Volume 31 Issue 25

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

July 24, 2026

AframNews.com

Vol.31, Issue 25

FREE

African-American News&Issues

“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community” LOGAN BOGAR

LANDIN SIMS

JOSHUA WILSON

SEAN MYERS

GABRIEL HERRERA

ROBERT WHITFIELD III

VOLUNTEERS TRAINED BUSINESS OWNERS AND TALKED WITH NEIGHBORS AND DRIVERS ON THE STREET WHERE ICE SHOT AND KILLED LORENZO AS HE DROVE TO WORK.

MEMORIAL SITE ON IMMIGRANT RIGHTS

By: Adolfo Flores

SAMUEL HERRERA

BLAKE JARMON

SCOUTMASTER MYERS

EAGLE COURT OF HONOR

By: Jeannie Coleman

On July 11, 2026, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church’s Boy Scout Troop 242 celebrated an extraordinary milestone as eight Afro-American Scouts were awarded the prestigious rank of Eagle Scout during the same Court of Honor. Earning the rank of Eagle Scout is one of the highest achievements in Scouting, attained by only a small percentage of Scouts nationwide. To have eight young men from one troop reach this milestone together is a remarkable accomplishment worthy of national recognition.

The story is even more meaningful because of Troop 242’s rich and inspiring history. The troop

was founded in May 1965 by the late Rev. William A. Lawson, founding pastor of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. As a young man, Rev. Lawson dreamed of becoming a Boy Scout but was denied the opportunity because there were no Black Scout troops in his hometown and he was not allowed to join a white troop. Determined that future generations would have the opportunities he was denied, he established Troop 242 shortly after founding Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, creating a place where young men could develop leadership, charHonor on pg. 3 acter, citizenship, and a lifelong

Four days after an ICE agent shot and killed Houston construction worker Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, Organized Power In Numbers (OPIN) staff and volunteers joined Houston DSA on Saturday to canvass East End businesses and the memorial site where Lorenzo was killed, training residents and business owners on their constitutional rights amid a nationwide surge in immigration enforcement. Federal immigration agents have now shot at least 21 people since President Trump’s second term began, killing five, including three U.S. citizens, and arrested 10,000 people nationwide in just five days at the end of June.

DHS claims Lorenzo tried to run over an agent during a stop on July 7. The three men who were in the van with him, including his own brother, dispute that account, saying through an attorney that no agents were ever in front of or behind the vehicle.

DHS has since acknowledged Lorenzo was not the target of the operation and that the agents involved were not wearing body cameras. His family and Houston officials, including Mayor John Whitmire, are calling for an independent investigation.

Volunteers walked door to door to East End businesses, explaining what OPIN’s Neighborhood Defense Training covers: that without a judicial warrant signed by a judge, federal agents cannot legally enter private areas of a workplace; the difference between a valid judicial warrant and an administrative warrant; and what an I-9 inspection does and does not authorize. Volunteers also helped business owners post “Employees Rights on pg. 7

2

July 24, 2026

AFRAMNEWS.COM

EDITORIAL

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

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

ICE

STORIES, PICTURES, LETTERS TO THE EDITOR, EMAIL TO

aframnews1982@gmail.com

713-682-1892

PO BOX 206 Prairie View, TX 77446

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

PLEASE SEND YOUR INQUIRIES TO

AFRAMNEWS1982@GMAIL.COM

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

President Donald J. Trump and the MAGA-Cult movement have normalized extremism. ICE was created to manage immigration, customs, and enforcement humanely—not to function as a Gestapo-style police force. The recent fatal ICE shootings in Houston, Texas; Biddeford, Maine; and Minneapolis, Minnesota, reflect what the writer sees as a lawless mentality within ICE. This lawlessness is a clear and present example of the spiritual breakdown of law and order among law enforcement officials, especially within ICE. We now understand why ICE officials may resist wearing body cameras: pictures reveal the truth, while individuals can lie. Seemingly and sadly, ICE’s objective is to put certain people “on ice.” We are living in difficult and sinful times in America, and Christian service is not easy in the 21st Century because of greed, envy, and racial jealousy. As Scripture warns: “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall become lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers

of God; having a form of Godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away” (2 Timothy 3:1–5).

