AframNews.com
“Addressing
Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
RICHIE RHUE
BLACK FUNERAL HOME BUSINESS
HOUSTON
Harmony Public Schools Houston South and West Districts were named the best Houston-area schools by Children at Risk.
GALVESTON
There is a neighborhood effort to turn former L.A. Morgan Elementary School campus into a Juneteenth Museum. It is in jeopardy after city officials postponed talking about whether they support the plan or not.
AUSTIN
By: Chloé Richards
In Acres Homes, in the heart of the north side of Houston, Paradise Funeral Homes is a symbol of history, community, and change. e building that houses the largest funeral home in the area was once a school that Houston’s former mayor, Sylvester Turner attended. Over the years, Paradise has gone through several transitions before becoming the funeral home that it is today. However, a signi cant transformation began in September 2021 when Richie Rhue became the rst licensed embalmer and funeral director to be area general manager of all four of its funeral homes.
Mr. Rhue’s path to the funeral business was not his apart of his original plan for his life. Born and raised in Conway, South Carolina, (30 minutes from Myrtle Beach) he initially envisioned a career in hospitality. “I didn’t want to be a funeral director. I actually wanted to be more in hospitality, like restaurants and hotels because that’s what I was used to where I was from,” he said. Despite him not wanting to initially be in the funeral business he is a third-generation funeral director and embalmer. His grandfather encouraged him to work for the funeral home, a er his grand- Funeral on pg. 3
Representative Ron Reynolds was appointed by Speaker Dustin Burrows to serve on the Texas House Committees on Energy Resources, Environmental Regulation, and House Administration. These committees are critical to shaping the future of Texas.
FORT WORTH
Fort Worth ISD is proposing closing up to 25 schools to fix a $17 million dollar deficit. 21 elementary schools, 3 middle schools, and 1 high school.
SAN ANTONIO
The City of San Antonio’s MLK Commission is offering a Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. scholarship program to help students get through college. The program started in 2016 and has raised over $1.1 million for scholarship funding. The deadline to apply is February 24th, 2025.
ALIEF
State of Texas orders Alief ISD to make a plan to end illegal suspensions of homeless students.
A Revival of God Consciousness
EDITORIAL
DEI: DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION
Who bene ts from DEI? No doubt about it, DEI is not Black preferential occupational treatment. In fact, DEI is simply a suggestion aimed at reducing workplace occupational discrimination. A rmative Action Programs bene tted White women, not Blacks and other minorities. Hence, Black women are less likely to have access to professional support and advocacy than are White women. erefore, White women have bene tted disproportionately more from Corporate DEI Programs than Black women. Nineteen percent for White women and (4%) overall for Blacks. If the absolute truth be told White women and the LGBTQ community were primarily the socio-economic benefactors of DEI, not Blacks. For Example, a 2019 report from a global nonpro t think tank found that Black professionals face more prejudice and discrimination than other ethnic groups. e spiritual socio-economic question is WHY? e socioeconomic tension and racial con ict in American society is primarily between Blacks and Whites because of slavery and institutional racism. is is why Blacks are less likely than their racial counterparts to have access to senior level administrative positions. us, the racial tension and con ict in American society
is primarily between Whites and Blacks, other non-White minorities tend to seek avoidance by hiding in the shadows. Systematic institutionalized racism is real in American society, especially in the corporate workplace. Discrimination in corporate hiring and promotion processes is the glaring example that corporations will hire but not promote and retain Black employees. erefore, DEI aims to address disparities faced by Black and minority groups but can sometimes be perceived di erently depending on individual perspectives.
And all that Jazz
OUR OWN SHINING BLACK PRINCE
father was run over by a streetcar, his body slashed in half. Malcolm always insisted that he was slaughtered by whites and his body arranged across the tracks to suggest an accident. Shortly a erwards, his mother was involuntarily committed to a mental asylum. He and his siblings were scattered.
He was an eighth-grade dropout. A pimp. A burglar. Addicted to cocaine. His religion was hatred, particularly toward “white devils.” Per e New York Times he was “an extraordinary twisted man” who “turn[ed] many true gi s to evil purpose” and his life was “strangely and pitifully wasted.”
Time called him “an unashamed demagogue”. He was also a preacher, a human rights organizer, an advocate for Black empowerment and for the promotion of Islam within the African American community. He dedicated his life to civil rights progress, and equality for African Americans. He created the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which emphasized self-reliance and self-protection. He was a justice seeker and a truth teller.
His birth name was Malcolm Little. His nickname was Big Red. His name at death was el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz. You likely know him as Malcom X. Malcolm X was assassinated in front of four hundred people, including his pregnant wife and four daughters on February 21, 1965, as he was about to make a speech. He was 39 years old.
