March 6, 2022
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
“Addressing Current & Historical Realties Affecting Our Community”
Vol. 27, Issue 07
If you want to destroy a race, destroy their history - Roy Douglas Malonson
Coach Stephen Woods
NOTHING BUT NET Pg. 3
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March 6, 2022
EDITORIAL
President/Chief Editor
Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.: Associate Editor
Tristar
Griselda Ramirez: Production
News:
A Revival of God
Consciousness Bobby E. Mills, PhD
Office: (713) 692-1892 Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
American Society Upside Down The devil is the author of confusion and lies. He told Eve the first lie: “Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast which the Lord hath made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the Garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.” Since Eve’s ungodly encounter with the devil individuals have been lying to each other and creating untold societal confusion. Consequently, America is upside down, because of the extraordinarily high level of spiritual confusion, and lie-telling that exists in families as well as society in
general. The basis of every society is family structure (s), and when family structures spiritually breakdown; society morally collapses. God’s will was for love to be at the center of family life as well as its spiritual cornerstone. In America socio-economic statuses have become the cornerstones of marriage and just maybe this is why the divorce rate is so high. Traditionally, men have been the breadwinners in families and women have been the homemakers. Long gone are those days, because of scientifictechnological advances and high-tech workforce demands. For example, in 2022 America’s workforce is (56%) females and (44%) males. Therefore, since marriage and family life is an equal status-union, the question is where are the marriage partners for high status women; White or Black? Herein lies the Upside-Down societal problem. Money is at the center of family life rather than love. Only 40% of the Whites who are in colleges and universities are White males,
and 60% are females. In the Black community we have more Black males in jails than in colleges. Only 5% of Black men are in colleges and universities representing a sharp decline of Black males enrolled in colleges. Consequently, we are losing Black males at an alarming rate to the prison system. 72% of Whites finish college in 6 years, 56% of the Hispanics finish in 6 years, and only 46% of the Blacks finish in 6 years. Sadly, only 1/3 of the Blacks from the ages of 18-24 are in college compared to 42% of Whites. Former President Trump sought to make White Elite Colleges and Universities white again by reversing the Obama Administration Policy of considering race in admissions policies. Given America’s societal climate in the Black community women hold 68% of the Associate Degrees, 66% of the Bachelor’s degrees, 71% of the Masters Degrees, and 65% of the DoctorFor more visit aframnews.com
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
NEWS LOCAL
In Solidarity Local officials are asking Houstonians to stand in solidarity with the people of Ukraine and the estimated 5,000 plus people of Ukrainian descent who call Houston their home. In a symbolic show of support, many Houston businesses and the Montrose bridges were illuminated in blue and
yellow, the colors of the Ukraine flag. “The City of Houston condemns the unprovoked and unjustified invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and stands with the people of Ukraine against the ongoing violence,” Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said. - AANI
State
Transgender Teens
Texas has started investigating parents with transgender teens for child abuse. Governor Abbott recently signed an order mandating the state’s Department of Family and Protec-
tive Services (DFPS) to investigate any reported instances of these abusive procedures in the state of Texas. A lawsuit has been filed in order to stop these practices. -AANI
National
State of the Union Address
President Biden addressed the nation Tuesday, March 1st. In his speech to the nation, President Biden discussed the issues regarding Russia and Ukraine, the pandemic that is still impacting everyone, and the
economy. He made it known that efforts are continuously being made to keep the American people safe. He stated, “The federal government spends about $600 billion a year to keep this country safe and secure.” - AANI
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.