America, The GOP is not a responsible multi-cultural democracy oriented governing political party. Therefore, the appropriate response on November 3rd, 2026, is that ole time honored adage: “throw the weak knee-bending bums out”, because: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is a reproach to any people.”

(Proverbs 14: 34).

Jesus Christ was the most powerful man ever to walk the earth. Yet, He surrounded Himself with a system of accountability through His twelve disciples. He taught them to love and serve others rather than themselves. Jesus told His disciples that if they did not believe His words, they should believe because of His works: “Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works sake” (John 14:11). Through the power of the Holy Spirit, the disciples would continue His work of building the Kingdom of God on earth: “as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

Glory hallelujah to the King of all would-be kings. Sadly, the GOP House and Senate majorities have failed to exercise meaningful oversight of President Trump’s policy decisions. MAGA-Cult GOP members should remember: “Let no man deceive himself.

If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become Ice on pg. 7 a fool that he

Culture Commission Coalition

By Robert Slater,

Community Activist, Chairman of The Culture Commission Coalition

BLACK TEXAS AT THE CROSSROADS There are elections, and then there are hinges. Moments where a state does not simply choose a senator, it chooses whether an entire people gets to keep a seat at the table for the next decade or gets locked out of the room entirely. November is one of those hinges for Black Texas. And I will not pretend otherwise to make anyone comfortable.

Start with what the numbers already told us. In the March primary, Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett swept the ten counties with the largest Black populations in this state by roughly 24 points. In Jefferson County, nearly 60 points.

That was not noise. That was a verdict. Black voters looked at the choices in front of them and rendered judgment with the only tool no one can take from us at the ballot box, our own hand on our own vote. James Talarico became the nominee anyway. What he does with the community that did not choose him first is now the whole test of his candidacy.

To his credit, he has tried.

Black churches, HBCUs, a commencement address at Paul Quinn College, a maternal mortality plan aimed at a crisis that has quietly devastated Black families for generations, endorsements from Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Divine Nine organizations, Barack Obama at his side. None of that is nothing. But state Representative Barbara Gervin

Hawkins, who chairs the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, said the quiet part out loud: Black Texans are angry, they feel disenfranchised, and they feel used. Two thirds of Black voters currently support him.

Compare that to the nearly 90 percent Beto O’Rourke and Colin Allred each pulled from us in their own Senate runs, and the gap stops looking like a rounding error. It looks like a warning shot.

State Senator Royce West put it in terms I have heard from organizers across this state for years. He sees good faith. He has also seen good faith before that evaporated the moment the votes were counted. That is not bitterness. That is a community that has been asked to trust first and be rewarded later, again and again, and has learned what usually comes after the asking. Talarico did not invent that pattern. But he is the one standing in front of it now, and earning our vote, not assuming it, is the only path through. Here is where I have to stop being diplomatic, because diplomacy will not save us from what is actually on the other side of this ballot. If Ken Paxton wins this seat, it will not be a normal loss. It will be the closing of a door that may not open again for a generation.

Texas Republicans have already redrawn the congressional map to strip power from Black and Latino communities for the next decade. A federal Voting Rights Act gutted by the courts no longer stands between us and the next wave of restriction. And waiting in Washington is the SAVE America Act, legislation that would demand in person documentary proof of citizenship to register and strict photo ID to vote, Crossroads while shipping on pg. 7

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION Honor Cont.

July 24, 2026

commitment to serving others.

