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MLK Save-A-Lot Closing Feb. 16, Plunging South Dallas Deeper into Food Insecurity

DALLAS WEEKLY NEWS — While the loss of local Save-A-Lot stores deals a blow to the community, the MLK store’s poor performance over the last year has already offered the first bitter taste of its absence. South Dallas’ increasingly rampant food insecurity has a direct correlation with various other statistics, such as poor educational performance and poor health. As South Dallas residents have among the lowest median income in the city, food and housing infrastructure will continue to crumble until the city provides greater support.
The post MLK Save-A-Lot Closing Feb. 16, Plunging South Dallas Deeper into Food Insecurity first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 months ago

February 20, 2024

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Who Owns South Dallas?

By Brianna Patt | Dallas Weekly Newspaper

As Moran Foods, LLC. has announced the closure of the Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Save-A-Lot, poorer residents of Dallas are seeing dwindling grocery options in areas with already scarce access to resources. As current city and state politics foster greater economic divides, history shows us the issue will get worse before it gets better.

South Dallas’ food insecurity issue is about to get a lot worse.

In a press release last Monday, Urban Harvest Food Co. and Shekinah Legacy Holdings announced that Moran Foods LLC. has ended talks of a partnership and has decided to close the MLK Save-A-Lot store on Feb. 16. The store has been a community staple for affordable groceries for over two decades, but its operation has been rendered unstable since 2020 when Moran made the decision to transition to a wholesale business model. Employees were reportedly told by Moran Foods that the “landlord wanted them out” despite the business voluntarily leaving the lot.

“The store has never been doing ‘that great,’ but it was an option,” Nicki, a resident of South Dallas said of the closure. “Now you go up the street, things are double, triple the price at Fiesta. Where am I supposed to get food? Closest other stores are in Pleasant Grove.”

Scottie Smith of Shekinah Legacy Holdings was quick to voice his disapproval, stating that previous dealings with Moran Foods suggested there was more time to prove the viability of the store.

“The abrupt announcement of the closure by Moran Foods is a blow to South Dallas,” Smith said in the press release regarding the decision. “For half a year, we were in active negotiations to take over the store’s operations, intending to ensure the area’s sustained access to essential food supplies[…] Their sudden decision to shut down, bypassing a community-inclusive solution, demonstrates a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of South Dallas residents.”

Prior to talks with Smith, Moran Foods had established its standard contract agreement with independent owner, Yellow Banana LLC., a DC-based company focusing on making low-cost groceries accessible in food deserts across the country. As Yellow Banana reportedly did not meet contractual obligations in operating the store, with residents and employees citing extremely low stock of products, Moran Foods terminated the partnership.

Now, despite previous promises of a gradual closure, Moran Foods is shut down grocery operations at the building on Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. on Feb. 16.

“I mean, [if the economy] keeps getting worse, then the city is going to have to do something right?” South Dallas Local Darrien says. “People can’t live without food, and one grocery store for this neighborhood isn’t gonna cut it.”

While Yellow Bananas handling of the MLK Save-A-Lot was just another flop on the LLC’s already lackluster record of providing viable options to inner-city residents, the company’s poor management contributed to the location’s mounting economic failures. Now, as the company prepares to close its doors permanently, residents of the neighborhood are now forced to rely on the Fiesta Food Mart of Fair Park as the sole low-cost grocer in the area.

Residents have called for the city to provide greater food options to the area. But as the office of District 7 Councilmember Adam Bazaldua has previously stated, the commission of additional grocers “would be based on the income levels of an area and the viability of the stores.”

Food pantries have similarly become less common in South Dallas, with operations steadily decreasing since 2020.

Like all lower-income Texans, poorer residents living in areas like South Dallas pay a higher percentage of taxes than higher-income Texans. As sales tax has been found as the most regressive tax policy, taking higher percentages of smaller incomes, residents of South Dallas pay proportionally more while having less access to adequate resources.

Food insecurity has been rampant in South Dallas for years, however, the city has not been successful in implementing a significant improvement to options in the area. As we interviewed the City of Dallas last year in covering this issue previously, the city does not consider an area for the commission of grocers if the investment can not be proven to be economically viable. However, efforts have been taken on to make grocery items more accessible further south, closer to Red Bird and Cedar Crest.

South Dallas/Fair Park’s employed population accounts for over 22,000 of the workforce in Dallas. Variably, 35% of workers of the entirety of Southern Dallas County are in the blue collar sector and a separate 28.7% work in an industry working with the public, such as education, health, and social sectors.

Additionally, South Dallas/Fair Park holds a child population of around 8,000, raising concerns of poor diets for students in the area. Adults are also worried about the disillusionment youth of the neighborhood feel about their living standards.

“We have high school students across the street come and ask me for a job,” says Eric Patt, current manager of the store. “As someone in this community, a manager of a business in South Dallas, I try to play a positive role. Now this business is shutting down and it doesn’t do a lot for these kids.”

While the loss of local Save-A-Lot stores deals a blow to the community, the MLK store’s poor performance over the last year has already offered the first bitter taste of its absence. South Dallas’ increasingly rampant food insecurity has a direct correlation with various other statistics, such as poor educational performance and poor health.

As South Dallas residents have among the lowest median income in the city, food and housing infrastructure will continue to crumble until the city provides greater support.

The post MLK Save-A-Lot Closing Feb. 16, Plunging South Dallas Deeper into Food Insecurity first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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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.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

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.

Published

4 weeks ago

April 3, 2024

Stacy M. Brown

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

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The post Braxton Haulcy and the Expansion of Walker|West Music Academy first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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