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PORT COMMISSION CHAIR JANIECE LONGORIA MAKES HISTORY P2
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Volume 82 | Number 13
NATIONAL RAY NAGIN indicted on federal charges
P3 ENTERTAINMENT MEAGAN GOOD portrays undercover officer
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President Obama’s
second term
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Quanell X seeks probe
Dick Gregory blasts Spike Lee
Activist Quanell X and other members of the Black community are once again demanding answers from the Houston Police Department. Find out about the latest call for an investigation into HPD. Hear what an alleged victim’s family has to say. Learn the police department’s thoughts.
Activist, comedian and author Dick Gregory believes in speaking his mind, and he has some harsh words for filmmaker Spike Lee. Why does Gregory call Lee a “thug” and a “punk?” What does he have to say about two of Lee’s most acclaimed films? Why is he talking about cowboys, zoot suits and the “N word?”
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Community wants HPD investigated By RESHONDA TATE BILLINGSLEY Defender
T
he Internal Affairs Department of the Houston Police Department is now investigating a recent beating of a local suspect, but some civil rights leaders want that investigation moved to the federal level. “You can’t have the wolves investigating themselves,” said activist Quanell X. The investigation stems from a Jan. 15 arrest, which was all caught on camera. It was just after midnight when 28-yearold Lucious Davis was arrested outside his southeast Houston home. Relatives say they were backing out of their driveway, unarmed, and no threat when police lights started flashing. “We had kids in the car. We were on our way to WalMart,” said Davis’ sister, Latosha Davis. The family’s home surveillance cameras recorded Davis, Latosha and others being handcuffed. Then, an officer strikes Davis once in the face and perhaps a second time in the side. On the tape, Davis appeared to be struggling with officers. Police did find a shotgun in the house. Turns out, Davis has a criminal history dating back to 2005, including a drug felony. Authorities charged him with being a felon in possession of a weapon and criminal mischief. Quanell X says his past has nothing to do with the way he was treated.
Quanell X calls for a civilian review board.
“Regardless, Lucious Davis did not deserve to be beaten by police,’ Quanell said. Houston Police Chief Charles McClelland Jr. won’t go into details as to where they are in the investigation, but he did confirm the matter has been referred to the DA’s office and the FBI. “The officer has been relieved of duty pending the outcome of the investigation. In addition, I immediately gave a copy of the recording to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and the FBI. An internal affairs investigation has been opened and I will refrain from making further comments on the case until the investigation is concluded,” said Chief McClelland.
But Quanell says the chief’s efforts are not enough. “The chief wants to place the investigation in internal affairs,” Quanell X said. “HPD should no longer be allowed to investigate themselves. The chief’s efforts would have stronger teeth if the chief would ask the FBI to take over the Internal Affairs division.” Doing so, Quanell X maintains, would send a resounding message. “That would send a message to the rank and file that the old way of doing things is no more.” Quanell wants other elected officials to heed the call for a civilian review board. “I want the chief and mayor to publicly endorse and support a civilian review board.” It’s something the Houston Police Department’s union is strongly against. “It worked in places like Detroit and Los Angeles. When the FBI took over in those cities, it worked. You no longer had the wolves investigating themselves.” Quanell also wants to see more involvement from the district attorney. “The problem is there is a great reluctance by the district attorney to truly prosecute cops who are committing crimes against Blacks,” he said. “These police officers are breaking the law against the rights of citizens. Until we get a DA who is willing to say ‘you are not above the law,
Port Commission chair makes history Defender News Services Janiece Longoria recently became the first woman and first Hispanic to serve as chair of the Port Commission of the Port of Houston Authority. Longoria was appointed to the post during a joint session of the Harris County Commissioners Court and
the Houston City Council. She has served on the commission since 2002. Longoria is an honors graduate of the University of Texas and received her J.D. from the UT Law School in 1979. She is a partner with Ogden, Gibson, Broocks, Longoria & Hall LLP. She serves on the boards of CenterPoint Energy,
