October 2, 2026
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol.31, Issue 35
FREE
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
WALLER COUNTY COURTHOUSE
VOTING RIGHTS, GERRYMANDERING, AND POLITICAL POWER By: Roy Douglas Malonson
BISHOP JAMES DIXON II
A LEGACY OF FAITH, JUSTICE, AND LEADERSHIP By: Roy Douglas Malonson
Being a church and community leader takes a lot of hard work, patience, and love for people. When a leader serves for 40 years, their work becomes a lasting legacy. For Bishop James W.E. Dixon II, the senior pastor of The Community of Faith Church in Houston, Texas, hitting this 40-year milestone is a big deal. His life has been all about helping people grow, both inside the church and out in the world. Over his four decades as a pastor, he has changed his city by fighting for civil rights, helping the economy grow, and feeding the hungry.A Childhood Built on Faith and EducationLong before he became a famous bishop, James Dixon II was a young boy growing up in Houston, Texas. He was raised in a warm and loving home where faith and education were the two most important things. His parents
and grandparents were teachers, church workers, and ministers. They taught him from a very young age that life is about serving God and helping your neighbors.Growing up around these strong role models shaped how young James saw the world. While other kids were just playing games, James was listening closely to the sermons at church and watching how leaders took care of people. He learned that words have power and that a good leader must always stand up for what is right. These childhood lessons stayed with him as he grew into a teenager.The Early Call to Help OthersHe worked hard on his studies and practiced speaking clearly and with passion. At just 15 years old, he stood in front of a congregation and Dixon II on preached his very first sermon. The pg. 3
The political landscape of Waller County, Texas, reveals a significant gap between local population numbers and actual governing power. While cities like Prairie View and Hempstead hold some of the highest concentrations of African American residents in the state, and Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) hosts a massive potential student voting bloc, Black residents do not control the county government. This lack of control is not a matter of chance. It is the direct result of countywide demographics, intentional district line-drawing, and historical barriers to ballot access that have systematically limited minority political influence.The first major barrier is a basic numbers game rooted in the county’s overall demographics. While Prairie View is nearly 90% Black and Hempstead is nearly half Black, these communities function as localized population centers within a much larger, predominantly white and conservative county. On an aggregate level, African Americans make up only about 22% to 24% of Waller County’s total population. Because the most powerful administrative positions—such as County Judge, Sheriff, and District Attorney—are elected by a countywide vote, the larger conservative electorate routinely outvotes the candidates favored by the Black communities in Prairie View and Hempstead.This demographic Waller County disadvantage is structurally locked in by the way local voting districts on pg. 7
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October 2, 2026
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EDITORIAL
President/Chief Editor
Contributing Writers Dr. Bobby Mills, Travis McGee, Rachel Thompson, Fred Smith, Nicole Washington, Aisha Robinson, Marcus Williams, TJ Baker Meeko Graphics Social Media Houston Minority business marketing website JG Design Layout Design Blue Star Web Printing Printer
Let Us Unite Abdul Qiyam Muhammad
WE MUST MAKE OUR COMMUNITY A DECENT AND SAFE PLACE TO LIVE (PART 2)
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If we’re going to be successful in making our community a decent and safe place to live, we must recognize the value of each other and what each of us bring to the table. The plethora of problems facing our communities can never be eradicated by just one organization, one leader, one community activist, one politician, one religious institution, one civic club or one media arm alone. The mobilization leading up to and the convening of The Historic Million Man March on October 16, 1995 gave us the template. It demonstrated that the more we put aside our differences and unify, the more power we can generate to change the reality of our communities. We must stop our inordinate egos, greedy lust for money, side dealings, envy, jealousy, petty beefs, and self-seeking agendas that’s keeping us from focusing on the “We” versus the “I”. We must stop weaponizing the worst part of one another, settle on the best part, and fire the greatest weapon we have in our possession.
