Vol 28 Issue 14

Black Mothers in aMerica

By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.

I am Black. I am a mother of two. I am a Black mother in America. I have a two-yearold son, and a four-year-old daughter. I had some challenges with both pregnancies, and unfortunately, despite my greatest efforts, both of my kids were delivered by emergency cesarean sections (c-sections). With my son, I lost a lot of blood during surgery, and needed blood transfusions. Even to this day, I am still dealing with some issues from his pregnancy. There is so much that could have gone wrong during both pregnancies, especially the surgery with my son, which is why it pains me to know that in America, Black women are three times as likely to die from pregnancy complications than White women.

On April 10th, President Biden declared April 11th-April 17th Black Maternal Week to help expose and shed light on systemic inequities towards Black women and how they are sometimes ignored and dismissed in different health settings regarding their health. There are many issues that need to be addressed concerning Black maternal health and President Biden has made a plan to help tackle these issues. He said, “That is why my Administration wrote the Blueprint for Addressing the Maternal Health Crisis, which lays out specific actions that the Federal Government will take to improve maternal health, and secured funding from the Congress to help implement it.”

ExprEssions Through Music

By: Asia Williams

Aden Nicolas Harris, also known as a hip hop rising star, has a huge love for music and a passion for spreading his creations with people all over the nation. Growing up in Houston has provided him with numerous opportunities and experiences to promote his music since music has always been present in his life. It was destined for Harris to gravitate towards music as his siblings, parents, and his late grandfather all have a love for music. “There’s never been a time where I haven’t liked music,” said Harris. Ever since he was in the sixth grade at Lanier Middle School, making his first song in a school project with a close friend, continuing music has been a goal for Harris. In the seventh grade, Harris and a group of his friends decided to become a hip hop group. They would create songs about everything and had fun doing it while learning the ways of music. It was this defining moment when Harris realized he wanted to pursue a music career.

Mothers on pg. 3 Music on pg. 5

“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”

Aiden harris photo credit :Brandon smith

Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D. - Editor

a revival of God consciousness

Bobby Mills, Phd

News:

Office: (713) 692-1892

Wednesday – Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Racism has existed down through the ages, and it has gotten worse with time. Racism and the notion of White Supremacy stand as fundamental obstacles to world peace and international moral order. Above all, racism stands as an impediment to mankind’s salvation, because racism is based upon an ungodly reality (sin). God hates sin, and racism is sin. Moses married an Ethiopian woman, and Aaron and Miriam, the brother and sister of Moses, spoke resentfully against the marriage. The Bible records that God heard their resentment and was angered, and as such descended from heaven in a cloud and Miriam became Leprous (Ref: Numbers 12: 1-12).

As such, we must ask how did racism start? Likewise, we must ask what are the spiritual and socio-economic costs associated with racism? And how can racism be eliminated? Is the basis for White existence institutionalized racial superiority? Is the concept of

race a mental delusion? This is the Word of God: “God that the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed anything, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; and hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed and the bounds of their habitation” (Acts 17: 24-26). For informational purposes only history has recorded that the oldest living human skeleton was discovered in Africa, the remains (bones) of Lucy over six thousand years old. The purpose of this information is not to burst anyone’s bubble. However, life goes on, and unfortunately many great nationstates have fallen from within, because of spiritual confusion, misunderstandings, corrupt minds, and sin concerning racial and ethnic differences. America, know this: God hates racism and will only tolerate it for a certain length of time, because the concept of race is a mental delusion, because popular ideas about racial categories lack scientific biological objectivity.

the Overflow

By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.

Don’t Shoot

He didn’t have to shoot. It saddens me that a 16-yearold boy was shot in the head for simply going to the wrong house to pick up his siblings. Ralph Yarl is his name, and it’s a miracle that he is still alive. I feel for his parents and family, and hope that he can live a full and healthy life. We all know that this was a race issue just like every other issue in America. I’ve never understood racism and I never will.

At what point in our life did we have this shift to where now guns are the answer for everything. What happened to Yarl didn’t have to happen. There were

many things that the White 84-year-old man could have done. He could have first had a conversation with Yarl to understand why he was at his house. If he was afraid, he could have called the cops. There are so many things that could have happened differently.

I have asked different people why Black people are hated so much. One of the most common responses I get is “because of slavery.” To me, that’s not an acceptable answer. To me, slavery is an excuse because there is absolutely no reason why I should be hated because I’m a few shades darker. If you’re going to judge me, and if you’re going to hate me, then judge and hate me based on my character and not my skin color. Life is hard enough, and all this senseless killing is ridiculous. When will enough be enough? Don’t shoot. Let’s just live.

