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THE LAWS DO NOT PROTECT BLACK PEOPLE

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M

y name is Roy Douglas Malonson and I’m the publisher of the AfricanAmerican News&Issues. I normally don’t come forward on too many things but what’s been happening in this country is really nothing new it’s just someone wearing a blue uniform killing black folks, it’s nothing new. When I came it was the Klu Klux Klan and then there was hanging and lynching and everything else. It’s nothing new. This country has a strong history of race racist. It’s just something about the black

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man that they just cannot deal with. Especially here in Texas, Texas Houston. There was 5 cops killed in Dallas and in Houston in 1917 There was 9 or 10 cops killed here that that disrespected the black soldiers that was fighting for the white man’s freedom cause it’s definitely not our freedom. We just celebrated the white man’s holiday, the 4th of July, It’s not a black man’s holiday it’s the white man’s holiday. We don’t have no freedom, we got a black man in the white house that’s disrespected in everything we got the Attorney General but he got to uphold the laws that is unfair and unjust for us. Everybody we elect have to uphold the laws. The cops at home with their families. The black man on the way or at the morgue getting ready to go to the cemetery, that’s unjust. The laws do not protect us, so the number one problem, the laws. We elect people and we elect them and they write the laws for them and they write the laws against us. So if we want to do something we needs to vote and vote every last one of them out of there. I don’t care if they black they can be a blackneck or a redneck We needs to vote ‘em out.

Get ‘em out. I mean a black man redneck can be more dangerous than a whiteneck. These politicians you can trust ‘em. Remember the most powerful tool you have is your one vote. Don’t take that for granted. That’s why they trying to change the laws suppress the laws.

Now Im not going to sit here and knock every white person. There’s a lot of good white people that’s marching with us now. There’s a lot of good white people that died for our right and freedom. The sad part is everything that we fought for, everybody is taking advantage of it except us. You know this is bad so if you want to make a difference March but march to the polls and vote Register and vote. That is what I say and that is strong and powerful!

Edit rial & Opini n Before I Lay it Down...

By “Coach” Mark Spivey, M.Ed

“There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular, but he must take it because his conscience tells him it is right.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “We declare our right on this earth; to be a human being, to be respected as a human being, to be given the rights of a human being in this society, on this earth, in this day, which we intend to bring into existence

by ANY MEANS NECESSARY.”Malcolm X Different opinions; similar philosophies; same goals. It’s no secret that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X lived on separate sides of a spectrum that was connected by a common goal; a goal that had been denied for people of color for over a century since the ink “supposedly dried” on the Emancipation Proclamation. If Abraham Lincoln were alive today I could picture him still fanning and blowing his breath on this important document hoping that its permanence would set generations of African-American totally free. It has NOT. But, somehow missing in his single stroke of anticipated unity lays perhaps one of his most famous quotes: “America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.”

Dr. Martin Luther King was born into a solid family unit, having both parents around. He was disciplined and smart. He rose through the ranks of high school surpassing both the ninth and twelfth grades, entering Morehouse University at age 15. He would later, as we know, become a “drum major for justice; a drum major for peace; a drum major for righteousness.” His dream was of a world where men “would not be judged by the color or their skin, but by the content of their character”. He was assassinated on April 4th, 1968. Malcolm X, on the other hand, was orphaned as a child.

TEXAS • JULY 18 - 24, 2016

“SOME PEOPLE THINK LIKE MARTIN; SOME PEOPLE THINK LIKE MALCOLM…”

His father was killed when he was six and his mother was committed to a mental hospital when he was 13.

Malcolm “Little” was a petty criminal, entering prison at age 20. There, he became a member of the Nation of Islam and upon his release quickly rose through the ranks to become one of the organization’s most influential and dynamic leaders. He hated white folk.

He hated them with a passion. The only thing that changed him was his trek to the Hajj in Mecca, where he met Muslims who did not look like him.

Brother Malcolm was assassinated on February 21, 1965 in Manhattan, New York. He was 39.

The legacies of Dr. King and Brother Malcolm would reach millions of African-Americans in different ways. Dr. King was peaceful. Brother Malcolm was radical. Dr. King got beat up. Brother Malcolm wouldn’t have it. Dr. King was negotiator.

Brother Malcolm was a revolutionary.

Dr. King and Brother Malcolm were both defiled by White folk and also a few Negroes. (We were Negroes back then). We know, that even after their deaths, generations of AfricanAmericans still follow their teachings and beliefs. Some people think like Martin; some people think like Malcolm. But, what versions of those two men do our citizens follow?

White America in the 60s had a choice in which man they really wanted to have to deal with. Would they rather deal with the peaceful Dr. King or cringe at the possibility of bearing arms against the Nation of Islam and a radical Malcolm X? The choice was obvious. Dr. King forced the government’s hand into passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Acts of 1965, major victories for African-Americans across the U.S. But, Malcolm X’s stance on obtaining said freedoms “by any means necessary” also played a vital role in helping the good folk on Capitol Hill change their minds. In essence, BOTH men helped to make America “better”.

Fast forward to 2016…

Two African-Americans and five police officers lost their lives last week

in senseless violence that has our country riveting. The perpetrators are what many African-American consider rogue policemen and a deranged former military officer who was bent on murdering their White brothers in blue.

The Black Lives Matter Movement is at the center of this controversy due to their polarizing protests and unrelenting pressure to change the way policing is done across America. Their marches have been peaceful and the participants are a melting pot of ethnicities. This doesn’t sit well with a lot of members of the white establishment and many of them feel that the members are antagonists and anarchists. The same was said about Dr. King.

Hate drove a 25 year old former military man to sniper down innocent police who were protecting the very movement designed to insure equality for him. I honestly believed that he suffered from PTSD. However, detailed descriptions of his online searches paint a picture of a man who was fed up with racism, angry at the unjust killings of African-American males by law enforcement, and by all accounts he decided to rectify the matters “by any means necessary”.

