Houston Defender: December 24, 2020

2020 YEAR IN REVIEW

Politics Justice Coronavirus Volume 90, Issue 9 December 24, 2020

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DN Year In Review

Messages from Defender Editors ReShonda Tate Billingsley Managing Editor

Aswad Walker

Associate Editor

Year-end message: Aswad

In the spiritual fellowship of which I’m part, the month of January is considered the Season of Renewal, where we look for a new start and new opportunities to be all we were created to be. But that renewal doesn’t come just because one year ends and another begins. New life and new realities arise out of actions we invest to bring them about.

If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that systems critical to the quality of our lives — the justice system, democracy, health care delivery — only live up to their highest ideals when we force them to. Without us holding them accountable, these systems and more, become weapons used against us.

One borderline illiterate president and his clown car of suck-ups brought the entire national experiment that is American democracy to the brink of collapse, even with all global eyes on America due to the killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery. After the corporate pledges to do better by Black people and after the guarantees by countless individuals and institutions to check their racist ways, the number of unarmed Blacks killed by police didn’t skip a beat.

Medical apartheid still kept us at the back of the health care line. The digital divide still took its unequal toll upon our virtual learners. And white nationalists still worked to silence our votes.

But, Lord have mercy, the fight we exhibited in 2020, the dogged determination to speak truth to power and demand what is rightfully ours, certainly made our ancestors proud. We, the essential workers, kept this nation from crumbling. We, the parents and teachers, allowed us to hold onto and even deepen our sense of community and connection. We did these things and more, come what may.

Still, the madness of 2020 will not magically disappear come Jan. 1. However, if we take with us into 2021 the urgency, grit and courage we displayed in 2020 to demand criminal justice reform, to remove the Criminal-in-Chief from the White House and to call out America’s history of

Aswad Walker

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

medical racism, our future will be bright indeed, and we will “Mos Def ” have a Happy New Year!

Here’s to a Prosperous 2021: ReShonda

In 2016, when people asked “What’s the worst that could happen?” if then-candidate Donald Trump was elected, I thought non-stop drama, pettiness from the commander-in-chief, scandal, etc. Never in a million years, did I think “more than 318,000 dead” (including my own loved ones), businesses being shuttered, food bank lines running for miles and lives uprooted in ways we could never imagine. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not blaming Trump for the pandemic, but his leadership (or lack thereof) has exacerbated this pandemic and altered the course of so many lives.

The still-raging pandemic has many of us hesitant to look ahead. But that’s just what we need to do. There is a reason the front mirror is bigger than the rear view mirror. Because while we need to be cognizant of what’s behind us, our true vision lies in what’s ahead.

While the absence of an awful 2020 is not enough to make 2021 a good year, we need not just a respite from the heavy weight put upon us by the pandemic but the promise of actual joy.

Fortunately, there are plenty of things to look forward to next year, and not just the return of, well, everything.

At some point, sports, culture, travel, in-person get-togethers with the people you love and care about will hopefully all make a comeback. Though we’re eagerly an-

ticipating all that, 2021 should have a lot more going for it than just the promise of a return to normalcy. It’s true that we have lost something —f ailure to recognize this would be some form of extreme denial. But we still have a job to do. And looking back will not get us to where we need to go.

It is possible for us to grow stronger through this challenging time. To be forced to dig deep inside ourselves and uncover that hidden wellspring of resilience — that ability to rise in the face of an obstacle. Hopefully a new (and thankfully, boring administration) will get us back on the right path. And we can address the myriad of issues facing Americans, from the coronavirus to social injustice to police reform.

Hopefully, 2021 brings a better, brighter year for us all.

Let’s look forward, and know that no matter how long it takes to turn around (and even if it doesn’t) we gon’ be alright. Resilience is in our DNA.

VOLUME 90 - NUMBER 9 - DECEMBER 24, 2020 Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles

Managing Editor ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler

Associate Editor Aswad Walker

Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles

Sports Terrance Harris Jodie B. Jiles

Creative Director Michael Grant

Photographers Ray Carrington III Jimmie Aggison

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Newspaper Inc. and audited by Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). Only digital subscriptions are available at: www.defendernetwork.com/subscribe No paper subscriptions available. All materials covered by 2020 copyright.

No materials herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. 713-663-6996 | P.O. Box 8005, Houston, Tx 77288

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DN Year In Review

Long lines of voters during the March . Presidential Primary on the campus of Texas Southern University. Photo by Christof Spieler, AP.

Elections Pandemic Killings Education

The stories of 2020 that dominated LOCAL and STATE headlines, and mattered most to our community While the COVID-19 pandemic and 2020 election seemed to be the only headlines during the monster year that was 2020, the city and state experienced several other big stories worth remembering.

By Aswad Walker

2020 Election saw record voting Texans showed up and showed out at the polls in 2020. From the March Democratic primary long lines on the Texas Southern University campus making cable news programs to the record-breaking turnout in November, voting was on and poppin’. So too were then Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins and County Judge Lina Hidalgo. Their leadership made voting as easy and accessible for voters as possible, despite the pandemic, state efforts to block mail ballot requests to voters and attempts to invalidate over 100,000 legally cast votes. Still, the record turnout wasn’t enough to turn Texas blue as many Democrats hoped.

Black communities fight environmental racism

Several of Houston’s Black communities pushed back against environmental racism and won, thereby protecting the health and quality of life of residents. Houston’s “Black Cancer Crisis” made national news, with higher incidents of cancer in Fifth Ward, Kashmere Gardens, Settegast, Independent Heights and other Northeast Houston communities.

Residents of “The Nickle,” thanks in part to Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and State Sen. Borris Miles, forced Union Pacific to clean-up their contaminated Kashmere Gardens Railway, which contributed to high cancer rates. Acres Homes residents won a lawsuit against a concrete mixing plant, saving residents from toxic air emissions.

HBCUs enjoy banner year

2020 was a banner year for Prairie View A&M University in terms of receiving monetary gifts to fund the school’s mission and programs. PVAMU received $50 million from philanthropist Mackenzie Scott, making it the largest individual contribution the school has received and increasing the school’s endowment from $95 million to almost $130 million, the largest among HBCUs. The school also received a $10 million anonymous gift among other major gifts. TSU enjoyed some victories as well, including being named an HBCU COVID-19 testing hub thanks to a $25 million donation, and a $100,000 commitment from the Texas Bankers Foundation for TSU’s new banking program.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo visits a medical facility constructed at NRG Park to deal with a projected surge in cases of COVID-19 in Houston.

Credit: Annie Mulligan for The Texas Tribune

COVID-19 has overwhelming impact There’s no way to fully encapsulate the local impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With healthcare workers and hospitals pushed to the brink, the conflict between keeping Texans safe and keeping the economy from dying, led to what the Trump White House even called a “too soon” Texas re-opening. Making matters worse was the move by Abbott to strip Mayor Sylvester Turner and Hidalgo of their authority to make decisions they felt were in the best interest of keeping Harris County residents safe. Still, several local and state officials became regular national voices on COVID-19 discussion.

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DN Year In Review State saw growing list of Blacks killed by police

People gather to protest the death of George Floyd in Houston on Tuesday, June 2, 2020. Credit: David J. Phillip/AP

HISD brought self-inflicted drama, discord

Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell pleads guilty

Though school districts nationally faced challenges due to the pandemic, HISD often stood out for all the wrong reasons. When all of the board’s nonBlack members voted in 2018 to replace interim Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan with former HISD Superintendent Dr. Abelardo Saavedra, a Black/ Brown divide was revealed. The November 2020 decision not to offer Lathan the superintendent position brought that divide back into view. Despite the multiple schools that experienced profound, positive turnarounds, the 2020 national trend of students failing at record rates, HISD’s 42% of students with Fs was a bullet point on multiple national news reports.

After two years of maintaining his innocence, one of Houston’s most revered religious leaders, Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor of megachurch Windsor Village, pled guilty to defrauding people of millions of dollars using phony bonds. Caldwell faces between five to-seven years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release. Caldwell’s co-defendant, Shreveport investment advisor Gregory A. Smith, was sentenced to six years in federal prison. Caldwell still awaits sentencing, while continuing to serve his congregation and the Houston community in powerfully positive ways.

Houston-area MWBEs shortchanged by government entities

The Port of Houston’s disparity study revealed that businesses owned by Blacks, women, and other people of color experienced gross discrimination in the government agency’s contracting program. The study revealed white men received over 90% of the business in three of five categories and over 75% in the other two. Harris County conducted a similar study and found that only 0.5% of its contracts went to Black-owned businesses. Both reports came about from Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ push for the studies. To rectify the county’s inequity, Ellis introduced a policy to Commissioners Court for 30% of county contracts to go to MWBEs.

Black entrepreneurs suffer, shine

The economic impact the COVID-19 pandemic had on Texan businesses has been devastating, yet felt most keenly by Black-owned businesses. Though many experienced PPP funds coming late if at all, and others had to close their doors for good, other entrepreneurs managed to thrive amid the madness. Kim Roxie received multiple national awards for business excellence. Tiffany Williams, CEO of Twice Media Productions, was named National Supplier of the Year by the National Minority Supplier Development Council. Publicist Misty Starks’ company, 3B Resource Group, made Forbes’ America’s Best PR Agencies for 2021 list. Third Ward native Khairi Sharif opened the first area Black-owned drive-in theater (Space City Shows). The husband-and-wife team, Kim and L.J. Williams, placed their product, Jinka, in 31 area H-E-Bs.

Austin Lane out as TSU president

While the death of Houston native George Floyd made international headlines, Texas in general, and Houston specifically, continued to add to the national roll call of Blacks killed by law enforcement. Here are some of the individuals whose names didn’t receive national attention: Joshua Johnson, Adrian Medearis, Joshua Feast, Darius Tarver, Damian Daniels, Darrell Zemault and Jonthan Price and Pamela Turner, who was killed in 2019 but whose case continued to make local news deep into 2020. On this issue, Black Lives Matter Houston member Ashton Woods said, “Just because we’re in the middle of a pandemic, just because we have multiple things going on, accountability does not stop.”

TSU’s Board of Regents moved to oust the school’s president, Dr. Austin Lane. As quickly as that news spread, students, alumni and many TSU staffers formed the “Team Austin” coalition that sought to sway the regents and Gov. Greg Abbott to retain Lane as TSU’s leader. Eventually, regents offered Lane a contract buy-out that allowed him to avoid any culpability for an admissions scandal regents said was the reason for their move to remove him. End result: Lane left TSU and eventually became the chancellor of Southern Illinois University, while several regents resigned, citing the board’s working environment as off mission. Kenneth Huewitt was named interim president.

Photo by Jon Shapley/Houston Chronicle via AP.

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DN Year In Review

Presidential Race Justice Pandemic

By Marilyn Marshall

The stories of 2020 that dominated NATIONAL headlines, and mattered most to our community The biggest national stories of 2020 can be summed up in three issues: Presidential race, justice and the pandemic.

The deadly coronavirus crippled the U.S. health care system and economy. It changed how Americans voted, as millions cast mail-in ballots or voted early in the November election. America also grappled with social unrest brought on by police-involved killings. Here are the top stories.

COVID-19 takes toll, Blacks hit hard

When the new year began, few Americans had heard of the coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, an acronym derived from ‘CO’ (corona), ‘VI’ (virus) and ‘D’ (disease), first detected in Wuhan, China in Dec. 2019. The CDC confirmed the first U.S. case on Jan. 21, 2020. By Feb. 25, the CDC said the virus was headed toward pandemic status. By March 1, the virus had killed six people in the U.S. and more than 3,000 globally. As the virus spread, America’s nightmare began, from health fears to stay-at-home orders. Adults 60 and older and those with certain chronic conditions were Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was filmed with his kneee on George Floyd’s neck.

Credit: Facebook

Biden ticket wins, Harris makes history Former Vice President Joe Biden and California Sen. Kamala Harris were elected to the highest offices in the land after defeating Republican President Donald Trump and Vice President Mike Pence in the Nov. 3 election. Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican father and Indian mother, became the first woman of color elected to the position. Biden garnered 306 electoral votes to Trump’s 232. He was originally behind in the Democratic presidential race but emerged as the frontrunner after Black primary voters in South Carolina propelled him to victory. Biden later said he would have the backs of Black Americans and nominated cabinet members he considered diverse.

found to be at higher risk of becoming seriously ill if they contracted the virus. Black Americans were infected with COVID-19 at nearly three times the rate of white Americans.

Eventually, schools, churches, theaters and museums closed.

Sporting events, concerts, conventions and weddings were canceled. Hospitals were overrun and overworked health care workers became heroes. Though proven to save lives, mask-wearing became a political statement. As 2020 came to an end, the numbers were devastating: more than 16 million cases and over 300,000 deaths in America due to COVID-19.

Killings of Blacks spark unrest, protests

The killings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Ahmaud Arbery sparked widespread protests and calls for an end to systemic racism and police misconduct and brutality. Protesters of all ethnicities marched from coast to coast and around the world, especially after Floyd’s death. Floyd, a Houston native, died on May 25 in Minneapolis after a white officer, Derek Chauvin, was filmed with his knee on Floyd’s neck while he uttered, “I can’t breathe.” Breonna Taylor was killed on March 13 in her apartment by Louisville, Ken. by police with a no-knock warrant. Arbery was jogging near Brunswick, Ga. on Feb. 23 when he was chased and fatally shot by a white former police officer and his son. The two men weren’t arrested until May 7 after a video of the shooting emerged.

Vaccine rollout brings hope, doubts

Scientists developed a COVID-19 vaccine in record time. In mid-December, shipping companies began delivering Pfizer’s vaccine to nearly 150 U.S. distribution centers, with health care workers and nursing home residents given first priority. The rollout was part of the Trump Administration’s Operation Warp Speed program. There were also concerns about the vaccine’s acceptance among African Americans.

A Pew Research Center study found that fewer than half of Blacks polled would consent to get the vaccine.

Skeptics cited a general mistrust of the health care system and pointed to the Tuskegee syphilis study (1932-1972) approved by the U.S. government, in which 400 Black men with the disease were observed but not treated.

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DN Year In Review

Cori Bush

Record number of women elected to Congress Women gained at least 14 Congressional seats in the 2020 election, setting a new record for female representation. On Jan. 3, at least 141 women, including 51 women of color, will be sworn in. (Races such as the Georgia Senate runoff have yet to be decided). Women will be at least 27% of the House and 24% of the Senate. Cori Bush, a progressive activist, became the first Black woman elected to represent Missouri in Congress. Democrat Nikema Williams, a Georgia state senator, won the House seat held by the late John Lewis.