President/Chief Editor

Contributing Writers

Dr. Bobby Mills

Dr. Chelsea Davis Bibb

Crystal Lashan Travis McGee

Kenneth Payne

Tristar Web Graphics - Layout Design/Print

Mothers cont. inequities within the healthcare system.

A plan is great, but will this plan make a difference, or will it be ignored like some of the Black mothers in America?

How many Black mothers will it save? Why are plans like this needed? Why can’t we just live in a world that sees people as people and not something less than?

I reached out to a few Black mothers to get their perspective on motherhood and Black maternal health. Every woman’s body is different, and every woman’s experience is different. However, every woman should receive the same quality of care regardless of race.

Chaleste Love, a mom of a seven-year-old boy, and who is expecting to deliver soon said that hearing those statistics is appalling and saddening. As she approaches her due date, she does have some fear of what’s to come.

“Being pregnant right now makes me more fearful, especially being older now, and it’s my second baby. It definitely kind of strikes some fear in me at this point in my life.” Love is also a healthcare professional and has seen firsthand the

“As a healthcare professional, I am not too surprised because I see the discrepancies with Black women and patients I’ve had where I had to advocate for them just to be heard about simple things… seeing it firsthand definitely confirms it a little more and also frightens me.” Love encourages Black women to be

and for our future.”

Ewing stressed the importance of Black women being more aware and more informed, and the importance of asking questions. “Most of the time if you don’t ask, they’re not going to tell you,” she said, which is why women should not be afraid to speak up and speak out.

For Cormisha Burrell, mom of a five-year-old girl,

so we won’t have an advocate fighting for us. There is power in numbers…. If we as Black women don’t look out for ourselves, no one will.”

Lauren Louisaire, a mom of a two-yearold daughter, took advice from her cousin when she was pregnant who told her to “advocate for yourself and advocate for your baby.” She also took it upon herself to speak to

doctor. If they say you can’t get a new doctor, don’t believe them. If they say my opinion is right, get a second opinion, and get a third opinion. Be sure that what’s being said by medical professionals is the truth and not just someone’s personal preference.”

Garesia Warfield, a mom of a five-yearold girl, discussed some reasons why she feels the inequities

that it’s just a thing to check off the list. She also compared it to painting over a hole in the wall. “It looks good, you know, at first glance. If you look at the hole, you may not notice it right away, but it’s still an issue that needs to be treated. So, it’s almost like just giving medicine for the symptoms and not actually treating what the problem is. We need to go into the infrastructure of healthcare and really change the root of it.”

informed and learn about your diagnosis from credible sources.

Amanda Ewing, a mom of a five-yearold son and tenyear-old daughter, is concerned about the state of Black women in the health care system. “It is concerning because I feel like it’s been an issue for years and no progress has been made because the numbers are going up instead of down. It’s concerning for our pregnant women

she made sure she expressed her concerns that she had or about anything that she thought could have been a complication. Burrell also discussed how we don’t hear much about these statistics and information regarding Black maternal health. She also stressed the importance of Black women being informed and sticking together. She said, “Maybe the information is hidden

every woman to hear and learn about their experiences. “My entire pregnancy I took the time to ask every single woman who has ever given birth, had a miscarriage, or an abortion, and just listened to their stories.” Her advice to Black women is also to speak up. “If you want something that’s not recommended or vice versa, speak up on it and be firm. If you need a new doctor, get a new

exist against Black women. “I think overall, the perception of Black women from who they think we are, how they think we handle pain, and how we think we handle trauma… there’s this perception that we can handle more, or that maybe when we speak about what we’re experiencing that it’s not true.” She also mentioned how when legislation creates days and weeks like Black Maternal Week,

Black women are just as important as any other race. Although the statistics are high and it may seem like there is no solution, we can hold ourselves accountable to beat these odds. This means educating yourself about whatever issues you are facing, it means eating right, working out, taking vitamins, keeping up with your doctor’s appointments, asking questions, and helping the next woman. Most importantly, we cannot be silent. Share your stories without shame, help our young women make good choices, and teach them about their bodies, and finally love yourself. In a country that may not see you, I do. You are important, and you matter.

chelsea Davis-Bibb, carter and caiden Bibb

carsyn and cormisha Burrell

chaleste Love and Antonio Winrow Jr.

garesia and Taige Warfield

Kion, Amanda, and skylar Ewing

Lauren and Eden Louisaire

By: Stacy Brown

LAWsuiTs AnD DEi BriDgE ThE hoMEoWnErship gAp

The aftermath of George Floyd’s murder has led to several large corporations facing multiple lawsuits for failing to meet the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) commitments they made.

