01.22.2026_Defender-e-FULL

Death in the Bayou

Why are Black men leading Houston's rising body count?

NEWS

PROFILE

MIKE MILES

RESHONDA A TATE

HISD overhauls 10 magnet school programs.

The National Bestselling author brings Harlem to Houston with her new novell.

Volume 95, issue 14 January 22, 2026

facebook.com/defendernetwork twitter.com/defendernetwork

instagram.com/defendernetwork defendernetwork.com

FREE

2 | January 22, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN To the POINT CONCERTS

THEATER

Comedian Druski’s latest skit has sparked praise, backlash, and deeper questions about faith, money, and performance in the modern Black church. Credit: X

Message from the Managing Editor ACA continues to serve as a crucial bridge.

Comedy has always been a mirror, and This moment underscores a familiar sometimes the reflection makes us uncomtruth: access on paper does not always equal fortable. That’s exactly what happened when access in practice. The surge in enrollment Druski released his megachurch parody, reflects resilience and awareness among an over-the-top, high-production skit that Texans, but it also exposes the fragility of a sparked laughter, outrage, and relentless system that hinges coverage on temporary commentary across social media. Druski policy decisions. As enrollment closes, the made fun of pastors luxury attire, “money real test will not be how many signed up, grabs,” and failure to help those in need, but how many are able to keep their care.

ReShonda Tate among other things.

What’s striking isn’t just the backlash, but the recognition. Scammers be scamming The exaggerated pastor, the spectacle, the fixation on sowing The calls flooding into Harris County Constable Precinct seeds and status - none of it feels unfamiliar. The skit works 4 tell a troubling story. More residents are being targeted because it magnifies truths people have whispered about for by bank scams that feel personal, urgent, and frighteningly years, which explains why the response has been so intense. real. Spoofed phone numbers. Text alerts that look identical For some believers, the parody crossed a line, mocking to official bank messages. Language designed to push panic sacred spaces and faith traditions that have long anchored before logic has a chance to catch up.

Black communities. For others, it cracked open a conversation The goal is simple: Catch people off guard. When a mesoften avoided: The blurred boundary between ministry and sage claims suspicious activity on your account, instinct kicks business, worship and performance. When sanctuaries resem- in. You want to protect what’s yours. Scammers know this. ble stadiums and sermons double as fundraising pitches, satire They count on fear and speed, hoping you’ll click a link, feels less like an attack and more like commentary. respond to a text, or hand over just enough information to The viral reach, tens of millions of views within hours, open the door to your finances, and sometimes your entire ensured this wasn’t just comedy. It became a cultural moment, phone. spilling into church group chats and family conversations These scams are not new, but their sophistication is. The where the questions feel personal. technology used to impersonate banks mirrors the same digSatire doesn’t create tension, it exposes it. Druski didn’t ital tools reshaping everyday life, and it’s hitting communities invent the debate - he amplified it. The discomfort unfolding already navigating economic pressure. For many families, now isn’t about a joke. It’s about what happens when faith, losing even a small amount of money can trigger cascading power, and profit share the same stage, and someone finally consequences: Overdrafts, missed rent, and food insecurity. turns the lights up.

What makes this especially dangerous is familiarity. The messages look right. The numbers match. And once you’re More Texans signed up for Obamacare engaged, it feels rude, or risky, not to respond. That’s the trap.

As federal subsidies tied to Affordable Care Act premiLaw enforcement’s warning is clear: Banks do not ask for ums expire and national enrollment softens, Texas is moving personal information through unsolicited texts or calls. The in the opposite direction. More than 4.11 million Texans safest move is often the hardest one in the moment: Pause, selected a health plan through the ACA marketplace by early don’t click, and contact your bank directly using a number January, already surpassing last year’s total and marking a you trust.

6.5% increase at a comparable point in the enrollment cycle.

In a digital economy, vigilance has become a form of For a state that has often resisted expanding health care self-defense. Awareness isn’t paranoia. It’s protection. access, this moment deserves attention. Texans are enrolling not because coverage is suddenly cheaper or simpler, but On the Web because the need is undeniable. Rising medical costs, lin• Houston judges unite to bridge gap between courts and gering pandemic impacts, and economic uncertainty have community. made health insurance less of a luxury and more of a lifeline.

• Top 7 most sanctified moments in Black church history.

For Black and Brown communities, where chronic illness • Terrance’s Take: Texans must fix growing perception C.J. and gaps in employer-based coverage remain persistent, the Stroud isn’t the franchise QB. Druski Megachurch backlash

GOSPEL

GALAS

Yeah, we have a calendar for Black Events.

check it out

January 22, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

| 3

DN News Harris County elections takeover GOP proposes separate primaries

By Aswad Walker

A push by the Texas GOP to reshape the March primary voting process could have severe, long-term consequences for Harris County voters, particularly those who lean Democratic.

Harris County Democratic Party Chair Mike Doyle describes the effort as “a slightly different Republican tactic to blow up orderly and transparent voting during the primary.”

Central to the GOP’s plan, according to Doyle, is its refusal to hold a joint primary, like the one both parties successfully conducted in 2024 under Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth.

The GOP call On Jan. 8, Gov. Greg Abbott again threatened a state takeover of Houston and Harris County elections, reviving a long-standing Republican effort to seize control of voting in the region.

“They should be stripped of operating elections, and state officials should take over,” Abbott posted on social media. Abbott called Harris County a “repeat violator of election integrity.”

Some link Abbott’s renewed push to allegations from Republican State Sen. Paul Bettencourt that voters were unlawfully registered using commercial post office boxes.

But critics argue the effort is less about election integrity and more about political power in Texas’ most populous—and Democratic-leaning—county.

Pushback Harris County Commissioner Lesley Briones sharply disputed Abbott’s claims.

