Houston Defender: March 24, 2016

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Volume 85 | Number 21

FEATURE FLO RIDA performs during March Madness

P6 SPOTLIGHT REP. SHEILA JACKSON LEE receives transportation award

P10 SPORTS

HOUSTON’S TAMAR DAVIS COMPETES ON ‘THE VOICE’ H PAGE 5

TRAY WALKER mourned by football world

P14 TOP EVENTS

Rep. Al Green probes voting

Houston Congressmen Al Green and Gene Green have questions about voting machines and polling stations during the March 1 Primary. See why they contacted Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

Learn why Black and Hispanics should be concerned.

H PAGE 2

Lauren Anderson made history

Former Houston Ballet principal dancer Lauren Anderson is an entertainment trailblazer. In observance of Women’s History Month, read about more AfricanAmerican women who paved the way, from astronauts to educators to athletes.

H PAGE 8

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Dr. Phillip Kent and Jai Lynn Blackwood at National Women of Achievement Breakfast

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DEFENDER | MARCH 24 | 2016

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newstalk

Resource fairs target employment barriers As part of his ongoing March on Crime, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the start of a series of resource fairs to address the barriers to employment that many Houstonians face.

Turnaround Houston will offer access to job training, resume writing, tattoo removal, social service agencies, educational institutions, counseling and intervention to help hard to employ Houstonians turn their lives around.

The first resource fair will take place Saturday, March 26, 2016 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Sunnyside MultiService Center, 9413 Cullen, and is sponsored by Houston First and the Port of Houston Authority. The dates for the

additional fairs will be announced at a later time.

“There are Houstonians who have difficulty securing employment due to a variety of reasons which may include a lack of education, prior criminal history, poverty, mental health issues and a lack of positive influences,” Turner said.

“There is a part of our city that is in dire need of assistance and it’s our responsibility to ensure that they are plugged into vital resources and become a part of our city’s success. With the launch of Turnaround Houston, we want to eliminate the barriers to employment by offering a roadmap to a brighter future.”

Community holds peace walk Houston activists and concerned citizens called for an end to violence during a peace walk held in the Sunnyside/Southpark area. Many of them carried signs that read “No more bloodshed.”

Participants included mothers who buried children as a result of senseless violence. They walked carrying poster-sized photographs of their children’s faces.

Organizers, including Deric Muhammad and Pastor E.A. Deckard, have hosted monthly peace walks in areas where violence and gang activity have been on the rise.

Muhammad said the problem of increased violence and gang activity in the area has been well-documented lately, and noted that a controversial gang injunction has been proposed that bans over 90 Black males from the Southlawn area.

“The peace walk is an effort to unify the beleaguered community by sending a strong message that no

Houstonians want the violence to stop in Sunnyside/Southpark area. (Photos by Bashari Guidry)

more senseless bloodshed will be tolerated,” Muhammad said.

Congressmen call for voting investigation Houston Congressmen Al Green and Gene Green sent a letter to Attorney General Loretta Lynch requesting an investigation by the Department of Justice into the distribution of voting machines and polling stations for the March 1 Primary Election in Harris County.

Some residents experienced excessively long lines, waiting up to three hours to cast their vote, especial- Al Green ly in predominantly Hispanic and African-American precincts.

Al Green said the lines were “deeply troubling” and merit a request for the DOJ to investigate.

“These long lines and wait times were in stark contrast to the experiences of many individuals voting in predominantly Anglo precincts, such that the appearance of a discriminatory impact existed for some while they were attempting to participate in our political process,” he said.

“A healthy democracy must do all that it can to ensure its citizens’ right to vote is not impeded or rendered worthless. I trust that the Department of Justice will thoroughly investigate this issue, such that it can be appropriately remedied in the future.”

States and local jurisdictions are required under the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to ensure that all U.S. citizens, Gene Green regardless of race or color, have an equal opportunity to participate in the political process and elect representatives of their choice.

“When people are leaving their polling sites to go home without having voted because the wait time is hours long, we have a serious problem,” Gene Green said.

“We need to make sure that we are doing everything we can to facilitate voting, not making it more difficult. Every citizen has constitutional right and responsibility to vote.”

Each Turnaround Houston resource fair will include workshops on resume creation and interview tips. Participants can also learn how to start their own businesses and hear the success stories of Houstonians who have received a second chance.

Turnaround Houston resource partners include the Office of Business Opportunity and other city offices, Workforce Solutions/Neighborhood Centers, SER Jobs for Progress, Houston Area Urban League, Dress for Success and Franklin Beauty School.

For more information visit www.turnaroundhouston.org.

More changes at METRO University of Texas Health Science Center Professor Lex Frieden and Taylor Construction Management President Troi Taylor are Mayor Sylvester Turner’s two new appointees for the METRO Board.

Sanjay Ramabhadran and Christof Spieler will be reappointed.

Taylor has substantial experience in the planning and construction of healthcare and industrial infraTroi Taylor structure facilities that includes working on projects for MD Anderson Cancer Center, Memorial Hermann Healthcare Heart and Vascular Institute, Memorial Herman Mischer Neuroscience Institute and Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

Taylor received an undergraduate degree in chemical engineering from Prairie View A&M University and an MBA from UH-Victoria.

Frieden is recognized as one of the founders of the independent living movement in the early 1970s and was instrumental in conceiving and drafting the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Turner previously nominated Carrin Patman to be the new chair of the METRO Board.

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MARCH 24 | 2016 | DEFENDER

U.S.briefs NATIONAL BAR ASSOCIATION President Benjamin Crump weighed in on President Obama’s nomination of D.C. federal Judge Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court.

“While the [NBA] would have liked for President Obama to nominate an AfricanAmerican, the president has shown his continued commitment to diversifying the federal courts through his nominations to fill the various judicial vacancies throughout the country,” Crump said. He added that Senate Republicans have history of obstructing the judicial nominating process. “The NBA will continue to push for diversity, and urge the Senate to do its job as outlined in the U.S. Constitution,” Crump said ……..FIRST LADY MICHELLE OBAMA will not follow in her husband’s footsteps. Speaking at a panel discussion during South By Southwest in Austin, Mrs. Obama said the thing she will miss most about being first lady is interacting with people, but she has no presidential aspirations. She mentioned her daughters, Malia and Sasha, as two of the main reasons.

“The daughters of a president. Just think about it. Come on, young people. Not so easy. They’ve handled it with grace and with poise, but enough is enough,” she said……..

COLLEGE COULD BECOME LESS AFFORDABLE for millions of students.

