costume, and tech gives any artist the opportunity to use their gifts to create something lasting and impactful to society. We live in a time when we are inundated with news and information. Theatre offers perspective through entertainment. This collaborative art form will always be my first love!”

Peter Parros is a prolific and respected actor and writer whose career spans television, film, and theatre. He is best known for starring as Judge David Harrington on The Haves and the Have Nots. Parros also recently co-starred in the BET films The Final Say and Merry Switchmas.

Parros began his acting career at American Theatre Arts in Hollywood before gaining widespread recognition as RC3 on the popular series Knight Rider opposite David Hasselhoff. He later starred in the series The New Adam-12 and has appeared in recurring roles on Law & Order and Family Man, along with guest appearances on shows including Lethal Weapon, Scorpion, Castle, Seinfeld, Star Trek: The Next Generation, Bones, New York Undercover, and CSI: Miami.

On the role theatre played in shaping his approach to acting, Parros says:

“[My] theater background was really helpful because that helps you to develop a character, understand your relationship, and have some kind of technique to be a foundation for how you’re working.” (Source: Music and Medicine, 2025, Youtube)

His film credits include Real Genius, Death Before Dishonor, and Who Are You People. Parros also earned two NAACP Image Awards nominations for his work in daytime television, appearing as Dr. Ben Harris on As the World Turns, Dr. Ben Price on One Life to Live, and Leo Baines on The Young and the Restless.

In addition to acting, Parros is an accomplished writer, having written for episodic television, the films Something to Sing About and The Climb, and the Christian comic book series Kidz of the King Adventures.

With excitement for this year’s festival, Parros shares:

In a world that is moving further and further toward artificially generated entertainment, this is a rare opportunity to experience excellent, live, global artistry and storytelling. I hope you will make the effort to join us and share in what is sure to be a unique and uplifting atmosphere!

The International Black Theatre Festival returns to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, July 27-August 1,2026.

For more information and IBTF updates, visit https://ncblackrep.org/ibtf.

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Randles brings more than three decades of fire service leadership experience, most recently serving as Fire Chief and Emergency Management Coordinator for the City of Temple, Texas, where he retired in 2025.

This interim appointment is intended to ensure uninterrupted fire and emergency medical services while the City retools its process for selecting a permanent Fire Chief.

“Public safety is our highest priority,” said Interim City Manager Kristoff Bauer. “Chief Randles brings the operational leadership, emergency management expertise, and command-level experience necessary to lead our department during this transition and ensure our community continues to receive the highest level of service.”

In this role, Randles will oversee all fire and EMS operations, including personnel, training, emergency response, and departmental planning. His background includes managing large-scale departmental budgets, directing fire and rescue operations, implementing policies and procedures, and maintaining a high state of readiness across fire and emergency functions.

Additionally, Randles will also support the City’s emergency management function, helping strengthen coordination, preparedness, and response capabilities during a critical time for public safety operations. Randles is serving in a temporary capacity, as a retiree, and will not be a candidate for the permanent position.

The City would like to thank Interim Fire Chief Chris Ensley for his steady guidance during this period of transition, and we look forward to his continued service as Assistant Fire Chief. The City also extends its sincere appreciation to Blake Margolis. From serving as Rowlett’s youngest city councilmember to mayor and most recently emergency management coordinator, his leadership and dedication have had a lasting impact on the City.

“We recognize that transitions like this can be difficult,” Bauer added. “Our focus remains on maintaining stability, supporting our employees, and ensuring we have qualified leadership in place to serve our residents.”

Rowlett leadership looks forward to Chief Randles’ interim leadership and is committed to engaging the community in a more aligned and transparent process as the search for a permanent Fire Chief moves forward.

The post Chief Mitchell D. Randles appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.

The high court’s 6-3 decision in Louisiana v. Callais on April 29 significantly restricted Section 2 of the 1965 law, making it far harder for courts to mandate additional majority-minority districts to prevent vote dilution. Justice Samuel Alito wrote that race cannot predominate in map-drawing even to comply with the VRA unless strict scrutiny is met, a move critics say invites discriminatory gerrymandering.

Tennessee became the most aggressive early adopter. On May 7, GOP lawmakers in a special session passed a new congressional map that dismantles the state’s only majority-Black district, the Memphis-based 9th, long represented by Rep. Steve Cohen. The plan splits Black voters in Shelby County across three predominantly white, Republican-leaning districts, potentially handing Republicans all nine of Tennessee’s House seats.

Similar efforts are underway or anticipated in Louisiana, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia and Mississippi, threatening seats held by members of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Rep. Shomari Figures, D-Ala., whose Mobile-area district was court-ordered to address vote dilution, condemned the broader push.

“This is their way of moving the goalposts, of changing the rules during the game, of stacking the deck,” Figures said in an NPR interview. “That’s what’s motivating this.”

NAACP General Counsel Kristen Clarke called Tennessee’s map a direct assault. “A democracy without Black representation is not a democracy,” Clarke said in response to the redistricting. “It is a direct attack on our democracy and our Constitution to dismantle majority-Black districts.”

Civil rights groups, including the NAACP and ACLU, have filed lawsuits challenging Tennessee’s map, arguing intentional racial discrimination and violations of state law. Protests erupted at the Tennessee Capitol, with demonstrators invoking Jim Crow-era suppression tactics.

In Louisiana, officials delayed primaries after the ruling to redraw maps, potentially eliminating a second majority-Black district. South Carolina Republicans are advancing plans that could weaken Rep. Jim Clyburn’s 6th District.

Voting rights organizations say the developments compound setbacks since the 2013 Shelby County v. Holder decision and reflect a coordinated effort to dilute minority voting strength. The Congressional Black Caucus has warned of potential losses for up to a dozen members if maps survive legal challenges.

Supporters of the new maps argue they better reflect partisan leanings and traditional redistricting criteria, rejecting claims of racial targeting. Legal battles are expected to stretch into the election cycle, with plaintiffs seeking injunctions. The fights underscore deepening divisions over race, representation and democracy less than six months before voters head to the polls.

The post Black Leaders, Groups Galvanized by Assault on Voting Rights appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.

The videos and news reports were inspiring.

In them, a hesitant prospective-college student turned into a happy new college-bound student with the click of a key. They were accepted into the college of their dreams – so how can you get the same feeling next spring, when you’re the one with the highest of hopes?

You can start by reading these great books and sharing them with your family…

You probably already know that getting into the college of your choice is not something you do last-minute. In “The People’s Guide to College Applications: A Week-by Week Approach to Writing, Connecting, and Getting in” by Jill Constantino (Prometheus Books, $21.95) takes you through each step, but not in a frantic way. There’s no pressure here, just easy-to-grasp, makes-sense methods to apply for the college you want. There are reminders here, things you can’t forget and things you can, hints on asking for referrals and writing essays, and plenty of reminders to take a deep breath. Bonus: it’s also a book for parents, who may feel just as much pressure as does their child.

Okay, but let’s say that you’re an adult, a parent who’s sweating those college applications, classes, and the FAFSA for yourself, ugh! Then you’ll want to read “Student Parent: The Fight for Families, the Cost of Poverty, and the Power of College” by Nicole Lynn Lewis (Beacon Press, $26.97). an urgent call meant for nontraditional students who are also Black, Latinx, gay, Moms, or Dads.

Inside this book, you’ll find stats and stories that may already sound familiar, tales of not enough money, not enough support, not enough arms or sleep or resources. If you’re looking for a book of advice, this isn’t it, though. It’s more of a resource that you’ll want to take to your guidance counselor or any local politician.

Alright, but what if you’ve decided that college can wait? Is that okay? Look for “The Mission Generation: Reclaim Your Purpose, Rewrite Success, Rebuild Our Future” by Arun Gupta and Thomas J. Fewer (Wiley, $29.00) because – guess what? – you have many options for your future.

The kind of workday your Grandpa had is probably over, and you can’t count on toiling at the same place for 40 years for a pension and a gold watch. You already know that, and this book will help you decide your next step. You’ll learn what kind of worker you are, what’s stopping you from finding a job or occupation you’ll love, how to determine the purpose you envision for your future, and how to get where you need to be. This book isn’t just for high-schoolers, but for anyone ages 16 and beyond who’s feeling restless, ready for change, or who’s thinking about some kind of purposeful retirement.

And if these aren’t the college-based or not-college-bound books you need, then be sure to ask your favorite bookseller or librarian for help on ideas, how-to’s, test prep books, or study guides. They’ll have books for you, and maybe a little inspiration, too.

The post NDG Bookshelf: Books for College-Bound Students appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.

A lot of things in life, I am not very good at. That list could go on and on and on. Not only am I not good at some things, but I’m terrible at most things.

However, I am actually excellent at a few things. I think the top of that list is eating, which I do with a passion that might make you smile.

I’ve never met a cheeseburger that I didn’t like. I could have a cheeseburger every day and be very happy. Along with my cheeseburger would be some very delicious French fries. Nobody can eat a cheeseburger and fries like me. I never know when I’ve had enough.

