If you know nothing about the tsunami of protests sweeping across college campuses nationwide, or all that you’ve heard paints the protesters as violent, radical, anti-semites, you’ve got a mainstream media matrix to thank – where 90% of all local news outlets (TV and print) and cable news stations are owned by six lily white corporations. But thanks to social media, there are some important lessons we can glean from what’s really going down. 1) Te sickening predictability of some folk to label any criticism of Israel or any recognition of the humanity of the 30,000-plus (and counting) Palestinians who’ve been killed, as “anti-semitic;” 2) the power wielded by activists; 3) young folk are waking to injustices beyond the genocide in Palestine and to anti-democratic forces operating all around us; 4) it’s our tax dollars funding wars and oppression that we don’t want; 5) the consistent push by some for apartheid-level dominance over people of color, whether in South Africa, the US or Palestine; and 6) when the “powers that be” feel threatened they’ll treat mainly privileged, white and Asian college kids and faculty like Black Lives Matter protesters (i.e. with all levels of brutality), for merely peacefully protesting. Tere’s a Great Awakening happening that extends far beyond the Gaza Strip, and it’s calling for respect for and protection of our collective humanity. Powers that be, beware.
magnetic charm. But most folk miss the fact that Parker helped save the WNBA. Afer the league was founded in 1996 and those mighty Houston Comets won the league’s frst four titles, bringing attention and eyes to the game, there was a period when the WNBA teetered on folding. Hell, the two WNBA teams Dawn Staley played for (Charlotte Sting and Houston Comets) don’t even exist anymore. But thanks in large part to the magnifcence of Parker, the WNBA persevered and now stands on the verge of blowing up. And when it does, and becomes more popular and proftable than the NBA and NFL, I hope someone remembers none of that would be possible without Candace Parker.
While many in the women’s hoop world are celebrating the Caitlin Clark Coronation, can we take a moment to appreciate the greatness of the now-retired WNBA great Candace Parker? Parker was/is a winner on and of the court. Between the lines, at every level, she delivered: two-time NCAA national champion (Tennessee Volunteers), three-time WNBA champion with three diferent teams, WNBA Rookie of the Year, twotime league MVP, and two-time Olympic gold medalist. Tis sister from the Chi let her superstar light shine while hooping, serving community or “serving” her teammates on “Te NBA on TNT” with her pinpoint analysis, unmistakable class and
Author/economist Michael Harriot and Pan-African thought leader Dr. Greg Carr made the airtight case that whenever Black people fought in a U.S. war, we weren’t fghting for any particular side. Hell, more Blacks fought with the British during the Revolutionary War than with the “American” forces. Rather, Black soldiers fought for Black people – for the side they thought gave us the best shot at freedom. Conscious media icon Tifany Cross made a similar point when challenging the idea that Blacks have a “slavish” devotion to the Democratic Party. Cross contends Blacks have always voted to mitigate harm and violence from whites; voting for the party or candidate we believe will do us the least harm. And it’s less about voting for the “lesser of two evils” than it is voting for a reality where we have higher odds at living while Black without getting beaten by cops, redlined out of wealth, or suppressed out of voting power. As we move closer to the November election, let’s vote using this same approach; the strategy mentioned by Wesley Snipes in “Passenger 57” –“Always bet on Black!”
ON THE WEB
• Rice’s Dr. Anthony Pinn pushes theological boundaries.
• Tips on how to spot fake news.
• Te Texans take care of business in the 2024 NFL Draf.
An investigation is underway after Arcola Mayor Fred Burton received a threatening package containing a noose and a letter demanding his withdrawal from the city’s upcoming mayoral election. Arcola is located in Fort Bend County, near Missouri City.
According to investigators, the package, labeled as “threatening,” included a paper bearing the message “Get out of the race now!!” alongside the noose. Authorities have urged anyone with information regarding the package to contact them at 281-431-5205.
Expressing the severity of the situation, the Arcola Police Department emphasized the seriousness of the threat and disclosed their request for FBI assistance in investigating the incident.
Mayor Burton has yet to provide a comment regarding the matter.
