August 1, 2021
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol. 26, Issue 28
who police the police? “Addressing Current & Historical Realties Affecting Our Community”
FAMILY BUSINESS
By: Nevaeh Richardson
MIND & BODY
By: Roy Douglas Malonson
Is a gold medal around the neck worth more than your soul? Your sanity? Your overall health and wellness? That’s the debate happening around the world right now when a brave young woman from the Houston area - who is known as the G.O.A.T (Greatest of All Times) in women’s gymnastics - basically took a stand and said – in so many ways – “this ain’t worth it,” and walked away from what others dare to dream. Many White folks are thinking “how dare she?” while many Black folks are thinking “it’s about damn time!” Perhaps the most shocking thing happening during the Tokyo 2021 Olympics was Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the remainder of the team competitions after landing an awk-
ward vault. What was even more shocking was Biles’ decision to withdraw from the individual all-around competition as well. What would your reaction be if Biles were unable to compete at the team competition or individual because of her physical health? It would be disappointing, but overall, it would be accepted because there’s no way she would be able to compete at her best while injured, right? After all, performing on something like a sprained ankle could potentially lead to more damage. So, with that in mind, what is your reaction to the fact that Biles withdrew from the team and individual competitions Mind & Body because of her mental health? cont’d page 5
Jenero Mitchell has been continuing the legacy his father started - keeping Easy Mail Management a staple in the Black community. He spoke to African-American News&Issues about what it’s like to compete against the corporate mailing services and how to keep his customer base coming back. AANI: How did you get your start in the mailing industry? Mitchell: I got my start in the mailing industry by working alongside my dad. My dad founded the company back in 1990 and ever since he started the company, I’ve been by his side working and he showed me the ropes. He passed away five years ago, and I’ve taken over since his death. AANI: When I was reading up on the company, I saw a review of a customer that had been using your services for 20 years. As a smaller mailing service, would you say you provide a more intimate experience with customers? What is it about EZ Mail Management that produces loyal, lifelong customers? Mitchell: One reason is, we make sure we listen to our customer’s needs. We make sure we do the job right, on time, the Family Business first time, no hassle, so they cont’d page 3
“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
August 1, 2021
EDITORIAL
President/Chief Editor
Tristar
Griselda Ramirez: Production
A Moment to Think By Dr. John E. Warren
Office: (713) 692-1892 Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Pandemic Problems of Food Insecurity Are Not Over There are still families and individuals in our community who do not have enough to eat each day. While some food distribution has slowed down, the needs are still present. Many of those providing the distribution of food say they are running into a shortage of volunteers to handle the process. We are also still confronted with the issue of school being out, but not hunger. We still have high unemployment in our high-risk communities. Now we are faced with a new virus at the same time that many continue to resist getting vaccinated even though there is no cost other than their time to get the shot. This paper does not want our communities of color, in particular, to be misled. Many of those among us who have not taken the vaccine by choice
are in some of the most high risk jobs. We saw the impact of the COVID-19 virus on those persons in round one of this virus. So what can we do now? We can continue testing, get the vaccine, and wear a mask, regardless of what the governmental agencies are saying about the safety of going without one. We can be mindful that the infection rate among those who have been vaccinated exists, but, so far, has not been fatal even - though there have been some hospitalizations. We can talk to those around and among us who are vaccine resistant. If they don’t take the vaccine, then we should limit our contact with them for our own safety and the safety of others even though we have been vaccinated. We must give very serious personal thought about our children and their return to schools. No one will care about them as much as you, the parent. It cannot be enough to say that we have reduced the number of children in a classroom to 17 or 18 when in the past that
Pandemic cont’d page 7
A Revival of God
Consciousness Bobby E. Mills, PhD
