March 8, 2021
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol. 26, Issue 07
“Addressing Current & Historical Realties Affecting Our Community”
VERNON JORDAN DEAD AT 85
By: N.L. Preston
DUMB oR THE DUMBEST
By: Roy Douglas Malonson
Greg Abbott has lost his damn mind!
The Texas governor announced this week that Texas will be reopening at 100 % and he is lifting the mask mandate. With all of the statistics and everything going on, why would he choose to do that when we know that, not only is COVID-19 not under control, but there are new variants popping up that we just don’t know enough about? Abbott said the ending of the statewide mask mandate will be effective March 10, and all businesses in the state can operate after that with no capacity limits. “I just announced Texas is OPEN 100%,” he tweeted. “EVERYTHING.” Abbott claims his decision is based on helping the economy bounce back, and that it is up to the people to take the necessary precautions to protect themselves.
“People and businesses don’t need the state telling them how to operate,” he said. Many people feel “White is right,” but you better realize now more than ever, that damn sure is not the case. Blacks and Hispanics, I beg you, please don’t fall for the ‘okie dokie.’ Listen to Greg Abbott, you could be soon whispering from your graves. It seems like Abbott is intentionally trying to destroy the minority community, due to the obvious disparities in healthcare access to Blacks and Hispanics. We are left sitting ducks out here! The COVID Tracking Project broke deaths down by race or ethnicity with 74 black Americans dying per 100,000 people as of July 2020. By comparison, that figure stands at 30 deaths per 100,000 for white Americans and 31 per 100,000 for Asian Americans. The figure is also higher for American Indian or Alaska Natives and Hispanics or Latinos who both have 40 deaths per 100,000 people.
Vernon Jordan Jr., a renowned civil rights activist and former adviser to President Bill Clinton died quietly at his home in Washington, D.C. Monday at the age of 85. Jordan grew up with his family in the segregated societal cosmos of Atlanta during the 1950s. He graduated from DePauw University in Indian in 1957 and earned a Juris Doctor at Howard University School of Law in 1960. He later became executive director of the United Negro College Fund, and president of the National Urban League. In 1980, he was shot in an assassination attempt. He went on to serve as part of Clinton’s transition team in 1992–93. - AANI
On a day when the city of Houston reported 408 new positive cases and five additional deaths due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Mayor Sylvester Turner called Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to lift the statewide mask mandate “disappointing and disheartening.” “The governor is wrong to roll back the statewide mask order. The decision is not supported by most medical professionals, science, and data. The Texas Legislature must speak up, and the people of Texas must hold their leaders accountable,” said Turner. “The governor’s decision is a step in the wrong direction. It does not make any sense unless the governor is trying to deflect what happened two weeks ago during the winter storm. It was a statewide system failure.” Before Abbott’s announcement, the mayor and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo sent the governor a letter urging him not to lift the mask mandate. Sitting Ducks cont’d page 2
WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY • AVOID PUBLIC SPACES OR EVENTS WITH MORE THAN 10 PATRONS • SANITIZE AND STOCK UP • AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH • PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE