June 27, 2021
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol. 26, Issue 23
who police the police? “Addressing Current & Historical Realties Affecting Our Community”
‘FOR THE PEOPLE’
By: N.L. Preston
BLACK GIRL MAGIC TAKING OVER TOKYO
By: Nevaeh Richardson
We are witnessing a very special moment in history for Black women in the Olympics. While we will always have our FloJo, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Debi Thomas, and so many other Black female Olympians, this new roster of Black women headed to the 2021 Tokyo Olympics is stirring up high levels of pride and anticipation within the Black community. The roster includes both celebrated veterans like Simone Biles and favored newcomers like Sha’Carri Richardson. This year’s Olympics are also shining the spotlight on Texas, which produced a heavy amount of Olympians for the U.S. this year. Here are the 11 Black women who’ve solidified their place as Olympians on the road to Tokyo. Sha’Carri Richardson Richardson has had the Black community in a supportive uproar all over social media on various platforms. She is as authentic as they come and is an unapologetic Dallas, Texas native. She’s a star and she knows it. She dominates the cameras as well as she dominates the track with her signature bright orange hair and larger-than-life personality. The 21-year-old sprinter solidified her place as a competing Olympian and the fastest woman in America after finishing the 100-meter heat in 10.64 seconds last Saturday. But the thing that made her a household name in the Black community was her interview right
after finishing the race, where she expressed her gratitude to her family and shared how she continued to train even after the death of her biological mother just days before the race. “My family has kept me grounded,” Richardson said. “This year has been crazy for me. Going from just last week, losing my biological mother, and I’m still here to make the family that I do still have on this earth proud. I’m highly grateful for them. Without them, there would be no me. Without my grandmother, there would be no Sha’Carri Richardson. My family is my everything, my everything until the day I’m done.” Simone Biles Native Houstonian Biles, is an obvious world favorite. She has conquered the globe with her daring and often dangerous stunts. She is the face of gymnastics and continues to push the boundaries of what the human body can accomplish. She is pushing the boundaries so far that gymnastic officials banned certain moves she performed because it could be dangerous for other gymnasts to attempt. Despite their efforts to limit this Black female athlete’s influence on the future of the sport, Simone Biles continues to be a feared and respected name in gymnastics and in athleticism.
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Voter suppression has run rampant across 48 states with over 300 voter restriction laws and continues to go unchecked by the federal government. These restriction laws primarily target Black and Brown communities, young people, people with low incomes, and people with disabilities. The For the People Act addresses preventing deliberate barriers that affect targeted demographics from voting, making campaign finance transparent, and creating national standards for voter accessibility such as early voting, online voting, preregistration for 16-17 year olds, and protection against voter roll purges. The act also demands ethical reform for the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches of the federal government. Another major proposed federal legislation is the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which ensures that changes made to local and state elections are reviewed by the federal government, otherwise known as a federal pre-clearance, and restores full rights that were included in the original Voting Rights Act of 1965. The weakening of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and the sheer number of Republican-led states taking advantage of that fact is why the Republican filibuster was a slap in the face to the American people, but especially to the Black community which has historically labored, suffered, and sacrificed for the right to vote for all. The voting reformation bill would have been the largest change to voting rights in over five decades. It would have ended partisan gerrymandering and provided a new campaign financing system, which means big donors would no longer have the power to buy our elections. - AANI
“OUR VOTE AND OUR MONEY ARE THE TWO MOST POWERFUL THINGS WE HAVE. BE CAREFUL WHO YOU GIVE THEM TO.” - ROY DOUGLAS MALONSON
2 AFRAMNEWS.COM
June 27, 2021
EDITORIAL
President/Chief Editor
Tristar
Griselda Ramirez: Production
A Revival of God
Consciousness Bobby E. Mills, PhD
Office: (713) 692-1892 Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The Right Way Is The Only Way There is a way that seems right to individuals; but the end results bring about confusion and destruction, because the Right-Way is the only way. If this sounds like the GOP just say Amen, because seemingly their leadership objective is not rule by law and order, but by the barrel of guns and more guns. “For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh: that the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” There are consequences for violating both God’s and man’s laws. Man’s laws will imprison or kill you. God’s laws
will justly judge the righteous, and He is angry with the wicked every day. America is experiencing some turbulent times, because she is going in the way of Cain: brothers killing brothers. Christian Right Evangelicals you need to get right with God, and get right with your neighbor, because your disobedience can create a Cain and Abel scenario. Democratic Nation States collapse internally when they do not equally enforce laws regardless of creed, color or social class designations. Therefore, Christian Right Evangelicals, GOP, and Trump Loyalists: “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.” GOP your way may seem right, and provide many options for your ungodly desires without sacrifices on your part escaping man’s law; but know this, you may escape man’s law but eventually you must confront God’s law(s): “It is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:” The right way is the only way; especially in a multicultural society, because all of US must live by
