FEATURE
POLL: 1 IN 4 DON'T PLAN TO RETIRE DESPITE REALITIES OF AGING P8
facebook.com/DefenderNetwork
Houston’s Leading Black Information Source
Volume 88 | Number 37
JULY 11, 2019 |FREE
twitter.com/DefenderNetwork
NEWSTALK UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS to offer free tuition to low-income residents
P2 NATIONAL ELIJAH EL-AMIN killed over rap music
P3 COMPENSATING DESCENDANTS OF SLAVES
The case for
JAYLON JACKSON-CURVY
Reparations H PAGE 6
Kirk Franklin
Cori 'Coco' Gauff
The singer is promoting his “Long Live Love” tour and new album. We caught up with Franklin to talk about his visit to Houston, his music, his Texas roots and what lies ahead.
The tennis phenom might have ended her fairytale run, which started with a win against her idol Venus Williams, but the 15-year-old's profile has risen to stratospheric levels and established her as a household name. Find out her plans after her Wimbledon loss.
Visits Houston
H PAGE 5
HS SPORTS scores for AAU, Dobie HS
P11 TOP EVENTS
still going strong
H PAGE 10
defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for 88 years
Dr. Thomas Freeman, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Pastor Emeritus Bill Lawson at Freeman’s 100th birthday celebration.
P12
2
DEFENDER | JULY 11 | 2019
defendernetwork.com
newstalk
UT Austin offers free tuition
Kashmere High poised for passing state grade
Defender News Services
“It will bring out the pride in the school, in the students, in the comFor over a decade, munity, in the alumni,” Kashmere High School Downey said. “But in Northeast Houston has understand we still have been on the state’s list of much work to do.” struggling schools that must While Kashmere improve. But that’s expected students have improved to change this summer. in math, their reading HISD Trustee Rhonda scores still lag below Skillern Jones said that preaverage. liminary test scores indicate Principal Reginald Kashmere is poised to get a Bush, who successfully passing grade when the state turned around Kashmere releases official ratings in Gardens Elementary, said August. he’s already planning for It’s a huge win for the next school year. Bush school, which the Texas said by the first week of Education Agency has rated school, all students will as “improvement required” have had a chance to read longer than any other camand give feedback on pus in the state. Kashmere is Kashmere Principal Reginald Bush is pleased with the school’s the school’s continued one of four schools in HISD progress. turnaround plan. that must improve this year or “In a nutshell, the school improvement plan will be a the rating could trigger steep state penalties, including stateworking document at all times,” he said. appointed managers to run the entire district. Bush said he expects to see “tremendous growth” in “We’re ready to celebrate as a community because this the state’s school accountability system. One driver behind has been 11 years in the making,” said community leader that: celebrating small successes during the year. Bush said and alum Keith Downey. “Let’s get those results out so the they asked students how they wanted to celebrate, which community can not only celebrate but the parents can feel turned into field trips, crawfish boils, pep rallies and fish better and can increase enrollment as well.” fries. Bush said another key ingredient has been teachers Downey said he credits the turnaround to keeping coming together and using data to improve instruction. strong teachers, putting tutors in the classroom and giving “They really, really pushed the needle…Making more support to students in and outside of school. Downey sure we can build strong relationships with students helped found a community council to support Kashmere and having the students goal-set, that was really big and other schools in the neighborhood, with a particular this year,” he said. focus on wrap-around social services. Defender News Services
The University of Texas System Board of Regents said it has made an investment in the future for students at UT Austin that will increase tuition assistance for those from middle- and low-income families and make the state’s flagship research university even more affordable. Under the leadership of Chairman Kevin Eltife and Chancellor James B. Milliken, the regents voted unanimously to establish a $160 million endowment from a distribution of the state’s Permanent University Fund that will generate money for financial assistance beginning in fall 2020. The new endowment will be used to expand UT Austin’s Texas Advance Commitment program for in-state undergraduate students to: • Completely cover tuition and fees for students from families that earn up to $65,000 a year who have financial need. • Provide some assured tuition support to students from families with incomes of up to $125,000 who have financial need. “Recognizing both the need for improved access to higher education and the high value of a UT Austin degree, we are dedicating a distribution from the Permanent University Fund to establish an endowment that will directly benefit students and make their degrees more affordable,” Eltife said after the vote. “This will benefit students of our great state for years to come.” The median household income in Texas was $59,206 in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. “I am grateful to the UT System Board of Regents and Chairman Kevin Eltife for prioritizing students and investing in the future of our great state,” said UT Austin President Gregory L. Fenves.
localbriefs TEXAS IS GOING TO COURT TO END OBAMACARE. After a legislative session that seemed to have no room for issues other than property tax reform and school finance, Texas will ask a federal appeals court in New Orleans to end the law in its entirety – without offering a replacement plan. At stake is the subsidized health coverage of roughly 1 million Texans, sweeping protections for patients with preexisting conditions, young adults staying on their parents’ insurance plans until age 26 and a host of low-cost benefits available to all people with health insurance. Texas already has the highest uninsured
rate in the nation……..THE LAWYERS FOR A FORMER DALLAS COP who shot an innocent and unarmed Black man after she illegally entered his own home have filed a motion to move the murder trial elsewhere. Defense attorneys for Amber Guyger, who killed Botham Shem Jean last September, filed a motion claiming in part that “[the] case has been infamous and not merely notorious.” It was the latest tactic from a defense team that appeared to have its back up against the wall with a decreasing number of options in the high-profile police shooting…… AMERICAN AIRLINES IS APOLOGIZING
TO A HOUSTON DOCTOR after she was briefly removed from a flight because of her clothing. Dr. Tisha Rowe was trying to board a Miami-bound American Airlines flight in Kingston, Jamaica, en route to Houston the morning of June 30. In a series of tweets, Rowe, who was travelling with her 5-year old son, said her shorts were deemed too distracted. She wrote that “we are policed for being Black. Our bodies are over sexualized as women and we must adjust to make everyone around us comfortable.” Rowe said she had to walk down the aisle, wrapped in a blanket, in order to get to her seat.
defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 88 years
defendernetwork.com
JULY 11 | 2019 | DEFENDER
national
U.S.briefs FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN APOLOGIZED for remarks he made regarding his past work with segregationist lawmakers, acknowledging that they may have hurt some people. During the recent Democratic primary debate, Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) called out Biden’s comments about finding common ground with former Sens. Herman Talmadge (D-Ga.) and James O. Eastland (D-Miss.), both of whom rejected desegregation. Biden said that he hoped “that misstep” wouldn’t “define 50 years of my record for fighting for civil rights, racial justice in this country.”……..THE CALIFORNIA STATE SENATE PASSED A BILL that intends to raise the standard for law enforcement’s use of deadly force, with the goal of reducing fatal police shootings. The legislation, Assembly Bill 392, defines the circumstances under which law enforcement officers can justifiably use deadly force as only when the “officer reasonably believes...that deadly force is necessary to defend against an imminent threat of death or serious bodily injury.” “Police officers should never take a human life when there are alternatives,” Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego), the bill’s co-author, said in remarks on the House floor in late May, before the bill passed with overwhelming support in the state Assembly. Weber said the bill replaces the “current vague standard” that officers can use deadly force “whenever reasonable” to a higher standard allowing deadly force “only when necessary.”…….. AN AFROFUTURIST GROUP SAID IT REVERSED ITS DECISION to charge white people more for tickets to its Detroit festival than Black and Brown people because they received threats, an artist dropped out and a ticketing website threatened to unpublish their event. The Eventbrite page for “AfroFuture Fest,” hosted by Afrofuture Youth, advertised an “Early Bird POC Ticket” for $10 – with POC meaning “people of color” – and an “Early Bird NONPOC Ticket” for $20. The group defined “NONPOC” as white people.
VOLUME 88 • NUMBER 37 JULY 11, 2019 Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler
Strategic Alliance Manager
Clyde Jiles Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila Photographers
Ray Carrington III Jimmie Aggison
Editors ReShonda Tate Billingsley Marilyn Marshall Contributing Writer Aswad Walker Sports Jodie B. Jiles Engagement Manager Margo Williams Hubbard
The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender is audited by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For digital subscriptions, visit www.DefenderNetwork.com/ subscribe. No paper subscriptions are available. All material covered by 2019 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).
3
Elijah Al-Amin (right) was killed by Michael Adams in Arizona because of his rap music.
White man slashes Black teen’s throat over music Defender News Services
A former Arizona prisoner has admitted to slashing a teen’s throat because he felt threatened by the rap music the youth played. Thousands are speaking out on social media in support of 17-year-old Elijah Al-Amin, who was killed July 4 at a Circle K store in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria, Ariz. Michael Adams, the man who admitted to killing Al-Amin, reportedly told police after his arrest that rap music makes him feel “unsafe” because people who listen to rap have attacked him in the past. Adams also said although the teen did not provoke or threaten him in the recent incident, he decided to be “proactive rather than reactive.” Adams called people who listen to rap a threat to him and the community, according to court documents. Surveillance footage from Circle K shows Adams lunging at Al-Amin inside the convenience store then walking out a few seconds later. Records indicate that Adams used a pocketknife to stab the teen in the back and slit his throat. The teen ran out of the store and fell under a gas pump canopy, where police who arrived on the scene began giving him CPR. Al-Amin was taken to a hospital, where he later died, the Arizona Republic newspaper reported. With blood on his body and clothes, Adams was arrested just blocks away from the scene of the stabbing. He has been charged with first-
degree murder. It wasn’t his first arrest. Adams’ criminal history includes charges of theft, shoplifting, marijuana violation, disorderly conduct, assault with a weapon and aggravated assault of a correctional employee, the newspaper said. He had just been released from the Arizona State Prison Complex two days before he allegedly killed the teen. Jacie Cotterell, Adams’ lawyer, questioned his ability to access mental health services and argued he shouldn’t have been arrested to begin with. “It’s too easy as a society to shake our head and say ‘well, they committed a crime, it’s too bad. We have jails for that when really, what they need is treatment,” Cotterell told Fox 10. “They need a bed instead of a cell.” In a statement released to Newsweek, Bill Lamoreaux, a spokesman for Arizona Department of Corrections, said Adams “was not designated seriously mentally ill” following his release. “The tragic death is terrible, and Mr. Adams will have to answer for his alleged actions,” Lamoreaux said. People following the case on social media are calling for exactly that using #JusticeForElijah. Al-Amin’s mother, Serina Rides, sids she can’t understand what happened to her son. “There’s no excuse for this,” she said. “There’s not at all, there’s no excuse. I don’t care that somebody’s hiding behind mental illness. There’s no excuse.”
defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 88 years
4
14478 - E_PN_HP_Defender_GO_4.79x13_F.pdf
1
6/28/19
DEFENDER | JULY 11 | 2019
9:21 AM
defendernetwork.com
Ebony, Jet Magazines fire staff, both may fold NNPA Newswire
It’s official, Ebony Magazine – along with its sister publication Jet Magazine – has potentially closed its doors for good. Former employees of the company took to Twitter using the hashtag #EbonyOwes to air out their frustrations with the company, as it has fired all of its employees with little to no notice. According to USA Today, members of Ebony Magazine’s digital team say they’ve been fired and haven’t received their final paychecks in the latest controversy to hit the struggling publication that has chronicled Black life in America for decades. Michael Gibson, co-chairman and founder of Austin, Texas-based Clear View Group, which owns Ebony, declined to comment on the digital team’s dismissal, citing a “policy of not commenting on any employment practices or issues.” The Chicago Tribune previously reported how Ebony was being pressed by the National Writers Union to pay more than $200,000 it alleged the magazine owed to freelance writers who contributed stories back in 2017. The drama sparked the hashtag #EbonyOwes on Twitter. According to a report on Ebony. com, the magazine’s previous owner, Johnson Publishing Co., filed for bankruptcy liquidation in April, which Ebony said would not affect its operations. “EBONY Media Operations, LLC brands, which include EBONY magazine, EBONY.com, digital magazine JET and jetmag.com and its related businesses, have viably operated independently of Johnson Publishing Company dba/ Fashion Fair Cosmetics (JPC) since Blackowned Ebony Media Operations, LLC (EMO) purchased the media assets of JPC in 2016. Black-owned investment firm CVG Group LLC assisted in the formation of EMO,” a statement read. “EMO is unaffected by the Chapter 7 bankruptcy announcement regarding the dissolution of JPC. EMO is not able to comment further and is not familiar with the facts or events of the JPC business.” The first issue of the iconic magazine hit stands 74 years ago and took the industry by storm. Founded by John H. Johnson in November 1945, the Black-owned publication has striven always to address African-American issues, personalities and interests in a positive and self-affirming manner. Timeless editions of Ebony featured some of the biggest personalities in Black America, including issues covered by Lena Horne, Diana Ross, Sidney Poitier, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Muhammad Ali and Oprah Winfrey, as well as former President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama. Despite the possibility that the world may lose the national treasure, fans of Ebony Magazine and its lasting impact believe it will remain a staple of the Black community and an ultimate expression of Black excellence.
GRAND OPENING
Health care with a focus on Seniors At Partners in Primary Care, we understand the unique health challenges that come with age. That’s why we choose to focus on health care for seniors, with staff, services and facilities specially designed to meet their needs. C
M
Y
CM
MY
CY
CMY
K
Visit us at one of our next Grand Openings! Tuesday, July 23, 2019 10am - 2pm Downtown East 5104 Harrisburg Blvd., Ste. 800 Houston, TX 77011 Wednesday, July 24, 2019 10am - 2pm Gulfgate 545 Gulfgate Center Mall Houston, TX 77087
Call 832-862-8886 to make your first appointment or to schedule a tour of your local center. Learn more at SeniorFocusedHouston.com Monday - Friday, 8am - 5pm Partners in Primary Care is Medicare Advantage friendly! We accept Original Medicare, Aetna, Cigna, Humana, TexanPlus and WellCare of Texas Medicare Advantage plans. Partners in Primary Care does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability or sex. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-877-320-2188 (TTY: 711). 注意：如果您使 用繁體中文，您可以免費獲得語言援助服務。請致電 1-877-320-2188 (TTY: 711). GCHKH34EN
defendernetwork.com
JULY 11 | 2019 | DEFENDER
entertainment
5
Kirk Franklin talks music, Texas roots By RESHONDA TATE BILLINGSLEY Defender
It has been more than two decades since Kirk Franklin stepped onto the scene, revolutionizing gospel music by mixing contemporary urban sounds with songs of praise. And filled with seemingly endless energy, the Fort Worth native shows no signs of slowing down. With a new season of “Sunday Best” already underway on BET, the singer is kicking off his “Long Live Love” tour to promote his new album, and performs in Houston on July 12 at Revention Music Center. We caught up with FrankKirk Franklin lin to talk about his music, his Texas roots and what lies ahead. Defender: What can fans expect at your Houston show? Kirk Franklin: I’m gonna give them every Kirk Franklin that they ever came to love. I’m going to give them the S-Curl Kirk Franklin. The cross color, Karl Kanai, Bobby Brown shoulder pads and jacket Kirk Franklin. And then I’m going to give them the Kirk before he got his Invisalign so I can smile Kirk Franklin. I’m going to give them every era of my career plus the new music. I want people to know that it’s going to be worth their while. It’s going to be an amazing time. Defender: Tell us about your new album, “Long Live Love,” and “Love Theory,” the hit single.
Franklin: It just came out. I’m very excited to let people know about it. So, that’s what I’m going to be doing. I’m going to be doing new music off that. The album itself shows how it is very difficult to have a conversation about love and not include the creator and curator of love, which is God Himself. And I think that you know as we continue to push to be a postmodern society that lives on individual idealism, it is very easy for the less fortunate to be left out, the marginalized to be forgotten. When we are reminded that God loves us with our light skin and with our Black skin, it’s easier to have the power to love people who are not always lovable, instead of just loving people within our own circle of influence or people who are like us. Because it’s a civil society, and it’s very difficult for us to
continue if we don’t learn how to love people that are different than we are. Defender: Fans are excited about your return to “Sunday Best.” What do you like most about that show? Franklin: More than anything, I just love the genre as a platform for people to be able to see it. Because this is the genre that people don’t get a chance to see this music happening in real time. You know, gone are the days of Bobby Jones and some of the other platforms that were on television that could be part of people’s weekly diet of the genre…It’s very exciting to see some of it come back because it is so needed for people to see a genre that they love and be able to see it doing these incredible things and giving people the platform and filling the music and filling the spirit and so that’s something that we enjoy. Defender: Has your faith always been a part of who you are? Franklin: Yes. Yes, yes. I was born and raised in the church. I was adopted when I was 4 by a 64-yearold woman who raised me in church and so, that’s what I did. That was the narrative of my life. She recycled cans and newspapers to pay for my piano lessons and so, that gave me my beginning. Defender: What is next for you? Franklin: I have no idea. I have no idea. I just pray that I’m a good steward of whatever it is. And I make God proud when I get there.
