July 31, 2022
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
African-American News&Issues
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
Vol. 27, Issue 28
We the People
If Obama did the things Trump has done, would he have gotten away with it? - Roy Douglas Malonson
Cont. on Pg. 3
The Storyteller ShaWanna Renee Rivon
Black Men Run pg.4
All Access Art Market pg.5
2 AFRAMNEWS.COM
July 31, 2022
EDITORIAL
President/Chief Editor
Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.: Editor Nick Jones: Afram TV Tristar: Layout Design
News:
A Revival of God
Consciousness Bobby Mills, Phd
Climate Change Office: (713) 692-1892 Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Physical and environmental changes will come, and they are here, because of mankind’s ungodly selfish greed: the love of money. A famous rhythm and blues singer, Sam Cook, said it best: “It’s been a long time coming But I know a change is gonna come.” America, climate change is here, and it is real. Mankind’s inability to be Godly stewards of the earth for future generations is the primary causal factor of climate change. Unfortunately, mankind is hell bent on not accepting full responsibility for the problem(s) we have environmentally created: climate change. Even though, we know God does not change, and His word is steadfast: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away” (Matthew 24: 34). It is getting worse, not better, because we refuse to become Godly spiritual stewards of the planet. Therefore, Jesus reminds us: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to
fulfill. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Matthew 5: 17-18). Question: why make life so physically miserable that it is unbearable environmentally to live? At the same time, we have so much spiritual animalistic ungodliness that it is impossible to physically live and thrive as a human community under the reality of God that equal is equal, not more or less equal. Therefore, for human survival let US strive to do all things decently and in order, because life is too short to be spiritually stupid by giving authority over life to the devil. America, we need a Godly mindset, and a renaissance of the human spirit based upon these spiritual words of inspiration and personal responsibility: “I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Romans 12: 1-2). For more visit aframnews.com
Food for Thought Oscar Blayton
Joe Biden Needs to Go If we do not learn from history, we are doomed to repeat it. On July 30, 1864, more than 16,500 Union soldiers were aligned against only 9,500 Confederate seditionists in Petersburg, Virginia. In addition to its greater numbers, the Union had the element of surprise on its side. For weeks, Union forces had been tunneling under the Confederate line and finally filled the hole with explosives. On the day of
the battle, a fuse was lit, and 4 tons of gunpowder exploded, breeching a hole in the Confederate defenses by destroying one of their artillery batteries and obliterating an infantry regiment. What was left was a hole in the ground 170 long, 60 feet wide and 30 feet deep. The path to a victory was clear for the Union soldiers, before they were forced to retreat. In what Gen. Ulysses S. Grant termed “the saddest affair I have witnessed in this war,” the Union officers led their troops directly at the Confederate line, a path that took them down into the 30foot hole.
For more visit aframnews.com
We are looking for community and Black history writers
from all over the Houston area (Acreage Homes, Independent Heights, Third Ward, Fifth Ward, Missouri City, Piney Point, Carverdale, Bordersville, North Forest, and all other Black communities) that can produce stories that address current and historical realities affecting our community. Please send your inquiries to news@aframnews.com.
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July 31, 2022
AFRAMNEWS.COM 3
LOCAL
The Storyteller By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.
“Ironically, I wasn’t a writer, but I was a storyteller,” said ShaWanna Renee Rivon, who is an award-winning and nationally renowned playwright and producer. Growing up, Rivon’s family always wanted her to tell a story, or reenact something that happened in the family because she had a way to make it funnier. Although she wasn’t a writer growing up, her story telling is a part of who she is today. As a product of the Aldine Independent School District, Rivon attended Eisenhower High School, where she was a cheerleader and a part of the drama club. She graduated from Eisenhower High School in 1996 and attended Sam Houston State University (SHSU) where she tried to be involved with the theater program there and “struggled” because “it was not a diverse program.” She attended SHSU for two years and then moved to Atlanta, Georgia where she could learn more about the profession she loved.
It was her father who encouraged her to go after her dreams, even when others thought it was crazy. “He always thought you can do anything,” she said. In Atlanta, she worked for a theater doing grassroot marketing, and then she expanded her knowledge so she could learn more about the industry. She did short films, local soap operas, and even got her feet wet in shooting film. Even though she was learning a lot, she knew she needed to move to Los Angeles (LA), California. When she moved to LA, she found more of a home base, quickly made friends, and took a day job doing cartoon shows, and even started working with an acting coach, where she grew as an artist. LA taught her so much stating, “You’re going to swim or sink in LA. It’s going to weed you out even if you’re talented because of the different predicaments you can get yourself into, and the different scams and people who are looking to prey on
newcomers.” In LA, Rivon started getting more involved in film work, got an agent and even started taking business classes. Her agent had her auditioning for young roles for Disney and Nickelodeon even
so much in film, so I started writing.” Rivon started writing things she wanted to write. She first started writing sketches, short films, and then ventured off to writing plays. After that, her writing took off.
