IT'S on US: A Conversation About Dallas Black Business, Culture and More.

1990 The Winans - A Friend

REST IN PEACE AUNT JEWEL. GREAT MOTHER, GRANDMOTHER, AUNT AND SISTER. WORKED 34 YEARS FOR THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AS A PRISON GUARD! Service to God, family, community, state and this country honorably. REST EASY SWEET AUNTIE!

FIRST SCHOOL PICTURE! BABY GIRL! TATIANA FAITH JOHNSON!

Happy Birthday to my Dad Calvin Merida !

DIXON CIRCLE DAY 1’s SATURDAYS! We meeting the first Saturday of each month at Sport’s city Cafe in mesquite at 3pm. I grew up with all these folks we lived in the Southdale Apts in the the Dixon Circle neighborhood. I was blessed with great friendships with the these people in this picture. TO THEM I’M NOT CALVIN JOHNSON I’M “PLUTO” these are 40 year relationships. Even when we got sideways we came back and straightened back up! That’s real! SOUTH DALLAS STAND UP! DON’T LET THEM LIE TO YOU GREAT THINGS AND PEOPLE COME OUT OF SOUTH DALLAS!

'I just want justice': Family of 14-year-old killed in South Dallas looking for answers 14-year-old Manuel Edwards was found shot to death not far from his South Dallas home. His mother and police are asking anyone with information to come forward.

NEIGHBOR HOOD! Hung out yesterday with some of my real day ones. Everybody in this photo I’ve known 38 plus years. South Dallas Dixon Circle DAY 1’s. God has been good to all of us. God has been good to me. No matter how high you go never forget those you grew up with. Always be proud of where you came from. I tell people where I’m from because of the longer path that we had to take. You make it outta where I’m from and nothing can stop you because I’M FROM THE AVENUE WHERE THEY GOT AFTER YOU! So many life lessons. I learned things from my neighborhood that it takes some people a lifetime to learn. Some people thought it was all bad. My neighborhood taught you loyalty, drive and resiliency. If you didn’t have these three things you would not make it in life or even survive the pitfalls of the streets. We had good hard working parents and community folks that showed us the right way! NEIGHBOR HOOD!

TESTIMONY! RAISED BY GRANDPARENTS! Growing up my mother had two jobs. So we lived with my grandparents and two uncles in the projects of Turner Courts but my grandparents David and Mary Johnson were from the country in East Texas down in Tyler. This is a picture of my Law School graduation. They raised a city boy on old country values. Those of us reading this that were raised by grandparents understand these basic foundational rules or BETTER YET JUST FLAT OUT MANNERS!

1. Saying YES MAMM AND YES SIR! Address elders as MRS. AND MISTER!

2. Holding the door open for any woman approaching a door and holding it as she passes through.

3. Walking your small children all the way to the school entrance.

4. Offering to carry something for a woman or a senior citizen if it’s too heavy.

5. Watching your language and tone in public places especially in the presence of a lady or your elders.

6. Never Calling an elder A LIE whether you think they did it or not because it’s flat out disrespectful

7. When picking up you date not blowing your horn. You walk up to the door greet her parents and walk her back to the car and hold the door open as she gets in the car.

8. When older people are talking shut up and listen you might learn something.

9. Dress appropriately when going anywhere.

10. WHEN YOU STEP OUT THIS HOUSE YOU REPRESENT THE FAMILY NAME AND YOU BETTER NOT DO ANYTHING TO EMBARRASS THE FAMILY NAME BY DOING SOMETHING SILLY OR STUPID OR { STEWWWPID} YOUR FAMILY NAME MEANS SOMETHING!

I always carry myself this way and it has always paid off. I remember the President of Howard Payne University Dr. Newbury getting my car fixed and loaning me his minivan in college simply because I had manners by carrying his wife groceries to her car when I saw her at Kroger’s not knowing I would get a blessing out of it. Those manners were directly a result of my grandparents teaching me the little things. I’m going to keep it real we are not showing our young people these little things and it is the reason we are regressing culturally. I have been a success in life because I was given these foundational values by my grandparents who put them in me and made me go to church and learn even more while I was there. These little things are essential to life and I THANK MY GRANDPARENTS FOR GIVING THEM TO ME! YES LORD!

TRIBUTE! David “Mr. David” Johnson. Paw paw. Growing up my he was like my daddy and my grandpaw all in one. Worked two jobs most of his life. Was a provider. Factory worker in the day and cleaned office buildings at night. He was an excellent husband father and grandfather. People talk about role models. He was a walking living and breathing one. He was a man of few words. My paw paw was all action no talk. I used to get in his car and he would pop the LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS BLUES 8 TRACK in the Cadillac and we would ride off in the sunset just me and my paw paw. People wanna know what separated me from the rest of the kids in the hood sometimes. Well it boils down to this. Paw paw was the man of the house. I watched him provide for his wife. I watched him save us when we needed money or I needed shoes or clothes. I watched him still help my mom even when we moved. If something went wrong he just fixed it. He never fussed about it. He just fixed it. Granny raised me but Paw Paw brought the balance. He was an excellent father to my mother and an excellent husband. Even when things went wrong he would say YOU GOTTA LET THAT GO YOU GOTTA LET THAT GO! It meant to quit worrying about what just went wrong fix it quickly and move on. He took care of any and everything when it went wrong. I guess I get my mentality from him. If any women in the family needed anything he felt it was his job to provide. Whether a man was around or not he just fixed. The way he carried himself even taught me how to be a father. Yes I watched how he was lays there for my mother and when he retired and lost his vision to glaucoma I watched my mother lovingly take care of him for the next 17 years and never complain. People wondered what the game changer in my life was. I had a great mother and grandmother but my paw paw set the standard. Any men reading this please understand you must set the standard for the men that come behind you and the standard of respect that women will have for men in their lives. Paw Paw I love you and I will never forget all you did for me. Your retirement money was the first thing that sent me to college and this picture was one of the happiest days of my life. LAW SCHOOL GRADUATION. Me and you were twins that day. I miss you so much and thank you for everything. It’s been 13 years and I miss you everyday! REST IN HEAVEN DJ!

THIS MIGHT SOUND CRAZY! BUT ALL MY YOUTH SPORTS COACHES DON’T LET WHAT HAPPENED THIS WEEKEND DISCOURAGE YOU ! OUR YOUNG PEOPLE ARE AT STAKE! It’s easy to point the finger at youth sports after what happened this weekend. But coaches that I know and I work with today are some of the best people to be role models for our children. Don’t let the devil win by discouraging you from mentoring our youth. Just remember though winning the game is not the most important but teaching them to win at life is supreme. Some of the best things and life lessons I learned from my coaches coming up. I have seen so many great men and women put their time, effort and resources in helping our children become the best they can be. Don’t let the devil come in and tell you it’s not worth it. Because there is nothing more important than our youth. Sports kept me out the streets as a youth. It taught me the lessons of teamwork, resilience, accountability and hard work. There will be a flood of people telling you it’s not worth it. BUT DON’T FALL FOR IT! OUR KIDS ARE ALWAYS WORTH IT AND DON’T LET ANYONE TELL YOU THEY ARE NOT! Winning the game is just temporary though make our young people winners at life. To all my youth sports coaches thank you and carry on don’t let the devil discourage your spirit! He wants you to quit doing what you are doing so he can take the rest of our children! Do the work and do it with your faith and your leadership. I thank all of you CARRY ON! Don’t let others discourage you. It’s either us or the streets or watching that mess on BET! Don’t worry about them. IT’S ON US!