Texas Education Not A Top 25 Team

Texas Education Does Not Warrant A Bowl Game, if our education was a football team we wouldn't rate as a top 25 team. The best go to bowl games , the best education system guarantees a healthy economy. The recent special session of the Texas legislature passed a budget that would drastically cut education in the state of Texas' public schools.


Our economy is bad and as a result our public schools will lose 4 billion dollars in state funding.In order to balance the budget, we in the state of Texas have decided to balance the budget on the backs of 3rd graders. 3rd graders should only need to balance their backpacks.


For us to compete in the United States , and yes around the globe we have to educate our children. We need to do better than rate 44 out of 50 states in spending for education.WE MUST DO BETTER THAN THIS....

As a member of the Grand Prairie Education Foundation, I have seen first hand what teachers go through. I have helped raise $$$ money for Grand Prairie schools. We have awarded scholarships to students, we have provided $$$ for schools ,as we have sent students to cultural events. These are the stakes,with public founding lacking the private sector must step up. We must step up ,because cuts will force our students to sit down.Join with me as we save our legacy, our children. Support the various Education Foundations in your school districts ,the child we save,may be our own.

AIDS : 30 Years Later

It was in 1981 that AIDS burst on the scene. As a young man of nineteen ,my awareness of certain issues had not developed.I was not concerned about the AIDS epidemic because at that time it was primarily in the gay community.Being that I was not gay it was not high on my priority list.


The epidemic then spread to the black community as drug addicts contracted the disease. Being that I didn't take drugs, no concern again.


The epidemic then took a turn,it was discovered that the infection rate among black
heterosexuals was raising.Magic Johnson brought this awareness to everyone, male or female,gay or straight.I was concerned.


Then the black community looked upon this scourge a a curse, a curse from the government .With a history of government exposure and experimentation regarding diseases .Remember the Tuskegee Experiment. Perhaps it was true,awareness was the name of the game.I became concerned.

My concern for AIDS and HIV ,heightened when a co-worker contracted HIV.I called my co-worker who,welcomed my voice,because it was a remindeer of life.You see those who contracted HIV back then were shunned by the community.
The hip hop community was one of the first groups outside of the gay community who talked about and increased awareness if the disease.Long before te nation began to take a more active role in the treatment ,Salt n Pepa put it on ourradar screens.


In two places , Oak Cliff and my birthplace of Washington D.C. HIV Rates have soared in both communities. 30 years later we are all concerned. Concern , Awareness ,Straight ,Gay, Black,White, and still no cure. We must find a cure for each group affected by this disease. If we are not infected ,we must all be affected.We must be affected by our humanity,a humanity that says we are all tied by this common thread -called life.

Gospel Sunday : Amazing Grace How Sweet the Sound

"Amazing Grace" How Sweet the Sound ,that saved a wretch like me.It is a song that is deeply spirtual. A call to God and a plea that we are all human.It is a song that is truly American, a song that unites blacks and white.Written by a slave trader who saw the error of his ways, a spirtual rebirth that saved him and continues to touch millions of others as they reach to touch the hand of God.


A song that is sung from the deepest canyons of our hearts.From South Dallas to Soweto. From the jail cells to mansions .From the Homeless to the Upperclass. We all are the same , sinners who seek Amazing Grace.


A Song That Unites All in our suffering.A song that unites us all in our hope for redeemption. A song for the ages. At first I was was lost , now I am found ....


His Grace is sufficient. Amazing Grace is what we need to get by today. Because Joy cometh in the morning.

We got up this morning it was Nothing But Grace !
We will all pray for grace -I pray that he gives us the AMAZING GRACE to see you next week. God Bless You ! and I will say a prayer for my friend and union brother Jimmy D. God is with you Jimmy , just hold on my friend.

Vonda"s Vault Box "The After PARTY "

Vonda zipped into Dallas to attend the DJ Scorpo and Wendy Wen's Faboulous White party recently !Those two guys Wen and Scorpio are doing it death !



We just had to time to get back into the vault , because aftet the party there is the After PARTY !So it looks like this video blog ain't on time, but the party was on time ! Lets take a Fantastic Voyage !

It's been two years since Michael Jackson left this world , we will will always remember how he rocked this world !

New Jack Music in the Vault will never Die ! Groove with us and Guy !

Goodbye Love - we gotta go - We gotta catch up Wendy and Skorpio .I am glad that I can still look in Vonda's Vaultbox for the latest in Old Skool ...
Until next time.....

Al Lipscomb 1925-2011: Agitator For Justice

Al Lipscomb is gone. His legacy however will live on . Many in the Dallas black community loved him for being as he stated "agitator for justice". To understand Al , you need to understand the times. Dallas and America was remarkably different when Al lead street protests in the 60"s and early 70"s.

There were no black presidents, Obama was in grade school and Nixon was in the White House.The Dallas basketball team wasn't the Mavericks ,it was the the ABA Dallas Chapparals,and the majority of Dallas was disenfranchised from having a voice .The voiceless was the southern sector comprised of working class folk ,black and white. Dallas was ruled by a select few of upper class white buisnessmen who controlled Dallas through the Dallas Citizens Council.Dallas was at the crossroads and a select few controlled the narrative ,and they did so by by portraying Dallas as a opportunity for all , but for many the options were indeed limited.


