African-American News&Issues

JUNE 5 -11 , 2017 | FREE

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African-American News and Issues Newspaper

VOL. 22 ISSUE 20

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Did You Know?

Ann Lane Petry 1908-1997

Austin/ San Antonio

Tarnished Badges

Trouble Call Turns Ugly Involving 14-year Old Black Girl & Raises Issues of Police Trust

A

nn Lane Petry’s literacy talent exposed readers to issues of oppression and prejudice facing female Black Americans.

She was a distinguished novelist and short story writer as well as a civic activist. Her novel, The Street, was the first written by an African American that sold over one million copies.

Experience Turns to Story

SEE PAGE 6 Artessia House, right, a civil rights lawyer, speaks for the mother, left, of the 14-year-old girl who was seen in a video on social media during a rough encounter with San Antonio police.

Photo credit Photo: Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News

Petry was born on October 12, 1908, in Old Saybrook, Connecticut, a predominantly White middle-class seaside neighborhood. Her parents, Peter C. Lane and Bertha James Lane, held significant stature in the community. Petry’s father was a pharmacist and owned drugstores in Old Saybrook and nearby Lyme. Her mother was a podiatrist, although she also tried her luck as a hairdresser, manufacturer, and businesswoman. Petry hailed from four generations of African Americans living in New England. She grew up hearing stories of her ancestors’ hardships, which eventually became central to her writings. Petry’s mother often read to her, which fueled her passion for literature. As she became old enough to understand the dynamics of racism and inequality, Petry determined to find a way to raise her voice in support of the struggle of the Black female in America.

CONT. READING

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African

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American News&Issues

A MESSAGE TO ALL POLICE OFFICERS...

The Black Whisperer Darwin Campbell, Senior Journalist

We Charge You To Protect, Serve & Honor Thy Citizens- It’s in the Oath On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character, or the public trust.

I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions.

I will always uphold the constitution my community and the agency I serve.

- Source: Police Oath of Honor, International Association of Chiefs of Police

Roy Douglas Malonson Chairman Shirley Ann Malonson President/C.E.O. Chandra Jarmon

Production/Editor

Kimberly Taylor

Production Asst.

Darwin Campbell

Senior Journalist

Chelsea Davis-Bibb

Journalist

Rebecca S. Jones

Contributing Writer

Mark Spivey

Contributing Writer

Lorenzo Tolbert

Contributing Writer

Jadarrius West

Distribution

General: news@aframnews.com Ads: sales@aframnews.com Website: www.aframnews.com African-American News&Issues is published

by African-American News & Issues, Inc., 6130 Wheatley Street, Houston, Texas 77091, (713) 692-1892. Our office hours are Monday-Friday, 9am - 5pm. The entire contents of the paper are copyrighted by African-American News & Issues, Inc. All rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without the expressed written consent of the publisher. African-American News&Issues is not responsible for any claims made by advertisers.

The views and opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the publisher.

African-American News&Issues assumes no responsibility for unsolicited manuscripts, photographs and other material, unless accompanied by a self-address stamped envelope.

Letter to the Editor

W

e welcome all original responses from our readers to content found in the African-American News&Issues.

Letters to the Publisher may be sent via e-mail to news@aframnews.com. Please keep all letters under 300 words. Be sure to include the author’s name, area of residence. All letters and articles may be verified before they are published. All letters are subjected to editing or being cut for spacing purposes. Thank you in advance for your submission.

TX-2

I

t is too much to ask police officers to just to remember the words of their oath before they start firing weapons, pulling tasers, beating and killing people.

A Little Restraint Goes a Long Long Way. Sandra Bland A little restraint would have saved the life of Sandra Bland.

After being pulled over in July 2015. Dashcam video shows Texas Department of Public Safety Trooper Brian Encinia pulled Bland over in Prairie View, after she failed to signal a lane change. When Bland’s conversation with Encinia became heated, he arrested her on a charge of assaulting a public servant. He ordered Bland out of the car and drawing his stun gun while yelling, “I will light you up!” Bland can later be heard screaming off-camera that the trooper was about to break her wrists. She was taken to jail and three days later dead of an apparent suicide in the Waller County Jail.

Corey Jones A little restraint would have saved the life of Corey Jones.

Jones, who was shot three times in October 2015 by a plainclothes police officer earlier that day as he waited for a tow truck on the side of the highway in their native Florida.

Jones was a well-known musician, worked two jobs, including for the Delray Beach Housing Authority, and had no history of violence. He was the cousin of NFL Wide Receiver Anquan Boldin and NFL Defensive Tackle Vince Wilfork.

Jordan Edward A little restraint would have saved the life of 15-year-old Jordan Edwards.

In a Dallas suburb, Edwards was a freshman at Mesquite High School, near his home in Balch Springs, Texas.

He had good grades and played quarterback and receiver on the football team.

Edwards was shot and killed by then Officer, Roy D. Oliver II, Saturday night as he and a group of

Local & State

friends were leaving a house party.

Balch Springs Police Department had responded to reports of underage drinking at a house party. Former Officer Oliver and another officer entered the house but left after the police said they heard gunshots outside the residence. As a car with five Black teenagers inside drove away from the house, Mr. Oliver, who is White, fired his AR-15 rifle, fatally striking Jordan Edwards. It was found that the officer’s story did not match the video from the scene.

Sadly, Edwards is the youngest of the more than 330 people who have been shot and killed by police in 2017, according to a Washington Post database tracking such shootings.

Latest statistics show that about 25 percent of those fatally shot by police this year have been Black, and about 7 percent of those killed have been unarmed at the time they were shot.

At least 10 people shot and killed by police this year were under 18.

The oath is suppose to be one of the bedrock principles that drives us toward believing and trusting that law enforcement is here to protect and serve us so that we can feel safer and live our lives in this busy and confused word.

What colors the waters on this issue are the cops who just don’t get it and who don’t seem to care about the tenets of that oath. Even less when it comes to policing a poor, economically challenged Black neighborhood void of businesses and filled with blight and unemployment. Black and Brown lives become Grey and insignificant.

So, officers don’t come with the oath in mind, it appears that they are on the hunt to find prey to shoot and kill.

BREAKING DOWN THE OATH I think it is time to remind police officers from their own association what the oath really and truly means: Honor means that one’s word is given as a guarantee.

Betray is defined as breaking faith with the public trust.

Badge is the symbol of your office.

Integrity is being the same person in both private and public life.

Continue reading online @ www.aframnews.com

TEXAS • JUNE 5 - 11, 2017

UNDERSTANDING THE LAW:

COMMUNITY SUPERVISION 2.

Krystin Collins Attorney at Law

I

f you find yourself in a situation where the evidence against you is indisputable and your attorney is unable to get your case dismissed, there are other options afforded to you other than being sent to jail.

You may be eligible for community supervision; more commonly referred to as probation or deferred adjudication. Both types of community supervision result in being supervised by the court for a designated amount of time in lieu of going to jail, but there are distinct differences between being placed on probation as opposed to deferred adjudication.

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PROBATION

When placed on probation, a defendant pleads guilty and is found guilty by the court. They are sentenced to a certain amount of time, but instead of going to jail their sentence is probated and they are allowed back into the community under certain conditions imposed such as: community service, rehabilitative classes, probation fees, and drug testing. If the defendant successfully completes the terms of their probation their case is disposed of without ever going to jail. Probation is considered a final conviction by the courts and the law does not afford defendants the right to have this type of conviction expunged or sealed, it will remain on your record forever.