The commitments were made following Floyd’s death in 2020, with businesses quickly issuing statements and pledging to adopt new ways to combat racism.

Those pledges included addressing ethnic and gender inequalities among their employee ranks. However, according to Bloomberg Law, a host of lawsuits claim those pledges were never met.

Among the most egregious parties are Wells Fargo and Delta Air Lines.

Bloomberg said those companies falsely claimed that, over the past three years, they worked to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Five shareholder lawsuits allege that Wells Fargo ran afoul of federal law against discrimination.

Wells performed “sham interviews to nominally fulfill a diversity-enhancing

policy,” the lawsuit claims.

Further, the bank’s board acted on diversity and inclusion issues only because of negative media coverage.

Law firms have filed at least 40 suits alleging that employment discrimination has only increased since pledges were made.

Sarah Fortt, worldwide co-chair of Latham & Watkins LLP’s environmental, social, and governance practice, told the outlet that she also noted a spike in “‘reverse discrimination’ claims.”

According to a published report, these lawsuits take the form of shareholder derivative proceedings, in which investors claim that a company’s failure to achieve specific DEI goals caused the value of its stock to decline.

Bloomberg noted that “DEI-specialized lawyers, academics, and practitioners contend that compa-

By: Stacy Brown

nies must balance the needs of the business, employees, shareholders, and customers when creating progressive initiatives while averting legal action from any of those groups.”

Bloomberg continued: One strategy offered is formulating policies “aspirationally,” or in general terms.

Lawyers asserted that instead of creating a strict quota to employ a specific number of people of color for its board, a corporation might aim to match the proportion of people of color in its workforce to that of people of color on its board.

Elena Philipova, director of sustainable finance at Refinitiv, noted that the most prosperous businesses are genuine, and authentic and have DEI objectives built into their DNA.

For more visit aframnews.com

The median net worth for Black households is an embarrassingly low $24,000 compared to $188,000 for white families. And that’s one reason only 45.3% of Black Americans owned their homes in 2022, compared to 74.6% of white people, according to the National Association of Real Estate Brokers – or NAREB. The organization, which counts as America’s oldest trade association for Black real estate professionals, demands that mortgage lenders utilize Special Purpose Credit Programs (SPCPs) to increase mortgage originations from Black buyers. The group believes this would help close the homeownership gap between races. “It’s disappointing that more mortgage lenders are not using these programs to increase homeowner-

ship, especially for those living in underresourced communities,” NAREB President Lydia Pope said.

“America has a low homeownership rate among Black families because of the overt racism in government and private sector practices and policies that limited the building of intergenerational wealth. SPCPs provide opportunities to balance the scale and put more Blacks on a path towards building wealth through homeownership.”

SPCPs are credit assistance programs for economically or socially disadvantaged consumers and commercial enterprises. The programs, which have been available for nearly 50 years but are rarely used, allow banks and creditors to consider prohibitedbasis information in credit transactions to meet special social

needs or to help a buyer of lesser means.

In 2021, the U.S. Housing and Urban Development released guidance that SPCPs can legally be developed by nonprofit and for-profit financial institutions to help resolve barriers faced by poorer groups, such as Blacks, Hispanics, and women, when they seek to purchase a home. Examples of such programs include where buyers can have a higher loan-to-value ratio than usual or a lower down payment.

NAREB noted that Rocket Mortgage recently announced that it expanded its specialpurpose credit program to offer a $3,000 credit for first-time homebuyers to use toward their downpayment in select cities.

For more visit aframnews.com

Things did start to get harder for Harris due to his home life and having to live on his own for a while. It was these experiences that allowed Harris to see the world differently. Harris was able to perfect his rapping skills with his hip hop group until freshman year at Summer Creek High School. He then started working on his own songs, primarily creating experimental hip hop, and created his stage name 4D3N with leet speak; a system of modified spelling where letters and words are replaced with symbols and numbers. Although making music is great, it is not all for the purpose of entertaining the crowd. To Harris, rapping and producing music is the truest form of his self-expression. “It’s the only way I can truly be me, which is why I hold the concept of music in such a high regard.” He feels that

the whole process is supposed to be a representation of the feeling conveyed through the song itself. When he performs his music to his audience, he feels like he’s getting prior feelings off his chest. As he raps, he also shares important messages to his audience that is submerged within his words. His music encourages people to live in ways where you feel like you’re living your life to the fullest rather than being alive for someone or something else. He encourages others to do what’s natural, safe, and morally positive. “I want my music to make people think differently, but at the same time, I want my music to represent a feeling you can relate to.”