All the talk on the news, about war and nuclear weapons, constantly reminds me of two timeless statements from The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad, The Eternal Leader of The Nation of Islam. Even if you’ve heard or read them before from his writings or through messages from his National Representative, The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan, I encourage us all to dig deeper into these statements because these are not men who speak idle words. The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches, “Our unity is more powerful than a hydrogen or atomic bomb.” He also teaches, “If you tried it, our unity would solve 95 percent of our problems.” What would happen if we started our next meetings by reading and discussing these two statements? How much more progress will we make in solving our problems instead of just talking about them? What will happen when we go after and get our gifted young people from the streets involved instead of condemning them and claiming, “they don’t listen to anybody”? We’ll discuss that next issue, God willing. Let us unite. (Brother Qiyam is a member of The Nation of Islam under the leadership of The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan. He attends Muhammad Mosque No. 45 in Houston, Texas)
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A Revival of God Consciousness Bobby Mills, Ph.D.
MONEY Money is commonly understood as a medium of exchange and a way to settle payments for goods, services, debts, and taxes. Its value rests on shared social agreement, and the worth people assign to it. The Bible refers to money more than two thousand times and warns, “For the love of money is the root of all evil; which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows” (1 Timothy 6:10). America, this warning helps explain the wrongdoing surrounding the Trump Administration’s policy decisions. President Trump’s officials appear to place money above people. For example, the administration includes five billionaires and more than fifty-seven millionaires worth over $100 million. Working- and middle-class Americans are not central to the governing agenda; instead, they are treated as an afterthought—out of sight and out of mind. Of course, fools and their money soon part ways, because they do not understand that, in a capitalist society, money should provide protection, not merely fuel spending. Secular societies often elevate money to the place of God. As a result, money becomes a source of stress when individuals treat it as an object of worship rather than as a medium of exchange for
goods and services. This is why the Bible declares: “Let your conversation be without covetousness: and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, the Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do to me” (Hebrews 13:5). Glory hallelujah to the King of all would-be kings. Learning contentment is true success. Living with less is far more spiritually rewarding than constantly needing, wanting, or accumulating more. In Matthew 6:19, Jesus teaches the disciples about money: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matthew 6: 19-21). Money is a tool that should be used to provide food, clothing, and shelter. When people use money to pursue world vanity, they risk becoming enslaved by it and increasing the stress in their own lives as well as in the lives of others. The Bible reminds us that a fool and his money are soon parted. America, we must remember that, especially in a capitalist society, money should offer protection rather than fuel vain spending. Therefore, when dealing with money, we should heed Matthew 6: 1921, and above all, embrace Proverbs 26:4: “Answer not Read more at a fool according to aframnews.com
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October 2, 2026
people in the audience could already tell that this young boy from Houston was going to do big things.Just three years after that first sermon, when he was 18 years old, he became the leader of The Community of Faith Church
lives, like finding good jobs and staying healthy. Because of his energy and vision, the church began to grow very fast.Fighting for Fairness and JusticePastor Dixon did not stay inside the church walls. He knew that to be a good leader, he had to help the whole neighborhood. He used his voice to fight against unfair rules and racism, just like the civil rights leaders of the past.Because of his hard work, he was chosen as the President of the Houston NAACP in 2021. The NAACP is an organization that fights for equal rights for Black Americans. In this role, Dixon helps make sure children get a good education and that everyone has a fair chance to vote. His church also helps people directly every single week.
Dixon II Cont.
in 1981. At the time, it was just a small group of people. Even though he was young, Dixon had big goals. He did not let his age stop him. He believed that church should be about more than just singing songs on Sunday mornings. He wanted to help people with their everyday
AFRAMNEWS.COM Every Tuesday, the church gives out food to more than 2,000 families who need it.Leading in the City and the WorldBishop Dixon is also a leader in the business and government world. Local leaders trusted him so much that they made him the Chairman of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation. This means he helps run NRG Park, a huge 350-acre area where the Houston Texans play football and where big concerts and events happen. Every year, over 5.5 million people visit this park! Dixon shows that a pastor can run big city projects honestly and successfully.He always tells his community to learn new skills so they can get better jobs and help lift others out of poverty. He calls this
“upskilling to uplift.” Dixon’s work has also reached across the ocean. He started a global group called the Kingdom Builders Global Fellowship to train other pastors. He has traveled to Uganda, East Africa, to build churches, schools, and orphanages for kids who need a safe place to live. Bishop James W.E. Dixon II’s 40 years as a pastor show that a church is at its best when it helps the community. By combining his strong childhood foundation with civil rights, city leadership, and global charity, he has made the world a better place. His four decades of service are a powerful example of how one person’s dedication can lift up thousands of lives.
