If anyone ever wonders how much power can be welded when the Black community comes together, they need look no further than Jack Yates High School in Tird Ward. We’ve been keeping you up to date on the fring of Yates principal Tifany Guillory (with no viable explanation). Well, that was a move the community wasn’t going to take without a fght. I don’t know Guillory but those who do – including her students – say she is just what that school needs as she brought much-needed stability to a campus that has struggled. Politicians said their phone lines were jammed with calls, and notable alumni threatened to pull funding. And in a dramatic reversal that came afer HISD twice reassigned her, the Board overrode the administration’s decision to fre Guillory and she is back in the building at Jack Yates.
Te fght in those pushing for Guillory’s return is admirable. It was peaceful, persistent, thorough and consistent. Two of the men leading the fght - Gerry Wayne Monroe and Marcus Brooks are on opposite ends of alot of issues. But they put their diferences aside for this common goal. And it wasn’t just folks from Yates. Sterling, Kashmere, Worthing, community leaders, celebrities....all came together for a cause they believed in. A textbook example of how to make your voice be heard.
We’ve finally reached the pinnacle of awards season: the nominations for the 95th Academy Awards. I’m side-eyeing the omission of Te Woman King and Till— but I was still excited to see so many inspiring Black artists receive their extremely well-deserved fowers. Black Panther: Wakanda Forever cleaned up. Angela Bassett received a nod for her jaw-dropping performance as Queen Ramonda in the Marvel Studios blockbuster.
Ruth E. Carter—who won for the frst film—received another nod for Costume Design. And the song “Lift Me Up” was nominated for Original Song. In the Best Supporting Actor category, we got an awesome surprise when Brian Tyree Henry was nominated for his beautiful work in Causeway. While Ke Huy Quan is the unquestioned favorite for Everything Everywhere All at Once—and deservedly so, today we celebrate these achievements, but we’re gonna come back to those the Oscars lef out.
Maya Rudolph is ofcially the new spokesperson for M&Ms.
You might wonder why FOX News would care about M&Ms. Well, if those M&Ms are racist, of course FOX’s Tucker Carlson would call it out. In several rants about the fact that the green M&M spokescandy was losing her boots and the brown M&M was getting kitten-heels. Carlson argued that the company was trying to make its candy “less sexy.” He said corporations had an agenda to make the candies so unappealing that you wouldn’t even “want to have a drink with them.” Yes, this is real life.
But one good thing came from this. In a “Woke” move, M&Ms made Maya Rudolph their spokesperson saying: “... even a candy’s shoes can be polarizing...so we decided to take an indefnite pause from the spokescandies.” I guess because Maya is half-Black and half-white, funny as all get out, and scandal-free, she’s a safe choice. Maya, get those coins, girl. But, are we really sexualizing candy??? Big sigh.
Tey’re known for their mouth-watering turkey legs and lines wrapped around the corner, but the Turkey Leg Hut has found itself fghting yet another lawsuit.
The popular Third Ward restaurant is being sued by US Foods, a national food distributor that claims the Houston business and its owner owe more than $1.2 million for goods and services provided last year. But the owners say people need to push pause before jumping on the bashing bandwagon because there are “three sides to every story.”
“Turkey Leg Hut was not aware of a pending lawsuit until we were contacted by the media ... From what we can see, this is not adding up and cannot comment further on the pending litigation. Te math is not mathin’,” the company said in a statement.
While that’s their ofcial statement, unofcially, owners Lynn and Nakia Price are taking to social media to defend their successful business.
“Te proof will come out. Just like it came out with the woods, smoke and all that,” Lynn Price said, referring to a previous lawsuit where neighbors sued the restaurant because of smoke from its ovens. Te Prices’ emerged victorious in that suit.
Lynn Price said the more successful they
become, the more people attack them. So this latest lawsuit is nothing new.
“Tey can’t fathom how a Black couple has done as well as we’ve done. And then you see places with this clickbait, they run with it,” Price said in video posted to social media. “We have a worldwide brand. When you have a brand that’s strong, the comments don’t get to me. You have to be able to decipher the hate. I’ve dealt with haters in the street. A lawsuit and hate online is not going to stop people from eating. Good work sells itself.”
US Foods, which is based in the Chicago area, fled a civil lawsuit in a federal court in Illinois in early December. The lawsuit names Turkey Leg Hut and Nakia Price as defendants and alleges they defaulted on a 2020 agreement for produce and other food items.
“The total amount currently due and owing from Turkey Leg under the Turkey Leg Customer Agreement is $1,288,583.12, exclusive of interest, costs, and fees,” the lawsuit reads.
In the beginning of September 2020, US Foods and Turkey Leg Hut agreed on delivery of service and goods, according to the lawsuit. Price also allegedly agreed to pay all costs, expenses and fees, including attorney fees. Te TLH and Price also agreed to pay a
1.5% interest a month in past due payments.
US Foods alleges that Turkey Leg Hut has not paid for $85,106.17 worth of produce it was provided between May and September of last year, and has an outstanding balance of nearly $1.3 million when factoring in other food and related products it received.
Price is named as a defendant in the lawsuit because she signed on as guarantor in the agreement, according to US Foods.
Te lawsuit alleges breach of contract and
unjust enrichment on the part of Turkey Leg Hut, among other claims.
Nakia Price posted on her social media, “US Foods owed us money for advertising, etc on trucks, IG and all. It’s always three sides to a story, and their side ain’t the truth. Why would a company let a bill get that high? Because they did not at all. I have dealt with bigger, but hold tight. Trust me, this is trash. Money, numbers don’t lie.”
By Raquel RogersA “Stop the Gun Violence” mural has been unveiled at Worthing Early College High School in Sunnyside in hopes of making the area safer.
“Te mural is one of the latest eforts by county and community leaders to help make the area safer. Our kids are the ones who pay the price for inaction on gun violence. But they’re also the ones leading the movement for change,” said Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who commissioned the mural.
Ellis, a graduate of Worthing, said they wanted to hear from children whose lives had been touched by violence.
“Young people are marching for their
lives and demanding an end to gun violence. Our youth deserve a safe school, thriving community and a future free of
gun violence,” he said.
‘STOP THE GUN VIOLENCE’ MURAL UNVEILED IN SUNNYSIDETe mural was painted by artist Bimbo Adenugba, who worked with students to write the words pictured. Te piece calls for a ban on high-caliber weapons and a focus on safety when it comes to guns. Commissioner Rodney Ellis with students and staf from Worthing in front of the Stop the Gun Violence mural. Ivonne Godinez
Memphis police ofcers beat motorist Tyre Nichols for three minutes, treating him like “a human piñata” in a “savage” encounter reminiscent of the infamous 1991 police beating of Los Angeles motorist Rodney King, attorneys for the family said.
Attorney Ben Crump said police video viewed by the family showed that Nichols was shocked, pepper sprayed and restrained after the 29-year-old FedEx worker and father was pulled over Jan. 7 minutes from his home while returning from a suburban park where he had taken photos of the sunset. Another attorney, Antonio Romanucci, said that Nichols, who was Black, was kicked before Crump stopped him from saying more.
Crump said Nichols’ family agreed to investigators’ request to wait a week or two before making the video public to “make sure to give this family what they want most, and that is justice.” Shelby
County District Attorney Steve Mulroy said that investigators don’t want to risk compromising the investigation.
Crump said the video shows the encounter was “violent” and “troublesome on every level.” Romanucci called it “savage” and out of proportion to the alleged ofense.
This combo of images provided by the Memphis Police Department shows from top lef, ofcers Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin III, and bottom from lef, ofcers Desmond Mills, Jr. and Justin Smith. AP
Te city has been on edge about the release of the police footage because of the possibility of unrest. Nichols’ stepfather, Rodney Wells, asked that if there are protests, that they remain peaceful, saying violence “is not what Tyre wanted and won’t bring him back.”
Nichols — described by family as a “good kid” who loved skateboarding, photography and his 4-year-old son — was arrested after officers stopped him for reckless driving. Police said in a statement the day after the encounter that “a confrontation
occurred” as ofcers approached the vehicle and Nichols ran; they said officers caught up to him and that ”another confrontation occurred” while they were taking him into custody. Police said Nichols complained of shortness of breath and was taken to a hospital, where he died three days later.