“B
asketball saved my life. It guided me,” Coach Stephen Woods stated. Coach Stephen Woods is the head basketball coach at Hightower High School. He grew up with his older brother in a small town called Bay City, Texas. He started playing basketball at a young age, and his dad never allowed him to play on small basketball goals. At the age of five and six, he was even playing basketball with eight and nine-yearold kids. His father even coached one of his basketball teams, and during one of their last games, he had twenty-four out of the twenty-six points that were made. Coach Woods knew he had a chance to be successful in the sport if he stuck with it. His life changed after his parents divorced and he had to move with his mom and siblings to San Diego, California. Coach Woods and his brother did not want to move to San Diego, and even contemplated on running away from home. While in California, he would still play basketball at one of the local recreation centers. He said basketball saved his life because he “easily could have gone in the wrong direction.” He stated, “There were coaches who took interest in me, and some of
March 6, 2022
the neighborhood OG’s wouldn’t let me do anything. They said nope you have a future.” When Coach Woods and his brother became the appropriate age to decide who they wanted to live with, they chose their father, and Coach Woods moved back to Bay City with his brother. He attended Bay City High School and made the varsity basketball team as a freshman and took his education seriously. His dad always stressed the
college,” he reflected. Coach Woods graduated from Bay City High School in 1996 and received an athletic scholarship to attend Southern Methodist University (SMU), in Dallas, Texas to play basketball. He enjoyed his time at SMU and stated, “It was an amazing experience, an experience that I never took for granted. It’s time consuming and very much like a job, but because I loved it, I never viewed
enjoyed working there, but the economy at the time slowed down, and since he was the last one hired, he was first one laid off. In his free time, he would go to the YMCA in Fort Bend County to workout and play basketball to stay in shape. His friend was the director at the YMCA, and they were looking for coaches for their league. Since he didn’t have a job at the time, he decided to pursue it and told his wife, “This could be the
AFRAMNEWS.COM 3 Certification Program and started teaching. His first teaching job was at Katy High School, where he taught accounting and Business Computer Information Systems (BCIS). He was only at Katy High School for a year before he received an opportunity to be the JV Coach at Hastings High School. He stayed at Hastings for six years. Although he was grateful for his time at Hastings, Coach Woods was “ready to fly out of the nest” and run his own
Bottom Row: Kurtis Nickerson , Cameron Thompson, Tristan Edwards, Aileen Ramirez, Mia Pineda, Ja’Von Smith, Jordyn Wyche, Middle Row: Kyrin Dock, JaCory Chatman, Milton Rice, Traeveon Hannah, Aaron Williams, Joshua LaCour, Jaden Hughes, Corey Thompson, Top Row: Chris Jones, Dennis Simmons, Stephen Woods, Asa Christopher, Jayden Deemer, Samuel Ward, Kevin Fisher, Troy Williams
importance of getting an education. “I was placed in all honors classes. I never wanted to be that dumb jock,” he stated. He saw so many athletes simply being passed along so they could be eligible to play football, but Coach Woods knew he had to have good grades to be able to play in college. “So many athletes had the talent to play in college but could not pass the test needed to get in
it that way.” He graduated from SMU in 2000 and received his Bachelor’s Degree in Management Information Systems. At this time, computers were starting to evolve, and Coach Woods had a love for working with computers, so after graduation, he started working for a technology company called “i2 Technologies”. He
start of something.” He enjoyed working with the young kids and teaching them the fundamentals of basketball. Little did he know that this new beginning would lead him on a twenty-year career path as an educator and a coach. Coach Woods had an uncle that was a teacher and a coach, and he spoke to him for guidance. He then with through an Alternative
program. Because he did not have any head coaching experience, he went through many challenges before someone took a chance on him. Despite these obstacles, he persevered and became the head basketball coach at MacArthur High School in the Aldine Independent School District (AISD) in 2009. To this day, he is still very appreciative of the opportunity that he was given in Aldine.
