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Following a damning whistleblower report on the inhumane conditions for juveniles at the Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center, the Dallas Black Clergy has called for an emergency press conference to address the community.

The press conference aims to shed light on the reported abuses, demand action from Dallas County officials, and mobilize community support for systemic changes.

The press conference comes as former and current employees came to local news outlet WFAA to expose the conditions at the facility.

The conference will take place at the Henry Wade Juvenile Justice Center on Sunday, June 30, at 3 p.m.

Speakers  from the Dallas Black Clergy include:

·  Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes, III: Founding Member of the Dallas Black Clergy; Senior Pastor, Friendship-West Baptist Church

·  Rev. Dr. Michael W. Waters: Founding Member of the Dallas Black Clergy; Founder and Lead Pastor of Abundant Life A.M.E. Church

·  Sha Smith: Impacted Individual by the Henry Wade conditions

·  Mr. John Fullinwider: Co-Founder of Mothers Against Police Brutality

·  Rev. Dr. Irie Session: Founding Member of the Dallas Black Clergy for Safety, Equity and Justice; Co-Pastor of The Gathering: A Womanist Church in Dallas

·  Minister Dominique Alexander: President and CEO of the Next Generation Action Network

·  Rev. Virzola Law: Senior Minister of Northway Christian Church

The conference comes in the wake of a September 2023 report by the Lone Star Justice Alliance’s Reimagine Justice Coalition.

The coalition highlighted severe violations of state juvenile standards at the facility.

Key findings include:

• 15 violations of state juvenile standards.
• Juveniles isolated in cells for up to five days.
• Inadequate daily showering for detained children.
• Failure of guards to conduct regular checks, especially for those on suicide watch.
• Disparities in case processing times, with White (including Hispanic) children facing shorter waits compared to Black children.
• High rates of deeper system involvement for children, despite being reported as low or medium risk.

In Nov. 2023, John Wiley Price, ranking member of the Dallas County Commissioner’s Court, sat down with The DeSoto Tribune to discuss the standards of the Dallas Juvenile Detention Center.

The post Dallas Black Clergy to address Conditions at Juvenile Center appeared first on DeSoto Tribune.

Social Venture Partners Dallas (SVP Dallas) has announced the launch of the ninth Dana Juett Residency Program.

The program is designed to foster engaged and thriving philanthropists among young professionals.

The program targets individuals under 30, regardless of their formal education or professional background, aiming to cultivate a new generation of community-focused leaders.

The nine-month residency includes a series of workshops, and opportunities to build philanthropic networks.

The program also provides a hands-on experience through a consulting project with a local social impact organization.

Participants will collaborate closely with SVP Dallas staff and partners throughout the program.

The residency culminates in a fast pitch competition, where residents present their consulting projects for a chance to secure a grant for the organization they supported.

Applications for the Dana Juett Residency Program are open until 11:59 PM on Saturday, July 27.

Interested applicants are encouraged to attend the DJR Applicants Happy Hour on Monday, July 15, to meet program alumni and staff.

The program is open to young professionals in various fields, including finance, technology, law, human resources, management consulting, and sales.

For more information and to apply, potential candidates can visit the SVP Dallas website.

The post SVP Dallas Launch Dana Juett Residency Program appeared first on DeSoto Tribune.

A suspect is in the hospital after an exchange of gunfire with Cedar Hill and Duncanville police officers on Wednesday night.

The incident began around 8:10 p.m. in the 300 block of North Joe Wilson Road in Cedar Hill, when police attempted to apprehend a man with multiple active warrants.

Authorities identified the suspect as 36-year-old Gerail Fuewell, who had outstanding warrants for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, family violence, and burglary of a habitation with intent to commit another felony.

When authorities found Fuewell, Cedar Hill police began to chase the suspect.

The chase continued into Duncanville’s jurisdiction, with Duncanville police joining the pursuit on Wheatland Road.

The chase lasted approximately six minutes and ended in the 8000 block of Marvin D. Love Freeway in Dallas.

Dashcam footage released by Cedar Hill Police Department shows Fuewell opening fire on officers as he leaned out of the driver’s side of the vehicle.

In the dashcam, an officer can be seen returning fire from his vehicle.

When exiting his vehicle the suspect opened fire on officers while crossing Wheatland Road.

Officers from both Cedar Hill and Duncanville returned fire, striking Fuewell in the shoulder and back.

No officers were injured during the incident.

The involved officers have been placed on administrative leave pending the investigation.