what’sup Philadelphia honored singer PATTI LABELLE with her own street recently. Unfortunately, the signs didn’t get her name right. The city’s Streets Department didn’t capitalize the “b″ in the legendary soul singer’s last name on the signs that were put up. A stretch between Locust and Spruce streets was renamed “Patti LaBelle Way” in honor of the Philadelphia native……..PAUL BENJAMIN, the veteran actor who starred in such films as “Hoodlum,” “Rosewood,” “The Five Heartbeats” and famously as “ML” in SPIKE LEE’S “Do The Right Thing,” died June 28. The youngest of 12 children, Benjamin was born in
Pelion, S.C. to a Baptist preacher. With a career that spanned over four decades, Benjamin starred in ’70s classics such as “Across 100th Street” and also alongside PAM GRIER in “Friday Foster.” He was 81……..Amid recent rumors of “health challenges,” STEVIE WONDER revealed that he needs a kidney transplant. Wonder, 69, made the news public during a recent performance in Britain saying that he’s going on a hiatus from touring and that thankfully, he’s already found a donor and that the procedure would take place in September…….. The backlash continues after singer HALLE BAILEY was cast as Ariel in the live-action remake
of “The Little Mermaid,” which brought racist comments from people who were upset about it. Bailey, who plays Sky Forster on the Freeform TV series “Grown-ish,” is also known for being in the group CHLOE X HALLE with her sister CHLOE BAILEY. They were signed to BEYONCÉ’S Parkwood Entertainment label after posting videos of themselves singing. “The Little Mermaid” will mark Halle’s big-screen debut, and it will be the first time a woman of color has been cast as the lead in a Disney live-action remake. The hashtag #notmyariel surfaced as well, because in the 1989 animated film the character had pale skin and red hair.
defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 88 years
6
DEFENDER | JULY 11 | 2019
I
t has been a heated debate for decades, but now, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, has revived the call for reparations. Jackson Lee hasn’t outright come out in support of monetary reparations for descendants of slaves but said it’s something that needs to be studied in detail. As we near the 400 year anniversary of slavery, critics and advocates continue to make the case for and against reparations, while the issue continues to draw mixed feelings from Africa-Americans. In a Point Taken-Marist poll conducted in 2016, 68 percent of Americans said the country should not pay cash reparations to AfricanAmerican descendants of slaves to make up for the harm caused by slavery and racial discrimination. About 8 in 10 white Americans said they were opposed to reparations, while about 6 in 10 Black Americans said they were in favor.
Advocates for reputations say the fight is for the future.
of the first American president of African descent, the legacy of slavery lingers heavily in this nation. While we have focused on the social effects of slavery and Congressional study segregation, its continuing economic implications Last month, Jackson Lee took her request before remain largely ignored by mainstream analysis,” she Congress, saying a study on the validity of reparations said. is “long overdue,” adding that “slavery has never “These economic issues are the root cause of received an apology.” many critical issues in the African-American commu“The role of the federal government in supnity today, such as education, healthcare and criminal porting the institution of slavery and subsequent disjustice policy, including policing practices. The call crimination directed against Blacks is an injustice that for reparations represents a commitment to entering must be formally a constructive diaacknowledged and logue on the role of addressed,” she slavery and racism said. “I just simply in shaping presentask: Why not and day conditions in why not now?” our community and Her resoluAmerican society.” tion calls for a The commiscommission to sion would also “study and make recommendadevelop reparations concerning any tion proposals form of apology and for Africancompensation to beAmericans” and gin the long-delayed consider a national process of atoneapology by the Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee ment for slavery, government “for Jackson Lee said. the perpetration of gross human rights violations and crimes against humanity on African slaves and their descendants.” The case FOR H.R. 40, the Commission to Study and Develop reparations Reparations Proposals for African Americans Act, is The hearing by the House Judiciary Subcommitintended to examine the institution of slavery in the tee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Libercolonies and the United States from 1619 to the presties on H.R. 40 – named for the unfulfilled federal ent, and further recommend appropriate remedies. promise to provide freed African Americans “40 acres Since the initial introduction of the legislation, and a mule” – marked the first opportunity in more its proponents have made substantial progress in than a decade that House members were able to tackle elevating the discussion of reparations and reparatory the issue, with witnesses including actor and activist justice at the national level and joining the mainDanny Glover; writer Ta-Nehisi Coates; U.S. Sen. stream international debate on the issues. Cory Booker, a New Jersey Democrat and presiden“Today there are more people at the table – more tial candidate who proposed a companion version of activists, more scholars, more CEOs, more state and the bill to the Senate; and retired NFL player Burgess local officials, and more members of Congress,” Owens. Jackson Lee said. During his testimony, Coates rebuked Majority “However, despite this progress and the election Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell for his earlier com-
COMPENSATING DESCE
The ca
Repara
By RESHONDA TA Defe
ments on reparations, noting that “for a century after the Civil War, Black people were subjected to a relentless campaign of terror.” Coates helped rekindle the reparations debate with his essay “The Case for Reparations.” “The profits derived from slavery are more extreme than I think are commonly acknowledged,” Coates said. “In 1860, the combined worth of the 4 million enslaved Black people in this country was some $3 billion, nearly $75 billion in today’s share of dollars. “Cotton, in 1860, was this country’s largest export – not just its largest export, it was the majority of exports out of this country. So, from a financial perspective, just the economics of it, it’s absolutely impossible to imagine America without enslavement.” Coates and others have traced racial disparities in wealth, health and criminal justice to government policies and decades of indifference. “It’s not enough to say you’re sorry and try to fix problems going forward,” Coates added. “Germany made an effort to repay the Jews for the horrors of the Holocaust. Japanese-Americans were repaid for suffering in internment camps. Black Americans deserve no less.”