Think of a freeway think of a leader, Stemmons ,Woodall Rogers,Carpenter etc.They controlled Dallas by their buisness acumen and sheer political power .The vote was not gerrymandered because those in control,controlled the vote.The Voting Rights had not been extennded to Texas ,that would occur in 1975.Before the Voting Rights Act, Al Lipscomb was there.


Al was the first black man to run for Mayor in Dallas. He did in a time that the most favorite Democrat in Dallas county was named George Wallace not George McGovern.


Al joined the civil rights struggle in the 60's before there was a MLK Day,and led street protests from his South Dallas headquarters.Al gave voice to the voiceless who didn't have a voice downtown.Most black folk at that time observed the southern custom of getting along without upsetting the apple cart. You see that was "The Dallas Way" . Al followed his own way because he was a trailblazer.

He ran for mayor in 1971 he came in 3rd ,impressive but he lost the first black to run more impressive, he ran for school board and lost, he ran for County Commissioner and lost.He won by losing.The results of him losing had the intended effect of affecting change.Two things changed from Al Lipscomb's evolution from street protest to electoral engagement.They are things we take for granted the extension of the Voting Right Act to cover Texas which was done in 1975,and the the ending of the at large municipal electoral system and the creation of the present day electoral system in Dallas.

Al will be missed ,because he was trailblazer who upset the apple cart. Many are called agitators for freedom and justice after they have passed. Al joins many other far more well known agitators, Martin Luther King ,and George Washington ,both agitated for freedom and justice. All three had their time to affect change .Their time has passed. It is now our time.

Jazzy Friday : Sanborn ,Jill Scott,Benson ,Miles , Alex Bugnon

This week as we sail into the first Weekend of Summer.Let's kick it up to Chicago where the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha are making it Ice Cold in June !
David Sanborn is cold too as he blows a strong sax into Chicago !



Ice Cold or Not , It's a Texas Summer! It's just as hot as Jill Scott and George Benson, who tell us that sumertime living is easy !


I need some Ice Cold Watermelon on a day like this ....Here comes Miles Davis The Watermelon Man!


Alex Bugnon takes us out with the Dallas forecast tomorrow ....
108 Degrees n the Shade !


Till next week , stay cool ! But always remain Hott !

Junetenth Songs For Your Spirit

On June 19 ,1865 General Gordon Granger landed on the beaches of Galveston Island and liberated the enslaved Americans of Texas from their Texan captors . Ever since then we ,Americans , Black and white , Texans and others have rejoiced the last liberators of the American Civil War . Today in this Junetenth weekend of 2011 this blog celebrates some of the most inspirational human rights songs of the past 25 year era .
First We must Get up Stand up !

When we get up , we must keep moving on Up !

Wake Up everybody !

And when you up wake up , Remember Dream !

Your Dallas Mavericks -The Time Is Now !

Your Dallas Mavericks have won the NBA Championship ! Let's party with Bentley Green who tells like it is ! We go hard on the paint,you Know it !


It's been a long time ! I was there at the first game at the new state of the art Reunion Arena !You remember that place we used to call home ,the ReUnion Rowdies. It was October 30 ,1980 and they played that team from San Antonio. The San Antonio Spurs! The Spurs formerly played in the ABA as the Dallas Chapparrals .I think we won that game. Oh no, We didn't but what could I say ! That team had the likes of Jim Sparnekle and Abdul Jelani ! But we had heart ! Thanks Norm Sonju and Don Carter for bringing them here ,and who could forget Coach Dick Motta !

You remember the mid and late 80's when Ro ,Sam Perkins and Mark played b ball and we tried to beat LA ! That was before you tube and twitter !The Lakers had our number and we had to wait for the time !

We thought our time had come when we had the 3 J"s . Jimmy Jackson , Jamal Mashburn ,and Jason Kidd !It was close but our time had not arrived!

Dirk Arrived and Steve Nash Arrived , but the time left ! We proved we were long suffering !

And Finally Our Time - The Time is Now !

Mike Tyson Fights His Way Into the Boxing Hall of Fame

Mike Tyson has entered in the Boxing Hall of Fame ! During the early 80's it was widely ,and undisputedly known that he was the baddest man on the planet.

The only thing that conquered Mike was his ego and a bad night in Tokoyo. I can tell you about that on another blog post.But let us celebrate Mike Tyson - as we know him at his best.

A pure unadulterated punching machine,a machine that instilled fear,and for three mnutes a round sheer excitement.Mike Tyson enters in the Hall of Fame based on what he did in the early 80's not losing efforts against Lennox Lewis, the biting and loss to Evander Holyfield,and the aforementioned beat down in Tokoyo.Mike was Super Man and a overall a gentle person with demons like most.But he got paid to expose his.

Vonda's Vault Box " After Party "

Vonda zipped into Dallas to attend the DJ Scorpo and Wendy Wen's Faboulous White party recently !Those two guys Wen and Scorpio are doing it death !



We just had to time to get back into the vault , because aftet the party there is the After PARTY !So it looks like this video blog ain't on time, but the party was on time ! Lets take a Fantastic Voyage !

It's been two years since Michael Jackson left this world , we will will always remember how he rocked this world !

New Jack Music in the Vault will never Die ! Groove with us and Guy !

Goodbye Love - we gotta go - We gotta catch up Wendy and Skorpio .I am glad that I can still look in Vonda's Voultbox for the latest in Old Skool ...
Until next time.....