GEORGE FLOYD 1973-2020
Volume 89, issue 32 June 4, 2020
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DN On the web #HoustonTogether In Support of Justice for George Floyd
President Donald Trump holds a Bible outside St. John’s Church near the White House. Part of the church was set on fire during protests. AP Photo/Patrick Semansky
Message from the Associate Editor Country in crisis facing America, we must organize and strategize to America is a mess, and Black America is beardetermine what’s next. Achieving justice, equality ing the brunt of it. After watching the horrific and police reform is a tall order and there are death of George Floyd over and over again at no easy answers. We are happy to see the four the hands of former Minneapolis Officer Derek ex-officers charged in Floyd’s murder. But that’s Chauvin, we are witnessing protests across the just the beginning. We must work to continue country and around the world. Most have been to find the answers and implement the solutions peaceful but some have been chaotic and even if we want to see real change. Millions of Black Marilyn Marshall deadly, with troubling images of tear gas, rubber lives depend on it. bullets, looting, arson and vandalism. The protesters marching day and night come from every In this week’s Defender… walk of life and are sad, frustrated and angry about injustice and police brutality. Countless Black protesters are facing other Remembering the fallen societal issues as well, including unemployment, hunger, povAswad Walker’s centerfold article looks at the killing of erty, fear, unequal education and limited access to health care. George Floyd from a historical perspective, as a bishop, activThis is all taking place in the midst of a coronavirus pan- ist and academic explore how years of terrorism and violence demic that has killed over 107,000 Americans, a dispropor- have endangered and ended Black lives. We also feature Aftionate number of them Black. rican Americans who were tragically killed by police officers and private citizens. Readers will recognize names like TrayWe can’t breathe von Martin, Michael Brown and Philando Castile and learn The crisis confronting America is rooted in 400 years of the names of lesser known victims. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee racism and discrimination. In addressing the crisis, noted pro- is introducing police reform legislation in honor of George fessor and preacher Michael Eric Dyson echoed the words Floyd. We’ll have more details about that next week. of George Floyd and Eric Garner as they lay helpless, dying and pinned down – we “can’t breathe.” Dyson told MSNBC The sports world reacts that, “We can’t breathe because of police brutality. We can’t Terrance Harris explores how the sports world is reacting breathe because of a pandemic of COVID 19.” He labeled Black to George Floyd’s death, protests and police brutality. Hear death a fetish. “It is the pornography of Black nothingness, what Michael Jordan, LeBron James and others have to say. of non-being, which is being sought,” Dyson said. “America is addicted to Black death and this is part of the problem in In other news… American society.” A review of admissions irregularities revealed that Texas Southern University awarded more than $2 million in aid to Law & disorder unqualified students. As if the current crises weren’t enough, our nation is being Houston is mourning the loss of Pastor Manson B. Johnson led by a “law and order” president who threatened to shoot of Holman Street Baptist Church. looters and sic “vicious dogs” on protesters. President Donald The White House is reaching out to Black leaders for a Trump is also being widely condemned for forcing peaceful listening session, but at least three heads of civil rights ordemonstrators out of the way for a photo op while he stands ganizations aren’t interested. in front of a church holding a Bible as a prop. For more news you can use, go to www.defendernetwork. The need for change com. And let us know what you’re thinking on Facebook, While marching and protesting dramatize the race problem Instagram and Twitter.
View the Defender’s photo coverage of recent George Floyd rallies and marches at defendernetwork.com. Images by Defender photographer Jimmie Aggison. SNAP KIDS PHOTOGRAPHY
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DN News TSU gave $2 million to unqualified students Texas Tribune
An external review of admissions irregularities at Texas Southern University found that the school awarded more than $2 million in scholarships to students who did not meet its academic admissions criteria from fall 2017 through 2019, according to a recently-released executive summary. A significant number of freshman students — 4,141 of 8,273 — were also admitted despite not meeting academic requirements and were instead accepted “based upon a variety of undocumented scenarios” during those years. The university enrolls about 10,000 students, with a freshman class of around 2,000. Many of the underqualified students are no longer enrolled at Texas Southern, the summary says. The full report, also reviewed by The Texas Tribune, says an anonymous complaint was sent to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in November 2018, alleging that the university, one of the country’s largest historically Black colleges, “tried to increase enrollment by encouraging staff to admit all candidates, regardless of whether the candidate met the university’s academic admissions criteria.” The university’s office of internal audit issued a report about six months later, including the number of admitted students who did not meet the baseline academic admissions criteria. The figures were markedly lower than those found by the external reviewers, who recommended that
the university reissue an updated report to “reflect a more accurate analysis.” Texas Southern interim President Kenneth Huewitt said in a statement that he had received the report — authored by the Berkeley Research Group — and submitted it to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas State Auditor’s Office as required. “Most important, we will continue to address this issue and the recommendations listed in the report,” he said. The document caps a tumultuous year at Texas Southern, as officials contended with allegations of bribery and improprieties in its law school’s admissions process
that were first disclosed in November. Former President Austin Lane and a top deputy — who was responsible for enrollment management services between 2017 and 2018, the report says — were ousted earlier this year. Lane reached a settlement with the university after the Board of Regents detailed a lengthy notice of termination for cause at a raucous and well-attended meeting. The final agreement did not accuse Lane of wrongdoing, though regents previously tied his departure to admissions problems and said he did not tell officials about them. He has repeatedly denied wrongdoing and declined to comment.