DEFERRED ADJUDICATION

Deferred Adjudication is a different type of community supervision. With deferred adjudication, you plead guilty, but you are not found guilty upon successful completion of the deferred adjudication. Similar to probation you will have to adhere to certain conditions imposed by the courts and if you do not follow those conditions you can also be sent to jail at the judge’s discretion. Deferred adjudication is not considered a final conviction and upon successful completion you may be eligible to have your record sealed from the public.

3.

SEALING YOUR RECORDS

Your record is not automatically sealed. This is a common misconception upon individuals that have completed deferred adjudication. There are extra steps you must take to get you record sealed. You must petition the court to order law enforcement agencies to seal your record from the public. The legal forms to have your record sealed are accessible online at the Harris County District Attorney’s website, but I recommend that you consult with an attorney before undertaking this task on your own.

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.

She may be contacted at 713-984-2006 or krystin@susielaw.com.

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Editorial & Opinion

TEXAS • JUNE 5 - 11, 2017

W

Lewis B. Smedes stated, “Promise keeping is a powerful means of grace in a time when people hardly depend on each other to remember and live by their word.” One of the issues is, people aren’t living by their word.

They will say one thing, but do another. When people break a promise, or a commitment that they agreed to, I don’t think they realize the damage that they have done. At one point in time, someone’s word was all you had. You could depend on that person, and trust to them to do what they said they were going to do. In today’s time, if someone tells me they’re going to do something, in my mind, I always have that “I’ll believe it when I see it mindset.”

The Overflow

By Chelsea Davis-Bibb, M.Ed

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2.

People are selfish - people only care about themselves, and how something will benefit them. I am not sure how the world has gotten this way, but it seems to worsen day-by-day.

It’s been a repeated cycle - so many people are used to people not following through that the trend has been recycled. For younger generations, they mimic what they see and hear. So if someone isn’t properly showing them the importance of staying committed to what they agreed to, then it just becomes a repeated cycle.

People want to be more than what they are - we live in a society where everyone wants to “be someone.” In reality, everyone is someone, but to some, that isn’t enough. Some people make promises to make it seem like they are greater than who they are. They say, “I can do this” or “I can do that,” but in reality they are just talking out the side of their mouth.

There are a few reasons why it’s important to keep your word.

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It’s how you build relationships - when you keep your word, people can trust you and depend on you. They are willing to help you with whatever you may need simply because you stuck to your word. Due to this, you can build a healthy and strong relationship with someone whether it is on a personal level, or even on a professional level.

2.

You keep a good image - no one wants to be looked upon as a liar, or simply that person who just says whatever and doesn’t mean any of it. Who wants to be around someone like that? You want to always have a good reputation, and you should want people to know that they can count on you.

There are a few reasons why I believe people don’t keep their word anymore.

1.

HOUSTON

MEAN WHAT YOU SAY

hen was the last time someone told you they were going to do something and they didn’t? When was the last time that you told someone that you were going to do something, only for you to not follow through?

This seems to happen too often, and to be honest, I’m sick of it. My parents have taught me so many things that are important, and one of those things is to “say what you mean, and mean what you say.” Why is that so hard for people to do? Back in the day, before there were contracts, and etc.… people just had their word. Keeping your word was part of a principle that was highly respected. What happened to that? People now just don’t care.

3.

It’s not that hard to do keeping your word isn’t rocket science; it’s simple. More importantly, if you say something, and you can’t follow through, then speak up and let that person know. You rather tell them you can’t than to keep them thinking you can, only to find out that you couldn’t keep your commitment.

It’s just the right thing to do, and I wish people could understand that.

Continue reading online @ www.aframnews.com

“The Confederacy was on the wrong side of history and humanity. It sought to tear apart our nation and subjugate our fellow Americans to slavery. This is the history we should never forget and one that we should never again put on a pedestal to be revered. As a community, we must recognize the significance of removing New Orleans’ Confederate monuments. It is our acknowledgment that now is the time to take stock of, and then move past, a painful part of our history.”

These words were cited by Mayor Mitch Landrieu of New Orleans during a speech made after the last of four confederate statues were removed. Since the 1880’s, these monuments that were designed to pay homage to some of the leaders of the Confederate were stationed in New Orleans. Confederate President Jefferson Davis, Gen. Robert E. Lee, Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard and the Battle of Liberty Place were amongst the four statues that were removed. During his speech the mayor exposed many truths about our ancestral history, as it was during the inception of these United States.

To that regard, I have always said that the term “history”, is just what the term means broken down, “His-story”.

We MUST Understand, for too long, our story as a race of people has been told by others who do not look like us. The truth about slaves who worked, fought and died to build this country has been white-washed; with symbolisms such as the rallied support of the Confederacy, that has existed for many years.

So to hear the mayor affirmatively educating and informing the nation about the true history of Africans in America, it really gave me a great sense of respect for the man. Mayor Landrieu revealed the following during his speech.

African

American News&Issues

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HAS A LONG WAY TO GO…

He said, “New Orleans was America’s largest slave market: a port where hundreds of thousands of souls were bought, sold and shipped up the Mississippi River to lives of forced labor of misery of rape, of torture . America was the place where nearly 4000 of our fellow citizens were lynched, 540 alone in Louisiana; where the courts enshrined ‘separate but equal’; where Freedom riders coming to New Orleans were beaten to a bloody pulp. So when people say to me that the monuments in question are history, well what I just described is real history as well, and it is the searing truth…..”

He continued to say, “And it immediately begs the questions; why there are no slave ship monuments, no prominent markers on public land to remember the lynching’s or the slave blocks; nothing to remember this long chapter of our lives; the pain, the sacrifice, the shame... all of it happening on the soil of New Orleans. So for those selfappointed defenders of history and the monuments, they are eerily silent on what amounts to this historical malfeasance, a lie by omission. There is a difference between remembrance of history and reverence of it.”

I must state that I admire the courageous move of the Mayor and I believe he should receive a medal for what he did. His efforts have already ignited a spark within other cities, like Baltimore. Mayor Catherine Pugh, of Baltimore has announced that they would like to have their confederate monuments removed as well.

While it is a discussion that has been in the air for over a year in Baltimore, it appears that Mayor Landrieu’s bold display has reawakened the issue.

Though I commend the actions rendered by the Mayor, I must state that it caused

We MUST Understand

By Roy Douglas Malonson, Chairman

me to consider our beloved Houston. In respect to the city of New Orleans, confronting the face and stance of what the Confederate was and stood for, it clearly shows that HOUSTON HAS A LONG WAY TO GO. Many people live in this city, but have very little idea of what the name “Houston” means and stands for. Houston is named after Sam Houston, who owned at least a dozen slaves, himself.

However, history does record that he was the only governor from the South that opposed secession, prior to the Civil War. He refused to swear allegiance to the Confederate States of America and was replaced as governor. However, the fact remains that even though Houston did not appear to want the spread of slavery to reach any further than it already had; he still condoned it within his personal life, by being the owner of slaves.

One could easily conclude that his thought pattern was, “Do as I say and not as I do!”

Therefore, in terms of denouncing members of the Confederate and the endless images and historical sites that has been place throughout the nation to reverence them… All I can state is that, HOUSTON HAS A LONG WAY TO GO. As it is, other cities are implementing measures to remove the momentous symbols that slavery and oppression against our ancestors left in place, in the form of the Confederacy. But, Houstonians have a much larger problem to deal with, because we live in a city that has a name, which is a constant reminder to the horrendous effects of slavery.

- END TX-3

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African

American News&Issues

Feature Story

TEXAS• •August JUNE 512-18, - 11, 2017 Texas 2013

THE FIGHT TO SAVE “BLACK AUSTIN”

Gentrification Taking Its Toll on Historically Black Neighborhoods and Communities AUSTIN - In his open address to the world, Austin Mayor Steve Adler describes his city as a place where all are welcome and open to opportunities for success and prosperity.

“We value diversity, creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, our natural environment, and a laid back attitude. In Austin, everyone is good enough and no one is too good,” according to Mayor Adler’s statement on the city’s website. “ It is my goal to move our city forward in a way that is inclusive, innovative and intentionally improvisational. Social innovation, social entrepreneurship, equity and access are becoming an ever greater part of our lives as we seek to manage the incredible growth that follows from being such a wonderful place to live.”

However, when it comes to African-Americans and predominantly Black neighborhoods and communities in Austin, they can best be described as “the lands that time forgot”.

Unemployment, blight are forcing Blacks out and now the latest challenge Black communities are fighting is gentrification.

A new study in January revealed that one of the that Austin is one of the “fastest-gentrifying” cities in the nation – many of which are formerly Black neighborhoods.

Visible Community Concerns The city was ranked number 10 in the country as it continues to see the dwindling of neighborhoods that once were predominantly Black communities.

“The population of American’s of African descent in Austin is TX- 4

dwindling and are highly susceptible to the inequities which the City of Austin set in motion with the 1928 masterplan,” said District 1 Councilwoman Ora Houston.

“There is a large disparity in the services and amenities readily available for our diminishing population. We must endure serious quality of life issues that have not been addressed.”

Council Member Houston has a vested interest in the future of her community since she has lived in east Austin for most of her life. Houston lives in the home her parents built in 1954 on East 22nd.

She attended Blackshear Elementary School, Kealing Jr. High School, the ‘old’ L.C. Anderson High School, and received her Bachelor of Arts in psychology and sociology from Huston-Tillotson University—all in Austin’s newly-defined District 1.

She supports equality, economic development, employment and education and is concerned about the future of her beloved area.

Conducted by Realtor.com, the analysis examined home price data and census information to determine the cities experiencing rapid gentrification—which is loosely defined as the phenomenon of people wealthier (some would also include “whiter”) than its traditional residents moving into a neighborhood, thereby increasing the property values and cost of living in the area and eventually pricing out less-wealthy residents.

History The part of town east of IH-35 was officially designated as an

area for African-American and Latino residents in the segregated 1920s. Both groups created vital, though largely separate, communities that thrived for decades.

As in many cities, desegregation didn’t mean the then unofficial “nonwhite” parts of town got equal services or economic stimulus, of course.

That, combined with the fact that new generations who could afford it often moved to the suburbs, left some parts of East Austin a shell of what they once were.

According to Realtor, the wave of development that swept through Austin in the early 2000s eventually led to people from “outside the community” following cheap rents and sale prices across the freeway from downtown. They were inevitably followed by new development itself, and, in classic fashion, prices and other changes displaced and alienated the traditional residents while “rebuilding a fancier, more congested version of itself.”

According to Austin Columnist Tsoke Adjavon, gentrification has been the primary cause that many AfricanAmericans moved away from East Austin into areas like Pflugerville and Round Rock.

Residents are most concerned about the preservation of art, music and culture interests as well as the kind of economic opportunities and development that would help encourage Blacks to stay and be a catalyst to job creation and more youth opportunities.

Adjavon noted the flight of Blacks left a void in East and Northeast Austin that is quickly being replaced by Whites. For example the demographic changes have been drastic with East Austin

seeing a drop from 15-percent African-American population to a measly 9-percent since 1990. The changes have also affected business climate, arts and culture and employment opportunities.

According to CurbedAustin, it should come as no surprise that the study focuses on the rapid transition and displacement that has happened in East Austin over the past few years; the analysis sets the tipping point at the year 2000.

One visible concerned that caused great community stir was the decision by a business to erase Black history from the side of an East Austin business. The mural depicted the Black artists of Texas.

COUNCILWOMAN ORA HOUSTON

These and other concerns were brought to the table and with a great deal of talk and few promises coming from a recent gathering of community leaders and city officials addressing the plight of Black Austin and the future of Northeast Austin.

Attending the important meeting to hear concerns of residents were Mayor Adler, Councilwoman Houston, Jeff Travillion of the Travis County Commissioner Court and Travis County Precinct Chair members.

“When I decided to run for the City Council, one reason was to attempt to change the system,” Houston said. “While, I know there is much work left for me to do, I feel that I have spotlighted the very real issues that have been swept under the rug or simply ignored.”

Community leaders want to see more action than empty words and head nodding from the mayor and city and county leaders.

MAYOR STEVE ADLER

“I hope that we can begin to acknowledge the inequities, implement real plans to address the issues, and preserve and honor the cultural diversity that is left in Austin,” Houston said.

They vow to continue to press forward to preserve Black history and heritage in the area of the city, but want the kind of changes that will save “Black Austin” from perishing into the annals of history.

By: Darwin Campbell, Senior Journalist African-American News&Issues *City of Austin, Curbed Austin and Columnist Tsoke Adjavon contributed to this story.

Did You Know

Texas • June 5 - 11, 2017 DID YOU KNOW FROM PAGE 1

Her family was supportive and encouraged her to stand strong against bigotry.

Petry began writing while in high school by penning short stories and one-act plays, but much of her time was demanded at the family pharmacy. After graduating from Old Saybrook High School in 1929, she went to the Connecticut College of Pharmacy and earned a gradu-

Lee Roy Young

ate degree at age 23. For the next several years, she worked at the family drugstores while continuing to write short stories.

In 1938, at age 30, Petry married George David Petry, a writer of mysteries from Louisiana. She then left the pharmacy field and moved to New York City with her husband to actively pursue a literary career. Petry took a job selling advertising space for the Harlem Amsterdam News

In 1988, Lee Roy Young became the first African-American Texas Ranger in the 20th Century.

Lee Roy Young was the first Black in the police force’s history.

Young grew up in South Texas dreaming of joining the legendary law enforcement agency popularized by TV, movies and books dreamed and said the reality has pretty much lived up to the dream.

The history of the Texas Rangers began in 1820 when the Mexican Government gave permission for 300 families to enter the territory of Texas. On August 10, 1823, permission was granted to employ ten men from a group of volunteers to protect the new Texas frontier.

Rangers are charged with four duties: protecting life and property by enforcing

and worked there for the next four years. She then became a reporter for a community weekly, the People’s Voice. Petry edited the women’s column, and covered social events and news stories. She and her husband immersed themselves in Harlem life and became aware of the struggles plaguing the urban residents including unsuitable housing, staggering unemployment, racial oppression, and

state criminal statutes, suppressing riots and insurrections, investigating major crimes and apprehending fugitives.

During his exciting career that lasted almost 30 years, he was involved investigating high-profile murder cases and helping put criminals behind bars.

Background Young is also very proud of his Black Seminole heritage. His great-grandfather, Ben July, was a Seminole Negro Indian Scout and fought in three Seminole Indian wars.

His ancestors lived in the swamps of Florida, and were relocated to Oklahoma in the “Trail of Tears.”

After completing school, Young joined the Navy for four years during the Vietnam War. He was a second class petty officer and worked on a destroyer tender. He then earned an associate of arts degree from Southwest Texas Junior College in Uvalde.

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sexual harassment. These issues influenced Petry’s writings, and to broaden her palate, she enrolled in writing courses at Columbia University, She established a Black women’s advocacy group called Negro Women, Incorporated, where she worked to empower Harlem teens and garnered even more material as sources for her writing. From 1938 until 1944, Petry wrote numerous short stories for

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literary journals. Her first published piece, a romantic suspense story, appeared in December 1939, when it was published in the Baltimore Afro-American.

The story, Marie of the Cabin Club, was published under a pseudonym, Arnold Petri. Petry disguised her name and gender, reserving her true identity for more serious works.

Young said he attended Sam Houston State University and the University of Texas at Austin, where he earned his bachelor of arts degree in sociology with an emphasis in criminology.

After college, Young joined the DPS and worked as a state trooper in Austin, Bryan, Eagle Pass and eventually in Del Rio, where he had graduated from high school. He was stationed in San Antonio at the DPS’ Department of Criminal Investigation. He then joined the Rangers in 1988 and received his badge in September 1989.

Some of the cases he was been involved in investigations of kidnapping, murder, narcotics, forgery, missing persons and fugitive cases. He also worked and investigated cases in Collin, Dallas, Kaufman, Rockwall, Grayson and Fannin counties, and in South and Central Texas.

He retired in 2003.

Texas Ranger State Museum, McKinney Courier Gazette and Los Angeles Times contributed to this story.

Photo by Brandi Hart - Mckinney Courier-Gazette

The TWENTY-FOURTH UNITED STATES INFANTRY played a significant role in protecting American freedom and history, but their “Thank You” from Houston was disrespected like no other in African-American History. Their glorious achievements and a brief stint in Texas was marred by part of the regiment being involved in the Houston Riot of 1917.

History of the 24th US Infantry Glory Days

On July 28, 1866, the United States Congress reorganized the regular army into five artillery, ten cavalry, and forty-five infantry regiments. Six regiments were reserved for black enlisted personnel, in partial recognition of the role black soldiers had played during the Civil War. Three years later, however, Congress consolidated the regular force, reducing the infantry regiments to twenty-five. As part of this reduction, the Thirtyeighth and Forty-first regiments, two of the units reserved for black troops and including many former slaves, were combined to form the Twenty-fourth Infantry Regiment.

The Twenty-fourth helped garrison several posts in western Texas and along the Rio Grande until

1880, when the regiment was transferred to the Indian territory. There it remained until the late 1890s, when it was shifted to Fort Douglas, Utah.

During its years in Texas, the Twenty-fourth Infantry, as did most frontier regiments, engaged largely in garrison duty, routine patrols, and minor skirmishing. Several companies, however, took part in Mackenzie's expedition toward the headwaters of the Freshwater Fork of the Brazos River in 1872 and Shafter's 1875 and 1876 forays into the Staked Plains.

Strong contingents from the regiment also participated in Shafter's subsequent expeditions into Mexico, which were designed to interdict Indian raids into the United States.

To continue reading, visit us online @www.aframnews.com Story By: Darwin Campbell TX- 5

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African

American News&Issues

BADGES FROM PAGE 1

Cover Story

TEXAS • JUNE 5 - 11, 2017

Tarnished Badges

“

Trouble Call Turns Ugly Involving 14-year Old Black Girl & Raises Issues of Police Trust

Protecting the Alamo City” is more than just a slogan on our patrol cars. It is a philosophy we take to heart and practice it in everything we do. We do this in a variety of ways, one of the most important being our partnership with the citizens we serve.”

San Antonio Police Chief William McManus “Today I met with the City Manager, City Attorney and Chief McManus to view the body camera videos showing an altercation between an SAPD officer and a 14-year-old girl. State law prohibits me from releasing any details about what I saw because the incident involved a minor, but the City Attorney’s Office has reached out to the family’s attorney to arrange for them to receive a copy of the video,” she said is a statement. “I am confident in the process taking place now. While the officer remains on administrative duty, Internal Affairs is conducting an investigation, including a review of the body camera footage, other videos that were taken by people in the crowd and eyewitness statements.”

SAN ANTONIO - Is is over reaction or just another story in a laundry list of complaints against some police officers across the country who seem more interested in a “power tripping” rather than protecting and serving.

Lastest Incident Raises Questions of Trust The latest incident in San Antonio involving the police handling and treatment of a 14-year old Black female teen is being met with criticism, concern and protest that the distaste for answering calls and dealing with issues relating to Black people appears to rear its ugly head in the personalities of officers and has now trickled down and that resentment appears to be aimed now too at Black youth.

Taj Matthews, executive director of the Claude & ZerNona Black Development Leadership Foundation, helped to release the child and went to court.

His take on the situation is that there are deeper trust issues that need solving in San Antonio.

The 14-year-old girl, who was seen in a video on social media while being restrained by several San Antonio police officers, appeared in juvenile court before Judge Arcelia Treviño on May 22, 2017.

Photo: Bob Owen /San Antonio Express-News

“The issue is that I have never seen anything like this,” he said. “San Antonio should really be outraged. One particular officer punched her in the face. The whole situation does not make any sense to me… I believe the majority of our police officer get up every morning and put on their uniform with pride.

They want to serve and protect their community. But there are bad officers that need to be removed and to be held accountable as they not serving and protecting with honor.”

A disturbing video reveals how a San Antonio police officer seen suddenly lunging and savagely punching at a 14-year old Black female. The girl on the video was arrested and charged with assault on a public servant and appeared in juvenile court According to reports, police were responding to a fight that erupted at a northeast side quinceañera. During the interaction, one witness allegedly saw and reported that she saw a San Antonio Police Department officer punch her 14-year-old daughter so hard that it required medical attention. According to the parent, when doctors examined her some two days later,

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she was diagnosed with a mild traumatic brain injury and trauma to her face and neck muscles. Some video allegedly recorded at the scene shows the officer punching the teen.

According to the SAPD department’s policy states that an officer can use physical force or an intermediate weapon if a suspect is actively being resistant. It goes on: “If circumstances allow, officers should attempt to de-escalate tense situations through ‘advisements, warnings, verbal persuasion, and other tactics’ to reduce the need for force.”

In a statement, Artessa House, one of the girl’s lawyers said the 14-year old is an honor-roll student with no history of violence and did not assault the officer. According to House, one officer can be seen in the video “clear as day” striking the girl. However she is the one facing adjudication in juvenile court over the incident.

A Cracked Mirror- Police Image Tarnished The dicey incident is a new blip on the police radar screen and has sent public relations departments from incumbent Mayor Ivy Taylor, who is Black, and Police Chief McManus into overdrive to slow the swirling tides of frustration and growing concerns that the San Antonio Police may have damaged its delicate relationship with the Black community.

Ivy, who is up for re-election, has been proactive in trying to get to the bottom of the situation and calm growing concerns over police brutality and treatment of citizen.

The next stop in this dispute is the Citizens Advisory Board. It is a panel made up of seven officers and seven community members. It will hold a full hearing to review the findings of the Internal Affairs investigation and determine if a violation of policy took place.

“If the Board determines the officer violated policy, it will make a recommendation on discipline to the Chief,” Mayor Ivy said. “The Chief will then meet with the officer and determine the level of discipline or corrective action. If the officer disagrees with the ruling of the Chief, he may appeal the ruling to an arbitrator.”

Safer from Who? The San Antonio Police Department offers a variety of ways for community members to work closely with the police through organized programs and individual activities. The department contends to offer ways San Antonio residents can form partnerships with the police to make their neighborhoods safer places to live.

Damaged Trust-Dinged Programs?

The San Antonio Police Department has touted, showcased and embraced its Community Policing model for many decades, through its Community Services and School Services Programs, Crime Prevention Programs (Neighborhood Watch, National Night Out), Store Fronts, Decentralized Patrol Substations, and the Downtown Foot and Bicycle Patrol Unit.

In 1995 the Department created a special Community Policing Unit, the San Antonio Fear Free Environment Unit (SAFFE) which links closely with community involvement programs, such as Cellular on Patrol (initiated in 1993) and the Citizen Police Academy (initiated 1994).

BADGES TO PAGE 7

Texas • June 5 - 11, 2017 BADGES FROM PAGE 6

Cover Story

The Community Policing model is a collaborative effort between a police department and community that identifies problems of crime and disorder and involves all elements of the community in the search for solutions to these problems.

It is founded on close, mutually beneficial ties between police and community members.

At the center of community policing are three essential and complementary core components: • • •

Partnerships between the police and the community.

Problem Solving as a method to identify and solve problems of concern to the community Change Management within the police organization to accommodate increased community involvement.

The San Antonio Police Department also participates in the Boy Scouts of America sponsored Police Explorer program for those age 14-20 interested in police work. Explorer Posts established at all six substations: Prue (NW), West, South, Central, East and North, as well as a Park Police Explorer Post. Contact Substation.

It appears that being Black and dealing with police in San Antonio is even more challenging.

Skeptics Call For New Community Relations Plan The question remains and jury is out on how this incident will play fully in the Black community support for the police, community policing and whether Black residents in San Antonio fully trust the police.

Gutted’ Bill Represents Problem in Legislative Priorities Placing Police over Citizen Rights, Justice The public got played as legislators caved in to law enforcement agencies and shows who legislators really listen and cater too.

You can kill a man, but you can't kill an idea.”

Medgar Evers

AUSTIN - It is a tale of two pieces of key legislation headed for Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s desk that tells a tale of two stories and defines whose lives really matter.

Legislation making attacking police officers and judges a hate crime is headed for Governor Abbott’s desk with great hoopla, while a gutted, watered down and neutralized version of the Sandra Bland Bill designed to protect citizens and rights limps toward approval.

The Sandra Bland Bill Fails Minorities and Still Gives Some Police Free Ticket to “Bully” and Profile.

The current make up of the bill demonstrates the legislative biases that exist and contribute to building higher walls of distrust between police, Blacks and Browns.

ing applied to this incident. They want change.

“During President Obama’s White House Task Force on Community Policing I saw police officers, police chiefs, Black Lives Matter, community activists and city leaders all working together on a plan to develop working relationships that enable trust and teamwork in the community,” Matthews said.

“Unfortunately that has not happened here locally. If they could come together to make a plan that works, why can’t we?

We need a working plan in San Antonio.”

By: Darwin Campbell, African-American News&Issues The San Antonio Police Department and San Antonio Observer also contributed to this story

Community leaders want to see more than window dress-

Sandra’s Tears From Heaven

“

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Senate Bill 1849 — also referred to as the Sandra Bland Act initially introduced by State Rep. Garnet Coleman, D-Houston and was touted publicly as a justice battle cry by State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston earlier.

The bill promised to address race, poverty, mental health and accountability in law enforcement and corrections and was announced with great loud press conferences and dog and pony shows between state legislators vying for headlines and catchy statements after the death of Sandra Bland and how a police officer abused his authority and powers during a routine traffic stop caught by video.

The legislative process demonstrtes the great divide between the attitudes in Austin, the power of police agencies and lobbies and how the citizens voice is but a whimper and means little to those in Austin elected to protect and serve citizens of the Lone Star State.

That great divide and bias in legislation is one of the main reasons

lines are drawn in the sand between the public and police and little progress has been made in not moving forward the public relations perception of the police in Black and Brown communities.

House Bill 2908 – Protect the Police Under House Bill 2908, makes it a terroristic threat that puts a police officer or judge in fear of imminent bodily injury would be a state jail felony, which carries a sentence of up to two years in jail.

Unlawfully restraining or assaulting a police officer or judge would be a second-degree felony, which carries a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

Any crime against either group that results in serious bodily injury would be a first-degree felony, punishable by up to 99 years or life in prison.

In Texas, hate crimes are offenses committed with a bias or prejudice against someone's "race, color, disability, religion, national origin or ancestry, age, gender or sexual preference," according to state law.

It was a big deal because the legislation is an answer to two recent attacks: the 2016 ambush that left six Dallas police officers dead and many

more injured, and the 2015 attack on state District Judge Julie Kocurek outside her Austin home. Kocurek survived the attack.

Gov. Greg Abbott supports and wants the targeted killing of a police officer to be deemed a hate crime in Texas He lobbied for adding his Police Protection Act to Texas law. Along with extending hate crime protections to law enforcement, the measure would increase criminal penalties for any crimes in which the victim is a law enforcement officer and "create a culture of respect for law enforcement by organizing a campaign to educate young Texans on the value law enforcement officers bring to their communities," according to a statement from Abbott's office.

He is set to sign the bill into law to make it effective September 1.

Sandra Bland -No Power to the People In the midst of last week’s all too familiar news reports — of the U.S. Department of Justice’s decision not to file civil rights charges in Alton Sterling’s case; ex-cop Michael Slayer’s guilty plea on charges that he used excessive force as he fired eight rounds into the back of an unarmed Walter Scott; and the fatal police shooting of 15-year-old high school student Jordan Edwards as he drove

away from a party in Dallas, there was and still is little cry from Abbott for Sandra Bland.

What Austin accomplished this session on the issue of the way police treats its citizens during stops did little more than put “lipstick on a pig”.

In the words of Sharon Cooper, sister of Sandra Bland, the results of the hoopla have turned into a big huge disappointment and much to do about nothing for the family and a huge let down to many Black and Brown citizens who elected Coleman and Whitmire – who serve predominantly Black and Brown districts in Houston.

“I combed through the Senate’s revision of the Sandra Bland Act clinging to a sliver of hope that the sponsor, State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, would make law enforcement accountability a priority,” she wrote in a “The Missing Narrative of Sandra Bland”, TribTalk-Perspectives on Texas column, May 13, 2017.

“While the bill passed, language that contained specific law enforcement references such as consent searches, requiring identification of implicit bias as effective means of policing and prohibiting “pretext stops” — traffic stops for one offense that are used to investigate another — were all omitted.

Continue reading online @ www.aframnews.com By:Darwin Campbell AUS/SA- 7

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African

American News&Issues

SAN ANTONIO’S TRINITI ARMSTRONG

Texas HBCU’S

opportunity retains students while helping those students give back as they confirm the right career choice among the many available in the world of engineering and science.

The full program includes a summer session, mentorship with an institute scientist or engineer to continue a selected project during her 2017-2018 school year, all adding up to benefits for getting ahead in her college coursework while gaining experience for a career in science and engineering.

Following the intensive three-week group training session this summer, Armstrong will give back through an individual mentorship project completed during the academic year.

A St. Philip’s College Early College/ High School with SAISD student is the college’s first to participate in a 24-year-old summer-and-fall program with problem solvers at a globally-respected contract research and development organization that provides independent services to govern-

ment clients. St. Philip’s College student Triniti Armstrong is a participant in the 2017 Young Engineers and Scientists program http://yesserver.space.swri.edu July 19 - Aug. 4 at Southwest Research Institute http://www.swri.org/. Through daily contact with leading problem solvers, this

DR. JAMES A. WILSON, JR. RECEIVES INTERNATIONAL STUDY ABROAD AWARD

In 2015, Wilson was invited by Dr. Maria Hernandez Ferrier, former Texas A&M University-San Antonio president, to serve on a Texas A&M University System wide Strategic Planning task force for Mexico and Latin American relations. Each TAMU System school was represented and met in San Miguel, Mexico. ‘This was an opportunity for the Texas A&M University System as a whole to look at partnerships in Mexico and Latin America,” said Wilson. For three days in June, members of the task force discussed how their individual institutions would benefit from partnerships. The objective was to look at major research opportunities in the following fields: education, agriculture, engineering and fire science. “My whole aim and goal is to have our students become global scholars and that they would have research opportunities to work in Mexico,” said Wilson.

Dr. LaVelle Hendricks was also a member of the task force and applauded Wilson on how he was positioning PVAMU students to take advantage of system-wide opportunities to do research in Mexico. Because of Wilson’s contributions to the task force, Hendricks asked him if he would receive the Dr. Kenneth L. Clinton International Study Abroad Education TX - 8

Programs Award. “I was really happy to have a colleague and friend within the Texas A&M System that is very much supportive of opportunities for African Americans,” said Wilson.

“This is the first time I’ve ever gotten an award for study abroad programs,” said Wilson, “I was really surprised because I think any time we do a system-wide task force, I am always aggressively going to make sure I represent the very best for Prairie View,” Although Wilson’s primary work is in China, Korea, South Africa and Ghana, Hendricks said Wilson’s work translates to how he communicated the transformation of students who have study abroad experiences. When Wilson asked Hendricks why he was selected for the award, Hendricks stated it was because he provides his student with an opportunity to see themselves in a different place and assists them in understanding what it means to be an African American scholar in the world. “Any place I can make an impact or forge opportunities for our students, I’m going to take the opportunity,” said Wilson.

From left to right: Dr. LaVelle Hendricks, Dr. James A. Wilson, Jr. and Dr. Frank B. Ashley

During the upcoming academic school year, displays and presentations of Armstrong’s work will help her to give back in local schools by inspiring career awareness among students and teachers she does not know right now. The Young Engineers and Scientists program students Armstrong will network with are also developing computer and mathematical skills necessary

TEXAS • JUNE 5 - 11, 2017

for solving research problems, discussing scientific ethics, the social impact of technology and funding processes. Training in time management, library resources and public speaking will also be provided Armstrong.

Armstrong will join area students refining their goals with STEM experts at the institute through team study and a process called independent study mentorship. The mentors and teachers Armstrong encounters will observe her growth from a foreknowledge and understanding level to real work application. Retention efforts will include networking among peer students and mentorship among Armstrong, students and professionals already established or becoming established in their fields. In addition to hearing lectures from scientists and engineers in a broad variety of fields and disciplines, Armstrong will tour their laboratories and facilities. She will find a mentor at the institute and get a head start on a project she will complete during her tenure with the institute, one of 500 students who have benefitted from the opportunity to define their futures since 1993 when the program first started.

PROFESSOR AWARDED PITT BIOLOGY FELLOWSHIP

Dr. Audrey Player, assistant professor of biology, has been selected to work in the laboratory of Dr. Sandra Murray at the University of Pittsburgh’s School of Medicine. Dr. Player will be a visiting professor in cell biology during the summer 2017 semester. She is the recipient of one of five visiting professorships awarded by the American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) Minorities Affairs Committee (MAC).

Dr. Murray and Dr. Player will engage in research to understand the type and role of connexin gap junction channel proteins in the regulation of cell behavior. Molecular biological biochemical and microscopic imaging techniques will be used to analyze gene expression and manipulate the proteins found in the channels that facilitate the movement of regulatory molecules between cells.

The ASCB funds science education partnerships to update professors on the latIn 2016, he traveled to Costa Rica with the School of Architecture to promote research in the fields of Spanish, Architecture, Engineering and Agriculture. “When the award goes on the wall it is over,” said Wilson, “What are you doing to further the opportunities for our stu-

est research tools and techniques, help them build a network with community scientists and institutions to offer support, and bring the excitement of research science into the classroom. dents?” Because Hendrick’s work is in Costa Rica, he and Wilson are planning to forge a partnership between him and the University’s interest in Costa Rica. He is also exploring potential opportunities for students to study abroad in Costa Rica to further their Spanish.

TEXAS • JUNE 5 - 11, 2017

Texas HBCU’S

DALLAS HIGH SCHOOLS FILLED WITH FUTURE TIGERS

College acceptance season is in full swing. TSU President Austin Lane capped off the April leg of his high school recruitment tour with visits to Lincoln High School and Kimball High School in Dallas. In total, between 30 and 40 students from these two schools are planning to attend TSU in the fall. Six students were awarded $2,500 scholarships and 21 students submitted new applications for admission. Several

of the students will be enrolling in TSU’s Summer of Success (SOS) Program to allow them conditional admission to TSU for the fall semester. President Lane returned to Dallas in May to successfully recruit and welcome students from Kathlyn Joy Gilliam Collegiate Academy and South Oak Cliff High School. Over 1200 new students have been admitted to TSU from Dallas for the 2017-2018 academic year.

TWO SCHOOLS ONE CITY

D

Dr. Charles McClelland

r. Charles McClelland or shall I say the “Magic Man”, took over as the Athletic Director of Prairie View A&M Athletic Department in 2001. Prairie View was once considered the laughing stock of the SWAC (Southwestern Athletics Conference).

Dr. McClelland served as the A.D for seven years in which he took the schools eighteen athletics program to higher levels in academics, scholarships, and graduation rate for student athletics and a very competitive athletic program. The program received the school’s first ever CD Henry Award symbolic of excellence among the SWACs male sponsored sports. He also finished third for the Barbara Jacket-Sadie Magee Award, symbolic of overall excellence among female sponsored sports. In 2006-2007 the Prairie View athletics program finished in second place for the Dr. James Frank Commissioner Award, symbolic of overall excellence among all its sponsored sports. The second and third place finishes was the highest finishes in each category in 16 years. Dr. McClelland worked magic when he received over a million dollars in corporate sponsorships to help the Athletics program he also collected numerous donation for the women soccer program and a new football practice facility.

In 2008 Dr. McClelland took over the second HBU also located in the Houston area. When Dr. McClelland started the job at Texas Southern University, he took off running. He negotiated 3.5 million dollars for the school’s athletic program which was dividend within the school’s 16 programs. He also helped with improving the facilities with a remodeled basketball court at the school’s

HPE arena. The track and women soccer fields located at Alexander Durley stadium where also refurbished. They now have one of the best track surfaces in the country. Dr McClelland went above and beyond when he negotiated a contract for the team to play at the BBVA Compass stadium the home of the Houston Dynamo a state of the art facilities the past few years.

TSU athletics department has made big strides, the graduating percentage increased from 29% to 50% under Dr. McClelland.

The athletics department has won numerous championships in the SWAC in baseball both men and women baseball, softball, volleyball. The men track and field for 2014 & 2015 was the most historic year in the history of the program, 6 winning championships and also receiving the CD Henry Award for best male sports programs for the first time in the school’s history. The men’s team also won 30 games for the first time in history. Dr. McClelland also went on to negotiate the first TV deal of the school’s history at root sports.

He was named one of the 29 winners of Astro Turf Athletics, director of the year award in 2007.He was selected as the FCS football championship subdivision west award winner he was the first Athletic Director from the SWAC to receive this award. I had the pleasure of having a sit down interview session with Dr. McClelland.

Q: Where did you grow up and did you play sports?

A: I grew up in Jackson Mississippi where I attended Calloway High School, and yes I did play sports I played basketball.

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9

2017 COMMENCEMENT SPEAKER REV. FREDERICK DOUGLASS HAYNES III SPRING

HAWKINS – The Rev. Dr. Frederick Douglass Haynes III, senior pastor of Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dallas, Texas, will give the keynote address during Jarvis Christian College’s Commencement ceremonies at 10 a.m.

Saturday, May 6, 2017, in the E.W. Rand Center on the College campus.

The Rev. Haynes is engaged in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ, fighting against racial injustice, promoting economic justice and empowerment in under-served communities and touching and transforming the lives of the disenfranchised. For over 30 years, Rev. Haynes has served as a visionary and innovative senior pastor of FriendshipWest Baptist Church. Under his leadership, the ministry and membership have grown from less than 100 members in 1983 to over 12,000.

Friendship-West has moved three times under Rev. Haynes’ leadership in order to accommodate its growth. When FriendshipWest moved to its Kiest location, it moved to a community characterized by crime and violence. Rev. Haynes led Friendship-West to work with local officials and neighborhood groups in such a way that the community saw a drop in the crime rate and the neighborhood association was organized and headquartered at Friendship-West.

Rev. Haynes graduated with honors from Bishop College in 1982 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Religion and English.

He earned a Masters of Divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and in 2005 he received his Doctorate in Ministry from the Graduate Theological Foundation, where he was afforded the opportunity to study at Christ Church, Oxford University, in Oxford, England.

Q: Did you earn a scholarship in basketball?

A: No, (smiling) I wasn’t that good, but I did receive an academic scholarship to Prairie View A&M Q: Where you good enough to walk on at Prairie View since the team wasn’t that

Rev. Haynes is a committed community activist who has formed alliances with local community leaders and Dallas city officials to fight domestic violence and poverty by organizing a Faith Summit on Poverty.

Rev. Haynes has received numerous awards and honors for his ministry and activism. Ebony Magazine named him to its Power 100 list of most influential African Americans in 2012. He has been inducted into the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame. He was honored to give remarks at the memorial service of one of the most respected world leaders of the 20th and 21st centuries, President Nelson Mandela. This privilege was even more special because it took place in the Washington National Cathedral, the same sanctuary the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. gave his last sermon.

Rev. Haynes is the author of “Healing Our Broken Village,” which seeks to address the issues that have contributed to broken communities and lives. He also authored “Soul Fitness,” an inspirational and motivational daily devotional. good?

A: I tried to walk on and play basketball but the program was cancelled for having losing record for years.

Cont. reading interview online @ www.aframnews.com by: Jermaine Hayter TX - 9

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Church Listings

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ARMSTRONG CHAPEL AME CHURCH 401 West North St. Arlington, Texas 76011 817-801-1699

GET YOUR CHURCH LISTING OR PROFILE PUBLISHED IN THE NEXT AUSTIN/SAN ANTONIO OR DALLAS/ FT. WORTH METROPLEX EDITION BY SUBMITTING YOUR INFO TO SALES@AFRAMNEWS.COM VISIT US ONLINE @WWW.AFRAMNEWS.COM

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TEXAS • JUNE 5 - 11, 2017

New Hope AME Church Religion Profile

REV. DR. MARK WASHINGTON Pastor Mark Washington knew Christ at an early age and began his ministry in 1995 as a Youth Minister at Mount Olive AME Church in Mineral Wells, TX. He then served as the Pastor of Ball Chapel AME Church, Wichita Falls, TX, and Pastor of the “Anointed” Armstrong AME Church, Arlington, TX, and has been the Pastor of the “Victorious” Vision of Hope AME Church in Austin since November 2009.

Pastor Washington attended Tarleton State University and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelors of Business Administration in Human Resources Management. He continued his studies and obtained a Masters Degree in Business Administration from Amberton University.

Additionally, he obtained both his Masters and Doctorate degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, TX. Pastor Washington is a member of the Austin Area Urban League, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., former Commissioner for the Benbrook Civil Service Commission, former board member of the Tarrant Area Community of Churches and talk show host for the community cable show “Jobs Plus” on Channel 7/45, Fort Worth.

He has received the Austin NAACP 2010 Outstanding Service Award, Tarleton State University Outstanding Alumni Award, and Edwards Ministerial Association Community Leadership Award.

He is married to Ardina and they have two children.

For more infomoration or church service hours contact 512-929-7166. New Hope AME Church is located at 4711 Delores Ave Austin, Texas 78721.

TEXAS • JUNE 5 - 11, 2017

Business

African

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11

The African American Cultural and Heritage Facility

The African American Cultural and Heritage Facility is an active reminder of the City of Austin’s long-term commitment to protecting and enhancing quality of life for African Americans, the cultural and heritage facility fosters development of cultural activities, business opportunities and the essence of what it means to be a community.

The center houses the City’s Office of Arts & Cultural Resources, the Greater Austin Black Chamber and the Dedrick-Hamilton House Visitors Center.

For more info contact (512) 404-4411 or E-mail OACRinformation@austintexas.gov. You can also visit 912 East 11th St., Suite B Austin, Texas 78702, 10 am - 6 pm Monday through Friday (after hours by appointment) Visit us on Facebook! @African American Cultural & Heritage Facility Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce is located at 912 East 11th St., Suite A, Austin, Texas 78702. Hours of operation are 9 am - 5 pm, Monday - Friday. For more info contact (512) 459-1181 or E-mail: admin@austincc.org Visit us on Facebook! @The Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce

Blackshear Collection By: Thomas Blackshear

Carver Community Cultural Center

Located just east of downtown San Antonio, at 226 N HackberrySan Antonio, Texas, the Carver Community Cultural Center (the Carver) is an historical center of the community’s African-American culture. Named in honor of internationally esteemed agricultural chemist George Washington Carver, the Carver embodies this great man’s philosophy and spirit: “Start where you are, with what you have. Make something of it. Never be satisfied.”

