Houston Defender: August 10, 2017

FEATURE

POLL: BLACK-ON-BLACK CRIME WORSE THAN POLICE BRUTALITY P11

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Volume 86 | Number 43

AUGUST 10, 2017 |FREE

NATIONAL PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA

policies sparked economic growth

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FEATURE

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Back to school tips

P8 SPORTS PJ HALL shines at Sam Houston

WILL THE STATE TAKE OVER HISD? H PAGE 2

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TOP EVENTS

Michelle Barnes and Deloyd Parker at SHAPE Community Center’s African Ball.

Blessin Girald steps to stardom The star of “Step,” says the truelife story of a girls’ high school step team trying to beat the odds on stage and in life focuses on sisterhood, mentorship, and social unrest. Find out more about the new movie everyone is talking about.

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Damien Judge ready for Madison The new head coach for the Marlins has big plans for the Southwest Houston team. Judge comes to Madison following a year as an assistant coach at George Ranch High School.

What’s ahead for his consistent playoff contenders?

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 10 | 2017

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Will the State take over HISD?

By RESHONDA TATE BILLINGSLEY Defender The Houston Independent School District could find itself with new managers – the State of Texas – if it doesn’t improve some of its failing schools.

The Texas Education Agency has given district officials until Sept. 11 to turn the low performing schools around or risk going into conservatorship. Thirteen schools are under the gun and if they aren’t improved, they could cause the district to be placed under the jurisdiction of state-appointed managers as early as next year A 22-page letter dated July 13 specifically targeted Kashmere High School, which has received failing ratings since 2002 (with the exception of 2007 and 2008 when it improved under the threat of closure). HISD submitted a turnaround plan to get the school out of Improvement Required (IR) status. TEA officials did not approve that plan.

“The letter basically said that the plan that was submitted was deficient,” said HISD attorney Elneita Hutchins-Taylor. “And that a turnaround plan has to be reasonably calculated to make students perform at a high level.

The commissioner, after reviewing the district’s plan didn’t feel like it was enough for the school to reasonably say if implemented, the school could come out of IR status. So they’ve given us another opportunity to come back, revise the plan, and submit it by Sept. 11.”

TEA officials told lawmakers that if even one of the district’s 13 schools that has struggled for at least the past three years receives failing accountability marks in 2017 and again in 2018, it could trigger state oversight of the entire district.

TEA would then do one of three things: Appoint a board manager who replaces the

HISD ‘Improvement Required’ schools

HISD trustee Jolanda Jones met with Third Ward residents to discuss TEA and issues at Ryan Middle School.

trustees; Plan alternative management of the school (i.e., hire an outside company); or close individual campuses.

HISD Trustee Jolanda Jones, who recently held an urgent community meeting to discuss the issue, said a TEA takeover would be disastrous for district schools.

“I look at history,” Jones said. “No school that TEA has ever taken over has survived.

The conservator for Kashmere helped write the turnaround plan and TEA did not approve that plan.”

TEA could take over the district thanks to a law passed by the Republican-controlled legislature in 2015 that targets schools that have been in “improvement required” status for five or more years, as of the 2018-2019 school year.

While the state has taken over individual schools and smaller districts in the past, the law could overhaul how public education is provided in Texas. HISD is the seventhlargest district in the country, serving more than 210,000 students at over 280 schools and

operating with a $2 billion annual budget.

HISD Superintendent Richard Carranza, board President Wanda Adams and other district leaders planned to travel to Austin to meet with TEA and key state officials.

“Houston ISD is aware of major concerns the Texas Education Agency has expressed regarding several of our schools considered ‘chronically underperforming,” the district said in a statement. “HISD shares the agency’s concerns and is working closely with TEA on the transformative work we must do at the local level to ensure every HISD student receives an excellent education.”

State Rep. Harold Dutton Jr., a Houston Democrat, said he could support a state takeover because he doesn’t have enough confidence in HISD to turn around schools that have been continuously identified as failing.

“We have almost 15,000 kids in failing schools in Texas. I’m tired of that. Most of them are in my district. Most of them are Black and Brown schools,” Dutton said.

w Blackshear Elementary School w Cook Elementary School w Dogan Elementary School w Henry Middle School w Highland Heights Elementary School w Kashmere Gardens Elementary School w Kashmere High School w Lewis Elementary School w Mading Elementary School w Wesley Elementary School w Wheatley High School w Woodson PK-8 School w Worthing High School

localbriefs TEEN PREGNANCIES HAVE INCREASED in Texas since 2011 following efforts to strip away family planning funding by the state government, according to a new study by a Texas A&M alumnus. The study claims the reduction of family planning services in Texas has resulted in the closure of 80 clinics, an increase in teen birth rates by 3.4 percent, and roughly 2,200 teens who would not have given birth absent the reduction in Texas family planning funding…….TEXAS WILL GET HELP WITH FLOODING after the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) awarded nearly $19 million in additional funding to the state to assist in long-term

recovery efforts following severe flooding events that occurred in 2015 and 2016. More than three-quarters of the state’s population lives in one of the counties affected by the historic floods. Because the U.S. has experienced fewer disasters than anticipated this year, additional funding is available for continued recovery efforts in Texas……..

CHILDREN CAN GET FREE IMMUNIZATIONS from the Houston Department of Health as part of National Health Center Week. The immunizations will be available on Monday, Aug. 14, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. The four health centers and their addresses are La Nueva Casa de Amigos, 1809 North Main; Northside Health Center, 8504

Schuller; Sharpstown Health Services, 6201 Bonhomme and Sunnyside Health Center, 4605 Wilmington Call 832393-5427 for more information…….UNINSURED AND UNDERINSURED WOMEN ages 21-64 are eligible to receive free cervical and breast cancer screenings on Saturday, Aug. 12, from 7 a.m. to 1 pm. at the Sunnyside Health Center, 4605 Wilmington. Participants will receive test results two to three hours after their screenings. For women who work jobs with inflexible schedules or have limited childcare options, going back for a second visit to receive test results is a challenge. For more information or to pre-register call 713-909-4284.

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national

U.S.briefs ILLINOIS HAS A BARACK OBAMA DAY after Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner signed “Barack Obama Day” into law. The holiday will take place on Aug. 4 (Obama’s birthday) every year, starting in 2018. The holiday will be “observed throughout the State as a day set apart to honor the 44th President of the United States of America who began his career serving the people of Illinois in both the Illinois State Senate and the United States Senate, and dedicated his life to protecting the rights of Americans and building bridges across communities,” the bill states……..

CHICAGO’S MAYOR SAID THE CITY will fight President Donald Trump’s immigration policies with a lawsuit alleging it’s illegal for the government to withhold public safety grants from so-called sanctuary cities. Mayor Rahm Emanuel said Chicago won’t “be blackmailed” into changing its values as a welcoming city. There are new qualifications for a grant requiring cities to share information with federal immigration authorities, which critics allege are unconstitutional. Chicago received over $2 million in such grants last year, which have been used for buying police vehicles. Federal officials threatened to withhold funding for sanctuary cities, saying they don’t comply with federal laws…….THE FBI IS SEARCHING FOR suspects after an explosive devicetore through part of a suburban Minneapolis mosque August 5th as people were preparing for morning prayers, damaging a room but not causing any injuries, authorities and witnesses said. The mosque primarily serves people from the area’s large Somali community…….A BLACK WOMAN MADE HISTORY by becoming the first African-American woman appointed to lead West Point cadets. Twenty-year-old Cadet Simone Askew will take on the role of the first captain of the Corps of Cadets during the forthcoming school year. In her new position, she will serve as a liaison between the corps and West Point’s administration.

NAACP warns Blacks that Missouri unsafe Defender News Services

The NAACP has issued a travel advisory, warning people of color that their civil rights could be violated in the state of Missouri.

The advisory, issued by the Missouri NAACP State Conference and endorsed by the national organization, is the first of its kind in the civil rights organization’s 108-year history.

“Individuals traveling in the state are advised to travel with extreme CAUTION,” the advisory says. “Race, gender and color-based crimes have a long history in Missouri.”

Rod Chapel Jr., Missouri NAACP State Conference president, said Senate Bill 43 – a new state law making it more difficult to sue for housing or employment discrimination – coupled with a long history of civil rights violations and discrimination forced the action.

Senate Bill 43 drastically shifts the burden of proof from defendant to plaintiff in employment and other discrimination cases, Gerald Early, chair of African and African American Studies at Washington University in St. Louis, said.

The Missouri NAACP State Conference calls it a “Jim Crow Bill.”

“It says that you cannot sue the individual that harassed or discriminated against you,” Chapel said.

“That’s a first. That’s different.”

The legislature passed the controversial bill in June. Gov. Eric Greitens signed it into law. Greitens and other supporters said the law puts Missouri’s standards for lawsuits in line with other states.

The NAACP advisory – which the organization’s St. Louis County branch opposed – cited several

Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler Digital Editor LaGloria Wheatfall Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila Social Media Manager Margo Williams Hubbard

Editors ReShonda Billingsley Marilyn Marshall Contributing Writers Aswad Walker Jasemine Knowles Sports Editors Max Edison Darrell K. Ardison

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender is audited by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For subscription, send $60-1 year to: Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston TX 77288. Payment must accompany subscription request. All material covered by 2012 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).

incidents in Missouri as examples of discrimination and “looming danger” for people of color who venture there.

Among them is the case of Tory Sanford, an African-American man who died in a Missouri jail cell in May after getting lost and running out of gas on a drive to Memphis.

It’s unclear why Sanford, 28, was taken into custody. However, he was involved in two altercations with jail personnel in his cell, Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley said. His death is under investigation.

In 2015, the University of Missouri’s president and chancellor stepped down after African-American students accused school leaders of not adequately addressing racism on the overwhelmingly white Columbia campus.

Obama’s policies still drive economic growth NNPA News Service

VOLUME 86 • NUMBER 43 AUGUST 10, 2017

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In May of this year, the Black unemployment rate hit its lowest level in 17 years – 7.5 percent. Then, in June, the jobless rate for Blacks fell to 7.1 percent, before rising to 7.4 percent in July, according to the latest jobs report.

The jobs numbers over the last six months have generally been impressive.

It’s fascinating to note that, suddenly, all the accusations that low jobs numbers were “fake” when President Barack Obama was in office have suddenly vanished.

Barack Obama Now, Obama’s economic policies are continuing to bear fruit during President Donald Trump’s first six months as the Black jobless numbers

improve.

The Black unemployment rate hit 16.7 percent in September 2011, the highest Black unemployment since Ronald Reagan was in office pushing “trickle down” economics. Overall, the Black unemployment numbers were higher under Obama than former Presidents George W. Bush or Bill Clinton.

The high jobless numbers were largely driven by the economic downturn known as the Great Recession, which ended during Obama’s administration.

The current numbers reflect Obama’s economic policies. Trump has yet to implement any economic strategy and his proposed budget won’t take effect until next year, at the earliest.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 10 | 2017

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Is affirmative action under attack?

Defender News Services

The Justice Department is pushing back against a New York Times article that claimed officials were going after affirmative action in colleges. The story ignited a firestorm after it was published, with civil rights groups and education officials quickly condemning the DOJ for what they called an “assault on affirmative action.”

DOJ spokeswoman Sarah Isgur Flores issued a statement calling the press reports “inaccurate.”

“This Department of Justice has not received or issued any directive, memorandum, initiative, or policy related to university admissions in general,” she said. “The Department of Justice is committed to protecting all Americans from all forms of illegal race-based discriminations.”

Instead, Flores said the department was looking for lawyers to investigate a 2015 complaint filed with the Department of Education over Harvard University’s race-based quota system. The complaint alleges the Ivy-League school requires Asian students

to have SAT scores 140 points higher than white students, 270 points higher than Hispanics and 450 points higher than Black students.

The New York Times reported that it had obtained an internal DOJ job announcement that sought lawyers interested in a project on “investigations and possible litigation related to intentional race-based discrimination in college and university admissions.”

While the notice doesn’t come right out and say which races and ethnicities are considered by the Trump administration as “at risk” for discrimination, the reported implication was that Jeff Sessions’ DOJ could go after affirmative action policies.

The news triggered an avalanche of criticism directed at the DOJ. NAACP Legal Defense Fund Associate Director Janai Nelson said the Trump administration’s “assault on affirmative action” is “a dismantling of the pillars of our democracy.

“This administration through this Justice Department is taking us backward,” she said.

John King, former education secretary under President Obama, said he was “deeply disheartened” by the Trump administration’s “hard line against efforts to increase campus diversity rather than focusing on addressing the persistent opportunity gaps facing students of color and low-income students.”

The DOJ stopped short of denying the existence of the job posting but insisted it wasn’t “a policy announcement.”

Trump fails on promise made to HBCUs

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casting doubt on his claim earlier this year that supporting HBCUs was an “absolute priority.”

Naming a leader for the initiative is “the next step in saying HBCUs are important,” Dillard University President Walter Kimbrough told Inside Higher Ed. “I look at it as another opportunity to share the message of HBCUs as well as to have someone, in a way, lobbying for HBCUs every day

hen President Donald Trump met with leaders from historically Black colleges and universities this past February, it sparked a backlash. Some students and alumni criticized the decision of HBCU presidents to meet with a man who paved his way to the White House by making a series of offensive comments about AfricanAmericans and other racial groups.

At Howard University, graffiti turned up criticizing the school’s president, Wayne Frederick, for accepting the meeting.

“Welcome to the Trump plantation. Overseer: Wayne A.I. Frederick” read one message.

But at the time, HBCU leaders thought the executive order Trump had signed regarding Black colleges was revolutionary. The order shifted the Initiative on HBCUs from the President Trump welcomed HBCU leaders to the White House.

Department of Education to the White House’s executive office with the within the federal government. So, I think that’s a goal of making these educational institutions more financially stable and economically empowering for tremendous opportunity,” he said.

The initiative dates back to President Jimmy students.

Carter’s administration. During recent years, though, Fast forward to August, however, and not only leadership has been spotty. John Sylvanus Wilson haven’t HBCUs received any additional funding led the initiative during President Barack Obama’s from the federal government, but Trump also has yet to appoint an executive director for the initiative, first term, but since he vacated the post in 2012 to

serve as Morehouse College’s president, three different people have headed the initiative.

According to a White House spokesman, the Trump administration has selected finalists for the position but hasn’t yet chosen an appointee. Leonard Haynes, executive director of the initiative during President George W. Bush’s administration, helped Trump write the executive order on HBCUs but explained that he’s not interested in leading the program again.

While the Trump administration has left many appointments unfilled, it’s particularly worrisome that the Initiative on HBCUs has no leader, since the annual HBCU Week Conference takes place in September. Traditionally, the initiative oversees the event.

Kimbrough said it’s important to have an executive director by next month. because of the upcoming conference and also because of Trump’s strained relationship with the African-American community.

Morehouse President Wilson saw the writing on the wall months ago when Trump’s budget did not allocate additional funding to HBCUs. “I don’t mind saying that we were – a number of us – were disappointed, not because of what we thought on our own leading up to this meeting, but what we were led to think,” Wilson said. “And so I think it was a little underwhelming to see that the most tangible differentiator that happened here was an office relocation.”

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Representation in Hollywood remains scant Defender News Services

Despite the success of films like “Moonlight” and “Girls Trip,” an in-depth study from USC reveals that, in fact, there has been little progress when it comes to depicting female characters, people of color and LGBTQ characters on screen.

Despite consistent and highly publicized appeals for a more diversified and representational Hollywood landscape, the available roles are as scant as they were in 2007.

“We like to say we don’t have a diversity problem; we actually have an inclusion crisis, on screen and behind the cameras,” USC Professor Stacy L. Smith said.

Ava Duvernay is one of only 4.2 percent of female directors in Hollywood.

Smith worked with the Media, Diversity & Social Change cent, but at less than one-third of all speaking characters, Initiative at USC Annenberg to analyze the 900 tophardly an improvement. grossing films from 2007 to 2016, excluding films from Looking at the top 100 films in 2016, 34 featured 2011. Their findings are bleak. a leading or co-leading female character, only eight of Of the total 39,788 films, female speaking characthose women were over 45, and only three were not ters comprise 29.9 percent of all speaking characters. white.

The percentage of female speaking characters in 2016′s The statistics are bleak when it comes to representatop grossing films alone was slightly higher at 31.4 pertion of gender on screen. And when it comes to race, the

numbers are worse.

A staggering 70.8 percent of characters in film are white, and the percentages of Black, Latino, Asian and “other” characters have not changed since 2007. In 2016, only one film out of the top 100 featured a percentage of Latino characters that accurately reflected their population in the United States.

Smith also found of the top 100 films of 2016, 47 were completely lacking Black female speaking characters. A shocking two-thirds of them did not feature speaking roles for Asian women, and 72 percent for Latinas.

Backstage, Hollywood struggles to overcome the same old patterns. In 2016, women represented only 4.2 percent of directors and 12.2 percent of screenwriters. And of the 900 films analyzed over the past 10 years, three were directed by Black women, two

by Asian women and one by a Latina.

“We really see that there’s exclusion when it comes to who’s getting to call the shots,” Smith said. “They’re not getting the opportunity. And our findings present a pretty condemning portrait of exclusionary and discriminatory hiring practices.”

METRO is developing a new plan for transit in the region.

Learn more by attending an upcoming open house near you.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

WEDNESDAY, JULY 26 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

TUESDAY, AUGUST 1 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

MONDAY, AUGUST 7 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 9 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm

Humble Civic Center Phillip Cezeaux Recreational Center 100 N. Houston Ave. Humble, TX 77338

Sagemont Park Community Center 11507 Hughes Rd. Houston, TX 77089

Tracy Gee Community Center 3599 Westcenter Dr. Houston, TX 77042

Houston Community College Brays Oaks 8855 West Bellfort St. Houston, TX 77031

Hiram Clarke Multi-Service Center 3810 W. Fuqua St. Houston, TX 77045

Lone Star College University Park 20515 SH 249, Building 11 Houston, TX 77070

8 West Bellfort 46 Gessner

11 Almeda/Lyons 14 Hiram Clarke 54 Scott 98 Briargate

44 Acres Homes

THURSDAY, JULY 20 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Acres Homes Multi-Service Center 6719 West Montgomery Rd. Houston, TX 77091 44 Acres Homes 64 Lincoln City TUESDAY, JULY 25 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm White Oak Conference Center 7603 Antoine Dr. Houston, TX 77088 85 Antoine/Washington

88 Sagemont THURSDAY, JULY 27 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Quail Run Community Center 16748 Quail Park Dr. Missouri City, TX 77489 SATURDAY, JULY 29 10:00 am - 12:00 pm Magnolia Multi-Service Center 7037 Capitol St. Houston, TX 77011 METRORail Green Line 20 Canal/Memorial 28 OST-Wayside 38 Manchester-Lawndale 50 Broadway 76 Evergreen

25 Richmond WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 2 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Metropolitan Multi-Service Center 1475 W. Gray St. Houston, TX 77019 32 Renwick/San Felipe 40 Telephone/Heights 41 Kirby/Polk THURSDAY, AUGUST 3 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Third Ward Multi-Service Center 3611 Ennis St. Houston, TX 77004 4 Beechnut 9 Gulfton/Holman

TUESDAY, AUGUST 8 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Wyndham Houston West Energy Corridor 14703 Park Row Blvd.

Houston, TX 77079 75 Eldridge 162 Memorial Express

THURSDAY, AUGUST 10 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm Judson Robinson Senior Community Center 1422 Ledwicke Houston, TX 77029 48 Market TUESDAY, AUGUST 15 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Katy ISD Education Support Complex 6301 South Stadium Ln. Katy, TX 77494

Any person who requires language interpretation or special needs accommodations is encouraged to contact METRO Public Affairs at 713-739-4018, or via email at METROPublicAffairs@ridemetro.org.

Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate your needs.

THURSDAY, AUGUST 17 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm Montie Beach Community Center 915 Northwood Houston, TX 77009 26 Long Point/Cavalcade 44 Acres Homes

Join us at one of these meetings or give us your input at METRONext.org.

For a complete list of dates and METRO route information for each Open House visit METRONext.org.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 10 | 2017

entertainment

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New documentary ‘Step’ wows audiences

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hile this summer has seen its share of blockbuster hits celebrating women, a powerful, low-budget true story is becoming the talk of the town. “Step” is focusing on a different superhero – education.

“The greatest superpower you can have is your mind,” said filmmaker and Broadway producer Amanda Lipitz, whose new documentary expands to theaters nationwide on Aug. 18.

The Sundance Film Festival hit goes where scripted stories this summer have not: into the inner city of Baltimore.

The protagonists are high school seniors at a rigorous charter school that aims to have every student accepted to college, and many are the first in their families to attend.

Their bond is step, a performance tradition that uses the body as both a percussive and expressive instrument. They call themselves the Lethal Ladies of BLSYW (Baltimore Leadership School for Young Women).

The teens come from low-income homes where covering basic needs, like food and electricity, is “incredibly challenging,” said Lipitz. Her cameras followed them into school and the gym, where the step dance team practiced.

The extracurricular activity came with strings, requiring a 2.0 GPA and daily school attendance.

As a school rule, “If you miss school, you miss step practice,” said Lipitz, who calls the strict policy a “life raft” for team members like recent graduate and team captain Blessin Giraldo, who “even at 11 knew she needed something to keep her connected to school – and that was her way of doing it.”

Lipitz filmed the teens for years, but found the strongest content came from the students’ junior and senior years, when those who had put in the work came under consideration from colleges like Johns Hopkins and Alabama A&M, and those who had not faced a probable life sentence in poverty.

Their junior year collided with the riots that followed the death of Freddie Gray, who died from a severed spine

Young Black women from Baltimore are featured in the documentary “Step.”

sustained while in police custody.

“I didn’t like how they tried to portray Baltimore,” said student Nush Zweh in the film. “It was like a lot of bad stuff going on, but… people [were also] cleaning up. But CNN didn’t showcase that. They only showcased us fighting and throwing everything.”

Since filming ended a year ago, the three protagonists highlighted – Giraldo, Cori Grainger and Tayla Solomon, all 19 – have remained in college.

What’s more, the Baltimore school’s first graduating class of 2016 earned $800,000 in college scholarships.

The women filmed were also granted individual scholarships from film producers (Lipitz declined to specify the amount) after the film sold in a bidding war for $4 million at Sundance.

In “Step,” such determination is portrayed over 90 min-

utes, as the girls opt to do more than survive – they choose to stomp, study and thrive.

Their experience culminated in May, when the Lethal Ladies performed on the fly for former First Lady Michelle Obama at a college signing day event.

“They actually do a step called ‘The Michelle Obama step.’ It’s all about ‘when they go low, we go high,’ “ said Lipitz. “They did it for her and I was hysterically crying. I couldn’t believe it was actually happening. After they were done, she put her arms around all of them.”

what’sup Producer WILL PACKER is bringing a new show to Amazon, teaming up with “Boondocks” creator AARON McGRUDER on “Black America.” The drama is set in an alternate history in which freed African-American slaves have been given control of Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama as reparations following the Civil War. The show will imagine a sovereign African-American nation called “New Colonia,” rapidly emerging as one of the leading industrialized nations in the world…….JOY-ANN REID’s talk show “AM Joy” on MSNBC keeps pulling in the numbers. For the fifth straight month, her show beat out CNN viewership in

the same time slot. In July, her Saturday edition averaged 1.02 million viewers, versus CNN’s 778,000. What’s more, “AM Joy” has seen double-digit growth in the 25-54 age demographic, with a 74 percent growth on Sunday. That same demographic, in comparison, has been down for both Fox and CNN in that same time period……..Last fall, KANYE WEST canceled his tour because he was hospitalized following a psychiatric breakdown. He is now reportedly suing various syndicates of insurer Lloyd’s of London for $10 million. West claims that the insurer refuses to pay for the cancelled tour, despite the fact that West’s doctor and even the in-

surer’s doctor agreed that he was medically unable to continue on with the tour stops. In eight months since the canceled tour, West has not been paid, according to the suit…….. JORDAN PEELE’s “Get Out,” released in February, is so far the most profitable film in 2017. The “social thriller” earned a 630 percent return on its $4.5 million filming and production budget and $30 million marketing budget. “Get Out” brought in a whopping $252 million worldwide. Peele’s directorial debut examines the dangers of liberal racism by following Chris, a young Black man played by DANIEL KALUUYA, as he meets his white girlfriend’s family.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 10 | 2017

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Back to School Tips For Parents

By RESHONDA TATE BILLINGSLEY Defender

As summer comes to an end and back-to-school season begins, it can be hard to get back into a regular schedule — both for kids and adults. To make the best of the summer-to-school transition, the Defender has compiled some tips on how parents can avoid being overwhelmed in the coming weeks.

1

Get in ‘school mode.’ Kids have gotten used to later bedtimes and sleeping in. The adjustment to a school schedule can be difficult.

To adjust to the change, set your kids’ sleep schedules back to “School Time” two weeks before the first day. The National Sleep Foundation recommends children 6-13 years old sleep between 9 to 11 hours and teenagers, between 14 to 17 years old, should get about 8 to 10 hours. If you start adjusting their schedule now, by the time the first school bell rings, kids will already be on the right sleeping schedule and it will be one less worry for your family.

2

Shift the mindset. Visit cultural attractions like museums to shift their brains into “Scholar” mode. Encourage your kids to read at least one book before the school year begins. But while it is important to support learning throughout the summer, don’t spend the last weeks of summer vacation reviewing last year’s curriculum.

All kids need some down time before the rigors of school begin. For some kids, lastminute drills can heighten anxiety, reminding them of what they’ve forgotten instead of what they remember.

3

Set schedules. Establish regular routines for elementary school kids and preschoolers. Not only does this include bedtime and wake-up time, but homework schedules,

play time and computer/video game time.