PVAMU launches Center for Race and Justice Defender News Service
Prairie View A&M University is stepping into the fight for civil justice with the launch of a Center for Race and Justice. The university will also require a mandatory class on the history of race for incoming students in the wake of the tragic death of Houston native George Floyd. Prairie View President Ruth Simmons announced those and other initiatives in a heartfelt letter to the historically Black university’s community. The public outr a g e , r i ot s , marches and uprisings in Ruth Simmons
Houston and in cities around the country in response to Floyd’s death needed a proactive response, she said. “For too long, we have been content to have others dictate the limits of our ability to act: individuals who call for a different course of action, those who are concerned about controversy, those who advocate ‘staying in our lane,’” Simmons wrote. Simmons said the university will propose a Center for Race and Justice and “encourage teaching and scholarship that contributes positively to overturning systemic biases that impede the ability of minorities and other groups to be accorded their full rights under the U.S. Constitution.” All incoming students will be required to take a course on the history of race and class in the United States, which Simmons said can help ground students in their reality and help them navigate “the often
confusing treatment they may encounter in the future.” The school will also establish an annual award, the Sandra Bland/ Robbie Tolan Award, which will acknowledge the important work of activists and the understanding of criminal justice reform. Both Bland and Tolan graduated from Prairie View. Bland died in a Waller County jail in 2015 following an arrest for a traffic shop and an altercation with a police officer. Robbie Tolan was unarmed when his vehicle was mistaken by police as stolen. Police confronted Tolan and shot him while he was in the driveway of his family’s Bellaire home in 2008. Tolan survived. Led by endowed political science professor Melanye Price, the center still must be approved by the Texas A&M University System, its board of regents and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
PASTOR MANSON B. JOHNSON DEAD AT 71 Pastor Manson B. Johnson II, the shepherd of Holman Street Baptist Church for 43 years and a force in the Third Ward community, died May 31 from complications of COVID-19. He was 71. For Funeral “Houston arrangements has lost a visit: www. giant among holmanstreet.org me n ,” s ai d Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. She added that Johnson “had a passion for truth and fought to create opportunities for vulnerable people.” Johnson was known as a “dynamic” preacher and teacher. He became pastor of Holman Street in 1977 and under his leadership, the church’s membership and ministries grew. The church moved into a new worship center in 1998. Johnson was born in Nashville and reared in Starkville, Miss. He earned a Bachelors in History and Government from Texas Southern University and joined Holman Street as a student. He earned a degree in mathematics from Prairie View A&M University. He taught at HISD’s Cullen Middle School after college and served as head of the Mathematics Department. Survivors include his wife, Zelda Gray Johnson; children, Manson “Bracy” Johnson III, Matthew Johnson and Michelle Johnson Major, and seven grandchildren.
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DN News Austin Lane
Chris Hollins
appointed chancellor of Southern Illinois University
sworn in as Harris County Clerk, chief election officer
‘HATE JUST HIDES’
Biden vows to take on systematic racism Associated Press
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden vowed to address institutional racism in his first 100 days in office as he sought to elevate his voice in the exploding national debate over racism and police brutality. The former vice president offered emotional support and promised bold action during an in-person meeting with Black leaders in Delaware and a subsequent virtual meeting with big-city mayors who are grappling with racial tensions and frustrated by a lack of federal support. “Hate just hides. It doesn’t go away, and when you have somebody in power who breathes oxygen into the hate under the rocks, it comes out from under the rocks,” Biden told more than a dozen African American leaders gathered at a church in downtown Wilmington, his face mask lowered around his chin as he spoke. Without offering specifics, he promised to “deal with institutional racism” and set up a police oversight body in his first 100 days in office, if elected. “I really do believe that the blinders have been taken off. I think this tidal wave is moving,” Biden later told the mayors of
NEWSBRIEFS OBAMA PENS ESSAY ON CIVIL UNREST Former President Barack Obama published a piece on Medium addressing the protests nationwide following the death of George Floyd and specifically how he thinks people can move forward to “sustain momentum” to bring about real change. “Ultimately, it’s going to be up to a new generation of activists to shape strategies that best fit the times,” the former president wrote. His message overall stressed the importance of voting and participating in politics, particularly at Barack Obama the local level, where decisions on ground-level criminal justice and police practices are formed. The “bottom line,” he wrote, is that “if we want to bring about real change, then the choice isn’t between
Former Vice President Joe Biden visits Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Del. to meet with local Black leaders.(Associated Press)
Atlanta, Chicago, Los Angeles and St. Paul, Minn. “I realize we’ve got to do something big, we can do it, and everyone will benefit from it.” Biden has struggled in recent weeks to be heard from his makeshift home TV studio
protest and politics. In his post, Obama requested people “not excuse violence, or rationalize it, or participate in it.”
