Volume 25 Issue 42

November 15, 2020

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

Vol. 25, Issue 42

We Won

“Addressing Current & Historical Realties Affecting Our Community”

IF IT IS NOT ABOUT RACE, WHAT IS IT?

By: Roy Douglas Malonson

HBCU DREAM TEAM

By: N.L. Preston

Former California Senator and Howard University graduate Kamala Harris will soon be back in Washington DC, a stone’s throw from her alma mater, as she reports to work at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as the Vice President

of the United States of America.

Harris is a proud graduate of a Historically Black College and University (HBCU), and she is not alone.

Not surprisingly to Blacks, but maybe to others, HBCUs groom powerful leaders who are proudly leading

the charge in evoking change in America.

In addition to Harris, former Georgia House of Representatives Minority Leader Stacey Abrams and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, are also graduates of HBCUs, and these two powerhouses were both on the short-

list of Biden’s pick for a running mate before Harris was chosen.

Harris, Abrams and Bottoms are forever bonded in history as HBCU alumnae who proved that you can get one hell of a foun-

HBCU cont’d page 3

HOUSTON - The Houston Independent School District Board of Trustees declined Thursday to select Interim Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan to serve as the district’s permanent leader.

The Board has decided to search nationwide for who they feel is more suitable for the position.

Although board members praised Lathan for her work as the interim superintendent, they voted 6-3 against her filling the top spot. They did leave the door open for Lathan to apply with the other candidates, but many say, that doesn’t

quite make sense. It appears the writing is on the wall that Lathan will not get the job.

“If we look at the Board in HISD, we see four Latino members. They want someone that resembles the larger race among student populations. She has been rejected multiple times and will not be accepted by that community,” said African-American News&Issues publisher Roy Douglas Malonson.

“Dr. Lathan will be an excellent leader somewhere else. Hispanic

Race cont’d page 4

2 AFRAMNEWS.COM

November 15, 2020

EDITORIAL

President/Chief Editor

Tristar

Griselda Ramirez: Production

Partin’ the Waters

By Omowale Luthuli-Allen

Office: (713) 692-1892 Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

13 Takeaways from this Historic Election 1. A moderate white male candidate in 2016 without the unfavorables of Hilary Clinton would have beaten Trump. FBI Director James Comey made a colossal blunder in the treatment of Secretary Clinton’s e-mails in 2016.

2. The white working class still has a blind spot. These workers were duped and suckered in 2016 and 2020. Their interests coincide with people of color but they are too “politically dumb” to know this. Let us keep in mind, POLLS do not vote.

3. Wave a Bible upside down, sideways or face up and the evangelicals will go wimp and limp.

4. The strongest voting bloc in America is the black community, and is led by black women. Cross black women in a national election and more than likely you will lose.

Problem is that black

people have not unified around a black wellbeing agenda. We need explanations from the 10 – 13% of black men who supported Trump.

5. Putting kids in cages, separating families, Gestapo-types snatching and beating protesters, and just being mean will alienate you from white educated and suburban women and men. We need more time to figure out the Latino attraction to Donald Trump.

6. Denying reality of mass deaths from COVID-19, advocating drinking Clorox and consorting with witch doctors will help you hold your base, but will prevent you from expanding with undecided and independent voters.

7. The only thing that is more dangerous than a confused individual is a confused group of 69 million individuals.

If you wanted to retain pre-existing conditions coverage guaranteed by the Affordable Care Act, why would you vote against your best candidate option?

8. The Confederacy lives. There are too many rebels in Louisiana, rural Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, South and North Carolina, Ten-

13 Takeaways cont. page 7

A Revival of God

Consciousness Bobby E. Mills, PhD

Which Way America: Community or Chaos?

Perception is sometimes greater than the truth; but the truth always prevails, because: “Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof.”

Americans, especially Christian Right Evangelicals, must learn by faith to never believe that one sin is greater than another. Sin is sin, and God hates sin. Hence, America, “Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be a partaker of other men’s sins: keep thyself pure. The 2020 Presidential election was a spiritually, watershed election, because the world community rejected the ungodly Presidential leadership mentality (words and deeds) of Trump.

Question: how can you lead others when you accept what they reject? America’s image of a shining democracy set on a hill has been tarnished; because of the brutal police ex-

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

ecution of George Floyd revealed the racist underbelly nature of American culture.

