White evangelicals and sof-headed Christians of color are rejoicing at the news that unlicensed religious chaplains will now be allowed to work in Texas public schools— no certification or classroom experience required—thanks to a new law signed by Abbott. And with the GOP takeover of HISD, we know that means a certain type of chaplain. One who subscribes to the brand of faith adhered to by Trump, Uncle Ruckus, the Jan. 6 insurrectionists, the white domestic terrorist Proud Boys who wanted to hang Mike Pence (and all Democrats), and all those good Christian folk over the centuries who led and/or participated in the lynchings of Black people and the destruction of Black Wall Streets nationwide. You know; those white Christo-nationalists who cheered on the deaths of Trayvon Martin, Freddie Gray, Sandra Bland and George Floyd. And this fall, they’ll be counseling your kids; children they don’t even see as human. Hopefully, some Black preachers will put their names in the pot.
If there was ever any doubt about the dubiousness of the state/ TEA takeover of HISD, state-appointed superintendent Mike Miles put all doubts to rest when he announced his plan to turn libraries on 28 Black and Brown schools into detention centers and fre their librarians—librarians who are quite ofen the most learned and degreed and credentialed educators in the building. Librarians, who have for decades exposed children to the joys of reading and lifelong learning. School libraries, which, for many years, were the only libraries Black students
could enter. Libraries, home to information and resources folk on the wrong side of the Digital Divide can access since they can’t do so at home. School libraries, arguably the most beloved places on school campuses (next to the cafeteria and gym). And Miles wants to transform them into on-campus jails? Lord, Lord.
Tough there are several states racing to prove they are the most anti-Black, it’s really only a two-horse race between Texas and Florida. And sure, Texas has voter suppression and gerrymandering on steroids; outlawed diversity and equity; and seeks to turn libraries in Black and Brown schools into detention centers. But Florida is what the youngfolk call a “Real One.” Florida’s anti-Black street cred is so deep, the NAACP issued a “travel advisory” warning Blackfolk to steer clear of the “Sundown State.” Yet, while the Alphas and other organizations are pulling their conferences out of Florida in protest, the NFL just announced it’s moving its Pro Bowl to Orlando, giving a fullthroated endorsement of the state’s anti-Blackness. Remember, the NFL is still whitelisting Kaepernick, under-hiring Black coaches and doing their Black alums dirty regarding benefts. And now this. Maya Angelou told us long ago, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them.”
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Te Houston Independent School District is grappling with a pressing challenge as the new school year approaches - a shortage of certifed teachers to fll crucial vacancies in classrooms across the district. In an efort to address the situation, HISD has turned to alternative measures, seeking uncertified educators to bridge the gap.
The district currently has over 2,500 vacant job positions across HISD. Te shortage afects a range of subjects and grade levels, raising concerns among parents, educators, and education advocates.
Te Houston Federation of Teachers (HFT) expressed that this decision isn’t a “teacher shortage problem”. “We have a shortage of certified teachers who refuse to be treated the way they are being treated. You will have to go out and start looking for uncertifed teachers, when you don’t respect the teaching profession,” said Jackie Anderson, president of the HFT. “Now he is scrambling to look for bodies to walk into the schools to do the job of an educator, and that shouldn’t be happening.”
Some critics argue that hiring uncertifed educators may compromise the quality of education and limit students’ access to a robust learning experience. However, the district asserts that these hiring decisions are necessary to ensure every classroom has an instructor at the start of the school year.
“Tis is going to be detrimental to Black students in general. Tere are
Community applauds selection of alum
Stephanie Square to lead Third Ward H.S.
By Laura Onyenehostudents with high needs and research states that uncertified personnel should not be matched with our highest need students,” said Michelle Williams, president of the Houston Education Association. “What we know is that frst year [uncertifed] teachers don’t last long. Once they abandon these classrooms, it puts a hardship on HISD students and teachers who have been there and still continue to be there after this experiment.”
Williams said that if Miles was concerned about the quality of education for Black and Brown youth, he would have followed former Superintendent Richard Carranza’s Achieve 180 initiative, a researched-based action plan to support, strengthen, and empower underserved and underperforming HISD feeder pattern communities to increase student achievement.
“Carranza’s Achieve 180 plan follows best practices in education and further supports certifed and experienced teachers,” she said. “Miles would have raised the salaries of veteran teachers and brought them in.
Tat’s what Richard Carranza did.”
Children at Risk’s Chief Equity Officer Sharon Jones said the academic success of the children is dependent on the wellbeing of the educator.
“We do believe that teachers need to be qualifed,” she said. “But regardless of who’s teaching, the person needs to be valued, happy, and whole. They need to be given the proper support, empathy, livable wage, and resources to be successful.”
