Issuu

December 15 - 21, 2019

Vol. 24, Issue 47

Greater Houston Edition

“Success is the result of perfection, hard work, learning from failure, loyalty, and persistence.”

“In fact, the conﬁdence of the people is worth more than money.” - Carter G. Woodson

LIVING LEGEND Birdie Lee Chadwick

- Colin Powell

NEVER GIVING UP:

OUR STORY December 15

William A. Hinton, ﬁrst Black professor at Harvard Medical School and developer of “Hinton Test” for diagnosing syphilis, born (1883)

HOUSTON - Longtime Third Ward resident, Birdie Lee Chadwick, recently celebrated her 100th birthday on November 29 with a host of family and friends who flew in from all around the country to celebrate with her at Laurenzoʼs restaurant in the Heights. At the party, Chadwick was presented with a proclamation from the City of Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turnerʼs Office, honoring her with a Birdie Lee Coleman Chadwick Day. Chadwick is reportedly one of the first African-American beauticians in Houston to integrate salons, eventually opening and operating her own salon and social club. Early in her career, she was also active in the preparation, training and development of young ladies in pageantry. After retiring in the early nineties, Chadwick remained active with her organizations, as well as her church, Lilly Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Third Ward, where she has been a member for many years. She is also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star and the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks organizations. Chadwick is not the only member of her family to become a centenarian. Her sister, Annie Mae Mack, died earlier this summer just six days before her 102nd birthday. The sisters lived only a couple of miles apart for almost 50 years.

Colin Powell is appointed as the ﬁrst Black Secretary of State (2000)

The Bobby Simon Story

Robert Johnson, the billionaire founder of Black Entertainment Television (BET), becomes ﬁrst African American owner of a major sports franchise (2002)

In his heyday, he stood 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 252 pounds, a “country boy” from Mansﬁeld, Louisiana who was a force to be reckoned with. Fast as lightning and physically dominant, his athletic prowess took him from high school stardom to Grambling State University and eventually the Houston Oilers. See Story Page 5

COMMUNITY

EDUCATION

ENTERTAINMENT

The 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery, ratiﬁed (1865)

Legendary actress Cicely Tyson born (1933)

Carter G. Woodson, the founder of Black History Month, born (1875)

HABJ students receive pearls of wisdom, words of encouragement from media leaders

Lone Star College to offer bachelorʼs degrees

Project Row Houses to receive $100K from prize awarded to Solange

Page 3

Page 4

Actor Samuel L. Jackson born (1941)

2 • African-American News & Issues

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Texas • December 15 - 21, 2019

OPINION & EDITORIAL Partin’ the Waters: How far can ‘The Unholy Trinity’ Republicanism, Conservatism and Racism you spin a false narrative? Partin’ the Waters By Omowale Luthuli-Allen

For some of us, it will be impossible for you to give us a drink of muddy water and tell us that it is rainwater. For some of us, gaslighting will not work. Gaslighting is a form of emotional and psychological behavior designed to manipulate and dominate. Abusers and dictators use it a lot. Many of these people can pass a lie detector test with ease because they have convinced themselves that their straight-up lies are the truth. Pastor Jim Jones preached at the corner of Jensen and Lyons Avenue a few decades ago. He had cultivated a cult of personality with his gift of gab, olive hair, tan skin and Bible thumping. He lied faster than a Tennessee Walker could trot, and we know that a Tennessee Walker is genetically programmed to trot. Leopards are genetically programmed with spots on their skin. They can change their neighborhoods but can never change their spots. Father Jim Jones could chop lies and con-