The case AGAINST reparations
Although H.R. 40 received a warm reception from many civil rights
advocates and Bl “We’ve trie Civil War, by pas Kentucky Repub dent.” McConnell reparations back Coleman H people don’t need schools, a less pu “None of th slavery,” said Hu of Blacks enslave Columnist M he believes cuttin plaguing the Blac “My questio 240 years of opp those lives and ho Jones said.
defendernetwork.com • Serving th
defendernetwork.com
7
s n o i t a r a About rep
cc es sf ul ly to pr op os ed un su I) -M (D es s ev er y year idea d S ta te s C on gr r slavery is the te fo ni ns U io 2017. e at th ar t ep •R resignation in y paym en s or hi at l ti ns pe un m 89 co 19 of d nt s of from 16 , th e U ni te that some form S ep te m be r 20 to th e de sc en da In e • ad ts m er be xp E to ne ed s sl av ed in ki ng G ro up of ck ed to an d en N at io ns ' Wor e th es ce nt en co ur A fr ic an s tr affi of e nc ns eq ue e of A fr ic an D co pl l a il eo B P as 0 as on .4 ic .R er th e A m ss th e H pa to s es gr e. on tr ad ag ed C op os al s, bu t di ng A tl an ti c sl av e re pa ra ti on s pr or bi ll de m an y aj m ud e st on to y nl , •O os ed d no t di re ct ly ki ng G ro up di s ha s be en pr op n or on W ti e ra th pa re y pa ra ti on s pr oat io sl av er an y sp ec if ic re to S tu dy R ep ar e rs on si do is en m om th e "C ic an s A ct ," A fr ic an A m er po sa l. Jr. P ro po sa ls fo r . Jo hn C on ye rs ep R er rm fo w hi ch
ENDANTS OF SLAVES
ase for
ations
TATE BILLINGSLEY ender
lack Americans, it will no doubt die in the Senate. ed to deal with our original sin of slavery by fighting a ssing landmark civil rights legislation,” McConnell, a blican, said. “We’ve elected an African-American presi-
invoked former president Barack Obama, who opposed in 2004, by saying it wouldn’t lead to racial harmony. Hughes, who also testified before Congress, said Black d “another apology,” but safer neighborhoods, better unitive criminal justice system and better health care. hese things can be achieved through reparations for ughes, a writer and student who said he is the descendant ed at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello. Mike Jones is also a vocal critic of reparations because ng a check is only a microscopic view of the problems ck community. on for those demanding financial compensation for the pression and uncompensated labor is: what is the value of how do you calculate it? America is still a crooked game,”
Activists such as writer Ta-Nehisi Coates and actor Danny Glover testified before Congress on reparations.
“Any professional gambler will tell you that you can’t beat a crooked game, unless it’s your crooked game. No matter how much money you bring, you’re going home broke. If your money holds, your luck won’t change. “When we frame the discussion of reparations in economic terms, we fall into the same moral rabbit hole as the perpetrators. Asserting a claim for monetary compensation presumes there is a dollar amount that is the moral equivalent of the stolen lives of millions of enslaved AfricanAmericans. It says that America could write a check that says, ‘They’re good, and we’re straight.’” Jones argues that the value of what America has stolen from the descendants of the African Diaspora cannot be calculated.
How much would reparations cost?
For many, that’s the million-dollar question. Estimates of the costs range from billions to trillions. Economist Robert Browne said the ultimate goal of reparations should be to "restore the Black community to the economic position it would have if it had not been subjected to slavery and discrimination.” He estimates a fair reparation value anywhere between $1.4 to $4.7 trillion, or roughly $142,000 for every living Black American.
he Houston area for over 88 years
“Yes, reparations are going to cost a lot of money. But America is a wealthy nation that can afford to pay for its misdeeds. For perspective, consider that in fiscal year 2014, the U.S. government spent $3.5 trillion, which is only 20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product of about $17.5 trillion,” Browne added.
Making it work
Exactly how to compensate descendants of slaves has drawn mixed reactions. William Darity, a public policy professor at Duke University who has studied reparations extensively, proposes two specific requirements for eligibility to receive a payout. • First, at least 10 years before the onset of a reparations program, an individual must have self-identified on a Census form or other formal document as “Black, African-American, colored or Negro.” • Second, each individual must provide proof of an ancestor who was enslaved in the U.S. Darity suggests that financial payouts be divided between individual recipients and a variety of endowments set up to develop the economic strength of the Black community.