In a heartwarming homecoming, Stephanie Square, an esteemed former student of Jack Yates High School, has taken on the role of the school’s new principal, igniting a wave of excitement and hope within the tight-knit Third Ward community. With her strong ties to the school and the community, Square is determined to lead the school into a bright future flled with opportunities and academic excellence.
Square wasted no time in connecting with the Yates community. She hosted a community session with parents, alumni and local stakeholders to gather valuable insights and input on her vision for the school.
“My heart is really in the classroom. I want to create an environment for teachers to feel more valued, more appreciated because they are needed in education,” she said. “A lot of the times in education, people who do their job, they get
rewarded with more work, they burn out, then they leave the profession all together.”
During these sessions, Square encouraged open dialogue, allowing parents, alumni and community members to share their hopes, concerns and aspirations for the school. Te feedback received in these sessions will inform the strategic plans that Square aims to put in place to enhance the overall educational experience at Yates.
“To make any school, particularly a high school, great, you’ve got to have the support unteers. I’m over one of the largest student organizations on campus,” said William Saunders, professor at Texas Southern University’s Jessie H. Jones School of Business.
“I had probably 200 or more students in my classes, so I’ve got access to help. Te student organizations have to perform community service every year. We’re going to make Jack
Stephanie SquareThe Houston Police Department has released the findings of its investigative report into the 2021 tragedy at the Astroworld Festival, where 10 people died while attending an outdoor concert by event headliner Travis Scott.
The release of the 1,266-page report comes about one month after a Harris County grand jury declined to indict Scott, a Houston-area native, along with five others on criminal charges.
Hundreds of others were injured during the crowd crush, which prompted a slew of civil lawsuits filed against Scott and event organizers, such as Live Nation. The most notable change in the wake of the deadly concert came last year, when Houston and Harris County officials announced an agreement for large events at NRG Park.
The report sheds light on the inner-workings of HPD’s 19-month criminal investigation, detailing interviews with concert organizers, family members of victims, several witnesses and Travis Scott himself.
Here are four takeaways:
*Houston police tried to warn Live Nation HPD Officer Nathan Byrd told investigators they warned Live Nation the Astroworld venue was too large to handle, making recommendations to put reinforced fencing in certain areas of the venue. While Live Nation
agreed to do so, Byrd said those barricades were nowhere to be found the day of the event.
*Scott told investigators that, at least from his perspective on stage, everything seemed
relatively normal in the crowd.
In reality, investigators determined that the crowd was already dangerously compacted hours before Scott took to the stage. As his show began, this compaction only got worse.
*Security contractor Reece Wheeler messaged festival security director, Shawna Boardman, that “stage right of main [was] getting crushed” and that he had already pulled “tons” of unconscious concertgoers out of the crowd and someone “was going to end up dead.”
According to Scott, the severity of the situation wasn’t communicated to him while he was on stage. Towards the latter half of the concert, Scott said he was instructed to end the show early, but was given no indication that there was an emergency.
*Scott did not learn how bad the situation was until he arrived home later that night.
Scott said he learned that people had died from an early morning HPD press conference discussing the incident.
The oldest historically Black collegiate fraternity in the United States, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, has announced that it will move its planned 2025 convention from Florida to an alternate location.
The decision comes as a response to what the fraternity describes as “harmful, racist, and insensitive” policies implemented by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration towards African Americans.
The convention, which typically draws between 4,000 and 6,000 attendees and reportedly has an economic impact of $4.6 mil lion, has been a significant event for the fraternity. However, the recent travel advisory for Florida issued by the NAACP and other civil rights organizations has raised concerns about the state’s stance towards African Americans, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community.
In a statement, Willis Lonzer, the fraternity’s general president, said that part of their motivation for relocating the con vention is Florida’s new education stan dards, which mandate that middle school teachers instruct students on the idea that enslaved people developed skills for their benefit.
The fraternity strongly disagrees, viewing it as an attempt to downplay the horrors of slavery and its enduring impact on African Americans.
“Although we are moving our convention from Florida, Alpha Phi Alpha will continue to support the strong advocacy of Alpha Brothers and other advocates fighting against the continued assault on our communities in Florida by Governor Ron DeSantis,” Lonzer explained. DeSantis, vying for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination, has faced criticism from various quarters, including a fellow Republican, U.S. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, the sole Black Republican in the Senate.
In response, DeSantis defended Florida, stating that he was countering “false accusations and lies” and pledging to uphold the truth.
In May, the NAACP, along with the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) and Equality Florida, issued travel advisories for Florida, pointing to the state’s recent laws and policies that they deemed hostile to marginalized communities.
