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“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
POLITICIANS LOVE BLACKS DURING CAMPAIGN SEASON… BUT WHAT ABOUT AFTER?
By: Roy Douglas Malonson
Every election year, a familiar pattern unfolds across Houston’s Black communities. e streets get busier. Church pews get more crowded on Sundays. Community centers suddenly become press conference backdrops. Candidates who rarely walk our neighborhoods the other three years of their term now can’t seem to stay away. ey shake hands in ird Ward, pose for photos in Acres Homes, host roundtables in Sunnyside, and promise investment in historically overlooked areas like South Park and Kashmere Gardens.
During campaign season, Black Houston isn’t invisible. It’s essential.
We are called “the backbone of the vote.” We are praised for our resilience, our culture, our economic
power, and our loyalty at the polls. Campaign ads feature our churches, our barbershops, our small businesses, and our families. Politicians speak passionately about closing wealth gaps, improving schools, addressing crime, expanding healthcare, and protecting voting rights.
But once Election Day passes and the victory speeches end, many residents begin asking the same question: What changed? For far too many neighborhoods, the answer feels like: not enough.
Potholes remain. Underfunded schools continue struggling. Grocery store access stays limited in food desert areas. Infrastructure repairs get delayed. A ordable Campaign on pg. 3
By: TSU
Texas Southern won third consecutive SWAC Indoor Track & Field Championship in Birmingham, Alabama on Sunday. is win marks the 13th overall indoor championship for the program.
Head coach Clyde Duncan Sr. was named SWAC Men’s Indoor Track & Field Coach of the Year, marking the 11th time in his legendary career that he’s earned the conference’s highest coaching honor.
“I am extremely proud of our student-athletes and coaching sta for this accomplishment,” said Interim Athletics Director Dr. Paula Jackson. “ is level of sustained achievement takes countless hours of well-executed practice, dedication, and commitment to the sport not just as something they do, but something they live. Our team continues to set the standard for the SWAC, and I look forward to their continued success.”
In addition to winning the team championship, four Tigers won individual titles.
Adam Hines won rst place in the pole vault with a 15-foot vault, winning the indoor SWAC pole vault title for the third time. Ahmad Muhammad won the triple jump with a personal best 52-1.25 feet, which ranks 28th nationally. Donovan Brooks posted a personal best 4,646 points to win the heptathlon. On the women’s side, Alyvia Brown repeated as 3,000 meter champion.
e championship-winning men’s team nished with 108 total points, with 17 events scored.
On Saturday, Manual Garcia scored the team’s rst running points of the day with a h place and personal-best run of 8:53.50 in the 3,000-meter run. Later that night, Garza, Patrick Goodman, Kaseem Ibraheem-Washington and Brandon Adolphus ran 10:34.12 to place third in the distance medley relay.
Chris Johnson jumped 23-10 to place third in the long jump. Donovan Brooks (12-0.5) and Albert Hurd (11-6.5) placed 6-7 in the pole vault, respectively, to also score points.
In the shot put, Blaine Nunn threw a season-best 51-9.25 feet to place
Championship on pg. 3
A Revival of God Consciousness
Bobby Mills, Ph.D.
THE ILLEGAL IRANIAN WAR
EDITORIAL
by religious fanaticism based upon revenge: “for we know him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto me, I will recompense, saith the Lord. And again, e Lord shall judge his people.” (Hebrews 10: 30).
War is hell. is is why in a constitutional democracy a declaration of war is not a one-man-show (declaration). Only Congress, as established by the Constitution, holds the power to declare war—not the President. Sadly, the MAGA-Cult GOP controlled congressional body is simply a rubber stamp for any othe-cut “whim” of President Trump. President Trump and his GOP Cult will soon nd out that you cannot physically kill a cultural religious ideology that is based upon “death to my enemies”. Individuals can only replace an evil ideology with a Godly ideology: “love your neighbor and do good to those that despitefully persecute you”. Of course, ungodly individuals might naively ask who is my neighbor? In the Good Samaritan parable found in the Gospel of Luke (chapter 10:30-37), Jesus addresses the question of “who is my neighbor” for individuals guided by religious principles and precepts. e moral of the Good Samaritan story is simply that the Samaritan treated the man in need as a brother that needed love. President Trump and his MAGA-Cult Administration just treated Iran as an eternal enemy that needed to experience hell, and in return future generations of Americans will experience untold terrorist hell. Iranian culture has been hijacked
Will someone please inform President Trump’s MAGACult that God’s power is far more awesome than any manmade power, because God’s power is eternal, not temporal. erefore, President Trump and his MAGA-Cult followers view politics as an absolute zerosum-war: I win and you lose. Compromise is weakness. erefore, the opposition is an absolute enemy. America, democracy depends upon; in fact, requires an intelligent population. is is why the Constitutional Founders created a mass universal educational system. Attend school to avoid becoming spiritually ignorant or easily misled. e Bible states it in this manner: “Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand.” (Revelation 1: 3).
