Houston Style Magazine Vol 31 No 25

Houston Style Magazine June 18 – June 24, 2020

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication, Since 1989

Volume 31 | Number 25

Complimentary

OPRAH’S OWN CELEBRATES JUNETEENTH Jesse Jackson Racism Is The Great Divider In America

Texas Rep. Shawn Thierry Request from COH Council A BLACK LIVES MATTER Blvd.

Father’s Day Special Tribute

STAY SMART H WORK SAFE CORONAVIRUS – US NUMBERS: Cases: 2,247,551 Deaths: 120,258

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Twitter @HoustonStyle

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SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS L G B T Q RIGHTS

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George Floyd Protest Go World-Wide

Dr. Thomas F. Freeman TSU Legendendary Debate Coach Is Laid To Rest at 100

Emancipation Ride

N E W S | C O M M E N TA R I E S | S P O R T S | H E A LT H | E N T E R TA I N M E N T Support Black Owned Businesses

FREETestCOVID-19 Sites

Houston Week of June 15, 2020

Visit HoustonEmergency.org for current sites.

1. Kingwood Park Community Center 4102 Rustic Woods Dr, 77345 June 15-20, 2020 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Appointment required through txcovidtest.org or 512-883-2400.

6. HCC - Northeast Campus 555 Community College Dr, 77013 June 15-20, 2020 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Appointment required through txcovidtest.org or 512-883-2400.

2. Griggs EC/PK/K School 801 Regional Park Dr., 77060 June 15-19, 2020 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

No appointment or symptoms needed.

7. Magnolia Multi-Service Center 7037 Capitol St, 77011 June 16-18, 2020 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Appointment required by visiting krogerhealth.com/ covidtesting.

3. Forest Brook Middle School 7525 Tidwell Rd., 77016 June 15-19, 2020 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

No appointment or symptoms needed.

4. United Memorial Medical Center 510 W Tidwell Rd., 77091 June 15-19, 2020 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

No appointment or symptoms needed.

5. Delmar Stadium 2020 Mangum Rd, 77092 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Until further notice Call 832-393-4220 for access code.

8. Yates High School 3650 Alabama St, 77004 June 15-20, 2020 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Appointment required through txcovidtest.org or 512-883-2400.

9. HCC - Southeast Campus 6815 Rustic, St., 77087 June 15-19, 2020 9 a.m. – 4 p.m.

No appointment or symptoms needed.

11. Southwest Multi-Service Center 6400 High Star Dr, 77074 June 15-19, 2020 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

No appointment or symptoms needed.

12. HCC - South Campus 1990 Airport Blvd, 77051 June 15-20, 2020 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Appointment required through txcovidtest.org or 512-883-2400.

13. Butler Stadium 13755 S Main St, 77035 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Until further notice Call 832-393-4220 for access code.

Information obtained through COVID-19 testing, treatment or services will not be used against immigrants in their public charge evaluation.

10. Cullen Middle School 6900 Scott St., 77021 June 15-19, 2020 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.

No appointment or symptoms needed.

HOUSTONEMERGENCY.ORG/COVID19 2

June 18 – June 24, 2020

www.StyleMagazine.com

Publisher Francis Page, Jr. fpagejr@stylemagazine.com Associate Publisher Lisa Valadez lisa@stylemagazine.com

Managing Editor Jo-Carolyn Goode editorial@stylemagazine.com Social Media Editor/Videographer Reginald Dominique reggiedominique@me.com Sports Editor Brian Barefield

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NATIONAL WRITERS

Jesse Jackson jjackson@rainbowpush.org Roland Martin www.rolandmartin.com Judge Greg Mathis www.askjudgemathis.com

PHOTOGRAPHERS Vicky Pink vhpink@gmail.com William Ealy Williamealy1906@gmail.com Semetra Samuel semetra@artistikrebelcreative.com Mike Munoz artrepreneur91@gmail.com Robert Franklin editorial@stylemagazine.com

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d.b.a. Houston Style Magazine & StyleMagazine.com Phone: (713) 748-6300 • Fax: (713) 748-6320 Mail: P.O. Box 14035, Houston, TX 77221-4035 ©2020 Houston Style Magazine, a Minority Print Media, L.L.C. Company. All Right Reserved. Reproduction in whole or within part without permission is prohibited. Houston Style Magazine has a 2019 audit by Circulation Verification Council (CVC). Houston Style Magazine is a member of the Texas Publishers Association (TPA), Texas Community Newspaper Association (TCNA), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Independent Free Paper of America (IFPA), Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP) and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP). National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc. (NAHP, Inc.), Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Latin Women’s Initiative (LWI), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP)

I CAN’T BREATHE BLACK LIVES MATTER SEE. . .GEORGE FLOYD’S WORLD-WIDE PROTEST MAP & PICTURES

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June 18 – June 24, 2020

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COMMENTARY

Racism Is The Great Divider

By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

I

can’t breathe,” pled George Floyd in Minneapolis and Erik Garner in New York City and Javier Ambler in Austin, Texas, before police killed them.