MD Anderson Board of Visitors, Texas Medical Center and the UT Law School Foundation, among others. She is a former vice chair of the UT System Board of Regents. Joining Longoria in new positions on the Port Commission are John D. Kennedy and Dean Corgey. Janiece Longoria
localbriefs BENJAMIN L. HALL III is running for mayor of Houston. Hall recently filed a form designating his campaign treasurer and co-treasurer. “I am taking this necessary legal step to serve this great city as mayor,” he said. Hall was city attorney under former Mayor Bob Lanier. He released a letter by Lanier commending Hall for exemplary service as city attorney. Hall earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of South Carolina, masters of divinity and Ph.D. from Duke University, and a law degree from Harvard.…….. HISD NEEDS VOLUNTEERS to serve on its newly reorganized Bond Oversight Committee as it embarks on its $1.89 billion bond program approved by voters
in November. Those with expertise in business, engineering, construction, and education are encouraged to apply, as are active HISD parents. The positions are unpaid, and committee members must not have an active contract or be seeking a contract with the district. To submit an application visit www.houstonisd.org/Page/73425......... TEXAS’ UNEMPLOYMENT RATE declined for the fourth consecutive month. It fell to 6.1 percent in December, down from 6.2 percent in November and from 7.4 percent a year ago. “In December, we saw annual growth in 10 major industries, for an overall annual growth of 2.5 percent in Texas,” said Texas Workforce
Commission Chairman Andres Alcantar.…….. FORMER ATLANTA MAYOR Shirley Franklin has joined the LBJ School of Public Affairs in Austin as the Barbara Jordan Visiting Professor in Ethics and Political Values. Franklin will teach in such areas as ethics, city government, sustainable urban development and the role of women in politics. She will participate in lectures and dialogues and encourage students from underrepresented communities to choose public service careers. Franklin served as mayor from 2002 to 2010. She was the first woman to hold the post and the first Black woman elected mayor of a major city in the South.
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national
U.S.briefs DR. CORNEL WEST, a vocal critic of President Obama, said the president did not deserve to be sworn in with his hand on the bible of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. West contends that Obama’s actions are in direct contradiction to the principles and beliefs of King. “All of the blood, sweat and tears that went into producing a Martin Luther King Jr. generated a brother of such high decency and dignity, that you don’t use his prophetic fire for a moment of presidential pageantry without understanding the challenge he represents to all of those in power regardless of what color they are,” West said……..CONDOLEEZZA RICE, who served as secretary of state during President George W. Bush’s second term, has joined CBS News as a contributor. She made her debut on “Face the Nation” and participated in inauguration coverage. The network said Rice “will use her insight and vast experience to explore issues facing America at home and abroad.” Rice was the first African-American woman to serve as secretary of state.…….. NOW THAT THE WILMINGTON TEN have been legally granted pardons of innocence from the state of North Carolina, their attorneys are now hard at work on the next phase – compensation. “We are in the process now of preparing an effort to seek compensation for the living members of the Wilmington Ten, and the decedents of the four deceased [members],” said their attorney, Irving Joyner. All of the Wilmington Ten served prison terms ranging from three to seven years. They were wrongly convicted of arson and conspiracy……..THE EMBATTLED Southern Christian Leadership Conference has changed leadership again. Charles Steele Jr., who served as the group’s leader from 2004 to 2009, will again assume the role of CEO in an effort to “restore the financial stability and credibility of the SCLC,” officials said.
VOLUME 82 • NUMBER 13 JANUARY 24, 2013
Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Advertising/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler Print Editor Marilyn Marshall Online Editor ReShonda Billingsley
Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila People Editor Yvette Chargois Sports Editors Max Edison Darrell K. Ardison Contributing Writer Aswad Walker
The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender is audited by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For subscription, send $60-1 year to: Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston TX 77288. Payment must accompany subscription request. All material covered by 2012 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).
