AframNews.com
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
HOUSTON
STATE REP RON REYNOLDS, FORMER TAAACC CHAIR
JIM WYATT, TAAACC PRESIDENT CHARLES O’NEAL, HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSION RODNEY ELLISON
CHAMPIONING BLACK BUSINESSES IN TEXAS
By: Chloé Richards
“At least since June 20th, 1865, in the state of Texas, Black folk have been forging an entrepreneurial path”, said Charles O’Neal, president of the Texas Association of African American Chambers of Commerce (TAAACC). e organizations mission is “To ensure that African American Business Owners receive a fair share of the economic prosperity of Texas. Serve as a catalyst for a better quality of life in African American communities throughout Texas.
Support policies that allow African- Americans access to economic opportunities.”
TAAACC one of the oldest Black business nonpro ts in the United States, it traces its roots to the Texas State Negro Chamber of Commerce, founded in 1936. e name was o cially changed in 1993. Today, TAAACC currently represents 10,000 Black chamber members within the state of Texas and advocates Businesses on pg. 3
Five Houston Independent School District (HISD) schools will lose their International Baccalaureate (IB) status for the 2025-2026 academic year. One of those schools being 3rd Ward’s Jack Yates High School. The IB program is an academic program that prepares students for college with advanced courses.
DALLAS
The African American Museum in Dallas, announced Margie Johnson Reese as interim executive director. Longtime director and founder Harry Robinson Jr. retired in December 2024.
BEAUMONT
Beaumont ISD plans to implement a national grant funded program to increase math skills amongst students post pandemic. BISD is partnering with the National Math and Science Initiative (NMSI) a Dallas based nonprofit organization.
PORT ARTHUR
Port Arthur native, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker, and two-time Superbowl champion, Elandon Roberts returned to his hometown and spoke to the local Port Arthur news station about his post-retirement plans. He said is ready to give back to the community, eventually wanting to be the head football coach of Port Arthur Memorial, his alma mater.
PEARLAND
Pearland, Tx is considering new public transportation services. As the city continues to grow it needs public transportation to accommodate all of its residents. Currently there are only two public transportation services in Pearland; Harris County Rides, a program for senior citizens and METROStar which is used for commuter vanpooling.
PRAIRIE VIEW
Research at PVAMU will help the future of the Gulf Coast region. According to PVAMU, they will receive almost $750,000 to “advance its Integrated Design for Environmental and Climate Justice Research and Community-Based Collaborative Design Studio, which seeks to strengthen resilience in previously segregated and historically significant communities in Houston and the wider Gulf Coast region.”
A Revival of God Consciousness
Bobby Mills, Ph.D.
On January 30th, 2025, a tragic aviation accident occurred involving an Army helicopter and an American Airlines commercial airliner, resulting in the loss of sixtyseven lives. President Trump, Vice President Vance, Shawn Du y, secretary of transportation, and other cabinet o cials ungodly referred to diversity, equity, and inclusion as factors potentially involved in the airline tragedy. What an ungodly shame, politicking about accidental deaths is about as demonic as it gets. America, never forget racism drives individuals insane. e Army helicopter pilots were White, and the two American Airline pilots were White, the air tra c controller was probably White. erefore, can we conclude that White Privilege Incompetence is responsible for the deaths? America, there’s nothing political about death, including the individuals operating the planes. Every person eventually passes away, regardless of their socioeconomic status or racial identity. Death is a universal divine appointment that does not respect socio-economic statuses and should not be politicized. ere are no exceptions regardless of skin-tone, sex status, or socio-economic statuses, because: “as it is appointed unto men once to die, but a er this the judgment: (Hebrews 9: 27a). More importantly, eternal Godly
EDITORIAL
By Chloé Richards
WHY CAN’T WE FOCUS?
