“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
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each other accountable.
Roy Douglas Malonson
e Democratic and Republican Parties have not always had the same ideals that they have today. In fact, America’s two dominant political parties have essentially ipped ideologies in the time since they were founded.
e Democratic Party was founded in 1828 while the Republican Party dates back to 1854.
In its early years, the Republican Party was considered quite liberal, while the Democrats were known for staunch conservatism. is is the exact opposite of how each party would be described today. is change did not happen overnight, however. Instead, it was a slow set of changes and policies that caused the great switch.
At the outbreak of the Civil War, Republicans controlled the majority of northern states. e party sought to expand the United States, encouraged settlement of the west, and helped to fund the transcontinental railroad and state universities. Ad-
ditionally, because of growing tension over slavery, many Republicans became abolitionists who argued against slavery.
Democrats represented a range of views but shared a commitment to omas Je erson’s concept of an agrarian (farming) society. ey viewed the central government as the enemy of individual liberty. Because most Democrats were in southern states, they fought to keep slavery legal.
As the war came to a close, the Republican Party controlled the government and used its power to protect formerly enslaved people and guarantee them civil rights. is included the three Reconstruction Amendments, which won Republicans the loyalty (and vote) of America’s Black population. Unsurprisingly, most Democrats disapproved of these measures.
However, a change had begun in the Republican
Dixiecrats on pg. 3
Willie Mays, the iconic and endearing “Say Hey Kid” who charmed countless fans with his brilliant athleticism and graceful style and was widely considered baseball’s greatest and most entertaining player, died Tuesday of heart failure. He was 93.
“My father has passed away peacefully and among loved ones,” said Mays’ son, Michael Mays. “I want to thank you all from the bottom of my broken heart for the unwavering love you have shown him over the years. You have been his life’s blood.”
e legendary slugger and center elder was synonymous with the game of baseball, the Giants and San Francisco, where his 9-foot-tall bronze statue has greeted fans for more than two decades in front of Oracle Park at 24 Willie Mays Plaza. Mays was looking forward to Major League Baseball’s tribute to the Negro Leagues on urs- Mays on pg. 7
Trump is a “man’s man,” alright. He wants to connect with any man he can manipulate, emasculate, or humiliate. Now that the next presidential election will be won or lost by a margin he wants to connect with young Black male voters. To do this the felon has adopted the language of criminals and exploited his relationships with the thugs he has pardoned. He believes “the Blacks” now connect with him because, as he loudly declares, the law is out to get him as it has been out to get Black men. But unlike too many Black men Trump was not falsely accused or brutally arrested. He has not been jailed. He could hire a legion of expensive attorneys. And he can well a ord his appeal. is is the president who, a er George Floyd’s slaying reviled protesters who peacefully demonstrated for racial justice and said he wanted them shot; who called African nations “shithole countries” and ordered American-born congresswomen of color to go back to their own countries. Perpetuating racist stereotypes with his $399 gold sneakers, claiming the mantle of Lincoln, asserting that he has “many Black friends” Trump is counting on “the Blacks” to be deceived,
mocked, and exploited as he plans to “terminate” the Affordable Care Act. Perhaps he will once again propose we all safeguard our health by injecting bleach into our arms. Black men younger than 50 years old are likelier to be persuaded by Trump than older Black voters who survived the Civil Rights Movement, who remember Trump’s 1989 full-page newspaper ad in New York City promoting the death penalty for ve Black teens wrongfully convicted of rape, and who recall how Trump was sued by the Department of Justice for his brazen discrimination of potential Black tenants when his company refused to rent apartments to them. In his court trial it was revealed that applications led by Black apartment seekers were marked with a “c” for “colored” and promptly discarded even while signs proclaiming “Apartments for Rent” were prominently displayed. Newer Black voters who oppose book bans and support the teaching of African American history in public schools might want to consider how these values will be honored a second Trump reign. And more mature Black men might re ect on what in uence and direction they can provide to their impressionable Black male youth. Receiving quadruple the endorsement of Black voters recently polled than the 6 percent who actually voted for him in 2016, alarms Derrick Johnson, president and CEO of the NAACP.
