Democrats walk out
What’s next? JORDAN CHILES
SPORTS
going for gold! Houston’s own talented athletes are going for Gold at the Tokyo Olympics.
SIMONE BILES Volume 90, issue 37 July 15, 2021
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DN News
LET THE PEOPLE BE HEARD
A woman fakes a mental breakdown after being caught on camera attacking a Black shopper. MAMA AFRICA MUSLIMAH/Youtube
Message from the Managing Editor GREG ABBOTT SAYS THE TEXAS DEMOCRATS WILL BE ARRESTED WHEN THEY RETURN TO THE TEXAS STATE CAPITAL. . DO YOU THINK GOV. ABBOTT IS OVERREACTING? DEFENDER READERS WEIGH IN. Comments: @outspokenbean Didn’t the republican state legislature just do the exact same thing like a month ago???? @upage12 Little boy having a tantrum. Where was this passion in February when 111+ Texans died because of years of inaction to upgrade the power grid? @richmangodservant he’s an idiot @justanotherdreday He’s got political aspirations beyond a governor. He’s acting tough so he can be seen. He’s reaching too far. He’s Rick Perry 2.0. Bye wheels. @spotonpublicrelations What a dork. @mother_of_chihuahuas25 That is unlawful imprisonment and he’s out of his ghatdamn mind.
say (but I’m sure wanted to...) ‘Keep her daddy’s name I don’t know about you, but I’m ecstatic to see the fight out your mouth.’ from Texas Democrats. For the longest, I’ve said Dems play checkers, Republicans play chess. Dems want to do ‘Karens’ gone wild things right and in order, (ie, follow COVID protocols There’s a reason people instantly break out their camand not go door-to-door during the political race). No eras when someone starts acting a fool. Yes, some peodisrespect to our Forever FLOTUS, Michelle Obama, but ple do it for social media fame. But a lot of Black people, we’re tired of always going high. Sometimes, especially in particular, do it for, “Can you believe this sh*t?” ReShonda Tate with a Trump-GOP-cult, you have to get in the gutter to Take a recent trip to get some new panties for a fight the fight. shopper at Short Hills Mall in New Jersey. Ijeoma That’s why I was all too happy to see the Dems charter a jet to Ukenta just wanted to use her coupon for a free panty in peace at Washington, D.C. to prevent a quorum during the recent legislative the mall’s Victoria’s Secret store—but ended up in the midst of a Special Session. It might have not stopped House Bill 3 — which viral “Karen” incident, instead. passed in the Texas Senate on a party line vote, but is set to die withUkenta says while searching for panties through a bin, a white out a quorum in the House - but it showed Dems doing something. woman nudged her aside. After a rightful “excuse me” from Ukenta, Now critics are saying leaving the state to block restrictive voting the woman apparently tried to flip the aggression, causing Ukenta legislation is outrageous. But requiring people to wait in line for 17 to turn on her phone camera—just in time to catch the woman hours to testify on that same legislation isn’t? Okay. assaulting her. Of course, after attempting to swat the woman’s phone Republicans want to outlaw things like 24-hour voting and wide- away, she played the victim, acting aghast at a nonexistent assault spread voting by mail that seemed to some of them to help the Dem- while crouching and screeching and begging not to be recorded (as ocrats in the last election. if she couldn’t just leave the store herself). In spite of the histrionics, They’re losing, so they’re trying to change the game. I’m happy perhaps the most infuriating part of the footage is when another we’re finally putting the checkers board away. white shopper at the register asks why Ukenta doesn’t just “walk away from her”—as if her fellow white woman is entitled to stay and Whitesplaining MLK disturb the peace and Ukenta is the interloper for simply filming to Have you ever noticed that when white folks get backed into a protect herself—or get her free panties. racial corner, they go to “WWMLKD” (What would MLK do)? Hey, maybe the woman had her meltdown because she knew Black people learn about racism mostly through our lived expe- Black Twitter was about to make her famous. Head over to our riences while white people learn about racism through distorting social media pages to watch the debacle…and help make her fears the only Black man in history that they can relate to. Case in point, come true. House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who recently continued the conservative tradition of whitesplaining Rev. Martin Luther King In this week’s paper Jr. to Black people while denouncing an academic study many white • Texas schools gets some help from the American Rescue Plan. people would also like to see assassinated on a balcony. • This week’s spotlight is on entrepreneurs David and Jessica Martin. “Critical Race Theory goes against everything Martin Luther • Sports reporter Terrance Harris profiles the Houstonians ready King Jr. taught us—to not judge others by the color of their skin,” to go for gold in Tokyo. McCarthy captioned over looped video footage of him dramatically saying the same ill-informed words. “The Left is trying to On the web take America backward.” • A recap of 713 Day. First of all, does McCarthy even know what Critical Race The- • Former president Barack Obama releases his summer playlist. ory is? Or is he jumping on the Trump-led bandwagon? Secondly, • Houstonians are returning to offices - and boy, do they not even MLK’s daughter called out this craziness. And what she didn’t want to. Fight to the finish
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DN News THOUSANDS OF EVICTIONS EXPECTED TO RESUME SOON Houston Public Media
It’s become a regular monthly event during the pandemic — hundreds of Houstonians lining up, waiting for hours for free legal aid and help navigating the process of applying for rent relief money. The pop-up clinics are held across town. The latest pandemic safety net policy to disappear could be the federal CDC eviction moratorium, which is set to expire at the end of July. And unlike renters in many other cities around the country, Houstonians won’t have a state or local eviction moratorium to protect them either. Despite moratoriums being extended across the country, in Texas, the state Supreme Court lifted its eviction moratorium more than a year ago, in May 2020. For the past few months, Houston-area officials have relied on millions of dollars of federal rent relief to prevent evictions.The federal moratorium has had mixed results, partly because it doesn’t automatically put evictions on hold, and many people don’t know they can invoke the protection. Renters have filed the moratorium paperwork in only about 15% of the eviction cases filed in Harris County, according to data firm January Advisors. The lines at Houston-area rent relief events could become longer since Texans lost pandemic unemployment benefits at the end of June. Gov. Greg Abbott let the federal program expire early, saying the state’s economy is back on track — though more than 30,000 workers have pushed back with a lawsuit, arguing the governor doesn’t have the authority to end the federal benefits they were counting on through September. Now, many are bracing for August. If the federal moratorium expires, many of the cases that have been paused during the pandemic will be back on the dockets, according to Dana Karni, managing attorney at Lone Star Legal Aid. “We have thousands of cases that have been abated by the CDC. All of those cases are about to get set for hearing,” Karni said. “The lawyers are going to be busy. The tenants are going to be scrambling. It’s likely going to be quite a mess in the courthouse. An overwhelming mess.”
