THE STUDENT
LOAN DEBT CRISIS How it affects our democracy
FEATURE
NEWS
SYLVESTER TURNER
JAMES DIXON The NAACP has new goals as they celebrate 112 years.
The mayor unveils huge intiative to combat crime in Houston. Volume 91, issue 13 February 3, 2022
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DN On POINT
Cheslie Kryst attends the 2019 Women’s Media Awards at Mandarin Oriental on October, 2019 in New York City. Getty Images
Message from the Reporter SECURE THE TRIBE? REALLY?
a major stigma we have for seeking help because Black History Month is to be a time to honor we don’t have much faith in a system that doesn’t the triumphs, struggles, and contributions of Afwork in our best interests at times. Isolation during rican-Americans throughout U.S history. Unforthe pandemic has worsen over time. But after the tunately, the month just started and already our recent loss of Regina King’s only son by suicide, people are in turmoil…on Twitter. it’s time to rid this strength at all cost mentality, A Black man by the name Tariq Nasheed learn to be more vulnerable, and take care of our co-hosted a Twitter space talk under the hashtag well-being. Laura Onyeneho #SecureTheTribe. The forum was for Black Americans and African Immigrants in the U.S to talk OFF BRAND MARKETING about the impact of African immigration on them. Let’s say Did you see that Bath and Body Works Black History things went left and fast. Nasheed said African immigrants ar- Month product display? As much as I like shopping there, en’t contributing to the system and that foundational Blacks in I wasn’t pleased with the branding. They literally took their the U.S don’t need immigrants as they are making more money regular product items and slapped some kente colors on in their countries. It’s sad that we still have to resort to a xeno- them and added words like “empowered, unity, and confiphobic, colonizer, crab in the barrel mentality. Immigrants are dent” for a little razzle dazzle. Mind you the Bath and Body the fabric of this country and African immigrants contribute Works foundation is contributing a total of $500,000 to the their fair share coming from third world countries triggered National Urban League and Columbus Urban League to by America’s foreign policy interference. As for Nasheed, the support civil rights and racial justice in America. Consum2018 Migration Policy Institute Report will tell you 54% of Ni- ers expect brands to take decisive stances on key issues that gerian immigrants are in largely white-collar positions in man- include diversity and representation. I’m down for a good agement, business, science, and arts, compared to just 39% of cause that uplifts Black people, but man it’s a reminder of people born in the US. They have significant spending power. how brands have scrambled to throw together marketing Go figure out why that is. material to show support for a cause that ended up being a total face palm. That display was exactly that. GONE TOO SOON
The news of the death of former Miss USA Cheslie Kryst shocked the entire country. From the outside, Kryst was on top of her professional career, but that image shattered when we learned she jumped to her death from the 60-story building in Manhattan where she lived. Her death sparked another national conversation about mental health. Suicide doesn’t discriminate and it impacts the Black community, as well. There is still
ON THE WEB
• Check out our DN+ channels featuring stories for Black women, Community Central, and Under 40. • In sports Rockets guard Eric Gordon makes the most of this trying season. • Read what people are saying about their solutions to the nationwide student debt crisis.
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DN News
Rodney Ellis seen here speaking at a Nov. 6, 2018 mural unveiling event in Houston’s Third Ward. Photo by Aswad Walker.
College, ISD disparity studies needed By Aswad Walker
Economic equity has been the charge and battle cry of the most recent iteration of the Harris County Commissioners Court, due to the leadership of Commissioner Rodney Ellis, along with Commissioner Adrian Garcia and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo. The group’s latest move to get more procurement dollars going to minority- and women-owned businesses is to designate a $200,000 Disparity Study Fund to help such entities implement an MWBE program. To that end, officials with the Lone Star College System and Alief ISD said recently they support using that fund to conduct their own disparity studies. “We have asked and have found that no Houston-area community college or independent school district has ever conducted a disparity study to evaluate whether their procurement and contracting activities are open and fair to all firms,” said Ellis. “The federal courts require these studies to adopt MWBE type programs. “Our research reveals that agencies with strong MWBE programs ensure equal economic opportunities to compete and fair access to contracts for everyone in their communities. Community colleges and independent school districts are working with businesses to provide construction and professional services and it would be a game-changer to find out how much of that business is going to minority- and woman-owned businesses.” Ellis led the effort to get Harris County, Metro and the Port of Houston to conduct disparity studies to compile the evidence
and data to show what many assumed: the lion’s share of contracts are going to white- and male-owned businesses, with MWBEs falling woefully behind. Just how far disadvantaged businesses were being left in the dust was shocking. Still, some question why such studies are even needed. But Ellis is crystal-clear why the data must be gathered. “While national and regional trends point to there being disparities when it comes to accessing economic opportunities for MWBEs in public procurement, the federal courts require a disparity study for a specific agency to be conducted and for the study to show a disparity in order for that agency to implement a narrowly tailored race- and gender-based MWBE program. These programs will allow community colleges and independent school districts to legally set MWBE participation goals on their contracts,” said Ellis. Carlecia Wright, chief diversity officer for Lone Star College System, of which 60% of its students are minorities, said disparity studies are required to legally implement an MWBE program. “That is why Lone Star is committed to doing a disparity study and making sure we implement a program that is race and gender conscious so that we can create opportunities not just for our community,” she said, “but for our future community and for students who aspire to be entrepreneurs.” Ellis and Garcia are speaking to school district and community college boards in Harris County to convince trustees to take advantage of the fund, which Commissioners Court approved in November.
