by
By: Norma Adams-Wade
Help is the key word if you’re going to talk about the life of community advocate Verna Booker Thomas-Melton.
The veteran community advocate and champion of the downtrodden presented an event last month whose history she envisions will keep on giving to future generations through a lasting documentary she’s determined to complete.
“The documentary is coming from my book, My Power in Three, that I know was sent to me by God,” Thomas-Melton declares. “I have lived 50 years beyond what doctors said I would. I have to tell my story.”
Her story seems never ending. The 10th Annual Living Legends Brunch, sponsored by her nonprofit Verna’s H.E.L.P. Foundation that Thomas-Melton founded 21 years ago, is only one aspect of her multi-level saga of service. The H.E.L.P. acronym means Helping Everyone Live Positive.
The June 7, 2025 pre-Father’s Day brunch drew an audience of about 200 to the pose Royal Oaks Country Club on Greenville Avenue in North Dallas. There, 20 men were saluted as influential men of color and living legends in their fields. Among them also were some who were distinguished as “firsts,” meaning they were first persons of color to hold certain positions of authority or acclaim in their careers. Yes, the phenomena of being a “first” will continue until all of society is on a level playing field.
The men received awards named in honor of Comer Cottrell, a noted entrepreneur who founded the influential Pro-Line Corp. hair products manufacturer and moved the company from Los Angeles to Dallas in 1980. Thomas-Melton said Cottrell inspired her as a community advocate and helped kick-start her graphics business.
She said her goal is to keep her legacy going by documenting events, people, community crises, and victories encompassing the last half-century that she has been involved in addressing critical community needs. She is striving to get her documentary included in the Library of Congress in Washington D. C. She and her videographer, Timothy Alexander White, explain that they are consumed with this crusade that Thomas-Melton has led for three years and is still continuing. There’s a district to go before reaching the end, White said.
“I’ve agreed to help her tell her personal story of survival and divine purpose for her life,” White said. “There is so much to her story. The struggle is to resist getting sidetracked on the many other aspects beside her personal story which is the true goal.”
At the Living Legends brunch, the spotlight technically shone on the 20 honored men.
And while the men seemed to visibly enjoy the attention, the unspoken elephant in the room was Thomas-Melton — the woman who made this event happen. Many of the men thanked her when they accepted their awards.
In her documentary, Thomas-Melton seeks to explain how and why she rose from obscurity to a position that would enable her to celebrate many of the heroes with whom she interacted during her climb upward. Her documentary is set to record for history how she has interacted professionally with Texas governors, about a half-dozen former Dallas mayors, prominent attorneys, politicians, and numerous business and education administrators. Those who know her declare that while rubbing shoulders with such powerbrokers, this Fort Worth native has never lost her common touch. In her greeting in the brunch’s program booklet, Thomas-Melton quoted a noted writer whose words captured her discovery of her own life’s purpose. She wrote: “As Mark Twain once said, ‘There are two great days in a person’s life – the day we are born and the day we discover why.’ I know my commission from God is helping others.”
The guest speaker and also an honoree was Dr. Michael Thompson, founder and CEO of Sikhona, a global tech company that has devised many technological breakthroughs in digital media. Dr. Thompson’s confident remarks proved he knows who he is and what he has accomplished in the tech industry. He cited billionaires Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk saying, ”All they had over me was money.”
I was just thinking….. there are folk who spend their entire life wondering why they exist.
Yet, how many folk understand clearly why they are on the planet? Kudos to those who know their purpose and go about fulfilling it.
During the program, honorees commented about how their experiences made them who they are, resulting in the contributions they have made. Here are some of the comments:
Travis Wortham
. Speaking of what makes people notice you when you’re not trying to: “If you build relations of integrity…..of honor…they will come.”
Dwaine Caraway
. Concerning battling legal problems during his busy political career: “I’ve been through hell working my behind off….You can drive through the community and see my footprints. That big giraffe at the zoo. That’s my giraffe. …Don’t let one thing tear up everything.”
Peter Johnson
. After the audience gave him a standing ovation, Johnson expressed gratitude: “I’m wise enough not to take credit for God’s work.”
Royce West
. Discussed how lawmaking is not always just, but that elected officials must remain diligent: “As a country, we are at a crossroad. … (Sometimes) bills are passed for those who have the most money. …(Yet, we must) make sure people have adequate ways to seek redress.”
Sol Villasana
. Spoke as a “proud grandson of Mexican immigrants,” concluding about America: “It’s not a perfect Union…but it’s better.”
Robert Ashley
. After speaking about his career, he made the audience laugh when he praised his solid relationship with his wife: “It’s OK to be henpecked, as long as you’re pecked by the right hen.”
Willis Johnson
. Thanked his family and others. His mother, Ruby Mitchell Johnson, raised him in Gladewater after his Dad, Rev. James Ervin Johnson, pastor of Red Oak Baptist Church in Longview, Texas, died. Johnson said of his Mom: “I would not be here without her,…although radio did not make sense to her (as a career).”
C. W. Whitaker
. Said his zeal for service began as a pre-teen church youth choir member and has now exceeded some 75 years of service assisting numerous youth and minority-owned business organizations.
Terry Allen
. Writes regular heartfelt columns about his beloved grandmother, known as “Big Mama.: “This honor is not just for me but for my ancestors,” Allen said. “I stand on the shoulders of Big Mama.”
Bill Mahomes, Jr.
Saluted the far-reaching impact of the late philanthropist and business giant Comer Cottrell who Thomas-Melton equally saluted in the brunch’s printed program.
Concerning Cottrell, Mahomes said: “He planted trees he knew he would never stand under,” paraphrasing the famous anonymous quote: “Old men plant trees in whose shade they know they shall never sit.”
Arthur Ray Melton
. Proudly recounted his rise from rural cotton fields to become a quality control engineer in NASA space shuttle construction projects. About his ascent from cotton fields to corporate leadership, Melton said: “I’m a living
testimony….I have nothing to hide…I can walk in and say, “I know. Not I hope.’ ”
Karl Berry
. He is respected as an effective substance abuse and mental health resources adviser and 26-year recovering former addict who has “a passion to help the wounded.” His advice: “The art of being wise is knowing who to ignore” … and that everybody “has got to help somebody.”
Ken Carter
. Took the modest route in expressing appreciation for being honored for his achievements: “All I can say is Thank You,” Carter said simply.
Dr. David Willis
. Told the audience that originally he “did not feel worthy” to be among the esteemed group of honorees. Then, a friend asked him, “Have you read your own resume?” His professional journey includes developing more than $450 million in new real estate/construction development featuring significant independent senior living residences.
To learn more, visit Verna’s H.E.L.P Foundation at https://vernashelpfoundation.org and VM Graphic Pkg and Safety Products LLC at [email protected] (214)-886-3530. The mailing address is PO Box 494865, Garland TX 75049.
Norma Adams-Wade, is a proud Dallas native, University of Texas at Austin journalism graduate and retired Dallas Morning News senior staff writer. She is a founder of the National Association of Black
Journalists. [email protected].