WHITE HOUSE REACHING OUT TO BLACK LEADERS As President Donald Trump and his advisers continue to weigh how best to respond to ongoing nationwide unrest, White House officials have reportedly begun reaching out to some Black leaders ahead of a possible “listening Derrick Johnson session” to better understand the issues and to help generate ideas for how to move forward. Trump is seemingly focused for now on law-and-order issues during nationwide violence, not necessarily the underlying issues of racism and police brutality that initially sparked protests. His tweets and retweets have also centered on going after Antifa and quelling violence, sometimes using
over the noise of dueling national crises. But after another night of violent protests, he ventured out into public for just the third time since the pandemic arrived in mid-March. His hopeful and collaborative approach
a militaristic tone. Though the request hasn’t moved much beyond the discussion stage, some like NAACP President Derrick Johnson, Urban League President Marc Morial and activist Rev. Al Sharpton have already said they aren’t interested in meeting with Trump.
marked a sharp contrast to that of President Donald Trump, who has made little effort to unify the country. The Republican president slammed governors as “weak” during a video teleconference on Monday and demanded tougher crackdowns on protesters. Trump also lashed out at Biden on Twitter, writing that “Sleepy Joe Biden’s people are so Radical Left that they are working to get the Anarchists out of jail, and probably more.” Biden’s softer approach may foreshadow how he presents himself in the five months before the presidential election, emphasizing calm and competence as a contrast to a mercurial president. It is an approach that carries the risk of being drowned out by Trump’s much louder voice. “He’s not in office, and he certainly does not have the megaphone like the person currently occupying the White House does, but I do think our people are looking for someone who can make them feel better during these extremely tough times,” said Rep. Val Demings of Florida, whom Biden is considering as a running mate. “America just needs to be reassured that there’s someone who’s understanding, someone who’s willing to say, ‘Yes, we do have some issues,’ and someone who’s willing to address it.”
VOLUME 89 - NUMBER 32 - JUNE 4, 2020 Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
Managing Editor ReShonda Tate Billingsley
FORT BEND PROVIDES RENTAL ASSISTANCE
Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler
Associate Editor Marilyn Marshall
Fort Bend County said people who have been affected by the coronavirus pandemic can now apply for assistance because of a $19.5 million fund put together by county leaders. Most of the money was provided by the CARES Act while the county contributed another $2 million. The fund is designed to help eligible citizens pay their rent, mortgage and utilities from June to November. Residents can receive up to $1,500 in rent or mortgage assistance and up to $500 in utility assistance. Visit www. fortbendcountytx.gov or call 281-238-CARES for information about the application process.
Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles
People Editor Aswad Walker
Creative Director Michael Grant
Sports Terrance Harris Jodie B. Jiles
Photographers Ray Carrington III Jimmie Aggison
Engagement Manager Margo Williams Hubbard
The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Newspaper Inc. and audited by Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). Only digital subscriptions are available at: www.defendernetwork.com/subscribe No paper subscriptions available. All materials covered by 2020 copyright. No materials herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. 713-663-6996 | P.O. Box 8005, Houston, Tx 77288
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL In memory of George Floyd
The Houston community came out in force. People of every color, ethnicity and race gathered to acknowledge the injustice suffered by George Floyd which resulted in his death. The signs, chants and messages were clear “Black Lives Matter.� From the downtown protests to the Jack Yates High School vigil, Floyd was described as a peaceful man who took pride in his work, family and even his sport.
Let the people be heard Photos from the George Floyd protest march | Photos by: Jimmie Aggison
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL REFLECTIONS
GEORGE FLOYD ROXIE WASHINGTON “MOTHER OF HIS DAUGHTER” “They get to go home and be with their families. Gianna does not have a father. He will never see her grow up, graduate. He will never walk her down the aisle.”
TERRENCE FLOYD VOCAL AT MINNEAPOLIS VIGIL “I understand y’all are upset. But...I doubt y’all half as upset as I am. So, if I’m not over here wildin’ out, if I’m not over here blowing up stuff, if I’m not over here messing up my community, then what are y’all doing? What are y’all doing? Y’all doing nothing. Because that’s not going to bring my brother back, at all. It may feel good for the moment, just like when you drink. But when you come down, you’re going to wonder what you did. My family is a peaceful family. My family is God-fearing. Yeah, we’re upset. But we’re not going to take it. We’re not going to be repetitious. In every case of police brutality the same thing has been happening. Y’all protest. Y’all destroy stuff. And they don’t move. You know why they don’t move? Because it’s not their stuff. It’s our stuff. So, they want us to destroy our stuff. They’re not going to move. So, let’s do this another way. Let’s do this another way. Y’all right. Let’s do this another way. Let’s stop thinking that our voice don’t matter, and vote. Not just vote for the president, vote for the preliminaries. Vote for everybody. Educate yourself. Don’t wait for somebody else to tell you who’s who. Educate yourself and know who you’re voting for. And that’s how we’re going to hit them. Because it’s a lot of us...And we’re still going to do this peacefully.”
FLOYD’S HOMEGOINGS INCLUDE HOUSTON Services honoring George Floyd, who died while being arrested in Minneapolis, include a public viewing and service in Houston. A memorial service was held in Minneapolis on June 4 at the Frank J. Lindquist Sanctuary at North Central University. A public viewing and private memorial service will be held in Raeford, N.C., on Saturday, June 6. Floyd has several family members in North Carolina. On Monday, June 8, a public memorial will take place from noon to 6 p.m. at The Fountain of Praise Church at 13950 Hillcroft Ave. On Tuesday, June 9, a private service will be held at an undisclosed location. Terrance Floyd “Due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing is a major focus and those that attend either service are requested to wear masks and gloves for the safety of all,” the Fort Bend Memorial Planning Center said in a statement. Floyd left Houston several years ago for a better life in Minnesota.
AUTOPSIES TELL DIFFERENT STORIES The results of two autopsies are painting different pictures of exactly how George Floyd died. One of the reports was conducted by a Minnesota county medical examiner and the other by independent pathologists commissioned by Floyd’s family. Dr. Allecia Wilson, one of the pathologists who conducted the independent autopsy, said that Floyd died as a result of mechanical asphyxiation. But the report released by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s office said Floyd died of “cardiopulmonary arrest complicating law enforcement subdual, restraint and neck compression.” The manner of death was ruled homicide, but the office noted that “is not a legal determination of culpability or intent.” A preliminary autopsy report cited earlier by prosecutors said the county medical examiner’s review “revealed no physical findings that support a diagnosis of traumatic asphyxia or strangulation.”
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD
A HISTORICAL CONTEXT
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The number of African-Americans killed throughout the years dates back 400 years. Today, we take a look through history to explore the relationship with law enforcement.
Aswad Walker
P
olice-on-Black violence like that experienced by George Floyd is absolutely nothing new. Over the centuries it has taken on many forms, but its outcomes have been consistent — unnecessary Black death. “Floyd’s murder is the latest example of 400 years worth of terrorism against Black people,” said Kofi Taharka, chairman of the National Black United Front. “George Floyd’s murder is emblematic of the historical relationship between Black people and law enforcement,” stated Kimathi Nelson, presiding bishop of the Pan African Orthodox Christian Church.
“The picture of Derek Chauvin’s knee police have consistently over-policed, on Mr. Floyd’s neck crystalizes that rela- over-arrested, over-harassed, over-incartionship, from the paddy-rollers who cerated and over-killed Black people.” ruthlessly patrolled plantations to police Walker added that during the Civil officers who have served as the tip of the Rights and Black Power movements, local spear for safeguarding the status and state police coordinated quo. with the nation’s highest policing “I am not saying that all organization, the Federal Bureau police officers are bad or that of Investigation, to purposefully they are not genuine public serattack, discredit and some say vants in the police force. I am even murder Black leaders and saying that in spite of them, the organizations, primarily through essential relationship between its Counter-Intelligence Prothe law enforcement institution gram (COINTELPRO) founded and Black people has been one of GEORGE by then FBI director J. Edgar maintaining a racist social, eco- FLOYD’S Hoover. nomic and political order and death ignites “The murders of Black Panprotecting property.” ther members Bobby Hutton outrage that University of Houston African fuels protest. and Fred Hampton are but two American Studies professor Alan examples of many of local police Walker concurred with Nelson departments using lethal force to and Taharka. control Black U.S. citizens.” “Enslavement in this country was predEach decade since the 1960s has had its icated upon and maintained by state-sanc- own litany of examples where unarmed tioned violence against Blacks,” asserted Blacks were sent to the grave while the Walker. “The U.S. police trace their roots police and others who put them there went to the armed militias formed to capture unpunished. enslaved humans who escaped. Near the middle of the 2010 decade, “Upon emancipation, the KKK and other the seemingly back-to-back murders white terrorist groups, heavily membered of Trayvon Martin (by a neighborhood by police, judges and politicians, used vio- watch coordinator), Michael Brown and lence to maintain social control and destroy Freddie Gray gave birth to new efforts to Black economic competition. And each year confront this historical issue, including and decade from the late 1800s to present, Black Lives Matter. Though BLM brought
much-needed attention to a historic problem, police-on-Black violence continued. According to Aljazeera.com, between 2013 and 2019, police in the United States killed 7,666 people according to data compiled by Mapping Police Violence, a research and advocacy group. In 2015, the Washington Post began to log every fatal shooting by an on-duty police officer in the U.S. in their “Fatal Force” project. In that time there have been more than 5,000 such shootings recorded by WP. This does not include Floyd’s death which was the result of a police knee to the neck. The biggest change Taharka has seen over the past five years is modern technology’s ability to allow the world to see such injustices via cell phone video, as well as a newer, “fearless” generation of youth willing to confront them. “However, I don’t see any change in the global system of white supremacy, not even the mildest form of change to attempt to answer the peoples’ righteous cries for justice,” he added. For Nelson, the difference is in the nation itself. “A demographic tsunami is transforming the country making it younger, more melanated, more liberal and less xenophobic. This is very threatening to the status quo which has taken on a reactionary posture. But the blatant and widespread acts of injustice by police officers against unarmed Black people are turning this demographic shift into a new political movement. “Just like in the 1960s, there are many stresses on society at the same time, COVID-19, historic unemployment, economic collapse, police brutality and an insensitive and divisive presidential administration. This is a toxic mix that creates conditions that threaten the stability of the social order. All over the world, America 2020 is looking more and more like South Africa 1980.”
America 2020 is looking more and more like South Africa 1980.” Kimathi Nelson presiding bishop PAOCC
Enslavement in this country was predicated upon and maintained by statesanctioned violence against Blacks. The U.S. police trace their roots to the armed militias formed to capture enslaved humans who escaped.” Alan Walker
University of Houston African American Studies professor
Floyd’s murder is the latest example of 400 years worth of terrorism against Black people. George Floyd’s murder is emblematic of the historical relationship between Black people and law enforcement,” Kofi Taharka
chairman of the National Black United Front
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1. TRAYVON MARTIN (Walking home with iced tea and Skittles. Shot by George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty). 2. KEITH SCOTT (Sitting in car, reading. Shot by police officer who was not charged). 3. ATATIANA JEFFERSON (Looking out her window, shot by police officer who is still under indictment for murder). 4. JONATHAN FERRELL (Asking for help after auto accident. Shot 12 times by police, case ended in mistrial). 5. JORDAN EDWARDS (Riding in a car. Shot in the back of the head by police officer who was found guilty of murder). 6. STEPHON CLARK (Holding a cell photo. Shot eight times, six in the back. Officers not charged).
