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Volume 85 | Number 48
STATE OF EMERGENCY
CALL FOR JUSTICE KEITH SCOTT TERENCE CRUTCHER PHILANDO CASTILE ALTON STERLING SANDRA BLAND FREDDIE GRAY MICHAEL BROWN ERIC GARNER TAMIR RICE TRAYVON MARTIN
H PAGE 6
AND MANY MORE...
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DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 29 | 2016
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newstalk
Astrodome to get a $150 mil makeover Defender News Services
Harris County Commissioners are moving forward on a major renovation project that could revitalize the Astrodome and prevent it from being demolished. The plan will turn the dome into a mixture of parking spaces, an event space and retail or hospitality. The $105 million project would raise the floor of the Astrodome two levels and put 1,400 parking spaces underneath. County officials believe that would make the Dome suitable for festivals or conferences and usher in potential commercial uses in the more than 550,000 square feet that surrounds the core. The vote signals a reversal of fate for the stadium, which many thought would be demolished after Harris County voters in 2013 rejected a $217 million bond proposal that would have paid for massive renovations to the Astrodome. The stadium, which was home to the Oilers and Astros and hosted countless major sporting events, including four of boxing great Muhammad Ali’s fights, has sat vacant since being declared unfit for occupancy in 2009. In 2005, it housed refugees of Hurricane Katrina. The Astrodome has not housed a professional sports team since the Astros moved to Minute Maid Park in 2000. Two years later, NRG Stadium opened nearby to serve as the home of the NFL’s Texans. Revitalization would be split three ways, including $35 million from the general fund, $35 million from hotel taxes and $35 million from parking revenue. The project is expected to take about a year to complete once work begins.
The Astrodome will become a mixture of parking, event and retail spaces.
State Rep. Dawnna Dukes resigns due to health my resignation from my seat in the Texas House of Representatives effective midState Rep. Dawnna Dukes (D-Austin) is night January 10, 2017,” Dukes said in a stepping down. The 11-term state representastatement. “My resignation is the result tive said her resignation was a result of health of injuries I suffered as the result of a car issues related to a 2013 car accident and concrash in August 2013 and the health comcerns over caring for her 9-year-old daughter. plications stemming from said injuries.” Her announcement comes as the Travis Dukes’ name will still be on the County District Attorney’s office is conductNovember ballot, and if she beats RepubliState Rep. Dawnna Dukes can Gabriel Nila, Gov. Greg Abbott could ing a criminal investigation into her alleged misuse of staff and government funds. call a special election to fill her vacant seat. The next “It is with great sadness that I announce today legislative session begins Jan. 10. Texas Tribune
Dukes missed much of the 2015 legislative session and has said her absences were related to her health issues stemming from the car accident. Former staff members accused Dukes of seeking reimbursement from the state for travel payments she was not entitled to. In February, The Texas Tribune reported that the state auditor’s office was investigating her use of state workers on a personal project Dukes oversaw, the African American Heritage Festival. The auditors referred the case to Travis County prosecutors. Gregg Cox of the district attorney’s office said the matter “is still under review.”
localbriefs TEXAS WANTS TO TAKE ITS VOTER ID battle to the Supreme Court. State Attorney General Ken Paxton has asked the justices to hear his arguments about why photo ID requirements for voting do not discriminate against Hispanics and African-American voters. Officials say the voter ID law bolsters the integrity of elections by preventing voter fraud, which Gov. Greg Abbott has called “rampant.” But the Department of Justice shows in-person voter fraud is incredibly rare……..HISD WILL PAY $550,000 to settle a lawsuit with a former principal accused of overseeing test cheating seven years ago. Mable Caleb, the former principal of Key Middle School and
Kashmere High School, sued HISD after the board fired her in 2010. The termination of the popular principal followed an investigative report, commissioned by thenSuperintendent Terry Grier, that alleged cheating took place at Key Middle School on state exams given to students in 2009. The investigation, conducted by a local law firm, also alleged improper fundraising activities that profited off students and nepotism in hiring took place at the school. Caleb denied the allegations and submitted a letter indicating her intent to retire before the school board fired her anyway. Caleb alleged that Grier was retaliating against her……..THERE APPEARS TO BE A DISCREPANCY between the family of
Sandra Bland and DPS officials. The Bland family recently settled a lawsuit, which they say included an agreement to institute additional statewide de-escalation training for all incoming troopers and those already on the roster. DPS however, is now saying the department already requires 76 hours of de-escalation training that’s embedded in its school for recruits.……..TIME IS WINDING DOWN to register to vote in Texas. Tuesday, Oct. 11 is the deadline to register for the upcoming presidential elections. Those who are already registered can confirm their registration by visiting www.teamrv-mvp.sos.texas.gov/MVP/mvp.do prior to the Nov. 8 election.
