I WAS JUST THINKING : Local Dreamers Who Became Doers

By Norma Adams-Wade

On June18, 2020, I began the Texas Metro News blog interviews. I conversed with mainly local African-Americans who are making or have made positive impressions in Dallas’ Black community and the city at-large.

One thing that stands out about them is how they got an idea or thought that they felt would improve society, put that thought in motion, and actually carried it to a positive outcome.

It’s called realizing a dream.

Many of the world’s dreamers – whom I have not interviewed – have worthy thoughts and ideas, but those visions die on the vine. Those individuals are labeled procrastinators, pretenders, imposters – even failures. So, I was just thinking…what does it take to actually realize a dream?

One of the individuals who actually realized his dream is a person I have interviewed often, including for The Texas Metro News blog. He is local theater icon Curtis King.

I’ve told this story before, but I’ll tell it again. I have this frozen image in my memory of years ago passing a modestly-dressed young Curtis King on a downtown Dallas street, which I do not remember, as he was on his way somewhere. As a local news reporter at that time, I knew him slightly as a yet unknown but promising theater hopeful who had some interesting plans. This son of a farmer and schoolteacher from Cold- water, Mississippi visualized creating a Black-owned theater production company that would produce local performances and bring noted national performers to town.

Fast-forward to now and the rest is history. Who today doesn’t know the name Curtis King and The Black Academy of Arts and Letters Inc.? King and TBAAL have a stellar history of bringing notable national greats here to perform in TBAAL’s facility in a wing of the prestigious Dallas Convention Center in downtown Dallas. He also has done productions in the Black-culture-mecca Lincoln Theatre in Washington, D. C.

No part of this journey was easy, and we witnessed in awe how King slayed many dragons along the way. Though King is exemplary, he is one among many that I’ve interviewed for the blog who brought their dreams to life. Some came on the blog more than once, returning with different topics. Some still are taking first steps to jump-start their dream; but as Chinese philosopher Lao-Tzu said, “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

My point of wonderment is, what is that quality that gives some humans an expert fol- low-through and others only dreams? Here is the chronological roll call of my blog guests:

Professor Clarence Glover Jr., Emma Rodgers, Travis Wortham, Dr. W. Marvin Dulaney, Isis Brantley, Sylvia Dunnavant Hines, Curtis King, Diane Ragsdale, Teresa Coleman Wash, Dale Long. Also, Sophia Johnson discussing the Census, Dr. George Keaton Jr., Dr. Linda Amerson, Gia McCloud beauty consultant, Vahnita Loud of Iota Phi Lambda Sorority, Rev. Dr. Sharon Patterson, Danette Anthony Reed of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Gwen Daniels of South Dallas Business and Professional Women’s Club, journalist Linda Jones, Rev. Dr. Ouida Lee, photographer Milton Hinnant, community advocate Verna Thomas Melton.

Also, Linda Ragsdale Sanders, UT Southwestern professor Jasmin Tiro discussing COVID19 study, journalist/author Judith Howard Ellis, educator Dr. La-Trese Adkins, Charles O’Neal, Joe Powell, Lewis Rhone, Roger Boykin, children’s author Sharon Jones Scaife, dentist Dr. Michelle Morgan, businessman Al Herron, community advocate Ken Smith, Rev. Gerald Britt, Dr. E. Faye Williams, Genesis Women’s Shelter CEO Jan Langbein, musical tribute to Marian Anderson, Isabell Cottrell — with entrepreneurs Antoinette Titus, Kim Harris and Sha’Ron Poindexter — NAACP advocate Arthur Fleming, and finally Werthing Foundation founder Gloria Werthing Reynold – with mentor Carmen Ross and mentee Tamia Thompson.

They did it, and you can too. Put your dream in motion.

Norma Adams-Wade, is a proud Dallas native, University of Texas at Austin journalism graduate and retired Dallas Morning News senior staff writer. She is a founder of the National Association of Black Journalists and was its first southwest regional director. She became The News’ first Black full-time reporter in 1974. norma_adams_wade@yahoo.com