Volume 30 Issue 9 by AFRAMNEWS.COM

African-American News&Issues

AframNews.com

“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”

By: Staff Writer

Harris County Precinct One Constable Alan Rosen has made a groundbreaking appointment, naming Erica Davis as the rst African American woman to serve as a civilian Chief of Sta for a law enforcement agency in Harris County—potentially marking a rst nationwide. Davis, elected in 2020, serves as a Trustee and Second Vice President on the Harris County Department of Education Board and is the Chairwoman of Governmental A airs.

ERICA DAVIS CIVILIAN CHIEF OF STAFF

HOUSTON

‘Colossal’ sculptures arrive in the Heights as new Houston museum opens.

FORT BEND

Fort Bend County ofﬁcials are considering implementing a 311 non-emergency help line to streamline residents’ reporting of issues such as potholes and trash pickup.

THE WOODLANDS

The Woodlands Township is undertaking reforestation projects along Woodlands Parkway to restore areas affected by invasive vines.

GALVESTON

After extensive negotiations, the historic Battleship Texas is set to relocate to Galveston’s Pier 15.

SAN ANTONIO

Jenny Carnes, the president and CEO of San Antonio Sports, is leading efforts to host the NCAA Men’s Final Four at the Alamodome next month.

FORT WORTH

“ e community I know in this day and time wants to see change and not just hear about change,” stated Constable Rosen. While former Sheri Adrian Garcia, now Commissioner, pioneered the role by appointing the rst Chief of Sta in local law enforcement, Constable Alan Rosen took the historic step further by emphasizing the importance of diversity at the leadership level. e appoint- Davis on pg. 3

BARC has severed ties with A Rottie Rescue after authorities seized 50 underfed and neglected dogs from a facility near Fort Worth.

EDITORIAL

A Revival of God Consciousness

Bobby Mills, Ph.D.

Now, the question is: what are we going to do about it?

e government we have is White Privilege Autocratic Trumpism, not multi-cultural democracy. is is precisely why individuals must be careful what they wish for and vote for, because the Grand Ole Party (GOP) is not willing to stand up for the universal moral norms and spiritual values of multi-cultural democracy as de ned by the Preamble and the U. S. Constitution. Partisan campaigning is over. In fact, partisan political campaigning is easy. Multi-cultural democratic governance is challenging, as it necessitates inclusion. Americans who love God as well as love each other, must always do their best, and allow God to do the rest, because: “we wrestle not against esh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” (Ephesians 6: 12). e only power that can overcome a lie is truth. erefore: “if ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples; indeed, and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8: 32). Will someone please tell President Donald J. Trump and his MAGA-Cult followers that sin is slavery, and that self-deception is of the devil. Truth unites. Lies divide; not unite, and no nation divided against itself can

survive.

America, we should always fear God, not want-to-be Kings. God is the King of Kings, and the Lord of lords. For example, God chose Israel to be a peculiar nation state as a spiritual light to the world, but the Israelites desired to be like all other nations. e Israelites desired a king. God is a God of free-will choice, and He will give you the desires of your heart. God’s prophet Samuel told the Israelites, “You do not want a king to reign over you”, because: “ is will be the manner of the king that shall reign over you: He will take your sons and appoint them for himself……He will take the tenth of your sheep: and ye shall be his servants. And ye shall cry out in that day because of your king which ye shall have chosen you; and the Lord will not hear you in that day.” (1 Samuel 8: 11, 17-18). e Israelites refused to obey the Prophet Samuel. Samuel spiritually rehearsed the words of the Israelites to God, and God said: “Hearken unto their voice, and make them a king.” (1 Samuel 8:22).

WELCOME TO THE PARK

Welcome to the park is what we say in the SouthPark area located in Southeast Houston. You may even see it on the SouthPark Super Neighborhood 72 signage throughout the community/neighborhood, however the parks in SouthPark and surroundings areas like Sunnyside aren’t too welcoming at all. e Parks in the Park are just older with no signi cant upgrades or renovations just a lot of broken promises and politics. How could the main thoroughfare of SouthPark be named a er a great man by the name of Martin Luther King Jr, but the Blvd formerly named SOUTHPARK doesn’t lead to any great parks. e City of Houston is the city of Haves and Have Nots in which Haves get even more and the “Have Nots” get even less. e Haves get more money and the” Have Nots” get more excuses.