Over the past six decades, Troop 242 has become one of the most distinguished Scout troops in the nation. The troop has produced 229 Eagle Scouts By: Min. Shawn Bingham and is recognized for having produced more Eagle Scouts than any other troop in Texas. For one hundred years, North Its alumni include community Main Church of God in Christ (COGIC) has stood leaders, educators, military officers, physicians, engineers, as a beacon of faith, hope, and service in Houston, entrepreneurs, clergy, and Texas. Established in 1926, public servants who continue to embody the Scout Oath and the historic congregation is celebrating its Centennial Law in their professions and Anniversary in August 2026, communities. marking a remarkable mileThe eight Afro-American stone that honors generations newest Eagle Scouts conof worship, perseverance, tinue this remarkable legacy. and community impact. The Each completed a significant celebration is more than a community service project, recognition of longevity—it is demonstrated exceptional a tribute to the countless lives leadership, and dedicated transformed through ministry years of hard work to earnand the enduring legacy of ing Scouting’s highest rank.

Their achievements reflect not one of Houston’s longstanding Church of God in Christ only their determination but congregations. also the unwavering support Throughout its century-long of their families, Scout leadhistory, North Main COGIC ers, mentors, and the Wheeler has remained committed to Avenue Baptist Church comproclaiming the Gospel of munity.

Jesus Christ while serving as At a time when so many a spiritual home for families stories focus on the challenges across Houston.

Th e church facing today’s youth, these traces much of its modern young men represent the very legacy to the visionary leaderbest of the next generation. ship of the late Bishop WilTheir accomplishments demliam Nelson Godfrey, whose onstrate that character, service, discipline, and leadership unwavering faith led to the continue to thrive. Their story construction of a 1,000-seat sanctuary despite significant is one of hope, perseverance, personal challenges, includand the transformative power of mentorship and community ing legal blindness. His dream of building a thriving church investment. that would minister to genWe believe this is exactly erations became a reality and the kind of uplifting story continues to inspire members that resonates with audiences today. across Houston and would Today, the church continues be honored if you all would that mission under the consider featuring Troop 242’s leadership of Pastor Elder historic legacy and its newest Willie Collins and First class of eight Eagle Scouts and Lady Ruth Collins.

Their having a couple of the Eagle dedication to biblical Scouts highlight their experiteaching, compassionate ences in scouting. outreach, and community AA

AFRAMNEWS.COM

3

LOCAL

100 YEARS OF MINISTRY, FAITH, AND SERVICE

engagement has helped strengthen the congregation while preparing it for the future. North Main COGIC remains a place where people of all ages gather for worship, discipleship, fellowship, and service, reflecting the church’s commitment to developing strong families and nurturing future generations of believers.

The Centennial Anniversary celebration in August 2026 is expected to bring together current members, former members, church leaders, and friends from across Texas and beyond. The occasion will provide an opportunity to reflect on the church’s rich history while celebrating God’s faithfulness through ten decades of ministry. Special worship services, musical presentations, historical tributes, and fellowship events are anticipated to honor those whose dedication helped shape the church’s remarkable journey.

Beyond its sanctuary walls, North Main COGIC has consistently demonstrated its commitment to serving the surrounding community.

Through food drives, youth mentorship, pastoral counseling, outreach ministries, and community events, the church has sought to meet both the spiritual and practical needs of Houston residents. This emphasis on service reflects the broader mission of the Church of God in Christ denomination, which has emphasized evangelism, holiness, and community ministry since its founding in the early twentieth century.

As North Main Church of God in Christ celebrates 100 years, its story is one of resilience, faith, and unwavering devotion. From humble beginnings in 1926 to becoming a respected institution in Houston’s faith community, the church has weathered economic hardships, social

change, and the challenges of changing generations while remaining steadfast in its mission. The centennial serves not only as a celebration of the past but also as a renewed commitment to continue sharing the Gospel and serving the city for decades to come.

Reaching a 100-year milestone is an extraordinary achievement for any congregation. For North Main COGIC, it represents a century of answered prayers, faithful leadership, and a community united by faith.

As members gather to celebrate this historic anniversary, they honor the pioneers who laid the foundation while embracing a future filled with hope, purpose, and continued ministry. The church’s centennial stands as a powerful reminder that a legacy built on faith can inspire generations and leave a lasting impact on an entire community.

AA

4

July 24, 2026

AFRAMNEWS.COM

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

THROUGH THE LENS OF TIME: BLACK HISTORY IS 24/7/365 1864 1864. The Fugitive Slave Law is repealed.

It considered to still hold in the case of Black Americans fleeing from their enslavers in border states that were loyal to the Union government.

1887 1887. The Thibodaux massacre occurs in Louisiana.

TEXAS

1865

1900

1868

1870

1865. On June 19, Union soldiers arrive in Galveston, Texas to spread the news of the Civil War end and freedom of slavery, eventually celebrated as “Juneteenth”

1900. A majority of Southern states pass laws that required African Americans to be separated from white citizens in railroad cars and depots, hotels, and other establishments.

1868. The fourteenth amendment is passed, guaranteeing citizenship rights and equal protection under law.

1870. The fifteenth amendment is passed, guaranteeing that a citizen’s right to vote would not be denied on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.

1885 1885. A majority of Southern states pass individual state laws requiring separate schools for black and white students.

TAKEAWAY

HOUSTON

TEMPLE

Malfunctioning railroad crossing signals in east Houston are raising safety concerns for drivers and residents who travel through the area. Faulty lights, warning bells or crossing arms can create confusion and increase the risk of accidents, particularly at busy intersections. Residents are urging railroad operators and local officials to address the problems quickly and ensure the warning systems are working properly. ________________________________

Meta has brought its massive AI-focused data center in Temple, Texas, online, marking another major technology investment in Central Texas. The facility represents an investment of more than $1 billion and is designed to provide the computing power needed for Meta’s expanding artificial intelligence workloads. The project is also expected to contribute to the Temple-area economy through jobs, infrastructure investment and increased business activity. _______________________________

AUSTIN

SAN ANTONIO

Austin ISD is considering the immediate closure of Paredes Middle School ahead of the 2026–27 school year due to ongoing concerns about student academic performance. Under the proposal, students would be reassigned to Bailey or Mendez middle schools based on where they live.

San Antonio Mayor Gina Ortiz Jones has proposed ending the city’s Ready to Work job-training program as one option for helping close San Antonio’s budget gap. The proposal has divided City Council members, with some questioning its costs and results while others argue it provides valuable workforce training for residents.

LUCILLE ELIZABETH BISHOP SMITH

Lucille Elizabeth Bishop Smith, was an African American entrepreneur, chef, and inventor. She invented the first hot biscuit mix, and has been called “the first African American businesswoman in Texas. Born September 5, 1892, in Crockett, Texas, to Mary Jackson Bishop and Jesse Bishop

READ MORE AT AFRAMNEWS.COM

EVERY EFFORT HAS BEEN MADE TO ENSURE COMPLETE AND ACCURATE INFORMATION; BUT ERRORS MAY OCCUR. PLEASE CHECK THIS FILE CAREFULLY. NOT TO BE USED FOR COLOR APPROVAL.

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

T:9.75"

July 24, 2026

AFRAMNEWS.COM

5

T:10"

6

July 24, 2026

AFRAMNEWS.COM

CARRIAGE RIDE

CHEMICAL

RANCH

HAND

When Bugs are Near Have no Fear Call Premier

281.802.8654 www.prempest.com

$89.99

Dwain Stewart

SPECIAL FOR PEST CONTROL

CHURCH

VINTAGE CARRIAGE COMPANY, LLC

TERENCE J. REED, OWNER

FACEBOOK: GO VINTAGE, LLC INSTAGRAM: GOVINTAGELLC

713.489.8905 281.901.4966

HELPER WANTED

PART TIME OR FULL TIME

NEAR PRARIE VIEW

713.244.4067

SHOE REPAIR

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION PUBLIC NOTICE NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

Request for Proposal will be received by Lone Star College for:

Request for Proposal will be received by Lone Star College for:

RFP #26-07-02 – Financial Advisory Services. Electronic submittals due by 10:00AM (CT), Monday, August 10, 2026.