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SEPTEMBER 29 | 2016 | DEFENDER
national
U.S.briefs CONGRESSMAN JOHN LEWIS of Georgia wants the feds placed at polling stations on Election Day in states that have recently restricted voting rights. Following a Supreme Court decision in 2013 that struck down key provisions of the Voting Rights Act, the Justice Department lost its ability to select voting areas it deemed at risk of racial discrimination and deploy observers. Federal observers can still be sent to monitor elections but only when authorized by federal court rulings. The department has not announced how many observers it will dispatch on Election Day…….A FEDERAL COURT has ruled that banning employees from wearing locks is not racial discrimination. The court dismissed a lawsuit brought by an insurance claims processing company in Mobile, Ala. which offered a woman a job but told her that she would have to cut her locks before beginning work. When she refused, they withdrew the offer. The company claimed her locks violated the company’s grooming policy, which they say is race-neutral, and employees are required to keep their appearance “in a manner that projects a professional and businesslike image.”…..…THE CHICAGO POLICE DEPARTMENT is under fire after a report by the Chicago Tribune revealed that officers shot someone and said they thought the person had a gun, though police ultimately never found one, at least 14 times. That opened up the city to millions of dollars in legal claims, according to public records........ GOOGLE WILL LAUNCH an Oakland tech lab to mentor the next generation of minority computer scientists. The search giant is working with the MIT Media Lab to establish a facility to mentor Black and Hispanic students. The lab, called Code Next, aims to educate the students about opportunities in the field. Silicon Valley companies have come under fire for a lack of minority employees and many, by their own admission, are not diverse enough.
VOLUME 85 • NUMBER 48 SEPTEMBER 29, 2016 Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler Digital Editor LaGloria Wheatfall Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila Proofer Maia Shelby
Editors ReShonda Billingsley Marilyn Marshall Contributing Writers Aswad Walker Jasemine Knowles Amber Vernon Sports Editors Max Edison Darrell K. Ardison
The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender is audited by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For subscription, send $60-1 year to: Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston TX 77288. Payment must accompany subscription request. All material covered by 2012 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).
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Dedication of Black history museum draws thousands By D. KEVIN MCNEIR NNPA
O
n Sept. 24, with the ringing of a bell borrowed from the First Baptist Church of Williamsburg, one of the nation’s oldest Black churches founded in 1776, President Barack Obama officially dedicated the newest addition to the family of Smithsonian institutions located on the National Mall – the President Obama speaks at the opening of the National Museum of African American History National Museum of African and Culture. American History and Culmany of whom were donors in a remarkably long ture (NMAAHC). fundraising initiative, led by Lonnie G. Bunch III, In his address, the president said that the muthe founding director of the NMAAHC. seum was an essential part of America’s story. As far as the eye could see, hundreds and hun“What we can see of this beautiful building dreds of men, women and children lined the grounds tells us that it is truly a sight to behold. But what surrounding the museum, watching the program on makes it special are the stories contained inside,” Jumbotrons (the dedication was also carried live by Obama said. several networks). “It is this national museum that will help tell a Former President George W. Bush and his wife, fuller story of who we are. The African-American Laura, also joined the special guests on stage. Bush, story is not a sidebar or a secondary tale. No, it is passionate in his remarks, shared one statement that central to the American story – a glorious story that elicited a roar of agreement from the crowd and illustrates how African-Americans have been able which Obama would reiterate during his address. to rise again and again from tragedy to triumph. “A great nation does not shy away from the truth,” Hopefully it will help us begin to talk to one Bush said, referring to the countless lessons that he another, really see one another and listen to one believes the new museum, through its many artifacts and another.” exhibits, could provide to all Americans. The president’s remarks served as the finale For more museum info: https:nmaachc.si.edu to a program attended by several hundred guests,
Jury selection underway in Charleston church shooting trial Justice took a step forward for the nine Black people gunned down last year in Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. Jury selection has begun in the federal trial of Dylann Roof, a professed white supremacist charged in the murders of the Charleston, South Carolina parishioners. Roof, 22, faces 33 federal charges in connection with the mass shooting. Separately, he also faces numerous state charges, including nine counts of murder. More than 3,000 potential jurors received summonses. A first set of about 300 reported in groups of 80, for a first round of questioning. Attorneys for both sides will ultimately narrow the pool to just 12
jurors and six alternates. Roof reportedly avoided eye contact and expressed no emotions during the court’s examination of the first 80 potential jurors. However, the news outlet said he appeared “more relaxed, even smiling and laughing with his attorneys” later in the day, when the third set appeared in the courtroom. The accused mass shooter faces the death penalty in both the federal and state trials. Roof’s attorneys said their client would plead guilty and accept a life sentence if the government agrees not to seek capital punishment. Opening arguments are expected to begin in late November and last for several weeks.
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DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 29 | 2016
entertainment
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Houston film fest connects artists
Richie Francis
Lipsia
AfriFEST comes to Houston grass lands of Kumbo to the world stage. Myoa, Houston will pay tribute to the continent of Africa during the fourth annual AfriFest, which will a London-based singer, will also grace the stage. Joy of Djembe, a 14-piece orchestra, will open the be held Saturday, Oct. 8, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. festival with a drum call. at Houston Baptist University, 7502 Fondren. It is The Africa Zone will consist of displays from sponsored by the Nigerian-American Multicultural various countries, each of which will have an Council and the African Student Association. elaborate exhibition of their national arts, crafts, The purpose of AfriFEST is to share cultural history and geography. arts activities from various nationalities and ethnic The Kids’ Zone will groups. More than 2,000 include educational and fun are expected to attend activities for children of all the event showcasing Saturday, Oct. 8, 11 a.m., ages, including face-painting traditional and contemHouston Baptist University and arts and crafts. The fesporary African entertainment. tival’s African Market will Guest performers feature international merchants will include Lipsia, an Angolan jazz, R&B and with an array of arts, crafts and fashions. Festival world music singer; Richie Francis, a Nigerian attendees can enjoy authentic dishes from African singer; and the Cameroonian masquerade dancers, food vendors. who will perform traditional Njang dances. Admission is $5 for the general public and Chilli, the cultural ambassador of Cameroon, free for senior citizens, students and children. Visit will also bring original traditional music from the www.namchouston.org for more information.
A local arts organization is doing its part to help Houstonians acquire the tools to make it in Hollywood. Mack Performing Arts Collective (MPAC) will urtney holdCo a Mini Film Friday, Sept. 30 B. Fest Vancbeginning e with three film screenings, and continuing with panel sessions on Saturday, Oct. in the Student Center on the main campus of the University of Houston. It covers the fundamentals of screenwriting for film; developing, producing, financing and distributing films; acting and casting and other interests in the world of film. “I am always overjoyed in presenting these game changing events, because it has always been and will be my goal for MPAC to make an ‘impact’ on the entertainment industry,” said atKim Fields torney Jalene Mack, MPAC’s founder/executive director/artistic director. “We do just that when we connect entertainment industry resources to those that do not have access otherwise, which creates opportunities to be successful in this business.” Actress Kim Fields will headline the event, along with other notables, including: TVOne’s SVP Original Programming & Production, D’Angela Proctor; entertainment attorneys Ricky Anderson and Mack; talent agent Jennifer Michelle; Houston Film Commission Deputy Directory Alfred Cervantes; writer/producer/ director Greg Carter; writer/filmmaker/professor Ya’Ke Smith; film producer Jerri Moore, and filmmaker/professor Tyrone Dixon, among others. For more information visit www.mpac-arts.org.
what’sup SEAN “DIDDY” COMBS has pledged $1 million to his alma mater, Howard University, for the newly established Sean Combs Scholarship Fund, which will provide undergraduate business majors with scholarships and internships beginning in the fall 2017 semester. Combs attended Howard but dropped out in in 1990 after two years as a business major and became an intern at New York’s Uptown Records……..COOKIE JOHNSON, entrepreneur and wife of NBA legend EARVIN “MAGIC” JOHNSON, revealed her inner struggle on Oprah’s “Super Soul Sunday” after her son EJ came out as gay. EJ, star of E! Network’s reality show “EJ and
The City,” publicly came out in 2013 when photos surfaced of him holding hands with his thenboyfriend. As a devout Christian, Johnson said she faced difficulty accepting her son’s decision and prayed for an answer how to reconcile her beliefs with her son’s sexuality, and the answer she got back “was love”………JOHN LEGEND is bringing the story of “Black Wall Street” to WGN. “Black Wall Street” is the real life story of a wealthy Black neighborhood in Tulsa that was attacked in 1921 by a mob of angry whites who burned it down and massacred hundreds of Black residents over two days. The series will
examine how Black Wall Street and the community around its creation became a safe haven even at a time of deep segregation. It will also examine the backlash that the community faced over the course of the two-day rampage……..Actor BILL NUNN died on Sept. 24 at age 62. Nunn, who will always be known for his iconic role as Radio Raheem in Spike Lee’s “Do the Right Thing,” died in his hometown of Pittsburgh. Lee, who attended Morehouse with Nunn, confirmed his friend’s death via Instagram. Nunn also appeared in such films as “New Jack City” and the “SpiderMan” trilogy.
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Most adults over 50 avoid regular exercise Despite the many benefits of moderate physical activity, 31 million Americans (28 percent) age 50 years and older are inactive – that is, they are not physically active beyond the basic movements needed for daily life activities. This finding comes from a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Researchers analyzed data to examine patterns of inactivity among adults ages 50 and older by selected characteristics. The analysis showed: • Inactivity was higher for women (29.4 percent) compared with men (25.5 percent). • The percentage of inactivity by race and ethnicity varied: Blacks (33.1 percent), Hispanics (32.7 percent), non-Hispanic whites (26.2 percent), and other groups (27.1 percent). • Inactivity significantly increased with age: 25.4 percent for adults 50-64, 26.9 percent for people 6574 years, and 35.3 percent for people 75 years and older. • More adults with at least one chronic disease were inactive (31.9 percent) compared with adults with no chronic disease (19.2 percent).
• Inactivity was highest in the South (30.1 percent), followed by the Midwest (28.4 percent). Physical activity reduces the risk of premature death and can delay or prevent many chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, dementia and some cancers. Being physically active helps older adults maintain the ability to live independently and reduces the risk of falling and fracturing bones.
Active older adults also have a reduced risk of moderate or severe limitations and are less likely to suffer from falls. Here is some advice on exercising from the American Heart Association. 1. Work with your health care provider or a fitness professional to develop an activity plan to consider chronic conditions, activity limitations and reducing risk of falls. 2. Focus more on increasing moderate activity and give less emphasis to attaining high levels of activity which have a risk of injury and lower adherence. 3. Pick activities that are fun, suit your needs and that you can do year-round. Find a companion to exercise with you if it will help you stay on a regular schedule and add to your enjoyment. 4. If you decide that walking is a great activity for you, choose a place that has a smooth, soft surface, that does not intersect with traffic, and that’s well-lighted and safe. Many people walk at shopping malls. 5. Because muscular adaptation and elasticity generally slows with age, take more time to warm up and cool down while exercising. Make sure you stretch slowly.
