Vol 27 Issue 49

African-American News&Issues

2022 In RevIew

By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.

As a nation we have experienced a lot and as a race. We have seen many positive things happen in 2022, and we have witnessed bad things also. No matter what happened this year, we made it through. It was Thomas Paine who said, “The real man smiles in trouble, gathers strength from distress, and grows brave by reflection.” As we close out 2022, let’s reflect on some things that happened this year.

Ketanji Brown Jackson

The U.S. Senate on Monday, June 14, confirmed Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. President Joe Biden nominated

Judge Jackson to fill one of the vacancies on the District appellate court, considered one of the most powerful courts in the nation. Judge Jackson’s nomination cleared the Senate with a 53-44 vote.

Bill Russell

Boston Celtics Legend Bill Russell, one of professional basketball’s greatest players and the sport’s most crowned champion, has died at the age of 88. President Barack Obama presented the Medal of Freedom in 2011, and Russell won five NBA Most Valuable Player awards. He made the All-Star team in Cont. on pg. 3

no BIKe Lanes on BLodgett stReet

By: Crystal LaShan

Promoted as “safer, improved bikeways are coming to Third Ward,” said Rodney Ellis, Precinct One County Commissioner. He has deemed that the Third Ward community has set mobility and infrastructure goals through several studies and plans, including the Third Ward Mobility Assessment report and, most recently the Third Ward Action Plan under Mayor Turner’s Complete Communities initiative. His initiative’s one goal in particular – to expand bike lanes and facilities – is addressed directly through the proposed rapid implementation bikeway network. The City of Houston-Harris County partnership seeks to meet that goal, which will ultimately improve neighborhood mobility and increase safety and comfort for all road users. This is the verbiage used to describe the purpose of the Precinct One initiative, but many people and business owners in the community believe it will make their jobs harder and adversely affect their business’ success.

In 2021, Juneteenth was established as a National Holiday by President Joseph

“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”

Bike

Rodney ellis

News: Office: (713) 692-1892

The Overflow

EDITORIAL

professional basketball players like Michael Jordan and Lebron James. We’ve seen a lot of questionable things from Ye, who wore a White Lives Matter shirt, has been making offensive comments, and who mentioned his potential run for president in 2024. We have also witnessed the circus surrounding Trump, him announcing his reelection campaign while everything is still being investigated from the January 6 attack on the capitol. We are also grateful to have witnessed the safe return of Brittany Griner who spent several months locked away in a Russian prison.

We don’t know what 2023 may hold, but we should embrace the new year with hope. As a race, we have come along way, but we still have a long way to go. If only we would realize how powerful we are together, and do more of uplifting one another, supporting one another, and doing our part in preserving our history. My challenge for each of you is that as we walk into 2023, set a goal for yourself that not only elevates you but your community as well. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

A Revival of God Consciousness

America Is In A Moral Moment

America is in a spiritual, moral crossroad moment in time. Which way America: democracy or White Privilege Autocratic Chaos? The exclusionary mentality of my way or the highway! America had a deep spiritual moral schism in its democratic governance system based upon the desire of MAGAGOP Republicans to legally reinstitute White privilege: something for nothing.

The Bible teaches us to give no place to the devil or the “Imps” of the devil, because in a democracy winning by any means necessary is not winning. Its losing.

American democracy has constitutional governance rules of order, human rights, decency, and civility. Racism is America’s original sin, and racism is not just a threat to Blacks and other permanent-tan minorities but is a threat to multicultural democracy itself. There are three moments in time: the past, the present, and the future.

The past was imperfect because America was not a good steward of time and natural resources. Therefore, the past belongs to the devil, because of imperfections.

America, we are in the present-moment, and the question is: what are we going to do with it? Nation state unity or nation state chaos? No doubt about it, the future belongs to GOD, because: “The earth

2 AFRAMNEWS.COM December 25, 2022 GREATER HOUSTON EDITION For more visit aframnews.com

Bobby Mills, Phd

Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D. - Editor

Dr.

Bobby Mills

Cont. from pg. 1

12 of the 13 years he played in the league. The prolific big man finished his career in 1969 with 21,620 career rebounds, an average of 22.5 per game, and led the league in rebounding four times. He grabbed 51 rebounds in one game, 49 in two others, and a dozen consecutive seasons of 1,000 or more rebounds. Many viewed Russell as the greatest player in history until Michael Jordan arrived in the 1980s and 1990s and Lebron James in the 2000s.

Kanye west (Ye)

Ye wears a White Lives Matter shirt and released a campaign video that suggest ed he would run for president in 2024. Many have questioned the rapper’s intentions and how he got to this point. What was the mental shift that caused the rapper to lose it and betray his own community? Ye has abandoned the Black community and has made his alliance with individuals like Trump and Nick Fuentes who is a White supremacist. Ye has turned a lot of people off with his antics and ignorance.

emmett till A team in Mississippi began searching a courthouse basement

for evidence about the case of Emmett Till. They found an unserved warrant that was issued on August 29, 1955, that had been placed in a file folder that was placed in a box, according to Elmus Stockstill, a Leflore County Circuit Clerk. It was noted that the warrant wasn’t served because they didn’t want to “bother” Donham. This search for the warrant was started by the

For one, the fight for Emmett Till is still going on, and even after all these years, this case and the events that occurred in this case are still relevant to what is going on today. In addition, President Biden signed the Emmett Till Antilynching Act earlier this year, which has made lynching a federal crime.

daughter of Haitian immigrants who believed in education and the opportunities that can come from it.

Brittney griner

After 294 days in Russian custody in a dangerous penal colony, WNBA star Brittney Griner is free. The Biden administration secured Griner’s release after agreeing to a onefor-one prisoner swap that saw the president commute the 25-year sentence of notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.

Hakeem Jeffries

Hakeem Jeffries was selected to replace Nancy Pelosi. Jeffries is the first Black person to lead in either chamber of Congress.

Bennie Thompson

Emmett Till Legacy Foundation by his cousin Deborah Watts and her daughter Teri Watts.

Although the grandy jury in Mississippi decided not to indict Donham, who is in her 80s, due to there not being enough evidence, there have been some positive things that have come out of this.

Claudine gay

It was announced that Claudine Gay will become the first Black president of Harvard University. Gay is currently serving as the Edgerley Family Dean of Harvard’s Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She will become the 30th president on July 1st. Gay is the

Members of the House Committee want to hold those responsible for the Jan. 6 riot attack on the capitol. They have been investigating Trump and his role he played during this incident in trying to overturn the 2020 election. Criminal referrals have no legal weight but could encourage law officials to prosecute. Bennie Thomspon, who is the committee chair, said he has “no doubt” charges will be brought against Trump.

Ketanji Brown Jackson

Claudine

Gay

Brittney Griner

Bill Russell

Emmett Till

Hakeem Jeffries

Bennie Thompson

Kanye West (Ye)

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

HouSToN AluMNAE CHAPTER oF DElTA SIGMA THETA SoRoRITY, INC. JAzz SoIREE

By: Crystal LaShan

Lights, Camera, Action “The Comeback” Jazz Soirée was the place to be. Everyone came dressed to impress and ready to party with a purpose! The Houston Alumnae Chapter (HAC) Deltas are the first Sorority Alumnae Chapter to exist. They have raised thousands of dollars for scholarships for Undergraduate and Graduate students thanks to their Community Sponsors, Celebrity Waiters, and Sorors. This fantastic event was hosted by Master of Ceremonies Jonathan Martin, News Anchor KRIV Fox 26, with soul-stirring entertainment from Leroy Allen, Evette Busby & the Revelation Band. They were on fire! What a blessed celebration of Scholarship & Generosity! Congratulations, HAC Deltas, on a job well done!

SHoP WITH A CoP

The Prairie View Police Department teamed up with Jones Elementary School where 14 elementary students were chosen to participate in a Christmas program called Shop With A Cop. These students live within the city limits of Prairie View Texas. On December 18, 2022, they rode in the police cars and were transported to Walmart in Cypress, Texas where the students ate lunch with the Prairie View Police Officers and then they were allowed to shop for Christmas gifts with an expenditure of $200.00 per student.

CoFFEE WITH MISSouRI CITY, TX

Jazz Soirée Fundraiser CoChair, Ruth Williams, Master of Ceremonies -News Anchor KRIV Fox 26 Jonathan Martin, HAC President Dr. Maria Starling Ed.D. & Co-Chair Tina Marie Jones – Green

Brishaun Sutton, her son Colton, and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Houston Chapter President Dr. Maria Starling, Ed. D.

Erica Burley & Renee Griffin

Officers involved are from left to right Corporal Whitting, Officers Lopez and Gonzales, Lieutenant Eagleton, Investigator Mata, Officers White, Jenkins, Valencia, Harris, Kitchen and Chief White. Others involved Ms. Schmidt (Jones Elementary) and the Grinch. Prairie View City Councilwoman Wendy Williams (picture not shown).

left to right: Councilmember District A Monica Riley, Angel Jones City Manager, Mayor Robin Elackatt, behind him is Councilmember District C Anthony Marilous, Councilmember District D Floyd Emery, Councilmember At-large Position 2 lynn Clouser, Councilmember At-large Position 1 Sonya Brown-Marshall

COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT

SPElHouSE WINTER WINEDoWN

Spelhouse Winter Winedown was a beautiful gathering of Spelman College and Morehouse College Alumni hosted by the National Alumnae Association Spelman College(NAASC) Houston Chapter & Morehouse Houston Alumni. The views were killer. The vibe was NeoSoul living in Black Excellence. It was indeed a Grown & Sexy Party

Sisterly and Brotherly Love in full effect with Samara Hassan and Deion Brown

Morehouse Men are So Fresh & So Clean-Tre Bryant, E’tchane Towers, and Mike Adams

Spelmanites chilling on the Couch - Richland Mosley, Samara Hassan, Gere Cole

l to R - NAASC Houston Vice PresidentAshley Cummings, Kristen Bolton-Keys, and Ashley N. Williams

Attorney Caleb Payne with his Mom, Spelmanite - Tracie Wilson - Payne and Spelmanite leslie Collins Thompson with her daughter, Spelmanite - Brooke Thompson.

NAASC President - Samara Hassan and Morehouse Houston President Derek Gibson

L to R-Mia Pier, Ashley N. Williams, Katavia Larry, Samara Hassan, Tracy F., Ashley Cummings, Tracie Wilson Payne, and Giovanna Boyd

R. Biden.

Precinct One City Commissioner Rodney Ellis, an avid bike rider, celebrated this monumental event by taking a bike ride with colleagues from Galveston to Emancipation Park celebrating Juneteenth. Precinct One County Commissioner Ellis is on a crusade to encourage, enlighten, and motivate more Houstonians to take their bikes to the streets, which means Houston must be ready to accommodate these new bike riders.

This is an excellent initiative except for one issue. How will it affect the consistent growth of Third Ward? When the city creates bike lanes, the city must transform the double-traffic lanes into single-traffic lanes. This will cause much more traffic congestion on Blodgett St., one of the busiest streets in Third Ward since it is a major entrance for Texas Southern University (TSU) for the Student Center and Parking Garage.

Councilwoman of District D, Dr. Carolyn Evans-Shabazz held a community meeting where the community overwhelmingly opposed the bike lane plan but more importantly cited the lack of transparency and true community engagement. “Although the agreement was initiated before I took office, I found that the community leadership was not engaged including the pastor of the local church sharing Blodgett. The community should always have a say in the spending of taxpayer money especially when plans can affect their mobility and safety.”

While interviewing Edward D. Pettitt II, MPH, Vice President of the Greater Third Ward Super Neighborhood #67, he gave a very detailed and thorough explanation of the lack of transparency that exists with county leadership. Dr. Carolyn Evans – Shabazz, Houston City Councilwoman of

District D asked for access to the plans on more than one occasion and was not given any plans that she requested. According to Mr. Pettitt, “In March 2018, Rodney Ellis announced, “$15 million to improve infrastructure near TSU and another $15 million to projects around UH.” While most residents welcomed the drainage and safety upgrades, many were confused why such upgrades were tied to bike lines being installed on each of the streets. Though there were a number of engagement meetings, mostly virtual, since the 2018 announcement, none of the surrounding civic clubs or super neighborhoods (Greater Third Ward SN67 and MacGregor SN83) were directly engaged. And none of the feedback or questions asked afterward in early engagement meetings were compiled, followed-up, or incorporated afterwards. When designs were finally presented to residents, they were at an advanced stage, and

it was clear that the engineers and planners had already made their siting and design decisions and were not willing to change course. Of particular concern to residents are the TSU events and student housing entrances unique to Blodgett, which tend to backup traffic in their current configuration, for which neither the city nor County have fully addressed residents’ concerns.”

Mr. Pettitt is spot on with understanding the needs, growth, and vision of the community to create a better

had consulted residents properly early on, they could have addressed their concerns and found a design that maximizes the safety and accessibility desires of cyclists while mitigating the traffic concerns of residents. Unfortunately, the lack of proper engagement from the city and county has driven a wedge between residentsbetween long-term residents and newcomers, between cyclists and non-cyclists, and along the lines of race and socioeconomics. We need an approach to community engagement that reaches a wide range of stakeholder groups early in the process and gives them access to engineers and planners to address their concerns and educate them on possibilities, constraints, and alternatives.

Residents who don’t ride bikes need to understand how these improvements will benefit them or at least not make their daily commute more difficult. Residents also need real answers to legitimate concerns, like the TSU parking entrances situation on Blodgett.”

Mr. Pettitt has been a consistently engaged resident of Third Ward who cares about the continued growth of the Third Ward Community and its residents. He wants Third Ward to preserve its cultural prominence and allow for the growth and expansion of all Third Ward residents no matter their ethnicity.

Third Ward for long time and new residents.

Mr. Pettitt continued to share his insightful o pinion on the concer ns and needs of all Thir d Ward residents. “As someone who personally supports multimodal safety and accessibility improvements, including bike lanes, it frustrates me when the city and county don’t engage the residents affected most by their placement. If the municipality

Perfectly articulated by Mr. Pettitt, he explains his understanding of Precinct One County’s plans for the Third Ward.

“My takeaways from the Town Hall meeting:

1) Though it gave people a chance to be heard, these kinds of “airings of grievances” are not actually useful to the planning processthey’re the result of a broken planning process.

For more visit aframnews.com

Bike Lanes Cont.

Rodney Ellis Chief of StaffBrandon Dudley

Kristopher Heenny-Chief Transportation Planner

Councilwoman Dr. Carolyn EvansShabazz speaking to her Constituents of District D