Vol 27 Issue 14

April 24, 2022

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

African-American News&Issues

“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”

Vol. 27, Issue 14 The more miseducation we receive, the more unemployable we become.

- Roy Douglas Malonson

EILEEN J. MORRIS

COMING TO THE STAGE Photo Credit:Elizabeth Conley

Cont. on Pg. 3

2 AFRAMNEWS.COM

April 24, 2022

EDITORIAL

President/Chief Editor

Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.: Associate Editor Nick Jones: Afram TV Tristar: Layout Design

News:

Partin’ the Waters

By Omowale Luthuli-Allen

EQ not IQ Office: (713) 692-1892 Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

If you want to be king of your own kingdom, seek EQ, not IQ. Associated Press Reported that a man was killed in Liberty County, Texas in a dispute over a neighbor’s dog roaming loose and crossing into his yard.

This act of a dog crossing a manmade boundary was too hard. A gunshot wound to the stomach of the owner of the dog sent another brother to the morgue. Now, two families are crying crocodile tears due to the theft of breaths and years.

Is this how a dispute is supposed to end? Emotional Intelligence is about mediating disputes, especially small disputes. Emotional intelligence is about skillfully but desperately finding a way to come down the hostility ladder, lowering the temperature, deescalating, peacefully meeting in the middle.

Civilization is about selfactualized citizens finding a non-violent way to go forward and live.

In America, are we losing our way?

A newspaper reported that neighbors were having a dispute over barbeque smoke that the wind cur-

rents carried into their personal space.

An argument ensues and the great adversary slips into the heart. Anger escalates to madness; madness ramps up to rage. The adversary whispers that since you have a fire stick, exercise your prerogative to honor your pride. Thus, man child Cain wiped his brother Abel off the face of the earth.

Countries are neighbors, all are citizens of one planet circling one sun of reality. Putin is a modernday expression of Cain defying mandates from the Beatitudes.

Yes, Cain has lost his way.

Last week, Cain boarded a Brooklyn bound subway train in the Big Apple and shot nineteen innocent people, including defenseless women and children.

Social workers will reveal that the assailant had a bad childhood and family history full of adverse events. The court prosecution record will show a long rap sheet and feet that were swift to shed innocent blood. He was unwanted as a child but is now wanted in 50 states.

The wisdom of evolution has created mankind as primates, high primates that have evolved from a carnivorous ape, capable of infinite goodness and infinite For more visit cruelty. aframnews.com

A Revival of God

Consciousness Bobby E. Mills, PhD

Can The GOP Win With A White Privilege Platform?

The GOP is plagued by a misguided political value system in a multi-cultural society with absolutely no positive governing policies. The answer to the question is a resounding yes, they can, because when 73+ million Christian Right Evangelicals, White Privilege oriented Republicans, and White Nationalists voted for a chronic habitual liar, you bet your last dollar the GOP can win in 2022 and 2024. Moreover, according to the record, President Trump wanted to destroy NATO, create an adversarial relationship the European Union, and dismantle long standing spiritual relationships with Great Britain, Germany, France and others. More importantly, Trump glorified an autocratic Russian dictator: Putin. Former President Trump hooked and crooked in conjunction with Senate Leader McConnel to stack the Supreme Court with political hacks rather than thoughtful Jurists. Sadly, the GOP is

displaying its utter disdain for the free will choices/ rights of women by seeking to repeal Roe versus Wade. The immoral mentality of GOP male leadership is on bold display by seeking to control women and their bodies and this is an absolute fact.

The GOP does not have an inclusive democratic governing agenda. They simply have a White Male Privilege Agenda based upon lies, confusion, illogical theories, and alternative facts. And it works with individuals who think and believe like they do, and we know that 73+ million in America think the way they do. Democrats must politically realize that you cannot change insanity, only God can redeem the unredeemable.

However, what we can do is enforce the law when lawbreakers break the law concerning Voting Rights, Civil Rights and Insurrections, (January 6th, 2021).

