Volume 29 Issue 30 by AFRAMNEWS.COM

Vol. 29, Issue 30

“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”

IS AMERICA WORTH SAVING?

By:Bobby E. Mills, PhD

America, I am not a psychiatrist, but I do know crazy when I see it and hear it. Donald J. Trump’s, July 31st, 2024, appearance at the National Black Journalists Association Convention in Chicago was a stark common-sense reminder of why if there are Black individuals who are willing to vote for Donald J. Trump for President, they need to sleep with a psychiatrist, because they need a clinical professional addressing both their conscious mindset as

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The Negro who lives on the patronage of philanthropists is the most dangerous member of our socie , because he is willing to turn back the clock of progress when his benefactors ask him so to do.

- Marcus Garvey

KAMALA HARRIS AND TIM WALZ

By:Susan Del Percio

While it might seem a lifetime ago, it’s been just over two weeks since President Joe Biden announced that he would not seek re-election and endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris. Knowing she would be running against the clock, with a very compressed campaign schedule, Harris quickly jumped into action. In the rst week, she reached out to party leaders and raised a lot of money very quickly. en came the much tougher — and signi cant — task of picking a running mate.

A good running mate should strengthen a ticket’s chances in key states, help win over a certain block of voters and share a policy agenda with their presidential nominee. By picking Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, Harris has opted for compatibility and a more le -leaning policy agenda. But I know for a fact that a lot of moderate Republicans and right-leaning independents are less than thrilled about it. Immediately a er the Walz an-

well as unconscious mind. e disastrous interview was a national disgrace to the journalistic search for truth. Lest we forget: “ e Lord gave the word: great was the company of those that published it.” (Psalm 68:11). America, how did we get to this insane point in our collective history? Hence, it is literally unthinkable that someone of Trump’s mentality could become the Presidential nominee of a major political America on pg. 3 Harris on pg. 3

A Revival of God Consciousness

BLACK JOBS

Lack of spiritual God conscience produces a malnourished dysfunctional brain.

Former President Donald J. Trump is an “old-schoolracist” with no 21st century sophistication. In a recent public interview setting with Black Journalists Trump boldly stated that VP Kamala Harris was responsible for illegal immigrants coming into America and taking Black jobs. America, work is neither White nor Black, but is work, and it is a sacred commandment from God. Trump’s statement re ects America’s socio-economic strati cation of work. On the one hand,

work in the minds of Americans is about social class designations. While on the other hand, work is a spiritual commandment from God for Eve’s and Adam’s spiritual disobedience in e Garden of Eden. Prior to the sin of Eve and Adam life in the Garden of Eden was like living in heaven, because everything was perfect, until Eve and Adam disobeyed God’s Will. Lest we forget, sin separates human beings from fellowship with God. God hates sin. American society is based upon a Totem Pole socio-economic strati cation system, and Blacks have a xed racial socio-economic status at the bottom of the Totem Pole, and this is why Trump could talk about Black Jobs! A job is a job, but in a racist society jobs are assigned based upon skincolor, not intellectual ability and skill

By Zibora Gilder Tales and Tastes from the South

BLACK DIGNITY SACRIFICED TO SCHOOL INTEGRATION AND CRACK COCAINE

“I fear I am integrating my people into a burning house.”

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

When, in 1954, the Supreme Court required that Black children join whites in classrooms nationally seemed a victory. White schools had superior facilities and resources that Blacks had been denied. White teachers were paid more than better educated Black educators. Integration promised to right multiple wrongs.

irty years later when HISD was fully integrated most of the experienced Black teachers, principals, and administrators had been red, demoted, or were required to resign. “Tracking” altered Black students’ trajectories into apprenticeships and trade schools, and whites into universities. e suspension and drop out frequencies of Black students burgeoned, especially when they were subject to busing. In schools with Black faculty our children are more likely to be evaluated and placed in advanced programs, less liable to be inappropriately placed in special education, more apt to graduate and proceed to college.

In the mid-eighties HISD’s test scores indicated a correlation between academic collapse and depressed test scores with Black poverty (measured by

“We Africans in America have been socially engineered to reject our past, and far too many of us live in a state of suspended animation. We deny the historical realities confronting us daily. Too many of us mistakenly believe that the past has no bearing on the present and is unrelated to the future. Thus, we have been conditioned to live our lives disconnected from cultural values, principles, and ideals - essential for peaceful living.”

