October 22, 2023
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol. 28, Issue 40
FREE
African-American News&Issues
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
pastor pays 2.2 million
By: Rachel Thompson
Houston Mayoral Race:
Who Will Work for African American People? BY: Rachel Thompson
With early voting starting October 23rd and Election Day on November 7th, Houston will say ‘farewell’ to Mayor Sylvester Turner after serving two 4-year terms. Prior to that, Turner served for 27 years as the Representative for Texas House District 139. The contenders with name recognition who want to take his place are US Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, State Senator John Whitmire, Houston City Councilman Robert Gallegos, and managing partner for Garcia Hamilton and Associates, Gilbert Garcia. Voters need to decide if they want another career politician or a businessman.
In 1994, then Houston City Councilwoman Sheila Jackson Lee ousted US Rep. Craig Washington from the TX 18 Congressional District seat with help from now deceased Kenneth (Ken) Lay of Enron. She has held that position for 28 years. Have African American people benefited from her 28 years of representation? Another question to consider is whether she can be bought or persuaded to upend another Black person making real change for Black people at the behest of another influential person like Ken Lay.
Mayoral Race on pg. 3
The Church Without Walls, founded by Rev. Ralph D. West, finds its Associate pastor, Rev. Ralph D. West II needing to pay $2.45 million to a woman for knowingly infecting her with herpes. The woman, whom West II is reported to have met on Facebook, got her day in court and walked out with the outcome she was seeking. The jury found West II unanimously guilty and liable for transmitting genital herpes to the Houston woman in 2018. In a press release by the plaintiff ’s attorney, the jury in D.C. v. Ralph Douglas West II (Cause No. 2020-18991) found West II liable to the plaintiff for battery, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and fraudulent concealment. The jury’s award was $1,450,000 in compensatory damages and $1,000,000 in exemplary/punitive damages. The total judgment of $2.45 million will come from somewhere. Will it come from the tithes and offerings at The Church Without Walls? In a 2008 interview with Crosswalk, Rev. Ralph D. West shared how his church started in 1987. “We began with 32 people. It was during a very critical time in my life. I was 27 years old, and I was going through a very bad church fight. I mean, it makes me shudder to think how bad it was at times. Now, the irony of it is you would think if it was that bad it had to be something significant that we were fighting about. But we For more visit were fighting over trees and carpets. aframnews.com