The only way we can avoid making the same mistakes in the future is by knowing the history of the past; 1619 and other important dates of American history.

Gerrymandering and out right hooking and crooking have become GOP mainstay political tools for winning elections, especially mid-term elections.

For more visit aframnews.com

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

April 24, 2022

AFRAMNEWS.COM 3

COMING TO THE STAGE By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.

HOUSTON - Eileen J. Morris grew up in a small country town called Pembroke Township in Illinois. Her parents wanted all six of their children in a place that gave them space, provided them a different environment than the city, and most of all, kept them safe.

Morris grew up in Catholic schools and was raised Catholic.

Her parents sent each one of her siblings including herself to Catholic schools so they would have “better opportunities and make a difference in the world.” In order to offset the cost of tuition, Morris and her siblings would clean the church on Saturdays.

Her love for theater and the arts started at a young age. At one time, she aspired to be a nun due to the Catholic influence growing up. However, things changed for Morris in the 5th grade when her view of the world changed, and she thought she had “a lot more to offer being in the arts.”

She started auditioning for school plays in elementary school and even obtained the role as Snow White, even though there were some people who were against her playing the character since she was not White. Despite the challenges, she received the role because she was the best person for the part.

Morris graduated from Bishop McNamara High School in Illinois in 1974. She then attended Northern Illinois University (NIU) where she majored in Theater Arts Comprehensive. She graduated from NIU in 1977. After college, she got married and had her son in 1980. A year later she moved to Houston with her husband. Since both of her parents were from Houston, she traveled to Houston often. On one of her previous

trips, she met the founder of The “I love when audiences see a play Ensemble Theater, the late George and they talk about that shared Hawkins. He told her, “When experience that they have. That you’re ready to live here, let me human experience that touches know.” their lives.”

She started volunteering at The Morris further provided more Ensemble Theater and in 1982, information on the mission of The Hawkins hired her as his ManagEnsemble Theater. “We’re doing ing Director and Touring Educaplays from the African American tion person. “He saw something perspective and that’s hugely imin me that I didn’t see in myself,” portant for me. If we don’t tell our Morris reflected. She served as the story, who will tell them, and will Managing Director until his pass- it come from the life experience of ing in 1990. She then became being black?” the interim Artistic DirecShe further stated, “We tor and shortly after the have to tell those stories, official Artistic Director. and we have to make She served in this role sure they are told until 1999. in a way that repreLife then took Morsents the culture but ris to Pittsburgh, PA are also human where she received stories.” Huthe opportunity man stories are to work with Dr. important so Vernell A. Lilthat people lie, founder can connect EILEEN J. and Artistic and relate MORRIS Director to them.

Photo Credit: Richena Brockinson of Kuntu When Repertory discussTheatre, ing the where she current served as status of the Managing Director. In 2006, African Americans in theater, she left Pittsburgh and returned Morris mentioned how things to The Ensemble Theater as the have shifted. “In the Black theater Artistic Director. movement, you’re seeing how When it comes to the arts, MorEuropean culture is incorporating ris loves the opportunity to tell diversity in the communities we varied stories. “I love creating a serve and not being done just durplatform for African American ing Black history month. You’re artists to have their voices heard.” looking at plays that speak to She also loves the discovery those experiences. It’s being done process of what they do and what because the community is diverse happens when the artists and the and multicultural. We want those creative team come together. In communities and institutions to addition, her soul is happy when know that this is how we are and the audience can make connecwhat we breathe and do every day. tions to the work of art stating, We are constantly making sure

that we are paving the way and creating a platform that incorporates the artists, the audiences, and all of our community, and that the community is served in the most diverse way.”

Outside of The Ensemble Theater, Morris is a part of various organizations. She serves as secretary on the board of the Theatre Communications Group, a consulting board member of the Black Theatre Network, and serves as an advisory board member of the Houston Cinema Arts Society. In addition, Morris is newly appointed to the Ion District Community Benefits Agreement-Community Advisory Council. Being a part of these organizations is “how we maintain and stay connected in our community and it brings the work that we do together.”

Morris has also won several awards, has produced over 87 productions, which include eight world premieres and over 64 regional premieres. It was noted that she is the only woman in the country to direct eight plays of the August Wilson Ten Play Cycle.

When it comes to legacy, she wants it to be centered on how she viewed life. Morris reflected on a quote by August Wilson stating, “Art does not change the world, it changes people and people change the world. I think I would want my legacy and when they think about the art I’ve created over the years. We came from a place of honesty, truth, we’ve come from the realness of who we are as human beings. We come from being black, and we’re unapologetically black and making sure our voices are heard.”

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April 24, 2022

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

POLITICS

LGBTQ+ CONTROVERSY

By: Laisha Harris

HOUSTON - Recently, with Governor Abbot’s attack on women’s reproductive rights, nearly 30 anti-LGBTQ+ bills have been introduced to the Texas Senate and House. The proposed ban on youth participation in sports that align with their gender identity and ban on affirming healthcare for trans-gender youth were introduced but did not pass.

The Religious exemption allows for lawyers, ordained ministers, and priests to refuse their services to LGBTQ+ individuals if based on a strong religious belief or moral objection. The Gender Marker prohibits minors from amending their birth certificate to match gender identity. The Religious Exemption and Gender Marker bills are still being discussed.

The City of Houston is known for attracting and embracing people of different backgrounds, culture, and shade. Kendria Holmes, who is from Third ward, knew her entire life she liked women.

In elementary, she would see the way the school would divide students by gender and started to realize the differences. “I did what I had to do to fit in, but by eighth grade, I felt comfortable in speaking up for myself, and when I got to high school, I embraced it. At Challenge Early College, boys would wear skirts and the teachers encouraged us to be ourselves. We had straight/ gay alliance organizations, we would host panels and events, but church and school were always different. Church couldn’t answer my questions. Religion doesn’t speak to the scientific part of why I feel different than I look.” While

Holmes’ identity was affirmed in school, she could not be herself when church was involved.

The First Amendment of the United States Constitution prohibits any state from embracing, favoring, inhibiting, or denying a religion, or preventing a person from exercising their religious belief. Throughout the years, the Supreme Court has decided that there is a wall of separation between the church and state. Schools cannot mandate prayer at the beginning of the school day and a government agency may not embrace or deny services based on a person’s religion.

Wayland Adams, born in Cleveland, Ohio, finds that Houston is more progressive and welcoming of diversity. “Now the laws? That’s a different story.

From what I noticed, the leftist ideologies are based on religion and yet one of the fundamental rights from the First Amendment is the separation of church and state.” This separation became noticeable to Adams during the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Jackson.

“They would ask her about her religious beliefs, but she would say that it is her responsibility to keep the church and the state separate.

So, her religion cannot be used while she’s making decisions in the courthouse.” Adams says to honor the separation of church and state, the two cannot mingle when the state finds it convenient. “Science and data are one thing. Religion glorifies one life over another. It’s unfair to make decisions based off a religious belief for the whole of Texas rather than being religiously

neutral in law-making.”

Holmes mentioned, “the people pushing these laws have their beliefs rooted in a religion, and those politicians are seeping their religion into the laws. Not to mention, Austin doesn’t reflect or represent the urban voices and urban areas such as Houston.”

The representatives of Texas communities aren’t as diverse as Texas communities. With 2022 being a year for state-wide elections in Texas, we have an opportunity: fulfill our duty and vote for the candidate we desire.

That way, when communities protest and demand change, we can say we tried it their way first.

Wayland Adams

Kendria Holmes

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

April 24, 2022

AFRAMNEWS.COM 5

HEALTH

LIFE WITH AUTISM By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.

TOMBALL - The month of April has been designated as Autism Acceptance Month.

According to National Today, Autism Acceptance Month “aims to celebrate and promote acceptance for the condition.”

The Autism Society “recognizes that the prevalence of autism in the United States has risen from 1 in 125 children in 2010 to 1 in 54 in 2020.” Autism is a complex lifelong developmental disability that develops in children at a young age and can impact a person’s social skills, communication, self-regulation, and relationships.

Dametra Skinner knows all about life with autism as she and her husband raised their son, Anfernee Skinner, who was on the autism spectrum. When they first learned of their son’s diagnosis, they were not shocked. “We kind of already knew “because we had testing done before he was born,” Skinner stated.

As he got older, her son was “hitting all of his developmental milestones,” but was having

Anfernee Skinner Photo Credit: Regina Hunter Moss

issues with communicating. She stated, “I always knew something was wrong, I just didn’t know what it was.” When she took him to see his doctor, the doctor said nothing was wrong with him, so she took him to another doctor and kept asking questions. When they learned of the official diagnosis, the focus was now on how to help him and how to handle the challenges they were going to face.

One of the biggest obstacles that Skinner has had to deal with is dealing with people who didn’t understand her son because he was different. “Because he couldn’t talk and communicate, he would act out. Everyone else was stating that this was typical behavior of a toddler, but I knew something was wrong.” His lack of communication caused him to act out and have behavioral problems.

To help her son communicate, she started educating herself on how to teach him to say small words like cup or thirsty. “He had a very good understanding but did not have good expressive language,” Skinner expressed.

When he started elementary school, some issues started to arise such as standardized testing. Standardized testing was overwhelming for him due to reading. Reading had always been a struggle for him because he was not fluent. With this in mind, Skinner took out cassette tapes and books and started to work with him and got him to read.”

Even though he struggled with reading, he excelled in math and science. According to Skinner, math was “his thing.”

Another issue they had with the elementary school was access

to resources. Anfernee needed speech and occupational therapy. At that time, services like those were not covered under insurance and he L to R-Anfernee Skinner, Andrea “spent ten years in speech Skinner, Aubrey Skinner, Dametra therapy and saw 25 speech Skinner, Derrick Skinner therapists during that Photo Credit:Regina Hunter Moss time.” Since Anfernee was not considered autistic but because there is not a group on the autistic spectrum, for us.” In addition, there are they could not get all the services stereotypes within society that they needed. makes autism seem like it’s a bad In addition, socialization thing as well as how some people was still an issue as he was not are in denial about the diagnosis communicating and not making and rather not “talk about it,” or friends. “It is hard as a parent “accept it.” to watch your child not have Skinner and her husband friends or not have a lot of people embraced the diagnosis and did around.” So, Skinner and her what they had to do for their child husband moved their son to The so that he could succeed and reach Joy School for the 4th grade, his fullest potential. “It was never which was a school for children about me, I can survive in society,” with learning differences. “They Skinner stated. The question had a speech pathologist and just that she and her husband had to worked with them. They also did ask themselves was, “What did not have grade levels but worked we need to do in order to equip with kids and their abilities.” our kids to be able to survive on Anfernee did well at The Joy their own?” This was the mission School. “He loved it, he thrived, they set out to accomplish. They he was able to make friends and communicate. I didn’t even know needed Anfernee to be selfsufficient and for him to know he could draw until he went to this school.” At The Joy School, that they wouldn’t live forever.

For new parents, or parents they were also introduced to who may have autistic children, technology and programs that Skinner’s advice is to pray, become could help him type and read. knowledgeable of the resources “It was amazing. He was able available to you, learn your legal to do his work and thrive,” rights, and to surround yourself Skinner stated. with a great support When discussing the negative system. She also perceptions surrounding autism wants them to know within the African American that they’re not alone. community, Skinner mentioned how we don’t talk about it enough and we don’t know much about it.

For more visit “I had to literally educate myself aframnews.com

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EDUCATION

HBCUS: THE BEST FINANCIAL PAYOFF By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.