NEW MURAL UNVEILED
Mayor Pro Tem and District K Council member Martha Castex Tatum joins artist Anat Ronen to unveil a mini mural at S Post Oak and Allum in honor of former council member, Larry Green.
Hervis Rogers after his recent release from the Montgomery County Jail.
Harris County man arrested for voting
Defender News Service
When Hervis Rogers went viral on social media for being the last person in line at Texas Southern University to cast a vote at 1 a.m. on Super Tuesday, he was applauded as a tenacious, civic-minded man who worked hard to exercise his right to vote. Now, Rogers is being prosecuted by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office for allegedly voting illegally. Rogers was arrested and sentenced to 25 years in prison for burglary and intent to commit theft in 1995. He was out on parole May 20, 2004, and his parole was set to end June 13, 2020. Rogers, now 62, was arrested recently, facing what critics say is an “outrageous” prosecution by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, for having voted while still on parole in the 2020 Democratic primary. “Mr. Hervis’ situation is a textbook example of how these systems intersect to undermine our fundamental rights and target minorities.” The ACLU of Texas, which is representing Rogers along with the law firm Hochglaube & DeBorde, said that Rogers “could face decades in prison for what at most might be an innocent mistake.”
He was released from jail after his $100,000 bail was posted by the nonprofit Bail Project. The group accused Paxton of using Rogers as a pawn in “political theater” and referenced the Texas GOP’s latest advancement of voting restrictions measures. “Voting restrictions and the expansion of the cash bail system go hand in hand,” said The Bail Project founder and CEO Robin Steinberg.”Mr. Hervis’ situation is a textbook example of how these systems intersect to undermine our fundamental rights and target minorities,” Steinberg continued. “In their fevered desire to suppress the turnout of people of color, the Texas Attorney General has engaged in political theater, while using the bail system to send a targeted message of fear.” The Texas AFL-CIO said the case against Rogers had similarities with the one against Crystal Mason, another Black Texan, who was sentenced to five years in prison for casting an ultimately uncounted provisional ballot in the November 2016 election while she was on federal supervised release. A spokesperson for Paxton said his office does not comment on active investigations.
"This is a voter suppression prosecution, pure and simple, a poster child for Jim Crow 2.0. Unfortunately, it confirms that Texas' shameful legacy of disenfranchisement is alive and well and desperately needs fixing.” -Texas AFL-CIO president Rick Levy
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DN News Atty Lee Merritt launches campaign again AG Ken Paxton Texas Tribune
About a thousand Black Lives Matter activists in Brooklyn honored the life of Sandra Bland exactly one year after she died. Source: Erik McGregor / Getty
Sandra Bland’s legacy lives on 6 years after her death Defender News Service
This week marks the sixth year since Sandra Bland was found dead in police custody following a questionable traffic stop-turned violent by the arresting officer in Texas. The 28-year-old was driving from her native Illinois to begin a new job at Prairie View A&M University when she was pulled over for a minor moving violation. But what should have been a routine ticketing experience quickly devolved into brutality when State Trooper Brian Encinia failed to de-escalate the encounter, which resulted in Bland being charged with assault. Dashcam video from Encinia’s cruiser suggested he was the aggressor. Three days later, on July 13, 2015, Bland’s body was found hanging from her jail cell, where she had been remanded because of an inability to afford a $5,000 bond. Even though Bland’s death was ruled a suicide, suspicion of officers in the Waller County Jail has lingered as no one has ever been held accountable. Bland’s death took place amid a spate of controversial police-involved deaths of unarmed Black people, thrusting her name onto a growing list on which no one
Sandra Bland
wants to be. Since Bland’s death, her legacy has grown immeasurably. Notably, Texas has reformed its laws surrounding protocol during traffic stops. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in 2017 signed the Sandra Bland Act into law, which set new mandates for county jails to divert people with mental health and substance abuse issues toward treatment and requires that independent law enforcement agencies investigate jail deaths. The law was recently involved when an inmate was found unresponsive and pronounced dead in his cell at Bexar County Jail recently. In that instance, the local sheriff ’s office, as well as the Texas
Commission on Jail Standards, were notified of the in-custody death of Michael Rene Johnson — two groups that, prior to the Sandra Bland Act being enacted, may not have been told promptly, or at all, about the incident. Bland’s name also lives on with the launch of the brand new Sandra Bland Center for Racial Justice in Austin. When it opened back in May, Bland’s mother explained what the organization wants to accomplish. “We’re trying to really assist families with being whole again. So we’re doing scholarships, we’re doing training, we’re teaching financial literacy,” Geneva ReedVeal said at the time. And in an indication of how important and widespread Bland’s name and legacy has become for the Black Lives Matter movement, a new “Say Their Names” Memorial was opened last week in San Diego and prominently includes Bland. Not all has been positive since Bland’s death. The justice being demanded by her family since Day 1 has been elusive. Her family noted last year amid the national protests against police violence and demanding racial justice and equality that law enforcement was still killing Black people with impunity.
Lee Merritt, the nationally known civil rights attorney, is officially running for Texas Attorney General as a Democrat. Merritt launched his campaign recently with an emphasis on the voting rights battle that prompted state House Democrats to flee the state. “Texas Republicans have launched an all-out assault on voter rights and civil liberties,” Merritt said in a statement, adding that incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton and other GOP leaders are “blatantly attempting to turn back progress in the Lone Star State using the familiar tactics of voter suppression, divisive rhetoric and corporate money. This campaign is a response from the people of Texas.” Merritt, who lives in the Dallas area, is nationally recognized for his representation of families of Black people killed by police, including serving as co-counsel for George Floyd’s family. Among the Texans he has advocated for are Botham Jean, the Dallas man shot dead by an offduty cop in his apartment in 2018. In addition to voting rights, Merritt’s campaign said it would focus on “fixing Texas’
Lee Merritt
failing power grid, reigning in soaring property taxes, ending mass incarceration and challenging gubernatorial overreach.” Merritt joins Joe Jaworski, a Galveston lawyer and former mayor of the city, in the Democratic primary against Paxton. The incumbent has his own competitive primary, featuring challenges from Land Commissioner George P. Bush and Eva Guzman, a former justice on the Texas Supreme Court. Paxton’s race has drawn early and intense attention in part due to his legal troubles. He has been under securities fraud indictment since his first months in office in 2015 and more recently, under FBI investigation over claims he abused his office to help a wealthy donor. He has denied wrongdoing in both cases. Merritt brought up Paxton’s legal woes in a video launching his campaign, which also said Paxton has “betrayed his oath” and “pledged his allegiance to Donald Trump.” Paxton has aligned himself closely with the former president, who has teased an endorsement in the Republican primary. “That’s the only person [Paxton]’s picking up the phone for,” Merritt said, “not the people of Texas.”
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DN Education
Texas receives $4.1 Billion in American Rescue Plan to support K-12 schools By Laura Onyeneho
The U.S Department of Education approved Texas’ American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Relief Plans (APR ESSER), giving them the green light for the distribution of the remaining $4.1 billion in funding. The funds will be used to address the needs of students, reopen and sustain safe school operations and equitably expand opportunities for students disproportionately impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this year the department distributed two-thirds of the ARP ESSER funds totaling $81 billion to 50 states and the District of Colombia. The final one-third of the funding is released to states once their plans detailing how they were using and plan to use the funds were approved. Texas has received more than $12 billion in total of ARP ESSER funds and with this current approval, their plan will result in the release of the final $4.1 billion. The top priorities of Texas’ plan include addressing the academic impact of lost instructional time for Texas students and plans to offer high-dosage tutoring, high-quality instructional materials and job-embedded professional learning to help address the academic impact of lost instructional time. In Houston, failing grades have become a clear sign of how the pandemic has impacted students’ education. In June, HISD confirmed that the upcoming school year will be taught 100% in person due to the significant decline in grades of the students who participated in remote learning compared to those who learned in person. The return to in-person learning for many families won’t be a seamless transition. Many families are still concerned about the disproportionate impact COVID-19 has had on communities of color, and the risk to further expose their communities or children to the virus. According to a report from the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA) Department of Grant Compliance and Administration, HISD will receive nearly $2.1 billion of the remaining one-third of the state’s APR ESSER funds. In total, HISD has been approved for an estimated $8.4 billion, with nearly $5.3 billion previously received in the first round in March. In a news release, Miguel Cardona, the U.S. Secretary of Education says “The approval of these plans enables states to receive vital, additional American Rescue Plan funds to quickly and safely reopen schools for full-time, in-person learning; meet students’ academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs; and address disparities in access to educational opportunity that were exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic.”
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE TEXAS AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN Returning to in-person learning in 2021, safely reopening schools and sustaining safe operations:
In the upcoming school year, Texas schools will be required to offer inperson instruction to all students. All local educational agencies will have access to screening testing. The agencies may also choose to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to eligible students and educators as a vaccine provider and/ or in partnership with local health providers.
Investing in summer learning and addressing the academic impact of lost instructional time: The Texas Education Agency
plans to use funds to invest in summer learning programs for students and will use design-thinking based processes to extend the school day and year. TEA will create a diagnostic application process for local education agencies to identify which evidence-based interventions are the right fit for its schools.
Expanding afterschool programs: TEA plans to use funds to
provide evidence-based comprehensive afterschool programs to students. The programs will be developed in partnership between local education agencies and community organizations. TEA will also encourage campuses to engage local stakeholders and make formal partnerships with providers of high-quality, out-of-school time programs to expand the reach of afterschool programs for more students with the support of the funds.
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VACCINES SAVE LIVES Get your COVID-19 vaccine so we can end this pandemic — and get back to doing the things we love. Vaccines have proven to be safe, effective and the only way out of this pandemic. More than 138 million Americans have been vaccinated, and infections are dropping throughout the region and the country. And while we still have a long way to go before achieving herd immunity, we can get there together. It’s time for everyone to do their part and get the COVID-19 vaccine.
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Walk in or schedule your free Pfizer vaccine online at houstonmethodist.org/vaccine today.
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DN ON SOCIAL THE WEB PollyTicks LOCAL LEADERS APPLAUD DEMOCRATIC WALKOUT
Democrats walk out
What’s Next? By ReShonda Tate
When Texas House Democrats realized they couldn’t stop the progress of a bill placing tighter restrictions on voting in Texas, more than 50 of them left Austin to break quorum and block the bill. Most of them chartered a jet to Washington, D.C. House Bill 3 — which passed in the Texas Senate on a party line vote, but is set to die without a quorum in the House — would ban 24-hour voting and drive-thru voting, make it harder to vote by mail, mail, ban ballot drop boxes used to deposit mail ballots, increase the power of partisan poll watchers, and increase criminal penalties for voting mistakes. Democrats criticized the bill as voter suppression.They acknowledged they can’t stay away forever and urged Congress to act on voting rights, while Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatened them with arrest the moment they return. As Democrats gathered at the U.S. Capitol, Republicans back here at home authorized finding and bringing back more than 50 lawmakers “under warrant of arrest if necessary.” However, state troopers have no jurisdiction beyond Texas, making it unclear what if any actions would immediately be taken. In Washington, the Democrats pressured President Joe Biden and Congress to act on
ON THE AGENDA The voting issues aren’t the only things the legislature was taking up. Other lighting-rod conservative issues that Abbott put on the agenda (but remain shelved as well) include: • Bail overhaul • Border security • Social media censorship • Legislative branch funding • Family violence prevention • Limiting access to school sports teams for transgender students • Abortion-inducing drugs • An additional payment for retired Texas teachers • Critical race theory • Other budgetary issues
WHY IT MATTERS BY THE NUMBERS 2020 Election Harris County
250,000 mail-in ballots sent to voters
More than
127,000 voters cast ballots from their car in the county’s new drive-thru voting program, enacted to minimize the risk of spreading COVID-19.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
voting at the federal level while rejecting the idea of returning to Texas anytime soon, promising to “stay out and kill this bill.” State Rep. Chris Turner, the Texas House Democratic leader, predicted their efforts would ultimately be futile unless congressional Democrats take bolder action to
overcome a Senate Republican blockade of their sweeping voting bill. The legislation, known as the For the People Act, would create national standards for voting that could roll back some restrictions that have been approved or are advancing in the Republican-led states, including Texas.
“We can’t hold this tide back forever. We’re buying some time. We need Congress and all of our federal leaders to use that time wisely,” he said. The cross-country exodus was the second time that Democratic lawmakers have staged a walkout over the voting overhaul, a measure of their fierce opposition to proposals they say will make it harder for young people, people of color and people with disabilities to vote. Like last month’s effort, there remains no clear path for Democrats to permanently block the voting measures. The measures are part of the GOP’s rush to enact new voting restrictions in response to former President Donald Trump’s false claims that the 2020 election was stolen. More than a dozen states this year have already passed tougher election laws — but only in Texas have Democrats put up this kind of fight. It’s not the first time this year that House Democrats have walked out. Lawmakers walked out of the House chambers in the closing hours of business of the regular session, killing a previous version of the voting bill. In response, the governor vetoed funding for the Legislature, including pay and benefits for more than 2,100 state employees who support the Legislature’s work.
What would it have been like if our forefathers had stood by and said they could not win the right to gain access to voting. We’re not going to stand by and be threatened by the Lt. Governor or the Governor in any kind of way to allow suppression and intimidation to our voters. We have come too far. We’re not going to allow them to roll back the hand of time as it relates to civil rights and our right to vote. There’s no way that I can represent my district properly if I allow outsiders to come into my district, to intimidate and harass and stand over and watch and violate the privacy of my senior citizen as they exercise the right to vote. It’s tearing down our democracy. So we’ve got to stand and fight. We’ve got to take a position. It may not be a position everyone wants us to take, but that’s all we have at this particular time.” State Sen. Borris Miles District 13
Texans need resources to recover from this pandemic, they need a functioning electric grid, and they need Medicaid expansion for affordable health care. This session will provide none of that. Democrats are right to refuse to take part in this sham session, and I hope that lawmakers in D.C. will listen to what they have to say.”
Rodney Ellis Harris County Precinct 1
Immensely proud of TX legislators breaking quorum to kill the voter suppression bill AND going to DC to work for Congressional action. The bills attack the reforms we made in Harris County to tear down barriers to the ballot box. Democracy is on the line. There’s no other option.”
Lina Hidalgo, Harris County Judge
I want legislators to do any and all things within their toolbox to make sure people in this city have a right to exercise their right to participate in the Democratic process.” Mayor Sylvester Turner Houston Mayor
We had gone through a period where they had actually looked at expanding the reach of the Second Amendment. We spent a good bit of time trying to figure out how to let everybody in Texas carry a gun. We say, when we as Democrats look at the 13, 14 and 15 amendement we don’t need to be looking at expanding the reach of that so we have more people voting because that’s what the saving grace of Democracy is. The Governor is talking about trying to force the proverbial square peg into a round hole. I think what he needs to do is step back and take a look at what he’s trying to do and what he’s attempting to do with the bills. These bills are going to affect everybody in Texas. It’s a travesty. And at the end of the day, irrespective of whatever they do, we’re going to go vote and we’re going to make sure we vote for the people who wanted all of us to have the right to vote.”
State Rep. Harold Dutton District 142
“For people who are Trump supporters, they’ll never understand. They believe an election was stolen so they certainly won’t understand this. The reality is advocacy takes different forms. Sometimes you write a letter, sometimes you make a phone call, and sometimes you leave the state in order to keep bills from passing that would send us back in time. And that’s what I would tell them. If they ever get to a point where they believe that something is going on, then they have to stop it. We have done nothing illegal. We have done nothing that impedes anything except try to stop very bad bills.” State Rep. Garnet Coleman District 147
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DN Health
A DEFENDER AND KELSEY-SEYBOLD CLINIC ALLIANCE
Kids need their back-to-school physicals and vaccinations BY SHELLEYANNE GIDDINGS, M.D.
Yearly physical exams help keep your child healthy and prevent future problems. When gathering school supplies and backpacks, it’s also time to schedule back-to-school physical exams with a pediatrician — and that includes keeping children up to date with their immunizations. NOW’S THE TIME TO SCHEDULE YOUR CHILD’S EXAM To attend in-person classes, almost all schools require children to be current on vaccinations to help protect the child’s health and health of their classmates and teachers. Whether your child is heading to kindergarten, middle school, high school,
FROM THE DOC “Vaccines are a building block for better health.” Dr. Giddings is a boardcertified pediatrician who cares for patients at Kelsey-Seybold’s West Grand Parkway Clinic.
or college, he or she will need their CDC-recommended vaccines. Your pediatrician will almost certainly do this, but during your child’s exam, make sure he or she is current for vaccine-preventable diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), measles, mumps, and rubella. Some vaccines may need a series of doses to be effective. It’s recommended that kids 6 months and older receive an annual flu shot. Children receiving their first flu shot will need a booster a month later. VACCINES HELP PROTECT YOUR COMMUNITY You can be assured that today’s childhood vaccines help protect
against serious and potentially lifethreatening diseases. When your child is immunized against vaccine-preventable diseases, it not only helps prevent outbreaks in their schools, but also helps protect the health of children in your community. And don’t forget to be emotionally supportive. Talk with your child about how school might look different. Desks will likely be farther apart; teachers will probably maintain more physical distance; recess time may be suspended; and there’s a possibility kids will stay at their desks for lunch. After in-classroom teaching resumes, ask your child to share their experiences in this post-lockdown school environment.
Now Scheduling VIRTUAL and IN-PERSON Appointments! Whether you’re new to the Kelsey-Seybold family or a longtime patient, you have a choice of where you can safely get care. Call our 24/7 Contact Center at 713-442-0000 to schedule a same-day or next-day virtual Video Visit or, for non-respiratory illnesses, an in-person appointment at a Kelsey-Seybold Clinic near you.
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DN Feature HBCU fundraising spread unevenly Some historical colleges strive while others struggle Associated Press
Two recent high-profile faculty appointments could be a fundraising and enrollment bonanza for Howard University, one of the nation’s most prestigious Black colleges. Many other Black schools are not so fortunate; in fact, many are struggling. Some, especially smaller private colleges, have been fighting for their survival for years, with weak endowments, aging buildings and steady enrollment declines, all made worse by the coronavirus pandemic. “While larger HBCUs often have the funding resources necessary to attract accomplished talent like Nikole Hannah-Jones and Ta-Nehisi Coates, many smaller institutions need donors to step forward, contributing much-needed financial resources for us to compete,” said Dr. Paulette Dillard, president of Shaw University, a private Black university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Hannah-Jones accepted a faculty position at Howard amid controversy over whether she would be granted tenure at the University of North Carolina after critics questioned her credentials, specifically her Pulitzer Prize-winning work “The 1619 Project,” which traces the country’s history with slavery. Coates, a Howard graduate, is a journalist and best-selling author who also recently joined Howard’s faculty. Billions of dollars in federal virus relief will help higher education, but it may not be enough to change the long-term fortunes of some historically Black schools. An Associated Press analysis of enrollment and endowment data shows wide disparities among 102 historically Black colleges and universities, and a further divide between private and public institutions. As one example, the five wealthiest private Black colleges had endowments ranging from $73,000 per student to more than $200,000, far above the median endowment of less than $16,000 per student. The largest endowment for a public Black college was less than $25,000 per student, though the public schools also receive state aid. Overall enrollment in historically Black colleges has declined 11% in the most recent 10-year period for which data is available. Enrollment at some campuses dropped by half during that span, and several administrators said enrollments dropped further during the coronavirus pandemic last year. As a rule, Black colleges also haven’t had the fundraising ability of other universities. The cumulative endowment for all historical Black colleges through 2019 was a little more than $3.9 billion. That’s about equal to
Students walk along the Howard University campus in Washington. -AP
Black college enrollment
325,609 289,507 2010
2019
Eight private Black colleges with most endowments:
54% of all endowments • Spelman College • Hampton University • Meharry Medical College • Xavier University of Louisiana • Morehouse College • Tuskegee University • Morehouse School of Medicine • Howard University
the endowment for the University of Minnesota alone. Last summer’s protests over racial injustice brought renewed attention to historically Black colleges and universities and led to a surge in private donations, at least for some. Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of former Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, gave $560 million to 22 Black colleges, including Prairie
View A & M University. Most of her donation went to schools with very limited endowments, as well as to the Thurgood Marshall College Fund and the United Negro College Fund, both of which raise money for Black colleges and universities. Netflix founder Reed Hastings and his wife, Patty Quillin, split $120 million among the United Negro College Fund, Spelman and Morehouse. Former New York mayor and entrepreneur Michael Bloomberg pledged $100 million for student aid at the four historically Black medical schools. “It’s allowing the schools to see the opportunity to be bigger than they previously thought was possible,” said Harry Williams, president and chief executive of the Thurgood Marshall fund. Yet many lesser-known schools continue to struggle and scrape for money. Shaw, one of the oldest historically Black colleges in the South, has an endowment worth just $8,436 per student and did not benefit significantly from the wave of private giving last year, said David Byrd, the college’s vice president of finance. The college is able to “pay the bills” and get by, he said, but still has $26 million in deferred maintenance. Shaw and other smaller Black colleges that mostly depend
on tuition are counting on help from the federal coronavirus relief championed by President Joe Biden and passed by Congress this spring. That aid package will send roughly $2.6 billion to historically Black colleges, although the U.S. Department of Education has not yet announced how it will allocate the money. Student debt is a significant drag on graduates of historically Black colleges, and administrators say it hurts enrollment. Limited endowments mean their campuses can’t subsidize tuition as much as wealthier colleges. A large percentage of students enrolled at historically Black colleges come from the poorest families, those making $20,000 a year or less, which forces them to borrow. Federal figures show the typical Black college graduate who borrowed money owes $52,000 in student loan debt, roughly double what the typical white student owes. In addition to giving more financial aid to students, many Black colleges are considering using their federal pandemic money to create campus work-study jobs through which students can earn income, provide subsidized child care, buy personal computers and help students pay for high-speed internet connections.
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DN Feature
Former NBA star, Civil Rights activist Stephen Jackson to be honored at Humanitarian Awards Defender News Service
Houston Random Acts of Kindness Day and the LemonTree Foundation, in collaboration with Royal Sonesta Houston, will honor some big names and big hearts, including former NBA star and civil rights activist Stephen Jackson, on Saturday, July 24, 2021 at the Annual Houston Humanitarian Awards. Established in 2014 by local Humanitarians Treveia and David Stephen Jackson Dennis, the Annual Houston Humanitarian Awards honor 10 Houstonians that exemplify kindness and make Houston a better place to live through action, philanthropy, volunteerism or involvement. The founders also present signature awards that recognize special achievements and meaningful contributions to societal issues and people in need. The invitation-only black-tie gala, held in partnership each year with the Royal Sonesta Houston, will begin at 6pm on July 24 with a Red-Carpet Arrival, followed by the Humanitarian Awards Program at 6:30pm at the Royal Sonesta Houston (2222 West South Loop).
Houston Random Acts of Kindness Day Founders receive an official proclamation from Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner at the 2019 Annual Houston Humanitarian Awards. From left to right: Houston City Councilman David Robinson, David and Treveia Dennis, and Mayor Sylvester Turner. Sherrie Handrinos
This year’s Houston Humanitarian Awards program will be emceed by KRIV-TV FOX 26 personality Isiah Carey and co-hosted by Emmy Award-winning FOX 26 news anchor Melissa Wilson. The program will feature
prominent speakers like Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner, philanthropist Carolyn Farb, and Texas EquuSearch founder Tim Miller, along with a musical performance by Grammy Award winner Regina Belle.
Among the 2021 honorees are Jackson, a Texas NBA Star and Civil Rights Activist Stephen Jackson, a Texas native and 14-year NBA Pro who launched a powerful civil rights movement following the death of his friend George Floyd. Jackson will become only the second person to receive the organization’s National Humanitarian Award. Houston Humanitarians to be honored this year include Dr. Joseph Varon, Janice Weaver, Warren Broadnax and Marcus Bowers, David Imonitie, Pastor Jose and Angelica Ortega, Pastor Walter August, Chris and Debbie Tritico, Rogene Calvert, Jimmy Phan, the Cactus Jack Foundation, and Macy Savoy, who will be honored with the Florene Ivory Dennis Historic Heart Award. “Houstonians have huge hearts, and we are thrilled to be able to gather again this year to honor the spirit of compassion and humanity in our city and beyond,” said Treveia Dennis, co-founder and coordinator of the Houston Humanitarian Awards. “The events of the past year created a wave of loss, fear, anger and hardship at home and across the globe, yet through it all there are those who continue to go above and beyond to help others, create change and raise the collective vibration of humanity, often without recognition. This is our night to honor and thank a few of these wonderful Houston citizens.”
SCHOLARSHIP OFFERS POUR IN FOR SPELLING BEE WINNER ZAILA AVANT-GARDE Defender News Service
With talents in spelling, basketball and mathematics, Zaila Avant-garde is the one to watch. There’s no telling what this 14-yearold wonder will accomplish next. Whatever it is, colleges and universities want to be a part of it. Avant-garde, who became the first African American to win the Scripps National Spelling Bee, has been offered full-ride scholarships to college. Louisiana State University (LSU) President William F. Tate IV tweeted an offer to Avantgarde, a native of Harvey Louisiana. The tweet reads: “Zaila Avant-garde @ basketballasart performed at the highest level in the National Spelling Bee. Your academic performance reflected scholarship first! You modeled intellectual excellence. @LSU_Honors awaits. I write to offer you a full scholarship to attend LSU. Here for you!” Tate’s offer is not the only one on the table. Southern University President-Chancellor
Ray L. Belton also offered Avant-garde a scholarship. “I am pleased to announce that @Southernu_BR is offering #ZailaAvantgarde a full scholarship and “#Zaila Day” at SU, part of the nation’s only #HBCU system. Our student leaders, faculty and alumni look forward to meeting with you. We welcome you to the #JaguarNation! #WeAreSouthern.” According to The Hill, Louisiana Community and Technical College followed suit offering her a full ride to any school in their system, stating that they believe their aerospace technology program would be a good fit for her. Avant-garde has stated that in addition to becoming a WNBA player, she would also like to work for NASA. Colleges and universities are far from the only people who have taken notice of Zaila’s talent. With three Guinness World Records to her name, words of encouragement and congratulations have poured in from across the country, including from former
Zaila Avant-garde, 14, from Harvey, Louisiana celebrates with the championship trophy after winning the finals of the 2021 Scripps National Spelling Bee.AP/John Raoux
President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama, Oprah and Keke
Palmer, who portrayed the fictional winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee in the film Akeelah and the Bee. Palmer wrote, “THE REAL LIFE AKEELAH YOU GUYS!! I’m so happy in my heart. A couple of weeks ago I sent a video encouraging all the contestants and for this to happen just feels spiritual!…Major love to Doug Atchison that allowed me to act a dream and thank God for letting me live to see it come to fruition.” Avant-garde, who has conducted several interviews since her historic win, shared that her success in this arena didn’t happen overnight. Avant-garde finished 370th in the contest two years ago, when she was in sixth grade. But after practicing spelling for seven hours a day, she was able to emerge victorious. She told CBS This Morning, “It’s kind of like a dream come true because I’ve been working for that goal for like two years, and to finally have it is the best possible outcome.”
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DN Spotlight
DAVID & JESSICA MARTIN From Incarcerated to Empire Builders
By Aswad Walker
David and Jessica Martin are the proud owners of multiple businesses that net the parents of five (with potentially twins on the way) over a million annually by itself. Though both were born in or near Chicago, they met at a Houston gas station while David was still deep in his previous life selling weed. Both husband and wife served time in jail, and neither shies away from sharing that part of their journey. Before Jessica turned herself in to serve a six-month sentence, she developed a business plan to create a credit repair business. That company, Empire You LLC, now nets over a million by itself, and helped birth the couple’s other ventures: a trucking company (DR Martin Transport & Co.), Airbnb lease properties, an entrepreneur coaching program and online trucking classes, giving them not only legal streams of income, but a platform to speak on the power of second chances. “I knew my [jail time] was coming, so we prepared for it,” said Jessica. “We opened up an LLC, June 2017. I turned myself in July 2017. I started repairing the ladies’ credit while incarcerated, and when I came home, I started repairing my family and friends’ credit, and grew it to be a million-dollar credit company.” David, a graduate of Texas College in Tyler, took a little longer to trust that legal income would be enough to provide for their family. Admittedly, he did some things out on the streets he’s not proud of and ended up “serving a little time.” But even after he bought a dually truck and trailer and began his trucking career, Jessica said David’s mind was still on fast money. “We had a successful credit repair business but his mind was still on selling drugs. He had drugs in the truck,” she recalled. During that period Jessica spent many nights in her prayer closet “begging God to change David’s mindset.” At some point those prayers were answered, and David’s mantra of “grit, hustle and execution” transferred from activities that got him locked up to work that helped the couple grow their businesses legally. David, however, offers a more down-toearth explanation for his transformation. “I got robbed probably a week before my daughter was born. They could have
DR Martin Turcks
David and Jessica Martin
killed me. But I’m here today to tell my story and to see my daughter every day.” Jessica, whose Illinois legal issues followed her to Texas, making it near impossible to find employment, saw entrepreneurship as the only viable option. But it was one she already had her eyes set on. “A lot of people don’t catch this. I
caught this very early on with having a child at 16, that working for somebody else was not going to cut it.” Jessica wanted wealth, but also the freedom that comes with business ownership. “When you’re employed it kind of has you in a box. You can only do so much. You can only say so much or you might
get fired. But having a business, owning something for myself, it’s going to go down to my children and grandchildren. I can sell it if I want to. It’s mine. It can’t be taken away from me.” “Community, law enforcement or whoever, give people a chance. You go to jail to rehabilitate yourself, right? Some people go to jail for doing, being on or selling drugs. You can’t do that while you’re in jail. Some people go in there and read their Bible, get closer to God, closer to family, because they have time to think and not be out in the world fighting and surviving. But even people working jobs are fighting every day to survive,” said David, who sees business ownership as often the only viable option for the formerly incarcerated. “You have to create your own lane. A lot of people are going to close a lot of doors in your face, but you cannot let that stop you,” added Jessica, who, with David still advocate for more second chances. “I believe that people with a background should still be able to work, especially if they have the skill,” stated Jessica. “Okay, they made a mistake. Look, I made a mistake and I was arrested, as well. I can’t get a job, but I own a multi-million-dollar company.”
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DN Sports BILES, MANUEL AND CHILES GOING FOR OLYMPIC GOLD
By Terrance Harris
In just over a week, the world’s attention will turn to Tokyo and the Olympic Games. The Games kick off July 23 and will last through August 8. As usual, the United States enters the Olympics with high expectations. Several members of the U.S. Team have Houston ties, but there are a few in particular we will want to keep our eyes on. It all starts with world-renowned gymnast and Spring native Simone Biles, who has already achieved G.O.A.T status in a sport that once made it hard for African Americans to thrive. Others from the area to keep an eye on include Sugar Land native swimmer Simone Manuel and gymnast Jordan Chiles, who has made Spring her new home. All three have dealt with struggles but have overcome them to ascend to the tops of their respective sports. Here is a glimpse of their stories as each goes for gold in this Olympics.
Simone Biles competes on the beam during the women’s U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials Sunday, June 27, 2021, in St. Louis. AP/Jeff Roberson
SIMONE BILES
There has been no more decorated gymnast in the world than Biles, who already has a U.S. gymnastics all-time high 30 medals between the world championships and the 2016 Olympics in Rio. The 4-foot-8 dynamo will attempt to add to her collection while defying the odds at the seasoned age of 24. Only two gymnasts have won gold at 24 years old or older since 1972 and Biles will be attempting to do so in the individual all-around, which just doesn’t happen at her age. Biles, who won her seventh straight U.S. Championship last month, hasn’t lost an allaround competition since 2013. “We’re going to Tokyo. Such a surreal feeling,” Biles tweeted after winning the U.S. Trials in St. Louis. “I can’t believe I made the Olympic Team for the second time and I’m beyond excited to represent Team USA. “This is just the beginning of the journey.”
Members of the U.S. Women’s Olympic Gymnastic Team, Simone Biles, Suni Lee, Jordan Chiles, and Grace McCallum plus individual members MyKayla Skinner and Jade Carey (L-R) are announced after the U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials Sunday, June 27, 2021, in St. Louis.AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
Simone Manuel reacts after winning the women’s 50-meter freestyle final during wave 2 of the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials on Sunday, June 20, 2021, in Omaha, Neb. AP Photo/ Charlie Neibergall
SIMONE MANUEL
During the 2016 Olympic Games, Manuel made history when she became the first AfricanAmerican woman to win Olympic Gold in any swimming event. Manuel, a former standout at Austin High School in Fort Bend ISD, is back to do it again. In a stunning set of events, Manuel didn’t qualify for the Tokyo Games in the 100 meter freestyle for which she won gold in 2016 but instead won the 50 meters freestyle during the Trials and will attempt to win her second individual gold there. “More than anything I’m relieved just to be back on the team and having another opportunity to swim for Team USA is just a blessing,” Manuel said. While Manuel, 24, is excited about the opportunity she has in front of her, her ascend has not been without its challenges. Manuel has opened up about her mental health challenges and she has been outspoken about competing in a sport that hasn’t always embraced her. Manuel was recently named a captain of the USA Team.
Jordan Chiles competes in the floor exercise during the women’s U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Trials Sunday, June 27, 2021, in St. Louis. AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
JORDAN CHILES
Chiles hasn’t been in the Houston area long, but the 20-year-old gymnast from Washington has become one of ours. Just a few years ago, Chiles was so disillusioned that she considered walking away from gymnastics altogether. That’s when Biles stepped in and invited her to relocate to Spring and begin training at her gym, World Champions Center. Biles provided Chiles a safe space where she could blossom. Chiles hasn’t looked back since. The UCLA student-athlete took home the silver in the most recent U.S. Championships while Biles won gold. During last month’s Olympic Trials, she finished third in the all-around competition, second in the uneven bars and fourth in the balance beam and will join Biles as part of the U.S. Olympics Team.
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DN Sports
JULIAN VAUGHN GRADUATING SENIOR SHOWS VERSATILITY By Jodie B. Jiles
Versatility is a rare trait that separates an athlete from the pack in that they can adapt despite the circumstances. Jersey Village graduating senior outfielder Julian Vaughn, a Rock Valley College commit, has proven to possess such a trait during his senior year leading the Falcons to the Regional Championship, just one game away from the State Tournament. Throughout the playoffs, Vaughn delivered some clutch hitting for his team that propelled them past higher ranked opponents like Katy High School and Pearland High School. When Jersey Village head coach Blake Wyatt was asked how Vaughn’s versatility has added to the roster this season, Wyatt stated, “Julian was an outfielder and we were struggling at the first base spot, so I actually plugged Julian from the outfield and put him at first place and he has flourished there.” “He has done a fantastic job in the four hole (fourth batter in team’s hitting order). He started off hot earlier in the year, banging balls off the walls, so I kicked him down to the four hole where he has done a spectacular job despite never playing first base before.” Wyatt continued. The Defender spoke with “Jules” earlier this summer to discuss his style of play, keys to success and more.
STYLE OF PLAY “I’m just free, loose and confident in myself in making plays.” CLUTCH BATTING “I have been thinking all year that the pitchers have our backs and I got to have theirs. So, in the batter’s box we are just present and have each other’s back.” TRANSITION TO FIRST BASE “Yeah, I played a little first base in summer ball just for fun and played it when I was little. So, now I just go out and compete and do the best I can for my team to win.” KEYS TO SUCCESS “All of us coming together and having fun and being ourselves.”
Vaughn squares up for another clutch at bat. Photos by Jimmie Aggison
ABOUT JULIAN VAUGHN Height: 6-1 Weight: 178 lbs. Instagram: @wxvyjulian Players He Studies: Carlos Correa Favorite Subject: Science Shoutouts: “My mom, dad, brother, friends and girlfriend.”
16 | July 15, 2021 |
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