The Children at Risk Foundation recommends only allowing children four hours of video games during the school week.

Schedule study blocks on the weekends before big tests, mid-terms and finals.

Use positive phrasing, such as “You can go outside after your homework is done,” rather than “You’re not going outside until this is finished.”

4

Get to know new teachers.

There will be open houses, orientations, and other meet-andgreet options at the beginning of the school year, but none will give you the chance to spend some quality time getting to know your kids’ teachers. Try to find a few minutes before or after school to connect one-on-one with the teachers. If your school hosts an open house, be sure to go. Familiarizing your child with her environment will help her avoid a nervous stomach on the first day. Together you can meet her teacher, find her desk, or explore the playground. With an older child, you might ask him to give you a tour of the school. This will help refresh his memory and yours.

5

Plan healthy lunches and snacks. The better you plan out the meals in your home, the healthier choices you will make for your kids. When you pack protein-

rich snacks and lunches, balanced with fruits, vegetables, and other wholesome items, you ensure that your children will have the energy and brainpower to make it through their school days.

6

Organize clothing. Donate or dispose of the clothing that your kids have outgrown, but you should also take the time to carefully organize what is left. From there, decide what items you may need more of before school begins. The last thing a parent wants is to spend time each day trying to find a pair of pants that fits.

7

Set up a homework area.

Find a central spot to store everything related to school, including backpacks, school supplies and a dry erase calendar with family schedules. Try to keep this area free of clutter and other non-school items so that you can find what you need, when you need it. Go through your kids’ schoolwork once a month to toss the things you don’t want. Create an inbox for kids to leave things that need your attention, like permission slips. Repurpose and relabel plastic tubs to organize all school supplies.

8

If your child need cal, consider goin gent care. Most sc a physical examinati sport season starts and signed from parents. The form is onl able at most pediatrician’s off isn’t able to squeeze in an app his or her child’s pediatrician is booked), consider stopping care or walk-in clinic.

9

Prepare the night Encourage your kids their school clothes lunch the night befo leads to a stressful morning l running around looking for s wear or stressing because yo peanut butter.

10

Ready, set up weekly m view your k for the week your clocks forward 10 minut it easier to be on time. Create endar that tracks everyone’s a commitments. Set a regular al that signals the start of homew

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 10 | 2017

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opinion Hypocrisy:

Affirmative action and immigration

By JULIANNE MALVEAUX Defender

I

n the same week that it was revealed that the Department of Injustice is spearheading attacks on affirmative action, our 45th president indicated his support for legislation that would drastically revive our nation’s immigration policy.

Instead of providing immigration opportunities to the families of people who are legal residents of our country, the pending legislation would create a “merit based” system for immigration.

According to legislation sponsored by Republican Senators Tom Cotton of Arkansas and David Sabir Nazar, Cagle.com Perdue of Georgia, applicants for legal immigration earn points based on education, high-paying job offers, entrepreneurial ability (including the ability to invest in the U.S.), high-achievement (Nobel Prize winners are welcome), and age (bring on the young).

Presently, about a million people are granted green cards, but the Cotton-Perdue legislation would cut the number by half within a decade.

The “diversity lottery” that admits 50,000 people each year would be eliminated.

A significant number of African immigrants, among others, are admitted through the diversity lottery.

The Cotton-Perdue legislation provides affirmative action for wealthy immigrants. If you have a high-paying job offer, or money to invest, or entrepreneurial ability, you’ve got a better chance of getting in than if you are a high-school grad who would be sponsored by her sibling.

Why is this affirmative action? Because affirmative action says that when all else is equal, you choose a preference for a certain group. In higher education, the preference is for those who have been historically excluded and systematically discriminated against.

When affirmative action policies were initially developed they were designed to favor African-Americans and other underrepresented minorities. In practical terms, white women have often been the primary beneficiaries of affirmative action, especially in the workplace.

45 (Trump) and his posse support preferences in immigration, but oppose them when it comes to higher education and employment.

The administration’s positions on both affirmative action and immigration are winks and nods to 45’s base, the white people who irrationally oppose immigration, and feel that whites experience more discrimination than do AfricanAmericans.

Their beliefs cannot be verified by economic data that indicate that African-American people experience more unemployment, have lower incomes, less wealth and less education. Equally educated African-Americans take twice as long to find new jobs as whites do. Beyond economic matters, basic quality of life issues (such as police violence) are harsher for African-Americans than for whites If 45 and his crew can state their preferences for immigration policy, why can’t institutions of higher education state their preferences for

admissions policy?

The problem is that 45 has hired these inferior and aggrieved white people, like Candice Jackson, who works in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Education. While a Stanford student, Jackson was a staunch critic of affirmative action. She has also said, rather callously, that most accusations of campus rape are related to alcohol or the end of relationships.

She is exactly the wrong type of person to lead an office of civil rights. It is not clear why Jackson was hired, but she has the right ideological credentials. She wrote a book about “the women targeted by the Clinton machine,” worked for the conservative Judicial Watch organization, and has an axe to grind against feminists, and those who support racial economic justice.

Charging this woman with defending civil rights is the same as charging EPA head Scott Pruitt with protecting the environment!

45 and his colleagues would probably support the same kind of affirmative action in college admissions as they support for immigration.

If you have money, are an entrepreneur, or have already achieved, then you deserve admission.

If not, that’s just too bad.

Are we facing the end of affirmative action and the end of immigration fairness? Most likely, unless we resist.

Every day it becomes clearer that 45 will attempt to implement drastic structural change unless our legislative process is altered by the 2018 elections. Meanwhile, 45 is throwing red meat at the braying dogs of racism and xenophobia. And the dogs are barking at those of us who believe in justice and fairness.

Julianne Malveaux is an economist, author and former president of Bennett College.

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AUGUST 10 | 2017 | DEFENDER

11

Black-on-Black crime seen as biggest issue Defender News Services

Since 2012, Black Lives Matter has fought to shed light on the racial injustices faced by Black people in America, but a majority of polled voters don’t seem to fancy the group’s social justice efforts, according to a new survey.

Those surveyed also viewed Black-onBlack crime as a bigger issue than police brutality.

A recent Harvard University poll showed that just 43 percent of survey participants have a favorable view of Black Lives Matter, while over half of respondents – 57 percent – have an “unfavorable” view of the group.

Unsurprisingly, the majority of those opposed to BLM are white, according to the survey, in which 2,032 registered voters were polled. A whopping 65 percent of white Americans polled feel negatively Black-on-Black crime is a concern of voters surveyed in a recent poll. about the organization, compared to 35 percent of whites who said they have a “favorsupporters back the movement and 34 percent do not. able” view.