Among these laws were restrictions on diversity, equity, and inclusion programs in state colleges, bans on critical race theory, and implementing the Stop WOKE Act, which limited specific race-based conversations and analysis in schools and businesses. Concerns were also raised over laws impacting immigrants in Florida and restricting discussions on LGBTQ topics in schools.
At least nine other organizations or associations have
canceled their conventions in Orlando and Fort Lauderdale, two of Florida’s major convention cities, citing concerns over the state’s political climate.
Florida remains a popular tourist destination, and tourism is a vital industry for the state, providing 1.6 million full-time and part-time jobs. Despite facing challenges during the pandemic, Florida’s tourism sector bounced back, with over 137.5 million visitors in the last year, contributing $98.8 billion to the state’s economy in 2019.
VOLUME 92, NUMBER 38 - AUGUST 3, 2023
Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles
Digital Content Manager Get Current Studios
Managing Editor ReShonda Tate
Associate Editor Aswad Walker Education Reporter Laura Onyeneho
Special Assignments Reporter Tannistha Sinha
Sports Terrance Harris Jodie B. Jiles
Photographer Jimmie Aggison
Social Media Manager
Tia Alphonse Jordan Hockett
By ReShonda Tate
If you’re among the millions of people who use or have used Facebook, you have one month left to apply for your share of a $725 million settlement over the social network’s privacy violations.
Te settlement, part of a fallout from the Cambridge Analytica scandal that rocked the U.S. electoral process, was signed in December 2022 and ended years of litigation over Facebook’s role in improper data sharing with a data consultancy frm used by Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign.
In all, the Cambridge Analytica scandal cost Meta, Facebook’s parent company, nearly $5.9 billion. Beyond the $725 million settlement,
the company paid a record $5 billion settlement to the Federal Trade Commission, alongside a further $100 million to the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Facebook rebanded itself as Meta in 2021 and settled
the suit a year later. In some ways, it’s a much different company than it was during the Cambridge Analytica scandal. The company has since expanded further into the metaverse with new hardware products like the
Quest 3, coming this fall. It’s also revealed its Llama 2 large language artifcial intelligence model, Reels to compete with TikTok and, more recently, Treads, which is taking on Twitter.
Te breach forced Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to testify before Congress and to take out full-page ads where he apologized for the missteps. “I’m sorry we didn’t do more at the time. We’re now taking steps to ensure this doesn’t happen again,” Zuckerberg said.
Te settlement was not an admission of wrongdoing.
People who had an active U.S. Facebook account between May 2007 and December 2022 have until Aug. 25 to fle a claim. Individual settlement payments haven’t yet been established because payouts depend on how many users submit claims and how long each user maintained a Facebook account.
The Department of Education has launched a Beta website for the Biden administration’s new program which was created as an income-driven plan intended to lower monthly student loan payments and reduce the amount paid back over the lifetime of the loan.
Under the new plan, income and family size will determine the payments for current and future federal student loan borrowers with some payments dropping to zero dollars per month.
To qualify for zero-dollar payments, the income threshold has been increased from 150% to 225% of federal poverty guidelines,
which translates to an annual income of $32,805 for a single borrower or $67,500 for a family of four. Other borrowers could see their payments cut in half and canceled after at least 10 years of repayment when the program is in full efect next year.
Te initiative comes afer the Supreme Court’s decision in June, striking down President Biden’s loan forgiveness program.
But, the plan still comes at a cost to the federal government. Estimates range from $138 billion to $361 billion over 10 years, depending on how many people sign up.
For more information on this program, visit StudentAid.gov.
When Houston ISD Superintendent Mike Miles announced he would convert some school libraries into discipline centers, he knew the idea wouldn’t go over well. It didn’t. And now, community, civic and elected leaders, along with educators, parents and residents are vowing to fght the move by any means necessary saying it is an attack on communities of color.
Miles plans to eliminate librarians and media specialists from 28 New Education System (NES) campuses, ALL of which are at least 60% African American. Teachers at those schools will send misbehaving students to the library — which will be turned into “Team Centers” — to learn virtually.
The strategy has drawn international media attention and infuriated local leaders.
Mayor Sylvester Turner has been vocal in blasting the plan, accusing Miles of robbing
students at certain schools of a vital learning resource while demeaning the value of libraries in education.
“HISD is creating a school district of the ‘haves’ and the ‘have-nots’. With some areas in the district equipped with libraries full of books and technology, while others will resemble stark institutions with no place to go to their school library, to study to check out a book, get the assistance of a librarian and expand their own imagination,” Turner said.
Turner likened the strategy to “apartheid.”
“If you want to put [misbehaving students] in the gym, put them in the gym,” Turner said. “But don’t close the libraries.
Miles, appointed to the position in June by Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath as part of sweeping state sanctions against the district, remains committed to his plan. He is adamant the strategy will create better learning conditions for students and allow the district to redirect more resources to classroom instruction.