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October 2, 2026
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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
DALLAS
Construction has officially begun on renovations at Lawrence Park in the Houston Heights area as part of the city’s new Let’s Play Houston initiative. The roughly $2 million Lawrence Park project is expected to add new playgrounds, improved walking paths, fitness areas, plazas and connections to the MKT Trail. The broader initiative is a public-private effort targeting improvements at 25 neighborhood parks across Houston. ________________________________
Morgan Stanley has announced plans to establish a major operations hub in Dallas’ Uptown area, with city leaders projecting about $1.3 billion in investment. The project is expected to receive an $18.5 million economic development grant from the city along with tax incentives tied to different phases of development. City officials say the project represents another significant addition to Dallas’ growing business and financial-services sector.
AUSTIN
SAN ANTONIO
A new statewide coalition has launched in Austin to raise questions about how much water large data centers could use as the industry expands across Texas. The group says it plans to examine public records involving water agreements and development proposals.
San Antonio’s large VIA Park & Ride facility in Stone Oak is receiving renewed attention as residents question how heavily the center is being used. The facility, built in 2018 near Highway 281 and Stone Oak Parkway, serves three bus routes connecting the area with downtown, the airport, medical facilities and shopping destinations.
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DR. JANET EMERSON BASHEN Dr. Janet Emerson Bashen is an acclaimed American inventor, entrepreneur, and business consultant who made history as the first African American woman to secure a patent for a software invention. Issued on January 10, 2006, U.S. Patent #6,985,922 was awarded for LinkLine (now known as Nalikah), a revolutionary web-based application designed to streamline Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) claims intake, tracking, and compliance management.
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POLITICAL
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THE ROAD TO BLUE GOES THROUGH BLACK By: Jolanda “Jo” Jones
If the road to blue goes through Black, then I have one question: where is the investment? I learned that politics is called political science. Before I could raise campaign money, I thought if I went to enough churches, civic clubs, super neighborhoods and Democratic events, people would meet me, like me and vote for me. That was naive. Once I could afford polling and voter data, I learned who loved me, who hated me and who might support me. If somebody hates me, I am not spending money reminding them there is
an election so they can vote against me. It costs money to identify your voters, understand what moves them and get them to the polls. I learned that on Election Day. My campaign manager wanted me to authorize more than $60,000 for turnout. I said no. “They love me. They’ll vote.” By 11 a.m., many had not. By then, the cost had dropped into the $40,000s because we had lost three hours. I signed the check. That was for one House district, for part of one day. That experience taught me something campaigns forget: Black
turnout cannot be an emergency expenditure. It has to be an early investment. Too often, Democratic campaigns spend heavily on consultants and conventional media. Black communities are treated as dependable. Then turnout numbers come in and everybody starts screaming, “Where are the Black voters?” Well, where were you? When $25 million was publicly pledged for Black voter outreach across Texas, I paid attention. Where is it? Trusted Democratic organizations in Harris County have not received enough from
DO THE THING. GO FURTHER. LONESTAR.EDU/DOTHETHING
statewide candidates to fund the kind of field operation it takes to move Black voters. I just learned that Houston Black American Democrats — HBAD — received $5,000. Five thousand dollars out of $25 million is 0.02%. That is not field investment. Take the top 25 highestturnout Black polling locations in Harris County. Put two paid poll workers at each location, pay them $15 an hour, feed them, and hire three field managers. Using a conservative 12-day estimate, that alone is about $138,600 — before mail, slate cards, signs, radio,
newspaper ads, transportation or voter data. That $138,600 is only about 0.55% of $25 million. A little over one-half of one percent to staff 25 Black polling locations in Harris County — Texas’s largest county and home to the state’s largest Black population. That is minuscule. That makes not a lick of sense to me. That defies logic. That defies Black logic. That defies political science. And since you are reading this in African American News & Issues, let me say this plainly: why am I not seeing top-of-ticket
Democratic advertising in this newspaper? This statewide Black newspaper is free and available in H-E-Bs, restaurants, churches and Black businesses. People buy groceries every week. They walk by, pick up the paper and take it home. That is one of the biggest bangs for the buck in Black political communication. Yet I have not seen the advertising here that I would expect from campaigns saying Black turnout is essential. Houston, Read more at we have a aframnews.com
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HISTORY
Waller County Cont.