Relatives have accused the police of beating Nichols and causing him to have a heart attack and kidney failure. Authorities have only said that Nichols experienced a medical emergency. Te U.S. Justice Department has opened a civil rights investigation into the arrest, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is looking into whether excessive force was used.
Memphis police Director Cerelyn “CJ” Davis announced that fve ofcers involved in the arrest were fred afer the police probe determined that they used excessive force or failed to intervene and render aid. Te ofcers were identifed as Tadarrius Bean, Demetrius Haley, Emmitt Martin
RowVaughn Wells, second from lef, mother of Tyre Nichols, who died afer being beaten by Memphis police ofcers, cries as she is comforted by Tyre’s stepfather Rodney Wells, behind her, at a news conference with civil rights Attorney Ben Crump, lef, in Memphis, Tenn., AP
III, Desmond Mills Jr. and Justin Smith.
All five officers are Black, though Crump said that was irrelevant and that Black and brown motorists ofen are treated diferently than whites regardless of the ofcers’ race, and that the pain of Nichols’ death “is just the same.”
Nichols’ stepfather Rodney Wells, who said the family wants the ofcers charged with frst-degree murder, told reporters that his stepson had good reason to run from the ofcers.
“Our son ran because he was scared for his life,” Rodney Wells said. “And when you see the video, you’ll see why he was scared for his life.”
Attorneys said Nichols can be heard on the video crying out for his mother.
RowVaughn Wells said that on the day of the arrest, her son was looking forward to a chicken she was going to cook for dinner that night.
“All my son was trying to do was come home,” said Wells, who sobbed during the news conference and told reporters Nichols was less than 80 yards from home when Memphis police officers “murdered him.”
“We’re going to get justice for my son, Tyre, if that’s the last breath I take,” she said.
After the family’s news conference about 10 activists walked into the lobby of Mulroy’s ofce to demand answers to why the district attorney was withholding the video from the public for up to two more weeks and why he hadn’t charged the ofcers.
VOLUME 92, NUMBER 11 - JANUARY 26, 2023
Publisher | CEO
Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
Strategic Alllance
Clyde Jiles
Digital Content Manager
Michael Grant
Managing Editor
ReShonda Tate
Associate Editor
Education Reporter
Laura Onyeneho
Sports Terrance Harris
Jodie B. Jiles
Photographer
Jimmie Aggison
Social Media Manager
Tia Alphonse
Intern
Alania Bookman The
Aswad Walker
Harris County Commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia hope to pass a toll rate deduction of 10 percent by Sept. 4, 2023 if county ofcials can approve the proposal in the next commissioners court meeting on Jan. 31. Commissioner Ellis says that the deduction would help relieve customers’ costs while people are wrestling with high infation and daily expenses. If approved, the plan could help thousands of Houston residents who use the toll roads on their daily commute to and from work and in their navigation around the city. Te new policy would make the EZTag free permanently with up to 8 free tags per household. Previously the tags were $15 each.
While Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is in the last year of his last term, he’s taking time to share lessons learned during his tenure with other big city mayors -- especially the Black mayors of the other three most populous cities.
For the frst time, the mayors of the top four cities in the United States are African Americans. During a recent U.S. Conference of Mayors, Turner, along with Karen Bass of Los Angeles and Erik Adams of New York, talked about the challenges they face, including issue number one -- public safety. (Te fourth Black mayor is Lori Lightfoot of Chicago).
In an interview with ABC News, Turner said that defunding the police is not the way to protect people. Instead, he wants to see reinvestment in underserved communities and policies that address the economic reasons why people fall into homelessness. Te border was the other main topic, and Turner hopes the Biden administration’s new policy of allowing people to sponsor those seeking to enter the country will help slow the fow of people arriving at the southern border.
For the frst time in nearly fve years, the Houston Housing Authority (HHA) will accept applications to be placed on the waitlist for public housing. Application acceptances were put on pause in 2018 because of a “tremendous amount of individuals already on the waitlist,” according to David A. Northern Sr., president and CEO of HHA. Each property and HHA’s voucher program had a long waitlist, and Northern said afer they were able to have a smaller number of people on the waitlists, they were able to open applications back up. Te number of applicants is already “dramatic” according to Northern, over 18,000 so far. HHA is conducting a lottery to select applicants. He said that sometimes getting through the waitlist can take years and during that time, many applicants’ situations can change. As of now, Northern said applicants should expect a minimum
year-long wait. HHA is accepting applications for 10 locations, including Cuney Homes, Ewing, Independence Heights, Kennedy Place and Heatherbrook. Apply at https://housingforhouston.com.
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo will have a frst-ever Community Day with free admission for all until noon
on Wednesday, March 8. Community Day discounts include: Free admission for all guests until noon; buy one, get one rides and games in the Junction Carnival area until 4 p.m.; discounted food and beverage oferings until 4 p.m.; $3 mini corn dog at McKinney Corn Dog; $3 small popcorn at Kid Shack and $3 small sour apple lemonade at Squeezers. Additionally, for every person that walks through
the gates between 8 a.m. until noon on March 8, TC Energy will donate $1 to the local community through its social impact program, Build Strong, which invests in organizations that are integral to local communities.
The popular app TikTok is now banned on networks provided by most major Texas universities. The app was already banned on all state government-issued devices as of a month ago, which in turn, has sparked the new wave of bans. The University of Texas at Austin barred access to TikTok on its campus internet. The Texas A&M University System did so as well. Other schools include the University of North Texas in Denton and the University of Texas at Dallas. The University of Houston has banned the app on university-owned devices, but it has not barred the app from being accessed on its wifi network. TikTok allows users to share quick, mostly funny videos. It’s used primarily by teens and young adults in their 20s and early 30s. Gov. Greg Abbott wants to ban the app because he says it poses a significant security threat from China. TikTok is owned and operated by the Chinese-based company, ByteDance Ltd, which the FBI claims is troublesome since it’s suspected the Chinese government could use it to collect American users’ data.
Laura Onyeneho
The menstrual cycle is a natural biological function that prepares the body for the possibility of pregnancy. But in many parts of the world including here in the United States, young girls are faced with a public health issue that impacts their feminine health, and that is period poverty.
Young women who live in lower-income communities, underdeveloped countries or are homeless o en struggle with a lack of resources during their menstrual cycles. According to the 2022 Journal of Global Health Reports, out of 16.9 million women or girls who menstruate in the U.S, twothirds of them could not afford menstrual products, with half needing to choose between food or products.
the issue has been discussed for decades in the context of the gender gap in education for young people living in low- and middle-income communities.
“ ere are a lot of folk’s stories that are rooted in trauma and are rooted in the lack of education that has been passed down generationally,” said Zsanai Epps, director of Positive Period for the Black Women’s Health Imperative (BWHI) in Washington D.C. “ is idea of young Black girls that get their period, they’re immediately hypersexualized and looked at as being too grown.”
Being unable to manage periods with the appropriate resources can make a girl feel uncomfortable, distressed, and embarrassed.”
This ultimately causes physical and emotional challenges. And if you delve deeper into states such as Texas, 1 in 16 women and girls between the ages of 12-44 live below the federal poverty line.
ZSANAI EPPS, BWHI DIRECTORIn a country full of access and resources, how can a crisis like this occur?
What is period poverty?
Poverty by definition is a state where an individual lacks access to basic needs such as food, clothing and shelter. It’s more than just having no money and it can be measured across health care, education,and standards of living.
Period poverty in this case, is the lack of access to not only menstrual products, but hygiene facilities, waste management and education. e term is relatively new, but
Being unable to manage periods with the appropriate resources can make a girl feel uncomfortable, distressed and embarrassed. is experience impacts school attendance, self-esteem, health outcomes and future earning potential.
“ ere were families during the COVID-19 pandemic where Black women had to choose between buying expensive menstrual products or putting food on the table,” Epps said. “High school girls missed an average of two to three school days per month because of this and then when you add multi-generational homes with more than one menstruating person it can be costly.”
Impact on Black & Brown communities
ere are racial disparities for menstrual equity. A study by the Alliance for Period Supplies found that a quarter of Black (23%) and Latina (24%) people with periods strongly agree that they’ve struggled to afford products. In some capacity, Black women or girls who menstruate have experienced borrowing products, using toilet
paper, fabric, leaving in menstrual products longer than recommended or nothing at all. at is what Nikki Greenaway witnessed as a school nurse working with middle and high school students in New Orleans. She is a Houston-based nurse practitioner who saw how period poverty impacted young girls in schools.
“Students would come up to me every month and asked if I had any pads,” she said.
“I was told the school wasn’t responsible to provide the products, but rather the parents of the students were, and it wasn’t in their budget, I knew I had to do something about it.”
So Greenaway launched The Bloom Period Project in 2021 to provide menstrual products to schools and universities throughout New Orleans and Houston.
“Sometimes these young folks don’t have people to advocate on their behalf,” Greenway said. “People don’t understand the social and emotional toll this causes them.”
Discussions around periods are often surrounded by stigmas and silence and are o en seen as taboo in many parts of the world. It is seen as unclean and disgusting rather than normal. is shame prevents people from talking about the taxes on these products.
Like Greenaway, there are other advocates fighting to repeal the sales tax on menstrual products. Twenty-four states are currently tax-free, but Texas is among the states where consumers still pay tax on those products. CVS Health recently dropped the price of its store brand products which absorbs the cost of the “Tampon Tax.”
“Ending period poverty requires proper education on menstruation and the support of the community, government and health institutions,” said Dr. Jhumka Gupta, social epidemiologist and associate professor at George Mason University’s Department of Global and Community Health.
Gupta’s research on period poverty is helping to form a national discussion on health equity. Even though there are strides being made, she said there are key actions that should be taken to put an end to this public health crisis:
1. Remove financial barriers and expand access to menstrual hygiene products.
2. Schools should be equipped with free products and invest in sex education.
3. Young women and girls need to be properly educated about their personal health and hygiene during menstrual cycles.
Period taboos and limitations prevent girls from managing their periods with dignity. Cultural stigmas around menstruation leave girls in the dark about their bodies. Getty Images
MORE TIPS TO DEAL WITH THIS PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS.
There was a strict phone ban in place, but fans were still able to capture videos of Beyoncé’s private concert at the opening of a luxury resort in Dubai, which was the first time the artist headlined a show in over four years. The Queen Bey was reportedly paid $24 million for the performance.
Guests received an even bigger treat when Blue Ivy joined her mother for a rendition of their Grammy hit “Brown Skin Girl.”
According to reports, the 25-time Grammy winner was tapped for a private, hour-long performance for the grand opening of the Atlantis The Royal Hotel in Dubai, UAE.
Beyoncé last performed a full concert in 2018, when she and Jay-Z took the stage at the Global Citizen Festival: Mandela 100, says theYBF.
The event was by invitation only, where about 1,500 VIP guests, which included celebrities, journalists and influencers, were invited to an all-expenses paid luxury weekend in Dubai.
Beyoncé opened her first set with a cover of Etta James’ “At Last” and performed tracks from across her catalog, though none off of her latest album, “Renaissance.” Beyoncé last performed live during a tribute for Kobe and Gianna Bryant in February, 2020. At the 2022 Oscars, she aired a pre-taped performance of her King Richard song, “Be Alive.”
Beyoncé was accompanied by Firdaus, a 48-person all-female orchestra, as well as Lebanese dance troupe the Mayyas. JayZ, Beyoncé’s parents and singers Chloe x Halle were also in attendance at the event, per press materials. Swedish House Mafia DJ’d the event’s afterparty.
Defender News Service
Carolyn Parker Scantlebury, former NAACP Houston Branch president and an active member of the local community, died Jan. 12 at age 75. Services will be held Sunday, Jan. 29 at Windsor Village Church Family, 6011 West Orem. Visitation is at 1 p.m. and the celebration of life is at 1:30 p.m.
Current NAACP Houston Branch President Bishop James Dixon II remembers her as a “beloved mother, sister, friend and Christian soldier” dedicated to making a diference.
By Aswad WalkerMiola Donahue Laws, matriarch of the Laws family and mother of a slew of legendary jazz artists, died this week. She was 103.
