Dallas-area entrepreneurs Drs. Oliver and Keisha Lankford having a positive impact on families through Lankford Avenue nonprofit organization

DALLAS — Sometime in 2006, Dr. Keisha Williams-Lankford had begun to witness a glimpse of God’s glory.

Williams, a then-single, well-educated woman at the time, recalled having gone on a cruise, during which she had met a gentleman named Oliver.

That is when things had become more intriguing, or rather compellingly astonishing for all the right reasons.

“After meeting (Oliver) in 2006, we talked about the challenges with our youth and the direct correlation of family violence,” Dr. Lankford told Making Headline News this week.

All things considered, it wasn’t long thereafter that Keisha and Oliver — an inseparable union who eventually married — had joined forces to establish an organization that is having a continuous, viable presence, particularly throughout the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

Both of whom are proud natives of Dallas, Drs. Oliver and Keisha Lankford are Co-Founders of Lankford Avenue, a longstanding DFW-based nonprofit organization that is geared largely toward promoting and creating healthy, lasting relationships through various informative classes, seminars and support groups.

In addition, Lankford Avenue is widely known for its informative domestic violence classes and sessions throughout Dallas’ massive, historic Metroplex, and clients customarily have at their disposal experienced counselors to provide them with a warm, inviting atmosphere and, most importantly attentive ear.

Also, Lankford Avenue offers services for individuals, children, and couples, sessions that are routinely geared toward life coaching, an array of speaking seminars, community awareness events, and public speaking requests, just to name a few.

By and large, Drs. Oliver and Keisha have established arguably one of the region’s most fascinating family-savvy nonprofit organizations, in large part because their remarkable work ethic through mentorship and education is such that they are steadfastly committed to helping youth and their families grasp a thorough understanding of their potential.

“After working with (the youth) as a former juvenile probation officer, criminal justice instructor and Sociology Professor, I realized that helping children was awesome, but wasn’t the (only) answer,” said Dr. Keisha explained, a former Sociology professor who is widely known as the founder of The Avenue Proactive Resource Center in nearby Cedar Hill.

CHECK OUT LANKFORD AVENUE ONLINE: http://www.enddomesticviolenceindallas.com/.

Devising ways to add to her lofty mission of impacting lives and changing a generation, it wasn’t until after Dr. Keisha had crossed paths with Dr. Oliver that she had begun to witness her immeasurable talents through her craft soar to immense heights and vice versa.

Today, unlike never before, Lankford Avenue’s uniquely distinct mission that is centered largely on transforming lives has become a driving, inspirational force for countless families throughout Dallas/Fort Worth and the surrounding areas.

Interesting enough, the Lankfords once again will have the luxury of sharing with the masses the gifts by which God has blessed them when they host their annual Dallas Love Fest Seminar on Saturday June 10 at Marsalis Avenue Missionary Baptist Church, located at 2723 South Marsalis Avenue, in the greater Oak Cliff district.

The event, which is free and open to the public and is sponsored by Lankford Avenue, the City of Dallas, and Marsalis Avenue MBC, will take place from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and will offer a variety of family-oriented entertainment, vendors, food, and music.

Generally, the primary emphasis for the event, Dr. Keisha acknowledged, is to enlighten others on the importance of building healthy relationships between parents, students, businesses and churches.

“Family violence and violence has taken so much from our homes, families, children and communities,” Dr. Keisha, a lifetime member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Incorporated, said. “After being trained on family violence, I was assured that if we could rid our society of family violence, it would also be instrumental in ridding our society of violence.

“Hence forth, in 2009, we married and agreed to collaborate to change the families, communities and opportunities for children forever.”

To their credit, this power couple is doing just that — with God, their Helper, leading the way.

What a difference the year 2006 has made.

For more information about Lankford Avenue, call Dr. Keisha Lankford at 214-563-1995. Also, send email to: [email protected].

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Andre Johnson is Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send an email to [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.