“Harris County is committed to the integrity of our voter rolls and has been diligent about following the law — a fact that has been acknowledged by the Texas Secretary of State,” Briones told Democ- Briones racy Docket.

She added that Ab b ott i s e it h e r “intentionally misrepresenting the law” or “doesn’t understand this issue,” and accused him of undermining democracy.

“Texans deserve Doyle better,” Briones said, emphasizing the county’s commitment to fairness, transparency, and excellence in elections.

The longtime Texas GOP aim of controlling Harris County elections could use potential March primary election confusion as a pretext to make it happen. Credit: Gemini AI.

Fighting SB 1933 Doyle points to Senate Bill 1933, passed in 2023, as the real mechanism behind the GOP’s strategy. Authored by Bettencourt, the law allows the state to impose “administrative oversight” of local election offices.

While written to apply to counties with populations over four million, it applies only to Harris County.

Last November, Bettencourt filed a complaint with Secretary of State Jane Nelson— an Abbott appointee—alleging more than 100 invalid voter registrations in Houston.

“SB 1933 is the Republicans trying to claw the clock back,” Doyle said, calling it “kind of like a Titanic waiting there for voters in Harris County.”

He argues that forcing separate primaries would create the very problems the GOP could then cite to justify a state takeover.

“This whole idea that we’re going to have separate primaries… costing millions of dollars to the taxpayers, is going to be a great pretext for the Republicans to take over the election,” Doyle said.

Joint vs. separate primaries Under joint (or closed) primaries, voters go to the same polling locations and choose

which party’s ballot they want, with shared election workers and infrastructure.

“They did a great job, and everybody got to vote,” Doyle said of the 2024 joint primary.

Separate primaries, by contrast, require different locations for each party—something Doyle says will cause widespread confusion.

“You may have to go find a Democrat location and a Republican location,” he said.

“It may be different than where you normally vote. What do you think that’s going to do, confusion-wise?”

Doyle estimates the switch could cost Harris County “millions and millions,” money he says could otherwise go to sidewalks, flood mitigation, or public services.

The change would also end countywide voting, forcing many voters to cast ballots only at their local precincts.

“If it’s easy to vote, more people vote,” Doyle said. “That’s a massive change.”

that fewer polling places and greater confusion would suppress turnout.

He also sees national implications.

“We’re the swing county in the entire country,” Doyle said. “When our voters show up… we will never have another Republican president or governor again.

“So, they know the one place they need to attack to stay in power is Harris County.”

Broader impact Doyle believes SB 1933 could ultimately be used to close polling locations in heavily Democratic areas.

“They’ve got no limits on what they can do when they are in charge,” he said, warning

Early voting ends Tues., Jan. 27, 2026

RUNOFF ELECTION

Congressional District 18

Edwards

Menefee

Election Day Sat., Jan. 31, 2026

4 | January 22, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN News

History-making 17 Black women judges who won their judicial seats in 2018. Credit: harrisblackgirlmagic.com

Are white Democratic judges targeting Black women candidates again? restraining order on Dec. 29, 2025, barring McKinnon’s name from the ballot. Because party officials— not McKinnon—were named in the suit, she was not notified until after the order was granted, ending her candidacy without a meaningful opportunity to respond.

By Aswad Walker

With two Black women judicial candidates having their bids derailed by legal challenges brought by white Democratic judges, many in Harris County’s Black community are again asking whether history is repeating itself.

Similar lawsuits were filed against Black women candidates in 2024, but those efforts failed. This time, the outcome was different— and, for critics, more troubling.

Velda Faulkner Credit: Aswad Walker.

State Rep. Jolanda Jones.

Courtesy Jolanda Jones.

Mike Doyle. Credit: Harris County Democratic Party.

Overview

Past as prologue

candidates are being targeted by white Democratic judges,” Jones said. “They are being removed from the ballot without voters ever being allowed to decide. It’s painful, but I’ve been Black all my life. I know we are forced to fight through things others never face.”

Harris County Democratic Party Chair Mike Doyle disagreed.

“There’s actually four candidates who withdrew after lawsuits were filed—two Anglo women and two Black women,” Doyle said. “We have more Black female judicial candidates than anybody.”

Doyle said Texas law allows opponents to challenge filings they believe are improper and insisted the process—not race—drove the outcomes.

District Court filed the lawsuit challenging Faulkner. She said financial realities also shaped her decision to withdraw.

“Forensics experts are expensive,” she said, estimating costs between $75,000 and $150,000. “I had to make a business decision.”

In recent weeks, four judicial candidates withdrew from the 2026 election after incumbent judges and other Democratic opponents filed lawsuits alleging procedural irregularities.

Two were Black women: Angela McKinnon, who was running for the 295th District Court, and Velda Faulkner, a candidate for the 190th District Court. Neither will appear on the March 2026 primary ballot or the November general election ballot.

The other two candidates— Allison Mathis, a candidate for the 180th District Court, and Anna Eady, a candidate for Harris County Criminal Court at Law No. 3—are white women. Party leaders cite that fact as evidence race was not the determining factor. Still, the removal of two Black women has reignited concerns about equity, power, and access within the Democratic Party.

The challenge against Faulkner focused on procedural issues, including an allegation that her original filing failed to list the office she sought. McKinnon’s candidacy was challenged over claims she did not submit the required number of valid signatures.

Party responsibility

For many observers, the controversy feels familiar. Ahead of the 2024 election, several Black women judicial candidates faced similar challenges under House Bill 2384. Those candidates ultimately prevailed.

Judge Erica Hughes fought a lawsuit that reached the Texas Supreme Court, which declined to remove her from the ballot. Judge TaKasha Francis remained on the ballot after a trial court ruling.

Amber Boyd-Cora also prevailed at the Supreme Court, though she later lost her general election race.

