Houston Defender: December 08, 2016

A LOOK AT HOW VOTER SUPPRESSION IMPACTED THE 2016 ELECTION P5

FEATURE

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Houston’s Leading Black Information Source

Volume 86 | Number 6

DECEMBER 8, 2016 | FREE

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NATIONAL BEN CARSON tapped to lead HUD

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FEATURE HIV/AIDS RESEARCH advances in 2016

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OPINION FEATURE CARLOS BELTRAN

ready to play with Astros

INVISIBLE

BLACK WOMEN LIFE AFTER INCARCERATION

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Cedric Richmond

TOP EVENTS

named CBC chair

The Louisiana rep and staunch advocate for criminal justice reform will push the Black agenda in Congress starting in January. He will focus on policing, the criminal justice system, voting rights, and improving the economy in disenfranchised communities.

Dr. Kathy Flanagan, Dennis Pettis attend Medical Forum gala.

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D’Angela Proctor leads TV One

The Yates grad used her Houston roots to propel her to national prominence. As Sr. Vice President of Original Programming & Production for TV One, she has taken the network to another level— proving in the entertainment industry, she is definitely one to watch.

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 8 | 2016

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Freedman’s Town bricks to be restored Defender News Service

Work is underway in the historic Freedman’s Town to restore historic bricks that were disturbed two weeks ago by a city contractor who exceeded the authorized limits of a drainage project.

“This area holds so much historic significance for Houston’s African American community,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “These brick streets were laid by freed slaves and it made me sick to learn they had been disturbed in this unauthorized manner. We cannot undo what has been done, but we can move forward to repair the damage.”

At the time of the unauthorized work, the intersection of Genesee and Andrews Streets was being prepared for the reinstallation of historic bricks that had previously been removed by hand so the drainage work could proceed. The employee operating the machinery that day mistakenly disturbed others bricks that had not been part of the hand removal. It is believed that approximately 200 bricks were removed.

Additional bricks are being removed to create a straight edge and

even transition from the existing bricks to the reinstalled bricks. The bricks will be cleaned, cataloged and stored as required. The contractor will then prepare the base, set the forms and pour the concrete foundation for the brick reinstallation. The final step will be reinstallation of the bricks. An archeologist will be on site at all times to oversee everything and prepare a final report documenting all work. Once the bricks have been reinstalled, there will be no construction traffic along Genesee for the duration of

the drainage work.

Mayor Turner also announced that he is convening a group of stakeholders to work with the City to develop a plan for a cultural district in the Freedmen’s Town area. Although not as big in scope, the mayor’s vision is similar to the historic districts in Tyler, Texas; Savannah, Georgia; Wilmington, Delaware and other cities where brick and cobblestone streets are a focal point. His timeline for putting together a roadmap for achieving this is about six months.

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Council Member Larry Green elected to prominent board

Houston Council Member Larry V. Green was elected to the National League of Cities (NLC) board of directors by NLC’s membership at the group’s annual business meeting this month at the 2016 City Summit in Pittsburgh.

“I’m honored to be given the opportunity to participate on the Board of Directors of the National League of Cities,” states Green.

“This upcoming year, the NLC membership will focus on infraLarry V. Green structure expansion, transit options for cities and economic development.”

In his role on the Board, Council Member Green will meet throughout the year to guide NLC’s strategic direction and set the organization’s advocacy priorities and operational goals. Board members are selected by a 15-member nominating committee, and are confirmed by a vote by NLC’s membership.

Thurgood Marshall graduate Tamia Jackson earns Girl Scouts’ highest honor

Tamia Johnson, a graduate of Thurgood Marshall High School, has earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest honor in Girl Scouting.

The award recognizes girls in grades 9 through 12 who demonstrate extraordinary leadership through sustainable and measurable community service projects that require a minimum of 80 hours to complete. Less than five percent of Girl Scouts earn the award.

To earn the award, Johnson Tamia Johnson launched Getting R.I.D of Driving, a safe driving program that addresses reckless, irresponsible and drunk driving within the teenage community of Missouri City.

“My audience was teenagers between the ages of 1519 and many of them are unaware of what driving habits can lead to distracted driving and accidents” said Johnson, who currently attends the University of Houston where she majors in computer information systems.

localbriefs A TEXAS ELECTOR HAS ANNOUNCED THAT HE WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR DONALD TRUMP. Christopher Suprun, a self-described Republican, who will cast his Electoral College vote later this month, said that he cannot cast a vote “ for someone who shows daily he is not qualified for the office.” The elector, who was a firefighter on 9/11, went on to say of the president-elect, “Mr. Trump goes out of his way to attack the cast of ‘Saturday Night Live‘ for bias. He tweets day and night, but waited two days to offer sympathy to the Ohio State community after an attack there. He does not encourage civil discourse, but chooses to stoke fear and create outrage.”….. CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE HAS BEEN APPOINTED to the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee for the new 115th Congress.

The appointment, made by Nancy Pelosi, puts Jackson Lee on one of the most powerful Democratic organizations in the U.S. House of Representatives. The committee controls committee assignments, sets the Democratic agenda, formulates policy positions, and responds to political attacks on the hard-working men and women of this country….. A WHITE AUSTIN LAWYER HAS SUED TO OVERTURN A LAW requiring that four positions of the State Bar of Texas governing board be held by women and racial or ethnic minorities. Greg Gegenheimer is aided by the same organization that sued the University of Texas over its race-sensitive admissions policy. The 38-year lawyer who focuses on family law, argues that the practice discriminates against white men in violation of the U.S. Constitution and federal anti-discrimination laws. “For the last 40 years, numeric racial and gender quotas like those mandated by the Texas Bar have been struck down by the courts as unconstitutional,” said Edward Blum, president of the Project on Fair Representation, which provided the lawyers who researched and filed Gegenheimer’s lawsuit.

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 8 | 2016

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 8 | 2016

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U.S.briefs

CBC chooses new young chair

C

Defender News Services

edric Richmond of Louisiana will lead the largest Black Caucus in history, but the group’s power will be muted by the minority status of the Democratic Party. Shortly after Democrats in the House of Representatives handed control again to leaders whose average age is 76, the Congressional Black Caucus chose one of its youngest chairpersons in history.

