For many women leaving the criminal justice system is a di cult transition, the journey to rebuilding their lives is full of obstacles; unstable housing, limited job opportunities, and adjusting to the world with a criminal record. Many reentry programs help women with their challenges, but Women Healing & Empowering Women (WHEW, *an exhale of breath*) does more than that. is arts-based healing program in Houston, TX, works to understand the deeper reasons why women end up in jail. By helping them heal inside and out, WHEW gives women the support they need to rebuild their lives.
Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
WOMEN’S REENTRY PROGRAM .com
On the organizations website CEO Busi PetersMaughan states “When you educate a man you educate an individual, when you educate a wombyn, you educate a NATION. First they Wombyen heal the Wombyen, then the Wombyen, Heal the MEN.” Reentry is a term that’s used for people who are formerly incarcerated and reentering society. Peters-Maughan spoke with AFRAM News to share insight into WHEW’s mission, the challenges women face a er incarceration, and how the organization is helping them rebuild their lives through healing and Program on pg. 3
HOUSTON
Houston historians, Debra Blacklock Sloan and Sam Collins III went to Austin on Preservation Advocacy Day. They want legislators to file a bill that would create an African American Heritage Commission to identify, preserve, interpret, and promote sites reflecting the state’s Black heritage so it is not lost over time.
PRAIRIE VIEW
Prairie View A&M University is amongst a host of universities that have had their 1890 Scholars Program suspended by The USDA. The program offers full tuition to students from rural and underserved communities pursuing agricultural studies. The program was “suspended pending further review” no specific reason was provided.
BEAUMONT
Edison Colbert has built a reputation across Southeast, Texas as a Black mechanic. He is one of the relatively few Black mechanics in America, just 9.9% of mechanics nationwide. He has combined his passion for race engines with what he calls “mechanical surgery.”
FORT WORTH
L. Clifford Davis a judge and civil rights activist died at 100. He fought to desegregate North Texas school districts before becoming the first Black judge in Tarrant County. After he took the Texas Bar in 1954, he became one of only two Black attorneys in Fort Worth. In 1956, he filed a federal lawsuit which would eventually result in integration of Mansfield public schools.
PORT ARTHUR
The Port Arthur Public Library in cooperation with The Friends of the Library, will present a play performed by Houston’s ‘The Ensemble Theatre’ on February 28th, 2025. The cast and crew will perform “Profiles in Black” in recognition of Black History Month.
AUSTIN
Huston-Tillotson University is encouraging more of their students to go into teaching, especially men. The African American Male Teacher Initiative is a program at HTU that looks to attract the best and brightest students who have an interest in teaching. Black males make up 2% of educators. The program is looking to increase those numbers and get more men involved in teaching.
A Revival of God Consciousness
Bobby Mills, Ph.D.
President Trump has publicly declared that the rule of law doesn’t apply to him, because he is trying to save the country. Question: save the country from what, to what, and for whom? Sadly, President Trump’s bold statement is at odds with the long-established principle that all individuals are subject to the law. Law is King, not the President regardless of political party afliation. Unfortunately, President Trump sincerely believes that if he is seeking to save, restore, and reinstitute White Privilege Autocracy, he’s not breaking the law. President Trump’s vision of the law is to maintain and perpetuate White Supremacy control, South African Style. e earth belongs to White Autocrats, not God (Psalm 24:1). In fact, President Trump is governing and politically leading solely based upon historic principles of White Supremacy Terrorism, KKK-style. America, get ready, get ready calamity is surely coming, because America has never been a White populated country, only ungodly controlled by some White men. Native American Indian Tribes are indigenous to the land. President Trump’s attempt to boldly and openly racialize and refashion America into a White Privilege country by deporting immigrants, dismantling DEI Programs, destroying the
EDITORIAL
social safety net for the disadvantaged, and redesign social security is draconian to say the least. e topic of abortion is closely connected to physical population dynamics rather than socio-economic authority control. Whites will always socio-economically control America, because of institutional generational wealth.