President Trump and his MAGA-Cult Kool Aid Drinking Followers do not spiritually understand win-win, that is all parties winning. Or as Spike Lee has said: “Do e Right ing”. American society is fragile, because it is built upon noble Constitutional Ideals of universal Human Dignity, Human Rights, and Civil Rights. Hence, only individuals with a God conscience can comprehend this spiritual moral truth:
Roy Douglas Malonson, Publisher
BLACK AMERICA, DON’T GET PULLED INTO A CIVIL WAR We Must Understand
ere is a dangerous energy building in America. e language is no longer subtle. Phrases like “civil war,” “take the country back,” and “it’s time to ght” are being used openly in political spaces. Social media ampli es it. Talk radio fuels it. Political rallies irt with it. But before Black America gets emotionally swept into someone else’s battle cry, we must stop and ask one hard question: whose war would this really be? History is not just something we study — it is something we survive.
e rst Civil War was not fought with Black freedom as its central goal. It was a battle over power, territory, and economics.
Emancipation became a strategic move within a larger con ict. A er the guns went silent, Black communities were le navigating Reconstruction violence, organized terror, Jim Crow laws, and economic exclusion. e war reshaped the country, but the a ermath fell heavily on our shoulders.
So when modern political voices start normalizing talk of internal con ict again, we cannot a ord to react emotionally. We must think strategically.
When America destabilizes, Black communities rarely emerge untouched. Economic instability hits working families rst. Supply chains break down. Prices rise. Job security weakens. During national unrest, law enforcement priorities shi . Extremist groups o en feel emboldened. Neighborhoods that already struggle with underinvestment become even more vulnerable. Chaos does not create opportunity for the marginalized; it usually magni es existing inequalities. ere is another uncomfortable truth. roughout American history, division within Black communities has o en been tolerated — sometimes even exploited — by those in power. Narratives about crime, disorder, and dysfunction have been used to justify neglect rather than investment. Resources for education, housing, and economic development have lagged behind political rhetoric. When instability becomes normalized, the people who su er most are those without generational wealth or institutional protection.
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Campaign Cont.
housing conversations stall while gentri cation accelerates property taxes and pushes long-time residents out of communities their families built decades ago.
e frustration isn’t rooted in cynicism— it’s rooted in lived experience.
Houston’s African American voters have historically shown up in decisive numbers. In local, state, and national elections, Black turnout has o en been the di erence-maker in tight races. Political strategists know it. Campaign managers know it. Candidates know it. at’s why outreach intensi es in our neighborhoods every election cycle. But voting power without policy followthrough creates a cycle of seasonal attention
Residents in historic Black neighborhoods o en point out how quickly campaign o ces disappear a er elections. Phone calls that once got returned suddenly go to voicemail. Town halls become less frequent.
Budget priorities shi . New developments appear—but not always in ways that bene t long-standing residents.
Economic development becomes a particularly sensitive topic.
Houston is booming in many sectors— energy, healthcare, tech expansion, port growth—but many Black neighborhoods still ght for equitable access to contracts, capital, and workforce pipelines tied to that growth. Small Blackowned businesses o en say they hear promises about grants, procurement inclusion,
March
consistent execution. Education remains another core concern. Parents in historically Black districts continue advocating for updated facilities, expanded programs, and teacher retention investments. While progress has occurred in pockets, disparities in resources and outcomes remain visible—and voters notice when education reform is louder on campaign yers than in policy budgets. Public safety conversations are equally complex. Residents want safe streets—but also fair policing, community engagement, and investment in prevention programs. Candidates o en campaign on balanced approaches, but once in o ce, communities watch closely to see
commitments hold or shi under political pressure.
