NEW OVERTIME PAY RULES WILL BENEFIT MILLIONS OF U.S. WORKERS P4
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LOCAL CHRISTINA CARTERWOODS honored as HISD teacher
P7 FEATURE EDDIE GLAUDE talks race in America
P11 HS ZONE LINDSEY STEWART plays baseball for Pearland
2016
STATE OF BLACK AMERICA H PAGE 8
P13 TOP EVENTS
Dr. Kathy Flanagan and Dr. C. Edward Coffey at Menninger Clinic luncheon
P15
Kathy Taylor releases single
Cameron Burrell runs for UH
Houston gospel artist Kathy Taylor is keeping in step with technology as she prepares to release her new single, “Right Now.” Find out when and where a cyber party and concert will be held. See why her latest recording will reach fans of all ages.
University of Houston track standout Cameron Burrell is keeping tradition alive. See why the UH program was one of the nation’s most dominant during the 1980s. Meet the impressive group of athletes that coach Leroy Burrell has assembled.
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DEFENDER | MAY 26 | 2016
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County commissioner race heating up
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By ASWAD WALKER Defender
he race to fill the County Commissioner Precinct 1 seat vacated by the death of El Franco Lee has entered the final stretch with June 25
as D-Day. At a meeting convened by the Harris Councilman Dwight Boykins State Sen. Rodney Ellis DeWayne Lark County Democratic Party (HCDP), a mixture of declared candidates and those potentially interested in filling the seat presented their cases before an open forum at the CWA Union Hall. The objective of the event was to provide county residents, and more specifically District 1 precinct chairs, the opportunity to hear directly from declared and potential candidates. Individuals interested in the seat who addressed the standing-room-only Commissioner Gene Locke Georgia Provost Rickey Tezino crowd included State Sen. Rodney Ellis, City Councilmember Dwight Boykins, services for seniors and youth. entrepreneur Georgia Provost, educator Rickey Boykins mentioned the note on NRG Stadium Tezino, activist DeWayne Lark and Commissioner as a major financial issue facing the next Precinct Gene Locke, who was appointed by County Judge 1 commissioner. Provost challenged all candidates Ed Emmett to fill Lee’s seat until the upcoming and attendees alike, stating that Harris County election. Democrats last had their fire when Ann Richards Though there seemed to be a divide between was governor, and that the HCDP was a white the candidates positioning themselves as male dominated group long overdue for new “unbought” outsiders and seasoned politicians, leadership. most were in agreement on the main issues that Tezino made the case for a new flood control will face Lee’s successor: flooding, equity in plan, naming himself the city’s flood czar. Lark funding across county districts, criminal justice declared himself to be the candidate most capable reform, coordination between the county and of speaking truth to power. Houston, adapting to the urbanization of the Ellis touted his decades of accomplishments county, and continuing Lee’s expanded social on the national and state level as an elected
official, while Locke declared himself a “workhorse, not a show horse” ready to build on his accomplishments of the past four months in the position. Numerous District 1 precinct chairs were present. With 125 elected District 1 precinct chairs, a quorum of 63 chairs is needed to determine the election outcome. “This race has such a huge impact because it’s for the only Democratic seat on the commissioner’s court,” said Precinct Chair Javon German. “The seat is very important, and this process shouldn’t be taken lightly.” “We must remember, we’re talking about El Franco Lee’s seat,” said Precinct Chair Arva Howard. “We must work to ensure there is Black representation among the county commissioners.” The next important date in the process is June 25, when the executive committee meets, and precinct chairs vote to determine who will be the party’s candidate for the seat. The event is open to the public, but only Precinct 1 chairs who have been elected to their positions as of June 13 can vote. According to Gerry Birnberg, former HCDP chair, only individuals nominated by a precinct chair will be up for vote. If there is a run-off at the June 25 meeting, chairs will cast votes for the top two vote-getters that same day in order to emerge with a clear democratic candidate for the commissioner seat who will then be placed on the November ballot and run un-opposed. The winner of the June 25 vote will begin serving as Lee’s successor in January 2017. Until then, Locke will serve in the position.
localbriefs PRAIRIE VIEW A&M UNIVERSITY is among the best HBCUs in the country according to College Choice, which published its annual ranking of best historically Black colleges and universities. Spelman College in Atlanta tops the list, followed by Howard and Hampton University……..TEXAS HAS ADDED 189,600 JOBS over the past year. Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate increased to 4.4 percent in April, up slightly from 4.3 percent in March, and remained below the national average of 5.0 percent with the addition of 8,300 seasonally adjusted non-farm jobs. “Over the month, private employers added more than 8,000 jobs, strengthening the Texas labor market,” said
TWC Commissioner Representing Employers Ruth R. Hughs………TEXAS’ SCHOOL FINANCE SYSTEM CONSIDERS HISD wealthy, despite its high student poverty rate. HISD trustees recently met to discuss options for complying with the system’s requirement that HISD pay the state $165 million using local tax revenues. This comes despite the fact that three out of every four HISD students live in low-income households and nearly one-third arrive in Houston schools speaking English as a second language. Because of rising property values in the district, HISD is considered wealthy and must therefore send local tax dollars to the state. Some, but not all, of that money is
distributed to school districts with lower property values........CITING RECENT POLICE USE OF FORCE on students in Texas schools by school resource officers, nine advocacy organizations are calling on Gov. Greg Abbott to establish a task force to examine school policing issues in preparation for the 2017 legislative session and school year. The letter to the governor, signed by groups focused on children’s policy, civil rights, mental health and education, said, “We would like to work together to ensure all students are able to learn in safe school environments and school police have clearly defined roles and effective training.”
