“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
We the People
Your vote and your money are the two most powerful things you have. Be careful who you give them to.
- Roy Douglas Malonson
MASS
TRANSIT HAS
A
HOW BLACK FEMALE POLITICIANS SHAPED AMERICAN POLITICS VOTE
By Sharon C. Jenkins
e journey of famous black female politicians in American history is a testament to perseverance and progress. eir stories are lled with groundbreaking achievements and historic rsts that have shaped the political landscape. ese trailblazers have overcome signi cant barriers, paving the way for future generations of leaders and leaving an indelible mark on the nation’s democratic process.
As you explore this article, you’ll learn about the remarkable contributions of black female politi-
cians who have made waves in Congress, the Senate, and civil rights activism. From Shirley Chisholm’s pioneering role as the rst African American woman elected to Congress to Kamala Harris’s ascent to the Vice Presidency, these women have challenged norms and expanded the possibilities for representation in American politics. Their stories offer insights into the ongoing struggle for equality and the power of determination in the face of adversity.
NEGLIGIBLE EFFECT ON GHG EMISSIONS
By: Bill King
One of the arguments transit advocates regularly use to justify the billions spent by taxpayers every year on mass transit is that it reduces greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. However, the data is clear that its actual e ect on GHG emissions is negligible.
e easiest way to demonstrate this is through a thought experiment that assumes all trips currently made in passenger vehicles could be converted to transit. Of course, it is impossible to convert every passenger trip to transit, but the exercise will give us the outside limit of how much transit could reduce GHG emissions.
e EPA has issued a report that estimated the total U.S. GHG emissions as 2022 at 6,343 metric tons and breaks down the sources of those emissions. Transportation makes up 29% of the total. Of the total emissions
Politicians on pg. 3 Emissions on pg. 4
A Revival of God Consciousness
Bobby Mills, Ph.D.
THE FULL POLITICAL ECLIPSE
BOX 41820 Houston, TX 77241
e GOP is experiencing a full political eclipse meltdown, because of the insanity of the Trump MAGA Cult doctrine of White Privilege Autocracy, which in turn, is an attempt to blight out multicultural democracy. is is not new to American democracy. It happened with the Civil War, and only America and Americans were destroyed. Trump and his MAGA Cult followers must be Godly defeated at the polls on November 5th, 2024, and the Trump 2025 Project must never see the light of day. Hopefully, the White Privilege Proponents of racial exclusion (73+ Million MAGA
Trump Voters), and their false notions of racial superiority just might be willing to divest their economic holdings and citizenship, and relocate to a White Privilege Autocracy, such as Russia. ank God! Maybe the rest of US can spiritually move forward in peace and harmony, and build a just multicultural democratic society as the Founders envisioned. Moreover, do Russia a favor and take Elon Musk with you, because America is not a one-man show. America is of the people, by the people, for the people, and God is in the center of it all. In any human society friction will occur between individuals. However, no one desires to see the worse instincts displayed by individuals of any so-called race or color. e distress of the Trump MAGA Cult “2025” doctrine is beginning to stress America out and take a devilish toll on our God conscience and sense of national unity. America does not need to revisit the insanity of MAGA Trumpism. erefore, America let’s begin to act like
who we say we are in e Preamble to the Constitution and the Constitution, itself. ank God, there is an atmosphere of JOY on the horizon eclipsing the spiritual darkness of the GOP, and the spiritual bright light of God will shine ever so brightly on the land of the free, and the home of the brave. Get Ready, Get Ready, Get Ready to receive the blessings of the Lord. ose who do not desire to be blessed by God can catch an early ight to a land that you feel is right for you, but for me, and mine, we shall serve God, Family, and America. President Biden is a man among many socalled males, because it takes a Godly man to do what is right for his country, and at the same time, honor all women regardless of skin-color by honoring Vice President Harris. What a MAN! President Biden will be remembered in the annuals of time along with President George Washington, President Lincoln, President F. D. Roosevelt, and Lyndon B. Johnson, because: “And we know that all things work
together for good, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8: 28). e Grand Ole Party is no longer grand. e GOP has lost its spiritual moral will to properly screen potential candidates for public o ces and exercise the moral will to check and balance members. For example, Trump’s 2016 Presidential announcement escalator speech was pictorially revelatory of his spiritualmoral character and mindset. November 5th, 2024, shall be a great awakening day, because: “As it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2: 9). America, on November 5th, 2024, vote for the TRUTH, and shun the lies of the devil and his political IMPS. Amen.
