Volume 25 Issue 9

March 22, 2020

GREATER HOUSTON EDITION African-American News&Issues

Vol. 25, Issue 9 ON THE FIELD

TEXANS TRADE HOPKINS:

O’BRIEN SAID WHAT?

“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”

COMEDIAN MO’NIQUE ANNOUNCES HOUSTON’S NEW CO-ED BASKETBALL TEAM

Photo courtesyThe New York Post

By AANI Staff Writer

HOUSTON – Social media is dragging Houston Texans Head Coach Bill O’Brien after trading away star wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins, who is arguably its second-most valuable player, for Arizona running back David Johnson.

“My first instinct when I saw the terms of this trade was to worry whether Hopkins had lost a limb. My second instinct was to give the Texans side of this deal the same grade safety Tyrann Mathieu awarded his former team. This is a jaw-dropping, mind-bending, inexplicable trade for O’Brien, whose bizarre run as Texans general manager is going to be the subject of a 30 for 30 documentary one day,” ESPN’s Bill Barnwell wrote.

HOPKINS cont’d on page 2

LIVING LEGEND

Photo courtesy of Global Mixed Gender Basketball

HOUSTON IS HOME. Actress/ Comedian Mo’Nique (center) and husband, Sidney Hicks, make local headlines once again. ‘The Parkers’ star visited the “Bayou City” to announce the couple’s new venture into professional sports team ownership. The couple is now the proud co-owners of the Houston Equalizers, a new co-ed sports team, part of the Global Mixed Gender Basketball (GMGB) League.

By N.L. Preston

HOUSTON – Academy award-winning actress and comedian Mo’Nique and her husband, Sidney Hicks, are reppin’ Houston in a major way while adding sports team owners to their repertoire. The Best Supporting Actress for her role in the 2009 film Precious, visited the “Bayou City” to announce the couple as the new owners of the Houston Equalizers, part of the Global Mixed Gender Basketball (GMGB) League.

The announcement was made at a press conference, which was attended by Houston city and business leaders, in addition to other prominent figures, in early March at the Galleria area Grotto restaurant.

“Houston is my home because y’all don’t treat me like a celebrity, nor do you treat me like I’m famous. You treat me like I’m yours” On behalf of Mayor Sylvester Turner, legendary Houston sports journalist Kim Davis presented Mo’Nique with an official proclamation, naming March 10, 2020, Houston Equalizers Day.

MARVALETTE HUNTER

“Although I’m from Baltimore, Maryland...when I got started in my comedy career, whether I was at a little bar or on big stages, [Houston] always showed up,” Mo’Nique said.

The comedian recalled that nearly 15 years ago, while pregnant with twins and on tour in Houston, she stopped in the middle of her comedy routine and told the audience she just couldn’t go any further due to pregnancy discomfort. To her surprise, she received that true “H-Town love” as the audience rose to its feet with thunderous applause, telling her to go take care of herself and her babies, not complaining or seeking any refunds.

That’s the type of love that motivated the actress to fight for the Equalizers, beating out VH1 Basketball Wives star Tami Roman, to become the co-owner of the Houston team.

“Houston is my home because y’all don’t treat me like a celebrity, nor do you treat me like I’m famous.

You treat me like I’m yours,” Mo’Nique said.

The couple now joins a growing list of other GMGB

HOUSTON – Marvalette Hunter is the chief of staff of the City of Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner’s Office. Hunter has more than 20 years of experience in public policy, project management, real estate development, and finance. She is an architect and city planner with extensive knowledge of federal, state and local programs regarding housing, economic development, transportation, and public infrastructure.

EQUALIZERS cont’d on page 3

HUNTER cont’d on page 3

Photo courtesy of Top30Women.com

WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY • AVOID PUBLIC ON SPACES OR 4EVENTS WITH MORE THAN 10 PATRONS • SANITIZE AND STOCK • AVOID HYGIENE PAGE ONUP PAGE 5 TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH • PRACTICE GOOD ON PAGE 5

2 AFRAMNEWS.COM Roy Douglas Malonson, Chairman/Publisher Shirley Ann Malonson, President/CEO/Publisher NL Preston: Managing Editor Todd Rogers: Layout Designer Isaiah Robinson: Contributing Writer General: news@aframnews.com Ads: sales@aframnews.com Website: aframnews.com Artwork: prod@aframnews.com African-American News&Issues

MARCH 22, 2020

THIS IS A WAKE UP CALL We MUST

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By Roy Douglas Malonson, Publisher

CORONAVIRUS – One damn word that has the whole damn world up in arms, with people scrambling and scratching their heads over what to do next. While we curse the ground this pandemic is running across, we need to find a way to mobilize and take care of our families until the government gets this under control, but the key to survival starts with us.