Those challenges followed the historic 2018 election, when 19 Black women ran for judicial office in Harris County and 17 won, reshaping the bench and drawing national attention. The 2024 lawsuits went viral as examples of targeted attacks. Many now see the 2026 challenges through that same lens.

‘It’s painful’

State Rep. Jolanda Jones, a vocal defender of Black women candidates in 2024, said the pattern is unmistakable.

“What disappoints me most is that Black women judicial

‘I can read between the lines’

Faulkner remains unconvinced.

With more than 30 years of legal experience, she believes she and McKinnon were targeted.

“We’re knowledgeable, we have fortitude, and we’ll be fair,” Faulkner said. “Black women have been the backbone of this country. I see incumbents who want to run the table.”

Judge Beau Miller of the 190th

A system without notice

McKinnon’s case exposed another vulnerability. Judge Donna Roth sought a temporary

Doyle rejected claims the party plays favorites. TSU professor and former City Council member Carroll Robinson disagreed.

“The HCDP continues to demonstrate a lack of proficiency in assisting judicial candidates,” Robinson said. “The Party’s job is running a fair filing and primary process.”

Jones offered a final warning: “I hope Black voters remember exactly which white Democratic judges sued to get us off the ballot, and vote accordingly.”

“At the end of the day,” she said, “it is hell to be a Black woman.”

VOLUME 95, NUMBER 14 - JANUARY 22, 2026 Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles Managing Editor ReShonda Tate Content Manager Terrance Harris Community Reporter Aswad Walker

Culture/Lifestyle Reporter Laura Onyeneho Special Assignments Reporter Tannistha Sinha Sports Terrance Harris Jimmie Aggison Video Editor Bryan Erdy

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Newspaper Inc. and audited by Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). Only digital subscriptions are available at: www.defendernetwork.com/subscribe No paper subscriptions available. All materials covered by 2026 copyright. No materials herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. 713-663-6996 | P.O. Box 8005, Houston, TX 77288

January 22, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

| 5

DN Education HISD overhauls 10 magnet high schools

By Tannistha Sinha

Houston ISD unanimously approved a plan to formally eliminate the graphic design and digital communications magnet programs at 10 high schools. Students, who are now in the eighth grade, would be redirected to the Barbara Jordan Career Center (BJCC), where they can access 16 programs of study leading to “high-wage” and “high-demand” jobs, per HISD. Starting next school year, students from Furr, Heights, Sam Houston Math, Science, and Technology Center, Kashmere, North Forest, Northside, Waltrip, Booker T. Washington, Mickey Leland, and Wheatley High Schools will have the option to choose from 16 programs of study at BJCC. School officials also reassured the board and the community that no current students will be impacted and they can choose whether to enroll in these programs.

Superintendent Mike Miles said the changes are a part of “HISD 2026,” aimed at preparing students to be “college-ready.” He added that school sizes determine the number of programs students have access to. This is why schools like Wheatley, Kashmere, and North Forest have fewer programs than Lamar High School.

“We’re doing it in a way that makes sense, and that will help us become way more efficient, just like every other industry and business in the country,” Miles said. “Wheatley kids should have access to 16 programs, at least 12.”

HISD expects its enrollment at the BJCC to grow from its 906 students to nearly 4,000 in the 2028-29 school year. The center will operate in shifts with 900 to 1,000 students on campus at a time.

What’s the proposal?

The proposal follows a fall 2025 labor-market study that analyzed Houston-area employment data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages. District officials concluded that careers tied to the arts, audio-visual, and communications cluster, including graphic design and digital media, did not meet HISD’s thresholds for wages and employer demand.

As a result, HISD recommended that those programs be phased out. Under the plan, the programs will close one grade level at a time beginning in 2026-27, allowing current magnet students to complete their tracks, with the final class graduating in 2029-30.

Historical context Houston’s magnet high school system traces its origins to the mid-1970s, when HISD began opening magnet schools as part of a voluntary approach to desegregation after decades of segregated schooling. HISD’s first magnet schools opened in 1975, offering themed academic programs to students from across the district.

Therefore, the proposed changes to these programs, including the relocation or phasing out of certain tracks, have drawn strong responses from families and community members.

What parents said While Miles defended the measure, parents and community members argued against it.

Parents argued that HISD did not engage the community in its decision-making process as the information sessions organized by the school district were poorly attended.

They also expressed concerns about transporting their children to and from their campuses to BJCC. They said the logistics may cost students their classroom and lunch time.

Anthony Collier, a speaker, opposed the CTE overhaul plan and HISD’s plan to expand its facilities with a new center on the southside, using $180 million in lease-revenue bonds.

“It [CTE changes] will force students to spend up to an hour on buses two to three times a week to access classes that are often already available on campus,” Collier said, adding the district should use the money to fix HVAC issues instead.

While acknowledging that providing more opportunities for students through BJCC “is a great idea,” parents said it should not require reducing existing pathways at local schools.

“Engagement starts before decisions are made, informing communities early and bringing together a representative group of parents and teachers to meet periodically to discuss options, gather input, and shape a plan that fits their school, working together towards successful implementation,” said Kim Hoyle, a parent.

HISD disagreed.

Gillian Quinn, HISD’s executive director of CTE, said the district accommodated extensive community feedback, including 300+ business partners, 560 parent surveys, leadership from the 10 schools, and community meetings.

The unanimous Houston ISD vote to overhaul magnet programs at 10 high schools applies only to incoming eighth graders, while current magnet students can complete their programs, the school district said. Credit: HISD

Check Us Out! EZ TAG has a whole new look.

Visit an EZ TAG Store or go to HCTRA.org to get yours. *Tags that do not feature the new design are still functional.

You do not need a replacement tag.

