Volume 30 Issue 33

September 5, 2025

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

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Vol.30, Issue 33

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African-American News&Issues

“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”

A.J. PATERSON

DAVID ALLEN, SR.

BISHOP DAVID ALLEN JR. By: Roy Douglas Malonson

Faith, resilience, and service — these are the threads woven through the life of Suffragan Bishop David Allen Jr. His story is not just one of personal triumph but of generational purpose, rooted in the history of his family and the church he now leads.

Born in San Antonio, Texas, in 1959, David Jr. came into the world carrying both a legacy and a divine assignment. His father, David Allen Sr., was the only child of a young, orphaned mother who miraculously survived a failed abortion attempt.

That miracle of survival planted a seed of faith that would later grow deep into the Allen family and eventually shape David Jr.’s own testimony.

ONE UNION, ONE VISION: CWA UNITED By: Claude Cummings

From his earliest days, struggle and strength walked hand in hand. As an infant, David was stricken with polio, leaving him unable to walk until he was just two and a half years old. Then, in a moment his family never forgot, he stepped across the doorway of their small two-bedroom home into his father’s astonished arms. That miracle of healing did more than restore his legs; it marked the beginning of a faith that would define his life.

Looking back today as a bishop and community leader, he calls that moment a constant reminder that “regardless of the hand that life deals us, we can overcome.” It was the

David Allen Jr. on pg. 3

Just a few weeks ago we gathered for our 80th CWA Convention. Our theme was One Union, One Vision: CWA United. Unity doesn’t mean that we agree on every issue. That’s simply not possible in any group, let alone one as large as our union, with members coming from many different industries and backgrounds.

What unites us through our disagreements and discussions are our values and our vision for the future. We love our families and our countries.

We want everyone in our communities to have the freedom to be themselves, pursue their dreams, and have a good United on pg. 5

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September 5, 2025

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GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

President Trump is attempting to colonize American society based solely upon false assumptions concerning racial identity. In fact, President Trump is colonizing who belongs in America, and what history should be remembered or read; without spiritually understanding that so-called racial identities are socio-economic figments of White imagination. Consequently, attempting to militarize and rewrite American history is a central feature of MAGA-Cult Trumpism.

Sadly, White anxiety is on the rise in American society because of shifting population dynamics and perceived nonWhite socio-economic progress. Even though America’s socio-economic system has been rigged in favor of White Privilege since 1492. Slavery and institutional racism were bad, and no degree of attempting to white-wash-history can erase historical facts, good, bad, or ugly. Facts are facts. Truth is truth, and a lie can never become the truth.

Truth and oral history persist, as there are individuals who continue to share accurate accounts. Even if the truth is placed on a Cross, crushed to the ground, and buried in a tomb, it shall rise again.

America, wisdom is valuable, but truth is eternal. Therefore, will someone please inform President Trump and his MAGA-Christian Right

Evangelical Cult to: “let not mercy and truth forsake thee, bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart.” (Proverbs 3: 3). Truthfulness and mercy are very important character traits. Merciful individuals not only show compassion but also pursue justice for all.

More importantly, merciful individuals know that: “God does not pervert justice”. Sin and injustice separate individuals from God and truth.

Therefore, God’s true children know that: “if ye continue in my word, then ye are my disciples; indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8: 31-32).

President Trump is known for igniting controversy, such as supporting militarized policing. Soldiers are trained to kill. Policemen are trained to maintain civil law and order. There is a monumental moral difference. President Trump is seeking to establish a military dictatorship in an effort to maintain power and avoid another impeachment. Most of all, President Trump has a devilish mastermind for orchestrating showmanship antics. In fact, President Trump has become a political arsonist, loving to light socio-economic political fires. Sadly, in Texas President Trump started an ungodly/ devilish gerrymandering fire that will spread. Additionally, President Trump is kicking the behind of democratic mayors over the issue of crime, but for some ungodly reason, he refuses to kick the behind of Putin.

Instead, Putin gets red-carpet treatment. The question is: WHY? GodRead more at fearing individu- aframnews.com

We Must Understand Roy Douglas Malonson, Publisher

OUR PEOPLE SHOUT IN CHURCH BUT SUFFER IN SILENCE

Every Sunday, the pews are filled. Black churches remain a cornerstone of hope and healing, and for generations, faith has sustained our people through trials. But when it comes to mental health, the numbers show that church alone isn’t enough.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that 1 in 3 Black adults who need mental health care receive it, compared to almost half of White adults. At the same time, suicide among Black youth has climbed at alarming rates, with attempts increasing by nearly 80% in recent decades. Faith may give us strength, but it cannot replace professional care.