Judgment is also color blind. Seeking to blame Blacks as well as other permanent tan minorities for an airline crash by decrying and claiming DEI is absolutely the epitome of devilish thinking. President Trump should never speak disparagingly concerning the issue of individuals receiving employment opportunities based upon skin-color. Take a long hard self-introspective look at Trump’s governing cabinet selections; White Privilege Personi ed. Trump’s initial Attorney General selection, Matt Gates, was so intellectually and morally unquali ed that some Republicans had to openly oppose. Racism is the epitome of desiring something for nothing. No doubt about it, President Trump has surrounded himself with a gang of White Privilege Appointments who are spiritually and morally broken, seeking something for nothing. erefore, they will do Trump’s retribution bidding. However, America fret not evil doers, because: “ us saith the Lord unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude: for the battle is not yours, but God’s.” (2 Chronicles 20: 15). e real battle is spiritual, between God and the devil. is is why, the battle is not yours (ours); but God’s, we simply need to spiritually learn how to hold our peace and allow God to get the victory, glory, honor and the power. America, especially Black people, spiritually hold your peace and fret not evil doers. Once again, politicizing death is as ungodly as it gets. Spiritually supporting families who lost loved ones is the right thing to do. erefore,
September 5th, 2007 was a life changing day for many of us, and we did not even know it. at is the day Apple released the iPod touch, those fortunate enough to get one remember the trill of having a handheld touch screen device. Not everyone had one, but as the years went on, we all eventually upgraded to some kind of expensive handheld smartphone. Engulfed and infatuated with technology by our early pre-teen years. e rise of the smartphone, the rise of technology has been very helpful but our ability to focus has taken a serious hit. Our attention spans are shrinking and the ability to have genuine human connections is fading. How did we survive before we carried around a thousand-dollar device in our hands, constantly refreshing, scrolling, and looking for our next hit of dopamine? (Dopamine is a chemical in your brain that makes you feel good.) We eat, sleep, and breathe our phones. is powerful tool has become a powerful crutch, it’s an addiction that we are describing as convenience. We struggle to have full conversations, avoid eye contact, and rarely engage in deep, uninterrupted thought. Many of us don’t read books anymore, most of us don’t even go outside anymore unless it is an absolute necessity. e problem isn’t just that
we can’t focus, it’s that we don’t know how anymore. If it isn’t ashy or fast, we subconsciously tune it out. Long form content of any sort is dying. Movie theaters are emptier than ever because sitting still for two hours without distractions feels impossible. e urge to check our phones is irresistible. We don’t write anymore, or at least not in the way we used to, many of us have forgotten how to write in cursive. e beauty of writing pen to paper, is fading. But it’s not just our writing that’s disappearing it’s our language itself. We talk the way we type, short and rushed. e younger we are, the worse it seems to get. Are we lazy or have we simply created a bad habit?
e generation that grew up as children and teenagers in the 2010s is seeing the worst of this brain shi . In many ways, we got the best of both worlds, or maybe the worst. We remember life before everything became digital, before smartphones consumed every moment of our attention. We were taught how to write by hand, how to have real conversations, how to function without being glued to a screen. We learned the life skills necessary for focus, patience, and deep thinking. We weren’t raised in a fully digital world, but we were the rst to be consumed by it. Our brains have been rewired to prioritize speed over depth. How do we x it? What do we do? Pick up a book, go outside, watch a movie, put your phone down. Reclaim the skills that you once had.
Coping, Creating, Conquering
for over 350,000 Black-owned business. “Now there are 30 Black Chamber of Commerce operating in our state, from the Panhandle down to the Gulf Coast, Central Texas, behind the Pine Curtain in East Texas,” said O’Neal.
AFRAM News spoke with President Charles O’Neal about TAAACC and the vision for Texas’ Black business community. A native Texan, O’Neal grew up in central Texas in Fort Hood and Killeen where his father served in the military. He attended North Texas University in Denton, Texas before starting in his career in the newspaper business.
Businesses Cont. opportunities in the marketplace as everyone else, but their mission is far from easy. “It’s not sexy. It’s not a pretty ght. It’s o en brutal. And we still have much work to do, to achieve” he said. Chambers of Commerce are primarily advocacy organizations, but sometimes the full extent of their work gets overlooked. While these organizations strive to effectively communicate the challenges their members face, they are also working to provide the technical assistance necessary to help members take full advantage of the opportunities that they are fighting for on the advocacy side. It is a dual effort, balancing both fronts.
It was in the newspaper i ndustry that O’Neal began to recognize the challenges Black businesses faced. “I did spend 25 years in the newspaper business, watching how money owed or failed to ow in our communities. at vantage point allowed me to peek behind the curtain and see some of the faces arrayed against Black- owned businesses and then use that experience to try to unravel the onion, so to speak,” he said. A er 20 years in the industry O’Neal went on to serve 17 years with the Dallas Black Chamber of Commerce. For the past 10 years, he has led TAAACC, advocating for the growth and success of Black businesses across the state.