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DEFENDER | MAY 26 | 2016
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Overtime pay rules benefit U.S. workers
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ew rules for overtime pay were recently issued, raising the salary threshold from $23,660 to $47,476 and benefiting 12.5 million working people. Anyone who is paid less than $47,476 a year must be paid time-and-a-half for any hours they work over 40 hours in a week. According to sources, one reason Americans’ paychecks have not been keeping pace with their productivity is that millions of lower middle-class and even middle-class workers have been working overtime but not getting paid for it. The Department of Labor seeks to change this by updating the rule that requires employers to pay workers time-and-a-half if they work overtime. This change will create hundreds of thousands of jobs, extend overtime protections to millions of workers, reduce excessive hours of unpaid work by underpaid employees, and increase salaries for employees earning near the new threshold. The new rules will also: 1. Create jobs Many employers will hire additional workers instead of paying time-and-a-half to current employees. The new overtime threshold will create 120,000 jobs in the retail sector alone. 2. Extend overtime protections to millions of workers Increasing the threshold for overtime pay to $47,476 will give low- and middle-income families a big boost. • It will benefit 12.5 million workers by extending overtime eligibility to 4.9 million workers and making it easier for another 7.6 million workers who are already eligible for overtime to prove their eligibility. • The workers it will benefit the most include women, African-Americans, Latinos, workers under age 35, and workers with lower levels of education.
3. Reduce excessive hours of unpaid work Under the old rule, employees making as little as $23,660 a year who were classified by their employer as professionals, administrators, or executives – for example, an assistant manager at a fast-food restaurant – could be forced to work 60-70 hours a week for no more pay than if they worked 40 hours. The extra 2030 hours were completely free to the employer, so they scheduled the additional hours without restraint. Under the new rule, only employees earning at least $913 per week (in 2015 dollars), or $47,476 a year, can be denied overtime pay. Employers used to getting 20–30 free hours of work may respond to the new rule by becoming more efficient and assigning only hours that are truly needed. They may also choose to: • Pay time-anda-half to the “assistant manager” for all of those hours • Pay straight time (i.e., normal hourly pay) to a current hourly employee or to a new hire • Raise the salary of the “assistant manager” so it is above the new threshold (as is discussed below) 4. Increase salaries for employees earning near the new threshold Employers can still avoid paying for overtime if the employee earns at least the $47,476 salary threshold. Under the new rule, it could cost less to pay a salary at or above the threshold (say, $48,000) and assign 20 hours of “free” overtime than to pay below the threshold (say, $45,000) and pay for 20 extra hours per week at time-and-a-half pay. In other words, employers could respond to the new rule by raising the salaries of employees earning near the new threshold. Goldman Sachs, the National Retail Federation, and the National Association of Homebuilders all agree with the Department of Labor that employers will take this route of giving preemptive salary increases.
A JUDGE FOUND BALTIMORE police officer Edward Nero not guilty on all four charges for his role in the events leading up to the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray. Nero, 30, had been charged with seconddegree assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct in office, all stemming from his actions during the initial stop and arrest of Gray, who suffered a catastrophic spinal injury while in police custody. Gray died one week later on April 19, 2015, and his death sparked days of protests in Baltimore. Because Nero opted for a bench trial, Baltimore Circuit Court Judge Barry Williams decided his fate rather than a jury. Prosecutors had argued that Nero had no regard for Gray’s safety and was reckless by ignoring policing rules when he failed to place a seat belt on Gray, who was placed on his stomach in shackles in the back of a police transport vehicle……..SAN FRANCISCO POLICE CHIEF Greg Suhr resigned at the request of Mayor Ed Lee, several hours after a 27-year-old Black woman was shot and killed. The death is the latest in a string of incidents that has fueled accusations of racism against the city’s police department. The unidentified woman was killed when officers encountered her behind the wheel of a car that had been reportedly stolen. The woman crashed into a parked truck, where the officers opened the door of the suspected stolen car and tried to arrest her. During the altercation, an officer fired a single shot, killing the woman. Critics have been calling for Suhr’s resignation for several months over a series of racially charged incidents, including the shooting death of a young Black man, in December, and racist and homophobic text messages exchanged by officers. Toney Chaplin, who is Black, was named acting chief.
VOLUME 85 • NUMBER 30 MAY 26, 2016 Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler Digital Editor LaGloria Wheatfall Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila Proofer Maia Shelby
Editors Aswad Walker Marilyn Marshall Contributing Writers ReShonda Billingsley Jasemine Knowles Amber Vernon Sports Editors Max Edison Darrell K. Ardison
The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (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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MAY 26 | 2016 | DEFENDER
Houstonians get financially fit with Debt Boot Camp Capital One Bank and Windsor Village United Methodist Church recently celebrated the latest graduating class of the "Debt Boot Camp: How to Get Out, Stay Out and Become Financially Fit!" program. Begun in 2012, Debt Boot Camp is a free, first-of-its-kind program designed to walk participants through the process of becoming debt free and financially sound. Participants learn the importance of establishing savings while improving their credit. In addition to obtaining access to premium personal financial education at no cost, those who register for the program receive free one-on-one confidential financial counseling from experts from Money Management International, as well as coaching from local Capital One bankers. “Our goal with the Debt Boot Camp and programs like it is to take the mystery out of managing money wisely and to set individuals of all ages on the path to a life of fiscal responsibility and economic self-reliance," said Jim Nicholas, Houston market president for Capital One Bank. "The Windsor Village Church Family in partnering with Capital One Bank is pleased to offer a top notch, successfully proven program to persons interested in improving their financial situations," said Windsor Village Senior Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell. The next session of the Debt Boot Camp will begin in the fall. Classes are held at the Kingdom Builders' Center, 6011 W. Orem, once a month on Saturdays for nine months. For more information call 713-212 5222.
Houston Community College is among the top in the nation for preparing students for jobs and universities, and it is recognized as: #1 in awarding Associate Degrees to all minorities #1 for international student enrollment among U.S. community colleges #2 in awarding Associate Degrees to African American students #2 in awarding Associate Degrees to Hispanic students #4 in awarding Associate Degrees in all disciplines #5 in awarding Associate Degrees to Asian American students
Congratulations to our 2016 graduates for achieving your dreams. We are proud to call you alumni of Houston’s Community College.