vince you that Guyana and poisoned Kool Aid was part of your destiny. Father Jones would medically diagnose women from the pulpit. Divinity would reveal to him which women had dangerous malignant and painful tumors in their wombs. This type of narcissist could keep you listening to a four-hour sermon and quasi- hypnotize his or her flock; 15,000 repeated lies and you begin to question your own reality. Professionals in multiple intelligence services diagnosed the hacking of the American 2016 elections. All of them concluded that the Russians made a concerted attempt to subvert the Democratic process by spinning conspiracy theories and distrust. One candidate, who didn’t know which continent Ukraine was a part of, promoted that the intelligence services could never be trusted and were part of a deep state plot to undermine him while he was trying to determine if he was a Democrat, Republican, Manchurian or chameleon candidate. He told a huge ridiculous lie and people were thrown off kilter. Then it became easier and easier for them to question their own unsteady percep-

tion and experience of reality. Confusion reigns. The only thing more dangerous than a confused individual is a confused group of individuals. The cult figure proudly states that if he shot somebody on Main Street at high noon, that enough people would disbelieve it and he would get off scot free. All that he would have to say is, “don’t believe your lying eyes.” Two decades ago, some of us said to Father Jim Jones, let the doorknob hit you where the dog should have bit you. Adios, Vamoose friend. We regret that Hilary Clinton and President Barack Obama are living in your head and are masterminding your descent into madness. Gaslighters can undermine and subvert intelligent people. Gaslighters isolate you from the people that you can trust. Manipulative spouses divide family members from each other to maintain their dominance. Cunning and evil political leaders drive a wedge into the people that they represent. The more confusion that they have fostered, the more opportunity for a strong man to rule in a democracy.

Cont. aframnews.com

It’s All About TRUTH

By Dr. Bobby Eugene Mills

What happened to the Party of Abraham Lincoln? The world community is witnessing the spiritual-moral-decline of a great nation because America refuses to live-up to its own Preamble Constitutional Creed. In fact, world leaders are laughing at America; not President Trump, because Trump did not make himself President. Thus, prior to being elected President, he told everyone who and exactly what he was about (self-service-incarnation): “I and I alone can fix it!” Therefore, the foundation of the unholy trinity is exclusion (racism). Question: Is America being transformed into a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah? The evil worldly trinity is propelling America toward a violent end. Has America forgotten that: “The Earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.” (Psalm 24: 1). Hence, Ameri-

cans have forgotten to: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12: 15). Moreover, Americans should never forget that life is about the intangibles, and more importantly, “God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and truth.” (John 4: 24). Is America being transformed into a modern-day Sodom and Gomorrah?

Christian Right Evangelicals, stop worshipping President Trump, “and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy O Lord to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.” (Revelation 4: 10-11). Apparently, spiritual common sense is not common among so-called-self-ascribed-Conservative Republicans and self-appointed Christian Right Evangelicals, because: “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” Cont. aframnews.com

Texas • December 15 - 21, 2019

COMMUNIT Y Students receive pearls of wisdom, words of encouragement from media leaders

By AANI Staff

HOUSTON – The Houston Association of Black Journalists (HABJ) held its annual Student Mentorship Breakfast on Dec. 7 to a packed house of speakers and students awaiting media-related words of wisdom. More than a dozen panelists participated in a series of sessions aimed at empowering the next wave of aspiring young journalists and public relations professionals. Groups of students from Prairie View A & M University (PVAMU), the University of Houston, Texas Southern University and even one George Ranch High School student, Princess Sinkambe, lined up to shake the hands of media leaders and ask for advice. Sessions included From the Classroom to the Newsroom: Skills You Need to Succeed Today and Beyond; Life Outside the Newsroom: Transitioning from Newsroom Life to Other Communications Careers; From the Veterans: Shifting and Shaping a Long-Term Career in Media; and Making the Most Out of Your Internships. Esteemed panelists for the morning included Audrey Gilbreath, CEO of Gilbreath Communications; Lisa Ashley, media relations director for Port of

Houston; Isidro Reyna, senior communications specialist for NASA; Kathy Sapp, executive producer of Judge Faith Show, Mary Benton, press secretary for Mayor Sylvester Turner; Meshach Sullivan, Houston Astros communications coordinator; and Shelley Wade, pop

African-American News & Issues • 3

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NOW EVEN CLOSER TO HOME. DR. RNE . THO W.W

LSC-North Harris

because it shows the students that, even if they feel that newsroom life is not for them, they have so many more avenues in which they could put those journalism and communication degrees to good use – and in many cases, for more money in starting salaries.”

