By Cheryl Smith
At a service in Atlanta, GA. celebrating the life of the businessman, journalist, PR guru, and community servant/leader James Alfred Washington, there was plenty of laughter as this mentor and friend to many was remembered.
From the beginning, James exhibited a boldness to me that was consistent throughout the years I have known him.
I pitched a story to Jim (depending on my mood, he was Jim, James, or Mr. Washington) and he did something no other Black-owned publication in Dallas would do.
He ran my story on a young man who was dying of HIV/ AIDS.
Granted, around 1986 and 87, some people thought they would contract the deadly disease if they looked too long at a person.
I think some publishers/editors believed it was a story they needed to avoid and that running a story on HIV/AIDS would be a bad thing; not realizing that ignorance and lack of information were hurting our community and our people.
I felt it was a story that needed to be told and Jim agreed.
Shortly thereafter, I went to Jim and offered him the opportunity of a lifetime; or so I thought.
I told him about my solid journalism credentials and my love for the Black Press.
Jim took pleasure in taking shots at me because I was a product of Florida A&M University and he let me know that he was a Southern University Jaguar.
Well, Rattlers don’t run.
I told him to give me a chance and I would turn The Dallas Weekly around and make him proud.
For the sake of space and time, I’ll just say that the rest is Black History.
I joined The Dallas Weekly family and although I came and went, from the 1980s up to 2012 when I became a publisher of my publications; in every decade Jim hired/lured me back home.
And to the very end, he knew I was just a phone call away if he needed me and vice versa.
We won numerous awards together, mentored countless future journalists and entrepreneurs; and we were on the cut- ting edge of some of the biggest news stories — providing balance, accuracy, perspectives, and highlights that no others were even touching then and even today.
Jim didn’t let me do everything I wanted to do and I sure didn’t have a problem challenging him.
It was great.
Our journalism backgrounds helped immensely and our respect for one another grew into a trust that no one was able to break.
We were like family, so much that evenings when I had to work late, Jim would take my infant nephew, Andre, home with him, his wife and children.
He let me hold meetings for FAMU Alumni, Dallas Metroplex Council of Black Alumni Associations, Dallas Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., KwanzaaFest, Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Communicators (now Journalists), Don’t Believe the Hype Foundation, and any other community group.
The Dallas Weekly belonged to the community.
And last century Jim asked me to attend National Newspaper Publisher Association (NNPA) events. To see me sitting on the Board of Directors in 2020 — well, he was like a proud papa!
I was proud of him too, especially when he stood on the stage accepting the National Association of Black Journalists’ Legacy Award.
His legacy is firmly intact. Jim Washington lived life to the fullest. He did so much for so many.
His passing hit hard. Very hard.
I take solace in knowing that our ride was a wonderful one!
Read about Jim and see why he was so special:
James was born on April 26, 1950 in McComb, MS to Frank Spencer Washington, Sr. and Cecelia Èva Burns Washington.
The youngest of two sons born to this union, some say early on James exhibited characteristics that would bode him well as he became a master communicator.
His parents relocated to Chicago where James and his brother Frank grew up. Their father died before both boys graduated from George Dewey Elementary School.
James went on to graduate with honors from the acclaimed De La Salle Institute. His mother later moved to New Orleans where she became a college professor at Southern University’s New Orleans campus.
Following the trail blazed by his parents and brother, James also became a Jaguar at Southern University and A&M College in Baton Rouge, where he received his Bachelor’s Degree in English and Instructional Media. He then went on to graduate with a Master’s Degree in Journalism/Public Relation from the University of Wisconsin-Madison; as a Woodrow Wilson Fellow.
It was at Tennessee State University that James got his first public relations job. A skilled presenter and creator of content, James entered the world of communications and taught at the collegiate level.
He went on to become a news director at radio station KALO in Little Rock, Arkansas where he was the first boss of his future business partner, Ken Carter.
James moved to Dallas, went to work for the American Heart Association and the Dallas Ballet eventually joined with fellow Jaguar, who was his brother’s SU classmate, and co-worker, Ken Carter, and formed Focus Communications in 1981. The still existing multi-faceted public relations firm eventually purchased the Dallas Weekly from the widower of Publisher Tony Davis in the mid 1980s. While living in Dallas, James married artist Vicki Meek and they had two children, Patrick and Elena.
Soon James became the sole owner of The Dallas Weekly; the largest and most widely-read African American news weekly in North Texas.
Under his leadership, the paper won numerous awards from the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Texas Publishers Association, Dallas-Fort Worth Association of Black Journalists, and Press Club of Dallas, to name a few.
The Dallas Weekly was also the recipient of the Dallas NAACP’s Juanita Craft Award and he received the coveted Quest for Success Award from the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce.
James served as the publisher for more than 30 years, until 2019 when he elevated his son, Patrick, to the leadership position.
A true community servant and servant leader, he was also involved on numerous boards and committees including the Dallas Black Dance Theatre, Dallas Museum of Art, Dallas Arboretum, Dallas Chamber of Commerce, Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce and the State Fair of Texas.
As the publisher, James also taught journalism at Paul Quinn College and provided scholarships and internships for countless area college and high school students. A devoted mentor, James always made time to provide advice and insight to budding journalists and entrepreneurs.
In 2002, he married fellow publisher Janis Ware of the Atlanta Voice Newspaper. The two met as members of the NNPA, which is the Black Press of America, and both have held leadership positions within the organization.
In 2003, James became president and general manager of The Atlanta Voice newspaper, digitally transforming the paper to the same dynamics as The Dallas Weekly.
Then James faced one of his biggest challenges when diagnosed with prostate cancer. He also went through a spiritual transformation creating his column, Spiritually Speaking.
A testament to his faith, James shared his testimony through the Dallas Weekly and the Black Press of America; opening up discussions that helped others dealing with the same trials. That column led to a book deal and his column became syndicated.
In 2019 the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) presented him with its Legacy Award for the significant role he has played in nurturing other journalists.
James was a communications practitioner in all forms of media for more than four decades. He served on numerous boards in Dallas, TX, and nationally the NNPA. He also served as an NNPA Newswire contributor.
James made his transition on April 2, 2024 in Atlanta, GA where he relocated in 2019. He was preceded in death by his parents, Frank Spencer Washington, Sr., Cecelia Eva Burns Washington Jones; and brother, Frank Spencer Washington, Jr.
Left to cherish his memory are his wife of 22 years, Janis Ware Washington, son Patrick (Jessica), and daughter Elena (David); his grandchildren and other relatives.
He was also blessed with a host of extended family and life-long friends from the Jaguar Nation, the business community, and public relations and journalism professionals around the world; as well as those who had an opportunity to glean his wisdom as they perfected their craft.