His career in AISD lasted six years, and Coach Woods made it known that being the head basketball coach at MacArthur made him a better coach. He developed many great relationships with his students, his players, and his colleagues, so when another opportunity came available, it was not easy for him to leave. He received an opportunity to be the head basketball coach at High Tower High School. He was a finalist for the position the first time around but did not receive the job. A year later, the position became available again, and this time, he received the job. Coach Woods has been the head basketball coach at High Tower high school since 2015. He instills many things in his athletes, one being the importance of getting an education, and the importance of having good character. Coach Woods took his team to the second round of playoffs this season and finished the season with a record of 25-10. Coach Woods believes that being a coach is his calling, and this is what he’s supposed to be doing. “The game of basketball, I understand it, and I truly believe that I was called to use basketball to help the youth, and teach them life lessons, and use basketball as that vehicle to do that.” - AANI
4 AFRAMNEWS.COM
POLITICS
March 6, 2022
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Destiny Is Upon Us By: Black Pepper Smokestack Lightning
Citizens of the World, an hour of destiny is upon us. Late Congressman Mickey Leland was driven by the plight of the wretched of the earth. Leland knew that nations wanted independence and people wanted freedom. His Catholic social ethics led to him to be prescient about the last becoming first and the first becoming last. His protégés, Congresswoman Jackson-Lee – 18th and Congressman Al Green-9th have courageously embraced the plight of the Ukranian people and the looming humanitarian crisis. When you lay the Ukranian issue
Trophy hunting Just one hour from downtown Houston
flat, it is not really complicated. The Black Kenyan ambassador took the biggest stage in the world and made it Malcolm X plain. His speech was so brilliant that it set the foundation for Fareed Zakaria of CNN’s Global Public Square to frame the crisis as a tyranny and autocracy versus democracy. This game changing speech told the world that clinging to ethnic, racial, or religious homogeneity as a basis for statehood would lead to bloody wars. Those that desire ethnic For more visit enclaves in the aframnews.com
EDUCATION
Future Bankers
By:Jeniece Thompson
Founded in 1927, Texas Southern University is known to be “one of the nation’s largest historically black universities” (Texas Southern University). Texas
Southern University currently serves 9,700 students under the leadership of President Crumpton-Young. Although the 150-acre campus
Left to Right - Kameron Pree, Jalaiya Johnson, Mia Melonson, Victoria Brown, Jamir Scott, Judge Lina Hidalgo, and John Scroggin.
has over 100 programs, there was one program that was missing, a banking program. John Scroggins, who has 40 years in banking and finance, saw a great need for the program after a conversation with some executives who wanted more diversity in the banking field. However, they felt as if there was not a lot of talent to choose from. Scroggins took note of this, did some research, and found that there was not a banking program at any of the historically black colleges and universities (HBCU). He found that all other schools like For more visit Texas Tech, and aframnews.com
Roy Douglas & Shirley Ann Malonson malonson@rsdeerranch.com
713-244-4067
28978 FM 1736 Road Hempstead 77445 (Waller County)
Marzo 2022
EDICIÓN DE HOUSTON
Volumen 3, Numero 6
“Nuestro voto y nuestro dinero son las dos cosas más poderosas que tenemos. Ten cuidado a quién se los das. “ - Roy Douglas Malonson
HIDALGO GANA NOMINACIÓN DEMÓCRATA, CONTINÚA ENFOCÁNDOSE EN EL CRIMEN
Por: Nevaeh Richardson
Lina Hidalgo obtuvo la nominación demócrata en la contienda por juez del condado de Harris, mientras que los candidatos republicanos Alexandra del Moral Mealer y Vidal Martínez se encaminan a una segunda vuelta electoral. Hidalgo dice que continuará con el trabajo que ha estado haciendo para que el condado sea más seguro. Publicó este mensaje en su sitio web. En todo Estados Unidos, los delitos violentos han aumentado y el condado de Harris no ha sido inmune a esta tendencia nacional. No es ningún secreto lo que está impulsando el crimen tanto aquí como en todo el país: las consecuencias económicas de la pandemia y la disponibilidad y el uso generalizados de armas de fuego en nuestras calles. Se lo debemos a los agentes del orden público y a las comunidades a las que servimos para ayudarlos a ellos y a nuestros tribunales a prevenir y combatir los delitos violentos desde todos los lados. Si bien la situación es crítica, estamos utilizando todas