Amid the protests against brutality, Rayshard Brooks in Atlanta, whom police found asleep in his car, was shot twice in the back and killed. In Austin, Justin Howell lies in critical condition in the hospital shot during a protest by a policeman using a “less-lethal weapon.” His mistake? He stood next to the demonstrator the policeman was shooting at. And now, two young African American men - Robert Fuller and Malcolm Harsch - are found dead, hanging by their necks 50 miles from one another in California. Although the police initially dismissed the cases as suicide, they are now under investigation after public outcry. In the midst of a national uprising on racial justice, the possible lynching of two black men should not be swept under the carpet.

For African Americans, poverty should not be a prison and skin color should not be a cage. White supremacists disguised as police officers should not use us as target practice. So-called qualified immunity must not shield killers from the law. Those with a shield and a badge must be held to the highest standards. It is time to fulfill America’s promise of equal justice under the law.

As the demonstrations continue, the reality of the criminal injustice system that African Americans face every day keeps getting exposed. At the same time, the pandemic has exposed the systemic racial gaps that scar our society. Police serve as an occupying force in poor communities of color because those communities exist, often created by red lining, worsened by savage inequality of schools and health care and job opportunity.

CNN recently detailed “Black-White Inequality in Six Stark Charts.” African Americans have barely 1/10 the median wealth of white families, a gap that is wider now than it was at the beginning of the century. The disparity is primarily due to the differences in home ownership - where African Americans suffer from being locked out of so many neighborhoods for so long - and inheritance, where African Americans suffer the legacy of years of slavery and segregation.

The median income of African American families -- $41,000 - is less than 60 percent of white families ($71,000), another gap that has grown worse in 2000. It was only last year that African American incomes exceed those in 2000 - and that “progress” was wiped out in the pandemic.

Unemployment among African Americans generally is twice that of whites. Today, official unemployment for blacks is at 16.7 percent and for whites at 14.2 percent. It’s that close because blacks are disproportionately employed in frontline essential

jobs - the postal service, mass transit, warehouses, grocery and drug stores, hospitals and nursing homes.

Poverty among African Americans, before the pandemic recession, was at 20.8 percent; for whites, 8.1 percent. African Americans are 60 percent less likely to have health care at work than whites.

Poverty, unemployment, low income, low savings all lead to vulnerability. African Americans are less likely to have adequate health insurance and more likely to have chronic illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity. The result African Americans, about 13.2 percent of the country’s population, have suffered 23 percent of the deaths from the virus.

Consider the shackles we put on too many African American children born into an impoverished neighborhood. Their mothers are less likely to have prenatal care; they are more likely to suffer death or injury at birth. They are less likely to have adequate nu-

trition. They are more likely to grow up in apartments with lead in the walls and pipes. They are less likely to have day care or pre-K. They go to public schools marked by a savage inequality to those in the affluent suburbs. They walk streets that are dangerous, yet police too often provide not protection but a separate threat. And if they rise above that and go to college, they graduate with far higher student debt into a job market that will pay them less than their white peers.

All of this is well known. None of it is accidental. Solutions are known but not adopted.

Racism is used to divide working and poor people to protect those with privilege. Often poor white families suffer simply because of the unwillingness to see tax dollars go to lift people of color from their misery.

For example, 14 states have refused to accept the federal governments offer to pay for the expansion of Medicaid to cover poor working people. Not surprisingly, they are states predominantly from the South: Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma.

Economic violence snuffs out dreams and takes lives. Even as the demonstrations demand a reimagining of criminal justice, we need to demand a basic economic justice. There is only one major reason why this rich country does not have the universal health care, the good public schools, secure retirements, decent housing, adequate food - and that is racial injustice and the collateral damage it does to people of all races who are not affluent.

Now change is in the air and, more importantly, in the streets. New possibilities are open.

America is called once more - led by the passion of a young generation more diverse than ever - finally to begin to address the racism that increasingly endangers us all.

You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this newspaper or by email at jjackson@rainbowpush.org.

Follow him on Twitter @RevJJackson.

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Supreme Court Delivers A Huge Win for LGBTQ Rights

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By StyleMagazine.com – CNN / Newswire

he Supreme Court delivered a huge win for LGBTQ rights by ruling that federal civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender workers.