Pleasant Village Apartments’ seniors face eviction By Aswad Walker
The historic Houston community of Pleasantville, founded in 1948, holds the distinction of being one of the first master-planned communities for middle class Blacks in the United States. Part of the community is Pleasant Village Apartments, created early on in that community’s history as a high-quality residence for seniors. The complex has maintained that status for decades. However, when Texas Interfaith Ministries sold the property to new ownership in late 2021, its historic purpose was immediately threatened as seniors began receiving eviction notices with word their rent would be potentially doubled or even tripled. Mary Fontenot, president of the Pleasantville Historical Society and head of the Pleasantville Civic League, wants to make sure seniors are not evicted, and has sought a conversation with the new owners, APTPV, LLC or the listed property management company, Gatesoco, Inc., but to no avail. The Defender conducted an exclusive interview with Fontenot and former Pleasant Village resident Juanita Johnson, about their efforts to protect seniors’ residential status. Defender: Can you give us some background on this issue? Mary Fontenot: Since 1972, Pleasant
Village Apartments has always been a residence for seniors, period. A few months ago, a couple bought the complex with the agreement that they would not immediately evict the seniors. But from day one, this new company has been putting eviction notices on people’s doors and they’ve decided it will no longer be a senior complex. They’ll systematically be getting rid of 140 senior citizens simply by raising their rent from $600 for a two-bedroom to a little over $900. The eviction notices were a form of intimidation because all the residents are on a fixed income. Defender: Has there been any communication with the new owners? Fontenot: The Pleasantville Historical
Society and the Pleasantville Civic League [contacted] them several times via emails, asking them to meet with the community and residents and share what’s going on, what’s the plan for the property? They absolutely refused to meet with us. Defender: Are residents still receiving eviction notices? Fontenot: The new owners didn’t un-
derstand that because this facility had functioned as a nonprofit since it opened its doors, and the apartment owners received rent payments from the state because everybody there was on a fixed income. They understand this now, so they’re not getting the eviction notices put on their doors anymore, to my knowledge. Just poor management, poor, poor ownership. Defender: How have residents taken all this? Fontenot: We had three that died. One
moved out and was like, “I can’t do this.” The new owners are not communicating with anybody. You’re hitting a brick wall every time you attempt to [NOTE: The Defender left several messages with the owner and property manager, but has not received any return calls]. Then, there’s that fear of the intimidation that they started out the blocks with. The seniors are afraid. They really are. They’ll talk to me, but they are really afraid to openly speak out because they don’t want to be attacked. Defender: What specifically do you and Pleasant Village residents want? Fontenot: To meet with ownership and
ask why can’t the facility remain what it’s always been, a center for seniors, and to see if they’ll consider going back to the non-profit option. We want to meet with the owners as a community, because Pleasant Village is part of our Pleasantville community. WHAT ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE DOING TO HELP.
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DN News Harris County DA Ogg wants to hire 82 more prosecutors Houston Public Media
Mayor Turner speaks at a press conference after a recent officer shooting.
Mayor lays out $44M ‘One Safe Houston’ plan to reduce crime By ReShonda Tate
Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner has developed a plan he hopes will address the sharp rise in crime. Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston Police Chief Troy Finner recently announced the $44 million “One Safe Houston” crime reduction citywide initiative. According to Finner, HPD made 20,000 felony arrests in the past three years.Despite violent crime being down in 2021, the city has already reported 40 KEY AREAS homicides in 2022. Highlights of • Violence reduction and the initiative, include: • Add an additional 125 over- crime prevention time HPD officers per day across • Crisis intervention, Houston. The officers will be deresponse and ployed in areas where/when the recovery most violent crime is happening, • Key community according to data. The increase in partnerships HPD officers will cost $5.7 mil- • Youth outreach opportunities lion, Turner said. • Bring new officers into the department. Turner said a new class will graduate in March. • Invest $1.9 million to increase the number of park rangers by 15. The park rangers will work as partners with local law enforcement to keep Houston’s parks safe. • Invest $1 million in a robust gun buy-back program to remove illegal and unwanted firearms from Houston’s streets. The program will work to target Houston’s most violent neighborhoods. • Address nightclubs and convenience stores where crime has proven to be a growing problem. • Provide $1.5 million in additional funding to the Houston Forensic Science Center to provide timely evidence for cases still tied up in the courts. • Invest $2.5 million to the implementation to the Cure Violence Program, which trains and deploys out-
Violent crime is a public health crisis made worse by two things: the pandemic and too many guns on the streets.”
- Mayor Sylvester Turner
reach workers and violence interrupters to mitigate conflict on the streets. • Allocate $3 million to provide more services for domestic violence survivors and prevention efforts to combat domestic violence. This includes sheltering, forensic medical exams, outreach efforts and more. • Allocate $1 million in funding to help increase the number of participants in the city’s program to provide housing, jobs, rehabilitation and more to formerly incarcerated individuals. The city is hoping to increase participation in the program from 500 members to 750. Turner cautioned that regardless how much money is poured into crime fighting, their efforts will be meaningless if the growing backlog in Harris County courts is not addressed, he continued. “If the backlog remains this high, we’ll always be fighting. It won’t work,” Turner continued, adding that more district courts, judges and staffing at the courthouse is needed. The allocated funds for public safety stem from the American Rescue Plan Act of March 2021, said Bill Kelly, director of the city’s government relations.
The Harris County District Attorney is seeking to hire dozens of new prosecutors that she says would combat a rise in violent crime and reduce the backlog of pending criminal cases in a county budget set to be unveiled Tuesday afternoon. As in previous years, she’s likely to face pushback from Democratic county leaders and criminal justice reformers. DA Kim Ogg asked Harris County commissioners to approve 82 more prosecutors, an increase of 23% over her current prosecutorial staff. Her request also includes additional administrative assistants, Kim Ogg paralegals, social workers, investigators and victim assistant coordinators. The additional hiring would raise her office’s annual staff budget from $9.7 million to $13.6 million. Ogg argued that the increase is necessary to deal with repeat violent offenders, domestic violence and gang crime — all of which she said are causing a spike in Harris County’s homicide and criminal victimization rates. Further, she said, the county needs the extra prosecutors to deal with a backlog of 134,800 criminal cases that has only worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ogg also argued that the commissioners themselves have increased the need for prosecutors by adopting a number of public safety initiatives over the past year, such as the gun violence interruption program and targeted hot spots. “I think that the credibility of our commissioners, our funding governmental body, is at stake,” Ogg said. “And I think with them pushing public safety in response to their constituents’ concerns, they’re going to need to increase the number of lawyers.”
VOLUME 91 - NUMBER 13 - FEBRUARY 3, 2022 Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
Managing Editor ReShonda Tate
Chief Development Officer Emelda Douglas
Associate Editor Aswad Walker
Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles Creative Director Michael Grant
Education Reporter Laura Onyeneho Sports Terrance Harris Jodie B. Jiles Photographers Jimmie Aggison
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 2020 copyright. No materials herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. 713-663-6996 | P.O. Box 8005, Houston, Tx 77288
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL
THE STUDENT LOAN DEBT CRISIS How it affects our democracy
LET THE PEOPLE BE HEARD
Student loan debt is a hot-button issue. Student loans comprise the second highest consumer debt category behind mortgage debt. In addition, $1.7 trillion is the total nationwide student loan debt and the burden is hardest on women (who have 58% of the nation’s debt) and minorities. The Biden Administration has been pressured by senators Elizabeth Warren and Chuck Schumer, as well as representatives Ayanna Pressley, Mondaire Jones and Ilhan Omar to cancel up to $50,000 of federal student debt. As the debate continues, the Defender turned to social media to ask if complete federal loan cancelation is a good idea.
By Laura Onyeneho
They argue that it would help address This is the third of several Defender years of racist economic policies that Network articles that are part of Solumake it hard for Black America to actions Journalism Network’s Advancing quire wealth at the same rate as whites. Democracy initiative. Solutions JourSome 44 million Americans owe $1.7 nalism provides readers with research on trillion in debt, yet Black Americans on solutions to current problems, where they average owe nearly twice as much debt as Christal Eve are being enacted, the challenges and opwhite Americans. Executive Director portunities those solutions provide and Higher education has been seen as a Houston based how readers can be part of those solucritical gateway to achieving economic non-profit tions. The initiative calls on participating mobility and stability, but Black families media outlets to produce articles focused on ishave less wealth needed to pay for college due sues that are threats to U.S. democracy and in part to long-standing systemic racial provide readers with initiatives aimed at discrimination. Black families are more “advancing” democracy. likely to borrow more and struggle to make repayments. Entering college with limited knowl“I’m $90,000 in student loan debt and edge about the costs of funding an eduI have both my bachelor’s and master’s cation took a toll on Christal Eve’s finances degrees in social work. I did everything I Quentin Jiles long-term. was supposed to do to get a quality eduPolitical After graduation, over time she accucation and now I feel bamboozled,” said Commentator mulated an “astronomical” six figures Quintin Jiles, a content creator and poin student loan debt. Even with scholarship litical commentator. money, it still wasn’t enough for her to afSocial workers in an entry-level posiford college, and her parents’ income was tion can expect a median annual wage slightly above the poverty line. of around $49,470 according to the U.S “It’s like a catch 22. In corporate AmerBureau of Labor Statistics. Jiles says the ica many employers require you to earn a salary is not equitable for the amount degree, but how do you achieve that when he invested in his education. When he you can’t afford it?” Eve said. completed his degree in 2014, he owed Fenaba Addo Although she doesn’t regret obtaining around $70,000. Seven years later the Associate her degree, she said it has negatively iminterest increased to $20,000. Professor, pacted her credit. She is in good standing He ultimately left social work and Department of with her loans but the debt-to-income moved back home with his family to Public Policy ratio makes it a problem for her to purfocus on content creation. He didn’t University of chase a home. begin to monetize until the last five North Carolina“Currently, I’m in a graduate program months of 2020 netting $50,000. He Chapel Hill to be a licensed professional marriage hasn’t tackled his debt as of recent and and family counselor. I’m enrolled so that puts me hopes the federal government cancels it. on a deferred status,” said Eve, an executive director “Education has become a luxury but it’s supposed of a Houston non-profit. to help the community at large,” he said. “It’s sad “I’m doing all the right things to get ahead in that it took the pandemic that killed so many peolife, but my biggest pet peeve is being punished ple, but brought so much relief for student loan borfor taking out a necessary debt and then hold- rowers. Why do institutions charge so much when ing it against me when I now want to enter into the salaries for those degrees aren’t worth the cost?” homeownership.” Eve’s story is one of countless and an issue that’s What are the next steps? President Joe Biden has canceled $15 billion in glaring in the national spotlight amid the debate student debt from more than 675,000 borrowers over racial injustice and debt cancelation. with permanent disabilities, people who were misWhat’s the problem? led by their colleges and universities and those seekDemocratic leaders in Congress, social justice ing public service loan forgiveness. Federal student activists and economists have pressured the Biden loan payments were paused by the federal governadministration to forgive federal student loans to ment in March 2020 under then-President Trump’s address the racial wealth gap, and the fragility of administration. The freeze was extended several upward mobility that impact Black communities. times and has been delayed again until May 2022.