The House Budget Committee’s 2017 budget would cut Pell Grants, which help give lowincome students access to postsecondary education. According to the non-profit Institute for College Access & Success, “The House Budget Committee’s plan eliminates the scheduled $120 increase in the maximum Pell Grant, holding the maximum award level at $5,815 instead of keeping pace with inflation to rise to $5,935 in the 2017-18 school year, as current law provides. It then freezes the maximum grant for 10 years. This freeze reduces the share of public four-year college costs covered by the maximum grant from an already record low of 29 percent to 21 percent by 2026.”

VOLUME 85 • NUMBER 21 MARCH 24, 2016

Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Advertising/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler Social|Online Editor LaGloria Wheatfall Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila

Print Editor Marilyn Marshall Sports Editors Max Edison Darrell K. Ardison

Contributing writers Jasemine Knowles Amber Vernon

The Defender is published by the Houston Defender Newspaper Inc. (713-663-6996). The Defender is audited

by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For subscription, send $60-1 year to: Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston TX 77288. Payment must accompany subscription request. All material covered by 2012 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).

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Obama builds new ties with Cuba trip President Obama said he was humbled to be the first U.S. president in nearly 90 years to visit Cuba.

Accompanied by First Lady Michelle Obama, his daughters and mother-in-law, Obama was greeted by senior Cuban officials as he stepped off Air Force One. Obama’s trip came 15 months after he announced the restoration of diplomatic ties between the U.S. and Cuba. The island, which sits 90 miles from Key West, Fla., has long been off-limits for most American visitors, and was regarded as a Cold War adversary.

Obama’s agenda included a meeting with President Raul Castro, a state dinner, a speech to entrepreneurs and a baseball game.

“This is a historic visit, and it’s a historic opportunity to engage directly with the Cuban people and to forge new agreements and commercial deals, to build new ties between our two peoples, and for me to lay out my vision for a future that’s brighter than our past,” he said during a meet and greet at the U.S. embassy.

“Michelle and I wanted to start with all of you because nothing symbolizes better the new relationship between the United States and the Cuban people.

For the first time in more than half a century, the American flag flies over a reopened U.S. embassy.

“And having a U.S. embassy here means that we’re able to more effectively advance our interests and our values and understand the Cuban people and their concerns,” he said.

Obama’s administration has sought various ways to improve relations between the two countries, including: • Authorizing Americans to travel to Cuba provided that, among other things, the traveler engage in

President and First Lady Obama make a historic visit to Cuba.

educational exchange activities that result in meaningful interaction with individuals in Cuba. Previously, Americans were required to travel to Cuba under the auspices of an organization and be accompanied by a representative of the sponsoring organization.

• Reaching an arrangement to re-establish regular, direct flights between the United States and Cuba for the first time in more than 50 years.

• Encouraging more engagement by U.S. telecommunications and Internet companies in Cuba to support better connectivity and access to information for the Cuban people.

$100M HUD grants fight health hazards The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is making more than $100 million in grants available to states and local governments to help eliminate dangerous lead-based paint hazards from the homes of lower-income families.

The grants are intended to protect young children from lead poisoning and provide an opportunity for communities to establish programs to control health and safety hazards by assessing and remediating lead-based paint and other housing related health hazards.

Housing improvements that result from the grants will help prevent illnesses and injuries, reduce associated health care and social services costs, re-

duce absentee rates for children in school and adults at work and reduce stress.

The grants are being offered through HUD’s Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program and its Lead Hazard Reduction Demonstration Program.

“Since 1973, HUD has been leading the charge in lead hazard identification and abatement throughout the housing industry,” said HUD Secretary Julián Castro.

“We know that there’s no more important mission than to protect our children and give them the greatest opportunity in their lives. These important grants will help keep thousands of children safe and healthy, free of debilitating lead poisoning.”

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DEFENDER | MARCH 24 | 2016

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A FUTURE IN PROGRESS

DEAR COMMUNITY:

An exciting transformation is underway, one that has already started to elevate Houston Community College to a new standard of excellence and a model for community colleges nationwide. As we continue down this road of change, we want to share the status of our positive momentum: how far we have come, what we are doing, and the direction in which we are headed for our students, businesses and community.

Over the last year, we have streamlined operations to make it easier to work with the college, revolutionized the student experience and fundamentally reshaped how we work with businesses and industry partners. Although this level of change takes time – especially with an institution of this scale – the early results speak volumes and show real promise for our college and community in the years ahead.

HCC is among the top community colleges in the nation for preparing students for jobs and universities. We continue to work on new innovations, to scale our partnerships and results, and to rethink our approach – necessary steps for all highperforming organizations. We recognize the changes in technology, business, and society, and we are constantly adapting to help prepare our students for an everchanging world.

This strategy has enabled us to make significant progress in improving the student experience before, during and after their time with us — as well as helping them secure higher paying jobs and entrance into the universities they want to attend.

Highlights of this transformation in 2015 included: •

Graduating 22% more students than the previous year.

•

Receiving the prestigious award for Excellence in Governmental Financial Reporting, the 2015 Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award, recertification as an Achieving the Dream Leader College, and national recognition for our graduation rates.

•

Paving the way for a Board of Trustees vote this past January that was unanimously approved for a first-of-its-kind plan to waive the out-of-district fees for Dual Credit students. Starting this fall, this will allow high school students from all districts to attend HCC at no charge.

•

Obtaining an award from the U.S. Department of Labor for $4.2 million to fund apprenticeship programs in Healthcare, IT industries and plumbing occupations.

•

Earning a revised outlook from Moody’s Investors Service on the HCC system to stable and wan upgrade on the Junior Lien debt, which reflects a strong management team and the projection of continued operating health.

•

Establishing many new and innovative partnerships with leading companies and organizations, such as Wells Fargo Bank, the Robert Garner Firefighter Foundation, engineering departments at University of Texas at Tyler and Texas A&M University, San Jacinto College, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Jones County Junior College for an Upstream/ Midstream Skill Training and Safety Collaboration, the Houston Area Construction Education Collaborative with Lone Star College, San Jacinto College and the Houston Airport System, and The Greater Houston Partnership for UpSkill Houston.

HCC_2015-2016 EE_Defender_Ad .indd 1

Despite our many accomplishments, our transformation is a journey and there is much more work to do. We are Houston’s community college, and we are committed to becoming even better in all that we do and all that we offer.

To achieve our vision, we will continue to push the boundaries and dare greatly, focusing on the need to ensure quality instructional programs and courses, increase student retention and persistence rates, service high demand fields through skills training and credentialing programs, and improve the student experience.

We understand the pivotal role we play in helping the people in our community obtain vital education and necessary skills and in supporting the businesses that drive our economy. In fact, our economic impact hits on local, regional and state levels in a major way. Last year, HCC and its students added $3.4 billion in income to the service-area economy.