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7. AMADOU DIALLO (While taking out wallet, officers fired 41 shots. All were acquitted). 8. RENISHA MCBRIDE (In auto accident, knocked on door for help. Homeowner found guilty of second-degree murder). 9. TAMIR RICE (Playing with toy gun, shot by officer arriving on scene. Officer not charged). 10. SEAN BELL (Hosting bachelor party, 50 rounds fired by police officers who were found not guilty). 11. ERIC GARNER (Suspected of selling single cigarettes. With multiple officers restraining him, repeated “I can’t breathe” 11 times. No indictments. Officer fired five years later). 12. PHILANDO CASTILE (Driving and pulled over. Shot by officer and aftermath live-streamed by fiancée in car. Officer found not guilty).
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13. AIYANA JONES (Sleeping, accidentally shot by officer in raid on wrong apartment. Officer cleared). 14. TERRENCE CRUTCHER (Disabled vehicle, shot by police officer found not guilty of manslaughter). 15. ALTON STERLING (Selling CDs, shot at close range while being arrested. No charges filed). 16. FREDDIE GRAY (Beaten to death by officers while being transported in police van. All officers involved acquitted). 17. JOHN CRAWFORD (Shopping at WalMart, holding BB gun on sale. Officer not charged). 18. MICHAEL BROWN (Shot 12 times by officer, including in back. No charges filed).
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Killed by police and private citizens.
19. JORDAN DAVIS (Playing loud music, killed. Shooter found guilty of first-degree murder). 20. SANDRA BLAND (Pulled over for traffic ticket and arrested. Suspicious “suicide” in jail. No charges). 21. BOTHAM JEAN (Shot in apartment police officer mistook for her own. Officer found guilty of murder). 22. OSCAR GRANT (Handcuffed, face-down and shot in back. Officer found guilty of involuntary manslaughter). 23. COREY JONES (Waiting by his disabled vehicle, shot three times by officer who was found guilty of murder). 24. AHMAUD AUBREY (Jogging, followed by father and son in truck and shot. Both men charged with murder, aggravated assault).
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL
CELEBRITIES SPEAK OUT ON FLOYD’S MURDER Aswad Walker
BEYONCÉ
We need justice for George Floyd. We all witnessed his murder in broad daylight. We’re broken and we’re disgusted. We cannot normalize this pain. I’m not only speaking to people of color. If you’re white, black, brown or anything in between, I’m sure you feel hopeless by the racism going on in America right now. No more senseless killings of human beings. No more seeing people of color as less than human. We can no longer look away. George was all of our family and humanity. He’s our family because he’s a fellow American. There have been too many times that we’ve seen these violent killings and no consequences. Yes, someone’s been charged, but justice is far from being achieved.”
Cardi B “Enough is enough! What will it take? A civil war? A new president? Violent riots? It’s tired! I’m tired! The country is tired! You don’t put fear in people when you do this you just show how coward YOU ARE! And how America is really not the land of the free!”
BUN B (BERNARD FREEMAN)
TRAE THA TRUTH (FRAZIER THOMPSON III)
It’s important that we fight for justice. We can’t stand back and watch. We have to protect each other.”
Jamie Foxx “This is the toughest time when things like this happen. All I wanted to do was let you know that we’re not afraid to stand. We’re not afraid of the moment...All we’re trying to do is ask questions of why...We have to make sure change can come when it comes to police brutality. There has to be a deterrent. If that man can be handcuffed, if that man can sit on that man’s neck for that long and feel comfortable about it, that means that he’s not afraid of what’s going to happen. We have to change the language. They have to be worried that ‘I could go to jail for this.’ They have to respect us. They have to love us. How can we see it as a murder and they see it as a misunderstanding?”
As an elder statesman of the hip hop community, I feel that it’s one thing to talk about things and let my opinion be known but I think it’s a different thing when action is seen. To see what happened to George Floyd hit me very hard. To see him murdered like that in the street hit me very hard. A lot of people close to me were good friends to Floyd. Even though I didn’t know him personally, I had to watch a lot of good friends of mine grieve his passing. [Many people are] severely disturbed, upset and frustrated that after all this time, the conditions in America for people of color in relation to interaction with police have not changed.”
Jay-Z “I am human, a father and a Black man in pain and I am not the only one. Now I, along with an entire country in pain, call upon [Minnesota Attorney General Keith] Ellison to do the right thing and prosecute all those responsible for the murder of George Floyd to the fullest extent of the law. This is just a first step. I am more determined to fight for justice than any fight my would-be oppressors may have. I prevail on every politician, prosecutor and officer in the country to have the courage to do what is right. Have the courage to look at us as humans, dads, brothers, sisters and mothers in pain and look at yourselves.”
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DEFENDER NETWORK
DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL IMPROVING POLICE, COMMUNITY RELATIONSHIP Marilyn Marshall
The recent deaths of George Floyd in Minneapolis and Breonna Taylor in Louisville have renewed calls for improving the relationship between law enforcement and Black communities and implementing real police reform. A national blueprint for more effective community policing was developed by the Obama administration, though many of the reforms have since been abandoned by the Trump administration. In 2014, America witnessed the high-profile deaths of three unarmed Black males at the hands of police: Eric Garner (age 43) in New York, Michael Brown (18) in Ferguson, Mo. and Tamir Rice (12) in Cleveland. Brown’s death in particular led to widespread unrest in Ferguson, where peaceful protests were overshadowed by rioting, vandalism, arson and looting. It released its recommendations in 2015, and Obama said at the time, “We know that some communities have the odds stacked against them, and have had the odds stacked against them for a very long time — in some cases, for decades…”And when communities aren’t vibrant, where people don’t feel a sense of hope and opportunity, then a lot of times that can fuel crime and that can fuel unrest. It released its recommendations in 2015 and Obama said at the time, “We know that some communities have the odds stacked against them, and have had the odds stacked against them for a very long time — in some cases, for decades,” Obama said…”And when communities aren’t vibrant, where people don’t feel a sense of hope and opportunity, then a lot of times that can fuel crime and that can fuel unrest. “We’ve seen it in places like Baltimore and Ferguson and New York,” Obama said. “And it has many causes — from a basic lack of opportunity to some groups feeling unfairly targeted by their police forces. And that means there’s no single solution. There have to be a lot of different solutions and different approaches that we try. So one of the things that we did to address these issues was to create a task force on the future of community policing.” Here is a summary of the task force’s solutions to a problem that has been amplified in recent days. BUILD TRUST & LEGITIMACY Law enforcement cannot build community trust if it is seen as an occupying force coming in from outside to impose control. Law enforcement culture should embrace a guardian — rather than a warrior — mindset. Law enforcement agencies should adopt procedural justice as the guiding principle for policies and practices, establish a culture of transparency and accountability, and create a workforce that encompasses a broad range of diversity including race, gender, language, life experience and cultural background to improve understanding and effectiveness in dealing with all communities. DEVELOP POLICY & OVERSIGHT Law enforcement agencies should collaborate with community members, especially in
Protestors face off with Houston police. -Kim Patterson
There have to be a lot of different solutions and different approaches that we try. So one of the things that we did to address these issues was to create a task force on the future of community policing.” President Barack Obama 2015
communities and neighborhoods disproportionately affected by crime, to develop policies and strategies for deploying resources that aim to reduce crime by improving relationships, increasing engagement and fostering cooperation. Law enforcement should have clear and comprehensive policies on the use of force (including training on the importance of de-escalation), mass demonstrations (including the appropriate use of equipment, particularly rifles and armored personnel carriers), consent before searches, gender identification, racial profiling and performance measures. USE TECHNOLOGY & SOCIAL MEDIA Implementing new technologies can give police departments an opportunity to fully engage and educate communities in a dialogue about their expectations for transparency, accountability and privacy. Law enforcement agencies and leaders need to be able to identify, assess and evaluate new technology for adoption and do so in ways that improve their effectiveness, efficiency and evolution without infringing on individual rights. Implementation of technology should be designed considering local needs and aligned with national standards. Policies and best practices should be adopted for technology-based community engagement that increases trust and access. EMPHASIZE COMMUNITY POLICING Law enforcement agencies should work with community residents to identify problems and collaborate on implementing solutions that produce meaningful results. Agencies should also engage in multidisciplinary, community team approaches for planning, implementing and responding to crisis situations with complex causal factors. Agencies
should avoid using tactics that unnecessarily stigmatize youth and marginalize their participation in communities and schools (where law enforcement officers should have limited involvement in discipline). Communities should affirm and recognize the voices of youth in decision-making and problem-solving, and develop and fund youth leadership training and life skills through positive youth/police collaboration and interactions. STRESS TRAINING & EDUCATION Today’s line officers and leaders must be trained and capable to address a wide variety of challenges. Law enforcement agencies should engage community members, particularly those with special expertise, in the training process and provide leadership training to all personnel throughout their careers. The federal government should support the development of partnerships with training facilities across the country to promote consistent standards for high-quality training and establish training innovation hubs involving universities and police academies. PROMOTE OFFICER WELLNESS & SAFETY The wellness and safety of law enforcement officers is critical not only for the officers, their colleagues, and their agencies but also to public safety. Two specific strategies recommended for the U.S. Department of Justice include (1) encouraging and assisting departments in the implementation of scientifically supported shift lengths by law enforcement and (2) expanding efforts to collect and analyze data not only on officer deaths but also on injuries and “near misses.” Law enforcement agencies should adopt policies that require officers to wear seat belts and bullet-proof vests and provide training to raise awareness of the consequences of failure to do so.
12 | June 4, 2020 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL
We Wish to Plead Our Own Cause‌
The signs say Black Lives Matter. Yet the very people who are supposed to protect us too often, in too many places, don’t seem to agree. Instead of accountability, police have been given impunity. There were 17 complaints ďŹ led against Chauvin in his 19 years on the force.â€?
Upon these words the Black Press was founded. Today, the Houston Defender Network will “LET THE PEOPLE BE HEARD,� opening the door to allow our community to post their 60-90 second videos. The death of Houstonian George Floyd has generated a range of emotions, opinion and perspectives that deserve to be heard. We invite you to share your response to the questions:
Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.
President and Founder - Rainbow PUSH Coalition
• Why is the death of George Floyd dierent? • Where do we go from here? • How do we keep this tragedy from becoming just another hashtag?
We do not need to see any more videos of people of color being beaten and killed to understand the horror and barbarity of these acts. What we need is the individual and collective courage and commitment to declare that this must stop.....�
Share your opinion and raise the consciousness by making others aware of what you are thinking. Go to: bit.ly//hearthepeople_georgeoyd Note: Please keep your comments 60-90 seconds in length and avoid profanity.
Daniel W. Snare President,
American Leadership Forum, Houston/Gulf Coast Chapter
Read their editorials at www.DefenderNetwork.com
KNOW PREDICT PREVENT Â Â? Â? Â Â? Â? Â?
Offic e of Distr ict Attorne y ha r r is co unt y, T X
Kim Ogg
HarrisCount yDA.COM
June 4, 2020 |
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DEFENDER NETWORK
DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL
AMERICA’S BLACK MAYORS SPEAK OUT Defender News Service
Cities governed by African Americans are among those reeling from the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Here, four African American mayors speak out on pain and protests:
Keisha Lance Bottoms Atlanta
Melvin Carter St. Paul
Muriel Bowser Washington, D.C.
“What we saw overnight was not a protest, and it was not Atlanta. We as a people are strongest when we use our voices to heal our city instead of using our hands to tear it down. We know our citizens are angry. We are angry and we want justice. If we are to enact change in this nation, I implore everyone to channel their anger and sorrow into something more meaningful and effective through non-violent activism…Now more than ever, I am calling on our communities to come together to show our strength as one Atlanta through prayer and working together to restore and heal our city as an example for the nation.”
“We’re seeing an enormous amount of rage and frustration and anger on the ground. Much of that is totally understandable as the gruesome images of Mr. George Floyd’s murder have created a groundswell in our community of anger and frustration. Our concern is that it seems very clear that while some of our folks are out there in the streets just crying out to be heard, that they believe that George Floyd should still be alive, that all four of those officers should be held accountable for their actions… there also seem to be people in those crowds who are very intent on sparking violence, on breaking windows, on starting fires…”
“I want to start by saying we certainly recognize and empathize with the outrage that people feel following the killing in Minneapolis...And we certainly empathize that the killing of George Floyd wasn’t the first, and that people are expressing outrage and demanding action. We also recognize that we are proud of our city and we do not want our city to be destroyed. So our police, and firefighters, and members of the public safety team for Washington, along with our federal partners, have been working to make sure people can exercise their First Amendment rights, while not destroying Washington, D.C.”
Sylvester Turner Houston “The pain, anger, and frustration are evident and understandable. People have a right to march and demonstrate. As Houston’s mayor, I ask people throughout our city to protest peacefully and respectfully. In this city, we value human life. We value every person regardless of the neighborhood where you were born and reared. We also recognize that communities and law enforcement must work together on the same team and moving in the same direction.”
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Specifications may be secured from The HARRIS CENTER, Purchasing Department located at 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074; telephone (713) 970-7304 and/or via The HARRIS CENTER website www.theharriscenter.org or the Electronic State Business Daily Site https://portal.cpa.state.tx.us/, beginning Tuesday, June 9, 2020. Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Friday, June 12, 2020. Solicitation documents must be submitted to Purchasing Services, 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by 11 A.M., Wednesday, June 24, 2020 in a sealed envelope marked "RFP FOR AGENCY WIDE PRINTING SERVICES ” - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL – WEDNESDAY JUNE 24, 2020, AT 11:00 A.M. Any questions pertaining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to Marguarette Washington, Buyer II or E-mail questions to marguarette.washington@theharriscenter.org cc: sharon.brauner@theharriscenter.org., or via fax at (713) 970-7682. Historically Underutilized Businesses, including Minority-Owned Businesses and Women-Owned Businesses, are encouraged to participate. The HARRIS CENTER reserves all rights to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests, and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.
14 | June 4, 2020 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Feature
Local woman helps seniors get ‘adopted’ movement was slow. But as word spread, the group grew. Within a couple of days, the group ballooned. Every day, people across the Houston were requesting to join, from family mem- Alyndria Johnson bers to the graduating seniors themselves. And Johnson, who had to add on more group administrators, was quickly inundated with posts to approve. “I didn’t expect for it to be as big as it was. It took off so quickly. We made our group public, other groups started opening up their groups to make them public and our group just spread. I couldn’t tell you how it spread. We did no major advertising. We just posted on our own pages. Other parents started coming into the group. I was nervous at first because we weren’t sure how it would be accepted,” said Johnson, who meticulously made sure that safety of the teens was a priority. For the most part, the insular groups oper-
Defender News Service
When Alyndria Johnson decided to create a Facebook group to help recognize and celebrate the high school seniors in Houston, she never expected it to grow to over 2,000 members, with nearly 500 local seniors getting “adopted.” Across the country, groups like Johnson’s “Adopt a High School Senior” page have popped up with similar goals — do something positive for teens who saw their graduation ceremonies put on hold or disrupted. The groups all operate the same way: Parents and students post photos and blurbs about graduating seniors, and members of the group can “adopt” them in the comments. An adoption entails sending baskets, gifts, gift cards and presents. “I’m originally from the Golden Triangle (Orange) and we’re a small community. Some of my friends had started a group in the area and I saw all of the love they were giving those seniors. I reached out to some other people who were interested in helping kids and asked if they could help me,” Johnson said. Her friends stepped up to the plate. At first,
David and Sharissa Richards present gifts to senior, Morgan Billingsley.