Even though making a song and performing it to an audience may sound like a simple concept, it was not all that simple starting out for Harris. Getting people to hear his music and listen to what he had to say was the

biggest challenge for him. “Having someone to resonate what I’m trying to convey is the goal.” As we know challenges can come with successes. Harris is proud to say his biggest success is being able to perform at venues all over Austin, Houston, and New York, and has been able to perform many songs, including his greatest hit, “So Clean.” He says he still has a long way to go, yet the lifelong friends he’s created in his musical journey will be with him every step of the way. Harris looks up to Nujabes and

Tyler, the Creator the most as he admires their articulation, creativity, and uniqueness. Gaining inspiration from them allowed Harris to accomplish his goal of working with Earl Sweatshirt, MIKE, and Tyler, the Creator. Currently, Harris has some new projects in the works, hoping to release his new album “EnCassete” this summer, and his song “Rain E. Days.” He gives a big thanks to his talented best friends as he takes a lot of inspiration from them.

Aden harris performing at “The End” in houston Texas.

photo by Brandon smith

Aden harris

EDUCATION

FirsT roBoTics

By: Chelsea Davis-Bibb, Ed.D.

Great things are happening with The 44 Engineering Group, producing and supporting a local successful robotics team and proving that talent can exist anywhere. The 44 Engineering Group, based at George Washington Carver High School, supports robotics teams made up of students from Carver, Eisenhower, and Blanson High Schools. Recently, The 44 robotics team participated in the 2023 Houston FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) at the M.O. Campbell Center, Aldine, and did not disappoint as they took home the FIRST Robotics Team Spirit Award. According to Sydney Prier, an Eisenhower senior, “This is a very special award that is given to

those who may not have built the greatest performing robot at the competition, but your team has shown a true passion for what they do. They have great character and can articulate their journey and experience. It was a huge honor to win this award.” Roughly 34 robotics teams from across Texas, and one from Mexico, came to compete in the robotics competition. It was beautiful because this is the FIRST time Aldine ISD held a FIRST robotics regional tournament.

FIRST, an acronym meaning For Inspiration and Recognition in Science and Technology, is widely recognized as the largest youth-serving nonprofit organization focused on

expanding access to STEM education across the Globe. By participating in this international series of robotics events, Aldine ISD students are taught not only valuable technical skills, such as machining parts and programming but they are also exposed to opportunities to develop the critical soft skills needed to have a successful career such as teamwork, problemsolving, collaboration, project management, cross-cultural communication and other key employability skills that are vital to being contributing members of our 21st Century workforce.

Prior to competing at the Houston Aldine robotics competition, The 44 Engineering Group’s FIRST Robotics team competed at

the FIRST in Texas San Antonio District FRC Tournament where they ranked number 10th at one point but ultimately finished the tournament ranked 14 out of 45 teams. “This is a great ranking considering how this rookie team of mostly 9th and tenth graders had to step up and fill the shoes/roles of the previous team members” explains Dr. Don Prier, Head Coach of the FIRST Robotics team. He later explains how some “catastrophic errors” were made such as their robot being damaged days before competition by a dropped battery on a gearbox. With the pressure on, Dr. Prier had to decide what course of action his team should take as their robot had no spare gearbox for the upcoming Houston Aldine FRC tournament.

After careful contemplation, he decided to use his resources and his students’ skills to build a new and more advanced robot – a robot that was built in three days. “We completed a full robot, full set of bumpers, fully wired electronically, and it was also fully programmed,” Sydney said.

One of the best parts of the robot was that it was conceptualized by Carver High School PTech and Carver VEX Robotics students. Under the guidance of Mr. Tim Lewis and Dr. Prier, they have prepared these students to think outside the box but utilize what they have already done and know. These kids are very smart, and they can tell when they are competing against robots created and built by professional engineers – and this does not detour

these students. Sydney stressed how some of these faux robotics team members don’t know how to fix or solve issues that a robot may have because they did not create it. She made it clear that students played a major role in the creation of their robot. “I’m the programmer and I take pride in that because there were very many sleepless nights making sure our robot could work.” She explained that she did not want to let her team down with an inferior program for such a beautiful robot. Sydney has a lot of robotics experience as she has been a part of FIRST Robotics since elementary school.

From left to right: Coach Tim Lewis, Jeremiah Wallace, Ismeal Martinez, Justin Tobias, Mia Daniels, Cesar Gallegos, Nataly Mazariegos, Sydney Prier and Dr. Don Prier

VEX Robots For more visit