Commissioner JWP: “This is Survival”
My Day
By Dr. J. Ester Davis
Did you get your notices in the mail this week about the 2020 Census? Did you spend the eight minutes to fill it out and return it? What impact will COVID-19 have on the African American communities, especially in Dallas County’s traditional minority areas in and around the country? What is the definition of an ‘essential business’ in Dallas County? Why is there an assumption that the word essential is a ‘one-size-fit-all’ for all corners of the county?
Dallas and its surrounding 28 plus cities have a lot to offer. The worldwide view of Dallas is most attractive on the global stage. Dallas has more than 300 people moving here daily. In terms of growth Dallas is the 3rd fastest growing city bursting at the waistline for over a decade now. Cranes fill our skies like a flock of giant flying dinosaurs. I could go on and on about Dallas. . . that is . . .before the music stopped. Now we are confronted with “an enemy we underestimated” and called it names in January. Before our unwelcomed change maker appeared, not all parts of the city were treated equally. We were discussing gentrification, housing for the poor, healthcare strategies, and the demolition of the middle class and the hazards of construction-in-the-city.
Trust, a little five-letter word, is really all citizens expect when there is a crisis, especially one that upon arrival has people dying at alarming and disproportionate rates. Amid the high drama of COVID-19, Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price (JWP) met with the Dallas Black Media last week in Downtown Dallas. We invited a millennial team with their high definition cell phones computers to capture the social media live audiences. Like it or not, the Commissioner is always the most prepared guest, the most well-read, the undisputed one with the most history about any subject you want to entertain. In this interview with Dr. Robert Ashley, KHVN News Director, the Commissioner put an addendum to a question, “I am more concerned about my community after the virus”. When you listen to the video, pay careful attention to what follows phrases like, “. . . in our community”, and “this is survival”. Being a prolific challenger, the Commissioner explains a situation to Dr. Ashley ending with, “. . . I did challenge them on this – and I will again”.
The entire video is on YouTube. On Facebook @Dallas Black Press, I think. For your convenience, we can send it to your cell phone and you can share it, because it is one of those dialogue that you want to listen to more than once. So many thanks to Commissioner Price for your time during this time and the entire crew of excellent professionals.
Ester Davis, BPEN. CFN. EDTV
Facebook.com/ester.davis.39
214.376.9000 (cell)
NOTE: For your reading pleasure, please read the Fact Sheets on Social Distancing.
