Photos: Donell Alexander, Terry Allen and Hasan Diggs’
Charged with a commitment to showcase mentors, leaders, fathers and father figures infamilies and communities, the 23rd City Men Cook Fathers’ Day event hosted by Oscar Joyner and Terry Allen brought close to 1000 attendees to what has been dubbed as the ‘Largest Sunday Dinner in North Texas.”
The mission of City Men Cook is centered around a celebration of men and the women who engage to serve the community. In that fashion, a tribute was given to Dallas native and award-winning actress and playwright, Regina Taylor. Through arts, entertainment, philanthropic and cultural efforts, Taylor won several awards throughout her career, including a Golden Globe and NAACP Image Award.
The event featured a tribute to Juneteenth with the Rev. Clarence Glover delivering a costumed re-enactment of the speech given on June 19, 1865 when General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston, TX to read Order No. 3, which affirmed the end of slavery in the states of the former Confederacy.
For 150 years, this occasion labeled Juneteenth a combination of “June” & “19th” — has been celebrated.
Dad teams were in session at City Men Cook as well. Trevis Gipson, of the Chicago Bears, joined City Men Cook in 2023 along with his father, City Men Cook veteran cook, Thomas Gibson. 22-year cooking veteran and educator Steve Wesley and his son, Sean Wesley are famous for their WesWings and transportation consultant Jesse Jenkins and his son Micheal were also present with his renowned Nasty Beans.
Gipson, Wesley and Jenkins along with returning cook, Jeffery Gales, were awarded the top honors by the Celebrity Tasters; led by Judge Dominique Collins, Linda Ngo and Lori Love who awarded them recognition in the Best Recipe, Best Presentation and Best Decoration categories.
Founder Terry Allen also added another offer with the presence of Hollywood Celebrity Photographer and Author m Carell Augustus and local PR executive Trent Walters, with their Books Black Hollywood and How it’s Posed To Be.