Tis unsettling occurrence comes amidst a backdrop of heightened tensions in Arcola. Mayor Burton has faced criticism for his attempts to remove a city councilwoman, leading to a lawsuit against him. Additionally, questions have arisen concerning his use of a private Facebook group
to disseminate information to residents.
Adding to the complexity, Mayor Burton is seeking reelection for a third term, with Dr. Veeda Williams as his primary opponent. Recent social media activity further stirred controversy when a video, allegedly posted by Mayor Burton, depicted Williams’ campaign fyer being set on fre before being removed.
Responding to the latest development, Williams expressed skepticism regarding the authenticity of the package in a Facebook post. She raised concerns about potential staging, given the contentious nature of the election campaign.
Williams has demanded transparency, called for DNA testing of the package, and questioned the acceptance of the suspicious delivery, noting discrepancies in the return address, which purportedly originates from a non-existent P.O. box in “Scanton, Penn.”
In acknowledgment of the concerns raised, Arcola Police Chief Arika Carr-Bryant assured the public that the department is thoroughly investigating the matter. While acknowledging inconsistencies with the package, Chief Carr-Bryant clarifed that city policies and procedures were not breached in receiving it.
By Aswad Walker
When it comes to road rage, Houston is king –and not just in the Lone Star State. Houston has more road rage incidents than any other city in the nation.
Texas has 741 such cases from 2014 – 2023. H-Town accounted for nearly 30% of those incidents, or 215 cases. Incredibly, 207 people were killed or wounded in those incidents according to data provided by Gun Violence Archive, a local nonproft. One of the main causes of those deaths has been gun violence. In 72% of those 741 cases, or 530, someone was shot.
For perspective, Florida, which is rightfully viewed as ground zero for crazy, violent behavior among America’s 50 states, only sufered 488 road rage cases during that same 10-year period.
Making matters worse, Houston was number one in this horrifc category by far, doubling the number of road rage incidents reported by the second-place city, Memphis.
Nationally, road rage incidents, especially those involving guns have doubled in the last decade
(2014 – 2023) to a staggering 3,095. Worse still, 777 individuals were killed in those incidents. Tat’s a 25% clip according to the nonproft newsroom Te Trace.
Even more troubling, as if the doubling of road rage cases weren’t enough, the number of persons killed or injured in those incidents have increased by fve times.
Some suspect Texas’s increasingly lax gun control laws, along with a nation whose citizens seem more frustrated, stressed and on edge than ever, as the potential drivers to this explosion of statewide road rage.
According to multiple medical studies, the afer efects of the COVID-19 pandemic – impacts still not fully known – could play a part, as symptoms of anxiety and depression increased during the pandemic, especially among individuals in households experiencing job loss.
Whatever the reasons, no one has been able to identify why Houston is leading in road rage incidents. Bayou City drivers are cautioned to travel under high alert.
President Joe Biden’s upcoming commencement address at Morehouse College has ignited controversy among students and alums, even as the twice-impeached and four-times indicted former President Donald Trump faced new legal challenges in Michigan and Arizona.
Morehouse College students recently gathered to protest the college’s decision to invite Biden to deliver the commencement address next month. The dissatisfaction extends beyond the student body, with alums and ofcials from Morehouse, Spelman, and Clark Atlanta University urging the college to rescind its invitation.
In a letter, concerned alums criticized Biden’s role in a recent foreign aid package, which included funding for Israel’s confict with Hamas. Te
If the college cannot afrm this noble tradition of justice by rescinding its invitation to President Biden, then the college should reconsider its attachment to Dr. King.”
letter highlighted the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, condemning Biden’s leadership as contributing to the deaths of over 34,000 Palestinians.
Te alumni called on Morehouse to stand against injustice and not allow its platform to be used to “launder consent for genocide.”
Faculty members from the three Atlanta institutions expressed similar concerns, questioning the decision to invite Biden to a historically Black college, especially given Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s legacy as an advocate for social justice.
“Like any group of alumni of any college or university, political and ethical commitments among us are not unanimous,” the alum wrote. “Tere are many among us, however, who stand on the prophetic vision of our most famous alumnus, who said in 1967 that war is a hell that diminishes us all as human beings, and that our moral conscience compels us to speak out against it.”