HCTRA.org • 281-875-EASY (3279)

6 | January 22, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

| 7

DN InFocus Fact Check:

HOUSTON’S BAYOU DEATHS

Fiction

A serial killer is targeting people near Houston’s waterways.

Fact

No evidence of a serial killer.

District Attorney Sean Teare and Crime Stoppers Houston state these are isolated incidents with no forensic links.

Why are Black Men Leading Houston’s Rising Body Count?

By ReShonda Tate

The discovery of a Black man’s body in a Houston bayou on Jan. 6, the first recovery of the year, has renewed public scrutiny of a troubling pattern unfolding across the city’s waterways.

As officials work to dispel viral claims of a serial killer, data shows Black men make up more than half of those found dead in local bayous, fueling community demands for answers beyond social media speculation.

The victim, identified by his mother on social media as 32-year-old Keyo Kingsley, was found fully clothed with no immediate signs of trauma, according to investigators who believe he had been in the water only a short time.

Kingsley’s death comes amid a sharp rise in bayou recoveries. Records from the Harris County Medical Examiner’s Office show 35 bodies were pulled from Houston’s bayous in 2025, matching the total from 2024 and marking a significant increase from previous years, when annual counts typically ranged from 12 to 20.

The racial disparity

The most disturbing aspect of these recoveries is the racial breakdown. According to the City of Houston Forensics Department, the victims found in the bayous are overwhelmingly Black men—a fact that stands in stark contrast to the city’s overall population.

2025 Bayou Recovery Demographics:

15 11 3 2 1

Black Males

White Males

Hispanic Males

Black Females

Unknown

This disparity is particularly alarming given that Black or African American residents make

Fiction

up only approximately 22% of Houston’s total population. Despite representing less than a quarter of the city, Black men are leading the body count in the bayous.

Former City Councilwoman Letitia Plummer, a mother of three Black boys, notes that the “body count” isn’t just a number—it’s a demographic crisis.

“African-American men are leading in the deaths,” Plummer said in a recent interview. “In 2025, I feel like there are mostly African-American men out of the 35. That is something that I do believe should be a conversation either from a public health perspective or an urban research perspective.”

Plummer says the city needs to address the environmental factors that make these spaces death traps for some.

“I would like to know personally, as a mom of three boys, why so many Black men are being found in the bayous,” she said.

The high number of bodies found in 2025 is unprecedented.

Fact

The numbers are consistent with 2024.

There were 35 recoveries in 2025, compared to 35 total in 2024.

Fiction

“Undetermined” causes of death prove a cover-up.

Fact

Mildred Amos (center) says her son Kino (far right) was the latest victim found in the bayou. Courtesy: Mildred Amos Facebook

Rumors vs. reality

The sheer frequency of the discoveries—four bodies in a recent two-week period—has fueled a “true crime” frenzy online. Tik- Former City Tok theorists Councilmember Letitia and Facebook Plummer (pictured sleuths have at a press conference been quick to in 2025) has been link the cases, working to dispel creating a cli- rumors of a serial killer. mate of fear Credit: ReShonda Tate that city leaders are working overtime to suppress.

“There is nothing, nothing, and I want to be crystal clear, to indicate that there is someone operating here as a serial killer,” said Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare. “There are many reasons for these deaths. None of them are a serial killer.”

Plummer agrees that the forensic evidence doesn’t support the “Boogeyman” narrative, noting that serial killings usually involve

Thirty-five bodies were recovered in or near Houstonarea bayous in 2025.

Credit: Getty Images

signatures or similarities that are absent here.

Instead, she attributes the visibility of the bodies to environmental factors.

“During the summertime, the water in the bayou was really low, so it was easy to see the bodies,” Plummer explained. “Finding them back-to-back has been the challenge, but the medical examiners have assured me there is no serial killer.”

However, for the families of the deceased, the “no foul play” determination is often a bitter pill to swallow when 40% of bayou cases since 2017 remain classified as “undetermined.” Without a clear cause of death, rumors fill the vacuum of information.

A lethal landscape

If there is no killer, what is claiming these lives? Officials point to a “multifaceted” crisis involving homelessness, mental health, and the physical danger of Houston’s 2,500-mile bayou system.

The bayous serve a dual purpose: They are beautiful greenways for recreation, but they are primarily massive flood mitigation tools designed to move water rapidly.

“The purpose of the bayou is to collect water, which means water rises very rapidly, and there’s a very deep undercurrent there,” Plummer warned. “Falling in there could be dangerous because sometimes it’s very difficult to get back to the top.”

The lack of infrastructure in certain stretches of the bayous—specifically those running through underserved neighborhoods—exacerbates the risk. Many areas lack adequate lighting, emergency call boxes, or water-level sensors.

The call for a ‘Safety Czar’

Plummer is proposing a radical shift in how the city and county manage these waterways. She is calling for the appointment of a “safety czar,” specifically suggesting an

African-American male for the role to better understand how Black communities interact with these spaces.

“I think that if we had a safety czar that could kind of bring all these groups together... we can at least let the public know and keep them abreast of what’s going on so the information isn’t so delayed and incomplete,” she said.

The responsibility is currently divided among the City of Houston, Harris County Flood Control, the Parks Board, and private entities, such as the Kinder Foundation. This bureaucracy, Plummer argues, leads to a lack of accountability.

Waiting for answers

While the city pushes back against the serial killer narrative, the human cost continues to climb. Tim Miller of Texas EquuSearch believes the count could be even higher, suggesting more bodies may be trapped in submerged

vehicles that have yet to be discovered.

For now, the wait for justice—or even just an answer—remains long. Autopsies in Harris County can take six to seven months.

Until those results come in, families like Keyo Kingsley’s are left in a painful limbo, caught between official denials and the undeniable reality of a rising body count.

“Until we know if it’s drugs or alcohol or whatever that causation is, I believe that as people of color, we need to look a bit deeper into that,” Plummer said.