- Anthony T. Browder

Bobby Mills, Ph.D.

nouncement, my phone exploded with friends, family and colleagues all saying basically the same thing: “I was excited about Harris, and I’m still going to vote for her, but only as a vote against Trump.” In other words, this choice may not push anti-Trumpers back into the MAGA fold, but it is very disappointing. Some of the sparkle and promise is now gone. During the last couple of weeks there was a palpable buzz among moderates especially. Biden stepped down, Harris stepped up, and both Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly were being oated as possible running mates. Shapiro, has been working with a Republicancontrolled state Senate to get things done in Pennsylvania, and Kelly most recently supported bipartisan immigration reform legislation, an issue he has publicly disagreed with his own party on. What was so appealing to moderates about these men is that they are consensus-builders;

they have worked with Republicans and picking either of them would prove that Harris wasn’t going to be the progressive candidate that they feared.

Polling strongly suggests that most people do not vote for a president based on their vice presidential pick. However, this decision does give voters a glimpse of what kind of leader the candidate would be if elected, and how they might govern.

As governor, Walz has successfully pushed a progressive legislative agenda in his home state, and this agenda will now be used by Republicans to frame Harris as a “San Francisco Liberal.” Among the issues that Republicans will certainly try to exploit are Walz’s push to allow undocumented migrants to be eligible for driver licenses, his restoration of voting rights for felons and his passage of tough climate change regulations.

A glowing endorsement from Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez will not help matters with swing voters. Although, to be fair, moderate West Vir-

party. What a shame! erefore, the GOP has become an integral part of America’s dysfunctional governance problems, and a problem cannot solve a problem, it can only exacerbate the problem. Trump desires the position of President, but he does not have the intellectual acumen, spiritual understanding, and governmental governance know how to resolve societal socioeconomic ills. In fact, Trump and his MAGA Cult Followers’ Project 25 Master Plan only exacerbates the problems and create new problems, not solve societal ills. Question: how did we get to this point in American history? Sadly, each American voter on November 5th must do some serious soulsearching concerning their role and participation in why America is spiritually upside-down. Trump is a problem, not a solution.

ginia Sen. Joe Manchin also supports the choice. I was a senior adviser to e Lincoln Project and oversaw the dayto-day operations of Republicans and Independents for Biden. is coalition, along with other like-minded organizations, helped persuade moderate Republicans and rightleaning independents to vote for Biden, which in turn helped Biden over the nish line in 2020. So I know a fair amount about how to appeal to the sort of Republican who is desperately seeking a Trump alternative. By putting Walz on the ticket, it appears that the Harris campaign is betting that the people who voted for Trump in 2016, then ipped and voted for Biden in 2020, will either grimace and vote for Harris anyway, or just sit this election out. (And this may very well be true.) It also shows that Team Harris must still be at least a little worried about the liberal base, especially the “uncommitted” voters turned o by Biden’s support for Israel. It is likely that a er the Democratic National Convention in a couple of weeks, we won’t see or hear much about Gov. Walz. It is also likely that Walz will not cause the headaches that Ohio Sen. JD Vance is already in icting on the Trump ticket. Still, Walz is far from the bold choice that swing voters were looking for.

THE DEMOCRATS’ PLATFORM ON RACIAL JUSTICE & CIVIL RIGHTS

1850: “the act for reclaiming fugitives from service or labor.” † . . . [We support] non-interference by Congress with slavery in state and territory, or in the District of Columbia [i.e., we oppose all congressional attempts to abolish slavery in any area of the nation].

1860

e Democrat Party will abide by the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States upon these questions of constitutional law. †† . . . [T]he en-

† e 1850 act mentioned here (the FugitiveSlave Law) was passed by the Democratically-controlled Congress. at law required Northerners to return escaped slaves back into slavery or else pay severe and repressive nes. In many instances, the law became little more than an excuse for southern slavehunters to kidnap Free Blacks in the North and force them into slavery in the South. If a black was simply accused of being a slave – regardless of whether he actually was or not – under the Fugitive Slave Law he was denied the bene t of both a jury trial and the right of habeas corpus, despite the fact that those rights were explicitly guaranteed by the Constitution. e Fugitive Slave Law was disastrous for blacks in the North, and as a consequence of the atrocious provisions of this law, some 20,000 blacks in the North ed the United States to Canada. In fact, the Underground Railroad reached the height of its activity during this period, helping thousands of slaves escape from slavery in the South all the way into Canada simply to escape the reach of the Fugitive Slave Law that the Democrats passed and were a rming in this plank.

†† is plank a rms the support of the Democrat Party for the recently delivered 1857 Dred Scott decision declaring that blacks were not persons but instead were property and therefore had no rights.