“As Black Americans have been denied basic human rights due to less o ensive crimes, any
It has rightly been said that America is the land of the free and the home of the brave, but Trumpism has devilishly transformed America into the land of the greedy, based upon lies, lies, damn lies, and especially skin-tone. Donald J. Trump is not phony, because he does not seek to cover-up his true intentions based upon White Autocracy. What is phony is Christian Right Evangelicals, especially Pastoral Leaders who proclaim God’s truth, but practice the devil’s deception. God has told us: “neither at any time used we attering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness; God is witness.” (1 essalonians 2: 5). Godfearing Americans need to go to the polls on November 5th, 2024, praying that God’s will be done, and that pastoral leaders who have not been God’s watchmen on the wall repent. John the Baptist was a voice crying in the wilderness of spiritual ignorance preaching repentance from sin. America, we need to spiritually repent from ungodly MAGA Trumpism, and embrace the spiritual tenets of the Preamble and the U. S. Constitution, because we know: “His watchmen are blind: they are all ignorant, they are all dumb dogs, they cannot bark; sleeping, lying down, loving to slumber. Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that can-
not understand: they all look to their own way, everyone for his gain, from his quarter.” (Isaish 56: 10-11). America, when Christian Right Evangelical pastoral leaders speak remember these words of spiritual wisdom that was given to us from God through King Solomon: “When he speaketh fair, believe him not: for there are seven abominations in his heart. Whose hatred is covered in deceit, his wickedness shall be shewed before the whole congregation.” (Proverbs 26: 25-26). Sooner or later God’s will shall confront every individual, because: “Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satis ed.” (Proverbs 27: 20). A word to the wise ought to be sucient. Cease and desist from listening to ungodly Christian Right Evangelical pastors and their false devilish doctrine, because the wisest leader born of the seed of a man said it best: “ e man that wandereth out of the way of understanding shall remain in the congregation of the dead.” (Proverbs 21: 16). America, never forget God includes, and the devil and his Imps exclude. Now, we know why southern confederate states tend to be very dysfunctional. Southerners exclude, and do not utilize their greatest resource human minds. Jesus told individuals that the good life does not have anything to do with being wealthy. erefore, beware of greed: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” (Luke 12: 15). America don’t be a rich
Dixiecrats Cont.
Party following the Civil War. Northern industrialists had grown rich from the war, and many entered politics a erwards.
ese new wealthy politicians did not see much sense in supporting the rights of Black Americans when the nation was still largely white. By the 1870s, many in the Republican Party felt that they had done enough for Black citizens and stopped all e orts to reform the southern states.
e south was le to the white Democrats and their oppressive policies towards Black citizens a er the Compromise of 1877 ended Reconstruction. With the end of Reconstruction, the “Solid South” voted for Democratic presidential candidates for the next 44 years.
Almost 60 years later, the Great Depression became a catalyst for a massive political shake up. e Republican Party had continued to be dominated by wealthy businessmen, which meant that they had come to favor laissezfaire policies that supported big business.
ese policies were e ective when the economy was booming, but were disastrous when it wasn’t.
When the economy crashed in 1929, the Republican president, Herbert Hoover, opted not to intervene, earning him and his party the ire of the American public. Franklin D. Roosevelt, a Democrat, sensed the need for change.
e Black Lives Matter Movement He campaigned on a promise of government intervention, nancial assistance, and concern for the welfare of the people. He won the 1932 election by a landslide. It was FDR’s campaign policies that caused a major shi in party ideologies.
Republicans opposed everything about FDR’s government. Primarily, they saw the growth of large government as harmful to the federalist foundation of the nation. is too has come to de ne the ideals of the Republican Party.
e Civil Rights Movement Race and equality began to return to the center of politics in the 1950s and 1960s. Race did not necessarily fall into a party viewpoint at this point; instead, it was more of a regional issue.
Southern Democrats and Republicans both opposed the early Civil Rights Movement, while Northern Democrats and Republicans began to support legislation as the movement picked up steam.
In 1964, Democratic president Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act into law. In the 1964 election, Republican candidate Barry Goldwater publicly opposed the new law, arguing that it expanded the power of the federal government to a dangerous level. It was this argument that led to a nal, decisive switch. Black voters, who had historically been loyal to the Republican Party because of the 1866 Civil Rights Act, had already been switching to the Democratic Party. However, upon hearing Goldwater’s argument against the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the majority of Black voters le the Republican Party in favor of the Democrats. ey saw the Democratic Party as advocates for equality and justice, while the Republicans were too concerned with keeping the status quo in America.
As the 60s and 70s continued, Democrats sought reform in other places, such as abortion and school prayer. White southern Democrats began to resent how much the Democratic Party was intervening into the rights of the people.