las herramientas que tenemos para combatir el aumento de las tasas de delincuencia de una manera sostenible e impactante que producirá resultados en los próximos años. Durante los últimos tres años, hemos realizado inversiones inteligentes e históricas para combatir el crimen y la seguridad de nuestros vecindarios. La estrategia criminal del juez Hidalgo se enfoca en tres áreas: Reducir el retraso inaceptable en los casos judiciales penales. Invertir en programas que sean inteligentes con el crimen, no solo duros con el crimen. Promoción de soluciones de seguridad de armas con sentido común. Apoyo a las fuerzas del orden público y a los socorristas Bajo el liderazgo del juez Hidalgo, el condado de Harris ha aumentado los presupuestos de todas Hidalgo continúa en la las agencias de aplicación página 3
JUSTICIA PARA DIAMOND: ADOLESCENTE PRESUNTAMENTE ASESINADA POR SU NOVIO Por NL Preston
La familia de una adolescente que, de acuerdo con la policía, recibió 22 disparos por parte de su exnovio exige justicia, está indignada después de que su presunto asesino fue liberado de la cárcel después de pagar $250,000 de fianza. Diamond Álvarez fue baleada mortalmente el 11 de enero en la cuadra 15400 Park Manor alrededor de las 9:30 de la noche. La policia dijo que Frank Deleon Jr., de 17 años, fue detenido y acusado de asesinato. Después de que De- Diamond continúa en la
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página 4
2 HISPANIC-NEWS.COM
Marzo 2022
ÁREA METROPOLITANA DE HOUSTON
EDITORIAL
PARA TI Editora Gerente
Editora Gerente
Por: Roxanne Castillo, Editora
¡Guerra! ¿Puedes incluso creer que para el año 2022 iríamos a la guerra? Como de costumbre no sé qué está pasando en el mundo, pero estaba pensando que íbamos a tener un mejor año este año. El 2022 ha comenzado de manera tan violenta. En el condado de Harris hemos tenido 89 asesinatos en los últimos 60 días. Nuestra gente está dejando nuestro país para una
GUERRA EN NUESTRAS CALLES vida mejor aquí en los Estados Unidos, pero no estoy seguro de por qué. El nivel de violencia ha aumentado mucho aquí en los últimos años. Sé que estamos aquí para ganar más dinero, para crear mejores vidas para nuestras familias no solo aquí sino en nuestro país de origen. Con el nivel de violencia que ocurre todos los días, no sé cuánto tiempo podemos seguir tratando de hacer realidad esos sueños. Se ha vuelto tan peligroso con-
ducir sin que alguien te saque un arma en medio del tráfico. Ir al banco y ser seguido solo para que puedan tomar todo el dinero que acabas de sacar. Si incluso intentas salir y disfrutar con una noche en la ciudad, es posible que no llegues a casa. Esto se ha convertido en lo que parece un día normal en Houston. Me siento y miro las noticias todas las noches. Miro las noticias de aquí en Houston y la de México. Hubo un tiempo en que lo que hablaban era muy
diferente. Las noticias de México hablaban de asesinatos, secuestros, guerra y pobreza. Las noticias de Houston fueron tan diferentes que hablamos de deportes, desfiles, empleos y atención médica. Y
ahora tenemos que lidiar con una guerra. ¿Qué hacemos para mejorarlo? Bueno, parece que podemos saber la respuesta, pero nadie está dispuesto a cambiar para hacer que el mundo sea mejor de lo que es.
NIVEL 2: MINIMICE EL CONTACTO CON OTROS A MENOS QUE ESTÉ VACUNADO (AMENAZA SIGNIFICATIVA) Nivel 2: significa un nivel significativo e incontrolado de COVID-19 en el condado de Harris, lo que significa que hay una transmisión continua del virus. En este nivel, los residentes vacunados deben minimizar el contacto con otras personas, evitar cualquier
reunión mediana o grande y visitar negocios permitidos que sigan las pautas de salud pública. Los residentes no vacunados deben seguir usando máscaras, distanciarse físicamente y evitar todas las reuniones medianas y grandes. Las personas vacunadas deben seguir la
guía de salud pública local más reciente sobre si también deben usar una máscara en lugares públicos en lugares cerrados, en entornos al aire libre llenos de gente y para actividades con contacto cercano con otras personas que no están completamente vacunadas.