Learn more at hccs.edu
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DEFENDER | MAY 26 | 2016 defendernetwork.com
entertainment
Taylor hosts cyber concert
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oday the music industry has changed with technology and Houston gospel artist Kathy Taylor is keeping in step as she prepares to release her new single, “Right Now.” Her music is described as “great church music that’s fresh” and Taylor admits she is “stretching” her musical muscles. “I am just trying to do the will of GOD concerning me and I believe this music will reach a broader scope of people because I’m going outside of my own boundaries to make it relevant today,” Taylor said. “This single will grab young and old, from the children to the grandparents and will catapult you to the next level.” The 35-year veteran of gospel music adds that the single written and produced with Lucious Hoskins is intended to “praise GOD because whatever your situation, you are able to work it out and he can do it 'Right Now.'" When asked to further expound on the message in the music, Taylor said, “The song is filled with a spirit of encouragement. The message is one that is needed especially with all the obstacles our children are going through, including peer pressure, the harsh job market, and a skyrocketing divorce rate. So many of us are living in the midst of an emergency, and we need to be empowered in GOD.” Taylor, an accomplished national recording artist, songwriter, producer and community organizer, is the walking embodiment of the term “minister of music.” She began her recording career as a soloist with the legendary James Cleveland’s Gospel Music of America and the Mass Choir. She was the featured vocalist on songs such as, “Anticipation,” “It’s Your Decision,” “He Did It” and “I Got My Joy Back.” Additionally, Taylor has performed before Queen Elizabeth, former President Bill Clinton, Senator Hillary
taking harmonies. They have graced the stage with many of today’s most renowned gospel artists, and have released three projects to date. The first two albums, “He’s Worthy” and “What Would It Profit Me to Gain the Whole World and Lose My Soul?” were produced by Taylor. The third album, “Taylormade,” was produced by Grammy Award-winning, legendary gospel music producer, Sanchez Harley. The collaboration produced a work Kathy Taylor Single that yielded a Stellar Award Release Cyber Party nomination. Taylor currently serves as w Sunday, May 29, 2016 minister of music at Wind@ 6 pm sor Village United Methodist w Buffalo Soldiers Church, the largest UMC in Museum, 3816 Caroline America. There, Taylor oversees a St., 77004 Music and Arts Department w Tickets $25 | VIP $100 comprised of over 1,200 volunteers and staff members. Taylor has instituted several innovative programs, including a Black History series featuring the sacred music of Duke Ellington, which was presented with a 36-piece orchestra, actors, and dancers. Taylor’s annual Worship and Arts Conference has brought together some of the foremost experts in the nation. “I’m so blessed to have a great pastor, Reverend Kirbyjon Caldwell, who empowers all of me to do and be all that I am,” she said. Well-known Houston gospel artist Kathy Taylor is holding a cyber party and concert in conjunction with the release of her new single. In addition, she is founder of Katco Arts Academy, a summer youth program committed to empowering socially and economically challenged youth. Clinton, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Rev. Jesse Look for another project on the horizon titled “Kathy Jackson, Cicely Tyson, Maya Angelou and many others. Taylor Live, The Worship Experience,” scheduled to debut Moreover, Taylor founded Kathy Taylor and Favor, in the fall 2016. a multi-talented singing ensemble known for their breath-
In concert
what’sup “ROOTS” is getting a remake. The historical miniseries will air over four nights starting on Memorial Day. It will be simulcast on the History, Lifetime and A&E channels, with a sprawling cast that includes LAURENCE FISHBURNE, FOREST WHITAKER, ANIKA NONI ROSE, ANNA PAQUIN, the rapper T.I. and the English newcomer MALACHI KIRBY as KUNTA KINTE, the central character. The revival aims to deliver a visceral punch of the past to a younger demographic, consumed anew by questions of race, inequality and heritage. With a crew of contemporary influencers — WILL PACKER (“Straight Outta Compton”) is a producer, along with LEVAR BURTON,
who began his career as the slave Kunta Kinte, and QUESTLOVE oversaw the music — the hope is to recontextualize “Roots” for the Black Lives Matter era, a solemn and exacting feat…….. OPRAH WINFREY and AVA DUVERNAY are behind new series on OWN. The dynamic duo who collaborated on the Oscar-nominated biopic, “Selma,” are producing the scripted drama series on Winfrey’s network. And, for the first time ever, Winfrey will have a recurring role on the series, “Queen Sugar,” the story of a woman living in Los Angeles who moves with her daughter to her father’s 800-acre sugar cane farm in Louisiana after his death. DuVernay will write and direct, and both
DuVernay and Winfrey will executive produce. This is not DuVernay’s first foray into television – she directed an episode of Shonda Rhimes’ primetime hit “Scandal” in 2013……….KTSU 90.9 FM will celebrate its history. On Thursday, June 16, the station will hold a reception and celebratory outdoor concert featuring local and national artists to recognize 45 years of broadcast excellence. Also on that day KTSU will roll out “The Kim Burrell Show,” a gospel community affairs program that marks yet another milestone for the radio station. The concert will be held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. behind TSU’s Sterling Student Life Center. Visit www.KTSUFM.org for info.
