Lynched Suspicious S i i hanging h i deaths d th raise i questions ti
Volume 95, issue 49 September 24, 2026
EDUCATION
PROFILE
LATONYA G GOFFNEY
RHONDA RICHARDSON
T Aldine superintendent The ttakes on a national role.
Raises awareness of how your clothing donations are creating a crisis in Ghana.
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DN To the POINT Message from the Managing Editor favorable coverage or punish critical reporting. Now the Converse recently found courts will weigh in. itself in hot water after an ad But Black media should featuring K-pop star Karina pay particularly close attenwent viral for all the wrong tion. Our publications were reasons. In the image, Karina born because mainstream wears a white skirt while holdinstitutions often ignored ing Converse sneakers beneath Black communities or told a star-shaped spotlight. Critics our stories without us. said the lighting and composiAccess to government isn’t ReShonda Tate tion made the skirt resemble a some fancy perk for jourKu Klux Klan hood while the nalists. It’s one of the tools dangling shoes evoked the feet of a lynching we use to ask questions on behalf of the people victim. we serve. As a Black woman who understands the hisAnd history has taught Black journalists tory and imagery of lynching in this country, I something else: When doors start closing to the understand why people looked at those pictures press, we shouldn’t wait until somebody reaches and said, “Who approved this?” our door before we care. It’s them today and But here’s where I part ways with some of the could be us tomorrow. Freedom of the press outrage. I don’t believe every offensive image is can’t depend on whether the person in power intentionally racist. We have enough real things likes what the press has to say. to be outraged about without manufacturing intent where we don’t know that it existed. Six jobs, one paycheck Converse apologized and removed the FOX 26 anchor Caroline Collins recently images. And that’s where I think the real lesson gave viewers a fascinating look behind the lies. Whether anyone intended the symbolism curtain of modern television news. And by or not, somebody should have seen it. That’s fascinating, I mean exhausting. why diversity at the decision-making table Collins posted a video showing herself matters. hosting a livestream while also producing and Diversity isn’t decoration. It’s having enough directing it, sitting in front of multiple monitors different perspectives in the room that some- and controls and pretty much being her own body can raise a hand before the campaign goes director/producer/host/camera operator. live and say, “Ummm...y’all might want to look I started my journalism career in television, at this again.” so I’m all for journalists knowing how to mulThe bottom line: We have plenty of genu- titask. Technology changes. Jobs evolve. Knowine racism to fight. Let’s not manufacture it. ing how to shoot, write, edit, produce, post, and But companies also shouldn’t make us wonder go live makes you more valuable. how nobody in the room saw what millions of But somewhere along the way, “multiskilled” people saw almost immediately. started becoming corporate-speak for “How many jobs can we get one person to do?” That’s A free press can’t depend on the part that gets me. If you’re going to ask one favorable coverage employee to do the work that once required Donald Trump has banned CNN, MS NOW several people, shouldn’t the paycheck evolve and Politico journalists from the White House, along with the job description? with reporters from all three outlets denied If you want me to do six jobs, at least pay access and their credentials deactivated. The me for four. news organizations have sued, arguing that the And this isn’t just happening in Houston. government retaliated against them because of Newsrooms across the country are experimenttheir coverage. Trump maintains that the out- ing with automation and AI as stations rethink lets spread “fake news.” how local news is produced. In San Antonio, As a journalist, I find the larger question KSAT recently launched a mostly anchorless troubling regardless of which administration afternoon show that uses an AI-generated voice occupies the White House: Should government for some story teases, although human jourofficials get to decide which legitimate news nalists still report the stories and approve the organizations receive access based on whether AI-generated teases. or not they approve of the media companies’ And we wonder why folks think the AI apocreporting? alypse is coming. Journalists aren’t supposed to make elected officials comfortable. We’re supposed to ask ON THE WEB questions, examine decisions, uncover infor• Houston City College HVAC training mation and give the public what it needs to offers new career shift. make its own judgments. The White House • OpEd: Registered to Vote? Good. Go round argues it has authority to determine who up five. enters restricted areas. The news organizations • Protect College Sports will take money argue government cannot use access to reward from Black athletes. The Converse ad shows why diversity is needed
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DN News ROAD RAGE FATALITY
Mother seeks justice after 5-year-old killed By ReShonda Tate
In the hours after 5-year-old Zah’Layah Walter was shot and killed while riding in her mother’s car on Grant Road, northwest of Houston, Monica Hicks was grieving her daughter while strangers on social media questioned whether she had somehow caused the shooting. They blamed her, saying she provoked road rage. Now, court records are providing a different picture. Jeremy Porter, 47, is charged with capital murder in Zah’Layah’s death and remains in custody without bond. According to court r e c o r d s , Po r t e r told investigators he fired five shots toward Hicks’ vehicle because he believed Jeremy Porter someone in the car had fired at him and was driving erratically. Hicks, who was driving with her children, has maintained there was no confrontation. At a vigil for her daughter, Hicks addressed those who doubted her. “For people to say that I had something to do with my baby being dead, what am I going to get out of lying?” she said. “I did not know him. I did not say anything to him.” Hicks said the moments before the Sept. 19 shooting on Grant Road near Jones Road
were strikingly ordinary. There was no argument. She did not even have the radio playing. Her children were talking. “My baby said, ‘Can I have a Hot Pocket when I get home?’” Hicks recalled. It would become one of the last conversations she had with her daughter. Hicks said she didn’t initially recognize the sounds as gunfire. She heard what sounded like a rush of wind before the back window shattered. “I did not know my baby was hit,” she said. Investigators say Zah’Layah was struck in the head. Two other children suffered injuries from shattered glass. Hicks made it to her nearby apartment before realizing her youngest daughter was unresponsive. Zah’Layah was transported by helicopter to a hospital, where she died. Porter was arrested the next day after investigators used automated license plate readers and Flock cameras to help locate him. Court records say he admitted firing at the family’s vehicle, saying a male driver had shot at him first. For Hicks, those details matter because of the narrative that formed almost immediately after the shooting. “It was cool when everybody was saying, ‘Oh, the mom, the mom, the mom,’” she said. “Now that y’all know the real story, y’all want to back out. Y’all can stand on that, too. But I know what happened.” She said Porter could see inside her
Zah’Layah’s mother, Monica Hicks, and family speak at a vigil in the fiveyear-old’s honor. Credit: Screenshot.
