Volume 31 Issue 16

May 22, 2026

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Vol.31, Issue 16

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“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”

MR. LAWRENCE “LARRY” MARSHALL

JUNE 18, 1932 – MAY 5, 2026 By: Family

BROWN VS BROWN THE EFFECTS TODAY

By: Roy Douglas Malonson

In 1951, a third-grader named Linda Brown walked through the switching yards of Topeka, Kansas, to board a bus to Monroe Elementary, a segregated school for Black children. Her walk was not just long; it was dangerous. Yet, just four blocks from her home sat Sumner Elementary, a well-funded, safe school reserved exclusively for white children.

When her father, Oliver Brown, attempted to enroll Linda at Sumner, the school refused. This local act of rejection became the catalyst for Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954), a landmark United States Supreme Court case that shattered the legal

spine of state-sanctioned segregation. More than seventy years later, while Brown fundamentally reengineered the American legal landscape, its promises of true educational equity remain unfulfilled, casting a long shadow over modern society.

To understand the impact of the Brown decision, one must examine the legal hurdle it had to clear.

For nearly sixty years, the law of the land was dictated by the 1896 ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson, which established the “separate but equal” doctrine.

This doctrine claimed that racially segregated public Brown on pg. 3

Mr. Lawrence “Larry” Marshall was born on June 18, 1933, in Houston, Texas, to Leon Marshall, Sr. and Mary Carrier Marshall. He was the sixth child born to this loving union. From an early age, Lawrence accepted Christ and developed a steadfast faith in God that guided and sustained him throughout his life.

Educated in the Houston Independent School District, Larry proudly graduated from Booker T. Washington High School and continued his education at Texas Southern University, earning both a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Science in Education. While at TSU, Larry pledged to the Delta Theta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., beginning a lifelong commitment to leadership, scholarship, and service. He served as Junior Student Council President, Treasurer of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Senior Class President.

While attending Texas Southern University, Lawrence met the love of his life, Barbara O’Cele Thompson Stevenson. After her return from Northwestern University, their friendship blossomed into love.

They united in marriage on December 23, 1958. To this union, two children were born: Lauren Mollie Marshall and Lawrence Gregory Marshall, Sr., who preceded him in death.

Larry devoted his life to public education and the advancement of young people. He began his career with the Houston Independent School District in 1955 as a teacher at Brock Elementary School. He rose through the ranks, serving as principal, Area Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Associate Superintendent, and ultimately Assistant Superintendent of Vocational Education/Enrichment Programs. He Larry on pg. 5

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May 22, 2026

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

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Life is shaped by choices, and every choice has consequences, whether good or bad.

President Donald J. Trump and his MAGA movement have revived a long-standing struggle over racial equity, social justice, and multicultural democracy. The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution affirms the moral ideal that all people are created equal, endowed by their Creator with unalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.

Glory hallelujah to God. Sadly, America’s crisis in democratic governance is not

only about Donald J. Trump, but also about the 77 million Americans who voted for him despite his six bankruptcies, 84 felony convictions, the removal of government secrets from the White House to his private residence in Florida, and, above all, his attempt to overthrow the U.S. government on January 6, 2021. America, retribution is not justice; it is injustice.

Retribution is sin, which is why God declares that the just shall live by faith and that He will repay: “Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9).

Without question, God will fulfill His purpose, for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof, and all who dwell therein. The eternal question remains: who is on the Lord’s side?

President Trump and his MAGA-Cult aligned GOP supporters promote a form of violent populism rooted in institutional racism and white-privilege autocracy as public policy. If this is what it means to make America great again, then God help us when America is doing poorly.

Violent populism creates social problems; it does not solve them.

January 6, 2021, stands as a clear eternal example. Now, President Trump desires to compensate the

Fight on pg. 5

We Must Understand Roy Douglas Malonson, Publisher

TRUMPRESHAPED SUPREME COURT In recent years, the Supreme Court of the United States has undergone a major transformation, reshaped in part by appointments made during the presidency of Donald Trump. With the additions of Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett, the Court now holds a 6–3 conservative majority. This shift is increasingly influencing rulings that affect civil rights protections across the United States.

Recent data analyses from national outlets show that the Court has ruled against plaintiffs in a growing number of civil rights cases, particularly those involving claims of discrimination by women and racial minorities. Legal experts note that this pattern marks a significant departure from past decades, when the Court more frequently sided with individuals seeking protection under civil rights laws.

