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HONORING FIRST RESPONDERS

L-R: OFFICER TRACIE MATTHEWS, HARRIS COUNTY CONSTABLE PCT. 1, AL BENNETT, HOUSTON FIRE DEPARTMENT, SGT. OLIVER LEWIS, CHARLES JONES, HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT CEDRIC COLLIER, DEPUTY GREENLEAF, ANDREA CHAMBERS HOUSTON - When sickness, calamity, misfortune, confrontations, criminal activity and mischief prevails within the life of an ordinary civilian the only number known to Americans to call for rescue is 911. In these instances of crisis, the average individual is not worried about how and who comes to their aid; they can only focus on the fact that they need it, and pray with a hopeful mind that some form of relief will come soon.

Accordingly, the Acres Home Chamber for Business and Economic Development recently, honored a few individuals from varying departments throughout the City of Houston; who diligently assume the role of placing themselves in harm’s way at an attempt to protect the general public from the same.

In many instances, those who are deemed

as, ‘first responders’ render aid, resolution, mediation methods, comfort and medical assistance to those in need. In some cases, were it not for these fearless and unselfish members of the protective shield; many lives would be loss and much harmful circumstances would arise were it not for their presence and stance.

To that regard, there remain a wide variety of members who are apart of various branches throughout Texas that may readily be identified as, ‘first responders’. Firefighters, police officers and paramedics all play an integral part in this effort. Therefore, in this edition of African-American News & Issues we are honoring, ‘first responders’ and the outstanding job that they do for the general pubic on a daily basis.

Perhaps, the best way to understand the

sacrifices that are made on behalf of everyday citizens is to gather details from those who arrive first on the scene to witness them. As such, a brief interview was conducted with Aldine Police Department, Meadrous Pitre who gave his viewpoint as a, ‘first responder.’

A transcript from that interview, revealed the following questions and answers.

RJ: Being first to arrive on the scene as a police officer is not always a pretty sight; how do you cope with what you see and encounter as a police officer?

MP: “I try to deal with situations professionally, gather all the facts and render aid to the best of my your ability; while adhering to the guidelines and principals set forth by the unit of which I am apart of. Whether it be an emergency scene, medical dilemma, bodily

harm incident or life-threatening situation, in such cases you do whatever it takes to assist citizens with their needs and concerns at that time.”

RJ: Can you think of anything about the police department as a whole that the general public is not aware of in respect to operating as an officer of the law?

MP: “Well the fact that you have to put your personal feelings aside and actually do your job plays a big part with us as police officers.

Sometimes, you can get emotionally involved in a situation whereas it could possibly make a person get side-tracked.

PHOTO CREDIT: REBECCA S. JONES TO CONTINUE READING ‘RESPONDERS’ SEE PG. 4

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American News&Issues

A Tale of Two Ways to Police Manhood, Race & Culture

By Dr. James Thomas Jones III

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lthough I am not the biggest advocate for technology, I often view them as mere conveniences that the world could do without; however, the recent proliferation of cell phone camera videos capturing the misdeeds of police officers throughout the nation has forced me to reconsider my position on the utility of such items.

Just in case you missed it, a cell phone camera video of officers in McKinney, Texas, an area that is located approximately 30 miles north of Dallas, has surfaced that should cause all Americans, regardless of race or socioeconomic status, to pause. In the alluded to

video, an unnamed officer appears to be completely beside himself after being called to a pool party.

The alluded to meltdown led this particular officer to ultimately pull a gun on a teen and throw a bathingsuit clad teenaged girl to the ground.

Apparently officers were called to the area after a White resident witnessed several African-American teenagers in the neighborhood; unbeknownst to the caller, the Black teens had been invited to a pool party by his neighbor. Once officers arrived, cell phone camera footage displays two distinct patterns of policing. One form of policing was under girded with respect, while the other was dedicated to accosting and arresting any Blacks in the area.

Although the cell phone footage is a bit chaotic, there were two unidentified officers whose actions were filmed throughout the entire seven minute video. The initial officer was captured calmly explain-

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eople will sometimes say or do anything to deflect from the very serious issues at hand. In many Black and Brown communities across this nation, mothers, fathers, grandparents and entire families often worry when their children step outside of the home - even to simply walk to school. Their fears are twofold: they loath any criminal element that may be present wherever there is poverty and/or a lack of opportunities, but they are also weary of a police force that often fails to distinguish between criminals and everyone else, and instead engages in blanketed profiling, stops and searches. Rather than coming

Edit rial & Opini n

Texas • June 15 - 21, 2015

ing to a group of Black teens that they should “never run when the cops are coming.” The cell phone camera captured the teens passing something to the officer, he accepts the item and relates to the throng of teens, “I appreciate that. Thank you.” Considering pre-existing tensions between law enforcement officers and African-Americans, such behavior must be applauded and celebrated as a sign of respect.

However, things took an undeniable turn for the worse when a second, yet-to-be-named, officer appeared on camera.

The second officer arrived on camera in a rage that included loads of profanity directed at the very teens that the initial officer had just interacted with; yes, the same teens that the officer had just stated that he appreciated. The second officer then took over as the focus of the taping and proceeded to demean every African-American child present; antics that included his handcuffing two African-American

male teens and forcing them to the ground and culminated with his shoving an African-American female teenager to the ground, placing his knees in her back, and pulling his gun out as a warning to those who were seeking to come to her aid. Fortunately for Black and White citizens alike, this officer has been suspended, with pay while his superiors investigate the incident.

Truthfully, there is nothing new about the second officer’s behavior.

I am absolutely certain that every African-American who watched this horrific video experienced a sensation of déjà vu. Although the context of their conflict with officers may have been different, one commonality remained; that being, the presence of an overzealous officer devoid of either a sense of justice or a modicum of common sense.

As previously stated, there is nothing groundbreaking on this video. However, I do believe that there are a few things that the truly observant will glean from it.

Foremost of these is the cell phone camera capturing two distinctly different ways of policing and citizens response to said tactics. The aggression of one particular officer serves as a significant factor in a major police brutality issue that has made national news in less than 48 hours; this officers antics have most likely cost him his career as it is difficult to imagine any police agency standing behind his behavior in the litigious society that we currently live in. More importantly than the actions of the rogue officer was the inaction of what we could term the ‘good cop’ during this incident.

One of the quotes that I live my life by emanates from Edmund Burke who poetically stated, “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”

Such thinking leads me to the most significant aspect of this ....

Continue Reading Online ‘A TALE OF TWO WAYS TO POLICE’ Source: Aframnews.com

together to find ways to tackle both crime and unfair police practices, some resort to spreading unfounded, outright lies in order to keep the status quo. Their latest barrage of blatant falsehood - claiming that there is somehow a correlation between an alleged spike in crime, and a reduction in stop-and-frisks.

Nothing could be further from the truth; but clearly, there are those that simply have no shame.

For decades, National Action Network (NAN) and I have championed for civil rights and equality on behalf of families around the country who were largely silenced and ignored. As a native New Yorker, my fight for social justice took shape in this great city as we dealt with issues

ranging from racial profiling, unfair housing practices, access to quality education, violence prevention and all the way up to reforming stopand-frisk tactics. It is that last one, altering stop-and-frisk policies, that we spent significant time on as more and more of our young people faced harassment, brutality, unjustified arrests and even death at the hands of some officers behaving badly. In 2012, we led a silent march against stop-and-frisk along with other civil rights groups, labor leaders and others, where thousands attended in a show of solidarity. And we were elated when a federal judge ruled that the NYPD’s use of stop-and-frisk was unconstitutional. Now that officers have reduced the number of

stop-and-frisks (which study after study said overwhelmingly stopped innocent individuals), those who wanted to prevent reform from taking shape have now stooped to a pathetic level by blaming a so-called ‘spike in crime’ to this reduction. Nice try, but the facts say otherwise.

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Texas • June 15 - 21, 2015

Edit rial & Opini n

“I never knew that we were “po”…”

Before I Lay it Down...

I

By “Coach” Mark Spivey

often talk about my family and how large it is. You read where I mentioned those “beans and conebread” and how my mom so masterfully prepared them for my siblings and I. A pot full would keep yo stomach tight for three days after the initial helping. I also spoke of that fried chicken that I can smell in my dreams. Other delicacies such as pork bones, butterbeans, “pork and beans” and Spam (not the kind that shows up in yo emails) did a body good back in the day. We always had food to eat.

Throw in some Black cherry KoolAid and couple of moon cookies, life in the Spivey household was grand. For us kids, anyway.

Every now and then when we got hungry, my momma used to tell us to go in the kitchen and make us a “syrup sammitch”. How many of y’all remember that “Karo” syrup? That was some thick stuff, but boy did it taste good. I also remember dining on some Miracle Whip mayonnaise/salad dressing sammitches. As a kid, all we wanted to do was get permission to go in the kitchen and help ourselves and when we did, mom let us eat until we got full. All we had to do after that was make sho the kitchen was cleaned up.

We were on food steps most of our young lives, never fully understanding what entitled us to this government “bailout” of sorts. My dad always worked; he was a full time minister/pastor AND he had a great job working for the United States Department of Labor as a recruiter for minority workers.

How we qualified for food stamps and WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) cards was not a concern of ours as children. When my mom went to the stoe, we went with her and just followed her around

as she filled up the grocery basket with eggs, milk, cereal, orange/ pineapple juice and Enfamil (that infant formula produced for babies).

Those WIC Cards were multicolored, each signifying what type of food product you could purchase.

The food stamps would pay for the meats, cookies, bread and the rest of other stuff that we ate. We just thought that was the way everybody lived. We never knew we were “po” Since our family was so large, my mom didn’t have a “regular” job but she did work full-time.

Mothers will tell you that raising children and taking care of their husbands are full-time jobs. To think otherwise would be ludicrous.

Although my dad was fully employed, the money he made barely kept us above the poverty level and since our church was young, Pastor Spivey never took money from the members in the form of a salary.

Hell, he spent everything he had on the church FIRST, knowing and believing that God would bless him later. Still, my siblings and I ate well, lived in a nice (but crowded) home, and always had our lights/ water on. I never knew I was po until I got to middle school…

School kids can be very mean at times. My mom shopped at the neighborhood Goodwill from time to time and we used to get our shoes from a door-to-door salesman named Mr. Mooney. I think he sold them to my mom on credit.

We had to take turns in getting our shoes; we never got them all at the same time. One day while I was at school, a girl walked up to me and asked me where I got my new “kicks” from. When I told her that a man named Mr. Mooney sold them to my mom, she and her friends started laughing.

They told me that Mr. Mooney only helped “po people”. Jokingly, they said: “I betcho momma buys yo clothes from Goodwill and y’all got some food stamps, too”!

Continue Reading Online “I never knew that we were “po”…”

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American News&Issues

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Please Do Not Forget Our History! Forgetting What Happened to Us Can Destroy Us! - Roy Douglas Malonson

Juneteenth: What has Happened in the Past is Still Happening now!

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ecause African-American News & Issues is a publication that thrives off of reporting both current and historical realities that affect our communities, I have always made it a point to address incidents that have happened and are continuing to happen amongst its members. Therefore, I deem it necessary in this edition, to present a historical moment that stands out in American history as it relates to members of the AfricanAmerican community.

During an era which included the American Civil War that took place between the years of 1861 to 1865, a movement occurred that would change life as it was known in the lives of Black folks everywhere.

In this dispensation, a civil war was initiated that was set in motion to determine the ultimate survival of the freedom of the Confederacy.

The Confederacy is simply a term associated with eleven of the southern states of America. Of those states, seven of them withdrew themselves and established what is known as the Confederate States of America.

This act created a division amongst the Northern and Southern states of America. Thereby, the Northern states were referred to as the Union and the Southern, the Confederacy. At this pivotal point in American history, the civil war that covered a time span of four years, ultimately lead to the abolishment of slavery.

It was President Abraham Lincoln who sat in the executive seat at this time. At which point he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on September 22,1862. The Emancipation Proclamation was a decree signed that declared, “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” Though this decree was issued it was not set to go into effect until January 1, 1863.

However, anyone that is familiar with the term, ‘Juneteenth’ should be aware that this is a memorial of a date

that takes place in the month of in June. So one may wonder, how did the celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation extend from January to June? Well not only did it extend from January to June but it also was not noised to the people that it mattered the most to, until a couple years later.

According to Texas’ history and the accounts of the affects of the Emancipation Proclamation, by 1865, there was an estimated 250,000 slaves in Texas. Nevertheless, “as news of end of the war moved slowly, it did not reach Texas until May 1865, and the Army of the Trans-Mississippi did not surrender until June 2.”

Thus, it was not until June 18, 1865 that, “Union General Gordon Granger arrived at Galveston Island with 2,000 federal troops to occupy Texas on behalf of the federal government.” The following day, he read out loud the contents of “General Order No. 3”, which announced the abolishment of slavery. Hence the establishment of Juneteenth!

Now, although the Emancipation Proclamation was initiated to free the slaves, it was not complete in its fulfillment. The slaves because of their history and hardship were not in an adequate position or state to completely care for themselves because they had been in bondage for so long.

Even more so, while this declaration emancipated the slaves many of them were not free, unless they escaped on their own. As time went on, many things remained the same in the lives of African-Americans in these United States. Throughout the following years, decades and even centuries, the ‘said freed slaves’ would still have to fight and endure a wide variety of hardships simply to inherit civil liberties that other races, nationalities and cultures were automatically entitled to.

We MUST Understand, that the irony of the fact that the slaves were said to have been freed on January 1, 1863; is that majority of

We MUST Understand

By Roy Douglas Malonson, Chairman

them did not get the news until June 19, 1865. With the many things that has happened in the lives of Black people within the United States and that still occurs today; one can clearly see that the same ill treatment and inconsideration is still at work today.

The total disrespect and disregard of the African-American community is still the same.

We MUST Understand that though it appears that so much has changed within the African-American culture, not much has really changed at all. What bothers me most about the whole situation is that there remain Black leaders within the community that seem that they are not aware of this fact. On many occasions Black preachers are used as a ploy to further the agenda of those who do not look like us. Many of them are still sleep on the issues that matters most to the African-American community. As a result, our communities, children, educational systems and so many other things are constantly getting further and further away from us.

I often stress emphasis on Black preachers, because I believe that they are amongst some of the most powerful voices that can be found within the Black community. And if they were to use their platform and powers of persuasion to address issues both current and historical that affect our community it would really speak volumes to our African-American culture. This is why I state, “What has happened in the past, is still happening now.” The sad part about it is, whereas the government and other leading officials who did not look like us in times past did many things to undermine the Black population in this nation; there are now those who do look like us that are doing the same thing!

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American News&Issues

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C ver St ry

Texas• •August June1512-18, - 21, 2015 Texas 2013

MORE HONORED FIRST RESPONDERS ON THE SCENE

Responders from Pg. 1 Because your personal beliefs and battles that you confront in your own mind can have a tendency to allow you to be biased in an ordeal if you’re not truly strong and committed to what you do. Majority of the times, your view is always going to be different from that of the public’s viewpoint. The things that you see and have been through over the years creates a different thought pattern from the average individual.

There are so many things that the public doesn’t know that we go through on a daily basis. Playing politics with certain aspects of the job is also a big part that we have to deal with and the public does not have any knowledge of it.”

RJ: Here lately, there has been a lot of controversy behind police officers abusing their power and using their badge as a shield of protection for maliciously covering up ill-treatment towards those they were sworn in to protect. Does this affect those who genuinely seek to honor the code, “serve and protect”?

MP: “Yes, not only does it affect us, but it bothers me and other

officers. Because, at the end of the day the general public feels like we are all under the same umbrella and so they try to identify us all the same. So, when one mess up it’s like we all have messed up and when things get bad people want to retaliate. People just see a police officer, they don’t see the color or whether you work for the Sheriff’s office, constable’s office or this agency or that one. It definitely makes me feel a certain type of way, because when I go out I have to worry about if I’m going to make it home at the end of the day. I mean you have in the back of your head if someone is going to try to take you out just because of something that is going on in New York, Ferguson or somewhere that has nothing to do with you.”

RJ: As a police officer what are the highs of your occupation?

MP: “I really enjoy the fact that I can help people and make a difference. Out of all the things, I feel that if I can just reach one out of a thousand, then my day was not in vain. In my line of work, you can’t make everybody do right. But, where I am right now, we deal with a lot of children and teenagers and

the opportunity to assist them with turning their life around before they start hitting the court system is very rewarding to me. The fact that I’m able to help someone along the way, rather it’s providing them a service, saving their life or even offering an encouraging word. It makes it all worthwhile for me - just.”

Additionally, Officer Pitre stated that, “An individual’s attitude determines how their day will go. A person’s response to a police officer can either make or break their day. Another thing is that majority of ‘our people’ are the ones that appear to always have something to prove.” As he spoke he recalled an incident that had just recently occurred. He informed that, there was a young Black male whom he had an encounter with and the young man was very disrespectful. At that point, he said within himself, but not excusing or justifying any behavior on any officer’s account; that this is how some of these situations get out of control. “So it’s very important how a person treats and respects an officer of the law - even the Bible says that, ‘a soft answer will turn away wrath’,” he

all original responses from Letter to the Editor Weourwelcome 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.

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concluded.

Another ‘first responder’, Kenyatta Parker, a 14-year firefighter for the Houston Fire Department offered valuable insight as it relates to operating as a, ‘first responder’. Information gathered from this conversation yielded the following questions and answers.

RJ: What are some of the joys you experience as a firefighter?

KP: “I get a chance to help people. Most of the times, we come in contact with people that are going through the worst times in their lives. So being able to be the first person there to do what I can to make it better is fulfilling.”

RJ: Is there anything about the Fire Department that the general public is not aware of?

KP: “There are some people within the community that are not aware of the fact that anytime you call 911, in need of ambulance, the same people that are on the fire truck are also the ones that give render help to them as well.”

RJ: How do you deal with the stress that’s associated with your occupation?

KP: “Typically firefighters try to find the best way we can to cope.

As firefighters we try to detach emotionally from it. But even with that, there are some situations that you just can not detach yourself from. We have debriefings. There is a branch of the department that

is specifically designed to assist firefighters when we go through a traumatic event or experience. This provides us with the opportunity to actually talk and debrief, so we have to try to take advantage of that. Other than that we use each other as coping mechanisms and try to keep it as light as possible” RJ: Are there any certain incidents that stand out in your memory throughout your career with the HFD? KP: “Within my fourteen years of experience, I have seen quite a bit. So there’s not one thing that stands out that I would prefer to talk about because there are quite a few gruesome scenes that I have witnessed. But the ones that really get to me is when there are little children involved. Those are hard to detach from, I have little ones so whenever I come across a scene or incident to where kids are hurt or worst it is a hard pill to swallow.”

Overall, if any agency or department within a specified governmental entity is worthy of praise and honor then certainly, ‘first responders’ are. They confront situations that others shun and pedal city vehicles at the beckoning calls of citizens in dire need of help. Without fear or favor they seek to protect those who call upon them regardless of the situation.

To Continue Reading ‘ Honoring Forst Responders’ Visit www.aframnews.com

Juneteenth FreedoM & MusiC FestiVaL 2015

C mmunity

5TH WARD - The 3rd annual Juneteenth Freedom and Music Festival will take place on June 20, 2015 in the 5th Ward Community Garden. This celebratory festival is sponsored by the All African People's Development Empowerment Project's (AAPDEP) 5th Ward Community Garden.

It will be a day of fun and games for the kids, and a day if good music led by “Tighten Up” fame R&B artist Archie Bell. In addition, The Reggae Band Idiginis and the Hip-Hop Jazz artist Khalia K. Nice, along with many, many, more insures a day of good music.

This will also be a day of serious discussion on the plight of African people all over the world. Dr, Aisha Fields, the International Director of AAPDEP will be the keynote speaker along with other national and local representatives and activist.

Juneteenth is the oldest know celebration commemorating the ending of chattel slavery in the United States. Dating back to 1865, it was on June 19th that the Union soldiers, led by Major General Gordon Granger, landed at Galveston, Texas with news that the war had ended and that the enslaved were now free, two and a half years after the issuance of the Emancipation Proclomation.

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150 Years oF Juneteenth

TRUdY LYnn

ARCHIe BeLL

THe ReggAe BAnd IdIgInIs

However, in 2015 we are still not free people. Our dire economic situation and the deadly relationship the Black community has with the police throughout this country attest to this. That's why this Juneteenth is titles Juneteenth Freedom and Music Festival ( Not Yet Uhuru) Uhuru us a Swahili word that means freedom. See pg 7 for event details

Join Me in Celebrating 150 Years of texas freedoM on Juneteenth!

“It’s been 150 years since the slaves in Texas were freed. The struggle continues for the ‘absolute equality’ that was proclaimed on June 19, 1865 — but there is much to celebrate as all Americans move S Y LV E S T E r forward together into a brighter future.

Happy Juneteenth!”

Turner for M AY o r

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Houston's Juneteenth Celebration presents a lineup of legendary singers and rising stars in traditional African American music to honor the sesquicentennial of Juneteenth, including Jewel Brown with R.A.D.S. The Krusaders II.0, Trudy Lynn with Steve Krase, The Peterson Brothers and Connection.

Jewel Brown is an acclaimed Jazz and Blues singer whose career includes performing with Louis Armstrong's band from 1961-68 and starring in movies and television shows with Armstrong. She performs with the Heritage Hall Jazz Band. R.A.D.S. The Krusaders II.0 are carrying on the legacy of Houston Jazz legend Joe Sample. They recently recorded a CD with Jewel Brown.

Trudy Lynn is a Houston legacy in Soul and Blues. Her 2014 album, Royal Oaks Blues

Cafe, reached Number 1 on Billboard's Top Blues Albums Chart. Steve Krase and his band The In Crowd are award-winning Blues artists.

Their latest recording, Buckle Up, features Trudy Lynn. The Peterson Brothers are rising stars in Blues, bringing a very young perspective to the music from Austin, Texas. Connection is an award-winning gospel group from Houston, Texas.

Houston's Juneteenth Celebration commemorates one of the region's most significant historic events, Juneteenth, which has celebrated the abolition of slavery in Texas for 150 years. The event marks the occasion on June 19, 1865 when, following the Union victory in the American Civil War, a contingent of Union Army troops arrived in Galveston, Texas and

Major General Gordon Granger read a series of orders, including General Order Number 3, proclaiming "all slaves are free."

See pg 7 for event details

General Order Number 3

th e peo ple of tex as are informed that in accordance with a

Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that betw een employer and free laborer.

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elimination. Other schools would Melanie Malonson be Smith, Stovall, Harris and Hill, 281-898-4716 all based on the same criteria. Stu11718 SOUTH WILCREST dents of magnet programs that had HOUSTON, 77099 to been eliminated would TX return their home BLACK campus and given first CHAMBER priority for available slots in other magnet programs, with the exception of 4th grade students, who will be given the option of continuing at Houston Academy. Staff will 713-692-7161 be placed into vacant positions on other campuses.6112 WHEATLEY ST HOUSTON, 77091 The order would have TX given the magnet program a protected status www.aframnews.com and funds from the government would have beenCHEMICAL provided for their operation. Also, several events and items were reduced or eliminated, such as theCitywide magnet festival and Chemical technologyJanitorial fair. The proposed cuts & Commercial were approved district trustPest by Control Company 3521 Jensen St. ees at the January 25 school board Houston, TX 77026 meeting before a packed houseorof4809 713/227-4808 incensed parents and Janitorial student.Supplies But Sales-Service-Supplies Bamberg warns the cuts may still Wholesale-Retail not be enough to meetWethe needs repair buffers, vacuum,district. shampooers of the nation’s 12th largest and all other machines.

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Website: www.fwmbc.org

Fifth Ward Missionary Baptist Church members will endeavor to provide a strong foundation of love; we will stand on Biblical Truths; and we will equip one another to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in our community and in our (713) 697-1758 world.

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Rev. Edwin A. Davisr, Pastor

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HOUSTON, TX 77091

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What’s Happenin’

Texas • June 15 - 21, 2015

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June Monday

Acres Home Chamber for Bus & Eco Dev, Inc. Seniors - Arts & Crafts 6112 Wheatley St Houston, TX 77091 From 1pm - 3pm For more info contact: (713) 692-7161 info@acreshomecenter.org

June 15 - 18

Monday - Thursday Aldine ISD Summer Dance & Performing Arts Camp 2100 South Victory Dr Houston, TX 77088 From 9am - 2pm For more info contact (281) 878 - 0310 Tuesday Acres Home Chamber for Bus & Eco Dev, Inc. Tax Wrkshp & Record Keeping 6112 Wheatley St Houston, TX 77091 From 10am - 12pm For more info contact: (713) 692-7161 Friday Acres Home Chamber for Bus & Eco Dev, Inc. Juneteenth Celebration 6112 Wheatley St Houston, TX 77091 From 1pm - 7pm For more info contact: (713) 692-7161

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info@acreshomecenter.org

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Friday Juneteenth Texas & the City of Houston HHS Juneteenth 152 Years 9314 Cullen Blvd Houston, Texas 77051 From 11am-2pm For more info contact: (832) 808-6321 Friday Juneteenth Texas & the City of Houston HHS 143rd Juneteenth Super Day 2310 Elgin St Houston, Texas 77004 From 10am-8pm For more info contact:

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Friday Juneteenth Texas & the City of Houston HHS 143rd Juneteenth Super Day 2501 Holman St Houston, Texas 77004 From 10am-8pm For more info contact: www.juneteenthfest.com

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Friday Miller Outdoor Theatre Juneteenth 150 Year Celebration 6000 Herman park Dr Houston, Texas 77030 From 7pm-10pm For more info contact: (832) 922-0830

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Friday Metropolitan CME Church Jazz meets Juneteenth 8955 SW Freeway Houston, Texas 77051 (Festival) From 11am -3pm (Concert) From 5:30pm - 9pm

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Friday Missouri City Juneteenth Foundation Family Funday in the Park 1340 Independence Missouri City, Texas 77489 Beginning at 6pm Friday Galveston Juneteenth Parade 1600 Strand St Houston, TX 77550 Beginning at 7:30pm For more info contact

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wwwgalveston.com/juneteenth

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Saturday Sylvester Turner Annual Acres Homes Juneteenth Parade 6719 W. Montgomery Rd. Houston, TX 77091 From 10am - 12pm For more info contact (713) 683-6363

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Saturday Juneteenth Texas 42nd Emancipation Celebration Parade 4400 Ennis St Houston, TX 77004 From 10am - 11am

African

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20 Saturday All African

People’s Development & Empowerment Project Juneteenth Freedom & Music Festival 2015 3703 Brill St Houston, TX 77026 From 12pm - 8pm For more info contact (214) 707 - 7309

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Saturday Project Row Houses Juneteenth Fredom Fest 2501 Holman St Houston, TX 77004 From 10am - 7pm

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Saturday Missouri City Civic Ctr MCJCF Bid Whist Tournament 1522 Texas Parkway Missouri City, TX 77489 Beginning at 11am www.juneteenthfest.com

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Saturday Missouri City Civic Ctr MCJCF Domino Tournament 1522 Texas Parkway Missouri City, TX 77489 Beginning at 11am www.juneteenthfest.com

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Saturday Missouri City Juneteenth Foundation One Mile of Smiles Juneteenth Parade Texas Parkway (FM 2234) Missouri City, TX 77489 Beginning at 7pm Sunday First Baptist of Lincoln City BC FBC Praise Dancers 844 Fortune St Houston, TX 77088 Beginning at 11:30am For more info contact: (832)892-5078

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June 20 - 21

Saturday - Sunday St Paul AME Church Historical Exhibit of Texas AME Churches 1554 Gears Rd Houston, TX 77067 Beginning at 10am For more info contact (832) 722-1905

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BESTOWING OF THE INAUGURAL BARBARA JORDAN GOLD MEDALLION FOR PUBLIC-PRIVATE LEADERSHIP

“We can do it. We can do it.

We can do it.” ~ BARBARA JORDAN

| KEYNOTE ADDRESS | 1992 DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION

“Keep going. Don’t ever stop.

Keep going. If you want a taste of freedom, keep going. In America, you always keep going.

We’re Americans. We’re not big on quitting.” ~ SEN. HILLARY

CLINTON | ADDRESS TO 2008 DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION | CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE OF TEXAS

Thank you and good afternoon. I am so proud to be here with you today at the historic Texas Southern University in Houston, Texas.

It is my honor to salute a distinguished American whose life and achievements embody the passion and principles and values and commitment to service of our own and beloved Barbara Charline Jordan.

The Barbara Jordan Gold Medallion for Public-Private Leadership is presented annually to a woman of demonstrated excellence in the public or private sector whose achievements are an example and inspiration to people everywhere, but especially to women and girls.

Because of Barbara Jordan’s symbolizing leadership I envisioned the creation of this Award to provide a national and international platform for honoring women that embodied the principles of leadership and courage. Today we bestow our first one.

It is fitting that the inaugural recipient of the Barbara Jordan Gold Medallion is the former First Lady of Arkansas and the United States, U.S. Senator, and Secretary of State: Hillary Rodham Clinton.

When asked to name the woman living anywhere in the world whom they admire most, Americans have named Hillary Clinton in each of the last 13 years and 17 of the last 18.

As a leader on the national TX-8

and international stage, Hillary Clinton has represented our nation with distinction and grace always reflecting our highest ideals and aspirations.

It was First Lady Hillary Clinton who traveled to Beijing to speak truth to power, declaring on behalf of women and girls everywhere that: “human rights are women’s rights. And women’s rights are human rights.”

It was Hillary Clinton who gave voice to what we here have always understood, when she said that to raise a happy, healthy and hopeful child, it takes a family, it takes teachers, it takes clergy, it takes business people, it takes community leaders, it takes those who protect our health and safety, it takes all of us.

That, yes indeed, it takes a village to raise a child.

But before Hillary Clinton was a household name, many of us in Texas remember her as the young, determined, brilliant, and activist whose passion for justice and equality brought her to Texas in 1972 to help poor people and African Americans and Latinos register to exercise the right to vote they had been denied so long.

Passed in 1965 through the brilliant leadership of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. along with the leadership of my colleague Congressman John Lewis and with the Civil Rights foot soldiers joined by the extraordinary leadership of President Lyndon Johnson, the greatest legislative genius of our lifetime, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 was bringing dramatic change in many states across the South But in 1972, change was not coming fast enough or in many places in Texas.

In fact, Texas, which had never elected a woman to Congress or an African American to the Texas State Senate, was not covered by Section 5 of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and language

Capital Corner

Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee TX 18th Dist.

minorities living in South Texas that Hillary Clinton came to help were not protected at all.

But the voter registration work performed in 1972

by Hillary Clinton in Texas, along with hundreds of others, including her future husband Bill, helped elect Barbara Jordan to Congress. And in 1975, Congresswoman Barbara Jordan authored the amendment that became Section Sections 4(f)(3) and 4(f)(4) of the Voting Rights Act, which extended to language minorities the protections of Section 4(a) and Section 5, which also had the important effect of subjecting Texas to the preclearance provisions of Section 5.

In 2006, during the floor debate on the reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act, I said: The Voting Rights Act of 1965 is no ordinary piece of legislation. For millions of Americans, and many of us in Congress, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 is a sacred treasure, earned by the sweat and toil and tears and blood of ordinary Americans who showed the world it was possible to accomplish extraordinary things.

But a terrible blow was dealt to the Voting Rights Act on June 25, 2013, when the Supreme Court handed down the decision in Shelby County v. Holder, 537 U.S. 193 (2013), which invalidated Section 4(b), the provision of the law determining which jurisdictions would be subject to Section 5 “pre-clearance.” The reason the Court gave for its ruling “times have changed.”

CONTINUE READING STATEMENT FROM SHEILA JACKSON-LEE ONLINE @ WWW.AFRAMNEWS.COM

AUSTIN - Births and deaths, marriages and divorces, land disputes and ownership rights—every facet of life passes through a county courthouse. Texas has more than 240 historic courthouses, 80 of which were built before 1900 and feature a remarkable array of architectural styles. After decades of deterioration, water damage, and lack of funds for repairs, many courthouses fell in to a state of complete disrepair. In 1999 the Texas Historical Commission (THC) launched the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program (THCPP) to save the state’s treasured historic landmarks that house vital documents and irreplaceable records.

County judges, commissioners, and facility personnel of restored courthouses will convene in Austin for the THC’s Texas Courthouse Stewardship Program. The workshop will address a range of topics—from critical maintenance issues to community development—aiming to prevent the facilities from returning to their previous condition.

Established in 1955, the THC is the state agency for historic preservation and saves the real places that tell the real stories of Texas. The THC’s nationally-recognized,

HOUSTON - The grants are a part of the MacArthur Foundation’s Safety and Justice Challenge, a $75 million initiative that aims “to reduce over-incarceration by changing the way America thinks about and uses jails.”

From the group of 20 awardees, 10 jurisdictions will receive a second round of funding ranging from $500,000 to $2 million annually to implement their plans for reform.

Harris County’s application was submitted by the Harris County Criminal Justice Coordinating Council,

TEXAS • JUNE 15 - 21, 2015

(Photos: Built in 1903, the Newton County Courthouse was devastated by a fire in 2000. The courthouse was restored through the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program and rededicated in 2012.)

award-winning Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Program was established in 1999 to restore Texas’ county courthouses to their original splendor and make them safe, functional, and a source of

pride for Texas communities.

The program has generated more than 10,000 jobs and more than $269 million in local income. For more information about the program, visit www. thc.state.tx.us/courthouses.

which is supported by the Office of Criminal Justice Coordination and includes two County Commissioners, the Mayor of Houston, the District Attorney, the Sheriff, the County Attorney, presiding judges of the three criminal court divisions, an Administrative District Judge, and the Chief Public Defender, amongst others.

Additional support will be provided by Harris County MHMRA, the Coalition for the Homeless, the Council on Alcohol and Drugs, and the Houston Center for Sobriety.

The Texas Criminal

Justice Coalition and the Texas Public Policy Foundation submitted a joint letter in support of Harris County to the MacArthur Foundation as part of the County’s application.

Harris County has reduced its jail population by approximately 25% since its peak at over 11,000 inmates in 2009. Building on this success will require the County to address a number of issues, including the jail’s large pretrial population and the increasing number of inmates being incarcerated with mental health and substance abuse issues.

Black Man’s History

MALCOLM X

He teaches us the religion of Islam. Do you understand the difference? These people who follow Christ they believe in Christ; they believe Christ is God -- Oh yes, they do -- that he was born of the Blessed Virgin, didn't have a father, was just a spirit, and then came into the world and was crucified, rose from the dead, and went up into space. They believe that, but they believe it because they don't know history. But if you notice, the Jews have a better knowledge of history than the Christians do, do they not? the Christians' history only goes back two thousand years; the history of the Jews goes back beyond four thousand years. Can you see this? And the Muslim history goes back...there is no limit to the Muslim history.

If you notice, the Christians can only go back to what they call the Greek Empire. That's what they call the Occidental, the beginning of the Occident, the Greek Empire, the Roman Empire, and so forth. The Jews have a knowledg e of history that goes back to Egypt and Babylon. You notice how one goes back...it has no limit.

There are no chains on how far you can go back when you are a Muslim. The Christians and the Jews combined go back to whom? To Adam, and they stop right there. And they say beyond him there was nothing happening. The greater their

knowledge of history is -- this has an influence on the type of religion that they accept. Do you understand?

All praise is due to Allah.

Another example: What makes the royal family of Europe, or any country, differ from the peasant? Royalty knows its ancestry, royalty knows its history, this is what makes them royal. You can't have a king who can't trace his history back to his forefathers. The only way you can be king is to be born a king. If you take away his history, and he doesn't know who his forefathers were, what does he become? A peasant -- a common ordinary man. Same with the Jews and Christians.

It's because the Jews have the longest record of history that they can call themselves the Chosen People. The Christians can't call themselves the Chosen People because their history is not long enough.

They can't go back to the time when the choice was being made. The Hebrews, the socalled Jews, can go back so far they can lay claim to that which is actually not theirs. But the reason they can claim it is that nobody else they are dealing with can go back far enough to disprove them. Except the Muslims -- do you understand?

So The Honorable Elijah Muhammad's mission is to teach the so-called Negroes a knowledge of history, the history of ourselves, our own kind, showing us how we fit into prophecy, Biblical prophecy. When you go to one of the churches you will notice that it is named after some word in their Bible: Big Rock Baptist Church, or Drinking at the Well Baptist Church, Friendship Baptist Church, Union Baptist, Israel Baptist, Jacob's Ladder Baptist. They find some kind of old funny word in their Bible to name their whole religion after. Their whole doctrine is based on a verse in the Bible: "He rose."

The Honorable Elijah Muhammad bases what he teaches not on verse but on the entire book. And from beginning to end, he says, he can open up the Book and prove that the Bible agrees with him, and then use the Bible to prove that what they are teaching in the church is wrong. You know that's saying something.

For instance, he says that in Genesis, the fifteenth chapter and the thirteenth verse, just to give you an example: "And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; and also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance." Now The Honorable Elijah Muhammad says that explains his teachings right there, because he teaches that the so-called Negro is the one that the Bible is talking about. Who have spent four hundred years and are strangers in a land that is not theirs?

And you can't deny that we are strangers here. I don't think any of you will deny that we are strangers here. We are not in a country where we are made to feel at home. We'll put it that way. There is hardly any Negro in his right mind who can say he feels at home in America.

He has to admit that he is made to feel like a stranger. Right or wrong?

Well, this is what God said to Abraham would happen in this day and time. Remember, Abraham's religion was Islam. Abraham wasn't a Jew, Abraham wasn't a Christian, Abraham wasn't a Buddhist, Abraham was a Muslim, which means he obeyed God. God told him, yes.

Pick up next weeks Issue to continue reading “Black Man’s History” Malcolm X, edited by Imam Benjamin Karim December, 1962

rev. dr. martin luther king, jr., march on washington, august 28, 1963:

“We cannot Walk alone…We cannot turn back.”

Please join me as we celebrate the life and legacy of the reverend doctor martin luther king, Jr. While much pro gress has been made in the last half century, the events of the past year teach us that dr. king’s wisdom, guidance and activism have urgency and relevance today. We are blessed that his dream is still alive.

As Houstonians, as Americans, as human beings, let’s walk together and let’s walk forward in the unending quest for justice for all.

Happy MLK Day!

Mayor Annise Parker

a n n i s e Pa r k e r C a m Pa i g n

Note - this speech was delivered before Malcolm left the Nation of Islam and accepted true Islam -- so his views in this speech do not reflect his own or those he held near the end of his life.

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Read us online! w w w. aframnew s. com

P o l . a d v.

TEXAS • JUNE 15 - 21, 2015

TX-9

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Read us online! w w w.a f r a m n e w s .com

JHJ SCHOOL OF BUSINESS WELCOME NEW ADVISORY COUNCIL MEMBERS

HBCU Corner

TSU - Jesse H, Jones School of Business Dean Ronald A. Johnson and Chairman, John L. Guess, III, welcome Tiffany Dugar Hatchett, vice president - area manager of Houston West with Chase Business Banking and Gary Reese, senior Wealth Strategist | Wealth Management with Northern Trust to the JHJ School of Business Advisory Council (BAC).

Chairman Guess stated, “We are delighted and honored they have chosen to join our efforts and serve on the JHJ BAC lending time, energy, wisdom, and experience to leverage our ability to achieve the School’s mission.”

Hatchett has expressed a keen interest in coaching and mentoring students at the JHJ School. She delights in speaking to students in the classroom sharing her Tiffany Dugar Hatchett experiences as a young professional.

Reese has been a steadfast supporter of the JHJ School lending resources from Northern Trust for the Frame the Future Campaign and providing corporate executive speakers for JHJ School students.

BAC members provide counsel to the dean on strategic, operational and Gary Reese financial direction for the school. Business Advisory Council members also play an important role in the strategy and operations of the business school. In addition to fulfilling the mission of the School, they will help to transform students into leaders in the global market place.

HU MINISTERS’ CONFERENCE EXECUTIVE BOARD

PRAIRIE VIEW - Johnson Phillip All Faiths Chapel Dean and Assistant Director of Student Engagement, Charles H. Lewter, IV, has been appointed to serve on the prestigious executive board for the Hampton University Ministers’ Conference at Hampton University.

This conference is the oldest ministers’ Conference among HBCU’s and attracts more than 6000 attendees each year.

ABOUT THE HU MINISTERS’ CONFERENCE The Ministers’ Conference began in 1914 when the Negro Organizational Society, the Conference for Education in the South, the Southern Education Board, and the Cooperative Education Board sought to address the growing concerns of the African-American church and its relationship to the community. With Hampton Institute carrying strong influence with each of these community organizations, it became the birth-place of the original Ministers’ Conference, then known as The Conference of Negro Ministers of Tidewater, Va. Held June 29-July 3, 1914, 40 ministers representing four denominations gathered in the Memorial Church.

The welcoming of clergy from all Christian denominations is what originally set Hampton’s conference apart from the rest and has led to the success seen today.

The success of the first year led to further growth of the conference. The Rev. Dr. A. A. Graham was elected president, the Rev. G. W. Jimmerson was elected vice president, and the Rev. Laurence Fenninger, the Hampton Institute assistant chaplain, became executive secretary. Since Fenninger, the position of executive secretary has always been filled by the university chaplain, thus strengthening the bond between the University and the conference. For most of the conference’s history, the TX-10

position of University chaplain, and thus the conference executive secretary, has been occupied by a white male.

Only in 1976 did Dr. Michael A. Battle become the first African American to serve in the position.

In its second year, the conference adopted the title of The Ministers’ Conference of Hampton Institute (later the HU Ministers’ Conference) and spread beyond the Hampton Roads area to include Richmond and Roanoke, Va. According to a report by Fenninger, the annual conference was to be “held at the same time as the Summer School for Teachers with the hope that closer cooperation might be brought about between ministers and teachers.”

In its early years the conference did face some opposition from various groups that questioned its significance and the need for another gathering of ministers.

There were already several Baptist meetings and conferences being held in Virginia. However, the conference continued to grow and flourish. Following World War I, a great migration of blacks from the South to the North was underway, and the Ministers’ Conference reacted by broadening its focus from the rural church to the needs of the urban church.

In 1934, the Annual Choir Directors’ and Organists’ Guild joined the annual conference following the successful visit by the Westminster Choir School the previous year. The Rev. Samuel A. Devan, university chaplain from 1930-1940, wrote in his report, “This aroused so much interest that there have been requests that we provide in future conferences for the attendance of the Church Music Directors.”

TO CONTINUE READING VISIT

WWW.AFRAMNEWS.COM OR WWW.PVAMU.EDU

TEXAS • JUNE 15 - 21, 2015

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GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER MAGNET H.S. SENIOR SIGNING DAY

L-R: BRYSON KEAL, BAYRON PUAC, JOSHUA SOUTH, BRIANNA CRAWFORD, BRUCE WESTBROOK, ERIN CLARK & JASMINE GUILLORY

American News&Issues

11

HOUSTON - Recently, the These are students from George Washington Carver Magnet High School of Aldine Independent School District held its first Senior Signing Day. Prospective collegiate hats and shirts paraded the auditorium of the MO Campbell Educational Center, as seniors singned letters of intent to various colleges, universities and military branches.

Vines Pre/K, Reece, Harris, Anderson, Bethune, Houston, and Drew Academies; along with Caraway Intermediate, Hoffman Middle, MacArthur High and Nimitz High School all delivered exciting performances throughout the ceremony.

Additionally, the G.W. Carver’s Orchestra, Choir, Dance and Theater Cheer Greeters also rendered special presentations. Mr. Jeff Syptak of State Representative Sylvester Turner’s office was the guest speaker of the day. He encouraged the seniors to remain positive and focused while congratulating each of them on their next level of acheivement in the world of academia.

As the event came to an end, seniors and family members were seen with smiles galore as they embraced their newly elected campuses of higher learning and education.

BY: REBECCA S. JONESPHOTO: MICHAEL ROGERS

HISD BUDGET PLAN INCLUDES RAISES FOR TEACHERS, PRINCIPALS AND STAFF; NO TAX RATE INCREASE

HOUSTON ISD - Salary increases that will help the Houston Independent School District hire and retain effective principals, teachers and district staff remain a top priority for administrators as they continue to develop a budget for the 2015-2016 school year.

Under the proposed budget, teachers would get a minimum salary increase of 2 percent, with beginning teacher salaries jumping up to $50,500 — almost $4,000 more than they earned just two years ago.

Certified bilingual teachers would earn an additional $4,000 annual stipend, a significant increase over the current $1,250 stipend.

The district also is considering a plan that would increase the salaries of middle and high school principals, who currently make significantly less than their counterparts in surrounding districts. The increases would make the salaries more competitive.

At the middle school level, principals of specialty and K-8 schools would be brought up to $95,000, while principals of comprehensive schools would be brought up to $105,000 plus a $10,000 signing and retention bonus.

At the high school level, principals of specialty schools would be brought up to $115,000, principals of comprehensive schools would be brought up to $130,000, and principals of comprehensive high schools that have been deemed hard-to-fill would be brought up to $130,000 plus a $20,000 signing and retention bonus.

All hourly employees would earn a minimum of $10 per hour. Other district employees would receive a 1.5 percent salary increase.

“We want an effective teacher in every classroom and an effective principal on every

campus,” HISD Superintendent Terry Grier said. “These proposed salary and stipend increases will help us recruit and retain the best of the best.”

The updated 2015-2016 proposed budget was presented this week during an HISD Board of Education workshop. The school board must formally approve the budget before it can go into effect for the 2015-2016 school year. Trustees are set to review the budget again on June 15, and then adopt the budget on June 18.

The district also has proposed to continue offering the ASPIRE teacher bonus program, which provides financial rewards to educators whose students are making the strongest academic gains. Under the proposal, the program would be re-tooled so that it focuses primarily on core subject teachers (math, science, English/Language Arts, and social studies) working in hard-to-staff schools and subject areas.

District officials originally thought they might have to temporarily discontinue the ASPIRE program amid concerns that HISD would lose significant state funds for the 2015-2016 school year because of rising property values. Generally, as property values in a district rise, the state provides less funding. Chapter 41 of the Texas Education Code allows the state to take money from property wealthy districts with revenue that exceeds a state-set level and distribute the funds to property poor districts — a process known as “recapture.” Though 80 percent of HISD students come from low-income families, the district is considered property-wealthy under the state’s current funding formula because of rising property values.

HISD fared better than expected during the legislative session thanks to the district’s

legislative efforts. The funding the district received from the state, along with other variables, helped offset what could have been a significant loss in local revenue.

The legislature raised the state’s homestead exemption from $15,000 to $25,000 through Senate Bill 1, which is subject to voter approval in November. In addition to

the state’s exemption, HISD will continue offering the local homestead exemption.

Through this local exemption, HISD homeowners take an additional 20 percent off the appraised value of their property, the highest homestead exemption allowed by the state.

CONTINUE READING ABOUT HISD BUDGET PLAN ONLINE @ WWW.AFRAMNEWS.COM

JACK AND JILL OF AMERICA, INC. NORTH HOUSTON SUBURBAN CHAPTER

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Saturday, July 11, 2015, 6:30 p.m. at Minute Maid Park Tickets are $150.00 e black tie event will include dinner, entertainment, and a live auction. For more information about Jack & Jill of America, Inc. or the 2015 Champions for Children Gala visit: www.championsforchildrengala.com TX-11

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