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TEXAS • JULY 18 - 24, 2016

Edit rial & Opini n

WHEN THERE ARE NO MORE WORDS Wandaring Outloud Media

By LaWanda Thomas

L

ast week has left me numb and restless. I, along with the rest of the world, watched in horror, as men I did not know died violently in real time. I hurt for them. I empathized for their loved ones. I grew angry at the hands that extinguished their lives. I grew even angrier with people behind the system I knew instantly would not hold those responsible accountable. They, the arms and actors of the State, that carried out these immediate executions, would be protected in the constitutional and humane way Alton Sterling, Philando Castille, and the unfortunate countless list of other Black men, women and children were not. This anger I felt was not new nor was it peculiar to me. Black folks know this feeling all too well. We have swallowed it along with fear, frustration, and an appalling sense of helplessness for centuries. I can no longer stomach it. Nor can the thousands of people who took to the streets in protest.

We will be heard. Our pain will be felt. The inhumanity shown toward us will be reckoned with.

When shots rang out in downtown Dallas, a familiar place to this Fort Worth native, I was sickened although, sadly, not surprised. Our cries for justice and fairness had gone unheard and mocked for too long. WE ALL saw them murdered with our very own eyes. How could White folks not see what we were seeing? Hear what we were hearing? How could the perpetrators go unpunished? Ok, so they beat Rodney King on video and were acquitted, but these men, women and children died. On video? How could “the system” deny their eyes and not hold them accountable? Given Black folk’s history in America, we should have known better. We should not have expected justice. The American judicial system was never meant for Black folks. It was crafted to justify our enslavement, bind our descendants

to the plantation, and rob us of education, property, familial relationships, liberty and humanity. American justice was meant to elude us so we should never be shocked when it does.

America should also never be shocked when a human reacts violently because his pain, suffering and anger is ignored, and in my view, encouraged to fester. Micah Johnson’s psychotic explosion was predicable (a fact we need to stop denying) although the manner and individual targets of his bullets were not.

We will be heard. Our pain will be felt. The inhumanity shown toward us will be reckoned with.

Those of us who were watching this madness unfold with our humanity intact, knew that the kind of anger and frustration that Black folks live with would boil over. Four hundred years is a long time to fester.

Now that we are here at this tipping point, America will have to admit that these violent actions were born out of the same ill begotten place.

The subjugation of one people by another is inseparable from violence.

QUOTE. Systemic racism was structured to oppress and disadvantage people of color in every facet of their lives and benefit White folk so that they live without the same constraints.

That is the real issue. White privilege.

White supremacy. That is the issue we keep dancing around. The issue that we keep avoiding. It is shameful that American forefathers tied their identity and status to the degradation and inferiority of Africans. It is a disgrace that 21st century America will not evolve.

We will be heard. Our pain will be felt. The inhumanity shown toward us will be reckoned with.

Those five policemen should not be dead. Their bodies should have never felt hot lead or hard concrete nor should Alton, Philando, and the other victims of racial violence. That’s what all the pundits, preachers, and talking heads will say. They are not wrong.

But now the talk and rhetoric has become repetitive. There are no more words. This is the time for action. And the actions we take must be unified, deliberate and sustained.

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African

American News&Issues

3

WHEN WE LEARN TO RESPECT EACH OTHER AND WORK TOGETHER, THERE ARE UNLIMITED POSSIBILITIES.

SUCCESS WITHOUT A SUCCESSOR IS FAILURE

T

hroughout the years I have echoed the fact that, “Success without a successor is failure.” Since the ages of time men and women of color have had and maintained ingenious minds, inventions, businesses and a wide variety of other gifts and talents.

But one thing that gets to me is the mere fact that some of the greatest things that were accomplished

by Black folks of old times died when they died. The world never got the chance to see their true ingenuity because in many cases there were no successors to pass such legacies on. This is why I make it a point to stress emphasis on the idea that, “Success without a Successor is failure.”

If we seriously think on this, it makes perfect sense. Because what good is it for a person to work a lifetime to build something and it ends when they end? We should strive to make sure that the legacies we spend lifetimes building are carried on by implementing and importing those ideas and creations into the younger generation to ensure that those accomplishments live on through the lives of others. This is a very serious element that affects members of our community on a massive scale. While some people may think that it is simply rhetoric, that couldn’t be further from the truth.

Don’t get me wrong there is absolutely nothing wrong with success and doing your best to attain positive positions, but it should not be done for selfish or vain motives. With that being stated, here lately there has been a lot going on in the Black community in reference to political offices and seats. Although I am proud that many of our political leaders are continually advancing and reaching different levels in governmental offices; I am equally dismayed at the lack of provisions being made for replacements to assume their positions. I am not referring to anyone in particular

because this phenomenon is one that is occurring in many positions in this city. However, to better help understand what I am conveying here; I will provide you with an example of how these actions may have the tendency to offset our community.

For an example, the Harris County Commissioner in Precinct 1 El Franco Lee passed away in January. Tentatively Senator Rodney Ellis will resume his seat as County Commissioner.

Senator Ellis served 26 years in the Texas State Senate. He has been a Senator in District 13, now with him moving on to the County Commissioner’s seat it has left his District 13 seat vacant. Presently, in the running are powerful and experienced representatives running for his office. State Representative Senfronia Thompson who is one of the longest-standing representatives in history, is one potential candidate. State Representative Borris Miles of District 146 who has nearly a decade of experience is also another. Then there is the former City of Houston Controller Ronald Green who is a candidate.

Each of these individuals is compiled with experience in regards to securing resources and going to the greatest extents to do what’s best for the AfricanAmerican community. However, my fear is that regardless of who wins the seat, considering that they each share a governmental role currently; who will fill their seats afterwards? We cannot rely or assume that just because someone expresses interest in a seat in our community that they actually have the best intentions for our community. So my thing is once everything is written in stone, are there capable people already set in place who will carry out the office that these Representatives have so diligently done thus far?

Again, We MUST Understand that, “Success without a successor

- Roy Douglas Malonson

We MUST Understand

By Roy Douglas Malonson, Chairman

is failure.”

The reason that I am so adamant about this topic is because I understand the severity of the vulnerability that these actions place on our communities. Oftentimes, leaders jump at the chance to level up their career and leave their offices’ vacant. And that’s all fine and dandy; but what does that do for the seat that they vacated in going to the next level?