The service will take place at Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church, 3401 Jeanetta Rd Houston 77063 on Friday, Jan. 27 at 11 a.m. Te viewing will be held from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Following the service, the interment will take place at Paradise North Cemetery.
Te Houston-born Laws lived the entirety of her 103 years in the Bayou City, attending Blackshear Elementary, one of only three Black elementary schools in Houston at the time, and Jack Yates High School, where she was recently honored as one of the matriarchs of her class of 1937.
After marrying Hubert Laws Sr. and raising their eight children, Miola attended Houston Community College.
Those eight children are Blanche Laws-McConnell (church minister of music and general manager of Angelus Funeral Home in Los Angeles, California); Hubert Laws, Jr. (international classical and jazz musician/flutist); Johnny Laws (veteran, retired postal worker, and vocalist); Eloise Laws-Ivie (recording vocalist, Broadway actor and author); Ronnie Laws
(international recording jazz musician/ saxophonist); Charlotte Laws-Thompson (author/poet and former Ikette-“Ike and Tina Turner”); Debra Laws (recording vocalist and Broadway actor); and Dr. Donna Y. Laws (professor, author, motivational speaker and classical dancer).
Flowers for her service are welcome. However, in lieu of fowers, the family is requesting donations to any of the two established scholarships in Miola Donahue Laws name: “Te Second Chance Scholarship” at Pilgrim Rest Missionary Baptist Church (supporting students for college) and the Conrad O. Johnson Music and Fine Arts Foundation (supporting college-bound students pursuing careers in music and fne arts)
As the mother of the Conrad O. Johnson Foundation, Laws remained active until her passing according to Artie Onayemi, who co-founded the foundation along with its namesake, the Houston legend it was named afer, “Prof” Conrad Johnson.
“Mrs. Miola Laws was the backbone of the organization. She supported us from its inception back in 1999 and has been a supporter of ours since that time,” said Onayemi. “Even when she couldn’t physically attend the events, she supported the organization in countless ways. Tat’s why
we named a scholarship afer her, the Miola Laws Scholarship for Academic Achievement, which has been around for at least 10 years.”
Onayemi said that scholarship is given out annually to one of the high school seniors who is part of the Conrad O. Johnson Regional Youth Orchestra for excelling musically and academically. Te group is comprised of middle and high school student musicians.
According to Onayemi, Laws, even while sick, continued raising money for the organization.
“She was a dedicated supporter of our youth musicians, and not just by her monetary donations alone. She regularly volunteered her time and even her children’s time. Ronnie gave out saxophones to our organization for years. Hubert has not only contributed time and resources to perform at our annual fundraising galas, he was the honorary chairman of our frst such gala. And Eloise has been a constant force and supporter, just like her mother. But all of Miola’s children supported the foundation. And even during my last conversation with her earlier this month, she was still asking what could she do to support the children,” shared Onayemi.
“To know her was to witness a selfless life,” Dixon said. “One who gave herself frst to her Lord, Jesus Christ, and then to others, as an instrument of God’s love, expressed in myriad roles of service. To the Houston NAACP, she was a faithful follower and co-laborer for justice. Having served as the president of our Houston Branch, she modeled the rare mixture of authority wrapped in humility.”
She was also a devoted member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and Windsor Village, where she served on the Administrative and New Membership boards and in other capacities at the church for over 35 years. Her other involvement included: vice chair, Friends of the African American Library at the Gregory School; vice chair, Black Go Texan Committee of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo; member, Jack Yates and Huston-Tillotson Alumni Associations, and local campaign manager, Jesse Jackson’s 1984 presidential campaign.
Her professional background included working with the Area Agency on Aging, City of Houston, Womack Development Group and as a psychiatric social worker for HISD.
Survivors include her son, Darnley (Donnie) DeCosta Scantlebury III and three grandchildren, Noah, Asa and Ava.
Former Channelview standout quarterback
Jalen Hurts threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score to lead the Philadelphia Eagles to a 38-7 NFC divisional playoff win over New York.
Former Texans linebacker and current San Francisco 49ers defensive coordinator DeMeco
Ryans interviewed for the Texans’ job last week and all indications are that it went well. The Texans, led by general manager Nick Caserio and CEO Cal McNair, have interviewed several candidates, including Sean Payton, but it sounds like the interest in Ryans could be stronger than most thought.