TAAACC works tirelessly to ensure that Black owned business have equal
“It’s really a daunting piece of work that has to be done, and far too o en a thankless task” he said. Many people mistakenly think the main role of Black Chambers of Commerce is organizing celebratory events like banquets or luncheons. However, the real work happens behind the scenes, meeting with corporate and political leaders to address the unique challenges that Black business owners face. Unfortunately, many business owners feel that their success is solely tied to their own e orts, and do not always acknowledge how much work is happening in the background to support them.
e organization was f ounded by Black chamber leaders who understood the need to focus on local
markets but also recognized that they needed a stronger collective voice where critical decisions were being made. For nearly a century, the organization has been working to advocate for Black businesses. “It’s kind of mind boggling to me that it’s been a hundred years and, we’re still having to work as hard, if not harder because now the challenges are getting wrapped up in some so language that makes it look like everything is okay.” Access to capital, opportunity, and marketplace continues to be a challenge for Black owned businesses. With a population of 30.5 million, Texas is home to 11.6% of Black residents according to a 2021 report. e state spends only 1% of its purchases for goods and services with Blackowned businesses. “I think that’s criminal,” he said.
“Corporations that rely on black consumers spending with no reciprocity, ranges from telecom companies, cable companies, grocers, and automobile dealers, all of whom can track black dollars directly to their bottom line, but without ever having extended an opportunity to earn from that consuming relationship” he said. As an organization TAAACC focuses on education, advocacy, and holding companies accountable. However, despite the e orts the economic contributions of Black communities are clear, but the economy fails to give back to those communities in return.
Being an entrepreneur and business owner has become popular among younger generations. O’Neal suggest that Black business owners should join their local chamber of commerce. “If in fact you believe that it is not being the most e ective advocate for the concerns in your local community, then perhaps just what is needed is you. I encourage business owners to take advantage of the platform that exists, to ensure that the door is not closed in front of you and that it stays open for those coming behind you” he said. 9 years ago, for the 150th anniversary of Juneteenth, Juneteenth was recognized as a national holiday, Texans have been celebrating Juneteenth since 1865. June 20th, 1865, is when Black people had to become entrepreneurs because they had to figure out a way to earn a living. “For those 159 years to result in 1% spending is criminal. That’s the challenge that we’re attempting to address on a consistent basis… to effectively articulate against those who say ‘y’all had enough, or you don’t deserve it, or you didn’t earn it,’” he said. O’Neal expressed that he is excited about the organization’s future, and he hopes that for generations the legacy and work of the organizations continues. “What I hope for is that more people become aware, that we do have a say in this. We must have a say in this, you know, and that there is a way” he said.
THROUGH THE LENS OF TIME
“BLACK HISTORY SHOULD BE CELEBRATED EVERY MONTH, NOT JUST FEBRUARY”
FEBRUARY
February 1st, 1865: President Abraham Lincoln signed the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution. e 13th Amendment abolished slavery.
February 2nd, 2009: Eric Holder became the rst Black person to serve as the United States attorney general, he served from 2009-2015.
February 3rd, 1870: Congress rati ed the 15th Amendment to the United States Constitution, giving Black men the right to vote.
February 4th, 1913: Civil Rights Activist, Rosa Parks was born in Tuskegee, Alabama.
BLACK HISTORY FUN FACTS
• Madam C.J. Walker is the rst Black woman to become a self-made millionaire. She created hair care products for Black women.
• W.E.B. DuBois is the rst Black person to earn a doctorate degree from Harvard University. A er being complimented on graduating from Harvard he said, “ e honor, I assure you, was Harvard’s.” He was one of the founders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP.)
• Shirley Chisholm is the rst Black woman elected to the United States Congress. She represented New York’s 12th congressional district for seven terms from 1969 to 1983. During her time in Congress, she also was the rst Black woman to seek nomination for president from one of two major political parties.
• Dr. Mae Jemison is the rst Black woman to become an astronaut. She is also an engineer and physician. She served as the mission specialist on STS-47. STS-47 was NASA’s 50th Space Shuttle mission.
• Jack Johnson was the rst Black heavyweight boxing champion. He is a Galveston, TX native who rose to fame during the Jim Crow Era. His 1910 ght against James J. Je ries was considered the “ ght of the century.”
