MY TRUTH: A Special Lady!

by Cheryl Smith

Angela Davis Henry is impressive!

And not just because she is a community servant, born leader, and genuinely nice person; or we share the same birth date.

She is the person who made the BEST POUND CAKE in Dallas-Fort Worth!

The Director of Partnerships and Engagement at Duncanville ISD, Angela says she loves to cook.

Sure she has the distinction of baking the best pound cake, but she says she also makes a pretty good pie!

When she heard about the Realizing the Dream Healthy Living Expo’s competition for the Best Pound Cake she said she thought it would be fun to enter. She was also encouraged by one of the best caterers in the area, Carol Hampton.

So, she got to baking and presented her Sweet Potato Pound Cake, and I guess you can say the rest is Black History.

Now when some heard about the competition, they had a difficult time wrapping their heads around the connection be- tween healthy living and pound cake. All they saw were statistics and reports from the CDC referring to the spike in states with an adult obesity rate at or above 35% and that more than one in five adults in America are obese.

Well, it’s simple, the Realizing the Dream Healthy Living Expo was created to address the many areas that needed to be focused on to build healthier families, communities, countries, and ultimately, the world.

Having the event on Dr Martin Luther King Day, following the parade, seemed to be a wonderful idea because the Expo gave more meaning to the celebration/commemoration of Dr. King’s life — using the day to educate, enlighten, inform, inspire, and yes, entertain.

Organizers focused on spiritual, physical, economic, social, financial, and mental growth and development, for starters.

We also realized that we needed and wanted to have some fun — realizing that balance and moderation are key.

So, as we addressed building a better world and in the spirit of Dr King, Jr., we researched some of his favorite meals. During every expo, we hold a competition featuring one of the dishes from the list we compiled. We have focused on sweet potato pies, macaroni and cheese, cobbler, and now pound cakes.

The competition was impressive this year.

Who knew there were tens of thousands of pound cake bakers on the internet?! Enter Angela Davis Henry; who I am clueless as to how she even has the time to bake, but it is something she is passionate about and it brings her joy.

A long-time educator, she attended California State University, Northridge, and earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Pan-African Studies. It was there she also pledged the Sigma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority.

Angela also has a Masters Degree in Secondary Education from Bowie State University.

She has also established a scholarship in her name through her sorority and she is also a member of the Southern Metroplex (TX) chapter of The Links, Inc. Do you see why I am impressed?

She’s a leader in her family, the community, and at work; and she is lifting as she climbs while also building opportunities for others.

We learned that she can bake, but we also learned there’s more to Angela Davis Henry than her prowess in the kitchen and that makes her all the more special!

We salute you, Angela Davis Henry!