We MUST Understand that it is imperative to prepare successors to carry on the work that needs to be done in the best interest of the African-American. As a leader when you chose to elevate then it should be an unspoken duty to set someone else up in the place that you are leaving. This will exist to strengthen our communities because no one is going to look out for us the way that we will.

Hopefully our Black politicians will wake up soon and see the importance of establishing successors to carry on the work that they have started. This in return will secure that those who are responsible for going to Austin on our behalf will actually have the Black community’s best interest in mind when making decisions that will so heavily impact our lives.

At the end of the day, what I am trying to emphasize here is that we must prepare successors.

Because when we fail to do so we leave gaps in our communities for others to come along and fill.

In some cases, there is always the possibility that these seats or vacancies will be occupied by people that do not look like us and that do not always care about what we need.

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African

American News&Issues

HOUSTON - A. Philip Randolph once said that, “Freedom is never given. It is won.” I couldn’t agree with him more. Recently, there has been much controversy in regards to the police shootings, that result in Black lives being loss which are constantly occurring in our communities. As Africans living in America, we have the power to change a lot, but first there are things that WE MUST Understand!

Furthermore, we cannot expect our White counterparts to stop treating us as second class citizens until and unless we stop believing that we are second class citizens and until we stop behaving as second class citizens. So, the root of our problem must first be identified if we are to really get something done in these United States!

As it is, everybody that we elect is supposed to uphold the laws. But, we know that it just doesn’t always work out that way. Now here it is, you have these cops at home with their families; but the Black man is on the way or at the morgue getting ready to go to the cemetery. That’s not right! I know that Black folks everywhere are mad, myself included.

That’s why, “It’s Time Out For All This Crap!” What we are seeing happening now is nothing new. It has been going on in this country since its’ inception. This country has a strong history of racism. I don’t know what it is, but I do know that it is just something about the Black man that many of our counterparts cannot deal with. Our ancestors had to endure being hanged and lynched; when I was coming up it was the Klu Klux Klan; now it’s someone wearing a blue uniform murdering Black people. Nothing has changed but the year and generation.

We MUST Understand that the laws do not protect Black people.

Therefore, part of the beginning to understanding our problem, is to recognize that some of our problems are the laws themselves. Think about it… We elect people and we elect them and they write the laws for them and against us. So if we want to do something we have got to get out and vote! We need to vote every single politician that is in office out, telling us one thing and doing another. I don’t care if they a BlackTX- 4

Cover Story

Time Out For This Crap! #PrayforAltonSterling #PrayforPhilandoCastile #PrayforDallas Sketches by Afi Ese. (Karen Michell) | KMLPortraits.com neck or a Red-neck. Because everybody Black ain’t Black no way; by the same token every White person is not out to get us. But in regards to these politicians if they are not doing what is in the best interest of our communities then they don’t need to be rallying our support; nor do they need to be in legislation making laws that are supposed to govern us, but killing us all at the same time!

Once they know that we are not just going to give them our vote without holding them accountable, then they will start to see things differently. But many of them will not change because there is nothing that exists that suggests that they need to.

So we must speak up and allow our voices to be heard in ways that our tongues cannot prevail. It is a proven fact that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. I repetitiously echo that the two most powerful tools that we have are, “our vote” and “our money”. Hence we should be careful who we give them to. Whoever we give our vote and money to is amongst those that we empower. Just like we can vote everybody in office, we have the power to vote them out by exercising simple rights afforded to us by the United States Constitution.

Because you just can’t trust some of these politicians. As a matter of fact, I just got a serious problem with the letter “P” all together. “P” as in Preachers, politicians, police, etc.

I’m not talking about all of them, but many of them use their positions to pimp out the people at an attempt in furthering their own agendas’.

Continuing, I cannot convey enough the importance of members of the Black community understanding the power that we possess. I’ve touched on the voting side of things,

but there is another derivative in the equation, “our money”. The Black buying power alone which AfricanAmericans have is enough to demand the simple respect that should be given to us; but the sad reality is that it Is not being taken advantage of in the way that it should not be. Every year, the level of “Black Buying Power” increases. But what good is it if we cannot make sound and wise decisions to invest it where it should go? In a report by the State of the African-American Consumer Report, it was found that the Black buying power was expected to reach $1.1 trillion in 2015.

Additionally Nielsen, an information and analytics company partnered with the National Newspaper Publishers Association (Black Press of America), to release a report that identified several key factors in regards to the Black buying power. At the 41st Annual Legislative Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Conference these elements were mentioned.

Amongst the findings reported were, “that with a buying power of $1 trillion yearly, if African-Americans were a county we would be the 16th largest country in the world”. Now that is what I call, “POWER”!

Nonetheless, other factors found were that: “Blacks make more shopping trips than all other groups, but spend less money per trip; Blacks in higher income brackets, also spend 300 percent more in higher end retail grocers more than any other high-income household and Black Americans use more than double the amount of mobile phone voice minutes compared to whites—1,298 minutes a month vs. 606,” just to list a few. With that being stated, Black

people in the United States hold the answer to our problems. So we need to wake up and use the resources that we have.

Moving on, earlier I made refer-

ence to me having a problem with some of these preachers. Now I am not bashing every preacher, every politician or every police officer, because some of my best friends are in the likes of such. But I’m also not going to sugarcoat problems that we Africans living in America have either. Some of our counterparts call it lawful to kill us with no regard and then they want to call the preachers in to calm us down. Then they set these preachers up to tell us that things will get better, just pray. We have been praying too long, and enough is enough! We are tired of praying and getting our butt whipped or being murdered unlawfully! It doesn’t make any sense! But we allow some of these preachers to tell us and encourage us in any kind of way and we accept it as truth.

On that subject I would like to

TTexas EXAS • JULY 1812-18, - 24, 2016 • August 2013

refer to one of the greatest pioneers of his time, Frederick Douglass.

He said in his autobiography that, “the most reviled slave owners were the most fervent Christians. When you got to a church and it preaches that you are to worship those who do NOT look like you, then you are a fool and a slave. You cannot be made in God’s image when you are Black haired, brown eyed, thick lips and broad nose if God has yellow hair, blue eyes and thing features.