Along with that, I’ve never met a serving of Mac & Cheese I didn’t like. I enjoy those buffets where I can eat as much as I want. I’m not sure who came up with this idea of Mac & Cheese, but they certainly deserve a Nobel Peace Prize.

When it comes to dessert, I have never met a dessert I did not love.

At one restaurant, when I order my dessert, I tell the waitress, “You surprised me and pick out a dessert you think I would enjoy.”

Never once did any waitress bring me a dessert I didn’t like.

Then, I have never had an Apple Fritter I did not enjoy. I can’t remember when I first started eating Apple Fritters, but it’s certainly been a wonderful experience for me.

I try to convince The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage that an Apple Fritter is actually a fruit. Everybody knows that an Apple is a fruit. Whenever I say that to her, she looks at me and says, “The only fruit I know is you, and you’re a fruitcake.”

When it comes to breakfast, I’ve never had a waffle I didn’t like. There is nothing like a plate filled to the top with waffles floating in syrup. I love waffles, and I could eat them all day.

Recently, some health challenges developed, and my doctor said I was slightly overweight. I asked what that meant, and he just smiled, probably knowing I’d find some humor in it.

I then had a slight heart attack, along with an episode of shingles and even a case of acute bronchitis. All of that together redefined my health condition.

When I say redefine I’m referring to The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. She’s usually with me when I see my doctor and knows everything the doctor says about me and my health condition. She remembers even more than I hear. I’m not sure she is remembering everything that actually occurred.

Because of that, she has now taken over the culinary aspect of my health. I did not see that coming. All of a sudden, my eating habits are being supervised by The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage.

I must confess that she is a wonderful cook. I don’t think there’s anything she can’t cook or bake that doesn’t taste delicious.

But now, because of my health conditions, she has developed a vegetable diet for me. Also, some fruits are involved. The main part of my meals every day is lettuce.

Personally, I only love lettuce on my cheeseburger. After a while, I have come to the point where I want to say, “Let us alone.” But I can’t speak that out loud in case of reciprocation. Believe me, nobody wants to experience anything like reciprocation from The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Still, I understand it’s for my health, even if I joke about it.

I did not know there were so many vegetables in the world until recently. It seems she has a vegetable for everything.

There is one strict restriction along this line, and that is broccoli. No matter what anybody else thinks, especially The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, I do not consider broccoli to be a vegetable. Disagree with me if you want, but I am unanimous in that.

I do confess that the lettuce salads she makes are rather delicious. No question about that for me. But as long as I’ve been alive, I have never considered a lettuce salad to be the mainstay of lunch and dinner.

For the past year, she has been very diligent about the “vegetable diet” she developed for me. As a result, I have lost around 15 pounds. When the doctor told me that, I spent a whole week looking for those lost pounds. It’s funny, but I know it’s a positive change for my health.

Evidently, her “vegetable diet” is working for me. I’m losing weight, and my blood pressure is under control. I never knew it was out of control before, but doctors are always right, so says The Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage.

After a week of eating lettuce salads, I began to feel like a rabbit. Now I know what rabbits feel like when they’re running around looking for lettuce. The only difference with a rabbit is the ears. They have big ears and can hear everything, whereas I have small ears and can hardly hear anything.

I remembered what the Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.”

Whatever my diet is, whether I like it or not, I’m going to do it to glorify God, after all, God deserves my praise.

Dr. James L. Snyder lives in Ocala, FL with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage. Telephone 1-352-216-3025, e-mail jamessnyder51@gmail.com, website www.jamessnyderministries.com.

The post Sometimes I Feel Like A Rabbit appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.

Researchers found this pattern of discrimination across several experiments, regardless of whether the proposed job applicants had foreign-language first names or Anglicized first names. The findings also were supported through an analysis of hundreds of employment discrimination lawsuits filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The research was published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: General.

“It’s important to consider perceptions of cultural foreignness in our understanding of how different racial groups experience discrimination,” said lead researcher Terrènce Pope, PhD, a quantitative researcher who received their doctorate at the University of Washington.

In an online experiment, more than 1,000 white American participants were presented with a job ad that emphasized stereotypically American characteristics, including strong English skills and familiarity with American customs and traditions. The participants then viewed similar resumes with candidates who had common Asian American, Latino American or Black American last names and Anglicized first names.

The participants rated the Asian and Latino American applicants as less hirable and more culturally foreign than the Black American applicant. The participants selected the Asian American applicant (21%) or the Latino American applicant (23%) at lower rates compared with the Black American applicant (57%).

A second study with 500 white undergraduate students at the University of Washington had similar findings with Asian American applicants perceived as significantly less hirable for a stereotypically American job than Black American candidates.