President Trump does not have DEI hires in his administration. He has unquali ed White cabinet o cials and one token Black nominee for the secretary of HUD. In three weeks in the White House, Trump has produced a shock and awe devilish governing style, based primarily upon analysis of paralysis. Hence, public service ethics is a spiritual-moral concept that is foreign to the Trump MAGA-Cult. However, a change is going to come, because God knows how to ght devilish power, and: “ e sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Corinthians 15: 56-57). America, God can turn the devil’s victory into defeat. Unfortunately, the law sometimes con icts with our religious beliefs, leading to disobedience due to a lack of spiritual understanding. Christian Right Evangelicals and the MAGA-Cult are classic examples. On the other hand, ambassa-
Malcolm’s father was a Baptist minister and admirer of Marcus Garvey of the “Back to Africa” movement. When he was about six, Malcolm’s
Shortly a er, Malcolm went to New York where he adopted a zoot-suits and yellowtoed shoes, and conked his reddish hair. He sold marijuana and hustled white men in search of Black prostitutes and Black men who preferred white women. Convicted of stealing, he spent six years in a Boston prison, where he educated himself by copying entire dictionaries. He became enamored of the Black Muslims, enchanted by their myths and religion. He was taught that the rst humans were Black, and all other races were the result of Yacub, a depraved scientist who over generations created a “bleached out, white people.”
Released from incarceration, Malcolm married Betty Sanders and became a formidable promoter of Black Muslimism. e eloquent speaking skills he developed in prison made him a prize recruiter, and he was honored by leader Elijah Muhammad with increasingly responsibilities to convert the curious and establish new mosques. Malcolm became an indemand lecturer before Black and white audiences and colleges. is success unsettled his boss. Meanwhile, Malcolm learned that the self-proclaimed Messenger of Allah was sexually abusing young women and outing other
Bobby Mills, Ph.D.
Esperanza Jazz Paz
S.O.S SAVE OUR SELVES
By: Travis McGee
Who’s coming to save us? If our answer doesn’t include us, we really are in serious trouble. When I say save us, I mean by choosing commonsense over nonsense. We o en give every one a chance other than ourselves. In a political driven world, we can’t a ord to not be proactively informed and involved at the same time. e consequences of not being involved/ informed can be both severe and expensive to say the least.
Even though our houses here in Houston, Tx been on re we still have to convince people that they are on re before we can organize them enough to put the res out. Convincing someone that their house is on re sounds strange because they should see the same ames and smoke as you, but most are waiting to be saved vs trying to save themselves. e worst part about saving ourselves is everyone don’t want to be saved and if you spend too much time in a burning
spend too much time in a burning building trying to save them you may not make it out either.
like everything else. We have to hold everyone accountable starting with Self. We allow Politics, clout chasers, gatekeepers, and etc. to keep the res going, because sadly those are the only titles most listen to even though time and time again, they have proven to be about themselves and money, somewhat like Jim Jones. e people didn’t die from listening to Jim Jones they died from believing him. If you look around our neighborhoods, communities, and city as a whole you will quickly see the need to Save Our Selves, however it can’t be done unless the masses choose to Saves Our Selves vs waiting to be rescued by the same people that helped start the re in the rst place. Whether its lack of representation, gentri cation, or taxation we are being” SOLD OUT, everyone is getting paid while we not paying attention. Until we are willing to make a sacri ce to Save Our Selves our communities will continue
Funeral Cont.
father’s passing, he worked at the funeral home with his father and uncle and became a licensed embalmer. He le Conway and went to school at the American Academy McAllister Institute of Funeral Service in New York in 2006; at the time it was the top ranked funeral service school in the country. He graduated in 2009 and decided to stay in New York. “I kind of fell in love with New York and I stayed there for about 16 years,” he said.
home and a cemetery. We are here for the community in Acres Homes and beyond,” he said.
Paradise Cemetery dates back to the 1900s, it was originally a school. A er becoming a funeral home, it was ran by the Butlers and then the Wilsons. It is now operated by Service Corporation International, which is a part of Dignity Brand. “We have history just being the largest funeral home in the area,” he said. As stated on their website, “Paradise is dedicated to helping celebrate your life or that of a loved one with a funeral and memorial service be tting the life lived.”
As Houston’s demographic shi s, so does the demographic of Paradise. ere has been an increasing number of Hispanic families in the area. Mr. Rhue and his team continue to work tirelessly to meet the unique needs of each family that is serviced. ere are a few local famous people who are buried in Paradise. “We had the pleasure of burying Mrs. Sheila Jackson Lee here when she passed away this past year,” he said.