ShaWanna Renee Rivon at a talkback after Sit-In play, sitting next to musical director Melanie Bivens. though she was in her thirties. This worked against her. “Even though you look young, there’s a certain wisdom you walk into the room with. I could only play closer to my age in theater but not
“When I sat down to write, it was like a God given talent because that was the one place I hadn’t trained for.” Rivon started to enjoy creating characters for other people and her
success was right around the corner as the first two of her shows were picked up by a production company in Houston, which both toured nationally for a year. These urban plays included Cheaper to Keep Her and Marriage Material, which starred Vivica Fox, Brian McKnight, and Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins (of TLC). This success happened while she was still living in LA, but this was now a chance for her to go back to Houston because “you can write from anywhere,” she said. Rivon used to write comedies and romantic comedies due to her growing up watching Richard Pryor, Redd Foxx and Eddie Murphy. “I used to write for an audience, but it has evolved to the stories I think are important and I think the world should know about. What I enjoy most is telling a story that has somehow affected Black people in the past and how we’re still dealing with them in the present, and giving honor to our ancestors, giving them their flowers,
and allowing other people to learn their names and what they did.” Growing up, Rivon would rarely see Black women stories on TV, and because of this, she knew there had to be a lot of stories to tell. So, she said, “I’ll do it. I want to do it. I want to give a voice to the Black women that didn’t have a voice and share to the world that not all of our stories are just trauma. We laugh, we fall in love, we want to travel, we want to be executives and we have been, you just don’t know about it.” Rivon loves to combine history and bring all these stories together, and now, she is getting to tell stories about Houston. She has begun the development of her 7-play cycle, the first is Old Black & White Hollywood, which is about a Black woman comic who wants to be the first Black female movie star set in the 1950s. The second installment is Power to Queendom, which is about a group of female
Storyteller cont’d PG. 7
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July 31, 2022
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
COMMUNITY
Black Men Run By: Crystal LaShan
Black Men Run (BMR) is an organization that is crucial to fighting the health challenges that plague the Black Community. The need for BMR is obvious because the numbers don’t lie. Among Blacks aged 20 and older, 44.4% of men have cardiovascular diseases. In 2009, coronary heart disease (CHD) caused the deaths of 21,051 Black males. Blacks have a risk of first-ever stroke that is almost twice that of Whites with heart disease. Strokes are the #1 cause of death for African American males. BMR believes that running/jogging can change these alarming trends and they are committed to encouraging African American males to get out and be active. Research tells us that running regularly benefits an individuals’ physical and mental sharpness. Studies show that running regularly helps boost your confidence, relieves stress, and eliminates depression. BMR believes that Black Men can eliminate these challenges with proper nutrition, regular exercise, and proactive efforts to maintain a
healthy lifestyle. BMR has chapters in 56 cities across the USA. Each BMR chapter has a Captain and Co-Captain. The organization also has national sponsorship partners which include, Saucony, Civil Rights Race Series, The Run Show USA, and Vacation Races. This year, their National Black Men Run Meet Up was sponsored by the Detroit Black Free Press. BMR was co-founded by Jason L. Russell and Edward Walton, CMO. They each express very specific inspirations for WHY they run. Jason L. Russell explains that “I run for my father who is my hero and the epitome of Black Men Run. Now, in his early 70s, he has been running for 30+ years and is more active than anyone I know at his age. He has an incredible drive and lust for life that I attribute to his commitment to running and a healthy lifestyle. In August 2012, I had the honor to run with him for the first time in a 20K relay race sponsored by the Atlanta-based Running Nerds group. Our team finished in the
Top row(L to R):Michael Guidry, Jonathan Sprinkles, Skai Shadow, Christopher Grizzly, Leonid Onyiego, Joshua Wright. Bottom row(L to R) Marcus Knox, Jacques Davis, Cedric Lee, Gabriel Onyiego, Duane Swan
top fourth of all the competitors and I am sure we were the team with the highest average age out of all of the groups. Moral of the story is that you are never too old or young to start running and that running is a lifelong journey. This is why I run.” BMR Co-Founder, Edward Walton shares, “I run because that is all I know. I have been a runner since I was a child. I participated in youth running from elementary school to grade school, from grade school to high school, from high school to college, and from college to the US Navy team. Running for so long has changed it from exercise to a lifestyle. It brings me peace, and clarity, allows me to de-stress, and gives me the personal space I sometimes need in such a busy and noisy world. Running has allowed me to meet new colleagues, teach and train others who want to run, as well as compete against some of the best athletes to make myself better. It allows me to maintain my health and wellness, things that so many people take for granted.