PRAIRIE VIEW - Once a student graduates from high school, many of them will make one of the biggest decisions of their life and attend college. Going to college is a big investment, and once a student graduates, they will need a job to pay off student loans if they have them and to survive in life. When graduation arrives and students enter the workforce, how much money will they receive?

That amount may depend on the career field of their choice, or they could receive a better financial payoff based on the college they attended.

Taylor Nichols, a Data Reporter for OnlineU, conducted a research study to see which Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) offer the best salary potential for African American students in their state.

According to OnlineU’s website, their mission since 2004 has been helping “aspiring students accomplish their education and career goals by finding the online degree with the best value.”

Nichols stated, “We use data to empower students when they’re making decisions about their colleges and higher education.”

Nicole Hopler, Media Relations Manager for OnlineU mentioned, “We are focused on sharing a lot of outcomes after graduation and getting more information out there about higher education and what students can expect after graduation in terms of earnings and outcomes.”

There are many great benefits as to why a student should attend an HBCU, and Nicols was thrilled

median salary of $37, 694.06, with to do the study, and wanted to provide students with information the state salary threshold being $44,319. Unfortunately, that is a so they can make an informed -6,624.94 difference. Behind PV decision. “I was excited to do was Texas Southern University, this study because there’s a lot of Hutson-Tillotson University, Paul benefits to attending an HBCU, Quinn College, Wiley College, especially for Black students. It Jarvis Christian College, and Texas was an exciting opportunity to College. A possible reason for PV provide this type of data and this being ranked so high “is related type of analysis for students who to their stem percentage. I think are thinking about where they 30% of their students are stem want to go and might not be majors, which was a theme thinking about salary.” we saw with other schools In the research study, in our study, Nicols Xavier University of expressed.” Additionally, Louisiana came in with Prairie View A&M the “top HBCU for “ranks 13th for median salary,” with a median income among all foursalary of $52,582 year HBCUs and is one when the state salary of the largest HBCUs threshold is $36,962. by enrollment in the That is a financial country.” payoff of $15,619.

One interesting Nicols was not aspect from the surprised by research study this but was is that 81% of interested students who in digging Ineceia graduated from more into Carter a school in Texas, the campus. remained in Texas.

“I found all It was mentioned by this other Hopler that this could be because information about how they a lot of students who attend Texas are particularly well-known for schools are originally from the boosting low-income students into higher income brackets. They state, so they stay in Texas after graduation. Nicols discussed how rank well for economic mobility.” she also wouldn’t also be surprised Following Xavier University of “if strong and local industry Louisiana was Spelman College, played a role in students wanting Hampton University, Morehouse to stay in Texas after graduation.”

College, and Florida Agricultural Whatever school students decide and Mechanical University just to to attend, they must make the name a few. best decision for them. However, Regarding Texas, Prairie View it is good to be well informed A&M University (PV) ranked and have a full understanding of number one for the highest

different outcomes, and benefits to attending their school of choice.

It is research studies like the one Nichols conducted that not only informs them but may expose them to other options they may not have considered.

For Ineceia Carter, who currently attends an HBCU had her own personal reasons for why she wanted to attend. Carter stated, “I attended an HBCU because I wanted to surround myself with individuals willing and eager to invest in my undergraduate career, where I’m not fighting to let my voice be heard or feel uncomfortable in my environment.” She also mentioned how HBCU’s allow students to be “vulnerable” and express their culture.

Carter is a graduating senior from Prairie View A&M University, who will walk across the stage in a couple of weeks, and she couldn’t be happier. “I’ve grown throughout my life, and I wouldn’t have done so without my beloved HBCU guiding me along the way.” Carter is majoring in biology with two minors, one in chemistry and the other in human development and the family.

This was a very exciting research study for Hopler and Nichols and how they had the opportunity to highlight HBCUs. Nichols concluded stating, “I was really happy that we got to highlight strong HBCU’s especially because of all the benefits they give to their students and the unique aspects about them and the communities they serve.”

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