The world community reacted to that image, and President Donald Trump could not boldly repudiate that image. In 1964 and 1965, the physical “White Only” signs were removed from American culture, but far too many whites retained the signs in their hearts/minds. Thanks to God, and Dr. King spiritually attempting to free Whites from the demonic-self-hatred nature of institutional racism, and President Johnson who fought the righteous fight in the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act and 1965 Voting Rights Acts as well as the War on Poverty Initiative.

The empirical evidence in the voting patterns of whites in the 2020 Presidential election is spiritually/ morally disturbing.

After experiencing a four-year racially charged, lying, divisive and horrific leadership mentality nightmare more whites voted for Trump in 2020 than voted for him in 2016.

Question: what are they voting for? The inspirational words of the Apostle Paul should comfort us at this time, because of the election of Biden as the 46th President there is hope in the land: “I beseech

you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” America, we have had four years of spiritual societal confusion, and “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.” (Thus, in Jesus’s name, to God be the glory, and godly Americans for the victory over lies.

Trumpsters, decry socialism, and at the same time, in spiritual contradiction embrace racism and classism.

All “isms” are schisms, and schisms are inherently divisive. The spiritual foundation of the Constitution is built upon God-given moral truths, and human rights, not capitalism.

Because: “All Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness...”

- AANI

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION HBCU cont’d

November 15, 2020

lar fixture on CNN and other news shows speaking out against civil and social unrest following the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

We notably mention this trifecta of women because they are part of a growing

For the Black “vote We want a black woman as your vice president.

”

- James Clyburn

dation surrounded by Black folks, possibly even more than if you attended a predominantly White institution (PWI).

Abrams, who graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta, is credited in large part for the unprecedented voter turnout in Georgia, registering 800,000 first-time voters over the past two years in the state through her organization FAIR FIGHT. Bottoms, who graduated from Florida A&M University, was a very vocal supporter of the Biden campaign and has been a regu-

sisterhood of Black female HBCU leaders who blazed a trail across America this election, but they aren’t the only ones who helped push Presidentelect Joe Biden over the top.

Congressman James Clyburn was an integral part in helping to encourage the people to vote for Biden. His endorsement was worth its weight in gold. Sixty percent of black voters cited the Clyburn endorsement as an important factor in their decision. Clyburn is also a proud HBCU alumnus, graduating

from South Carolina State University.

HBCUs often face criticism of not preparing students “for the real world” and get the “shorter end of the stick” when it comes to funding and other resources.

But HBCU students are no strangers to fighting, and have developed a strong sense of pride while being groomed to be strong leaders, political thinkers and strategists.

In addition to politics, HBCU graduates are kicking down doors in all arenas.

Oprah Winfrey attended Tennessee State University.

Letitia first James, Black woman to hold statewide office in New York, graduated JD from Howard University School of Law, and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Toni Morrison, actress Taraji P. Henson, and famed Houstonians and multi-award winning performers Phylicia Rashad and her sister, Debbie Allen, are also Howard graduates.

Cori Bush, a HarrisStowe State University (St. Louis, Missouri) alumna, became the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress.

Nikema Williams, who just won Georgia’s 5th Congressional Dis-

trict, graduated from Talladega College.

Emmy Award-winning writer and comedian Wanda Sykes graduated from Hampton University.

And let’s not forget women from Third Ward Houston’s beloved Texas Southern University. The “Reigning Queen of Gospel” Yolanda Adams and the late, great Barbara Jordan, the first African American woman from Texas elected to the U.S. House of Representatives, are TSU Tigers.

And the list goes on and on.

Despite all this #BlackExcellence, HBCU endowments lag behind PWIs by at least 70% within both public

AFRAMNEWS.COM 3 and private sectors, according to a recent report by the American Council on Education.

So with Harris soonto-be in the White House, will she and Biden do more for HBCUs? During their campaign, they pledged to “rectify the funding disparities” faced by HBCUs and other minority-serving institutions by investing over $70 billion.

HBCUs award about 20% of African American STEM bachelor’s degrees, according to the United Negro College Fund, and a report released last year by the Rutgers Center for Minority Serving Institutions indicates that economic mobil-

ity is better for HBCU students than for students who attend other schools.

Data shows HBCUs enroll far more lowincome students and nearly 70% of their students attain at least middle class incomes.

Earlier this year, HBCUs received an outpouring of financial pledges and philanthropic gifts following the George Floyd protests and calls for racial justice, but financial troubles persist.

