 How's everybody doing? There's Bob Ray. I don't know if y'all hear me or not and I'm pretty sure you can't see me because I'm high challenged But my name is Gina Bivens and I serve as mayor pro tem for the city of Fort Worth And I represent this area, which is district 5 and for those of you who are not involved District 5 is bigger than the city of Tyler. We have a yeah. We're huge We have a hundred and nine thousand people in district 5 this event has been a long time coming and I have a few partners in crime who I want to recognize right away for making this happen I'd like for William Johnson and his team from TPW to just wave to the crowd That's William Now here's why you want to know William now don't break nothing over here Here's why you want to know who William is his people are the ones who fix the potholes the street lights all that kind of stuff He's gonna do a cruise before he leaves the district and he's very diligent about taking care of things you report I'd like for all the brothers of Alpha Phi Alpha to wave at the crowd That is the first African-American fraternity No, no shade to the sigmas and not everybody else here. We're any cues in the house There's always there's always one John Barnett guy, okay, okay Well, let me tell you this is going to this is going to be a very brief program because the whole idea is about Recognizing the contributions of my mentor and many people's mentors rebe carry I wanted to bring some personal notes Rebe would always send to me during each campaign But I wouldn't do it because if if if if I lost one we'd see fistfights going on Rebe was very strategic in everything he did including taking down the rebel flag and what is now known as UT Arlington and Oh, yeah, that that was worth it He would not stand for that and I found out from Gwen He was also the first professor at TCC of color So there's a lot of history to Rebe a Rebe wrote about 20 so books at one point His daughter faith told him if you write another book I'm gonna have you committed But then the Coast Guard came calling and the Coast Guard said professor Kerry We need you to write another book and so he did and so with that I'm going to step aside and Ask for the man from a Phi a to come my program calls for Blake to speak Blake will be followed by Michael Morris who has a very intimate relationship with Rebe and the history of all the improvements You see on Rosedale all the way past 35 This is the man who gets the checks for us to do these big major projects and Rebe was very special to him After Michael you will hear from the daughter herself faith carry Ellis and before we leave I'd like for all the bunch Ellington kids to huddle for a group picture. I know you all will appreciate that And if you don't if you're not a bunch Ellington kid if you're anywhere near that that nucleus of this neighborhood We want to get a photo of you guys to Support your art here, which is your history and so now please welcome Blake Mormon While I take a selfie on my way down Good morning. We're gonna do the Negro National Anthem bear with me lift every voice And sing till earth and heaven And ring ring with the Harmo of Liberty let our rejoicing Rise high as the Leastening skies let it resound loud as the Rolling sea sing A song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us sing a song full of the faith that the Brass facing the Rising Sun Under a new day let us march on till victory Is One Thank you. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning I am a brother Blake Mormon a past president and proud member of the Fort Worth beta-tile lambda chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Incorporated thank you for your presence and this honor to share with you the Alpha Phi Alpha history of brother Reeve carry in 1947 Brother carry was the first member initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha through beta-tile lambda chapter Mentored by his close friend brother Joe R. Pinkard Brother carry was quick to heed the call of service and love for our mankind Immediately serving as associate editor of the Sphinx magazine His first article appeared in Alpha Phi Alpha's national publication in the May 1947 issue an Educator by profession brother carry worked to mentor young men in the community and assist people of color To qualify to vote as voting Was not a right for all people at that time To this end structured programs aimed at curbing juvenile delinquency through organized structured Activities and a neighborhood bicycle patrol was established Per the fraternity's history book this program was adopt adopted by Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity's national organization and Included in the go-to-high school go-to-college curriculum brother carry continuously Served in various Offices throughout the years including chapter president of beta-tile lambda in 1964 During his tenure as chapter president the Texas Council of Alpha chapters was formed which organized all the college and alumni chapters in the state of Texas Under brother carries leadership as the third district director of TCAC Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity incorporated established chapters at many predominantly white institutions in the north Texas area Including East Texas State University now Texas A&M University at commerce the University of Texas at Arlington North Texas State University now University of North Texas and Texas Christian University he was Also instrumental in the establishment of chapters at Jarvis Christian College Midwest and State University and Tarleton State University because of his work Many of the members here today including myself Have the privilege to be members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity incorporated as we were initiated through one of those chapters Brother carry made Alpha a family affair His wife was a primary partner with the alphabets, which was the social group made up of wives of fraternity members They served as hostesses and did much of the cooking and decorating for first