To believe in this is to believe that you were not made in God’s image at all and if that is so then what are you if not man?” Well according to an article written in The Informer in 1963, Congress was still debating whether or not Black folks were

individuals or property. I rest my case on that one!

Finally, I will just state that there is nothing wrong with marching and protesting. But, we need to learn to do it where it counts. Yes, people see that we are adamant about telling the world that, “Black Lives Matter”!

But it would be even better if we could show the world that, “Black Lives Matter” by using what we already have instead of taking it for granted and that is voting. So I encourage anyone who will listen to me, “If you want to march, march right on over there to those polls to register to vote and if you already registered then vote!” Trust me it will make a difference in the long run because, “It’s Time Out For All This Crap!”

STORY BY: ROY DOUGLAS MALONSON, PUBLISHER

TEXAS • JULY 18 - 24, 2016

BLACK LIVES MATTER

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5

Letter from the Editor WE ARE STILL IN SLAVERY!

It is important to begin this article with some introductory statements. First, the ambush and deaths of police officers in Dallas were heinous, monstrous, unsupportable actions. America mourns their deaths and collectively assails the attack. Second, it is one of our core beliefs as Americans that life matters…all human life matters. Finally, our system of justice is patently corrupt, unfair and unjust. We must be diligent in our efforts to rectify that so that all persons who come before the system are treated fairly so that justice prevails.

When I heard that a Dallas gunman had accused the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement as one of his reasons for shooting 12 police officers, killing 5, I wondered whether I should join those who would replace “Black Lives Matter” with “All lives Matter”. But changing that would change the essence of the movement and it would alter the pervasive truth of the movement. It is Black Lives Matter because America has historically devalued Black Lives while unreservedly accepting the value of White Lives. On July 4, 1776, when America formally declared ourselves Independent from tyranny, the declaration stated that “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” We

have declared in one or our nation’s most treasured documents, The Declaration of Independence, that we have the unalienable God given Right to Life.

But on March 6, 1857, United States Supreme Court Justice Roger Taney pronounced in his opinion in the Dred Scott decision that the black man “had no rights which the white man was bound to respect”.

His opinion was immediately attacked by Frederick Douglass and other abolitionists. But it was Douglass who is credited with reminding Americans that the Right to Life was not borne of man’s law but of natural law. Notwithstanding that fact, there were many who embraced the justice’s pronouncement, particularly in slave-holding states, which is remembered as dividing the nation and precipitating the Civil War. The opinion gave to those who would rely on it, the legal basis for destroying Black lives without social accountability and without legal consequence. Among them, police officers who could consider the opinion as approval for killing blacks without reprisal. Dred Scott, after all, had taken to the judicial system to sue for his freedom from enslavement.

Frederick Douglass’s response to the Taney decision might well have been the beginning of “Black Lives Matter”. But why in 2016 are we still addressing whether Black Lives Matter?

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Previously I sat and listened to a message that made plenty of sense about what is mainly happening in the Black communities. However, you will never understand unless you know your History! You have to know the history of the police and the root of where it began and then you will understand why things happen the way they do.

Policing was originally an English organization that the Americas adopted and when the Americas took on the new system it was divided up 3 ways.

The third being in the south which was governed by laws on a totally different concept.

According to Dr. Gary Potter’s research on The History of Policing in the United States Part 1, In the Southern states the development of American policing followed a different path. The genesis of the modern police organization in the South is the “Slave Patrol” (Platt 1982). The first formal slave patrol was created in the Carolina colonies in 1704 (Reichel 1992). Slave patrols had three primary functions: (1) to chase down, apprehend, and return to their owners, runaway slaves; (2) to provide a form of organized terror to deter slave revolts; and, (3) to maintain a form of discipline for slave-workers who were subject to summary justice, outside of the law, if they violated any plantation rules. Following the Civil War, these vigilante-style organizations evolved in modern Southern police departments primarily as a means of controlling freed slaves who were now laborers working in an agricultural caste system, and enforcing “Jim Crow” segregation laws, designed to deny freed slaves equal rights and access to the political system. (visit http://plsonline.eku.edu/insidelook/ history-policing-united-states-part-1 for more history) Now moving forward to recent times, what was happening then is still happening now. The Police in the South were set up to hunt then and they are set up to hunt now. The Police are instructed to hunt our youth African-Americans and Latinos, and if the quotas are not met, this is whom

they look for. The only thing that has changed, is the Southern way of policing has now spread worldwide.

It is nothing but the evolution of Slavery, and although in a different day and a different time, we have to wake up and realize we are still here. In 1963, The Informer published a Forward Times Article titled “Congress still debating if Negros are Individuals or Property”. Yet we were “FREE” in 1865 in Texas. Realize that you as Blacks are not safe and realize that you as Blacks are not guaranteed another day whether you do right or wrong. It is a crime to Black in America and that is a fact. Always has been always will be. Accept the fact that you are not equal.

Back in the day you think those “police” were not afraid of the Black man deep down even though they did not show it. Do you think that the Slave owners were not afraid of Colored deep down inside even though they didn’t show it? Yes, they were afraid but they had control of the most valuable thing you own and that is your mind. -- And whether you know it or not, they still do.

It was said best by Carter G. Woodson “When you control a man’s thinking you do not have to worry about his actions. You do not have to tell him not to stand here or go yonder. He will find his ‘proper place’ and will stay in it. You do not need to send him to the back door. He will go without being told. In fact, if there is no back door, he will cut one for his special benefit. His education makes it necessary.”

Pay attention to your current ways, pay attention to the details in the Willie Lynch letter, pay attention to the making of a slave, pay attention and realize that Slavery never went away it just evolved. All a part of a plan that is over 400 years old still working today and you never broke the cycle.

Slavery, Lynching, Segregation, Mass Incarcerations. So what is next Extinction?

Just remember this is nothing new and yes we know #BlackLivesMatter.

They know it too, so what they

get jealous and come up with #AllLivesMatter yes we in fact know it too. Everybody’s life matters to someone whether it be their family, society, GOD; you matter! But if the Black man goes out and kills the Black man, the Black man is going to get the maximum sentence (added to mass incarceration). If the Black man goes out and kills the White man, the Black man will get the maximum sentence (added to mass incarceration). Black man shoots a gun in the air or at the ground, they charge it as attempted murder (added to mass incarceration).

If the White man goes and commits the same crime, they will get a pat on the back; not saying they will not do time but the punishment will not be as harsh. Now every now and then they may have to make an example but what are the stats that they will get the exact same punishment. Do not let them sell you on the bull that there were more White killings more White incarcerations. Let’s look at the innocent (There was no weapons involved) numbers. Let’s see, there are 324 days in a year and so far 600+ Blacks murdered by police alone in 2016 --- I know y’all are not blind – and I wonder what the quota is.

He who has the money has the power. Until you open up the Black Wall Street again nothing will change!

The Black race is a rich race, probably the richest race. Open your eyes and see that you have inherited all of the frame work from your ancestors.

Talent wise, Business wise, -- they didn’t have calculators back then – they used their heads – they were SMART as hell! We have to make the most of it and start supporting our own kind. You have to get out of the mindset “This is why I don’t deal with Black People” Because if you build up your empire the way that the White man has built up his empire, then you would not have to wait, your prices would not be high. See you have this mindset to do what’s best for your family -- again nothing different from Don’t upset Master -- I see on social media all day Boycott this for 6 months I bet our money matter...

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TEXAS • JULY 18 - 24, 2016

UNDERSTANDING THE LAW: UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF A FIREARM

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f you do not possess a license to carry a handgun, you could find yourself in trouble with the law if you make the deciProduction Asst sion to possess a firearm.

Trainee I have defended several of w/ Office Skills these cases and I find that many people are confused $12/hr Visit aframnews.com to as to why they were view job description and still arrested, when they apply online or purchased the gun legally Stop by 6130 Wheatley and it is registered in their Street to pick up an name. To provide clarity to application this complex dilemma, the Mon. - Wed. 9am - 12pm Texas Penal Code outlines or 1pm - 4pm under what conditions a For more info call person could be charged (713) 692 - 1892 with Unlawful Carrying of *Fast Learner *Multitasker Heading Title: a Weapon.

According to section HELP Financial WANTED Services 46.02 of the Texas Penal Contact Information:Code: Janitor Needed A person commits Name: Felicia Gantt Williams $12/hr the offense Company: Urban City Investments, LLC of Unlawful 1 - 3 days + Saturday Phone: 713-839-1970 Carrying of a Weapon if: by Fax: 713 -Stop 384-4235 The person intentionally, 6130 Wheatley Street Email: urbancity.corp@yahoo.com knowingly, or recklessly Houston, Texas 77091 Address for Tearsheets: carries on or about his or Mon - Fri. 9am - 12pm 4702 Old Spanish Trail Ste 116 her person a handgun if the or 1pm - 4pm or Houston, TX 77021 For more info call person is not: (713) 692 - 1892 1. on the person's own premises or premises Adver tise online under the person's aframnews.com control; or| AD COST 2. inside of or directly en route to a motor African-American vehicle or watercraft Total Cost to run Ad for one year: News&Issues that is owned by the now offers E-Blast to over $4,680.00 person or under the 20,000 businessMember profes- Discount **Chamber person's control. sionals and community for one year In addition, a person subcribers for a very low commits the offense of price. Let us $520.00 promote Unlawful Carrying of a your next event!

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about his or her person a handgun in a motor vehicle or watercraft that is owned by the person or under the person's control at any time in which: 1. the handgun is in plain view, unless the person is licensed to carry a handgun: or, 2. the person is either: (A) engaged in criminal activity, other than a Class C misdemeanor that is a violation of a law or ordinance regulating traffic or boating; (ex: if you lawfully own a handgun, but get caught with marijuana, you will also be charged with Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon) (B) prohibited by law from possessing a firearm; (C) a member of a criminal street gang, as defined by Section 71.01 of the Texas Penal Code.

An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor, punishable by up to 1 year in the county jail and up to a $4,000.00 fine. An offense under this section is a third degree felony if the offense is committed on any premises licensed or issued a permit by the state for the sale of alcoholic beverages.

If you have been charged with Unlawful Carrying of a Weapon, consult with an attorney to ensure that your rights are being protected.

Attorney Krystin Collins is a native of the Acres Homes Community.

She is a graduate of Texas Southern University Thurgood Marshall School of Law and has been a licensed attorney since 2009. Her primary practice areas are criminal defense, civil litigation, personal injury, estate planning, and divorce. She may be contacted at 713-775-0332 or krystin. collins@gmail.com.

EDITION DATE: July 11 - 17, 2016 (Vol. 21 Issue 25) EDITION DATE: July 18 - 25, 2016 (Vol. 21 Issue 26)

What’s Happenin’

Texas • July 18 - 24, 2016

PUBLIC NOTICE

African

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Thursday KEEPING TSU STRONG! Marketplace Heading: Houston Community College “Rediscover, Reconnect Request for Proposals (RFP) Public Notice and Reinvest in Bank Depository Services TSU NOW! Project No. 16-38 Contact Information Through Monthly Tax Name: Jennifer Chiu Sealed proposals will be Deductible Donations received in Procurement OperaPhone: (713) 718-5138 Donate Today! Fax: tions (3100 Main Street, Room “Do the Math” No. 11B01, Houston, Texas GUEST SPEAKER Email: hua.chiu@hccs.edu Audrey Gilbreath 77002) until 2:00PM (local 50,000 Donors Address for Tearsheet/Copies: President & CEO of Gilbreath time) on Friday, August 5, 2016. @ $120.00, one Communications, Inc 3100 Main Street year generates $6 Documents can be obtained at: Houston, Texas 77002 Acres Home Chamber Million Dollars for www.hccs.edu/procurement. for Bus. & Eco. Dev, Inc. Scholarships & Student AD COST Networking Luncheon Services Checks 6112 Wheatley St Payable: Houston, TX 77091 Texas Southern TOTAL NET COST: $137.52 From 11am -12:30pm University For more info contact: Monday - Sunday P.O.Box 88214 The Ensemble Theatre Total Cost to (713) Run692-7161 Ad for 2 Weeks Houston, TX 77288 info@acreshomecenter.org Satchel Paige & the Kansas $275.04 (713) 529-1636 / (281) City Swing Tuesday 704-6655 4640 Main St Windsor Houston CAP Houston, TX 77002 Skilled Nursing Facility Community Awareness Times Vary Networking Breakfast Program Please signcontact: for approval and fax back to 713-692-1183 For more info 6920 TC Jester Blvd TSU Now.