As long as our only focus is on the White House which is 1,400 miles away, our houses will continue to burn. Saving ourselves start locally just to be the sacri ce. We can’t Save Everybody, but we should be trying to save somebody even if that Somebody is yourself…
In New York, he served as funeral home director and funeral home manager. In September 2021, Mr. Rhue had the opportunity to join Paradise Funeral Homes. When he joined Paradise, the business needed a few changes. “When I rst got here, Paradise was a great cemetery that had a great team, they just needed a little encouragement,” he said. Adjusting to Houston’s weather was a challenge, especially while managing four funeral homes, as funerals are o en canceled due to rain. “I was naive to the weather here in Houston… No one ever cancelled a funeral in New York,” he said. “ e adjustments were a lot.” Mr. Rhue said he has never watched the news as much as he does now because the weather can determine his day-today activities.
Over the past 3.5 years, Mr. Rhue and his team have learned a lot, but they are committed to constantly improving the funeral home. e rst year was tough as everyone had to get used to a new leader, but a lot of signi cant changes have been made since then. “It took some time to get people to see my vision and get them on board with what I could see for Paradise,” he said. During the transition, Mr. Rhue and his team have improved the look of the funeral homes and have made customer service and family satisfaction a top priority. Now, the business is more involved in the community, joining local events like the M.L.K. Day and Juneteenth parades. ey also host fall festivals and give away backpacks and turkeys. ey have partnered with the Houston police and re departments to help with setting up activities for children. “It’s just helped us just to personalize our relationships here with the community, not just to be a funeral
e funeral business has seen a major shi in recent years, during the COVID-19 pandemic, many families were not able to celebrate their loved ones in the ways they wished. Mr. Rhue and his team have embraced the changes and have worked to ensure that Paradise o ers a wide range of options that allow families to create truly individualized ceremonies. Cremation, which has become more popular over the years, is another area where Paradise has adapted. e business now o ers cremation memorials, including options for turning cremated remains into beautiful keepsakes such diamonds or families can even have their loved one’s ashes thrown into space or other special locations. “Since I’ve started here in 2021, we see numbers increasing every year, now we are at about 70% burials and 30% cremations,” he said.
Mr. Rhue says he is most proud of his team and what they have accomplished, last year he won a Service Excellent Award as well as being named MVP for the Houston area. “It’s just nice to be recognized for the work and just the appreciation that Read more at aframnews.com
February 15th, 1965Singer Nat King Cole died of lung cancer at the age of 45. He was the rst Black person to host a nationally broadcasted variety TV show and a nationally broadcasted radio program, e Nat King Cole show (TV), and King Cole Trio Time (radio).
February 16th, 1948James Baskett was the rst Black man to win an Academy Award for his role as Uncle Remus in the Disney lm Song of the South.
February 17th, 1891Albert C. Richardson invented the butter churn.
February 18th, 1931Pulitzer Prize winner, Chloe Anthony Woodford Morrison better known as Toni Morrison was born in Lorain, Ohio.
February 19th. 1942- e rst African American military pilots, known as the Tuskegee Airmen, became part of the U.S. Armed Forces.
BLACK HISTORY FUN FACTS
- e rst open heart surgery was performed by Dr. Daniel Hale Williams a Black surgeon in 1893. ere were no modern X-rays, antibiotics, or anesthesia.
- Mack Robinson (Jackie Robinson’s older brother) was a track star. Winning a silver medal in the 200-meter dash at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. He nished just behind Jesse Owens.
- “Black Wall Street” was in the Greenwood District of Tulsa, Oklahoma, it was one of the wealthiest communities for Black people in the early 1900s. It was destroyed in the Tulsa Race Massacre in 1921.
- Alice Coachman was the rst Black woman to win an Olympic gold medal. She won the high jump at the 1948 London Olympics.
- 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was the rst to refuse her seat on the bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Nine months before Rosa Parks’ famous protest.
- Oprah Winfrey was the rst Black female billionaire. She reached billionaire status in 2003.
February 20th, 1956Civil rights activists were arrested for organizing a bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama.
February 21st, 1965- Civil
rights activist Malcom X was assassinated at the Audubon Ballroom in Manhattan, New York.