That is why we have gone to great lengths to develop a pathway to achieve our vision, to fulfill our duty to be responsive to the community and be fully engaged with each other. Because this college does not belong to a few, but to the whole of our great city, and it is essential that all of our major stakeholder groups – students, society and taxpayers – benefit from their investments. This past year has produced solid results to that end. In fact, for every $1 spent, it represents:

STUDENTS

$2.80

gained in lifetime income for students.

TAXPAYERS

SOCIETY

$12.80

gained in added state income and societal savings.

$6.30

gained in added taxes and public sector savings for taxpayers.

Thank you for your continued support, your belief in our college, and your dedication to our great city. It is your commitment that truly makes the difference and allows us to take HCC to new heights.

In service,

Adriana Tamez, Ed.D. Board Chair Houston Community College

Cesar Maldonado, Ph.D., P.E. Chancellor Houston Community College

3/9/16 12:43 PM

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MARCH 24 | 2016 | DEFENDER

entertainment

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Houston’s Tamar Davis

Competes on ‘The Voice’

H

ouston native Tamar Davis continues to make her entertainment dreams come true as a contestant on “The Voice,” which airs Monday and Tuesday at 7 p.m. on NBC. Now in its 10th season, the vocal competition show features music stars Christina Aguilera, Pharrell Williams, Adam Levine and Blake Shelton as celebrity coaches. Davis, who is a member of Aguilera’s team, performed “Chain of Fools” on her blind audition, and hopes to emerge as the eventual winner.

Davis, who began singing at age 3, has been within inches of stardom. Growing up, she was part of the girl group Girls Tyme with Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland, but left before they formed Destiny’s Child in order to finish school.

She graduated from Houston’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts and enrolled in the University of Southern California to study music. She toured with R&B star Tamia after graduating from USC. Davis went on to perform with Prince and write a Grammy-nominated song with him titled “Beautiful, Loved and Blessed.” She worked with Tyler Perry in the stage play “Madea Gets a Job,” and Perry was one of her supporters backstage at “The Voice.”

In an earlier interview with the Defender, Davis was asked about her career highlights.

“My career always has highlights because as I travel, my mind is always racing about how music affects the soul,” she said. “My highlights are new every day.

My schedule is always unpredictable but I initially have to say, I am constantly in awe when people recognize who I am and my gifts especially among the youth.

“To see their faces while I’m out with my nephew or getting on an airplane and people calling relatives on the

lents and of Davis’ ta te o n k o ce to

performed

with her.

Prin

phone so that they can prove they met me, is beyond a highlight.”

Davis is gaining an even wider audience on “The Voice,” which has been a ratings success for NBC. The show’s format features five stages of competition: the first begins with the blind auditions, followed by the battle rounds, the knockouts, the live playoffs and, finally, the live performance shows.

Coaches dedicate themselves to developing their team of artists, giving them advice and sharing the secrets of their success, along with help from their celebrity advisers.

Tamar Davis

has gained

a wider audi

ence on “The

Voice.”

what’sup The HOUSTON MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE will present a discussion on segregation and integration and a taping of Houstonians’ memories as part of “Remember When” on Saturday, March 26, from 1-4 p.m. Guests are also invited to experience the HMAAC exhibit “A Look Back at Segregation.” For more information call 713-526-1015……..NFL legend EMMITT SMITH and his wife Pat will star in the one-hour special “Mrs. & Mr. Smith” on Saturday, March 26 at 9 p.m. on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network. The special will follow the lives of the Smiths, who have been married for 15 years and have five children

between them. The special will follow “For Peete’s Sake,” which stars actress HOLLY ROBINSON PEETE and her husband, former NFL quarterback RODNEY PEETE……..The Ensemble Theatre continues its celebration of Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright AUGUST WILSON’S American Century Cycle with a celebrity staged reading of “Fences” on Monday, March 28, at 6 p.m. at 3535 Main St. Cast members include Channel 13 anchor MELANIE LAWSON, Metro VP and former Channel 2 anchor JEROME GRAY and Majic 102’s FUNKY LARRY JONES. Tickets are $5. For more information visit www.EnsembleHouston.com or

call 713-520-0055……..“Empire” creator LEE DANIELS said his grandmother was the inspiration for Cookie Lyon, the popular character portrayed by TARAJI P. HENSON. “Everyone says they created Cookie,” he joked while accepting a BET Honors TV and film award. “No, seriously, I’m being sued by everyone, but Cookie came from my grandmother. Her name was Grace H. Daniels. From 1947 to 1977, she was a politician in Philadelphia. My earliest memories of her were getting people to vote, and she carried a gun. She was a gangsta. She would make Black people come out to vote. She would knock on your door and you knew to come out to vote,” he said.

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DEFENDER | MARCH 24 | 2016

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March Madness Music Festival is April 1-3

n conjunction with this year’s men’s Final Four being held in Houston, some of music’s biggest stars will perform at the 2016 NCAA March Madness Music Festival. The free, three-day event will be held April 1-3 at Discovery Green in downtown Houston. It will be open to the public on a first-come basis. The schedule is: Friday, April 1 – AT&T Block Party (4-10 p.m.)

Fall Out Boy – 8:30 p.m.

Panic! At the Disco – 6:30 p.m.

Saturday, April 2 - Coca–Cola Music (12-9 p.m.)

Semi Final #1 Viewing Party – 5 p.m.

Jason Derulo – 2:30 p.m.

Conrad Sewell – 12:15 p.m.

Sunday, April 3 – Capital One JamFest (3-10 p.m.)

Maroon 5 – 8:30 p.m.

Pitbull – 6:30 p.m.

Flo Rida – 5 p.m.

For the first time, the 2016 iHeartRadio Music Awards will simulcast a live performance from the Capital One JamFest stage at the festival. The performance by Maroon 5 will be featured during the iHeartRadio Music Awards, airing live from the Forum in Los Angeles on Turner networks TBS, TNT and truTV at 7 p.m. on Sunday, April 3.

“This year’s Capital One JamFest will be an unbelievable experience,” said Roger Ferguson, managing vice president, Brand Advertising, Media and Sponsorships at Capital One. “We’re thrilled to bring what we know will be an incredible Maroon 5 performance to fans in Houston, as well as those tuning in to the iHeartRadio Music Awards.”

Turner Sports and CBS Sports will provide live coverage of all 67 games from the 2016 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship across four networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV. For the third year in the event’s 78-year history, the men’s national semifinals will be presented live across three networks – TBS, TNT and truTV. This year’s NCAA Tournament will include the National Championship Game airing on TBS, the first time the championship has ever been televised on cable TV. For more information visit ncaa.com.