Are there students who need additional support?
Yes, and I am 100% supportive of that. But it’s not an either/or. You don’t close the libraries, remove the librarians, and simply have the books on the shelf. What about all the other students? What are you saying to them?”
MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER“Eliminating...the libraries are a direct hit on Brown v. Board of Education, which in 1954 decided to integrate our schools. It is a violation of the 1964 Civil Rights Act dealing with accommodations,” U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee said. “Tis speaks loudly to the Department of Education...and the Department of Justice, who has indicated many things to me that this is getting their attention.”
Tough librarians will be cut from some campuses, books will remain on the shelves and available for checkout on an honor system, Miles said.
Turner added that libraries were no longer simply “a warehouse of books,” but had become places where students learned how to navigate information in a digital world and where students could go to “create and produce.”
People don’t want to say this, but the white schools have libraries. If they took libraries from white schools their parents would go nuts. I fought to get libraries at Yates, Sterling, Cullen and Attucks. So, I take this real personal.”
STATE REP.
JOLANDA JONES
“I cannot and will not govern the state’s largest school district by press conference or press release,” Miles said. “Te time for politics is over, and we will not be distracted by intentional misinformation.”
Miles has asked Turner, parents and community members to withhold their critiques until they see the Team Centers in practice, arguing that “discipline is a small part” of the model. He has added that the approach is largely centered on providing fexible learning environments for students.
Some supporters of the strategy say students have long ago stopped using libraries, so it makes sense. But many blame the district’s relative lack of investment in them.
While most neighboring districts employ a librarian in every school, many HISD campuses historically have not had them. Tat’s mostly a function of HISD’s “decentralized”
stafng approach, in which principals are given authority to choose which positions to prioritize with a dedicated amount of money. Most principals chose to put resources into areas other than libraries.
As recently as 2021-22, roughly three-quarters of the 28 NES campuses did not employ a full- or part-time librarian, state data shows. However, the records show that all but three of the 28 schools had a librarian in 2022-23, when HISD Superintendent Millard House prioritized the position across the district.
Miles’ reversal of that approach, however, has led to one of the biggest uproars in his short tenure to date.
Miles’ plan will likely move forward. While civic leaders can speak out against Miles’ proposals, they have no legal authority to force him to change course. Only members of HISD’s state-appointed school board — who Morath can replace at any time — have that power. None of the nine board members have responded to requests for comment about the library strategy. However, Jackson Lee, who is running to succeed Turner as mayor, indicated the possibility of federal intervention.
“We do not want our schools to look like prisons,” Turner said. “You cannot expect us to remain silent. Tese are our children. Tese are our kids. Tese are our schools. Tis is our city, and long afer he is gone, we will still be here.”
Vocal members of the Black and Latinx communities made it perfectly clear that they see HISD Superintendent Mike Miles’ plan to eliminate librarians on 28 campuses and convert their libraries into detention centers as a direct move to further fuel the school-to-prison pipeline.
NAACP Houston President Dr. James Dixon has issued a call to action for all Houstonians appalled by Miles’ plan to converge on HISD’s Hattie Mae White Building (4400 W. 18th St., Houston, 77092) on Aug. 5 at 9a.m. to demand a policy reversal.
I drank from the colored water fountain. I know what it’s like to have to sit in the balcony of the movie, in the back of the bus. I don’t want to go back to that. … (Mayor Turner) is taking the necessary steps to deal with this incremental step that is going to take us backwards. We’ve got to stop it here.”
U.S. REP. AL GREEN
“It is with great concern for our children that we, the Houston NAACP, along with our friends express our sharp disagreement with the decisions made by state-appointed HISD Superintendent Mike Miles,” said Dixon. “The thought of closing and repurposing libraries in schools is not only insulting, but it’s also repulsive. It reveals a measure of disrespect and disregard for our children’s need to have access to the best and most functional libraries and schools available. And that includes professional staf.”
Dixon said that according to the US National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, school libraries are critical for student achievement, and that research conducted nationwide in more than 60 studies shows, “students in schools with good libraries learn more, get better grades, and score higher on standardized testing than their peers in schools without libraries,” underscoring the importance of school libraries and librarians.
“Today, we’re here because despite the research… the state-appointed HISD superintendent is leading this district to… fre librarians and to repurpose that space to deal with children with discipline challenges. The detriment such a decision will have on the intellectual, psychological and emotional development of
Dr. James Dixon (second from right) is surrounded by individuals protesting the recent plan by HISD Superintendent Mike Miles regarding libraries at the NAACP Houston Branch headquarters on July 28, 2023. Credit: Aswad Walker
our children is astronomical and generational,” said Dixon, who was not alone in his disgust for Miles’ recent announcement.
