African American News & Issues 5/7-5/13

FREE • May 7 - May 13, 2018

www.aframnews.com

Vol. 23, Issue 16

HATS OFF to MOM!

Did You Know? Read the fascinating story of the Mother of California Civil Rights, pg. 9

Billy “Hollywood” Grove’s tribute to his mother, Sister Earlie Marshall Groves, pg. 2

Each year at Harris County Precinct One’s Spring Tea, the organizers hold a hat contest. The winners from left to right are first place Diane Stephens; second place Gloria Bass; third place Geri Demby; fourth place Thomasita Rivera; and fifth place Earleen Green, with Licia Green Ellis, 3rd person from the left.

By Rebecca S.Jones

The AfricanAmerican Legacy of Hats Continues…

In keeping current with the African-American religious and cultural tradition passed down for generations, Commissioner Rodney Ellis with Harris County Precinct One recently held its Annual Spring Tea. The event took

Afram News

place at Precinct One’s Hardy Senior Center accommodating over 300 senior citizens who dined and sipped tea in their best Sunday hats.

The Spring Tea was a collective effort which involved seniors from Hardy, Cavalcade, Finnigan Park and Lincoln Park. Other distinguished guests gathered to join in on the festivities included: Licia Green Ellis;

State Senator Sylvia Garcia and Reps. Senfronia Thompson and Carol Alvarado.

Furthermore, the event held a contest for the best hats and teacups. The winners of the hat contest were Diane Stephens, Gloria Bass, Geri Demby, Thomasita Rivera and Earleen Green. Teacup winners were Rose Mitchell, Amalia Sanchez, Joyce Murray, Lana Reece and Ellen

African-American News and Issues Newspaper

Scott.

Additionally Commissioner Ellis and the attending seniors joined in a ribbon cutting ceremony for the mural on the south side of the building. The Commissioner expressed the importance of public art. He said, “What we choose to create, honor, and celebrate in our public spaces says a lot about who we are Continued on Page 4

Afram News

Dr. Leicha Shaver is making incredible strides in education, pg. 8

Mable Scott Austin, President of SSLW, celebrates 50 years as a Delta Sigma Theta, pg. 7

2 • African-American News and Issues WE ENCOURAGE YOUR OPINION

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Mother’s Day Tribute

I

would be legitimately remiss as a writer if I didn’t acknowledge those most responsible for my journey.

Mothers and women of the world must be celebrated for their accomplishments. Second to God my mother, Sister Earlie Marshall Groves who passed away in 2016, was my greatest inspiration.

She was blessed from birth with special insight about the world, its people and the makings of a successful life.

She was born in Crockett, Texas, attended Williams High School of the Crockett, Porter Springs Community where she graduated class valedictorian, and reigned as a star basketball player. Her parents, Silas “Buddy” and Palmetta Green Marshall of Crockett, instilled character and the love of God in her and her nine siblings. Her mother, my father’s mother Lillie Bell Westbrook Groves, and their daughters played pivotal roles as I was growing up.

She continued her education at Mary Allen College in Crockett and attended cosmetology college in Houston, Texas. She owned and operated her own beauty salons for several years, while continuing to expand her knowledge through various courses in educational and religious areas.

She and her husband, Oscar “Son” Groves, also a Crockett Williams High basketball star who became an award-winning rodeo cowboy, raised six strong children: longtime Houston educator formerly of Madison High School Victoria Groves Essien of Houston; Dr. Helen Groves King of Huntsville, Texas; Dr. Brenda Groves Atchison of Dallas, Texas; Dr. Ianthia Groves Fisher of Crockett, Texas; Dr. Ruth Groves Watson of Houston; and Billy “Hollywood” Groves of Crockett, Texas. She reared them to re-

Texas • May 7 - May 13, 2018

The Standard View

By Billy “Hollywood” Groves

spect themselves and others, and use their God-given abilities the best they could. She emphasized that “the pen was mightier than the sword” and introduced to God and encyclopedias at very early ages.

She served as the Crockett AARP’s first African American president and worked faithfully many years with voter registration efforts in Crockett and Houston counties. As one of the Groves Educational Foundation’s founders on Martin Luther King Blvd. in Crockett, she devoted many hours of personal work to both it and the Groves Standard Newspaper.

She could always be counted on to do volunteer work, whether at the local nursing homes helping senior citizens; helping young people; or just working in the church and the community. She was a fearless woman who traveled the world with her daughters, inspiring people wherever she went.

Knowledge was important to her and she heavily invested in books, library field trips, educational venues, summer church school programs and other informative sources throughout her kids’ developmental years. As her only son, I can without a doubt tell you she has always been the driving force behind my success as a journalist, activist and CEO of the Groves Standard Newspaper. I end this tribute to my mother by saying she completed her mission with great dignity, respect and love for God, her family and the world. Goodnight Mother, we will see each other one day in Heaven. God Bless - AANI America!

H

Dear Bob

ouston Texans Founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Robert McNair has truly taken his mask off.

He doesn’t mean what he says even when it comes to a supposed heartfelt apology.

CEOs are supposed to lead by example, not be the example of what NOT to do.

It all started on October 18, 2017 when McNair was speaking at a meeting between owners, team executives and Commissioner Roger Goodell. Then, he reportedly said, “we can’t have the inmates running the prison,” in response to NFL players taking a knee during the United States national anthem.