Running allows me to set a new goal every time I “go for a run.” I have competed in 5K’s, 10K’s, half marathons and full marathons. I have run races at night; I have run races in different countries. I run as much as I can. I run with my two sons in mind, as I have always wanted to be a good role model for fitness and accountability for my health. This is why I run.” BMR has complied a comprehensive video library of training videos from some of the best and most accomplished runners and trainers (USATF & RRCA certified) from around the United States. The videos cover everything from proper stretching techniques to how to increase your speed and pace. Even if you are a seasoned runner you can learn from the tips and tricks so be sure to watch them all. You can find the videos on www.blackmenrun.com. BMR Houston has Saturday runs open to all skill levels. There is no fee to become a member just the will to run.
Black Men Run group huddled in a circle.
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
July 31, 2022
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arts and entertainment
All Access Art Market By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D
Post Houston hosted one of the biggest art shows by All Access Art Market. The show brought many painters, vendors, artisans, and designers to the event, and even held a Hip-Hop dance battle. The show was well atArt By Nato tended and filled with incredible Artist Michael Kendrix Temple, talent. also known as Madd Kyng, disThroughout the event, you could cussed the symbolic meaning of feel the passion within the atmohis art. He stated, “My character sphere, and it was a great experiis a symbol of protection and ence seeing people do what they wealth. A lot of people just make love in action. Artist Morai Elise art because its cool…I have a showcased some of her beautiful good knowledge of art history art. She discussed what her art represents stating, “I love creating and I understand symbolism and art…I named my character Genart that embodies us, more than sho, which means phenomenon in likely Black femininity. I like to Japanese. I feel like we’re all trying create art that inspires us, that is captivating, and that makes us feel to be phenomenon in our special way.” Madd Kyng produces art that beautiful about ourselves.” can resonate with people in a good way and sheds light on different phenomenon from everyday life. Henry and Brittny Tenneseee, the creators of 1058 LLC, wanted to create a brand
Artist Madd Kyng
Art Market cont’d PG. 7
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July 31, 2022
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Storyteller cont’d Black Panthers set in 1970s Houston, and the third installment is You’re Cordially Invited to Sit In, which told the story of the 1960s sit-in demonstration that occurred in Houston. With research and her talents combined, Rivon is telling stories about history that people should know about. Recently, Rivon was commissioned by the Alley Theatre to write a play based on jazz musician Arnett Cobb. She also received a grant from the mayor’s office where she will be creating a two-day event called Black Power Arts Celebration. “I will bring in high profile members of the Black Panther party including the Houston and community members and arts activist to discuss solutions to the issues in our community, and everything happening around art and theater.” This event will take place the weekend of September 30th. Rivon is also very active in
the community. Last year she launched 3rd Ward Historic Virtual Tours where she features artists, her church, organizations, and historical sites in Third Ward. “It started with the idea to bring my plays and research to life. Since then, groups will reach out to me for a live tour, and I will meet them and tour third ward.” For those young Black women who want to be in her shoes one day, her advice is to write every day, and get a network of other writers so you can send your work to someone else and get feedback. Her other advice is to “don’t give up because you’re going to be told no and told that your script is not good. You have to know that because you wrote the story, believe that someone else wants to hear it.” She also noted that you should take classes, always train, join art organizations, start submitting for festivals, fellowships, residencies, and most importantly, “keep going until you hear something.” Rivon has had much success
thus far, and she is just getting started. For more information regarding 3rd Ward Historic Virtual Tours, you can visit https://www.virtual3wardtour.
that embodies black love and beauty. “1058 represents us. It represents love for us, so we wanted to create a brand that exemplifies and shows black
love, so, all our products feature an uplifting message about loving yourself or your community.” Another artist, Jordan, owner of The Cutting Edge, finds his inspiration from everyday life stating, “Every
day I look around and that does it for me.’ Kaliyah Morgan, a 16-year-old artist, found her passion for art through the pandemic. She also wanted to work for herself and
Art Market cont’d
Artist Morai Elise
com. For more information about the Black Panther Celebration and Rivon, visit https://www. shawannareneerivon.com/.
The cast and creative team behind You Are Cordially Invited to Sit-In
Henry and Brittny Tenneseee
have her own business. She mostly paints women to show their beauty within, which is what her name means. “That’s what I want people to see,” Morgan said. The All Access Art Market was such a great event filled with many talented individuals. Art By Nato said, “The All Access Art Market to me is a place where local businesses and creatives display their expertise in what they love and being able to share their passion amongst others. Plus, it gives an urban experience when the market has different activities such as dance battles, live paintings, live music performances and more.” The art show was also uplifting, positive and inspiring to all who attended. If you have an appreciation of the arts, this is definitely an event you will want to attend in the future.
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July 31, 2022
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