The Dallas Police Department Special Investigation Unit has taken over the investigation since the incident ended within Dallas city limits. T

The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office will oversee the investigation.

Fuewell is currently hospitalized and faces multiple charges, including felony evading in a motor vehicle. Further details on his condition have not been released.

The post Police Chase Ends in Shootout | Suspect Hospitalized appeared first on DeSoto Tribune.

A Rockwall resident has been charged with unlawfully possessing an unregistered firearm after allegedly importing Glock switches from China.

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton announced the charge in a press release.

Joshua Javier Menjivar, 20, was charged via a criminal complaint on Friday and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Renée Harris Toliver on Wednesday.

“This defendant allegedly imported machinegun conversion devices from China and installed at least one of them in an untraceable ghost gun,” said Simonton.

“Whether manufactured abroad or printed here at home, switches are capable of firing a stunning amount of ammunition in seconds and are highly erratic – making them highly dangerous weapons. We cannot and will not allow these lethal devices to proliferate in north Texas.”

According to the complaint, Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted a suspicious package on May 16, addressed to Menjivar’s home.

The parcel allegedly contained four machine gun conversion devices, known as switches.

Further investigation revealed that from May 2023 to May 2024, approximately 35 suspicious packages were allegedly delivered to Menjivar’s address.

These shipments, at least one of which was allegedly sent by a known international firearms supplier, were listed as various items such as household tools, protective gloves, glass cups, hats, and clothing, and were addressed to fictitious individuals.

On June 10, ATF agents collected trash from a bin outside Menjivar’s home. Inside, they allegedly found a non-value gold metal commemorative bitcoin, an item often used to conceal switches by confusing x-ray machines, and packaging consistent with illicit firearms shipments.

Agents executed a search warrant on Menjivar’s residence on June 20, allegedly discovering a privately made firearm, known as a “ghost gun,” equipped with a switch.

Agents also found five additional switches, 72 rounds of assorted ammunition, two commemorative bitcoins, and various firearm accessories.

During an interview, Menjivar allegedly claimed ownership of the illegal items found in the residence and confirmed his knowledge of how the switches worked.

 “As this arrest proves, we weren’t joking a few weeks ago when we told you that we were coming for you. The possession or importation of machine gun conversion devices will eventually lead to a visit by ATF or any of our law enforcement partners,” said ATF Dallas Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Boshek.

“I commend US Attorney Simonton and her team for their dedication to protecting the people of North Texas by aggressively prosecuting these cases. Further, I thank our partners at CBP who work tirelessly to keep Americans safe, a lot of times going unnoticed.”

The post Rockwall Man Charged with Importing Illegal Firearm Switches appeared first on DeSoto Tribune.

The DEC Network at Redbird hosted the Black Women in Philanthropy 2024 event that brought together Black women philanthropists from across the DFW Metroplex.

Presented by the Reconciliation and Restoration Foundation, the event gathered iconic Black women in non-profit leadership to discuss furthering their roles in philanthropy.

Attendees included leaders from various organizations who shared their experiences and strategies for making a meaningful impact in their communities.

The event featured panel discussions kicked off by Dr. Froswa Booker-Drew and included Tiffanie Rice of Comerica Bank, Dominique Bryant-Howell of The Chris Howell Foundation, and Martine Phillippe of the City of Dallas Office of Arts & Culture Department.

“We are encouraging the organizations that we serve to diversify their boards. It’s important to us to see the representation at the board level because we know the trickle-down impact is going to give positive benefits who are in the minority as well,” said Phillippe.

“We want to continue to build bridges from the city offices to the community so we always take advantage of these opportunities to have one-on-one or group discussions for folks that gets the opportunity to engage with us directly and ask the questions that maybe they haven’t had a chance to ask.”

The event provided networking opportunities, and workshops focused on fundraising, community engagement, and effective leadership.

Key topics included the importance of representation in philanthropy, addressing disparities in funding, such as unrestrictive funding, and building sustainable support systems.

“This is where you get fed, you get information, but you also find mentors, and even here we had funders. Building those kinds of relationships is going to help you. So when you’re starting out, you got to build networks and you got to get educated, you do those things it’s just a matter of time for your nonprofit to grow,” said Booker-Drew, board chair and founder of the Reconciliation and Restoration Foundation.

Booker-Drew further explained that for Black-owned nonprofits to receive funding, especially unrestricted funding, partnering with other organizations is essential.

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