The Supreme Court; Not So Supreme When you are Supreme you make wise thoughtful eternal decisions, because the consequences of poor judgments have serious moral disastrous consequences for a democratic society. Hence, the spiritual moral tenets of the constitution demand prudentthoughtfuldecision making; not because you are conservative or liberal, but because you are a child of God, and a citizen of the world. The role of the Supreme Court is to ensure that constitutionally America functions by and under its spiritual and moral tenets: “one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.” The Supreme Court should never directly or indirectly perpetuate partisan political interests and socioeconomic divisions; only justly interpret the laws of the land, in order to protect the Civil Rights and Civil Liberties of every American. There are no moral confusions or personality conflicts in the heavenly Supreme
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Court: God, Jesus and The Holy Spirit. The Supreme Court in collaboration with the GOP is not spiritually perpetuating President Lincoln’s vision of “one nation under God”, but the John Wilkes Booth’s vision of the Southern Confederacy. In fact, The Supreme Court is perpetuating two Americas politically: One Red and One Blue. Unfortunately, The Supreme Court has become a living moral contradiction seeking to perpetuate White Privilege under the guise of the principle of majority rule. At the same time, The Supreme Court is perpetuating the notion that “White is Right” no matter what the majority opinion decrees. However, the Apostle Paul has rightly said: “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 only Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.” To add insult and injury to the ungodly spiritualmoral confusion existing among members of The Supreme Court is that you legalized abortion something that the
Supreme Court should have never deliberated, because the issue of abortion is a personal choice issue between God, a woman, and a doctor, because men cannot have babies. The Ten Commandments are all the laws human beings need in order to function as a democracy. Manmade laws are designed to perpetuate the greed and selfishness of men; especially corporate laws. Corporate laws help to maintain a fixed-fight social class system. Hence, what is absolutely mindboggling is the ungodly fact that The Supreme Court refuses to protect the cornerstone of social democracy: voting rights the principle of one man, one vote! GOP voting suppression laws are an affront to God, mankind and democracy, because: “The Lord gave the word: great was the company of those who published it.” Moreover, every human being has a God given will; especially in a democratic society. Therefore, Supreme Court who are you willing to serve: Republicans or GOD? “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, and moreover, “This is
Supreme cont’d page 7
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION Family Business cont’d
I could still give them competitive prices can always feel com- and also give them fortable coming back the best type of serto us and normally vice that they need. that’s how we receive AANI: What were our referrals. some of the obstacles, AANI: What are if any, that your busisome of the obstacles ness faced during the you face as a smaller pandemic? Was there Black-owned business any growth? Decline? when competing with Mitchell: Actually, bigger and more well- what I saw was, some known mail services? of my clients were no Mitchell: As a small longer with me durbusiness owner, I real- ing the pandemic… ize that a lot of people I also received a lot like to go to corporate more clients during mailing services be- the pandemic, and so cause they have the it evened out where experience and the I was able to stay in knowledge… with my- business and never self, I go out and I had to close my doors. market myself and AANI: How do let people know that you think the Black even though I’m a community can betsmall business owner, ter support smaller
August 1, 2021 Black-owned businesses like yours? Mitchell: We have to stick together, and we have to trust one another as well and understand that if we work together, we could accomplish a lot of great things in putting our money back into Black industries. AANI: Reading about the company, I saw that your father founded EZ Mail Management with the intention of building a legacy and being a successful businessman. What is your advice to new Black-owned business owners who are also looking to be successful and build legacies? Mitchell: One of the things I always say is
“you can’t be successful making excuses.” So with that being said, stick with the vision, don’t give up,
AFRAMNEWS.COM 3 keep the faith, and know that sometimes it’s going to get hard, but always understand that you can overcome
those if you just stay in it and stay with your plan. - AANI
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KNOW YOUR HISTORY
FATHER OF BLACK BASEBALL Andrew “Rube” Foster (September 17, 1879 – December 9, 1930) was an American baseball player, manager, and executive in the Negro leagues. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1981. Foster, considered by historians to have been perhaps the best AfricanAmerican pitcher of the first decade of the 1900s, also founded and managed the Chicago American Giants, one of the most successful black baseball teams of the pre-integration era. Most notably, he organized the Negro National League, the first long-lasting professional league for African-American ballplayers, which operated from 1920 to 1931. He is known as the “Father of Black Baseball.” Foster adopted his longtime nickname, “Rube,” as his official middle name later in life. The year 1926 saw him complete his team’s reshaping, leaving only a handful of veterans from the championship squads of 1920 to 1922. The club finished third in the season’s first half; but Foster would never finish the second. Over the years, “Foster grew increasingly paranoid. Took to carrying a revolver with him everywhere he went.” Suffering
from serious delusions, including one where he believed he was about to receive a call to pitch in the World Series, he was institutionalized midway through the 1926 season at an asylum in Kankakee, Illinois. The American Giants and the NNL lived on—in fact, led by Dave Malarcher, the Giants won the pennant and World Series in both 1926 and 1927—but the league clearly suffered in the absence of Foster’s leadership. Foster died in 1930, never having recovered his sanity, and a year later, the league he had founded fell apart. Foster is interred in Lincoln Cemetery in Blue Island, Illinois. At his funeral, it was said that his coffin was closed, according to attendees, “at the usual hour a ballgame ends.” - AANI
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION Mind & Body cont’d Is there still the same level of understanding? Do you believe she could compete at her best while mentally injured? Think about it. This generation of athletes, specifically Black athletes like Biles and tennis star Naomi Osaka, are unveiling the many challenges athletes face when dealing with mental health issues. Biles’ decision led to an uproar from critics (who couldn’t do a cartwheel) claiming that “sure it’s hard, but you just have
August 1, 2021
to tough it out.” Mental injuries or illnesses are not treated or perceived the same as physical illnesses, even when an unhealthy mental state can have a longlasting and, sometimes deadly, effect on a person. What critics also fail to realize is that Biles’ withdrawal could h a v e potentially saved her life. Can you imagine having a panic attack in midair? Biles is no normal athlete, any doubt or lack of concentration while performing her highly dangerous stunts could easily result in severe injuries or worse. Who will ever forget when young gymnast Kerri Strug injured her ankle while performing at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta? She had a somewhat troublesome landing for her first vault, clearly injuring her ankle. Despite that, in order for her team to win gold, she
had to do it again, At all costs. Famous gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi told Strug to vault again. Instead of caring about her heath,it seemed he cared about the gold medal. He “encouraged,” more so “demanded” that she push through. “We got to go one more time,” Karolyi said. “Shake it out.” “Do I have to do this again?” Strug asked. “Can you, can you?” Karolyi asked. “I don’t know yet. I will do it. I will, I will,” she said. She ran full force again, and this time, “heroically” stuck the landing. The team won. Karolyi carried her off - he with a huge grin and she with tears (of likely pain) in her eyes. To others, it may have appeared she rose to the occasion, but if you look closer to it, she could have been the victim of abuse at the hands of her coach - or the sports industry overall. The injury forced Strug’s retirement at 18 years old. After seeing Biles, Strug sent messages of support. “Sending love to you,” Strug posted on social media. She went on to tweet congratulations to Team USA gymnastics, saying she has “great respect” for their “hard work and support for each other.”
More and more athletes are speaking up in support of Biles, with elite former Olympians like Michael Phelps showing his support and sharing his encounters with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts while competing. Biles’ actions are not only removing stigmas about athletes and mental health, they are also removing stigmas about mental illness in everyday people. According to statistics from John Hopkins, 1 in 4 adults experience a diagnosable mental illness. That can be anyone,
AFRAMNEWS.COM 5 your relatives, friends, family, or co-workers. Many people are more likely to ask for help for physical injuries instead of mental ones because of the stigmas surrounding mental illness. It’s time for America to put mental health on a pedestal. Physical injuries can heal over time, but mental injuries are so much more complex. It takes global superstars like Biles to lead by example by prioritizing their mental health to raise awareness of the issue, but it also takes everyday people like us to be open about mental illness in our communities.