Te letter continued: “In inviting President Biden to campus, the college afrms a cruel standard that complicity in genocide merits no sanction from the institution that produced one of the towering advocates for non-violence of the twentieth century in Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. If the college cannot afrm this noble tradition of justice by rescinding its invitation to President Biden, then the college should reconsider its attachment to Dr. King.
Defender News Service
Prosecutors in Texas asked the state’s highest criminal appeals court to reverse a ruling that overturned a Fort Worth woman’s voter fraud conviction and fiveyear prison term for casting an illegal provisional ballot.
Last month, Crystal Mason’s illegal voting conviction was overturned by the Second Court of Appeals. Now the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Ofce is asking the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to reverse that ruling.
that the request for further review of Mason’s case was “disappointing,” but they were “confdent that justice will ultimately prevail.”
“Nobody wins in this. Not our precious brothers on campus, who are most certainly being used as a step stool for President Biden’s political ambitions. Not faculty, who are already up against institutional pressures to remain silent. And certainly not Palestinians, who, lest we forget, are the reason students and many faculty are protesting in the frst place. We, a group of concerned alumni, believe the college ought to do its part in stopping this genocide by refusing to give President Biden a platform and by divesting from all companies that do business with Israel.
“Should the college continue down this course, we urge our fellow brothers across the Morehouse community to make your dissent known. We urge our community to recall the lesson we all heard over the course of our time at the college, which is that the bells toll for our moral leadership. Justice compels us to work to bring this genocide and brutal occupation to an end.”
Biden’s foreign policy decisions, particularly concerning the Israel-Hamas conflict, have sparked protests on university campuses nationwide. Biden recently signed a $95 billion war aid measure, allocating approximately $26 billion for Israel and $1 billion in humanitarian relief for Palestinians in Gaza. Despite calls for a ceasefre, Biden emphasized the need for Israel to ensure the swif delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza.
Mason, a former tax preparer, was convicted in 2018 of illegal voting in district court. Prosecutors maintained that Mason read and signed an afdavit accompanying the provisional ballot afrming that she had “fully completed” her sentence if convicted of a felony.
But the Second Court of Appeals ruled that even if she read the words on the afdavit, she may not have known that being on probation for a previous felony conviction lef her ineligible to vote in 2016.
Tommy Buser-Clancy, an attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas, which has been one of Mason’s representatives in the case, said in a statement
“The court of appeals’ decision was well reasoned and correct. It is time to give Ms. Mason peace with her family,” Buser-Clancy said.
The ACLU of Texas said Mason wasn’t doing interviews.
Mason’s long sentence made both state Republican and Democratic lawmakers uneasy. In 2021, afer passing a new voting law measure over Democrats’ objections, the GOP-controlled state House approved a resolution stating that “a person should not be criminally incarcerated for making an innocent mistake.”
Texas is among dozens of states that prevent felons from voting even afer they leave prison.
RE:WhyIvotednoonTheIsraelSecuritySupplemental AppropriationsActof2024
Progenitor of Aug 20th as Slavery Remembrance Day Scion of Africans Enslaved in America
A new policy in the Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) has sparked outrage among some parents and students, particularly at predominantly Black schools.
The policy, voted on in 2019, went into effect this year and allows students who have never attended a particular campus to be ranked according to the school they are zoned to based on their home address. That means if a student chooses to attend one of the district’s nine programs of choice at the high school level, their class rank will be calculated by comparing them to students that attend the campus they are zoned to attend, rather than comparing them to students at the school or program where they actually take classes.
How can you be #1 at a school you never attended?
In 2019, then-Superintendent Charles Dupre and trustees said they needed to find a more equitable way to rank high school students at campuses that had school-choice programs. Texas universities offer automatic admission to any student who graduates in the Top 10% of their class. Since school choice programs/academies (similar to magnet programs) were introduced in the district, Dupre said academy students were the majority of top 10% grads at these schools, leaving other students out.
To address the discrepancies, the board at the time decided to base high schoolers’ class rankings on how they perform relative to their peers at their zoned school, even if they never set foot on their home campus. Those students are considered “dual enrolled.” At the time, parents and community members expressed concern that come 2024, the policy would hit Black schools the hardest, especially since many grants, scholarships and automatic college placements use rankings in their decisions.