The opinion, written by Justice Neil Gorsuch, argues, “An employer who fires an individual for being homosexual or transgender fires that person for traits or actions it would not have questioned in mem-

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bers of a different sex. Sex plays a necessary and undisguisable role in the decision, exactly what Title VII forbids.”

The landmark 6-3 ruling yesterday will extend protections to millions of workers. It’s also a clear rebuke of the White House’s recent attempts to cut into LGBTQ protections.

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June 18 – June 24, 2020

Front row, left to right: Associate Justice Stephen G. Breyer, Associate Justice Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito. Back row: Associate Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor, Associate Justice Elena Kagan, Associate Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh.

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June 18 – June 24, 2020

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6/8/20 2:57 PM

MAYOR TURNER AND 8 TEXANS MAYORS DEMAND MASK REQUIREMENTS FROM GOV. ABBOTT

By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor StyleMagazine.com Newswire

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ver the past few days Houston has set records and not the good kind. The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the city has been on a rise. The Memorial Day weekend and numerous protests have blamed in the spike. Social distancing and wearing masks has proven to be the most efficient way of combating the coronavirus. Governor Greg Abbott confirmed he supports such precautions in a press conference held earlier this week.

“I make clear on a daily basis around the entire state of Texas that wearing masks is very important and local officials send that same message,” said Gov. Abbott.

Apparently wearing masks is important but not as important as requiring Texans to wear masks. Gov. Abbott believes making that a requirement with punishments if violated is an infringement on peoples’ liberty.

“So all of us have a collective responsibility to educate the public that wearing a mask is the best thing to do.

Putting people in jail, however, is the wrong approach for this thing,” commented Abbott.

Mayor Sylvester and eight other Texas mayors from Arlington,

Mayor Sylvester Turner – Mask Press Conference Austin, Dallas, El Paso, Fort Worth, Grand Prairie, Plano, and San Antonio are requesting for Gov. Abbott to allow cities, not states, mandate that residents being required to wear masks. Contrary to Vice President Mike Pence’s opinion that a second wave of COVID-19 is “overblown,” all mayors agree that a

second wave is imminent but the spread of COVID-19 could be slowed down with the mandate. The mayors put their request in a formal letter to governor.

“This one step could prove to be the most effective way to prevent the transmission of this disease. Yet many people in many of our cities are still re-

MASK UP!

fusing to wear these face coverings even though these coverings are scientifically proven to help prevent the disease from spreading. We are writing to you for the authority to set rules and regulations on the use of face coverings in each of our cities. A one-size-fits-all approach is not the best option. We should trust local officials to make informed choices about health policy. And if mayors are given the opportunity to require face coverings, we believe our cities will be ready to help reduce the spread of this disease,” wrote the mayors in their letter.

Judge Lina Hildago had issued a requirement for all those in Harris County to wear a mask but it was quickly shot down by Gov. Abbott.

“I’m talking about the county judge whether it be the county judge or elsewhere, they do have the ability to impose fines, not for facemasks, but for other strategies,” commented Gov. Abbott.

He further went on to add that if business establishments would follow recommended standards the spread of COVID-19 would decrease.

In addition to the face masks mandate, the mayors are also concerned about the 3 phase reopening of Texas.

SUPREME COURT BLOCKS TRUMP - DACA Ruling Leaves 700,000 Dreamers Safe

By Ariane de Vogue and Devan Cole – CNN / Stylemagazine.com Newswire

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ashington (CNN) The Supreme Court on Thursday blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, an Obama-era program that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants brought to the US as children from deportation.

The 5-4 ruling was written by Chief Justice John Roberts and joined

by Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Elena Kagan, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor.

In penning the opinion, Roberts once again sided with the liberals on the bench in a momentous dispute that will infuriate judicial conservatives who are still bitter that he once provided the deciding vote to uphold

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Obamacare.

The opinion is the second time in a week when the Supreme Court -bolstered with two of President Donald Trump›s nominees -- has ruled against the Trump administration. Monday, the court said LGBTQ Americans are protected under the Civil Rights Act. The ruling emphasizes that the administration failed to provide an adequate reason to justify ending the DACA program.

“We do not decide whether DACA or its rescission are sound policies,” Roberts wrote in the majority opinion. “’The wisdom’ of those decisions ‘is none of our concern.’ We address only whether the agency complied with the procedural requirement that it provide

June 18 – June 24, 2020

a reasoned explanation for its action.”

It is a blow to the Trump administration, as immigration reform has been a lynchpin of Trump’s agenda. It means that for now, participants in the program can continue to renew membership in the program that offers them work authorization and temporary protection from

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deportation.