Faith leaders across Houston frequently remind congregations that voting is both a civic duty and a spiritual responsibility. Many pastors emphasize discernment— encouraging members to look beyond speeches and examine track records, policy votes, funding allocations, and long-term engagement with the community.
“Campaign presence is not the same as community partnership,” one local minister recently told his congregation.
Championship Cont.
third, while Jalen Walker also followed with a season-best and fourth place throw of 51-5.75 feet.
On Sunday, Jalen Walker opened the day with a fourth-place throw of 56-9.25 feet in the weight throw. Braylon Carr (51-0) and Johnson (48-2.5) nished 4-5, respectively in the triple jump.
In the heptathlon, Garrett Wilkins scored a season-best 4,425 points to place third. On the track, Chris Johnson placed third in the 60 with a time of 6.82, while Joshua Brown placed eighth in a time of 6.93. Brandon Adolphus nished h (4:22.13) in the mile while Michael Strange placed third (1:51.66) in the 800 on the same track he set his previous personal-best in earlier this year. Brown set a personal-best 21.54 to place sixth in the 200 while Kacy Kincade earned a point with an eighth-place run of 21.79. Garza placed seventh in the 5,000 with a personal-best run of 15:28.43, while the mile relay of Goodman, Brown, Ibraheem-Washington, and Strange won its heat and nished h overall with a season-best run of 3:15.84.
e team returns to action in March for the start of outdoor season.
watch closely to see whether those
“You have to watch what leaders do when cameras aren’t around.” e rise of younger voters has also changed the political
Read more at aframnews.com cameras aren’t around.” landscape. rather than sustained partnership. and city partnerships, yet struggle to see
1705. e Virginia Slave Codes are passed, in direct response to Bacon’s Rebellion.
1776. e Declaration of Independence is signed.
1955. Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a city bus to a white man, and the Montgomery bus boycott ensues.
1957. e Little Rock Nine become the rst African American students to attend the previously allwhite Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.
1960. Greensboro University sit-ins spark various forms of peaceful protest against segregation across the United States.
1961. e freedom ride from Washington D.C. to New Orleans occurs.
Birmingham Jail.”
HOUSTON
ARLINGTON
TEXAS TAKEAWAY
e Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo introduced an updated dress code in 2026 aimed at keeping the event family-friendly and safe. Guests are now required to wear proper attire at all times, including shirts and appropriate footwear, while clothing with obscene language, o ensive graphics, or overly revealing styles is not allowed. e policy also bans items that suggest gang a liation, such as certain symbols or markings, and organizers reserve the right to deny entry to anyone who doesn’t comply.
ARANSAS PASS
A Texas coastal favorite is earning national recognition, as Butter Churn has been ranked among the top 20 best bu ets in the United States in a new report. e Aransas Pass restaurant landed at No. 18 on a list that evaluated 150 bu ets using factors like customer reviews, pricing, and overall value. Known for its all-you-can-eat Southern comfort food and welcoming atmosphere, Butter Churn holds a strong 4.6 rating from diners and continues to draw praise for its variety and quality, as more customers seek a ordable, family-style meal options across the country.
AUSTIN
FIFA has scaled back some of its hotel reservations in Arlington ahead of the 2026 World Cup, releasing a portion of previously blocked rooms back to the public. Local o cials say the organization had initially reserved large blocks for teams, sta , and sponsors, but adjusted those numbers as plans evolved and demand became clearer.
e City of Austin is set to launch a new o cial website aiming to improve how residents access city services and information. e redesigned platform will feature a more user-friendly layout, better mobile compatibility, and streamlined navigation for paying bills, nding permits, and accessing public resources.
Miles (1838–1918) was a pioneering African American inventor and businessman, most famous for revolutionizing elevator safety with his 1887 patent for automatic elevator doors.
Alexander
ALEXANDER MILES
1963. Martin Luther King Jr. writes his famous “Letter from
SPORTS PANTHERS ROAR TO SWAC CHAMPIONSHIP, EARN NCAA TOURNAMENT BERTH
By: Jamal Carter
e Prairie View A&M Panthers men’s basketball delivered a de ning performance in 2026, capturing the Southwestern Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament title and securing an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament. Entering the tournament as one of the conference’s top teams, the Panthers showcased
their dominance with a blend of defensive intensity and e cient scoring. Each game highlighted their preparation and focus, as they steadily advanced through the bracket with con dence and composure.