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(713) by 12520-0055 NOON Wednesday the week before Monday Houston, TX 77091From

Sunday First Baptist FBC Praise Dancers O#107176 844 Fortune St Houston, TX 77088 Beginning at 11:30am For more info contact: (832)892-5078 Thursday Acres Home SNC #6 Community Meeting Acres Homes MSC 6719 W Montgomery Rd Houston, Texas 77091 Beginning at 6:30pm For more info contact:

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tswhite55@yahoo.com

July 23 - July 30 Saturday - Saturday Buffalo Soldiers Museum Buffalo Soldiers Sesquicentennial Celebration & Parade 3816 Caroline St Houston, TX 77004 Times Vary For more info contact: (713) 942-8920

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Sunday Community of Faith Community in Action Yale Villiage Apartments 5673 Yale St Houston, Texas 77076 From 2pm - 4pm For more info contact: (713) 688-2900 x 235

July 25 - July 29

Monday - Friday Konnect @ Kidz 2016 College & Date Leadership Tour 8 Cities - 7 Colleges - 4 Nights Six Flags Fun Day For more info contact: (832) 453-1711 Ljohnson@konnect2kidz.org

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1

AUG

Monday Destiny of Faith Intl Ministry Battered Bruised But Not Broken Ministry 9442 Needham, Hwy 242 Spring, TX 77386 Beginning at 7pm For more info contact: (832) 216-2889

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Saturday Acres Home Riding & Roping Club 2nd Back 2 School/ Fun Day Event 14623 Tomball Prkwy Houston, TX 77086 From 12pm - 6pm For more info contact: (832) 755-9957 Sunday First Baptist FBC Praise Dancers 844 Fortune St Houston, TX 77088 Beginning at 11:30am For more info contact: (832)892-5078

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UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS IN ASSOCIATION WITH PERFECT WORLD PICTURES A KENNEDY/MARSHALL PRODUCTION IN ASSOCIATION WITH CAPTIVATE ENTERTAINMENT/PEARL STREET A PAUL GREENGRASS FILM

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BY JOHN POWELL DAVID BUCKLEY PRODUCERS HENRY MORRISON CHRISTOPHER ROUSE JENNIFER TODD DOUG LIMAN PRODUCED

BY FRANK MARSHALL JEFFREY M. WEINER BEN SMITH MATT DAMON PAUL GREENGRASS GREGORY GOODMAN BASED ON CHARACTERS WRITTEN DIRECTED CREATED BY ROBERT LUDLUM

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African

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Business

SOUTH UNION - On a recent Saturday morning, I arrived at the reception hall of South Union MBC and found a ballroom filled with blazers and bowties!

The ambience was appropriately set, as the light from dazzling chandeliers shone upon the heads of anticipative young AfricanAmerican boys whose eyes told of their optimism and nervous excitement.

From the polite reception attendants at the door to the welcoming faces at the brunch buffet bar, each of the young men was served by people who were friendly and professional.

Then, with candles as flickering centerpieces, the boys ate brunch together and tossed funny conversations across huge elegant round tables, in expectancy of what would happen next.

Right before the young men were divided into appropriate age groups, the organizer of the event and founder of “Blazers & Bowties” (Willie Williams) introduced the occasion’s featured Speakers/Mentors to the attendees.

At that time, fathers, local news reporters, and other supportive onlookers stood aside and watched the magic happen!

I began my tour of the “Blazers & Bowties Empowerment Conference” by listening in on the workshop which was tailored to suit the young men whose ages were “14 & up”. Amid a relaxed classroom setting, their assigned Mentor, Attorney Quinon Brooker (2007 TSU Graduate/ Philadelphia native) gently commanded the young men’s attention with his take on our presentday climate and “the state of the Black man”.

He addressed the fact that Police are often wrongfully profiling and punishing “brothers” in this society of ours. He also gave relatable facts about how a large number of his childhood friends were locked up or even dead.

The young men listened attentively as he told the history of how, when, and why “police officers” had first begun. He said to the group, “the original purpose of law enforcement in the South was to “police the slaves, prevent any slave revolts, and to capture runaway slaves.” Brooker further explained that during those days, Blacks were not even recognized as human beings; instead, they were merely considered as the “property” of White owners.

Beyond that, he tied the details of the dreadful era of slavery’s law enforcement to that of the present era, noting the striking similarities between the two time periods. But, from there, he gave the young men several pointers on how to become “above the norm” and how to rise above the given circumstances of the average Black man in America.

And, without even a hint of resistance, the young men gave their full attention to the matter as they learned willingly.

In the dining area of the establishment, I found a separate group of eager boys (ages 11-13), sitting around a grand large-party dining table which was adorned with fine china, high-quality TX-8

TEXAS • JULY 18 - 24, 2016

silverware, and crystal glasses.

Standing at the head of their table, was the CEO and President of The Regal Media Group, Todd A. Smith.

And, much to the boys’ enchantment, he taught them how they should conduct themselves if they were to ever dine in an upscale setting.

Once I had approached their workshop, Mister Smith chose to use me as a learning tool in a very impromptu fashion. He asked his pupils “What should I do if I decide to take her on a date? ... Who should choose the restaurant? ... What if she chooses a restaurant that I can’t afford? ... Show me what I should do before she sits at the table… After I pull out her chair for her, what should I do next?”

One by one, the “tween-aged” boys fired off all of what seemed like the most suitable answers. And, while placing the awkwardness of puberty aside, they looked very much like “future gentlemen” who would captivate any lucky young lady with great conversation and dinner at a Grade-A restaurant.

In fact, they resembled “future businessmen” who would have absolutely no problem landing a major contract, account, or promotion over dinner at a five-star eatery.

So, without even a single incident of deficit in their attention spans, the boys showed wholehearted interest regarding the matter as they learned willingly.