105 YEARS STRONG: BEREAN CHURCH CELEBRATES A HISTORIC MILESTONE By: Larry Davis
On Saturday, September 27, Berean Seventh-day Adventist Church (2119 St. Emanuel) celebrated its 105th anniversary. As Houston’s first Black Seventh-day Adventist church, Berean marked this historic milestone by welcoming former pastors, leaders, and members from across the country. The anniversary celebration began on Wednesday, September 23, with a Prayer and Praise Service led by Pastor Gilbert Williams. Activities continued Friday evening with a Legacy and Thanksgiving Service featuring former pastor Dr. Clarence Williams
III of San Antonio. The main celebration took place Saturday, beginning with Sabbath School at 9:30 a.m., led by former pastor Dr. Robert Norwood of San Antonio. The Celebration and Consecration Service followed at 11:00 a.m. and included greetings from church leaders at the North American Division, Southwest Region Conference, and South-Central Conference. The service also featured proclamations from Houston Mayor John Whitmire, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, and U.S. Congressman
Christian Menefee. A major highlight was the announcement that Berean’s sanctuary will receive Historic Landmark designation from the City of Houston, presented by Vonn Tran, Director of the Planning and Development Department. Special recognitions, music, and worship were also part of the program. The keynote message was delivered by former pastor Dr. William Cox Sr. of Columbus, Ohio. The celebration continued at India House with a fellowship dinner, a Hallelujah Praise Concert featuring guitarist Roland
BEREAN SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
Gresham, and evening vespers led by former pastor Terrell McCoy of Oklahoma City. From its beginnings as a small Bible study group in the home of Roxie Clay in 1898 to its organization as Houston’s first Black Seventh-day Adventist church in 1921, Berean has remained a beacon of faith, hope, evangelism, and service. More than a century later, the congregation continues to celebrate God’s faithfulness and its lasting impact on the Houston community. AA
are drawn. The county is governed by a Commissioners Court made up of four geographic precincts. To limit the influence of minority voters, the county has long relied on a gerrymandering strategy known as “packing.” By drawing district lines that squeeze the vast majority of Prairie View’s Black residents and PVAMU students into Precinct 3, the county guarantees that Black voters can easily win that single seat. However, this strategy simultaneously insulates the other three precincts, keeping them safely conservative. This reality was reinforced during the 2021 redistricting cycle, when the county rejected proposals to combine minority communities in Hempstead and Brookshire into a second competitive district, effectively capping Black representation at a permanent 3-to-1 minority on the court.Beyond district boundaries, the political weight of the community has been actively suppressed through targeted administrative barriers at PVAMU. Because thousands of students live on campus, a fully mobilized student body poses a direct threat to the local political status quo. For over fifty years, county officials have used various tactics to depress student turnout, ranging from discriminatory residency questionnaires
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in the 1970s to threats of criminal prosecution against student voters in 1992 and 2003. In recent years, this suppression has taken the form of resource starvation. During the 2018 election cycle, the county allocated two weeks of early voting to majority-white towns while offering zero early voting days on the PVAMU campus during the critical first week of the voting period, severely disrupting student access to the ballot. Finally, this combination of structural barriers and a transient student population has created a unique “spike and crash” pattern in voter turnout data. During major Presidential elections, national momentum and intense organizing drive massive student turnouts in Precinct 3. However, during the off-year local and midterm elections— the exact elections where county judges are chosen and precinct lines are decided—student turnout drastically plummets. Because many students are temporary residents who lack deep ties to local county issues, their participation drops when national candidates are not on the ballot. This allows the older, permanent conservative voting base in the rest of the county to retain total control over the local government. Ultimately, the story of Waller County proves that living in a majorityminority town does not automatically translate into the power to govern the broader region. AA
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