STUDENT DEBT CANCELLATION BREAKDOWN Biden Canceled Debt
$15 billion Permanently Disabled Canceled Debt
$7 billion
ITT Tech Student Canceled Debt
$1.3 billion Public Service Debt Cancellation
$5 billion
“Let’s contextualize why these federal loans payment pauses went into effect,” said Fenaba Addo, associate professor of public policy at the University of North Carolina. “It was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. They were responding to a health and economic crisis. The pandemic isn’t over, and it would make sense for this moratorium to continue.” Addo said the pause allows borrowers to free up extra money to prioritize other important needs and that if the moratorium ends, many will not look forward to paying their bills. She said there isn’t going to be one blanket solution. There should be more focus on the repayment system, improving the cost of college, introducing grants instead of loanbased aid and increasing the financial well-being of African American households. Some schools such as Rice University are paving the way for change. Rice announced a major change by expanding its commitment to loan-free financial aid. By Fall 2022, students who qualify for needbased assistance will be able to receive aid without taking out student loans. It is a move many advocates are pushing institutions to make. “The idea of giving a kid who’s probably 18 years old, has no job, and gets approved for a $30,000 loan is absurd. That at its very nature is predatory. No bank would make that loan,” said Jordan Riley Senior.
“A child is left behind when they enter the education system and continue to get left behind when they enter the student debt cycle. Cancelation is not a Band-aid. We are told so many times that education is the gateway to success but if I can’t afford it and I buried in debt it’s not success. One thing not stressed enough is that schools need to do better about how to navigate the college finance process and teach students the pathways to college or even alternative career plans. “If we cancel all debt, what will be done to ensure future children don’t go out getting more loans afterward? We have to make sure there is funding at school. Academic success can’t be the only criteria for scholarships. As for the Department of Education, why do you expect graduates to pay their loans back after a six-month grace period? Does that sound logical?” - Shevann S. “People shouldn’t have loans to get an education to get a job to pay back for the education. However, this is America and everything costs money. I think intitutions should work with their students on affordable solutions to be able to pay off their student loans. Students and parents should [meet] with a financial advisor before taking out the loans to seek out alternatives. Too often loans are being taken out without the fine print being read. And colleges and universities aren’t going in depth about the guidelines regarding the loan. I think if students aren’t making a certain income, their loan should be on pause.” - Omama M. “Should they cancel student loan debt? Maybe. What are the repercussions if they do? Need to weigh pro/cons. Would the student debt problem solve the exponential increase in college education? Probably not. I think the debt is a symptom to a bigger disease. It’s still the government so you never know, but I’ve learned about over-relying on politicians’ promises. Alternatives [include] limiting interest rates and predatory lending practices [affecting] youth. When you are 18, you may be an adult but still vulnerable to make stupid financial decisions.” - Luis T.
“I think the government should significantly lower the debt for students. Stafford loans with high fixed rates almost ruined my credit, so I think the rates should be reasonable depending on each person’s FAFSA. Of course, this is one viewpoint -- I have several regarding what I think we are owed, but self-sufficiency is important, so paying off all students debt doesn’t help when it comes to learning independence. That’s my two cents.” - Eunice C. “My honest opinion and the key word is opinion [is] nothing is ever free or canceled. Just like economic stimulus checks or whatever. If someone goes to college without a scholarship or financial aid, they will have a debt. That’s the price of an education. “If the government took billions or trillions to pay off everyone’s debt now, that means the kids in school now will refuse to ever pay and expect a hand-out as well. More U.S. debt means we all as taxpayers have to pay for it in higher taxes, higher gas prices, higher rates, etc. Nothing is a wash. Always a catch. It’s better to get with them to figure out a payment plan to get on track. Otherwise, it impacts getting things like a home, car etc.” - Jason H.