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University of Houston communication students DaʼYon Dunlap and Greg Goods enjoy their ﬁrst HABJ Student Mentorship Breakfast.

culture and entertainment expert known for her distinguished voice when she was one of Houston’s leading radio personalities. “It was extremely exciting to see the amazing turnout of Black and Brown students from various colleges and universities, and the esteemed media professionals who dropped what they were doing on a Saturday morning to come and pour into the younger generation,” said Nakia Cooper, HABJ president. “My favorite panel was the one focusing on ‘Life outside the newsroom,’

Students also sang praises of the event. PVAMU student, Tori Summers, said she now understands the importance of being prepared for the industry. “I attend an HBCU,” said Summers. “My university is preparing us with the truth: This is the color of your skin. You’re not socially acceptable in these parts. There’s going to be some things that they are not going to like about you, but I’m being prepared to maneuver through it.” HABJ Cont. on Page 7

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4 • African-American News & Issues

EDUCATION

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Learn so you can earn: Lone Star College to offer bachelor’s degrees

ENTERTAINMENT

Project Row Houses to receive $100K from prize awarded to Solange Knowles By AANI Staff

By AANI Staff

HOUSTON – More great news to offer you a hand up, instead of a hand out! Lone Star College has received approval from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to begin offering bachelor’s degree programs. Beginning in fall 2020, LSC students will be able to earn various degrees, including, Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN); Bachelor of Applied Technology in Cybersecurity (BAT); and Bachelor of Applied Science in Energy, Manufacturing and Trades Management (BAS-EMTM). The approval from SACSCOC, the higher education accreditation agency for the southeastern United States, makes Lone Star College the first community college in Texas to roll out three bachelor’s degree programs.

“This is a significant milestone for Lone Star College,” said Stephen C. Head, Ph.D., LSC chancellor. “This approval allows Lone Star College to expand its commitment to providing high-quality academic and workforce programs in response to our area employers’ needs.” The BSN degree is designed for licensed Registered Nurses seeking to advance their professional qualifications. Graduates of the program will have a broader understanding of the nursing profession and will be better prepared to assume leadership and management roles. The BAT in Cybersecurity will prepare students for careers in the field of Information Technology. Coursework will include a balance between theoretical and technical competencies associated with the IT profession, with a concentration in cybersecurity. The BAS-EMTM is designed for students who hold an Associate of

Applied Science degree and are seeking to further develop their professional qualifications. Graduates of the program will have a greater understanding of the managerial roles in energy, manufacturing and trades industries and will bring that knowledge to their advancing roles in their workplace. “Students interested in earning one of these degrees can enroll at LSC, study close to home and take advantage of paying the same tuition rates to earn a bachelor’s degree as they would an associate degree, saving them thousands of dollars,” said Alton Smith, Ed.D., LSC Board of Trustees chair. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2118 in 2017 allowing the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to authorize certain public junior colleges to offer baccalaureate degree programs in the fields of applied science, applied technology and nursing. Cont. aframnews.com

Texas • December 15 - 21, 2019

HOUSTON – In the spirit of giving back and passing it on, Houston’s historic Project Row Houses will benefit in a major way from an award received by Solange Knowles. Knowles, the GRAMMY Award-winning singer/songwriter and visual artist, will be the first-ever recipient of the Lena Horne Prize for Artists Creating Social Impact, the first major entertainment award to be named after a woman of color, honoring excellence at the intersection of arts and activism. Knowles will be honored at a special event, which will be held at The Town Hall in New York City on Friday, February 28, 2020 during which she will receive $100,000. The money will then be directed to Project Row Houses, a Houston-based nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering people and enriching communities through engagement, art and direct action. The organization, founded in 1993, is a catalyst for transforming community through the celebration of art and African-American history and culture. “I am beyond humbled to be the first recipient of the Lena Horne Prize,” said Knowles in a statement. “I will never forget being a young girl and the impact of hearing the great Lena Horne so radiantly and powerfully

singing the words “believe in yourself” from that remarkable moment in The Wiz.