park located in the upper Kirby area also known as the” HAVES”. If you walk to the rear of the park, you have a nice taco stand that serve very good margaritas and as you make your way to the front you could possibly buy you a nice steak with a chilled bottle of the nest wine, yes all of this at a neighborhood park the is visited by tourist here in Houston, Tx. You can also opt for valet parking if necessary… Its so much more to name but you pretty much get the picture of e HAVES vs e HAVE NOTS. Even though some parks across Houston look like they from 3rd world countries the vote to give the world class LEVY PARK even more was 15-1 Council member Ramirez voted NO and councilwoman Laticia Plummer was absent. e vote will ok another $8,500,000.00 to buy 2 acres of land at the corner of Richmond and Eastside to expand and another $6,000,000.00 to renovate the land

America, God will give you the spiritual desires of your heart, because God is a God of free-will choices. ere are always negative consequences to having a king. A king will not listen. Listening is a Godly quality. A king believes he is a god. America was called to be a Godly nation, unique among nation-states. e Preamble and the U. S. e Constitution serves as empirical evidence of America’s profound uniqueness among nations. In fact, America’s socio-economic political desire for wanting

e “Haves” WANTS more additions, renovations, upgraded facilities, money, and etc. to their parks that already have everything. e “Have Nots” NEEDS new facilities, additions, renovations, money, safety, lights, drainage, water fountains, play rounds, restrooms/port a potty and etc. for parks that never had any of that. LEVY PARK is a world class park that actually have everything that you could possibly see and want to have at a neighborhood

e Have Nots make up 10 of the worst 18 parks on the City’s needs assessment list All located in District D and LEVY PARK comes 186th out of 186 parks on the NEEDS assessment meaning they don’t NEED anything compared to other parks, however parks like EDGEWOOD PARK are 17 years behind in construction. You would think it would be priority by now and much more than $6,000,000.00 would be allocated since one park is getting over $14,000,000.00 for an expansion when parks in the hood don’t have the basics like lights, play grounds, water fountains, drainage, safety, and

Travis McGee How Long is Too Long

Davis Cont.

ment re ects his commitment to ensuring leadership positions re ect the community they serve.

“ is decision was not hard,” Rosen explained. “Erica Davis has been with our agency since I was elected.” Davis was promoted through di erent positions and brings years of public service experience to the role and has transformed community engagement through her innovative initiatives, including launching comprehensive educational safety programs that have reached thousands of residents, organizing large-scale resource fairs that have provided essential services to underserved communities, and establishing groundbreaking youth dialogue platforms that tackle critical social issues.

Before joining the Constable’s o ce, Davis worked as a High School Spanish Teacher at Mt. Carmel High School and served as interim director for the

Acres Homes Chamber for Business & Economic Development. Her academic credentials are equally impressive, holding a bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and master’s degrees from both the University of Texas and Columbia University. She is currently pursuing a doctorate at the University of Pennsylvania, researching “Learning in the Political Ecosystem: A Case Study Approach to Self-Directed Learning of Language Among Local Elected O cials.”

In her role as Chief of Sta , Davis provides executive support for departmental policies, goals, and procedures. She works closely with leadership to develop comprehensive long-term strategies and various functions of the agency. Davis also serves as a liaison with elected o cials, external stakeholders, and the public.

Her commitment to public service extends beyond her role at the Constable’s o ce. Her election as Trustee on the Harris County Department of

Education Board in 2020 further demonstrates her dedication to community service and institutional improvement. Most exciting is Davis’s Houston roots, spanning from Sunnyside to Acres Homes, Fi h Ward, and ird Ward. Her father also made history as the rst Black chaplain of the Houston Police Department and served with distinction as Major and Captain of the Sheri ’s O ce, and now serving

as Captain at Precinct 1 Constable’s O ce, also appointed by Constable Alan Rosen. Erica Davis is married to David who serves in the United States Airforce and she is the proud bonus mom to Elijah also known as Pooh. She continues to focus on building bridges between law enforcement and the community, believing in collaborative approaches to achieve best practice policies.

THE GOLD STANDARD IN NURSING

Harris Health Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital

July 26, 1948: President Harry Truman issues Executive Order 9981. It stated that “there shall be equality of treatment and opportunity for all persons in the armed forces without regard to race, color, religion, or national origin.”

May 17, 1954: Brown v. Board of Education, a consolidation of ve cases into one, is decided by the Supreme Court, e ectively ending racial segregation in public schools. Many schools, however, remained segregated.

August 28, 1955: Emmett Till, a 14-year-old from Chicago is brutally murdered in Mississippi for allegedly irting with a white woman. His murderers are acquitted, and the case bring international attention to the civil rights movement.

March 9th, 1965: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led a group of protestors from Brown Chapel to Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

March 10th, 1913: Harriet Tubman died in Auburn, New York. March 10th is observed as Harriet Tubman day in the United States, to remember the contributions she made.

March 11th, 1959: A Raisin in the Sun, the rst Broadway play produced by a Black woman, Lorraine Hansberry, debuted at the Ethel Barrymore eatre.