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DN Feature
Course helps healthcare workers spot human trafficking By Aswad Walker
The Texas Health and Human Services TRAFFICKING IN TEXAS Commission is encouraging healthcare practitioners and interested members of the public to take its new online human Victims of labor trafficking trafficking awareness and prevention training course. The free online course, “Hearing, Evaluating, Activating, Resourcing and Youth victims of sex trafficking Training” (HEART), teaches physicians, *University of Texas at Austin nurses and other providers how to recognize the signs or red flags of trafficking, support the well-being of at-risk in- online, self-paced course to be taken by dividuals, and understand how trauma individual participants. There is no parimpacts overall health outcomes. ticipation limit. The course is available “Healthcare practitioners in Texas are and accessible anytime as the modules are required to take an HHS-approved hu- online and self-paced to be taken by indiman trafficking training for each licensure vidual participants whenever they choose. renewal,” said Kelli Weldon, press officer House Bill 2059, from the 86th Legisfor HHSC. “Our new course is approved lature in 2019, requires HHSC to review for this purpose, and it is available online, training courses on human trafficking on-demand, and free of charge.” for health care practitioners and list apWeldon says the course is targeted for proved trainings on its website. Certain health care practitioners for another rea- health care practitioners must complete son — they are likely to encounter peo- an approved course to renew their regisple who are being trafficked but might tration or license. not realize their patient is in a trafficking Due to privacy and permissions resituation. quirements Weldon could not reveal the “Texas HHSC’s HEART course helps names of participants who have taken practitioners with identifying and assist- the course and shared testimonies, but ing people who are human trafficking the feedback has been overwhelmingly survivors,” Weldon added. positive. “We are confident that health care “I enjoyed the format; doing one modpractitioners who complete this new ule and testing after each module made training will be better equipped to iden- the information easier to remember. tify trafficking, and this will lead to bet- This training was long overdue for evter outcomes for survivors of this dev- eryone in the healthcare industry.” (Phyastating crime,” said Michael Roberts, sician) associate commissioner for HHSC Spe“Very well-organized training. I liked cialty and Family Services. hearing the personal perspective from The HEART training is offered as an T:4.79" the survivor.” (Social worker)
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By Laura Onyeneho
The Houston non-profit Change Happens has received a $100k grant to fund its projects to narrow the gaps in health, wealth and opportunity for Third Ward youth. The grant was provided by the Foot Locker Foundation Community Engagement Program and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), and is designed to bridge gaps in upward mobility driven by racial inequity while supporting community-based organizations run by people of color. “Through our Each One Teach One program which started under the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, we will be expanding our mentorship program at Jake Yates High School,” said Helen Stagg, CEO of Change Happens. “It is clear from
research that pairing youth with mentors improves outcomes in academic achievement, social behavior, and reduce the use of substances. We are looking to recruit more mentors for the program this year. We need more role models to serve.” The program is part of LISC and Foot Locker’s national efforts to fuel educational and economic opportunities within the Black community. It draws from Foot Locker’s $200 million commitment to its Leading Education and Economic Development (LEED) initiative. Change Happens is one of 16 organizations to receive funding, which spans 12 metro areas where LISC and Foot Locker have a significant presence. The goal is to provide assistance to minority organizations often facing unique financial hardships.
CLASSIFIED NOTICE TO BIDDERS
The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, Texas (METRO) is planning to issue the procurement documents listed in this advertisement. IFB No. 4022000045: Martin Luther King (MLK) at Griggs Sculpture Relocation Project. Solicitation will be available on or about Wednesday, February 2, 2022. RFP No. 4022000044: Healthcare Benefits Broker/Consultant Services. Solicitation will be available on or about 02/04/2022. Prospective bidders/proposers can view and download these solicitations by visiting METRO’s website at https://www.ridemetro.org/procurement/ If you are unable to download the documents or are having difficulty, please contact 713-615-7066 or email Contracts/Property Services.
The HARRIS CENTER for Mental Health and IDD (formerly known as MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY) will be accepting request for qualification for the following:
REAL ESTATE BROKERAGE SERVICES / REAL ESTATE APPRAISAL SERVICES / SURVEYOR SERVICES Specifications may be secured from The HARRIS CENTER, Purchasing Services located at 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074; telephone (713) 970-7279, The HARRIS CENTER website www.theharriscenter.org beginning Monday, February 7, 2022. Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Friday, February 11, 2022. RFQ responses must be submitted to Purchasing Services, 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, February 23, 2022 in a sealed envelope marked “RFQ - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL – Wednesday, February 23, 2022, Real Estate Brokerage Services / Real Estate Appraisal Services / Surveyor Services”. Any questions pertaining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to Sharon Brauner, C.P.M., Purchasing Manager and Nina Cook, MBA, CTPM, Director of Purchasing. E-mail questions to Sharon.brauner@theharriscenter.org cc: Nina.cook@theharriscenter.org or fax to (713) 970-7682. Historically Underutilized Businesses, including Minority-Owned Businesses and Women-Owned Businesses are encouraged to participate. The HARRIS CENTER reserves all rights to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests, and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal. T:3.25"
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Change Happens receives 100K grant for 3rd Ward youth
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DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Feature
FIVE MAJOR HOUSTON-AREA BLACK HISTORY MOMENTS By Aswad Walker
For whatever reason, when people talk about U.S. Black history, Houston events rarely seem to get acknowledged. But, Black folk in Houston have played a major role in the history of this city, state, nation and world. Here are five of the Defender’s Houston Black history moments. We’d love to hear from you about additions to our list. Contact us at aswad@defendernetwork.com. History of Juneteenth
Nationally revered historian and University of Houston professor Dr. Gerald Horne believes because Galveston and Houston have so often been coupled, the history of Juneteenth deserves a spot on the list. Horne is in the process of writing a book that shows Juneteenth was about more than just apprising the enslaved on June 19, 1865 that they were free. “This was part of a larger struggle in so far as Mexico had been taken over by France,” said Horne. “The Confederates would surrender in April 1865. Many of them were headed to Mexico where they plan to continue enslavement…General [Gordon] Granger was accompanied by thousands of African troops, Negro troops. And it was part of an effort to keep the Confederates from continuing slavery south of the border, which was the plan, and continuing to wage war against the United States from Mexico. Our ancestors, who were armed, helped to squash that particular plan.” Purchase of Emancipation Park
Sparked by the desire to have a place to commemorate the anniversary of their emancipation (“Juneteenth”), community members (all formerly enslaved) in the Third and Fourth Wards led by Rev. Jack Yates, Richard Allen, Richard Brock and Rev. Elias Dibble, united to raise $1,000 in 1872 to purchase 10 acres of park land to host Juneteenth celebrations. This is significant, not only as a ritual of remembrance and celebration, but also as an early act of exercising the new right of property ownership. (Source: epconservancy.org). Camp Logan rebellion
The Camp Logan Riot/Rebellion of 1917 involved soldiers from the all-Black 3rd Battalion, 24th Infantry (Buffalo Soldiers), who were housed at an Army training camp at a site now primarily occupied by Memorial
Emancipation Park, Houston, Texas
LEARN MORE HISTORY Camp Logan: “Mutiny on the Bayou” documentary
“Southern Black Women in the Modern Civil Rights Movement”
Desegregation of Houston: “The Strange Demise of Jim Crow” documentary
Books on general Houston Black history: “The Other Great Migration: The Movement of Rural African Americans to Houston, 1900-1941);” “Race and the Houston Police Department, 1930-1990: A Change Did Come;” “Advancing Democracy: African Americans and the Struggle for Access and Equity in Higher Education in Texas”
Book on TSU: “Born to Serve: A History of Texas Southern University” Books on Black women: “In Struggle Against Jim Crow: Lulu White and the NAACP, 1900-1957;” “Black Women in Texas History;”
Park. The soldiers, who had served valiantly on foreign battlefields fighting for America, were transferred from New Mexico to Houston to serve as security for Camp Logan, which was in the process of being built. Unlike their experiences in New Mexico, the Black troops faced rabid, daily micro- and macro-aggressions from Houston’s racist white citizens, especially members of the Houston Police Department who were notorious for their abuse of Blacks On Aug. 23, 1917, Black soldiers from Camp Logan, incited by police violence earlier that day armed themselves and marched into town. Why? Two HPD officers molested a Black woman after breaking into her home in search of a Black man suspected of shooting dice, then pistol-whipped and jailed one of the Black soldiers who attempted to intervene on behalf of the sister. When that soldier’s commanding officer went to HPD headquarters to check on his soldier, HPD attempted unsuccessfully to kill him. However, word got back to the troops at Camp Logan, who decided to march on HPD. In route, they were ambushed by HPD members and armed white citizens. When the “riot” ended, four soldiers and 15 white civilians were
dead. Numerous Black soldiers were eventually hung or received life sentences as punishment in a trial that was the largest military court martial trial in U.S. history. “My uncle (Jesse Ball Moore) and those other 12 men executed first did not have their cases reviewed, though no white citizens could identify them,” said HCC Professor Angela Holder, curator of the 2017 Camp Logan exhibit. “Thirteen court marshals, no appeals for clemency. They were hung.” Dr. Chad Williams, chair of Brandeis University’s African American Studies Department, contends the Camp Logan story has been relatively ignored by white scholars because it doesn’t fit the narrative of docile, fearful Blacks. “The Houston rebellion represented white Southerners’ worst fears – armed Black men violently retaliating against Jim Crow racism, a reality that ran counter to Houston’s image (in 1917) as a city representing the racial conflict-free ‘New South.’” Founding of TSU
On September 14, 1927, the Houston Public School Board agreed to fund the development of two junior colleges: one for whites
and one for African-Americans. With a loan from the Houston Public School Board of $2,800, the Colored Junior College was born under the supervision of the Houston School District. The Colored Junior College progressed so fast that by 1931, it became a member of the Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools and was approved by the Southern Association of Colleges. Between 1934 and 1947, this entity became a four-year college known as the Houston College for Negroes operating out of Yates High School. With rapidly growing enrollment, and support from local philanthropists, the school secured 53 acres in Third Ward and moved in 1946 from Yates HS to the school’s first structure, the T.M. Fairchild Building. That same year Heman Marion Sweatt, an African American Houston mail carrier, applied for and was denied enrollment to the University of Texas’ law school. To maintain segregation, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 140 on March 3, 1947, providing for the establishment of a Negro law school in Houston and the creation of a university to surround it. They chose Houston College for Negroes to be that school, and changed its name to Texas State University for Negroes. The Heman Sweatt legal case, led by the NAACP’s legal division, was one of the key battles that initially led to the 1954 Brown v. Board of Education victory legally dismantling segregation in education, three years after the school changed its name to Texas Southern University. Desegregation of Houston
“The desegregation of Houston in the early 1960s, spearheaded by students at Texas Southern University, by the way, and the conspiracy by the mainstream press to take the wind out of their sails by not reporting on it, that’s a matter of public record. In fact, that’s a part of a documentary film that was done on that period, ‘The Strange Demise of Jim Crow,’” said Horne. A summary of the film says it “demonstrates how threats of demonstrations and civic strife compelled the power elite to negotiate with more moderate, ‘responsible’ Black leaders and neutralize arch-segregationists. At the same time, by censoring news coverage, Houston integrated peacefully but also undermined efforts to build a mass movement that might truly threaten and destabilize white power and privilege.”
