Fort Worth-Arlington-Tarrant County Vida News The Black Voice Page 1 “Fort Worth and Arlington ’s Oldest and Largest BLa lack Weekly” FREE
Thursday, FREE July 16 - Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Volume 66, Number 20
Thursday, July 16 - Wednesday, July 22, 2026
P. O. Box 60382, Fort Worth, Texas 76115
What Trump’s Presidency Means for Black Economic Mobility By Aswad Walker Source: Black Press USA Wire
By any measure, economic mobility is about more than money. The ability to buy a home, start a business, attend college, access healthcare, vote, and advocate for one’s interests all shape whether families can build wealth and pass opportunity to future generations. That reality is why many economists and civil rights scholars argue that the policies emerging from President Donald Trump’s second administration have major implications for Black economic mobility. Some supporters contend that Trump’s emphasis on deregulation, lower taxes, and merit-based policies could create broader economic growth. Critics argue that cuts to diversity initiatives, civil-rights protections, and social programs dispropor-
fraction of that of white families. Black homeownership rates also continue to trail national averages, while Black entrepreneurs remain more likely to be denied financing and less likely to receive venture capital investment. “Where you start in America still matters too much,” noted economist William Darity Jr., whose research has focused extensively on racial wealth disparities. As corporations scaled back Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and government agencies faced sweeping cuts, Black women were among the hardest hit. Between spring and late 2025, more than 300,000 Black women either lost jobs, left the workforce, or were pushed out of employment, according to labor data and tionately harm Black comeconomic reports tracking the The truth may ultimately be come and more munities that already face found somewhere between According to Federal Re- crisis. historic barriers to wealth ac- those competing narratives. serve data, the median wealth Credit: Source: Bureau of cumulation. Economic mobility: In- of Black families remains a Labor Statistics.
Unemployment among Black women climbed from 5.4% to as high as 7.3% by the end of the year — one of the steepest increases of any demographic group. These numbers have an outsized impact on Black communities because nearly 80% of Black mothers in America are primary, sole, or co-breadwinners for their families, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research. And what has gone almost unnoticed is that between November 2025 and February 2026, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 567,000 Black men lost their jobs across all sectors. As a result, policy changes affecting employment, housing, education, healthcare, business development, and voting rights can have significant economic consequences. Texas Southern University Please see Black Mobility pg 2
Fort Worth Tarrant County NAACP to Host 49th Annual
Dr. George D. Flemmings Memorial Freedom Fund Celebration Fort Worth, Texas — The Fort Worth Tarrant County NAACP will host its 49th Annual Dr. George D. Flemmings Memorial Freedom Fund Celebration on Saturday, September 12, 2026, at noon at the City of Hurst Conference Center, located at 1601 Campus Drive, Hurst, TX 76054. This year’s theme, “Courage, Conduct and Character: The Keys to Great Success,” will guide a program highlighting leadership, civic engagement, and continued efforts to advance equity across Tarrant County. The celebration will feature the Honorable James E. Clyburn, author of The First Eight: A Personal His-
tory of the Pioneering Black Congressmen Who Shaped a Nation and U.S. Congressman representing South Carolina’s 6th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives. The Freedom Fund Celebration will recognize the organization’s achievements over the past year and share how the branch continues to break down social, racial, and economic barriers in the communities it serves. As a non-partisan association, the Fort Worth Tarrant County NAACP partners with organizations to provide voter registration and voter education, works with local law en-
forcement on critical matters affecting communities, promotes education and scholarships, and advises groups representing sectors including the arts, environmental justice, and civil rights. For the past 92 years, the
Fort Worth Tarrant County NAACP branch has worked to uphold democratic principles and ensure that the voices of all people are heard. Today, the branch continues its mission to remove barriers and promote opportunity, jus-
tice, and civic participation throughout the communities it serves. Event Details: 49th Annual Dr. George D. Flemmings Memorial Freedom Fund Celebration; Saturday, Sep-
tember 12, 2026; noon; City of Hurst Conference Center, 1601 Campus Drive, Hurst, TX 76054. Sponsorship opportunities and individual tickets are now available. Individual tickets, tables of eight, and donations are available via Eventbrite at www.TinyUrl. com/Freedom-2026. Checks made payable to NAACP Fort Worth Tarrant County and mailed to P.O. Box 6704, Fort Worth, TX 76115. Payment by Zelle via ftw.naacp. info@gmail.com. Credit cards are accepted via www. TinyUrl.com/Freedom-2026. For questions, please call the office at (817) 332-8919.