Moving forward could be simpler than we think if we stick to the qualities many of us were blessed to be raised with.

People think that the “old folks” don’t know a thing, but they are NOT the ones panicking while the rest of the younger generation spend all their time going berserk on social media, instead of hunkering down in their homes, cutting off some of the lights and making a pot of beans and rice!

Yes, I said it. BEANS AND RICE – and throw in some cornbread! You look at all the news reports, encouraging you to go out and support the small businesses and restaurants, and use fastfood delivery services INSTEAD of telling you to strech your dollar and make a meal for your children.

Good old-fashioned tap water can also save you some pennies instead of fighting over it and toilet paper in the local grocery store.

We knew how to survive back in the day, but some folks these days don’t even know how to cook!

Learn some Basic 101.

This is the perfect opportunity to start communicating with one another, connect with your family and save some money within your household: that’s the real stimulus package.

SIX ELEMENTS affect the world and they are all playing a part in this right now:

EDUCATION: Now is the time to find out if Little Johnny can READ, WRITE AND DO ARITHMETIC! Use this time to properly TEACH your kids with HOMESCHOOLING like Blacks have been doing even before the days of slavery – when we were kings and queens in Africa.

HEALTH: You can have all the money in the world, but without your health, you have nothing.

Start eating right, use this time away from work to get off your butt and exercise. Don’t stress. Try to meditate during these tough times and control your blood pressure. We are experiencing a domino effect. This global health crisis is affecting the economy right now.

ECONOMICS: Turn off the damn electricity and open the windows!

Go outside and enjoy nature and save some money. And while you are doing that, think of the next business move you are going to make to help prepare yourself for the next time you are faced with a financial crisis. Learning how to invest wisely and to save responsibly is what is going to make sure you and your family are not on the losing end. Trust me, the way things are going,

we could be heading toward another Great Depression.

POLITICS: I bet you’ll get involved now.

You see where trusting in the wrong type of leadership will get you.

The political leaders could have gotten ahead of this. Somebody knew something...

RELIGION: The churches are shutting down so you just can’t run to the Lord. The preachers are getting hurt and we have to rely on the smarts that God gave us, in addition to our Faith to get us through this.

MEDIA: Stop believing every damn thing you read and find yourself a trusted news source.

There is a lot of good news and a lot of bad news out there. That is what makes OUR newspaper, African-American News&Issues, and AFRAMNEWS.com, so important. We break it down for you, without fear or favor.

This is one hell of a culture shock! Everything in life has a corrective measure. Just like the oil businesses and the health industries do when they have a crisis.

People must learn how to correct themselves. This is one hell of a message and a one-two punch.

You can’t go to church, you can’t go to school and you can barely go to the grocery store these days. So, what are you going to do to prepare yourself, because we just had a government shutdown last year. Wall Street is up and down daily and now this? The next time something happens, who are you going to turn to? You better learn from this and teach yourself how to take care of yourself. – AANI

GREATER HOUSTON AREA

LOCAL

H-E-B GROCERY GIVES $3 MILLION FOR COMMUNITY SUPPORT

By AANI Staff Writer

H-E-B Grocery CEO Scott McClelland (center)

HOUSTON – As the threat of coronavirus impacts our communities, H-E-B Grocery is sure of one thing: they will do their part to help Texans. H-E-B will make an initial $3 million commitment to support local organizations helping people most in need and working hard to combat the spread of coronavirus.

With this gift, H-E-B’s partnership with local nonprofits will provide relief to some of our most vulnerable neighbors: seniors, children, and low-income families.

As schools are closed, events canceled, and work hours curtailed, these essential organizations will start to see a rise in demand for resources.

“We are grateful to H-E-B...Together we will ensure no Texan goes hungry during this public health crisis.”

“During these trying times, H-E-B is here for Texas,” said Winell Herron, H-E-B Group Vice President of Public Affairs, Diversity and Environmental Affairs.

“Now, more than ever, H-E-B is keeping with our Spirit of Giving and Helping Here philosophies to do everything we can to support our fellow Texans.”

H-E-B’s Hunger Relief Program will donate $1.2 million to support 18 food banks throughout the Lone Star State, which will provide more than 6 million meals. Additionally, H-E-B will deliver 15 truckloads of food and household supplies to the various food banks.

H-E-B works directly with food banks that are affiliated with Feeding Texas, a member of Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief organization.

“H-E-B’s donation comes at a critical time as food banks across the state are stepping in to provide emergency food to the people and communities impacted by COVID-19,” said Celia Cole, Feeding Texas CEO. “We are grateful to H-E-B for its support. Together we will ensure no Texan goes hungry during this public health crisis.”

Part of this commitment will provide $500,000 in financial assistance to organizations dedicated to mobilized home feeding services for seniors and low-income families, such as Meals on Wheels.

H-E-B is also committed to helping find a solution to coronavirus. H-E-B will dedicate $300,000 to assist Texas Biomedical Research Institute, a San Antonio-based organization with a team dedicated to coronavirus research that will have a global impact. Texas Biomed has launched a unique research project to be among the first in the nation to develop the laboratory model necessary for testing diagnostics, vaccines, and treatments to combat coronavirus. – AANI

GREATER HOUSTON AREA

EQUALIZERS cont’d from cover

celebrity owners, including Percy “Master P” Miller, president and owner of the New Orleans Gators; Tiny Harris, owner of the Atlanta Heirs; rapper Ice T, owner of the New York Knights; Trina and Maurice “Trick Daddy” Young, owners of Miami Ballers; reality star Laura Govan, owner of Chicago Vikings and Anwan Glover, owner of the Washington Fusion. Tentatively, Roman will own the LA Breeze and Martell and Melody Holt of Love & Marriage: Huntsville will become the owners of the Alabama Rockets.

MARCH 22, 2020

LOCAL

a basketball player, but I said to myself, ‘Why aren’t women and men playing together?’ And everybody thought I was crazy, and when I said I was going to start a league, they really thought I was crazy.”

Despite the doubters, Scott moved forward with making his dream a reality and Monique, he says, is passionate about this endeavor.

“She already has the Equalettes, the co-ed cheerleaders, and we’ve already put together their uniforms,” Scott added. The owners are currently planning Equalette cheer tryouts for the month of April.

GMGB PARTNERS. Comedian Mo’Nique and husband, Sidney Hicks, are the new proud co-owners of the Houston Equalizers.

GMGB is focusing on keeping “equality” at the forefront, being the first professional co-ed basketball league combining both the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players.

Mo’Nique is all about equality, clearly illustrated in her recent battle with Netflix, and says, with her team, “losing is not an option...so watch out.”

The teams play full-court basketball.

In the first quarter, three women and two men play, and in the second quarter, three men and two women play. The lineup will alternate each quarter. The halftime shows are guaranteed to be full of surprises.

Sidney and Mo’Nique, the proud parents of four children, love how the new league brings the entire family into the fold of basketball. They stress the importance of joy, laughter, and fun on and off the court.

James Scott, CEO of GMGB, says he was excited for the ink to dry on the deal adding the Houston Equalizers to the league.

“Houston is a basketball mecca, but you’ve never seen anything like what we’re bringing,” Scott said. “We have something here that is unique. I’m not

Master P and Tiny, in the competitive spirit, say they are coming after Mo’Nique, but she’s not worried. Like Tiffany Haddish says: “She Ready!!!”

“Houston is a basketball mecca, but you’ve never seen anything like what we’re bringing...We have something here that is unique.”

Scott shared that on the day Kobe Bryant died, they were in talks with the Los Angeles Lakers legend that morning about him getting involved with GMGB, in which he fully supported. Bryant’s beloved daughter Gianna “GiGi” Bryant, who perished with him in a tragic helicopter crash, was a promising female basketball star.

The league is dedicated to making sure women also have a seat at the table.

“Most of my staff are women because they’ve been working the hardest,” Scott said. “This is something that we are going to make happen. This is ours and we are coming strong!”