“Charles Dupre didn’t see it as an issue then. And now that 2024 is here, he is gone and our students are left to deal with the very issue we told them would be a problem,” said parent Asha Martin.
Black, Brown students affected
The new policy means that students who attend predominantly Black schools, like Thurgood Marshall and Willowridge, are finding their rankings lowered because of the change. In fact, four of FBISD’s eleven valedictorians actually attend Dulles High School, and two
took the number one spot at Willowridge and Marshall (two of the three predominantly Black schools in the district).
“The real valedictorian at Marshall High School, who is Black and attends the school, was already heartbroken to find she had been pushed to number two. Then, she found out she was actually number 48 at Elkins, based on the new policy. That’s a big difference, from the scholarships and merits that she would’ve gotten, to the honor it was for her family. Not to mention how she has sacrificed and worked so very hard for four years at Marshall,” said Stephanie Brown, a concerned parent and community activist. “The #3 position at Marshall has been taken by a student who spent all four years at Ridgepoint.”
The district has not yet released its complete list of Valedictorians and Salutatorians for 2024, but several schools have posted congratulatory messages to the students. Parents
Meanwhile, our children don’t have that luxury, they navigate their campuses with pride….only to be knocked down by this policy,” said Martin.
Parents moving into districts to give their child an upper hand is nothing new. But in the past, those students still had to attend the school. Now, not only do the Valedictorians get to choose what school they want to grad uate with (which will most likely be with the kids they know), but they get to just “take the ranking without any obligation to the school to which they are zoned,” Martin added.
say they have no issues with non-Black students who actually attend the schools taking the top honors, but it’s disheartening when that student has never set foot on campus.
“These kids never walk the halls of a school for four years and can come back and claim Valedictorian at a school where kids have worked hard for four years,” Brown said. Brown’s sentiments echo the frustration felt by many parents and students, as they highlight the disparity in the schools, noting that students from schools with more resources, such as Dulles High School, have an unfair advantage due to access to weighted courses like AP and dual credit programs, as well as specialized academies.
“I’m not going to say that our kids are not smart enough to get the top position. We just don’t have the same opportunities as far as course selections. The curriculum is not the same. They don’t have the same weighted
classes to offer at these schools, and it’s just not the same race that they are running in to be able to come back and take that away from the kids that have worked so hard at their community schools. There is no way a Marshall student can compete with that inequity. These are two separate races,” Brown said.
The policy change has broader implications beyond graduation honors. It affects students’ rankings, including the top 10% who have automatic admissions to colleges and universities, scholarships, and more.
“My heart goes out to all the students and families this policy has affected,” said Brown. “It will affect all students’ rankings.”
Gaming the system
School board officials, who would not speak on the record, say the current board, under the direction of president Judy Dae, has reversed the 2019 policy, but the reversal won’t go into
As the community grapples with the fallout from this policy change, questions linger about fairness, equity, and the impact on future graduating classes.
“I realize that this is not the fault of the students who are Valedictorians and I take nothing away from their academic success, however, they should be ranked at the school their parents chose for them to attend for four years, not where they claim to be zoned. This loophole is going to definitely change the end results for students all over the district,” Brown said.
effect until 2028. Dae was a vocal opponent of the 2019 policy. Parents question why the policy can’t be changed immediately but board members say they have to allow time for the students who were subject to the 2019 change to graduate.
One board member says the biggest issue now is that parents are taking advantage of the 2019 policy. The original decision was an effort to balance the scales in the district and has now become problematic because people have found a way to cheat the system.
“You have parents buying a home in these impoverished neighborhoods, some not even living in them, but using the address so their child can be zoned to a lower-performing school. Then they send their child over to one of the ‘better’ schools, then reap the ranking benefits without ever having to deal with the day-to-day inadequacies at their zoned school.
The ranking policy has now been changed under the current board, but the change will not go into effect until 2028. As of now, the 2019 changes will apply to the next three graduating classes due to the former administration’s recommendation that there be no change to class ranking for students who had already made high school decisions (meaning current 8th graders who had already chosen academies, chosen classes, etc.) before the policy was changed. Meanwhile, the district has made no plans to change the policy and responded to our request for a comment with a statement, reconfirming the district’s policy, “Currently, class rank for high school students is established based on the campus where a student is zoned,” they said.