McNair received backlash from all angles. This included Houston’s star wide receiver, DeAndre Hopkins, not being present at practice due to the comments from McNair.

It was also reported by ESPN that other Texans players had to be persuaded not to walk out of practice.

As a result, McNair issued an apology on October 27, 2017 via Twitter: “I regret that I used the expression. I never meant to offend anyone and was not referring to our players. I used a figure of speech that was never intended to be taken literally. I would never characterize our players or our league that way and I apologize to anyone who was offended by it.”

It seemed that McNair managed to weather the storm, but it wasn’t over.

In a recent interview on April 5th with the Wall Street Journal, McNair said he regrets issuing the apology.

“The main thing I regret is apologizing,” McNair said.

He added that it was merely a figure of speech, and he was actually referring to the control of league executives over

State Rep District 139 Jarvis Johnson

team owners.

“I really didn’t have anything to apologize for,” he said.

So, which is it Bob? Are you sorry or not? Are you sorry for saying what you said in private and it got out or are you sorry for apologizing about a comment that was taken out of context?

Either way, you are SORRY – a sorry owner, and a sorry man. We all make mistakes and we all regret some things we have said – wishing we could take them back.

However, the fact that you are unable to stand by your own words – the offensive comments or the forced apology – explains a lot about your character.

We can see now that your initial apology was simply you following a strategy created by your public relations team to mend fences between you, the players of the team you own and the customers that buy the tickets.

You didn’t want to entertain the possibility of suffering any hits to your wallet.

Forget everyone’s feelings, that would obviously be the true outrage.

The apology at least appealed to those who were offended, even if the comments were not directed at your players, as you stated in your recent interview.

My friends and I often rib each other jokingly. I remember a time when I was on the phone with one of them and I said, “Get out of here you dumb jackass!” because of something he did that offended his wife. I couldn’t believe he would do something so - AANI idiotic.

Texas • May 7 - May 13, 2018

I

“Mother”

’m going to start off: Beyonce doesn’t do it for me.

She’s a lovely, talented young woman who’s done some catchy songs, but that’s where my interest ends. However, what she evoked in her visually stunning 2017 Grammy Awards performance made me appreciate her a little more. She literally called down the spirits and opened eyes to our rich cultural mythology, a celebration of African spirituality.

We are not only descended from kings and queens, but also gods and goddesses: specifically, the greatest of all goddesses: the Mother.

The great Mother is omnipresent throughout world mythology. Oftentimes, she emerges fully realized into existence as if stepping onto a fashion catwalk. She is the personification of nature, motherhood, fertility, creation, destruction; the embodiment of the Earth’s bounty; the life giver and the nurturer.

The Mother dates as far back as ancient Egypt when she was known as Mut: her very name translated as mother, a primal deity associated with the waters from which everything was born.

To the Yorùbá of southwestern Nigeria and Benin she is the Orisha (deity) Yemaya, Goddess of the Living Ocean, considered the mother of all. She is the source of all the waters and, as all life is thought to have begun in the sea, all life is held to have begun with her. She is motherly and strongly protective, and cares deeply for all Her children, comforting them and cleansing them of sorrow. She is said to be able to cure infertility in women, and cowrie shells represent Her wealth. She does not easily lose Her temper, but when angered She can be quite destructive and violent, as the

African-American News and Issues • 3

Opening Minds

By Erick Kline, Copy Editor

sea in a storm.

The Yorùbá also have the Orisha Oshun of the sweet or fresh waters, as opposed to the salt waters of Yemaya. She is widely loved, as She is known for healing the sick and bringing fertility and prosperity, and She especially watches over the poor and brings them what they need.

The Akan people of West Africa regard Asase Yaa as Mother Earth, the earth goddess of fertility and the upholder of truth. She is credited as the nurturer of the earth and provides sustenance for all.

There is also the triple moon goddess N’Game, Creatress and Queen, a goddess of divine authority and feminine empowerment, revered in West Africa, particularly by the Akan of Ghana. According to their myth, she animated human beings by shooting arrows into their hearts with her bow. She carries a crescent shaped bow and her arrows gives humans and animals their souls at birth.

All of this should remind us just how special the Mother is. She is our muse, our comforter, our healer, our protector. She is the moon who watches over us when we sleep and the dawn who greets us when we wake.

It is for this, and many more reasons, why we worship, honor and revere her on Mother’s Day. She is the goddess who brought us into being and nurtured us. Our Mothers deserve a resounding thank you for giving us the gift of life. Be sure to tell yours.

- AANI

Mothers: You Have the Power!

M

others are humanity’s most precious jewels and they have not just gotten that way, it’s been that way.

Our existence originates through the motherhood of a woman. Therefore, our mothers – Black mothers in particular, have the power to change the world. But first, they must realize the power they possess.

In most cases, our first lessons are taught to us by our mother. Generally, it is a mother who gives a baby the first welcoming hug and kiss of love. We are nurtured by mothers. Considering that children are like sponges and soak up everything they see others do around them, they are going to interpret the mother’s actions, words and love as how society is.

That’s why it is so important our women recognize their power and strength.

We MUST Understand our women are the most dominant species ever created.

Once again, within a woman is the power to change the world. Addressing our African- American women, that change will never come until you first learn to respect yourself. From the moment a child is brought into the world, mothers immediately begin to set the tone. We MUST Understand, if you don’t respect yourself ain’t nobody else going to respect you. They certainly won’t respect your children if it appears that neither of you are worth it. People often say, “Respect is not given, it is earned.” While I believe that every person should be owed a certain level of respect, people today aren’t as thoughtful.

There was a time when women had standards and if you didn’t have any, you would not get the time of day

from them. Back in the day, we couldn’t just approach a girl any kind of way and we certainly couldn’t come to her home amongst her family looking, dressing and acting like a little thug or gangsta. Even if we could take a girl out, there were rules and guidelines we had to abide by, if we wanted a second shot. But these days, it appears as if those values and morals have gone out the window.

It is a sad reality and in return, they are teaching their sons and daughters not to have any. Then when they go out into the real world and bump their head, they want to blame it on everybody but themselves. NO! It’s your fault because you had the power to groom them from the womb. Furthermore, I do not understand how it has become a theme in our culture to salute our precious jewels as whores and b&*^%. But, when I sit and think about it, the image some of our ladies insist on portraying makes room for such elements.

Thus, young men don’t mind calling them out of their names and it appears some of them don’t mind answering to it. From where I come from it’s always been said,

We MUST Understand

By Roy Douglas Malonson, Publisher

“Be a lady in the streets” and a you know what, “in the sheets”. So, there is a time and place for all things. But flaunting and disrespecting yourself in the streets is just not the proper place to do it.

All I am suggesting here is that our mothers, our young Black women have the power to control these things and it starts right at home. So my Mother’s Day message to our women is, “Come on let’s get things back together.” Go back to the days when a man had to work for your attention, instead of it being the other way around.

Go back to the days where raising your child was priority, regardless if the father decided to stay or abandon the family. If things were to revert, I guarantee we would see a big difference in the world we live in. Concluding I would just like to echo the words of Ruth Boorstin who said, “Be bold in what you stand for and careful what - AANI you fall for.”

Carrier Needed

in Northwest Houston

Call 713-692-1892 sales@aframnews.com

4 • African-American News and Issues

According to Apostle Paul in I Corinthians 11, a woman’s hair is her glory and is given to her as a covering.

Paul also translates that glory as her power. I Corinthians 11:5a says, “But every woman that prayeth or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonoreth her head…”

Hence the significance of hats in African-American religious convictions served as an extension to applying a holy commandment insitituted by Paul. While he placed emphasis on a woman’s hair,

the African-American interpretation later manifested into the covering of the head with a hat.

The house of God, tabernacle, holy place, worship center, church or however one chooses to define it, has always been more than a sanctuary to the African-American community.

Therefore, early African-American women took pride in wearing their symbols of reverence to God. During slavery, the hat for a Black woman was a hope and prayer of help, for salvation against the brutal and unjust vices imposed on them. Sunday was the only day in which many of them could look any other way than a slave. They

Lady Doris Ratliff, Brentwood BC, Photo Credit (TSU

Iola Moss, Greater New Zion Church Photo Credit

Continued from Page 1

and our shared values as a community.”

Hats: The Extension of Divine Order

H.A.T.S & T.I.E.S celebration gallery)

(TSU H.A.T.S & T.I.E.S celebration gallery)

The Spring Tea also includes a teacup contest.

From left to right: Rose Mitchell, Amalia Sanchez, Licia Green Ellis, Joyce Murray, Lana Reece and Ellen Scott.

Texas • May 7 - May 13, 2018

traded in their rags to preview the very best that their closet held and complimented the wardrobe with a topper – the hat. Some were arranged with ribbons, bows, pearls and other accenting decoratives.

Initially, the concept was implemented as an expression of obedience, but, later translated into an image of cultural significance.

rican-American milliners begin to emerge such as: Grace Bustill Douglass, Mildred Blount and Mae Reeves.

Over the years, there have been many stereotypes associated with African-Americans. Amongst them are representations of the good, bad and ugly that our culture has to offer. There are many attributes that establish African-Americans as an individual class in society, which no other people can compete with. Among them is the fact that African-Americans have long been known for our unique ability to be trendsetters of style, fashion, creativity and ingenuity.

Even in the face of adversity, enslavement and inequitable treatment, Black people have always had the tendency and ability to make the struggle look good.

For a woman there’s something about wearing a hat that makes her step proud. There is a graceful walk and poise that accompanies the fixing of a hat. Don’t believe me…

The next time you see a Sista with a hat on, just watch the strut. There is a different type of feeling – a feeling of dignity and ownership. Collectively, the hat and the stride that one invokes suggests, “I am somebody, now watch me work.”

As time progressed beyond the fields and African-Americans received a portion of liberty, the hat evolved into a celebration of economic status. The presence of flamboyant and flashy crowns became more prevalent as skilled Af-

“Wearing a hat is like having a baby or a puppy; everyone stops to talk about it.” – Louise Green

The Growing Tradition of Hats

Mae Reeves: Taking the Design to a Different Level

One cannot truly appreciate and understand the elaborate display of fascinating hats in American culture without having some sense of reverence for Mrs. Mae Reeves.

In 1942, during a time when America was unfriendly to women – especially Black women, Reeves pioneered Mae’s Millinery in Philadelphia.

Not only did she leave her mark by becoming an entrepreneur in a time when it was seldom a woman would, she raised her children and provided for her family in the same facility. To add, Reeves’s shop yielded a civic meeting ground for residents throughout the community.

She and her shop provided a place to vote during election time. Undoubtedly, Reeves was unaware that a $500 bank loan would secure her a solid place in not only African-American, but in American history.

Her designs were worn by famous and affluent women around the nation like Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Eartha Kitt and Marian Anderson. While these women were in more publicized platforms of society, Reeves equipped all women with a decorative ornament to assert their relevance and importance in a country which offered them very little.

Curator at the Smithsonian National Museum of African

American History and Culture shared in an interview with Hansi Lo Wang that Reeves’ “hat business helps paint an extraordinary portrait of the Great Migration.”

He said, “Think about this: You’re talking about amidst of a depression, amidst of Jim Crow, a young woman who has moved from the South to the North, and she made a success of herself really from nothing.”

Reeves passed at the ripe age of 104 and while her shop closed its doors in 1997, the legacy she helped to create through it still lives on today.

The fashions she helped to engineer are displayed around the world. Her granddaughter, Donna Limerick has continued on in the tradition of hats, by keeping her Reeves’ designs on display. A partial recreation of her shop has been established at the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture, complete with original fixtures and furniture from the historical Philadelphia millinery.

Hat Manners

In 2000, Michael Cunningham and Craig Marberry wrote a book entitled, “Crowns.” The publication, filled with photographs, documents the recounts of many African-American women and their crowns. In addition, the pair highlights various unspoken rules for the proper way to wear a hat. A snippet of those suggestions include: not wearing anything that is wider than the shoulders or darker than the color of the shoes; never borrowing or touching someone else’s hat; and even though the hat

Texas • May 7 - May 13, 2018

should be the focal point, it must not compete with the matching outfit, jewelry or accessories, such as pocketbooks and gloves.

Another mannerism associated with the hat is the “hat tip.” Tipping of the hat is a cultural expression of recognition, respect, gratitude, greeting and acknowledgment between two parties.

Alan Moore once said, “The average person puts only 25% of his/her energy and ability into his/her work.

The world takes off its hat to those who put in more than 50% of their capacity, and stands on its head for those few and far between souls who devote 100%.”

So figuratively, not only are we tipping our hats to honor all mothers and women who serve as mothers, but we are saying, “HATS off TO MOM” in observance of Mother’s Day.

Martha Cossey

African-American News and Issues • 5

Maria Mensah

Georgia Provost, Provost & Associates Photography

Mothers: Hat of the World

The hat as it is known to mankind is nothing more than a covering for the head. Symbolically, the role of a mother/woman is very similar in meaning to the hat. For in times of trouble, the average man who according to scripture is the head, will go to any lengths to find comfort under the coverage of a woman.

Likewise, is she the first person that the average child seeks out in difficult circumstances to find refuge.

The Black mother/woman is by far one of the most powerful, yet, often overlooked creatures ever created. So, to all mothers and women standing in the role, African-American News & Issues recognizes your unique strength, power, love, compassion and dedication for serving as the covering to the world. HATS - AANI off TO MOM!

Singer Kathy Taylor and Lydia Pace singing in the play “Crowns”

TaeReal & Kerice

Dr. Denise Adjei-Fitzgerald, Nikki Benjamin and Lady Bonita Davis Photo Credit: TSU H.A.T.S & T.I.E.S celebration gallery

6 • African-American News and Issues

Loney Thomas - Bishop John Baines

Linda Gale Sherden God blessed my mom to have me. As a a child she made me feel like a king, she didn’t turn me down for nothing. She said that I can do and have all things in Christ Jesus. Love always to the woman who blessed me with a sweet heart.

- Henry Sherden

Mary Garner - Bishop John Baines

Kathalyn Franklin.

Just want to say thank you for being the hero for saving the day always!!

You mean so much to us and we love you beyond measure. We show our gratitude and thankfulness to you to infinity. You go girl because you are all that and a bag of chips!!

Love you mama, smooches!

- Tiffany Franklin

Texas • April 30 - May 6, 2018

Nola Jefferson She’s 82 yrs of age I Love her so much.

- Carla Patterson

JoAnn Kline Her smile lights up my world, her joy is boundless, her love is everlasting. Love you ma.

- E. Kline Shirley Ann Malonson Nearly 17-years ago, I walked into your office – immature and unlearned in many ways. I have learned to cherish your sound wisdom, unadulterated advice, sense of tough love and ultimate truth. You have looked pass the rough exterior of the way things were and helped me to focus on business. Something only a real mother can do.

You have loved, admonished and nurtured me, as if I was your own and I appreciate the role you have played in me and my girls’ lives. We wish you a sincere Happy Mother’s Day. - Rebecca S. Jones

Joyce Marie Jones

Ollie “Dick” Moore

3-26-1955 – 12-31-2009 I cherish your memory and honor your legacy.

As a daughter, I did as the Bible told me while you were here. Though I miss your presence daily, I am grateful for you teaching and instilling your God within me. For He has been my help, comfort and refuge; if I can shadow the motherhood you bestowed to me with my daughters…. Then I am sure that my living won’t be in vain, because yours certainly wasn’t.

- Your Babygirl

Happy Mother’s Day Dear Mother, it’s been 20 years since you were on Earth in the flesh. I want you to know as I promised I’m trying to carry on, keeping God first, supporting the least of God’s children where I find needs in the community.

Say hello to the rest of the family.

- Love, your son Dean.

See you in the morning.

Glenda Raye Breaux Flem - Love, Gary and Glenae

Bobbie Jean Jefferson Williams Lady Mary Helen Baines You have always found time to love and care for your extended family. You have continued to be the warm, caring, righteous, compassionate, genuine and most understanding personality in my life.

- Shenae

Grateful for all of the sacrifices my mom made for me, her only child.

I miss her so much!

Rest in love and peace Mama 8/3/1949 - 2/16/2018 - Tiffany Bates Billie Sample Sadler - Love, Cynthia & Michael

Texas • May 7 - May 13, 2018

African-American News and Issues • 7

Suburban Sugar Land Women (SSLW)

SSLW Summer Community Services Suburban Sugar Land Women lifetime passion is to serve others cheerfully & willingly. Enormous thanks and endless appreciation to our committed members and phenomenal partners. We encourage, educate, equip, engage, and empower those in need. Together, we transform lives. Ongoing: Seniors Enrichment, Infants – Young Adults Development, Families Outreach, Memberships & Partnerships, Community Involvement, Fund Development, Continuing Scholarships & Support, Military/ Veterans Appreciation, Collaborations , Voter Registration & Education, Community Gardens, Special Requests.

Ways Y – o – u Can Assist SSLW Today Will you donate your human services and financial resources quarterly or annually? Together, we transform lives. Thanks for your cheerful, willing, and generous donation! Thanks for your ongoing support!

Mable Scott Austin Celebrates Fifty Years in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated & More!

Mable zealously celebrates fifty years in Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated. Mable received a written invitation to become a member during her first year at Jackson State University, MS from Delta Pi Chapter. She was initiated in 1968. She graduated Jackson State University in three years on a full academic scholarship that included a clothing allowance.

She received her master’s degree from Texas Southern University, and completed courses toward her doctorate degree. To my Father be the glory!

- AANI

Pastor Kim Orr, Windsor Village Church and Mable Scott Austin enjoy Inaugural Games Fest Marvelyn Harris, Program Chair, Scholarships & Support; Susan Myrick Wilcox, Program Chair, Fund Development; Tomika Lewis, Program Co Chair, Infants - Young Adults Development - Pre Schoolers Book Drive.

Mose Austin, SSLW CEO and Program Chair, Families Outreach; Mable Scott Austin, Program Chair, Community Partnerships; and Ted Ellis, Renowned Artist at the Ensemble Theatre Houston

Raymond & Shirley Sewell, SSLW Phenomenal Partners

Susan Wilcox and Dr. Moses Wilcox, Sr., Chairs, Spring, 2019 Fundraiser - “ 30 for 30.”

Mable Scott Austin

8 • African-American News and Issues

Texas • May 7 - May 13, 2018

Doctor is Transforming Views About Education

By Arielle Johnson

Photo courtesy of Dr. Leicha Shaver

We had an opportunity to interview the Administrator of Advanced Preparatory International (API), located in the southern sector of Dallas, Texas. Her name is Dr. Leicha Shaver, and in her own words: “Transforming schools is the work God has called me to do.” Throughout her professional career, she has done just that, by allowing God to guide her into schools which appeared to be on an irreversible path to mediocrity. Mediocrity exists when teachers have low expectations, and students are just trying to make it through the day the best way they can with the least amount of effort. API offers a non-traditional, one-room

schoolhouse setting, which has already proven its worth to the community.

Dr. Shaver began her career as an elementary school principal nearly 25 years ago in Tulsa, Oklahoma. She graduated with her Doctorate in Administration and secured a position as the principal of one of the local public schools. Even with no experience, she had already decided, after putting in applications around town, she would definitely be going in as a principal, not an assistant principal. The only education experience under her belt was a couple of years as an elementary school teacher.

Now armed with her Doctorate in Administration she says, “I never thought about not being a Principal, because

Dr. Leicha Shaver, Administrator of Advanced Preparatory International says, “Transforming schools is the work God has called me to do.”

there was nothing to indicate I wouldn’t get the job. I had my Doctorate in Administration and was ready to put it to use. Growing up as a child in Gary, Indiana, we witnessed a lot of Black people in our community assume very powerful positions. I was there and remember when we elected our first Black mayor.”

She was already prepared to turn down what she thought was an offer as public school assistant principal when she realized she had gotten her foot in the door, positioned in a manner comfortable for her.

Something about her convinced her interviewers she was the woman for the job.

She definitely did not fit the candidate profile they sought, but she won them over during the grueling process. They had to take into consideration her age – late 20s at the time – her lack of administration experience and her gender. Yet and still, she exceeded their expectations by simply being more than what they could imagine. She mastered the art of putting people in positions where they could thrive. “I basically find out where everyone is good at, and make sure they are working in that area. There have even been times when I have had to tell educators, education was not where they belonged.”

Dr. Shaver remained an elementary school principal from 1993 to 2002. After the Dallas Independent School District showed an interest in her, she and her family moved to Dallas where she worked with high schoolers as principal of the El Centro High School program. This afforded students the opportunity to earn college credits while also earning the points needed to obtain a high school diploma. In 2004,

she was the first principal in Dallas’s history to have two high school students graduate with Associate Degrees. This school, like the one she operates today, offered a non-traditional setting that gave them full access to El Centro College. The only limitations they may have had was during peak hours during the week for the regular college students.

In 2014, she headed the Dallas Prime Prep Academy, which was forced to close its doors in January, 2015.

This left those students in limbo, and Dr. Shaver had to make a decision about what she was going to do to help.

With her quick thinking and resolve to take immediate action, She was able to find a space so these students could complete their high school requirements and qualify for scholarships, by establishing the Advanced Preparatory Institute. Once again, she beat the odds. By March 2015, they were operating their own academy. In May 2015, API received their accreditation.

Several of the students obtained full ride scholarships that year due to their basketball skills. Last year, one of her Elite Basketball Program students received a full scholarship to Duke University.

API is Dr. Shaver’s baby.

She truly believes lives and communities can be turned around when the students get engaged. And by engagement, we are not talking about students coming in and soaking up the knowledge the instructor has to dole out, but rather, the students, immersing themselves in the assignment at hand, and using a self-paced type of study program which they feel is more rewarding. Dr. Shaver does whatever she can think of to make learning fun.

One of the recent assignment which was given to her students was to find Blacks in recent history and explain how they made an impact on society. One of her students stumbled across the Rodney King incident and decided to write about him. Another assignment involved one of her students pretending to be a news anchor who presented current events regarding today’s economy. With the help of North Texas Media Group, a community and business partner, the student was able to view footage of his delivery and make a decision about what he was going to do the next time to improve his delivery. The student was cognizant of being ill-prepared the first time, which is noted by his constant review of his notes in sharing the news. He vowed to be better prepared in the future, and to give his piece a more professional look.

Presently, Dr. Shaver has a core student body of approximately 21 students. There is roughly a total of 40 students, but many of them only have a few hours to complete, therefore they only need to appear for a very limited number of hours per week.

When you walk into API, one of the first things you will notice, once you pass the reception area, is the presence of nearly 20 different sized crucifixes on the wall. Dr. Shaver says it helps with the setting, and she wants people to know they are walking into a Christian setting as soon as they walk in. Bible training is part of the curriculum and they classify their institution as being a Christian Academy. If you would like to find out more about Advanced Preparatory International, please visit www.apiprivateschool.com.

- AANI

Texas • May 7 - May 13, 2018

African-American News and Issues • 9

You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may tread me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?

Why are you beset with gloom? ‘Cause I walk like I’ve got oil wells Pumping in my living room.

Mary Ellen Pleasant, an unusual, largely forgotten ďŹ gure from history.

Photo credit: Unknown

Mary Ellen Pleasant did not approve when the press initiated a smear campaign against and called her “Mammy.� Her response: “I don’t like to be called mammy by everybody. Put. that. down. I am not mammy to everybody in California.� A pioneer of civil rights from work begun in the 1860s, her achievements went unsurpassed until the 1960s. She was once the most talked-about woman in San Francisco. When other African-Americans were rarely mentioned, she claimed full-page coverage.

Her dramatic life was part of the story of slavery, abolition, the gold rush, and the Civil War; she helped shape early San Francisco, and covertly amassed a joint fortune once assessed at $30,000,000.

Pleasant was born a slave near Augusta, Georgia between 1814 and 1817. When she was six, she was sent to Nantucket to live with a Quaker woman named Hussey. According to ships’ records and conďŹ rming testimony, she arrived in San Francisco in April, 1852 to escape persecution under the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850, for slave rescue work in the East. She passed as white, using her ďŹ rst husband’s name, and took jobs running exclusive men’s eating establishments. She met most of the

city founders as she catered lavish meals, and beneďŹ ted from the tidbits of ďŹ nancial gossip tossed around at the tables. She engaged a young clerk, Thomas Bell, at the Bank of California and they began to make money based on her tips and guidance.

She worked on the Underground Railroad across many states and then helped bring it to California during the Gold Rush Era. She was said to have actively supported John Brown’s cause with money and work. She did not conceal her race from other Blacks, and was adept at ďŹ nding jobs for those brought in by Underground Railroad activities. Some of those she sponsored became important Black leaders in the city.

After the Civil War, she successfully attacked racial discrimination in San Francisco public transportation after she and two other Black women were ejected from a city streetcar in 1866. After a two-year court battle, the city outlawed segregation in the city’s public conveyances.

In 1974, San Francisco designated eucalyptus trees she had planted outside her mansion as a Structure of Merit. The trees and associated plaque are now known as Mary Ellen Pleasant Memorial Park, the smallest park in San Francisco.

- AANI

Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?

Bowed head and lowered eyes?

Flowers for All Occasions

Shoulders falling down like teardrops.

Weakened by my soulful cries.

Does my haughtiness offend you?

Don’t you take it awful hard ‘Cause I laugh like I’ve got gold mines Diggin’ in my own back yard.

You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise.

Does my sexiness upset you?

Does it come as a surprise That I dance like I’ve got diamonds At the meeting of my thighs?

Out of the huts of history’s shame I rise Up from a past that’s rooted in pain I rise I’m a black ocean, leaping and wide, Welling and swelling I bear in the tide.

Leaving behind nights of terror and fear I rise Into a daybreak that’s wondrously clear I rise Bringing the gifts that my ancestors gave, I am the dream and the hope of the slave.

I rise I rise I rise.

- Maya Angelou

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10 • African-American News and Issues ce Sin 94 19

Texas • May 7 - May 13, 2018

First Giving Honor to God!

Hattitude

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Ne

py Hap er’s Mothay!

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We appreciate o ur customers!

By Sir Christopher Wayne

Let us talk about this or a second. I’ll try not to get too deeply entangled in the webs of an intellectual’s mind but I have some thoughts. The word is pronounced to me particularly on this upcoming Mother’s Day. God. Why you ask? Many in the Black community are taught basic Biblical spiritual principles about God that consist of the Holy Trinity: God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. I’ve always pondered on why we teach divinity without the most important principle to man, which is the feminine. Where is the mommy? But it makes sense. We are born, many of us detached from our mothers at birth, given for nurses to care for, fed artiďŹ cial powdered milk instead of the attached life source from

her tit, then it’s soon time for mommy to care for the household, the family, and many times get back to the workforce. For generations, Black women have pulled off this amazing feat, even caring for the children of children and none of us knew how Big Momma did it with twelve chillun or even Lil Momma down the street with the one bow leg. Cooking, cleaning, homework, working, bending space-time to make time for laundry and lovemaking at night. We only get 24 hours, people! If this ain’t God-like behavior, then what is? Yet ‌ our concept of divinity replaces God the Mother for a spirit.

The Spirit embodies all the very feminine adjectives we use to describe what a mother’s love would feel like daily when we are in need. Think about it: loving, kind, gentle, calming, strict at times

and discerning. But the Spirit isn’t described as God the Mother. Could that be a testament to just how amazing, loving and indescribable our moms are? We all need ‘em and miss ‘em dearly when they are gone, and even then, they’re spirit, energy, stories and more to live on through the generations.

We sing great praises to such an awesome, forgiving, loving, caring, nurturing God with the ďŹ nesse of the greatest singer known to man, but why must we use masculine pronouns? We’re so caught up in words I believe sometimes we forget to think, feel and listen. Why aren’t we singing to her? Giving her the praise and admiration for all she’s done for us?

If I could choose the perfect song for Mother’s Day it would be any spiritual song with her in place of the him.

Just for a day, could we make moms into a God so we could bow at her feet for life on this earth and food in our bodies?

Mother’s Day is equivalent to Black History Month, as it’s just not long enough to honor a divine, noble being for merely a day. The complexities of childbirth and providing a food source from within is a greater power I cannot fathom.

The fact all three Abrahamic religions require a savior, prophet, wise men and even Jesus himself to be birthed from with the physical belly of a woman is proof enough to me of “Her Divinity in Nature.â€? Taking one’s mother out to eat or buying her owers is ďŹ ne, but it just isn’t good enough from my perspective. I’d rather spend this year giving reverence to the physical divine principle of everything present in our lives.

God the Mother. - AANI

Texas • May 7 - May 13, 2018

PUBLIC NOTICES Houston Community College Request for Proposals (RFP) RFP 18-27 – Comprehensive Energy Management and Consulting Services Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Wednesday, May 30, 2018. Documents can be obtained at: www. hccs.edu/procurement.

Houston Community College Request for Proposals (RFP) Facilities Condition Assessment Project No. 18-26 Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Thursday, May 31, 2018.

Documents can be obtained at: www. hccs.edu/procurement.

Houston Community College Invitation for Bid (IFB) SALE OF APPROXIMATELY 23.402 ACRES OF LAND (WESTHEIMER) Project No. 18-31 Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Thursday June 28, 2018.

Documents can be obtained at: www. hccs.edu/procurement.

Houston Community College Request for Proposals (RFP) Energy Procurement Services RFP NO.: 18-19 Sealed proposals will be received in Procurement Operations (3100 Main Street, Room No. 11B01, Houston, Texas 77002) until 2:00PM (local time) on Wednesday, May 23, 2018.

Documents can be obtained at: www. hccs.edu/procurement.

Send us your Father’s Day pictures and stories! news@ aframnews.com

Notice to Proposers Sealed electronic proposals will be received by Lone Star College for: • RFP #575 – Utility Accounting Software Solution. Electronic bids due by 11:00 a.m., Thursday, 5/31/2018. Online WebEx pre-proposal meeting will be held Monday, 5/14/18 @ 10:00 a.m., Contact: sharon.k.ognowski@ lonestar.edu or 832813-6211. Must Register to Bid: http://wwwappsdstc.lonestar. edu/istar/supplier.htm.

If registered, please ensure your registration is up to date. For assistance with the on-line registration process, contact donna.e.cottrell@lonestar. edu or 832-813-6275.

African-American News and Issues • 11

TUESDAY, MAY 8

Home Buyer Happy Hour 6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

Are Student Loans Affecting Your Debt-to-Income Ratio? Learn how to reduce or eliminate.