Coping, Creating, Conquering
By Chloé Richards
President Trump and CoPresident Elon Musk are dismantling America’s check and balance governing system. In fact, there is zero transparency because of private/personal monetary con icts of interests. President Trump and Elon Musk are hell bent on concentrating power in the Executive Branch of America’s Governmental system, the O ce of the Presidency for personal power and personal wealth. Unfortunately, President Trump and Elon Musk believe that money is the answer to all questions. America, prayerfully consider the implications of wealth. King Solomon the wisest and richest man spiritually warned us concerning the folly of riches when he wrote: “He who loves money will not be satis ed with money, nor he who loves abundance with its income. is too is vanity.” (Ecclesiastes 5: 10). Greedy individuals always desire more, because they never nd the happiness that they think money promises. President Trump is willing to move the PGA golf tournament to Saudi Arabia for personal gain. Wealth always attracts the greedy (thieves). Now, we all know spiritually why President Trump has so many billionaires associated with his administration.
At what point did we forget the most important lessons we learned in kindergarten? How to be a good friend, how to get along, how to share space with others? Somewhere along the way, we stopped valuing real connection. Some of us have started to dri further and further away from those who were intentionally placed in our lives. Many convincing themselves that they’re ne, telling the famous “I’m okay” lie. If you walk into any mall, gym, grocery store, any public space, you will see a sea of people whose eyes will be glued to their phone, headphones in, lost in their thoughts. Many of us are physically present but mentally and emotionally absent just going through the motions of life. We have mastered the art of being together but separate. But at what cost?
ere was a time when community was the golden ticket in everyone’s life. People knew their neighbors, no one was hesitant in chatting with strangers, and friendships were not limited to social media likes and comments. Somewhere between the rise of technology, the praise in independence, and the normalization of being busy, everyone has stopped prioritizing what they need mosteach other.
People say they don’t have time, small talk is unnecessary, or that they’d rather be
le alone. But is that really true, or has everyone been corrupted and conditioned to truly believe that? Isolation is not just a personal preference but a crisis. According to the CDC, youth and young adults account for 15% of all suicides. It’s more than a statistic; it is a warning. People are struggling in silence, disconnecting from the one thing that might save them- human connection.
Everyone needs friends. Everyone needs family. And if you’re lucky, you have both. But too many people are going through the motions of life without a strong support system there has been a collective unlearning on how to reach out, listen, and show up. Somewhere during this crazy thing called life, everyone was told to be quiet and that expressing struggles was a sign of weakness. For most it wasn’t directly but de nitely indirectly. When was the gi of speaking, sharing, or being present with one another dimmed? And most importantly why was it allowed to happen?
Truth is, no one can do life alone. No matter how much everyone says they’re ne on their own, everyone needs people who will experience their joy and their pain with them. Community is a necessity not a luxury. So maybe it’s time to take the headphones out, smile at a stranger passing by. Time to ask, “How are you?” and mean it and answering truthfully when that question is asked to you. It’s time to check in, listen, and make an e ort. Connection isn’t something that is outgrown, but it has to be fought for in order to be kept.
EDUCATION
TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS JOIN BLACK AND JEWISH UNITY DINNER
By:Tracy Clemons
Texas Southern University (TSU) students recently gathered with peers from Rice University and the University of Houston for a meaningful evening of dialogue and fellowship at a UNCF “Unity Dinner.” Nearly 80 students participated in this event, which sought to strengthen the historic bonds between Black and Jewish students through shared experiences and open conversations.
is dinner series, supported by Hillel International and Robert Kra ’s Foundation to Combat Antisemitism, acknowledges the long-standing alliance between Black and Jewish Americans—an alliance that was particularly strong during the Civil Rights Movement.
“It was an honor to help bring Robert Kra ’s unity series to Houston and to have Texas Southern University play
a leading role in this important convening,” said TSU Board of Regents
Chairman Brandon L. Simmons.