The CBC selected Rep. Cedric Richmond (D-La.), 43, over Rep. Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.), 52, as its 25th chairman by a vote of 28-11.

Richmond will be the youngest CBC chair in 31 years, the late Mickey Leland being the only other chair who was younger (41) when he was sworn in, in 1985.

Richmond, who has represented New Rep. Cedric Richmond Orleans since arriving in Congress in 2011, talked about the CBC’s likely role as the political resistance in Congress to Donald Trump’s administration.

“We owe it to the communities we serve that have many needs to give lots of deliberation to every move that we make, and we have to be very careful in how we go forward,” Richmond said.

“We are very concerned about the start of the administration and who he’s picked and what

they have symbolized, but this is the administration we will have to deal with. You can expect the loyal opposition regarding who we are and the people we represent.”

While the CBC went with youth, House Democrats chose to stick with familiar leadership: Rep. Nancy Pelosi, 76, of California, was re-elected House minority leader; Maryland’s Rep. Steny Hoyer, 77, was re-elected as Democratic whip; and Rep. James Clyburn, 76, of South Carolina, remains assistant leader.

The new CBC chair will lead during the first two years of the Trump administration and will have a powerful opportunity to be the tip of the sword against repealing health care and privatizing Social Security.

By the time Trump arrives in the White House on Jan. 20, the largest group of African Americans in Congress in history will have already been sworn in. Fifty-two African Americans will be sworn in to the 115th Congress on Jan. 3 and 50 of them are expected to be members of the CBC, making Richmond the leader of the largest Black Caucus in history.

The CBC is also getting older. Though one of its oldest members, Rep. Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.), 86, is retiring this year, 20 of the 50 members of the CBC will be 70 or older by the end of next year.

Ben Carson tapped as HUD secretary Defender News Service

Ben Carson will be nominated as the next secretary of the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

“I am thrilled to nominate Dr. Ben Carson as our next Secretary of the US Department of Housing and Urban Development,” President-elect Donald Trump said in a statement. “Ben Carson has a brilliant mind and is passionate about strengthening communities and families within those communities.”

During their primary fight, though, Trump had derided Carson as “super low energy” and delivered a number of sharp

attacks on Twitter, questioning Carson’s temperament and qualifications for office. At a rally in Fort Dodge, Iowa during the primary, Trump delivered a blistering attack on Carson.

Democratic Rep. Elijah Ben Carson Cummings, the Democratic ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, slammed the pick, calling Carson “woefully unqualified.” “[Trump] has now selected someone woefully unqualified to run the Department of Hous-

ing and Urban Development.

During his time in Baltimore, Dr. Ben Carson was a phenomenal neurosurgeon, but he has no experience developing housing policy affecting tens of millions of households or running a complex federal agency, as his own spokesman admitted just last month,” the Maryland representative said.

Cummings was referencing reports that Carson rejected a previous offer from Trump to be the next secretary of Health and Human services because he felt he was too inexperienced to run a federal agency, according to longtime aide Armstrong Williams.

A MISTRIAL HAS BEEN DECLARED IN THE TRIAL OF A SOUTH CAROLINA POLICE OFFICER charged with murder in the death of a Black motorist. Jurors were unable to unanimously agree on a verdict for Michael Slager, who was standing trial for shooting 50-year-old Walter Scott to death in North Charleston after stopping him for having a broken taillight.

Cellphone video taken by a bystander of the shooting was shown widely in the media and on the Internet and sparked national outrage. Race was never made a major issue at trial, even though Slager is white and Scott was Black. Jurors had deliberated more than 22 hours over four days….THE MALL OF AMERICA CAUGHT MAJOR FLAK AFTER HIRING A BLACK SANTA. The mall hired Larry Jefferson, who is a retired U.S. Army veteran from Texas to work for four days.

The comments concerning Black Santa on the Minneapolis Star-Tribune website got so bad that they shut down their comment section for the article. Other articles comment sections around the web, as well as social media, have also been buzzing with people and their outrage over the mall hiring a Santa that wasn’t white.

Some have even gone so far as to call for a boycott…..CHICAGO HOMICIDES HAVE REACHED 701 FOR THE YEAR. That’s a 56 percent jump since 2015, which had 450. Additionally, as of Wednesday, 4,050 people have been shot, which constitutes a 50 percent jump from 2,699 victims last year. Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson called the rise in violence “unacceptable” and blamed it on “a small subsection of citizens.” “The police are doing their job,” Johnson told reporters. “What we need help in is holding these repeat gun offenders accountable for this gun violence, and until we do that, we’re going to continue to see the cycle of violence.”

VOLUME 86 • NUMBER 6 DECEMBER 8, 2016

Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler Digital Editor LaGloria Wheatfall Art Director Marshall A. Latimore 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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DECEMBER 8 | 2016 | DEFENDER

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Voter suppression impacts 2016 election Defender News Service

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein’s effort to recount the vote in states Donald Trump closely won continued this weekend after a brief stutter-step when Stein said she ended, but then resumed, her efforts to push a recount in Pennsylvania.

Stein’s actions have been called many things—the current president-elect calls them “a scam”—but are they also obfuscation of the real issue?

Voter suppression.

“We certainly didn’t make it easier for anyone to vote. We need to open up the political process and let everybody come in,” Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) said, in response to the question of whether the election was stolen by suppression.

Rep. Terri Sewell (D-Ala.), who represents Selma, Ala., also said, “If one person was turned away because of voter ID, it threatens the whole integrity of the process.”

According to many experts who watch elections, the real controversy of 2016 is not the recount, but the hundreds of thousands of votes that never were cast in the first place due

to widespread voter suppression.

Highlighting this issue, the Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, Common Cause and State Voices held a two-day conference the first two days of December titled, “2016 Election Protection Post-Election Convening.” The Lawyers Committee also released a report titled, “Striving to #ProtectOurVote in 2016: A Snapshot of Election Protection 2016.”