Maroon 5

Jason Flo Rida

Houstonians asked to share Astrodome memories The Houston Public Library’s Astrodome Memories Project Website has recently launched an app that allows the public to upload their fun and exciting Astrodome memories to share with fans around the world. They can write about their favorite memories and upload photos, videos or audio files.

The memories project provides access to a broad collection of Astrodome-related materials, including items contributed by the public, as well as from major archives in the Houston area and the state.

The collection includes oral histories, photographs, blueprints, other documents, audio materials and videos documenting the use of the Astrodome for the

last 50 years.

Astrodome Memories is a project of the Houston Public Library in partnership with the Houston Metropolitan Research Center, the Harris County Archives, the University of Houston Libraries Special Collections, Woodson Research Center at Rice University’s Fondren Library, and the Harris County Public Library.

The Astrodome, located in NRG (formerly Reliant) Park complex, provided many exciting and memorable moments in the lives of countless Houstonians as well as visitors from around the world when it opened in 1965 until it closed in 1999.

Dubbed the “The Eighth Wonder of the World,” its history is a significant and important part of Houston. The Astrodome was the first fully-domed and air-conditioned sports stadium in the world, the first stadium with luxury skyboxes and the first stadium to install artificial turf.

Owned by Harris County, it was the host to cultural events ranging from sporting events to rock concerts, the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo to the housing of evacuees from New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

For more details visit www.astrodomememories. org or call 832-393-1522.

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Yvette Barker

TSU names housing director Yvette Barker is the new director of housing at Texas Southern University. Barker, a student housing professional with more than 18 years of experience in general management, training, and strategic planning, comes from Prairie View A&M University where she served as the general manager for American Campus Communities.

Barker will be charged with overseeing TSU’s five housing complexes, including the new freshman dorm slated to open later this year.

Barker earned her bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Talladega College and her Masters of Education from Langston University.

Black citizenship explored An art exhibit and panel discussion will explore the struggle for Black life in a system that was never meant to sustain it in the first place.

“Citizens Without Citizenship” will be held Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m. at Hamman Hall on the Rice University campus. It is hosted by #BLMHTX in partnership with the Center for Engaged Research and Collaborative Learning at Rice.

Participants include journalist Darnell Moore, professors Dr. Anthony Pinn and Dr. Danielle Burns Wilson, associate professors Dr. Nicole Waligora-Davis and Dr. Jenifer Bratter, student activist Blaque Robinson, and artists Lovie Olivia and Robert Hodge.

For more information visit http://bit.ly/blmcitz.

MARCH 24 | 2016 | DEFENDER

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DEFENDER | MARCH 24 | 2016

WOMEN’S

HISTORY MONTH

cente

Houston’

M

By MARILYN MARSHALL Defender

arch is Women’s History Month, a tribute to generations of women w made invaluable contributions to A The national celebration bega Women’s History Week in 1982. Congress desig monthly observance in 1987.

In proclaiming this year’s celebration, Pres cited the trailblazers of the past as well as the w corded in history books. He added that the fight en’s rights continues.

Here, the Defender profiles African-Americ who have made a difference in Houston and bey 1. Hattie Mae White became the first Blac construction elected to significant public office when she was elected to the HISD’s school boa HISD named its administration building in her died in 1993.

2. Nathelyne Kennedy was the first Black earn an engineering degree from any university (Prairie View A&M University, 1959) and the f come a registered professional engineer. She fo engineering firm in Houston.

3. Barbara Jordan was the first Black wom to the Texas State Senate in 1966 and the first e Congress from the South in 1974. In 1976, she Black woman to deliver the keynote address at cratic National Convention. She died in 1996.

4. Dr. Judith Craven became the first wom director of Health Care Services for the City of Health Department in 1980. In 1992, she was t named president of the United Way of the Texas

Phillis Whea published Bl

y in tennis

stor bson made hi

Dr. Mae Jemison was the first Black woman in space.

Gi Athlete Althea lf. go and

defendernetwork.com • Serving th

erfold

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’s trailblazers paved the way

man elected elected to was the first the Demo-

5. Beverley Clark was the first Black woman elected to the Houston City Council in 1989. (Sheila Jackson Lee was elected to Council a month later after winning a run-off).

Clark served two terms on Council. She later ran for several other offices.

6. Lauren Anderson became the first Black to be promoted to principal dancer at Houston Ballet in 1990.

She danced with the ballet from 1983 to 2006. In 2007, she became an outreach associate in Houston Ballet’s education department.

7. Marguerite Ross Barnett became the first Black president of the University of Houston in 1990, and held the position for a year and a half. In 1991, Barnett took a medical leave of absence to seek treatment for cancer. She died in 1992.

8. Joann Horton served as the first female president of Texas Southern University from 1993-95. She later served as president of Kennedy-King College in Chicago and acting vice president of Baltimore City Community College.

9. Lois Jean Moore became the first Black woman president and CEO of the Harris County Hospital District in 1999. She led the sixth largest inpatient health care system in the U.S. She later became chief administrator of the UT Harris County Psychiatric Center.

10. Paula Harris became the first Black female president of the HISD board of trustees in 2011. Harris was first elected to the board in 2007. She stepped down from her District IV seat in 2015. She is a corporate community affairs director.

man named Houston the first Black s Gulf Coast.

Sources: Defender Files & News Services, Handbook of Texas of the Texas State Historical Association, “Black Women in Texas History” by Bruce A. Glasrud and Merline Pitre, blackhistorymakers.com

a time to pay who have America. an with gnated it as a

ident Obama women not ret for wom-

can women yond. ck since Ree in Houston ard in 1958. honor. She

woman to y in Texas irst to beounded an

atley was the first lack female poet.

The late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan was a political pioneer.

n ballet. ith the Housto

ade history w

on m Lauren Anders

25 who made national history 1. Phillis Wheatley – first known AfricanAmerican woman to publish a book (1773), “Poems on Various Subjects, Religious and Moral” 2. Mary Jane Patterson – first Black woman to graduate from an American college (1862), Oberlin College 3. Dr. Rebecca Lee Crumpler – first Black woman to earn an M.D. degree (1864), New England Female Medical College 4. Fanny Jackson Coppin – first AfricanAmerican female principal (1869) 5. Charlotte Ray – first Black female lawyer (1872) 6. Sarah Goode – first Black woman to hold a patent (1885), folding cabinet bed 7. Maggie Lena Walker – first Black woman to head a bank (1903) 8. Madame CJ Walker – first Black female millionaire (circa 1919) 9. Mary McLeod Bethune – first Black woman to receive a major appointment from the U.S. government (1936), director of Negro

