T E X A S
MetroNews DELIVERING NEWS YOU NEED
• Vol. 10 • Mar. 16 - Mar. 22, 2023
MY TRUTH By Cheryl Smith PUBLISHER
WWW.TEXASMETRONEWS.COM
PASSION
Please check out the 2023 Jack & Jill Beaux We regret the omission last week! pages 8, 9, 16
DEDICATION
Pursuing His Passion Leads Damarcus Offord from South Dallas to the Nation’s Capitol
Dallas Park Renamed in Honor of Late Irene H. Trigg-Myers
Damarcus Offord started his career with U.S. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson, as an intern after he graduated from the University of North Texas-Dallas.
TBG Partner team, Allyson Caruso, Ross DeVault and Cheng Xie with Kirk Myers unveil the design for the park
Black Press
Love
Note: As we celebrate the 196th anniversary of the Black Press, I am taking this opportunity to share most of my remarks from the 2022 National Association of Black Journalists Convention when I was inducted into the Hall of Fame. I love the Black Press and I am proud that it is part of my legacy. Thanks NABJ family. To god and to God be the glory. To my Soror Valerie Fields Hill, my sis Eva Coleman and esteemed NABJ founder Norma Adams Wade, thanks for nominating me. To this Hall of Fame Class, you’re the best. Sarah Glover, The mark of a true leader is the ability to recognize, cultivate, uplift and encourage others. Thanks for seeing that I had so much more to give. Our founders wanted us to embrace every member no matter the age. I joined NABJ as a junior at Florida A&M University. DFWABC’s Dallas Mafia later embraced me. Now after more than 30 years of service with 10 on the national board, I stand before you feeling kinda special. I thank Joseph and Earline. Just look what Black Love produced! My God parents Charles and Liz Braswell were always Team Cheryl. I’m from East Orange NJ, by way of Newark. I grew up loving James Brown. The library was my place of refuge and respite as I read Nikki Giovanni, Dr. Maya Angelou and Iceberg Slim. See MY TRUTH, page 7
By Sylvia Dunnavant Hines
Texas Metro News Correspondent
Dedication, discipline and determination are attributes of Damarcus Offord that has caused former U.S. Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson to list him as one of her top staffers in her 50 years of government service.
“Over the years, I have not had anybody better than Damarcus,” recalled the recently retired legislator. “He is thoughtful, diligent and respectful. There is no one that he would not approach if he thought it was important regarding his reSee DAMARCUS OFFORD, page 10
By Ayesha Hana Shaji Texas Metro News Team
The City of Dallas and Abounding Prosperity, Inc. honored the late Irene H. Trigg-Myers, Wednesday on what would have been her 80th birthday. The 1.2 acre park, formerly named Kimble Park, will be re-
named the Irene H. Trigg-Myers Prosperity Park in honor of one of the founders of Abounding Prosperity, for her contributions to the South Dallas community. Dignitaries from the City of Dallas Park and Recreation Department, the Dallas Police Department Community See DEDICATION, page 11
Is art elitist?
Dallas-based artist strives to change the narrative around art By Ayesha Hana Shaji Texas Metro News Team
Galleries are often stuffy and can be perceived as elitist and inaccessible to the common man, according to artist Jeremy Biggers. Biggers is a “multi-hyphenated” artist based in Dallas. Multi-hyphenated in this context, he explained, summarizes the various artistic titles he possesses that includes - painter, filmmaker, photographer and videographer. Most galleries and museums don’t do a good enough job to make people feel welcome, Biggers said. “They make it seem like you
have to be aristocratic or rich or an artist yourself to be able to go in and enjoy those spaces,” he said. “Being able to bring high-end art to regular people [through murals] that they
can walk up to, they can get as close to it as they want, they can touch it if they want to, there was definitely an appeal there for me.” Having been raised in South
Dallas where there was very little public art and barely any murals, the thought of paintings around the neighborhood intrigued him, Biggers said, adding that he still continues to enjoy those forms of art. Seeing artwork around your neighborhood and being able to interact with it during your commute help build a relationship with the artwork and make people take ownership of the piece, he said. “It kind of democratizes the art a little bit more so than galleries and museums do,” Biggers said. Even though Biggers wanted See IS ART ELITIST, page 10