“In the words of [Mayor Sylvester Turner], you [Miles] have crossed the line,” added Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz. “And we are here to push you back like [Abbott’s agents pushed back] the children at the Rio Grande.” Houston Federation of Teachers President Jackie Anderson said Miles opens every public meeting by listing the reading defciency numbers of NES campuses.
“According to the presented numbers, a signifcant number of fourth and eighth graders in HISD are not reading at their grade level,” said Anderson. “To remove librarians and libraries is an oxymoron. Mr. Miles, school libraries are vital for promoting literacy, fostering the love for learning and supporting students’ academic and personal development. To turn them into school prisons destroys any hope that students in the NES campuses will ever read on grade level or develop a love for learning.”
Dixon called business, faith and organization leaders to lend their voice against Miles’ library/detention center plan on Aug. 5
By Laura Onyeneho
Destiny Polk, founder of Radical Black Girl, is driven by a deep concern for speaking the truth in a country that has a history of rewriting its own narrative and suppressing African and Native American history and culture.
Her passion lies in advocating for marginalized communities, with a particular focus on low-income communities of color, women of color, and young self-identifying Black girls.
Originally established in her hometown of Boston, Radical Black Girl is an art-activist platform that prioritizes the needs of the community. It tackles three key issues: the
lack of creative spaces for people of color to gather, limited opportunities and access for artists of color, and a general absence of true community connection.
While performance and art creation are central to Radical Black Girl’s mission, the heart of the organization lies in community building and collective healing. Polk continues to utilize her platform to uplift local artists, disseminate information about important community matters, and foster spaces for people to come together and enact
positive change.
Having expanded her endeavors to Houston, Polk has become a prominent co-organizer of community events that uplift and empower Black Houstonians.
Through her efforts, she strives to create a transformative impact, amplifying voices that have long been marginalized and fostering a sense of unity and empowerment within the community.
The Defender spoke with Polk to learn more about her transition into Houston and what we can expect from her this year.
DEFENDER: You’ve been in Houston for three years and have had major growth.Howwereyounavigatingand building connections over time as a community advocate and creative?
Polk: My approach has been to put myself first and then Radical Black Girl. We grow and change and I’m a different Destiny than I was three years ago. I was really intentional about building trust with people. In some conversations I lead in “Hello, I’m Destiny, the founder of Radical Black Girl” and that is usually in the educational space because Radical Black Girl has done a lot of collaborations with educational institutions… community organizing and storytelling, that’s the plug. I help produce events. How can we partner? How can we co-partner? How can I use my online platform and reach to bring more people to know about what you’re doing? Being in the community economic development space has opened so many doors for me. I stepped into that space as Destiny. Houston is a divine scavenger hunt. God is sending me on a scavenger hunt where I may not know exactly who I’m going to meet when I show up, but somebody is going to be the next blessing or vice versa.
DEFENDER: Asyou expanded Radical Black Girl to Houston, what were some of the unique challenges and opportunities you encountered in advocating formarginalized communities in anewcity?
Polk: Honestly, most of it has been internal. I don’t feel like I received a lot of push back externally. I think moving to a new city…with a new political
atmosphere, as well as coming out of a pandemic, a lot of things are changing at the same time. I think the only kind of struggle that I had with Radical Black Girl is asking myself “who are you?” and “How do you want people to know you now?” How do I make sense of how to reintroduce myself and my platform to a new community? I’m in a position to grow now that I’ve laid that foundation. I have the right contacts; I have proof of concept in a new city. I do this.
DEFENDER:What are some of your proudest achievements in Houston so far?
Polk: I became a Black angel and danced for Toby Nwigwe. I was in eight music videos in his most recent The MonuMintal project. That was a huge moment. I’ve designed for a few fashion shows. My designs were highlighted on Great Day Houston during Black History Month. I didn’t think that I would start teaching myself how to sew on a machine and two years later I’d be walking the designs on a runway. I published a book called The Radical Black Girls Guided Journal for Wellbeing and Beyond. I self-published it and I got it printed in a Black-owned house in Houston. I’ve sold over 200 copies. I got nominated for an entrepreneurship award and will be receiving that in August. I’ve had great partnerships with Prairie View’s Cooperative Extension Program. I’ve been presenting some fashion designs as part of the No Sister Left Behind program.
DEFENDER: Lookingforward,whatare yourfuture goals and aspirations for Radical Black Girl?
Polk: I want to expand Radical Black Girl into schools across Houston. Creating artistic curriculum for afterschool programs, getting my journals in the hands of the youth. Getting into the development space. I won a pitch competition a few months ago on a concept about creating an arts and media educational house. That’s been my heart and vision that’s been with me. Houston is a perfect place for something like that to exist where I can be a huge part of the process of creating artist living spaces, classrooms for the community to come in and learn skills to be creative individuals. Then I want to blow up my fashion line with revolutionary sustainable fashion. I want to channel my public persona through television, radio, and podcasting. I want to put myself out there in that way.
The aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic still impacts many companies around the country. Organizations need help to acquire and retain talent, especially as staff budgets decrease because of the economic downturn.
For companies to cut back on the stresses of searching for new talent, the next step would be to focus on upskilling existing staff. But what does this entail, and how will it impact current staff members?
“Quiet hiring,” a viral term on TikTok, happens when an employer gives new responsibilities to current employees without paying the cost of a lengthy recruitment process. In other words, employees begin to take on work well beyond their job description, sometimes without a pay increase or promotion, thus saving the employer money.
This workplace tactic isn’t anything new, and it has persisted during the Great Resignation and as the average job tenure dwindles.
Quiet hiring is associated with “quiet quitting,” i.e. refusing to allow yourself to be quietly hired in the workplace. Proponents say quiet hiring is necessary for career development, while critics say it’s another tactic to take advantage of overworked staff.
Joy Pittman is the CEO and founder of HR for the Culture, an HR outsourcing and staffing firm for Black women-owned businesses. After 17 years in the HR industry, she left corporate America to launch her HR consulting firm after realizing she couldn’t make an impact in corporate America by defending Black women and people of color in the workplace without people in place to advocate for her.
Pittman struggled with companies hiring Black people as “figureheads” to meet their diversity, equity and inclusion quota instead of creating a space for them to grow and thrive in the company. Now she is using her expertise to guide Black women-owned companies to identify, onboard and develop qualified talent.
The Defender spoke with Pittman to learn about the red flags of quiet hiring and what to do if you’re in that situation.
Defender: Do you feel that DEI roles in these corporations are necessary?
PITTMAN: Yes, we should have them. So, it’s not the “what” for me. It’s the “how.” Yes, they are needed, they were always needed, but most of them have become figurehead roles. So,
you hire a Black person to do diversity. Are you positioning that person to actually be effective in the organization? I don’t necessarily advocate for diversity and inclusion models in the way they exist. I’m really about diversity as a means of representation—inclusion as a means of giving voice and belonging. Many organizations are saying now that they will make people less racist. That’s not what I aspire to do. For people who have that aspiration, I respect it. That’s not my fight. My fight is, how do I get more Black people, more women, and more people of color in positions and seats in courtrooms in all those areas and places? I probably couldn’t say this in a traditional corporate space. I get to say this as a consultant.
Defender: How should employees properly raise their concerns to their employers?
PITTMAN: At the point of drowning, you don’t need a swim instructor. You need a lifeguard. When you are already drowning, your ability to then have a conversation is different because you need saving at this point. Most of us are waiting until the point of drowning, and then we’re trying to have a conversation. Employees need to learn how to identify when they are approaching overwhelmed and when it’s getting to the point where it’s beyond what is sustainable on an ongoing basis. There is self-awareness and self-advocacy that needs to happen. Black folk learn to keep their heads down to bear the load and keep it moving, waiting on better days. No one is bringing us better days. This will look different based on where you are in your career [early career versus experienced], so you need to learn how to talk to your manager about how to set priorities. Say it from a place where you don’t want to compromise quality. You have to learn how to communicate with people above us. People don’t want you to bring them a new problem to solve. Come to them with a solution. Start thinking about how to plan your work week. Look over your deliverables and what needs to be done before you jump into execution. Another way to address this is through your performance reviews. Oftentimes we let the
employer tell us if we did good or not. We’re not going into the performance reviews looking at the areas on our job description being assessed. Another opportunity is if they never give you a promotion, how do you leverage this extra stuff I’m doing to build my resume or portfolio that allows me to negotiate for myself in other places, either in the organization or externally? What I don’t want anyone to do is suffer through it without a strategy. Do you have mentors? Do you have sponsors or individuals you can talk to about your experience?
Defender: What are the pros and cons of Quiet Hiring for the employee?
PITTMAN: The cons are that you get more work and aren’t paid for it. There may be some overwhelm; you may not even be getting the credit for the work you’re doing. Another con is being devalued. You don’t feel good about the work you do. It’s stressful, overwhelming, and it negatively impacts how we feel about ourselves. Most of the time, the world doesn’t make you feel good about our identities in affirming
ways, so we have to take our power back. Here are the pros. I’ll tell you that in my career, I never got a promotion into a role that I wasn’t already doing. If you’re at an organization where you’re not entry-level and have someone behind you, this is a great opportunity to teach down and learn up to take some of the pressure off of you while getting the support you need. Remember, your job is a training ground. Learn everything you can.