One of the most impactful recent decisions came in 2023, when the Court struck down race-conscious college admissions policies, effectively ending affirmative action in higher education. The ruling has raised concerns about future diversity in universities and long-term access to opportunity for African American students.

For many in the Black community, this decision represents a major rollback of gains achieved during the Civil Rights Movement.

Beyond education, the Court has also influenced how discrimination claims are evaluated in the workplace. In several rulings, the justices have raised the burden of proof required for plaintiffs, making it more difficult for workers to successfully argue that they were treated unfairly due to race or gender. This shift could discourage individuals from pursuing legal action and limit accountability for discriminatory practices.

Voting rights remain another critical area of concern. While some of the most significant changes occurred in earlier decisions, the current Court continues to uphold rulings that reduce federal oversight of state election laws. Civil rights advocates warn that these decisions may disproportionately affect Black voters, particularly in states with a documented history of voter suppression.

Supporters of the Court argue that these rulings reflect a return to a stricter interpretation of the Constitution, rather than an effort to weaken civil rights. Critics, however, see a broader pattern that could reshape the legal landscape for generations.

As these decisions continue to unfold, their long-term impact on African American communities and the broader fight for equality remains a critical issue to watch.

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May 22, 2026 Brown Cont. facilities did not violate the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause as long as the facilities were equal. In reality, facilities for Black Americans were grossly underfunded, decaying, and intentionally marginalized.

When the Brown case reached the Supreme Court, combining lawsuits from Delaware, Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, and Washington, D.C., civil rights attorney Thurgood Marshall argued a revolutionary point.

He did not just argue that Black schools had inferior buildings or fewer books; he argued that the very act of separation was harmful.

To prove this, Marshall utilized social science data, most notably the “doll tests” conducted by psychologists Kenneth and Mamie Clark.

These tests revealed that Black children in segregated environments often chose white dolls over Black dolls, assigning negative traits to the Black dolls. On May 17, 1954, Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered a unanimous 9-0 decision, declaring that “in the field of public education, the doctrine of ‘separate but equal’ has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.”

The immediate effect of Brown was a seismic shift in American civil rights. It served as the legal blueprint for dismantling Jim Crow. If segregation in public schools violated the Constitution, then segregation on public buses, in libraries, at lunch counters, and in courtrooms was equally indefensible. The moral and legal momentum of Brown directly fueled the Civil Rights Movement, paving the way for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Furthermore, the legal logic of Brown expanded

AFRAMNEWS.COM beyond race, serving as the foundation for modern advocacy regarding gender equity, disability rights, and marriage equality.

However, the transition from legal decree to societal reality has been fraught with resistance. The Supreme Court’s follow-up ruling in 1955 (Brown II) ordered desegregation to proceed with “all deliberate speed”—a vague phrase that segregationists exploited to delay integration for decades.

In the modern era, the nation faces a sobering reality: public schools are heavily re-segregating. While de jure segregation (segregation enforced by law) is dead, de facto segregation (segregation caused by residential socioeconomic patterns) is thriving.

Today, millions of minority children attend schools that are almost entirely non-white. This modern segregation is deeply tied to the American housing market. Decades of historical redlining, discriminatory lending practices, and suburban “white flight” have created deeply divided neighborhoods. Because public school boundaries are tied to geographic ZIP codes, segregated neighborhoods naturally produce segregated schools.

Crucially, because American public education relies heavily on local property taxes for funding, neighborhoods with lower property values generate significantly less revenue for their schools. This creates a systemic funding gap.

Wealthy, predominantly white suburban districts frequently feature state-ofthe-art technology, advanced placement courses, and highly compensated Read more at teachers, while aframnews.com urban and rural

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HEALTH

U.S. FERTILITY RATE HITS RECORD LOW By: Fred Smith

The United States is experiencing a major demographic shift as the national fertility rate has reached a historic low.

Recent data shows the number of births per 1,000 women ages 15 to 44 has continued to decline, extending a trend that has been unfolding for nearly two decades. Fewer births overall signal changes not just in family life, but in the economic and social future of the country.

Experts point to several key factors behind the decline. Rising costs of living, including housing, childcare, and healthcare, have made it more difficult for many Americans to start or grow families. At the same time, more women are choosing to delay childbirth as they pursue education, careers, and financial stability before becoming parents.

For Black communities, this trend reflects deeper systemic challenges. African American families have historically faced economic barriers such as wage inequality, limited access to quality healthcare, and reduced opportunities for wealth-building. These realities can make the decision to have children more complex, particularly for younger adults trying to establish stability in an uncertain economy.

The shift toward delayed childbirth is also significant.

More women are having children later in life, which can come with increased medical risks and costs. This is especially concerning for Black women, who already

experience higher rates of maternal health complications compared to other groups in the United States. Access to quality prenatal care and healthcare resources remains a critical issue.

Beyond individual families, the long-term impact of a declining birth rate could reshape the workforce and economy. A smaller younger population may lead to fewer workers in the future, potentially affecting economic growth and support systems for an aging population. For Black communities, this raises important questions about representation, opportunity,

and long-term economic mobility.

While the declining fertility rate is a nationwide issue, its impact is not felt equally.

For many African American families, it highlights ongoing disparities that influence everyday decisions about family, finances, and the future. As conversations around this issue continue, there is growing focus on whether solutions will address the underlying challenges that have long affected Black communities.

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AFRAMNEWS.COM

May 22, 2026

THROUGH THE LENS OF TIME: BLACK HISTORY IS 24/7/365 1955

1957

1964

1963

1960

1960

December 1, 1955: Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery, Alabama bus. Her defiant stance prompts a year-long Montgomery bus boycott.

January 10-11, 1957: Sixty Black pastors and civil rights leaders from several southern states— including Martin Luther King Jr.—meet in Atlanta, Georgia to coordinate nonviolent protests against racial discrimination and segregation.

July 2, 1964: President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964 into law, preventing employment discrimination due to race, color, sex, religion or national origin.

May 2, 1963: More than 1,000 Black school children march through Birmingham, Alabama in a demonstration against segregation. The goal of the non-violent demonstration, which became known as the “Children’s Crusade,” was to provoke the city’s leaders to desegregate.

February 1, 1960: Four African American college students in Greensboro, North Carolina refuse to leave a Woolworth’s “whites only” lunch counter without being served. The Greensboro Sit-In, as it came to be called, sparks similar “sitins” throughout the city and in other states.

November 14, 1960: Six-year-old Ruby Bridges is escorted by four armed federal marshals as she becomes the first student to integrate William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. Her actions inspired Norman Rockwell’s painting The Problem We All Live With (1964).

TEXAS

1963 June 11, 1963: Governor George C. Wallace stands in a doorway at the University of Alabama to block two Black students from registering. The standoff continues until President John F. Kennedy sends the National Guard to the campus.

TAKEAWAY

HOUSTON

EL PASO

The Texas Board of Nursing has suspended the license of Camp Mystic’s chief health officer following allegations tied to the camp’s response during recent flooding events. Officials claim the officer failed to follow proper emergency and medical response protocols as severe weather conditions impacted the area.

The investigation remains ongoing as state regulators review the camp’s actions during the flooding emergency. ________________________________

An El Paso city representative has proposed a new policy aimed at discouraging or restricting the pursuit of data center developments within the city. The proposal comes amid growing concerns over the large amounts of water and energy consumed by such facilities, particularly in arid regions like West Texas. City leaders are expected to discuss the potential economic and environmental impacts before any formal action is taken. _______________________________

AUSTIN

SAN ANTONIO

H-E-B has announced plans to close its Spicewood Springs store in Austin, marking the end of operations at the longtime location. Company officials said the closure is part of broader business and redevelopment considerations in the area.

City approves $500K parking study despite funding a similar analysis in recent years. The decision has raised questions among some residents and officials about the need for another costly review so soon after the previous study was completed.

FREDERICK MCKINLEY JONES Frederick McKinley Jones (1893–1961) was a prolific self-taught African American inventor and entrepreneur. He held over 60 patents, famously revolutionizing global food logistics, medical transport, and the cinema industry.

READ MORE AT AFRAMNEWS.COM

May 22, 2026 Larry Cont.

AFRAMNEWS.COM Benjamin Elijah Mays Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Texas Legislative Black Caucus Outstanding Texan Award for Education. In 2012, Lawrence Marshall was honored as an HISD “Living Legend.”

His service extended far beyond the classroom.