“Did voter suppression have an impact? Absolutely, voter suppression had an impact,” said writer Ari Berman, who is the author of Give Us the Ballot. Berman spoke at the over-crowded conference. “Look at Wisconsin. Trump won Wisconsin by 22,000 votes, but 300,000 registered voters didn’t have strict forms of voter ID. Clearly it had an impact. But even if voter suppression had no impact on the election, the fact that one party made it deliberately harder to vote was a huge national scandal.”

The 2016 election was the first in 50 years without the full protections of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The election turned out exactly the way one would imagine it would: with numerous examples of local officials

either misrepresenting the law or making it more difficult to cast a ballot. Officials across Texas in Denton, Tarrant, Grimes, Harris, Medina and Montgomery counties continued to seek photo ID from voters despite an en banc ruling from the 5th Circuit that found that the state’s photo-ID law had a discriminatory effect on the state’s Black and Latino voters.

This year on July 29, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals struck North Carolina’s “monster law,” mentioning its “racially discriminatory intent.”

The law eliminated same-day registration, reduced early voting and tar-

geted the voting patterns of AfricanAmerican voters.

“I think what happened in this election [was] voter suppression and manipulation of the voter rolls. I think we saw, basically, a stolen election,” said Ben Ptashnik, executive director of the National Election Defense Coalition.

Many continue to say there’s “nothing to see here” when it comes to efforts at voter suppression. But there has been plenty to witness after the voting decision followed the election of the nation’s first AfricanAmerican president.

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HOUSTONIAN LEADS TV ONE

D'Angela Proctor

By RESHONDA BILLINGSLEY

A

Defender

s the editor of the school newspaper for Jack Yates Senior High School’s Magnet School of Communication, D’Angela Proctor knew she was destined for big things. She thought those things would be in the area of law, so she got a law degree, only to later discover that media was indeed her true calling.

Now Sr. Vice President of Original Programming and Production for TV One, the Houston native is leading the network to monumental feats.

Launched in January 2004, TV One serves 57 million households and offers programming focused on real life, movies, music, sports, and news via News One and entertainment, which is designed to entertain and inform their diverse audience of Black viewers.

Prior to joining TV One, D'Angela spent 15 years as an entrepreneur with her company, Strange Fruit. Here, she talks with the Defender about where she's been, and where she’s going.

Defender: Are you doing what you knew you wanted to do back when you were a student at Yates?

D’Angela Proctor: I didn’t know that it would manifest itself into television, but I had an inkling or desire to be in media in some way. After I worked as a labor and employment defense attorney, I moved to producing music videos in 1998, then to making independent films, and flipping them.

From there I went to television, which is the natural progression.

Defender: What’s been one of the biggest challenges you’ve found in your industry?

DP: It’s hard work. But I’ve been blessed to do it for so long, both as a seller of content and a buyer of content.

I’ve just learned to look at my career as a series of pivots. You know you have to look ahead and make sure that you

are moving on to the next phase before the phase moves you out. For example, when I was in the independent film business, we would make a low budget movie for a price, then turn around and sell it for profit. Then the DVD business fell out so that was no longer a viable model. So, we started doing television because the risk was lessened because we didn’t have to raise the money to make our own projects as the networks would finance their projects. That’s how my company got into television.

And then a lot of television production companies started doing Black content.

Networks don’t seek out Black production companies. For the most part, they seek out the content. And when I saw that, I decided to move to the buying side. That’s when the opportunity came up for me to become a network executive. So, my point is you have to look at what trends are going on and really study the business that you’re in and where it’s going so you can be a step ahead of it. I’m currently in the television business, the next frontier is digital and I would be foolish not to start thinking about that now or even, three years ago. I’m looking ahead. I’ll be finishing my Masters of Leadership in May. Defender: You are a proud Houstonian. What role would you say your hometown played in shaping the woman that you are?

DP: I’m proud of the fact that I’m not just from Houston, but from Third Ward. I think it’s important to know where you’re from. Being from there gives you a ‘bilingual ability,’ where you can ‘code switch.’ It’s where you can be on one block and there are million dollar homes on the Bayou, and a couple of blocks over you’re in the hood. It’s aided in my ability to be flexible in all types of environments. I think that’s important. I think growing up in an environment with so many successful people of color right within your reach definitely helped.

About D'Angela Proctor Education

• B.A., Spelman College • J.D., Duquesne University

Title

TV One’s SVP of Original Programming & Production.

Noteworthy Projects Love Under New Management: The Miki Howard Story, original movie Rickey Smiley For Real docu-series Unsung Bad Dad Rehab, original movie The Secret She Kept, original movie Sunday Best (43rd Annual NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Reality Series – 2011).

Love in the City, OWN docu-reality series) Exalted One Night Only The Seat Filler, feature film Book of Love, feature film

Honors

Cablefax Magazine – One of the most influential minorities in cable Multichannel News/Women in Cable Television’s Woman to Watch.

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DECEMBER 8 | 2016 | DEFENDER

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Black classics return to the big screen Defender News Service

It’s practically every movie lover’s dream to rewatch their favorite films on the silver screen. From “Friday” and “Waiting To Exhale,” these movies are cherished because they capture the Black narrative through humor, action and effective storytelling.

Now, a new venture called SouledOut Cinema is giving audiences a different way to experience films from the 1980s, 90s and 00s by bringing them back to the big screen.

The initiative aims to collaborate with movie theaters—both big and small—in cities across the country to show three to eight screenings of various Black films over the course of any given weekend.

Local Black restaurants will also be involved to help replace expected movie theater eats with foods like jerk wings, mac and cheese, pound cake, and more.

The goal, according to founder Mark Luckie, is to “bring community together around something everybody loves,” he told The

Huffington Post, which is a media partner of the initiative.

Luckie, an Atlanta-based media professional who previously held management positions at Twitter and Reddit, said he had the idea for SouledOut Cinema after a trip to California with his friend in October.

“I was in Palo Alto, one of the whitest places in California, and

there we were, two Black men walking down the street feeling very aware of our Blackness,” Luckie said. “We then walked past this theater showing [old] black-and-white movies and I thought, ‘Hey why don’t they show Black movies?’”

Shortly after the trip, Luckie resigned from his role at Reddit and returned to Atlanta to help launch

SouledOut Cinema. The team so far has a list of 45 films that can be shown during one of these weekends, and they had criteria to help narrow down their selections.

“No slave movies, no maid movies, no civil rights movies and no blaxploitation movies,” he said.

“We want to see movies that are more accurate reflections. We want to see something that’s reaffirming for the community rather than this twisted, funhouse mirror version of Black life.”

In the coming months, SouledOut Cinema will be traveling everywhere from to Houston to Oakland.

The tour, which will release names for the films when the tickets go on sale at each site and plans to have a more permanent presence in some cities, promises to provide audiences with an “experience you won’t find anywhere else.”

“It’s all about the community experience and being in the room with people who love the film as much as you do,” Luckie said. “Everyone loves these movies, it’s just a much better and much more rewarding experience.”

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 8 | 2016

INVISIBLE BLA WOMEN

Life After Incarc

By JASEMINE KNOWLES and RENEE SMITH |

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ith more and more women coming through the criminal justice system, life after prison can prove a challenge – especially for Black women.

These challenges center around re-establishing a home and family life and receiving an education and a job, all while facing the stigmatized perception of female “ex-offenders” by the general public, including potential employers, landlords, and communities.

According to the American Civil Liberty Union, women of color are significantly overrepresented in the criminal justice system. Black women make up over 30 percent of the incarcerated women in the U.S., even though they represent only 13 percent of the female population.

The NAACP review of the incarcerated population reflects African-Americans now constitute nearly one million of the total 2.3 million incarcerated. More alarming, the report states one of every 100 Black women are in prison and away from their children, potentially causing a perpetual cycle of women and youth incarceration.

Texas ranks number nine out of the top ten states of women incarcerated with over 93,000 women in prison, according to the Sentencing Project. Jason Clark, the director of public information at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice states 2,775 Black women were released from Texas prisons in 2015. In addition, 70,000 females in Texas are on supervised parole or probation programs, both of which are alternatives to incarceration.

Probation occurs prior to and often instead of jail or prison time, however, parole is an early release from prison. While on probation, a defendant can be ordered to pay a fine, court costs, restitution, and any court appointed attorney fees. The length of time that a person is on probation can range from one year to ten years. Many states will cap the length of time that a person can remain on probation.

Parole may release a person from jail time but according to Free Advise Legal, parolees may still be subject to many of the same conditions as someone in jail. An individual under parole must abide by curfew rules, be required to participate in rehab programs, and drug testing by urinalysis. Conditions of parole may include requiring a defendant to stay in a halfway house and continue paying fines and other financial obligations.

While parole and probation helps former female inmates stay out of prison, it does very little to assist these women in re-adjusting to society. However, there are a number of organizations based in Houston that have a solution.

Naomi’s House (NH) NH is a transitional home whose mission is to decrease

in sy in m Co Pr in th pr ve Pu

fe th ag pu in Ro

recidivism by encouraging individual responsibility and accountability, promoting entrepreneurship and developing life skills. To do this, they offer what is called the 90 Day Fresh Start Entrepreneur program (FSE).

Launched in January of 2015, the FSE program offers a fourpart comprehensive training on becoming an entrepreneur and instruction on career development. The program was developed to teach ex-offenders ownership and responsibility of their own dreams and passions based on the book Whatever You Do, Brand You written by Michelle Hardin, program founder.

“We service the Lockhart Prison for three hours once a month in a full training. Once the ladies complete the four-part training, we host a business writing competition and graduation. All the ladies that attend all sessions receive a certificate and ten are chosen to present their business plan in front of business owners,” Hardin said.

Since beginning, Hardin said she has mentored over 390 incarcerated women and enrolled 14 others into the program.

With a 98 percent success rate, women are now finding career and job development success, enrolled and/or completing educational tracks, gaining employment beyond fast food entities, regaining custody of their children, and building their confidence in a better life.

More info visit: thenaomishouse.global/ or call (877) 331-7106

City of Houston Re-entry The City of Houston Health Department developed an

in off co job readiness/development an training to stabilize the partic and self-sufficient.

“Each class is presented that clients can join in the co another. The service linkage referral to a client to get thei said Robinson.

“This includes attainment benefits and housing applicati Card application through the H clinics to receive a medical ho eases such as Hypertension, D Clients are also assigned counselor who will provide an individualized treatmen a variety of mental health s appointments, medication intervention.

“The final component is t include pre-employment serv mock interviews to job placem clients do not have any needs ment,” said Robinson.

For more information email hd (832) 393-5467

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nnovative program and support ystem for those that have been ncarcerated. Faye Robinson, manager of the City of Houston ommunity Re-entry Network rogram, which since it started n 2008 has graduated more han 500 felons from its 12-week rogram, said the program has deeloped a job pipeline to the city’s ublic Works Department.

“They will not hire an ex-ofnder unless an ex-offender comes hrough our program. So we have great working relationship with ublic works because they believe n what we’re doing, and it works,” obinson said.

Robinson added that women n the City’s reentry program are ffered services through four omponents: case management, nd life skills education classes and ipant’s ability to be independent

in an interactive manner so onversation and learn from one piece provides information and r immediate and medical needs,”

t of social services such as SNAP ions. They also assist with Gold Harris Health and City of Houston me and continuous care with disDiabetes and HIV.” d a licensed behavior health therapeutic services based on t plan. This plan may include ervices including counseling management to psychiatric

he job readiness phase, which will vices such as resume writing and ment and worksite visits to ensure after graduation and job attain-

dhhs.reentry@houstontx.gov or call

The Women’s Home (WH) “For nearly 60 years, The Women’s Home has been helping women build whole lives. We offer women, many who are homeless and lack job skills or education due to substance abuse and mental illness a home and a model of care called Whole Life,” said Paula Paust, executive director of WH. “In our case, they have become homeless because of these issues. More than 30 percent of our women have felonies related to their substance abuse.”

Paust said the Whole Life program is effective because it focuses on six wellness areas that include emotional, physical, social, spiritual, vocational and financial wellness.

“By doing this, it helps move the women away from negative messaging about being addicts, mental patients, criminals, etc. Of course, we use evidence-based work in the treatment program so a strong clinical program is essential. Our program is also long-term. Our average length of time is 12 months and it includes intensive and supportive treatment and transitional housing,” said Paust. “There is not a quick fix although we have permanent supportive housing and a sober community that offers housing which is safe and affordable.”

WH is also committed to finding new ways to aid women in reentering society. Recently, WH developed and hosted the Reentry Summit this past September because of lack of awareness the community has on the kind of impact criminal records have on individuals. At the summit, Tina Carr, a graduate of WH, said she came to WH after many encounters with the criminal justice system.“I felt like I was just a number. I was called habitual and was punished rather than provided treatment, which is what I needed,” said Carr.

After being released, she enrolled into STAR Drug Court Program and WH, both of which Carr said influenced her road to recovery and life skills. “I never imagined that life could be so good. All of my liabilities have been turned into assets,” she said.

Today Carr works for The Harris Center for Mental Health, where she gives back as a certified peer specialist in the Harris County Jail’s Mental Health Unit.

For more info visit: www.thewomenshome.org/ or call (713) 521-3150

he Houston area for over 85 years

MORE RE-ENTRY PROGRAMS Angela’s House As a transitional home, Angela’s House directly houses, clothes, and feeds women upon immediate release from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison, state jail system, and county jails. Through their partnership with Healthcare for Homeless Houston, their combined Healthy and Whole program promotes a healthier lifestyle (mental, physical, and spiritual) while also aiding with employment counseling and vocational training.

• Location: 6725 Reed Rd, Houston, TX 77087 • Phone: (281) 445-9696 • Website: http://angelahouse.com/

Career and Recovery Resources Inc., Employment Services and the Alternative Drug and Alcohol Program are two programs provided that aid exoffenders on their road to recovery and teaches them to lead productive lives without drugs and alcohol. To enhance the transition into employment, the programs also provide GED classes, a tutorial computer lab, and specialized job placement assistance.

• Location: 2525 San Jacinto @ McGowen, Houston, TX 77002 • Phone: (713) 754-7000 • Website: www.careerandrecovery.org

Operation ID Funded by MainStreet Ministries Houston, Operation ID is an outreach program that helps ex-offenders, providing needed support as they take their first step towards employment, housing, social services, and school enrollment for their children. Operation ID aids ex-offenders to through complete forms and government applications necessary to obtain valid identification for the purposes of gaining employment and procuring housing.

• Location: 5100 Travis St., Houston, TX 77002 • Phone: (281) 833-3500 • Website: www.msmhouston.org/index.html

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 8 | 2016

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Pick your health plan by Dec. 12 Compare costs

By VICTOR A. SIMMS, MD, MPH, FACP Kelsey-Seybold Clinic

If you’re a federal employee, you’re probably aware that now is your only opportunity to make changes to your health insurance before the Dec. 12 enrollment deadline.

But do you know your current plan may not offer Kelsey-Seybold physicians in 2017?

The good news is, you can keep your doctors by simply changing your plan to one of the options offered by the government that include your KelseySeybold doctors. Nothing is more important than your health. Here are some tips to guide you in choosing the right health plan.

Consider health plan networks

Your out-of-pocket costs are typically lower when you see an in-network doctor. If you have doctors you prefer, check each plan’s online provider directory for 2017 to make sure your doctors are included in that plan.

Dr. Victor Simms

Consider your own unique healthcare needs and those of your family members. When you find a doctor you like, who is familiar with your medical history and understands your needs, stick with him or her.

Most women are very selective when choosing an OB/GYN and the pediatrician who treats their children. If you are treated for a chronic condition, you’ll benefit from seeing a physician who is familiar with your medical history.

Your total annual health insurance costs depend on how much care you use. Most plans provide preventive care, including pediatric check-ups and vaccinations, well-woman visits and more, without a copay.

And most plans cover some services before you reach your deductible, like prescriptions, periodic physicals and services to help you manage chronic conditions like asthma or diabetes.

Evaluate your options

Evaluate your plan premiums, along with deductibles, prescription drug costs, copayments and coinsurance. Make your best estimate of your family’s healthcare needs and associated costs.

4 tips for choosing the right plan

Here are four tips for choosing the right health insurance plan: • Compare plan options side by side.

• Eliminate plans that don’t offer your doctors as part of the provider network.

• Make sure the plan you choose will pay for you and your family’s necessary care, like prescriptions and specialists.

• Determine the option you believe is your best choice for quality and value.

If you see Kelsey-Seybold doctors, I hope you’ll review your plan options carefully during the annual “Open Season” enrollment. Visit GetKelsey.com for more information. Or call us at 713-442-3636 to speak with a health plan specialist. If you are a retiree or will be retiring in 2017, call 713-442-9066.

Dr. Victor A. Simms is a board-certified physician who serves as Chief of the Department of Internal Medicine at KelseySeybold Clinic and sees patients at the Pasadena Clinic.

An Important Message for Kelsey-Seybold Patients with Federal Health Benefits Take Action to Keep Your Kelsey-Seybold Doctors in 2017!

If you’re a Kelsey-Seybold patient, you will need to choose a plan during Open Season enrollment that includes Kelsey-Seybold doctors. Your current plan may not offer Kelsey-Seybold in 2017. Go to GetKelsey.com to learn more.

With the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB) enrollment going on now through December 12, be sure to choose a plan offering Kelsey-Seybold doctors in 2017!

These include APWU, NALC and SAMBA health benefit plans. Go to GetKelsey.com for the complete list.

Our health plan specialists are ready to help!

Call for a free evaluation based on your needs or for more information on FEHB plans that include your Kelsey-Seybold doctors. If you are a federal employee, call 713-442-3636.

If you are a federal retiree or will be retiring in 2017, call 713-442-9066.

When you choose a health plan offering Kelsey-Seybold as an in-network provider, you have access to: • World-class physicians • 24/7 appointment scheduling • After-Hours Nurse Hotline • MyKelseyOnline secure patient portal • Saturday sick-care visits

Federal Employees: Call 713-442-3636 Federal Retirees: Call 713-442-9066

Learn more at GetKelsey.com 16K0131408_KS_Get Kelsey Defender Ad_B.indd 1

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DECEMBER 8 | 2016 | DEFENDER

11

HIV/AIDS research celebrates banner year Defender News Service

There is reason to hope that the global response to HIV/AIDS pandemic is improving despite the fact that there is still no cure or vaccine for the disease, which affects approximately 37 million people around the world.

Fewer people died of HIV in 2015 than at any point in almost 20 years, while new HIV infections are at the lowest point since 1991, the World Health Organization noted in its 2016 progress report. That may be, in part, because at least two million new people began taking antiretroviral therapy in 2015, the largest annual increase ever in the history of the disease.

PrEP, a potential game-changing drug that seeks to drastically reduce HIV infection rates—in some cases, up to 92 percent, is also leading to major advances. The drug—PrEP or pre-exposure prophylaxis—is being targeted to people who are HIVnegative or at very high risk for HIV. A large proportion of these individuals are Black; and more specifically, Black men who have sex with other men (MSM), Black women, and

Black teens.

PrEP aims to help continue those downward trends.

“It’s important to note that places that have dramatically increased access to PrEP have experienced dramatic declines in new HIV infections. I can point directly to New York City and San Francisco,” said Marlene McNeese, Bureau Chief, Houston Department of Health and Human Services – HIV/STD Prevention. “As a prevention tool, PrEP is a game-changer because it gives the individual power and control over their levels of risk, especially with PrEP’s reduction in HIV infections rate of up to 92 percent. There are many powerful prevention tools available, including counseling and others.

But being able to say ‘I can choose every day to take a pill that will increase my odds of preventing HIV infection’ is powerful.”

Some of the other strides in vaccine development, functional cures

and historical understanding that 2016 brought include: • Discoveries that may lead to an HIV vaccine. The HIV virus is impossible for the human immune system to defeat on its own because the pathogen can quickly mutate to change its surface propro teins, evading detection.

But a newly discovered antibody—a protein produced by the body’s immune system to destroy invading pathogens— can powerfully neutralize many variants of the most common strain of HIV. Prior to this, the most powerful identified antibody could only neutralize about 90 percent of HIV variants. This latest discovery, the N6, can neutralize 98 percent. Scientists at the National Institutes of Health isolated the N6 antibody from the blood of a person with HIV. N6 is so adept at neutralizing HIV because it can identify and attach to the parts of the virus that remain relatively consistent from mutation to mutation. It also appears to avoid the sugars on the surface of

the virus that tend to block antibodies from attaching.

• A two-part treatment successful in monkeys is giving scientists hope for a cure. An experimental HIV vaccine was limited to three out of the nine monkeys who received the experimental combination, but the result showed promise that scientists may one day be able to create a “functional cure” for HIV. In other words, people may one day be able to suppress their viral levels without the need for costly, daily ART treatments.

• A drug that’s already on the market for unrelated diseases works as an HIV suppressant.

In another monkey trial, scientists from the NIH and Emory University were able to suppress SIV to undetectable levels by supplementing antiretroviral therapy with an antibody that is similar to vedolizumab, a treatment already approved in the U.S. for other diseases and that works by preventing the body’s immune cells from entering the intestines, a body part that typically sustains a lot of damage during the initial stages of HIV infection.

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 8 | 2016

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New Orleans school refuses to allow failure Defender News Service

Fights were keeping 17-year-old Symphony Lee out of high school, and off the graduation track.

“Once I lose my temper, that’s it,” says Lee, with characteristic bluntness.

Lee spoke from the principal’s office at The Net Charter High School in New Orleans. “In my last school, I was always fighting.”

Lee’s cycle of anger and school absences had seemed impossible to break. “I’d fight on Monday, get suspended, come back the next Monday, get suspended again. Over and over and over,” Lee says.

It was a pattern Net Co-Founder and Executive Director Elizabeth Ostberg had seen before. Ostberg, a young, Harvard-trained educator who volunteered to work with youth in crisis, arrived in New Orleans the year after Hurricane Katrina.

By the time she opened the Net five years ago, Ostberg had decided that restorative justice, an approach to discipline and conflict resolution that involves talking through conflicts, was the best way to throw some of the city’s most struggling

youth a lifeline — not to mention keep them in school. “It gives the students more internal control and improves their relationships,” says Ostberg. “There’s the hope that if we build students’ conflict resolution skills, if they are in a conflict on the street maybe they can avoid it.”

Around the country, educators have increasingly adopted elements of restorative justice amid growing frustration over the number of class hours lost to out-of-school suspensions: According to The U.S. Department of Education’s most recent Civil Rights Data, 2.8 million, or six percent, of all K-12 students received at least one outof-school suspension during the 2011-12 school year. For Black boys, the percentage is 18 percent, stark evidence of racial disparities in school discipline.

The Center for Restorative Approaches in New Orleans says it has implemented 589 restorative justice circles, in which students and staff talk through the root causes of conflict in the classroom, since 2009.

The center claims that since January 2015 the circles have saved the city’s students 1,800 instructional hours

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that otherwise would have been lost to suspension.

The Net has taken things a step further than most schools, however.

Resolving conflicts that slow down — and even stop — the education process is the school’s top priority. Teachers and other staff members are constantly looking out for problems that need to be talked through. Suspensions are unheard of. Restorative circles are so common — and can go on for so long — that walking into the school is a bit like entering a giant circle.

A key component to making this work is a collegial, intimate, and flexible environment. Class size is in the single digits and teachers rarely lecture or raise their voices, favoring student-led discussions.

There are no traditional grade levels at the Net and students may attend class at any time from eight in the morning to 6:30 at night. They

work at a pace that suits them and academics often take a back seat to emotional concerns.

The school makes every attempt to find and hire teachers who are strong negotiators.

“This is not a school for teachers who are only interested in content,” Ostberg says.

Most of the Net’s students have struggled in numerous other school settings. They’ve been expelled, suspended, flunked out, dropped out, or spent time in jail or prison.

“These are not kids who are getting their second chance,” says Net math teacher Vee Francis. “This is a school for kids who are on their Idon’t-know-how-many chance.”

