Volume 30 Issue 5

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

February 21, 2025

Vol.30, Issue 5

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African-American News&Issues

“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”

HOUSTON

Harmony Public Schools Houston South and West Districts were named the best Houston-area schools by Children at Risk.

GALVESTON

There is a neighborhood effort to turn former L.A. Morgan Elementary School campus into a Juneteenth Museum. It is in jeopardy after city officials postponed talking about whether they support the plan or not.

AUSTIN

Representative Ron Reynolds was appointed

by Speaker Dustin Burrows to serve on the Texas House Committees on Energy Resources, Environmental Regulation, and House Administration. These committees are critical to shaping the future of Texas.

FORT WORTH

RICHIE RHUE

BLACK FUNERAL HOME BUSINESS By: Chloé Richards

In Acres Homes, in the heart of the north side of Houston, Paradise Funeral Homes is a symbol of history, community, and change. The building that houses the largest funeral home in the area was once a school that Houston’s former mayor, Sylvester Turner attended. Over the years, Paradise has gone through several transitions before becoming the funeral home that it is today. However, a significant transformation began in September 2021 when Richie Rhue became the first licensed embalmer and funeral director to be area general manager of all four of its funeral homes.

Mr. Rhue’s path to the funeral business was not his apart of his original plan for his life. Born and raised in Conway, South Carolina, (30 minutes from Myrtle Beach) he initially envisioned a career in hospitality. “I didn’t want to be a funeral director. I actually wanted to be more in hospitality, like restaurants and hotels because that’s what I was used to where I was from,” he said. Despite him not wanting to initially be in the funeral business he is a third-generation funeral director and embalmer. His grandfather encouraged him to work for the funeral home, after his grandFuneral on pg. 3

Fort Worth ISD is proposing closing up to 25 schools to fix a $17 million dollar deficit.

21 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 1 high school.

SAN ANTONIO

The City of San Antonio’s MLK Commission is offering a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. scholarship program to help students get through college. The program started in 2016 and has raised over $1.1 million for scholarship funding. The deadline to apply is February 24 , 2025. th

ALIEF

State of Texas orders Alief ISD to make a plan to end illegal suspensions of homeless students.

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February 21, 2025

EDITORIAL

President/Chief Editor Contributing Writers Dr. Bobby Mills Travis McGee Rachel Thompson Jazz Pazz Dr. Shelley McKinley Chloé Richards Meeko Graphics Social Media Houston Minority business marketing website JG Design Layout Design Blue Star Web Printing

A Revival of God Consciousness Bobby Mills, Ph.D.

DEI: DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

STORIES, PICTURES, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, EMAIL TO

news@aframnews.com

713-682-1892

PO BOX 41820 Houston, TX 77241

We are looking for historical writers That can produce stories that address current and historical realities affecting our community.

PLEASE SEND YOUR INQUIRIES TO PROD@AFRAMNEWS.COM

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

Who benefits from DEI? No doubt about it, DEI is not Black preferential occupational treatment. In fact, DEI is simply a suggestion aimed at reducing workplace occupational discrimination.

Affirmative Action Programs benefitted White women, not Blacks and other minorities.

Hence, Black women are less likely to have access to professional support and advocacy than are White women.

Therefore, White women have benefitted disproportionately more from Corporate DEI Programs than Black women.

Nineteen percent for White women and (4%) overall for Blacks. If the absolute truth be told White women and the LGBTQ community were primarily the socio-economic benefactors of DEI, not Blacks. For Example, a 2019 report from a global nonprofit think tank found that Black professionals face more prejudice and discrimination than other ethnic groups.

The spiritual socio-economic question is WHY? The socioeconomic tension and racial conflict in American society is primarily between Blacks and Whites because of slavery and institutional racism. This is why Blacks are less likely than their racial counterparts to have access to senior level administrative positions.

Thus, the racial tension and conflict in American society

is primarily between Whites and Blacks, other non-White minorities tend to seek avoidance by hiding in the shadows. Systematic institutionalized racism is real in American society, especially in the corporate workplace.