While this was going on, the youngest group (ages 10 & under) were joined together in a comfortable room, as a very dapper “Mister Texas Southern University” (Marcel Cooks) taught them how to dress for success.

At the very least, this meant that they would need to know how to properly tie a neck-tie. And without any behavioral problems, they grabbed their neckties, asked assorted questions, and they learned willingly.

And so, I left the Blazers & Bowties Empowerment Conference with new hope and I realized the following: It’s untrue that all of our little Black boys are generally and naturally resistant with attention deficits and behavioral problems.

The real truth is that public schools sometimes suck the life out of our youths. Otherwise, if the atmosphere is right, and if the instructor has noble intentions, our sons will blossom like lilies in a valley. In other words, if it’s given all that it needs, something beautiful will grow in the coldest, lowest, and darkest places… like lilies in a valley.

Therefore, give them hope… Give them respect … Give them great mentors… Give them a solid foundation… Give them “Blazers & Bowties”, and willingly, they will learn. Then, they will be as trees that are planted by rivers of water; they will grow, their leaves will not wither, and whatsoever they do will prosper. (photos & written by Shelondra Peavy @ 281-217-6579)

Religion

TEXAS • JULY 18 - 24, 2016

Read us online! www. aframnews. com

9

GREATER WARD A.M.E. CHURCH

Unveiling; Longtime members of Greater Ward A.M.E. Church, Rev. Roderick D Dawson and Debra Blacklock-Sloan, HCHC

Greater Ward African Methodist Episcopal Church (Ward Chapel, A.M.E. Church until 1972; then Greater Ward Chapel A.M.E. Church, 1972-2007) is the oldest congregation of its kind in the Acres Homes Community, located 10 miles north of Downtown Houston. Ward Chapel A.M.E. Church was organized in February 1913 and named in honor of Bishop Thomas M. D. Ward,the tenth Bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. The first place of worship was in the home of Rev. John T. Williams and his wife, Cassie, on what is now Tuskegee street at Holly Street. In 1919, The Wright Land Company donated two lots on Apollo Street near Galilee Missionary baptist Church, but the congregation opted to build on the west side of Arabella at Granville Street. After a 1934 fire, a new construction was erected there in1935. The sanctuary on the east side of Arabellawas erected in 1955, Following a major building campaigne.

Rev. Ollie Lewis Dawson, One of the congregation’songest serving ministers, was a community

Watch What You Throw Out! Preachin’ from a Pen

By Rebecca S. Jones

O

ne evening on my way home, I saw a few pieces of paper scattered around in my truck that really bothered me and I wanted to discard them. I immediately reached over and rolled the window down and starting throwing them out. But, I noticed something instantly, as I was throwing these scraps of paper out of the window; I didn’t realize that my back driver side window was cracked.

Much to my chagrin, as I discarded these scrips of trash, some of them were being blown right back into my truck. As I thought on this, the Holy

Spirit convicted me in several ways and in a solemn voice said, “Watch What You Throw Out”!

First of all, by force of habit I was committing an illegal offense; as littering is against the “law of the land”.

Second of all, while I was attempting to clean out my own trash I was making more of a mess for someone else to have to clean up later. Also there was the element that as I tried to clear out my own space I was still making a mess of the exact area that I was trying to clean. When in all actuality if I had simply gathered all the trash up, it would have been more convenient for me to dump it all at the same time in an appropriate trash container designated for dumping.

Spiritually many things came to mind as a result of this incident. I looked at this aspect from many different ways; the trash that I was throwing away was a representation of my sin.

activist and used the church as a meeting place to discuss social and civic matters. He was active with the NAACP, ACRES HOMES CHURCH UNION, A.M.E. MINISTERS ALLIANCE and many other organizations. The church has numerous ministries, iclusing several choirs, The Daughters of Ward, The Allen Christian League and Vacation Bible School. FERGUSON WAY was named for Trustee Rendy Ann Johnson Ferguson. Trustee Wiley Adams successfully petitioned County officials to name nearby TUSKEGEE, WILBERFORCE, PAUL QUINN and DILLARD STREETS in honor of HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES. The church continues to be a source of guidance and supportfor the Acres Homes Community.

(2015) MARKER IS PROPERTY OF THE STATE OF TEXAS

With that being stated, it’s hard to try to clean out your own mess without going through the proper channels. As a Christian, God has already given believers the protocol to follow. With us being finite creatures, there is really no way that we can clean out our own sin without going straight to the source.

That source is Jesus Christ because the Bible teaches us that there is only, “one mediator between God and men” I Timothy 2:5. Therefore, we do not have the power nor authority to clear away our own sin it has to be done by a force greater than us. Because the more we try to get rid of sin on our own, it is very possible that we run the risk of contaminating ourselves with even more sin. Jesus beckoned those that subscribe to his teachings to, “Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls” St. Matthew 11:28-29.

Another facet of this analogy that pricked my mind was revealed to me in the fashion of having a judgmental personality or spirit. While I was attempting to make my surroundings better, I was polluting someone else’s territory. Yes, I may have been alleviating some of my own trash, but it was at the expense of someone else.

This reminded me of the scribes and Pharisees in the 8th chapter of St. John that Jesus scorned. In this life lesson, there were certain members that brought a woman to Jesus that they found to have been caught in the act of committing adultery. While trying to entrap Jesus and at an attempt to bring shame and death upon the woman; they reminded Jesus that according to the Mosaic Law, that such a woman should be stoned to death. However, Jesus did not buy into what they were selling. Instead he simply said, “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her” St. John 8:7.

The same trash that they were trying to

throw away, backfired on them. Again I state, “Watch What You Throw Out”!

Although this simple illustration can be translated into a variety of meanings, I have only listed a few here for our understanding. Because oftentimes, we have a tendency to identify the things that we do as small, in comparison to the acts of others that we blow out of proportion. To that regard, Jesus said in St. Matthew 7:1, “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” He continues to convey, “For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother’s eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?”

St. Matthew 7:2-4 CONTINUE READING ONLINE @ WWW.AFRAMNEWS.COM TX-9

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CAMP MIKE T

Education/ Youth

(NFL Player Michael Thomas Gives Back to his Own Community)

HOUSTON - A lot of people leave home to follow their aspirations, but only a small number come back home and give back to their community. NFL player Michael Thomas, who plays for the Miami Dolphins hosted his 2nd annual free football camp in partnership with Apex Academy, which helps kids not only improve their football skills, but their academics as well.

The two-day camp was held at W.W. Thorne Stadium, which is located in the Aldine District. Michael Thomas is also a product of Aldine, graduating from Nimitz High School. Michael expressed, “ I made a promise to myself when I was young if I ever got the opportunity to get to the NFL, I would come back and give back to my community.”

Day one of the camp was focused on middle school students. They had the opportunity to not only work on their football skills, but also received the chance to hear Sam Oluwalana, who is one of Michael’s colleagues from Stanford University, speak about computer science and the opportunities that this field offers in regards to careers. Oluwalana wanted the kids “to take an interest in computer science.”

Day two of the camp was geared towards high school students. Before these students could make their way to the football field, they heard numerous representatives speak about college, and the opportunities that they should take advantage of. Furthermore, students also participated in SAT/ACT prep, and learned how to fill out a college application. Michael Thomas wanted his camp to introduce them to new resources or resources that they may have not been exposed to before. He stated, “I want them to learn leadership, accountability, hard work, and dedication.”

In order to elevate the camp’s success, Michael Thomas partnered with Kaleb Thornhill, who is one of the founders of Apex Academy. This non-profit organization mentors young men, and helps them with academic prep, personal and football development, helping these students succeed in college, and after college as well. Furthermore, this organization not only guides student athletes, but also prepares them on how to become productive members of their society. Thornhill stated, “We partnered with him because Mike T wants to give back to his community and develop his community not only

on the field, but off the field as well.”

The students worked really hard during the camp, and learned a lot of new things. Nathan Kuehl, a high school student who helped out with the middle school camp stated, “Its pretty fun. Its exciting…people here are working hard and they are having fun.” Joseph Gusman, a middle school student who attended the camp stated, “I am learning how to work hard and to not give up.” Students learned many things at this camp that will not only help them on the athletic field, but in their day-to-day lives.

The camp was even more elevated when Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee made her appearance to give Michael Thomas and Kaleb Thornhill a Congressional Recognition Award for all of the great work that they are doing for this community. She also spoke to the students about the importance of getting an education and about the current events that are currently taking place in our society.

In addition to, in spite of all of the support that Thomas has received for his camp, he couldn’t have done it all without the support of his lovely wife, Gloria Thomas. She is very proud of the work that her husband is doing. She expressed, “Its such a blessing to see him be a blessing to these children and give them a free camp and something for them to look forward to.” Furthermore, Gloria wanted the kids to take from the camp that there are positive role models out in their own community.

Continue reading online @ www.aframnews.com | Story & Photo by: Chelsea Davis- Bibb, M.Ed.

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Texas • July 18 - 24, 2016

TEXAS • JULY 18 - 24, 2016

Education/ Youth

African

American News&Issues

11

EDUCATION, BLACK MALES, AND THE NEED FOR GOOD TEACHERS

BY: CHELSEA DAVIS-BIBB, M.ED.

HOUSTON - Education plays an important role when it comes to shaping our future, and it is very important that our youth is educated because our future lies in their hands. On July 10th, the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s (TMCF) Teacher Quality Retention Program (TQRP) launched in Houston.

The 2-week conference convenes over 200 Program Fellows from across the country and will host a platform for a conversation about HBCUs, males and education. This program has been occurring every year since 2009.

President and CEO, Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. leads the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the only national organization representing nearly 300,000 students attending this country’s 47 publicly-supported Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs).

The Teacher Quality Retention Program focuses on (HBCU) Historically Black Colleges and Universities’ males, (STEM) Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math teachers, and new teachers in general. Black males get the opportunity to speak about their experiences in the classroom, will establish a network of peers in their strive to become National Board Certified teachers, and have the opportunity to participate in a STEM focused practicum.

In addition to, new teachers will have the chance to create unit plans, content trainings, and also prepare for their ultimate goal, which is to become National Board Certified Teachers as well. This institute is not only important for the teachers, but the communities that will be impacted from these teachers as well. President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. expressed, “It is so important…if we want to meaningfully impact and make change in our community, we are going to need to do it with our teachers.” This program identifies the best and brightest teachers and gives them the skills to be successful in the classroom and gives them mentorship so that these teachers won’t feel as if they are alone. These teachers

in the program will leave the institute with a huge network to depend on for when they are in need of help or even encouragement.

Across the nation, there is a need for not only good teachers, but black male teachers as well. According to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund’s website, “Less than 2% of Public School Teachers are African American males.” President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor, Jr. feels as if the pay and the respect for the role as a teacher are contributing factors as to why there aren’t many black male teachers in the public education school system. He further stated, “the profession is not perceived in our community as a profession that attracts the best and brightest.” In addition to, the website noted that, “forty to fifty percent of teachers leave the profession in the first 5 years, while 20% after the first year alone.”

Teaching is not an easy profession, and its really hard work. Teachers ultimately can become frustrated and burned out from all of what they have to go through.

In regards to the black communities and the public education school systems, President and CEO Johnny C. Taylor made it known that research proves that these children perform better when they have teachers in the classroom that look just like them. He noted, “The school system needs to be targeting and promoting teaching as a valuable profession to students of colors. We want better results in the K-12 system…one of the ways to impact that is to put teachers of color male and females in these classrooms.”

Although this program is a huge success each year, it isn’t always easy sailing. There are some obstacles and challenges that come with putting this program on. It is not only expensive and requires a lot of money, but the struggle also comes when trying to get donors, corporate donors, to understand why they should support the program when they won’t benefit anything from it. The people that these donors are supporting are graduates that are going to become teachers, and not employees for their companies. Because this is not an investment that will help their companies, they are hesitant to donate and support the program.

In conclusion, teachers are very hard workers, and don’t always receive the accolades they should. Even though it gets hard at times for teachers, Johnny Taylor, Jr.’s advice to new and veteran teachers is to “remember why you’re doing this job”. He further stated, “Even on your toughest day, you have to remember that our ultimate goal is to produce better American citizens, and you cant think of a more noble job.

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