vehicle and should have been able to see her children. “You seen me. You seen my kids. And you chose to do what you did,” she said. But underneath the anger is a mother struggling with a loss she still cannot fully comprehend. “Nobody will understand unless you’ve actually been in my shoes,” Hicks said. “I wouldn’t wish this pain on anybody.” Hicks said she believes her faith may
eventually lead her to forgiveness. But not yet. “One day I’m going to forgive him,” she said. “But I’m not going to lie to nobody. Right now, there’s no forgiveness.” For now, she wants accountability for the little girl who was simply riding home with her family. “You took my baby’s life for nothing,” Hicks said. “My baby’s never coming back.”
GRAND JURY DECLINES CHARGES
Nolan Wells family vows to keep fighting By ReShonda Tate
Attorney Ben Crump (C) stands with Elmore Wonsley and Christine Wells-Wonsley, the parents of Nolan Wells, at the annual NAACP National Convention to discuss the death of Wells. Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images.
The family of Nolan Wells says its fight for answers is far from over after a Mississippi grand jury declined to bring criminal charges in the 18-year-old’s mysterious July 4 death. Joined by civil rights attorney Ben Crump at a news conference after the ruling, Wells’ parents called for authorities to continue investigating what happened to their son. His body was found July 6 on Horn Island, two days after he disappeared during a Fourth of July outing with friends. “Nolan Wells’ death can be summarized in three words: ‘We’ll never know,’” Crump said. “But Nolan’s family offers three other words: ‘We’ll never stop.’” The grand jury returned a “no true bill,” finding insufficient evidence to indict anyone in connection with Wells’ death. It also concluded there was no evidence Wells had been involved in a physical altercation or argument the day he disappeared and said the location and condition of his body were
consistent with drowning. Officials also rejected allegations that race played a role in Wells’ disappearance or death. Wells’ mother, Christine Wells-Wonsley, said the grand jury’s decision has done little to answer the family’s most fundamental question: How did her son die? “What we have learned is that we still have no answers,” she said, adding that she believes Nolan did not receive a “thorough, transparent and honest investigation.” Wells was last seen celebrating the holiday with friends on Horn Island. His friends have said their boat began taking on water, forcing them to leave early. Wells chose to remain on the island and reportedly planned to find another ride back to the mainland. He never returned home.
Crump talks what’s next.
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DN News AFTER FEDERAL JOB CUTS
Black women rebuild By Tannistha Sinha
Landy Watley’s career felt secure right up until it wasn’t. She held a doctorate and worked at the National Endowment for the Humanities, helping design programs that expanded access to federal grants for historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serv- Landy Watley ing institutions. She joined the agency in 2021 after first interning there in graduate school. The job blended public service with scholarship. It was exactly what she wanted. Watley had braced for change after the 2024 presidential election, expecting her office to be dissolved. Instead, in April 2025, the reduction-in-force notices arrived. “I am outraged about that because you feel like you do everything they tell you to do,” she said. “You try to follow the right path…and you’re blindsided.” By the numbers Watley is not alone. Black women experienced significant employment losses in 2025, particularly among college graduates and public-sector workers. An Institute for Women’s
It’s like the system has not only fired me, but the system is consistently and perpetually working against me.” LANDY WATLEY
Policy Research analysis found Black women accounted for 54.7% of female job losses in 2025 despite making up 14.1% of the female workforce. Black women’s federal employment fell by more than 30%. Federal employment has historically offered Black women a route into middle-class careers with standardized pay and workplace protections. The Trump administration’s government-wide cost-cutting efforts eliminated jobs across federal agencies and contractors. The Department of Government Efficiency reported $110 billion in savings from terminated contracts, grants, and leases as of July 2026. However, an August 2026 Government Accountability Office review found some of those estimates were incorrect or lacked supporting evidence. More than a year after losing her job, Watley is still searching for full-time work. She has pieced together income through adjunct teaching at Howard University and the University of Houston and developing an English curriculum for a summer program. Her salary at NEH was $110,000. Now she earns about $45,000, less than half of what she once made. The damage extends beyond her paycheck. Watley has drained much of her savings, withdrawn roughly $15,000 from retirement and lost her employer-sponsored health insurance. She applied for SNAP benefits and was denied after months of paperwork and phone calls. “It’s like the system has not only fired me, but the system is consistently and perpetually working against me,” Watley said. Still, she refuses to let unemployment define her. “I’m going to keep applying,” she said. “I hope that it changes. It has to change.”