“Many of us know the long history of friendship between our communities and wish to deepen these ties. Jewish Texans, including the Zeidmans, Prolers, and many others, have been longtime friends of TSU. As a state university board member, I appreciate our Governor’s clear direction on this topic. My intention is that our participation in this series will catalyze many more events, reigniting the historic relationship between TSU and Houston’s Jewish community.”
“We appreciate the support from Texas Southern University leadership in convening our rst Unity
Program Cont.
empowerment.
According to the organization’s website, WHEW’s mission is “USING the ARTS as a HEALING TOOL to address interconnected challenges women face such as former incarceration, homelessness, and domestic violence, starting local going global. WHEW’s vision is to be an organization committed to empowering women globally through economic, educational, environmental, and cultural programs that work to end prison recidivism, homelessness, gender and ethnic biases, inter-generational poverty, the lack of access to adequate, and su cient education.”
Peters-Maughan is from the “boogie down” Bronx, New York. Born just four days a er Malcom X’s assassination, she recalled growing up in a pivotal time which ultimately led her to starting WHEW. “I grew up in a family of community that instilled values and urgency that wanted to give back to know that we don’t walk on the streets by ourselves, that we represent our families, our communities.” She wanted to attend a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) and moved to Houston, TX to enroll at Texas Southern University (TSU). At TSU she joined the All-African People Revolutionary Party, (a social political party). Over her lifetime she has traveled to 37 countries and states. “All the while, the main reason for me traveling was wanting to see where is it that our people are being treated with some form of love and respect,” she said.
Peters-Maughan began teaching in 1991 and has taught in many African countries including Ethiopia, Kenya, and Sudan. It was in her venture of starting an import, export business where she learned about mass incarceration. “I started an import export business, and I was looking for a way to bridge a gap between Africans in the continent and the diaspora and by way of empowerment of women. When I came back in the country in 2000, a er teaching, I learned that there was over a million people incarcerated that our women had been outpacing our men in prison, And that there are very few programs in terms of reentry” she said. Molestation, rape,
and incest is the root of why a lot of women are in prison. According to National PREA Resource Center, 86 percent of women in jail are sexualviolence survivors. e website states “86 percent of women who have spent time in jail report that they had been sexually assaulted at some point in their lives.”
While teaching in Kenya, PetersVaughn met a now longtime friend Lisandra Ramos who introduced her to Living Stage which was based in Washington D.C., Living Stage was an interactive space that helped people navigate challenges like substance abuse, HIV, and a host of other things. At Living Space, they used the arts as a way of helping and healing people. “Experiencing that space was a huge part of why I knew I wanted to use the arts,” she said. Peters-Vaughn was also inspired to listen to her “guru”, “Your guru is your inner voice. And it’s your God voice. It’s your goddess God voice. Spirit talks to me,” she said. “It was my inner voice guiding me. My God voice that was guiding me throughout this journey of my life and as well as how everything evolves in terms of the work that I was doing with the organization.”
Peters-Vaughn knew from the beginning that she did not want a typical reentry program and focused on being intentional on inner healing. “Spirit told me to not go about doing a reentry program the way a lot of organizations do, which is basically putting a band aid on a gunshot wound…they don’t get to the root of the issues,” she said. In terms of WHEW she is excited about eradicating sexual abuse on a global level through Be A Ripple Movement.
“Be A Ripple Movement ‘BEAH’ is in honor of an ancestor named Beah Richards. She wrote a poem in 1951, title, A Black woman Speaks of white womanhood, white Supremacy and peace,” she said. “We are creating spaces for women of all ethnicities to come together and see the way that we have been pitted against each other.”
WHEW is continuing to help many women reenter society in an impactful and meaningful way. She gave advice to those who may Read more at aframnews.com
February 22nd, 1911Activist Frances Ellis Watkins Harper died. She was the rst Black woman to publish a short story and co-founded the National Association of Colored Women’s Clubs.
February 23rd, 1965Constance Baker Motley elected Manhattan Borough president, the highest elective o ce held by a Black woman in a major American city.