They
just take the ranking without any obligation to the school to which they are zoned.”
Many listeners have been left feeling overwhelmed by the abundance of options when navigating the relationship podcast scene. Far too many obstacles in the area are similar to the content. Numerous podcasts on dating and relationships unintentionally fuel gender divisions within the Black community by promoting repressive and absurd ideas about women’s roles in partnerships.
Then came Dallas Relationship Guru Laterras R. Whitfield, who hosts the wildly successful podcast, “Dear Future Wifey.” The platform emerged as a profound response to Whitfield’s personal journey, particularly his experience with divorce. The lessons learned from that chapter, coupled with a deep desire for self-discovery, resonated powerfully with audiences, especially amidst the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.
He created the podcast to position himself to find his wife. Whitfield’s authenticity, vulnerability, and commitment to fostering meaningful connections shine through as he shares his wisdom on love, relationships, and the importance of genuine, intentional dating from his perspective as a man.
Not only did he buy his dream home to prepare for his future wife, he also started writing love letters in search of her, along with writing the lyrics to his new love song titled “You.”
The Defender spoke with Whitfield to share his experiences with healing in the public sphere and ways Black men [and women] can be more intentional with their dating experiences.
DEFENDER: Dear Future Wifey Podcast was created after your divorce.
Laterras R. Whitfield: The Dear Future Wifey podcast has evolved to the point of blowing my mind. I get emails and DMs from people all over the world. It’s one of the top podcasts in the relationship category in the world. I never even thought that that was even attainable. Didn’t even know how even to try to attain that goal. I’ve gotten emails from people saying that it has helped them to believe in love again, it has helped them to heal from their past marriages, or even better, people that are married couples watch it to help heal some unmentionables that they’ve experienced in their marriage. That’s been quite enlightening. I got an email where a couple said they were on the brink of divorce, and watching the podcast together, helped them to strengthen their marriage and take divorce off the table.
DEFENDER: What red flags did you find in yourself during your previous marriage that you overlooked after the divorce?
Whitfield: I was overlooking the fact that I was the red flag. So the reality was that the greatest thing you can do is internalize looking at yourself in the mirror. I always say that I never knew the real meaning of that Michael Jackson song, “I’m Looking at the Man in the Mirror.” I grew up listening to that song, but I didn’t know what that meant. When you’re looking at the man in the mirror and then asking him to change his ways, that’s what became real for me. I said I realized I was a part of the big problems. Most of the time, when you’re going through many painful situations, you tend to point the finger at the other person. If I had created the space for my wife
to thrive, then I could have cultivated the best version of her that would, in turn, bring out the best version of me. And I always put the onus on the guy. As a man, I should have been able to create a safe space for my wife and the things that I didn’t prefer about her, if I cultivated that space properly, then I would’ve created safety for her to express who she really was.
What has itbeenlikehealingout loudinpublic?
Whitfield: I want to help more people. The reason why I decided to heal publicly is because I wanted to be what I wished I had when I was married. What I mean by that is to provide a reference for people who could be transparent and honest about the struggle of marriage and the struggle within themselves to improve. My whole thing was that you know what? I can’t be the only one going through this stuff. I said I can’t be the only man who ever cheated. So if I could be a voice for guys that have mismanaged the hearts of a woman and let them know that, first, you gotta take accountability, you gotta raise the level of integrity that you have. Because I realized that I had integrity issues during that time. And so I said, you know what? I am going to be what I desired I wanted. I wish that when I was struggling in my marriage, especially in the body of Christ, people could be open, honest, and transparent and say, Hey, listen, this is our struggle. I want to model the path
Long before the classic movie “Love Jones” initiated a “re-birth” of Blackfolk’s appreciation for poetry and the modern-day spoken word movement, our people used the rhyme and rhythm of poetic verses to voice complex emotions and experiences during times of tragedy and triumph, and everything in between.
Whether during the civil rights and Black Power movements of the 60s, the seemingly forgotten Civil Rights movement of the 40s, the New Negro Movement (Harlem Renaissance) of the 1920s or well before, Black poetry has been a critical tool in our fight for equality and justice in America and beyond.
Over the years, Houston has been a hotbed of ginormous poetic talents, including but not limited to Se7en, Deborah D.E.E.P. Mouton, Sunni Paterson and Joe P. And the Bayou City is still churning out sisters and brothers abundantly blessed with the gift of flow.
Here are just a few.
Bean, a former Hous ton Poet Laureate (official poetry ambassador), is the head coach of Metaphor Houston, a youth poetry fellowship and poetry slam team that competes locally and nationally. He views poetry as an art form Black people need.
“Art is political. It is a timestamp of what’s going on and of the feeling of what’s going on of that time. We’re not here forever, but it is somewhat of a timestamp. It is something of like, ‘Yo, this is a moment. This happened. This is something that will be here. And this is what someone had to say about it.’ Black people should care about poetry. I think everyone should, because potry can help you understand human fallacy or human ideas and expressions just a little bit easier.”
AVALON HOGANS
on inspiring youth and addressing societal issues through her words.
Hogans describes her style of poetry as personal, but also related to social justice.
Hogans came on the scene as a teenage activist, writer and the city’s sixth Houston Youth Poet Laureate (HYPL), serving her term from 2021 to 2022.
As part of her HYPL duties she collaborated with Houston’s fifth Poet Laurate, Emanuelee “Outspoken” Bean, to implement a civic engagement project focused
“Just like my idols Audrey Lorde and Nikki Giovanni, it really starts from a place of self. I started writing about myself, my experiences and connecting it to larger ideas such as racism, sexism, misogyny and homophobia. Once I did that, I noticed crowds getting more interested in them. I performed my pieces at rallies, protests, and events that promote the same themes and ideas that I wrote in my own work.”
Read more about these amazing poets, including what inspires them.
Brown became the city’s sixth poet laurate and the youngest to be chosen at 25 years old. Prior to taking that title, the University of Houston alum had already established herself as a force in the creative writing space, ranking #2 at the 2023 Womxn of the World Poetry Slam. She also won the 2022 Imprint Mar ion Barthelme Prize in Creative Writing for Students with Service to the Houston Literary Community and serves as the Narrative Change and Media Manager at Houston in Action.
and my professor told me I can study this on the grad level. And that’s when I knew that this is more than a side hobby.”
Garfield, an accomplished educator and healthcare professional, and host of All Real Radio’s (www.AllRealRadio.com) show/podcast “Word Bender,” is also known in these Houston streets as a poetic force.
Brown, whose two-year term will end in April 2025, began scripting verses at age 10.
“But it wasn’t until 2018 that I understood this was something I could do for a living. That’s the moment when I joined Coug Slam at UH, and I started studying creative writing
“Poetry is important to me because it is a productive way to take a break from technical writing,” said Garfield, whose stage name is Mami Wata Flow. “The writing for my job duties can be very dense and complicated. It’s a linear process. Poetry, however, is… unpredictable and emotional… but still a systematic narrative, and I love it.”
Prairie View freshman infielder Trenton Bush went 2-for-3 with a home run and 4 RBI during the Panthers’ 9-7 win over Southern.
As expected, the Texans went into the NFL Draft with the plan to address a need at cornerback, while also drafting for depth and the future on the defensive side of the football and on the offensive line with their nine picks between the second and seventh rounds. They came away with Georgia cornerback Kamari Lassiter (No.42) and Notre Dame offensive tackle Blake Fisher (No.59) in the second round, USC safety Calen Bullock (No. 78) in the third round, Ohio State tight end Cade Stover (No.123) in the fourth round, Oregon linebacker Jamal Hill (No. 188) and Louisville running back Jawhar Jordan (No. 206) in the sixth round, and USC edge rusher Solomon Boyd (No. 238), Auburn defensive tackle Marcus Harris (no.247) and Michigan offensive guard LaDarius Henderson (No. 249) in the seventh round. “We’re very excited about all the guys we brought in,” said Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans. “Feel like all these guys are quality players that add to the depth, add to the competition of our team.”