In two additional experiments with MBA or undergraduate student participants of various races, the job candidates included both male and female names. The racial or ethnic groups of the candidates also were expanded to include common Asian, Arab, Latino, Black and white American names.

Asian, Arab and Latino American applicants were perceived as more culturally foreign and less hirable for a stereotypically American job relative to Black American applicants, who in turn were perceived as less hirable than white applicants.

The experiments examined hypothetical hiring decisions as an analogy for real-world decisions that often include many other factors besides the race or ethnicity associated with candidates’ names.

The researchers also reviewed 330 employment discrimination lawsuits that were litigated by the EEOC from 1997-2006.  Among Asian, Arab and Latino American plaintiffs, a significant proportion of the cases (ranging from 31%-53% for the different racial groups) involved cultural foreignness stereotypes, and nearly all of those cases were categorized by the EEOC as national origin discrimination rather than racial discrimination.

The researchers recommended that efforts to reduce stereotyping in hiring decisions should include perceptions of cultural foreignness as a possible factor.

“Programs and policies that intend to reduce discrimination should avoid adopting one-size-fits-all solutions because racial and ethnic groups may experience discrimination in different ways and in different contexts,” Pope said.

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The Offices One, Two and Three offer a combined 700,000 square feet of fully amenitized Class A office space in the southwest portion of the development.
Recent leasing activity at The Offices Three includes:

• Parkhill – The architecture and engineering firm will occupy 26,254 square feet on Level 5 in a fully customized space designed to reflect its brand and support a modern, collaborative work environment. The office marks Parkhill’s second location in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

• Ash Grove – The cement manufacturer will occupy 5,174 square feet on Level 2, a move-in-ready spec suite ideal for efficiency and limited upfront investment. The office will serve as its regional office.

• Raymond James – The full-service financial firm will occupy 5,120 square feet on Level 2. The move-in ready spec suite will serve as its Frisco branch.

• Additional Spec Suites – 12,000 square feet on Level 2, available in 2,500 to 6,500 square foot configurations, offering fully finished, plug-and-play spaces with access to a dedicated tenant lounge, dining area, huddle rooms and bar-top collaboration areas.

“With a location that’s easy to get to and amenities people want to use, The Offices Three continues to attract strong interest and maintain leasing momentum,” said Tyler Chapman, director of development for VanTrust Real Estate’s Dallas office. “Our spec suites and fully built-out spaces are meeting growing demand for turnkey office solutions as tenants prioritize amenity-rich, accessible locations with space they can occupy right away, without the time or cost of a full build-out.”

The Offices Three offers convenient access to Dallas North Tollway, State Highway 121/Sam Rayburn Tollway, The Star, the Dallas Cowboys’ world headquarters, and the region’s expanding Collin County workforce.

In addition to office space, Frisco Station already includes four residential communities and three hotels: Canopy by Hilton Dallas Frisco Station, The AC Hotel Dallas Frisco and The Residence Inn Dallas Frisco, making it easy for visitors and teams to stay onsite. Cambridge Holdings also broke ground on Frisco Station’s first medical office building, kicking off the development’s Health and Wellness District. A 30-acre park and trail system connects Frisco Station to the city’s regional hiking and biking trails.

The Frisco Station Partnership is composed of Hillwood, VanTrust Real Estate and The Rudman Partnership. For more information about Frisco Station, visit www.FriscoStation.com.

The post Leasing Momentum Accelerates at the Offices Three at Frisco Station With Nearly 50,000 Square Feet in New Activity appeared first on North Dallas Gazette.

As of this writing, 21 states and the District of Columbia have outlawed triple-digit interest rates on payday loans and similar credit products. These hard-won consumer victories largely stopped lenders from trapping people in triple-digit interest rate debt – key strides towards financial freedom.

But now, a pair of predatory lenders, Enova and Opportunity Financial (OppFi) listed on the New York Stock Exchange, have turned to a different approach for continued exploitation of the nation’s working poor: becoming a bank.

By seeking federal approval to acquire national bank charters, once again working people would be snared into long-term debt traps and increased financial instability in the throes of a nation already grappling with an affordability crisis.

Federal banking regulators are fast-tracking these lenders’ bank applications, without offering opponents an opportunity to discuss their concerns.

With a national bank charter, predatory lenders would gain an end-run advantage to once again impose triple-digit loan rates even in states with existing lending rate caps. This regressive regulatory move also comes at a time when the federal government is decreasing lender supervision and enforcement. State usury limits are the only source of these loan protections for borrowers not covered under the federal Military Lending Act.

National banks are supposed to provide a “public benefit”. But in these instances, the private corporations – not the public – would benefit.

