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3RD WARD EXHIBIT
Houston’s historic neighborhood is being celebrated through the lenses of six photographers.
Volume 90, issue 43 August 26, 2021
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GARNET COLEMAN
State Rep. tells why he returned to the Texas House, breaking the quorom in the fight for voting rights.
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DN On Point
FIT & FINE Olivia Turner Age: 28 Occupation: Sr. Cyber Engineering Analyst, Deloitte Education: Texas Southern University Major: B.S. Mathematics Motto: “Start somewhere and enjoy it all.”
Allen West, candidate for Texas governor, seen here pondering his presence in the Sunken Place. AP photo
Message from the Associate Editor some “minority” group for that society’s problems. But it’s not Black people who Patrick beAllen West, the brother who has lieves are dumb enough to buy his BS. He gives made a political living attacking Black zero “cares” about what we think. Rather, Patrick people for calling out police wrongbelieves his Republican constituents are so ignodoings, is now…wait for it…calling rant that they’ll believe anything. Even though out police wrongdoings. West, a forthe number of white Texans with and dying of mer Florida congressman known as I LOVE… Challenges, COVID dwarfs our numbers. But hey, his base a GOP “go-to,” as in whenever they Aswad Walker and fitness literally organized and led the Jan. 6 insurrecneed a Black face to verbalize their is a daily tion, yet somehow believe Nancy Pelosi and the racist positions, they “go-to” West, competition brought his talents to Texas, serving as chair of Dems did it. to better my the Texas GOP before now running for goverperformance. nor. Like his GOP homies, West demonizes Black SAFE TRAVELS Houston recently lost a key fixture in its “conscious” comLives Matter and supporters as police haters, and by racist default “logic,” America haters, too, for criticizing munity with the passing of Edward Vincent. Known to most police misconduct. But a funny thing happened on West’s as Baba Fana, he was a member of the Citywide Kwanzaa way deeper into the Sunken Place. While out of town din- committee, longtime member of the Shrine, soldier for the ing with white nationalist extraordinaire Ted Nugent, West’s National Black United Front, regular participant in the anwife, Angela Graham-West, was arrested for DWI with her nual October ancestral commemoration in Galveston, par3-month-old grandson in tow. Upon getting the news, did ticipant at SEHAH, graduate of the University of Houston’s West “back the Blue” as he did after the murders of Tamir African American graduate certificate program, community Rice, Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Philando Castile, etc? African history instructor, world traveler, jazz lover and parHell naw. He accused Dallas police of “falsely” arresting his ticipant in every drum circle this city has ever seen since he wife and putting their grandson in danger, and low-key sug- arrived here from his beloved New York in the late 1970s. gested that the arrest was politically motivated to damage And he was my friend. Fana had the nerve-racking ability his governorship campaign. Fun fact: Blackfolk have been to turn a two-minute explanation into a two-hour diatribe. labeling police violence as political violence for eons. A po- But that was because, even more than conversing, he loved sition West has vehemently denied his entire political career. people. Like all of us, he wasn’t perfect. But Lord have mercy, the number of lives he touched and inspired in multiple Until now. cities, states and continents, is literally the stuff of legends. BOY, BYE
@olivia___turner
Read more on Friday about Olivia at defendernetwork.com If you are Fit & Fine email: fitnfine@defendernetwork.com
BLACK SCAPEGOATING
Texas Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s scapegoating Black people for the state’s current COVID surge, is fast becoming old news that folk will forget about soon enough. Far from apologize, Patrick doubled-down on his selective “use” of statistics to claim his scapegoating was not racist at all, but rather simply based on facts. And this is exactly why we should not forget his words. Because on the hierarchy of racist stuff folk can do, scapegoating may not be the most racist “dude” out there, but until the biggest racist appears “scapegoating” is sitting in his chair. Literally every single horrific, racist atrocity in history began with members of the group who believe themselves to be superior “scapegoating”
IN THIS WEEK’S DEFENDER
• Texas schools resegregating nearly 70 years after Brown v. Board. • Photo exhibit puts spotlight on the historic Third Ward. • PVAMU’s All-American lineman Danny Garza has sites on NFL and inspiring others to achieve beyond their dreams. ON THE WEB
• Go to DefenderNetwork.com for the latest news, sports and entertainment stories impacting our people locally, nationally and abroad, and the best opinion pieces anywhere from a Black perspective.
August 26, 2021 |
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DN News TEXAS HOUSE HOLDOUT
Garnet Coleman speaks on why he returned By ReShonda Tate
For 38 days, Texas House Democrats stayed away from Austin, attempting to block the passage of a GOP elections bill they said would restrict voting rights, particularly in communities of color. Their efforts prevented the House from reaching a quorum. That is, until three Democrats - Garnet Coleman, Armando State Walle and Ana Hernandez — gave in. Reps. Ana The move ignited fury among conHernandez, stitutents and colleagues. Garnet Coleman, who represents HousColeman and ton’s District 147, said he still opposes Armondo Walle enter the elections bill and is proud of the the House “heroic work” the House Democratic chamber. AP Caucus had done to fight the bill, but it was time to move forward. “Let’s be clear,” Coleman said in Learn more about Coleman’s reasons for returning and his health status. an interview with the Defender. “We couldn’t stay out until 2023. It just wasn’t gonna happen. So from that the second-longest quorum break in trailblazing lawmaker Senfronia perspective, you have to have people Texas history. Thompson. Coleman said he underon the inside putting pressure on. Coleman, who didn’t go because he stands constituent’s anger, but their Plus, I knew that if the Congress didn’t had to undergo surgery to have his fight is far from over. act, then it’s all moot.” leg amputated, said he understood the “The gain is only going to come in The elections bill approved by the reasoning behind leaving, but staying the federal government,” he said. “It’s Texas Senate would ban 24-hour and away was essentially pushing the can not us who are making that decision. drive-through early voting, extend down the road. It’s the Democrats in Congress. And protections to partisan “When I went back that I think it has to be very clear because poll watchers and add day, I returned because they can make a change because they restrictions to mail-in I believe that we have have a majority. We do not. And so balloting. Democrats to have people fighting that is where the victory has to come. criticized Abbott’s call for inside and outside, and If something doesn’t change up there, a special session to deal also using their influence we’re going to lose the U. S. house with elections and other to move the Republicans because bills have already passed in issues. They also locked to a different place. I 17 other states.” themselves into a lengthy think it’s important that I Some Democrats, like Rep. Jasquorum break with the do my best to engage the mine Crockett, said that mentality is rhetoric used after their way that I do things best. exactly why Democrats continue to first walkout. A majorAnd that’s influence the lose elections. ity of the caucus agreed leadership. I’m number “One reason that we lose so often is Garnet Coleman that they couldn’t trust five in seniority and I can that as Democrats we end up divided. Republicans to approve an acceptable talk to people. That doesn’t mean I can’t I can guarantee you that if this was a elections reform bill. Though some of always walk out again. Uh, but from Republican effort, there would not be the veteran Democrats had concerns that perspective, we can get change. 10 Republicans that would have stayed about maintaining a quorum break, And I think you’ll see that we do get back on the floor. I don’t know what they saw no other option but to leave some. Gov. Greg Abbott’s 17-item it is about being in the minority party Austin. agenda includes COVID-19 legisla- that you just feel like your only option On July 12, more than 50 Dem- tion,” he said. is to please the majority, because that’s ocrats headed to Washington. That “You’ve got to take the fight down what it feels like. I can tell you with boycott lasted until the special ses- here,” added Rep. Walle, D-Houston. absolute certainty that my Democratic sion expired, gaining the Democrats “You’ve got to fight multiple fronts. I colleagues have just hurt all of Texas. in Washington national attention. just felt that it was necessary — after We know it wasn’t just the voting bill. Their meetings with civil rights lead- being out 30-plus days — that the fight There is an onslaught of terrible legisers and their counterparts in Congress needed to transition down here.” lation targeting trans children and even inspired them to stay the course. A More Houston Democrats have as it relates to COVID-19.” “one day at a time” plan stretched into since returned to the Capitol, including
Let the people be heard
Reaction over the qurom break was mixed, with some Democratic lawmakers feeling betrayed and sure that Republicans will now approve bills that hurt communities of color and the economically disadvantaged. Still others agreed that it was time to move forward. Here are some of the comments from across Texas. “Republicans are now fully enabled and empowered to enact virtually all of [Gov. Greg] Abbott’s directives, including many dangerous pieces of legislation that will fundamentally hurt the lives of Texans. Millions of Texans will be deeply harmed by the policy that will pass in the next 17 days.” – Statement from 34 holdout Democrats
“I don’t participate in abusive relationships. I have no choice but to be here (in Washington) and to pray to God that there might be a Lyndon B. Johnson moment here at the Capitol.” – Carl Sherman (D-DeSoto).
“I’m disappointed because in a marathon it requires 26.2 miles of running. They successfully ran 14 miles, and you don’t get a medal for running 14 miles. I heard someone saying they accomplished what they set out to do. You wanted to run a 14mile marathon? Now we’re going to faithfully have to take the fight to Washington, D.C., on a more intense level, because we can’t trust Texas.” – Rev. Frederick Haynes III, Friendship-West Church
“We keep hearing the world is watching, that what happens in Texas so goes the nation. If that’s the case, we need to show them the courage and stand against the hypocrisy, the attacks and the denial of our rights.” – Nicole Collier, (R-Fort Worth)
“After months of standing firm against Gov. Abbott’s extremist agenda by denying him a quorum in the House, it’s disheartening that quorum was reached, and that this sham of a second special session has now fully commenced.” – Brianna Brown, Co-executive director, Texas Organizing Project
“Serving with Ana, Walle, and Garnet has taught me that they are consistently guided by their values. I believe them when they say that they believe they can do more good on the House floor than off of it.” – Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood
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DN News NEWSBRIEFS HOUSTON POLICE DEPT. TWEETS, THEN DELETES MEMORIAL OF COPS FROM 1917 RACE MASSACRE The official Houston Police Department Twitter account has come under fire after celebrating several police officers involved in a 1917 race massacre. It took nearly six hours before HPD finally deleted the racist tweet. The account used the hashtag #NeverForget to commemorate several white officers, leaving out the context of the Black men killed by police or resulting from police actions in 1917. Four years before the Tulsa Race Massacre, Houston police instigated a standoff with Black soldiers responding in defense of the Black community. The centennial commemoration of Tulsa sparked discussion of other forgotten incidents. FORT BEND ISD BOARD VOTES TO MANDATE MASKS IN ALL COUNTY SCHOOLS
New Orleans police officer Everett Briscoe was killed Saturday, Aug. 21, 2021, in a Galleria-area restaurant. Police are looking for two suspects (top right) who fled in a Nissan Altima with paper plates. Courtesy/Houston police
Reward increased in killing of NOLA officer at Houston restaurant Defender News Service
Houston businessman Tillman Fertitta has increased the reward from $10,000 to $100,000 in the fatal shooting of New Orleans Det. Everett Briscoe. “I’ll raise the reward to $100,000 to support the Houston Police Department and all their efforts to find these criminals and to help solve this crime this weekend,” Fretitta said. “And as an extra effort to do my part, I’m going to contribute $1 million to the police department when he (Chief Troy Finner) needs to solve a crime. When he needs a tipster out there and he needs 25 or 50 or $100,000, I will give him the money to help take these violent criminals off the street.” Briscoe, 41, was fatally shot Aug. 21 at the Grotto Ristorante in the Galleria area while on a trip with friends from the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club, a philanthropic group in New Orleans. Zulu president Elroy James said the members who traveled from New Orleans decided to stay at Hotel Derek. When they arrived at the hotel, a few of them dropped
off their bags and walked across the street to Grotto to smoke cigars and have a few drinks. Minutes later, two men walked up to the group, demanded their belongings, then opened fire despite the group complying. Briscoe was fatally hit. Another man was injured. “It’s unbelievable you could be in a city for less than two hours and you have tragic incidents ... one in death and somebody critically injured,” James said. Briscoe was a 13-year law enforcement veteran and a New Orleans police detective. He was also a husband and father of two. “Everyone in Houston is aware of the dramatic increase in violent crime throughout our city. I find it particularly upsetting that a New Orleans policeman visiting our city for a vacation weekend met such a violent death. In Houston, we have to do better. We have a serious criminal justice problem here,” Fertitta said. If you have information, contact Houston Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS.