In the championship game, Prairie View A&M rose to the moment, executing a disciplined game plan that neutralized their opponent’s strengths. Clutch shooting, strong rebounding, and timely defensive stops proved to be the di erence
in a hard-fought contest. e Panthers’ ability to control the tempo and respond under pressure re ected the leadership within the team and the strategic direction from the coaching sta . When the nal buzzer sounded, the celebration marked not just a victory, but the culmination of a season built on resilience and determination.
With the SWAC title secured, the Panthers turned their attention to the national stage, earning the opportunity to compete in
the NCAA Tournament. e bid represented more than just participation—it was a chance to showcase Prairie View A&M’s talent and represent HBCU excellence on one of college basketball’s biggest platforms. As the team prepared for March Madness, excitement spread across campus and among alumni, with the Panthers carrying both momentum and pride into the next chapter of their remarkable 2026 season.
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT EDUCATION MACKENZIE SCOTT MAKES LARGEST DONATION
YOUNG GIFTED AND BLACK
By: Travis McGee
To be young gi ed and black was a song recorded in 1969 by Nina Simone and later covered by legendary singers Aretha Franklin and Donny Hathaway. is song is more than a much-needed anthem, its reality that is o en overlooked because we are considered to be too young, too gi ed, and sometimes too black. Fast forward 56 years later Durrell Douglas is the current remix and living proof of the anthem, “To Be Young Gi ed and Black. He is a member of the under 40 Club that grew up in Southpark on Selinsky St in southeast Houston. At the age of 18 he started working at Texas Dept of Corrections (TDC) in which he went from C.O. to sergeant to Lieutenant in his 5-year tenure in which the job opportunity itself became a learning experience that played a huge role in his future ventures. In 2014 this experience led him and a couple of friends to start Houston Justice Coalition that is presently known as “Houston justice”. Here’s a timeline that most don’t see in a lifetime due to procrastination etc. In 2017 he started Project
Orange which became the rst jail based voting initiative.
In 2018 he moved to Detroit, Michigan to start ipping Houses while still staying in Houston, Tx.
In 2019 he started Texas ID Connect which help the formerly incarcerated with transitioning back into society with resources, housing, IDs etc.
In 2020 moved to Detroit and also formed Douglas Family Companies LLC for all his future business ventures.
In 2022 he ran for state rep in Detroit in which he came in second place.
In 2024 he started Outreach Collective as well as Douglas Motor
Group that consist of a 7 car Turo eet and counting. His latest venture is TED EX THIRDWARD in which is also a much-needed platform for voices overlooked.
Last but not least Durrell host very organized events to allow We the People to meet our Elected Employees as well as the Hopefuls. So, We the People can ask hard questions, make educated votes vs” Just Votes”, and hold them accountable all at the same time. Durrell K. Douglas is Young, Gi ed, and Black.
If everybody does something, everything will get done….
By: Jamal Carter
MacKenzie Scott has once again made headlines with a historic act of generosity, delivering the largest per-student multi-million-dollar donation ever given to a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). e transformative gi is aimed at expanding opportunities for students who have long relied on HBCUs as pathways to higher education, leadership, and economic mobility. Known for her quiet yet impactful approach to philanthropy, Scott’s latest contribution continues her mission of addressing inequality through direct, trustbased giving. University leaders say the donation will immediately ease nancial burdens for students, many of whom face signi cant barriers in
a ording tuition, housing, and other academic expenses. By focusing on a per-student model, the gi ensures that the funding directly bene ts individuals rather than being absorbed solely into institutional budgets. Administrators also plan to invest in academic programs, campus improvements, and student support services, creating a ripple e ect that could elevate the entire campus experience. Students have reacted with a mix of relief and optimism, with many describing the donation as life-changing. For some, it means graduating without debt; for
ing without debt; for others, it opens doors to internships, research opportunities, and careers that once felt out of reach. Faculty members note that the
impact goes beyondnances, boosting morale and reinforcing the value and legacy of HBCUs in shaping generations of Black leaders, innovators, and professionals. Scott’s donation also highlights a broader shi in philanthropy, one that prioritizes equity, trust, and immediate impact. By giving large sums with few restrictions, she empowers institutions to decide what they need most. As HBCUs continue to play a critical role in American education, this landmark gi stands as both a symbol of recognition and a catalyst for lasting change.
OF SAVINGS AISLES AISLES and