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HISD paid tribute to the district’s top elementary and secondary teachers of the year during the fifth annual Educators of the Year banquet, which honors exceptional teachers and principals. Hillary Smith, a fifth-grade reading teacher at DeAnda Elementary School, was named HISD Elementary Teacher of the Year, while Christina Carter-Woods, a seventh-grade reading teacher at Pershing Middle School, was named HISD Secondary Teacher of the Year. Smith and Carter-Woods each received a $3,500 cash award and an engraved plaque. They also will advance to the state’s regional Teacher of the Year competition. CarterWoods, who has been an educator for 12 years, believes that showing love to her students by Christina Carter-Woods providing them with a nurturing and positive learning environment has been critical to her success. “This year I made it a point to love on all my students — that includes loving their strengths, their weaknesses, and their parents,” Carter-Woods wrote in her award application. “An effective teacher does not simply teach and test the objectives. An effective teacher helps scholars understand, though they are 5only children, that they have an obligation to themselves to get better every day. In turn, they, the leaders and scholars, all grow together.” Nearly 2,000 teachers from all 283 HISD schools attended the sold-out event. The district also honored its 2016 Beginning Teachers of the Year with a $3,500 cash award. The winners are Morgan Greco of Herod Elementary School, Kapreece M. Smith of Dowling Middle School, and Elisa Michelle Infante of Lamar High School. Other winners include Fondren Elementary School’s Tracy W. Singleton, who was presented with a $1,000 cash prize as part of the Emily Scott Evans Award, which is given to a third-grade teacher known for encouraging students to be excited about learning and to respect peers and adults.
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DEFENDER | MAY 26 | 2016
cente
2016 National Urban League President and CEO Marc Morial said Black America needs a plan to move from poverty to prosperity.
National Urban League releases annual report By HAZEL TRICE EDNEY TriceEdneyWire.com
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eclaring that Black America is “locked out” of economic, social and educational equality, National Urban League President/CEO Marc Morial said in his recent State of Black America (SOBA) address that at least $1 trillion must be invested in urban communities in order to bring a semblance of justice. “As President Obama wraps up his final months as the nation’s first African-American president, we begin to assess the progress Black America has made under his administration,” Morial said. “How well has the nation recovered from the worst economic crisis it has seen in generations? How much closer to the goal of universal healthcare coverage has the Affordable Care Act – Obamacare – gotten us? “As President Obama himself said in his commencement address at Howard University, ‘My election did not create a post-racial society.’ Mr. President, you are right,” Morial said. “The 2016 National Urban League Equality Index tells an all too familiar story of persistent racial disparity in American life,” he continued. “Your presidency has made a difference, yet we cannot, in eight short years, eliminate America’s long-standing challenges around racial inequity.” An enthusiastic audience of hundreds packed into the Knight Studio in D.C.’s New-
seum in commemoration of the NUL’s 40th annual State of Black America. “With this milestone 40th anniversary…the National Urban League proposes a sweeping and decisive solution to the nation’s persistent social and economic disparities,” Morial said. “We call it the Main Street Marshall Plan: Moving from Poverty to Prosperity. This bold and strategic investment in America’s urban communities requires a multi-annual and multipronged commitment of $1 trillion over the next five years that would course correct our main streets.” To stress the urgency of the improvements, Morial gave the results of NUL’s 2016 Equality Index of Black America. He said the overall equality index for African-Americans currently stands at 72.2 percent, compared to the index standard of 100 percent for whites. Morial’s speech was punctuated with graphics, including a video to stress the pains experienced by African-Americans such as police killings of unarmed people. Another graphic was a photo of former NUL Executive Director Vernon Jordan, who served from 1971 to 1981. Morial referred back to four decades ago when Jordan rolled out the first SOBA. He quoted Jordan as saying: “'It is our hope that this document will pierce the dark veil of neglect that has thus far smothered efforts to right the wrongs of the past and the present. I hope that it will be read closely in the White House and in Congress that it will influence decision makers to open
STATE OF BLACK AMERICA
their eyes to the plight of Black Americans. “I hope it will be read by all the candidates in both political parties whose campaigns largely exhibit a refusal to grapple with the concerns of Black citizens. I urge Black people to educate themselves to the issues, to register, and to vote in the upcoming primaries and election. “For this election could be the most crucial in recent history for Black people. The implications of the mass impoverishment of Blacks and the massive assault on our newlywon rights demand that every Black vote be mobilized in defense of Black interests and aspirations.'” Morial concluded, "That was Vernon Jordan’s message to the next president. My message to the next president is this: The disparities are real. The conditions are tough. The times demand real leadership. Does our nation have the leadership and the will to confront yesterday’s problems, to forge a better tomorrow? And that is the State of Black America."
Solut
• Universal early • A federal living • A plan to fund • A new Main St minority-and-wo • Expansion of s • Expanded hom • Expansion of t • Targeted re-ent community-base • Doubling the P • Expansion of fi • Expansion of t • Establishment high unemploym • Affordable hig • Increased fede resource equity g
defendernetwork.com • Serving th
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tions for Black America
y childhood education g wage of $15 per hour, indexed to inflation comprehensive urban infrastructure treet small- and micro-business financing plan focusing on omen-owned businesses summer youth employment programs meownership strategies the Earned Income Tax Credit try workforce training programs administered through ed organizations Pell Grant program to make college more affordable financial literacy and homebuyer education and counseling the low-income housing voucher Section 8 program of Green Empowerment Zones in neighborhoods with ment gh-speed broadband and technology for all eral funding to local school districts to help eliminate gaps
he Houston area for over 85 years
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Modern-day segregation in public schools By ZENITHA PRINCE Senior Afro Correspondent
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new analysis by the Government Accounting Office (GAO) reveals that more than 60 years after the United States Supreme Court struck down segregation in Brown v. Board, public schools in the nation remain separate and unequal. “This GAO report confirms what has long been feared and proves that current barriers against educational equality are eerily similar to those fought during the Civil Rights Movement,” said Rep. John Conyers, ranking member of the U.S. House’s Committee on the Judiciary, in a statement. “There simply can be no excuse for allowing educational apartheid in the 21st century.” The GAO analyzed Department of Education data from school years 2000-01 to 2013-14. It found that the percentage of all K-12 public schools that had high percentages of poor and Black or Hispanic students grew from 9 to 16 percent. The schools in this 16 percent were not only the most racially-concentrated, the findings show, but also the ones with the highest percentage of low-income students: 75 to 100 percent of the students were Black or Hispanic and also eligible for free or reducedprice lunch, a commonly used indicator of poverty. The report further showed that schools segregated by race and socioeconomic factors suffered from educational inequities. For example, these schools offered disproportionately fewer math, science,
and college preparatory courses and had disproportionately higher rates of students who were held back in ninth grade, suspended, or expelled. The analysis was the result of a request made in May 2014 by Conyers (D-Mich.), Committee on Education and the Workforce Ranking Member Bobby Scott (D-Va.) and former Congressman George Miller. “Sixty-two years later, here we are in 2016 facing an overwhelming failure to fulfill the promise of Brown in realizing equality in educational opportunity for all students,” said Scott. “The GAO report confirms that our nation’s schools are, in fact, largely segregated by race and class. What’s more troubling, is that segregation in public K-12 schools isn’t getting better; it’s getting worse, and getting worse quickly, with more than 20 million students of color now attending racially and socioeconomically isolated public schools. This report is a national call to action, and I intend to ensure Congress is part of the solution.” In addition to the demographic data, the GAO also examined why and how selected school districts have implemented actions to increase student diversity, and the extent to which the justice and education departments have taken actions to identify and address issues related to racial discrimination in schools. Among other things the GAO recommended that the Education Department should “more routinely analyze its civil rights data to identify disparities among types and groups of schools” and that the DOJ should “systematically track key information on open federal school desegregation cases to which it is a party to better inform its monitoring.”
