Congresswoman Johnson Breaks Ground On DART Blue Line Extension

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson recently attended a ground breaking ceremony for DART’s South Oak Cliff (SOC-3) Blue Line Extension along with Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings, Mayor Pro Tem Tennell Atkins, State Senator Royce West and the State Representative Helen Giddings.

The new “SOC-3” is a 3-mile extension of DART’s Blue Line from Ledbetter Station south to the University of North Texas Dallas (UNT).  Within this extension, new “at-grade” stations will be added in South Dallas. One station will be located at Camp Wisdom and the other on UNT’s campus. During the ground breaking ceremony, Congresswoman Johnson gave the following remarks:

“Projects like these are vital to Dallas. They bring a competitive economic edge to our area, ultimately drawing in new businesses and residents. With service set to begin in 2016, we can also expect that some of the congestion caused by our region’s ever growing population will be eased.

DART’s extensive network of light rail, the Trinity Railway Express (TRE) and busses are integral to the recent success our area has seen. In fact, I believe that the effectiveness of our region’s growing public transportation system is one of the reasons why DFW is one of the fastest growing areas in the country. This project is a great leap forward for both the region and the DART agency.”

Since its establishment in 1983, DART has grown to serve over 100 million passenger trips a year in 13 different cities within 700 square miles. With additions like that of the Blue Line Extension in South Oak Cliff, these numbers continue to grow each year.

Congresswoman Johnson Hosts 22nd Annual Science & Technology Brain Trust

Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson served as the Honorary Host of the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation’s Science and Technology Brain Trust during the 2014 Annual Legislative Conference (ALC) held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in D.C. This year’s Brain Trust was attended by over 300 guests, where much of the program was limited to “standing room only.” Event attendees included ALC registrants from around the country, and representatives from various governmental and non-governmental organizations, in addition to 150 students from Dallas, Houston and D.C. area schools. 

The program was split into two separate panels with a demonstration from NASA’s robotic arm during intermission. Panel One titled “A Day in the Life,” designed to outline the life of a STEM professional from academia to professionalism, included participation from: Nina Davuluri, Miss America 2014; Dr. Michael Drake, President of Ohio State University; The Honorable LaDoris Harris from the Office of Economic Impact and Diversity at the Department of Energy; and Dr. Craig Brown, Vice President of the Black Data Processors Association.

Panel Two titled “Diversifying Silicon Valley” included participation from: Dr. Johnny Taylor, President and CEO of the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF); Aaron Moses, Community Engagement Manager at Facebook; Damien Hooper-Campbell, Diversity Strategist at Google; Stephanie Peters, Director of Federal Government Affairs at Microsoft; Stephanie Childs, Vice President of Cognizant; and Chanelle Hardy, Senior Vice President for Policy at the National Urban League

During the Q & A sessions, student attendees posed questions of competency and preparation for future generations of STEM students. One student from the Howard University Math and Science Middle School gave a statement on the importance of being “proactive,” encouraging adults and peers “to begin taking action for change rather than simply holding discussions.”

After the Q & A sessions ended, Congresswoman Johnson left student attendees with this message “You can do things to make others happy, but the most important thing is to do what makes yourself happy." These sentiments were echoed by panelists and attendees through a round of applause as the program came to its close.

Congresswoman Johnson Highlights The Importance Of Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Congresswoman Johnson joined millions of Americans in marking October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The country has recognized October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month since 1987.

“During this year’s Domestic Violence Awareness Month, Americans should join together in rededicating ourselves to eradicating from our society the scourge of domestic violence,” Congresswoman Johnson. “The domestic violence cases within the National Football League have begun a national conversation and we should use this conversation to focus on ensuring all victims of domestic violence get the services they need and on promoting strategies that can prevent domestic violence.”

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the landmark Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Before VAWA, domestic violence was seen by many as a lesser offense. But the passing of VAWA changed these societal ideals. VAWA treats domestic violence as the violent crime that it is -- providing resources to state and local law enforcement agencies to address violent crimes against women and funding training for over 500,000 law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges and other personnel every year.

“Domestic and sexual violence are forms of abuse that have plagued communities both foreign and domestic. Women who fall victim to domestic and sexual violence should not feel ashamed of their situation.

By standing strong in support of Women’s Rights, VAWA empowers victims by providing a voice for issues that have historically laid silent.” said Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson. “We must continue to strengthen our response to these crimes and deepen our commitment to all survivors.”

The current prevalence of domestic violence in our society should be unacceptable to everyone – men and women,” Congresswoman Johnson concluded. “As we mark Domestic Violence Awareness month, let us stand together as one nation and proclaim zero tolerance for domestic violence and work to end it in our society.”

Source: Focus Daily News

Congresswoman Johnson Supports Obama Administration's Climate Initiative

"Acting on climate change is not only an environmental imperative, but a public health and economic one as well. We're facing some of these consequences now and they affect every American." - Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson