Houston Defender: July 22, 2021.

VOTING

IS A RIGHT

TEXAS DEMS CONTINUE TO FIGHT.

NEWS

ENTERTAINMENT

MARC MORIAL

TRAE THA TRUTH

The head of the National Urban League talks about the new State of Black America report.

Volume 90, issue 38 July 22, 2021

The rapper proves again why he’s a hometown hero, expands ‘Trae Day’ into a full weekend event.

facebook.com/defendernetwork twitter.com/defendernetwork

instagram.com/defendernetwork defendernetwork.com

FREE

2 | July 22, 2021 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN On the web

FIT & FINE Donovan Lee Age: 24 Occupation: Owner, Texans Fit Education: Lone Star College Major: Health & Fitness Management

Motto: “The 3 C’s of Life: Choice, Chance, Change.

You must make the Choice, to take the Chance, if you want anything in life to Change.”

A blanket is pulled to cover the body of a patient after medical personnel tried without success to save her life inside the Coronavirus Unit at United Memorial Medical Center, July 6, 2020, in Houston.

Her death from COVID-19 is a grim warning for Texas, which has seen a surge in the number of people testing positive since it loosened restrictions on gatherings in May.

Message from the Managing Editor

use condoms…Tokyo believes it can prevent As an author, I always say one of the best the spread of COVID-19. I can’t believe this things about the Internet, is anyone can is real life…. write a book. And one of the worst things about the Internet, is anyone can write a BEZOS TO THE MOON! book. That same thing applies to the InterOkay, maybe he didn’t make it to the moon, net and these COVID-19 vaccine “specialbut folks are up in arms about former Amazon ists.” “The vaccine makes you blind.” “The gazillionaire Jeff Bezos taking a trip to space, to vaccine plants chips in you.” The amount of the tune of $27.5 million. “He could’ve fed the misinformation on the Internet is baffling. homeless.” “It’s so selfish!” “That money could Since everyone now has a voice, anyone build new schools.” Look, Bezos going to space can say anything online. And anti-vaxxers is the equivalent of you or I spending a grand ReShonda Tate are proving they are downright dangerous, on a vacation in the Bahamas. I get it…$27 using their platforms to spread lies and misinformation. It’s mil is a lot of money. But it’s his money. And this may be an such a problem that the surgeon general issued an advisory unpopular opinion, but neither Bezos nor Richard Branson, declaring it an “urgent threat” to public safety. Here’s some who went into space last week, owe us a thing. If they want to REALinformation….99% of the new COVID-19 cases are build rockets, hang upside down from a tree and collect worms, with UNVACCINATED people. Just talked with a woman or light their money on fire, it’s their money to do just that. (Now, whose husband was against the vaccine because he read the I will say they do need to be paying their fair share of taxes but conspiracy theories online. She’s urging everyone to get vac- that’s another story). We could say all day what we would or cinated. He can’t do it because he’s dead. COVID claimed wouldn’t do with our money. But if and when you ever get it, his 42-year-old life. I know the picture above is graphic but I’m sure you wouldn’t want anyone telling you how to spend it.

I hope it serves as a grim reminder that this is not a joke. Spending that kind of money on space makes no sense to me.

This virus and all its variant cousins are looking for hosts, But that new Burberry bag I treated myself to doesn’t make sense and finding them. Yes, there are a few breakthroughs with to my fiancé, so….I work hard and that’s my luxury reward. Just vaccinated people still getting COVID, but their symptoms happens that Bezo’s luxury is in a whole other stratsosphere. are mild and it’s better to get a mild case WITH the vaccine I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Bezos is a charitable dude. than be in the morgue WITHOUT it.

He just gave Van Jones $100 million through a “Courage and Civility” award to donate to a charity as Jones sees fit. Hey Jeff.

TOKYO THINKS PREVENTING SEX CAN BEAT COVID -19 I have courage. I’m civil. Just putting that out there….

You read that right. In an effort to combat COVID at the Tokyo Olympics, officials are trying to curb lovemaking among IN THIS WEEK’S PAPER athletes with “Anti-Sex” beds.The cardboard beds are designed • What is Critical Race Theory? You’d be surprised at how to collapse under the weight of two people potentially engaging many people don’t know. in hanky-panky. The beds are made from recycled cardboard • Trae tha Truth expands Trae Day in Houston. and can reportedly hold up to 440 pounds. So if you’re 150 • Sports reporter Jodie Jiles looks at how the Jermell Charlo pounds and the person you want to get entangled with is 200 and Brian Castano fight ended in a draw. pounds, y’all good. By the way, the committee says they’ll also be issuing condoms at this year’s games to promote safe sex ON THE WEB amongst players with the hopes of “encouraging athletes to • Houston fast food workers strike. spread the message back in their home countries.” So who • Sidelined by surgery, State Rep. Garnet Coleman fears cares about breathing contaminated air….as long as athletes missing history more than arrest. don’t have sex in the bed (the floor is a different story) and • NFL to play Black National Anthem before every game.

COVID AIN’T PLAYING WITH Y’ALL

IG: @Dono2fit TikTok: Dono_lee Snapchat: donogotswag Read more on Friday about Donovan at defendernetwork.com If you are Fit & Fine email: fitnfine@defendernetwork.com

July 22, 2021 |

| 3

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN News

NAACP offers bail to AWOL Democrats Defender News Service

The oldest civil rights organization in the United States is stepping up to protect any of the Texas House Democrats who might get arrested for effectively blocking the state’s racist proposed election bill from being enacted into law.

The NAACP said it would uphold the late Georgia Congressman John Lewis’ concept of “good trouble” by offering to bail out any of the dozens of House Democrats in Texas who walked out of the legislature’s chamber recently to prevent a vote on election restrictions from taking place.

“War has been declared on democracy, and we will support anyone who stands up to defend it,” NAACP President Derrick Johnson said.

“We are fully invested in good trouble.”

Texas House Democrats remain in Washington, D.C., where they fled after a coordinated walk out of the chamber on the first day of the special legislative session.

The move in Texas was the latest example of Democrats walking out during a state legislature session in order to thwart a vote on the Republican-led restrictive election laws around the country that are increasingly — and intentionally — making it harder to vote.

Gov. Greg Abbott immediately threatened to arrest any Democrat who fled when they returned to Texas.

There must be at least two-thirds of the 150-member chamber in Texas in order to hold a vote.

Texas State Rep. Senfronia Thompson (D-141) speaks at a press conference on voting rights alongside state representatives from Texas, Maryland and Virginia. Getty/Kevin Dietsch

It’s unclear what the next move from Texas House Democrats will be.

Johnson tweeted his support for Texas House Democrats, who he suggested would have made John Lewis proud.

“The Texas legislature’s efforts to silence the voices of its own constituents is an assault on our most fundamental values,”

DN

See passionate comments from State Rep. Thompson.

Johnson tweeted. “This is a dark time, a time for good trouble, as John Lewis would say.

The Texas lawmakers who fled the state are

demonstrating necessary, good trouble.”

He added in a separate tweet later: “We will not stand idly by as partisan politicians dismantle our system, oppress our voices and suppress our votes. People have fought and died for the sacred right to vote. This is a time of crisis. Our constitution is being tested, and we need all hands on deck.”

TSU partners with Smithsonian National Museum Defender News Service

Texas Southern University is one of five Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to partner with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) to support university museums and archives. The five-year project will enhance TSU’s ability to care for and share archives that tell the story of African Americans and their essential role in American culture and history. It also includes internships, training and a traveling exhibition of artifacts from the universities’ collection.

“Texas Southern University is proud to partner with the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC). We look forward to sharing our faculty expertise and University Museum resources to support the critical need of visually telling the story of African Americans and their many outstanding contributions. We are also grateful for the exposure

and access this partnership will afford our students,” said Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, president of Texas Southern University.

Led by the NMAAHC’s strategic partnership office, the partnership features: • Internships • Fellowship programs • Professional training for underrepresented groups to establish a pipeline of museum and archive specialists in the next generation • Assistance in digitizing HBCU collections • Creating a digital archive in an easily accessible format for academic scholars and the general public • Development of a traveling exhibition on the most compelling collections from the partner universities that will begin at NMAAHC and then travel to the consortium members and other venues around the world

“For the University Museum, participation in the Smithsonian HBCU consortium offers unique opportunities to expand our base of support with other institutions and offers most importantly unparalleled opportunities for our students to enter the museum field with enriching and hands-on experiences with museum professionals,” said Dr. Alvia Wardlaw, director and curator of the University Museum.

Founded in 2000, the University Museum is home to thousands of African and African American art pieces. The vision of Texas Southern University’s first president, Dr. Raphael O’Hara Lanier, and renowned artist John Biggers, the museum features artwork that celebrates the African diaspora’s art and culture. It also hosts unique events, competitions, exhibitions and educational programming to support the arts in Houston and surrounding areas.

Dr. Alvia Wardlaw, Director of Texas Southern University’s University Museum and member of the NMAAHC advisory board, pictured here in 2016 with the late Dr. Thomas F. Freeman. TSU

4 | July 22, 2021 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN News

Van Jones was recently awarded $100 mil from Jeff Bezos for a “Courage and Civility” award. Jones can use the money to help a charity of his choice.

NATIONAL URBAN LEAGUE

State of Black America report focuses on ‘Three pandemics’ NNPA

The COVID-19 pandemic not only unmasked the stark racial inequities in the nation’s economic, health care and public safety status quo; it gave rise to a fierce resistance to that status quo and fueled demand for racial justice that grows more To quote intense with each passing a flippant month.

The National Urban sentiment League’s 2021 State of Black frequently America report, “The New shared on Normal: Diverse, Equita- social media, ble & Inclusive,” charts a equal rights path forward as the nation emerges from these “three for others does not pandemics.” “ The Unite d St ates mean less finds itself at crossroads of rights for you. racial reckoning,” National It’s not pie.”

Urban League President Marc H. Morial and CEO Marc H. Morial said.“One path leads backward, toward the ‘old normal:’ a return to the marginalization, discrimination and segregation that left Black and Brown Americans exceptionally vulnerable to a deadly virus and economic desperation.

“The other path leads toward a nation where police approach the communities they serve as allies and collaborators, and not hostile combatants; where every citizen has equal access to the ballot box, where fatal complications in pregnancy are just as rare for Black mothers as for white mothers, where the value of a home is not determined by the race of its owner.”

Analysis from research partners Brookings Institution, Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity and Center for Policing Equity not only reveal how structural and institutional racism magnified the devastation inflicted

by COVID-19 infection and death, economic collapse and police violence, but also offer a glimpse of a more

NEWSBRIEFS SIX TEXAS DEMOCRATS TEST POSITIVE FOR COVID-19 IN WASHINGTON Six Texas lawmakers have tested positive for COVID-19 after fleeing to Washington to prevent a Special Session vote on voting rights. The positive tests sparked concerns regarding which federal lawmakers the Texas Democrats came into contact with, including Vice President Kamala Harris, who met with them last week. She has since tested negative. A White House aide and a Pelosi aide tested positive after meeting with the lawmakers. Though breakthrough infections are to be expected, seeing as no vaccine is completely effective against contracting the virus, they tend to be milder than unvaccinated infections and are far less likely to result in hospitalizations.

Marc Morial, the president and CEO of the National Urban League, speaks during the “2016 State of Black America” launch event at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. -AMG/NNPA

equitable future.

Among the findings: Higher rates of unemployment, lower household incomes and net worth, and the crushing burden of housing costs left Black Americans uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19’s economic fallout; Economic burdens like lack of high-speed internet access and a dearth of health-care facilities in Black neighborhoods contributed more to the vaccine racial gap than hesitancy; Over-policing of Black communities, particularly frequent stops of Black boys, is associated with more crime among those boys, not less.

The report highlights innovative solutions for overcoming racial barriers, such as free and low-cost banking

services that allow households to build wealth and a credit history, an approach to treating hypertension that focuses on social needs like housing and transportation, and virtual responses to some police calls. “‘The New Normal: Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive’ makes the case that dismantling structural racism – identifying and repairing the cracks in our national foundation – will result in more resilient and dynamic institutions that expand opportunity for everyone,” Morial said.

The report includes a focus on two major policy proposals the National Urban League developed in 2021 to address racial inequities in public safety and the economy.

The full report is available at www.StateOfBlackAmerica.org.

TEXAS SUPREME COURT EXTENDS EVICTION PROGRAM UNTIL OCT. 1 A state eviction diversion program launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been extended. The program was set to expire on July 27. The new order extends it until Oct. 1.

The Texas Eviction Diversion Program allows the state to use $171 million in federal CARES Act funding for rental assistance and legal services for Texans facing eviction. The voluntary program created an alternative to evictions when both tenants and landlords agree to participate, offering up to 15 months of rental and utility assistance for tenants. Once tenants and their landlords agree in court to pursue state assistance, eviction proceedings can be delayed for up to 60 days.

HARRIS COUNTY ADDING VISITING JUDGES TO HELP BACKLOG OF CRIMINAL COURT CASES Harris County Commissioner’s Court have approved funding for three visiting judges and support staff to help cut into the massive backlog of criminal court cases pending in Harris County.

According to Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, there are 100,000 criminal court cases lingering in the judicial pipeline. The increase in personnel comes at a time when the county hasn’t built any new criminal district courts in 37 years. For months, elected leaders have stated the backlog was the result of courts shutting down for Hurricane Harvey and the COVID-19 pandemic. Violent defendants have continued to be let out on the streets with little or no bond while facing felony charges in other cases. Their day in court takes months, if not, potentially, more than a year.

July 22, 2021 |

| 5

DEFENDER NETWORK

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.

Houston Methodist The Woodlands Hospital Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital

Houston Methodist West Hospital

Houston Methodist Baytown Hospital Houston Methodist Josie Roberts Administration Building

Houston Methodist Sugar Land Hospital

Walk in or schedule your free Pfizer vaccine online at houstonmethodist.org/vaccine today.

Houston Methodist Clear Lake Hospital

6 | July 22, 2021 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

| 7

DN InFocus

By ReShonda Tate

The Debate

A

What is it?

A way of thinking about America’s laws and policies history through the lens of racism. It centers on the idea that racism is systemic in the nation’s institutions and that they function to maintain the dominance of white people in society. The architects of the theory argue that the United States was founded on the theft of land and labor and that federal law has preserved the unequal treatment of people on the basis of race. Proponents also believe race is culturally invented, not biological.

s 11th grade history teacher Jasmine Smith prepares to head back to school, she’s aware that she may have to shift the way she teaches her students because of the GOP’s all-out war against critical race theory (CRT).

“U.S. History is the only state-tested history subject in high school that’s a graduation requirement, so it’s incredibly awful and sad to see the assault that’s being waged against educating our students on the reality of our history,” Smith, who teaches at Manvel High School, said.

Critical race theory is the new lightning rod of the GOP. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently signed a bill prohibiting public school teachers from making any of the 10 concepts from CRT part of their curriculum. That includes the idea that the advent of slavery in what is now the United States marks the true founding of the nation.

CRT seemed to appear in statehouses and at political rallies almost from nowhere. Over the past few months, it has morphed from an obscure academic discussion point on the left into a political rallying cry on the right.

Yet, even those who condemn or seek to ban critical race theory in schools often struggle to define what it is. Real-world examples of students being indoctrinated in its principles are difficult to find.

“These people aren’t educated enough to even understand what CRT is about,” Boddie said. “Reality?

Schools are just teaching the facts as outlined by our TEKS. Slavery was real. Jim Crow was real. These things happened. Give the kids the facts and let them determine on their own if they were morally right or wrong.”

Boddie said CRT opponents are tapping into fear that children are somehow being indoctrinated. And it’s especially hard for teachers in predominantly white districts.

“As with everything, things are taught from that person’s perspective. As a Black woman who teaches history in a predominantly white district, I do fear that anything I say can be misinterpreted and this newfound interest in what is being taught in schools places an unnecessary target on teachers that look like myself. A teacher at a campus in HISD would have less worries than Black and Brown history teachers in the suburbs.”

In fact, teachers say, the battle against CRT is much ado about nothing.

“Nobody in K-12 is teaching critical race theory,” said Andrew

Robinson, an 8th grade U.S. history teacher at Uplift Luna Preparatory.

“If I tried to walk in and teach critical race theory, my kids would just have a blank stare on their face.”

The topic has exploded in the public arena this spring—especially in K-12, where numerous state legislatures are debating bills seeking to ban its use in the classroom. In truth, the divides are not nearly as neat as they may seem. The events of the last decade have increased public awareness about things like housing segregation, the impacts of criminal justice policy in the 1990s and the legacy of enslavement on Black Americans. But there is much less consensus on what the government’s role should be in righting these past wrongs. Add children and schooling into the mix and the debate becomes especially volatile.

Those who study the discipline say that the attacks have nothing to do with critical race theory, but instead are targeting any teachings that challenge and complicate dominant narratives about the country’s history and identity. They say that critical race theory itself actually shifts emphasis away from accusing individuals — in history or in the classroom — of being racist, which tends to dominate liberal discussions of racism. Instead, it offers tools for shifting public policy to create equity and freedom for all.

“These scholars and writers are asking, ‘why is it that racial inequality endures and persists, even decades after these laws have passed?’” Daniel HoSang, professor of ethnicity, race and migration and American studies at Yale University, said.

HoSang described CRT not as “content” or a “set of beliefs,” but rather an approach that “encourage[s] us to move past the superficial explanations that are given about equality and suffering, and to ask for new kinds of explanations.”

While it has gained the ire of national Republicans on Fox News and elsewhere for months, critical race theory was thrust in the political spotlight in Texas this spring because of the progress of HB 3979.

Lawmakers claimed that it combats the theory.

The wording of the bill is vague

— for example, it bans discussion of current events unless a teacher “strive[s] to explore those topics from diverse and contending perspectives without giving deference to any one perspective,” and teachers can’t teach that “with respect to their relationship to American values, slavery and racism or anything other than deviations from, betrayals of, or failures to live up to, the authentic founding principles of the United States, which include liberty and equality.”

In an early statement supporting the legislation, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that critical race theory is a “woke philosoph[y]” that “maintain[s] that one race or sex is inherently superior to another race or sex or that any individual, by virtue of his or her race or sex, is in herent ly racist, sexist or oppressive.”

The phrase “critical race theory” does not appear in the bill once, however.

Political discourse has claimed that critical race theory unfairly assigns guilt and blame to individuals based on their race. In one section that lists concepts teachers can’t teach, the bill prohibits teaching that “an individual should feel discomfort, guilt, anguish or any other form of psychological distress on account of the individual’s race or sex.” “[Critical race theory] has nothing to do with sentiment, guilt or shame,” HoSang said. “In fact, one of its premises is that those are not actually helpful places to examine.

It’s taking us out of racism as a psychological and emotional question, and is focusing much more on the structures, the policies that people create that govern our lives.”

HoSang pointed out that to begin with, critical race theory is not “a body of content that can be taught.”

Given that, Abbott’s calls to “abolish critical race theory in Texas” make no sense, those who study it said.

“I don’t think you can ‘abolish’ a theory,” he said.

WHO FOUNDED CRT?

Kimberlé Crenshaw, executive director of the African American Policy Forum, a social justice think tank based in New York City, was one of the early proponents. Initially, she says, it was “simply about telling a more complete story of who we are.”

Scholars actually developed it during the 1970s and 1980s in response to what they viewed as a lack of racial progress following the civil rights legislation of the 1960s.

IS CRT BEING TAUGHT IN SCHOOLS?

There is little to no evidence that critical race theory itself is being taught to K-12 public school students, though some ideas central to it, such as lingering consequences of slavery, have been.

WHY ARE REPUBLICANS UPSET?

Getty Images

Many Republicans view the concepts underlying critical race theory as an effort to rewrite American history and persuade white people that they are inherently racist and should feel guilty because of their advantages.

But the theory also has become somewhat of a catchall phrase to describe racial concepts some conservatives find objectionable, such as white privilege, systemic inequality and inherent bias.

WHERE DID REPUBLICAN PUSHBACK BEGIN?

Republicans often cite the 1619 Project as a cause for concern. The New York Times initiative, published in 2019, aimed to tell a fuller story of the country’s history by putting slavery at the center of America’s founding.

Critical race theory popped into the mainstream last September when then-President Trump took aim at it and the 1619 Project as part of a White House event focused on the nation’s history. He called both “a crusade against American history” and “ideological poison that ... will destroy our country.”

HOW ARE STATES ADDRESSING IT?

Ben Frazier, the founder of the Northside Coalition of Jacksonville, protests during a school board meeting over CRT.

So far, 25 states have considered legislation or other steps to limit how race and racism can be taught, according to an analysis from Education Week. Eight states, all Republican-led, have banned or limited the teaching of critical race theory or similar concepts through laws or administrative actions. The bans largely address what can be taught inside the classroom.

While bills in some states mention critical race theory by name, others do not.

8 | July 22, 2021 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Health

EXPERTS FEAR THE PANDEMIC BATTLE IS SLIDING BACKWARD Defender News Service

In another shock to the national psyche, the The pandemic is not over. Nowhere near Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged more it. New figures show that the nation’s fight than 700 points in its biggest drop of the year against COVID-19 is quickly sliding back in as alarm over virulent Delta variant infections the wrong direction. hammered travel, leisure and energy stocks A hybrid version of American life that will that had been juiced by the idea of a summer pass for normality for the foreseeable future is of freedom. That along with increasing cases, coming into view, in which most of the vacci- and outbreaks which are marring the Tokyo nated live and many of those who refuse their Olympics, represent a realization that hopes shots get sick or die. of the virus being in the rearview mirror this In a moment of stark symsummer were unfounded and Delta variant bolism, new schools guidance that some kind of new national accounts for released recently from the effort is warranted.

American Academy of Pediat“If we don’t get a significant rics on mask wearing dashed proportion of these recalcitrant hopes that kids robbed of a people vaccinated, you’re going of U.S. Cases chunk of their childhoods by to be seeing a smoldering of COVID-19 could go back to carefree schooldays this outbreak in our country for a considerable this fall. The prospect of millions of youngsters period of time,” Dr. Anthony Fauci, the govover 2-years-old in face coverings in class epit- ernment’s top infectious diseases expert said. omized how the nation is still under siege from The miracle of vaccines — 48.6% of Amerthe virus. It’s also likely to unleash yet another icans are fully protected and there are espepolitical culture war in some GOP states that cially high levels of vaccinations among elderly abhor masking and have banned schools from populations — means that the US is not in the seeking to protect the vulnerable that way. trouble it was a year ago.

83%

Sasha Jacquez tests UTEP student Ariona Gill for coronavirus.

AP/ Mark Lambie

But the refusal of many citizens to get their shots — a trend deepened by conservative misinformation — means that many Americans face much more misery to come, even as many of their compatriots piece their lives back together.

Things were not helped over the weekend when former President Donald Trump — who seems keener to deepen mistrust in Biden than to convince his flock to get the vaccines he helped develop — added to the propaganda on vaccines.

Dr. Richard Besser, the former acting director of the US Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, told CNN that he believed many people who are not vaccinated will end up being infected by the Delta variant “given how contagious it is — as well given that you are seeing concentrations of people who weren’t vaccinated living together.”

Fauci described the nation’s new reality as “really unfortunate, because what everybody wants in this country — and elsewhere throughout the world — is to be able to crush this outbreak in the sense of getting the level of vaccination so high that the virus has no place to go.”

COMMUNITY ENERGY CENTER

America Runs on Reliable, Affordable, and Cleaner Energy Keep This Vital Resource Accessible

As energy demand grows post-pandemic, public officials are making decisions that might affect your access to safe, affordable and reliable energy. Heat waves and storms are testing America’s energy needs – we cannot take this energy for granted.

Public officials should not diminish this vital resource.

To learn more about how energy helps your community, visit CommunityEnergyCenter.org

The Community Energy Center, a cooperative with the National Newspaper Publishers Association and National Association of Hispanic Publications Media, will provide information and perspectives on the integral role of the energy sector in daily life for American families in a wide range of communities.

July 22, 2021 |

| 9

DEFENDER NETWORK

AVAILABLE NOW: Houston Methodist Virtual Urgent Care

Our providers are available 24/7 following your COVID-19 diagnosis.

Whether you are experiencing COVID-19 symptoms or want to avoid spreading or catching germs, you can connect with a board-certified provider via video visit wherever you are — no appointment needed. The provider will be able to advise you about your diagnosis and can guide you on appropriate treatments to help you in your journey to recovery.

Virtual Urgent Care is available through the MyMethodist app. Download it today. If you are unable to cover the $20 cost of your visit, please contact 281.524.4687 for financial assistance.

houstonmethodist.org/virtual-care

10 | July 22, 2021 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Sports

UH center Brison Gresham has transferred to Texas Southern and will join the Tigers men’s basketball team this upcoming year after starting 19 games for the Cougars last season.

Sugar Land Skeeters Bryan De La Cruz homered in back-to-back games, including a two-run blast that helped deliver the Skeeters a recent 5-2 win over Albuquerque.

Sports Briefs Astros in the mix for trade According to Bleacher Report, the Astros are hoping to be in the mix for Miami Marlins outfielder Starling Marte prior to the MLB Starling trade deadline Marte on July 30. The Yankees and Phillies are also in the hunt for 32-year-old Marte, who is set to become a free agent after this season.

Rockets narrow draft choice The Rockets have the No.2 overall pick in the July 29 NBA Draft and are believed to have narrowed Jalen Green their choices down to either guard Jalen Green or post Evan Mobley. Either Jalen Suggs or Green seems to make the most sense because the Rockets’ greatest need is at point guard.

Tigers receive $100K grant Texas Southern’s athletic department was one of 13 schools to receive the $100,000 NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program Grant for the 2021-22 school year. This is the fourth time TSU has received the grant, but this is the most funds the Tigers have received in any one academic year.

Julian Duncan hired

by Rockets The Rockets have hired Houston native and former Rice football standout Julian Duncan as the Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, the team Julian Duncan announced. Duncan, who double-majored at Rice in sports management and English, most recently served as Chief Marketing Officer and Senior VP of Social Responsibility for the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Running back Mark Ingram II (21), formerly Running back Phillip Lindsay, formerly of the Denver Broncos. a Baltimore Raven -AP Photo/Matt Patterson

Who will emerge as Texans’ top running back?

By Terrance Harris

Without question, the Texans’ quarterback position without Deshaun Watson will receive the most scrutiny during training camp.

But not far behind will be the running backs where new general manager Nick Caserio invested heavily during the offseason at a position that is not as highly valued in the pass-first NFL these days. When the Texans open camp on July 27, there will be seven running backs all vying for a spot on the roster and playing time.

What makes it even more interesting is that there isn’t a clear favorite to start and at least one and maybe even two of the touted veteran group, which includes former Pro Bowlers Mark Ingram, David Johnson and Phillip Lindsay along with ex-Patriot Rex Burkhead, likely won’t make it out of training camp. Then the Texans are almost certain to keep one of the young backs in Scottie Phillips, Buddy Howell and Dontrelle Hilliard.

If competition is what first-year head coach David Culley and Caserio were

hoping for, they certainly have created the atmosphere for it.

“I think it’ll make us all compete because we all want to play, obviously, so we all want to be on the field,” said Johnson, who led the Texans pedestrian ground attack last season with 691 yards and six touchdowns. “Competition is going to make us all better.”

The Texans, who for several successive seasons had a string of running backs eclipse 1,000 yards rushing, ranked 30th in rushing last season.

With the collection of castoffs whose best rushing days may be behind them, it’s hard to say if the results will be any better this season.

Johnson came aboard last season as a running back who had lost his starting position with the Arizona Cardinals but was the primary return in the still head-scratching trade for DeAndre Hopkins. It was stunning that the new regime kept him around.

Ingram, 31, has been a productive power back in the league with both New Orleans and most recently Baltimore, and is coming off a season in which he gained 299 yards

and scored just two touchdowns in 11 games. But he knows the offense better than any of the others because he was coached by Culley with the Ravens.

Lindsay, whom many predict will emerge as the Texans starter, came into the league in 2018 with a bang as an undrafted free agent with the Denver Broncos, where he became the first undrafted rookie back to make the Pro Bowl. But following two injury-plagued seasons, the Broncos allowed him to join the Texans as a free agent in March.

“Collectively, great group,” said Texans running backs coach Danny Barrett. “You’re talking veteran guys that have been around.

All have had great success in the league thus far. So excited about it.”

Lindsay also has seemed excited and sees the competition as a healthy thing for everyone in the running backs meeting room.

“When it comes to competition, you have to understand, it’s a 17-game season here, so we’re going to need each other,” Lindsay said. “We’re going to all need each other.

We’re going to be able to lean on each other at times and get to know each other.”

July 22, 2021 |

| 11

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Sports JERMELL CHARLO VS. BRIAN CASTANO

ENDS IN A DRAW

By Jodie B. Jiles and Jimmie Aggison

In long distance races over 800 meters you witness how strategy comes into play more than one’s natural abilities. If you extend too much energy too early you could get burned on the last 100 meters, and if you are too lax early on your competition will have too great of a lead to overcome.

The same rules apparently apply to the fight game.

Southwest Houston’s own Jermell Charlo (34-1-1, 18 KOs) faced off against Brian Castano (17-0-2) at the AT&T Center in an attempt to add a fourth WBO belt to his three-deep collection of IBF, WBA and WBC belts. Unfortunately, the fight resulted in a draw where in Brian Castano won his round early in the fight and Charlo turned up late. The judges had the bout scored 114-113 Castano, 116-112 Charlo and 114-114.

When Charlo’s trainer Derrick James was asked what was the reasoning or thought process in the moment when he told Charlo to go for the knockout.

“The reason why I said it was because you have to find some reason to inspire the fighter. When you look up at the scorecards you would see that the unofficial judges had him (Charlo) down. So, I said you need to pick it up to go out there and get it and that is what he really did,” James stated.

“And what made me do it is I saw that and our cut man Joe was telling me they had him down. Then after that he won the tenth and the eleventh where he hurt his opponent several times. And in the twelfth, I said we need a knockout and you need to put the pedal to metal,” James continued.

The Defender was on the scene at the post-fight press conference to discuss Charlo’s thoughts on the fight, those final rounds of the fight, a rematch and more.

THOUGHTS ON JUDGES’ DECISION Charlo: “I do feel like I won more of the

rounds than he did…..I feel like I pushed a lot harder than he did. I took him out of his game plan. If they (the judges) really knew who Brian Castano was and

how he actually fights and threw 11,000 punches from how I did it I think I did the better performance than a lot of people that fought him. I didn’t see errors like you saw in our fight, I didn’t see him wobbling all over the ring….”

WHY NO KNOCKOUT IN 10TH & 11TH ROUNDS? Charlo: “I know in boxing from so

many years of being taught the game you don’t rush knockouts. If you go in there and you learn like I kinda did in the Tony Harrison fight, you know I wasn’t going to get tired. And I still feel good and I could have done more. But when you up there dog it is not the same as just talking about it. It is a little bit different. The reactions and things are moving way more slower and faster. So, it is like I should have unloaded the clip and let that s**t go but I had a low clip.”

WHAT DO YOU FEEL YOU WILL DO DIFFERENT IF YOU HAVE A REMATCH? Charlo: “That is why I have a

DN

For Charlo vs. Castano photo gallery, visit www.DefenderNetwork.com

coach that loves to watch film in his big game room, watch fights and just replay them back-to-back-toback. He will be calling me all day so I am happy about that. But just off of my mental, I think I could have easily been a little more active. I stayed composed waiting to see what his move was gonna be then took him out of his game plan.

You see that he got hurt in the beginning when he tried to throw four or five punches at one time. That is when he got caught. And if he would have tried to do that again I would have came back and did the exact same thing and that fight would have ended earlier…I am used to knocking guys out and tonight I did not get a knockout. Tonight I didn’t even get a win. I got a draw and that s**t is weird right now because I have never gotten a draw. I see people getting draws but that is what comes with this boxing game you know what I’m saying. I’m back at it and nothing is going to change from it.”

Charlo makes Castono wobble through the 10th and 11th rounds.

Photos by Jimmie Aggison

12 | July 22, 2021 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Entertainment

‘Trae Day’ comes to Houston Defender News Service

Rapper Trae tha Truth has made a major impact across the country, in the city of Houston in particular.

As a vocal representative for the Bayou City, the rapper, philanthropist and activist announced he is expanding “Trae Day,” which was designated by former Houston mayor Bill White in 2008. The four-day celebration now includes a concert, comedy show and philanthropic activities from July 22 to 25.

Trae tha Truth, whose real name is Frazier Othel Thompson III, takes pride in being a positive impact on the Houston community. From rescuing residents during extreme weather events to fighting on the frontlines against police brutality to providing new computers to low-income apartments, Trae has proven to be a hometown hero.

The rapper says Trae Day in Houston bridges his two loves: music and giving back. The annual event follows the rapper’s latest project released last month, “48 Hours After.”

While the day was created as a day to celebrate and honor himself, Trae made it a day for the entire city.

“Sometimes people need a soldier to lean on and give them that hope and motivation. So that’s what I do every Trae Day. Even though it’s my holiday, I made it a holiday for the city,” Trae said in a statement.

The festivities kick off with family friendly events, including the opening of a Howdy Homemade Ice

Cream store in Katy. The franchise, which has locations in Dallas and El Paso, employs adults with special needs.

“Every aspect of Howdy Homemade encompasses the special needs of the huge under-employed segment of our population with one goal: To change the way businesses hire people with special needs,” the website reads.

Trae, who was honored last month with the Change Maker Award at the Billboard Music Awards, said employing adults with special needs at this ice cream shop will give them an opportunity to work and receive support.

“We hope to change the way the world looks at everyone,” Trae said on Instagram.

Trae is the first rapper in Texas to be given an official holiday by the city. He’s also founded a nonprofit organization, helped counsel inmates, sponsored at-risk high school students and more. Trae tha Truth is very modest. He never talks about his guest features he’s done or any of his new tapes (Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, TI, Nas, etc.) or how he landed another MTV JAM Video of the Week or how he signed to T.I.’s label or any of the things people were watching him accomplish from afar.

‘TRAE DAY’ SCHEDULE Thursday, July 22

Howdy Ice Cream Shop Grand Opening 20920 Katy Freeway Suite #S in Katy.

Noon Flip and Fun Takeover 5379 W Richey Road.

5 p.m. to 9 p.m. *Admission includes trampolines, bumper cars and laser tag. Children enter free.

Friday, July 23

Day of service with Habitat for Humanity Settegast Community Gardens 7984 Tate Street Trae Day Scholarship Giveaway Bumpboxx Galleria 5085 Westheimer Road *Sponsored by James Harden “Trae N Friends” Concert Featuring Lil Keke, DJ Chose, OTB Fastline, Bloodbath and several others White Oak Music Hall 2915 North Main Street

Saturday, July 24

Family Fun Day and Car Show Aveva Stadium 12131 Kirby Drive 3 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Sunday, July 25

Celebrity dodgeball game University of Houston 3820 Holman Street 12 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Trae’s team will compete against Houston rapper Bun B’s team.

Funny by Nature Comedy Show House of Blues 1204 Caroline Street 6 p.m. to 11 p.m.