February 24th, 2020Katherine G. Johnson, the NASA mathematician who played a key role in helping America win the space race and whose story was featured in the 2016 lm Hidden Figures, died at 101 years old.
February 25th, 1870Hiram R. Revels of Mississippi was sworn in as rst Black U.S. Senator and rst Black Representative in Congress.
February 26th, 1869- e House of Representatives passed the 15th Amendment, which granted Black men the right to vote. is amendment outlawed the denial of voting rights based on race, color, or previous enslavement.
BLACK HISTORY FUN FACTS
- Mathematician Dr. Gladys West played a key role in developing the mathematical models that led to the invention of GPS technology. Her work in the 1970s and 1980s helped shape modern navigation systems.
- Bass Reeves, a Black U.S. Marshal in the late 1800s, was one of the most feared and respected lawmen in the Wild West. Many historians believe his life inspired the legend of the Lone Ranger, though popular culture erased his Black identity.
- Alberta Williams King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s mother, was tragically assassinated in 1974 while playing the organ at Ebenezer Baptist Church. A man claiming he hated Christians shot her in an attack that killed another church member.
- In 1919, Alice H. Parker, a Black inventor, patented the design for a gas heating furnace. Her work helped revolutionize home heating and contributed to the development of modern HVAC systems.
- While Jackie Robinson is o en celebrated as the rst Black Major League Baseball player, Moses Fleetwood Walker was the rst to play in the league in 1884, a full 63 years before Robinson’s debut.
February 27th, 1988Figure skater Debi omas becomes the rst African American to win a medal (bronze) at the winter Olympic Games.
February 28th, 1859- e Arkansas legislature required free Black people to choose between exile and enslavement.
OBITUARIES
JERRY BUTLER
DEC 8, 1939 - FEB 20, 2025
Jerry Butler (aka e Ice Man) was born in Sun ower, Mississippi. He married Annette Butler, originally one of his backup singers and they had two children. He was the original lead singer of the R&B vocal group the Impressions, inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1991. He achieved over 55 Billboard Pop and R&B Chart hits as a solo artist. He was inducted into the National Rhythm & Blues Hall of Fame in 2015. He also served as Commissioner for Cook County, Illinois from 1985 to 2018. As a member of this 17-member county board, he chaired the Health and Hospitals Committee and served as Vice Chair of the Construction Committee. He died from Parkinson’s disease at his home in Chicago at the age of 85.
MAMIE ETTA PIPER
AUG 31, 1927 - DEC 24, 2024
Mamie Etta Williams-Piper was born in Pledger, Texas. She married John Henry Piper Sr., and together they had four children. She graduated from Newgulf High School and went to nursing school a er. She worked for the Texas Medical Center at the Texas Institute of Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) for 36 years. Her life was a testament of resilience, faith, and love.
JESSE H. BROWN
JULY 24, 1936 - JAN 8, 2025
Jesse H. Brown was born in Houston, Texas. He married Dora Florence Jarmon, and they were united in holy matrimony for 60 years, together they had ve children. He attended school in the Houston Independent School District. His hobbies included shing, gol ng, cooking, and carpentry.
BURNETTE WATSON GALES
T’S RODEO
JULY 5, 1930 - JAN 9, 2025
Burnette Watson Gales was born in Crockett, Texas. She met and married Avank Watson, together they had six children. She attended school in Houston County She enjoyed spending time with her grandchildren and great grandchildren, as well as watching the Dallas Cowboys and Houston Rockets play.
IRMA JEAN COLLINS
JAN 29, 1949 - JAN 31, 2025
Iram Jean Collins was born in Houston, Texas. She attended George Washington Carver High School and graduated in 1967, she then went on to attend Prairie View A&M University and Mansfield Business School. She had four children, and she enjoyed shopping, cooking, baking, and traveling. She served in Aldine Independent School District for 25 years.