for for fraternity events even his daughter faith Was on the scene at various conventions and social events faith faith photo was featured in the February 1965 issue of the swings magazine When brother carry transitioned from education and business to politics his beta tall lambda chapter brothers were behind him and by his side When he began to write and publish books He knew he could count on the chapter to support his efforts as the chapter provided sponsorships at a number of his book signings In 2014 brother carry was voted into the Texas Council of Alpha chapters Hall of Fame And was presented with his signature sweater and plaque and a roast held here in Fort Worth in his honor By then Texas Council of Alpha chapters district director Terence G. Robinson in 2015 brother carry was recognized by beta tall lambda as a legendary Cornerstone of the chapter during our 75th anniversary celebration He was one of the seven honorees at our senior brothers on whose shoulders we stand program Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity Incorporated's general president brother mark Tillman was on hand to present the award to brother carry On his transition to omega chapter But beta tall lambda chapter members were honored to stand as his honor guard and led the alpha Phi Alpha's omega service We truly know upon whose shoulders we stand And we know that our foundation is unshakable Thanks to brother rebe caring We thank his family and the organizers of today's event for including us today. Thank you Well, good morning to all of you My name is Michael Morris. I am the transportation director At the north central texas council governments Mayor pro tem it's an honor that you asked me to be here today I had the pleasure of working With the former state representative mr. Carey When he knocked on my door and said well, you know that 303 in arlington looks pretty good And we don't have anything like that On the west side of a 20 They have six lanes. I want six lanes How fast can we go to construction? Well, mr. Carey, you know the good news is the i'll get you federal funds Create a partnership with taren county city of fort worth and the texas department of transportation But we just don't do these things overnight and we also need to talk to the people So the people can decide what they want their rose dill project to look like Well, that's all well and good. When are you going to start construction and when am I going to get my six lanes? So Representative lewis at the time created a committee um I think we must add 15 or 20 meetings to try to get consensus the consensus Came pretty quick except for mr. Carey Working with mr. Carey is a full contact sport I want to hear from his daughter to see if she agrees growing up with papa Um, maybe was a complicated conversation. It certainly was for me Um in in my time with him We probably got consensus in a couple years But in mr. Carey's years it felt like dog years It was felt like it was 14 years when it was only like two years rose dill project you see today It's a bottom up grassroots consensus of the community Four lanes were required to save all the trees at texas wesley and We went in and purchased the buildings on the south side of texas wesley and to create economic development I think it spurred texas wesley and to redo their campus Um, we are here for the long term The commitment to rose dill and to mr. Carey Is not just a transportation project, but it's an economic development project for rose dill So it's the first time in our history That we built a transportation project not for transportation purposes But for economic development purposes and that was the commitment we made to The former representative I think he was ecstatic with the outcome Uh, a terrific person Made me a better person I can't claim him as a mentor Because I don't think he had all that love for me every day But he made me a much better professional Kept me on my game As we built which which I think is one of the coolest thoroughfare street projects in the region We are now taking that concept rinse and repeat. We're now taking it to Lancaster So we're in partnership with fort worth. We've already put 50 million dollars into Lancaster In the bank, uh, we have an application in washington dc for a hundred million We want to, uh Bring the first fully designed safe street to the region Uh, get our transit vehicles, uh, moving faster, maybe smaller at the curb Create economic development With private sector businesses creating many transit stations Along the corridor And rebuilding Lancaster in the spirit of rebe carry that he brought to rose dill The final thing I want to leave with you Is, uh, both on rose dill and on Lancaster We are making claim that equal access to the internet Is actually a right And a transportation mode So we have, uh, taken a policy of our board the regional transportation council We are first to claim That transportation revenues Not not only can go to thoroughfare streets into freeways into transit systems into safety projects into traffic signals But they can fund equal access to broadband for all of our citizens So In the spirit of mr. Carey Um, what the what the mayor pro tem is doing to recognize his commitment on on rose dill. I think is critical Uh, i'm glad this is happening. I appreciate everything fort worth is doing to to, um To do that and when you see those signs go up on rose dill I think you you need to remember the spirit and commitment he had not just for rose dill But for all of you and all of the community to make us all better. Thank you very much for having me today Good morning fort worth I have this wonderful speech, but i'm going to deviate because I have a 14 year apology to make to someone Michael I owe you a deep apology. You see in 2006 I had the opportunity to work for congressman burges And I sat in a room with michael morris and then councilman donovan wheat fall and some other city of fort worth officials And we began to redesign The speedway that my father had really wanted Um to put green spaces in and I have a confession You asked me in that meeting Does your father approve of this? No, he didn't at the time. He really didn't in fact after that meeting I rushed up that street To talk to my father. I said look what you wanted is just not going to work right now And he was like no, no, no, that's what we want. That's what we need and we debated for about 10 15 minutes and then he finally said well, baby Is that what you want? I said yes daddy. That's what I want. He said well, it looks good to me So I apologize On behalf of myself my children and my grandchildren I'd like to thank mayor pro tem gena bivins And the entire city of fort worth staff For this honor and this acknowledgement of my father's contribution to the city and to his beloved community You know, it's really fitting today that we are we're here at this memorial. This memorial is called the ancestors And our ancestors that are remembered at this place Are not necessarily ancestors by blood But they are the ancestors of our heart There are young people here today whose shoulders We are standing on the shoulders of these great people Um the bunch ellington kids We just grew up with these people. We just knew them as mr. Such and such or mrs. Such and such We didn't know that they were history in the making You know, my father Taught me from the time I was a little girl The importance of knowing who you are and where you come from Those early lessons began at the shores of west africa cameroon to be specific And it landed in fort worth texas I learned of men and women who contributed to the upliftment of an entire race And were released from that first stage of physical bond His lessons then turned and focused on civil rights and equality for me I remember the letters from birmingham jail was discreetly placed on my bed when I returned home from school one day Just something for light reading The lessons at my kitchen table began at six years old Those lessons turned into real life action as I as I watched my father become involved in the betterment of his community It was a journey of justice and equality And it's one that would take him from the comfort of our little home on bunch drive Across campuses of tarrant county To late into the night school board meetings And eventually to the howled halls of the state legislature And I watched and I recorded each of those moments Not knowing that I was observing history in action Through my father I love to I love Learn to love black and gold And all things alpha by alpha fraternity incorporated I came to understand Through my father's life the deep meaning of there goes an alpha man I saw his abiding faith and his god Heard his praises as he sung deep Deep with his treble voice lift Every voice and sing And every day I had the opportunity to see love and action As my father took up yet another fight for equality and justice in his community You know at 98 He really wasn't ready to give up the fight And so he instilled in me In his grandchildren In his great-grandchildren The charge to continue his legacy of community service Now traditionally At this point My father would end his speech With some certain stanzas from lift every voice and sing But today I'd like to focus on some different stanzas that I think are More appropriate now Since he has become an ancestor We have come over a way That with tears have been watered We have come treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered Out from a gloomy past Till now we stand at last Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast In the honor of the legacy of ribby carry I implore you To continue to shine your light for this community. Thank you Okay, I'm going to take the risk of recognizing some people And hopefully I won't leave anybody out But I just saw Richard Zavala who is our parks director Hi, Richard. Thank you for the beautification In addition to singing Vince also gave us the decor connection Vince, what's her name? Who did the balloons Maisha is maisha around Well, if you want to there you I didn't know that And if if you guys want An event that will send a signal. That's your lady. Okay Now I also there there's a red house a red head in this house somewhere Red head in the house. Where's elizabeth beck? Okay, there you are the chris make it Okay, okay Cow's woman elizabeth beck is my partner in crime of all things that cause trouble But it's good trouble if you know what that means We have trustee gwen marison who's been representing us for more than four decades on the taren county college board Thank you for being here And if oh the former mayor pro tem burt williams. Hey burt wave around And the president of this association Tarchy white michelle. You ain't got to be discreet. I see you trying to tell me something. What am I supposed to do? Jared I Jared you didn't you're gonna come to east four worth. Dr. Williams. Thank you for coming Thank you for coming And so with that what's going to happen. Oh, I gotta tell you this about rebbe rebbe did not want me to reopen bunch park But bunch park had been so given to the school district to help us with desegregation And I knew that the schools were desegregated. So I told richard's avala get me my park back And so we got the park back rebbe didn't want it open because they were going to be doing drugs again So we put rebbe on that committee to plan the park And so I encourage you and the weather is better go to bunch park richard. Thank you and I know we're not done yet There's more coming now before I do anything else michelle. Tell me what are we going to do next And I also want to leave room for pictures, but I know we got to pull that string down first So come tell us what to do. I forget We have we have two samples of the sign that we would like for you and faith To take the wrapping off and then we will walk down Everyone who's able to do so we will walk down and you will pull the Covering off of the actual street sign that's been installed and then we'll come back for pictures Yes, and then we can come back for pictures After untape this