A mother without an apartment Erinn Rochelle, a Houston-area fraud and anti-money-laundering specialist with more than two decades in compliance, learned she had been terminated when she was locked out of her computer system and received a three-sentence email thanking her for her “hard work and dedication.” Her position was tied to a Treasury Department fraud operations contract that ended amid government-wide cost cutting. As a
Black women experienced significant employment losses in 2025. Credit: Jackyenjoyphotography.
contractor, she was not eligible for the protections offered to full-time federal employees. “I lost everything. I lost my home. I lost my car,” Rochelle said. “I went from $50 an hour to zero overnight. That’s a significant blow to anyone.” Since losing her job, Rochelle has relied on part-time delivery work to make ends meet. It wasn’t enough. Facing eviction, she turned to a friend for help financing a move to a cheaper apartment. Her daughter left private school, and for a time, she Erinn Rochelle feared her son would not be able to return to South Carolina State University because she couldn’t pay his tuition. His professors helped him secure a scholarship that allowed him to return. After nearly 1,800 job applications, Rochelle, who holds a legal degree along with
fraud examiner credentials, finally landed another job after a recruiter responded to her plea on LinkedIn. It pays $20 an hour. “Black people are educated,” Rochelle said. “We spent the last 50 years educating ourselves because we were told that in order for us to advance in the system, we needed to have an education and prove ourselves.” The toll wasn’t only financial. Rochelle said the experience sent her into a “very dark tunnel” and that she became suicidal. Neither Rochelle nor Watley expected careers built on years of education and professional experience to unravel so quickly. Both say the experience permanently changed how they think about work and security. Rochelle now has a message for other Black women facing the same uncertainty. “Please know that you are not alone, that you did not do anything wrong,” she said. “That was one of the hardest things that I had to do…get over my own self-doubt and anger at myself because I felt like a failure.”
Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
Content Manager Terrance Harris
Special Assignments Reporter Tannistha Sinha
VOLUME 95, NUMBER 49 - SEPTEMBER 24, 2026
Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles
Associate Editor Aswad Walker
The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender News- paper 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 2025 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 Education ALDINE ISD SUPERINTENDENT
LaTonya Goffney Steps into national Supt. leadership role
By Tannistha Sinha
Aldine Independent School District Superintendent Dr. LaTonya M. Goffney has stepped into a new role on the national stage. Goffney was installed as the 2026-27 president of The School Superintendents Association (AASA), an organization for school system leaders, representing more than 13,000 superintendents and administrators nationwide, in July. She is the first African American woman to serve at the helm of AASA in its 161-year history. “Representation matters because it expands
what people believe is possible,” Goffney said to the Defender. “I want Black students to see limitless opportunities. I want educators to know their leadership is valued, and aspiring school leaders to feel empowered to pursue the highest levels of leadership. My hope is that this moment will be remembered not because I was the first, but because it helped ensure I won’t be the last.” Goffney’s dual role The installation ceremony took place in Washington, D.C., during AASA’s Legislative Advocacy Conference. It is an annual gathering where superintendents from across the country meet with lawmakers to shape federal education policy.
Goffney will hold the volunteer leadership position for the coming year while continuing her full-time duties as superintendent of Aldine ISD, one of Texas’s largest and most diverse school districts, a 111-square-mile school district comprising 52,000 students. Her path to the presidency began in 2025, when she was elected president-elect by AASA’s Governing Board after serving on the organization’s Executive Committee. The role represents the latest milestone in Goffney’s career. Before taking on this national post, she served as president of the Texas Association of School Administrators during the 2023-24 school year. Colleagues in Aldine ISD describe her leadership style as one rooted in consistency and belief in students. “Those of us who work alongside Dr. Goffney see every day that her leadership is grounded in service, hope, and an unwavering belief in the potential of every child,” said Aldine ISD Chief Communications Officer Sheila Adams. “Her installation as AASA president is a well-deserved national
Dr. LaTonya Goffney will serve as AASA president during the 2026-27 school year. Credit: Aldine ISD
honor, and we are proud that Dr. Goffney will continue leading Aldine ISD while helping advance the future of public education across the nation.” Goffney’s educational journey Reflecting on the trajectory of her own life, Goffney credited her progress to those who “paved the way” before her. “Public education changed the trajectory of my own life, and I hope my journey reminds others that no dream is beyond reach,” Goffney said. When she graduated from high school with a 3.89 GPA, Goffney wanted to join the U.S. Navy, worried about her inability to finance higher education. But her high school teacher and counselor encouraged her to pursue her college dreams and even helped her complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. Goffney earned her bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate degrees at Sam Houston State University and received a Pell Grant and other financial aid. Her PhD dissertation was titled Perceptions of Race and Gender in the Superintendency: A Feminist Poststructural Narrative Inquiry of an African American, Hispanic, and White Novice Female Superintendent. Goffney was an eighth-grade language arts teacher and principal at Lincoln Junior High before serving as the superintendent of Coldspring-Oakhurst ISD, Lufkin ISD in 2013, and finally, Aldine ISD. Focus on public education Goffney’s tenure begins as AASA rolls out The Public Education Promise, a national framework aimed at ensuring every child, regardless of ZIP code, has access to an education that prepares them for college, career, citizenship, and life beyond the classroom. As the organization’s president, Goffney outlined the strategies she aims to implement during her term. “My priorities are to strengthen public education, develop courageous leaders, and ensure every child graduates with choices and opportunities regardless of their ZIP code,” she said. “I also want to champion hope as a leadership principle because hope inspires action and better outcomes for students. This role gives Aldine ISD and the Houston-area community a stronger voice in shaping national education conversations while highlighting the innovative work happening every day in our schools.”
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DN InFocus
Lynched L WATCH
VIDEO
Susp picious hanging deaths raise questions for Black Houston By Aswad Wa alker
A
merica’s sordid history of antiBlack violence has taken many forms. Few were as public, brutal, and socially sancttioned as lynching. Houston knows tthis story personally. In 1919, John W White was lynched, burned to deaath near the Harris County cou urthouse. In 1998, James Byrrd was lynched, dragged tto death in nearby Jasper, Teexas. Also, members of the alll-Black 24th Infantry werre lynched for their particcipation in the 1917 Camp p Logan Rebellion. Today, Camp Logan T is k known to the publicc as Memorial Park. While lynchings W ttoday, according to tthe sentiment of many Black people locally and nationally, are labeled “suicides.”
A cropped portion of a 1920 postcard depicting the lynching of Lige Daniels in Center, Texas. Photo: Wikimedia C Commons/ Pub blic Domain.
Books such as 100 Years of Lynching, Without Sanctuary: Lynching Photography in America, and Popular Justice: A History of Lynching in America document a period when Black people could be murdered by mobs without due process, while law enforcement, elected officials, and white communities frequently looked the other way or actively participated in the brutality. Lynchings oftentimes became public spectacles, attracting hundreds or thousands of white spectators. The violence was not simply about killing an individual. It was racial terror designed to intimidate entire Black communities. That history matters now because Black people are again asking a disturbing question: What happens when a Black person is found hanging, and authorities quickly conclude suicide? A troubling pattern
There’s no comprehensive government database specifically tracking suspected modern-day lynchings, making an exact national count difficult. But the available numbers are alarming. A September 2026 investigation reported at least 10 Black people found hanging from trees over the previous year, with some deaths ruled suicides and families questioning those conclusions. Meanwhile, the civil rights organization JULIAN has identified roughly 70 cases between 2000 and 2025 that it describes as modern-day lynchings across Mississippi, Texas, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, and Alabama. All too often, according to Black people nationally, these cases are declared suicides, and investigations are closed seemingly before they even start. That is precisely why families and advocates are demanding something more fundamental: Thorough investigations before
conclusions are reached. The historical context makes hanging deaths particularly difficult for Black communities to dismiss. Historian and lawyer Jill Collen Jefferson told The Washington Post in 2021 that “lynchings never stopped,” arguing that the difference is that the perpetrators stopped publicly documenting and celebrating the violence as they once did. History still speaks
The Equal Justice Initiative has documented more than 4,400 racial-terror lynchings of Black people between 1877 and 1950. Its subsequent Reconstruction research documented nearly 2,000 additional lynchings between 1865 and 1877. That history helps explain why a noose is not simply another method of death in the lived reality of Black people in America. Naomi Carrier, founder and CEO of the Texas Center for African American Living History, said her research into Reconstruction-era Texas speaks to Black people’s concerns today when a member of their community is found dead at the end of a rope. “In my research for my book on Reconstruction-era Texas, there was so much violence, so much murder, until lynching became a celebratory event for people of a Confederate mindset,” said Carrier. “We’ve got to be aware that this evil is not new.” C ar r i e r’s org a nization has also produced a docu- Naomi Carrier mentary about the 1864 Parker County courthouse-well of involving four Black teenage boys, ages 13 to 16. “We want to offer this 27-minute
documentary to bring awareness to the fact that there has been a resurgence in the lynching of young Black people,” added Carrier. Houston students are watching
Young Black Houstonians are noticing the recent cases, even when mainstream news coverage does not match the level of concern circulating through Black communities and social media. Joseph Lacerte, a University of Houston health major aspiring to a career in epidemiology, said the lack of attention troubles him. “The current [suspected lynching] in Mississippi is just sad,” stated Lacerte. “I don’t feel like a lot Joseph Lacerte of people are speaking up about it.” U H s oph om ore pre-sociology major Taylor Randle said she has primarily encountered the issue through social media. “I feel like nobody’s really doing anything about it, how it should Taylor Randle be handled, especially because we’re Black people,” Randle said. “I hope that we could do something about it, or at least bring some more awareness to it, because a lot of people still don’t even know about it.” A state of emergency
Those concerns prompted the Shrine of the Black Madonna, a national Black church with a Houston congregation and other congregations in Detroit, Atlanta, South Carolina, and West Africa, to declare
a national state of emergency regarding the resurgence of lynchings of Black people. The Shrine of the Black Madonna’s Presiding Bishop, Kimathi Nelson, said the declaration should not be necessary. “It s h ou l d b e unnecessary for the Shrine to declare a state of emergency over the lynching epidemic claiming the lives of Black people, as if we are Bishop Kimathi back in 1910,” said Nelson Nelson. “But the fact that it is happening so frequently without being confronted by government, media, or social justice organizations leaves us no choice.” The Shrine is calling on faith institutions, community organizations, and Black self-determination movements to move beyond concern and into action by demanding that their local and federal elected officials confront this issue. Congress demands answers
On Sept. 10, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (D-MA) and 59 colleagues sent a letter to the Department of Justice and the FBI demanding comprehensive federal investigations i nt o B l a c k p e o ple found hanging under suspicious circumstances. The l aw m a ke rs c ite d more than 70 suspected modern-day lynchings since 2000 and at least 10 Congresswoman reported hanging Ayanna Pressley deaths in 2026. Their demands include independent autopsies, reviews of local investigations,
Nine of the many Black people found hanging in the past year. Credit: @ screamqueenpodcaster/IG.
exam m ination of physical and testimonial evidence, transparent reporting to Con n gress, and systematic federal data colleection. The lawmakers also pointed to the
Emmett Till Antilynching Act, signed into law in 2022. The law gives federal prosecutors an additional tool for prosecuting certain conspiracies involving hate crimes that result in death or serious bodily injury.
What Black Houstonians can do.
8 | September 24, 2026 |
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DN Feature
WATCH
VIDEO
Clothing donations cause Ghana waste crisis By ReShonda Tate
Every weekend across Houston, closets are cleaned out. Bags filled with shirts, jeans, and shoes make their way to neighborhood donation bins, fueled by the belief that someone else will get a second chance to wear them. Many of those donations never stay in Texas—or the United States at all. Instead, they begin a journey of more than 6,000 miles to Ghana, where millions of discarded garments from Western nations have created one of the world’s largest textile waste crises. A personal mission
For Houston retail veteran-turned-commu n it y a dvo c ate Rhonda Richardson, exposing that hidden connection has become a personal mission. After years in retail, she witnessed the endless cycle of overproduction, returns, and dis- Rhonda posable fast fashion. Richardson When she learned where unwanted clothing ultimately ended up, she could no longer look at a donation bin the same way. “It just stayed with me,” Richardson says. “Doing a service project for STEM students, I thought this would be a good way for young minds to start thinking differently. Maybe they’ll come up with solutions we haven’t considered.” Today, Richardson brings that conversation to Houston schools, churches, and community groups, urging residents to rethink what they buy—and what they donate. A fast fashion crisis
The irony is difficult to ignore. For many African Americans, Ghana represents a place of cultural connection and ancestral homecoming. Yet today, it has become one of the top destinations for discarded Western clothing. Every week, approximately 15 million pieces of secondhand clothing arrive in Ghana in tightly packed bales. The country’s largest resale hub, Kantamanto Market in Accra, has transformed from an economic lifeline into an environmental disaster. “It is simply unbelievable,” Richardson says. “There are 15 million pieces of clothing coming every week... The mountains of clothes are as tall as parking buildings. Their beaches used to be pristine, but now the clothing is so embedded in the sand that it’s like a tug-of-war trying to pull it back out.”
ACTION STEPS • Choose quality
garments to donate. • Donate responsibly (i.e., Stop donating damaged clothes). • Organize neighborhood clothing swaps.
An activist holds a Greenpeace banner at Jamestown, a fishing town in Accra, where textile waste is washed into the sea. Credit: Kevin McElvaney / Greenpeace.
Along Ghana’s coastline, textiles clog waterways, wash onto beaches, and release synthetic fibers and dyes into the Atlantic Ocean. Fishermen routinely pull clothing from their nets alongside fish. The myth of the ‘good’ donation
While many donations help local families, millions of garments never reach thrift store racks. Instead, after high-quality items are sold locally, what remains is sorted into massive bales and sold overseas to international textile importers who buy them uninspected. The U.S. exported more than $1.09 billion worth of used clothing in 2023 alone. However, today’s fast fashion relies heavily on synthetic fabrics with little resale value. Richardson notes that too many Americans unknowingly treat donation bins like garbage cans. “We send things with stains on them, things that are torn, things that we should really be getting rid of instead of giving them to someone else,” Richardson says. “It’s gotten to a point now where about 60% of the bale is good, and 40% is bad. The vendors just hope for the best, but more and more they’re paying for junk.” An environmental catastrophe
Richardson views the textile crisis as an issue of environmental justice that disproportionately affects Black communities across the African diaspora. Synthetic fabrics like polyester do not biodegrade,
leaking microplastics and dyes into water sources. “Fast clothes are made so cheaply that the dye is bleeding into the ocean,” Richardson says. “Even though Ghana is far away from us, eventually it comes back to all of us because the Earth can’t continue to absorb this.” Accra has closed 10 legal landfills after they reached capacity, leaving the city unable to keep up with the volume. Solomon Noi, director of waste management for the Accra Metropolitan Assembly, noted during the ChangeNOW conference: “It is growing in the sea. Turtles cannot come to the beach, the coral is dying, the fishers can’t fish. It’s an environmental catastrophe.” Beyond environmental destruction, the flood of imported clothing—known locally as Obroni W’awu, or “dead white man’s clothes”—undercuts Ghana’s local textile
and fashion industries, making it nearly impossible for local creators to compete. What Houstonians can do
Buy for quality: Choose fewer garments made from natural fibers (cotton, linen, wool). Donate responsibly: Only donate clean, wearable clothing that someone else could genuinely use. Repair and swap: Fix damaged clothing or organize neighborhood swaps instead of discarding items. Above all, Richardson encourages people to rethink what it truly means to give back. “People think they’re helping someone when they drop off a bag of clothes,” she says. “But if you wouldn’t give that item to someone you love, you shouldn’t send it halfway around the world and expect someone else’s family to deal with it.”
CLASSIFIED BID NOTICE The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD will be accepting proposals for the following: Northeast Clinic Furniture Package RFP Specifications may be secured from The Harris Center website www.theharriscenter.org beginning Monday, September 28, 2026. The Harris Center utilizes Bonfire for their solicitations https://theharriscenter. bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities . Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Monday, October 5, 2026. Proposals must be submitted by 11:00 A.M., Friday, October 16, 2026. The Harris Center reserves all rights to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.
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DN Profile
WATCH
VIDEO
Chase Stallings Builds indie sessions for artists
By Laura Onyeneho
When Chase Stallings dropped his EP in 2020, the analytics looked promising. The music was moving. But then, like so many struggles of being an independent artist, there were times when the gigs went quiet. “Myself and a lot of my artist friends and musicians, we just kind of waited by the phone, hoping that somebody would call us for a gig or a project,” said Stallings, owner and CEO of CSP Music Group. “A lot of times when the phone is ringing, everything’s all good. But when the phone stops ringing, then it’s like, oh no.” That silence became a turning point. Rather than keep waiting, the Detroitraised, Houston-based artist, musician, and producer made a decision that would reshape his career and create something far bigger than himself. The result is The Indie Sessions, a curated live music platform designed to economically empower independent artists who are long on talent but short on opportunity. The showcase delivers professional marketing, high-quality photo and video content, live performance footage, direct audience access, and critically, direct compensation through ticket revenue. Stallings relocated to Houston in 2007, arriving just in time for Hurricane Ike, which served as his introduction to the city. A child of the church and the musical heritage of Detroit, the city of Motown, he quickly discovered that Houston’s creative scene operated by its own code. “Y’all have Chop and Screw and all that stuff. I was like, what is that?” he said with a laugh. “But when you have music in you, it’ll find its way to guide you through.”
I’m going to give other people a chance to get their music out,” he said. “You heard me last year. Let’s give somebody else that chance.” CHASE STALLINGS
Chase Stallings, owner of CSP Music Group and founder of The Indie Sessions, at the inaugural sold-out showcase held May 31, 2025, in Houston. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/Defender.