February 5th, 1990: Barack Obama became the 1st Black person to become President of the Harvard Law Review. A law review is a legal magazine written and edited by law students; it is a big
tennis player to represent the United States in the Davis Cup. students; it is a big achievement for law students.
February 6th, 1993: Tennis champion and Civil Rights Activist Arthur Ashe passed away. Arthur Ashe was the rst Black man to win the U.S. Open, Wimbledon and the rst Black tennis player to
February 7th, 1926: Carter G. Woodson the “Father of Black History” he created Negro History Week.
ECONOMICS
THE RACIAL WEALTH GAP AFFORDABLE FOR WHO?
By: Travis McGee
By: Chloé Richards
For generations, Black people have faced economic issues. Anything from homeownership, access to adequate funds, or simply creating generational wealth. As time continues to progress, much progress has been made; according to CNBC Black women make up less than 10% of the United States population but are the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S. However, on the opposite side of that, studies show that Black households were more likely to have student loan and medical debt than white households. e economic gap between Black & white people remains a constant issue, raising questions about opportunity, access, and nancial stability.
e racial wealth gap does not just start with income, but it starts with history not allowing Black people to have any wealth building op-
portunities. Slavery, Jim Crow Laws, redlining, and discriminatory banking practices, Black people have had to continually ght economic inclusion. Home ownership is a way for Black people to close the racial wealth gap, Black homeownership is 45%, while white homeownership is 73%.
portunities. Slavery, Jim Crow Laws, redlining, and discriminatory banking practices, Black people have had to continually ght economic inclusion. Home wealth gap, Black homeownership is 45%, while white homeownership is 73%.
A er WW2, the G.I. Bill o cially titled “the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944” was signed into law by President Franklin D. Rosevelt. is program helped veterans and their families, veterans were given low interest rates, government backed home loans with no down payment requirements. is bill helped many American white veterans. Many Black veterans were denied entry into this program because of discrimination. Banks would not give out loans and redlining policies would not allow them access to buy homes in certain areas. As a result, the G.I. Bill sounded good in theory, but it prevented Black people from the economic opportunity.
Today, Black workers are facing salary and unemployment discrimination. Studies show that historically the Black
unemployment rate is twice as high as the white unemployment rate. e Black unemployment rate is 8.2% and the white unemployment rate is 4.7%. In 2023, the median household income for Black’s was $51,960 and $69,070 for whites. is is not just a numbers game, but proving how daily life is a ected because of the wealth gap. Lower income means less money to save, invest, or start a business. is also makes it harder to a ord housing, healthcare, and education, all of these things are critical for economic stability.
All across our city we o en hear the term “A ordable Housing” and you also see socalled a ordable housing projects thrown up overnight. A ordable means a lot of di erent things to a lot of di erent people. To the Haves it means that they could a ord to build, invest in, and even pay the mortgage, if need be, but to the HAVE NOTS it means it has been the largest part of the budget which includes mortgage/rent, taxes, insurance(s), groceries, transportation, a family, and overall cost of living. is irresponsible construction is called Gentri cation, but it’s the kind that’s on steroids due to very bad ordinance written by our City Council. All underserved, under developed, poor communities that set below the poverty level are all experiencing the same thing.
on that one lot. NOTE: If they combine two or more of the said lots that property can become another whole subdivision within an already pre-existing subdivision. is ordinance was said to be used to increase the density here in the city of Houston (basically to t more people) here by any means necessary. Even if that means putting $2,000,000.00 worth of property up to 75 high next to traditional single family 1 story dwellings on top of a prehistoric $2.00 infrastructure system.
ere is power in Black entrepreneurship. Despite the challenges, Black people have a history of economic resilience. From Black Wall Street in Tulsa, Oklahoma to the 60 plus Black owned businesses that used to line Lyons Avenue in Houston’s 5th Ward. Entrepreneurship is a powerful tool for economic independence. Black owned businesses continue to rise in beauty, technology, and media. Access to capital (money) continues to remain a major hurdle. Black people are less likely to get bank loans and o en have to rely
e passage of Chapter 42 Ordinance in 2013 by ton City Council made able development legal.
e ordinance only bene ts the city through tax revenue and fees as well as the developers through una ordable housing and landgrabs. You would think the ordinances would protect the residents / taxpayers, but it doesn’t. It really doesn’t matter if you have deed restrictions or not if the city is issuing the permits and
issuing the permits and approving the construction. You are extremely lucky if you get a variance/ notice of construction
e passage of Chapter 42 Ordinance in 2013 by a vote of 14-3 on Houston City Council made this type of Una ordable development legal. What is Chapter 42, you may ask? Well, it basically decreases the minimum lot size to build on and allows developers to replat one residential lots into multiple sections /lots to build multiple structures
these days. Once the city writes bad ordinances without our input or suggestions, they expect their constituents to go out and get signatures and etc. to prevent the irresponsible building that the city legalized through the Ordinance that they wrote. is type of construction normally turns into short term rentals because it’s not considered a ordable for the demographic area in which they are built in, however it still raises the taxes, a ects the drainage, and puts more strain on the prehistoric infrastructure. How can areas be below the Poverty line, but overpriced, over taxed, and underrepresented be so A ordable, I guess it depends on who they consider it to be a ordable for, but regardless of how you do the math 300K to 400K homes with an average mortgage between $1600 to $1800 a month is not
A ordable for areas be-
NEGRO HISTORY WEEK HISTORY
By: Chloé Richards
Before there was Black History Month, there was Negro History Week. Negro History Week was created by Dr. Carter G. Woodson in 1926. Woodson was an author, journalist, historian and the founder of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) in 1915 which later became the Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH.) Woodson is known as the “Father of Black History.” He earned his Ph.D. from Harvard and was one of the rst to study African American history.
Originally, Negro History Week was celebrated the second week in February. Many people believe that it is not fair that Black History Month is celebrated during the shortest month of the year, but that was intentional by Woodson. It is said that he, chose these dates to honor the birthdays of President Abraham Lincoln (February 14th) and Frederick Douglass (February 12th), Woodson believed that these two men were in uential in the Black community. President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation which freed
the slaves and Frederick Douglass, escaped slavery and was the most important leader of the movement for African American civil rights in the 19th century. Both of these men were dedicated to ghting for freedom and equality.
Woodson created Negro History Week to promote the study and celebration of African American history, he highlighted overlooked achievements of Black people in the United States. Woodson believed that Black history should not be put in a box and con ned to academics but should be
made accessible to all people. He and the ASNLH promoted Negro History Week as a time for schools, churches, and communities to hold events, lectures and discussions and Black history and culture. Educators were also encouraged to include Black History in their lessons.
Over time, Negro History Week gained national attention, and by the 1960s, as the Civil Rights Movement progressed, there was a push to expand it from a week to the whole month. 49 years ago, in 1976, President Gerald R. Ford o cially recognized Black History Month,
Ford encouraged all Americans to “recognize the important contribution made to our nation’s life and culture by Black citizens.” Today, Black History Month continues Woodson’s mission by ensuring that Black History is studied, celebrated and acknowledged as an important part of American history. Black History Month is not only celebrated in the United States but also in Canada who also celebrates in February and the United Kingdom who celebrates in October. By learning and understanding the past, a better future can be created for all people.
President AA
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS
Request for Proposal will be received by Lone Star College for:
Bid Opening Date: 2-5-2025 at 12:00 p.m.
RFP #25-02-02 – Water Treatment Services. Electronic submittals are due by 2:00 P.M., 02-25-2025. Contact: Lydia Sterling @ Lydia. Sterling@lonestar.edu
Must Register to Bid: http://lonestar. ionwave.net/Login.aspx. If registered, please log into IonWave for additional information. For assistance with the online registration process, contact MCVendors@lonestar.edu.
log into IonWave for additional information. For assistance with the online registration process, contact MCVendors@lonestar.edu.
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS
Competitive Sealed Bid will be received by Lone Star College for: Bid Opening Date: 2-3-2025 CSP # 25-01-04 – North Harris Campus Bookstore and Gymnasium Breezeway Repairs. Electronic submittals due by 2:00 P.M., 02-202025.
Contact: Lydia Sterling @ Lydia. Sterling@lonestar.edu
Must Register to Bid: http://lonestar. ionwave.net/Login.aspx. If registered, please log into IonWave for additional information. For assistance with the online registration process, contact MCVendors@lonestar.edu.
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Edison Arts Foundation