Biles proves once again that she is the G.O.A.T, not just because of her bravery in defying gravity in the gym, but also her bravery in sticking up for herself on a world stage where the entire country is on her shoulders. “We also have to focus on ourselves, because at the end of the day we’re human, too,” Biles said. “We have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do.” -- AANI
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August 1, 2021
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
HEALTH
MOBILE VACCINE COMES TO YOUR HOME
By: N.L. Preston
To schedule, a clinic for groups of five or more, call 844-90-TEXAS and select option 3. Homebound residents can call the same number and dial option 1 to have a vaccine team visit their home. If you have five or more in your home, office or any setting, the State of Texas will come to you. “This allows us to get a little deeper down into the community,” said Seth Christensen, spokesperson for the Texas Division of Emergency Management. “We have the team, we have
the assets, and we have the vaccines available to reach more Texans and expand our reach.” More than 12 million citizens of Texas have gotten at least one dose of the vaccine and more than 10 million residents of eligible population ages are fully vaccinated. The goal of vaccinating the majority of Texas’ population is slowed by hesitancy, geographical challenges, and other problems. The decrease in demand for the vaccine across the nation has sparked new
ideas on how to make the vaccine more accessible. The mobile vaccination program began in January and was strictly for Texans in hard-to-reach areas, rural communities, homebound residents, and senior citizens. As the supply for the vaccine and vaccination rates among vulnerable populations increased, state officials set up the Mobile Vaccination Team Call Center through the state hotline to schedule on-site clinics for groups of 10 and up. Since then, more than 12,000
Jamaica Pon Di Road is an authentic Jamaincan street kitchen.This is the new place to be in the Acres Homes Community; with their friendly employees, and dishes to die for such as the Jerk chicken,braised Oxtails, Curry chicken, and beef patties to name a few. The chef owner was born and formally trained in Jamaica. This coined their slogan “We ain’t FAKIN Jamaican!” Jamaican food includes a variety of spices heavily influenced by the African Diaspora and southeast asian culture. The Africans brought the smoked meat and rice and peas. Southeast Asia brought curry and callaloo. This marriage
of spices and flavors is the basis for the delicious taste and smell at Jamaica Pon Di Road. A common myth about Jamaican food is that it is all spicy which is not true. We serve a variety of foods. Chef G hails from Clarendon, Jamaica. Gareth learned the art of West Indian cooking from his grandmother Mrs. May. In a tiny kitchen, he was drawn to the smells and sounds that created authentic Caribbean flavors that are infused in his menu today. Her influenced Chef G to enter culinary school. This encouraged Gareth to enter Runaway Bay Training Institute, a very well known culinary and
hospitality institute on the Northern coast of Jamaica. After his training Gareth began working in fine dining and 5 star restaurants in the likes of the SandalsRoyal Plantation, Grand Lido Braco and Riu Hotel. Fast-forward 14 years and he is known as Chef G here in North Houston, Texas. As owner of Jamaica Pon Di Road Food Truck and restaurant, our team is ready to serve the GreaterHouston area some of the best island fare and live out the American Dream! Chef G’s roots in Jamaica are seen vibrantly in his cooking as well as in his philanthropic ventures. He along with his team created and are actively involved
Texans have received the vaccine. As Gov. Greg Abbott announced the expansion of the project this week, he encouraged “groups of Texans who wish to get vaccinated as a business, family unit, friend group, or more” to
schedule an event and help defeat the pandemic. “By working together to get more shots in arms, we will continue to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in communities across the state,” he said. - AANI
JAMAICAN STREET KITCHEN
w it h Changed Mis- sions Ministries International, Inc. a non-profit which helps spearhead an annual mission trip to provide school supplies and clothing for the community of Clarendon, Jamaica. With their ministry team he also uses the Jamaica Pon Di Road
food truck to serve the homeless community of Houston every 4th Monday of the month. We plan on bringing service to the Acres Homes community as well. Sharing good food, and good vibes, makes Jamaica Pon Di Road a good choice. Location information is 2213 S. Victory Dr., Houston, Texas 77088. 832.328.5220
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Pandemic cont’d number has been 30 or more. If the class is cut in size, then who is teaching the second group; and are they getting the same level of instruction and not being parked with an adult as a babysitter with no skills? Let us not forget the food insecurity of our children at school even though a number of schools are now preparing backpacks to go home with our children for weekend meals. The problems of the pandemic continue and food insecurity is only one of them. We can do much to help each other if we just make a decision to personally get involved in helping others. What are you doing? - AANI
Supreme cont’d a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.” (1 Timothy 1: 15). God’s laws are wrapped-up in TEN. The Supreme Court’s Laws are wrapped in White men, GOP, White Nationalists, and ChristianRight Evangelicals. Selah - AANI
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GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
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