RFP #26-06-01 Zoom Enterprise License Subscription. Electronic submittals due by 3:00PM, Monday, July 20, 2026.

Contact: clave@lonestar.edu or (832)813-6723.

Contact: janet.bradley@lonestar.edu or (832)813-6299.

Must Register to Bid: https:// lonestar.ionwave.net/Login. aspx. If registered, please ensure your registration is up to date. For assistance with the on-line registration process, contact MCvendors@lonestar.edu.

Must Register to Bid: https:// lonestar.ionwave.net/Login. aspx. If registered, please ensure your registration is up to date. For assistance with the on-line registration process, contact MCvendors@lonestar.edu.

GIFT SHOP

Rev. Curley Randle, Sr. Pastor

CLOSEOUT SALE

Rev. Dr. Edwin A. Davis, Pastor

Sunday School 8:15am Sunday Services 9:00am

BAPTIST CHURCH “We are a church on the move.” -Isaiah 40:30

Rev. Dayle Perry, Pastor

INCOME TAX • Unfiled Tax Returns • Liens • Levies (Wage, Bank, Other) • Audits • Appeals • Offer in Compromise • Employment Taxes • Installment Agreements • Payment Plans • Other IRS Problems

• 401 (k) • 403 (b) • Pension • Profit Sharing • Deferred Comp.

• IRA • ESOP • DROP • Teacher Retirement System (TRS) • Other Employer Retirement Plans

20-50% OFF EVERY SATURDAY 11AM – 4PM

OPEN EVERY SATURDAY 11-4PM

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

July 24, 2026

LOCAL

By: Ashley Brown

that Dr. Goffney will continue leading Aldine ISD while helping advance the future of public education across the nation.”

As AASA president, Goffney said she looks forward to working alongside school system leaders across the country to strengthen public education while continuing to champion the work taking place in classrooms throughout Aldine ISD. “This is an incredible honor, but more importantly, it is an opportunity to serve,” Goffney said. “Public education is one of the most powerful promises we make to children, families, and communities. Every child deserves access to outstanding educators, meaningful opportunities, and a future filled with possibility. I am honored to serve AASA and to stand alongside superintendents across the country as champions for public education. That work is national, but it is also deeply personal. I carry Aldine with me — our students, our families, our educators and our unwavering belief that hope is not just something we talk about. It is something we build every day.”

Goffney’s presidency comes as AASA advances The Public Education Promise, a national framework focused on

7

Ice Cont. may be wise. For the wisdom of this world is foolishness without

DR. LATONYA M. GOFFNEY AS PRESIDENT OF AASA

Aldine ISD Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney was installed July 7 as the 2026-27 president of AASA, The School Superintendents Association, the nation’s premier organization representing more than 13,000 school system leaders.

The installation took place during AASA’s Legislative Advocacy Conference in Washington, D.C. Goffney will serve in this volunteer leadership role while continuing to lead Aldine ISD. Goffney was elected president-elect by AASA’s Governing Board in 2025 and has served on the organization’s Executive Committee.

Her installation marks a national leadership milestone for Goffney and reflects her dedication to student opportunity, educator excellence, and the life-changing power of public education. She previously served as president of the Texas Association of School Administrators during the 2023-24 school year.

“Those of us who work alongside Dr. Goffney see every day that her leadership is grounded in service, hope and an unwavering belief in the potential of every child,” Chief Communications Officer Sheila Adams said. “Her installation as AASA president is a well-deserved national honor, and we are proud

AFRAMNEWS.COM

God” (1 Corinthians 3:18–19). Someone should remind President Trump and his GOP MAGA-Cult House and Senate that while people may fool one another, but God is never fooled or mocked. Individuals reap what they sow. ICE’s unprofessional and uncivilized behavior under the guise of immigration enforcement has become a national and international disgrace. Now the world is asking what happened to the spiritual meaning of the declaration inscribed on the Statue of Liberty. Perhaps the inscription should read: “For Whites Only.”

AA Only” signage designating private areas of their workplaces as off-limits to law enforcement without proper authorization.

At the growing memorial on the street where Lorenzo was killed, volunteers spoke directly with neighbors, mourners, and drivers passing by, sharing know-your-rights information with the community closest to the shooting.

“Nobody should have to learn their rights standing at a memorial for their neighbor,” said Neidi Dominguez, Executive Director of Organized Power In Numbers (OPIN). “But that’s where we are right now, and that’s what our staff and volunteers were doing this weekend, on the same streets where Lorenzo was killed, talking to neighbors, drivers, and business owners about what to do if ICE shows up. This community deserves protection, not fear.”

Business owners who complete the training are asked to sign a pledge to post know-your-rights signage and protect their employees if ICE shows up.

Rights Cont.

AA

ensuring every child in every community has access to a future-ready education that prepares students for college, career, citizenship, and life.

The initiative emphasizes student-centered learning, highly effective educators, community partnerships, and meaningful measures of student success.

That vision reflects work already underway in Aldine ISD, where students benefit from specialized campuses, magnet programs, career and technical education pathways, early college opportunities, leadership experiences and other innovative learning environments designed to help every student discover their strengths, pursue their aspirations and prepare for the future.

AA

state voter rolls straight to the Department of Homeland SecuCrossroads Cont. rity. The Brennan Center found more than 21 million Americans lack ready access to the documents this law would require, and Black Americans are disproportionately among them. Nearly half of Black Americans under 30 lack ID matching their current name and address. Elders born before the civil rights era, in counties that never bothered to issue birth certificates to Black children, would be asked to produce paperwork that was never given to them in the first place. That is not an accident of drafting. That is the point. Understand what that combination means when it is all working at once. A hostile map. A hollowed out Voting Rights Act. A federal law engineered to strike our elders and our young people from the rolls in the same stroke. Layer a Paxton controlled Senate seat on top of that architecture, and you are not looking at four difficult years. You are looking at the machinery for a generation in which Black Texans cast ballots that count for less, in districts drawn to swallow our voice, under rules built to disqualify the very people who built this state’s Democratic coalition with their feet on the pavement and their names on the rolls. There may not be another off ramp after this one. That is the crossroads in the title, and I did not choose that word lightly. So here is the position, stated plainly. Black Texans are right to be furious that our vote has been assumed rather than earned. We are right to demand Talarico show up in every county, not just the ones with cameras, and to make him answer for every year this party banked our turnout while neglecting our neighborhoods. Hold him to that. Organize.

Demand more. That fight is legitimate and it is not finished. But do not confuse that fight with the temptation to sit this one out in protest. Sitting out does not punish the party that took us for granted. It hands the machine to the people building the very walls we are trying to keep from closing. This is not about whether James Talarico has fully earned our trust. It is about whether Black Texas still has a fighting position to stand on when the next election comes, and the one after that. Survive this one with our power intact, and the argument with our own party continues on our terms.

Lose it, and there may be no terms left to argue. The Culture Commission Coalition will keep pushing this campaign, publicly and without flattery, to finish the work it has started. And we will keep telling our community exactly what stands on the other side of this ballot. Not because the nominee is owed our loyalty. Because our survival is owed our vote.

AA

8

AFRAMNEWS.COM

July 24, 2026

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

TEACHERS

SAVE 20off %

CLASSROOM SUPPLIES In-store and online 7/1 - 8/31. Visit heb.com/teachers for details.

©2026 HEB, 26-372610