As he matured into Houston’s independent music landscape, Stallings observed a persistent pattern. The scene, he found, tends to reward the already-known. “It’s kind of cliquish,” said Reno The Artist, a Houston native who knows that reality firsthand. “They go to the people whom they already know. It’s not really an open thing for people to come and share their talent.” Reno is not a newcomer to the industry. He attended a music high school, graduated from Berklee College of Music, and once performed for Grammy-winning artist Jill Scott. Yet even with that pedigree, he had quietly stepped back from performing until Stallings called. “Chase gave me that extra drive,” Reno said. “It brought back that jolt, performing at Berklee, performing for Jill Scott. It brought back a lot of good memories.” That reignition is exactly what Stallings designed The Indie Sessions to produce. The first installment took place in May
2025, bringing together a circle of independent artists, including Chazzy R. Rhee, J. Monet, D. Love, Reno the Artist, and Janiah Britton, on a stage backed by live musicians in front of a room full of people hungry for something real. It sold out. The experience moved Reno so profoundly that for the second installment on March 29, he chose not to perform. Instead, he hosted, stepping into a new role to give other emerging artists the same spotlight the platform gave him. “I’m going to give other people a chance to get their music out,” he said. “You heard me last year. Let’s give somebody else that chance.” That spirit of paying it forward mirrors Stallings’ founding vision precisely. He is deliberate about what The Indie Sessions is not a nonprofit, a charity, or a handout. This is a business. A self-funded ecosystem where ticket sales first cover production costs, then flow directly to the artists and musicians on stage.
“Anything that you put your money into, you’ll make sure that it’s done with excellence,” Stallings said. “My mother and father instilled in me that anything you put your name on, you make sure that it’s done well.” Stallings hosts all rehearsals at his own studio, remaining hands-on through every phase of preparation. He is opening the platform to artist submissions, though space is intentionally limited to five or six performers per showcase. “I’m fully invested,” Stalling said. “Not only monetarily, but even in the work and the process, because I believe in it that much.” For the future of the Indie Sessions, Stallings is already thinking well beyond city limits, with plans to expand the model nationally and carry the platform’s mission into markets across all 50 states. “You always want to leave a mark on the world,” he said. “I want to provide an opportunity to somebody that they probably wouldn’t have had if I didn’t do it.
10 | September 24, 2026 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Sports Quarterback Jacurri Brown came to Rice as an experienced quarterback after having played in 21 games and taken 462 snaps combined during his time at Miami and UCF. Credit: Rice University Athletics.
JACURRI BROWN Lands in the perfect spot spot as Rice QB
By Terrance Harris
Jacurri Brown can’t help but feel a sense of freedom. He is free to be himself. He is free to test the limits of his game. He is free to be the leader he has wanted to be. And probably the biggest freedom of all is the freedom to be the starter. It hasn’t been easy for the Rice Owls’ fifthyear senior quarterback, who transferred this year, to be any of those things in a career that started out as a four-star recruit of the Miami Hurricanes and then later moved on to Central Florida (UCF). But now at Rice, Brown has finally found a program where he can test all of the outer limits. “It’s going great. It’s great to be in a situation where I was the starter after spring, so that I can kind of get the reps with the guys that I need to get the reps with to solidify myself as a leader,” Brown said in a recent conversation with The Defender. “I think that was the biggest thing that I didn’t get to do at any other school that I was at, for sure.” He is getting to do it all and then some as the signal caller in Scott Abell’s Gun Choice offense that marries triple-option and old school uptempo read-zone. It’s the first time in Brown’s career that he feels like his coaching staff is truly committed to him, his teammates have total belief in him, and that the job is truly his. “It was really important,” Brown said of the opportunity to be the bona fide starter for the Owls. “I was at a lot of places where
I was good, I was operating at a higher clip, but it was just like certain things that you cannot control. Doing all of the things that I can control on and off the field, and sometimes the ball doesn’t fall your way. “Even if you get opportunities, sometimes the ball doesn’t fall your way.” Still, Brown joined Rice this offseason as an experienced college quarterback, having played in 21 games and taken 462 snaps during two-year stints at both Miami and UCF. He had amassed 1,727 yards of offense while throwing for 906
The biggest thing is, put a trophy on that podium. I don’t think they’ve had a trophy since 2014. So whether it’s the American Athletic Conference or a bowl game, that’s what I want for the team. That’s one of our goals.” JACURRI BROWN Rice quarterback
yards and six touchdowns and rushing for “I think it brings back his desire and love 821 yards and eight touchdowns on 137 for football,” Abell said. “I think that is the career carries. reason we landed him. He wanted to be But the instability of playing in four dif- somewhere that wanted him. He wanted ferent systems under four different offensive to be somewhere that had a plan for him. coordinators at both schools, combined with We have both of those things. the politics often associated with such “That told me everything I needed changes, meant Brown’s opportuto know. He didn’t come in saynities were limited. ing, ‘How much are you going “Each year of changing OC’s, to pay me?’ Those negotiations the philosophy of that room happened, but that wasn’t changed,” said Brown, who is what was driving him. What 6-foot-4 and 227 pounds. “They was driving him was ‘What’s might want a guy who is this, or my opportunity to play? Do I they might have recruited a guy fit your vision?’ And we had before and brought him in, or Scott Abell a true desire for him to come they might have paid a guy so win that job.” they want to play him, or things like that. While Brown was looking for a place he Sometimes that’s how things go, and you could come in and start, he was also lookcan’t control that.” ing for a school that could help set him up Now Brown is in his fifth different sys- for life after football. Brown, who is pursutem in as many years of college football, and ing a master’s degree in Global Affairs after this change may seem the most drastic yet earning his bachelor’s degree in Criminolfor a natural running quarterback who had ogy at UCF, aspires to work for Lockheed learned to be more of a traditional pocket Martin as a defense contractor once he is passer under his previous offensive coordi- done playing. nators. But in researching Brown upon findThe reality of what an advanced degree ing him in the transfer portal, Abell saw a from Rice can mean for his future isn’t lost player who made things happen with his legs on Brown. and an athlete who had played some option “I was in a situation where I kind of football in high school. needed to play now wherever it was,” he As much as Abell was impressed by said. “Then the biggest thing was life after Brown’s prowess on the playing field, he was ball. I set myself up for the education you even more excited about the young man he can have at Rice. It’s a prestigious education, is. Abell could tell how much the opportu- things that people would die for, and some nity to start meant to Brown. work their whole life to try to get into Rice.”
September 24, 2026 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
| 11
DN Sports
Ray Seals Classic Begins a new tradition in HISD football
By Jimmie Aggison
In the years and decades to come, Houston will celebrate the Ray Seals Classic as a Houston ISD football tradition. And it can trace its roots back to Sept. 19 of this year, when Madison and Milby high schools met for the classic’s inaugural game. The matchup honored Seals, a legendary Houston Independent School District (HISD) coach whose career included stints at both schools before he spent more than two decades building Madison into one of the district’s most respected football programs. “The Ray Seals Classic was created to honor his legacy in coaching,” said HISD athletic director Andre Walker. “I felt it was important not only for the student-athletes and the communities of the two participating schools to understand his impact, but also for the entire city to be reminded of his greatness as a coach and a person. His influence shaped generations, and his commitment to young people extended far beyond the football field.” The decision to honor Seals with a football game held particular significance because Madison and Milby were both key stops in his long coaching career. Seals dedicated 46 years to Houston ISD, coaching at Attucks, Woodson, Sterling, Milby, Houston High, and M.C. Williams before finding his home at Madison High School. Over 23 seasons as Madison’s head coach, he built one of HISD’s most respected football programs. Seals finished his career with 212 victories, 21 playoff appearances, and 10 HISD Coach of the Year awards. In 2008, he became the inaugural Don Shula NFL High School Coach of the Year. University of Texas legend Vince Young, among his most notable players, starred under Seals at Madison in the early 2000s. “Ray Seals’ legacy at Madison football is more than wins,” said Madison head football coach James Soria. “It’s about building a culture of discipline, character, accountability, and family. He taught players to become better people and better athletes. Today’s players should understand his legacy because they carry on the traditions and expectations he helped establish.” Seals’ influence, however, extended beyond Madison, leaving a lasting impression on coaches, players, and programs throughout HISD. “Coach Seals’ legacy speaks for itself and is a great example of longevity, mentorship, and success within our district,” said Milby head football coach Matthew Puente. “He is a coach whom others have tried to emulate and model a program after. Our district has a very wide and rich history, and it is important to
Madison senior receiver Juel Peterson (3) fights for extra yardage after making a first-down catch as Milby senior safety Guillermo Sanchez (13) attempts a tackle during the Ray Seals Classic. Credit: Jimmie Aggison/Defender.
showcase some of the significant stories such as Coach Seals.” Saturday’s matchup allowed both programs to honor their shared connection to Seals while writing a new chapter on the football field. The game was back and forth as both teams moved the ball well. In the second half, Madison pulled away and didn’t look back, defeating Milby 42-13. Madison senior running back Kenyan Navarre earned Offensive Player of the Game honors; Milby sophomore middle linebacker Andre Lance earned Defensive Player of the Game honors; and Soria earned Coach of the Game honors. However, the inaugural Classic was ultimately intended to celebrate Seals’ lasting influence and to begin a tradition that would carry his name into future generations of Houston football. “Playing in the first Ray Seals Classic and being named Offensive Player of the Game as a Madison player means a lot, especially knowing that Coach Seals was a Madison coaching legend,” said Navarre, who rushed for two touchdowns and nearly 100 yards. “When this season is over, I want to be mentioned alongside the new-era Madison legends who came before me, including
Dontreal Fisher, Marcus Estes, and Anthonie Thomas.” While Navarre saw the Classic as an opportunity to add his name to Madison’s football legacy, Lance approached the game with the same determination on the opposing side of the ball. “Receiving Defensive Player of the Game honors at an event celebrating Coach Seals’ legacy meant the world to me, knowing I worked day and night to get 1% better at the sport I love and prayed to God to push me beyond my limits so I could play my best,” said Lance, who recorded six solo tackles and assisted on three others. The recognition, Lance said, reflected the preparation and effort he put into every defensive snap throughout the game. “I think the voting committee saw the effort I put out on the field, going 100% every play to get past blockers and to the man with the ball, reading the run game and covering the field,” said Lance. While Navarre and Lance were recognized for their performances, the first Classic was ultimately about something bigger than individual honors or the final score. “I hope our players take away from Coach Seals the importance of character, discipline, hard work, and caring for others,” said Soria.
“Football is only a small part of their lives, so I want them to apply those lessons to become responsible, successful men who make a positive impact on their families, careers, and communities.” Those lessons extended beyond the players Seals coached at Madison, contributing to the broader impact he had throughout Houston and beyond. “I want future generations of Houston football players to understand that Coach Seals’ goal was always bigger than the game itself,” said Walker. “He used football as a vehicle to teach life lessons that helped young men grow into responsible, disciplined, and confident men. It is also important for them to know that Coach Seals’ influence extended far beyond the players he coached. His impact flowed through the communities he served, across the state, and even at the national level. He was just that good as an educator, gifted, intentional, and committed to shaping lives.” Madison will have the 42-13 victory as the result of the first Ray Seals Classic. But the lasting measure of the event may be whether future generations of Houston football players continue to learn about Seals and the values he taught through football.