Larry served on multiple civic and educational boards, including the American Heritage Education Foundation, the Southeast Coalition of Civic Clubs, and the Harris County Appraisal District. He also served as Interim Superintendent of Kendleton Independent School District, Adjunct Professor at Texas Southern University, and chaired advisory committees supporting education and community advancement.

Larry lived fully, loved deeply, served faithfully, and inspired countless

lives during his 93 years.

His life was a testament to faith, perseverance, leadership, and service.

He was preceded in eternal rest by his parents, Leon Marshall, Sr., and Mary Carrier Marshall; his son, Lawrence Gregory Marshall, Sr.; and his siblings, including sisters Rita Marshall, Gertrude C. Marshall, and Mary R. Branch, and brothers Lee Marshall and Leon Marshall, Jr. Larry leaves to cherish his precious memory: his devoted daughter, Lauren Mollie Marshall; his beloved grandchildren, Lawrence Gregory Marshall, Jr., Kaiya Symone McCray, and Lawrenzo LaMark Marshall; along with a host of nieces, nephews, extended family, dear friends, former Read more at students,

undermines that ideal through practices such as midterm redistricting/ insurrectionists. gerrymandering.

Hopefully, President Consequently, the failure Trump and his of many American voters supporters will come to recognize what the to the realization that author views as President society’s economic and Trump’s ungodliness has social problems cannot been one of the greatest be solved through tragedies in American revenge, punishment, society since the Civil or killing. America, some individuals simply Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of cannot be trusted with 1965. President Trump is institutional power, a bold, unapologetic, and because they lack a open advocate of Whitegodly conscience and are driven instead by an Privilege Autocracy. In the author’s view, he autocratic ego—EGO made that agenda plain meaning Edge God Out. Thus, the principle by offering up Project 2025 as a blueprint of one person, one for White Autocracy vote is foundational to multicultural democracy, prior to the 2024 Presidential Election. but institutional racism

What an ungodly shame.

Unfortunately, many Americans believed that the racist system had been legally corrected through the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but the editorial writer argues that those gains were boldly challenged in 2016. Now, in 2026, the U. S. Supreme Court has nullified the two time-honored pieces of Civil Rights Legislation.

Consequently, America is in a state of spiritual and moral hellish decline. Amen.

retired from HISD on April 30, 1991.

Lawrence later continued his service in education as a Trustee of the Houston Independent School District Board of Education from 1997 until 2013, serving as Board President in 1999 and 2009.

A pioneer in educational reform, Larry helped develop HISD’s magnet school and alternative education programs and was instrumental in establishing Booker T. Washington High School for Engineering Professions. These initiatives became models for school districts across the country.

In recognition of his contributions, he received numerous honors, including the Magnet Schools of America Distinguished Service Award, the

Fight Cont.

aframnews.com

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POLITICAL

MISGUIDED MEN By: Bobby E. Mills, PhD

In 2026, America has spiritually misguided men controlling guided missiles. Iran is the classic example. Sadly, the soul of America has been spiritually and morally corrupted for the love of Power, Money, and Sex, better known as PMS. Unfortunately, when ungodly-devilish men acquire PMS, it has deadly consequences.

America, PMS for men is unnatural, because it is about an unbridled lust for Power, Money, and Sex. On the other hand, PMS for women is the natural cleansing of the Womb, because of the sin in the Garden of Eden. America, because of spiritually misguided men in important governmental leadership positions we are experiencing unbridled socio-economic political corruption. The eternal question for America is: can she overcome the corruption of the

MAGA-Cult Trump Administration? More importantly, the real question is: how do we live, not how do we die? Consequently, the central inquiry is about what it is you are choosing to support, rather than what you oppose. Obviously, for President Trump the answer is: “I’m for me and mine”.

“Leaving yours behind”.

Unfortunately, Donald J. Trump was reelected to the Presidency by two ungodly forces racism and sexism.

Therefore, will someone please tell President Trump’s MAGA-Cult that money is only good for defensive purposes, not offensives

purposes, because: “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. This too is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 5: 10). America, happiness does not come from material things, because things do not make people happy.

Happiness comes from internal peace of mind!

Therefore, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal to God, but made of himself no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men, and being found in the fashion of a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death of the Cross.”

(Philippians 2: 5-8). Jesus became a suffering servant

Read more at aframnews.com

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May 22, 2026

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HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT (HISD) – INTENT TO AWARD – SOLE SOURCE CONTRACT

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