he Houston area for over 80 years

Affairs, National Youth Administration 10. Alice Coachman – first Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal (1948) 11. Marian Anderson – first Black to sing with New York’s Metropolitan Opera (1955) 12. Althea Gibson – first Black athlete to win a major tennis title (1956) and first Black woman to join the Ladies Professional Golf Association tour (1964) 13. Ella Fitzgerald – first Black woman to win a Grammy Award (1958) 14. Lorraine Hansberry – first Black woman to write a play on Broadway (1959), “A Raisin in the Sun” 15. Shirley Chisholm – first Black woman in Congress (1968) and first Black woman nominated for president (1972) 16. Patricia Harris – first Black woman named to the cabinet of a U.S. president (1976), HUD secretary 17. Gen. Hazel Johnson-Brown – first Black female general in the U.S. Army (1979) 18. Oprah Winfrey – first Black woman

to own a studio (1988), Harpo, and first Black woman to own and operate a network (2011), OWN 19. Dr. Mae Jemison – first Black woman to travel in space (1992) 20. Toni Morrison – first Black woman to win a Nobel Prize for Literature (1993) 21. Admiral Michelle Howard – first Black woman to command a U.S. Navy ship (1999) and first woman to become a four-star admiral (2014) 22. Halle Berry – first Black woman to win an Academy Award for Best Actress (2001), “Monster’s Ball” 23. Condoleezza Rice – first Black female secretary of state (2005) 24. Ursula Burns – first Black woman to head a Fortune 500 company (2009), Xerox 25. Loretta Lynch – first Black woman to become U.S. attorney general (2015) Sources: Defender Files & News Services, biography.com, “Before the Mayflower: A History of Black America” by Lerone Bennett Jr.

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DEFENDER | MARCH 24 | 2016

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NOTICE

of Public Hearing Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

Jackson Lee receives transportation award

Houston Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee received the SWTA Legislator of the Year award, which is bestowed upon a member of the House of Representatives who has significantly advanced the interests of public transportation in the previous year.

The South West Transit Association is a regional public transportation association that represents the interests of transits agencies and related organizations in Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Kansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.

The Congresswoman is honored to receive the award because she has

lived transit.

Jackson Lee worked with Houston Metro officials and the Federal Transit Administration to bring the $900 million Full Funding Grant Agreement to the Houston area in order to improve the public transportation system.

She has also been a supporter of sound public transit and public transportation policy for Houston and the state of Texas. As a legislator, she has used her position to oversee issues critical to transit in the ongoing reauthorization process by making sure the Houston area has the needed funds for public transit.

Lillie chairs Methodist Willowbrook board Reginald Lillie has been named chair of Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital Board of Trustees.

Lillie has been a member of the hospital’s board for seven years. Among Lillie’s accomplishments are his efforts to help bring medical care to the Cy-Fair community with the opening of the Houston Reginald Lillie Methodist Cypress Emergency Care Center.

“We are truly blessed to have a leader and community advocate of Reginald’s caliber serving as the chair of our board of trustees,” said Keith Barber, CEO of Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital and senior vice president, Houston Methodist.

“He brings a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding community development to this role.”

Lillie, a native Houstonian, grew up in Northeast Houston and was educated in the Houston and North Forest school districts and at the University of Houston-Downtown.

He is sole proprietor of Reginald Lillie Insurance Service. He is former president of the NAACP Houston Branch.

Lillie and his wife Alane have three children, Tiffany, Reginald II and Stephan. Lillie is an associate minister at Greater True Faith Missionary Baptist Church, where his father Rev. Ben Roy Lillie Sr. is pastor.

Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TX

(METRO)

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TX (METRO), will hold a public hearing on Tuesday, March 29, 2016, at 12 noon to receive public comment regarding proposed May / June 2016 service changes.

The proposed service changes include: Route changes to Routes 20, 28, 41, 56, 70 and 79, and schedule changes to Routes 4, 20, 27, 30, 32, 44, 46, 47, 49, 54, 60, 68, 73, 82, 84, 99, 151, 217, 221, 222, 228, 246, 265 and 298, and Route 311, a new route.

Copies of proposed route maps and timetables will be available Monday, March 21, 2016, for public review online and at the following location: METRO Administration Building - 1900 Main Street, Houston, TX, 77002 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM weekdays. The public hearing will be held in the 2nd floor Board Room at 1900 Main Street, Houston, TX (served by METRO routes 6, 11, 32, 44, 51, 52, 54, 82, 85, 102, 137, 160, 161, 162, 249 and METRORail).

HOW TO COMMENT ABOUT THE SERVICE CHANGES • Attend the public hearing on March 29, 2016.

• Write us at METRO, ATTN: May / June 2016 Service Change, 1900 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002.

• Fax comments with a subject line referencing “May / June 2016 Service Change” to (713) 652-7956.

• Call METRO’s Customer Care Line at (713) 635-4000.

• Submit comments at METRO’s website - RideMETRO.org.

Comments should be received by METRO no later than the date and time of the public hearing.

HELP FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES For individuals with disabilities, assistive services or copies of public documents in an alternate format can be provided. Please call (713) 750-4271 or (713) 635-6993 (for persons with a hearing impairment) a minimum of five (5) working days prior to the public hearing.

LANGUAGE INTERPRETATION Any person who requires language interpretation or special communication accommodations is encouraged to contact METRO Community Outreach at (713) 7394018, or via email at tm10@ridemetro.org. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate your needs.

1. This Public Hearing conforms to requirements described in the Federal Transit Administration’s Circular 9030.1D, published May 1, 2010, page IV-13.

2. METRO does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to, or in treatment or employment in, its services, programs, and activities.

3. METRO is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of, its transit services on the basis of race, color, or national origin, as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

RideMETRO.org • 713.635.4000

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MARCH 24 | 2016 | DEFENDER

opinion Obama’s foreign policy has moved us toward reason

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By REV. JESSE JACKSON SR.

Osmani Simanca, Brazil, www.caglecartoons.com

s Barack Obama’s presidency counts down its last months, amid the raucous babble of the Republican presidential debate, people are beginning to realize how much we will miss Obama’s leadership. He has served with dignity and grace, increasingly rare attributes in American politics. His family has exhibited the values that Americans embrace. He has brought the economy back from the freefall he inherited.

Republicans, of course, scorn all things Obama, with particular emphasis on his foreign policy. They argue that he’s destroyed our nation’s credibility, gutted our military and fostered the spread of terror. The din covers the emptiness of the argument.

In reality, Obama’s foreign policy will be remembered as making a start toward reason. His record, of course, is complex. The president has enjoyed some remarkable successes – taking out Osama bin Laden, traducing al-Qaida, the nuclear deal with Iran, normalization of relations with Cuba (and thus with other neighbors across the hemisphere).

