February 2, 2020
AFRICAN HERITAGE & HEALTH EDITION African-American News&Issues
KOBE BRYANT
Vol. 25, Issue 2 BLACK HISTORY MONTH HIGHLIGHT
WABC TROOP 242
CALABASAS, CA – The Earth seemingly stopped rotating on the morning of Jan. 26 as we all learned that retired LA Lakers star, Kobe Bryant, was killed in a helicopter crash. And as updates started to pour in that his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna aka “GiGi,” perished alongside her dad, hearts broke for the Bryant family and the families of the seven other people who were also killed. It was a day many of us will never forget. Bryant, 41, and eight others were traveling on his private helicopter, a Sikorsky S-76, to a basketball tournament at Mamba Academy,, a school in Thousand Oaks Bryant co-founded. Authorities confirmed the weather that morning – thick with fog -was not ideal for flying. The Los Angeles Police Department said the visibility was so poor, it decided to ground its fleet of helicopters. B r y a n t ’s pilot, Ara Zobayan, had
Life Cut Short
THE MEASURE OF A MAN ON PAGE 2
more than 20 years of flight experience and expert knowledge of flying in inclement weather, but sometime after the last contact with air traffic controllers at 9:45 a.m., the aircraft slammed into a hillside at 1,085 feet, killing everyone on board. Among the dead were John Altobelli, a University of Houston graduate and current head coach of the Orange Coast College Pirates, his wife, Keri, and youngest daughter, Alyssa. Payton Chester, 13; her mother, Sarah, and Christina Glauser, the Mamba’s coach, also died. Federal officials are not expected to determine the exact cause of the accident for months. A TRUE LEGEND. Bryant was born in Philadelphia, Pa. He is the youngest of three children and the only son of former NBA player Joe Bryant and Pamela Cox Bryant. The “Black Mamba,” as he is called, earned national recognition during a spectacular high school career at Lower Merion High School in Ardmore, Pa. Bryant received several awards for his outstanding performance during his senior year including, Naismith High School Player of the Year, Gatorade Men’s National Basketball Player of the Year, a McDonald’s All-American, first-team Parade All-American and a USA Today All-USA First Team player.
Kobe Bryant 1978-2020
COVER CONT’D ON PAGE 3 BLACK HOLLYWOOD REACTS ON PAGE 2
Photo courtesy of AFRAMNEWS
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
HOUSTON’S FIRST BLACK Eagle Scout Clarence Miller (top center) pictured with members and scout master of the WABC Troop 242 in July 1967.
HOUSTON – In 1965, Reverend Bill Lawson of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church (WABC) and his wife, Audrey, started Boy Scout Troop 242 as a valuable structure that offered a path for young men to achieve milestones in their communities. The WABC Troop 242 has been one of the leading troops in the Sam Houston Area Houston Council. By producing 10 Silver Beaver Awardees, which is the highest award giving to an adult volunteer by the Boy Scouts of America (BSA), Troop 242 leads the nation in producing African-American Eagle Scouts. The first-ever WABC Avenue Eagle Scout was Clarence Miller, who obtained the honor in 1967 at the age of 15. His family was amongst the first members of the now historic church in Third Ward, Houston. TROOP 242 CONT’D ON PAGE 5 BLACK HIV/AIDS AWARENESS
PROTECT YOURSELF
By Isaiah Robinson
HOUSTON – Our parents would tell us when we were younger to be careful who we “engage” with, and that same person who looks so good to us, could bring us much destruction. It seems like the same talks we received when we were teens need to be stressed now more than ever. In honor of National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day (NBHAAD), which is Feb. 7, we want to educate you on the importance of protecting yourself. BLACK HIV/AIDS AWARENESS CONT’D ON PAGE 3
FOOD FOR THE SOUL ON PAGE 7