BLACK HISTORY FUN FACTS

- Madam C.J. Walker became the rst African American woman to self-make a fortune in the early 20th century. She created a line of beauty and hair care products for African American women, eventually becoming a philanthropist and business mogul.

- Hiram Rhodes Revels made history in 1870 as the rst African American to serve in the U.S. Senate. He represented Mississippi during the Reconstruction era.

- Black Panther Party didn’t just advocate for civil rights but also ran community programs. One of their most famous initiatives was the Free Breakfast Program, which served breakfast to children in poor neighborhoods, helping to provide over 20,000 meals per week.

- Did you know that George Washington Carver not only promoted crop rotation but also invented hundreds of products from peanuts, including peanut butter? And Garrett Morgan invented the modern tra c light and the gas mask.

“

March 12th, 1917: e rst Black Girl Scouts troop was formed in the New York area.

SEPT

SYLVESTER TURNER

27, 1954–MAR 5, 2025

AND LINA HIDALGO

SHEILA JACKSON LEE AND SYLVESTER TURNER

ASHLEY PAIGE TURNER CAPTAIN (DAUGHTER)

LOCAL

REMEMBERING DARRYL B. CARTER

By: Staff

Originally from Bermuda, Texas, Darryl followed his passion for law to the University of Houston Law Center, where he laid the groundwork for a distinguished career in public a airs, legal counsel, and lobbying. He later served as Legal Counsel at Linebarger Goggan Blair & Sampson, a rm renowned for its expertise in government relations, public nance, and tax law.

As one of Houston’s leading city lobbyists, Darryl cultivated an impressive corporate clientele and provided guidance to numerous political leaders. His insights were sharp, his advice unwavering, and his expertise extensive. He didn’t just speak—he understood.

ose fortunate enough to learn from him emerged better equipped, wiser, and more ready to tackle the challenges ahead.

Outside of his professional achievements, Darryl was a dedicated family man. He married his soulmate, Jade, on Septem-

ber 4, 2016, and together they built a life lled with love and joy. eir twin children, A&E, recently celebrated their 7th birthday on February 5, 2025—a milestone that brought Darryl immense pride. He was a protector, a provider, and a father who treasured every moment with his

picture Houston without Darryl Carter. His name, in uence, and impact extend far beyond any one role he held. He helped shape policies, mentored leaders, and, most importantly, built lasting friendships that endured the test of time.

every moment with his kids. It’s hard to

By:Jeff Passan

e Department of Defense restored a story on its website highlighting Jackie Robinson’s military service Wednesday a er deleting it as part of President Donald Trump’s e orts to purge references to diversity, equity and inclusion through a “digital content refresh.”

While it does not make any references to DEI, the story on Robinson was among a swath scrubbed from government websites in recent days. Before the story on Robinson’s service was restored, the URL had redirected to one that added the letters “dei” in front of “sports-heroes.”

In a statement sent by the Pentagon at 1:24 p.m. ET Wednesday, press secretary John Ullyot cited Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth in saying “DEI is dead at the Defense Department” and said the Department of Defense was “pleased by the rapid compliance” that led to the erasing of stories on Robinson, Navajo Code Talkers and Ira Hayes, one of six Marines who raised the American ag at Iwo Jima.

At 2:46 p.m. ET, Ullyot released an updated statement.

“Everyone at the Defense Department loves

MILITARY SERVICE RESTORED

Jackie Robinson, as well as the Navajo Code Talkers, the Tuskegee airmen, the Marines at Iwo Jima and so many others -- we salute them for their strong and in many cases heroic service to our country, full stop,” the updated statement said. “We do not view or highlight them through the prism of immutable characteristics, such as race, ethnicity, or sex. We do so only by recognizing their patriotism and dedication to the war ghting mission like ever other American who has worn the uniform.

“In the rare cases that content is removed -- either deliberately or by mistake -- that is out of the clearly outlined scope of the directive, we instruct the components and they correct the content so it recognizes our heroes for their dedicated service alongside their fellow Americans, period.”

By 3:09 p.m. ET, the story was restored with its original URL. e Department of Defense declined to answer questions from ESPN as to whether the removal of Robinson’s story was deliberate or mistaken.

Robinson, who served as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army during World War II, broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier in 1947 when he debuted for the Brooklyn Dodgers. One of the most integral gures in American sports history, Robinson won the National League MVP and Rookie of the Year awards during a 10-year career that led to a rst-ballot induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. e story is part of the Department of Defense’s “Sports Heroes Who Served” series. Other stories, including one on Pee Wee Reese that references his acceptance of Robinson, his teammate, amid racial tensions in his rst season, remained on the site during the time Robinson’s