Discrimination in corporate hiring and promotion processes is the glaring example that corporations will hire but not promote and retain Black employees. Therefore, DEI aims to address disparities faced by Black and minority groups but can sometimes be perceived differently depending on individual perspectives.

President Trump does not have DEI hires in his administration. He has unqualified White cabinet officials and one token Black nominee for the secretary of HUD. In three weeks in the White House, Trump has produced a shock and awe devilish governing style, based primarily upon analysis of paralysis.

Hence, public service ethics is a spiritual-moral concept that is foreign to the Trump MAGA-Cult. However, a change is going to come, because God knows how to fight devilish power, and: “The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15: 56-57). America, God can turn the devil’s victory into defeat. Unfortunately, the law sometimes conflicts with our religious beliefs, leading to disobedience due to a lack of spiritual understanding.

Christian Right Evangelicals and the MAGA-Cult are classic examples.

On the other Read more at hand, ambassaaframnews.com

And all that Jazz Esperanza Jazz Paz

OUR OWN SHINING BLACK PRINCE He was an eighth-grade dropout. A pimp. A burglar.

Addicted to cocaine. His religion was hatred, particularly toward “white devils.” Per The New York Times he was “an extraordinary twisted man” who “turn[ed] many true gifts to evil purpose” and his life was “strangely and pitifully wasted.”

Time called him “an unashamed demagogue”.

He was also a preacher, a human rights organizer, an advocate for Black empowerment and for the promotion of Islam within the African American community. He dedicated his life to civil rights progress, and equality for African Americans. He created the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which emphasized self-reliance and self-protection. He was a justice seeker and a truth teller.

His birth name was Malcolm Little. His nickname was Big Red. His name at death was el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. You likely know him as Malcom X. Malcolm X was assassinated in front of four hundred people, including his pregnant wife and four daughters on February 21, 1965, as he was about to make a speech. He was 39 years old.

Malcolm’s father was a Baptist minister and admirer of Marcus Garvey of the “Back to Africa” movement. When he was about six, Malcolm’s

father was run over by a streetcar, his body slashed in half. Malcolm always insisted that he was slaughtered by whites and his body arranged across the tracks to suggest an accident. Shortly afterwards, his mother was involuntarily committed to a mental asylum. He and his siblings were scattered.

Shortly after, Malcolm went to New York where he adopted a zoot-suits and yellowtoed shoes, and conked his reddish hair. He sold marijuana and hustled white men in search of Black prostitutes and Black men who preferred white women. Convicted of stealing, he spent six years in a Boston prison, where he educated himself by copying entire dictionaries. He became enamored of the Black Muslims, enchanted by their myths and religion. He was taught that the first humans were Black, and all other races were the result of Yacub, a depraved scientist who over generations created a “bleached out, white people.”

Released from incarceration, Malcolm married Betty Sanders and became a formidable promoter of Black Muslimism. The eloquent speaking skills he developed in prison made him a prize recruiter, and he was honored by leader Elijah Muhammad with increasingly responsibilities to convert the curious and establish new mosques.

Malcolm became an indemand lecturer before Black and white audiences and colleges. This success unsettled his boss. Meanwhile, Malcolm learned that the self-proclaimed Messenger of Allah was sexually abusing young women Read more at and flouting other aframnews.com

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

February 21, 2025

S.O.S SAVE OUR SELVES Funeral Cont.

By: Travis McGee

Who’s coming to save us? If our answer doesn’t include us, we really are in serious trouble. When I say save us, I mean by choosing commonsense over nonsense. We often give every one a chance other than ourselves.

In a political driven world, we can’t afford to not be proactively informed and involved at the same time. The consequences of not being involved/ informed can be both severe and expensive to say the least.

Even though our houses here in Houston, Tx been on fire we still have to convince people that they are on fire before we can organize them enough to put the fires out. Convincing someone that their house is on fire sounds strange because they should see the same flames and smoke as you, but most are waiting to be saved vs trying to save themselves. The worst part about saving ourselves is everyone don’t want to be saved and if you spend too much time in a burning building trying to save them you may not make it out either.