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DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 29 | 2016
STATE OF
POL
EMERGENCY
Killed by police in 2015 990 people
w 258 African Americans w 494 Whites w 172 Hispanics w 66 Race unknown/Other *ZERO officers convicted of murder/manslaughter
Killed by police in 2016 (YTD)
708 people w 173 African Americans w 325 Whites w 111 Hispanics w 27 Other w 72 Race Unknown
cente
Defender News Se
The most recent fatal shootings o in Tulsa, Okla. and Charlotte, N.C. hav of emergency in America, with compa and continued calls for investigations b Justice. There are three months left in 20 police have killed at least 714 people – unarmed, mentally ill, and people of co Washington Post, which has started ke police killings across the country. As no surprise to many, Blacks a minority group – Native Americans – highest rates in the United States: 194 been killed by police so far this year,. February and March were the de year, with 99 people killed by police in have killed 59 people in September alo The disturbing statistics have led to declare that police killings of Black reminiscent of lynchings. The U.N. iss Human Rights Council, asking that the to protect African-Americans. The hard-hitting criticism – draw between modern police behavior and m the 19th and 20th centuries – comes at police shootings of Black males. • On Sept. 14, 13-year-old Tyre K lumbus, Ohio who were responding to ran when they approached him and the which was later found to be a BB gun, • On Sept. 16, Tulsa police office Terence Crutcher after the truck he wa captured by the Tulsa Police Departme truck with his arms raised, just before with felony manslaughter. • On Sept. 20, police in Charlotte Lamont Scott at an apartment building car reading a book when plainclothes o
B Texas
65 people killed by police
12,765 Killed by police 2008-2012
w 51.1% Black men w 46.3% White men w 2.6% Other w 130 victims were unknown Source: Washington Post
During a National Newspaper Publishe Denise Rolark Barnes, Dr. Benjamin Ch emergency.
defendernetwork.com • Serving t
erfold
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LICE KILLINGS BRING CALLS FOR JUSTICE
ervices
of Black men by police ve prompted a state arisons to lynching by the Department of
016, and already, – many of whom were color, according to the eeping a database of
and members of another are being killed at the Black Americans have
eadliest months this n each month. Police one. d the United Nations k people in the U.S. as sued the report to the e government do more The UN is comparing recent police killings to lynchings of the past.
wing a comparison mob killings of Blacks in t a time of renewed racial tension and more
King was shot and killed by police in Coo an armed robbery call. Police said that King en pulled a weapon from his waistband, , a toy that couldn’t even fire bullets. er Betty Shelby fired the fatal shot that killed as driving broke down on the road. In a video ent, Crutcher can be seen walking back to his he was tased then shot. Shelby was charged
e, N.C. shot and killed 43 year-old Keith g. Witnesses said that Scott was sitting in his officers approached him and asked him to
exit his vehicle. Police later released body-worn camera and dashboard camera video footage of the incident. None of the videos show Scott holding a gun or pointing a weapon at the police. The deaths of Blacks at the hands of law enforcement led to the U.N.’s criticism of police brutality in America. “Contemporary police killings and the trauma that they create are reminiscent of the past racial terror of lynching,” said the report by the U.N. Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent. A report by a non-profit organization, the Equal Justice Initiative, found that 3,959 Black people were killed in “racial terror lynchings” in a dozen Southern states between 1877 and 1950. The U.N. report was based on a visit to the U.S. in January by a five-member group. Anger over police tactics has risen as fatal encounters with African-Americans, many of them unarmed, have sparked protests and unrest across the country. Although the U.S. has made efforts at reform, the U.N. group said it re-
mained “extremely concerned” about the human rights situation of African-Americans. “In particular, the legacy of colonial history, enslavement, racial subordination and segregation, racial terrorism and racial inequality in the United States remains a serious challenge, as there has been no real commitment to reparations and to truth and reconciliation for people of African descent,” the report said. “Impunity for state violence has resulted in the current human rights crisis and must be addressed as a matter of urgency.” Police killings go unpunished because initial investigations are usually conducted by the police department where the alleged perpetrator works, because prosecutors have wide discretion over presenting charges, and because the use of force is not subject to international standards, the experts’ group said. The group recommended that the U.S. create a reliable national system to track killings and excessive use of force by law enforcement officials, and end racial profiling, which is “a rampant practice and seriously damages the trust between African Americans and law enforcement officials”. To improve race relations, education should be “accompanied by acts of reconciliation” to overcome bigotry and past injustices, while federal and state laws should recognize the negative impact of enslavement and racial injustice, the report added. The Congressional Black Caucus has also spoken out on the state of emergency, calling for the government to act – now. “It is time for the Department of Justice to take aggressive action and put an end to what appears to be the targeting of and profiling of African-Americans that result in their death,” Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said while reading a nearly two-page letter that she and Rep. G. K. Butterfield (D-N.C.) delivered to Attorney General Loretta Lynch’s office. “Officers enjoy the presumption of credibility, whereas victims endure the presumption of guilty. For too long, this dynamic has helped to protect law enforcement officers from being brought to justice.” Waters recited the names of Blacks who have been killed by police in recent years including Rekia Boyd, Eric Garner, Alton Sterling, Philando Castile and Terence Crutcher.
Black Press recommends solutions
ers Association (NNPA) press conference, havis and Bernal Smith II declare a state of
NNPA News Service
The recent police killings of three Black males, including a 13 year-old-boy, have sparked protests across the country, and the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) has declared a state of emergency in Black America. The NNPA is a trade group that represents more than 200 Black-owned media companies nationwide and reaches more than 20 million readers a week. “Millions of our readers across the nation are once again outraged at the latest fatal incidents of police brutality in Tulsa, Okla., and Charlotte, N.C.,” the group said in a joint statement. “These are not isolated incidents, but are a deadly national pattern of police violence and prosecutorial misconduct.” “We’re tired of covering these stories,” said Denise Rolark Barnes, chair of the NNPA and publisher of the Washington
the Houston area for over 85 years
7
Informer, “We have been covering these stories long before mainstream media ever saw them.” The NNPA called for President Barack Obama, Attorney General Loretta Lynch and the U.S. Congress to address four principal demands immediately: • Appoint a special federal prosecutor on police brutality • Establish a national police oversight commission on use of deadly force, training and cultural sensitivity • Create a national police brutality and misconduct database that is publicly accessible • Establish tougher federal penalties for police officers and prosecutors who violate constitutional rights “We’re not waiting for a new Congress, we’re not waiting for a new Supreme Court Justice, we’re not waiting for a new president, we’re not waiting for a new attorney general,” added Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr., president and CEO of the NNPA. “We want action, today.”
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DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 29 | 2016
opinion Partial police tapes too little, too late
K
By JULIANNE MALVEAUX
eith Lamont Scott was killed by a police officer on Tuesday, Sept. 20, in Charlotte, North Carolina. The officer, dressed in civilian clothing, said that Mr. Scott had a gun and that he did not follow verbal orders to put his hands up. While there is videotape that documents the interaction between Scott and Officer Brentley Vinson, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Chief Kerr Putney declined to release the tapes because there was “no compelling reason” to do so. By Saturday, public protest along with a disturbing tape released by Scott’s wife provided a compelling reason. Still, Chief Putney released just two short snippets of the shooting and indicated that more videotape was being withheld. The compelling reason for the Charlotte police to release all of the videotape is because there is a significant difference between what they say happened and what the Scott family says. The police say that Scott had a gun; the family says he was in his car reading a book and waiting for one of his sons to come home from school. Having reviewed the tapes, the family says it has more questions than answers. Allowing others to see the tape will likely raise more questions, but it will also close the trust gap. Failing to release the full video suggests that the Charlotte police have something to hide. Releasing tape snippets seems like appeasement, like drip, drip, drip of the police trying to make a case. The North Carolina NAACP, the ACLU, and many others have called for release of the all the tape, but the police chief has dug his heels in.
We didn’t have the luxury of tape during enslavement, yet we know that horrors were visited on Black people. Slave owner journals, along with some of the implements of torture that have been discovered (and may be displayed in our new museum) document the horrors, but imagine having tape of it. We don’t have tape of lynching, although there are pictures of those lynched, though they are conspicuously absent in many history books. We don’t have tapes of Rosewood or of the evisceration of Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Okla.
Indeed, the carnage that economically envious whites visited on a successful AfricanAmerican community is so shameful that white Tulsans have attempted to erase the record of their cowardly acts – the newspaper articles that recounted white cowardice went missing decades ago. We don’t have tape of the police brutality that caused so many Black deaths in the early and mid-twentieth century. We know the brutality existed, and we know police officers were never charged “back in the day” for killing or
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torturing Black people. The fact that we didn’t have tape then contributes to the urgency that we get tape now. I don’t know what the tape shows, but I know that I don’t want to leave it to my imagination, and I don’t want a minute here, two minutes there, when we know cameras should have been running for much longer. When another Black man is shot and killed and the police version is that he had a gun, the public deserves to see if the tape backs that version up. If there is a video record of a police interaction with an AfricanAmerican, it ought to be released, and it ought not to be edited. Failure to do so fuels the anger that spilled over onto Charlotte streets on the evenings of Sept. 20 and 21. Once the family saw the tapes and shared their concerns, people were back on the streets on Sept. 22, but they were peaceful, and the atmosphere was much less tense than it had been. There is a marked contrast between the behavior of the police establishment in Tulsa and that in Charlotte. In Tulsa, videotape was released just a couple of days after Officer Betty Shelby shot Terence Crutcher. Not a week had passed before the officer was charged with first-degree manslaughter, based on what prosecutors saw on the tapes. People in Tulsa have been outraged, but peaceful. People in Charlotte feel outraged, but also hurt and betrayed. It is interesting that Rykeyia Scott keeps telling the police that her husband has no weapon, even as the police keep insisting that he drop the gun. Is this a set-up? There is a compelling reason to release all, not just snippets, of the tape of Kevin Scott’s killing. It is an opportunity to build trust and to show that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg police have nothing to hide from those they are sworn to “serve and protect.” Julianne Malveaux is an author and economist.
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SEPTEMBER 29 | 2016 | DEFENDER
9
Wage gap larger today due to discrimination white men was 34.2 percent. Wilson and Rodgers tie the growth of racial wage gaps beginning in the early 1980s to factors such as high unem-
Wilson. “During the late 1990s, the gaps shrank due partially T:4.79” to tight labor markets, which made discrimination more costly, and These Texas Lottery Commission policy decisions like scratch ticket games will be closing soon: raising the minimum Official Close End Game # Game Name / Odds $ wage. Since 2000, of Game Validations Date the gaps have 11/30/16 5/29/17 1697 Triple Payout! - Overall Odds are 1 in 4.76 $1 grown again.” In order to $2 11/30/16 5/29/17 1765 Gas Monkey Garage™ - Overall Odds are 1 in 4.25 address racial wage 1778 Break The Bank - Overall Odds are 1 in 4.80 $2 11/30/16 5/29/17 gaps, Wilson and Rodgers recom1789 Texas Loteria - Overall Odds are 1 in 3.96 $3 11/30/16 5/29/17 mend various policies to eliminate 1739 Texa$ Ca$h Blowout - Overall Odds are 1 in 3.41 $5 11/30/16 5/29/17 workplace discrimi1744 Texas Lottery Live! - Overall Odds are 1 in 3.98 $5 11/30/16 5/29/17 nation and create greater transpar1761 Triple Winning 7’s - Overall Odds are 1 in 4.03 $5 11/30/16 5/29/17 ency, including: For detailed odds and game information, visit txlottery.org or call 800-375-6886. Must • Consistently be 18 or older to purchase a ticket. The Texas Lottery supports Texas education and veterans. PLAY RESPONSIBLY. For help with a gambling problem, ncpgambling.org. enforcing antidis© 2016 Texas Lottery Commission. All rights reserved. crimination laws • Developing economic policies such as raising the federal minimum wage • Strengthening 1 W63838_HNDF_EOG_AFAM_0929.indd workers’ ability to Non printed at 9-19-2016 3:54 PM 396-MB15 from by Tommy Salazar / Eddie Jacobson savedbargain at collectively “We’ve found job info approvals fonts & images that racialjobwage creative dir None # W63838 Fonts art director None TEXAS LOTTERY Helvetica Neue LT Std (95 Black, 57 Condensed gaps are client growcopywriter None headline/tag OCT EOG AD Condensed, 87 Heavy Condensed, 77 Bold Con ing primarily due account mgr MEGAN TRUMETER trim 4.79” x 3.25” (Regular) JONES HALL proofreader None bleed None to discriminalive None Images n Friday, October 7, 8pm setup BW None tion – andcolor other notes vendor/pub HOUSTON DEFENDER unmeasured With over 4,000 songs andDUE: 09/22 mediaand type NEWSPAPER Inks Black die cut five decades as a preeminentPUB: 09/29 unobserved char- None R&B artist, legendary acteristics – along Smokey Robinson with rising inequality in continues to thrill general,” Rodgers said. sold-out audiences “In order to fully around the world. address racial wage gaps, direct action must be taken to decrease discrimination and address the problem of stagnant wages across the board.” PERFORMANCE
LEGAL NOTICE
ployment, declining unionization, and lax enforcement of antidiscrimination laws. “While racial wage gaps are worse today than in 1979, the deterioration has not appeared along a straight line,” said
T:3.25”
“Direct action must be taken to decrease discrimination and address the problem of stagnant wages across the board.”
SMOKEY
ROBINSON
2500 bee caves rd • suite 300 • austin, tx 78746 t 512.479.6200 f 512.479.6024
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classified Invitation for Bids Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc. is soliciting bids for subcontractors and vendors for construction of control no. 0500-04-096 on IH 45 from South of FM 518 to North of FM 517 bid date is October 6, 2016. Mail, fax, or email quotations to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., 1701 Directors Blvd, Suite 1010, Austin, Texas 78744 fax: (512) 707-0798 email: bbiisw@bbiius.com. DBE/HUB contractors are encouraged to submit bids. Plans and specifications are available to be reviewed at TxDOT Plans On-line: http://bit.do/txdot E.O.E. For information contact Brian Ficzeri at (512) 707-0797.
PRELUDE 7:25pm l Jones Hall Lobby Sonkiss’d Dance Theater
SMOKEY ROBINSON
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new report from the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) finds that the racial wage gaps in 2015 were larger than they were in 1979. The report was authored by Valerie Wilson, director of EPI’s Program on Race, Ethnicity, and the Economy, and Rutgers University economist William M. Rodgers III. Wilson and Rodgers compared Black and white workers’ average hourly wages, adjusting for education, experience, region of residence and metro status. Even after adjusting for these factors, they found sizeable wage gaps between Black and white workers. In addition, the wage gap has expanded the most for college graduates. In 2015, Black men’s average hourly wages were 22.0 percent less than those of comparable white men, whereas in 1979, the wage gap was only 16.9 percent. Similarly, with an adjusted average hourly wage gap of only 4.5 percent, Black and white women were near parity in 1979. In 2015, however, Black women experienced an 11.7 percent wage gap relative to white women, while the wage gap between Black women and
2016-2017 SEASON BRING THE WORLD’S BEST TO HOUSTON
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DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 29 | 2016
sports
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Cougar QB Ward the ‘quiet storm’
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By MAX EDISON Defender
s residents of the Gulf Coast, Houstonians are familiar with hurricanes and all their characteristics. No matter what category there is always peace in the eye of
the storm. That’s the effect the University of Houston’s all-everything quarterback Greg Ward Jr. has on the No. 6 ranked Cougars. No matter how big the stage is or how tough the opponent, Ward is the quiet element in the midst of the chaos. Ward took over the starting quarterback job during his sophomore season. He started the first five games as Houston’s starting receiver, moving to the main quarterback spot for the last eight games. The team went 6-2 during that stint, including a comeback victory in the Armed Forces Bowl. Last year, Ward directed the team to a 13-1 record, including an American Athletic Conference title and a victory over Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, where he was named offensive MVP. This season, Ward is up to his old tricks. The Coogs are off to a 4-0 record, with a stunning season opening victory over No. 3 ranked Oklahoma. For all his success the quiet-spoken Ward keeps the lowest profile you could imagine. Who is Ward and where did he come from? Ward hails from Tyler, Texas, where he was a three-star recruit coming out of John Tyler High School. In 2012 he was rated the No. 3 QB in the state by Dave Campbell Texas Football magazine. Despite his high school success few universities recruited Ward as a quarterback. “Houston said they would give me a shot at quarterback, but it was more like a wildcat,” Ward recalled. “They were moving me all around at various offensive positions. I always thought that quarterback was my position.” Ward is an acco Ward and Clemson’s Deshaun Watson mplished pass er and rusher for the Univer were the only two players in the nation to sity of Housto “He’s a n. rush for at least 1,000 yards and pass for at least 2,000 dynamic playmaker,” Heryards last season. Ward became the first UH quarterman said. “[Ward is] an East Texas kid who was back to rush for 1,000 yards in a season, finishing the raised very humble. He’s ‘Yes, sir. No, sir,’ a year with 1,108 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns to go marry-your-daughter kind of kid. But he doesn’t along with 2,828 passing yards with 17 touchdowns. talk enough.” UH coach Tom Herman has one issue with Ward agreed. “I’m soft spoken. I don’t really Ward; he wants him to be a more vocal leader.
Greg Ward Jr.
say too much,” he said. “I’m pretty open with the players. The guys who know me know I like to play a lot. I like to have fun, but when it comes to business I’m a pretty focused and tuned in guy.” Tenacity and toughness are two words generally associated with Ward. At 5-feet-11 and 185 pounds, Ward plays the position like a much bigger guy. He’s not bashful when it comes to sacrificing his body to make a play, and said there’s a reason why he plays with such abandon. “I hate losing, so I have the mindset of a winner,” Ward said. “Every winner knows it doesn’t matter what the circumstances are that you’re in, you got to keep getting up. Even if it means adversity and you keep getting hit, turnovers, whatever, you get up and keep pushing.” “He’s one of the best competitors I’ve ever been around,” Herman added. “He’s knows he’s going to get hit and hit a lot, that’s part of the deal. He does a great job of accepting that role.” Former Cougar All-American and Heisman Trophy winner Andre Ware knows a thing about college quarterbacks and likes what he sees in Ward. “I’m impressed with Greg because he’s a guy who never seems to be phased no matter what the situation is, “Ware said. “What I mean is he’s never rattled. The team plays the same way because of him. He never panics, no matter what the situation is. He’s an extremely talented player.” Ward’s success has not gone unnoticed around the nation. In 2015 he captured the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award. This year he’s on the watch list for no fewer than seven post-season awards including the Johnny Unitas Award and the Maxwell Award. Ward refuses to get caught up in the hype. “I don’t think about the success,” he said. “I think about the next day and how I can get better every day. Whether it’s talking to coach Herman, [quarterbacks coach Major] Applewhite, my receivers or my offensive line, it’s always about what I can do better to help us.”
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SEPTEMBER 29 | 2016 | DEFENDER
h.s.zone Madison’s dynamic duo puts on offensive show
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By DARRELL K. ARDISON Defender
t was a high school version of the greatest show on turf. Two HISD schools generated 112 points in a football game at Barnett Stadium recently that served as the District 24-5A opener for both schools. Madison got the better of Sterling 64-48 because the Marlins’ dynamic duo of quarterback Erin Thomas and triple threat Dashawn Williams were virtually unstoppable on this night. The 6-foot-6 Thomas completed 13 of 16 passes for 365 yards and five touchdowns. The senior added a nine-yard TD run midway through the first quarter to give the Marlins an advantage (16-0) they would never relinquish. Williams, a 5-9 junior running back, began his night on the receiving end of scoring passes of 53 and 65 yards from Thomas in the first half. In the second half Williams would add an 80-yard kickoff return for a touchdown along with TD runs of one and nine yards. “They did a great job,” said Madison head coach Pat Reinecke. “Erin had close to 300 yards in the first half and Dashawn does a great job of catching it and running with Dashawn Williams (left) and Erin Thomas are a dynamic duo at Madison the ball. On special teams he makes things High School. happen. like this one. “We’re excited to have them. With those two on “I was just focusing on Erin and hoping to catch the field we have a chance every week,” Reinecke passes and touchdowns passes all game,” he said. said. Williams is a Scorpio, who was born on Nov. The Madison coach wasn’t thrilled to be in a 3, 1998. His favorite football player is Los Angeles shootout with a district rival. Rams wide receiver/return specialist Tavon Aus“We’ve been in a few of these kinds of games tin of the National Football League. His favorite over the years,” Reinecke subject in school is math said. “You never like to and his favorite food is defendernetwork.com be involved in a shootout. pizza. Check out the grudge match between Luckily we were able to Thomas is still Yates and Kashmere keep putting the points up undecided on a college when we were on the field. he’ll attend next fall. “We’ve got some work He’s a Virgo who was born on Sept. 21, 1997. His to do and some corrections to make on defense to get favorite subject in school is science and he lists them back on track,” he said. “We’ll be all right.” cereal among his favorite foods. Cam Newton is Madison senior receiver Jamarcus Young also his favorite football player. had a memorable performance with six receptions for “This was our best game so far but we’ve got a 214 yards and TD catches of 66, 60 and 34 yards. few more games to get even better,” Thomas said. “If I had to rate the offense I’d give us a 10,” The Madison Marlins head into their bye week Thomas said. “If it wasn’t for Fatty [Williams], I 3-2 on the season and 1-0 in district play. Madison wouldn’t be on the stat list.” will host Sharpstown Oct. 7 in a District 24-5A Williams added that he’d never had a game quite contest at Butler Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
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sportsbriefs UH’s King sets record It stands to reason that if you set a school record you receive some type of award. Such is the case with University of Houston freshman receiver D’Eriq King. He became the first player in UH history to record a touchdown reception, a passing touchdown and a kick return touchdown in the same game in a 64-3 win over Texas State. King was named to the Paul Hornung Award’s weekly honor roll. The former Manvel Maverick started off in the first quarter with a 48-yard TD reception from QB Greg Ward. In the second quarter, King took a jet sweep around the right side of the field and lobbed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Steve Dunbar. King opened up the second half with a 99-yard kickoff return for a touchdown to complete the night’s work.