The mission of the Carver Community Cultural Center is to celebrate the diverse cultures of our world, nation and community, with emphasis on its African and African-American heritage, by providing challenging artistic presentations, community outreach activities and educational programs.

The Carver Development Board is a 501 (c) (3) organization whose mission is to undertake fund-raising activities and to provide financial, programming and advisory support to the Carver Community Cultural Center.

The Carver operates as a special project of the Conventions Sports and Entertainment Facilities Department. Please peruse the pages within this website, http://www.thecarver.org/ for more information. If you are interested in donating to the Carver, please (210) 207-7211 Visit us on facebook! @Carver Community Cultural Center

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Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce

The mission of the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce is to serve as an advocate for the creation, growth and general welfare of African American businesses in the Dallas community.

Founded in 1926, the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce serves as an advocate for the creation, growth, and general welfare of African American businesses in the Dallas community. The Chamber actively promotes the expansion of business opportunities of our membership through referrals, partnerships, seminars, technical assistance, and marketing. The Chamber focuses on advocating for economic and business development, education, and special projects. Our membership is the pivotal component of our success – it’s the only way we can make a difference! We commit to leading, educating, and advocating in the Dallas business community, making the North Texas region a great place for our members to do business.

The Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce is located at Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce 2922 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd. Building A, Suite 104 Dallas, Texas 75215. For more information contact 214-421-5200.

Visit us on Facebook! @Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce

Great Father’s D Gifts ay

Collin County Black Chamber of Commerce

The Collin County Black Chamber of Commerce was founded by two African Americans, Mr. Keevin Dailey and Mr. Jamal Murray. They saw the need in providing a forum for minority business to connect resources and opportunities in the Collin County area. Collin County is one of the fastest growing counties in the State of Texas. This bustling part of North Texas has become an attractive home to two professional sports teams and an ever-growing list of corporate headquarters.

More importantly, however, we’re home to an estimated 782,341 people who live and work from Plano to Frisco, McKinney to Murphy, and everywhere in between.

Since the county’s conception in the 1840’s, there has been no known Black Chamber of Commerce. CCBCC is proud to the FIRST Black Chamber in over 150 years!

Collin County Black Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)6 non-profit organization.

Visit us on Facebook! @Collin County Black Chamber of Commerce

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Health

American News&Issues

Spring and Summer Foot Care

By: Lorraine E. McKinney, D.P.M., Podiatrist

Here are some helpful hints to keep your feet healthy for spring and summer:

t’s that time of year where we put away the fall and winter clothing and refresh our wardrobes with sprinkles of spring and summer. With frequent rain showers, humid weather, and hot summer temperatures, we strive to keep our bodies and feet as cool as possible. Cook outs, beach parties, strolls in the park, and other events keep our calendars full and the need for comfortable clothing and shoes necessary.

1.

2.

While we select the right clothing for an event, often as many fashionistas say, “The shoes make the outfit.” Fashion has its place, but it is the health of our feet that gives us a firm foundation to make it to all those events and have comfort. We must treat our feet right, and take action to make safe foot care choices especially during this time of year.

3.

pieces of glass, metal, and even sharp shells that can cut the feet and cause an injury to the feet.

Water parks often have clear surfaces; however, with so many people walking around barefoot, often, people have fungus on their feet, and “share” the fungus at the water park. Consider wearing water shoes or an older pair of tennis shoes you don’t mind getting wet to the beach or water park. The main idea is to protect your feet at all times.

Wear shoes that are comfortable for the particular activity. If you are going to an amusement park, it is better to wear well-fitting tennis shoes and socks versus sandals. If you prefer to not wear socks, try a thinner sock so that you will be comfortable.

Keep feet clean, dry them well after a bath or shower use cream or lotion on your feet. Doing this every day will keep your feet free from debris and dirt, and provide gentle, protective moisture to your feet.

Wear shoes at the beach or water park. Many people get to the beach and kick off their shoes and socks. This would be a novel idea, however, in the sand at many beaches are

4.

If you have diabetes and/or “poor circulation” in your feet, take particular care of your summer foot health. This is the time of year where we see an increase of foot infections in the office, often because patients are walking barefoot or without the correct shoes. Injury (including cuts, bruises, or sores) in the feet of patients with diabetes or poor circulation could lead to an

amputation of a foot, toe, or leg.

Speak to your podiatrist before planning any outdoor events, to get information about your particular foot type and what type of shoe is best for you.

5.

6.

Forget the flip flops. These shoes are popular in our area of the state, as we have warmer weather most of the year.

Some people wear flip flops year round. However, during the spring and summer, more people “want their feet out” and wear flip flops. For people with poor circulation and diabetes, senior citizens or people who are unsteady while walking, flip flop wear can lead to an increased incidence of falls and other skin injuries.

No artificial toenails. Many ladies (and men) head to the nail salon to get their feet “sandal ready”, and know they

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HOSPITAL (PART A) MEDICAL (PART B)

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Have Medicare and Medicaid?

Get more benefits at no cost to you — all in one plan It’s easy! Enroll in an Amerigroup plan. You’ll get all the benefits of Original Medicare, plus: • Dental, vision and hearing benefits • Rides to your doctor or pharmacy • An allowance for everyday health care items like vitamins, aspirin, and even toothbrushes • $0 copay for many prescription drugs • And more

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plan premium and copays

Call today to talk to your local Medicare specialist:

Call 1-844-500-6043 (TTY: 711) 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Monday to Friday

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are missing a toenail or have a discolored toenail. Nail salon personnel will often attempt to create an artificial toenail and apply it to your toe at your request. This is not a good option, as it can damage the nail bed and or nail root, and become a harbor for fungus or other bacterial infections.

When in doubt about foot health, contact a podiatrist! A podiatrist is a doctor of podiatric medicine, who specializes in managing problems with the feet and ankles. Make a splash this spring and summer with healthy feet!

A native of Houston, Dr. McKinney has practiced podiatry for over seventeen years. She currently serves the foot care needs of patients in the greater Houston area. For questions or further information, please call 281-402-3561.

ATTENTION: If you speak Spanish or Vietnamese, language assistance services, free of charge, are available to you. Call 1-844-500-6043 (TTY: 711).

ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-844-500-6043 (TTY: 711). CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói

1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)

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Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 1-844-500-6043 (TTY: 711). We do not discriminate, exclude people, or treat

them differently on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability in our health programs and activities. Amerivantage is a D-SNP plan with a Medicare contract and a contract with the State Medicaid program. Enrollment in Amerivantage depends on contract renewal. Part B premium is covered for fulldual enrollees. This information is not a complete description of benefits. Contact the plan for more information. Limitations, copayments, and restrictions may apply. Benefits, premiums and/or co-payments/coinsurance may change on January 1 of each year. The Formulary, pharmacy network, and/or provider network may change at any time. You will receive notice when necessary. This plan is available to anyone who has both Medical Assistance from the State and Medicare.

Premium, co-pays, co-insurance, and deductibles may vary based on the level of Extra Help you receive.

Please contact the plan for further details. This policy has exclusions, limitations, and terms under which the policy may be continued in force or discontinued. For more information on benefits, please contact your agent or the health plan.