Former Baltimore Ravens great Ed Reed and BethuneCookman University have found out that just because the formula worked well at Jackson State doesn’t mean it will work everywhere. Less than a month a er announcing that Reed would be B-CU’s new head football coach, the two have quickly divorced before the contract was ever signed. This came a er Reed took to Instagram to rip his new employer and HBCU football for numerous inefficiencies.
Texas Southern University junior guard
Andriana
Avent was recently named SWAC Player of the Week a er a strong showing. Avent averaged 21 points while shooting 38% from beyond the arc during a week for the Lady Tigers.
Judging from the outside looking in, it doesn’t seem like much is going right in the Rockets’ camp.
In fact, it looks to be going all wrong as another Rockets season has them mired in mediocrity with an NBA-worst record (11-36) and it wasn’t until Monday’s win over Minnesota that they snapped an abysmal 13-game losing streak. No other NBA team has lost as many games in a row so far this season. A third-straight NBA Lottery season is in the making.
But embattled coach Stephen Silas recently told e Defender he still believes the team is moving in the right direction despite all of the losing.
“Absolutely,” said Silas, who is 48-153 as the Rockets coach. “Look at the way [Alperen Sengun] has played [recently], look at the stretches of play where we good for 42 minutes but in a span of six minutes we weren’t very good.
“So yeah, there is definitely a feeling we are moving in the right direction.”
Silas is right in a lot of ways. is extremely young and talented Rockets squad does show flashes of promise, but it’s those befuddling moments of ineptness that lead to losses upon losses that have many questioning if the Rockets are indeed headed in the right direction.
e concern has grown even more in the past couple of weeks as two former Rockets guards have been vocal in casting doubt on the franchise’s ability to win under this regime of general manager Rafael Stone and Silas.
John Wall and Austin Rivers have said what many of us have wondered as we watch current Rockets guards Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. score baskets but still seem unable to grasp the fundamentals of winning basketball.
“Somebody needs to teach KPJ and Jalen how to play the right way,” Rivers said recently to the media a er a Rockets game with his current team, the Timberwolves. “ ey need those vets. I like those guys, they’re super talented, they can really score. ey need someone to help them take that next step.”
What’s interesting is last year, the Rockets had that vet guard in former All-Star John Wall. But someone in the organization, presumably Stone, made the head-scratching decision that Wall should either come off the bench or just not play at all while the team worked out a trade.
e thought process then was that Green and Porter were the future and that it was
best to let them play through their mistakes during the Rockets rebuild. e problem is a year later, the two still haven’t seemed to grow much.
Both are still playing way too much isolation ball, making far too many turnovers in the backcourt (coming for 6.6 turnovers per game) and just not seeming to get the difference between scoring the ball and playing winning basketball.
Wall tried to warn them, as veteran guard Eric Gordon likely has, too. But it’s often hard for young starters to hear much from the bench. Wall, who ripped the Rockets for trying to tank games during his disastrous tenure, had some words of advice for the team when he was here.
“Don’t get used to this,” Wall told the Rockets’ younger players. “ is is not how the NBA is. It’s a bad organization right now. ey’ve got to fix some [expletive].”
But while Green and Porter get much of the blame, the reality is without any veteran
leadership – only two players are over 27 – it’s hard to imagine the Rockets turning it around anytime soon.
e Rockets have certainly dra ed well with impressive young talent like power forward Jabari Smith, Tari Eason, Sengun and Green, but without some veteran leaders in the mix, it’s conceivable that they could be spinning their wheels for the foreseeable future.
To his credit, Silas remains optimistic. Silas was hired to coach and provide therapy for the Russell Westbrook-James Harden duo but that never happened and suddenly the first-time head coach found himself in the middle of a rebuild.
Now Silas and Stone are on the hook for the lack the progress the team is showing.
“ e best teacher is experience, and that’s what they’re getting right now,” Silas said. “You don’t look at certain guys around the league, and just because they went through a rebuild, they have a losing attitude. ere have been teams that have done it before.”
Westside High School senior guards Makayla and Kaitlynn Evans are twin sisters on a mission to make some major moves in the upcoming playoffs this season. A er blowing district rival Lamar High School out of the water with a 71-37 victory, Westside improved its record to 8-0 in district play with a 23-3 overall record.
Makayla Evans is a ball-handing point guard who scores at will on all levels on the floor. Makayla’s crossover leaves opponents on skates while she consistently finishes her baskets.
Kaitlynn Evans is the purest shooter on the team and isn’t afraid to take and make her shots either. A er suffering an ACL injury last season, Kaitlynn adds that missing link for the Wolves on offense to score points in bunches.
Westside head coach Troy Gillespie is impressed by what the Evans twins add to the roster.
“ e twins have been on varsity since they were freshmen, and they like to talk about one being a shooter and one being a point guard but they are just great basketball players,” he said.
“Kaitlynn is just hitting her stride and I couldn’t even imagine how good we would be if we had time to work with her two months from now.”
e Defender spoke with Makayla and Kaitlynn about their games, overcoming an ACL injury, the upcoming playoffs and more.
Makayla: “I like the midrange pull-up in my game. I like to get my teammates involved especially open shooters, my sister and our knockdown shooters. And I have been focusing on my defense, getting steals up and scoring in transition this season.”
Kaitlynn: “I would describe myself as a pure shooter that is ready as a starter or coming off the bench.”
ACL INJURY
Kaitlynn: “I would [paraphrase] a Bible verse, “trouble doesn’t last always,” and that helped me realize the injury would only last for a season. Even though it was a long period of 14 months of physical
therapy I knew there was a light at the end of the tunnel.”
Makayla: “When I first started playing basketball I could not shoot and had a broke up shot, so I worked on my handles. My favorite move is definitely the crossover and that is why I consider my game as more of a shi y point guard.”
Kaitlynn: “Our keys to success are to not let wins get to our heads and remaining humble because we have had bad seasons and good seasons.”
ABOUT KAITLYNN EVANS
IG: @kaitlynnevans_33
Player she studies: Steph Curry
Interests: Baking, biking and Christians on Campus
Shout-outs: “Westside High School and my grandma that passed away in May.”
ABOUT MAKAYLA EVANS
makaylaevans.22
Player she studies: Zia Cooke (South Carolina)
Favorite artists: Yolanda Adams, Marvin Sapp, BeBe & CeCe Winans
Shout-outs: “My Mom, my dad and my trainers.”
Tat is the goal of Crystal Victoria, the founder and executive director of the nonproft organization Target Evolution, which she describes as the No. 1 afer-school summer youth entrepreneurship program in Texas. Tey provide education resources for young people ages 12-24 to start a small business to help them earn money to pay for college while learning fnancial literacy and leadership skills.
Tey hosted the Teen Biz Camp, an eightweek program helping students build a business and product from scratch. Teir signature Trail Blaze store located in the Galleria in Houston and Dallas is where the students sell their products to customers. Victoria spoke with the Defender about the program’s impact on Houston youth.
Defender: Tell us aboutyourself.
but our program is for kids of all races and backgrounds.
Defender: As the founder ofTeen Biz Campwhatsetsyouapartfromother afer-school programs?
Victoria: What sets us apart is that we help our kids make money. Te students who either work in our stores as staf employees make about $12 to $15 an hour. Te young entrepreneurs who have their products featured in our stores keep a percentage of their income from their sales. On average our kids
make anywhere from $400 to $700 a month.
Defender: How does the Teen BizCamp operate?
READ MORE ABOUT TEEN BIZ CAMP OPERATIONS
WEBSITE: targetevolution.org
INSTAGRAM: @targetevolution
Victoria: It’s an eight-week program. Kids receive a laptop to create a product that they want to sell in our Trail Blaze store. We have experts as well as our management team to teach and guide the youth during the camp. Tis summer we anticipate 50 kids and 100
FACEBOOK: facebook.com/ targetevolution
TWITTER: @targetevolution
in total for this year. You can get into Trail Blaze in one of two ways. You can either go through teen boot camp and put a product together to sell in the store, or if you have a product already, you can put your products on the shelf as well. You can rent shelf space for $150 a month. Tis helps the teens better interact with customers and develop their creative and critical thinking skills.
