Reflections of a Leader

By Tessa Howington
NDG Contributor

Editor’s Note: Mr. Jim Bochum, co-founder of Minority Opportunity News, the predecessor of the North Dallas Gazette (NDG), sat down with NDG for his final interview late last year. Our Chairman Emeritus reflected on his career and the launch of NDG prior to his passing away on Wednesday, August 5, 2009.

Jim Bochum did not set out to be a writer, a journalist or a civil rights activist – like most good leaders, it just happened.

Bochum, with co-founder Thurman Jones, started the Minority Opportunity News(MON) in 1991. The paper has since become theNorth Dallas Gazette.

The original idea for the paper came from Mahogany Magazine. Bochum said that the idea “reached in and got him.” And once the idea had a hold of him, it did not let go.

MON originally was a paper devoted to informing and educating the African-American community, promoting community events and encouraging people to become leaders.

In 1996 Mr. Bochum launched a new publication, Seniors 2000 & Beyond News Magazine. Its purpose was to provide information for the senior community and their caregivers, and to help bridge the gap between technology and the aging community members.

In 2000, MON moved to Plano and changed its name to North Dallas Gazetteto better represent the community served. In 2007, Seniors 2000 & Beyondmerged with the North Dallas Gazetteand became Seniors Quarterly.

Bochum grew up east of the metroplex in Greenville. He was always interested in learning, and he said eagerness helped him graduate from high school at the age of 15, skipping 3rd and 5th grades.

After high school, he pursued an English degree from the University of Southern California and graduated in 1954 at the age of 20.

Like most young people of the time, he was facing the possibility of the draft. Unaware that he had been called in for a physical, Bochum was living in California when he learned the FBI came looking for him at his mother’s house in Greenville. That is when he believed that it was a good idea to  “volunteer” for the Air Force instead of being drafted into the Army. A buddy of Bochum was in a similar situation, and a few days after enlisting, they found themselves together at Basic Training for the Air Force in Haywood, California.

After officer training in Cheyenne, Wyoming, he was assigned to an administrative post that took him to worldwide locations.

Describing himself as adventurous, he said he felt lucky to be able to travel across Europe when he had leave. Bochum said he had it made while serving in Europe, and felt the European people took to him, making it easy and enjoyable to travel.

He finished in the Air Force as a 2ndLieutenant, saying that he “never could act right” and returned to the states in 1959.

Bochum spent a brief stint in a manufacturing company, but then went to work for Volkswagen in California. In 1974 he moved back to Texas to help take care of his grandmother in Greenville. A few years after being back in Dallas, the idea of producing a paper “took hold.” By that time he knew Thurman Jones from his church and approached him with the idea.

“We just did it,” Bochum said. “I became editor in chief, and Thurman was publisher. We worked well together.” Bochum said the duo wanted to be hard hitters and fight the establishment. He said that in those days it was hard breaking down barriers and opening doors to get the paper started.

The original goal of the paper, which is still important and true today, is to help the minority community – economically and socially. Bochum knew their creation helped break down some of the barriers that the community

faced, and that things was a little easier for members of the African-American community than they were when the paper started. And while community relations have improved between its was hard but worth it.

While there still may be some barriers, he knew that the paper had made a lot of contributions to the community and hoped that it would continue to.  Bochum thought the world today is in shambles, that we need to take a look around and really work toward a goal where everyone is happy and peaceful.

The time Bochum dedicated to producing the paper is not the only way he contributed to the betterment of the community; he held various leadership positions over the years.

Bochum served on the Independent National Bank Advisory Board in Irving for about five years, and served three years as a Corporate Board Member for the Dallas Theater Center, saying that he was always interested in the arts.

He has also served on the American Diabetes Association’s African America Advisory Board, on the Board of Directors for the Ms. Texas Senior Pageant, the Advisory Board of the Richland College Emeritus Program, and on the Texas Silver Haired Legislature Election Steering Committee.

At the time of his death, he was listed as Chairman Emeritus for The North Dallas Gazette. Bochum also volunteered his time by serving as press secretary during the past election for Garland Mayor, Ronald Jones.

While the paper has won several prestigious awards, Bochum has also accumulated several of his own. Most notable, a 2006 Katie Award given by the Dallas Press Club, and he was recognized in 1994 at the Austin, Texas, Convention Center by the Texas Association of Minority Business Owners where he was named as one of that year’s Texas Men of Distinction.

But if you asked him about his awards, he will admitted while honored he did not like to talk about himself or his awards. He said he liked to stay low key and under the radar.

The only thing he was really committed to now was being satisfied. He spent his time doing things he enjoyed like listening to jazz and watching the Dallas Cowboys.