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ÁREA METROPOLITANA DE HOUSTON de la ley del
Hidalgo continúa de la condado, inpágina 1 cluidos los
agentes y el fiscal de distrito. Hemos invertido millones para apoyar a nuestras fuerzas del orden mientras se enfocan en los delitos más violentos mediante la aprobación de fondos adicionales para horas extra para detectives en las Unidades de Delitos Violentos, Delitos Especiales de Adultos y Abuso Infantil de la Oficina del Sheriff del Condado de Harris. El condado ha mejorado el intercambio de información, las investigaciones aceleradas y las investigaciones dirigidas que se centran en los delincuentes reincidentes y la actividad delictiva organizada en puntos críticos conocidos. Además, los fondos de seguridad pública no utilizados han sido identificados y reinvertidos para hacer frente a los aumentos recientes de delitos relacionados con armas. Reducción de la acumulación de casos judiciales en el condado de Harris Justicia retrasada es justicia denegada y mientras algunas categorías de delitos están aumentando, miles de casos penales están pendientes en el condado de Harris. A medida que pasa más y más tiempo desde que se comete un delito hasta que se resuelve un caso, las víctimas se sienten ignoradas, los perpetradores se sienten empoderados y los acusados que son inocentes se sienten abandonados. Para ayudar a la rama judicial de nuestro gobierno a superar esta acumulación de casos penales, la jueza del condado de Harris, Lina Hidalgo, y el Tribunal de Comisionados aprobaron: Financiamiento para jueces visitantes para ayudar a apoyar a nuestros jueces asociados en sus casos. Una importante e histórica inversión de $15 millones en tecnología para el cumplimiento de la ley que hace que los sistemas de cámaras corporales sean más eficientes, haciendo que la evidencia necesaria esté disponible más rápidamente
Marzo 2022 para acelerar el procesamiento de los casos judiciales. La aprobación de $600,000 dólares en fondos para expandir las operaciones del jurado. Apoyo a la legislatura de Texas para agregar tres tribunales penales de distrito adicionales en el condado de Harris. Calles Limpias, Barrios Seguros Los edificios deteriorados, las calles oscuras y las estructuras inseguras y abandonadas sirven como incubadoras de delitos y violencia armada. Es por eso que aprobamos un nuevo programa Calles Limpias, Vecindarios Seguros de $50 millones, un programa de seguridad de vecindarios y prevención del crimen basado en la investigación que utiliza datos para enfocarse en los vecindarios del condado donde el deterioro y el abandono están impulsando los delitos violentos. El programa mejorará el alumbrado público, las aceras y la visibilidad en áreas residenciales, abordará estructuras deterioradas y abandonadas desde hace mucho tiempo, restaurará lotes baldíos e implementará otras mejoras que han demostrado mejorar la seguridad pública. Equipos de respuesta de asistencia integral Para reducir el crimen, tenemos que abordar las causas fundamentales del crimen, que a menudo están directamente relacionadas con los desafíos sociales y de salud, como las enfermedades mentales y los trastornos por uso de sustancias. Para hacer esto, el Tribunal del Comisionado del Condado de Harris está designando $5 millones para crear Equipos de Respuesta de Asistencia Integral (HART) para ayudar a liberar a las fuerzas del orden público de tener que lidiar con llamadas relacionadas con enfermedades mentales, uso de sustancias, personas sin hogar y bienestar social. Los equipos HART cuentan con personal de respuesta capacitado en salud mental y del comportamiento.
HISPANIC-NEWS.COM 3
Programa de Interrupción de la Violencia con Armas El innovador Programa de Interrupción de la Violencia Armada de $6 millones del Condado de Harris aborda la violencia armada en nuestra comunidad directamente y detiene la violencia antes de que suceda: Primero, el programa se conecta con las personas en riesgo al identificar a las personas y los lugares que se ven más afectados por la violencia, incluidos los pacientes de hospitales que son víctimas de lesiones violentas graves. En segundo lugar, se enfoca en las causas fundamentales de la violencia con armas de fuego al asignar a las personas en riesgo antes mencionadas con trabajadores sociales de una variedad de disciplinas para ayudar con servicios como asesoramiento de salud mental, tratamiento por uso de sustancias, empleo y apoyo para salir de las pandillas. En tercer lugar, recluta a los líderes comunitarios para que luchen a nivel de vecindario y detengan la violencia antes de que suceda. Los trabajadores identifican los conflictos en curso hablando con
personas clave de la comunidad sobre disputas, arrestos recientes o excarcelaciones y otras situaciones y utilizan técnicas de mediación para resolverlos pacíficamente. Vigilancia de precisión La iniciativa de “vigilancia de precisión” identifica y ataca estratégicamente los delitos en las áreas geográficas específicas del condado de Harris donde se concentran los delitos violentos: En primer lugar, esta iniciativa utiliza datos, análisis y mapeo para concentrar la vigilancia policial en microzonas, actualmente siete puntos críticos que sabemos que sufren índices elevados de delitos violentos. En segundo lugar, el plan aumenta la visibilidad policial en esas áreas, priorizando la disuasión a pie de calle y el arresto de los reincidentes. En tercer lugar, la oficina del alguacil del condado de Harris se asocia con estos vecindarios antes, durante y después de que concluya el programa para comunicar lo que están haciendo, por qué y obtener la opinión de estas comunidades para generar y mantener la confianza.
April 12, 2022
Ven al Open House de Lone Star College para conocer de todas las grandes oportunidades que LSC te ofrece. Infórmate sobre programas académicos de clase mundial, capacitación laboral de alta calidad, vibrantes clubes/ organizaciones de vida estudiantil, y mucho más.
LoneStar.edu/OpenHouse
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Marzo 2022
ÁREA METROPOLITANA DE HOUSTON
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$15 PER HOUR 713-244-4067
Diamond continúa de la página 1
leon pagó la fianza, la familia de Álvarez quiso saber por qué lo liberaron. La madre de Diamond, Anna Machado, dijo que está cansada de que los jueces permitan a criminales pagar fianza y regresar a las calles. También dijo que su hija no merecía haber sido baleada y asesinada. “¿Por qué él está respirando el aire? ¿Por qué? No creo que él merezca respirar, ver la luz, el sol, la noche. No tengo a mi hija conmigo”, dijo Machado. “¿Por qué
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www.shirleyannflowershop.com deberían tener a su hijo con ellos?”. Diamond era una estudiante de segundo año y con honores de la Madison High School que soñaba con algún día asistir a la escuela de cosmetologia. El funeral de Diamond se llevó a cabo en el Integrity Funeral Home en Forest Lawn Cementary, ubicado en 8601 Almeda Genoa Rd. Cuando las unidades llegaron al lugar, los oficiales encontraron a la adolescente, identificada por su familia como Diamond Álvarez, con múltiples heridas de bala y fue
declarada muerta en la escena. De acuerdo con los investigadores, Diamond se encontraba paseando al perro de la familia llamado ‘Peanut’ cuando ocurrió el tiroteo. La familia le dijo a los oficiales que escucharon balazos afuera y se preocuparon por ella. La madre de Diamond le dijo a la policía que le marcó a su hija, pero no recibió respuesta. Después, la madre y el padrastro salieron y encontraron a ‘Peanut’ afuera de su casa; la familia dijo que inmediatamente supieron que algo estaba mal. Después de buscar
por el vecindario, encontraron a Diamond tirada en un campo a unas cuadras de distancia. “Intenté RCP. No la pude regresar. Intenté con todas mis fuerzas mantenerla con vida”, dijo su madre angustiada. “Quienes le hayan disparado a esta chica 22 veces por la espalda, son unos cobardes”, dijo el padrastro de Diamond, Tito Moczygemba. Testigos reportaron haber escuchado múltiples disparos y después el sonido de llantas rechinando cuando un vehículo de color oscuro huyó
del área, de acuerdo al Departamento de Policía de Houston. Una investigación llevó a las autoridades a Deleon, dijeron que estuvo involucrado en una relación sentimental con Diamond y otra mujer. La noche en que supuestamente la mató, ambos se reunieron en el parque para hablar del tema. Durante esa reunión, Diamond fue asesinada. Familiares, amigos y simpatizantes protestaron el miércoles afuera de la Oficina del Fiscal del Distrito del Condado de Harris, donde marcharon hacia la corte crimi-
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nal. La Fiscalía respondió a la marcha con el siguiente comunicado: “Estamos completamente enfocados en obtener justicia para Diamond. Apoyamos totalmente en sacar a criminales violentos de nuestras calles y haremos todo lo que esté en nuestro poder para condenar al acusado de este atroz asesinato y llevar justicia la familia de Diamond, sus amigos y a toda la comunidad”. Dijo Dane Schiller, portavoz de la Oficina del Fiscal del Distrito del Condado de Harris.