By the 1980s, white southern Democrats had become Republicans, and the majority of the south was now Republican. e Republican Party now is solidly conservative while the Democratic Party is the liberal one.
How the ‘Party of Lincoln’ Won Over the Once Democratic South e night that Democratic President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, his special assistant Bill Moyers was surprised to nd the president looking melancholy in his bedroom. Moyers later wrote that when he asked what was wrong, Johnson replied, “I think we just delivered the South to the Republican party for a long time to come.”
It may seem a crude remark to make a er such a momentous occasion, but it was also an accurate prediction.
To understand some of the reasons the South went from a largely Democratic region to a primarily Republican
area today, just follow the decades of debate over racial issues in the United States.
e Republican party was originally founded in the mid-1800s to oppose immigration and the spread of slavery, says David Gold eld, whose new book on American politics, e Gi ed Generation: When Government Was Good, comes out in November.
selves.”
e change wasn’t total or immediate. During the late 1960s and early ‘70s, white Southerners were still transitioning away from the Democratic party (newly enfranchised black Southerners voted and continue to vote Democratic). And even as Republican Richard Nixon employed a “Southern strategy” that appealed to the racism of Southern white voters,
“ e Republican party was strictly a sectional party, meaning that it just
“ e Republican party was strictly a he says.
did not exist in the South,” he says.
“ e South couldn’t care less about
“ e South couldn’t care less about immi- gration.” But it did care about preserving slavery.
A er the Civil War, the Democratic party’s opposition to Republican Reconstruction legislation solidi ed its hold on the South.
“ e Democratic party came to be more than a political party in the South—it came to be a defender of a way of life,” Gold eld says. “And that way of life was the restoration as much as possible of white supremacy … e Confederate statues you see all around were primarily erected by Democrats.”
ough some Democrats had switched to the Republican party prior to this, “the defections became a ood” a er Johnson signed these acts, Gold eld says. “And so the political parties began to reconstitute them-
of Southern white voters, former Alabama Governor George Wallace (who’d wanted “segretion segregation row, and segregation forDemocrat in the primaries. By the time Ron- ald Reagan became presi- dent in 1980, the Republi- can party’s hold on white was rm. Today, the Republican party remains the party of the South. It’s an ironic outcome considering that a century ago, white Southerners would’ve
Southern strategy
regation now, segregation tomorrow, and segregation forever”) ran as a Democrat in the 1972 presidential By the time ald Reagan dent in 1980, can party’s Southerners was rm. Today, the Republican party remains the party of the South. It’s an ironic outcome considering that a century ago, white Southerners would’ve never considered voting for the party of Lincoln.
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Southern strategy, in the political history of the United States, a campaign strategy of the Republican Party, actively pursued from the 1960s, that initially sought to increase and preserve support from white voters in the South by subtly endorsing racial segregation, racial discrimination, and the disenfranchisement of Black voters. e strategy has also involved directly promoting conservative views on immigration, taxes, social welfare programs, law enforcement, and states’ rights.
On the heels of National Nurses Week, Prairie View A&M University’s nursing programs have been named among the top in the country, according to U.S. News and World Report.
e MSN Program is No. 5 in Texas and No. 117 in the nation, and the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program is No. 8 statewide and No. 139 nationally. And that’s not where the latest rankings end.
sixth among Historically Black Colleges and Universities. e program is also ranked No. 2 overall in the state by NursingProcess.com.
PVAMU’s nursing programs date back more than 100 years to the earliest years of the University—the rst degree granted by the University was in nursing.
provide primary care to clients, families and communities. PVAMU’s training includes extensive clinical experiences in both urban and rural settings.
Dr. Gloria Rose, director of graduate studies and FNP program coordinator, has taught in the program for nearly all of its 25 years.
PVAMU’s Family Nurse Practitioner Program was also named one of the top programs in the country by Best Colleges. e Master of Science Family Nurse Practitioner program is ranked
e FNP master’s program was established in 1999 to meet the demand to increase the number of ethnic minority health care providers to unserved, underserved and vulnerable populations. Family nurse practitioners are seasoned nurses with advanced training to
“I’m very proud of our students and faculty. We have very committed, supportive faculty who truly want to see our students succeed,” Rose said. “And our graduates, as well. We have an excellent certi cation exam pass rate.
ere’s no better time to turn your dreams into a reality than right now.