With this new spotlight on HBCU alumni and emerging leadership, will the Black colleges finally get the help they need?

- AANI

LEVEL UP YOUR FUTURE. Get the skills you need for the job you want.

Start Close. Go Far. LoneStar.edu/Start 11.02.20.03

4 AFRAMNEWS.COM

November 15, 2020

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

EDUCATION

“Be His Legacy” George Floyd internship at Texas A&M

By: AANI Staff

COMMERCE, Texas – The George Floyd Memorial Foundation, founded by the family of George Floyd, and the Texas A&M University-Commerce African American Male Mentorship Program (AAMMP) have partnered to create the “Be His Legacy” internship program.

Scheduled to launch in January 2021, this two-semester, groundbreaking initiative will provide handson equity experience to AAMMP students through community outreach and targeted educational programs.

“We are honored to launch the “Be His Legacy” internship in conjunction with Texas A&M University at Commerce,” said

Race cont’d leaders want to make Houston their Atlanta.”

HISD trustees Holly Maria Flynn Vilaseca, Judith Cruz, Sue Deigaard, Dani Hernandez, Elizabeth Santos and Anne Sung voted against Lathan.

“As the largest school district in Texas and the seventh-largest in the United States, it is of the utmost importance that we think about candidates for the permanent superintendent position by going through a transparent and thor-

Bridgett Floyd, sister of George Floyd and president of the George Floyd Memorial Foundation.

“As we focus on communities, equity, education and police reform, we are excited to have students interested in these areas help us move the work forward in honor of my brother, George Floyd.”

“Be His Legacy” interns will work on intentional reform initiatives aimed to eliminate police brutality, promote social justice, and protect people of color’s civil rights.

These activities aim to provide meaningful career path development for AAMMP students before graduation.

“The vision of the ‘Be His Legacy’ internship program is to offer a

one-of-a-kind experience for our Black men interested in all aspects of civic engagement, education, and justice – from voter engagement and education to PR and marketing, to lobbying and fundraising,” said Jayson Douglas, associate director of the A&M-Commerce Office of Intercultural Engagement & Leadership and adjunct faculty of the College of Innovation & Design.

AAMMP is a living learning community under the Office of Intercultural Engagement & Leadership that is devoted to assisting in the matriculation of Black male students at A&MCommerce. The group strives to develop leadership skills to promote

active engagement within their student experience.

These skills contribute to students’ persistence beyond graduation, encouraging them to become future Black male leaders and continue Floyd’s legacy.

“This relationship aligns with A&MCommerce’s strategic goals of student preparedness and creating an inclusive community characterized by respect and collaboration,” said Judy Sackfield, vice president of the A&M-Commerce Student Success and Dean of Students. “Collaborating with the George Floyd Memorial Foundation will enable us to marry academia and industry efforts

through experiential learning.”

The George Floyd Memorial Foundation continues to build community engagement, police reform and equity pro-

grams throughout the United States, including recent activities in Minneapolis and Tallahassee.

ough search process,” Vilaseca said. “We owe it to our students, our community, our constituents and the taxpayers to do our due diligence.”

Lathan was chief academic officer with HISD before stepping up in March 2018 to temporarily fill the seat left vacant by then- Superintendent Richard Carranza when he abruptly chose to leave.

It has appeared to be a constant coup d’état [conspiracy to overthrow] as the board tried to replace Lathan before without warning.

A few months after La-

than took over as interim, the board replaced her with Dr. Abe Saavedra, who was previously HISD’s superintendent from 2004 to 2009. But that decision was almost immediately reversed, and Lathan was placed back in charge.

And even though it has been more than enough time for Lathan to be made permanent, she could never get majority support. Lathan, who has been with HISD since 2015, has been working tirelessly to turn the district around.

With her at the helm, the district has been im-

proving after 21 HISD schools received “F” ratings from the Texas Education Agency. She’s also risen to the occasion of leading HISD students through unexpected turbulent times, like the current pandemic. Lathan has been a constant figure on national news programs speaking about the district’s adjustments during COVID-19.

Wanda Adams, Pat Allen and Kathy Blueford-Daniels want to keep Lathan and believes she’s earned the right to continue leading. But Adams, who is

leaving the board to fulfill a newly-elected role as justice of the peace, questions the board members’ trustworthiness.