SEE FIVE MORE TOP HOUSTON BLACK HISTORY MOMENTS, ALONG WITH “HONORABLE MENTION” MOMENTS AT DEFENDERNETWORK.COM.
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DN Sports Miami Heat guard and former Tomball product Jimmy Butler is having a stellar season, averaging 21.5 points, 6.0 rebounds and 6.1 assists per contest while shooting 48.2 from the field.
Texas Southern senior guard and former Fort Bend Bush standout Bryson Etienne scored 20 points in helping the Tigers overcome a double-digit deficit to defeat Prairie View 75-74 on the road.
SportsBriefs Deshaun Watson’s case moving forward Houston attorney Tony Buzbee, who is representing many of the massage therapists in the accusations of sexDeshaun ual misconduct by Watson Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, says 13 of the 22 plaintiffs have now been deposed by Watson’s legal team along with two witnesses. One of the witnesses worked for the Texans’ organization. Buzbee said the Texans’ witness spent most of her time provoking her Fifth Amendment right. Phylan Perkins sets PR in shot for TSU After a rough start, TSU senior thrower and Bellaire product Phylan Perkins established a personal best and set Phylan the top mark in the Perkins SWAC with a 605.75-foot throw during Houston’s G5 & Super 22 Invitational. Perkins made her historic throw on her sixth and final attempt to finish second overall during the invitational. TSU’s Shelby Brooks gets top 10 finish TSU sprinter Shelby Brooks recorded a top-10 finish in the 400 at the Texas Tech Red Raider Invitational. Brooks ran a time of 58.85 Shelby in the 400, while Brooks Zaire Chest ran a season-low in the 200 (25.71). Briana Creeks posted a season-low (1:27.89) in the 600-yard dash along with Taliyah Davis in the 60-meter hurdles (9.7). TSU’s mile relay team of Creeks, Ashlonia John, Brooks and Rayah Wynn dropped three seconds (3:57.08) off the previous weekend’s performance.
Houston Rockets guard Eric Gordon (10) defends in the first half during an NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022, in Salt Lake City. AP Photo/Rick Bowmer
Eric Gordon making most of time left with Rockets By Terrance Harris
Veteran shooting guard Eric Gordon has been around long enough to know he wouldn’t have a lot in common with the rest of the Rockets locker room coming into the season. His peers like James Harden, P.J. Tucker, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook have moved on. Now, at 33, Gordon is the uncle in the Rockets locker room. The Rockets have ushered in a youth movement and the normally reserved Gordon’s job was to guide and lead players like rookies Jalen Green, Josh Christopher and Alperen Sengun along with Kevin Porter Jr. And the young players, who call Gordon Eaz-E, have appreciated being able to watch how he works and absorb his 13 years of NBA knowledge and six years with the franchise. “It’s awesome having Eaz-E on the team,” Green said. “He has been here for so long and he is one of the best players in the league right now. “He is always putting up shots after practice and he is always giving up advice. It’s good to have somebody like Eaz-E on the team.” Gordon has been thriving in his ex-
panded leadership role, being that dependable leader and scorer that is needed for the struggling Rockets. He is the second-leading scorer on the team (14.4 points per game) while his 3.2 assists per game lead the Rockets. But his real value has come in his increased efficiency because he is doing more with fewer scoring opportunities this season. Gordon is taking an average of 10.2 shots per game and knocking down 5.1 of them while converting 2.2 of the 5.1 3-point shots he is averaging per game. “Throughout the years my roles have definitely changed, whether coming off the bench, starting,” Gordon said. “With me, I feel like I can adapt to all of my teammates because of the style of play that I have. “It’s good to come back this summer, trying to avoid injuries throughout the season and be prepared and ready to have a good season like I’m having this season, a very efficient year.” While Gordon has definitely been a bright spot for the Rockets so far this season, he has also been the subject of constant trade rumors since the season began. Gordon’s years are winding down and the
Rockets are nowhere near ready to win right now, so moving him on or before the Feb. 10 NBA trade deadline does seem to make the most sense. Gordon, who is under contract for two more seasons, can move on to a contending team, while the Rockets can get another future draft pick or young players that will be a better fit with their youth movement. Gordon knows the business well and doesn’t seem bothered by the speculation that his time in Houston may be coming to an end. “I’ve been traded before,” he said. “It’s been a long time since that happened but it’s part of the business. I’m just going to come out and play basketball. I don’t worry about stuff like that.” But what Gordon does concern himself with is being on top of his game so that he can keep his career going wherever he is playing. “I can keep going, I think I can do this for at least another four or five years for sure,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what’s coming at me, I’m ready for it. I prepare myself for any moments throughout the season or every game. I’m looking forward to trying to do my best.”