Trump experiences tough year Civil rights icon John Lewis dies Georgia Congressman George Lewis, a pillar of the Civil Rights Movement, died July 17 at age 80 after battling pancreatic cancer. Lewis joined with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as founder of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee to help plan the 1963 March on Washington. Two years later, Lewis helped lead the “Bloody Sunday” voting rights march intended to go from Selma to Montgomery, Ala. White police blocked the way on the bridge out of Selma, attacking the peaceful marchers with clubs, bullwhips and tear gas. Lewis suffered a cracked skull. He was elected to the U.S. House in 1987.

Calls for police reform increase

U.S. economy devastated by pandemic

African Americans demanded police reform to address racial injustice, with some activists calling for the defunding of police departments. A Gallup poll found that 22% of Black Americans favored abolishing police departments, while 90 percent wanted specific reforms aimed at improving police relations and punishing abusive behavior.

The African American Mayors Association released a PEACE Pact to reform policing nationwide, which included advocating for federal policy changes, creating robust community engagement and enacting budgets that reflect community values.

The economic effects of the pandemic proved to be overwhelming, with minorities, low-wage earners and small business owners suffering the most. An estimated 22 million Americans lost their jobs at the height of the crisis. COVID-19 affected the stock market and wrecked the travel, hotel and restaurant industries. Parents scrambled to find child care after schools and daycare centers closed. Food and housing insecurity soared, as the less fortunate faced hunger and homelessness. In March, Congress passed a $2-trillion stimulus bill allocating funding for direct payments to Americans (including $1200 to individuals and $500 per child), small business loans and unemployment benefits. As the year came to an end, Congress finally approved a second relief bill.

President Trump began 2020 confident of re-election due in large part to a strong economy and low unemployment rate. COVID-19 changed the economic outlook, however, and Trump’s critics questioned his handling of the pandemic. Trump downplayed the virus, touted unproven remedies and mocked people who wore masks. The White House itself experienced several COVID-19 outbreaks among staffers. On Oct. 3, Trump announced that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the disease. Trump checked into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he received experimental treatment and announced himself cured. His sons Barron and Donald Jr. also contracted the disease. Trump later refused to admit that he lost to Biden and made baseless claims about voter fraud. He continued to insist that the election was stolen after the Supreme Court rejected a controversial Texas challenge to Biden’s victory.

Georgia Senate runoff closely watched

The November election produced two crucial Georgia runoffs on Jan. 5 that will determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.

Democrat Rev. Raphael Warnock, pastor of historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, is challenging Sen. Kelly Loeffler, a Republican appointed last year by Gov. Brian Kemp. Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue and Democrat Jon Ossoff face off for Perdue’s seat. Republican leaders including Trump and Pence traveled to Georgia to campaign for Loeffler and Perdue. Former President Barack Obama campaigned for Warnock and Ossoff virtually and President-elect Joe Biden planned a campaign trip to the state.

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DN Year in Review

Houstonians Hollywood Instagram Hits

By ReShonda Tate Billingsley

The stories of 2020 that dominated Entertainment headlines, and mattered most to our community 2020 has been a dizzying roller coaster year of ups and downs that has left the nation reeling. And the entertainment arena was no exception. The Defender takes a look at the biggest moments that have entertained, empowered, enraged and inspired us.

MEGAN THEE STALLION HAS A VERY BIG YEAR

Houston rapper, Megan Thee Stallion had a very good year. In addition to racking up myriad awards and Time covers, Beyoncé collaborations and fashion collections, the TSU student has also broken quite a few records in the past 12 months: most streams for a song in its first week and TikToks most listened to artist of 2020,to name a couple. Then, of course, there was her chart-topping single, “WAP,” with Cardi B, where the pair didn’t hold back with their latest No.1 hit, as they sang about female fierceness while dancing in animal-print outfits. And of course, the move that had everyone talking – how she advocated for Black women on “Saturday Night Live.” The Houston rapper also got four Grammy nods and survived a shooting by rapper Tory Lanez.

CHADWICK BOSEMAN DIES

Chadwick Boseman, the actor who played Black American icons Jackie Robinson (“42”) and James Brown (“Get On Up”) before inspiring audiences worldwide in Marvel’s blockbuster “Black Panther,” died Aug. 29 of cancer. He was 43. Boseman was diagnosed with colon cancer four years ago, his family said.

Boseman had not spoken publicly about his diagnosis.

Born in South Carolina, Boseman graduated from Howard University and had small roles in television before his first star turn in 2013. His T’Challa character was first introduced in 2016’s “Captain America: Civil War,” and his “Wakanda Forever” salute reverberated around the world after the release of “Black Panther.”

KANYE RUNS FOR PRESIDENT

In July, Kanye West announced that he was running for president of the United States as a member of the “Birthday Party.” He kicked off his campaign with a rally in South Carolina that was widely viewed as a disaster as he revealed he and wife, Kim Kardashian West almost aborted their eldest child and admitted Kim might want to divorce him. There was speculation that Kanye was having a bipolar episode, which Kim later all but confirmed. In mid-September, Kanye then unloaded on the music industry, claiming it was a “modern day slave ship.” He began advocating for artists and athletes, especially Black artists, to free themselves from their contracts. He then took his feud to another level, posting a video on Twitter that appears to show him urinating on one of his Grammys.

CELEBRITIES CONTRACT COVID

When news of the coronavirus first broke, not many people paid attention. Then, Tom Hanks revealed on March 11 that he and wife Rita Wilson had tested positive for COVID-19 while in Australia.

A barrage of celebrities followed in those early months with reveals of their own including Idris Elba, Madonna, Pink and more. The panIdris demic — which shut Elba down productions, closed theaters and ended concerts for months — would heartbreakingly claim the lives of many famous faces too.

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DN Year in Review

Celebrities support racial injustice protests The killing of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor sparked outrage throughout the world, and Hollywood’s biggest names joined in the demand to end police brutality and racial injustice. For weeks, celebrities such as Jamie Foxx, Keke Palmer, Porsha Williams, Brad Pitt and many others participated alongside everyday people in peaceful Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations. Several celebrities (Chrissy Teigen, Drake) offered money to bail out protesters who’d been arrested. Meanwhile others expressed themselves in the media or social media. Jay-Z took out full-page ads in newspapers across the country dedicated to George.

Several celebrities participated in June 2’s Instagram “Black Out,” in which users shared blank black screens, a show of support for Black Lives Matter and peaceful protesting. Along with putting Breonna Taylor on the cover of O, The Oprah Magazine, Winfrey also pledged to put up 26 billboards in her honor – one for each year of her life.

RIGHT: Oprah erected 26 billboards in honor of Breonna Taylor.

Jamie Foxx joined protestors in Los Angeles.

Duke and Duchess hang up their titles In a move that sent shockwaves throughout the world, Prince Harry and Duchess Meghan announced in Jan. that they were essentially quitting the royal family, saying they intended to “step back as ‘senior’ members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent.” In other words, they’re no longer living off of taxpayers dollars and can earn a living and speak for themselves moving forward. April 1 was the official

“Megxit” day, as it marked the first day of the couple’s royal-free lives. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who said goodbye to protocol with a final run of events in the U.K. in March, lived in Los Angeles — they borrowed mogul Tyler Perry’s mansion for a while — after a few months of renting a home in Canada. Now they’re enjoying their post-royal lives, doing documentaries and working on their new foundation, Archewell.

The Carters make money moves Since establishing their [combined net] worth at over $1.4 billion, Jay-Z and Beyoncé have been on a major money-making roll. Beyoncé relaunched her Ivy Park streetwear line with Adidas, selling out in days. She also released the visual album, Black Is King, on Disney+, donated $6 million to coronavirus and mental health causes, $1 million to

The birth of Verzuz

At the dawn of the COVID-19 pandemic, while various artists were searching for creative ways to give fans live content on Instagram, producers Swizz Beatz and Timbaland hit the switch on an idea for a live hit-for-hit song battle series they had been working on since 2017 called Verzuz.

From the jump, the concept was successful and has featured 21 contests between 42 artists, earning the franchise millions of views across IG Live and Apple Music.

Additionally, many of the performers who participated have seen streams of their music go through the roof after their episode aired.

RIGHT: Gladys Knight, Dionne Warwick and Patti LaBelle at their Verzuz battle.

support Black-owned businesses, and invested in Peloton, the fitness brand.

In addition to making music, Jay-Z and his Marcy Venture Partners joined a $42 million fund that invested in the fitness startup called CLIMBR and he became chief visionary officer at TPCO Holding Corp, the largest cannabis company in California.

D-Nice makes an impact with Club Quarantine Because nightclubs, concerts, music festivals and large-scale parties were shut down because of the COVID-19 pandemic, DJs were largely out of work, losing massive amounts of income. Out of necessity, DJs held live sets all across social media. But when the DJ D-Nice opened the doors to his Club Quarantine

on March 18, the game immediately changed. On its biggest night, where over 100,000 people filled up the digital dance floor, celebrities and dignitaries including Michelle Obama, Jennifer Lopez, Bernie Sanders and Oprah Winfrey were in attendance, making it the hottest party on the ‘Net.

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DN Year In Review

Remembrance Fighting for Justice Battling COVID-19

Defender covers that captured headlines and your attention in 2020 When it comes to producing our newspapers each week, the Defender puts a lot of thought into our covers. They’re designed to be intriguing and inspire readers to check out the paper.

Here are some of the covers that we’re most proud of for 2020.

VOTE LIKE YOUR

LIFE

Mayor Sylvester Turner

HOUSTON, WE HAVE A PROBLEM

DEPENDS ON IT.

BECAUSE

IT DOES

With the re-opening of public spaces, social distancing and mask are being ignored, putting people at risk of contracting COVID-19.

SPORTS

NEWS

KERON WILLIAMS

The founder of LAMIK Beauty is the receipent of an honor that will help other women in business.

Six people have been killed

by HPD since April 21 and he wants answers.

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FREE

Volume 89, issue 51 October 15, 2020

Blacks determined to make their votes count.

NEWS

IN FOCUS

KIM ROXIE

ASHTON WOODS

The former NFL lineman expands his entrepreneurial journey into the tech world.

Volume 89, issue 31 May 28, 2020

BUSINESS

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The State of BLACK HARRIS COUNTY features the County Judge addressing key Black issues.

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SPOTLIGHT

RAY SHACKELFORD

STEPHANIE PAIGE

LINA HIDALGO

New additions have been named to the Texas Southern Board of Regents.

FREE

This civic leader is focused on big priorities in the Black community: the 2020 Census and voting.

Volume 89, issue 52 October 22, 2020

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BLACK GIRLS SILENT DILEMMA

GROWING THE SCHOOL-TO-PRISON PIPELINE

HOUSTONIANS REMEMBER

SPORTS

CARL LEWIS

The Olympic Icon reflects on his Houston roots.

Volume 89, issue 13 January 23, 2020

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Kobe Bryant

FEATURE

FREE

Volume 89, issue 14 January 30, 2020

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Sandra Bland, 28

Breonna Taylor, 26

Aiyana Jones, 7

Atatiana Jefferson, 28

Rekia Boyd, 22

Pamela Turner, 44

Michelle Cusseaux, 50

Yvette Smith, 47

FREE

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DUSTY BAKER

The Defender celebrates Valentine's with photos of you and your lover. Find out more.

FREE

Volume 89, issue 15 February 6, 2020

The 70-year-old MLB veteran is officially the Astros manager and he says this is his “Last Hurrah.”

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THE GEORGE FLOYD IMPACT Even after his death he is impacting our lives worldwide.

CIVIL RIGHTS ICON HAILED AS ‘STRONG WARRIOR’ FOR JUSTICE

NEWS

FEATURE

LOCAL

ROYCE WEST

Houston spoken word icons join the Defender in Facebook COVID-19 campaign.

FREE

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SPORTS

LOVE PHOTO

Mystery undermines election of state rep.

John Lewis

Five years after the death of Sandra Bland, national attention is focused on the death of Black women and girls at the hands of police.

JOE P

High school and college seniors let the light shine on you in the Senior Spotlight.

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Volume 89, issue 20 March 12, 2020

ON THE WEB

REP. HAROLD DUTTON

Houstonians remember

FEATURE

2020 SENIORS

Congresswoman says there is still PPP money available and is working on next stimulus.

Volume 89, Issue 30 May 21, 2020

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�SAYHERNAME

Educators offer parents recommendations and resources to help children through the summer.

SHEILA JACKSON LEE

POLYTICKS

DR. WALTER KIMBROUGH Dillard President issues TSU presidential warning.

COVID-19 AND KIDS NEWS

NEWS

Congresswoman reveals her battle with alopecia.

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TSU president fights back after termination

PLEADS GUILTY

1978-2020

AYANNA PRESSLEY

Dr. Austin Lane

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Volume 89, issue 37 July 9, 2020

The candidate for U.S. Senate tells Blacks why they must vote. facebook.com/defendernetwork twitter.com/defendernetwork

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KANYE WEST

He’s leading the Texas NAACP in filing a lawsuit to keep Black, Latino voters from being disenfranchised in upcoming election.

Kanye West’s latest antics have fans fearing for his mental health, and questioning if his presidential run is legit.

Volume 89, issue 39 July 23, 2020

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EDUCATION

ENTERTAINMENT

GARY BLEDSOE

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GRENITA LATHAN

SPOTLIGHT

Community leaders respond to the HISD school board’s decision on the interim superintendent.

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Volume 90, issue 4 November 19, 2020

JACKIE WARD

Following in her mother’s footsteps, she is making history as she assumes a new position in healthcare.

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10 | December 24, 2020 |

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DN Year In Review POLITICS With all eyes on the presidential race, the Defender worked to make sure the Black community was able to cast informed votes.

8 | August 13, 2020 |

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lack women political activists span generations on the local, state and national levels. For some, the historic victories of 19 African American judges in Harris County during the 2018 midterm elections, served as an introduction to the power of Black women in the political sphere. Long before that election, we witnessed the national rise of U.S. congresswomen like Maxine Waters and Sheila Jackson Lee and U.S. senators such as Kamala Harris.

Even before their predecessors like the late Barbara Jordan and Shirley Chisholm, there were countless difference-making Black women who flexed their political muscle.

Someth ng s fishy

Mary Church Terrell (1863-1954). She may be the

best known of the Black women suffragists, yet even she is far from a household name.

A member of the National American Woman Suffrage Association, Terrell founded or co-founded several voting-related organizations, including the National Association of Colored Women in 1896. The NACW Mary Church was a federation of local clubs that Terrell viewed winning women the right to vote as a critical step in improving the lives of all Black people nationally. Her words, “Lifting as we climb,” became the NACW’s motto.

Terrell not only fought against the roadblocks raised by white women, but also those of some Black men.

“What could be more absurd than to see one group of human beings who are denied rights which they are trying to secure for themselves working to prevent another

What s Up Rodney?

REFLECTIONS ON 100 YEARS OF SUFFRAGE

$39 m on

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$356 m on

Social justice was paramount in 2020. African Americans came from behind the hashtags and took to the streets in protest of racial injustice.

PANDEMIC The Coronavirus pandemic shut down the country and changed our way of living. We armed readers with tools for survival and ways to cope in the crisis.