Video shows trooper pummeling Black man Associated Press
Aaron Larry Bowman
Graphic body camera video kept secret for more than two years shows a Louisiana State Police trooper pummeling a Black motorist 18 times with a flashlight — an attack the trooper defended as “pain compliance.” “I’m not resisting! I’m not resisting!” Aaron Larry Bowman can be heard screaming between blows on the footage obtained by The Associated Press. The May 2019 beating following a traffic stop left him with
a broken jaw, three broken ribs, a broken wrist and a gash to his head that required six staples to close. Bowman’s encounter near his Monroe home came less than three weeks after troopers from the same embattled agency punched, stunned and dragged another Black motorist, Ronald Greene, before he died in police custody on a rural roadside in northeast Louisiana. Video of Greene’s death similarly remained under wraps before AP obtained and published it earlier this year.
Fort Bend ISD trustees voted in favor of a mask mandate for the district during a meeting that lasted into the early morning hours. The district started school with no mask mandate on Aug. 11. After a week of hundreds of positive cases, County Judge KP George issued a mask mandate for the county while raising the COVID-19 threat level to red. That order did not apply to schools, however. The 4-3 vote from the district’s board of trustees changed that: Now, all students and staff in Fort Bend County schools must wear a mask indoors. A start date for the mandate was not revealed at the meeting. The rising number of COVID-19 cases in the district has raised concerns for parents like Kirsten Hussenoeder, who said the 791 active cases among staff and students shouldn’t be taken lightly. NRA CANCELS 2021 ANNUAL MEETING IN HOUSTON DUE TO COVID-19 SURGE The National Rifle Association has announced the cancellation of the organization’s 2021 annual meeting, which was scheduled to take place in Houston next week. In a statement, the organization wrote that the decision was made after reviewing data regarding COVID-19 in Harris County, which has rapidly spread among the region’s unvaccinated population over the past month due to the highly transmissible delta variant. According to the NRA, the risk to public safety caused by the pandemic would prevent organizers from offering “the full guest experience.” The cancellation comes as COVID-19 cases continue to increase across the region, effectively overloading the county’s hospital system.
VOLUME 90 - NUMBER 43 - AUGUST 26, 2021 Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
Managing Editor ReShonda Tate
Chief Development Officer Emelda Douglas
Associate Editor
Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles
Education Reporter
Creative Director Michael Grant
Sports
Photographers Jimmie Aggison
Aswad Walker Laura Onyeneho Terrance Harris Jodie B. Jiles
The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Newspaper Inc. and audited by Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). Only digital subscriptions are available at: www.defendernetwork.com/subscribe No paper subscriptions available. All materials covered by 2020 copyright. No materials herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. 713-663-6996 | P.O. Box 8005, Houston, Tx 77288
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DN News
WE’RE HIRING Bus Operators and Mechanics
LaQuita Howard with the League of Women Voters, attends a rally for voting rights. AP/Jacquelyn Martin
NAACP, Black leaders rally Congress for voting rights NNPA
With voter suppression laws taking shape in Texas, Georgia, Arizona and just about every GOP-led state in the nation, NAACP President Derrick Johnson is pleading for Democrats and the White House to show a sense of urgency. In a scathing op-ed, Johnson said, “we cannot out-organize voter suppression.” “We organized in November to put people in office to address the issue of voter suppression. We Derrick Johnson did not organize in November to let elected officials off the hook to organize again and overcome a new hurdle. Voters did their job as citizens, and now they’re simply asking elected officials to do their job to protect our right to vote,” Johnson remarked. Nearly six decades after Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and civil rights activists led the 1963 March On Washington for Jobs and Freedom, that helped establish voting rights for millions of Black Americans, African American leaders will again descend on the nation’s capital to demand Congress protect the rights. Martin Luther King III, Yolanda King, Andrea Waters King and others plan to march with more than 140 organizations and thousands of Americans on Saturday, August 28, to advocate for eliminating the Jim Crow filibuster and passing
three critical voting rights bills – the For the People Act, John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the Washington D.C. Admission Act. The John Lewis bill passed the house on Aug. 24. The mobilization comes just months after Black voters overcame significant barriers to the vote and organized their communities to change the course of the country — “and now ask that the White House and Congress do their part to protect our democracy and stand on the right side of history,” the leaders said in a news release. In his op-ed, Johnson declared that “voting rights shouldn’t be a partisan issue. Yet the contentious dispute on whether to defend every American’s right to vote has taken center stage in Congress, and for an unnecessary amount of precious time.” He continued: “With time not on our side, there is no reason we should still be debating whether to pass a civil rights bill that will indubitably strengthen our fractured democracy by achieving the one goal our nation’s essence depends on – lending a voice to the people.” Johnson contradicted Republican Congressman Mike Johnson of Louisiana, who infamously and erroneously stated that “it is easier for eligible Americans to vote than ever before in American history.” “State legislators around the country have introduced more than 400 bills that will make it more difficult for Americans to exercise their constitutional voting rights, and at least 18 states have passed such legislation,” Johnson wrote.