12 | September 24, 2026 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Feature Historic Houston music venues WATCH
VIDEO
By Aswad Walker
When it comes to the impact of a city’s music scene, everyone points to the quality of that city’s artists and the various genres of music offered. But one factor that may be equally as important, yet is often overlooked, is the quality of a city’s music venues. Those are the places where the real magic happens–live performances experienced by audiences in real time and in person. Across the country, certain spots have played such a critical role in music history that they have become as legendary as the artists. Places like New York City’s Madison Square Garden, Harlem’s Apollo Theater, and First Avenue of Minneapolis come to mind. The truth is, every city has its legendary music venues, even if they don’t reach national prominence. They regularly come up in conversations about “back in the day,” especially if those places no longer exist. Houston has a boatload of such places—The Rhinestone Wrangler, Jamaica Jamaica, Rockerfeller’s, JB’s Entertainment Center, the Libra Lounge, Scott Gertner’s Sky Bar, and more—whose names bring a smile to people’s faces and past memories to present consciousness. The Defender spoke with members of Houston’s arts community and general readers to get a breakdown of some unforgettable dives, bars, and clubs where our favorite music and artists were the main attractions. Third Ward’s crown jewel and more Located at 2310 Elgin Street, the Eldorado Ballroom opened in 1939 and was the epicenter of Black social and musical life. Often billed as the “Home of Happy Feet,” this upstairs ballroom hosted national legends such as B.B. King, Ray Charles, and James Brown, as well as local stars such as Arnett Cobb and Jewel Brown. “Historically-wise, we’re going to go all the way back to Emancipation Park,” said Leonard “Al” Campbell, a professional bassist and educator. “That’s where, as a people, we gathered. It was like Congo Square was to people in New Orleans. And right across the street from Emancipation Park is the famous Eldorado Ballroom. It starts there. And it goes onto Ella’s Lounge, where blues and jazz were performed.” Third Ward boasted many other legendary hubs. “There was a famous jazz club that was in Third Ward called Lott’s Emporium,” Campbell recalled. “Dr. Carl Lott... opened his jazz club, and all the heavyweights from all over the country and in Houston used to perform there.” Other landmarks left an indelible mark on residents, such as Etta’s Lounge on Scott Street. “Etta’s Lounge was an original #GrownFolks live entertainment venue that was known for showcasing many of H-Town’s rising blues
Explore the iconic clubs, bars, and theaters that defined Houston’s Black music history, including the Eldorado Ballroom (pictured), and the modern efforts to preserve their stories. Credit: Project Row Houses.
Harrison Guy lists the DeLuxe Theater as one of his current favorite Black music venues. Credit: Aswad Walker/Defender.
Club Matinee, which opened in 1936, was one of the most beloved Black music venues. Courtesy: Retro Houston.
artists,” said reader Mary Abd. Nearby, JB’s Entertainment Center on Scott Street was a cultural staple of the city’s Southern soul and blues scenes from the late 1960s through the 1990s, hosting legends like Al Green and Etta James. “J.B. Coleman’s JB’s Entertainment Center used to be a bowling alley. And he turned it into a big dinner jazz club,” Campbell noted, while alum Karla Brown fondly remembered going “to see Too Short there.” From the exclusive crowds at The Wonder Bar to the early ‘90s spoken word, hip-hop, and R&B vibes at the Mahogany Café, Third Ward’s musical footprint remains unmatched.
before Motown’s ascendance. Another legendary location was Club Matinee at 3300 Lyons Avenue. Often labeled “The Cotton Club of the South,” it opened in 1936 under the leadership of Louis Wilton Dickerson, “The Godfather of the Fifth Ward.” “That was our Chitlin Circuit music venue,” said Harrison Guy, director of arts and culture for the Fifth Ward Cultural Arts District. “It wasn’t just the Fifth Ward community that came to Club Matinee to hear live music, but the whole city... It’s believed that Ray Charles met his second wife at Club Matinee.” Guy also noted the historical impact of the local schools: “Little Richard lived in Fifth Ward for a small swarth of time, and he got his touring band from Wheatley High School.” Though venues like Club Matador, the Zydeco-heavy Continental Club, the Silver Slipper, and the packed weekend destination Mister A’s eventually closed—partially due to the construction of the East Tex Freeway disrupting local commerce—their legacies endure.
Fifth Ward’s musical empire The Fifth Ward was anchored by powerhouse establishments like The Bronze Peacock Nightclub at 2809 Erastus Street. This venue was the centerpiece of the legendary Duke and Peacock Records empire, an African-American-owned conglomerate founded by Don Robey Sr. that flourished a decade
Surrounding sounds and historical hubs The music crossed freely into Downtown Houston at La Bastille, a premier early-70s jazz club that showcased giants like Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. “Freddie Hubbard, George Benson used to come down to Houston... That was the premier jazz club in Houston at the time,” Campbell said. Further down Martin Luther King Boulevard, places like The Cinder Club and Cody’s allowed local legends like Kirk Whalum and Hubert Laws to cut their teeth. Meanwhile, the coastal corridor near Cook’s Garage featured multiple Black-owned clubs and roadhouses that gave birth to Texas blues and zydeco. Reclaiming spaces today Even amid all the nostalgia, modern leaders are preserving these stories. Following a multi-million dollar restoration by Project Row Houses, the Eldorado Ballroom has officially reopened. “It’s newly becoming, for our generation, a music venue spot,” Guy said. “Music sounds good in the Eldorado Ballroom. It’s intimate. It feels good. Plus, you have that history.” The historic DeLuxe Theater at 3303 Lyons Avenue, originally a 1941 movie house and performance venue, has also been renovated into a community arts space. “We have an amazing music series that we are putting out called ‘Legends Live’ here at the Deluxe Theater,” Guy shared. For Black Music Month, the theater is showcasing music-aligned films like Summer of Soul. Additionally, a new mini music museum and outdoor venue in a renovated chapel on Lyons Avenue is opening to celebrate the musical greats of the Fifth Ward. While the physical landscapes of the past have shifted, Houston’s rich Black musical heritage continues to sing.