“Did people keep their word from the beginning, when they first got on this board? No. I just hope and pray that as you all move forward, that you lead with honesty and integrity,” she said during the Zoom conference meeting.

If selected, Lathan would have become the district’s first Black woman to fill the role.

Others apparently have a different “shade” in

mind.

The trustees should keep this in mind. A lawsuit over a state takeover of the district is still pending and could result in the entire board being replaced.

Have you ever heard the phrase, “when you dig one grave, dig two?”

The one you tried to dig for me and the one you should be digging for yourself. We think it’s time to pass a few more shovels around.

You can agree or disagree. Decide for yourselves.

- AANI

- AANI

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

November 15, 2020

AFRAMNEWS.COM 5

6 AFRAMNEWS.COM

November 15, 2020

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION

CIVIL RIGHTS

RUBY BRIDGES’ MOTHER PASSED

By: AANI Staff

One of the most historic mothers of the Civil Rights Movement, Lucille Bridges, has died at the age of 86, just a few short days after a photo of her daughter, Ruby Bridges, went viral once again.

In 1960, Lucille Bridges bravely walked her then-6-year-old daughter past crowds of screaming racists, making little Ruby the first Black student at her allwhite New Orleans elementary school.

“Today our country

lost a hero. Brave, progressive, a champion for change. She helped alter the course of so many lives by setting me out on my path as a sixyear-old little girl. Our nation lost a Mother of the Civil Rights Movement today. And I lost my mom. I love you and am grateful for you.

May you Rest in Peace,” Ruby, who is now a civil rights activist, wrote on her Instagram account.

Ruby was born in Tylertown, Mississippi in 1954 — the same

year that the landmark Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas decision ended racial segregation in schools.

Louisiana was one of several southern states that defied Brown until a federal court ordered them to integrate in 1960. Even so, the school district where the Bridges lived required Black students to take an exam to determine if they could compete with white classmates.

Out of 165 students

taking the exam, Ruby was one of five to pass and the only one to decide to attend William Frantz Elementary.

Ruby’s father, Abon Bridges, was initially reluctant to agree to the NAACP’s request to send his daughter to the all-white school as a first-grader. Lucille, however, wanted her daughter to have the education she never had, and walked her daughter to school every day.

Lucille said the angry crowd tossed eggs and

tomatoes at them, and even followed them home.

“And when they followed us home, they started pitching bottles and things,” she once described in an interview.

The Bridges lived under armed guard from federal marshals for the whole school year.

It was probably never imagined that Ruby would become a symbol in the fight for equality.

Norman Rockwell memorialized Ruby in

his famous painting, “The Problem We All Live With,” displaying an image of the tiny girl wearing a white dress and carrying her notebooks and ruler surrounded by much taller U.S. Marshals.

Lucille had a chance to view the famous painting in 2006, as it hung inside the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston.

The image has gotten renewed attention in an

Ruby cont. page 7

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- AANI r.edu Address for Tearsheets: --- needed for tearsheet mail out --

“Lucille’s strength was unbounded during this period,” Mayor of AD COST adapted version show- New Orleans, LaToya “Lucille Total Cost to run Ad for ing Vice President- Cantrell said. seeing the ac- per we week: $117.45 elect Kamala Harris insisted, one walking with a briefcase tion as an opportunity to in hand, casting the help all Black children, shadow of young Ruby. and walked Ruby, with Harris is the first Black federal marshals, past woman elected to the chanting and taunting signand asap whitePlease protesters to and em vice presidency. the schoolhouse.

MothThe adapted image was created by Artist Bria er and daughter both Goeller, who worked revealed their character with T-shirt company and courage.”

The Bridges suffered Good Trubble. for their decision to “The design symbolizes two powerful send Ruby to the school: Signature her father lost his job, women in history who overcame the odds and local grocery stores restood with strength fused to sell to Lucille, against everyone who and Ruby’s grandparDate ents were evicted from didn’t want to see them to succeed,” Goeller said the farm where they had lived for years. in an email.

Still, they fought for “My parents are the real heroes,” Ruby once Ruby’s rights and the said during a ceremony. rights of all Black chil“They (sent me to that dren to follow. Let us public school) because never forget those who they felt it was the right sacrificed for the luxuries we take for granted thing to do.”

Ruby’s father died in today.

1978.

- AANI

8 AFRAMNEWS.COM

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