A decades-old “Colored only” sign symbolizes modern-day school segregation.
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DEFENDER | MAY 26 | 2016
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opinion Bernie and duh Donald:
Angry white men
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By JULIANNE MALVEAUX
Dave Granlund, Politicalcartoons.com
or all their dueling ideologies, Senator Bernie Sanders and “presumptive Republican nominee” Donald Trump are two sides of the same coin. Both of them are angry, so intensely so, that they are inciting a destructive anger among their followers. When Republicans brawled and pushed and shoved at Trump rallies, I never anticipated the flip side – the fisticuffs and rhetoric at Nevada caucuses, the likes of which might have put Trump terrorists to shame. Both the “Chump Trumps” and the “Berning Bernies” are being led by whining, angry, entitled white men, separated by ideology, but joined by both outrage and naiveté. I don’t think either Bernie or duh Donald planned to get as far along in the presidential process as they have so far. Sanders proudly carries the redistributionist flag with rousing rhetoric about social and economic justice. His agenda seems to have been to raise these issues aggressively, and he did. His presence in the campaign pushed Hillary hard to the left and made her engage with constituencies she might otherwise have ignored. For all his success, I don’t think Sanders expected to have more than 1,500 delegates to his credit. And now that he has them he doesn’t know what to do with them. Both he and duh Donald are publicly floundering, signaling that they never had a winning, or graceful losing, plan. Secretary Clinton and her followers shouldn’t be so hard on Bernie, though. While
they should not demand that he get out of the race, he is well advised to tone his rhetoric down. I sat with women at the 2008 campaign who sobbed their way through then-Senator Clinton’s concession speech and appeal for party unity. I debated a PUMA (Party Unity my Hind Parts) activist who swore she would not support nominee Obama. In 2008, Hillary devo-
tees were as passionate as Bernie devotees are now. The big moment comes in July in Philly, not just yet. It reflects poorly on the Hillary camp to dismiss or ignore those who are passionate about Sanders. At the same time, it is important to note that extreme anger is a unique privilege of white men. Imagine then-nominee Obama raging at Hillary in the way that Bernie has. His temperament would have been sliced and diced and parsed and inspected and he would have been so damaged by the conversation that it might have affected his electoral results. If Clinton ever managed to get her voice to Bernie’s decibel, if she every managed to project such rage, she’d be written off as a crazy lady. But
when the angry white men yell and scream and whine and lie, they are celebrated not condemned. Double standard. Both Bernie and duh Donald are whining about rules they say are rigged against them, but the rules may have favored them. Donald Trump has garnered a greater percentage of delegates than votes because of the way some states have chosen to award delegates. He wants more, but he failed to invest as much time learning the rules as some of his competitors did. Sanders says he should have more delegates, but if he had to play under Republican rules, he’d have fewer. Democrats are more likely to award delegates on a proportional basis, which means that a close race might give each candidate nearly the same amount of delegates. Sanders has no standing to call the system rigged. He has kept his distance from the Democratic Party for most of his career, never participating in the rules process. If he wanted to write his own rules, he should have run for president as an independent. Sanders and Trump have positioned themselves as outsiders, but they want insiders to roll out the red carpet for them because they jumped into a game they haven’t mastered. They haven’t worked at establishing a foundation, but they are demanding the keys to the house. They aren’t willing to put the work in to reforming our flawed twoparty system. Instead, they are finding unfairness when none is there, whining when work might make a difference, and leveraging their angry white maleness into voter approval. Julianne Malveaux is an African-American economist, author, liberal social and political commentator, and businesswoman.
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MAY 26 | 2016 | DEFENDER
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Professor Eddie Glaude talks race relations the rooftops that our communities are in crisis, that we are witness a devastation, whether it's schools closings, flatlining wages, the jobs crisis, long-term unemployment and, of course, mass incarceration.
By KAM WILLIAMS Special to the Defender
E
Black political life. All of this has happened on the watch of Black liberals. I'm not saying we need to embrace Black conservatism; I'm just arguing for a much more robust form of Black politics.
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needed to intervene in this moment. KW: But haven't African-Americans made significant progress since the civil Rights Movement? EG: Of course there's been progress. But what hasn't changed is the belief that white people matter more than others. And as long as that informs and shapes how this society is organized, the outcomes will be the same, no matter what the inputs are. So, part of what the book attempts to do is lay bare that reality, and how that has happened even with a Black man in the White House. KW: You come down pretty hard on President Obama. EG: The book isn't just about him. But the reality is that, over the
“I'm not saying we need to embrace Black conservatism; I'm just arguing for a much more robust form of Black politics.”
