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Dallas Cowboy Greats, Black Press Attend PGA of America’s ‘Housewarming’ at Sprawling New Texas Campus
NNPA NEWSWIRE — The new home includes a Professional Development Center with a large bunker, chipping and putting areas, hitting bays and instructional technology, that PGA officials say are designed to assess all elements of a golfer’s swing. The building includes several seating areas, offices, and educational spaces, all with stunning views of two championship-level golf courses on the campus.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownmedia
DALLAS — The Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) hosted an incredible housewarming, inviting 600 guests, including the National Newspaper Publishers Association, to its new home just outside of Dallas, Texas.
The more than 106,000-square foot building, a masterpiece by any architectural standard, sits on 30 acres and overlooks the PGA’s sprawling campus at 1916 PGA Parkway in the town of Frisco.
Dallas Cowboy owner Jerry Jones and team legends Tony Dorsett, Drew Pearson, and Ed “Too Tall” Jones were among the celebrities in attendance for the “Welcome Home” event.
“This is an amazing building, but we’re also slightly daunted by the work ahead, and ultimately, incredibly excited about that and all-in on making it all come alive,” PGA CEO Seth Waugh said during the glitzy ceremony.
In a separate conversation, Waugh thanked the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) for its partnership with the PGA.
“The work you’re doing is noticed and appreciated,” Waugh told the NNPA, the trade association of 235 African American-owned newspapers and media companies.
PGA officials, including Waugh and President Jim Richerson, refused to refer to the new building as “headquarters”; insisting instead that all in attendance refer to the structure as “home.”
The new home includes a Professional Development Center with a large bunker, chipping and putting areas, hitting bays and instructional technology, that PGA officials say are designed to assess all elements of a golfer’s swing.
The building includes several seating areas, offices, and educational spaces, all with stunning views of two championship-level golf courses on the campus.
PGA officials said the remainder of the 600-acre, $550 million campus will open to the public in Spring 2023 and “feature unique destinations encompassing: Fields Ranch at PGA Frisco, with two 18-hole championship golf courses designed by Gil Hanse and Beau Welling; a world-class clubhouse; a 30-acre practice facility; a performance center; the 510-room Omni PGA Frisco Resort; and the PGA District, featuring a one-of-a-kind indoor and outdoor golf-centered entertainment area.”
Officials said PGA Frisco is currently the most extensive development under construction in North America.
It’s projected to drive $2.5 billion of economic impact over the next 20 years.
Additionally, over the next 12 years, the PGA’s new home will host 26 championships, including the National Car Rental PGA Jr. League Championship in 2023 and 2024; the PGA Professional Championship in 2024, 2030, and 2033; the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in 2023, and 2029; the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2025, and 2031; and the PGA Championship in 2027, and 2034.
“Our vision for our new Home of the PGA of America at PGA Frisco is to serve as the ultimate support system for our members,” Richerson said.
“It will be a first-of-its-kind golf laboratory that offers the best in professional development for our nearly 28,000 PGA Professionals. From cutting-edge technology to Member and Associate education, PGA Frisco will serve as a destination and gathering place for our PGA Professionals.”
Richerson continued:
“It represents the pride and passion exhibited in the work they do each day across the country to grow the game in their local communities. PGA Frisco will deliver the best in coaching, player engagement, golf operations, and executive management and host some of golf’s greatest Championships. It will enable our members to help golfers enjoy the game more now and in the future.”
PGA Frisco “is much more than a new home for the PGA of America,” added Waugh. “Our aim is to challenge golfers of all skill levels to improve, enjoy, and ultimately, fall in love with the game for a lifetime.”
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IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, activist Ramona Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Once upon a time, Black Americans were simply known as colored people, or Negroes. That is until Ramona Edelin came along. The activist, renowned for her pivotal roles in advancing civil rights, education reform, and community empowerment, died at her D.C. residence last month at the age of 78. Her death, finally confirmed this week by Barnaby Towns, a communications strategist who collaborated with Dr. Edelin, was attributed to cancer.
Born on September 4, 1945, in Los Angeles, California, Edelin’s early years were marked by a commitment to education and social justice. According to her HistoryMakers biography, after graduating from Fisk University with a Bachelor’s degree in 1967, she pursued further studies at the University of East Anglia in England. She earned her master’s degree before completing her Ph.D. at Boston University in 1981.
Edelin’s contributions to academia and activism were manifold. She was pivotal in popularizing the term “African American” alongside Rev. Jesse L. Jackson in the late 1980s.
Jackson had announced the preference for “African American,” speaking for summit organizers that included Dr. Edelin. “Just as we were called Colored, but were not that, and then Negro, but not that, to be called Black is just as baseless,” he said, adding that “African American” “has cultural integrity” and “puts us in our proper historical context.”