ROBERTA FLACK
FEB 10, 1937 - FEB 24, 2025
Roberta Flack, She was renowned for her soulful renditions of classics like “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” and “Killing Me Softly with His Song,” which topped the charts in the 1970s. Flack’s musical style seamlessly blended jazz, soul, pop, and R&B, leaving an indelible mark on the music industry. Beyond her musical achievements, Flack was a dedicated educator, founding the Roberta Flack School of Music in 2006 and the Roberta Flack Foundation in 2019, both aimed at nurturing young musical talent.
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 Request for Proposal will be received by Lone Star College for:
• RFP #25-02-08 – Project Management Services for Lone Star College System. Electronic submittals due by 10:00AM, Tuesday, March 18, 2024.
• Contact: janet.bradley@lonestar.edu or (832)813-6299.
• Must Register to Bid: https:// lonestar.ionwave.net/Login. aspx. If registered, please ensure your registration is up to date. For assistance with the on-line registration process, contact MCvendors@lonestar.edu.
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Request for Proposal will be received by Lone Star College for:
• RFP 25-02-10 Online Professional Development Platform
• Electronic submittals due by 3:00PM, Friday, March 21, 2025.
• Contact pamela.johnson@lonestar.edu or (832) 813-6782. Must Register to Bid: https://lonestar.ionwave.net/Login.aspx
• If registered, please ensure your registration is up to date. For assistance with the on-line registration process, contact MCvendors@lonestar.edu.
NOTICE TO PROPOSERS Request for Proposal will be received by Lone Star College for:
• RFP #25-02-11 – Employee Engagement Survey for Lone Star College System. Electronic submittals due by 2:00PM, ursday, April 3, 2025.
• Contact: janet.bradley@lonestar.edu or (832)813-6299.
• Must Register to Bid: https:// lonestar.ionwave.net/Login. aspx. If registered, please ensure your registration is up to date. For assistance with the on-line registration process, contact MCvendors@lonestar.edu.
PLESSY VS. FERGUSON STILL IN AFFECT HISTORY
By: Chloé Richards
Imagine if you were told that you had to use a di erent water fountain, sit in a separate part of a bus, or attend a di erent school just because of how you look. It sounds familiar, stories that some still living have lived and stories that were passed down through generations. It was the reality for many Black Americans a er the 1896 Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson, which made segregation legal under the idea of “separate but equal.” Even though this ruling was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education in 1954, its e ects can still be seen today. Issues like unfair school funding, housing discrimination, and unequal treatment in the justice system show that racial inequality didn’t just disappear. Plessy v. Ferguson set a legal precedent that allowed segregation to last for decades, and its impact is still felt today about justice and equality.
In 1890, the state of Louisiana passed the Separate Car Act, it required for Black to be accommodated separately as far as railway cars were concerned. A group of New Orleans sit in a separate part of familiar, have lived and stories through generations.
Plessy vs Ferguson was a United States Supreme Court case that challenged the14th Amendments. e initial incident took place in 1892 when Homer Adolph Plessy, intentionally violated Louisiana’s
Separate Car Act that had just been put into place two years prior. Plessy was considered an octoroon meaning he was only 1/8th African American; however, under Louisiana’s laws he was still considered African American. Plessy’s lawyers defended his case by stating that the Separate Car Act was unconstitutional due to the 14th Amendments; unfortunately, Plessy lost his trail and had to pay a $25 ne. However, he did not give up his case and decided to appeal his case to the United States Supreme Court who agreed to take on the case.
residents came together decided to ght the law that had been put into place. Homer Adolph Plessy was elected to be the one to “break the law”. Agreeing to take the fall on June 7th, 1892, Plessy bought a rst- class ticket that was for white people only. e owners of the railroad were noti ed of Plessy’s race & his intent to change the law. Plessy was essentially set up because an undercover detective was hired to arrest Plessy. 4 years later in May 1896, the Supreme Court had come up with a nal decision on against Plessy, deciding that the Louisiana law in fact did not violate the United States Constitution, stating that although the 14th