Solange Knowles

I have carried it with me closely my entire life. At the age of 12, I played this very role at the Ensemble Theatre in Houston, Texas and it was then I learned about Lena’s dedicated activism and fearless integrity as a woman and groundbreaking artist. I am honored to be receiving an award that bears her name and continue her legacy of using the arts to inspire reflection and evoke change.” “[We] are grateful for her continuous support of Project Row Houses and the Historic Third Ward community”

The Lena Horne Prize Advisory Board, which consists of an esteemed list of artists, entertainers, philanthropists and community leaders including Harry Belafonte; Billy Porter;

Judy Collins; Deesha Dyer; Roxane Gay; Dolores Huerta and more, selected Knowles for using her platform to promote social change. “We are thrilled for Solange as the inaugural recipient of the Lena Horne Prize and are grateful for her continuous support of Project Row Houses and the Historic Third Ward community,” said Project Row Houses Executive Director Eureka Gilkey. “For more than 26 years, Project Row Houses has proven that the intersection between art, activism and neighborhood development can be a sustainable vehicle for community transformation. This generous gift will continue to support Project Row Houses as a thought leader in socially-engaged art, and our community enrichment and neighborhood development activities.” Knowles has used her platform to advocate for representation and justice while providing constructive and empowering messages. With the release of her critically acclaimed albums, A Seat at the Table (2016) and When I Get Home (2019), Solange has navigated through themes of self-reflection and origin, empowerment, grief and healing that have resonated with millions of voices.

Texas •December 15 - 21, 2019

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COVER STORY

African-American News & Issues • 5

Never Giving Up: The Bobby Simon Story By N.L. Preston

HOUSTON – In his heyday, he stood 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighed 252 pounds, a “country boy” from Mansfield, Louisiana who was a force to be reckoned with. Fast as lightning and physically dominant, his athletic prowess took him from high school stardom to Grambling State University and eventually the Houston Oilers. But after a series of injuries, a hard knock thing called “life” and one of the worst storms Texas has ever seen, he feels he’s battling alone, with nothing more than the sheer grit he’s had from birth. Today, at 66 years old, Bobby Simon is a diabetic who lost a foot due to an infection caught during Hurricane Harvey, lost his wife to cancer a few days later and lost hope he once had that help is out there for an “Old NFL’er” still in love with the game.

and was eventually put on the injured reserve list. “I just couldn’t stay healthy,” Simon said. When he was finally told his time with the team had ended, his spirit bottomed out. “It was bad, I was at the liquor store every morning. I drank anything. Wild Turkey, 101. Everything had to be 100 proof. If it wasn’t, I’d just look at it like it was water,” he admitted.

“I had to get back to her.”

Today, at 66 years old, Bobby Simon is a diabetic who lost a foot due to an infection caught during Hurricane Harvey, lost his wife to cancer a few days later and lost hope he once had that help is out there. when I was coming up; mowing yards; anything I could do to get paid to help my family.” The small-town country boy then became a college man.

From country boy to professional athlete

“A good dream to remember, a good dream to remember”

I spent nearly two hours talking to Simon, who had no idea he was being interviewed. I had no idea either, but as a journalist, I found his story so riveting, I decided to secretly pop on my recorder as he candidly spoke about his life. “It was six of us so anything I wanted, I had to work for it,” Simon said of his childhood. “I always kept a side job

“I was always known for my quickness during that time. I was #70 at Grambling. If you look up Grambling Greatest or Grambling drafts from 1976, they have my picture. I had a head full of nappy hair and I had to keep a rake for my hair (chuckle) a regular comb wouldn’t do it,” Simon said. “Most big guys my size were not as quick

as I was, but I was from the country. You know when you run through the woods, jumping over the creeks, running from wasps. I played Left Tackle, I’d keep all the bad guys away. A good dream to remember, a good dream to remember,” Simon reminisced. “You know I don’t know how I got into the cabaret business.”

From the NFL to nightclubs How he ended up there was almost too simple for comfort level. The athlete took a tumble, and in a snap, his career was over. Simon was an eighthround draft pick for the Houston Oilers, where

he played with greats like Elvin Bethea. It was while tacking another NFL great, Tony Dorsett, that he got caught in a pocket of grass at the historic Astrodome and tore a ligament. “They were one man short on the kickoff and it was the last pre-season game of the year. We were playing Dallas Cowboys. Dorsett was on the field and I was tackling him down and my foot got caught in the old pitching mound. I got up and I felt something, but then halfway off the field, that joker just went out on me. They grabbed me and toted me on off,” Simon recalled. After that, he suffered several more injuries to his knees and shoulders,

He then “worked a little bit of everything” with various jobs until an unexpected opportunity arose for the gladiator. “I was always going to the corner store and a man saw me and said, ‘Man, I see you hop that bayou every damn day. Who in the hell are you? I’ve never seen anybody that big jump that damn far,’” Simon explained. “I told him who I was and the man said, ‘Do you need a job?’” The football player then entered the gentlemen’s club industry, where he admitted, he had to drink to be prepared for the unexpected. “I was the doorman, the bouncer and everything protecting the girls. Every night, I was fighting two and three men. I was laying them out cold on the sidewalk. Blood everywhere,” he said.

Eventually, Simon made it to southwest Houston’s historic Foxxy’s Cabaret, where he worked for more than 20 years. “I’m the one who put Foxxy’s on the map, you know making it an organized club. Without me, it would have been nothing but a death trap.” He retired due to health issues and focused on taking care of his wife, Sharon Oliphant, who was battling lung cancer. Then a storm by the name of Hurricane Harvey blew in and their battles intensified. The couple lost everything and moved between shelters and motels when they could, but eventually ended back up at their mold-infested apartment. “FEMA really wouldn’t do nothing for us. I think they gave us about $800,” he said. Determined to keep them alive, Simon would walk them to the hospital. “I thought the shoes I had on were waterproof, they were Dr. Scholl’s, but one day I took my shoe off and my damn toe was black, and I said, ‘this thing is getting infected.’ A doctor wanted to admit me into the hospital, but I said I couldn’t go because my BOBBY Cont. on Page 7

6 â€˘ African-American News & Issues

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Texas • December 15 - 21, 2019

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WHAT’S HAPPENIN’

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11 Champagne & Ribs Houston Museum of African-American Culture 4807 Caroline St. Houston, TX 77004 7PM-10PM THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12 Mayor Sylvester Turner Keynote Speaker 2019 Houston Area Urban League Annual Meeting & Report to the Community Luncheon Hilton Americas Hotel 1600 Lamar St. Houston, TX 77010 Starting at 11AM For more information visit haul.org or email THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12 Presented by Houston HBCU Alumni Association At Ease Thursday Series Buffalo Soldier National Museum 3816 Caroline St. Houston, TX 77004 Exclusive Members Only Event

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13 State Representative Ron Reynolds & District 27 to host Holiday Open House & Toy Drive Wells Fargo Bank Tower 2440 Texas Parkway Ste. 102 Missouri City, TX 77489 11AM-1PM