OppFi, a digital finance platform that makes short-term installment loans at up to 195 percent Annual Percentage Rate (APR), has announced plans to acquire Arizona-based BNC National Bank (BNC). At the start of this year, BNC had approximately $1.1 billion in total assets and approximately $1.0 billion in total deposits.

Enova, a lender fined by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for repeated anti-consumer behavior, is seeking to acquire Grasshopper Bank, based in New York City with assets of $1.59 billion. Enova is better known by the names of its consumer and small business loan brands – CashNetUSA, NetCredit, and OnDeck.

A coalition of civil rights and consumer groups in an April letter urged Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to reject the applications of these predatory lenders, pointing to new analysis which shows that a disproportionate number of complaints against Enova were generated in predominantly Black and Latino communities, raising questions of equity and disparate impact.

In part the coalition letter states, “Black and Latino communities typically lack access to small business capital due to unaddressed systemic discrimination. The answer is not to lend at predatory rates as Enova does. Underserved communities should not be subject to such high, predatory costs…Products that increase indebtedness, drive borrowers out of the banking system, and disproportionately harm communities of color are not a public benefit under any reasonable regulatory construction of that term. The Federal Reserve’s review must account for the quality and cost of credit being offered, not merely its availability.”

The letter was signed on behalf of the Legal Defense Fund, NAACP, and the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, National Consumer Law Center (NCLC) and the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL).

And this January, CRL released a research report entitled, Lost Opportunities: How OppFi Traps Borrowers in Unaffordable Debt. CRL’s analysis of OppFi’s transactional data uncovered examples of borrowers caught in an unaffordable cycle of loan repayment, including instances of refinancing two to three months after taking out an installment loan ranging from $500–$5,000 with interest rates up to 195 percent APR.

“This national bank affiliation scheme would enrich a handful of rogue lenders looking to evade state interest rate limits so they can siphon millions of dollars in excess fees from consumers’ wallets,” said Ellen Harnick, executive vice president at CRL. She said the findings show that OppFi’s lending does not serve community needs, and approval would allow the bank to export predatory consumer loans to many more states, putting tens of thousands of borrowers at risk of falling into extended debt traps.

More recently, the National Consumer Law Center, also weighed in on the proposed bank charter. “President Trump should not allow OppFi to become a national bank and spread high interest rate pain across the country,” said Lauren Saunders, a NCLC senior attorney. “At a time of an affordability crisis, the Trump Administration is considering allowing new national banks that would charge triple-digit interest rates, well above state interest rate limits approved by voters and legislatures in 45 states.”

Bank charters provide private companies with public benefit. They must only be granted when lending is fair, not predatory.

Charlene Crowell is a senior fellow with the Center for Responsible Lending. She can be reached at Charlene.crowell@responsiblelending.org.

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Three thousand years of ancient Egyptian history are presented through an array of dazzling royal treasures expertly crafted from gold, granite, lapis lazuli, and other precious materials, along with objects that reveal the inner workings of this sophisticated civilization that continues to intrigue, influence, and inspire the modern world. Treasures of the Pharaohs will be on view at the Kimbell from March 14 through September 19, 2027, in the museum’s Renzo Piano Pavilion.

“Treasures of the Pharaohs will awe,” said Eric M. Lee, the museum’s director. “From the scale and splendor of some of the artifacts on view to the revelations about day-to-day life and inclusion of objects from one of the most recently excavated sites in Egypt, visitors will find this exhibition brilliant, both visually and intellectually.”

The exhibition paints an unparalleled picture of the lives of the pharaohs, from the grandeur surrounding their kingship, deity worship, and elaborate preparations for the afterlife, to the strict hierarchies and day-to-day routines of the people around them—a highly organized bureaucracy critical to maintaining Egypt’s divine kingship.

Key aspects of ancient Egyptian civilization are explored through six thematic sections: The Treasures of the Pharaohs; People Around the Pharaohs; Religion and Beliefs: The World of Gods and Goddesses; Daily Life in Ancient Egypt; The Golden City; and Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt.

Objects that proclaim the pharaohs’ power and status range from monumental granite statues to elegantly designed gold jewelry and richly decorated furnishings.
In contrast to royal art, newly discovered artifacts from King Amenhotep’s workers’ community within the “Golden City” in Egypt’s Valley of the Kings will be introduced to North America for the first time, providing a glimpse into the lives of those often overlooked in presentations of ancient Egyptian art history. Statues representing various deities, carved and painted stone funerary stele, and lavishly decorated sarcophagi and other exquisite tomb furnishings convey the religious beliefs that shaped the Egyptian understanding of the world and the afterlife.

Highlights include works directly associated with pharaohs and their families, dating from Dynasty I (c. 3100 BC) to the Ptolemaic period (321 BC). Among them are some made in precious metal: the golden sarcophagus of Queen Ahhotep, the gold funerary mask of Amenemope, the golden sarcophagus of Thuya, the gold funerary covering of Pharaoh Psusennes I, the gold collar of Psusennes I, the painted and gilded wooden Canopic Box of Yuya with Sloping Lid on a Sled, and the gilded wooden chair of Princess Sitamun. Sculptures in stone are also represented, including the carved schist Menkaure Triad and the limestone relief of Akhenaten and His Family. A rare manuscript, the Hieroglyphic Funerary Papyrus of the Songstress of Amoun Djedkhonsuiusankh, is also featured.

Treasures of the Pharaohs is currently on view at the Scuderie del Quirinale in Rome, where it is on track to become one of the most highly attended exhibitions in the museum’s history. After its close in Rome on June 14, 2026, the exhibition will be on view at the de Young museum in San Francisco from August 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027, prior to its presentation in Fort Worth.

The exhibition curator is Dr. Tarek el-Awady, former director of the Egyptian Museum in Cairo. The exhibition is accompanied by a major scholarly catalogue by Egyptian archaeologist Dr. Zahi Hawass. The exhibition’s presentation at the Kimbell is organized by Jennifer Casler Price, senior curator of Asian, African, and ancient American art.

“These remarkable works offer a broad perspective on the lives of the pharaohs and those who served them,” said Casler Price. “From stunning treasures that convey the power and awe of divine kings, to the humble yet fascinating objects of everyday life, this exhibition illuminates the glory and wonder of ancient Egyptian civilization.”
The Kimbell Art Museum, owned and operated by the Kimbell Art Foundation, is internationally renowned for both its collections and its architecture. The Kimbell’s collections range in period from antiquity to the twentieth century and include European paintings and sculptures

The museum’s 1972 building, designed by the American architect Louis I. Kahn, is widely regarded as one of the outstanding architectural achievements of the modern era. A second building, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, opened in 2013 and now provides space for special exhibitions, dedicated classrooms, and a 289-seat auditorium with excellent acoustics for music. For more information, visit kimbellart.org.

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Tickets will be available at BroadwayDallas.org or by calling 800-982-2728. Group orders of 10 or more may be placed by calling 214-426-4768 or emailing Groups@BroadwayDallas.org.

The 2021 engagement of Wicked in Dallas was the first Broadway tour in the U.S. to resume performances following the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown and completed a successful 5-week run seen by over 120,000 patrons, with the final gross in ticket sales outperforming the 2016 engagement by 3%.

Currently the 4th longest-running show in Broadway history, Wicked recently celebrated its 22nd anniversary on Broadway.

Winner of over 100 international awards including the Grammy Award and three Tony Awards, Wicked has been performed in over 100 cities in 16 countries around the world (U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland, Japan, Germany, Holland, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, The Philippines, Mexico, Brazil, Switzerland and China) and has thus far been translated into six languages: Japanese, German, Dutch, Spanish, Korean and Portuguese. Wicked has been seen by over 72 million people worldwide and has over $6.2 billion in global sales.

In addition to the Broadway production, Wicked in North America has enjoyed unprecedented record-breaking sit-down engagements in Chicago, where it ran for nearly four years; Los Angeles, where it ran for two years; and San Francisco, where it ran for nearly two years, as well as two North American Tours.

The Broadway sensation Wicked looks at what happened in the Land of Oz…but from a different angle. Long before Dorothy arrives, there is another young woman, born with emerald-green skin, who is smart, fiery, misunderstood, and possessing an extraordinary talent. When she meets a bubbly blonde who is exceptionally popular, their initial rivalry turns into the unlikeliest of friendships … until the world decides to call one “good,” and the other one “Wicked.”

With a thrilling score that includes the hits “Defying Gravity,” “Popular” and “For Good,” Wicked has been hailed by The New York Times as “the defining musical of the decade,” and by Time Magazine as “a magical Broadway musical with brains, heart, and courage.” NBC Nightly News calls the hit musical “the most successful Broadway show ever.”

Based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, Wicked has music and lyrics by Stephen Schwartz, and a book by Winnie Holzman. The production is directed by Tony Award winner Joe Mantello with musical staging by Tony Award winner Wayne Cilento. Wicked is produced by Marc Platt, Universal Stage Productions, The Araca Group, Jon B. Platt and David Stone.

The blockbuster film version of Wicked opened on November 22nd, 2024, and has become the highest grossing film based on a Broadway musical in history. The highly anticipated second film Wicked: FOR GOOD opened on Friday, November 21st, 2025.