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DN Sports
DUO TO WATCH Washington guards Kemya Reece & Dakiah Yates
By Jodie B. Jiles
Booker T. Washington senior combo guard Kemya Reece and shooting guard Dakiah Yates have put in the work that it takes to lead the Lady Eagles on a Cinderella run this season. If the playoffs started today they would carry Washington into the playoffs with the No. 1 seed in the district. In their game against Kashmere, Reece was unstoppable when she scored a season-high 41 points, just six points short of her career high 47 points as a junior. Yates finished with 25 points off of some three-point daggers and points off turnovers. Washington girls’ basketball coach Erving Taylor II explained what made the duo special. “Dedication and hard work,” Taylor said. “They both work hard in the gym, put in extra hours in practice and every time we run and do a drill they go hard.” The Defender spoke with Reece and Yates after they defeated Kashmere to talk about their styles of play, standout performances and more. STYLE OF PLAY
Yates: “I feel like our chemistry is unmatched...It is a good team chemistry that we can combine together.” Reece: “We are working hard to get our team involved so that we can go deep in the playoffs.”
PLAYING OFF OF EACH OTHER
Reece: “Just working together, keeping everything outside of us and playing until the clock stops.”
41-POINT NIGHT
Reece: “It comes natural after playing really hard defense and playing ball.”
3-POINT GAME
Yates: “It hasn’t always been that good but I started boosting my confidence in my shot to where now I just throw it up there.”
LOVE OF THE GAME
Yates: “My brother helped me start loving the game of basketball. My grandma passed away and she was a big part of that also because she always pushed me to do better, do better and go far with what you love.” Reece: “I have been playing basketball my whole life just growing up around all my uncles and trying to be the best in all of the family in life.”
MOVING FORWARD
Reece: “Just going hard every time we step on the court and keeping our team involved.”
ABOUT KEMYA REECE
Instagram: @kountrygirl.myaa AAU team: Houston United Hoops Players she studies: Rori Harmon, Kyndall Hunter (University of Texas) Favorite musician: Lil Baby Shout-outs: “All my coaches and everybody that helped me get better.”
ABOUT DAKIAH YATES
Instagram: @iamdakiahh AAU team: KC Mamba (Kansas City) Players she studies: Kelsey Plum, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, Candice Parker Favorite Musician: NBA YoungBoy Shout-outs: “My brother Devante, my momma and my little nephew Jayden.”
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DN Profile
Two Houston Black creatives launch ‘Moment’s Project’ By Laura Onyeneho
Nigerian-born choreographer and Afrobeats dancer Kemi OG and Houston-based principal photographer Shardé Chapman teamed up for a dance art installation called “Moments Project” addressing the complexities of the Houston’s Black diaspora experience. Kemi remembers the tension between both communities during the George Floyd protests and the End SARS protest against police brutality in Nigeria. Both historic events happened months apart from each other, and for similar causes on two different continents. “We’ve been talking about diaspora wars for a long time and maybe we need to talk about it again, because when Africans reached out to African Americans to support the movement, there were some support, but there some not-so-nice responses too,” Kemi said. “So, I pulled stories from the community on both sides and used that to push the project.” She recalled a time in high school when she experienced painful non-verbal cues from her fellow peers that were insensitive to her as an African woman. “I went to a predominantly white [high school]. I was one of a few African Black people. I felt like I wasn’t really understood or felt accepted anywhere and it stung,” she explained. “When I finally got to college, I met others who felt the same way I did.” Instead of lashing out in anger, Kemi channeled her gifts as creative and launched the Moments Project, multi-phasic creative project that presents unique works of multimedia art and performance highlighting the diversity of contemporary African art and culture, the stories of local communities of color, and local artists of color with their unique perspectives on life and social issues across the globe. The project merges Afro dance with technology and other art forms to explore the challenges and internal dialogue of what it means to be Black, female and influenced by multiple cultures. The latest phase of the project is an online exhibition of photographs called “Interference by Shardé Chapman, which went live Dec. 1. It was the second phase of the Moments Project’s dance film called “Interference: A Tale of 2 Black Experiences,” which launched in October 2020. “This ended up being a day-long project. My job was to create a companion photo series to display the project from another angle, Chapman said. “As the project was being filmed, I was taking pictures. I creatively
I’m African American and I’ve learned about mysellf through this project. I understand the importance of representation, we need more accurate depictions of the Black experiences on display. We need to teach compassion toward actively understanding different aspects of being Black in America." Shardé Chapman
Interference by Shardé Chapman. Shardé Chapman
interpret what I saw in the dance project.” Chapman notes that the episodic moments will show the viewers what it means to “live in America with Black skin.”
It will showcase examples of what it means to be an African immigrant, being first or second generation born American, and how these worlds intersect.