Defender: What else can be done to improve our overall mental health in the workplace?
PITTMAN: Find places that allow you to acknowledge what is happening [to you] right now. Sometimes when someone presents a problem, we are quick to tell them, ‘You got this’ when in reality, it’s trash, and you didn’t enjoy it. Also, educate yourself on what your rights are as an employee. That’s something most employees don’t do. What trigger words do I need to say to HR so they can understand that I’m under duress? Self-care is another idea. How are you engaging your support system? Therapy is another way. Being overwhelmed without an exit leads to depression. You may have to leave that job to find another. I took a $10,000 pay cut once to move into a role that was more in line with what I needed.
You don’t need a swim instructor. You need a lifeguard...”
Astros first baseman Jose Abreu went 3-for3 and had three RBI and one home run during the 17-4 win over Tampa Bay Rays.
WNBA and Phoenix Mercury star Brittney Griner did not travel with the team on its most recent road swing to Chicago and Indiana so that she can concentrate on her mental health, the team announced last weekend. Griner, a native Houstonian, has returned to her basketball career following spending 10 months in captivity in Russia on drug smuggling charges. Griner had played in 20 of the Mercury’s 23 games prior to missing the two road games. The 6-foot-9 Griner has had an impressive return to basketball, averaging 18.2 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots so far this season. “The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return,” the team said in a released statement.
Johnathan Joseph has returned as a familiar face in the Texans’ secondary this season. But the 15-year NFL veteran is not back to play but to help coach the young defensive backs. The two-time Pro Bowl cornerback is a Texans 2023 Bill Walsh Diversity Coaching Fellow. Joseph spent nine of his 15 NFL seasons starring in the Texans’ secondary from 2011-19, making Pro Bowl appearances in 2011 and 2012. He retired from playing in 2021.
The Texas Southern Tigers have six players named to the 2023 Preseason All-SWAC Football Team.
Wide receiver Derek Morton is named to the preseason first team, while quarterback Andrew Body, running back Jacorey Howard, offensive lineman
Mehdi Torrence, defensive end
Michael Akins and kick returner
Chaunzavia Lewis earned second-team honors. The Tigers are picked to finish third in the SWAC West Division.
Sugar Land Space Cowboys first baseman
Jon Singleton smashed homers in the fifth and sixth innings to help the team rally to a 10-7 win over the Las Vegas Aviators.
It would be easy for C.J. Stroud to feel overwhelmed right about now.
So much is expected of the Texans’ rookie quarterback, who was taken with the No.2 overall pick this past spring, before he has even thrown an NFL pass. The anticipation of Stroud being the next big thing in Houston is obvious in training camp as fans in attendance react vocally with every pass he makes or doesn’t make despite head coach DeMeco Ryans’ insistence there is an open competition between Stroud and incumbent Davis Mills.
But Stroud is more focused on the process of improving instead of the quarterback competition and the enormous expectations that are immediately in front of him.
“My approach every day, man, is picking one or two things and just working on that, and then of course as a whole just trying to get everybody around me better,” Stroud said following a recent training camp practice. “I think that’s my main job. It’s kind of like being a point guard in basketball—get everybody around me better. So, that’s been my goal, and I definitely feel like I’ve done a decent job, but of course there’s going to be a lot of work to be done.”
All indications are that Stroud has put in the work since the team drafted him out of Ohio State. And that work has continued on the field, in the classroom and even once most of his teammates have left for the day.
It’s obvious to everyone in the building that being pre pared and being his best is supremely important to Stroud.
“The thing that has impressed me the most is his dedi cation to being the best as he can possibly be,” said Ryans, who is in his first season leading the Texans. “He puts the work in – not only when he’s here, of course. Everybody does that – that’s given. But what you see about C.J. – the work and the preparation that he does when he’s not here. He’s a true football junkie – loves football, always watching football, always asking for extra cutups from our coaches.
“So, I’m just impressed with the mental part of him and just how much he loves the game of football.”
The overwhelming belief is the Texans will eventually name Stroud as the starting quarterback sometime before the regular season kicks off in Baltimore on Sept. 10. The arm talent, leadership and playmaking ability are already there.
this point in many of the nuances of playing NFL quarterback.
So, unlike No.1 overall pick Bryce Young, who was announced as the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback early on, Stroud is going to have to earn it through competition in practices and preseason games.
“Yeah, that’s my brother, man,” Stoud said of Young, whom he counts as a close friend. “I’m happy for him, but his situation is his situation, and my situation is mine. So, I know that I’ve got to work on my end and do whatever I’ve got to do to make this team better.
“It’s not about [who is the] starter, who’s not the starter, it’s about getting better for Week 1 against Baltimore. So right now, we’re just building as a team. It’s not just about individuals.”
In the meantime, the 6-foot-3 Stroud is facing a steep learning curve. He is having to learn to operate from a huddle, get in and calling plays that are sometimes lengthy and come with a lot of new terminology. It’s certainly been an adjustment, but nothing Stroud isn’t up for.
“Of course, you have a multitude of things, I can’t just pinpoint [one thing],” said Stroud, whose first NFL action will come on the road against the Patriots in the preseason opener on Aug. 10. “It’s probably everything. Just trying to get better at calling plays in the huddle, operation, cadence, drops, footwork, eyes—having the right eyes and the right feet. My feet [are] tied to my eyes, so really everything. ment, and I just feel like I’m just getting
Panthers have two on the All-SWAC Presason
Prairie View running back
Ahmad Antoine and offensive lineman Arrington Taylor have both been named to the 2023 Preseason All-SWAC Second Team this season. The Panthers are picked to finish fifth out of six teams in the SWAC West Division.
But during the first few days of training camp, that hasn’t seemed to be the case as Stroud and Mills have split first-team reps. While Mills was underwhelmingly ineffective in his two seasons as the Texans’ starter and he is also learning a new offense, Mills does seem to have a step or two on Stroud at
Former Summer Creek High School football standout, Dakota Allen, has come back to his alma mater hoping to inspire the next generation of leaders.
“It feels amazing because I was them, walking these hallways, and for them to see me and see where I’m at, I hope it gives them that little extra push to let them know they can do it too,” said Allen.
Three years ago, Allen established the Dakota Allen Foundation with the purpose of assisting underprivileged youth who lacked essential resources. His goal was to inspire and support the youth in pursuing their dreams, whether it was making it to the NFL or attending college. In May, Allen awarded fve $2,000 scholarships to deserving Summer Creek seniors as part of his foundation’s initiatives.
“While I was there, I realized, this is my home, this is where I’m from. Let’s do more, let’s have a youth football camp here. I talked to Coach Harrison, I talked to the principal and we were able to make it happen,” said Allen.
July 22 served as the camp’s frst inaugural session. Allen was careful to teach, but allow the kids to have fun, as well. For the older kids, he aimed to introduce more competitive elements similar to what happens in NFL practices. For the younger kids, he focused on ensuring they had fun.
“I didn’t want them to perceive football as a burden or too much work. Instead, I simply wanted them to enjoy themselves and understand that football is ultimately a game meant to be fun, just like when we frst started playing it,” said Allen.
While at the camp Allen was able to help a middle school athlete who wore size 16 shoes. His mother was having trouble fnding shoes in his size, so he reported to camp in basketball shoes. Afer speaking with Allen, the Dakota Allen Foundation made arrangements to get the young man cleats.
“I asked her, ‘Does he really want to play football?’ And I looked at him in his eyes and he said, ‘Yes sir; I want to play football.’ So, we’re going to get him some cleats because that’s what we’re here to do. We’re here to allow everybody the opportunity. All you have to do is work hard, have discipline, and you can achieve anything,” said Allen.
Allen is no stranger to hard work. He began playing football when he was four years old for the Humble Area Youth Football League (HAFL). He played there until he
went to Humble Middle School. Afer that, he attended Summer Creek High School.
Allen’s talent on the feld while at Sum mer Creek allowed him to be awarded a scholarship to play football at Texas Tech University.
“I was blessed, but I had some unfortunate events happen, so I lef Texas Tech and enrolled at East Mississippi Junior College. Tat’s when I really learned about faith and having God on your side,” said Allen.
Afer one year of junior college, Allen was given another opportunity to return to Texas Tech University as a team Captain.
“I thank Coach Kliff Kingsbury for that because if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be in the position I’m in today,” said Allen.
After finishing his junior and senior years at Texas Tech Allen entered the 2019 NFL draf and was drafed in the seventh round with pick #251 to the Los Angeles Rams.
“It was surreal. I originally thought I would get picked earlier, but as I saw those rounds go by, I began to have that fear of, ‘Maybe I’ll never play football again.’ Te fourth to last pick; when I got that call, man it was unbelievable. Te best feeling I’ve had this far,” said Allen.
Allen understands what it takes to be suc cessful on the next level. His advice to high school athletes is simple. ences that come with youth.”
Some call us pioneers. Others call us surgeons. Nurses. Paramedics.
Saving lives in the middle of the night at a nationally renowned trauma center.
Delivering at-risk babies against all odds, from all across the county.
Year after year, training the majority of the doctors who practice in the most famous medical center in the world.
And, day after day, providing essential care and vital resources to those who need it most in every one of our communities.
You might not know our name. And that’s okay.
YOU’LL KNOW US BY THE WORK WE DO.