Texas Southern has rewarded men’s basketball coach Johnny Jones with a three-year contract extension after his success leading the program. The TSU Board of Regents approved the deal that keeps Jones on the Tigers sidelines through the 2029 season. Since taking over at TSU in 2018, Jones has guided the Tigers to five straight postseason tournaments (3 NCAA and 2 CIT) and they have recorded five postseason wins during this run. “Coach Jones has done an outstanding job in maintaining and enhancing the tradition of the men’s basketball program at TSU,” said TSU athletic director Kevin Granger. “Since arriving at TSU six years ago, the college basketball landscape has evolved quickly, and Coach Jones has successfully navigated TSU through these changes both on-andoff the court and has us well-positioned to remain as one of the top programs in the SWAC and region.”
meters.
Prairie View sophomore softball player Caidence Martin talks about life and her playing career from the perspective of a higher purpose.
“Every breath I take and every action I make on the field is just about Him,” she reflected recently while sitting in the stands of Prairie View’s softball stadium. “If I make a wrong action, I try to reflect on it to see how I could have been better for my team and for myself and for my faith.”
Martin’s deeper spiritual understanding was born as a result of a horrific and life-threatening event when she was one of three Prairie View students who were shot by stray bullets following an off-campus party in the early morning hours of Oct. 9, 2022.
It’s not lost on Martin how close she came to her life ending that night after she was found in a ditch near campus and had to be taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital via Life Flight.
“I really shouldn’t be here right now,” Martin said. “It’s a marvel but it’s also a blessing because it reminds me that faith and just trust will bring you long ways.”
This deeper understanding and stronger spiritual connection have driven Martin these past 18 months. It’s driven her back to school and campus, where the 4.0 biology major is continuing her career ambitions.
It’s also driven her back to the sport she loves, even when most thought playing softball would never be possible again. But Martin always knew she would be back playing.
The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) has tabbed Adolf Castillo as the Pitcher of the Week and Michael Goudeau as the Hitter of the Week. Both earned the honors after the team’s four-game sweep of Southern. Castillo pitched 10.2 innings in two games while picking up the 9-4 win on Sunday. He also struck out 10 Jaguar batters. Goudeau went 5-for-11 and had nine RBIs, with five runs including two homers.
Martin, who is on a full academic scholarship, spent the remainder of her freshman year taking classes online from her home in Pearland. She would sometimes catch a ride with her aunt back to campus to check on her teammates and secretly begin her comeback while working with the trainers to get stronger.
Martin returned to campus this academic year, but few people, including her parents, knew of her ambitions to get on the field again until earlier this year.
“Every day before practice, I just prayed and asked Him to give me the strength and to make me fearless and be a leader and be courageous on the field because I knew I was going to mess up when I came back,” she said.
limited action, hasn’t recorded a hit in seven at-bats but has a .667 fielding percentage.
But for Bland, Martin’s return this season is bigger than statistics. He was recently listening to Martin’s father lament about not being able to be there for his daughter on that night and that conjured up some old feelings for him, as well.
“I was dealing with that, too, because you sent your daughter here for me to look out for her,” Bland said. “It’s been a tough battle but to see her makes it easy. She doesn’t have any pity. She doesn’t pity herself. She is harder on herself than I would be.
“She is really trying hard to get back to where she was.”
“I don’t think I ever doubted that I would play again,” said Martin, who lost a kidney as a result of the shooting. “I always knew I was going to play again because I didn’t want to go out like that.
“I didn’t have any other practices except with the trainers and that’s not really… we’re just working on our muscles and everything.
“I just asked for His trust and His faith to help me through practice and my games.”
There is no doubt Martin will get back, considering all she had to overcome just to get to this point. But for now, she is just relishing being where she is, considering the circumstances back in October 2022.
“Even my surgeons and my doctors, they said that I had a very fast and quick recovery from what they would have imagined after everything I had went through.
“I never had doubt. I was ready to come back. I’m just trying to get to where I was.”
Even now while watching Martin work and continue to fight to get back to where she once was, Prairie View softball coach Vernon Bland marvels at her return.
Martin, who is playing backup at third base this season and has seen
“I love being out here,” Martin said. “I love being with my teammates, seeing everybody work and just seeing God work through us because we wouldn’t have this talent without Him, we wouldn’t be able to do anything without Him. So just being back with the team has been great.”