Countless incidents of police brutality against Among polled African-American voters, 83 perAfrican-Americans have gained national attention cent feel positively toward BLM while 17 percent felt in recent years, including the high-profile shootings the opposite. of unarmed Black men by police. Yet, the survey Just 18 percent of those surveyed who voted for showed that poll participants in general don’t bePresident Donald Trump have a favorable view of lieve that police violence against Black people is the BLM. On the other hand, 66 percent of Hillary Clinton biggest issue facing the country today — “Black-on-

Black crime” is.

Approximately 70 percent of respondents said Black-on-Black crime in African-American communities was a bigger issue than police brutality. Thirty percent of those polled thought otherwise, putting state-sanctioned violence against Blacks at the top of America’s “need to fix” list.

A large chunk of respondents (64 percent) also feel that race affects police use of force. Fifty-six percent of voters said the police are too quick to use force, while 44 percent believe officers only use force when necessary.

For 54 percent of those polled, officers are too quick to shoot at African-Americans. Forty-four percent disagreed, saying law enforcement officials interact with all races the same.

Among the study’s other key findings were: • Forty-one percent of respondents feel President Trump should be impeached and removed from office.

• Fifty-eight percent of respondents support mandatory minimum sentences for drug offenses; 70 percent believe federal prosecutors should enforce them.

• More than half of the polled voters think legalizing marijuana would make society better.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 10 | 2017

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Lone Star College offers high school program Defender News Services

Lone Star College Leadership High School is accepting applications for students interested in developing leadership skills and becoming better informed of the issues facing their community.

“This is a wonderful chance for high school students to network and develop relationships with community leaders,” said Kay Fitzsimons, LSC Community Leadership and Engagement executive director.

“Along with learning what it takes to be a successful leader, students can also use this experience on their college applications to demonstrate work outside the conventional classroom.”

Leadership High School is a program for high school sophomores and juniors in the Lone Star College service area. The program, which is sponsored by Leadership North Houston, Leadership Montgomery County and Lone Star College, offers a curriculum that allows students to recognize and develop personal leadership skills and abilities and learn how to initiate positive change in the community.

The deadline to apply is Sept. 22. The program begins in October with an orientation and leadership skills retreat followed by intensive, monthly sessions concluding in April. The sessions offer students the opportunity to interact with community leaders from diverse backgrounds and industries.

The program also focuses on peer-topeer learning how to work effectively in a team environment during a community

service project.

“Our goal is to increase understanding of a leader’s role in the community and the importance of making personal community service contributions,” said Fitzsimons. “We also want students to understand the need for positive student leaders in the community.”

Lone Star College offers low-cost academic transfer and career training education to 95,000 students each semester. It is the largest institution of higher education in the Houston area with an annual economic impact of $3.1 billion.

LSC consists of six colleges, eight centers, two university centers, Lone Star Corporate College

High school sophomores and juniors participate in the LSC leadership program.

and LSC-Online.

The leadership program is offered at no cost to participants.

Students and parents interested in learning more or applying can visit LoneStar.edu/Leadership-HighSchool.

classifieds Standard Legal Notification Interested in helping to build a new 320-mgd plant for Houston’s Northeast Water Purification Plant’s (NEWPP) expansion? The City of Houston is building a new water treatment plant near Lake Houston.

Phase I, the west plant, will consist of two 80-mgd trains. Early site development contract packages have been divided into smaller sizes to encourage participation by the Minority, Women and Small Business Enterprise contractor community. Remaining contract packages for plant construction are as follows: 8 - Site Civil/Yard Piping 9 - Site Electrical 10 - I&C System Integration 11 - Admin & Maintenance Building 12 - North Plant 13 - Central Plant 14 - Backwash Equalization Basins 15 - Dewatering Building 16 - High Service Pump Station and Switchgear Building 17 - Substation Building 18 - Ground Storage Tanks 19 - Intake Pump Stations (IPS) and Bridge 20 - Electrical for IPS Enroll with the Design-Builder, Houston Waterworks Team, HWT, (a joint venture of CH2M and CDM Smith), on their website (www.newppexpansion. com). HWT is looking to gather preliminary information from each contractor interested in participating in the construction of this new project utilizing the project’s procurement website. Instructions for enrollment are included in the Reference Documents section and the Enrollment Form button is in the Project Links and Contacts section. Contractors and suppliers are both invited to enroll so that a qualification form can be sent to potential Tier 1 contractors/suppliers.

All interested contractors and suppliers are invited to enroll on HWT’s website (www. newppexpansion.com) and begin the procurement process. Join us on this adventure for the next eight years as we design and build this expansion of the water plant for Houston and four of the local Regional Water Authorities.

Interested contractors in the packages listed above need to complete the enrollment and qualification process before the Request for Proposals (RFPs) will be released in the fall 2017 to shortlisted qualified Tier 1 contractors/suppliers.

This is NOT a hard bid, instead it is a Competitive Sealed Proposal.

This is a progressive design-build project so all contract packages will be issued at 30% design and contractors selected based on “best value” with consideration of both their technical qualifications and cost. Consequently then, as the design progresses to 100% HWT will revise the scope, schedule and cost estimate, in conjunction with the selected contractors. Contracts will be finalized with selected contractors for each separate package.

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AUGUST 10 | 2017 | DEFENDER

13

Former Patriot and Texan Wilfork retires Associated Press

Former New England and Houston defensive tackle Vince Wilfork announced his retirement from the NFL in a barbecue commercial, a fitting farewell for a big guy who loved to eat.

Wilfork tweeted a video showing him un-taping his ankles, hanging up his cleats and grabbing grilling tongs.

The video then shows the 35-year-old defender dancing, cooking ribs and smoking a cigar while wearing his trademark overalls.

“No more cleats,” he said. “I’m moving on to smoke meats, fellas. Peace out. I’m outta here. Later.”

The video ends by noting that “Vince’s Farewell Tailgate” will take place Sept. 7 in New England. The defending Super Bowl champions open the season that Thursday night against Kansas City.

Wilfork’s next stop could be the Pro Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. He certainly has enough numbers and rings to merit first-ballot consideration.

“Congrats on a #HOF career bro... Now you can sit back and barbeque all you want,” retired NFL receiver and fellow Miami Hurricanes star Reggie Wayne tweeted.

Wilfork played 13 NFL seasons, including the last two in Houston. He said earlier this summer he was contemplating retirement after the Texans declined to offer him a new contract.

The Texans recognized Wilfork’s retirement on Twitter, saying “Thanks for the memories @wilfork75.

We’ll always have this.” The caption came with a photo of Wilfork wearing overalls and talking to Houston coach FRO-17031-HoustonDefender-PricelessAdvice-9p75x6p5.pdf

Bill O’Brien.

Wilfork was drafted by New England in 2004 out of Miami and anchored the Pats’ defensive line for 11 seasons. He was named to five Pro Bowls and helped the Patriots win two Super Bowls.

Wilfork’s final game came in New England, a playoff loss in January.

He received a cheer from opposing fans when he was shown on the scoreboard in the final seconds and responded with a wave. He struggled to get off the field as one

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Patriots player after another came to wish him well. Most believed it was his finale, although Wilfork stopped short of calling it a career.

Wilfork made the playoffs in all but one of 11 seasons. He finishes his career with 559 tackles, 26 passes defensed, 16 sacks, four forced fumbles and three interceptions.

“Congrats to an amazing career big homie!!! Link up soon!!!” former teammate and current Denver Broncos cornerback Aqib Talib tweeted.

Defensive tackle Vince Wilfork is retiring after 13 NFL seasons.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 10 | 2017

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sports

Sam Houston Bearkats seek national championship

Y

By MAX EDISON Defender

ou have to excuse the Sam Houston State University Bearkats if it seems their goals for the 2017 season appear to be a tad high. Very few collegiate teams in the nation have enjoyed the type of sustained excellence like the ‘Kats.

In all of Division 1, Sam Houston’s 68 wins since 2011 is tied for fourth nationally with Florida State behind Alabama, North Dakota State and Clemson. The only thing they haven’t done is win a national championship.

The Bearkats finished the last six weeks of the 2016 regular season as the nation’s No. 1 team (STATS FCS poll).

They finished the season 12-1, going undefeated in Southland Conference play (9-0). Their only loss was to eventual national champion James Madison in FCS semi-finals.

On paper, Sam Houston is as strong as any FCS school in the nation. They are the unanimous choice to win the Southland for the second consecutive year. Eleven Bearkat players were named to the preseason All-Conference team.

Eight starters return on offense, five on defense. Quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe and defensive end P.J. Hall are returning All-Americans.

“We have the best two players in the country: one on offense, one on defense,” said Bearkat head coach K.C. Keeler.

“The expectations should be high. As the off-season has come along all of our kids will say that this is the best summer we have had. We have added some pieces to the puzzle defensively that we feel will make us better than last year.”

Sam Houston led the nation in scoring last season averaging 49.5 points per game. Defending Walter Payton Award winner Jeremiah Briscoe returns to continue his assault on the record books.

Briscoe, a senior quarterback, rewrote more than one record book last season behind 4,602 total passing yards, a school record and second best in the nation. He threw an amazing 57 touchdown passes, breaking the 32-year old single-season record of 56 to move into first place all-time in the FCS. Despite the accolades and awards from his junior campaign, Briscoe remains focused on the ultimate goal, winning the national crown.

“I would be perfectly fine if I didn’t throw one touchdown pass the whole season and win the national championship,” Briscoe said. “I would give up the Walter Payton award for the championship ring any day. That is all I want. God has really blessed me with these amazing teammates. They make me look so much better and are so talented.”

Briscoe is blessed to have his two top receiving weapons in senior Yedidiah Louis and sophomore Nathan Stewart. The pair combined for 2,156 receiving yards and 26 receiving touchdowns in 2016. Junior receiver Davion Davis also returns. Davis tallied 960 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

Expect more offensive balance in 2017. The Bearkats return a pair of All-Conference running backs. Senior Corey

Defensive end P.J. Hall

Quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe

Coach K.C. Keeler

Running back Remus Bulmer

Briscoe and the Bearkats are determined to win a national crown. (Photos Courtesy Sam Houston State University)

Avery was a first team All-Conference running back last season, rushing for 755 yards on 126 carries (6.0 yards per carry) and 10 touchdowns. He’ll split the load with former Ridge Point HS standout Remus Bulmer. He was second team All-Conference, rushing for 901yards on 144 carries (6.0 yards per carry) and nine touchdowns.

On defense, senior defensive end P.J. Hall continues to be a dominant force. Hall finished second in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award for the national defensive player of the year. His 36 career sacks put him three shy of surpassing the conference record established between1983-1986.

Hall reiterated the team’s 2017 focus.

“Basically, we have a plan and everybody buys in to our expectations,” Hall said. “If you don’t, you have to get out because we expect nothing less and we want to win a national championship.”

The Bearkats open the season on Aug. 27 hosting Richmond, a team that won 10 games in 2016. Their second contest will be on the road for a Thursday night game (Sept. 7) against a tough Prairie View A&M University squad.

Their goal is lofty; we’ll see if it is attainable for the Bearkats.

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h.s.zone Madison High has new judge in charge my bachelor’s and masters degrees from Prairie View.”

Madison is coming off an 8-3 campaign in ne of the Houston area’s most con2016, including a perfect 8-0 record and outright sistent high school football playoff championship in District 24-5A. The Marlins lost qualifiers has a new head coach.

28-20 to Fort Bend Elkins in the bi-district round Damian Judge succeeds Pat of the playoffs. Madison had advanced to the Reinecke as head football coach at postseason every year since 2005.

Houston Madison High School in the midst of a The HISD-member school has produced the busy offseason of coaching changes. likes of NFL standouts Vince Young and BroderJudge comes to Madison following a year as ick Thomas over the years. an assistant coach at George Ranch High School.

“As a head football coach in Texas it’s He gained head coaching experience after always a little tough coming into a situation a two-year stint at Class 4A Lytle High where you’re expected to win,” Judge said.

School in the San Antonio metropolitan “I believe the programs that I’ve been a area. part of have prepared me to take over at Before that Judge served as assisMadison. tant head coach and offensive coordi“I’m bringing that same standard and nator for four years at Pasadena Dobie work ethic with me. It may not happen under head coach Jim Phillips. He’s overnight but my long-term vision is to also worked as an assistant coach get that program where it needs at Waller, Greenville and La to be,” Judge said.

Porte high schools along with Madison will open the collegiate stops at Hardin 2017 high school football Simmons and Midwestern season Sept. 1 at MerState. cer Stadium against “Coach Phillips was state-ranked Class my mentor. He hired me 5A powerhouse Fort straight out of college Bend Marshall. and I followed him to “Our style of several different destiplay will depend nations,” Judge said. “I on the strengths learned a lot from him, of the players particularly about how that we have, but to treat your players. offensively I be“I think coming into lieve running the Madison and giving the football makes you players genuine love will a tougher team,” Coach Damian Judge have an immediate impact Judge said. “I think on the first day of pracit helps in practice tice with the new strucand that it translates to ture, some new assistant the game.