the golden rule in order to establish socioeconomic harmony with each other. Laws are enacted to be universally obeyed. Laws are not particularistic. Society begins and ends in family structure, and when family structures breakdown spiritually and socioeconomically society breaks down. America is on the brink of experiencing the moral collapse of her democratic institutions, because of mass confusion and spiritual misunderstanding concerning where individual rights begin and end: “But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins,” The opportunity has come for America to embrace the right way, because it is the only way to endure to the end. Thus, America you must spiritually get right with God, because: “For He saith, I heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time: behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6: 2). America, let’s accept God’s spiritual invitation before it is too late! - AANI
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Tokyo cont’d Simone Manuel Manuel, a native of Sugar Land, Texas, is known for making history as she became the first Black woman to win individual Olympic gold in swimming during the 2016 Olympics in Rio. Continuing to break barriers, stigmas, and stereotypes, Manuel secured her position as a 2021 Olympian after winning in the 50 meter freestyle. Manuel did not qualify for the 100-meter dash, which she won gold for in 2016, because of overtraining syndrome (OTS) which she was diagnosed with and was required to take a three week break. The Olympian shared how her anxiety, insomnia, and low performance affected her. Vashti Cunningham Cunningham, daughter of former quarterback Randall Cunningham, was first introduced to the world during the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro where she stood in 13th place. The 23-year-old high jumper qualified for the Tokyo Olympics by clearing 6 feet and 5 inches. Crystal Dunn Though the official US women’s soccer team has yet to be released, it is projected that Dunn will join the U.S. team in the Tokyo Olympics. The 28-year-old defender has played for the U.S. women’s
soccer team on and off since 2013 and led the group to win the 2019 Women’s World Cup. Dunn is also the co-founder of Black Women’s Player Collective, an organization that aims to “elevate the image, value, and representation of Black women as athletes and leaders in business, industry, and public and private institutions,” as stated on the website for BWPC. Allyson Felix Four-time Olympian Felix qualified for her fifth Olympics last Sunday after finishing second in the 400 meter race. This Tokyo Olympian will be competing for the first time as a mother since giving birth to her daughter Camryn in 2018. Kendra ‘Keni’ Harrison Harrison won the 100-meter hurdle jump last Sunday and secured her place on the U.S. women’s track team for the 2021 Olympics. Harrison did not qualify for the Olympics in Rio in 2016 but did not let that stop her from pursuing her goals as an Olympian. Natalie Hinds Hinds, from Midland, Texas qualified for the 2021 Olympic swim team by placing fourth in the 100-meter freestyle on Friday. “I feel like the reason I’m
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Tokyo cont’d so emotional that I made this team is because I’m just really proud of the courage and vulnerability that I showed myself, that I had a goal and I did absolutely everything that I could do to obtain that goal, and I finally did,” she said after the victory. Naya Tapper Tapper shared in an Instagram post that she was selected for the U.S. women’s rugby team. Tapper was a track and field star and didn’t even start to play rugby until she played for the University of North Carolina in 2012. A’ja Wilson Wilson is competing on the U.S. women’s basketball team alongside WNBA greats Sue Bird and Diana Taurasi. The 24-year-old is a threetime SEC Player of the Year and was even commemorated with a statue at her alma mater, the University of South Carolina. Naomi Osaka Osaka has been making waves in the world of athletics. The 23-yearold tennis player has been the center of controversy this year after placing her mental health first by her withdrawal from the French
3
Open and Wimbledon. Her actions have garnered a lot of criticism by “fans” and sports officials who feel that the highest paid female athlete in the nation should attend conferences and play tennis because “it’s her job.” But Osaka is leading a revolution in the way we view athletes and their personal lives. Many other athletes have expressed their support, including NBA star Stephen Curry. The Japanese-American tennis star is back and better than ever and ready for Tokyo. Christina Clemons Clemons finished third in the 100-meter hurdles and secured her position as an Olympian. She expressed her gratitude in an Instagram post. “I just want you to see me as a walking testimony of where faith and grit can take you. To be used by God as a symbol of hope is the BIGGEST blessing of my life. When you’re feeling weary, remember me. When you’re feeling forgotten, remember me. When you think you’ve hit your breaking point, remember me but mostly remember these words: The amount of love God has for you trumps the pain you feel and if you can just be patient (not your type of patient but Gods type of patient), and allow God to build your CHARACTER, you will turn out to be the best you possible. You will begin to live in your purpose. You will shine and be set free!” - AANI
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