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olice-on-Black violence like that experienced by George Floyd is absolutely nothing new. Over the centuries it has taken on many forms, but its outcomes have been consistent — unnecessary Black death.

“Floyd’s murder is the latest example of 400 years worth of terrorism against Black people,” said Kofi Taharka, chairman of the National Black United Front.

“George Floyd’s murder is emblematic of the historical relationship between Black people and law enforcement,” stated Kimathi Nelson, presiding bishop of the Pan African Orthodox Christian Church.

“The picture of Derek Chauvin’s knee police have consistently over-policed, on Mr. Floyd’s neck crystalizes that rela- over-arrested, over-harassed, over-incartionship, from the paddy-rollers who cerated and over-killed Black people.” ruthlessly patrolled plantations to police Walker added that during the Civil officers who have served as the tip of the Rights and Black Power movements, local spear for safeguarding the status and state police coordinated quo. with the nation’s highest policing “I am not saying that all organization, the Federal Bureau police officers are bad or that of Investigation, to purposefully they are not genuine public serattack, discredit and some say even murder Black leaders and vants in the police force. I am saying that in spite of them, the organizations, primarily through essential relationship between its Counter-Intelligence Prothe law enforcement institution gram (COINTELPRO) founded and Black people has been one of GEORGE by then FBI director J. Edgar maintaining a racist social, eco- FLOYD’S Hoover. nomic and political order and death ignites “The murders of Black Panther members Bobby Hutton protecting property.” outrage that University of Houston African fuels protest. and Fred Hampton are but two American Studies professor Alan examples of many of local police Walker concurred with Nelson departments using lethal force to and Taharka. control Black U.S. citizens.”

“Enslavement in this country was predEach decade since the 1960s has had its icated upon and maintained by state-sanc- own litany of examples where unarmed tioned violence against Blacks,” asserted Blacks were sent to the grave while the Walker. “The U.S. police trace their roots police and others who put them there went to the armed militias formed to capture unpunished. enslaved humans who escaped.

Near the middle of the 2010 decade, “Upon emancipation, the KKK and other the seemingly back-to-back murders white terrorist groups, heavily membered of Trayvon Martin (by a neighborhood by police, judges and politicians, used vio- watch coordinator), Michael Brown and lence to maintain social control and destroy Freddie Gray gave birth to new efforts to Black economic competition. And each year confront this historical issue, including and decade from the late 1800s to present, Black Lives Matter. Though BLM brought

much-needed attention to a historic problem, police-on-Black violence continued.

According to Aljazeera.com, between 2013 and 2019, police in the United States killed 7,666 people according to data compiled by Mapping Police Violence, a research and advocacy group. In 2015, the Washington Post began to log every fatal shooting by an on-duty police officer in the U.S. in their “Fatal Force” project. In that time there have been more than 5,000 such shootings recorded by WP. This does not include Floyd’s death which was the result of a police knee to the neck.

The biggest change Taharka has seen over the past five years is modern technology’s ability to allow the world to see such injustices via cell phone video, as well as a newer, “fearless” generation of youth willing to confront them.

“However, I don’t see any change in the global system of white supremacy, not even the mildest form of change to attempt to answer the peoples’ righteous cries for justice,” he added.

For Nelson, the difference is in the nation itself.

“A demographic tsunami is transforming the country making it younger, more melanated, more liberal and less xenophobic. This is very threatening to the status quo which has taken on a reactionary posture. But the blatant and widespread acts of injustice by police officers against unarmed Black people are turning this demographic shift into a new political movement.

“Just like in the 1960s, there are many stresses on society at the same time, COVID-19, historic unemployment, economic collapse, police brutality and an insensitive and divisive presidential administration. This is a toxic mix that creates conditions that threaten the stability of the social order. All over the world, America 2020 is looking more and more like South Africa 1980.”

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America 2020 is looking more and more like South Africa 1980.”

Kimathi Nelson presiding bishop PAOCC

Enslavement in this country was predicated upon and maintained by statesanctioned violence against Blacks. The U.S. police trace their roots to the armed militias formed to capture enslaved humans who escaped.”

Alan Walker

University of Houston African American Studies professor

Floyd’s murder is the latest example of 400 years worth of terrorism against Black people. George Floyd’s murder is emblematic of the historical relationship between Black people and law enforcement,” Kofi Taharka

chairman of the National Black United Front

BLACK WOMEN

By Aswad Walker

The 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote after years of struggle was ratified on Aug. 18, 1920. As the nation draws closer to the 100th anniversary of this milestone in women ‘s suffrage, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony will be paraded as the movement’s heroines.

And why not? They wrote the six-volume book, “History of Women’s Suffrage,” chronicling the movement. The only problem is their story ignores the herculean efforts of Black women suffragists, and the racism practiced by their white counterparts that left Black women without the ability to fully cast their ballots for another 40plus years.

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“Much of the narrative of Black women’s leadership – even our presence in the suffrage movement is hardly known,” said Gwen McKinney, president and founder of McKinney & Associates Public Relations in Washington, D.C. and director of a campaign titled Suffrage. Race. Power: Unerased Black Women. “’Herstory’ has been obscured, untold and erased,” McKinney said. “We can only address the erasures by telling our stories, highlighting our contributions and amplifying the voice of Black women.”

Undeterred, Black women continued their path toward greater political power, and now stand as political difference-makers, demanding their long-overdue seat at the table.

Much of the narrative of Black women’s leadership – even our presence in the suffrage movement is hardly known.”

Gwen McKinney, president and founder of McKinney & Associates Public Relations

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee: “This historic centennial offers an unparalleled opportunity to commemorate a milestone of democracy and women’s commitment to change and equality. African American women began forming their own clubs in the 1880s and founded the National Association of Colored Women in Congresswoman 1896. Unlike predominantly white suffrage organizations, Sheila Jackson the NACW called for other reforms to address the ecoLee nomic, educational and social welfare of African American women and children, such as job training programs, fair wages and childcare. African American women have been at the forefront of fighting for equality issues prior to passage of the 19th Amendment... Today, as a result of the suffragist movement and the Voting Rights Act of 1965, we have 127 women serving in Congress of which 22 are African American and 48 are women of color.”

State Rep. Senfronia Thompson: “The 100th anniversary gives me an opportunity to thank all the Black State Rep. women of the past and present for the one power, the Senfronia opportunity to vote. It took courage and perseverance for Thompson Black women to continue to fight for the right to vote and endure the resistance of counter-attacks.”

POLITICAL GROWTH SEEN IN YOUR LIFETIME Councilmember Letitia Plummer: “I was born a few years after the Voting Rights Act was passed, and so I grew up hearing and seeing African American women running for office. One of the first women that I learned about was Shirley Chisholm…Growing up, she was everyone’s role model and hero. In Houston, I saw Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee become judge and then a Houston City Councilmember and Councilmember then finally congresswoman. It was just so exciting to follow Letitia Plummer that journey and see someone from our community achieve political greatness. Now we see more and more Black women running for office nationally. We even have four Black women on Houston City Council.

WOMEN WHO INSPIRE YOU POLITICALLY

ROLE IN NOVEMBER ELECTION

Gwen McKinney: “Septima Clark, a stalwart civil rights warrior who envisioned campaigns against the literacy tests, is hardly known. Frances Ellen Watkins Harper, a 19th century suffragist, was also a writer, poet and the first Black woman author of a published short story. More Gwen McKinney contemporary activists like Diane Nash and scores of others made invaluable contributions to the advancement of Black Yanece people and Washington American democracy.”

Yanece Washington, TSU student & Mayor’s Student Leadership Alliance member: “Taraji P. Henson, Michelle Obama and Beyoncé because they have shown time and time again that being a woman is a tool and not a curse. That being a Black woman is an enhancement and a way to reach the masses.”

Jackson Lee: “Black women drive turnout for the Black community and are one of the most progressive voting blocs in the country.

We demonstrate high levels of support for progressive issues such as police reform, raising the minimum wage and protecting Social Security... Without Black women, President Obama would not have won the White House in 2012.”

Washington: “Our informed way of thinking and emotionally spiritual way of connecting candidates to the needs of the people, will play a major role in the candidates that are pushed in the African American community, and drive overall voter turnout in the Black community.

Plummer: “Black women vote, and Black women make sure their families vote. In the 2018 election, Black women were key to flipping seats. It is the same this year too. The exciting thing is the number of women, especially Black women, running throughout the country. We are the most substantial voting bloc.

We need to realize our power.”

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1. TRAYVON MARTIN (Walking home with iced tea and Skittles. Shot by George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty).

2. KEITH SCOTT (Sitting in car, reading. Shot by police officer who was not charged).

3. ATATIANA JEFFERSON (Looking out her window, shot by police officer who is still under indictment for murder).

4. JONATHAN FERRELL (Asking for help after auto accident. Shot 12 times by police, case ended in mistrial).

5. JORDAN EDWARDS (Riding in a car. Shot in the back of the head by police officer who was found guilty of murder).

6. STEPHON CLARK (Holding a cell photo. Shot eight times, six in the back. Officers not charged).

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7. AMADOU DIALLO (While taking out wallet, officers fired 41 shots. All were acquitted).

8. RENISHA MCBRIDE (In auto accident, knocked on door for help.

Homeowner found guilty of second-degree murder).

9. TAMIR RICE (Playing with toy gun, shot by officer arriving on scene.

Officer not charged).

10. SEAN BELL (Hosting bachelor party, 50 rounds fired by police officers who were found not guilty).

11. ERIC GARNER (Suspected of selling single cigarettes. With multiple officers restraining him, repeated “I can’t breathe” 11 times. No indictments. Officer fired five years later).

12. PHILANDO CASTILE (Driving and pulled over. Shot by officer and aftermath live-streamed by fiancée in car. Officer found not guilty).

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13. AIYANA JONES (Sleeping, accidentally shot by officer in raid on wrong apartment. Officer cleared).

14. TERRENCE CRUTCHER (Disabled vehicle, shot by police officer found not guilty of manslaughter).

15. ALTON STERLING (Selling CDs, shot at close range while being arrested.

No charges filed).

16. FREDDIE GRAY (Beaten to death by officers while being transported in police van. All officers involved acquitted).

17. JOHN CRAWFORD (Shopping at WalMart, holding BB gun on sale.

Officer not charged).

18. MICHAEL BROWN (Shot 12 times by officer, including in back. No charges filed).

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Killed by police and private citizens.

19. JORDAN DAVIS (Playing loud music, killed. Shooter found guilty of first-degree murder).

20. SANDRA BLAND (Pulled over for traffic ticket and arrested. Suspicious “suicide” in jail. No charges).

21. BOTHAM JEAN (Shot in apartment police officer mistook for her own. Officer found guilty of murder).

22. OSCAR GRANT (Handcuffed, face-down and shot in back.

Officer found guilty of involuntary manslaughter).

23. COREY JONES (Waiting by his disabled vehicle, shot three times by officer who was found guilty of murder).

24. AHMAUD AUBREY (Jogging, followed by father and son in truck and shot. Both men charged with murder, aggravated assault).

ASWAD WALKER

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n the wake of the murders of Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and George Floyd, a global, multi-racial recognition of the reality of violence against Black people has taken hold. Some have declared this the birth of a new movement. Others are not yet willing to label Deric Muhammad

(Generation X) - Activist, organizer & youth mentor What now? The murder of George Floyd is the straw that broke the camel’s back. Had Officer Derick Chauvin treated a dog the way he treated “Big Floyd” he would have been immediately arrested and thrown underneath the jail. The sad and painful truth is that the American justice system has more respect for the life of a German Shepherd than for the life of a Black man in America.

It is fascinating to me how a man who was considered a “nobody” to this country a month ago became the central figure of a movement that has held American cities hostage for several days. Only God can do that! Like George Floyd, Black people have been considered “the nobodies of society” for 465 Deric Muhammad years. The knee on our neck is economic, spiritual, educational, cultural and political. George Floyd is a sign that we are more critical than you think we are. Our time is now!

Our liberation is not dependent upon how white people see Black people.

Our liberation is dependent upon how Black people see Black people. We must first see ourselves as justified and made equal to all mankind. Now is the time to mobilize for independence. Dr. King said that he feared that he’d integrated our people into a “burning house.” His fears were warranted. The house is (literally) on fire.

Waste no time trying to gather buckets of water to put out the fire. It is time to go to work on building our own house. Protests are fine, but if we put more energy into what we are “against” than we put into what we are “for,” we will end up working for what we are against and working against what we are for. We must have a clear agenda. We must unify and organize our forces like never before around that agenda. Seize the time!

Philonise Floyd,

George Floyd’s brother, spoke before the House Judiciary Committee:

the current energy a 21st century justice movement.

However, all are asking the same question, “Where do we go from here.” The Defender spoke to individuals from three different generations to get their answers to this question.

Mya Billingsley

(Generation Z) - Activist, Howard University junior Fashion Design major Seven years ago, the murder of Trayvon Martin shook the entire United States to its core. Now, today, more than ever, the Black Lives Matter movement is pushing full force ahead.

Social media has become an important factor in our everyday lives, prompting celebrities and big businesses to use their platform to speak on the atrocities happening in our country right now. Corporations are succumbing to the pressures of their customers and some are announcing that they are standing in solidarity with protesters and the movement, while others take a more subtle approach.

This made me start thinking about activism and how we use our voices. Understanding performative activism is key to understandMya Billingsley ing why some people are speaking up at all.

When I went to a recent protest, I kept having the urge to pull out my phone and record what was happening, take photos of myself with my sign, and other acts to “prove” I was there fighting for a cause. I noticed the same thing from people around me. Everyone was glued to their phones! The protest was still strong, and it was obvious the majority of people were there for the same reason I was, to be the change we wanted to see. But therein lies the problem. I thought I was the change. In theory, I am. But only collectively as a movement.

There was nothing wrong with taking those photos, videos, or posting them to social media. It is the era in which we live, and we were simply just spreading awareness. But on June 2, 2020 my timelines went black with the same dark screen post that supported the #BlackoutTuesday hashtag. This is when I had to take the time to reevaluate myself and my peers. I spoke with a few people on why they had even posted the black screen.

They soon realized that their posts were drowning out things posted by people in actual need of aid and with actual information on the protests. That they weren’t helping the movement, rather silencing it. This is performative activism, a brainless post because your friends or your peers are posting or posting about the BLM movement because it will get you more likes. It is great to know that you are spreading awareness but if you’re not doing it in an educational and effective way, there is no point.

....honor George, and make the necessary changes to make law enforcement the solution and not the problem. Hold them accountable when they do something wrong, teach them what it means to treat people with empathy and respect. Teach them what necessary force is. Teach them that deadly force should be used rarely and only when life is at risk.”