8
DEFENDER | JULY 11| 2019
defendernetwork.com
Schools struggle with teaching about slavery Associated Press
"They made me a slave today." Aneka Burton still remembers the way her then 10-year-old son, Nikko, who is Black, recounted his experience to his grandfather after school one day. It was 2011. But Burton believes the classroom exercise in which Nikko's classmates were encouraged to examine and pretend to bid on each other during a history lesson continues to affect his life, even now as an 18-yearold high school graduate. "He tries to act like it didn't bother him, but I really think it changed him," the Gahanna, Ohio, mother said. It's those memories that leave her shaking her head years later as reports about mock slave auctions continue to emerge, reminders that schools are still struggling with how to teach about slavery and its impacts. There are no national standards on how to teach about slavery, although it is often recommended as a topic in curriculum at the state and local levels, according to Lawrence Paska, executive director of the National Council for the Social Studies. The guidance leaves specific lessons up to schools and teachers, who on several occasions have caused offense with attempts to bring history to life. An investigation by New York Attorney General Letitia James found in May that a mock "slave auc-
tion" that singled out Black students at the private Chapel School in Westchester County had a profoundly negative effect on all involved students. "Lessons designed to separate children on the basis of race have no place in New York classrooms, or in classrooms throughout this country," James said. Other recent examples include an "Escaping Slavery" game that gave North Carolina fourth-graders a freedom punch card that read: "If your group runs into trouble four times, you will be severely punished and sent back to the plantation to work as a slave." Families also criticized a Virginia obstacle course
intended to replicate the underground railroad, navigated by third-, fourth- and fifth-graders pretending to be runaway slaves. "Teaching about slavery is hard," summarized a 2018 report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, which surveyed more than 1,700 social studies teachers and analyzed textbooks. "No national consensus exists on how to teach about slavery, and there is little leadership‌It is time to change this state of affairs." Dozens of teachers surveyed reported simulations as their favorite lessons when teaching about slavery, according to the report, though its authors and others said such reenactments do more harm than good. At the Chapel School, the fifth-grade teacher who led the mock auction in March was fired. The school agreed to hire a diversity officer and change its discipline practices after parents complained that Black students were lined up against a wall wearing imaginary shackles and "sold" to their white peers. Ill-conceived lessons happen enough that advocates like Teaching Tolerance, a project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, offer lesson plans with suggestions for texts and discussion. Teaching Tolerance plans to publish a framework for teaching about slavery in grades kindergarten through five in August.
Many will not retire despite aging realities Defender News Services
Nearly one-quarter of Americans say they never plan to retire, according to a poll that suggests a disconnection between individuals' retirement plans and the realities of aging in the workforce. Experts say illness, injury, layoffs and caregiving responsibilities often force older workers to leave their jobs sooner than they'd like. According to the poll from the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research, 23 percent of workers, including nearly 2 in 10 of those over 50, don't expect to stop working. Roughly another quarter of Americans say they will continue working beyond their 65th birthday. According to government data, about 1 in 5 people 65 and older was working or actively looking for a job in June. For many, money has a lot to do with the decision to keep working.
"The average retirement age that we see in the data has gone up a little bit, but it hasn't gone up that much," says Anqi Chen, assistant director of savings
research at the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College. "So, people have to live in retirement
much longer, and they may not have enough assets to support themselves in retirement." When asked how financially comfortable they feel about retirement, 14 percent of Americans under the age of 50 and 29 percent over 50 say they feel extremely or very prepared, according to the poll. About another 4 in 10 older adults say they do feel somewhat prepared, while just about one-third feel unprepared. By comparison, 56 percent of younger adults say they don't feel prepared for retirement. Among those who are fully retired, 38 percent said they felt very or extremely prepared when they retired, while 25 percent said they felt not very or not at all prepared. "One of the things about thinking about never retiring is that you didn't save a whole lot of money," says Ronni Bennett, 78, who was pushed out of her job as a New York City-based website editor at 63. She searched for work in the immediate aftermath of her layoff, a process she describes as akin to "banging my head against a wall."
defendernetwork.com
JULY 11 | 2019 | DEFENDER
Dupre wins regional superintendent award Defender News Services
Fort Bend ISD Superintendent of Schools Dr. Charles Dupre is among 19 superintendents named regional winners of the 2019 Superintendent of the Year award, sponsored by the Texas Association of School Boards (TASB). Dupre is the 2019 Region 4 Superintendent of the Year. Region 4 comprises 48 public school districts, 37 open-enrollment charter schools, and represents more than 1.2 million students, 97,000 educators and 1,500 campuses. The state committee will interview regional winners in Austin on Aug. 23-24 and select five state finalists. The Superintendent of the Year will be announced Sept. 21 at the 2019 Texas Association of School Administrators/ Texas Association of School Boards convention in Dallas. The awards program has recognized exemplary superintendents for excellence and
achievement in educational leadership since 1984. Candidates are chosen for their strong leadership skills, dedication to improving educational quality, ability to build effective employee relations, student performance,and commitment to public involvement in education. Local nominees are submitted to a regional selection committee, which chooses one nominee to send to the state selection committee. “Throughout Dr. Dupre’s six years as superintendent, Fort Bend ISD has developed a solid foundation for success, with a clear focus on educating the whole child,” said FBISD Board President Jason Burdine. “The district has seen significant growth in student achievement and has significantly increased opportunities for all our students, including traditionally underrepresented groups. Dr. Dupre is a great supporter of our students and staff, and exemplifies what we
Kaepernick has Ross shoes removed, Nike value rises Defender News Services
After Colin Kaepernick had Nike remove its Fourth of July holiday shoe recently, the company’s shares have seen a sizable increase and so has its market value. The sneakers, called the Air Max 1 USA, were designed with the “Betsy Ross Flag” on the heel, a flag that has 13 stars in a circle to represent the 13 colonies in the United States at the time. It was also flown during slavery, which Kaepernick reminded Nike of. Plus, the flag has been used by white supremacist groups as a response to the increasing diversity in the U.S., so Nike decided to pull the shoes altogether. “Nike made the decision to halt distribution of the Air Max 1 Quick Strike Fourth of July based on concerns that it could unintentionally offend and detract from the nation’s patriotic holiday,” said the company in a statement earlier this month.
Since the shoes were pulled, Nike’s shares have gone up 2 percent, which added almost $3 billion to the company’s market value, reports Forbes. That’s despite the backlash over the decision and calls for a boycott. Kaepernick has become a full-time activist since he stopped playing in the NFL, and before that, as a quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers, he began kneeling during pregame performances of the national anthem to protest police brutality and criminal justice iniquities against Black people. The Milwaukee native eventually filed a collusion grievance after he said team owners kept him out of the league, and he received a settlement in February for under $10 million. Kaepernick also became a spokesman for Nike in 2011 and last year was featured in an ad for its “Just Do It” campaign, which received a lot of backlash from the right. But just as it happened with the Betsy Ross sneakers, Nike saw a 5 percent increase after they announced Kaepernick would star in the ad.