Fiction

The bayous are inherently safe for recreation at all times.

Fact

The bayous are high-risk environments. Water levels can rise rapidly during rain, and steep, concretelined banks make it nearly impossible to climb out once someone falls in.

Bayou recoveries by the numbers

The following data from the Harris County Forensics Office illustrates the steady increase in bodies recovered from the bayou system over the last decade.

YEAR

# OF BAYOU CASES

2025

35

2024

35

2023

22

2022

20

2021

16

2020

27

2019

12

2018

18

2017

20

“Undetermined” is a medical classification. It means forensic evidence was insufficient to distinguish between an accident, suicide, or homicide—often due to environmental factors in the water.

Fiction

The city is ignoring these cases.

Te’vion Quinton Antonio Bass, whose body was recovered from the San Jacinto River in 2022, is one of more than 60 victims found in Houston waterways in recent years. His brother, Houston creative Randy Wrosiv, is calling for transparency and accountability in the ongoing investigations.

Fact

Investigations are ongoing.

Every recovery undergoes a complete autopsy, and the District Attorney’s office maintains a dedicated cold case squad for unresolved files.

8 | January 22, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Feature

BLACK WOMEN IN MEDICINE Build a professional pipeline

By Laura Onyeneho

Dr. Ashley Patterson, founder of Phoenix Medical Center, has wanted a career in medicine for as long as she can remember.

Although she had no immediate family members in medicine, her positive experiences with her pediatrician and her innate interest in science and caring for others set her on this path.

It wasn’t until college, however, that she encountered a devastating and motivating force, the concept of health disparities.

“It just blew my mind and devastated me... that happens to Black people all the time,” she recalls.

This realization fueled her commitment to medicine, pushing her to focus on preventative care to address chronic illnesses disproportionately affecting the Black community.

Patterson’s journey is a vivid example of a profound national challenge.Black Americans make up about 13% of the U.S. population, but only 7% of U.S. medical students are Black.

Among those students, 61% are women. For aspiring Black women physicians, the path to medicine is often steep, shaped by systemic barriers, financial hurdles and a lack of visible role models.

In Houston, community leaders and healthcare executives are working to change those barriers by widening access to education, increasing mentorship opportunities and ensuring representation in medical spaces where Black women have historically been underrepresented.

Wanda Harris, senior vice president and Houston market president at VillageMD, has spent over 25 years in the healthcare industry.

She sees the lack of Black women in medicine as a problem that starts long before medical school.

“In elementary and high school, the first barrier is visibility,” Harris says. “If you don’t see people who look like you in medicine, you’re less likely to picture yourself there.”

She points to under-resourced schools, limited access to advanced STEM courses and standardized testing as obstacles that can discourage young students early on.

When students reach college or consider medical school, costs and admissions criteria can narrow the field even further. The price of medical education can easily exceed $200,000 and admissions processes often give weight to factors such as legacy connections or expensive prep resources that many first-generation students lack.

Harris believes the solution must start earlier.

Through her non-profit Porter Billups Leadership Academy, she connects fourth graders through high school seniors with hands-on STEM experiences, hospital visits and mentorship from healthcare professionals who share their cultural backgrounds.

When people see someone who looks like them, they feel more comfortable sharing their concerns and fears.”

DR. LUTRICIA HARRISON

President of Houston Community College (HCC) Coleman College for Health Sciences

If you don’t see people who look like you in medicine, you’re less likely to picture yourself there.”

WANDA HARRIS

Senior Vice President and Houston Market President at VillageMD

Many of us are dedicated to mentoring or just being accessible to pre-med people, especially in a changing political landscape where diversity and inclusion initiatives are being challenged.”

DR. ASHLEY PATTERSON

Founder of Phoenix Medical Center

“They need to see people who look like them in these roles,” she says.

This lack of visible role models was a significant challenge for Patterson. She had to seek out resources specifically for students of color.

This led her to the Minority Association of PreHealth Students (MAPS) in undergrad.

Through MAPS, she met a Black pediatrician who became her mentor, helping her navigate the complex prerequisites and application process.

“I was in her office off and on for eight years,” Patterson says, highlighting the sustained guidance she received.

Representation and trust in patient care Dr. Lutricia Harrison, president of Houston Community College (HCC) Coleman College for Health Sciences, works at the point where students are deciding how to enter the healthcare workforce.

Harrison’s passion for healthcare began in childhood; her mother, a nurse, was the primary influencer. She started her career in nursing,

ultimately becoming a family nurse practitioner before moving into education leadership.

She says representation is not just about workforce diversity; it directly impacts patient care.

“People trust people whom they’re familiar with,” Harrison explains. “When patients see someone who looks like them, they feel more comfortable sharing their concerns and fears.

They feel valued.”

This trust, she says, can lead to better health outcomes and a stronger connection

between patients and providers.

Harrison’s approach is focused on making healthcare careers financially accessible.

“I had to work and go to school because my family couldn’t pay for my education,” she recalls.

That experience shaped how she now helps students navigate career pathways that avoid overwhelming debt.

At HCC Coleman, students can start in high school with dual credit programs, earn a certified nursing assistant (CNA) license and build toward higher credentials like licensed vocational nurse (LVN), registered nurse (RN) or even advanced practice degrees. Hospitals often provide tuition reimbursement, allowing students to advance without taking on large loans.

“There are so many roles in healthcare that people don’t think about,” Harrison says. “It might be radiography, surgical technology, anesthesia technology or jobs that pay well with two-year degrees. Students can start working, get experience and get their education paid for.”

Harrison credits her success to mentors who encouraged her through advanced nursing training. Now, she makes it a point to serve as that example for younger students.