As long as our only focus is on the White House which is 1,400 miles away, our houses will continue to burn. Saving ourselves start locally just

like everything else. We have to hold everyone accountable starting with Self. We allow Politics, clout chasers, gatekeepers, and etc. to keep the fires going, because sadly those are the only titles most listen to even though time and time again, they have proven to be about themselves and money, somewhat like Jim Jones. The people didn’t die from listening to Jim Jones they died from believing him.

If you look around our neighborhoods, communities, and city as a whole you will quickly see the need to Save Our Selves, however it can’t be done unless the masses choose to Saves Our Selves vs waiting to be rescued by the same people that helped start the fire in the first place. Whether its lack of representation, gentrification, or taxation we are being” SOLD OUT, everyone is getting paid while we not paying attention. Until we are willing to make a sacrifice to Save Our Selves our communities will continue to be the sacrifice. We can’t Save Everybody, but we should be trying to save somebody even if that Somebody is yourself…

AA

father’s passing, he worked at the funeral home with his father and uncle and became a licensed embalmer. He left Conway and went to school at the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York in 2006; at the time it was the top ranked funeral service school in the country.

He graduated in 2009 and decided to stay in New York. “I kind of fell in love with New York and I stayed there for about 16 years,” he said.

In New York, he served as funeral home director and funeral home manager. In September 2021, Mr. Rhue had the opportunity to join Paradise Funeral Homes. When he joined Paradise, the business needed a few changes. “When I first got here, Paradise was a great cemetery that had a great team, they just needed a little encouragement,” he said. Adjusting to Houston’s weather was a challenge, especially while managing four funeral homes, as funerals are often canceled due to rain. “I was naive to the weather here in Houston… No one ever cancelled a funeral in New York,” he said. “The adjustments were a lot.” Mr. Rhue said he has never watched the news as much as he does now because the weather can determine his day-today activities.

Over the past 3.5 years, Mr. Rhue and his team have learned a lot, but they are committed to constantly improving the funeral home. The first year was tough as everyone had to get used to a new leader, but a lot of significant changes have been made since then.

“It took some time to get people to see my vision and get them on board with what I could see for Paradise,” he said.

During the transition, Mr. Rhue and his team have improved the look of the funeral homes and have made customer service and family satisfaction a top priority. Now, the business is more involved in the community, joining local events like the M.L.K. Day and Juneteenth parades. They also host fall festivals and give away backpacks and turkeys. They have partnered with the Houston police and fire departments to help with setting up activities for children. “It’s just helped us just to personalize our relationships here with the community, not just to be a funeral

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home and a cemetery. We are here for the community in Acres Homes and beyond,” he said.

Paradise Cemetery dates back to the 1900s, it was originally a school. After becoming a funeral home, it was ran by the Butlers and then the Wilsons.

It is now operated by Service Corporation International, which is a part of Dignity Brand. “We have history just being the largest funeral home in the area,” he said. As stated on their website, “Paradise is dedicated to helping celebrate your life or that of a loved one with a funeral and memorial service befitting the life lived.”

As Houston’s demographic shifts, so does the demographic of Paradise.

There has been an increasing number of Hispanic families in the area. Mr. Rhue and his team continue to work tirelessly to meet the unique needs of each family that is serviced. There are a few local famous people who are buried in Paradise. “We had the pleasure of burying Mrs. Sheila Jackson Lee here when she passed away this past year,” he said.

The funeral business has seen a major shift in recent years, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many families were not able to celebrate their loved ones in the ways they wished. Mr. Rhue and his team have embraced the changes and have worked to ensure that Paradise offers a wide range of options that allow families to create truly individualized ceremonies.

Cremation, which has become more popular over the years, is another area where Paradise has adapted. The business now offers cremation memorials, including options for turning cremated remains into beautiful keepsakes such diamonds or families can even have their loved one’s ashes thrown into space or other special locations.

“Since I’ve started here in 2021, we see numbers increasing every year, now we are at about 70% burials and 30% cremations,” he said.

Mr. Rhue says he is most proud of his team and what they have accomplished, last year he won a Service Excellent Award as well as being named MVP for the Houston area.