However, the Trump administration could move, again, to try to rescind the program, but this time the administration will have to provide a better explanation grounded in policy for its reason for termination.

www.SupremeCourt.gov

SUBSCRIBE. DONATE. ADVERTISE. During times of crisis, crucial information about your community comes from local reporters.

Access to high quality information is essential. Especially local information.

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June 18 – June 24, 2020

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Rep. Thierry Requested Houston City Council To Paint BLACK LIVES MATTER Street Mural Also, Requested A BLACK LIVES MATTER Blvd In Downtown Houston

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

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oday Rep. Thierry addressed the Houston City Council and made a special request of Mayor Turner, Mayor Pro Tem, and the esteemed members of city council. She asked for the painting of a street mural near “Hippy Hill” and Miller Outdoor Theater with

the words “BLACK LIVES MATTER” as have been painted in major metropolitan cities across the country. She also requested that the street adjacent to City Hall be renamed Black Lives Matter Blvd. Rep. Thierry believes that with Houston being one of the most di-

verse cities in the nation, we must show our solidarity and support for criminal justice reform and we will not tolerate racism and police brutality for unlawful killing of our black residents.

Remembering the Life Of Dr. Thomas F. Freeman

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By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor – StyleMagazine.com

alk about a life well lived, Dr. Thomas F. Freeman did just that.

Traversing on this earth for 100 years, the impact that he made on students, the community, and the world is long lasting. He was the epitome of a living, walking, legend.

A scholar, trained minister and beloved debate coach, Dr. Freeman began his tenure at Texas Southern University in 1949. He was only supposed to teach philosophy for a short period and then move on to go minister at a church in Virginia. But luckily for TSU the then president saw a better future for students after viewing a debate Freeman had assigned to his class. He, too, must have had the gift of words because he convinced Dr. Freeman to stay on at TSU as faculty to head the debate team, a post he never left for more than 8 decades.

Over the years, Dr. Freeman trained some of the best students and

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celebrities alike. From the award winning actor Denzel Washington for the movie The Great Debaters to the student who had yet to find their own voice.

Along the way through his teachings TSU students racked up national and international titles. Dr. Freeman’s legacy to students was to never be silent but to always use their voice to be heard.

Dr. Freeman took his last breathe on June 6th. Ten days later he would be laid to rest and remembered by his family, TSU tigers, legislators, celebrities, and communities worldwide.

Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed June 16 as “Dr. Thomas Franklin Freeman Day” in Houston. Other resolutions from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Congressman Al Green were presented. Congresswoman Lee further stated that she would introduce legislation to declare Dr. Freeman as “the greatest teacher the nation has ever seen” and “the longest-serving teacher

June 18 – June 24, 2020

in the U.S.” His beloved TSU will name the new campus Library Learning Center in his honor.

Houston Style Magazine extends condolences to all who mourn Dr. Thomas F. Freeman.

Obama To Appear At First Joint Biden Fundraiser

By CNN / StyleMagazine.com Newswire

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ormer President Barack Obama will appear with his former vice president and the presumptive Democratic nominee, Joe Biden, in a joint fundraiser next week. The fundraiser, which will take place on June 23rd and is billed by the Biden campaign as a “virtual grassroots event,” will be the first time the two have appeared together since Mr. Obama endorsed Biden in April.

In an email to supporters from the Biden campaign, Mr. Obama said the two will be “answering your questions and talking to folks like you.”

In the email, Mr. Obama referred to the November election as “the most important election of our lifetimes.”

Biden, the Democratic National Committee and his joint fundraising committee raised more than $80 million in May, the most the candidate has raised to date during the 2020 election cycle. According to the campaign, more than half of the donors last month were new contributors, and more than 1.5 million new supporters joined the campaign in recent weeks.

More info: www.JoeBiden.com

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June 18 – June 24, 2020

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Black Fathers: The Heavy Weight On Their Minds

By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor

Antonio Scott and Family

Ron Ryans and Family

Mahcoe Mikel and Family

ad changed the world,” said a proud six-year-old Gianna, the youngest daughter of George Floyd, the Houston man who was killed by a former Minnesota police officer after he put his knee on the neck of Floyd for 8 minutes and 46 seconds.

Most children are like Gianna in putting their dads on pedestals believing that they are fearless, strong, and will protect them at all cost. However, in the eyes of America, Black fathers are viewed in a different light making them have a bad wrap.