“I want to be that person who a young girl can see and say, ‘I can do that too,’” she says. “ Harris uses her network to connect students with shadowing opportunities, internships and leadership exposure. She emphasizes the importance of sponsorship and advocates for students behind closed doors alongside traditional mentorship.

Patterson is the secretary of the Houston Medical Forum (HMF), a chapter of the National Medical Association (NMA), an organization for Black physicians. HMF offers mentoring events, mock interviews and opportunities for students to connect with doctors.

“Many of us are dedicated to mentoring or just being accessible to pre-med people, especially in a changing political landscape where diversity and inclusion initiatives are being challenged, Patterson says. “That’s what I sought out. That’s how I got through. These organizations provide essential, dedicated support for students who may not find it elsewhere.”

CLASSIFIED PUBLIC NOTICE Request for Competitive Sealed Proposals (CSP) Harris County Municipal Utility District No. 390 will accept Competitive Sealed Proposals for the Sheila Jackson Lee Administration Building Project. Proposals will be received until 2:00 p.m. on Friday, February 6, 2026, online only at https://epitomesystem.com/epitomeforms/mud390AdminBldg.php. No proposals will be accepted via email, fax, or hand-delivered. Interested Proposers should visit https://epitomesystem. com/epitomeforms/mud390Admin Bldg.php to obtain details for this project, which includes drawings and project specifications. Interested Proposers should email Roger Harris at projectmanager@hilldaypr.com for questions. A Pre-proposal conference is scheduled for 2:00 pm, Tuesday, January 20, 2026, at HillDay Public Relations, 3801 Kirby Dr., Ste. 507, Houston, TX 77098.

January 22, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

| 9

DN Profile

ReShonda Tate Spotlights Hazel Scott in ‘With Love From Harlem’

By Aswad Walker

ReShonda Tate is no stranger to best-selling, award-winning literary works. Still, she entered historical fiction as something of a newcomer. You wouldn’t know it by the reception to her first foray into the genre, The Queen of Sugar Hill, which brought long-overdue attention to the life of Hattie McDaniel, the first Black person to win an Academy Award.

With her latest novel, Tate goes even further. With Love From Harlem immerses readers in the cultural heartbeat of 1940s Harlem through the life of jazz prodigy, activist, and global star Hazel Scott—a woman whose fame rivaled, and at times surpassed, that of the most iconic names in music.

Genius nearly erased from history “This is a woman I didn’t know much about,” Tate said. “And once I began researching, I’m like, why doesn’t the world know her?”

At the height of her career, Scott was a virtuoso pianist, a magnetic performer, and a groundbreaking media figure. According to Tate, she was “the biggest star in the country, the biggest jazz entertainer… rivaling Billie Holiday [and] Sarah Vaughan at her time,” before her outspoken activism led to devastating consequences.

“She was basically erased from history because she decided to speak out,” Tate said.

Ancestral assist While With Love From Harlem is deeply researched, Tate describes the writing process as spiritually guided.

“Hazel spoke to me throughout this journey,” Tate said.

That guidance proved especially important when addressing the more complicated parts of Scott’s life, including her relationship with Adam Clayton Powell Jr., a famous Harlem pastor and U.S. Congressman.

Tate initially hesitated to explore that issue because of the well-known rumors of infidelity with one of the country’s well-known Black leaders.

“You know how you don’t want to dig up the dirt on people in our history,” she said.

But Tate said Scott insisted it was important to show these people as raw, real, and relatable.

“Telling Hazel’s story meant telling the things she wasn’t always proud of,” Tate recalled from h e r a n c e s t r a l c on versation with Scott, “because maybe people won’t repeat those same mistakes.”

Joys and challenges What Tate enjoyed most about writing With Love From Harlem was fully inhabiting the world she The cost of speaking truth was recreating. to power “As I’m writing, I would play Scott’s political courage came at a steep the music. I felt transported,” she price. A civil rights pioneer, she refused said. “The community of that to remain silent in the face of racism and time was something that I wish inequality. That defiance led we could get back today… to her being labeled a comI felt the community in writmunist during the height of ing and researching this book.”

Cold War paranoia.

As a longtime journalist and “They deemed her a current managing editor of The communist and basically Defender, Tate admits historical ran her out of the country,” fiction required a mindset shift.

WHAT’S Tate said. “It was very diffi“Everything in my books is NEXT FOR cult for her because she was rooted in fact,” she explained, “but TATE. so vocal… and then to be you have to kind of change some deemed a communist in a timelines around. And that was kind country that you were giving your all for.” of difficult because I’m a journalist.”

Forced to leave the U.S., Scott found refOne example involved Scott’s mentorship uge and creative kinship abroad. of Nina Simone.

“She ended up going to Paris with the “I wanted that to be part of the book,” Tate likes of James Baldwin, Billie Holiday, and said, “but that didn’t happen until after the Langston Hughes,” Tate explained. “And they timeline of my book. So, I had to adjust and created a community there. I talk about all be creative with the timeline of history, and of that in the book.” that’s where the fiction comes in.”

Reader takeaways and critics praise Tate is clear about her ultimate goal.

“I want readers to have a thirst to say, ‘Who else don’t I know about?’” she said. “I want them to want to learn more.”

And readers are already doing just that.

“One of the biggest things I love is people saying, ‘I went down a rabbit hole of research.’

That tells you that you’ve done your job.”

The novel has earned strong early acclaim.

New York Times best-selling author Sadeqa Johnson calls it “vibrant, richly detailed, and emotionally resonant,” adding that it “illuminates a remarkable woman whose legacy deserves to be known by all.”

Reader Whitney Daniell praised the immersive quality of the writing, saying it makes you feel “like you’re right there in the room with Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, and other icons.”

Nationwide tour

To promote the book, Tate is embarking on a 28-city tour beginning in Harlem at Abyssinian Baptist Church, where Powell Jr. once pastored.