Bochum spent a lot of time online. He believed was our greatest tool, and if used correctly, could be educational. there is so much knowledge available that he will probably never stop learning.

Educated played a large role in his life. He said ,“Education is important. That it is the secret to everything. You can’t be successful unless you are educated.”

Education may have helped him gain the ideas and the tools to make him as successful as he was, but his greatest influence in his life was his father. His father was a minister, and Bochum described him as a strong man.

Bochum admited that his dad taught him the most important lesson in life – to be strong, truthful, independent, and remain close with God. Those were the things that wee important and made up your character.

And Jim Bochum was quite a character.

Bochum seemed to be the quiet type, and given his educational history, you can see how and why he stayed “under the radar.” But there was also a hint of some rebellious times and fun-spirited mischief. When asked to sum up his 20’s, 30’s, etc., he simply sat back and smiled saying “they’ve all be exciting. I’ve lived a good life, maybe with a different view, but with no regrets.”

Bochum was a truly humble man who was reluctant to talk about his accomplishments.

Knowing that over the years he met celebrities, activists and politicians, when asked, he said he was never excited or star-struck about meeting any of them or receiving an award. Honored at times, but never in awe that is also part of the reason he continually described himself as “strange.”

However, Bochum gladly admitted that besides his dad, the most inspirational person he ever met was Dr. Zan W. Holmes. Dr. Holmes is the retired pastor of St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Dallas, and someone  Bochum was proud to call a friend.

According to Bochum, Dr. Holmes was “one of the most influential people in the world spiritually.” And was a great influence in Bochum’s life by always advising him to try “to do the right thing and serve the community.”

Dr. Holmes obviously gave some good advice, because Bochum did just that.

But Bochum still believed he has not done enough to really change the world, and was not sure if he could do it himself. “I just don’t have the resources to change the future the way I want it. I can probably change things for a few, but not for all,” he said.

However, between the publications he started and the time devoted to serving his community, Bochum led a life full of service. The barriers he broke down and the opportunities he presented to the community have an endless effect on the future. It is clear that he has impacted many more lives than he realized.

His advice for the future was to “keep on keeping on” and “go get it.” He believed that if you want something bad enough than you can get anything  you want as long as you are willing to work for it.

Mr. Jim Bochum earned the right to be satisifed, reitired and taking it easy

Three History Making Dates In The Evolution Of The North Dallas Gazette.com

MON-The Gazette Changes To The North Dallas Gazette – June 2007

Since MON-The Gazette moved to Plano from the southern sector of Dallas in October 2000, the world has changed, America has changed, and North Dallas has changed. And we believe it is time for us to change. With this issue, we are changing our name to The North Dallas Gazette, to better reflect our territorial coverage and the people we serve.

Our vision when we relocated was to serve the interests and needs of the growing minority community in the northern sector of Dallas. We haveaccomplished this with thanks to a dedicated editorial and business staff, and with the support of our readers and sponsors.

And although we knew our move would bring change and challenges, nothing could have prepared us for the changes that have occurred locally,nationally and around the world during that time, and the challenges they have brought.

It was with you in mind, the citizens we serve in the north Dallas sector, that we faced those challenges head on – through hard news reporting, features, spiritual insights and editorials. We did it by building business and personal relationships in our new area, whilst maintaining some of the ties we had when we were based in the southern Dallas corridor, knowing that what happens in the minority communities around Dallas affects the minority communities of north Dallas.

But we recognize that north Dallas is one part of a big picture, and is affected not only by what happens in other areas of Dallas, but by what happens state-wide, nationally and internationally. And we’ve been there for you every week for over six years.

MON-The Gazette – now The North Dallas Gazette, has been with you through two controversial general elections, local governmental elections and even the Texas redistricting debacle of 2003.

Together, we saw the Twin Towers being destroyed, and we have served you through the ensuing economic and emotional trauma. We’ve seen our sons and daughters go to war, and have provided hard news reporting, editorials and spiritual columns to keep you informed and encouraged.

In December 2002, we welcomed DART Rail to Plano with you; yet only two months later we were mourning the loss of the space shuttle Columbia when it exploded over Texas.

We sat in traffic with you as we waited for, and saw in 2005, the completion of the High Five Interchange. We’ve driven down the ever-expanding President George Bush, joining the eastern part of our territory to the west.

When the Rev. Zan Holmes retired, we were with you. When our area churches held their anniversary services, we were with you. When two of our board members died (Mr. John Hightower and Mr. Ben Thomas), we mourned with you.

And when Hollywood agent, Benny Medina, and actor Blair Underwood attended the grand opening of Kicks Coffee Café in Plano, we were there with you.

The world we knew when we moved to Plano has changed. The City of Plano has changed. But our dedication to providing our readers with a quality publication that addresses your needs, interests and desires stays steadfast.