HISTORY HOUSTON’S OWN CIVIL RIGHTS LEADER
By: Chloé Richards
graduated magna cum laude and then went on to attend Boston School of Law where she graduated in 1959. She credits her decision to become an attorney to a speech given by lawyer and judge Edith Spurlock Sampson who is known for her ght for the equal rights of Black people. A er graduating from law school, she taught political science for one year at Tuskegee University, formally known as Tuskegee Institute. She later returned to Houston in 1960 where she opened her own private law practice. In 1962 & 1964 Jordan campaigned for the Texas House of
Phyliss Wheatley High
1952. Unfortunately, due to segregation she was not able to attend e University of Texas at Austin, so she decided
University (TSU) a Historically Black College and University (HBCU)
for the Texas House of Representatives, but she was unfortunately unsuccessful. However, in 1966 she won a seat in the Texas Senate becoming the rst Black state senator and since 1883, the rst Black woman to
feated students from
At TSU she majored history, and she was also winner on the debate
“Life is too short to hang out a sign: “For Men Only”- Barbara Jordan. Barbara Charline Jordan was born to Benjamin and Arlyne Jordan on February 21st, 1936, in Houston, Texas. Jordan was an educator, lawyer, politician and a prominent gure in the Civil Rights Movement. During her lifetime, Jordan received numerous accolades for her willingness to ght for the equality of all people. She grew up in Houston’s 5th ward where she was actively involved in her church where her father served as pastor and her mother as a Sunday school teacher. She graduated from Phyliss Wheatley High School with honors in 1952. Unfortunately, due to segregation she was not able to attend e University of Texas at Austin, so she decided to attend Texas Southern University (TSU) a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Houston’s 3rd ward. At TSU she majored in political science and history, and she was also a member and national winner on the debate team where she defeated students from Yale and Brown. She became a member of the Delta Gamma chapter of Delta Sigma eta Sorority, Inc. In 1956 she
serve in that capacity. During her career she served the United States in various ways. She was re-elected to the Texas Senate, where she served until 1972. She also had the opportunity of serving as Texas acting governor for one day in 1972. To date, she is the only Black woman to serve as governor in the state of Texas. at same year, she was elected to the House of Representatives. She is mostly known for delivering the keynote address at the Democratic National Convention in 1976, she was
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TWO PATHS, ONE PURPOSE
By: Chloé Richards
Years a er their deaths, Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois are still seen as intellectual rivals, to many people their di erences overpowered their shared vision. Washington was an advocate for learning trades, believing that economic selfsu ciency would help Black people gain respect and independence from white people. Du Bois, on the other hand thought that formal education and ghting for civil rights were the best ways to create real change. While they had di erent approaches, their ultimate goal remained the same: the upli ment and advancement of Black people in America. Instead of seeing them as rivals it is important to look at their ideas as two important pieces of the same puzzle, both helping to shape Black progress.
Booker Taliaferro Washington was born enslaved on April 5th, 1856, in Hale’s Ford, Westlake Corner, VA. He was freed when U.S. troops came to the plantation he lived on a er the emancipation proclamation (the document that freed all slaves). He worked hard to get an education and eventually attended Hampton Normal and Agricultural Institute which is now a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) known as Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia. He also attended Wayland Seminary in Washington, D.C. In 1881, he founded Tuskegee Institute which is now a HBCU known as Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, Alabama. e school was founded as a trade school for Black students. In 1895, he gave his famous Atlanta Compromise speech encouraging Black people to focus on economic progress rather than demanding immediate civil rights.
William Edward Burghardt Du Bois was born free on February 23rd, 1868, in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. As a child he experienced little direct racism. He excelled in school and a er graduating high school, he enrolled at Fisk University in Nashville, TN. He became the rst Black person to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. He also studied in Europe, where he was heavily in uenced by the ideas of equality and justice. He introduced the “Talented Tenth” arguing that the top 10% of educated and talented Black individuals should lead the race in achieving social change and equality. In 1909, he co-founded of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He believed in directly challenging racism rather than accepting gradual progress.
Washington and Du Bois both wanted to upli the Black community, but they had very di erent ideas
about how to achieve that goal. Washington encouraged learning practical skills like farming, carpentry, and mechanics, he believed that nancial independence would earn Black people respect and gradually lead to civil rights. In his 1895 Atlanta Compromise speech he suggested that Black people should not push too hard for political or social equality but instead prove their value through hard work and economic stability. Washington gained support from many white leaders because of this approach and was able to secure funding for Black schools and businesses. He was heavily criticized for being too accepting to racism.
Du Bois believed that waiting for equality was not an option. He believed that Black people should demand civil rights immediately and that higher education was the key to true progress. Du Bois called for strong leaders from the “Talented Tenth” to push for change through activism and education. His work with the NAACP laid the foundation for later civil rights efforts.
The debate between the two of them is still relevant today. Some people believe that building Black owned businesses, increasing nancial literacy, and strengthening economic power are the best ways to achieve equality, this idea aligns with Washington’s philosophy. Other people believe that higher education and political activism are the most effective paths, this idea aligns with Du Bois’ philosophy. Some people believe that both are acceptable and achievable in both capacities. Both
strategies are necessary to work towards equality. Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois may have had di erent ideas about how to achieve Black progress, but they were not enemies. Instead, they were two leaders addressing the same problem from different angles. Their combined efforts have helped shaped the fight for civil rights. Today, their legacies live on, reminding everyone that both thought processes are
they were two leaders addressing the same problem from different angles. Their combined efforts have helped shaped the fight for civil rights. Today, their legacies live on, reminding everyone that both thought processes are necessary for lasting chance. AA
BOOKER T. WASHINGTON
W.E.B. DU BOIS
BLACK HISTORY MONTH
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