“That is where we have our initial book launch on Jan. 24,” Tate said.

In conjunction the grand opening of the Edison Cultural Arts Center on Jan. 27, Tate is hosting a Houston book launch.

The next day, Tate will be in Katy, TX, to cut the ribbon on a brandnew Barnes & Noble before heading to Austin and beyond.

For more information visit www.

ReShondaTate.com.

10 | January 22, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Sports

Tremaine Jackson Prairie View A&M’s gamble pays off

By Terrance Harris

Prairie View A&M athletic director Anton Goff still chuckles when he thinks about how a hotel shortage led him to the coach who would help transform Panthers football.

During the 2023 season, Prairie View traveled east to Tallahassee, Florida, to face Florida A&M for the Rattlers’ homecoming. With no nearby hotel capable of accommodating the Panthers’ full travel party, the team was forced to stay nearly 90 minutes away in Valdosta, Georgia.

That inconvenience proved pivotal.

Driving through Valdosta, Goff noticed a billboard for Valdosta State football. Curiosity kicked in. A little research revealed the Bulldogs’ head coach was Tremaine Jackson — a Houston native, former Texas Southern player and assistant coach, and a rising name leading one of Division II’s most successful programs.

At the time, Prairie View had no coaching vacancy. The Panthers were in the middle of a SWAC West title run under Bubba McDowell. Goff simply filed the name away in his mental Rolodex.

“I wasn’t thinking about Tremaine Jackson at all,” Goff said. “I was focused on what we were doing.”

A year later, everything changed.

Following a disappointing season, Goff made the difficult decision to move on from McDowell. Suddenly, Prairie View was in the market for a new head coach — and Goff remembered the name he had tucked away during that long bus ride in Georgia.

Through back channels, Goff reached out to Jackson, whose Valdosta State team had just completed an undefeated regular season and was deep in the Division II playoffs. Goff was careful not to become a distraction, but the interest quickly became mutual.

Late-night phone calls followed. At first, they talked football philosophy. Then life — raising daughters, leadership, and being members of different fraternities that share the same 1911 founding year.

“We got to the point where we weren’t even talking about the job,” Goff said. “We were just talking.”

But Goff likes to play cards face up, so he showed Jackson his hand.

“I told him, ‘You’re my guy. If you want this job, I’m going to offer it to you,’” Goff said. “He told me, ‘AD Goff, you’re my guy too.’ He had already told his agent he was taking this job and not to mess it up. He wanted to come home. He felt like we could

In his first season at the helm, Tremaine Jackson led the Panthers to the SWAC Championship, a Celebration Bowl appearance, and the program’s first 10-win season. Credit: Prairie View A&M Athletics.

do something special.”

They agreed to gamble on each other.

And last January, Jackson was introduced as the Panthers’ new coach. Within seconds of his introduction, Jackson told the media and alumni in attendance of his immediate

First and foremost, I think he did a heck of a job. I knew he would do a great job here. I had no doubt. That’s why I hired him, the man.”

PRAIRIE VIEW AD ANTON GOFF ON TREMAINE JACKSON

plan to the SWAC West, SWAC Championship, and then onto Atlanta for the Celebration Bowl.

One year later, that gamble has paid off in historic fashion.

In his first season, Jackson led Prairie View to a SWAC West title, a SWAC championship, the program’s first Celebration Bowl appearance, and its first 10-win season. A program once fighting for relevance has suddenly become a blueprint for winning at an HBCU in the NIL, revenue-sharing, and transfer portal era.

Jackson wasted no time reshaping the roster, aggressively attacking the transfer portal and bringing in more than 70 players p while retaining key holdovers.

He’s doing it again this offseason, with Prairie View now viewed as a destination rather than a rebuilding stop.

“When you’re 10-4, won the SWAC and played in the national championship game, you’re a lot more attractive shi than when you’re 5-7, and the coach gets fired,” Jackson told the Defender ahead of the Jan. 2 transfer portal opening. “People

are already reaching out. We just have to be ready for the attraction.”

From day one, Jackson said his goal was to dominate the SWAC, then HBCU football, and eventually compete with the FCS elite. Even after a heartbreaking four-overtime loss to South Carolina State in the Celebration Bowl, that vision hasn’t wavered.

“I told everybody we’ll be back,” Jackson said. “I don’t care who’s been hired or what players people have — we will be back, and we’ll be ready to win.”

Goff, meanwhile, understands exactly what was at stake when he made the change.

“I prayed over it. I prayed with Bubba,” Goff said. “We still talk. But in my heart, I knew I needed to make a change. This was about the business.”

Hiring Jackson meant betting on a brash, confident young coach making the jump from Division II to FCS — a move that can define or derail an athletic director’s career.

“A lot of ADs are either praised or fired based on football hires,” Goff said. “It’s the most visible sport. Every move gets scrutinized.”

January 22, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

| 11

DN Sports

Richmond Randle walks to the locker room down 28-10 at halftime during the UIL 5A Division II football State Championship game against South Oak Cliff. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/Defender

Richmond Randle

Falls short in title rematch, learns a valuable lesson

By Jimmie Aggison

When Richmond Randle faced South Oak Cliff for a second time in the UIL 5A Division II State Championship game, many expected the Lions to walk away as back-to-back champions. As the night unfolded at AT&T Stadium, however, fate had a different ending in store, as Randle would lose to South Oak Cliff 35-19.

Inside a quiet locker room, the Lions confronted a reality they hadn’t faced since Nov. 24, 2023, a loss. What followed wasn’t panic or finger-pointing, but something far more revealing: The first true test of how a championship program responds to adversity.

Immediately after the game, head coach Brian Randle understood the emotions his players carried as they returned to the locker room. As he consoled them, he reminded the team that this moment did not define Randle football.