For more information about Wicked, please visit www.WickedTheMusical.com.

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The Arboretum has built the day to serve two audiences. The Sun & Style Celebration runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a vendor market featuring more than 20 Black-owned businesses and a 1 p.m. fashion show produced by Willie Johnson and scored by a live performance from Dallas-based RC & The Gritz. Daytime programming is included with general garden admission.

The Twilight Noir Celebration runs 6 to 10 p.m. with a second vendor market and live performances by LaRon Hearst, Kelvin Thomas-Edebe, and a return set from RC & The Gritz. Evening tickets are sold separately.

The celebration is presented in partnership with Bank of America, the South Dallas Cultural Center, and Litehouse Wellness, anchoring the program in organizations with deep community standing.

“At Bank of America, we believe arts and culture are essential to vibrant, thriving communities, as exemplified by the Dallas Arboretum’s Black Heritage Celebration. Events like this make culture accessible, celebrating Black heritage and providing a platform for local artists, entrepreneurs, and creators,” said Jennifer Chandler, president, Bank of America Dallas. “Through our partnership, we are honored to help preserve and elevate the stories, traditions, and voices that make Dallas a stronger, more connected city.”

The vendor market reflects that intent. Participating businesses span food, fashion, beauty, art, and lifestyle goods, including Coffee Bae, Parchware Handcrafted Gourmet Cookies, Just Good Cajun, Tammye’s Fashion Haus, Eye Do Eyewear, Pieces of Us By Us, Puzzles of Color, and Round House Paper, among others. The full vendor roster is available at dallasarboretum.org.

The fashion show, staged in the main garden, features designs from market vendors set to a live RC & The Gritz score. The Dallas-based band, known for its long-running residency and collaborations with Erykah Badu and other Dallas artists, has performed at venues from the Kessler Theater to South by Southwest.

The evening lineup brings vocalists LaRon Hearst and Kelvin Thomas-Edebe to the stage alongside the band’s second set, extending the day’s programming into a full concert

“In its sixth year, the Black Heritage Celebration continues to grow as one of our most dynamic and meaningful events, bringing together culture, creativity, and community in a way that feels both joyful and intentional.” Said Dustin Miller, Vice President, Programs & Learning at the Dallas Arboretum.

The Black Heritage Celebration will be held on Saturday, May 16. The Sun & Style Celebration is from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (included with admission). The Twilight Noir Celebration runs from 6 to 10 p.m. and requires a separate ticket.

The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden is located at 8525 Garland Road in Dallas. Tickets are available at dallasarboretum.org.

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The free event runs from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Downtown Garland Square. Organizers expect a family-friendly crowd drawn by live performances, vendor booths, children’s activities and cultural exhibits. A special dedication ceremony begins the day’s events at 4:30 p.m. at The Atrium, 300 N. Fifth St.

The Flats Mosaic Dedication honors Garland’s original free-standing African American community, known as The Flats. The 36-foot mosaic installation preserves stories of the neighborhood’s early 20th-century schools, churches, businesses and families. Following the ceremony, the Unfaded Brass Band will lead a procession down Fifth Street to the square, evoking traditional second-line jazz traditions.

The celebration commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Texas learned of their emancipation — more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. In Garland, the event blends historical remembrance with vibrant cultural expression through music, art and shared experiences.

Headlining the entertainment is the Don Diego Band, scheduled for 7:30 p.m. The Dallas-Fort Worth-based five-piece group, led by nationally recognized artist Don Diego, features male and female vocals along with saxophone, keys, guitar, bass and drums. Their set spans Billboard hits, Top 40, R&B, jazz and old-school favorites.

DJ Raspy will spin throughout the evening, closing her set around 7:15 p.m. with line dancing open to all ages. Local food trucks, artisan vendors and businesses will offer a variety of flavors and goods. Attendees can also explore cultural displays and exhibits highlighting Juneteenth’s significance.

The City of Garland will present its 2026 Juneteenth Ambassador Award to Sims Chapel Missionary Baptist Church, recognized as the oldest African American church in the city. Founded in 1915 with nine members, the church served as a spiritual home, educational center and community anchor during segregation and beyond. It hosted one of Garland’s earliest schools for Black children and continues to embody resilience and service.

The Garland Landmark Museum will feature its exhibit “A Series of Firsts: Garland’s Black Community Leaders,” with new recognition this year for Sims Chapel. A 2D art exhibition by North Texas artists inspired by Juneteenth will be on display during the event and later at Epiphany Gallery. Organizers have also invited entries for a Tea Cake Competition, judged on texture, sweetness, presentation and the traditional “snap.”