Be sure to visit LoneStar.edu/LearnMore and schedule an appointment with one of our advisors, so you can make your dreams a reality. Our next summer
session begins July 11, and the of the city, and made it his goal to move to the area one day. In 2020,
A er visiting Houston in 2008, John Moore found himself enamored of the city, and made it his goal to move to the area one day. In 2020, Moore was nally able to make the move. In the summer of 2023, Moore decided to enroll at Lone Star College-North Harris a er hearing a neighbor speak so highly of the college. e fact that the campus is conveniently located for him made it an easy choice.
“I like that LSC has a Moore said. “Some of the on campus make me feel completing his studies
sociate’s degree in Business Administration, Moore plans to grow his his business.
“I like that LSC has a familiar feel of family,” Moore said. “Some of the most in uential people on campus make me feel seen and heard.” Upon completing his studies this summer with an associate’s degree in Business Administration, Moore plans to grow his non-pro t and expand his business.
“Changing your life starts right now,” Moore said. “If you wait until tomorrow to change your life, you will end up procrastinating for a
“Changing your life starts right now,” Moore said. “If you wait until tomorrow to change your life, you will end up procrastinating for a lifetime of tomorrows.”
If you are looking for the perfect place to explore your options with a ordable classes and exible schedules that work for you, look no further than LSC-North Harris. Most courses are transferable if you decide to transfer to a four-year university.
If you are looking for the perfect place to explore your options with a ordyou, look no further than courses are transferable if four-year university.
Missouri City resident Rodney Gri n has a long history of public service to the community, and it’s being recognized in a big way. On December 3, he will receive a President’s Lifetime Achievement Award at an event at City Centre in west Houston. Gri n, 77, who grew up in the Sunnyside neighborhood of southeast Houston, has lived in Missouri City since 1980. His parents, Margaret and William Grifn, were both educators and businesspeople who were adamant that their children excel in their studies.
Gri n attended Houston public schools and received a Jesse H. Jones Scholarship from the Houston Endowment, the philanthropy founded by the well-known Houston business and governmental leader. He chose to attend the University of Texas in Austin, where his older sister had already graduated. Gri n received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics, with a minor in government studies, in 1970.
“I’m proud to say I was in that rst decade of African-American students to actually attend the University of Texas
fall semester begins Aug. 26. We can’t wait to hear from you. as undergraduates,” Grifn said. e university rst desegregated its undergraduate programs in 1956, he said. Grifn and his fellow Black undergrads from that era formed an organization called Precursors Inc., who recently partnered with UT to honor and archive the history of that era with a monument and a trail of historical markers. Gri n said that if there was any bene t to the Jim Crow era that we
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Notice to Proposers
e Houston Independent School District Purchasing Services Department located at 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, TX 77092 is soliciting Request for Proposals (RFP) via the District’s electronic bidding portal. Proposers may login to view speci cations and submit their responses at the following link https:// houstonisd.ionwave.net/Login.aspx until 4:00 p.m. (CST) Monday, July 15, 2024, for the following solicitation: RFP 24-02-05 IT Contractors RFP 24-05-05 Recruiting Services
Pre-proposal conferences via Microso Teams will be held in conjunction with this RFP. Information regarding dates, times, and instructions to receive a link to join the meeting can be located within the electronic bidding portal under the “Event Details” tab speci c to this solicitation.
Notice to Proposers
e Houston Independent School District Purchasing Services Department located at 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, TX 77092 is soliciting Request for Proposals (RFP) via the District’s electronic bidding portal. Proposers may login to view speci cations and submit their responses at the following link https:// houstonisd.ionwave.net/Login.aspx until 11:00 a.m. (CST) Tuesday, May 28, 2024, for the following solicitation: RFP 24-04-02 Environmental Assessment & Testing Services Pre-proposal conferences via Microso Teams will be held in conjunction with this RFP. Information regarding dates, times, and instructions to receive a link to join the meeting can be located within the electronic bidding portal under the “Event Details” tab speci c to this solicitation.
KTSU 90.9 FM is adding legendary radio presenter Lawrence “Funky Larry” Jones, a ectionately known as “Uncle Funky,” to the station’s esteemed lineup. With a broadcasting career spanning over
50 years, including more than 30 years in Houston, Uncle Funky brings his iconic voice, rich experience, and deep community connections to KTSU.