For the third straight year, North Forest senior Carde Moore is headed to the UIL 4A State track meet. Moore qualified after running 11.86 in the 100-meter and 24.71 in the 200-meter dash at the regional track meet.
“Carde is one heck of a runner. She is dedicated to her craft, confident and determined to give her all,” said North Forest track coach Clifton Terrell.
Moore is one of only four HISD athletes who has punched a ticket to the state meet.
Sean Armstrong who attends North Forest with Moore, is a sophomore and will be participating in the 400-meter dash. Kaleb Goodly, a senior at Houston Lamar, will be participating in the high jump. Laila Payne, a junior at Carnegie Vanguard, will be participating in both the 100-meter and 300-meter hurdles.
“It feels great because we all worked hard. I’m excited to compete in my last high school state track meet,” said Moore.
This final trip to state marks Moore’s third straight year going to state. After battling through injury her junior season, Moore took home the silver medal in the 100-meter dash with a time of 11.89 seconds. Now injury-free her entire senior season, Moore hopes to take home the gold medal in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.
“After my junior season, I allowed my body to rest, so I didn’t participate in summer track. I began training again in December and God blessed me this year to be injury-free. This allowed me to stay focused on my health and technique,” said Moore.
During her senior season, Moore became
the District, Area and Regional champion in both events.
“I might be small, but I pack a lot of punch when it comes down to running track,” said Moore.
Next season Moore will be attending Texas Southern University on a track scholarship where she will be competing in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dash.
“Texas Southern was the perfect fit for me because I enjoyed my visit. The team felt like family and I felt at home. Coach Pauline Banks was open and honest with how I should see things not just as an athlete but as a student as well,” said Moore.
When looking to inspire the next group of athletes to focus on their goals and continue pushing through tough times, Moore echoes the advice given to her by Coach Edwin Clark.
“We are here to work hard, run and win a state ring. It’s not over until we get it,” said Moore.
Class: 2024
IG: @cardedaabraat_
Races: 100-meter, 200-meter, 4x100-meter relay
Height & weight: 4-feet-11, 100 pounds
Runner she studies: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce
Status: Committed to Texas Southern University
Favorite artist: Future
Favorite subjects: English, science
Shout-outs: God, Mom, Dad, Coach Terell & Coach Clark
Houston has become the nation’s top foodie town and has proudly entered the conversation as a city of destination for Black tourists hungry for Houston’s diverse happenings – hosting every manner of sports championship events, organizational national conferences, show-stopping concerts and more.
But being the nation’s most diverse city hasn’t equated to being the nation’s most justice-centered city. Every manner of inequality and injustice continues to plague H-Town.
Luckily, there are plenty of grassroots, community-based organizations that aren’t sitting around “Waiting for Superman” to come in and save the day. This city is overflowing with ordinary people volunteering their time to do extraordinary things to help bend the moral arc of the universe toward justice for all.
If you’re looking for a place to volunteer your time and talents toward a worthy cause, here are five such organizations deserving of your time and attention. Please understand, there are way more than five. We’ll be highlighting plenty of others in the future. But for now, check these powerful movements out.
Provides holistic and client-centered representation to marginalized members of our community facing criminal charges. This includes the provision of expert criminal defense legal representation, social services, trauma-informed counseling, spiritual support, volunteer connections, and more. restoringjustice.org
Provides youth with cultural and life skills education, fitness and self-defense. Takes youth and adults on annual international trips to various parts of the Pan African world.
oursehah.org
Provide mobile showers, clothing, essential hygiene items, food and spiritual support with the goal of restoring self-worth, hope and dignity back into all those they serve. heartsofrescue.org
HarrisCntyFY24_Runoff_HstnDfndr02_9.75x6.333_ENG_f.pdf 1 4/26/24 1:39 PM
Seeks to empower, inspire and activate its members and community supporters
to champion restorative justice practices, equity in economic opportunities, and transformation to the criminal justice and economic structures of Harris County for the uplifting of marginalized individuals. purejustice.org
Through community-based programs, it provides a safe space for urban adolescent males between the ages of 12-17 to redefine their meaning of manhood. mufasaspride.org