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
March 6, 2022
AFRAMNEWS.COM 5
HEALTH/LIFESTYLE
Schools Mask Mandate By: Carter James
Since the arrival of COVID-19, it has caused many interruptions in the lives of everyone, and some individuals have even lost loved ones to the virus. After being in a pandemic for two years, many wonder when it will be safe to return to some form of normalcy and not have to wear masks anymore. There has been controversy over mask mandates across the nation, especially when it comes to schools. Research shows that in person learning is beneficial for students, due to social interaction, building relationships with others, and being able to process and retain what they’re learning. The question that remains is how do you lift the mask mandate and keep students, faculty, and staff safe? Two Houston school districts have decided to lift their mandates, but with safety as their number one priority. The Houston Independent School District (HISD) lifted their mask mandate on March 1st. According to HISD, the district “continues to monitor COVID-19 trends and consult local COVID-19 guidance…The district is relaxing its mask mandate within HISD schools, facilities, and school buses will become optional.” In addition, the Aldine Independent School District (AISD) will no longer require their faculty, staff, students, and visitors to wear face masks at any of their facilities or events. AISD plans to lift their mask mandate on March 7, “due to an ongoing decline in COVID-19 cases in the district, expanded vaccine
HOUSTON, it’s RODEO TIME eligibility for younger children, and updated guidance from the CDC, the state, and local health officials,” according to the Aldine ISD website. Superintendent Dr. LaTonya Goffney stated, “We know we are not out of the woods when it comes to the pandemic, but we have all the tools and procedures in place to ensure our students can continue to learn in a safe and healthy learning environment.” She further stated. “For the safety and wellbeing of our community, I still encourage everyone to wear masks and take precautions. I strongly encourage you to get vaccinated, to keep themselves and their loved ones healthy.” Both school districts are following safety protocol and have masks available for everyone by request. They also continue to provide opportunities for individuals to get vaccinated, and have free COVID-19 testing for their students and employees. You can visit their website for more information. - AANI
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March 6, 2022
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
COMMUNITY
A Love for Numbers
By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.
John Scroggins was born in Shrevport, Louisiana, and grew up in a single-parent home due to his parents getting a divorce at a young age. His mother was a hardworking woman who “did a great job” in raising him. John expressed, “She was fantastic.” Scroggins lived in Louisianna until high school, and then moved to Houston with his family, where he graduated from Phyllis Wheatley High School. After high school, he attended Texas Southern University and received his bachelor’s degree in science. He then furthered his education and received his MBA from Texas Southern University and University of Houston with a concentration in Banking and Finance. Scroggins is also a graduate of the Southwestern Graduate School of Banking at SMU. Although his undergraduate degree is in science, growing up, Scroggins “always loved numbers.” He carried his passion for numbers as an adult, and his love for numbers increased
drastically when recruiters from different banks visited Texas Southern University for career day. “The recruiters were looking for diversity in banking back then, and I took an interest in it, and that’s how I got started.” Scroggins mentioned that some of the conversations that we have today regarding equity, inclusion, and diversity, were some of the things he discussed with the recruiters back then. According to Scroggins, the MBA program was just beginning to be a popular degree, and it still is today, “so I thought, why not try it, and I did.” Texas Southern University had a program where students could use some of their credits from any undergraduate degree, take the GMAT, and depending on the score, you could be accepted into the program. “I scored very high on that,” Scroggins expressed. He was excited to be a part of this program as he “loves the fascination of banking and finance from afar.” This was
just the beginning for Scroggins as he now has had a 40-year career in banking. His journey first started at First City National Bank where he served there for ten years. He then worked for Wells Fargo for 14 years, and then worked for 12 years at Unity National Bank where he served as president and CEO. He currently works at Allegiance Bank as Senior Vice President of Commercial Lending and Community Development Lending. He has served in that position for the last four years. According to Scroggins, Allegiance Bank is the only African American bank to this day. When discussing his legacy, Scroggins mentioned his legacy is the Future Bankers Leadership Program that he founded at Texas Southern University. The idea came to him from a conversation he had with some executives that were working in Wells Fargo. They said, “we would love to have more diversity and inclusion in our leadership program,
but they didn’t have a pool of talent to pool from.” Scroggins said, “That may be true, but I am going to do something about it.” He started gathering information and found that there was not a banking program at any HBCU program anywhere. He went to discuss his idea with the dean at the business school of Texas Southern University and said, “we need a banking program.” His dean agreed, and the program has been up and running since August 2021 and has had great success. “That’s my legacy. That’s my baby. I saw an
opportunity for us that we too belong, and we too are students of finance and banking and be successful in the industry. I want that to be my legacy long after I am
gone.” Scroggins currently serves as a member of the Jesse H. Jones School of Business Advisory Council at TSU and formerly served on the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Community Depository Institutions Advisory Council (CDIAC). - AANI
John Scroggins
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
March 6, 2022
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