In discussing his new venture, Uncle Funky shared, “ is is a God assignment. I’m here because of God’s grace, and my gi s and talents t the vision of Mr. Walker and the family at KTSU. I was called to come and bring 51 years of experience, 35 years of being here in the city, and 40 years of programming experience to see if we can elevate and have some fun every a ernoon or every Saturday afternoon with the Ultimate Backyard Party.” Listeners can look forward to engaging in new segments like “Grilling with Uncle Funky.” While the title suggests outdoor grilling, it’s actually a platform to discuss various topics ranging from relationship advice to TSU sports and reconnecting with the Uni-
day at Rickwood Field in Birmingham, Ala., where he starred as a teenager with the Birmingham Black Barons.
versity community.
“It’s a big backyard party with Grilling with Uncle Funky,” Jones explained. “To get your brother to have to chop it up a little bit, tell me about you, your life, your kids, your wishes, your wants, your needs, anything!”
likely would have won more, but the award wasn’t given out until Mays’ sixth season.
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Uncle Funky Larry Jones is a celebrated gure in the radio industry, known for his smooth, welcoming voice and unwavering commitment to community service. His career highlights include hosting the toprated “A ernoon Ride with Uncle Funky Larry Jones & Ali Siddiq” on Urban One’s MAJIC 102.1 FM and contributing his voice to numerous high-pro le events and organizations. Returning to an HBCU setting holds special signi cance for Uncle Funky. “I’m a product of an HBCU. I have my bachelor’s degree from Alabama State University in Montgomery. Coming home to an HBCU has pretty much been a dream of mine,” he said. “To ful ll this want in this season of my life with all the knowledge and things I’ve obtained, the chance to just at give back,
“Today we have lost a true legend,” Giants chairman Greg Johnson said. “In the pantheon of baseball greats, Willie Mays’ combination of tremendous talent, keen intellect, showmanship, and boundless joy set him apart. A 24-time All-Star, the Say Hey Kid is the ultimate Forever Giant. He had a profound influence not only on the game of baseball, but on the fabric of America. He was an inspiration and a hero who will be forever remembered and deeply missed.”
Giants CEO Larry Baer added, “I fell in love with baseball because of Willie, plain and simple. My childhood was defined by going to Candlestick with my Dad, watching Willie patrol center field with grace and the ultimate athleticism. Over the past 30 years, working with Willie, and seeing firsthand his zest for life and unbridled passion for giving to young players and kids, has been one of the joys of my life.” Mays spent most of his 23-year playing career with the Giants, six in New York and 15 in San Francisco, making him a cherished superstar from coast to coast. He hit 660 home runs, made 24 All-Star appearances and won 12 Gold Gloves. He
The consummate fivetool player, Mays was elite at hitting, hitting for power, defending, throwing and baserunning, and his ability to outthink and outsmart the competition served as a valuable sixth tool.
Mays wowed the baseball world with his aggressive (sometimes unorthodox) swings, patented basket catches and daring speed. He’d wear his cap a size too small so that it would fly off when he took off in the outfield or on the bases, putting a charge into fans.
“No player is better de ned by how he did it than what he did than Willie Mays,” said San Francisco-based actor Danny Glover at Mays’ 90th birthday bash at Oracle Park.
As a youngster, Glover watched the center fielder play in the late 1950s at Seals Stadium.
Fans react: How those gathering at Willie Mays Plaza are mourning a legend
Feats of greatness: Willie Mays, seen through key numbers and historic feats
Photos from the Chronicle archive: Willie Mays, cultural icon
A pioneer who broke down barriers on and off the field, Mays received the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Barack Obama in 2015, a halfcentury after he was named the first African American team captain in MLB history.
Mays said he never
could have envisioned a Black president in his lifetime. At the White House medal ceremony, Obama told the crowd, “It’s because of giants like Willie that someone like me could even think about running for president.”
Throughout his life, Mays helped countless people in many ways including through his Say Hey Foundation, which is dedicated to providing positive opportunities for underprivileged youth.
“I do what I can for people, man,” Mays said in a May 2021 Chronicle interview, shortly before his 90th birthday. “When the kids ask me for something, I give it to them. Let them have it because they’re going to be here after I’m gone, and I want the kids to enjoy what they can enjoy.” Mays was born in Westfield, Ala., just outside Birmingham, to very young parents, Willie Howard Mays Sr. and Annie Satterwhite, and was raised largely by his mother’s sisters, Sarah and Ernestine. Willie Sr. wasn’t always around; he worked in a steel mill and as a Pullman porter and also made money playing ball.
Still, Mays called his father the biggest inspiration in his life. “Cat,” as his dad was nicknamed because of his quickness on the eld, introduced Willie to baseball and played with him on an industrial league team.
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