City of Fort Worth to Continue Public George E. Johnson Dies at Age 99 Process on Data Center Regulations George E. Johnson, coBy Frederick H. Lowe
Council to consider moratorium process Aug. 11
The City of Fort Worth is continuing its public engagement and policy development process for proposed data center regulations, with updated recommendations scheduled for City Council consideration in August. Due to interest in this process, we are providing the following information to clarify next steps. Since presenting the proposed policy and zoning amendments to the City Council on June 2, City staff have gathered community input through multiple engagement opportunities, including: • An online public survey, open through July 15. • A public engagement meeting held June 30.
• A July 8 presentation to the Zoning Commission, which provided feedback supporting stronger regulations and voted to recommend denial of the current draft to allow the proposal to continue to the City Council for further consideration. City staff are reviewing public feedback and refining the proposed regulations. An update will be presented during the Aug. 4 City Council work session, including community input, recommended revisions and an overview of the moratorium process, requirements and timeline. Based on recent direction from a majority of the City Council, staff will also prepare an ordinance for consideration at the Aug. 11 City
Council meeting to initiate the legal process, as outlined under state law, to enact a moratorium on new data center development applications while the City completes its regulatory framework. If approved, the action would begin the public hearing process required under state law, and ultimate council action to enact the moratorium would not be considered until December. The City will continue working with residents, industry stakeholders and the City Council to develop regulations that protect neighborhoods, preserve quality of life and establish clear expectations for responsible, best-inclass data center development in Fort Worth.
founder of Johnson Products Company, a businessman who turned an initial rejection into a multimillion-dollar business, died Monday, his family announced. Mr. Johnson created the “Soft Sheen” and "Afro Sheen" hair care product lines for Black men and women, a market largely ignored by White companies until they realized how much money could be made. I was a reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times when I wrote an article about Mr. Johnson and his first wife, Joan Johnson, who were divorcing. I wrote that Joan Johnson forced him out of the company. She hadn’t. Later, I learned that Mr. Johnson was very upset about the large amount of money Ivac Corp., the firm that would eventually buy Johnson Products, was offering for the business. He came into the Sun-Times and met with me, telling me, which I already knew, that there was a mistake. The meeting was cordial. My editor was nervous because Mr. Johnson never looked at him or even acknowledged his presence. The Sun-Times published a big correction. They couple married in May 1950 and co founded Johnson Products Company in 1954, starting with $500 in com-
bined capital. Some say it was $250. Together, they built the company into one of the largest African American owned businesses in the U.S., creating iconic products like Ultra Wave (a hair relaxer for men) and later Ultra Sheen and Afro Sheen. Johnson Products was one of the first Black-owned companies traded on the American Stock Exchange later the New York Stock Exchange. It also attempted to market its products in Africa. Over many decades, the company weathered changes in hairstyles and stiff competition from larger companies like Revlon and Avon that later tried to capitalize on Black
hairstyles. Johnson Products always stood out, though, because they were a devoted sponsor of the popular Soul Train TV show hosted by Don Cornelius, and they also supported various philanthropic efforts benefiting urban communities. As they got older, George and Joan passed the company on to their son, Eric, who served as CEO of the company until he sold it in 1993 to the Ivax Corporation, which already had an existing line of skin care products that targeted Black customers. The deal, however, was openly criticized by many because the sale was made to a company Please see George page 6
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