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ddie S. Glaude, Jr. is the William S. Tod Professor of Religion and African-American Studies and the chair of the Department of AfricanAmerican Studies at Princeton University. He is the recipient of numerous fellowships and awards, including the 2002 Modern Language Association William Sanders Scarborough Prize for his book, “Exodus!” Glaude is on the editorial board of the Journal of the American Academy of Religion, African-American National Biography and Contemporary Pragmatism. His work also includes “AfricanAmerican Religious Thought: An Anthology” (2004), co-edited with Dr. Cornel West. Here, he talks about his new book, “Democracy in Black: How Race Still Enslaves the American Soul.” KW: What inspired you to write “Democracy in Black?” EG: Two things. All of this talk about economic recovery, when all of the data suggests that African-Americans were still wallowing in what I call "The Great Black Depression." What does it mean to talk about recovery when white wealth is 13 times that of Black wealth, and 38 percent of our children are in poverty? That led me to the idea of the "value gap," a belief that underneath all this white people are valued more than others. And that belief animates our social practices and informs our political arrangements and economic realities. The second motivation was the death of Trayvon Martin and, of course, Mike Brown. Trying to come to terms with all this senseless death, I felt like I
Black Lives Matter has pushed him to address that. So, the second part of the book is really about our complicity. What we've seen over the decades since the assassination of Dr. T:4.79” King, is a narrowing of
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W52715_HNDF_EOG_AFAM_0526.indd last eight years, we're Non printed at TOMMY-MB15 from by Tommy Salazar / Eddie Jacobson not doing well byatevery5-16-2016 4:10 PM saved statistical measure. The job info approvals fonts & images level of unemployment job # creative dir None W52715 Fonts in the Black client community art director None TEXAS LOTTERY Helvetica Neue LT Std (95 Black, 77 Bold Conde None headline/tag JUNE EOG AD copywriter Condensed, 97 Black Condensed), Times (Regul is still at a crisis level. account mgr MEGAN TRUMETER trim 4.79” x 3.25” None proofreader bleed None Images Many of us have been kind live None None of taken withcolor protecting setup BW notes DEFENDER Inks the presidentvendor/pub from the HOUSTON Black media type NEWSPAPER DUE: 05/19 die cut None [criticism] coming from PUB: 05/26 the right. What we haven't seen at appropriate levels Johnny Hollins – JG Hollins Builders & Justin Vickrey – Vice President, Allegiance Bank are folks crying from
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Invitation for Bids Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc. is soliciting bids for subcontractors and vendors for construction of control no. 0508-01-351 on IH 10 at Elysian St from Commerce St to Harrington Street, bid date is June 7, 2016. Mail, fax, or email quotations to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., 1701 Directors Blvd, Suite 1010, Austin, Texas 78744 fax: (512) 707-0798 email: bbiisw@bbiius.com. DBE/HUB contractors are encouraged to submit bids. Plans and specifications are available to be reviewed at TxDOT Plans On-line: www.txdot.gov/business/letting-bids/plans-online.html E.O.E. For information contact Brian Ficzeri at (512) 707-0797.
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At Allegiance Bank, we don’t just serve our customers, we’re completely dedicated to their success. So it’s only natural homebuilder Johnny Hollins banks with us. Says Johnny, “Allegiance is more than a bank to your business. It’s a partner, too.” If you’re looking for a bank that feels like home, give Allegiance a call.
Architectural Services Miller Outdoor Theatre (RFQ)
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DEFENDER | MAY 26 | 2016
sports
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UH Cougar track dominant again
T
By MAX EDISON Defender
he University of Houston Cougars track and field program was one of the nation’s most dominant groups during the 1980s. Olympians and world record setters like Carl Lewis, Leroy Burrell, Joe Deloach, Stanley Floyd and Frank Rutherford are just a few of the superstars coach Tom Tellez’s program produced. Fast forward to 2016 and you will see that former world record holder turned head coach Leroy Burrell has assembled an impressive group of athletes that have dominated the field in the American Athletic Conference (AAC). The Cougar men recently excelled at the AAC outdoor meet, winning by 55 points over second place Connecticut. As a result the Cougars will send 19 student athletes and four relays to the upcoming NCAA West Regional in Lawrence, Kan. As a result of their impressive showing at the conference championship meet the Cougar Men are ranked No. 9 in the latest USTFCCCA National Team Rankings. The NCAA is broken down into the West and East Regionals, with qualification standards allowing the top 48 individual athletes in each event to compete in their respective regions. The Houston men will see 13 different athletes compete in 19 individual events, while on the women's side, six athletes will head to Lawrence to compete alongside each of the men's and women's 4x100 and 4x400-meter relays. The Cougar men were matched only by UConn in number of athletes qualified, however the Cougars will compete in six more events than the Huskies, who will compete in the NCAA East Regional. The Cougars will see 10 student athletes compete in the sprints, with LeShon Collins competing in each of the 100 and 200-meter dashes. Collins holds the fourth fastest time in the 100 at 10.15, while Cameron Burrell enters ranked fifth and Mario Burke holds the 16th fastest time in the region. Bria Carter will compete for the women with the 40th best west regional time of 11.58. Four Cougar men, including Collins, Jacarias Martin, Curtis Brown and Issac Williams, all punched their tickets to regionals in the 200 over the outdoor season. Collins holds the region's fastest time at 20.43, while Martin is 21st at 20.84, and Brown and Williams are 37th and 38th at 21.05 and 21.06 respectively. In the women's 200, Houston will see Kelli Hardnett and Tori Williams each compete at the regional. Hardnett enters 32nd in the west at 23.50, while Williams is right behind her at 23.52 to rank No. 34. Mayorca Young rounds out the sprinters with the
Cameron Burrell (right), son of UH coach Leroy Burrell, is one of the nation’s top sprinters.
Kelli Hardnett competes in the women’s 200 for the University of Houston.