He’s also met with frustrations as well. He was unable to extract us from Iraq, Afghanistan, and now Syria and Libya. He failed to close Guantanamo. He’s also asserted, dangerously, unprecedented executive prerogatives in the use of drones, assassination, the hunting of whistle-blowers, mass surveillance and more.

But Obama’s biggest legacy is his effort to turn America away from the interventionist appetites of both the neo-conservatives and the “indispensable nation” liberal activists. In a remarkable set of interviews with Jeffry Goldberg in the Atlantic, Obama argues that while the United States must lead, it cannot police the world.

We must be both “hardheaded” and “big hearted.”

We have to be clear about our real security concerns, learn to pick our spots, and not allow ourselves to be dragged into every civil war or humanitarian crisis.

The president is clear – and clearly right – on the priority of threats facing the U.S. Despite the popular terrors about terror, he understands that the Islamic State is not an existential threat to the U.S. In contrast, climate change potentially threatens the world if we don’t act to counter it.

Similarly, the president argues that the Middle East is no longer terribly important to U.S. interests, particularly with our increasing energy independence.

The U.S.-China relationship, in contrast, is the “most critical.” Sustaining a peaceful rise of China that will make it a partner in securing international order is far more important to our security than all of the civil wars in the Middle East.

Obama believes, against the clamor of an interventionist foreign policy establishment, that overextension in the Middle East is far more destructive than restraint in the region. As his adviser Ben Rhodes summarizes, the president’s view is that “overextension in the Middle East will ultimately harm our economy, harm our ability to look for other opportunities and to deal with other challenges, and, most important, endanger the lives of American service members for reasons that are not in the direct American national-security interest.”

According to Goldberg, Obama also has a common sense position about Russian President Vladimir Putin.

He sees Russia as weak, not strong, but understands that it has direct security concerns about Ukraine and Georgia on its border. That fact is, as Obama said, the U.S. is not going to war over Ukraine. Russia is prepared to do that.

“People respond to what their imperatives are, and if it’s very important to somebody and it’s not that important to us, they know that and we know that,” Obama said. Mexico has had to learn to live with the United States; Ukraine similarly has to learn to live with Russia.

This sounds like common sense, but it challenges the consensus of the foreign policy establishment that believes the U.S. is the only superpower and can “win,” as Donald Trump would say, simply by flexing its muscles. They argue that we must be prepared to maintain credibility and strike if someone calls our bluff. Obama clearly understands the dangers of this posture.

Obama has made mistakes, as any president does.

But he has come to understand the limits of U.S. power to direct global events, even as he realizes the importance of U.S. leadership to force global action. He calls on us to understand our limits and to set real priorities.

He does this in the face of a national security state that is permanently engaged across the world, in the face of liberal and conservative interventionists who scorn common sense as weakness and in the face of allies who are happy to have the U.S. carry the load.

Listen to the posturing of the Republican contenders for the presidency. Listen to the drone of the think tankers and academics calling for escalation without thinking of consequences. It doesn’t take long to realize that how much we should value the first steps that President Obama has taken toward reason.

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Five ways to target your business audience The most important step in business planning is finding out who your customers are, what their needs are, and why they want to buy from you. Is the market right for you? Are you targeting the right customers? Do they identify with your value proposition and your brand promise?

Here are five tips from the SBA. 1. Be clear about who you are. What are you really selling? What problem are you solving and why would your product or service resonate with your customers? What unique benefits do you offer? This is what you must lock down in your brand promise.

2. Stay focused. One of the pitfalls of not defining what you have to offer is that you can quickly become a jack-of-all-trades and master of none. This can have a negative impact on business growth. Think about it from the perspective of a consumer. You’ll win a lot more business with a

strong strategic focus on something specific.

3) Identify your niche. The flip side of being a jack-of-all-trades is finding your niche and playing to your strengths within that niche. By identifying your niche and choosing to attract customers who will value your services, you will quickly build on that niche and be on the path toward business success.

4) Find your target customer. Identifying and finding your ideal target customer is a process few businesses can’t afford to get wrong. Narrow your target market to a manageable size. Many businesses make the mistake of trying to appeal to too many target markets.

5) Tailor your brand promise. Craft a message that reaches and speaks to your target market while reinforcing your brand identity. Explain what you have to offer, why you’re different and why anyone should buy from you.

classified

Contractors’ college seeks applicants The Construction Contractors’ College (CCC) is seeking new applicants. The application deadline is Monday, April 4. To qualify, candidates must have been in business at least one year and have operated a construction-related company.

Sponsored by Capital One Bank and The Kingdom Builders’ Center, CCC is a free seven-month development program designed to equip and prepare qualified small and mid-sized business owners in construction fields with the knowledge and guidance they need to bid and win major contracts and then thrive after acquir-

ing them.

The next session will begin May 3. The classes are held from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on the second and fourth Tuesday of each month at The Kingdom Builders’ Center, 6011 West Orem.

Sessions include developing and implementing business plans, understanding and preparing financial reports, creating an internal support area, bond readiness, successful bidding and marketing.

Each small business receives oneon-one mentoring, and mentors continue to make themselves available to contractors for support follow-

ing completion of the course.

Graduates who qualify also have access to more than $750,000 in funding to assist in expanding their businesses.

The second class graduated in December 2015. Results have included increases in credit scores, access to capital, certifications with the City of Houston and other major certifying bodies, and contract bids. Some graduates have bid on and won large contracts with a mid-tier general contractor, in the medical industry and with the federal government since completing the classes.

For more informa-

Inprint Margarett Root Brown Reading Series

2015 2016

Mat Johnson & Helen Oyeyemi Monday

March 28, 2016 7:30 pm

Wortham Center, 501 Texas Avenue, 77002 The Brown Foundation, Inc.

Tickets $5 General Admission inprinthouston.org

George R. Brown Convention Center/ Exterior Painting (Bid)

tion call 713-726-2519 or email construction. college@thekbc.com.

The online application form can be completed at www.thekbc.com/ constructioncollege.

Houston First Corporation requests bids from experienced commercial painting contractors capable of timely and cost-effective surface preparation and painting of roof air ducts, grills and vent covers at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston, Texas.

Bid documents are available online at www.houstonfirst.com/do-business.

Questions should be submitted by e-mail to bids@houstonfirst.com.

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Fitness challenge launched The American Heart Association and Macy’s have launched Go Red Get Fit, a free online fitness challenge to help women to get fit for life and reduce their risk of heart disease, the No. 1 killer of women.

Go Red Get Fit is the latest initiative of the American Heart Association’s Go Red For Women movement. As the founding national sponsor, Macy’s has helped to raise more than $55 million for the cause since 2004.