Judge by the color of their skin, Black men are looked at as being associated with drugs, gun violence, and incarceration. Black fathers have those stereotypes placed on them in addition to negative portrayals of having children out of wedlock with multiple baby mamas, not paying child support, and not being engaged in the lives of their children. Although some Black fathers can check these boxes but to categorize all of them collectively like this is totally wrong. There are plenty of Black dads who are present changing diapers, reading bedtime stories, helping with homework, and cheering on their offspring at every stage of life. Applause is not needed or required for these dads who cherish the responsibility of being a father. It is just what all good men do when they are blessed with that precious gift from above. However, many of them are being robbed of the opportunity to be a father. Losing their lives at an alarming rate by the very hands that are meant to protect them, law enforcement. Black fathers are being murdered all in the name of ugliest word in the dictionary, racism.

Floyd, by the accounts of his family, was a good man and a good dad.

The father of five was a vivid presence in each of the lives of his children as well as a mentor to many others. In fact, he was callously killed in a city that he relocated to just to find better

opportunities to provide for his family.

Now his children are suffering. Floyd won’t be there to walk his daughters down the aisle, see his son become a man, or cheer them on at every stage of life. Black fathers are terrified that they too will be another George Floyd.

Every day that they leave their home they know there is a possibility that they might not return leaving their children fatherless. That thought is terrifying for Black fathers and constantly weighs heavy on their mind.

Antonio Scott, father of four (Amber 19, Kiara 14, Amanda 10, and Antonio Jr. 9), sighs just thinking about how difficult it is to be a father right now. “I worry about my kids as they go to school or just try to hang out with their friends. Can they go to the store without being profiled as shoplifters or ride in the car with more than two people without getting pulled over?” said a concerned Scott. “It just means I have to make sure they know I’m here to be their confidant, positive black role model, their shoulder to lean or cry on and for them to know that dad will always have their back.”

Navigating those same difficulties is Mahcoe Mikel, father of three daughters (Brooklyn 10, Irelynd 7, and Scotlynd 4), who doesn’t take the role of father lightly. “Being a father now, means navigating through uncertainties, and adapting to sudden changes. All while possessing the resilience to recover quickly and stay the course when you are unsure where it leads. Along the way, you may suffer unimaginable losses, and you may even want to give up and go back the other way. Nonetheless, being a father in times of trauma means that you will learn to depend on your family just as much as they depend on you,” he said.

Children depend on their fathers. Research has proven that children who have the influence of a father are more likely to avoid the negative pitfalls

of life and become successful. Loving every aspect of his daughters being allows them to be led to Godly possibilities according to Mikel.

Father of three, (Olivia 14, Gabrielle 12, and Gavin 5) Ron Ryans, echoes that sentiment by saying the role of a father is to prepare children by having those tough, realistic conversations so they are ready for anything. Once they are prepared for life, Scott knows for children to really soar they need to know about money and how to invest and grow it. Investing into the college future of his young leaders and teaching them how to manage money and invest in the stock market are tops on his parenting list.

Children today face an obscene amount of challenges on a daily. An advocate for them is needed and required.

Black fathers don’t always have the answers but they do the best that can.

Sometimes giving their best while trying to fill the roles of both a father and a mother, a strain that Ryans feels with his children. Even though he co-parents with his children’s mother situations come up where two are better than one but only one is available.

No matter the situations Black fathers have accepted fatherhood and all it brings. Every day they strive just to make a difference in the life of their children. Each morning they awake wanting their children to have a better life than they had.

“Hard work pays off one way or another. When you put in the time and work, one might not see it right then but eventually someone will notice and it will not be forgotten,” said Ryans.

“I raised them all the same with the same principles. Hard work and prayer pays off,” said Scott, who instills the lesson of knowing the difference between children’s wants and needs.

Providing their children’s needs and their wants fills any father with pride. The greatest joy to their children

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June 18 – June 24, 2020

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is the lasting legacy that they will leave that lives with them far beyond their years.

Mikel hopes to leave an impression on his girls so they can do more and go further. “One aspect of legacy that I strive to leave them is a world of possibilities to pray big and dream big; to live responsibly and share the blessings along the way.”

Scott wants his legacy to his crew to be generational wealth. “I would also like to leave them with financial security and knowledge to keep it going through generations to come,” he said.

Dropping nuggets of being respectful and knowing nothing in life comes quick and easy are other jewels Scott deposits in his kids.

Being a father is a hard job with rewarding benefits. And the fact that God chose him to be “Daddy” to his girls keeps a smile on the face of Mikel. A smile stays on the face of Ryans making him happy every time he can provide his children’s essentials and desires. But fatherhood is more than just buying things. To help future and current fathers, Mikel, and Ryans offer some advice.

Remember to not just be present but be involved while present advices Ryans. “Cherish all the moments even if it’s simple.” So put down the cell phone, cut off the TV, and rearrange your schedule to make sure you don’t miss a thing.

Mikel gives some tried and true advice that was passed on to him from his own father. Kids have a lot of questions and dad doesn’t always have the answers. “So show them how to handle being wrong and how to overcome failure. Show them your willingness to learn and keep improving,” said Mikel.

Don’t keep kids in a box. Expand their perspective. “Give them an appreciation for different cultures, the arts and for trying new things,” commented Mikel.

Make them believe that with work anything is possible. “Do not let fear keep you from instilling in them the pursuit of greatness.”

Being a father is not for the weak. “It is a very difficult and challenging yet rewarding experience,” said Scott but one he wouldn’t nor would any father trade for the world.

Houston Style Magazine wishes a very Happy Father’s Day to Antonio Scott, Mahcoe Mikel, Ron Ryans, and all fathers everywhere including publisher Francis Page. Jr.!

2020

GEORGE FLOYD’S

George Perry Floyd, Jr. H October 14, 1973 – May 25, 2020

WORLD-WIDE PROTESTS PHOTOS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Auckland, New Zealand

Los Angeles, California

Rome, Italy

Seattle, Washington

Trafalgar Square, London, England

Madrid, Spain

Dam Square, Amsterdam

Wiki Map of Protest World Wide

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June 18 – June 24, 2020

11

Welcome To The Hill:

Praire View A&M University Hires New Athletic Director – Dr. Donald Reed

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By Brian Barefield, Sports Editor Stylemagazine.com

rairie View A&M University (PVAMU) has announced the hiring of Dr. Donald Reed as its new Director of Athletics. He will begin his official duties starting July 15, 2020, and will replace interim Associate Athletic Director Alicia Pete, who has served in the role after former AD Fred Washington resigned in August 2019 for personal reasons.

Dr. Reed currently serves as Senior Associate Athletic Director for Athletic & Academic Performance at the University of Buffalo (UB). He joined UB in 2007 as the Associate Athletic Director for Academic Services and since has led the university in a leadership role in bringing success to the program both academically and athletically. Dr. Reed’s passion lies in helping student-athletes achieve in the classroom as well as the community.

One reason he was so highly sought after this past year was his work with the University of Buffalo stu-

dent-athletes. They recorded an average GPA of at least a 3.0 for 13 consecutive semesters; a feat that had never been accomplished before Dr. Reed’s arrival.

“Among a competitive field of candidates, Dr. Reed impressed the search committee with his record of accomplishments, breadth of experience, commitment to student athletes, and managerial acumen,” said Dr. Timothy Sams, Vice President for Student Affairs at PVAMU who helped lead the search for a new Athletic Director along with Spelman Johnson Search Firm.

Dr. Reed started his career at New Mexico State where he served seven years as the Academic Program Coordinator for Athletics. He then moved on to become the Manager of Academic Development Programs at Arizona State University for two years before taking a position at Iowa State University as the Associate Athletic Director for Academic and Student Services.

In his seven-year tenure with

the Cyclones, he was an intricate part in leading the personal development, career development, and academic support for all student-athletes.

There will be a wide range of responsibilities for Dr. Reed once he arrives in Prairie View, Texas. He will serve on the President’s Executive Leadership Team and report directly to Dr. Ruth J. Simmons, who is currently serving as the President of Prairie View A&M University. His duties will also include staffing, fundraising and promotions, overseeing the strategic planning, athletic facilities, fiscal affairs, and intercollegiate athletics regulatory compliance.

Dr. Reed’s background also includes being a member of the University of North Texas Men’s basketball team. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration along with a Master of Science in Kinesiology/Education and Sport Administration from UNT before receiving his Doctor of Philosophy in

Dr. Donald Reed Education Management and Development from New Mexico State University.

Not to be forgotten was the fine and outstanding job of former interim Athletic Director Alicia Pete. Dr. Simmons made sure to thank her for her excellence in the official memo sent out to announce the hiring of Dr. Reed.

“I am grateful for her (Alicia Pete) willingness to step into the Interim Director’s role and her dedication to PVAMU and the Athletic Program,” said Dr. Simmons.

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2020

CYCLISTS RIDE THE 51-MILE EMANCIPATION TRAIL RIDE TO COMMEMORATE JUNETEENTH GALVESTON TO HOUSTON, TEXAS

Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Two Dozen Cyclists Ride the 51-mile Emancipation Trail Ride

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

A

fter the Civil War, freed slaves made their way from Galveston to Houston shortly via the Emancipation Trail. On Sunday, June 14, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and more than two dozen cyclists road the 51-mile route to commemorate Juneteenth.

“Not only did we have fun, we also got a valuable lesson on African American history that’s unique to Texas,” said Commissioner Ellis, an avid cyclist. “We’re hoping to make the Emancipation Trail bike ride an annual event that will remind us of our shared history.”

On Sunday, the Emancipation Trail Ride began at Reedy African Methodist Episcopal Church in Galveston, the first AME church in Texas and the site where Union Gen. Gordon Granger read federal orders that Texas slaves were free on June 19, 1865, which later became Juneteenth holiday now celebrated in Texas and other states.

Along the trail, riders stopped at freedmen’s towns and historical markers, where they were greeted by historians and community leaders who shared Black history in Southeast Texas from the slave trade to civil rights.

“I cannot think of a better way to celebrate the holiday than learning about our past,” Commissioner Ellis said. “Picnics and parades are great.

However, as Maya Angelou said, ‘You can’t really know where you are going until you know where you have been.’ “

Earlier this year, Congresswoman Jackson Lee and other members of congress introduced a bill seeking a federal study of the Emancipation National Historic Trail that will follow the migration of newly freed slaves after they learned about the Emancipation Proclamation.

Taking a break during the 51-mile Emancipation Trail Ride to Houston from Galveston

Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, take a break during the 51-mile Emancipation Trail Ride from Galveston to Houston on Sunday, June 14th to commemorate Juneteenth.

Precint One Harris County Commissioner – Rodney Ellis

Congresswomen - Sheila Jackson Lee and Community Supporters

Council Member – Leticia Plummer

Precint One Harris County PHOTOGRAPHY Commissioner – Rodney Ellis

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Congresswomen - Sheila Jackson Lee

Columbia Tap Rail To Trail

BY LENARD SMITH, JR.

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Ride Distance 53.81 Miles

#MASKUPHOU June 18 – June 24, 2020

13

OWN HONORS AND CELEBRATES JUNETEENTH HOLIDAY

WITH DAY OF COMMEMORATIVE PROGRAMMING: Special Encore Airings of “Dark Girls,” “Light Girls,” • “Oprah & Lupita Nyong’o on Colorism,” “Oprah Winfrey Presents: Legends Who Paved the Way,” • And “OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Do Go From Here?” Parts One and Two

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

O

WN: Oprah Winfrey Network announced today the commemoration of the Juneteenth holiday with slate of special encore airings of programming on Friday, June 19 beginning at 3 p.m.

ET/PT starting with the evocative original documentary “Dark Girls,” followed by “Light Girls” at 4:30 p.m. ET/PT, “Oprah & Lupita Nyong’o on Colorism” at 6:30 p.m. ET/PT, “Oprah Winfrey Presents: Legends Who Paved the Way” at 7:30 p.m. ET/PT, “OWN: Spotlight: Where Do We Go From Here? (Part One)” at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT and “OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Go From Here?

(Part Two)” at 10:00 p.m. ET/PT.

“Dark Girls” is a fascinating and controversial film that goes underneath the surface to explore the prejudices dark-skinned women face throughout the world. It explores the roots of classism, racism and the lack of self-esteem within a segment of cultures that span from America to the most remote corners of the globe. Women share their personal stories, touching on deeply ingrained beliefs and attitudes of society, while allowing generations to heal as they learn to love themselves for who they are.

“Light Girls” is an in depth study of the advantages and disadvantages of being a light skinned woman told from a collection of notable light skinned entertainers, educators and everyday folk. The film highlights and questions the notion that light skin makes for an

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easier life and is provides a global analysis of skin color and its relationship with societal values. It boldly dives into topics such as bullying, skin bleaching, and the trending social media separation.

The likes of Diahann Caroll, Kym Whitley, Michaela Angela Davis, India Arie, Iyanla Vanzant, Wayne Brady, Amber Rose, Raven Symone, and many more share their personal stories of growing up black, but light skinned.

“Oprah & Lupita Nyong’o on Colorism” - Winfrey and Oscar-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o discuss colorism in Hollywood and if it still exists. Nyong’o’s newest project is her children’s book “Sulwe,” which features a 5-year-old girl who has the darkest skin color in her family. On shelves since last October, the picture book inspires children to love their uniqueness and to discover that beauty comes from within.

Nyong’o also opens up about thriving in an industry she feels was not made for her, speaks about her critically acclaimed starring role in Jordan Peele’s “Us,” and shares her experience winning “Best Supporting Actress” for her performance in “12 Years a Slave” at the Academy Awards in 2014.