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DN Education Howard University
HBCUs see surge in enrollment NNPA Children at Risk- The Resegregation of American Schools: The Economics of Inequity Summit press conference
70 YEARS AFTER BROWN VS BOARD OF EDUCATION TOPEKA KANSAS
Texas public schools still segregated By Laura Onyeneho
Almost 70 years after the U.S Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional in the Brown v. Board of Education case, the issue of systematic racism and inequalities still permeates within the national educational system. The research and advocacy non-profit Children at Risk hosted “The Resegregation of American Schools,” an education summit bringing together education leaders and advocated to discuss ways to create a more inclusive school environment for diverse student populations. As many teachers, administrators and students prepare to return to the classroom after what many educators are calling more than a year of lost learning, the summit examines the root causes of these inequities and solutions to ensure a robust thriving economic future for Texas. For many families in Houston, the COVID-19 pandemic further exposed the socioeconomic challenges that have disproportionately impacted people of color. Millions across the country were impacted by the lack of internet access for virtual learning, increased food insecurity due to the closure of school buildings, incidences of violence against Black people during nationwide protests against police brutality and homelessness, on top of the problems that already exist in the public education landscape. “Children at Risk works to conceptualize a racial equity score for our school
Children at Risk works to conceptualize a racial equity score for our school rankings, measuring how well schools serve students of color.”
Sharon Watkins Jones, director of Texas Racial Equity Collaborative at Children at Risk
rankings, measuring how well schools serve students of color,” said Sharon Watkins Jones, director of Texas Racial Equity Collaborative at Children at Risk. “Educational equity ensures that each child has access to a bright future. So, when every child in Texas can freely achieve, we build stronger communities…we create a pipeline for a stronger workforce, stronger businesses, a stronger economy. The economics of inequity is data-driven and solution-oriented because we can make life easy for Texas children.” Examples of resegregation were highlighted in the Children at Risk analysis of data “which include” the presence of school attendance zones that are gerrymandered and that fact that Black children raised in integrated or white neighborhoods earn nearly $1,000-$4,000 more as adults per year than those raised in highly segregated communities of color. In 2021, Houston has about 21.2% African American teachers compared to 52.4% white educators.
Byron Sanders, president and CEO, of Big Thought, said another challenge is the disparity in policy and disciplinary practices leading to the growing issue of school-to-prison pipelines. “We’ve seen that children of color particularly Black and Brown youth oftentimes end up receiving harsher, more significant disciplinary consequences for similar offenses to white peers or middle-income peers. You see higher levels of disciplinary incidences and punishments.” According to data from the Texas Juvenile Justice Department, HISD had the highest number of referrals, making up five percent of the state’s juvenile probation referrals for making a terroristic threat. “Instead of out-of-school suspensions what I’m encouraging other districts to do is to put resources toward healing... and trauma-informed programming…and in-house suspension turns into a place that is a lot more therapeutic. It’s changes in policy, practices and programs... to have a system-wide effect.”
Howard University enjoyed a more than 15% enrollment increase during the pandemic, and officials at the historically Black college expect those numbers to increase this fall. “This has the potential to be our largest freshman class ever,” Anthony Wutoh, Howard’s provost and chief academic officer, said. Bowie State reportedly expects an 8% increase in overall enrollment this fall. The increase in enrollment at Howard and Bowie State reflects what’s happening at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) around the country. Some observers believe the calls for racial justice after the murder of George Floyd and the global awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement have contributed mightily to the rise in enrollment at HBCUs. “We are attracting students who have a significant interest in social justice and an interest in addressing what they see as the ills of society,” Wutoh told NBC News. At Morgan State University in Baltimore, two gifts from philanthropists MacKenzie Scott and Calvin and Tina Tyler totaling $60 million have assisted. The Biden-Harris administration eliminated millions of dollars in debt through the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. In May, university officials noted they had received 14,600 undergraduate applications for 2021-22, shattering 2019 totals by more than 58%, reported universitybusiness.com. Morgan State also pulled in 1,200 housing applications, up more than 50% from 2019. “We have faced challenges during the pandemic and have seen some of our natural growth stifled as a result. However, what these record numbers of applications are revealing is that educational attainment is still very important to a great number of people and that there is a tremendous appetite to receive that education at Morgan,” university President David Wilson told universitybusiness.com.
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DEFENDER NETWORK
DN InFocus ONE-ON-ONE WITH DR. GERALD HORNE
WHAT DOES HOUSTON’S 185TH ANNIVERSARY MEAN TO BLACKS? By Aswad Walker
On August 30, Houston will mark its 185th birthday. But what significance does such a day have for Houston’s Black residents? The Defender spoke with historian extraordinaire, Dr. Gerald Horne, professor of history at the University of Houston, to get answers. DEFENDER: In a very general sense, does this 185th anniversary of Houston’s founding have any significance at all for Black people? GERALD HORNE: We recognize that Hous-
ton, and indeed Texas, were begun as slave holding enterprises. Our ancestors were exploited shamelessly in this part of North America, that our ancestors were essential to the construction of this part of North America. Therefore, this birthday reminds us of how much we’re owed. And it reminds the current descendants (of the enslaved) to keep pressing for reparations. DEFENDER: Are there any specific, touch-
tone events in Houston’s history with the most significance for Houston residents? You
mentioned our enslavement. HORNE: I would say that during that peDr. Gerald Horne, riod (enslavement), professor of hisnot only in Houston, tory at the Univerbut in Texas generally, sity of Houston, there were numerous contends that uprisings. Also, I think Houston’s 185th that given the fact that birthday should inspire descenGalveston and Housdants of enslaved ton have been couAfricans to conpled, that we should tinue the call for also be aware of the reparations. history of Galveston as well. I’m doing a book right now. Texas. And one of the things that I’m trying to rewrite is the history of Juneteenth, which is associated with Gal-
veston understandably. But it’s been sort of mangled over the years because Juneteenth was about more than just apprising the enslaved on June 19, 1865 that they were free. This was part of a larger struggle in so far as Mexico had been taken over by France. The Confederates would surrender in April 1865, many of them were headed to Mexico where they planned to continue enslavement. In fact, some made it to Mexico with some of our ancestors in tow whose descendants might still be living there. And what happens is that General Granger was accompanied by thousands of African troops, Negro troops. And it was part of an effort to keep the Confederates from continuing slavery south of the border, which was the plan, and continuing to wage war against the United States from Mexico. And our ancestors who were armed helped to squash that particular plan. In fact, it’s not only June 19, 1865, that we should mark, but also June 19, 1867, because that’s when the French leader Maximillian was killed, which marks the end of the attempt to continue our enslavement in Mexico. So, Houston and Texas
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have a very complicated history and it’s a history that I would urge others to investigate.
DEFENDER: What’s the name of that book and when is it coming out? HORNE: The title is The Second Counter Rev-
olution: Texas Slavery, Jim Crow and the Origins of US Fascism. It’s coming out late next year. DEFENDER: What’s the least known piece of Black Houston history? HORNE: Probably Camp Logan, which also
needs further investigation. And if not Camp Logan, the desegregation of Houston in the early 1960s, spearheaded by students at Texas Southern University, by the way, and the conspiracy by the mainstream press to take the wind out of their sails by not reporting on it. Now, that’s a matter of public record. In fact, that’s a part of a documentary film that was done on that period (The Strange Demise of Jim Crow). And I’ve mentioned that because it points up the role of your journalism and your newspaper, for example.
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL
SHOWCASING THIRD WARD LIFE Photo exhibit places historic Black neighborhood in spotlight By Aswad Walker
H
3rd Ward Bike Shop by Derrell Boson
Peggy Park Hooper by Derrell Boson
I dedicated these photos I took around 3rd ward to this gallery because they all mean something to me special. As old as the neighborhood is, the energy and creativity is as new and inspiring as ever.”
DERRELL BOSON
FRESH by Rabea Ballin
Rabea Ballin
ouston’s iconic Third Ward is being celebrated through the lenses of six photographers with deep roots in the area at the Community Artists’ Collective’s (Collective) current exhibit. “Third Ward Special,” features the works of Marc Furi, Flash Gordon Parks, Rabéa Ballin, Risky Cereal, Brian Ellison and Derrell Boson. The art is inspired by the many facets of the cultural, historic epicenter and is curated by Miles Payne and Marc Newsome, whose artist name is Marc Furi. The Third Ward, one of Houston’s oldest neighborhoods, is a historically Black community with a neighborhood park originally purchased by formerly enslaved individuals. It is home to the HBCU, Texas Southern University, and is considered by some to be the cradle to the city’s civil rights movement. Many Black artists, activists, judges and politicians grew up in the area. The exhibit, which runs through September 25, can be experienced at The Collective, 4101 San Jacinto, Suite 116, which is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 12 noon until 5 p.m. and by appointment. For more information about the exhibit and the artists contact The Collective at 713-523-1616 or visit www.thecollective.org.
There is a Renaissance happening in Third Ward, and it has been brewing for some time. I am only honored to live and create in a community that has supported and embraced me since my migration from Louisiana. The series I have included in this exhibition was taken on a porch off Cleburne around the same time The Collective extended me my first opportunity to exhibit professionally in Houston years ago. I am forever grateful and forever in support of this “space.”
RABEA BALLIN
S by Rabea Ballin
Figs by Flash Gordon Parks
His Flowers by Risky Cereal
Old Man and the Streets by Risky Cereal
Visibly Invisible’ features the homeless in and around Houston Texas, one of the largest cities in the United States. This series speaks to where portions of our society are and show how we got here over time due to neglect by individuals, local communities, and legislative policies.
Corner Store by Flash Gordon Parks
I’m honored to be part of this exhibition. Third Ward was a huge part of my development growing up here in Houston. The things I learned being a member of the community still stay with me to this day.
FLASH GORDON PARKS
RISKY CEREAL
Demolition of Jack Yates by Marc Furi
I Love 3rd Ward Project Row Houses Art Exhibit by Marc Furi
I’m happy to participate in this show. I feel Third Ward is a cultural epicenter. It inspires me. As it goes through the rapid socio-economic changes of gentrification, I like to capture the disappearing buildings and structures which defined the area. These places were home to many collective experiences and memories throughout the decade. They deserve to be captured aesthetically instead of fading away in time.
MARC FURI
Choir by Brian Ellison
Cuney Homes by Brian Ellison
BRIAN ELLISON is a photographer, cin-
ematographer and creative director. Brian believes that art is a universal language that can be the catalyst for healing. Through his lens, Brian documents the everyday Black experience such as gentrification’s impact on historical communities, under-publicized Black love and comradery, parenthood and the persistent courage of Black women and men.