ate as a sort of one-way gift exchange, where parents and students would advertise a child’s accomplishments, usually alongside an Amazon wish list. For many of the teens, the adoption groups was a welcomed distraction as millions of Americans were placed under stay-at-home orders. Many families of graduates, faced with
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the prospect of canceled graduation parties and proms, were eager for an event to celebrate their achievements. Morgan Billingsley, a senior from Missouri City, said she was bummed about the way her senior year has unfolded, but she was ecstatic to be adopted by a Spring couple who showed up on the day of her virtual graduation with a basket of goodies. “Just having this perfect stranger step up to the plate and say, ‘I know things aren’t how you wish, but I’m here to celebrate you’ was awesome. Not to mention I got a lot of things to help me with college,” said Morgan, who is heading to Fisk University in the fall. “Participating with this awesome movement was a no brainer,” said David Richard, who along with his wife, Sharissa and their children, carefully picked out meaningful items for Morgan’s gift basket. “These amazing young men and women have faced an extremely unique situation with such poise and dignity. They were robbed and this moment was our chance teach a life lesson they’ll never forget. It’s not about what life takes from you but what you take from life.”
June 4, 2020 |
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DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Sports Former Texans receiver DeAndre Hopkins says quarterback Deshaun Watson is a competitor and warrior and that he will continue to rally the Texans and guide them to wins.
Prairie View A&M junior high jumper Ja’Sha Sloan named All-American by United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association for 2020 NCAA Division I indoor track and field season.
Reactions to Floyd killing “I am deeply saddened, truly pained and plain angry. I see and feel everyone’s pain, outrage and frustration. I stand with those who are calling out the ingrained racism and violence toward people of color in our country. We have had enough.” – Chicago Bulls great and current Charlotte Hornets owner Michael Jordan
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell speaks ahead of the first round at the NFL football draft, Thursday, April 25, 2019, in Nashville, Tenn. -AP Photo/Steve Helber
SPORTS WORLD FORCED TO DEAL WITH
ACTIVISM
By Terrance Harris
As we face one of the most tumultuous times in our country in recent memory, we are reminded again how closely athletes and activism are connected. Star athletes like LeBron James have made it an expectation that African American athletes use their platforms to speak out against social injustices like the senseless killing of Houston native George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer. The problem has been that organizations, sports governing bodies and coaches, who all make riches off of the athletic prowess of African American athletes, have been slow to speak out against injustices African Americans face in this country. That was the case as the nation boiled over in over as thousands of people marched and protested the bold killing of Floyd in broad
daylight as citizens watched and videotaped as white police officer Derek Chauvin pinned Floyd down with his knee on his neck for more than eight minutes. Floyd was soon lifeless and eventually pronounced dead. It wasn’t until May 31 that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver finally addressed the killing of Floyd along with other recent killings of Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. “Just as we are fighting a pandemic, which is impacting communities and people of color more than anyone else, we are being reminded that there are wounds in our country that have never been healed,” Silver said in a memo. “Racism, police brutality and racial injustice remain part of everyday life in America and cannot be ignored.” His call to action came after a similar expression of concern from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell. But Goodell’s words were met
with much skepticism considering that he has been seen by many as the major roadblock to former 49ers Colin Kaepernicks’ return to the league. Kaepernick has not played in the NFL since 2016 when he started kneeling during the playing of the national anthem as a way to bring attention to the killing of black men at the hands of white police officers and citizens. Goodell’s support for Floyd and the others along with the protestors came on the heals of the revelation from former NFL Executive VP Joe Lockhart that Kaepernick’s activism is indeed what has kept him out of the league, despite still being a very capable quarterback. Texans receiver Kenny Stills, who kneeled during his time with the Dolphins, tweeted “Save the bulls—t,” in response to Goodell’s statement of support. Follow Terrance Harris on Twitter @terranceharris
“While I can’t pretend to comprehend the pain felt by the Black community, I want to do my part to bring about the change we are all desperately seeking. This starts with an open and honest dialogue where everyone can be heard and their feelings supported. When adversity challenges us, our greatest triumph as a team comes from standing together, as a family, a family of all races and backgrounds. We can’t afford to sit this one out.” – Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher “We are all part of this and we must banish these types of injustices in not just our country, but our world. The ultimate future of our nation is in our hands, and like the teams I’ve been privileged to coach, we must depend on and respect each other no matter our differences. We must come together and treat one another with respect and dignity.” – Alabama coach Nick Saban “Why Doesn’t America Love US!!!!!????TOO.” – Lakers forward LeBron James
16 | June 4, 2020 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Section
Houston, we’re committed to helping you through this At Bank of America, we recognize this health and humanitarian crisis has impacted everyone in different ways. Across our company, we’re focused on supporting the wellbeing of our teammates, providing the essential financial services our clients need, and helping communities across the country move forward. We know small businesses have been especially impacted. We feel a deep sense of responsibility for helping them navigate the current environment, and to secure vital funding to stay operational and be able to pay their employees. This includes our around-the-clock efforts to support clients through the Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Our teammates are also focused on helping customers access additional resources. Through our Client Assistance Program, we’ve provided more than 1.6 million deferrals of mortgage, credit card and auto loan payments. I am inspired and proud of the way all of us in Houston have come together during this difficult time. Please stay safe.
Hong Ogle Houston Market President
For more information, please visit bankofamerica.com/community.
Data as of May 15, 2020 Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender
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Over 300,000 of our small business clients have received PPP funding for more than $25 billion in relief. Of the funded PPP loans to date, • 98% are for companies with fewer than 100 employees. • 81% are for companies with 10 or fewer employees. • 23% are from low- to moderateincome neighborhoods. In Texas, this includes funding for 23,376 of our small business clients totaling $1.6 billion.