“Chin up, this is life,” said Randle. “The beautiful thing about football is all the life lessons you learn. You win, you lose, you get up. The biggest thing is to keep pushing and keep going forward.”

Prior to the rematch with South Oak Cliff, the Lions had been riding a 31-game winning streak. That streak came to an end at AT&T Stadium on Texas high school football’s biggest stage, and raw emotion filled the locker room as players began processing the loss.

“We didn’t accomplish what we were

supposed to,” said Landen Williams-Callis, Randle’s five-star running back.

Three-star middle linebacker and TCU commit Noriel “Pac-Man” Dominguez offered encouragement even as emotions were still raw during the game.

“I reminded them we’ve been down before,” said Dominguez. “We thought we could make a comeback. I tried to maintain the energy on defense and check in with my teammates. As a defense, we believed we could get a stop and do what we needed to do.”

Dominguez is no stranger to motivational moments. During the Lions’ 2024–2025 title run, he was forced to sit out due to transfer rules. Although he couldn’t play, he never let that setback affect the positive energy he brought to his teammates on the sidelines.

The Randle football program has been built to withstand setbacks. Sometimes things don’t go your way, but belief and discipline are what carry teams through difficult times.

“The devil is in the details, but tonight we were not detail-oriented,” said Randle. “When you’re used to having a lot of success, you begin to expect things to happen automatically.”

Randle moved the ball on several drives, but lapses in discipline proved costly. The Lions were flagged for eight penalties totaling 45 yards and threw two interceptions, one in the third quarter and another later in the game.

“We got outcoached, you know, we got outcoached,” said Randle.

“This is just life. Football is life,” said Dominguez. “You can’t complain. We did what we could. We came out here, tried to do what we do, but there are going to be times when you think you have the upper hand and you fall short. That’s just life.

Don’t take every L as a loss; take it as a learning experience. That’s a lesson.”

Junior running back Amari Louisville said he learned the importance of discipline by watching the team’s veterans handle the moment.

“During the off-season, we were locked in, but during this week, we didn’t stay locked in,” said Louisville.

That Richmond Randle standard was established long before this championship run. After winning the UIL 5A Division II state title in 2024, the Lions became the program every opponent wanted to dethrone. That success brought pressure and significant turnover. Randle lost 34 seniors and five coaches following the title season.

“You don’t want people to think everything’s a fluke,” said Randle. “So getting back to the state championship game was important. But winning it would’ve been the icing on the cake. We just fell short.”

Even in defeat, the program’s foundation remains intact. Dominguez hopes younger players will take this experience as motivation moving forward.

“Take it as fuel for the fire,” said Dominguez. “Next year, go win one. Do what we couldn’t do. We fell short and lost, but your season starts right now when we get on the bus.”

Senior wide receiver Cedrick McClintock echoed those sentiments.

“Know the feeling,” said McClintock. “You see it firsthand. Hopefully, they see how it feels and have a chip on their shoulder, the same way South Oak Cliff did and came out and got the dub because we beat them last year.”

Coach Randle accepted full responsibility for the loss.

“November 2023 was the last time we lost a football game,” said coach Randle. “We left a lot out there. Tonight was similar. We left a lot out there. We didn’t throw the playbook at them. We didn’t have the boys ready to go.

Coach Todd had their boys ready to go, and we didn’t. I take full responsibility for the loss.”

With Williams-Callis returning for his senior season, his offseason mindset is already evident.

“Every day, all day, I’m working,” said Williams-Callis. “I’m not doing no playing. The whole team, I’m going to make them work too.”

For a program built on belief, the response matters more than the outcome.

“We have 14 kids coming back next year, so we’ll be back. We just ran out of gas. It’s on me. It’s on coach Randle,” said Randle.

12 | January 22, 2026 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Health

A DEFENDER AND KELSEY-SEYBOLD CLINIC ALLIANCE

Feeling Okay Doesn’t Mean Everything’s Okay.

By ERIC NEZERWA, MD

Some of the most serious health changes can feel like nothing at first.

Blood pressure can creep up without symptoms. Cholesterol can build in your arteries quietly. Blood sugar can rise over time, and you may not know it without a lab test. If you’re noticing new aches, tiredness you can’t get over, or getting winded more easily, a condition may have been developing in the background.

The best way to catch problems like these early is by scheduling a visit even when you feel OK. Waiting for symptoms can make care feel more complicated and more invasive versus catching and intervening on diseases early.

All your care.

All connected.

If you’ve been putting off a wellness checkup, you’re not alone. A past bad experience, concern about cost, or a packed schedule can make it easy to wait. If you have been delaying your care, now is the time to schedule your annual wellness visit, which will give you a clear, more complete picture of your health going into this new year.

What to expect at your visit You and your doctor start with the basics and focus on what matters most right now. It begins with you describing what you’ve noticed lately, like changes in energy, sleep, breathing, pain, or weight. If family history has been on your mind, say so. It’s also a good time to review your medications and check whether you’re due for any immunizations.

Your doctor will check your blood pressure and other vital signs, then explain what the numbers mean for you.

They may recommend lab work that looks at heart and diabetes risk. They may also discuss screening tests based on your age and risk, such as colon cancer screening or a mammogram.

Don’t wait for a health issue to pick the timing for you. With 45+ KelseySeybold Clinic locations across Greater Houston, you can find an appointment that works for you – including same-day options.

Schedule your annual wellness visit: kelsey-seybold.com

Same-day primary care appointments.

Scan to view hIS online profile.

See specialists without a referral.

Experience the Kelsey difference for yourself.

IfYouKelsey.com | 713.442.7001

Eric Nezerwa, MD, Eric Nezerwa, MD, is a board-certified family medicine and primary care physician who cares for patients at KelseySeybold’s South Shore Harbour Clinic.