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DN Business FOCUS SOCIAL
NATIONAL BLACK BUSINESS MONTH
Study: Black businesses optimistic after the pandemic Defender News Service
The Coronovirus pandemic shuttered businesses across the country – and Black businesses were hit particularly hard. Now, as those businesses continue to reopen and navigate the impacts from the pandemic, a new study shows the outlook is optimisitic. More than 80% of Black business owners expect their revenue to increase and believe the local economy will improve, according to a new Bank of America study, Summer 2021 Black Business Owner Spotlight study. The study evaluates the consequences of the pandemic for Black small-business owners (SBOs) and their outlooks regarding economic recovery. This is particularly promising for the small business environment in Houston, which ranks fifth in the nation for minority-owned startups. The pandemic has disproportionately affected Black business owners. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York last August released a study that indicated Black-owned businesses were almost twice as likely to shut down as American small businesses, on average. The New York Fed study also revealed that “Black-owned firms are more likely to be located in COVID-19 hot spots” than White-owned ones. The Bank of America survey was conducted online between March 11 and May 1, based on responses from 300 Black SBOs. The survey reflects some of the
BY THE NUMBERS
In 2021, more than 8-in-10 Black business owners say they expect their revenue to increase and believe their local and national economics will improve. Nearly half also plan to hire. Over the next 12 months, Black busniess owners...
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hardships the pandemic poses to the African-American community. About 95% of Black business owners reported the pandemic added stress to normal business operations, and 64% said their mental health has been impacted. The survey also revealed that 94% of Black SBOs are “advocating for social change through their business, compared to 53% of small business owners overall.” Sharon Miller, the head of small business at Bank of America, said this advo-
cacy takes several different forms, such as “giving back to local communities, supporting social causes and volunteerism.” In addition, 85% of Black SBOs report that recent social justice issues, such as the death of George Floyd, have altered their approach to conducting business. Respondents also reported the pandemic has deeply altered the workplace environment. About half of Black SBOs afford their employees a more flexible work schedule than before COVID-19 struck, and about
40% let employees work remotely. One likely factor driving this increased optimism is rising vaccination rates. Miller said another piece could be the enhanced digital offerings companies were forced to develop during the pandemic, to stay afloat in lockdowns. “Ninety-percent of Black small business owners told [Bank of America] they’re going to keep those digital tools in place, because it’s helped their business and they have a wider audience now,” Miller said. The most impactful thing banks can do to help Black SBOs is to expand access to capital. Banks have “got to get the word out — here’s where you can access capital, if you need it,” Miller said. Bank of America said it has invested more than $1.8 billion in community development financial institutions. The bank is also undertaking a $1.25 billion commitment to increase racial equality. Other big banks have made similar moves. JPMorgan Chase in October committed $30 billion “to advance racial equity.” Citi, meanwhile, earmarked $1 billion last September for efforts aiming to help narrow the racial wealth gap. “Across the public and private sectors, it is clear that we must do more,” Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan said in March, “to take action, help others convene, and serve as a catalyst for a broadbased, collective response to the critical issues affecting our nation.”
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Say hello to primary care centered on seniors Having trouble getting to your doctor? CenterWell is now open in your neighborhood. CenterWell Senior Primary Care is home to Board-Certified doctors who listen closely and create care plans just for you. With locations close to home, you won’t have to travel far to experience the difference.
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DN Feature $100 OFFERED FOR FIRST DOSES
Harris County sees sixfold jump in vaccines The Texas Tribune
A week after public health officials in Texas’ most populous county started handing out $100 cash cards to locals getting their first COVID-19 shot, the number of daily vaccinations has shot up to six times its previous rate, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo said. “We had an inkling that something was going r i g ht w h e n VACCINATED I started my TEXANS announcement [about the incentive] at noon, and by the time I was done, 30 minutes later, there was a line of cars waiting to receive the vaccine,” Hidalgo said. “We haven’t seen those lines for months.” To accommodate and encourage the increased demand, the county will be opening an additional mass vaccination site and expanding its mobile vaccine program, Hidalgo said. “You have to be creative, and we’re seeing the results and we’re doubling down on it,” Hidalgo said. Harris County officials began the incentive program in a bid to jumpstart stalled vaccinations in Houston and surrounding areas, and to provide relief to the region’s stressed hospitals during what health officials say is the worst surge of infections the area has seen since the pandemic began last year. For the three weeks before the program started, Hidalgo said, Harris County Public Health was administering an average of 431 first doses per day. The day the announcement was made, the number jumped to 914. The next day, 1,596 people sought the first doses from public health providers. Four days into the program, some 2,700 people got their first injection, Hidalgo said. “This is an incredible achievement,” she said. Demand for vaccines began to slow down in April and May in Texas and across the nation because of vaccine hesitancy and many people’s assumption that the pandemic was over as infections and hospitalizations plummeted, health officials said. At the time, less than a quarter of the Texas population was fully vaccinated. The rapid emergence of the delta variant
42.6 %
in the early summer is now fueling a surge that is sending mostly unvaccinated Texans, who make up around 45% of the state’s population, to hospitals in numbers not seen since January, before the vaccines became widely available. Experts say that while mask-wearing and social distancing will stem the rush on hospitals in the short term, mass vaccination is the only answer to beating the pandemic in the long term. “To the extent that people get vaccinated, this surge is going to end faster,” Hidalgo said. President Joe Biden has encouraged cities and counties to dip into federal stimulus dollars to pay for $100 incentives like the one Harris County offers. In Texas, Austin Public Health is offering H-E-B grocery store gift cards, while San Antonio is weighing its own similar program and Bexar County recently announced health insurance rebates for employees who get the shot. The county recently moved its mass vaccination site from Houston’s NRG Stadium to Graves Park, where some 2,500 vaccine doses can be administered per day. And the county will also expand its mobile vaccine program to accommodate
additional demand. The goal is to vaccinate up to 7,600 people per day through all three efforts, she said. Harris County officials have set aside $2.3 million for the county’s vaccine incentive program — enough to put first doses in about 23,000 arms. The local incentives, combined with the daily drumbeat of grim news about overwhelmed hospitals and climbing infection rates among children and in nursing homes, are being credited for a small upswing in vaccination rates across the state in recent weeks. State health officials also hope the recent full approval of the Pfizer vaccine by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration will boost demand for the vaccine among those who were hesitant because it had only received authorization for emergency use. “We’ve heard from people who said they were waiting until full FDA approval to be vaccinated,” said Chris Van Deusen, spokesperson for the Texas Department of State Health Services. “Hopefully, the approval will give people added confidence about what we’ve seen in the real world: that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and they work.”
We had an inkling that something was going right when I started my announcement [about the incentive] at noon, and by the time I was done, 30 minutes later, there was a line of cars waiting to receive the vaccine. We haven’t seen those lines for months.” Lina Hidalgo Harris County Judge
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DN Feature
BEYONCÉ AND JAY-Z MAKING MORE HISTORY NNPA
Leave it to Beyoncé and Jay-Z to captivate social media and much of the world with more historic firsts. The power couple stars in Tiffany’s latest advertising campaign, and the company calls it a celebration of modern love. “Synonymous with the world’s greatest love stories since 1837, Tiffany’s debut of ‘About Love’ marks the latest evolution of the luxury jeweler’s new creative direction,” company officials stated in a news release. “The campaign is the result of a close collaboration and a shared vision between both the Carters and Tiffany.” Beyoncé wears the iconic 128-carat Tiffany Diamond in photos released this week, which the company purchased in 1878. The pop queen becomes the first African American woman to wear the diamond, which had previously adorned Audrey Hepburn in publicity photos for the 1961 blockbuster film, Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Singer Lady Gaga wore the diamonds to the 2019 Academy Awards. But, as with most things they do, the Carters one-upped everyone. They pose for photos in front of Jean-Michel Basquiat’s “Equals Pi” painting, a 40-year-old work from a private collection never previously displayed in public. Unearthed in 1877 in the Kimberley Mines of South Africa, founder Charles Lewis Tiffany purchased the rough diamond in 1878, Tiffany’s said in the news release. House icons including designs from Jean Schlumberger and the Tiffany T collection
are also featured throughout. Notably, Jay-Z wears Jean Schlumberger’s legendary Bird on a Rock brooch, reconstructed as a pair of one-of-a-kind cuff links. Schlumberger was best known for dressing high society’s elite in the 1960s and ‘70s, so it is appropriate that his unmistakable designs live out his legacy on one of today’s greatest creative forces. A film by acclaimed director Emmanuel Adjei has also been created and features a musical performance of the classic song “Moon River.” Made famous in the 1961 film Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the iconic tune is reimagined with vocals by Beyoncé, captured by Jay-Z on a Super 8 camera. According to Tiffany’s, the couple selected the Orum House in Los Angeles to serve as the setting for the film, in which nostalgic flashbacks are interwoven with cinematic, dreamlike visuals. Basquiat’s “Equals Pi” appears once again as a common Tiffany Blue thread throughout the narrative. “Beyoncé and JAY-Z are the epitome of the modern love story. As a brand that has always stood for love, strength and self-expression, we could not think of a more iconic couple that better represents Tiffany’s values,” stated Alexandre Arnault, Executive Vice President of Product & Communications. “We are honored to have the Carters as a part of the Tiffany family.”
Beyoncé and Jay-Z
Writer Nikki Giovanni named PVAMU’s Toni Morrison Writer-in-Residence Defender News Service
Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) has announced that Nikki Giovanni has been named the 2021-2022 Writer-in-Residence in the Toni Morrison Writing Program. The appointment will officially begin with a virtual series taking place September 27–29. One of the most celebrated African American poets, Ms. Giovanni has won numerous awards, including the Langston Hughes Medal and the NAACP Image Award. Named a “Living Legend” by Oprah Winfrey, her diverse body of work includes poetry anthologies, poetry recordings, nonfiction essays, and children’s literature. Giovanni’s early work gained attention
as part of the Black Arts Movement; she was called the “Poet of the Black Revolution” because of her forceful and passionate writing about civil rights. Her varied activism has included providing support for other African American women writers. Giovanni currently serves as a University Distinguished Professor at Virginia Tech University. The Toni Morrison Writing Program was established by PVAMU President Ruth Simmons. It seeks to bring visibility to the place of African American writing in the literary canon. Led by Provost Emerita and Professor E. Johanne Thomas-Smith, the program will feature writers reading from their works, conducting master classes,
teaching, and mentoring other notable as Nikki Giovanni,” said writers. The program will also Dr. Thomas-Smith. focus on opportunities to The Toni Morrison Writdevelop the literary intering Program at PVAMU ests and talents of young was made possible via writers. Components a substantial gift from include a partnership with philanthropist MacKenzie area high school English Scott in early 2021. Scott departments, an annual was a student of Morrison’s writing contest for K-12 studuring her time at Princdents, and elementary school eton and attributes much of readings accompanied by informal Nikki Giovanni her development as an author to book discussions with the author. Morrison’s mentorship. An official “The opportunity for students to develop public launch is scheduled to take place at their voices as writers, thinkers, and leaders is a later date in which special tribute will be immeasurably enhanced by having the tute- made to the late Pulitzer Prize winner of lage of such a noted, gifted, caring literary world renown.
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DN Sports
Rockets rookie and No.2 overall draft choice Jalen Green exited the NBA summer league early due to a hamstring strain, but gave some exciting performances while averaging 20 points in Las Vegas.
Texans defensive back Lonnie Johnson Jr. returned an interception for a touchdown during the Texans preseason win over the Dallas Cowboys.