City officials encourage participation from residents and visitors alike. ADA parking will be available in the garage behind Garland City Hall, with golf cart shuttles offered for convenience.

The Garland Juneteenth Celebration aims to foster unity while educating younger generations about the holiday’s importance. As one of the city’s signature annual events, it highlights the contributions of Black residents to Garland’s history and ongoing community fabric.

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The Parrish Charitable Foundation Endowed Scholarship will provide need- and merit-based support to UNT Dallas students in perpetuity, with a focus on first-generation college students and students from historically underserved communities across North Texas. As an endowed gift, the principal will be invested and managed by the University, with annual earnings used to fund scholarships every year, creating a lasting source of opportunity for generations of UNT Dallas Trailblazers.

The announcement marks a tenfold increase over Parrish’s previous gift to UNT Dallas. When he addressed graduates as the commencement speaker in 2017, he surprised the University with a $5,000 contribution. Nearly a decade later, his return to the commencement stage brought a $50,000 endowed commitment — a sustained and deepening investment in the success of UNT Dallas students. Parrish further pledged to contribute to the endowment on an annual basis going forward, ensuring the fund continues to grow and serves UNT Dallas students for many years to come.

Parrish Restaurants has been named the #1 Black owned Business in North Texas for six years in a row. Parrish is the second-largest African American McDonald’s franchisee in the nation. Currently, Parrish operates 25 McDonald’s franchise stores; at one time he operated as many as 27.

Addressing the Class of 2026 from the commencement stage, Parrish challenged graduates to keep learning, stay disciplined, and lead with humility — and reminded them that their degrees had positioned them for lifelong economic mobility.

Closing his remarks with words from a poem, Mr. Parrish left graduates with a final charge: “Life is yours. Live it. Love it. Take it.”

In conferring the degree, the University recognized Mr. Parrish’s extraordinary entrepreneurship, unwavering commitment to education and opportunity, and lifetime of service to the people of Dallas and beyond. “We share the same values. Yours are ours, and ours are yours,” said UNT Dallas President Warren von Eschenbach during the conferral. “UNT Dallas exists to open doors of opportunity for students who might not otherwise have them — to serve the communities of southern Dallas and to prepare the next generation of leaders and changemakers. In that mission, we could not ask for a more fitting embodiment than the man standing before us today.” With those words, President von Eschenbach welcomed Dr. Roland Glynn Parrish as a Trailblazer.

President von Eschenbach hailed the gift as a milestone moment for the institution’s growing scholarship endowment.

The scholarship builds upon another recent announcement aimed at supporting future UNT Dallas Trailblazers. On May 1, the University launched the Trailblazer Tuition Trust program offering free tuition and mandatory fees to prospective UNT Dallas students whose family income is less than $100,000 and who meet eligibility requirements. The program is targeted at Texas high school graduates who plan to enroll for their bachelor’s degree in the fall of 2026.

State Senator Royce West, who also addressed graduates, said the new endowed scholarship embodies Parrish’s philosophy of giving back to the community in which he lives and operates his restaurants.

“The generosity Roland Parrish demonstrates with this scholarship is yet another example of his continued commitment to the southern Dallas community,” said Senator West. “He understands UNT Dallas’s mission and that the University stands as a beacon of hope and promise for countless future Trailblazers.”

Parrish addressed graduates at two ceremonies. The 11 a.m. ceremony — at which UNT Dallas conferred the honorary degree — celebrated graduates of the College of Business and Technology and the College of Education and Human Services. The 3 p.m. ceremony honored graduates of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. The ceremonies came as UNT Dallas begins its academic transition from four schools — Business, Education, Liberal Arts and Sciences, and Behavioral Health and Human Services — to a new three-college structure designed to streamline student pathways and strengthen interdisciplinary programs.

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The breakfast brought together people from across the community for a morning focused on appreciation, support and connection. Officers spent time with residents, business owners, school representatives and families as the Oak Cliff community came together to thank them for their service.

The event was organized with the support of local businesses, schools, restaurants and community partners from across Oak Cliff, all working together to create a positive and welcoming event for the officers in attendance.

The event was supported by a wide group of Oak Cliff businesses, schools and community partners, including Levines Uniforms Headquarters, Cinema Dental, La Calle Doce, Las Ranitas, Al Chile, A Sweet Bitee, U.S. Plumbing, Taxco Produce, Trove, W. E. Greiner Exploratory Arts Academy, Héctor P. García Middle School, W. H. Adamson High School, Moisés E. Molina High School, Sunset High School, John F. Peeler Elementary School, Felix G. Botello Personalized Learning Elementary and George Peabody Elementary School.

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