“It’s just nice to be recogRead more at nized for the work and just the appreciation that aframnews.com

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February 21, 2025

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

THROUGH THE LENS OF TIME: BLACK HISTORY IS 24/7/365 1965

1948

February 15th, 1965Singer Nat King Cole died of lung cancer at the age of 45. He was the first Black person to host a nationally broadcasted variety TV show and a nationally broadcasted radio program, The Nat King Cole show (TV), and King Cole Trio Time (radio).

February 16th, 1948James Baskett was the first Black man to win an Academy Award for his role as Uncle Remus in the Disney film Song of the South.

1891 February 17th, 1891Albert C. Richardson invented the butter churn.

1931

1942

1956

February 18th, 1931Pulitzer Prize winner, Chloe Anthony Woodford Morrison better known as Toni Morrison was born in Lorain, Ohio.

February 19th. 1942- The first African American military pilots, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, became part of the U.S. Armed Forces.

February 20th, 1956Civil rights activists were arrested for organizing a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama.

BLACK HISTORY FUN FACTS - The first open heart surgery was performed by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams a Black surgeon in 1893. There were no modern X-rays, antibiotics, or anesthesia.

- Mack Robinson (Jackie Robinson’s older brother) was a track star. Winning a silver medal in the 200-meter dash at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He finished just behind Jesse Owens.

“

A MAN WHO STANDS FOR NOTHING WILL FALL FOR ANYTHING. ”

- “Black Wall Street” was in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, it was one of the wealthiest communities for Black people in the early 1900s. It was destroyed in the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921.

- Alice Coachman was the first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal.

She won the high jump at the 1948 London Olympics.

- 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was the first to refuse her seat on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Nine months before Rosa Parks’ famous protest.

- Oprah Winfrey was the first Black female billionaire. She reached billionaire status in 2003.

MALCOM X

READ MORE AT AFRAMNEWS.COM

1965 February 21st, 1965- Civil rights activist Malcom X was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York.

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

February 21, 2025

LOCAL

HISTORY HOUSTON’S OWN CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER By: Chloé Richards

“Life is too short to hang out a sign: “For Men Only”- Barbara Jordan.

Barbara Charline Jordan was born to Benjamin and Arlyne Jordan on February 21st, 1936, in Houston, Texas. Jordan was an educator, lawyer, politician and a prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement. During her lifetime, Jordan received numerous accolades for her willingness to fight for the equality of all people.

She grew up in Houston’s 5th ward where she was actively involved in her church where her father served as pastor and her mother as a Sunday school teacher.

She graduated from Phyliss Wheatley High School with honors in 1952. Unfortunately, due to segregation she was not able to attend The University of Texas at Austin, so she decided to attend Texas Southern University (TSU) a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Houston’s 3rd ward.

At TSU she majored in political science and history, and she was also a member and national winner on the debate team where she defeated students from Yale and Brown. She became a member of the Delta Gamma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. In 1956 she

graduated magna cum laude and then went on to attend Boston School of Law where she graduated in 1959.

She credits her decision to become an attorney to a speech given by lawyer and judge Edith Spurlock Sampson who is known for her fight for the equal rights of Black people.

After graduating from law school, she taught political science for one year at Tuskegee University, formally known as Tuskegee Institute. She later returned to Houston in 1960 where she opened her own private law practice. In 1962 & 1964 Jordan campaigned for the Texas House of Representatives, but she was unfortunately unsuccessful.

However, in 1966 she won a seat in the Texas Senate becoming the first Black state senator and since 1883, the first Black woman to

serve in that capacity.

During her career she served the United States in various ways. She was re-elected to the Texas Senate, where she served until 1972. She also had the opportunity of serving as Texas acting governor for one day in 1972. To date, she is the only Black woman to serve as governor in the state of Texas. That same year, she was elected to the House of Representatives. She is mostly known for delivering the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in Read more at 1976, she was aframnews.com

BARBARA CHARLINE JORDAN

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February 21, 2025

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

POLITICAL

TWO PATHS, ONE PURPOSE By: Chloé Richards

Years after their deaths, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois are still seen as intellectual rivals, to many people their differences overpowered their shared vision. Washington was an advocate for learning trades, believing that economic selfsufficiency would help Black people gain respect and independence from white people. Du Bois, on the other hand thought that formal education and fighting for civil rights were the best ways to create real change. While they had different approaches, their ultimate goal remained the same: the upliftment and advancement of Black people in America. Instead of seeing them as rivals it is important to look at their ideas as two important pieces of the same puzzle, both helping to shape Black progress.