Sports Briefs
Watson not absent after all Texans coach David Culley was more open last week about Deshaun Watson’s “absence” from the practice field. Watson showed up for the first week of practice, and has had sporadic appearances since then, leading me to specDeshaun Watson ulate he was a no-show. But Culley shot that speculation down. “Deshaun is here. Again, every day he is here, he comes in, he works. He does what we ask him to do, and he is here every day and he’s doing fine.” TSU and PV All-SWAC volleyball players Texas Southern outside/right side hitter Danielle Lilley and setter Aeris Ramsey both made the Preseason Volleyball All-SWAC Second Team, while Prairie View setter JakarAeris Ramsey ta Hope and libero/defensive specialist Skyla Childs also made the Preseason Volleyball AllSWAC Second Team. The teams are voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors. No scheduling love for Rockets The NBA released the 202122 schedules for all NBA teams last week and to the disappointment of many, the Rockets will only be featured in four national television games this season, three of which will take place in the first 11 games of the season. Moreover, the rebuilding Rockets will not be featured at all on the highly popular TNT programming this upcoming season.
Danny Garza
Center Danny Garza (70) will anchor the Panthers offensive line again this season.-Ralph Parrott/Sui Generis Photography
From culture shock to All-American at PV By Terrance Harris
Coming from Harlandale High School over in San Antonio, and quite frankly, coming from a much different cultural background, offensive lineman Danny Garza wasn’t quite sure what to expect when he landed on Prairie View’s campus five years ago. But from the start he was embraced, and that made a huge impact. “Coming from an all Hispanic community to an all Black community was definitely a culture shock, but a great culture shock to be able to experience the Black community and to be welcomed so amazingly,” Garza said. “I’m really thankful for PV.” It’s been an amazing collaboration for both sides. In Garza, the Panthers have gotten an offensive lineman who came in as a true freshman and started immediately and has been a stabilizing presence along the front for the last five years. Garza, meanwhile, has been able to have an experience he didn’t dare dream of as one of the most decorated football players in program history who will leave The Hill with a Bachelor’s degree and Masters’ course work completed, with an eye towards an NFL future. Not bad for a kid who was raised in a single-parent home where finances were a struggle and who never thought he would make it this far. “I shouldn’t be here, honestly,” said Garza, who received his Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Studies last fall and has since been working on his Master’s degree in Education Administration. “So every day just having that same family encouragement and having that community from my high school in San Antonio always encouraging me, it’s always a dream come true … It’s really not a dream because I never thought I would be this far. “But my mom always had expectations for me to be this far and my dad had the same expectations.” Garza has surpassed those expectations by far on and off the football
field. As a fifth-year starter, Garza has become a perennial All-SWAC player as the center along the Panthers’ front. He’s also an All-American, having been named to the preseason BOXTOROW HBCU All-America Team this summer. The 6-foot-3, 280-pound Garza has been the anchor of an offensive line that has allowed the Panthers to be the No.2 passing offense in the SWAC while also allowing the fewest sacks of any league team. Prairie View offensive line coach Damon Nivens says what sets Garza apart from most is his intelligence and his coachability. “He is a kid who is able to learn fast. You don’t have to repeat over and over to try to get him understand the concepts, angles, numbers and landmarks,” said Nivens. “I just think him being able to be coachable and work hard at his craft and just attack each and every day like there is no tomorrow is the greatest difference. “I just think the kid realizes this thing is just temporary, so he just keeps fighting.” Garza’s mentality is to play and play as hard as he can and get the most out of his body while he can. That’s a major reason why he has returned to school when he could have long since moved on. But after the 2020 season was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Garza made the decision to play during the spring season and take advantage of the fifth year that the NCAA has allowed due to last season being lost. “I always preach to all of the guys that football is something that is not always going to be around. Your body is not going to be able to do the things that it does 10 years from now, five years from now, so I want to take advantage of my body being able to compete at a high level and be able to do the things that I do,” he said. “I just love football too much to just hang up the cleats. Hopefully, I’m not done with football anytime soon, so I just want to give it everything that I have while my body can still perform at a high level.”
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DN Sports
Yates QB/Athlete Dominick Martin is ready to go.
Marshall defensive tackle Laurence Tillman looks to make an impact for the M Block this season. -Photos by Jimmie Aggison.
Bridgeland QB Conner Weigman is one of the best QB/baseball prospects in the country.
PREP FOOTBALL
Games to Watch This Season By Jodie B. Jiles
Rev your engines ladies and gentlemen! The 2021-22 high school football season has arrived and the matchups are thrilling, to say the least. ESPN U kicks off H-Town play covering Bridgeland and Klein Cain for national audiences this opening weekend. Then, October forecasts to be something memorable with defending champion Katy playing against Katy Tompkins, the only team Katy lost to last season by a score of 24-19. North Shore and Fort Bend Marshall look to be in tip-top form going into the season and are primed to make strong cases nationally going into the season stacked with next level talent across the board. In HISD, the rivalry and street classics games should be pretty Gucci this season. I am curious to see what Yates’ offensive attack will look like under new head coach Troy Degar. IDK emoji. Check out some of the upcoming football games to watch this season below.
Friday, September 10: North Shore vs. Westfield Planet Ford Stadium 7:00pm Friday, October 1: Katy vs. Katy Tompkins Legacy Stadium 7:00pm Saturday, October 2 Yates vs. Wheatley (Third Ward/Fifth Ward Classic) Barnett 7:00pm Friday, October 8 Lamar vs. Bellaire (Rivalry Game) Butler 7:00pm
Friday, October 15 Richmond-Foster vs. Alvin-Manvel Freedom Field 7:00pm Saturday October 16 Wheatley vs. Kashmere (5th Ward Classic) Barnett 6:00pm Thursday, October 28 Yates vs. Worthing (Scott Street Classic) Barnett 7:00pm Friday, October 29 Atascocita vs. North Shore TBD 6:30pm
2021-22 Undefeated Predictions Going into Playoffs • Katy • Ft. Bend Marshall • Bridgeland • North Shore • Spring • Manvel For Game and Crowd Photos Visit IG: @Defenderhighschoolsports
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