North Texas leaders help educate community on eclipse safety
DALLAS — As millions prepare for the upcoming totality, some North Texas leaders worry that many may not be prepared.
Ricky Sanders is selling eclipse glasses at a busy Dallas intersection.
He's among those on a mission to make sure low-income and underserved neighborhoods of Dallas-Fort Worth have proper eyewear that they say is largely unavailable in the inner city areas where everyday hardships likely eclipse the upcoming celestial event.
"I would say a lot of people just don't know," Sanders said.
"We've missed reaching the demographic that needs to know what's happening," said Bruce Carter, the founder of Youth Promoter.
Carter says most of the Oak Cliff retailers, libraries and recreation centers he's been to recently have none of the eclipse glasses in stock.
"The Walmart that had them, they're out for various reasons," said Carter. "The most alarming thing is when I went to the big box retailers, the CVS, the Walgreens on Lancaster and Kiest and on Loop 12. It's like they didn't know."
Youth Promoters' mobile van is rolling through low-income neighborhoods this week with thousands of glasses hats and t-shirts to try and fill a void.
This is not just about making sure people don't miss out on a memorable moment in their lives but also making sure people don't end up we making a bad decision that negatively impacts their lives.
There's concern that kids without the proper eyewear will be tempted to stare at the sun and damage their vision.
"One, it's a health risk to the eyes," Carter said. "But, two, when we start talking about science and things that are happening we need to be more inclusive."
Carter's group is planning to sell certified glasses at as many as a half dozen Oak Cliff intersections over the next few days and put up these awareness signs in an effort to shine more light on the day that will turn dark.