What are Worthing’s prospects in coaches along with the “If your lineDistrict 11-4A? new offense and defense,” men are firing off the Judge said. “I’m excited line of scrimmage to see how the players in practice instead will respond.” of pass blocking it makes for a tougher team,” Judge is a graduate of Crosby High School Judge said. “Now if you ask me at halftime of the and originally signed to play college football Marshall game if we’ll be running the ball in the at Texas-El Paso. “I played a couple of seasons second half that philosophy may change. there and ended up transferring to Prairie View,” “I welcome the opportunity to play MarJudge said. shall,” Judge said. “We need to play a program of “I have a long line of relatives who are Praithat caliber at Madison. As long as we play them rie View graduates, including my dad, mother, tough no matter what the score is at the end of sister, aunts and uncles,” Judge said. “I received the game, I’ll be happy.”

O

By DARRELL K. ARDISON Defender

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AUGUST 10 | 2017 | DEFENDER

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sportsbriefs NFLPA helps veterans The National Football League Players Association (NFLPA) announced a new charitable partnership with military non-profit, Fisher House Foundation. The program provides “a home away from home” for families of patients receiving medical care at major military and VA medical centers. “The NFLPA is honored to partner with Fisher House Foundation and stand beside our military and veterans’ families as they support a loved one in need,” NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith said. “We know this is an extremely trying time for these families, and we are proud to support the work Fisher House does to ensure our country’s military and veterans are not only close to their loved ones during this time, but comforted.”

Rally for Kaepernick A “United We Stand” rally in support of free agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick will be held on Aug. 23 at NFL headquarters in New York City.

Spike Lee is among those who tweeted about the rally, which is sponsored by such groups as the Justice League NYC and the Empowerment Movement. Some African-Americans allege that Kaepernick has been blackballed by the league due to his national anthem protest last season when he played with the 49ers, and have called for a boycott of the NFL. Kaepernick reportedly will stand during the national anthem this season if signed by a team. He said the attention he brought to social inequality and injustice affirmed the message he attempted to deliver.

New coaches take charge This was a busy offseason for Houston area high school football head coaches. More than 30 schools will have a new head coach when the 2017 season commences on Aug. 31. The list includes Damian Judge (Houston Madison), Clifton Terrell (North Forest), Lonnie Madison (College Park), George Young (Galena Park), Cornelius Anthony (Rosenberg Terry), James Farmer (Pearland), Ron Counter (Morton Ranch), Sam Parker (Tomball Memorial), Blake Besselman (Sam Houston), Hank Semler (Aldine), Tim Finn (Baytown Lee), Mike Ferrell (Brazosport), Kevin Flanigan (Tomball), Todd McVey (Katy Tompkins), Jason Glenn (Klein Oak), Derek Fitzhenry (C.E. King), Royce Hill (Hempstead), Jeff Nelson (Beaumont Central), Trent Miller (Spring), Kevin Urbanek (Boling) and Robert Toomer (Brookshire Royal). There will also be new head coaches at schools opening for the first time this fall and only fielding sub-varsity teams at Cy-Fair ISD’s Bridgeland, Katy ISD’s Paetow and Klein ISD’s Cain.

Top recruits listed The Houston area is home to 44 of the top 100 high school football recruits from the Class of 2018 in the state of Texas according to 247 Sports’ top 100 recruits. Angleton safety B.J. Foster is No. 1 on the list and one of only 18 five-star recruits in the nation according to the ratings service. Lamar High School is home to three of the top 12 recruits, including defensive back Anthony Cook (2), wide receiver Al’Vonte Woodard (8) and defensive back D’Shawn Jamison (12). Heights defensive back Jalen Green (4), Manvel wide receiver Jalen Preston (5) and Westfield defensive tackle Keondre Coburn (10) are also on the list.

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Happening in Houston For event coverage email: events@defendermediagroup.com

topevents

HOUSTON PREMIERE OF DETROIT…….Houston led by instructor Mitzi Henderson. Yoga experts and novices alike Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee hosted a private premiere of the were in attendance, including Rukiya Akua, Jenn Myalil, Jasemine history-based movie “Detroit” at the Sundance Bayou Place Theatre.

Cornelius, Simone Johnson, Asha Iyengar, Maya Brasher, Chau The movie was preceded by a panel discussion on criminal justice Nguyen, Keara Criss, Zachary Criss, Latoya Bagwell, Jessica reform and community-oriented policing. Panelists included Harris Straughn and more....... SHAPE CENTER’s AFRICAN BALL........

County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Judge Ramona Franklin, Pastor As part of SHAPE Community Center’s 48th anniversary, the center Marcus Cosby, HPD Assistant Chief Troy Finner, Jackson Lee and hosted “An African Ball,” an evening of art, fashion, and a hair stylings others. Event attendees included Veronica McBride, showcase, all in an effort to raise funds to support Kendra Waters, Justin Waters, Deborah Clark, Defender TOP EVENTS SHAPE’s broad range of programs that serve youth, Chelsea Clark, Dr. J.A. Rob Jr., Kim Rob, Elsie elders, families and the general community. The event More photos on defendernetwork.com Whitmire, Kristen Johnson, Alexander Johnson was held at the newly reopened Emancipation Park. and many more........ NAMITZI YOGA IN THE Attendees included SHAPE director Deloyd Parker, PARK..... Namitzi Yoga sponsored free Yoga in the Park at Hermann Ramon Manning, Angela Chambers, SherRyl DeWalt, Vergis Sunshine Bourgeois, Zoe Jackson-Jarra, Crissee Cargile, Christian Park’s Jones Reflection Pool for those looking to recoup from a wild Friday night, or seeking to simply enjoy the movements amid Cargile, Anthony Collier, HISD Trustee Jolanda Jones, Ed Banks, nature. All enjoyed the mind-body healing offered by the practice, Bunmi Gaidi and others.

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Judge Ramona Franklin, Pastor Marcus Cosby

Latrera Herndon, Mitzi Henderson, Jasmine Cornelius

Michelle Barnes, Deloyd Parker

Justin Waters, Kendra Waters

Rukiya Akua, Jenn Myalil

Cherrisse Traylor, HISD Trustee Jolanda Jones, Jiovanni Jones

Monica Archibald, Vanessa Cooper, Jessica Hopkins, Veronica McBride

Keara Criss, Zachary Criss

Crissee Cargile, Christian Cargile

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