Too often, depression, anxiety, or trauma are minimized in our community. People are told to “be strong” or “just pray about it.”

But mental illness is not a lack of faith—it is a health condition that needs treatment. We don’t tell someone with high blood pressure to skip the doctor. We don’t expect prayer alone to cure diabe-

tes. Yet when it comes to the mind, we pretend that prayer is enough.

Therapy, counseling, and access to trained professionals are lifesaving. The problem is, only 4% of psychologists in the U.S. are Black, which means most patients won’t find someone who understands their lived experiences.

This lack of representation fuels mistrust and keeps many from seeking help.

The solution must be both/ and, not either/or. Our pastors can lead the way by breaking the stigma and encouraging their congregations to seek counseling alongside prayer.

Communities can demand more funding for culturally competent care in schools and neighborhoods. Families can normalize talking about therapy as openly as they talk about church.

Because the truth is this: our faith is strong, but our people are still suffering. Until mental health care becomes as normal in our community as Sunday service, the crisis will only deepen.

AA

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION Inspired by his father, he bought his first rental property at 19 and later first of many lessons in became a licensed real perseverance. estate agent in 1994. His Growing up as the career was successful, eldest of five boys, David learned resilience but his heart remained tied to his faith. from his parents. His In 1982, David married father modeled what Regina, his lifelong it meant to be both an partner in both family entrepreneur and a and ministry. Together, pastor at a time when they raised three Black men rarely held children and dedicated such positions. “Most themselves to the CTAC of what I learned from Children’s Ministry. him was caught rather Their marriage became than taught,” Bishop a steady anchor as they Allen says. “He showed weathered house fires, his five boys how to hurricanes, and family create our own income loss. streams and pursue our In 2004, his mother, passions.” That example Carol Ann Allen, left a lasting imprint. passed away. That To this day, the Allen same year, he faced a brothers each maintain multiple income streams devastating house fire, his daughter’s apartment and live free from the fear of layoffs or limited fire, Hurricane Ike’s destruction, and his opportunities.

The family later moved father’s stage four to Houston, where David cancer diagnosis. Yet in the middle of loss Sr. became Assistant and devastation, David Pastor of Christ Temple stepped into the role of Apostolic Church.

Church Administrator At just 16, David Jr. and helped lead CTAC surrendered his life to through an $800,000 Christ and received the rebuild. It was proof of baptism of the Holy Ghost — a turning point his guiding principle: When hard times come, that gave direction to don’t run. Lean into his future. His father’s them and fight. passion for the Word On February 20, 2010, and for serving people his father installed shaped his own view of him as Pastor of Christ ministry long before he Temple Apostolic officially accepted his Church. Just six weeks calling. later, David Sr. passed After graduating from M.B. Smiley High School away, leaving David Jr. in 1977, David attended to carry forward the mantle of leadership. the University of For years, he faithfully Houston and then began led CTAC, carrying the a 27-year career in civil same determination and structural design. that had defined his life He became a Senior CAD Operator, working since childhood. Then came the moment that on projects across the brought his journey United States and even full circle. At a national spending seven months convention, in front of in Caracas, Venezuela.

David Allen Jr. Cont.

September 5, 2025 peers, elders, and saints from across the country, David Allen Jr. was officially elevated and appointed as Suffragan Bishop. The boy once healed from polio, the young man shaped by storms, now stood affirmed before the world. His appointment was not just a title — it was a divine confirmation that God had chosen him for such a time as this.

That leadership has been tested again and again. In 2017, Hurricane Harvey destroyed his home and car, leaving him and Regina displaced for eight months.

Even while rebuilding their own lives, they led CTAC in serving hundreds of families in the Kashmere Gardens community. “Harvey was the most trying storm of all,” he recalls.

“I had more questions than answers. But God was faithful to bring us through — and to bring us out better than when we went in.”

That trial deepened his compassion for others, making his ministry not just one of service, but of true relatability and understanding.

Today, Bishop Allen continues to expand his reach. Under his guidance, CTAC launched the L.I.F.E. Organization CDC, a nonprofit serving Houston’s Black community. It operates testing centers for GEDs, teacher certifications, insurance and real estate licensing, and more.