The fitness challenge will be hosted by three industry expert trainers: Lita Lewis, Ary Nunez and Scott Parker.

Women can participate in the challenge by joining the Go Red Get Fit Facebook group.

Each challenge will last about 12 weeks, the amount of time it takes for a behavior to become a habit. The challenges are: • “Take Steps and Drop Sweets” (MarchMay): Walk 10,000 steps per day and limit sugar intake to 24 grams per day.

• “Up the Beat and Keep It 100” (JuneAugust): Get 30 minutes of cardio per day, at least five days per week and drink at least 100 ounces of water per day.

• “I Run This Salty Shaker” (September-November): Get 30 minutes of physical activity, at least five days a week and limit sodium consumption to 1,500 milligra “Follow the Lead to Flawless” (DecemberFebruary): Scripted exercises of the trainers’ choices and limit saturated fat consumption to 12 grams per day.

For information call 832-918-4030 or visit www.goredforwomen.org.

MARCH 24 | 2016 | DEFENDER

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DEFENDER | MARCH 24 | 2016

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sports

Football world mourns death of Tray Walker

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By MAX EDISON Defender

he football world, among both the professional and collegiate ranks, is saddened by the death of Baltimore Ravens and former Texas Southern University cornerback Tray Walker. He died on March 18 from injuries sustained when he was hit by a car while riding a dirt bike in Liberty City, Fla. Services are pending.

Walker, 23, grew up in Miami and graduated from Miami Northwestern High. He was a high school teammate of Minnesota Vikings quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and Oakland Raider receiver Amari Cooper. His only four-year college scholarship offer was to TSU. Walker was an All-SWAC defensive back as a senior and a graduate of TSU. He was drafted in the fourth round (136th overall) by the Ravens in the 2015 NFL draft. Walker made the Ravens 53-man roster, playing in eight games, mostly as a special team’s standout.

On a personal note, I covered Tray at TSU and maintained a relationship with him, texting him often during his rookie year with the Ravens.

The Ravens chose Walker in the 2015 NFL draft.

Walker’s death prompted an outpouring of sympathy from around the nation.

“The Texas Southern University community, [including] its students, alumni, employees, administrators and friends, are saddened to learn about the passing of Tray Walker,” said TSU President Dr. John Rudley. “Our deepest sympathy is extended to his family and friends during this difficult time.”

“We are deeply saddened to learn about the passing of former TSU student-athlete Tray Walker,” said TSU VP of Athletics Dr. Charles McClelland. “Tray was an outstanding student-athlete and an equally impressive young man off the field during his time here at Texas Southern.

Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends as they endure this trying time.”

TSU alumnus Tony Wyllie, senior VP of communications with the Washington Redskins, also remembered Walker.

Walker played collegiate ball at Texas Southern University.

Walker is remembered as a good man with a “I had the pleasure of meeting kind heart.

Tray at his pre-draft meeting with the Ravens head coach John Harbaugh summed up his organization’s love for Walker.

Redskins and again when we played the Ravens in the pre“Tray was a young man with a good and kind heart,” Harbaugh said. “He was season,” Wyllie recalled. “He was very proud to be from Texas humble and loved everything about being part of the Ravens’ team. He loved his teamSouthern. He’s an example of hard work paying off. This is a mates, the practice and the preparation, and that showed every day. terrible loss to both the NFL and the TSU family.”

Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tray Walker died from injuries sustained in a dirt bike accident.

“He was coachable, did his most to improve and worked to become the best.

I’ll never forget that smile. He always seemed to be next to me during the national anthem; then we would give each other a big hug. May he rest in the peace of Christ Jesus forever,” Harbaugh said.

Baltimore safety Terrance Brooks described his special relationship with Walker.

“Tray will truly be missed by all who got to know him,” Brooks said. “I am taking this news pretty hard, because he was a guy who I took under my wing to help him with any little advice that I had gained from being in the NFL for a short amount of time.

“We vowed to each other to stick together and push each other as long as we remained on the same team,” Brooks continued. “We both shared similar life experiences growing up in Florida. We sat together every day during meetings. He was like a little brother to me.

“I especially remember times he would drop by my house, and we would have long talks and laughs just about the NFL and everyday life. I truly felt a brotherly bond with him,” Brooks said.

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MARCH 24 | 2016 | DEFENDER

sportsbriefs Texans sign more players After making a big splash on the first day of free agency, the Texans continued to make lower profile free agent signings. The team came to terms with free agent running back Jonathan Grimes.

He rushed for a career-high 282 yards and one touchdown on 56 carries (5.0 avg.) last season for the Texans. He also caught a career-high 26 passes for 173 yards (6.7 avg.). The team also signed safety Antonio Allen, who spent the last four seasons with the New York Jets where he totaled 106 tackles (78 solo), 13 passes defensed, one interception returned for a touchdown. He missed the 2015 season after suffering an Achilles injury during training camp.

NFL acknowledges CTE

Aldine Davis girls’ track coach Traneisha Allen (center) is flanked by members of her three relay squads.

Allen forming elite relays at Aldine Davis region,” Allen said. “We have no room for error at the area meet, the regional meet or the state meet.”

Allen lost two seniors to graduation a year ago. Two raneisha Allen has a good idea of how to put key returning members include junior sprinters Shauntezz together successful high school relay units.

Marie Austin (100, 200, 4x100, 4x200, 4x400) and KenayThe Aldine Davis High School head girls’ sia Dixon (200, 4x100, 4x200, 4x400). “Both of them bring track and field coach ran relays at Worthing back a lot of speed and they’re getting stronger,” Allen said.

High School under highly-regarded coach “I’ve kind of put them through a wringer this year Porter Robinson. Allen went on to compete collegiately at and as a result both of them are more mature and more Prairie View A&M University. focused,” Allen said. “They’ve taken that step to become Last year Allen had the Davis girls on the cusp of earn- the leaders on the team.” ing both regional and state meet berths in the program’s first Other key members of the Davis relay foursomes inyear of varsity competition. In 2016 Aldine Davis is again clude sophomore Mikayla McLaughlin (100, 4x100, 4x200, serving notice that the girls’ 4x400), Evette Griffin varsity track program is a (200, 4x200, 4x400), defendernetwork.com force to be reckoned with not Mya Lloyd (4x100, Find out which basketball player only now but in the foresee4x400) and Tesha Lane attained “rock star” status able future.

(400, 4x400).

At the Dave Bethany “McLaughlin won Relays Davis posted some of the best times in the Houston the 200-meter dash for our junior varsity at the district meet area in all three relays, including 4x100 (46.98), 4x200 last year so she’s definitely a standout up-and-comer,” Allen (1:37.30) and the 4x400 (3:53.00). Under windy condisaid. “She’s got a great work ethic and never complains. tions at the ultra competitive Texas Southern Relays, Davis She’s taken over the role of one of the seniors that we lost ranked among the top schools in the 4x100 (48.17) and and just rolling with it.”