Booker Taliaferro Washington was born enslaved on April 5th, 1856, in Hale’s Ford, Westlake Corner, VA. He was freed when U.S. troops came to the plantation he lived on after the emancipation proclamation (the document that freed all slaves). He worked hard to get an education and eventually attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute which is now a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) known as Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. He also attended Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C. In 1881, he founded Tuskegee Institute which is now a HBCU known as Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. The school was founded as a trade school for Black students.

In 1895, he gave his famous Atlanta Compromise speech encouraging Black people to focus on economic progress rather than demanding immediate civil rights.

William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born free on February 23rd, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. As a child he experienced little direct racism. He excelled in school and after graduating high school, he enrolled at Fisk University in Nashville, TN. He became the first Black person to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. He also studied in Europe, where he was heavily influenced by the ideas of equality and justice. He introduced the “Talented Tenth” arguing that the top 10% of educated and talented Black individuals should lead the race in achieving social change and equality. In 1909, he co-founded of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He believed in directly challenging racism rather than accepting gradual progress.

Washington and Du Bois both wanted to uplift the Black community, but they had very different ideas

about how to achieve that goal. Washington encouraged learning practical skills like farming, carpentry, and mechanics, he believed that financial independence would earn Black people respect and gradually lead to civil rights. In his 1895 Atlanta Compromise speech he suggested that Black people should not push too hard for political or social equality but instead prove their value through hard work and economic stability. Washington gained support from many white leaders because of this approach and was able to secure funding for Black schools and businesses. He was heavily criticized for being too accepting to racism.

Du Bois believed that waiting for equality was not an option. He believed that Black people should demand civil rights immediately and that higher education was the key to true progress. Du Bois called for strong leaders from the “Talented Tenth” to push for change through activism and education. His work with the NAACP laid the foundation for later civil rights efforts.

The debate between the two of them is still relevant today. Some people believe W.E.B. that building Black owned businesses, increasing DU BOIS financial literacy, and strengthening economic power are the best ways to achieve equality, this idea aligns with Washington’s philosophy. Other people believe that higher education and political activism are the most effective paths, this idea aligns with Du Bois’ philosophy.

Some people believe that both are acceptable and achievable in both capacities.

Both

strategies are necessary to work towards equality.

Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois may have had different ideas about how to achieve Black progress, but they were not enemies. Instead, they were two leaders addressing the same problem from different angles. Their combined efforts have helped shaped the fight for civil rights. Today, their legacies live on, reminding everyone that both thought processes are AA necessary for lasting chance.

BOOKER T. WASHINGTON

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

FLOWER SHOP

February 21, 2025

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CHEMICAL

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PUBLIC NOTICE LEGAL NOTICE The Houston Independent School District Purchasing Services Department located at 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, TX 77092 is soliciting Request for Proposals (RFP) via the District’s electronic bidding portal. Proposers may login to view specifications and submit their responses at the following link https://houstonisd.ionwave.net/Login. aspx until 11:00 a.m. (CST) Monday, March 3, 2025, for the following solicitation: RFP 25-01-07 Boiler and Machinery Equipment Breakdown Insurance Pre-proposal conferences via Microsoft Teams will be held in conjunction with this RFP. Information regarding dates, times, and instructions to receive a link to join the meeting can be located within the electronic bidding portal under the “Event Details” tab specific to this solicitation.

NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

Request for Proposal will be received by Lone Star College for: RFP # 25-02-09 – Proctoring Software. Electronic submittals due by 2:00 P.M, March 17, 2025 Contact: Jennifer LaRue @ Jennifer.larue@lonestar.edu or 832813-6714 Must Register to Bid: http://lonestar.ionwave.net/Login.aspx.

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GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

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H-E-B celebrates the pride and resilience of the Black community.

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