THE REPUBLICANS’ PLATFORM

without due process of law, it becomes our duty to maintain this provision of the Constitution against all attempts to violate it for the purpose of establishing slavery in the territories of the United States. . . . [W]e deny the authority ofCongress, of a territorial legislation, [or] of any individual or association of individuals, to give legal existence to slavery in any territory of the United States. †

1860

[W]e brand the recent reopening of the African slave trade – under the cover of our national ag, aided by perversions of judicial power †† – as a crime against

and Emancipationists – formed the Republican Party to ght slavery and secure equal civil rights for black Americans. e name of the new party re ected its committment to the principles of freedom and equality rst set forth in the governing documents of the “Republic” (hence “Republican”) before proslavery members of Congress had perverted those original principles.

† is plank reiterates Republican support for the original anti-slavery acts of the early federal government. Speci cally, this plank a rms Republican support for the principles expressed in the original 1789 federal anti-slavery law (the Northwest Ordinance), in which the Founding Fathers (“our Republican fathers”) forbade slavery in any of the federal territories then held. As a result, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and other states entered the nation as free states.

†† When the Constitution was written in 1787, the overwhelming majority of states wanted to ban the slave trade but strenuous objections from North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia prevented that ban from being included in the Constitution. However, a clause was successfully inserted in the Constitution allowing Congress to ban the slave trade in twenty years. In 1794, Congress banned the exportation of slaves out of any state, and on January 1, 1808 – in accordance with the constitutional provision – Congress completely banned the slave trade. In the 1857 Dred Scott decision, the U. S. Supreme

the percentage of students receiving subsidized meals at school). Overlooked was that the scholastic success of all students varied by the wealth and social prestige of each neighborhood’s school. So much for equal opportunity!

It was also in this decade that a cheap, smokable way for people to get high quickly suspiciously infused our city and schools. Congress hurriedly created laws that disproportionately penalized crack cocaine, assumed to be used mostly by Black people, over powdered, reputedly favored by other races. Crack cocaine is so spectacularly destructive that it has terminated all our social and economic progress made since World War II; indeed it reversed all our gains more than any other event since Jim Crow.

is provoked further divergence between Black and white educational success by quadrupling the rate of homicides among urban youth and tripling the number of young Blacks imprisoned. When a family member or a student loses their home, the crisis reduces the opportunity to pursue studies. High school can feel much less urgent under such circumstances than earning immediate cash a er the consequences of hopelessness to those who see themselves as newly vulnerable to being incarcerated or dead soon anyway.

HISD does not upli homeless students, they punish them. During the 2022 – 2023 school year 7,232 students were identi ed as unhoused with Black children making up about 40% of that total. at year 2,000 out-of-school suspensions were assigned to unsheltered children even though such suspensions are prohibited for homeless students for discretionary discipline reasons.

For decades, schools have been re-segregating. is country is more diverse than it ever has been, with students exposed to classmates from divergent backgrounds. Even so, around half of Black students attend schools where almost every one of their classmates is another student of color. And the majority of these schools proliferate in the lowest income areas and are the most poorly funded. But maybe that was the powerful white power brokers’ goal all along.

Dignity Cont.

CONGRESSWOMAN MAXINE WATERS

By Shelley McKinley, Ed.D.

Congresswoman Maxine Waters has served as the U.S. Representative for California’s 43rd congressional district since 1991. Considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today, she has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color, the poor, veterans, and seniors. Rep. Waters chaired the House Financial Services Committee from 2019 to 2023 and has been the ranking member since 2023. She made history as the rst woman and rst African American Chair. While in Houston, Rep. Maxine Waters sat down to share her thoughts concerning the upcoming presidential election, proposed Supreme Court reform, and other words of wisdom.

enough votes to be the nominee for the Democratic Party. With her in place having worked as a city attorney, attorney general, in the United States Senate, and as Vice President she is keenly aware of the injustices. She is keenly aware of the work that has to be done. She has to open up the nancial services in this country: Wall Street, all of the banks and insurance companies. is is where the system blocks us and keeps us from having

POLITICAL JOE BIDEN GRACEFULLY STEPS DOWN

By Sharon C. Jenkins

access to wealth and so she knows this area very well. I’ve worked with her on some of this.”

When looking at President Biden’s endorsement of Vice President Kamala Harris, Congresswoman Waters stated, “ is is transformation. A black woman is about to be the President of the United States of America. e delegates have already voted for her, and so when she goes into the convention, she’s got

Rep. Waters also had praise for President Biden, “He did a lot. When you watch the way that unemployment numbers changed drastically under him, unemployment went down and people could get better jobs. He worked on student loans. All of this was so very good. He had a Black woman as vice president, and he put a Black woman on the Supreme Court.”

AGEISM AND SEXISM AND RACISM…OH MY!