“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
Pioneers in Congress: Shirley Chisholm and Barbara Jordan
Shirley Chisholm’s Groundbreaking Career
You can trace Shirley Chisholm’s groundbreaking political journey back to 1968 when she became the rst African American woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. Using the motto “unbought and unbossed,” which was also the title of her 1970 autobiography, Chisholm campaigned for New York’s 12th congressional district and won. Her victory marked a historic rst, paving the way for greater representation of women and minorities in Congress.
Chisholm’s activism began earlier in the 1950s when she campaigned for Lewis Flagg Jr. to become Brooklyn’s rst Black judge, leading to her involvement in the Belford-Stuyvesant Political League that fought for civil rights. With a master’s degree in elementary education from Columbia University, she advocated for issues like early childhood education and support for working mothers. During her time in Congress from 1969 to 1983, Chisholm co-founded in uential organizations like the National Women’s Political Caucus and the National Congress of Black Women. She championed racial and gender equality, expanding the food stamp program and establishing the Special
Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children. In 1974, her e orts led to the passage of a minimum wage law that included domestic workers. Perhaps her most signi cant achievement was her 1972 presidential campaign when she became the rst African American from a major political party and the rst Democratic woman to run for president. Despite facing discrimination and an underfunded campaign, Chisholm entered 12 primaries and secured 152 delegates’ votes (10% of the total).
Barbara Jordan’s Impact on Texas and National Politics
Barbara Jordan’s political career was equally trailblazing. In 1966, she became the rst African American elected to the Texas Senate since 1883 and the rst Black woman elected to that body. Her victory followed the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which enabled greater Black voter participation. In 1972, Jordan made history again as the rst African American woman elected to Congress from the South since 1898. While in Congress, she served on the in uential Judiciary Committee and delivered the opening statement during the impeachment process against President Nixon, eloquently defending constitutional principles. Jordan sponsored legislation in 1975 that expanded the Voting Rights Act’s protections to Latinx, Native, and Asian Americans.
e following year, she became the rst African American woman to deliver the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention.
eir In uence On Future Generations
e pioneering journeys of Chisholm and Jordan opened doors for generations of Black female politicians to come. Chisholm’s presidential bid inspired many, including young activists who followed the “Chisholm Trail.” Jordan’s powerful speeches, like her 1976 convention address noting her presence as “evidence that the American dream need not forever be deferred,” gave hope to millions.
eir tireless e orts to promote civil rights, gender equality, and minority representation in the halls of power le an indelible legacy. As Chisholm said, she wanted “to be remembered as a woman...who dared to be a catalyst of change.” Undoubtedly, both Chisholm and Jordan were catalysts who shaped American politics profoundly.
Breaking Barriers in the Senate: Carol Moseley Braun and Kamala Harris
Carol Moseley Braun: e First Black Woman Senator
In 1992, Carol Moseley Braun made history by becoming the rst African American woman elected to the United States Senate, representing Illinois as a Democrat. Her victory
marked several groundbreaking achievements - she was the rst female senator from Illinois, the rst African American woman senator, and the rst African American Democratic senator.
Moseley Braun’s election came a er she defeated the incumbent Democratic senator Alan Dixon in the primaries, a feat that made her the rst woman to defeat an incumbent U.S. Senator for a major party’s nomination.
Moseley Braun’s path to the Senate began with her roles as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Illinois State Representative. Her decision to run for the Senate was inspired by Dixon’s vote to con rm Clarence omas to the Supreme Court despite allegations of sexual harassment by Anita Hill. Moseley Braun’s historic win in 1992 was part of the “Year of the Woman,” when a record number of women were elected to Congress.
During her tenure from 1993 to 1999, Moseley Braun was the sole African American in the Senate. She made headlines in 1993 by convincing the Senate Judiciary Committee not to renew a patent containing the Confederate ag for the United Daughters of the Confederacy. Moseley Braun also became the rst woman to serve on the in uential Senate Finance Committee.
Kamala Harris: From Senator to Vice President
Kamala Harris followed in Moseley Braun’s footsteps by becoming
the second Black woman elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016, representing California. She was also the rst South Asian American senator. As a senator, Harris served on key committees like the Judiciary, Intelligence, and Homeland Security committees.
Harris’s legislative achievements included bills related to criminal justice reform, immigration, and healthcare. She questioned two Supreme Court nominees during her time on the Judiciary Committee. Harris also worked on securing American elections while serving on the Senate Intelligence Committee.
In 2020, Harris made history again by becoming the rst female, rst Black, and rst South Asian American Vice President of the United States. As Vice President, she has focused on issues like reproductive rights, gun violence prevention, voting rights, and environmental protection. Harris has also represented the nation abroad, traveling to over 19 countries and meeting with over 150 world leaders to strengthen global alliances.
eir Legislative Achievements and Policy Focuses
Both Moseley Braun and Harris championed progressive causes during their Senate tenures. Moseley Braun was strongly pro-choice, voting against abortion restrictions and the death penalty while supporting gun control measures. She also sponsored education bills.
As Vice President, Harris has been a key partner to President Biden in achieving major legislative victories. is includes the In ation Reduction Act, which represents the largest investment in tackling the climate crisis. Harris cast the tie-breaking vote to secure its passage, setting a new record for the most tie-breaking votes by a Vice President. Together, Biden and Harris have invested in job creation, small business support, lowering prescription drug costs, improving maternal health, and enacting the rst signi cant gun safety law in decades. ey also formed a bipartisan coalition to invest $1 trillion in infrastructure like removing lead pipes, improving public transit, and expanding highspeed internet access.
Civil Rights Activists Turned Politicians: Fannie Lou Hamer Hamer’s Fight for Voting Rights
Read more at aframnews.com
Like many African Americans living under Jim Crow laws in the South, Fannie Lou Hamer was unaware she had voting rights until 1962. at year, she attended a meeting organized by the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), where she learned about her ability to vote and transform American society through political participation. In August 1962, Hamer traveled with 17 other civil rights activists from her
ON RACIAL JUSTICE & CIVIL RIGHTS
THE DEMOCRATS’ PLATFORM
1864
The direct interference of the military authorities of the United States in the recent elections held in Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, and Delaware † was a shameful violation of the Constitution; and a repetition of such acts in the approaching election will be held as revolutionary, and resisted with all the means and power under our control.
Flag of the salve-holding nation of the Confederate States of America
† At the outbreak of the Civil War, the eleven proslavery states that seceded from the Union to form the slave-holding Confederate States of America were almost completely Democratic; in fact, every southern Democratic member of the U. S. Congress gave up his seat and joined the Confederacy. However, the states of Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri, and Delaware (called “border states” because they were the bu er states caught between the Union States and the Confederate States) did not secede, even though they were pro-slavery and largely Democratic. When the election of 1864 occurred, the proslavery forces in those border states used violence to keep anti-slavery Republicans from voting. Federal troops were therefore sent in to protect the ballot boxes and ensure that all citizens could vote. It was this protection of voting rights through the use of federal troops that the Democrats here denounce.
THE REPUBLICANS’ PLATFORM
1864
As slavery was the cause and now constitutes the strength of [the Civil War], † and as [slavery] must be always and everywhere hostile to the principles of republican government, justice and the national safety demand its utter and complete [elimination] from the soil of the Republic; and while we uphold and maintain the acts and proclamations by which the government in its own defense has aimed a deathblow at this gigantic evil, we are in favor, furthermore, of such an amendment to the Constitution . . . as shall terminate and forever prohibit the existence of slavery within the limits of the jurisdiction of the United States. ††
attributed to transportation, the EPA estimates that 57% are due to “light-duty vehicles.” It attributes 20% to passenger vehicles and 37% to “light-duty trucks, which include sport utility vehicles, pickup trucks, and minivans.”
e EPA lumping all light-duty trucks into the same category creates some di culty in estimating potential savings from transit. Many families use SUVs, pickups and minivans as passenger vehicles. But many light-duty trucks are also used by businesses for deliveries and service calls. ose trips cannot be converted to transit.
But for the purposes of this thought experiment, I am going to assume that all of the light-duty truck use could be converted to transit, which is clearly a gross overestimation. Making that assumption, the total share of GHG emissions from all light-duty vehicles is 16.5% (29% x 57%).
† Many today assert that the Civil War was not over slavery, but historical records prove otherwise. e secession documents of the Southern states that le the Union, as well as the o cial documents of the Confederate States of America, describe that Southern nation as a confederation of “slave-holding” states. According to historical records, slavery was the primary distinction between the North and the South, and Rebels were therefore ghting for the existence of a slave-holding nation. †† In 1860, the Republicans – for the rst time in history – had won the national elections and in 1861 therefore took control of the Presidency, House, and Senate. ey promptly passed a number of civil rights laws, including laws abolishing slavery in all U. S. territories and in Washington, D.C. ey also passed laws that began to open courts of justice to allow African American participation.
Even though they had already “aimed a deathblow at this gigantic evil,” they realized that progress through such laws was too slow. ey therefore called for a constitutional amendment to give them a single means to nally and totally end the evil. is platform plank was the rst o cial call by a political party for what became the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolishing slavery.
