News Briefs

Four-time World Champion and Track and Field Olympic Gold Medalist Natasha Hastings will host the Dallas Elite Youth Track and Field Clinic from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, Jan. 24 at Hillcrest High School located at 9924 Hillcrest Road.   The event is free and open to students and athletes ages eight to 18. Those interested in participating must RSVP to qervin_dallaselite@yahoo.com. Hastings made her first US Olympic appearance in 2008 where she took home gold as part of the 4×400 meter relay team before going on to take first in the 400 meters competition at the USA Indoor Track…

Former 2008 Gardere MLK Oratory contest winner Dalton Sherman, now a junior at Barack Obama Male Leadership Academy, is doing what he does best – public speaking. This weekend he was one of the key speakers to deliver a strong message at the African American Pastors Coalition (AAPC)celebration, which honored Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Sherman’s push from the pulpit among thousands can be seen in a report by CBS 11. LINK: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/01/19/save-our-sons-hopes-to-stop-negative-judgement-of-black-children/

The Dallas Independent School District is forming a task force aimed at enhancing steps the district is currently taking to close the achievement gap for African-American students. Board of Trustees First Vice President Lew Blackburn will lead a group that will review progress made under the district’s African-American Success Initiative and explore ways to improve its outcomes. The task force announcement was made as part of a presentation on the initiative during today’s monthly Board Briefing. Check out this news report on the initiative to improve black student success from CBS 11. LINK: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2015/01/15/disd-working-to-improve-black-student-success/

A group of local business and community leaders that includes Ron and Matrice Kirk, Ron McCray, Brenda Jackson, Levy and Diane Curry, and Paget and Deborah Alves are donating the 10,000 free tickets to Dallas ISD students in grades 7-9 to see the movie “Selma”. Students may attend a free screening of the movie on Jan. 17-19. The timing of the viewing, during the Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday weekend, provides even more incentive to share the story of the March on Selma and how it shaped the past and present. WFAA’s Demond Fernandez spoke with students and staff at…