“Oprah Winfrey Presents: The Legends Who Paved the Way” - Oprah Winfrey hosts a gala of events celebrating the upcoming film “Selma” and honoring some of the legendary men and extraordinary women of civil rights, the

June 18 – June 24, 2020

arts and entertainment who made history and redefined what was possible for us all. The legends that were honored include Ambassador Andrew Young, Berry Gordy, Jr., Rev. C.T. Vivian, Diane Nash, Dick Gregory, Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., Congressman John Lewis, Rev. Joseph Lowery, Juanita Jones Abernathy, Julian Bond, Marian Wright Edelman, Myrlie Evers-Williams, Quincy Jones, Sidney Poitier and Harry Belafonte. The weekend celebration began in Santa Barbara, CA, with an exclusive screening of “Selma” at the historic Arlington Theatre followed by an elegant evening gala saluting the legends at the Bacara Resort & Spa. A special message from President Barack Obama began the evening, with a poem reading by the cast of “Selma,” written by Pearl Cleage, punctuating the expression of gratitude for the legends before the R&B group The O’Jays took the stage.

“OWN Spotlight: Where Do We Go From Here? (Parts One & Two)” - The in-depth conversations offer insight and tangible plans to answer the questions “What matters now?” “What matters next?” and “Where do we go from here?.” Featured guests include politician Stacey Abrams, journalist Charles M. Blow; AtlantaMayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; Academy award-nominated filmmaker Ava DuVernay (“When They See Us,” “13th”, “Queen Sugar”), professor and author Jennifer Eberhardt

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(author of “Biased”); journalist and Pulitzer prize-winning founder of the “1619 Project” Nikole Hannah-Jones; historian and author Ibram Kendi (“How to be an Anti-Racist”), award-winning actor David Oyelowo (“Selma”), Color of Change founder Rashad Robinson; and National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) national board member Rev. Dr. William J. Barber II. About OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network is the first and only network named for, and inspired by, a single iconic leader. Oprah Winfrey’s heart and creative instincts inform the brand and the magnetism of the channel. OWN is a leading destination for a premium scripted and unscripted programming from today’s most innovative storytellers. OWN connects with its audience wherever they are, inspiring conversation among a global community of like-minded viewers on social media and beyond.

Launched on January 1, 2011, OWN is a joint venture between Harpo, Inc. and Discovery, Inc. The venture also includes award-winning digital platform Oprah.com. Access OWN anytime on http://WatchOWN.tv or across mobile devices and connected TVs.

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June 18 – June 24, 2020

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17

eBay Employees Charge with Cyberstalking: Agressively Attacking Online Publisher

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

S

ix former eBay employees are accused of participating in an “aggressive cyberstalking campaign” against a Natick couple.

US Attorney Andrew E. Lelling said the victims are the editor and publisher of an online newsletter that covers e-commerce companies, including eBay.

Lelling alleges that after the newspaper published content critical of eBay, the victims were sent several disturbing items, including a bloody pig mask and a funeral wreath.

“These deliveries included fly larvae and live spiders, a box of live cockroaches, a sympathy wreath on the occasion of the death of a loved one, a book of advice on how to survive the death of a spouse. To be clear, based on the complaint unsealed today, eBay executives were not just unhappy about the victims’ coverage, they were enraged.

One of those executives texted that he

wanted to, ‘crush this lady,’” he said.

James Baugh, 45, of San Jose, California, eBay’s former senior director of safety and security, was charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.

David Harville, 48, of New York City, eBay’s former director of global resiliency, was arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.

Stephanie Popp, 32, of San Jose, Stephanie Stockwell, 26, of Redwood City, California, Veronica Zea, 26, of San Jose, and Brian Gilbert, 51, of San Jose, were also charged with conspiracy to commit cyberstalking and conspiracy to tamper with witnesses.

Several of the defendants allegedly drove to the victims’ home several times, with Harville and Baugh intending at one point to break into the victims’ garage and install a GPS tracking device

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on their car, officials said.

Federal investigators said the defendants also tried to lie to police about eBay’s involvement and pretended to offer the company’s assistance with the alleged harassment.

So, how far up the chain of command did this go? eBay said there’s no evidence CEO Devin Wenig knew about or authorized the actions.

“The internal investigation found that, while Mr. Wenig’s communications were inappropriate, there was no evidence that he knew in advance about or authorized the actions that were later directed toward the blogger and her husband,” eBay said.

eBay says its’ Board of Directors formed an independent special committee to investigate the case.

“ ... eBay does not tolerate this kind of behavior. eBay apologizes to the affected individuals and is sorry that they were subjected to this,” the

committee wrote.

Harville was released on $100,000 bond and conditions, including restricted travel, following his initial court appearance in the Southern District of New York on Monday.

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