David Allen Jr. on pg. 7

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GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

THROUGH THE LENS OF TIME: BLACK HISTORY IS 24/7/365 1799

1800

1816

1817

1820

1822

1829

1799. Richard Allen becomes the first ordained Black minister of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

1800. An enslaved man named Gabriel plans the first major slave rebellion in U.S. history. He gathers about 1,000 armed enslaved people near Richmond, Virginia.

1816. The African Methodist Episcopal Church is formally organized. Richard Allen becomes its first bishop.

1817. The American Colonization Society is established to transport freeborn Black people and Black people freed from slavery to Africa.

1820. The Missouri Compromise provides for Missouri to be admitted to the Union as a slave state.

1822. Denmark Vesey, who was freed from slavery, plans the largest slave revolt in U.S. history, in Charleston, South Carolina. The rebellion is betrayed before the plan can be carried out.

1829. African American abolitionist David Walker publishes the pamphlet Appeal…to the Colored Citizens of the World…, calling for a slave revolt.

TEXAS

TAKEAWAY

HOUSTON

WACO

Oil giant ConocoPhillips is preparing to cut up to 25% of its workforce— potentially thousands of jobs—as part of a broader cost-cutting initiative.

Governor Greg Abbott visited the Cameron Park neighborhood on Wednesday to speak with local first responders about a new training program aimed at enhancing preparedness for wildfires and other threats across Texas.

________________________________

AUSTIN Student groups from the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas at Dallas filed a lawsuit Wednesday against their university presidents, UT System Chancellor Dr. John Zerwas, and the system’s Board of Regents, challenging a state law that restricts speech on campus during specific times. ________________________________

SAN ANTONIO San Antonio is weighing the possibility of imposing fines of up to $2,000 on individuals who abandon dogs, cats, or other animals within the city limits.

________________________________

DALLAS A well-known Fort Worth steakhouse, considered a staple along the bustling stretch of restaurants on Magnolia Avenue, is preparing to close its doors. The closure marks the end of an era for the popular dining spot, which has been a longtime favorite among locals and visitors for its classic menu and central location in one of the city’s most vibrant culinary districts.

LETTIE JUNE HARDEN BREWER Lettie June Harden Brewer, known as L. June H. Brewer, was born on September 5, 1925, in Austin, Texas — the daughter of Charleston Powell Harden and Minnie Elizabeth (Bremond) Harden. She graduated with honors from Samuel Huston College (now Huston-Tillotson College) in 1944 and earned her M.A. in English from Howard University in 1946. In a groundbreaking move that followed the Sweatt v. Painter Supreme Court ruling in 1950, Brewer became one of the first African-American graduate students admitted to the University of Texas at Austin.

READ MORE AT AFRAMNEWS.COM

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION United Cont. life. We believe in prosperity, justice, and security for all, not just the very rich.

This Labor Day, those values and that vision are under threat. A new generation of oligarchs is bent on seizing control of our country and using their obscene wealth to capture and corrupt our government.

Now they have their strongest ally ever in the White House, and leaders in Congress have abandoned their responsibility to stand up for the people they represent. Donald Trump and the billionaires who funded his campaign are ransacking federal programs, shutting down essential services to put more money into their own pockets and throwing millions

September 5, 2025 of people out of work, including thousands of CWA members.

The unfettered power that Donald Trump and his corporate backers are seeking is extremely dangerous. The rapid progress they have made rolling back the basic democratic system we have spent almost 250 years trying to perfect is alarming. The founders of our country established a government of checks and balances so that no one person could gain full control of the levers of power. Now, we are witnessing something none of us ever thought we’d see in the United States - the rise of an authoritarian regime.

When I was elected to lead this union, I promised you that I would never back down from a fight. Today, we are in

an existential fight to protect the core values that make us who we are. And despite the obstacles this administration is throwing at working people, I remain convinced that labor, united, can never be defeated.

As Donald Trump and his band of billionaire bullies attempt to reshape our nation, destroy our values, and upend a century of labor law, we find ourselves as unionists once again called to defend democracy and our way of life. We will not sit idly by and watch our brothers and sisters be ripped away from their families, their jobs, and their communities. We will not turn a blind eye to our military being deployed against the very people they are sworn to protect, as voter rights, worker rights, and human rights are stripped

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University presidents, partners in big law firms, media moguls, CEOs, and even some elected officials and heads of state have been responding to Donald Trump’s threats by trying to appease him. But it doesn’t work that way. Donald Trump is a bully.