Guest Speaker: Kathryn Jones-Hunter of Prime Lending The Deluxe Theater 3303 Lyons Ave. Please RSVP at 713-674-0175 Admission $15.00 Drinks and appetizers provided

THURSDAY, MAY 10

Emergency Care: Plan Ahead and Get the Care You Need Without Going Broke 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Guest Speaker Bonnie C. Sheeren, Houston Health Advocacy, LLC Cavatore Italian Restaurant 2120 Ella Blvd., Houston, TX 77008 Please reply by May 7 to Veronica Lopez-Chagolla at 713-388-7756 or veronica.lopez@frostbank.com

THURSDAY, MAY 10

The Ensemble Theatre celebrates its 30-year revival of August Wilson’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, directed by Eileen J. Morris with Opening Night and Media Reception, 6:30 p.m.

3535 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002.

Previews: May 5, 6, and 9, Show Runs: May 10 – June 3, 2018 Performance Days and Times: Thursdays: 7:30 p.m; Fridays: 8:00 p.m; Saturdays: 2:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m; and Sundays: 3:00 p.m.

Tickets Available Online: www.EnsembleHouston.com For Information Call: 713-520-0055 Ticket Prices: $23 - $50 August Wilson American Century Cycle Award Presentation, May 12, 2018

SATURDAY, MAY 12

2nd Annual Mother’s Day Brunch Variety Show: featuring special performances from Kendrick Whitfield and Carol Hamilton and more.

11:00 a.m. – 1:30 p.m.

816 Montgomery Street, Dallas, TX 75215 Must purchase tickets

by May 10, 2018 To purchase tickets search “2nd Annual Mother’s Day Brunch” www.unameiteventplanning.com For more information call Nora 214-529-5110 nrogarro@gmail.com Danica, 214-850-5444

MONDAY, MAY 14

Attire: Dressy

8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.

Location: BlackHorse Country Club, 12205 Fry Rd., Cypress, TX 77433/ VillaSport Athletic Club and Spa, 12951 Barker Cypress Rd., Cypress, TX 77429 The annual scholarship fundraiser supports the MBE Executive Scholarship program.

The proceeds from the event allows HMSDC, its MBE Development Partners and Sponsors to award scholarships, promote and conduct educational and developmental programs to further the professional acumen of MBEs.

SATURDAY, MAY 12

THURSDAY, MAY 17

The 2018 Reggae Fest 2 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Peggy Park 4101 Almeda Rd. Houston 77004 Tickets by Eventbrite HEY MON!! THE 2018 REGGAE FEST IS AROUND THE CORNER AND YOU NEED TO BE THERE. SPEND THE DAY WITH US ON MAY 12TH AT PEGGY PARK. THE DAY WILL BE FILLED WITH LIVE MUSIC, DELICIOUS FOOD, and COLD DRINKS!!

OVER 20 DIFFERENT VENDORS WILL BE ON SITE SELLING EVERYTHING FROM ART TO JERK CHICKEN. THIS IS A EXPERIENCE YOU DO NOT WANT TO MEET. TELL ALL YOUR FRIENDS NOW AND PURCHASE YOUR DISCOUNTED TICKETS TODAY!!!

Official Line-Up Galaxy Band J-Unit Band Heph B Linkupbwoy GT Mayne Ricardo Djsilentkilla Perez

Acres Homes Super Neighborhood Council #6 Monthly Meeting 6:30 p.m.

Acres Homes Multi-Service Center 6719 W. Montgomery Rd., Houston, TX 77091 Open to ALL Residents, Businesses, Churches, Civic Clubs, Community Organizations and General Public Regular Meetings every 3rd Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m.

Contact: Etta Crockett, President Acres Homes Super Neighborhood Council #6 Email: ettapct109@ yahoo.com

SATURDAY, MAY 19 Home Buyer Education Class 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Please RSVP at 713-674-0175 Breakfast and Lunch provided

SUNDAY, MAY 20

Dedication Ceremony Rick Ogden Elementary School, 21919 Rayford Road, Humble, TX 77338 2 p.m. Reception

MONDAY, MAY 21

Glorious Inaugural Banquet honoring Bishop Johnny A. Tates, Prelate of Texas Greater Southeast First Ecclesiastical Jurisdiction 7:00 p.m.

Sheraton North Houston at George Bush Intercontentinental Airport, 15700 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Houston, TX 77032. Inaugural Speaker: Bishop Jerry Wayne Macklin, 2nd Assistant Presiding Bishop, Church of God in Christ, Inc. Black Tie Affair

SATURDAY, JUNE 16 Mayor Sylvester Turner’s 7th Annual Acres Homes Juneteenth Parade 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

Contact Kynetta Moore, 832-393-0825 or email Kynetta.

Moore@houstontx.gov www.

HoustonSpecialEvents. org

FRIDAY, AUGUST 31SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 2

The Black Academy of Arts and Letters presents Riverfront Jazz Festival Friday, August 31Sunday, September 2, 2018 (Labor Day Weekend), Texas Horse Park 811 Pemberton Hill, Dallas, TX 75217 For tickets and more information visit: www.tbaalriverfrontjazzfestival.org

$45-$100 (per story) WRITERS WANTED

Must be knowledgable of the African-American Communities. For more info call or send resume to sales@aframnews.com

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