400-meter dash. Young qualified with the 45th fastest time in the region this season at 54.51. Burrell will be in action as part of a trio of Cougars in the men's long jump that will include Trumaine Jefferson and Antwan Dickerson. Burrell's top mark of 257.25 (7.80m) which he used to win the American Championship recently ranks No. 12 in the region, y team. while Jefferson sits 26th at make up the 4x100 rela ke and Jacarias Martin Bur rio Ma , lins Col hon 24-9.25 (7.55m), and DickBurrell, LeS erson enters 46th at 23-11.5 (7.30m). The Cougar women were one of just three teams in The triple jump will feature sophomore Tonyecia AAC to get two relays in the regional. The 4x1 ran the Burks who set her top mark this season at the American eighth best time in the west this season at 44.22, while Outdoor Championships in Orlando. Burks jumped 42the 4x4 squad enters with the region's 18th best mark at 1.25 (12.83m) to qualify 19th regionally. 3:37.64. The men's 4x100-meter relay has consistently been Not only has 2016 been a big year for the Cougars one of the top teams in the country this season, and they program, but the future looks bright as well. Coach enter the event as the top-rated team in the regional after Burrell’s recruiting class was ranked as the No. 2 class running 38.95 in the AAC Championships. in the nation by Flotrak.
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MAY 26 | 2016 | DEFENDER
h.s.zone
sportsbriefs
Pearland’s Stewart has sights on state By DARRELL K. ARDISON Defender
SWEENY – Lindsey Stewart was getting angrier by the minute. One moment the Pearland High School centerfielder was envisioning putting the finishing touches on the deciding game in a Class 6A Region III softball semifinal series over Seven Lakes. In the wink of an eye Seven Lakes erupted for four runs in the bottom of the seventh and had the tying and winning runs on second and third with only one out. A four-year starter for Pearland head coach Laneigh Clark, Stewart took a moment to juxtapose two agendas that are dear to her heart. “I thought to myself that we need to get this done because I don’t want to be going to the prom after a loss,” she said. Pearland (29-6-1) won game one 3-2 in 10 innings. Seven Lakes rebounded 5-1 in game two to force a deciding game. Despite two walks and two Pearland errors that led to a four-run last-inning Seven Lakes’ uprising, the Lady Oilers held on to win game three 8-7 and advance to the regional finals against defending state champion Katy. Stewart’s anger had subsided in the aftermath. Pearland’s prom was the very next day. “This is the farthest we’ve gotten in my four years and next week is going to be a big week for us,” Stewart said. “Coming into the season state was my goal and trying to get as far as I’ve ever gotten before. We’ve topped that now and I just want to finish it.” Pearland won large-school state softball championships in 2010 and 1996. In the regional quarterfinals, Pearland swept No. 1 stateranked Deer Park 2-0 in a bestof-three series. “That was really, really, really big,” said Stewart, who has signed to play softball at the University of Texas-San Antonio. “I wanted to play them because they whipped us earlier in the season. I’ve played with
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Find out how Pearland boys fared in playoffs several of their team members during the summer,” she said. “We had to come back and put it on them.” Clark believes Stewart is playing her best ball of the season at the most important part of the season. “She’s been on fire in the playoffs,” Clark said. “She’s been our go-to person. If we get somebody on base and bunt them to second, we want to give her the opportunity to hit them in. “Her speed alone is a game changer. When she gets on base, things tend to change during the game,” Clark said. “She loves the faster-paced game and she’s more adaptable to it. “She’s really hot right now and she’s really focused. She has goals and she wants to reach those goals before she plays her last game,” Clark said. “The team wouldn’t be where we are today without Lindsey.”
About Lindsey Stewart Birth date – April 26, 1998 Birth sign – Taurus Favorite subject – Peer buddies Possible college major – Biology in the medical field How she relaxes – Eats ice cream and watches “Grey’s Anatomy” World problem she would solve – Terrorism, hatred toward other races
Charlos make history The Charlo twins, Jermell and Jermall, recently made boxing history in Las Vegas. Fighting on the same card they both scored victories and a share of the world championship in the super-welterweight division. The Houston natives became the first twins in boxing history to hold world titles in the same weight class. Jermell Charlo (28-0, 13 KOs) earned the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World Championship by rallying from five points down to register an eighth-round knockout over John “Da Rock” Jackson (20-3, 15 KOs). Jermall Charlo (24-0, 18 KOs) retained his IBF Junior Middleweight World Championship with a unanimous 12-round decision over former world champion Austin “No Doubt” Trout (30-3, 17 KOs).
PVAMU honors Taylor The Prairie View A&M University football team will pay homage to one of its greatest players in program history as legendary standout Otis Taylor will receive a package of PVAMU memorabilia. Taylor is bedridden, suffering from Parkinson’s disease and associated dementia. He is the all-time leading wide receiver in PVAMU history. As a member of the Kansas City Chiefs he compiled a Super Bowl championship, multiple Pro Bowl appearances and all-pro honors. “Otis Taylor is arguably one of the greatest Panthers to ever don the purple and gold,” said AD Ashley Robinson. “He is still highly respected across NFL circles and we would like to brighten his day and honor him with items that remind him of his days as a student-athlete here at Prairie View A&M.” A delegation including Robinson and head coach Willie Simmons will travel to Taylor’s suburban Kansas City home to make the presentation.
Astros host free camps The Houston Astros Urban Youth Academy is sponsoring free summer youth clinics for boys and girls, ages 7 through 17, in both baseball and softball. Children must be interested in one of the two sports. There are six week-long sessions beginning June 6-10. Other weeks include June 13-17, June 20-24, June 27-July 1, July 5-8 and July 11-15. Daily sessions last from 9 a.m. until noon. Camps include instructional activities, life skills and fun. Guest speakers include Astros players. Sign up for each week separately. HAUY Academy is located at 2810 South Victory Lane. Call 281-260-9166 or go online at www.astros.com/UYA.