And if you give a bully your lunch money on Monday you better believe he’ll be back for more on Tuesday.

At our Convention, with overwhelming support, delegates passed the Fighting the Trump Administration’s Anti-Union Project 2025 Playbook resolution. We will never betray the values that make us a strong, fighting union. We are not the largest

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union out there. But because of the work that all of you do, we are one of the most respected and influential.

Let’s make this Labor Day a true workers’ Labor Day by standing up and speaking out against the corporate takeover of our lives and for dignity and respect for ourselves and our co-workers, neighbors and communities. Let’s make sure that every worker knows that when we join together we are more powerful than any boss or any bully, even one in the White House.

Happy Labor Day to you and yours.

In Unity, Claude Cummings Jr. President AA

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LOCAL

David Allen Jr. Cont.

HMAAC OPENS THE JOURNEY TO EVERYTHING AND WHO FEELS IT, KNOWS IT By: John Guess

The Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) is delighted to present from August 29- December 15, 2025 Danny Simmons’ The Journey to Everything Curated

by John Guess, Jr. and Co-Curated by Danielle Finnerman and Chayse Sampy’s Who Feels It, Knows It, Curated by Danielle Finnerman.

In The Journey to Everything Philadelphiabased Neo-African Abstract Expressionist painter, poet, novelist, philanthropist and Tony Award winning producer Danny Simmons explores themes of diaspora, ancestral memory, and Black spirituality in the paintings and works on bark cloth on view.

The title of the exhibition and its painting, The Journey to Everything, is both preface to the show and an enjambed line of poetry, to use a poetic term for an unfinished thought that flows into the next line, but that could stand on its own.

Simmons is a working poet with five collections and one on the way. He is inviting you, not to consume the art, but to participate in bringing it to life.

The title prepares us for the plenitude to come: collages on paper and canvas, with juxtaposed dots of paint and Ankara fabric, Bogolan

mud cloth from Mali, paper cutouts of visible and partially visible faces, Congolese bark cloth, neon lace, gestural lines, and splashes of color on single frames and triptychs. From permutations of the song from a civil rights march in “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around,” to migration in “Take the Long Way Home,” and maps of a rainforest in “Ituri Forest”, Simmons has produced work that reflects his inner life and receptive mien.

Organized by James Cavello and the Westwood Gallery NYC, Curated by John Guess, Jr. and Co-curated by Danielle Finnerman, the exhibition puts Simmons’ multimedia paintings in conversation with a selection of African objects from the artist’s personal collection.

According to Guess, “This work is a dynamic step forward for Simmons; work that had an impressive exhibition at the Reginald Lewis African American Museum in Baltimore. We were fortunate to get The Journey to Everything scheduled for this year.”

Chayse Sampy’s Who Feels It, Knows It is the perRead more at fect comple- aframnews.com

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The organization also partners with agencies that serve battered women, children with disabilities, and families in need during the holidays.

Looking ahead, Bishop Allen believes the greatest challenge for the Black church is staying connected to changing communities.

Many congregants now live outside the neighborhoods where they worship, and in areas like Kashmere Gardens, the demographics are shifting from predominantly Black to more Hispanic. Still, he remains committed to teaching and modeling core values: strong Black male leadership, entrepreneurship, family structure, and community support.

When asked how he wants to be remembered, Bishop Allen’s answer is simple: “As a man who practiced what he preached — leading my family first, then my church, and striving to be a living epistle known and read of all men.”

From a little boy healed of polio to a bishop guiding his congregation with courage and compassion, his life is a testament to storms weathered, struggles endured, and miracles received. His journey is a reminder to all: put God first, fight for what matters, lean into the hard times with courage — and trust that faith and perseverance will always lead to AA miracles.

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GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

THE HEART OF LEARNING STARTS WITH

GREAT EDUCAT Nominate a deserving teacher, counselor, principal, early childhood learning center, school board or school district.

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Created in 2002, the H‑E‑B Excellence in Education Awards was designed to honor and thank outstanding public school professionals. Through this program, H‑E‑B awards over $780,000 annually to deserving educators who go the extra mile to serve their students and communities.

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