For more information, visit www.GlobalMixedGenderBasketball.com – AANI

AFRAMNEWS.COM 3

HUNTER cont’d from cover

Before joining the mayor’s office, Hunter served as president and chief executive officer at HuntJon, LLC and 3D Visions Planning Consultants, LLC, a real estate development company and project planning consulting firm specializing in tax credit and bond-financed transactions, transportation infrastructure and long-range planning projects. She was responsible for managing and supervising all planning, design, development, construction, and assets management personnel for several multifamily and commercial projects.

Hunter’s public sector experience includes positions as a chief operating officer for the Harris County Housing Authority, project manager at the Houston Housing and Community Development Department and planner for the Houston Planning and Development Department. She also worked as vice president of community lending for Washington Mutual and as executive director for Dominion Community Development Corporation and the Third Ward Redevelopment Council.

Hunter holds a Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University and a Bachelor’s degree in architecture from Florida A & M University. She has served on the board of directors of the Near Northwest Management District, the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, the Texas Affordable Housing Task Force and Mayor Turner’s Transition Team. She is also the author of the “Faith-Based Affordable Housing Development and Finance Resource Guide,” published by the Fannie Mae Foundation. – AANI HOPKINS cont’d from cover Barnwell said Johnson is now three years removed from his only productive National Football League (NFL) season. He missed almost the entire 2017 season with a wrist injury and has been a replacement-level back over the last two seasons.

So what’s really going on? Comments after the trade have suggested Hopkins wants a new contract and that there was friction between O’Brien and his star receiver, but still, Barnwell says there’s no way O’Brien can settle for a mid-secondround pick, let alone simultaneously sending a pick swap to acquire a distressed, underwater contract.

“Hopkins is a franchise wide receiver in a league in which teams like the Jets, Colts, Raiders, and Dolphins all have significant cap space and a need for a star wide receiver,” Barnwell added.

NFL Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin said O’Brien compared DeAndre Hopkins to former Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez, who in 2015 was found guilty of first-degree murder. O’Brien also complained about the mothers of Hopkins’ children being around the team facilities.

Irvin said the coach made those comments in a meeting in which he was supposed to hash things out with Hopkins, according to Arizona Sports. But Hopkins tweeted on March 18 that Irvin’s comments —or what Irvin took out of a conversation the two had— were blown out of proportion.

“This is being blown way out of proportion. As I’ve said before, I enjoyed and am proud of my time with the Texans. I have the utmost respect for Coach O’Brien and that will not change. Now, I’m ready to play for the Cardinals,” tweeted @DeAndreHopkins.

Irvin suggests Hopkins is just keeping it classy. “I tried to pull it out of [Hopkins] like, what happened? What happened here, man?” Irvin said on ESPN’s Get Up. “There’s no way they give away one of the best receivers in the NFL for a ham sandwich like they did. He kept the high road on me. He said, ‘Michael, I’m happy about where I’m going.’ He left it there,” @michaelirvin88 shared.

Irvin said Hopkins opened up to him about what transpired between him and O’Brien. It was basically a power struggle. “In that meeting, he started the meeting telling DeAndre Hopkins this —which blew my mind when DeAndre told me this— he told DeAndre Hopkins the last time I had to have a meeting like this was with Aaron Hernandez,” Irvin said. O’Brien was quarterbacks’ coach and then offensive coordinator for the Patriots when Hernandez played for New England in 2010 and 2011.

That’s a far stretch —for many— because Hernandez was a convicted murderer who ended up committing suicide and Hopkins does not have a history of any legal troubles. “From there, the meeting just deteriorated,” Irvin explained. “He got into talking about DeAndre Hopkins —’cause DeAndre Hopkins has a few kids and from different women— he told DeAndre that he didn’t like that he has his “baby mamas” around. From there, I think the relationship just went bad.”

Hopkins has spent his entire NFL career, seven years, with the Texans. He started 15 games for the Texans in the 2019-20 season with 104 receptions for 1165 yards and seven touchdowns. He has 632 receptions for 8,602 yards and 54 TDs for his career. Last season, Johnson started nine out of 13 games and only rushed for 345 yards with two TDs. He had another 370 yards on 36 receptions.

Many fans are mad as hell that Hopkins is gone. They are calling O’Brien stupid, a loser and racist, among other nasty names. O’Brien, we hope you made a good move. – AANI

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