Basketball camps set Matt Musil’s Hoops for Kids Summer Basketball Camps are set for June and July in two separate locations. Session One (June 8-10) is for boys and girls in grades six through nine and will be at the Metropolitan Multi Services Center on West Gray. Fee is $25 and includes lunch and a T-shirt. Camps are from 8 a.m. until noon each day. Session Two (July 20-22) is for younger kids, grades three through five, at the Houston Northwest Community Center. Instruction will focus on basketball fundamentals, including shooting, dribbling, passing and teamwork. Guest coaches and players from the professional and college ranks will be featured speakers. Events sponsored by the Houston Parks and Recreation Department. To register, call 346221-7810 or go online at www.mattmusilhoops. com.
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DEFENDER | MAY 26 | 2016
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Texas jails a death sentence for Blacks? By ASWAD WALKER Defender
The death of Symone Marshall in a Walker County jail has shined a spotlight on the growing number of Blacks dying while in custody in Texas jails. Locally, activists are calling on citizens to raise their voices and demand major reform to incarceration as usual in Harris County. Since Sheriff Ron Hickman took office in May 2015, four Harris County jail inmates have died after assaults or head trauma. Following the death last month of Patrick Joseph Brown, a Katy man arrested for stealing a guitar who died after an alleged beating by other inmates, the U.S. Department of Justice began an inquiry. However, Assistant County Attorney Robert Soard, who contacted the feds after Brown’s death, was not even notified by the sheriff's department about three additional inmate deaths (Rodrin Hinton, March 2016; Robert Brooks and Jose Fierros, June 2015) until receiving media inquiries. “When police arrest someone, they turn them over to Harris County,” said NAACP Houston’s Dr. James Douglas. “They are responsible for housing people
accused of crimes.” Douglas says the Sheriff’s office needs to answer why they house non-violent offenders with violent criminals, and revisit the rush to incarcerate in general. “Roughly 75 percent of people in jail haven’t been convicted, but are awaiting trial. Most are there because they don’t have the money to pay bail. This system isn’t like a debtors’ prison, it is a debtors’ prison, which I thought was illegal,” Douglas added. The death of Marshall, a 22-year old mother of one, in neighboring Walker County, along with the July 2015 death of Sandra Bland in nearby Waller County, has ignited a search for solutions. Douglas noted the lawsuit filed recently by the Texas Civil Rights Commission against Harris County jails, as one step. He, however, believes the real power to affect change lies with everyday citizens. “If we believe in ‘innocent until proven guilty’ we need to demand that the sheriff and his staff provide a safe haven,” Douglas said. “We also need to demand that judges come up with a different system for people awaiting trials; a system that doesn’t punish people for being poor.”
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MAY 26 | 2016 | DEFENDER
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Happening in Houston
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TEAL SCHOLARSHIP FUND RECEPTION……..The Community of Faith over $500,000 to benefit mental health treatment, education and research at the clinic. Foundation, Inc. recently surprised two graduating Jack Yates High School seniors, The guest list included Whitney Easterling, Sally Easterling, Jim Easterling, Rebecca Williams and Tiarra Jarmon, with the Josie Haller Teal Scholarship. Laura Bonck, Mary Ellen Perkinson, Dr. Kathy Flanagan, Lloyd Gite, Doug Both students’ scholarships are in the amount of $40,000 each. The scholarship is and Winell Herron, Will Robertson, Beth Robertson, Miller Crosswell, Katina made possible through the generosity of Dr. James S. Teal, husband of the late Josie Pontikes, Louis Tucker, Joyce Tucker, Bess and Robert Wilson III and a host Haller Teal. Dr. Teal has awarded over $500,000 to deserving students at Yates and of others……..ALIEF END OF SCHOOL YEAR CELEBRATION……..An Booker T. Washington High Schools. Those in attendance effort of churches and businesses in the Alief area launched the included Yates Principal Ken Davis, Tiffany Guillory, Inaugural Alief End of School Celebration at the Alief ISD Defender TOP EVENTS LeRoy Crump Stadium. The goal of the collaboration was to send a Jimmy Coleman, Lucy Bremond, Linda Jones, Yuanita More photos on defendernetwork.com Thomas, Angela Williams and Tamika Jarmon……..THE strong message to the community that “our kids’ lives matter” and “education is the most positive weapon that can be used to change MENNINGER CLINIC ANNUAL LUNCHEON…….. the world.” Organizers lined up numerous entertainers, motivational speakers, college During a live, on-stage interview, Heisman Trophy winner and former NFL player Ricky Williams and ESPN sportscaster Chris Fowler talked about how diminishment recruiters, carnival rides, moon rides, games and water slides. Those in attendance included Mayor Sylvester Turner, Pastor Greg Patrick, Pastor Walter Berry, of stigma associated with mental health helps people discover hope and healing at the Yolanda Roberts, John Odom, Jerald Washington, Annette Davis, Alvin Wright, Menninger Clinic Annual Luncheon. The Menninger Clinic is one of the nation’s Connie-B, Serena Bostic, Janie Saxton, and EuRhonda Morgan. leading psychiatric hospitals and a Texas Medical Center affiliate. The event raised
Yuanita Thomas, Jimmy Coleman, Lucy Bremond, Linda Jones
Ricky Williams, Chris Fowler
Tiffany Guillory, Ken Davis
Doug and Winell Herron
Pastor Greg Patrick, Pastor Walter Berry, Mayor Sylvester Turner
Tiarra Jarmon, Rebecca Williams
Lloyd Gite, Dr. Kathy Flanagan, Dr. C. Edward Coffey
Sitting: Yolanda Roberts, John Odom, Jerald Washington: Standing Alvin Wright, Annette Davis
EuRhonda Morgan, Janie Saxton, Serena Bostic
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DEFENDER | MAY 26 | 2016 T:9.75 in
St…re…am…ing?
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Or Streaming.
T:13 in
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