AframNews.com
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
THE TSU DILEMMA
By: Roy Douglas Malonson
Texas Southern University is once again at the center of a storm, and this time the winds are stronger, louder, and more politically charged than ever. A newly released state audit has exposed a series ofnancial failures inside TSU’s administration: missed reporting deadlines, contract mismanagement, expired vendor agreements and gaps in oversight that stretch back years. ose facts are real, documented and serious. But the reaction coming from Austin is raising an even bigger question for Black Houston: is this only about nances, or is TSU being targeted in ways that other universities never are? Addressing current and historical realities a ecting our community requires telling the whole truth, not just the parts that t a political narrative.
e audit released by the State Auditor’s O ce found that more than 700 invoices totaling over $280 million were tied to vendors whose contracts had already expired. Another 800 invoices, representing nearly $160 million, were submitted before o cial purchase approvals were secured. TSU also led key nancial reports late, ten months late for the 2023 scal year and four months late for 2024. Vacancies in high-level nancial positions added to the breakdown. ese issues re ect real administrative dysfunction and a failure of internal controls. No one is denying that TSU must rebuild trust by strengthening its nancial structure from top to bottom. But here is the larger truth Dilemma on pg. 3
FUGEES RAPPER PRAS SENTENCED TO 14 YEARS IN PRISON
By: Jamal Carter
Fugees rapper Prakazrel “Pras” Michel was recently sentenced to 14 years in federal prison a er being found guilty of orchestrating a scheme that funneled large sums of foreign money into Barack Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign. Prosecutors said he worked with Malaysian nancier Jho Low to disguise the source of tens of millions of dollars through a network of straw donors, while also committing related o enses including acting as an unregistered foreign agent and attempting to in uence witnesses. e judge denied his bid for a new trial—partly due to concerns over his attorney’s use of AI in closing arguments—leaving Michel’s defense team arguing that the punishment is excessively harsh.
A Revival of God Consciousness
Mills, Ph.D.
TO aframnews1982@gmail.com 713-682-1892
BOX 41820 Houston, TX 77241
In a multi-cultural democratic society truth must matter more than socio-economic statuses if democracy is to endure. More importantly, citizens regardless of socioeconomic status must spiritually understand the power of words, because: “In the beginning was the word, and the word was with God, and the word was God. e same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.” (John 1: 1-3). God became a human being in Jesus Christ bringing salvation to all individuals because of the original sin in the Garden of Eden. erefore, God’s truth is more powerful than the devil’s lie, because truth is eternal. Truth creates its own energy. A lie runs on borrowed energy. Sadly, we have an awful lot of MAGA Americans that must spiritually learn the power of words, because words can hurt, heal or inspire. is is why the Bible declares: “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man.” (Colossians 4: 5-6). In America, it’s spiritually wise not to respond to foolishness in kind, unless you want to appear foolish yourself. Always tell others
EDERAL JUDGES BLOCK REDISTRICTING MAPS
Today, three federal judges out of El Paso blocked Donald Trump’s new congressional maps, which he ordered Greg Abbott to redraw. is federal panel has enjoined the state from using these new maps, instead ruining Donald Trump’s plan of netting 5 seats to keep harming the American people through his disastrous agenda.
“Today’s ruling out of El Paso rea rmed our commitment to fair representation, and let us know that democracy can be preserved,” said Texas Democratic Party Chairman
Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder. “ is is a win for fair representation and proves what we have been saying, that these maps
diminish the voting power of minorities. When Donald Trump decided to take the ght to Texas, our House Members broke quorum and took this ght nationwide. As Republicans start to complain about California’s new map, I will remind them that California let its voters decide, something Greg Abbott would never do. We know this ght is far from over and that this will end up in front of the Supreme Court. e voters should pick their politicians, not the other way around. Let this be a message to
Let this be a message to Republicans: Don’t mess with Texas Democrats.”
the truth and shame the devil. e devil is a liar. More importantly, he has already been defeated by Jesus Christ. Having power without a spiritual moral purpose drives individuals devilishly insane. Hence, life without moral purpose is the epitome of insanity. is is precisely why America has always had problems livingup to the cardinal spiritualmoral truths embedded in the Preamble to the U. S. Constitution: “that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness---at to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” Glory to God! Government should ensure Rights, not abridge rights and human dignity. e Trump-MAGA Cult believes in abridging human rights/ human dignity and equal protection under law, because they do not spiritually know: “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the esh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful esh, and for sin, condemned sin in the esh: that the righteousness of the law might be ful lled in us, who walk not a er the esh, but a er the Spirit.” (Romans 8: 2-4). Isms are schisms. Schisms divide. Truth unites. America, truth can liberate us from racism, sexism, and classism.
Bobby
that cannot be ignored: universities across Texas, big ones, wealthy ones, majority-white ones, experience nancial mismanagement too. ey have accounting mistakes, contract problems, construction overruns, missed reports and internal audits that reveal millions in errors. Yet the response to those institutions is quiet, measured, contained and almost always framed as an internal issue. e public rarely hears about their problems, and the state never threatens to freeze their funding or launch loud, politically charged investigations.
TSU, however, receives the opposite treatment. e moment its nancial issues become public, state leaders respond with outrage, media pressure and talk of withholding money that the university depends on to operate. Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick have already called for deeper investigations and hinted at consequences that could alter TSU’s future. eir reactions, ampli ed by political allies, paint a picture of a university out of control, even though TSU’s issues are not fundamentally di erent from problems other universities handle quietly.
is double standard is not imagined. It is part of the long pattern of unequal oversight, underfunding and selective enforcement that historically Black colleges and universities face across the country. TSU is the only independent public university in Texas, not part of the UT System, not part of the Texas A&M System and not protected by the University of Houston System. at independence makes it easy to single out and punish. It also makes the university vulnerable to political pressure from leaders who have historically shown little commitment to supporting Black institutions. When a major public HBCU stumbles, the reaction is not support but scrutiny; not partnership but punishment.
TSU’s location in Houston’s ird Ward, one of the most culturally signi cant Black communities in Texas, adds more weight to the situation. e university is not
simply a school; it is a pipeline of opportunity for thousands of Black students, a major economic engine for surrounding neighborhoods and a symbol of Black academic excellence in a state with deep racial divides. A threat to TSU is a threat to the entire community it serves. If state leaders choose to freeze funding, impose external control or intervene with harsh measures, the consequences will land hardest on Black families, Black faculty and Black neighborhoods that already face systemic inequities.
e state’s reaction to TSU’s nancial issues would look very di erent if it were another university, one with more political allies, a wealthier donor base or a majority-white student population. at is why this story is not only about balance sheets and invoices. It is about power. It is about who gets protected and who gets punished. It is about the message being sent when an HBCU’s internal issues are treated as a crisis while similar issues at other institutions are treated as routine.
To be clear, TSU must x its internal problems. Accountability is necessary. Transparency is essential. Strong leadership is non-negotiable. But accountability does not require political threats, public shaming or measures that could cripple the university’s ability to function. What TSU needs is support, stability and an honest acknowledgment that it has been historically underfunded and structurally isolated in ways that contributed to the very problems now being criticized.
For decades, TSU has produced judges, educators, doctors, lawyers, engineers and public servants who have transformed Texas and the nation. Its alumni have changed industries, shaped policy and built communities. at legacy deserves protection, not opportunistic targeting. As Black Houstonians watch this unfold, a pressing question remains: will the state help TSU rise, or is this the beginning of another attempt to weaken one of the most important Black institutions in Texas?
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
FOR PROPOSED SERVICE CHANGES
Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO)
Notice is hereby given that the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO), will hold a public hearing on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. to receive public comment on the proposed February 2026 changes to METRO service. The public is invited to attend the hearing and provide comments in person.
The public may also join the hearing and provide comments virtually on Zoom at https://us02web.zoom.us/j/85898588368 or by dialing: 346-248-7799 or 888-475-4499 (toll-free), meeting ID: 858 9858 8368. Additionally, if you do not want to provide comments during the public hearing, visit RideMETRO.org/LiveStream to view a livestream of the event. A video recording of the hearing will also be archived on the same page.
The proposed service changes may include: Route changes to bus route 500; schedule changes to bus routes 6, 9, 28, 56, 82, 99, 153, 217, 221, 222, 228, 265, and 270; and elimination of bus routes 64, 402, and Z-Trip.
Copies of proposed route maps and available timetables will be available beginning on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, for public review both online and in the lobby of the METRO RideStore located in the Lee P. Brown METRO Administration Building at 1900 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77002, weekdays from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
The public hearing on Thursday, December 4, 2025, at 12:00 p.m. will be held in the 2nd floor boardroom at 1900 Main Street, Houston, Texas (served by bus routes 6, 11, 35, 44, 51, 52, 54, 82, 85, 102, 137, 161, 162, and METRORail).
HOW TO COMMENT ABOUT
THE SERVICE CHANGES
If you would like to make public comments in person or virtually, please register as a public speaker with the METRO Board Office at least 48 hours in advance of the hearing. Call 713-739-4834 or send an email to BoardOffice@RideMETRO.org and provide your name, address and telephone number. As explained above, you may attend the public hearing in person or virtually on Thursday, December 4, 2025, to provide comments. If you pre-register, your comments will be heard first at the public hearing. Your name will be called at the appropriate time to make your comments.
You may also provide comments by:
• Writing to us at METRO, ATTN: February 2026 Service Changes, 1900 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002
• Faxing comments with a subject line referencing "February 2026 Service Changes" to 713-652-7956
• Calling or texting METRO Customer Contact Center at 713-635-4000
• Submitting comments on the METRO website at RideMETRO.org
All comments should be submitted to METRO by 10:00 a.m. on Thursday, December 4, 2025.
HELP FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
For individuals with disabilities, assistive services or copies of public documents in an alternate format can be provided. Individuals with impairments may call 713-750-4271 a minimum of five (5) working days prior to the public hearing.
LANGUAGE ASSISTANCE
Upon request, METRO provides free language assistance to help patrons who have a limited ability to read, write, speak or understand English, in accordance with its language assistance plan. Please call 713-739-4018 or email METROPublicAffairs@RideMETRO.org to request language assistance or other accommodations at least 48 hours in advance of the hearing.
OTHER
1. This public hearing conforms to requirements described in the Federal Transit Administration's Circular 9030.1E, published January 16, 2014, page VI-7.
2. METRO does not discriminate based on disability in the admission or access to, or in treatment or employment in, its services, programs, and activities.
3. METRO is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, its transit services based on race, color, or national origin, as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