CORONAVIRUS MPACT & RESOURCES

Downtown 201 Caroline St., 3rd Floor Houston, TX 77002 (713) 274-8600 Baytown Annex 701 W. Baker Rd. Baytown, TX 77521 (713) 274-2248 Chimney Rock Annex 6000 Chimney Rock Rd. Houston, TX 77081 (713) 660-7902 Clay Road Annex 16715 Clay Rd. Houston, TX 77084 (832) 927-7230 Clear Lake Annex 16603 Buccaneer Ln. Houston, TX 77062 (281) 486-7250 Cypresswood Annex 6831 Cypresswood Dr. Spring, TX 77379 (832) 927-7290

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Whe e do A

can Ame cans go

In Dr. Martin Luther King’s last major book, “Where Do We go from Here: Chaos or Community,” he prescribes the courage necessary to dampen the fires of hell, saying, “No great victories are won in a war for the transformation of a whole people without total participation.”

America is undergoing a transformation, especially concerning the issue of police reform. The steps of President Barack Obama’s 2015 community policing plan required that every mayor immediately work to enact the provisions of his reAlgenita Scott Davis form. Every mayor, city and county leader should have been held accountable to put these measures in place. This is a single item agenda for the electorate.

In Texas, we are afflicted with disdainful sycophants on the state level that only sing President Donald Trump’s songs of regressive policies. Reform will only be accomplished by changing the seats in state government that seek to limit the programs and services in our low- and moderate-income communities. State limitations on Houston’s ability to govern itself contribute to our city and county funding of health, housing and judicial services. The faces must change to those that support reform of our justice system, another single item agenda for state senate, legislative, and official elections.

In 2018, the U. S. Commission on Civil Rights called for reinstating regulatory authority (and related funding) of the Justice Department over city police departments across the nation. Progress in the Justice Department during the Obama administration was dismantled by the current administration. Regulatory authority is monitored by Congress and the Senate, but the Senate is trembling in fear of doing anything that is different from what the current president demands.

Senatorial courage comes with support of the vote and the money to get out the vote. Every senator must be held to the single item litmus test of whether he/she desires to keep us in hell or not. Like the Senate, many of our federal courts have been contaminated with controlled minds. Only the November election can stem the tide.

Every public venue, every public meeting and hearing, every public agenda must be subject to the question of whether those in power are taking the necessary steps to put out the fire of hateful brutality. Marches are just one tool to keep the issue front and center. They make people uncomfortable and get in the way of “normal operations.” They must continue if we are to get out of the hell of police brutality and judicial oppression. We have the organizations.

Each must adopt strategies and implement actions that keep us moving to get out of hell. And each of us must participate.

om he e?

Humble Annex 7900 Will Clayton Pkwy.

Humble, TX 77338 (281) 540-1173 North Shepherd Annex 7300 N. Shepherd Dr. Houston, TX 77091 (713) 697-5193 Pasadena Annex 101 S. Richey St. Pasadena, TX 77506 (713) 274-6230 South Belt Annex 10851 Scarsdale Blvd. Houston, TX 77089 (281) 464-0115 Wallisville Annex 14350 Wallisville Road, Suite 111 Houston, TX 77049 (713) 274-6925

How do I determine if I’m eligible to vote by mail?

Must either be 65 years or older, out of the county on Election Day, confined

6 | July 9, 2020 |

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BLACK WOMEN, GIRLS KILLED BY POLICE VIOLENCE

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Algenita Scott Davis

(Baby Boomer) - Former president, National Bar Association & Houston Lawyers Association

Marilyn Marshall

The killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, Ken. has focused nationwide attention on the death of Black women and girls at the hands of police.

It comes at a time when Americans are demanding reform and an end to police violence that has taken the lives of Taylor, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks and too many others.

Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency medical technician, was asleep in her apartment on March 13 when it was raided by three plainclothes officers executing a no-knock warrant related to drugs. Gunfire was exchanged between officers and Taylor’s boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, a licensed gun owner. Taylor was shot eight times.

No drugs were found in her home and the suspect in the case had already been taken into custody.

Rev. Al Sharpton, president of the National Action Network, said NAN was “outraged” by Taylor’s death.

“It’s inexcusable that Black women make up less than 10% of the population and 33% of all women killed by the police,” Sharpton said.

A 2018 study by Washington University in St.

#SAYHERNAME

Louisville shooting victim Breonna Taylor is remembered during a rally in Boston. Taylor’s death also led to unrest in Louisville.

One of the officers involved in the shooting was fired. (AP PHOTO/STEVEN SENNE)

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Louis found that nearly 60 percent of Black women killed by police were unarmed at the time of the interaction. By comparison, less than 20% of white men killed by police were unarmed.

Bringing the issue to the forefront is one of the goals of #SayHerName, a national campaign promoting awareness of the “often invisible names and stories of Black women and girls who have been victimized by racist police violence.” #SayHerName was launched in 2014 by the African American Policy Forum (AAPF) and Center for Intersectionality and Social Policy Studies. Since its founding, the campaign has expanded and increased its focus on direct advocacy. Each year, it hosts a #SayHerName Mothers Weekend in New York City to bring together mothers who have lost their daughters to police violence.

The Mothers of #SayHerName and AAPF described Breonna Taylor as a “daughter, sister, niece, and granddaughter who was unjustly executed in her own home…,” and demanded visibility, accountability and justice.

“Our lives matter, our daughters’ lives mattered, Breonna Taylor’s life mattered.”

Demands & recommendations

#SayHerName compiled a list of demands and policy recommendations to combat police violence and heighten awareness of it. They include:

Kim Ogg, Harris County District Attorney is dropping the charges against nearly 800 protestors.

• Honor the memories and tell the stories of Black women and girls who have been killed by police.

• Invest in forms of community safety and security that do not rely on police officers.

• Defund the police and divert those resources back to where they were taken from: mental health and domestic violence services, shelters for people without homes, education, etc.

• Hold police accountable for violence against Black women and girls.

• Create and pass reforms that specifically address the home as a site of police violence against Black women.

• End the use of no-knock warrants.

• End the practice of sending officers to mental health and domestic disturbance calls.

• Adopt and enforce police department policies banning officers from searching people to assign gender based on anatomical features.

• Create and enact use-of-force policies to prohibit the use of Tasers or excessive force on pregnant women or children.

Mya Billingsley at June 2 March for George Floyd

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DN InFocus

Coronavirus:

within days of Election Day. It is imperative that we have a fully functioning postal service prepared to follow standard delivery times to ensure all votes by mail are counted,” the NAACP wrote in a statement.

Hollins said due to the coronavirus pandemic he is expecting unprecedented use of mail-in ballots.

Already, his office has sent out nearly 400,000 mailin-ballot applications to Harris County voters who are 65 and older.

“We want our seniors to be safe, and so we took that proactive step of sending mail ballot applications to all of our seniors in Harris County,” said Hollins. “It remains the safest most convenient way to vote, not only for you being able to sit down at your dinner table or at your sofa to cast your vote safely, but also for the other people who are voting in person because that’s one less person in line in front of them and one less person who they might be exposed to when they come to vote in person.”

Hollins added he is in talks with Toyota Center to use the currently empty facility as a polling location to aid with social distancing and high voter turnout.

Plans are already underway to move Harris County’s election headquarters to NRG Arena, which will also be used as a voting center for in-person and drive-thru voting.

Hollins reminds voters you do not have to rely on USPS to cast a mail-in-ballot. Voters concerned with mail delays will be able to drop off their marked ballot in-person at any of the County’s eleven offices and annexes during business hours, beginning whenever they receive their ballots and continuing through Election Day, November 3, at 7:00 PM. “This is the first time in Harris County history where voters can drop off their marked ballots during the Early Voting Period to ensure on-time delivery.

We encourage eligible voters to use this method of voting to avoid long lines at voting centers,” Hollins said. “The earlier you apply to vote by mail, the faster my office can mail your ballot to you. Don’t hesitate to mail it back to us, but you also have the choice to utilize our drop-off locations to return your ballot directly.”

The United States Postmaster might have suspended his efforts to make sweeping changes to the postal service, but Harris County is moving full speed ahead with making sure Houstonians votes are counted.

“We are expanding voter access to give voters more options to have their voice heard and cast their votes safely,” said Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins. “Voting by mail is hands down the safest method to vote this November. I encourage all eligible voters to apply to vote by mail and return their application and ballot as soon as possible to avoid delays.”

Trump made clear recently that he was blocking $25 billion emergency aid to the Postal Service, acknowledging he wanted to curtail election mail operations, as well as a Democratic proposal to provide $3.6 billion in additional election money to the states to help process an expected surge of mail-in ballots. Trump-appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy immediately began removing mailboxes across the country and slowing down mail service, prompting outcries. The backlash led DeJoy to announce that he would “suspend” several of his initiatives until after the election “to avoid even the appearance of impact on election mail.”

“We will deliver the nation’s election mail on time,” DeJoy said in a statement.

Many leaders, including Hollins, as well as the NAACP had vowed to fight what they called Trump’s attack on the postal service.

“We’re working with local postal leaders to ensure your mail ballots are going to be sent through in an efficient way and that they find their way to our office and that your voice is heard and that your voice is going to be counted,” Hollins said.

“These unprecedented attacks on the Postal Service will disenfranchise voters of color, who are already more harshly impacted by coronavirus and require alternative methods to in-person voting in order to protect their health and safety. Many states rely on deadlines for requesting and returning absentee ballots

DN ON SOCIAL THE WEB Elections

A NATION DIVIDED

GET OUT THE VOTE

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

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ATHLETES FIGHT SOCIAL INJUSTICE

A multi-generational perspective on change

The number of African-Americans killed throughout the years dates back 400 years.

Today, we take a look through history to explore the relationship with law enforcement.

Aswad Walker

According to Terborg-Penn, she was the first known Black female suffragist. Born Isabella Baumfree, she was also an evangelist, abolitionist, author and former slave who escaped to Sojourner Truth freedom in 1826.

Ida B. Wells-Barnett (1862-1931). The legendary anti-lynching crusader, newspaper editor, co-founder

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE?

THE DEATH OF GEORGE FLOYD

A HISTORICAL CONTEXT

Sojourner Truth (1797?-1883).

THOUGHTS ON 100TH ANNIVERSARY

Nine African American women gather for the Banner State Woman’s National Baptist Convention in 1915 (Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA)

POLITICAL POWER OF

PROTEST

group from obtaining the same rights,” said Terrell. “For the very arguments which are advanced against granting the right of suffrage to women are offered by those who have disenfranchised colored men.”

Dr. Rosalyn Terborg-Penn, former professor of History at Morgan State University and an authority on Black women in the suffrage movement (www.suffragistmemorial.org), spotlights Terrell and others who laid the foundation for today’s political powerhouses.

of NACW and founding member of the NAACP, also founded the Alpha Suffrage Club for Black women that published a newsletter to educate Blacks about issues and candidates on the ballot. When Wells-Barnett Ida B. was told to march in the back of the 1913 Suffrage Parade in Washington Wells-Barnett D.C., she refused, boldly marching in front.

Sarah Parker Remond (1826-1887), a member of multiple abolitionist and suffragist organizations, and her brother Charles, were so highly regarded that they both spoke at the National Woman’s Rights Convention in New York (1858). However, the racism displayed by white women suffragists was the last straw for Remond who left the U.S. for Florence, Sarah Parker Italy where she studied medicine Remond and became a physician.

Several powerful Black suffragists during the 18th and 19th centuries came from two families, including Charlotte Vandine Forten Sr., Harriet Forten Purvis, Margaretta Forten, Harriet “Hattie Purvis Jr., and noted playwright Angela Weld Grimke.

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN ON SOCIAL THE WEB Elections

Black women suffragists underappreciated

B

JOE BIDEN OWES BLACKS

6 | August 20, 2020 |

P oe M

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ng you e

PREPARING FOR SCHOOL IN THE FALL

Aswad Walker

With summer fast approaching, parents face the unenviable prospect of most, if not all, summer camps and vacation plans being modified. That said, many want to know how best to use the summer months to prepare their children for the new 2020-21 school year, even with its start date and format still up in the air. The Defender spoke with experts who could weigh in with fresh ideas.

M

RESOURCES Cofield does recommend parents use the internet to find an abundance of resources that can be utilized, including teacher communication and summer programs.

“All parents have one-on-one access to their child’s teacher now. They should be asking this question [about useful resources] to them.”

Cofield added, “Summer programs that are academic in nature or have academics in their daily schedule are one of Tori Moore the best options. There is a cost, Cofield but the return is well worth it.”

Baisy-Dyer said look to local libraries and universities offering free online classes that support virtual learning. She also agrees with Cofield in going directly to the source.

“Today’s virtual student should begin with the resources provided by their classroom teachers. Many of these resources will be familiar to the parent and student. Review the goal areas to determine where your student will need more hand-on support from you and where you can allow them to be more independent.”

Baisy-Dyer personally recommended ABCMouse and PBS for early learners, and Study Island and ixl for older students.

Fisher suggested bookmarking several websites: your child’s school district’s, the specific school and the Texas Education Agency’s (TEA’s).

“Although the TEA has waived the STAAR Assessment…parents are encouraged to download the assessment their student would have taken this school year, grade the test, and determine a plan for the summer to address some of the student’s deficits,” Fisher said.

will be the elephant in the classroom.

“It is my opinion that social distancing will become the new normal for all of us. With that said, how do districts enforce this new normal in ways that promote strong school cultures? The children will be afraid and many of them will use this fear or others’ fear of the virus as a means to avoid the ‘work’ or distract those who are trying to adjust.”

Cofield fears many students will cease seeing school as important after experiencing pandemic-induced trauma.

“Teachers too are struggling due to the virus and with expectations on them being even higher and harder next year, my concern is that we will have a huge breakdown in teacher preparedness and stamina.”

OPPORTUNITIES Fisher views the summer months as an opportunity for parents to check on the emotional well-being of their children.

“Ask them to express how they are feeling, and what they are fearing… Some children may be fearful of returning to school, while others are counting down to the first day of school.”

Cofield sees opportunities for some, and a call-toaction challenge for others.

“For those whose parents are involved and conscious of how important it is to keep their children engaged in learning, next year could actually be exciting, with them feeling successful once they return. Unfortunately, this is not the case for most.”

Cofield said parents returning to work and leaving children unsupervised may leave children losing what they have learned.

“Overall, especially in inner-city schools, we have not had great success in getting parents’ full supportin our efforts to close the achievement gap. If they don’t step up and step in now, the future is going to be bleak unless districts address these problems now, while they have time,” Cofield said.

Even under the best of circumstances, many children return to school with academic deficits. Fishers said this will certainly be the case for many “COVID kids.”

“It will take time for our ‘COVID kids’ to catch up; that’s what we know for sure.”

CHALLENGES Baisy-Dyer and Fisher identified several challenges facing parents and children in the coming months, bleeding into the new school year. They include the lack of access to online classes and resources, lack of direct teacher-led instruction, lack of group interaction and peer learning and more.

“It is important to the academic development of all students. Students will lack the ability to socially interact, problem-solve, and develop needed communication skills. Moreover, there is nothing more important than direct instruction, and teachers having the ability to teach, re-teach and assess the students learning for mastery,” stated Fisher.

Cofield, however, believes unaddressed trauma

Politics Justice A Coronavirus

The transition from high school senior to college freshman is difficult enough without having to factor in a global pandemic.

But this is the hand the Class of 2020 has been dealt.

Brian Armstrong, Texas Southern University’s executive director of outreach services, said it’s important for college-bound high school graduates to Brian Armstrong understand that what they may have been expecting to experience for their transition to college will be different due to the pandemic. He suggested the following: • Expect change: Plans made today for the upcoming fall semester (i.e. new student orientation, how students will attend class, etc.) are based on what colleges/universities know at this time.

As updates are received, plans may adjust.

• Make alternate plans: Colleges and universities are working on several plans to best meet the needs of students.

These plans may ultimately affect the students’ decision on which institution to attend.

• Buy a laptop: It is certain that how classes are taught in the near future and how students will learn will be impacted by the pandemic, which may last for quite some time. Smart phones and tablets alone may not be the best way to optimize learning in a virtual or hybrid classroom environment.

• Identify online resources: Students who begin to learn and utilize their institution’s online classroom system (i.e.

BlackBoard) will be successful during their transition to college. Also, most colleges and universities are hosting virtual webinars to assist admitted and prospective students and their parents learn about summer and fall plans. Seniors unable to take the ACT or SAT prior to March can visit www.act.org or www.collegeboard.org to learn about new dates.

• Create a checklist: List important deadlines and dates for various college planning activities (registering for classes, submitting vaccination records, applying for campus housing, etc.).

Black women and girls ranging in age from 7 to 93 have been killed by police. Here are five such tragedies: AIYANA STANLEY-JONES, 7, Detroit – She was asleep on the couch in 2010 when a Special Response Team stormed through the apartment looking for a murder suspect. She was mistakenly shot through the neck and killed. Officer Joseph Weekley was charged with involuntary manslaughter. He was cleared of charges after multiple trials. Aiyana’s family agreed to an $8.25 million settlement with the city in 2019.

REKIA BOYD, 22, Chicago – She was walking with a group of people in Chicago in 2012 when Dante Sevin, an off-duty officer, exchanged words with them over noise. Servin said he thought one of Boyd’s friends had a gun – it was actually a cell phone – so he opened fire in fear for his life. Boyd was fatally shot in the back of the head. Her family was awarded a $4.5 million wrongful death settlement in 2013 while Servin was still with the department. He was later charged with involuntary manslaughter but found not guilty at trial.

ATATIANA JEFFERSON, 28, Fort Worth – She was babysitting her 8-year-old nephew in 2019 when two officers arrived at her home for a welfare check. Jefferson, a pre-med graduate student, heard a noise in the yard, retrieved a gun and pointed it at the window. Officer Aaron Dean yelled “Put your hands up! Show me your hands!” before firing through the window, killing her. Dean resigned and remains under indictment for murder.

YVETTE SMITH, 47, Bastrop – She had called 911 to defuse a dispute between two men near Austin in 2014.

When she opened the door, an officer yelled “Police” and shot her. Police initially claimed that Smith was armed and refused officers’ demands. Investigators later said they couldn’t confirm that Smith was armed or refused to follow commands. The officer, Daniel Willis, was acquitted of murder. Smith’s family settled a lawsuit against Bastrop County for $1.2 million.

MICHELLE CUSSEAUX, 50, Phoenix – She was changing the lock on her door in 2014 when police arrived to take her to a mental health facility.

Police said she wouldn’t open her door so they forced their way inside. Sgt. Percy Dupra said he saw her holding a hammer above her head in a way he deemed threatening and that he shot her in self-defense. No criminal charges were filed against Dupra. A Phoenix Police Department internal review board later demoted him.

DEFENDERNETWORK.COM Get update the death of Pamela Turner in Baytown

DEFENDER NETWORK

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PARTY PATROL

Advice for college-bound high school grads

For more information visit aapf.org/ sayhername

Defender News Service

DN ON SOCIAL THE WEB OnSocial What others are saying

THE SUMMER OF COVID

RECOMMENDATIONS Longtime education professional Toni Imani Fisher suggests focusing on the basics.

“Read, read, read,” said Fisher, founder of Sisterhood Creations, Inc. “It is critical for students not to lose any growth in the area of literacy. Too many African American students already lag behind their peers academically. Students should be encouraged to read and write about what they read.”

Fisher said summer is a great time to visit the library [once public libraries open] and start a family book club and encourages older students to read the classics. “It’s a great opportunity for parents to pick some of their high school favorites.”

Fisher added that letter-writing is a great way for students to increase writing skills, and practicing basic math skills via flashcards, Internet math games or weekly tests, especially for pre-K through 8th graders, is a must.

Educational consultant Alieshia Baisy-Dyer encourages parents to stay in constant communication with their child’s school leadership teams to ensure they are up to speed on decisions regarding virtual learning. She also suggests identifying now Alieshia summer and fall programs Baisy-Dyer that address the student’s academic and social emotional needs.

She’s also a big advocate for direct communication with children.

“Engage students in conversations about the changes and include them in creating a schedule that meets their needs. Operate with love and grace during the unprecedented times,” said Baisy-Dyer.

Educational leader Tori Moore Cofield, executive director of Hope for Families, suggested finding out what your child’s school district recommends students do during the summer. She also pushes parents to familiarize themselves with the STAAR test expectations for 3rd through 12th-graders.

“The released tests are available online and there is a ton of resources out there to help students prepare,” she said.

For Cofield, however, the most important thing is keeping your child on a schedule rather than allowing them to get up and go to bed “at whatever time,” and not letting TV and social media become their accepted pastimes.

8 | May 28, 2020 |

• Include the faces, names, and stories of Black women alongside those of Black men at protests, demonstrations and other actions against police violence.

• Use an intersectional gender and racial lens when developing policy platforms to ensure that comprehensive solutions to state violence are being built.

• Create spaces to discuss how patriarchy, homophobia and transphobia impact Black communities as a whole.

• Hold individuals and organizations accountable for addressing how our communities sometimes recreate systems of oppression.

• Develop skills to talk about the multiplicity of ways in which state violence affects all Black women and girls, including transgender, non-transgender and gender-nonconforming.

• Acknowledge that both public and private forms of violence are devastating the lives of Black women and girls.

Remembering their names

HOUSTON WE HAVE A PROBLEM!

“People have lost their mind like the virus is gone. Just because things are open it doesn’t mean to not follow precautions.”

Texas A&M University and Prairie View A&M University

Beyonce’, the Obamas to speak at virtual graduation ceremony

– Misha Gidrey

“Went out for the first time last week to the store. I was astonished by the amount of people not taking the virus serious!

It’s sad.”

– Erin Elise

are joining the Defender in saluting our seniors.

YouTube’s “Dear Class of 2020� will be the only commencement of the season featuring speeches from both President Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama as well as Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.

“Dear Class of 2020” will air on Saturday, June 6 on YouTube and the Learn@Home site, starting at 2 p.m.

Visit bit.ly/defender seniorspotlight2020

“People need to follow the rules! It’s not about YOU and YOUR rights/freedoms! Follow the rules or STAY at home!”

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

– Greg Evans

“You are exposing everybody who is there, and they are exposing everybody who’s not there — who chose to do the right thing. So your rights stop where my rights begin.”

– Mayor Sylvester Turner

Mayor Sylvester Turner is troubled by reports of crowds in clubs and bars that appeared to exceed the 25% capacity listed in Gov. Greg Abbott’s most recent order allowing for the opening of such businesses. Turner, who argued such actions would set back the city’s pandemic response, directed the city’s fire marshal to enforce those regulations with citations. The decision is a reversal from his previous comments last week, in which he said the city would not be enforcing capacity restrictions on bars and restaurants without additional backup from the state.

“I went to the party at Cle’. I’ve been cooped up in the house and wanted to party. If I want to party among my peers, I should have that right.”

A white woman has apologized for calling police on a Black man in New York City’s Central Park after the two argued about her unleashed dog.

“I’m not a racist. I did not mean to harm that man in any way,” Amy Cooper said, adding that she also didn’t mean any harm to the African American community.

“This is the best example of white women lying about Black men “endangering” their lives. I hope she gets a hefty fine for false reporting.”

“Apology not accepted. She called 911 and lied about a Black man threatening her. She tried to get him assassinated. Thankfully, her murder attempt failed.

Now she wants to apologize since she is trending world wide.”

“He’s a Harvard grad and he was minding his business bird-watching in a public park that has rules. This woman did not think rules applied to her so she called the cops on him and said he was attacking her. What a p.o.s.”

-Pam Gaskin

-Rosa Jennings

-Cecie Reed

The centerfolds that helped inform our readers in 2020 t the Defender we pride ourselves on bringing the public thought-provoking well-researched original stories to inform and educate Our goal is to arm you with information to improve your daily lives One of the ways we do that is through our centerfolds Here are some of the best centerfold stories that we brought to you in 2020

Another black man killed by police

– Sandra Mukes Johnson

Viral park confrontation: White woman apologizes

Getty Images

COMMUNITY IN UPROAR

– Ava Washington

“Open doesn’t mean you have to go...just don’t get on here with a GoFundMe for the burials!”

Handcuffed Black man dies after white Minneapolis cop arresting him for forgery kneeled on his neck while he screamed in pain. Four officers were fired.

What others are saying...

“It is beyond enough is enough!!!! When you can watch a man beg for his life for over 9 minutes and have NO compassion, you are no longer a human, you are a monster! This is OUTRAGEOUS!” -Tres Dunmore Adams

“I couldn’t sleep after watching that video. So sad. Kept thinking about my sons and my brother.”

-Valencia Bell

“I wonder how close this footage is to the officers account of what happened. I will pray for the person that recorded this.

The people filming these injustices sometimes end up arrested for some random charge.”

- Nakecia Bowers

“That’s not a police officer/public servant; that’s a murderer who duped the system long enough to manage to get permission to wear a uniform. There are a lot of honorable LEOs that I know and love. I hope all men and women who wear the uniform unite and begin to call-out, condemn all acts of racism and savagery within their ranks, and stop it in its tracks. It has to start with you.”

- Tanya Burgo Ferrera

12 | December 24, 2020 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Year in Review 10 | December 17, 2020 |

December 3, 2020 |

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DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Spotlight

DEFENDER NETWORK

REDESIGN OF PUBLIC SAFETY SERIES:

STATE LEGISLATORS ON POLICE REFORM

By ASWAD WALKER

As part of the Defender’s “Redesigning Public Safety” series, we spoke with the state senators who are at the heart of Texas’ police reform efforts. Here, Texas legislators Borris Miles, Royce West and John Whitmire share their perspectives on those reforms and the legislation they will be working on during the next legislative session (Jan. 2021) in order to make those reforms a reality.

Defender: What does your vision

of redesigned public safety look like with regards to policing?

REDESIGN OF PUBLIC SAFETY SERIES

Dr. Cedric Alexander speaks on police reform Defender: We hear the term often, but what exactly is community policing?

Alexander: The term community polic-

By Aswad Walker

Few people in the country know the issues of police reform from multiple aspects better than Dr. Cedric Alexander, who has been in law enforcement since 1977 and is former president of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE).

Not only is he a law enforcement analyst for CNN, but Alexander served as deputy commissioner of the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services; chief of police in the Rochester Police Department; chief of police for DeKalb County; federal security director for the Transportation Security Administration, a division of the United States Department of Homeland Security in Dallas, and more.

Along with his years of experience in law enforcement and as a Black man in America, Alexander’s brutal honesty in assessing issues of policing have made his voice one of the most sought after on the subject.

As part of the Defender’s “Redesigning Public Safety” series, here are excerpts from an exclusive interview with Alexander.

I’m a former chief of police twice, but I’m still a Black man getting pulled over.”

Dr. Cedric Alexander

ing really means that me as a police officer, I’m in the community as a guardian and not as a warrior. I’m in the guardian mindset or I don’t come to work.

taught us a lesson. But George Floyd is not the only lesson. George Floyd was a tipping point…Right before George Floyd, what did you have? You had Breonna Taylor. You had the incident in Central Park where the white woman called the police on the brother. She weaponized herself to say that he was attacking her before that. What did you have? You had all those coming in succession to each other. And it doesn’t include the microaggressions that we all experience every day just being Black in America… But what 2020 has taught us is that in this pandemic environment… it also tells me we have the wherewithal as a nation to come together and fix this.

Even though we look very divided at this very moment because of the politics… we have the capacity to come together in all of this.

Defender: Do you know of any departments nationally that are implementing some of the discussed reforms?

Alexander: No, because we’re still in the

embryo stages of all of this. Hell, you can’t even get Congress to pass a public safety bill that’s going to benefit us. Right after George Floyd, you had the Republicans and the Democrats working together trying to create some public safety protocols, but they can’t even find a center. But what it has to come back to is people in those local communities. This is right where real work gets done…But you also have to remember Houston, Texas isn’t Butte, Montana. So,

the needs in Butte may be very different than the needs in Fifth Ward, Houston.

Defender: What changes can be made nationally, and what changes can only be made locally?

Alexander: All of them can be done

locally… How we police, how we negotiate with our unions in terms of police officers doing their jobs, everything can be done locally and at a state level. It is great to have federal legislation that says no chokehold.

But you can also have state and local legislation that says no chokeholds. Because really all the social ills in this country really are resolved at a local level.

Civilian Review Boards: Public safety needs to start with trust and confidence with law enforcement. To achieve this, we need transparency and power behind citizen complaints.

That’s why I filed Senate Bill 67, so that all large cities will have civilian complaint review boards with the actual power of subpoena and built in accountability by allowing multiple officials to appoint the board, not just the mayor. This is complemented

by Senate Bill 66 which subjects police complaints to open records requirements and requires police departments to store all such records.

Curtailing Excessive Force: I also think we need to end the culture around use of excessive force. That is why I filed Senate Bill 68, which requires law enforcement officers to intervene when fellow officers are using excessive force, as well as report all use of force to their department.

Furthermore, I filed Senate Bill 69, which bans chokeholds and submission techniques that block the airways or arteries. Finally, under Senate Bill 71, law enforcement agencies and police departments must adopt written use of force policies. I also don’t think police should indiscriminately shoot

at vehicles like in the Michael Ramos case in Austin, so I filed Senate Bill 72 which requires law enforcement agencies to adopt policies on the discharging of firearms into moving vehicles.

Public safety starts when the public is no longer afraid of police. We cannot be our own enemy.

Statewide Body Cams: Good, law-abiding professional police officers ought to applaud accountability tools like dash and body cameras that display bad officers and acknowledges there’s a lot of, in fact, mostly good officers.

the books that are different for police than for regular citizens, laws that protect police from prosecution?

Qualified Immunity: I have drafted

Permanent Bans on Working in Law Enforcement: I’m an attorney. If I do

something egregious, I lose my law license and I can’t get another one.

Reduce Police/Citizen Contacts for Minor Offenses: Most of the tragedies

Qualified immunity must be corrected by the legislature… Citizens must regain the right to sue law enforcement when they abuse their power.”

SENATOR BORRIS MILES

If we have one law that deals with the use of deadly force, we need to make certain that all policies… should be consistent across the entire state of Texas and towards that particularly.

SENATOR JOHN WHITMIRE

Defender: What does your vision of redesigned public safety look like with regards to policing?

Defender: What are the laws on

legislation addressing law enforcement’s enjoyment of qualified immunity. It is not fair that law enforcement can excuse gravely injuring and killing people as part of routinely doing their job. We have an entire branch of government, the judiciary, charged with checking this abuse of power. Qualified immunity must be corrected by the legislature for the courts to properly follow. Citizens must regain the right to sue law enforcement when they abuse their power. Qualified immunity should not cover cases where an individual never committed a crime, also it arguably should not cover cases where an individual is convicted of a crime that is different than the crime for which they were arrested.

You should be able to sue law enforcement if you are wrongfully detained or arrested and beat up about it.

We’ve made progress, but I think we’ve all witnessed this year, that when it comes to police accountability, we’re probably really derelict in many ways.”

we’ve seen around the country that had been documented on video, start with non-violent, police contact over nothing.

Then you have exchange of words, and it leads to a tragedy… Sandra Bland is a prime example. What if we could come in and send a mental health worker with the police officer. Have professionals that don’t involve a gun and a badge.

Redirect Resources: Why are you

wasting police resources on a traffic dispute? I just think if we could come up with the resources and redirect, and let me just

Defender: What specific legislation are

add right there, that the term “”defund police” is probably the most misstated message that I can imagine… In Texas people get alarmed when you say defund the police, because they think you’re shutting down the police department. Well, we’re not. If anything, your terminology of “redesigned public safety” would be perfect because you’re not saying less. You’re just saying maybe a repurpose of police.

you and others working on?

Home Invasion Policies: I’m going to carry the George Floyd Act in the Senate.

There will be a Breonna Taylor Bill that we are drafting right now. Botham Jean, you recall that in Dallas, a man was sitting in his home and… he ends up dead.

We’ll be working on that with Rep. Carl Sherman.

Bail Reform: One thing I’m going to

Reduce No-Knock Warrants: In

spend a lot of time on is bail bond reform.

We still are locking up people because they can’t afford a bond where if the person with identical charges has money, he or she leaves. So that’s a battle. And quite frankly, I think some bad guys are getting out on cash bonds.

terms of welfare checks, how do you make certain that policies are consistent concerning welfare checks? How do you make certain that we don’t have that? We reduced the use of no-knock warrants as an example. And don’t get me wrong. I want to make certain that if a police officer leaves home in the morning that they’re able to return home. But during the course of it, I want to make certain that a citizen is not injured or killed as a result of misjudgment or some negligence on the part of police.

Defender: Are there any cities or states currently using the reforms you would like to see enacted in Texas?

Several States & More Progressive Texas Cities: Hell, 35 states have

legalized marijuana for personal use…

So, what other states do, they’re just a lot more lenient about what they think is a law enforcement violation… But in Texas, and that’s part of the problem, you get in small jurisdictions and, Oh my Lord.

Consistency in Deadly Force Policy: If we have one law that deals with

the use of deadly force, we need to make certain that all policies… should be consistent across the entire state of Texas and

Defender: What can community members do to assist?

Alexander: Be involved in their city

government. It represents you and your community…You need to know who these people are. You need to write them.

You need to go to city hall and meet with your county commissioners and mayors and city managers, however your government is set up. You need to make sure that your voice is heard collectively and individually.

For more excerpts from Alexander, including his thoughts on HPD Chief Art Acevedo, George Floyd and more, visit Defendernetwork.com

SENATOR ROYCE WEST

towards that particularly. And I think that most law enforcement would agree with that. We’re in the process right now to collect the data, to see exactly what the policies are.

Defender: What about Qualified Immunity? People in the community feel like it’s a get out of jail free card for police.

Qualified Immunity: The reason they feel that way is because there are very few cases where police officers are not allowed to use that. Most instances they’re allowed to use that as a get out of jail free card because of the circumstances surrounding the case…. So, we’re dealing, we’re going to have a discussion to try to deal with that issue in the state of Texas.

Defender: Are there any cities or states

currently using the reforms you would like to see enacted in Texas?

Colorado: Colorado just passed the law

against the use of qualified immunity under certain circumstances… There is in fact, a movement around this in order to deal with police accountability, without damaging police officers’ mission to provide security for people in the state and in the various states.

POLICE REFORM PROPOSED IN TEXAS SENATE

SB 65

Makes it a felony for an officer to engage in official oppression that results in bodily injury.

6 | November 26, 2020 |

SB 66

Subjects officer complaints to open records law and requires departments to keep such records.

SB 67

Creates civilian complaint review boards in cities with more than 200k people, and grants the boards power of subpoena.

SB 68

Requires officers to intervene when another officer is using excessive force and to report such to the department.

SB 69

Bans chokeholds and submission techniques that block breathing or blood circulation.

SB 70

Requires officers to report their use of force to their departments.

SB 71

SB 72

Requires law enforcement agencies to adopt written use of force policies.

Requires law enforcement agencies adopt policies for shooting at moving vehicles.

DEFENDER NETWORK

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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL VICTIMS OF POLICE VIOLENCE

DEMAND REFORMS

Just like you put on that badge, like you put on that gun, like you put on that suit, you need to put on that camera so that there will be no questions where the public is concerned.”

The Redesign of Public Safety, sponsored by the Solutions Journalism Network, seeks solutions to loved ones killed by violence at the hands of police.

By ASWAD WALKER

Defender: What has 2020 taught the policing community about the limitations of the current policing standards?

Alexander: Well, I think George Floyd

Defender: What is your vision of redesigning public safety?

Dr. Cedric Alexander: I truly think

everything’s on the table…So, if I’m a police chief and I’m running a police department and the public is telling me that they’re not comfortable with police, they don’t feel safe. There are parts of our communities that feel marginalized or treated differently. And it doesn’t have to be the majority of our community, but there’s a part of our population where people don’t feel like, particularly people of color, where they don’t feel safe. They don’t feel as if they have a relationship with their police department. So, what has to happen in my opinion is that myself as a chief, my community, my elected officials, I think we all have an opportunity in this space we’re in right now to be able to sit down and start talking about how would we like to see policing in our community.

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DN InFocus SOCIAL

Family members of police violence victims have a unique perspective on the redesign of public safety, while the country discusses criminal justice reform.

The Defender spoke with Marian Tolan, mother of Robbie Tolan, who in 2008 was racially profiled, pulled over and shot multiple times by City of Bellaire police.

Tolan survived. Philonise Floyd’s brother, George Floyd, suffered a different fate. Philonise shared his thoughts on a redesigned public safety, as did the parents of Joshua Johnson.

Joshua’s death at the hands of Harris County Sheriff ’s Officer Tu Tran has not made national headlines, though radical inconsistencies between Tran’s explanation of events and facts discovered by the family demands further investigation. Yet, with few eyes on this family’s tragedy, Joshua’s parents, Wilhemina and Richard Beary, along with family spokesperson James Hudson, gladly shared their thoughts on changes needed in policing.

FAMILY RECOMMENDATIONS

Family members interviewed offered 10 recommendations for changes related to police that they believe will move society closer to better public safety.

REQUIRED BODY CAMS

• Body Cams: According to research, the impact of officer-worn body cams is inconclusive. Body cams cause officers to use less force at about the same rate as those cams have no impact on officers’ use of force. The biggest difference: When officers were required to have body cams on at all times, they showed the biggest reduction of force. When officers had the personal discretion to turn cameras on and off, there was little-to-no reduction. (https://www. govtech.com/biz/What-Bodycams-Do-BehaviorAccountability-and-Trust.html) • Civilian Review Boards: Though police reform advocates nationally push for civilian review boards, the most consistent complaints about them is their lack of independence and lack of subpoena power, rendering them boards that make recommendations to police departments that are rarely enacted. (The National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement (NACOLE) provides a listing of all civilian review boards in the country: https://www.nacole.org/ police_oversight_by_jurisdiction_usa).

• Suing Police Departments: Countless police reform advocates view suing police officers and/or entire

departments as an effective way to curb illegal police violence. However, the cost of the successful lawsuits is paid by taxpayers, not the police departments. Thus, there is no direct consequences for police departments as cities pay out millions in settlements. (see https://abcnews. go.com/US/millions-lawsuit-settlements-hidden-costpolice-misconduct-legal/story?id=70999540)

James Hudson: [The use of body cams] protects the officer and it protects the citizen. So, the question then becomes, why is it they don’t want to wear those cameras?

And the answer to that is very simple. It is just common sense. Because they know that it does not benefit them to wear the camera. They rather not have it on because they want to do things they don’t want to be seen on camera.

That’s just common sense. We’ve got to stop allowing these officers and the DA to tell us, ‘We didn’t have all the cameras because of XYZ.’ No. You are going to wear that camera.

Just like you put on that badge, like you put on that gun, like you put on that suit, you need to put on that camera so that there will be no questions where the public is concerned. If somebody had not videoed the George Floyd thing with the knee in the neck, George Floyd would just be another name, period.

Floyd: I think body cams and dash cams need to be on at all times. Because literally, [police] cut them off. It’ll probably take 28-to-30 seconds or something like that before it [the camera] comes back on. So, they may have done something they weren’t supposes to do. My thing is, if your camera goes off, in reality, I think the same way you would prosecute someone else, I think they need to be prosecuted and given time in jail.

ries. One of these is a lie… They need to be fired. When I say I want consequences, they need to lose their job. If they’re going on leave, it needs to be without pay. That hurts them. What incentive do they have to make a change to do better? Nothing. Right now, nothing. And so, that includes the supervisors who don’t reprimand them. There’re rules for everybody else. How can they just be the administrators of the law, but they don’t have to follow any? That doesn’t add up.

Marian Tolan: And they cannot work in law enforcement again. Think about it. Since Donald Trump has been in office, the white supremacists have come out of the woodwork… A lot of those people are in law enforcement.

So, we have got to do better doing background checks.

We’ve got to, if the department covers up for them, they have to be held accountable too... Those departments need to be held accountable when they have somebody who has a bad history… because they take the responsibility. They knowingly cover it up.

MONETARY ACCOUNTABILITY Marian Tolan: There has to be some consequences in

TRANSPARENCY Wilhemina Beary: I feel like [police] should wear

place when there’s video of you telling three different sto-

10 | October 1, 2020 |

James Hudson Spokesperson for the family of Joshua Johnson

DO THESE REFORMS WORK?

cameras, vest cameras. And also, I feel like they should be

Robbie Tolan (left), Marian Tolan and Benjamin Crump

accountable for what they do. I feel like the public needs to know who this officer is and they need to display [officers] pictures, their records. I feel like it shouldn’t be secretive.

Marian Tolan: Another thing that I would like to see when the police have been involved in incidents, misconduct, whether it’s racial profiling, stopping and detaining people for no reason… shootings of unarmed Black men… The first thing [police] do when there’s an incident is they run a background check on the individual. But do we have access to their background checks? Can we do background checks too?

Richard Beary: I would like to hear what’s going on.

It’s like a secret thing… Seeing how all the officers [who] have done something, you hear [about] it; what’s going on.

But with [Joshua’s death], this seems to be a little different, like they are hiding something. And I think it’s unfair the way it’s been done.

END QUALIFIED IMMUNITY Floyd: Life is precious. And you want [officers guilty of

unlawful violence] to be held accountable for anything, because [qualified] immunity is major right now. Anything that officers want to say, they can say it. You have good officers. You have bad officers. You shouldn’t have to sort them out.

INDEPENDENT REVIEW BOARDS James Hudson: A lot of times people say that the sys-

tem is broken. But this system is not broken. This system is working exactly the way they designed it to work: to favor the police. That’s the way it is designed to work. It’s not broken for them. It works exactly the way they created it, so that whether an officer is right or wrong, the outcome is going to favor the police. That’s the way this system has been designed. And we know that because you have the police policing the police. And that’s the big problem. You need an independent group of people, an independent review when it comes to police shootings. You do not need the Harris County sheriff investigating their own officers.

That does not work.

Philonise Floyd, a brother of George Floyd, arrives to testify before a House Judiciary Committee hearing on proposed changes to police practices and accountability on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, June 10, 2020, in Washington. Floyd arrived on Capitol Hill the day after funeral services for his George Floyd, who has become a worldwide symbol in demonstrations over calls for changes to police practices and an end to racial prejudices. Michael Reynolds/Pool via AP MANDATORY DRUG TESTING

Marian Tolan: If you were involved in a car accident, the first thing they do is do a toxicology study on you; a truck driver, a cab driver, anybody on the job involved in anything. It can be the slightest accident. It can be the slightest incident. They have to do drug testing, right? Why can’t we get drug testing on police officers?

SUE INDIVIDUAL OFFICERS AND DEPARTMENTS Marian Tolan: I don’t know who we have to go after,

but I’m going after somebody. The department of justice are administrators of justice. Supposed to be. But Black and Brown people are not getting justice in the courtrooms of America, not just in police involved incidences.

The only way we’re going to get their attention is by suing them. Now I haven’t met the attorney that’s going to take it yet. But every time I speak to the National Bar Association, anybody, I let them know this is my intention. And one day I’m going to meet somebody who has the courage. Because to fight it, it takes courage. I mean, when we went to the Supreme Court, I was going all the way because I wanted to be able to look in my son’s eyes and say, I did all I could. And the only way you can do that is to do all you can.

I think [George] is the backbone, the staple of what’s going on right now. And I tell people all the time, Ahmaud Arbery, he was the charcoal.

Breonna Taylor was the lighter fluid. And my brother, he was the flame that just set it off.”

Philonise Floyd Brother of George Floyd

RE-REVIEW PAST NO-BILLED CASES

Marian Tolan: I want some of these cases that they nobilled to be looked at again, if we’re gonna really change the system. Just like the case of Mike Brown. The officer was not even indicted. He finally was fired after five years.

There is a pattern and practice. We’ve got to change the pattern and practices.

CHANGE THE WAY CASE JUDGES ARE CHOSEN

Marian Tolan: I’ve heard people say that federal judges are like, God. And I told him, please don’t say that to me because they’re not God, they’re human beings. And they make a lot of dumb mistakes. The judge that had our case, it was not a lottery. It was placed in her court… She didn’t get it accidentally. It was placed in her court for her to do what she did.

COURTS RE-ORIENTATION Richard Beary: I think the courts need to be changed.

It’s too much for the police. It’s too much in their favor. I understand that everybody out there is not legal, but the court system is not fair towards the public. It’s just geared towards more of the police, and not everybody is honest. A lot of them are dishonest. A lot of them are out there doing dishonest things. But people are too scared to say anything about it.

The first thing [police] do when there’s an incident is they run a background check on the individual. But do we have access to their background checks? Can we do background checks too?”

Marian Tolan Mother of Robbie Tolan

DEFENDER NETWORK

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DN InFocus SOCIAL

ACTION ITEMS

Do white supremacist exist within the police force?

By Aswad Walker

There is a long history of police brutality against African Americans in Houston dating back to the 1900s. Today’s state of affairs is just as troubling. Extensive reporting shows police arrest, exercise use of force and kill Blacks at a much higher rate than whites, leading some to wonder just how many racists exist on police forces. What is not as well-known is that a 2006 FBI report warned of negative interactions between police and Blacks increasing due to white supremacist groups infiltrating local and state law enforcement agencies.

The FBI even labeled this infiltration a “significant threat to national security.”

As part of the Defender’s “Redesigning Public Safety” series, we interviewed two Houston-area Black police officers, each with 20-plus years of experience, to get their take on the presence of white supremacist-leaning officers, and ways to stop them from infiltrating the ranks of the police. For their safety and job security, the officers will be referred to as Officer RedBlack (HPD) and Officer Green (Ft. Bend County Sheriff’s Dept.).

Defender: Do you believe white supremacists are infiltrating police forces?

Red-Black: To some degree. It’s probably more prevalent in smaller departments that don’t have review boards and don’t have their actions evaluated as much as larger agencies. However, I’m pretty sure they’ve infiltrated police departments nationally.

Green: The assertion is very real. However, this isn’t a new

REDESIGNING

Public Safety phenomenon. The purpose of organized white supremacist organizations is to establish and maintain some form of control. Typically, that control is best obtained through government positions of authority and the most available and plentiful positions are within law enforcement. The South has always attracted racially-biased whites to policing because it is within the common man’s reach and legitimizes a biased social ideology.

Defender: What are you basing your answer on?

Red-Black: My experience with peers, supervisors and transitions over my 23 years as a police officer.

My interaction with fellow officers who have told me that they have never been around other races or “cultures” before. My observations of police officers treating white folks with respect by addressing them as “ma’am” and “sir” on calls… but with Black or Brown people they address them as “man” or “girl.”

Green: Historically, police officers are believed to be directly derived from “slave catchers.” Although this does not fully explain or define modern police officers, it certainly adds perspective to the legacy created by those who seek policing as a profession, particularly those who diligently follow their fathers and grandfathers… Regardless of the progress made within the profession or within society, it is close to impossible to eradicate racism or

Redesign of Public Safety W

This report is part of a Solutions Journalism Network project on “The Redesign of Public Safety.”

racial biases. I believe that is why the treatment of violators and/ or offenders is disproportionately harsher toward violators or offenders of color. Finally, check the backgrounds of officers and I believe one common thread is the legacy trend from grandfather to grandson. Another is the rural upbringing of most white officers.

Defender: Whose responsibility is it to stop this infiltration: police HR, mayors, city council?

Red-Black: At times it’s very hard to weed out these types of people through the recruiting process and while they’re police cadets. A lot of these alt-right types know how to “mask” who they truly are during these processes. They’ve been in our military, which most police departments think very highly of. Some of these hires are from police families.

Their grandfathers, fathers, uncles and mothers were all officers. What needs to happen is when they are constantly under investigation and they show a certain aggressiveness towards a certain group of people, they need to be re-evaluated more, and people need to start suing the individuals more than just the city, when civil rights violations are found to be true.

Green: All the above. The hiring body that places officers should give more than lip service to qualifications and dis-qualifiers. As the process stands, it’s difficult to enter law enforcement with a negative

1. Keep hiring standards high, or even raise them 2. Commit to diverse hiring beyond lip service 3. Provide officer training that prioritizes cultural acceptance over cultural tolerance 4. Institute officer reevaluation process for officers who exhibit consistent aggressiveness towards certain groups

blemish on your criminal history unless you know someone who has the authority to hire you… Additionally, most agencies won’t consider the character growth that could come from adversity. Therefore, many young Black men and women aren’t seriously considered for positions, yet most agencies profess their determination to hire a more diverse force.

Blacks more likely than whites to be killed during police contact

Defender: How can this problem be fixed?

Red-Black: It is very hard to weed these types of individuals out during the recruiting process because they know how to “mask” their beliefs.

Usually their prejudice toward Blacks comes out later in their careers. The hiring of candidates is very competitive because all law enforcement agencies are competing against each other. Due to jobs needing to be filled the standards are often dropped. Some departments feel through training and experience people will change. Sometimes they do, and sometimes they don’t.

Green: Police officers are typically responding to a microcosm of societies effective marketing of race and characteristics of Black culture.

Training is always the most effective mechanism but many officers are taught through the “good-ol’ boy” system… Training can help neutralize and mitigate some of the poor examples. But to be truly effective, diversity in recruiting needs to be a priority in action not just words.

Cultural acceptance should replace cultural tolerance in law enforcement training. Understanding cultural differences can eliminate the fear and the distrust of those who are different from you.

3.2 X Nationwide 6.5 X Chicago 5.87 X

San Francisco / Oakland

5.38 X

New York/ Newark

5.14 X St. Louis, MO 4.83 X Columbus, OH 4.73 X Milwaukee, WI Photo: Jimmie Aggison

Source: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study, June 2020

The stories that spotlighted the need for police reform and how to create change.

By Gregory Anthony

ith 2020 awakening millions of Americans to the longstanding reality of police violence inflicted upon Blacks, a long-overdue national conversation arose on how to fix a broken criminal justice system. To go beyond presenting Defender readers with a rehash of the problem, the 90-year-old publication, in partnership with the Solutions Journalism Network(SJN), launched the Redesign of Public Safety Series.

“Thanks to support from the SJN, we were able to engage in discussions with local police, a national law enforcement leader, state senators and family members of victims of police violence, to get their takes on what that redesign should look like in terms of police reform,” said the series’ project manager and lead writer Aswad Walker. “Our goal was to extract answers and solutions from every group impacted by the issue. Let’s hear from family members who wear the scars of this violence;

legislators working in Austin to shape policies that reflect equal justice; and the police themselves to get their take.

“Telling the story of how law enforcement, community members and policy makers are responding to reform is an act of journalism that seeks to tell the whole story and not just highlight the problems,” said Holly Wise, SJN’s Texas regional manager. “This is a powerful form of public service, and we were eager to partner with the journalists in the Defender Network who are dedicated to bringing these stories to life.”

Walker added, the hope was to produce articles that allowed readers to take away something tangible that can help in redesigning “a system that recognizes Black Lives Matter.”

Focusing on the SJN mission, Allie Shah, a reporter with the Minneapolis Star Tribune, said, Solutions Journalism means “not just looking at the problem but also exploring ways to solve the problem.”

TAKEAWAYS • Make use of bodycams a statewide requirement, with stiff penalties for turning them off while responding to an incident.

• Enact legislation that ends Qualified Immunity and allows for greater officer accountability for wrongdoings.

• Permanently ban officers guilty of wrongdoings from working in law enforcement, and levy stiff penalties to police departments that hire such officers.

• Make officer drug testing standard after violent incidents, and make their work history records public for more transparency.

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DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Year In Review

Comings and Goings

By Terrance Harris

The stories of 2020 that dominated PRO and COLLEGE sports, and mattered most to our community While COVID-19 provided a huge impact on the 2020 sports scene, this year will also be remembered for some of the stunning departures and the promising arrivals when it comes to Houston sports. We won’t soon forget the frustrating exits of Texans star receiver DeAndre Hopkins and Russell Westbrook after just one season with the Rockets. Some of the positive arrivals include Dusty Baker coming aboard as the Astros manager and coach Stephen Silas and guard John Wall joining the Rockets, giving us much to look forward.

Sports world speaks out against racial injustices

For years, the establishment in sports, aka ownership, sports leagues and even coaches have wanted to brush off the senseless violence and coast-to-coast killings of African Americans by the hands of law enforcement. But George Floyd’s death seemed to put the establishment and the athletes on the same page in ways that had not been seen before. The NFL, which blackballed quarterback Colin Kaepernick out of the league for taking a knee against racial injustice, all of a sudden found itself on the same side as the players and demanding justice against the senseless killings of African Americans. Even NFL commissioner Roger Goodell made an impassioned speech from the basement of his home. Athletes across all leagues like the WNBA, NHL, MLS and MLB joined the NFL and NBA in support of their athletes’ rights to civil protest.

INSET: WASHINGTON, D.C. - JUNE 19: John Wall of the NBA Washington Wizards march down the streets of DC to the MLK Memorial during a Black Lives Matter March on June 19, 2020 In Washington D.C. Credit: mpi34/MediaPunch /IPX

NCAA cancels men’s, women’s NCAA Basketball tournaments

After not seeming to know what to do as the coronavirus began to spread in March, all conferences across the country began to stop their conference championship tournaments that were already in progress. It wasn’t long after that the NCAA made the unprecedented move of canceling its lucrative men’s and women’s tournaments. It was the first time since 1939, when the men’s tournament began, that it wasn’t played. The NCAA had originally hoped to play the tournament in empty arenas but instead pulled the plug when it saw that the NBA and MLB had pushed the pause buttons on their seasons.

Astros hire baseball well-respected Dusty Baker as manager

In the wake of the sign-stealing scandal that rocked the entire MLB, Astros’ owner Jim Crane fired the team’s WorldSeries-winning skipper, A.J. Finch and Astros’ general manager Jeff Luhnow. To right the ship, Crane turned to one of the most successful, steady and respected managers in the game, former MLB player and manager Dusty Baker. Considered a baseball lifer, Baker brought with him his impeccable reputation. Baker was a three-time National League Manager of the Year and had amassed 1,863 wins in 22 seasons. Baker led the Astros’ on a seemingly magical playoff run that had the team playing above expectations and nearly making in back to the fall classic.

LEFT: The Milwaukee Bucks bench remains empty after the scheduled start of an NBA basketball first round playoff game between the Milwaukee Bucks and the Orlando Magic, Wednesday, Aug. 26, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. AP Photo/Ashley Landis, Pool

NBA, MLB pause, delay seasons

In a move that had not been seen before, the NBA suddenly stopped its season with roughly one month to go until the postseason. Major League Baseball delayed the start of its season out of major concerns for the health of their players, coaches, personnel and fans. Months would go by without a clear direction of when or how either league would resume their seasons.

14 | December 24, 2020 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Year in Review

Texans GM/head coach Bill O’Brien trades DeAndre Hopkins

In a move that left many scratching their heads, O’Brien and the Texans parted ways with one of the top receivers in the game to begin the NFL’s new calendar year. There were lots of rumors as to why the move of taking away Deshaun Watson’s No.1 target so abruptly had to happen. But this all came Houston Texans wide receiver down to money. While Hopkins was still DeAndre Hopkins celebrates with under contract, he had certainly outper- fans after an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Bufformed the deal he was under and a likely falo Bills Saturday, Jan. 4, 2020, tough negotiation and hold out were ahead in Houston. The Texans won 22-19 for the Texans and their top receiver. What in overtime. AP Photo/Michael made this trade more problematic was the Wyke capital the Texans received in return for one of the best playmakers in the game. The Cardinals sent David Johnson, a running back who had lost his starting job and a mere second-round pick. This was a blow fans would not get over and O’Brien ultimately would not live down.

Texans QB Watson signs four-year, $160m contract extension

In a move that was widely expected, the Texans and their star quarterback came to an agreement on a contract extension that will keep him in Houston for a while. The total value of the deal with $177.54 millions with $111 million guaranteed. Watson’s deal only trails Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes’ 12-year contract with the Chiefs.

Stephen Silas lands first head coaching job as Rockets new leader

After a surprising offseason that saw the Rockets part ways with both coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Daryl Morey, the team hired longtime assistant coach Stephen Silas. In Silas, 48, the Rockets get an assistant coach with 20 years of bench experience who also comes with an impressive pedigree as the son of respected NBA coach and former player Paul Silas. The Rockets interviewed former head coaches Ty Lue and Jeff Van Gundy, but ultimately settled on Silas.

Minnesota Lynx players lock arms during a moment of silence in honor of Breonna Taylor before a WNBA basketball game against the Connecticut Sun, Sunday, July 26, 2020, in Bradenton, Fla. AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack

NBA, WNBA players halt play, support Black Lives Matter

After witnessing the shooting of an African American man in Kenosha, Wis. NBA and WNBA players demonstrated by refusing to play games in the bubble. First, the Milwaukee Bucks refused to take the playoff floor against Orlando and before long a movement began. Games were ultimately cancelled for a few days while the respective leagues and their players hashed out some conditions in which play would be resumed.

The NBA and WNBA were joined in game stoppages by MLB and MLS players. Other sports leagues also took various actions to show support for the cause of police reform.

Rockets Harden, Westbrook demand trades

Not happy with the direction of the franchise, both NBA stars James Harden and Russell Westbrook both seek offseason trades. Ultimately, the Rockets grant Westbrook a trade after just one season, sending him to Washington in exchange for John Wall and a protected first round draft pick. Harden remains with the team for now, but most believe the Rockets will eventually deal their star player when the right offer is made.

Rockets restart 2019-2020 season in Orlando bubble

Houston Rockets’ James Harden (13) and Russell Westbrook (0) during an NBA basketball game against the Los Angeles Clippers Thursday, Dec. 19, 2019, in Los Angeles. AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez

Following a 20-week hiatus, the Rockets along with 21 other teams restarted their season in July in what became known as the NBA bubble on the Disney grounds. The selected teams played eight seeding games before beginning their playoffs in August.

The idea behind the concept of a bubble was that players, coaches and personnel would be isolated from the outside world, including their families, cutting down chances of being infected with the coronavirus while being tested regularly. The concept was wildly successful with no positive tests in the bubble and an ending that saw the Los Angeles Lakers dominating the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals in October.

December 24, 2020 |

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DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Year In Review YATES SETS NATIONAL 100-POINT RECORD The 2019-20 Jack Yates High School basketball team broke the national scoring record, scoring 100 points or more in 16 straight games. The record had been previously claimed by a former Yates basketball team a decade earlier.

Setting records Cancellations State Champs

By Jodie B. Jiles | Photos by Jimmie Aggison

The stories of 2020 that dominated High School sports headlines, and mattered most to our community Despite half of the 2019-20 high school sports seasons being cancelled due to COVID-19, Houston still managed to have a notable year. Here are the top high school sports stories of 2020.