FRIDAY - SUNDAY, DECEMBER 13-15 The CEO Ministry presents The Entrepreneuer Weekend Kingdom Builderʼs Center The Great Room 6011 West Orem Dr. Houston, TX 77085 For more information: www.facebook.com/WindsorVillageCEOministry.org/ Featuring: Courtney Johnson Rose, George Johnson, Jill & Greg Parker & Charmaine Dyson SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14 10th Annual Kwanzza Market Festival 2019: Celebrating Community and Culture Second Baptist Church 3310 E Commerce St. San Antonio, TX 78220 11AM-5PM

HABJ Cont. from Page 3

BOBBY Cont. from Page 5

The goal of HABJ is to encourage, uplift and motivate minority students chasing their dreams in the fields of media and communications. The organization, which has a new board, has been running full speed ahead on hosting valuable workshops and mixers to increase awareness and support, and raise money for the scholarship program. To join, visit www.habj.

wife was in the hospital and I needed to be there for her. I let a doctor clip off my toenail, and I put my shoe back on and had my walking cane and a bad hip, but I wasn’t giving up. I was hurting so bad, but I wasn’t giving up a bit. I had to get back to her.” Sharon’s cancer was spreading, and with no insurance, the hospitals would send her home after only a couple of days each time she went. And Simon’s foot was getting worse. “I was always first to her. I loved her and I know how much she loved me. She just smiled at me and told me to go and take care of what I had to do. And that was it.”

@AFRAMNEWS

African-American News & Issues • 7

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 14 Palm Center Farmers Market 5997 Beekman Rd. Houston, TX 77021 9AM-1PM

NOW - SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 DECEMBER 29, The Ensemble Theatre Presents More Than Christmas The Ensemble Theatre 3535 Main Houston, TX 77002 For more information: 713-520-0055 Book & Lyrics by Celeste Bedford Walker Music & Lyrics by Stephanie Blue FRIDAY & SUNDAY, DECEMBER 20 & 22 Lab Performing Arts Initiative Houstonʼs Urban Nutcracker Stafford Centre 10505 Cash Rd. Stafford, 77477

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The day after having his foot amputated, he called to check on his wife, but received no answer. He sent adult protective services to take her to the hospital, but a couple of days later, he learned his wife had died. Her body was cremated before Simon could be released from the hospital. He never had the chance to say goodbye. He is just left with her purse, and fond memories. “Every time a rainbow would come out, it didn’t matter where we’d be at, she’d say ‘let’s stop and look at the rainbow!’ Even if I was sleep, she’d wake me up and say ‘Bobby, come look at the rainbow, it’s

pretty, it’s pretty!’” At the end of Simon’s rainbow, there was no longer a pot of gold. No biological children, no wife, no home to return to. He bounced around from one temporary housing facility to another until he finally found an opening at an assisted living apartment. When asked if he had any regrets: “I wish I would have stopped drinking sooner,” he said. When asked if he had any wishes. He kept it simple: a wheelchair with working brakes so he can hoist himself out of it easily, and a supply of Ensure protein supplements from time to time so he can maintain his strength, but living

on only $900 per month in social security, he can’t afford those items. He reached out to the NFL for assistance, but due to his short playing time, he was told there were no resources for him. African-American News&Issues contacted his old teammate, Elvin Bethea, who is a board member of Fairness for Athletes in Retirement (FAIR). “Bobby’s story is one of many stories out there, but nobody ever hears it. He’s a fellow football player, so he’s one of mine,” Bethea, 73, said. “I was one of the ones who fought for the betterment of our players; increased pay, insur-

ance and pensions. They used to call us ‘clubhouse lawyers,’” Bethea added. “We are the ones who helped build this league up to what it is today. We are the ones who sacrificed and gave up our bodies and our livelihoods so these younger players can be where they are.” So, what about Simon? Bethea and his team are reaching out to Simon to see what they can do, but are there Hurricane Harvey funds available from the city or state? Will the NFL provide assistance? “Bobby sacrificed,” Bethea said. “He deserves it.” Simon says he’ll keep fighting to the end, never giving up.

8 • African-American News & Issues

Texas • December 15 - 21, 2019

Greater Houston Edition

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