Later, Edelin told Ebony magazine, “Calling ourselves African Americans is the first step in the cultural offensive,” while linking the name change to a “cultural renaissance” in which Black Americans reconnected with their history and heritage.
“Who are we if we don’t acknowledge our motherland?” she asked later. “When a child in a ghetto calls himself African American, immediately he’s international. You’ve taken him from the ghetto and put him on the globe.”
The HistoryMakers bio noted that Edelin’s academic pursuits led her to found and chair the Department of African American Studies at Northeastern University, where she established herself as a leading voice.
Transitioning from academia to advocacy, Edelin joined the National Urban Coalition in 1977, eventually ascending to president and CEO. During her tenure, she spearheaded initiatives such as the “Say Yes to a Youngster’s Future” program, which provided crucial support in math, science, and technology to youth and teachers of color in urban areas. Her biography noted that Edelin’s efforts extended nationwide through partnerships with organizations like the National Science Foundation and the United States Department of Education.
President Bill Clinton recognized Edelin’s expertise by appointing her to the Presidential Board on Historically Black Colleges and Universities in 1998. She also co-founded and served as treasurer of the Black Leadership Forum, solidifying her standing as a respected leader in African American communities.
Beyond her professional achievements, Edelin dedicated herself to numerous boards and committees, including chairing the District of Columbia Educational Goals 2000 Panel and contributing to the Federal Advisory Committee for the Black Community Crusade for Children.
Throughout her life, Edelin received widespread recognition for her contributions. Ebony magazine honored her as one of the 100 Most Influential Black Americans, and she received prestigious awards such as the Southern Christian Leadership Award for Progressive Leadership and the IBM Community Executive Program Award.
The post IN MEMORIAM: Ramona Edelin, Influential Activist and Education Advocate, Dies at 78 first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues
NNPA NEWSWIRE — Recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent
@StacyBrownMedia
Tennessee State University (TSU), the state’s only public historically Black college and university (HBCU), faces a tumultuous future as Gov. Bill Lee dissolved its board, a move supported by racist conservatives and MAGA Republicans in the Tennessee General Assembly, who follow the lead of the twice-impeached, four-times indicted, alleged sexual predator former President Donald Trump. Educators and others have denounced the move as an attack on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) and a grave setback for higher education.
Critics argue that TSU’s purported financial mismanagement is a manufactured crisis rooted in decades of underinvestment by the state government. They’ve noted that it continues a trend by conservatives and the racist MAGA movement to eliminate opportunities for Blacks in education, corporate America, and the public sector.
Gevin Reynolds, a former speechwriter for Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizes in an op-ed that TSU’s financial difficulties are not the result of university leadership because a recent audit found no evidence of fraud or malfeasance.
Reynolds noted that the disbanding of TSU’s board is not an isolated incident but part of a broader assault on DE&I initiatives nationwide. Ten states, including Tennessee, have enacted laws banning DE&I policies on college campuses, while governors appointing MAGA loyalists to university trustee positions further undermine efforts to promote inclusivity and equality.
Moreover, recent legislative actions in Tennessee, such as repealing police reform measures enacted after the killing of Tyre Nichols, underscore a troubling trend of undermining local control and perpetuating racist agendas. The new law preventing local governments from restricting police officers’ authority disregards community efforts to address systemic issues of police violence and racial profiling.
The actions echo historical efforts to suppress Black progress, reminiscent of the violent backlash against gains made during the Reconstruction era. President Joe Biden warned during an appearance in New York last month that Trump desires to bring the nation back to the 18th and 19th centuries – in other words, to see, among other things, African Americans back in the chains of slavery, women subservient to men without any say over their bodies, and all voting rights restricted to white men.
The parallels are stark, with white supremacist ideologies used to justify attacks on Black institutions and disenfranchise marginalized communities, Reynolds argued.
In response to these challenges, advocates stress the urgency of collective action to defend democracy and combat systemic racism. Understanding that attacks on institutions like TSU are symptomatic of broader threats to democratic norms, they call for increased civic engagement and voting at all levels of government.
The actions of people dedicated to upholding the principles of inclusivity, equity, and justice for all will determine the outcome of the ongoing fight for democracy, Reynolds noted. “We are in a war for our democracy, one whose outcome will be determined by every line on every ballot at every precinct,” he stated.
The post Tennessee State University Board Disbanded by MAGA Loyalists as Assault on DE&I Continues first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
May 24, 2023 – Walker West Music Academy gets an early start on expansion. Join us for a Wednesday episode of The …
The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.
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