Our name has changed, but our resolve to serve the minority community of the north Dallas region remains constant. We are proud to have served you through many changes. And we thank you for inviting us into your homes and hearts every week with our publication.

We look forward to the years ahead, as we continue to address issues important to the minority community, and to build positive business and personal relationships in the north Dallas region.

October 2000 – MON Says Farewell To Dallas

Nearly ten years ago, born out of entrepreneurial zeal and desire to serve the African-American communities of north Texas, we published our first edition of Minority Opportunity News (MON). From our very first edition, our vision was to produce a newspaper that could serve as a link to bringtogether the myriad of political, educational and business issues, and opportunities that otherwise might not have received the focus and attention they deserved.

In that effort, we must admit that, from time to time, we have “pushed the envelope” to bring a new and meaningful light to topics. In this sense our aim was not only to report news, but also to serve as an agent for change towards making a difference for the good in the lives of our readers. Taking this more controversial posture has brought significant and far-reaching improvements in the community. For example, the profile and responsiveness of many of the area financial institutions has been heightened, largely because of the consistent examination and focus that MON brought to their lending and community reinvestment practices. Likewise, MON has been a long-term partner with non-profit organizations, such as the African-American Pastors Coalition, to encourage housing and economic development efforts throughout our area.

An old adage suggests, “Change is not produced by complacent people.” Clearly, producing positive change has been a hallmark of MON, and will continue to be so in the future. With all the successes of the last ten years, including acclaim from other professional media organizations, we know that much more remains to be done. In this regard, we are now embarking on what we believe to be the new vista of our service to the community.

With this edition, we close our offices in Dallas and relocate to Plano. This move is based on the recognition of the substantial and growing minority community in the north Dallas/north Texas region and the need for a quality publication that speaks to their interests, needs and desires. Our move in no way indicates a diminishing of our concern and attention to central Dallas and the southern sector. Rather, the relocation gives us a fresh opportunity to base our operations so as to expand the nature and scope of the coverage, and hopefully, our impact. We are excited about the move and are encouraged by the very positive reception we have received thus far.

As is the case with any major change, this move also gives us a moment to reflect and thank those who have made our success possible. We continue to be blessed with a strong and committed editorial and business staff that willbring this same professionalism and emphasis to our new offices. Their efforts throughout our existence have helped MON gain great prestige, business and circulation, and its greatest asset – the confidence of our readers. Their great work has contributed to turning out a newspaper that met the needs of our readers and became a welcome friend in homes and businesses throughout our circulation area. We remain mindful of the vital contributions to its progress by our workers in all departments; their fidelity, energy and vision has lead to our success through the years.

We are proud to have sponsored internships and scholarships to support young journalists. MON was quick to support fund-raisers for the needy, contributing monetary and editorial support to ensure their success. And there were the intangibles, the contributions not noticed by much of the public, such as assisting hundreds of families in obtaining employment, clothing, food and shelter through our news stories. We didn’t forget that it was your newspaper, too, and our letters to the editor section was heavily solicited to express your views. Yes, you have a voice in every issue.

All these strengths go with us to our new offices and should serve to boost the confidence of our readers, advertisers and employees that truly, the best is yet to come.

July 1991 – The Birth Of Minority Opportunity News

It is probably more than an interesting twist of fate that the birth of theMinority Opportunity News occurs within a month of the demise of the Dallas Times Herald. Within the African-American community, the TimesHerald had a reputation for being more sensitive to the issues and concerns we face.

The Minority Opportunity News is established and dedicated to this very premise. We will be attentive not only to those problems with our community but to those opportunities that exist as well. For us, the word “opportunity” is the key. It reflects a number of characteristics we hope to have the paper address. Collective economics, hope for the future sharing of our resources, and working together to help each other are but a few of the goals we drive to facilitate through our efforts to support the African-American community.

In future issues you will see…commentary by civic and community leaders such as the Rev. Zan Holmes; Listings of current job positions available for immediate hire; Referrals to bid and business opportunities from the corporate and government sectors; Letters to the editors to allow for direct commentary to our readers.

To support this mission, we are fortunate to have the services of a highly professional staff. Mr. Jim Bochum, Editor-In-Chief and Mr. Randy Luster, Business Editor, bring varied talents to their respective assignments.

Please consider the Minority Opportunity News as your paper and your opportunity to help us help ourselves.

Editor’s Disclaimer:–The above editorial was written almost 17 years ago. MON’s goals and objectives outlined in the editorial have served as a guide for our editorial coverage. For our long-time readers it is a testament to our adherence to our mission statement. We will continue to live up to our promises in our new area as we have done for so many years here.