However, mass transit is not GHG emission free. So, the next thing we need to know is how much the various modes of mass transit reduce GHG emissions. is is a chart that was prepared by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA), showing the relative emissions for passenger cars compared to various modes of transit, and from which it concludes that transit would reduce GHG emissions from personal autos by over half (1-(.45/.96)=53%). ere are several things to note about this chart. e
rst is that tied for second in reducing emissions are van pools. Yet, in the balance of the FTA report it does not mention van pools again. All of its promotion of transit as a source of emission reductions is devoted to buses and trains. Of course, no one makes billions of dollars o organizing van pools.
e second important thing to note is that the chart uses GHG emissions per passenger-mile traveled. is is important because the amount of emissions per passenger-mile varies dramatically based on how many people are traveling together for each mode.
e FTA chart assumes various load factors ranging from 28%-56% for transit modes, but assumes that every car has only a single occupant. is is denoted by the parenthetical “SOV” under “Private Auto” column. However, if a private auto has two passengers, then its emissions would be
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THIRD ANNUAL SLAVERY REMEMBRANCE DAY
By Shelley McKinley
During the ird Annual Slavery Remembrance Day, hosted by Congressman Al Green in Houston, TX, a new phrase ‘historicide’ was introduced by keynote speaker, Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III. Historicide refers to the calculated murder of our memory and undermining the truth of history. Recent book bans, the rejection of critical race theory, and the takeover of the Houston ISD by the state all serve as examples of attempts at historicide. “ ey are wiping out diversity, equity, and inclusion in a nation of liberty and justice for all. ere is something hypocritical about that,” declared Rev. Dr. Haynes.
attendees bellowed, “Always remember,” took on signi cant meaning in light of the theme, “We are the dream and hope of the enslaved.”
Some of the statements were: “To prevent the evils of slavery from being repeated, we must always remeber; to commemorate the su ering and the lives lost because of slavery, we must always remember; For the 12 million humans whose lives were stolen from them when they were kidnapped from Africa and forced into slavery, we must always remember.”
In total there were 17 statements of remembrance that told the story of the middle passage,
breaking families apart, the Underground Railroad, mass lynching, and other atrocities su ered by the enslaved and their descendants.
In addition to remembering enslaved African Americans and calling for respect and reparations, Congressman Al Green also called attention to the plight of those in Gaza. “We who have su ered cannot stand idly by and watch those babies being
bombed, with bombs that you are paying for. Our tax dollars should not be used to kill any more babies. It’s time to end this war. ere is suffering now on the West Bank. e West Bank was supposed to be land set aside for a Palestinian state. ere must be a home for the Israelis, but there also
erefore, the calland-response led by Rep. Al Green in which
Read more at aframnews.com
Rep. Al Green in which
Rep. Al Green and attendees
Rev. Dr. Frederick D. Haynes III
Fort Bend County Nurses Association members
Notice to Proposers Request for Proposal will be received by Lone Star College for:
• RFP #956 – Printing Services –Small Projects. Electronic submittals due by 2:00PM, Tuesday, September 10, 2024.
• WebEx pre-proposal meeting: Friday, August 23, 2024, 10:00AM; callin number 1-408-792-6300, Meeting #2630 827 6203
• 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.
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS
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 5:00 p.m. (CST) Wednesday, September 25, 2024, for the following solicitation for the following projects: RFP 21-06-04-C Leadership, Teacher, and Sta Development Pre-proposal conferences via Microso Teams will be held in conjunction with this RFP. Information regarding dates, times, and 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
Lone Star College Request for Proposal: RFQ #959 Commissioning Services Victory Expansion and RFQ #960 Magnolia responses are due on Tuesday, 9-10-24 by 10 AM with the Pre-Bid Conference for Vendors on 08-26-24 at 11 AM.
Join from the meeting link https://lonestar.webex.com/ lonestar/j.php?MTID=m5a9d29fd9c 28f513e1eee15504968413
All bid event documents can be found in the iStar Vendor Portal: https://fsm.lonestar.edu/psp/fsmprd/ SUPPLIER/ERP/h/?tab=DEFAULT
A short video is provided on how to place bids and register in the Bid Attachments.
For more information, please visit https://www.lonestar.edu/vendors Contact MC-vendors@lonestar.edu or Lydia.Sterling@LoneStar.edu
GREAT EDUCAT RS THE HEART OF LEARNING STARTS WITH
Nominate a deserving teacher, principal, counselor, early childhood learning center, school board or school district.
Created in 2002, the H‑E‑B Excellence in Education Awards was designed to honor and thank outstanding public school professionals. Through this program, H‑E‑B awards over $700,000 annually to deserving educators who go the extra mile to serve their students and communities.
To submit a nomination or application, go to heb.com/nominate.