PVAMU trio honored A trio of Prairie View A&M University players earned SWAC Players of the Week Honors. DT DeVohn Reed earned Defensive Player of the Week Honors, WR Anthony Wiltz was named Newcomer of the Week, and CB Terrence Singleton was named Newcomer of the Week coming off big performances in the 56-21 win at Mississippi Valley State. Reed recorded 10 tackles (six solo), 2.0 sacks and three tackles for loss. Wiltz had four touches for 151 yards in three touchdowns, and scored those TDs in three different ways. Singleton recorded seven tackles (four solo), picked off a career-high two interceptions and returned one for a touchdown
Atascocita undefeated When Atascocita defeated Kingwood 37-7 Sept. 23 at Turner Stadium, it marked the first game the Eagles had played in 22 days. The long layoff was caused by one game being canceled due to inclement weather followed by a scheduled bye week. The inactivity didn’t prevent Atascocita from improving to 3-0 on the season as quarterback Daveon Boyd ran for a pair of scores and threw for two more. The Eagles jumped out to a 21-0 advantage when Boyd found Alex Morris for a TD pass followed by Boyd’s 14-yard touchdown run. He later found Soularie Adam for another TD strike. Boyd passed for 195 yards and ran for 78 additional yards. The Atascocita defense also scored when Junior Shannon returned an interception 56 yards for a score. The Eagles will take on another District 216A rival when they travel to Channelview on Sept. 30.
Wilson to miss game Episcopal High School defensive tackle Marvin Wilson will miss the Sept. 30 game against Kinkaid. Wilson, the nation’s toprated recruit with scholarship offers from nearly all the top college teams, sat out his second straight game with a knee injury as the Knights pummeled St. Thomas 62-12 to remain unbeaten at 5-0. Wilson watched the game from the bench with his right leg propped up. The senior injured the meniscus in his right knee Sept. 9 against Brenham. Episcopal head coach Steve Leisz says that if there are no setbacks Wilson should be ready to return to action Oct. 7 when the Knights take on the Episcopal School of Dallas.
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DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 29 | 2016
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TIME TO CASH IN!
USE YOUR MACY’S MONEY NOW-SUN, OCT. 2
PVAMU hosts 2016 homecoming Prairie View A&M University, which is celebrating its 140th anniversary, will observe homecoming from Oct. 2-8. Activities range from a gospel concert to coronation ball and football game. The schedule includes: • Sunday, Oct. 2 – Painting the Streets, 10 a.m.-5 p.m., location to be announced (TBA). • Monday, Oct. 3 – Gospel Fest Concert, 7 p.m., Memorial Student Center (MSC) Auditorium. • Tuesday, Oct. 4 –S.P.I.T. Knowledge Lecture Series featuring David Banner and book review, time TBA. • Wednesday, Oct. 5 -- Super Hump Day at Alumni Field, time TBA; Homecoming Coronation Ball, 7:30 p.m., MSC. • Thursday, Oct. 6 – Comedy show at Babydome; Club 1876 featuring Smooth Inversions at Panther Plaza; 40 Under 40 Ceremony (all times TBA). • Friday, Oct. 7 – Legendary Alumni Chat n Chew, time TBA, MSC; Fallen Panther Memorial Display, MSC; Homecoming Concert, 7:30 p.m., Babydome. • Saturday, Oct. 8 – Homecoming Parade, 9:15 a.m., University Drive and L.W. Minor Street; PVAMU vs. Alabama State Football Game, 2 p.m., Panther Stadium; Stage Breakers Step Show and After Party, 8 p.m., Babydome. Visit www.pvamu.edu or call 936-261-1340 for information.
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Reading volunteers needed at HISD HISD’s Read Houston Read program is kicking off for the 2016-17 school year, and volunteers are needed to read to a first-grade student. The goal of Read Houston Read is to instill a love of reading in children, while giving Houstonians an opportunity to give back to their community. The program is part of the district’s Literacy by 3 movement, which aims to have all students reading at or above grade level by the end of third grade. Children at 75 schools are in need of a mentor who can provide one-on-one support. Volunteers are asked to read to students for 30 to 60 minutes, once a week, either in person or over the Internet via online conferencing. Volunteers must pass a background check and attend a training session. Visit www.houstonisd.org for more information.
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