9
Dr. Charles Dupre
work to instill in our students – the attributes of our Profile of a Graduate.” Dupre came to FBISD in 2013 from Pflugerville ISD, where he served as superintendent of schools and was named the Region 13 Superintendent of the Year in 2012. TASB is a nonprofit association established in 1949 to serve local public school boards.
classifieds The TRIO Educational Opportunity Center Offers FREE services to qualifying adults 19 and older in the areas of: high school equivalency: GED resources, career coaching, college admissions, financial aid applications, college entrance exam preparation and much more. Call 713-718-6330
Legal Notice Application has been made with the Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission for a Mixed Beverage with Late Hours Permit dba FEUL LOUNGE LLC by Charles Brown & Dishon McKelvey, to be located at 4217 Tidwell RD, Suite D, Houston, Harris, Texas. Officers of said corporation owners are Charles Brown Member and Dishon McKelvey - Member.
accepting proposals for the following:
will be
PHARMACY RETAIL SOFTWARE SYSTEM RFP Specifications may be secured from The HARRIS CENTER, Purchasing Services located at 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074; telephone (713) 970-7281, The HARRIS CENTER website www.theharriscenter.org or the Electronic State Business Daily Site https://portal.cpa.state.tx.us/ beginning Tuesday, July 16, 2019. Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Tuesday, July 23, 2019. Proposals must be submitted to Purchasing Services, 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, August 6, 2019 in a sealed envelope marked "PROPOSAL - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL – TUESDAY, August 6, 2019, PHARMACY RETAIL SOFTWARE SYSTEM". Any questions pertaining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to Frances Otto, CTCD, Buyer II and Sharon Brauner, C.P.M., Purchasing Manager, via E-mail to frances.otto@theharriscenter.org cc: sharon.brauner@theharriscenter.org or fax at (713) 970-7682. 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.
10
pro sports
Wimbledon dream ends for Coco Gauff
O
Associated Press
ut of escapes, out of surprises, Coco Gauff knew her captivating Wimbledon ride at age 15 was nearing its conclusion. The thousands of spectators at Court No. 1 realized it, too, so they made sure to show their appreciation for the youngest qualifier at the All England Club in the professional era and youngest Week 2 participant since 1991. Fans, most of whom probably hadn’t heard of Gauff, rose and roared as she fended off the initial two match points she faced against 2018 French Open champion Simona Halep. It was reminiscent of the way Gauff began a comeback victory in her previous match. This time, though, Gauff could not come through, beaten by the older, more experienced Halep 6-3, 6-3. “It was really surprising, because you don’t really expect this kind of support when you’re in another country, not your home country. I really did feel like I was probably playing in New York. I’m just really happy that people believe in me,” said Gauff, who beat Venus Williams in the first round for quite a Grand Slam tournament debut. “I wasn’t feeling my best, I wasn’t playing my best,” Gauff said as she wiped away tears at her news conference, where she noted she wasn’t sure why she needed a visit from a doctor in the second set, “but they were still supporting me, no matter what.” While Gauff couldn’t get past former No. 1 Halep, another American, 55th-ranked Alison Riske, stopped the 15-match winning streak of the current No. 1, Ash Barty, eliminating her 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. “Right now, Ash is playing well,” Riske said. “I believe that I am, as well.” Gauff receives support from her parents. Her father, Corey, played basketball at Georgia State That’s certainly University and her mother, Candi, ran track at Florida State University. true. She improved to topped the WTA rankings, Serena Williams, who 14-1 on grass courts this will be participating in her 14th quarterfinal at season and reached the first major quarterfinal of Wimbledon alone. her career in 30 appearances. For Gauff, this was her seventh match in short It’ll come against yet another player who has
Fifteen-year-old Cori “Coco” Gauff of Delray Beach, Fla. beat Venus Williams in the first round of Wimbledon but lost in the fourth round. (AP photo)
order – three in qualifying, four in the main draw — and while she insisted she wasn’t fatigued, she looked it. Still, with serves reaching 119 mph, a dynamic backhand that landed near lines and aggressive volleying, Gauff made an impression on anyone who watched her. Not to mention anyone who played her. “It’s a great performance. I think if she keeps going, she will be [in the] top 10 soon,” Halep said. “She will be a very tough opponent for everybody. If she keeps doing what she did here, she’s going to get a lot of confidence and she can win big tournaments soon.” Now the trick will be to manage those sorts of expectations. Gauff is, after all, too young to drive a car. She is taking high school courses. Instead of hanging out at a mall or going to see a movie with friends or working as a camp counselor, there she was at Wimbledon at 1 p.m., standing in the tunnel that leads to the court with her father, Corey. He draped his arm around her shoulders, then parted ways by giving his daughter a peck on the cheek.
defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 88 years
defendernetwork.com
JULY 11 | 2019 | DEFENDER
h.s. sports
11
Wyndell Mitchell Jr. A dual-threat quarterback to watch
About Mitchell
Twitter: 1dellwyn IG: Tyb.j5_ Favorite good: Pasta Favorite musical artists: Lil Wayne, Meek Mill Shout-outs: “Mom, Pops and quarterback coach J.P. Tillman”
By JODIE B. JILES Defender
W
yndell Mitchell Jr., an incoming ninth-grade quarterback for Galena Park North Shore, scored for the Marines team at the Youth All American Armed Forces Bowl at Rice Stadium in a 21-12 victory over Navy. In the game, Mitchell was able to make plays on the ground and in the air with a 27-yard touchdown pass on the run that put his team up 15-6. (The game was cut short when an injured Marines player was carted off the field in an ambulance).
A Marine All-Star coach explained what makes Mitchell such a special talent. “He can extend plays with his feet, he understands, reads and he is notscared to maneuver around in the pocket,” he said. “And what makes him special moving forward is that he understands the importance of extending plays and throughout the scramble process he still keeps his eyes down the field to make a play.” The Defender spoke with Mitchell after the All-Star game to discuss his style of play, the touchdown he threw and how he is looking forward to joining the defending state championship North Shore High School football program this fall. Defender: How would you describe your style
of play as a quarterback? Mitchell: I am a dual-threat quarterback because I scramble to throw the ball and get touchdowns. You see me running but I want to be a pocket passer and an athlete who just wants to get it out there. Defender: Describe the 27-yard touchdown pass you threw that put your team up two scores? Mitchell: I wanted to attract the cornerback to come down to me and he did that so I just threw it over the top. My receiver and I already had chemistry because he goes to North Shore too. So, I told him pre-snap if they come down on me, I have to get it out and I did.
Jaylon Jackson-Curvy benefits from summer ball By JODIE B. JILES Defender
Jaylon Jackson-Curvy is a 6-foot-7 under-theradar incoming junior small forward who transferred from Manvel to Dobie High School to join his friends and AAU teammates to play ball. On the defensive side of the floor JacksonCurvy uses his length and wingspan to create turnovers and dominate the boards. His midrange shooting and points off the offensive boards His AAU coach Mike Rodgers of the Houston Defenders has long been aware of JacksonCurvy’s skills. “He is a big-time versatile athletic player who has been with me since seventh grade and is a great team player too,” Rodgers said. The Defender spoke with Jackson-Curvy
about his playing style, how AUU has helped his game grow and the chemistry with his AAU teammates who also play with him at Dobie. Defender: How would you describe your style of play as a small forward? Jackson-Curvy: I’m a sharpshooter and a rebounder. Defender: How has playing AAU helped you get ready for school ball this summer? Jackson-Curvy: It helps me get mentally and physically stronger and faster to get me ready for the high school basketball season. Defender: How have you and your friends been able to build the chemistry on the court? Jackson-Curvy: The chemistry really comes from outside of basketball because we hang out with each other off the court in AAU and school. That makes us a stronger team, helps us communicate and work together as a team.
About Jackson-Curvy
Basketball players he studies: Kevin Durant, Brandon Ingram, Andrew Wiggins Favorite musical artist: Lil Uzi Vert Favorite subjects: Math and science Hobby: Playing Fortnite with teammates Shout-outs: “My family and coaches”
defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 88 years
12
DEFENDER | JULY 11 | 2019
defendernetwork.com
Happening in Houston For event coverage email: events@defendermediagroup.com
topevents
A MUSICAL TRIBUTE ART SHOW……..Renowned artist Mack L. Bishop far gathered to pay tribute to Dr. Freeman for the many ways he impacted their III was featured at “A Musical Tribute,” an art show featuring his paintings of personal lives and the lives of so many others. Attendees at the various gatherings legendary entertainers Aretha Franklin, Jill Scott, Beyoncé, Nipsey Hussle, Little included Clarice Freeman, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, County Commissioner Richard, Whitney Houston and many more. The event was hosted by Houston’s first Rodney Ellis, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Dr. Alvia Wardlaw, Dr. Gloria Batiste-Roberts, daughter Ashley Turner and entrepreneur Kim Roxie and held at the Community Melinda Spaulding, Jonathan Martin, Deshara Goss, Marc Newsome, Andrea Shelton, Artists’ Collective. Attendees at the event included Missy Bishop, Mansur Bishop, Angela Daniel, TSU debate team members past and present and countless others…….. Dr. Sarah Trotty, Michelle Barnes, John Locke, Kaela Watson, Mark Snow, DONNELL COOPER BOOK SIGNING……..Kulture Restaurant recently played host to Chris Noble, Aiesha Odutayo, Ronan Banks, Dominic a book signing for Donnell Cooper, president of the Greater Houston Clay and others…….. DR. THOMAS FREEMAN Defender TOP EVENTS Frontiers Club, campus director of the Houston Community College 100TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION (photos by Earlie More photos on defendernetwork.com Acres Homes Campus, CEO/founder of D.R. Cooper & Company and Hudnall)........……..The iconic Dr. Thomas F. Freeman author of the new book “My Name is Chivalry.” The book celebrates recently celebrated his 100th birthday in grand fashion. Several courteous, considerate and honorable actions while highlighting 10 individual organizations and communities honored the legendary pastor and Texas principles of chivalry. Among those who came by to take part in the book signing were Southern University debate coach, including his current and former students, Mt. Marcus Davis, Ingrid Cooper, Kayla Banks, Zadarius Webber, Tiffany Parker, Horem Baptist Church members and TSU family and friends. One of the biggest Faladrick and Denise Brown, Patrick Rivers, Lorenza Butler, Archie and Gwendolyn celebrations took place in TSU’s Sterling Student Life Center. Dignitaries near and Cooper, Tony Woodard, Willie Iles and more.
Mack L Bishop, Kim Roxie, Ashley Turner, Dominic Clay
Aiesha Odutayo, Little Richard painting, Ronan Banks
Dr. Thomas Freeman, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Pastor Emeritus Bill Lawson
Donnell Cooper, Marcus Davis
Dr. Thomas Freeman, Clarise Freeman, TSU debate team
Gwendolyn Cooper, Archie Cooper
Kaela Watson, Mark Snow, Nipsey Hussle painting
Dr. Thomas Freeman, Mt. Horem Family
Faladrick Brown, Denise Brown
defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 88 years