By: Rachel Thompson

In response to fear while walking through a dark forest Dorothy, the Tin Man, and the Scarecrow, said ‘Lions and tigers and bears… oh my!’ in the 1939 lm e Wizard of Oz. Today, many Americans feel like they are in a dark political forest and are calling for President Biden to step down out of fear of his memory loss, fear of his death while in o ce making Kamala Harris president, and /or the possibility of Donald Trump winning the presidential election. Some democrats and independents alike, are asking President Biden to withdraw from the presidential race. In essence, the public outcry is ‘Ageism and sexism and racism…oh my!’

As baby boomers are getting older in this increasingly technological

SPORTS HER HAIR IS HER CROWNING GLORY

By: Jazz Paz

Simone Arianne Biles

society, ageism is still an accepted prejudice in the USA. Age bias, rooted in stereotypes, has called into question President Biden’s cognitive abilities with the assumption that they will inevitably worsen with age throughout his second term if elected. His recent public performances have only provided sound bites that will be used against him. e fact still remains that Biden has a proven successful political track record, and has a team of advisors, spokespeople, and experts for domestic and foreign issues, so President Biden’s age should be a non-factor. In a 2024 American Psychological Association (APA) interview, Joann Montepare, PhD, director of the Rose Mary B. Fuss Center for Research on Aging and Intergen-

erational Studies at Lasell University in Newton, Massachusetts, stated, “Ageism is this odd ‘-ism’ in that it’s still socially acceptable in many ways. Aging is a very diverse process, and there are great di erences between individuals.”

Owens has earned 37 Olympic and World Championship medals and counting. She is the most decorated gymnast in history, one of the greatest gymnasts of all time. She’s been pictured on cereal boxes; her name is on athletic wear; she has signature gymnastic routines named a er her. She’s a Presidential Medal of Freedom recipient, a paid spokesperson for many national brands. Ms. Biles is a recent bride, a college graduate, a victorious survivor of multiple traumas … and people are preoccupied with her hair?!

hair didn’t conform to European beauty standards. A er practicing outside for hours as an honorary cheerleader for the Houston Texans, she was spied exhausted and sweltering, her hair slightly askew. e public censure was immediate and severe. “Gonna hold your hand when I say this ... next time you wanna comment on a black girls hair. JUST DON’T.” She shouldn’t have to care.

magazines Simone was perfecting oor, beam, and vaulting performances.

As a child, Simone’s mother was frequently incarcerated for drug and alcohol abuse. She and her sister were rescued from foster care and adopted by their maternal grandparents. While other little girls were experimenting

Other fears that are fueling the call for President Biden to withdraw are sexism and racism. If the President cannot serve his full term, Vice President Kamala Harris would assume the role of president. “In case of the removal of the President from o ce or of his death or resignation, the Vice President shall become President,” Section 1 of the 25th Amendment reads.

2021 USA Gymnastics obscure her vision

In gymnastics, uniformity in appearance is expected. Most female athletes seem to con form to glossy ponytails, a style that can be onerous for Blacks to create. According to the 2020 –2021 USA Gymnastics Women’s Program, hair must be “secured away from the face so as to not obscure her vision of the apparatus.”

were experimenting with hair techniques and studying beauty and fashion

Even with the authority of the CROWN Act, which makes it illegal to discriminate against a person’s hair texture or style, Black people continue to face dailycriticism of their tightly crinkled hair. Even the “natural hair” movement has focused on stretching out hair and defying coils and crimps by transforming them into something that looks less natural. e propaganda being received by Black consumers is that the kinkier and shorter your hair is, the less magni cent it is.

From the instant she was recognized as a legendary star, to her wedding photos, she has been excoriated by many other Black women for her untamed edges, reinforcing the assumption that her kinky

Black women for her untamed edges, reinforcing the assumption that her kinky

Notice to Proposers Request for Proposal will be received by Lone Star College for:

• RFP #955 – Outreach and Recruitment Support. Electronic submittals due by 2:00PM, Monday, August 26, 2024.

• WebEx pre-proposal meeting: ursday, August 15, 2024, 10:00AM; call-in number 1-408-792-6300, Meeting #2632 377 2220

• Contact: janet.bradley@lonestar.edu or (832)813-6299.

• Must Register to Bid: http://wwwappsdstc.lonestar.edu/istar/supplier.htm . If registered, please ensure your registration is up to date. For assistance with the on-line registration process, contact MC-vendors@ lonestar.edu.

LEGAL NOTICE

e Houston Independent School District 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 2:00 p.m. (CST) Tuesday, September 10, 2024, for the following solicitation: RFP 24-04-04 Janitorial Floor Chemicals and Cleaning Supplies

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 specications and submit their responses at the following link https://houstonisd. ionwave.net/Login.aspx until 10:00 AM (CST) Tuesday, August 27, 2024, for the following solicitation: RFP 25-07-01 Fire Retardant Flags

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