Negotiation is a main reason the school’s size is kept small, at about 160 students. A second Net Charter School is expected to open in New Orleans in 2017. Ostberg will be the director of both schools.

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DECEMBER 8 | 2016 | DEFENDER

sports

13

ASTROS

Lighting up the Hot Stove league

Josh Reddick solidifies the Astros outfield.

By MAX EDISON Defender

I

n baseball, the term hot stove league refers to the baseball offseason. It conjures images of a time back in the day, when baseball was the nation’s #1 sport. Fans would gather around a hot stove talking baseball in the offseason. Though such gatherings have gone out of style, the term still describes the offseason when moves are made and free agents are signed.

The Astros just missed the playoffs in 2016 and clearly that is an unacceptable proposition to Astros upper management. No team has been more active wheeling and dealing this offseason than the Astros. The beauty of the team’s offseason moves is, to date, they haven’t had to give up any of their top young minor league talent.

In 2016, the Astros lacked consistent play behind the plate, both offensively and defensively. They also had sketchy offensive production past the top three hitters in the lineup. In addition, they also saw their starting pitching performance diminish.

The Astros addressed their glaring need at catcher by acquiring Brian McCann from the New York Yankees. They gave up minor league right-handed pitchers Albert Abreu and Jorge Guzman.

McCann, 32, batted .242 (104x429) with 20 homers, 13 doubles, 58 RBI and 54 walks in 130 games in 2016. He appeared in 92 games behind the plate, and three at first base. Over the course of his 12-year career, McCann has been named to seven All-Star teams and has won six Silver Slugger Awards.

He spent his first nine seasons with

Brian McCann is an All Star catcher.

Carlos Beltran at 39 was still an All-Star in 2016.

the Braves (2005-13).

“We entered the offseason with the acquisition of a catcher as a primary focus,” said GM Jeff Luhnow. “Brian McCann is a great fit for the Astros as he is not only a good defensive catcher, he is also a left-handed hitter with proven run producing ability. His experience and his ability to impact his teammates will be a significant benefit to our team.”

Next, the Astros improved their

outfield and added another lefthanded bat by signing Josh Reddick.

Reddick, 29, set career highs in batting average (.281) and on-base percentage (.345) over 115 games with Oakland (68 games) and the Dodgers (47 games) in 2016. He agreed to terms on a four-year, $52 million contract.

“He’s a perfect fit for our team,” Luhnow said. “A Gold Glove-caliber outfielder with a terrific arm. We’re

going to have a formidable outfield.”

For Reddick, choosing the Astros was an easy decision.

“It wasn’t that tough. These guys came aggressive and made it known early that they wanted me,” Reddick said. “They made the decision pretty easy. I get to stay in the same division. I feel very comfortable being in this division. I know how things work. I know the pitching staffs, I know the hitters. This will make it an easy transition for me.”

The Astros are hoping to add a front line starting pitcher, but in the meantime they reached terms with right-handed pitcher Charlie Morton. The 6-foot-5, 33-year-old has posted a 3.97 ERA (283ER/641.2IP) in 111 starts since his breakout 2011 season with the Pirates, when he won 10 games.

Morton made four starts with the Phillies last year in April before suffering a torn left hamstring on April 23 that ended his season. He is considered one of the top ground ball pitchers in the MLB. Morton figures to compete as a 5th starter.

Finally, the move that has the baseball world buzzing is the team signing slugger Carlos Beltran to a one-year, $16 million contract with a full no-trade clause. Beltran, 39, figures to split time between outfield and designated hitter for the Astros like he did last year for the Yankees and Rangers, a season in which he was an All-Star for the ninth time. The veteran slugger hit .295 with 29 homers and 93 RBIs in 151 games with New York and Texas, Is Luhnow done wheeling and dealing this offseason? I wouldn’t bet on it. If there is a deal available for a big-time starting pitcher, expect the Astros to not be bashful.

The stove is awfully hot.

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 8 | 2016

h.s.zone

h.s.zone

sportsbriefs

Winningham makes winning plays for Eagles

By DARRELL K. ARDISON | Defender

Lujuan Winningham’s fingerprints were all over Atascocita’s passport to this week’s Class 6A Division I high school football state semifinals.

The Atascocita High School senior wide receiver was a pivotal figure in the Eagles’ 33-27 overtime upset of District 21-6A rival North Shore in the Region III-6A Division I title game at NRG Stadium.

Therefore, Atascocita (12-1) will make its first-ever trip to the state semifinals Dec. 10 when the Eagles face 13-1 Lake Travis at the San Antonio Alamodome. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

Winningham will command the full attention of the Lake Travis defense following his clutch performance in the regional final.

Trailing North Shore 20-14 in the third quarter, Winningham gave the Eagles their first lead of the contest when he took a short pass from quarterback Daveon Boyd and sprinted 60 yards for a touchdown.

“We knew the cornerbacks were going to bite every single time we threw the ball out there,” Winningham said. “So it was just catch the ball and get up-field.

I happened to break one or two tackles and outran the rest of them like it was track season. Did you see the lean at the end?”

The 6-foot-4 Winningham was regularly targeted by Boyd throughout the contest just as he has been during the course of the season.

A 26-yard Boyd-to-Winningham connection to the North Shore eight-yard line in the first quarter set up Atascocita’s first score of the game. Four plays later, Boyd snuck in from the one.

In a back-and-forth contest that produced numerous secondhalf lead changes following a 14-14 stalemate at halftime,

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Cougars heading to Vegas If you’re looking for a nice trip to take during the holiday season consider Las Vegas to see the Cougars play in the Las Vegas Bowl presented by GEICO. The Cougars will face Mountain West champion San Diego State, Saturday, Dec. 17, at 2:30 p.m. CST at Sam Boyd Stadium in Las Vegas. The game features the No. 3 rushing defense, with Houston allowing an average of only 97.9 rushing yards per game, against the nation’s No. 2 rusher in the Aztecs’ Donnel Pumphrey who is averaging 155.2 rushing yards per game and is No. 2 on the NCAA career rushing yards chart with 6,290 yards. The bowl marks Houston’s 10th bowl appearance in the last 12 seasons and its fourth straight bowl appearance.

Aggies heading to town

Lujuan Winningham, Atascocita HS, WR

DefenderNetwork.com

Who led Cinco Ranch to the state semifinals?

Winningham and fellow receivers Alerick Soularie and Griffin Hammond were called upon frequently by Boyd, who passed for 349 yards.

“We have a great group and the best corps of receivers I’ve ever been with since I began playing football,” Winningham said.

“With Daveon throwing the ball it makes us even better.”

North Shore (12-2) was the defending Class 6A Division I state champion and had beaten Atascocita 31-21 in district play back on Oct. 7 at Turner Stadium.

The Mustangs took a 27-24 lead with one minute, 31 seconds remaining in regulation when Kerrion Hadnot caught a 17-yard TD pas from quarterback Bryant Badie.

However, Atascocita forced

overtime when David Heaton kicked a 36-yard field goal as time ran out in the fourth quarter (27-27).

North Shore fumbled on its first possession of overtime and Boyd answered with a six-yard TD run that sealed Atascocita’s first regional title in football.

Atascocita lost to Austin Westlake in the Region II-6A finals last year.

“We had a great team last year and we still respect them,” Winningham said. “Coach (Craig Stump) always talks to us about finishing off games and this time we got it done.

“It was the scariest moment of my life,” Winningham said.

“If we are going to be considered better than last year’s team, we had to finish off this game.”

Texas A&M University and Kansas State have accepted bids to play in the 2016 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl, the bowl organizing committee announced recently. Kansas State University (8-4) will represent the Big 12 Conference and Texas A&M University (8-4) will represent the Southeastern Conference. The 2016 AdvoCare V100 Texas Bowl will be played on Wednesday, Dec. 28, at 8 p.m. CT and will be televised nationally on ESPN. “A large portion of our team is from the Houston area, and we have a tremendous fan base in the city of Houston,” A&M head coach Kevin Sumlin shared. “We look forward to getting the chance to play in front of 12th Man in NRG Stadium, which is one of the top football venues in world.”

The Woodlands, Klein Collins win regionals With injured teammate Grant Milton weighing heavily on their minds, The Woodlands captured the Region II-6A Division I title with a 41-18 victory over Round Rock at McLane Stadium in Waco. The 14-0 Highlanders generated 543 yards of offense and led 34-6 at intermission with senior quarterback Eric Schmid running for three scores and throwing for another. Milton was rushed to a Waco hospital for emergency brain surgery just seven days earlier when he collapsed during the regional semifinals and remains in critical condition. The Woodlands will play Allen in a 6A Division I state semifinal Dec. 10 at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium in Austin (1 p.m.). In Region II-6A Division II, Klein Collins outlasted Spring Westfield 21-18 with Quinton Newton catching a gamewinning 80-yard TD pass from quarterback Brett Bridges. Klein Collins (13-1) will face 14-0 DeSoto in the state semifinals Dec. 10 with a 4 p.m. kickoff at NRG Stadium.

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DECEMBER 8 | 2016 | DEFENDER

Happening in Houston

For event coverage email: events@defendermediagroup.com

topevents

MAYOR’S HOLIDAY CELEBRATION AND TREE LIGHTING……..The city of Award Recipient Judith L. Craven, M.D. It has been the tradition of the Houston rang in the season with the 97th Annual Mayor’s Holiday Celebration Houston Medical Forum to award scholarships to bright and deserving medical and Tree Lighting at Hermann Square at City Hall. Guests were treated to a holiday students who attend Houston area medical schools. Scholarship recipients variety show that included performances by Michelle Williams, SVET, SoReal were Danielle Clark, Azizat Dawodu, Elizia Broussard, Emmanuel Cru, The Walls Group, Shlenker Star Singers and appearances by costumed Achilike, Stephanie Annor, Brandon Esianor, Chelsea Henshaw, characters from the Houston Ballet. Mayor Sylvester Turner, Reliant and NRG Matthew Igbinigie, Brian Mbah and Jacquelyn Randle. To date, HMF has Retail President Elizabeth Killinger, along with awarded nearly $300,000 in financial assistance to Santa Claus, lit the official holiday tree and ignited its scholarship recipients……..DJ SUPASTAR and a spectacular fireworks finale. In attendance were BRYAN MICHAEL COX BIRTHDAY PARTY……..

Kim Roxie, Carl Davis, Brenda Jackson, Judy B. More photos on defendernetwork.com 9x Grammy Award Winning Record Producer, Brunson, Mary Benton, Melinda Little, Paula Bryan Michael Cox and 93.7 The Beat’s DJ McHam, Alicia Tolbert, Charles Conner and Supastar, also known as Houston’s Top Rated DJ, many more……..HOUSTON MEDICAL FORUM SCHOLARSHIP GALA…….. celebrated their birthday during an intimate affair amongst close friends and The Houston Medical Forum (HMF) recently celebrated its 90th anniversary family. The event was designed by Xoxo Wedding Events, Keisha’s Kreations at its annual scholarship gala “Empowering The Next Generation Through A and organized by entertainment managers Monique Hobbs and Arnaecia Legacy Of Self-Determination” at the Hilton Houston Post Oak Hotel. During Alridge. Special guests included Pastors John Gray (Lakewood Church), the event, two HMF members who have made significant contributions to the Irishea Hilliard (New Light Church), Mia Wright (Fountain Of Praise), Ashley organization and to the medical community were honored. The honorees were Turner, Johnny Dang and a host of others. Guests also made donations to Physician of the Year recipient Gary Sheppard, M.D. and Lifetime Achievement benefit the Supastar Spin Academy.

Defender TOP EVENTS

Melinda Little, Mary Benton

Kim Roxie, Carl Davis

Gabrielle Denmond, Katrina Denmond, Taylor Denmond

Jacquelyn Randle and her mom

Danielle Clark, Chelsea Henshaw, Emmanuel Achilike

Brandon Esianor, Brian Mbah

Arnaecia Alridge, Johnny Dang

Bishop Bekah, DJ Supastar, Alexis Herron

Bryan Michael Cox, Aventer Gray, John Gray

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 8 | 2016

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