SHADOW CREEK, NORTH SHORE WIN STATE

HIGHTOWER, YATES, DICKINSON AND STAFFORD GO TO STATE

In Class 5A, Shadow Creek won their first state championship with a 28-22 win over Denton Ryan. In Class 6A, North Shore defeated Duncanville 31-17, winning back-toback state championships in the process.

With a potential Class 4A rematch of the best of Houston basketball versus the best of Dallas basketball on the slate at the state tournament, Yates highly anticipated playing Oak Cliff Faith and Family Academy, the team that beat them in the semi-finals in 2019. In Class 6A, Dickinson would have had a game to remember against last year’s state champion Duncanville.

At the time Dickinson’s shooting guard Tramon Mark was averaging 40 points a game in the playoffs. Just to think what could have been.

16 | December 24, 2020 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Year in Review NORTH SHORE’S DE’MATRIUS DAVIS TOP 5 WINNINGEST HS PLAYER With 50 victories and counting, North Shore quarterback De’matrius Davis is set to end up third place all-time leaders in high school football wins if he closes out his career with a third state title.

Note that the 2019 NFL Draft’s 1st overall pick, Kyler Murray, finished his Texas high school career with 47 wins, and the projected 2021 top pick, Trevor Lawrence, finished his senior year with 52. The all-time high school wins record is 56 victories.

LEFT: North Shore QB Dematrius Davis profile.

MCDONALDS ALL-AMERICAN GAME IN HOUSTON CANCELLED

KINGWOOD PITCHER MASYN WINN DRAFTED TO MLB

Houston has been home to 21 McDonald’s All Americans, and in 2020 the city would have turned up with the likes of Morton Ranch’s L.J. Cryer and Dickinson’s Tramon Mark potentially on the floor.

With the Cardinals’ first selection in the second round of the 2020 MLB Draft , they selected pitcher / short stop Masyn Winn from Kingwood High School.

Scouts noted that when they witnessed Winn throwing 98mph fastballs at the World Wood Bat Association World Championship it was a no brainer Winn was skipping college for the pros.

UIL CANCELS 2019-20 TRACK, BASEBALL AND SOFTBALL At the peak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the UIL was forced to cancel all spring high school sports of the 2019-20 season.

WOODARD SISTERS PICK HBCU HOWARD OVER POWER 5 SCHOOL Six-foot-three Episcopal volleyball standouts, twins Bria and Cimone Woodard, had verbally committed to play for Texas A&M, but after deep reflection, decided to flip their commitment to Howard University.

LEFT: Bria and Cimone Woodard

KATY PLAYERS PROTEST RACIAL INJUSTICES After the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a pair of high-profile defensive backs (Bobby Taylor and Hunter Washington) from a nationally ranked, predominately white Katy football program, decided to sit out the team’s first scrimmage, following in the footsteps of other professional athletes that refused to attend practices and or playoff games that week in protest.

HIGHTOWER’S BRYCE GRIGGS’ DECIDES TO STAY IN TEXAS In June, it was announced that one of Houston’s best young basketball talents was transferring to San Diego to play alongside #1 basketball recruit Mikey Williams. Fortunately for us, by September Griggs decided returning to Hightower was in his best interest.

Masyn Winn

Katy Hunter Washinton with Coach Gary Joseph on sideline.

December 24, 2020 |

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DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Year In Review

Their memories live on IN MEMORIAM

Defender News Service

This year, we said final goodbyes to well-known men and women who had an impact on the local, state and national levels. They ranged from ministers to singers to sports legends, and all were achievers in their respective fields.

DR. EARL ALLEN

The noted Houston pastor and author who was active in the Civil Rights Movement died Feb. 16 at age 87. Allen was the founder of Miracleland Church.

He authored and produced Christian books, tapes and educational products. He was a senior at Texas Southern University when he became spokesperson for students who conducted a march and sit-in at a “whitesonly” lunch counter at Weingarten’s. He was also a pastor in Dallas and leader with the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).

JA’NET DUBOIS

FAYE BRYANT

The longtime HISD administrator and the district’s first African American female deputy superintendent for School Administration died Feb. 20 at age 82. She was international president of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. from 1982 to 1986. She was initiated into the sorority at Howard University in 1955. She taught at two Houston high schools and served as director of Magnet Schools for HISD. In 2002, she retired as executive deputy superintendent after 42 years of service.

The actress who played neighbor Willona on TV’s “Good Times” and composed and sa ng t he t heme song for “The Jeff e r s o n s ,” d i e d Feb. 17 at age 74.

Dubois won two Emmy Awards for her voice work on the WB series “The PJs.” She was close to Janet Jackson, her adopted daughter on “Good Times,” and played Jackson’s mother in her 1986 “Control” video. Her film credits included “Diary of a Mad Housewife,” “I’m Gonna Git You Sucka” and “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle.”

EARL GRAVES

The founder of Black Enterprise Magazine died April 6 at age 85. He launched the magazine in 1970 to educate, inspire and uplift readers.

He wrote a book in 1997 t it le d “How to Succeed in Business Without Being White.”

Graves held jobs in law enforcement and real estate before working on Sen. Robert F. Kennedy’s staff. After Kennedy’s assassination in 1968, he began developing his magazine. He also ran Pepsi-Cola of Washington, D.C., one of the nation’s largest Black-owned soft drink distributors.

AL EDWARDS

HERMAN CAIN

The 2012 Republican presidential candidate and former CEO of the Godfather’s Pizza chain died July 30 of complications from COVID-19.

He was 74. Cain was considered a viable alternative candidate for GOP voters concerned that former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, the eventual nominee, was not conservative enough. But Cain struggled to respond to accusations that he sexually harassed several women. He served as a director of the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City from 1992 to 1996.

The former Houston state representative who served in the Texas House for nearly three decades died April 29 at age 83. In 1979, in the face of considerable opposition, Edwards passed legislation recognizing Juneteenth as an annual holiday. He was chair of the Rules and Resolutions Committee and chair of Budget and Oversight of the Ways and Means Committee. He was a board member of Operation PUSH and Texas state director of Rev. Jesse Jackson’s 1984 and 1988 presidential campaigns.

KATHERINE JOHNSON

The mathematician who calculated rocket trajectories and earth orbits for NASA’s early space missions died Feb. 24 at age 101. She was portrayed in the hit film “Hidden Figures.” Johnson was one of the “computers” who solved equations by hand during NASA’s early years. In 1961, Johnson did trajectory analysis for Alan Shepard’s Freedom 7 Mission, the first to carry an American into space. The next year, she manually verified the calculations of an IBM computer that plotted John Glenn’s orbit.

DAVID DINKINS

The first African-American mayor of New York City from 1990 to 1993 died Nov. 23 at age 93.

While in office, he raised taxes to hire thousands of police officers and spent billions of dollars revitalizing neglected housing. Dinkins, a lawyer, was elected to the New York State Assembly in 1965, became the first Black president of the city’s Board of Elections in 1972 and went on to serve as Manhattan borough president. After leaving office, Dinkins became a professor at Columbia University.

DR. THOMAS FREEMAN

The legendary Texas Southern University debate coach and educational icon died June 6 at age 100. He was also longtime minister of Mount Horem Baptist Church in Fifth Ward. Freeman arrived at TSU in 1949 and held numerous academic and administrative positions through the years. The new Honors College was named after him in 2009. Freeman’s students included the late Congresswoman Barbara Jordan and Congressman Mickey Leland. He advised Denzel Washington in the 2007 film, “The Great Debaters.”

LITTLE RICHARD

The flamboyant rock-and-roll star died May 9 at age 87. Born Richard Penniman, he helped shatter the color line on the music charts.

He sold more than 30 million records and influenced numerous other musicians, from the Beatles to Otis Redding. After his 1956 classic “Tutti Frutti” landed in the Top 40, a string of hits followed, including “Good Golly Miss Molly,” “Lucille” and “Long Tall Sally.” He was a charter member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986.

PASTOR MANSON JOHNSON

The pastor of Houston’s Holman Street Baptist Church for 43 years and a force in the Third Ward community died May 31 from complications of COVID-19. He was 71. Johnson was known as a “dynamic” preacher and teacher. He became pastor of Holman Street in 1977 and under his leadership, the church’s membership and ministries grew. The church moved into a new worship center in 1998. He taught at HISD’s Cullen Middle School after college and served as head of the Mathematics Department.

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DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Year In Review REV. JOSEPH LOWERY

The civil rights activist who co-founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. died March 27 at age 98.

Lowery was a Mobile, Ala. pastor when he met King in the 1950s. His meetings with King, Rev. Ralph David Abernathy and other activists led to the SCLC’s formation in 1957. Lowery became SCLC president in 1977 and retired in 1997.

Former President Barack Obama awarded Lowery the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor, in 2009.

JOHNNY NASH

The singer and songwriter, a native Houstonian, died Oct. 6 at age 80. Nash scored a No. 1 hit with “I Can See Clearly Now” in 1972. In addition to his pop music career, Nash had a hand in the development of reggae music. As one of the owners of the JAD Records label, he signed Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer to exclusive deals early in their careers. Nash released his last studio album, “Here Again,” in 1986.

The country music superstar, whose hits such as “Kiss an Angel Good Morning” sold millions of records and made him the first Black member of the Country Music Hall of Fame, died Dec. 12 of complications from COVID19. He was 86. His other hits included “Is Anybody Goin’ to San Antone,” “Burgers and Fries,” “Mountain of Love” and “Someone Loves You Honey.” He won three Grammy Awards and the Country Music Association’s Top Male Vocalist and Entertainer of the Year awards in 1972.

The first Black coach to lead a team to the NCAA men’s basketball championship died Aug. 30 at age 78. Thompson led Georgetown to 14 straight NCAA tournaments, 24 consecutive postseason appearances and three Final Fours.

Thompson took over the Georgetown program in the 1970s and molded it into a perennial contender, culminating with a national championship team anchored by center Patrick Ewing in 1984.

Georgetown reached two other title games with Thompson and Ewing, losing in 1982 and 1985.

The former Astro who later became the first Black general manager to win a World Series with the Yankees in 1996 died May 14 at age 74. Watson made the All-Star team in 1973 and 1975, hit over .300 four times and drove in at least 100 runs twice while hitting in the middle of the Astros’ lineup. He also played for Boston, the Yankees and Atlanta Braves. He became the league’s second Black GM when he was hired by the Astros in 1993.

The first lady of Abundant Life Center (Cathedral) and a life coach, author and leadership consultant died Aug. 10 at age 66.

She founded and led the charitable organization You! Woman in the Now/U-WIN. She wrote two books, “Saundra’s Kitchen,” a collection of food and thought, and “Gracefully Made,” a daily meditation and inspirational book. She was a leader in various areas of the church, including volunteers, administrative teams and the choir, and was founder of Word in Motion Dance Company.

CHARLEY PRIDE

JOHN THOMPSON

BOB WATSON

SAUNDRA MONTGOMERY

BILL WITHERS

The Houston entrepreneur, affectionately known as “Mac” or “Ro,” died Sept. 26 at age 81. Morris owned C&I Sales Company and Club Gazebo. He operated as an insurance agent with multiple companies for over 40 years. Morris was a salesman by trade and a top salesman for R.J. Reynold’s Company. He later became the regional sales director of Falstaff Brewing Company. He served in the Courtesy Corp. Group 2C and was a former board member of the Turner Alumni Association.

BARBARA “B” SMITH

The top model who went on to open restaurants, launch a successful home products line and write cookbooks died Feb. 22 at age 70 after a much-publicized battle with Alzheimer’s. Smith became the second Black model to appear on the cover of Mademoiselle Magazine in 1976. Ten years later she opened a Manhattan restaurant that became popular with affluent Blacks. Two more B. Smith Restaurants followed. She hosted the nationally syndicated television show “B. Smith with Style” for nearly a decade.

REV. C.T. VIVIAN

The minister and key adviser to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. who organized pivotal civil rights campaigns and spent decades advocating for justice and equality died July 17 at age 95. Vivian met King soon after the budding civil rights leader’s leadership of the 1955 Montgomery bus boycott, and helped translate ideas into action by organizing the Freedom Rides that forced federal intervention across the South. Former President Barack Obama honored Vivian with the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2013.

The singer-songwriter died March 30 at age 81. Withers released a string of soulful songs in the 1970s that have stood the test of time, including “Lean on Me,” “Lovely Day” and “Ain’t No Sunshine.” Withers, a three-time Grammy Award-winner, released his first album, “Just As I Am,” in 1971. It included “Ain’t No Sunshine” and another hit, “Grandma’s Hands.” He had a hit duet with saxophonist Grover Washington Jr., “Just the Two of Us.” Withers withdrew from the music industry in the 1980s.

CICERO MORRIS

WILLIAM “BUBBHA” THOMAS

The Houston drummer and nurturer of young talent died March 28 at age 82. He led the ensemble the Lightmen in the 1970s. He earned five Grammy nominations. Thomas was also known for Jazz Education Inc., a non-profit which sponsored the Jazz & Poetry Series, Summer Jazz Workshop and Houston International Jazz Festival. He brought music to thousands of children across Texas and spearheaded a program that trained more than 8,000 teenage musicians. Thomas studied under local jazz legend Conrad “Prof” Johnson.

KEITH WADE

The special advisor to Mayor Sylvester Turner and a longtime political strategist died May 21 after contracting COVID-19.

He was 65. Wade also served as an advisor to former Mayor Annise Parker and as an aide to the late Congressman Mickey Leland.

He was the first African American elected president of the University of Houston Students’ Association, serving as president from 1977-1978. He remained an active part of the campus as an advisor to the UH Hobby School of Public Affairs.

BETTY WRIGHT

The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter died May 10 at age 66. Wright had her breakthrough with the 1971 hit “Clean Up Woman,” which combined elements of funk, soul and R&B. It was recorded when Wright was just 17. With members of K.C. and the Sunshine Band, she co-wrote her 1975 hit “Where is the Love,” which won a Grammy for Best R&B Song.

Wright started her own label in 1985, leading to a gold album, “Mother Wit,” and the comeback hit, “No Pain (No Gain).”

JIMMY WYNN

The All-Star outfielder for the Houston Astros nicknamed the “Toy Cannon” died March 26 at age 78. Wynn hit more than 30 home runs twice with Houston, including a careerhigh 37 in 1967 at the Astrodome. He went on to play for the Dodgers, Braves, Brewers and Yankees. He later worked in the Astros’ front office as a community outreach executive. In 2011 the team dedicated the Jimmy Wynn Training Center, a baseball facility at the Astros Youth Academy.

December 24, 2020 |

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DEFENDER NETWORK

As a COMMUNITY, we were tested.

As a BUSINESS, we were challenged.

And as INDIVIDUALS, we were molded.

As this unprecedented year draws to a close,,

we give

thanks for YOU.

Happy

New Year

May GOD Bless You with a PEACEFUL HOLIDAY SEASON and a REMARKABLE NEW YEAR!

20 | December 24, 2020 |

DEFENDER NETWORK