4x200 (1:42.41) while slipping to seventh place in the mile Allen said she’s looking for certain traits in studentrelay (4:07.46). athletes when assembling her relays.

“Region III-6A is extremely tough to get out of,” Allen “First and foremost I’m looking for kids with leadersaid. “We’re in the hottest division of the hottest region ship skills and obviously blessed with speed,” Allen said. hands down. When we get out of our district meet we run “They have to be able to deal with the pressure of comdirectly into the Cy-Fair school district for the area meet. peting against other good teams. They have to be willing After the area meet we run into Cy-Fair, Alief and Fort to put the work in to get better.

Bend at the regional meet.

“Right now everybody is healthy and continuing to “There is no let-up. It’s extremely hot. If you make it P.R. which is great,” Allen said. “We’re working on the out of Region III, you’re literally running yourself out of the technicalities as we approach the district meet.”

T

By DARRELL K. ARDISON Defender

For the first time, the National Football League publicly acknowledged a connection between football and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the brain disorder better known as CTE. Speaking before the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce, Jeff Miller, the NFL’s senior vice president of health and safety policy, acknowledged the connection. The NFL has avoided the issue for years, deferring it to the medical community’s findings on the matter. A federal judge approved a class-action suit between the NFL and thousands of former players in 2015.

The settlement provides up to $5 million per retired player for serious medical conditions associated with repeated head trauma. However, lawsuits could be less likely in the future because of the acknowledgement. Not isolated to football, athletes from the NHL, soccer, MLB and professional wrestling have been diagnosed with CTE.

Girls’ showcase on tap The Houston Choice Select Girls Basketball Showcase, sponsored by the Houston Coaches Association, is set for April 23 at 8 a.m. at Fonde Recreation Center, 110 Sabine. It is open to seniors (Class of 2016) and juniors (Class of 2017).

The camp includes 2015-16 NCAA guideline information, player profiles, skills and drills evaluation along with performance competition games. The deadline to submit registration forms is April 8. For more information contact Leslie Harris at 713-556-6924, 713-556-6913 or lharris13@houstonisd.org.

Fox tops all-state squads Cypress Lakes guard De’Aaron Fox tops the Houston area selections named to the Texas Association of Basketball Coaches all-state squads.

Fox led his team to three consecutive berths in the regional tournament and is headed for the University of Kentucky after he participates in the McDonald’s All-American game next month.

Atascocita senior guard Carsen Edwards, who led his team to the Class 6A state championship game, joins Fox on the squad. Sam Houston sophomore Kendrick Davis was also named to the Class 6A team along with Royce Hamm of Aldine Davis, Cedrick Aley of Klein Forest, Jay Jay Chandler of Cinco Ranch and Alex Hobbs of La Porte. In the Class 6A girls division, North Shore’s Chasity Patterson, Dekaney’s Jaelyn Richard-Harris and Crosby’s Shannon Jones all led their respective schools to the state basketball tournament. Yates senior guard Jacob Young was named to the Class 5A all-state team. Wheatley’s Eryka Sidney made the Class 4A all-state team.

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Happening in Houston For event coverage email: events@defendermediagroup.com

topevents

KASHMERE FORMER ATHLETES ASSOCIATION……..The Kashmere Former soloist Ayonna Brackins. Honorees included Shari Bihms, Melodie Kent-Blackwood, Athletes Association recently held its third annual Gala Scholarship Banquet at Brady’s Christopher Cerf, Crystal Cunigan, Michael Davis, Monica Gordon, Dr. H.P. Hyder Landing. This year theme is “Together We Can Save Ram Land.” Senior Minister Timothy III, Tiffany Ipigbhe, Crystal Jackson, Nakia Jackson, Shanterakia Johnson, Kendra Daniels of Trinity Gardens Church of Christ was the keynote speaker and Pastor Kirbyjon Lee, Tasha Lee, Dr. Carlos Phillips II, Dr. Said Sewell, Talor Stokes, Mariel Thomas, Caldwell of Windsor Village United Methodist Church served as master of ceremonies.

Yaneka Walker, Tyra Wilkins and Cheryl White……..HOPE THROUGH GRACE Guest enjoyed dinner and live entertainment featuring Johnny Reason, an original member 5K WALK/RUN……..Hope Through Grace Inc. held its 11th Annual 5K Run/Walkof the renowned Kashmere Stage Band (1968-70). Those in attendance A-Thon at the Tom Bass Regional Park III. The walk aligns with the included Tom Hendricks, Robert Gaston, Van Sampson, Raynard organization’s mission in eliminating colon cancer through prevention, Defender TOP EVENTS Sampson, Claude Cummings, Ruth Cummings, Willie Skillern, early detection and awareness. Hope Through Grace envisions a More photos on defendernetwork.com Mike Felder, Carl Belcher, James Tillmon, Johnny Harrison and community and a society in which the incidence and the mortality See Events on KTRK Ch.13’s ‘Crossroads’ rates of colorectal cancer are diminished and ultimately eradicated. a host of other Kashmere High School alumni……..NATIONAL with Melanie Lawson Sunday Morning @ 5:30 and 11:30 a.m.

The Memory Walk path is lined with the names of those celebrating WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT BREAKFAST…….. survivorship and those who lost their battle against any form of cancer, The Houston Northwest Chapter of the National Women of not just colorectal cancer. Those who participated included Dr. Grace Butler, Earnest Achievement Inco. (NWOA) presented their Profiles of Prominence Annual Scholarship Goodrich, Ida Hobdy, Frankie Watson, David Taylor, Frankie Dillard, Terrence Hobdy, Breakfast at Brady’s Landing. NWOA recognized successful, young professionals in the Shayna Lee, Lonnie Hall, Raigan Paris, Christian Jones and Hannah Johannes.

“This Is How We Do It” themed event. An inspirational vocal tribute was performed by

Van Sampson, Raynard Sampson, Claude Cummings, Ruth Cummings

Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell

Jodie Oliphant, Shari Bihms, Rosetta Cerf

Raigan Paris, Christian Jones, Hannah Johannes

Dr. Phillip Kent, Jai Lynn Blackwood

Willie Skillern, Mike Felder, Carl Belcher, Russel Charles, Tim Daniels

Destiny Moore, Sheila Collins-Smalls, Mardie Hawkins, Nicholas Abraham

Earnest Goodrich, Ida Hobdy, David Taylor, Dr. Grace Butler

Shayna Lee, Lonnie Hall

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