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Gun control plan draws fire By ZENITHA PRINCE Special to NNPA from Afro-American Newspaper
The White House’s proposal to curb violent gun-related crime has provoked conservatives into a state of near-apoplexy, with at least one Republican House member suggesting he would bring impeachment proceedings against the president. On Jan. 16, President Obama announced several legislative proposals and 23 executive actions after a month-long review process led by Vice President Joe Biden. He also announced several executive actions that will be taken immediately, including: strengthening the background check system, helping schools to hire more resource officers and develop emergency preparedness plans and directing the Centers for Disease
Obama’s proposal
• Require universal background checks for all gun sales. • Restore a ban on military-style assault weapons. • Establish a 10-round limit for ammunition magazines. • Implement a federal gun trafficking statute. • Allocate funds to hire more police officers in schools. • Provide mental health services in schools and more. Control and Prevention to research the causes of gun violence and ways to prevent it. “I intend to use whatever weight this office holds to make them a reality,” the president said. “If there is even one thing we can do to reduce this violence, if there is even one life that can be saved, then we’ve got an obligation to try.” It seems some Republicans are equally devoted to defeating the president’s proposals, which they say encroaches on the constitutional
right to bear arms. “I will seek legislation overturning the Orders. I will seek legislation barring funds to enforce the Orders. I will seek legislation to cut White House funding should the President issue and enforce such Orders. I will support legal efforts to overturn the Orders in court,” vowed Rep. Steve Stockman (R-Texas). And, he added, if those measures fail, “I will consider speaking with my colleagues and filing articles of impeachment.”
Former New Orleans mayor indicted Defender News Services Ray Nagin, the former New Orleans mayor who became a familiar face during Hurricane Katrina, was recently indicted on 21 federal corruption charges, in-
cluding bribery, money laundering, fraud and filing false tax returns. The charges are the result of a corruption investigation that has already resulted in guilty pleas by two former city officials and two businessmen.
According to a 25-page federal indictment, Nagin defrauded the city through a scheme in which he received checks, cash, wire transfers, personal services and free travel from businessmen seeking contracts and favorable
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Mayor..Continued from page 3 treatment from the city. In addition, Nagin’s family members allegedly received free cell phone service, first-class airfare to Jamaica, a vacation in Hawaii and private jet travel to New York City. Nagin could not be reached for comment. Mitch Landrieu, who succeeded Nagin as mayor in 2010, said the indictment represented a “sad day” for New Orleans.
“Today’s indictment of former Mayor Ray Nagin alleges serious violations of the public’s trust,” Landrieu said. “Public corruption cannot and will not be tolerated.” According to the indictment, the businessmen involved received city contracts of $1 million for consulting, more than $3 million to build a project at Louis Armstrong International Airport, and $1 million for another airport project. Other
contracts were for sidewalk repairs in the French Quarter and professional services. Nagin allegedly received bribes from city contractors in the amounts of $2,250, $10,000, $50,000 and $60,000. His granite business, Stone Age, reportedly benefited as well; Nagin is accused of receiving a bribe in the form of granite inventory from a city contractor. Additionally, Nagin is charged with filing false tax returns for 2005-2008.
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A New Orleans native, Nagin said he grew up “of modest means” as the son of a City Hall janitor. He earned an accounting degree from Tuskegee University and MBA from Tulane University. He was a cable TV executive prior to running for mayor as a political novice. He served two terms as mayor, from 2002 to 2010. If convicted, he faces at least 15 years in prison.
ACCEPTIN G A PPLI CA TIONS FOR
Project LEAP 2013
Project LEAP (Learning, Empowerment, Advocacy, Participation) is a free comprehensive 17 week advocacy training program for HIV affected and infected individuals. The purpose of Project LEAP is to train people to become active participants on local HIV/AIDS planning bodies.
Classes are on Wednesdays May 1 - August 21, 2013 10am-2pm -OR- 5:30pm-9:30pm A brief application & interview are required Application Deadline: Friday, March 29, 2013 at 5:00 p.m. If you have questions about the program or would like to request an application please contact Diane Beck at 713 572-3724 or diane.beck@hctx.net RYAN WHITE PLANNING COUNCIL OFFICE OF SUPPORT
2223 West Loop South, Suite 240; Houston, TX 77027 Phone 713 572-3724 Fax 713 572-3724 TTY 713-572-2813 www.rwpcHouston.org Ray Nagin showed visitors the destruction of Hurricane Katrina.
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JANUARY 24 | 2013 | DEFENDER
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Meagan Good
goes undercover in ‘Deception’ By KAM WILLIAMS Special to the Defender
Meagan Good stars in NBC’s midseason drama “Deception” as Joanna Padget Locasto, a San Francisco narcotics detective with childhood ties to a notoriously secretive and powerful New York family, the Bowers. When her childhood best friend, Vivian Bowers, is found dead under mysterious circumstances, Joanna is enlisted by the FBI to help to find the killer, agreeing to go undercover into the opulent lifestyle she thought she’d left behind. Meagan has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after young actresses, recently completing a season-long arc on Showtime’s acclaimed series “Californication” as well as a role in “Think Like a Man,” the feature film based on the best-selling book by Steve Harvey. In 2011 she starred on the big screen alongside Angela Bassett and Paula Patton in “Jumping the Broom.” She rose to fame as a result of her box-office hit “Stomp the Yard,” but was recognized earlier for her acclaimed performance opposite Samuel L. Jackson in the eerie family drama “Eve’s Bayou,” for which she received an NAACP Image Award nomination. Born in Panorama City, California, Megan began appearing in commercials at the age of 4. She recently married DeVon Franklin, an executive for Columbia Pictures who is also a preacher and motivational speaker. Here, she talks about “Deception,” which airs Monday nights on NBC at 9 p.m. Kam Williams: Congratulations on your marriage. How was the honeymoon? Meagan Good: It was fantastic, especially considering we were celibate until marriage. KW: What interested you in “Deception?”
MG: The script was incredible and there were so many elements that appealed to me creatively and physically, and the cast seemed like an amazing group of people. KW: How would you describe your character, Joanna Locasto? MG: Tough, ballsy, and vulnerable, with a strong moral compass. She has a moral heart and wants to pursue justice and see the right thing happen. KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would? MG: I wish someone would ask if I was “saved” before I met my husband. A lot of people assume I had a spiritual awakening when I met him and it bothers me that people think that happened overnight. KW: If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be? MG: Rosa Parks or Jesus. KW: When do you feel the most content? MG: When I’m with my family. KW: What key quality do you believe all successful people share? MG: They don’t believe in “no.” KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps? MG: Keep God as your main focus. Make sure your desire to do what you’re aspiring to do is deeper than just fame and being a celebrity. Be willing to work hard, and don’t believe that when a door closes it’s anything personal. KW: How do you want to be remembered? MG: …As someone who helped others, loved others deeply even if they tried to hurt her, was there for people when she could be, and ultimately made everything she did about God and not just about herself.
Meagan Good portrays an undercover detective in NBC’s “Deception.”
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President
second
President and Mrs. Obama attend an inaugural ball.
President returns to his base By GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA Editor-in-Chief
Rejecting calls for him to move closer toward his Republican critics, a confident President Barack H. Obama kicked off his second term by making an impassioned plea for a more inclusive America. “It is not our generation’s task to carry on what those pioneers began,” Obama said in his inaugural speech. “For our journey is not complete until our wives, our mothers and daughters can earn a living equal to their efforts. Our journey is not complete until our gay brothers and sisters are treated like anyone else under the law – for if we are truly created equal, then surely the love we commit to one another must be equal as well. “Our journey is not complete until no citizen is forced to wait for hours to exercise the right to vote. Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity – until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country. “Our journey is not complete until all our children, from the streets of Detroit to the hills of Appalachia, to the quiet lanes of Newtown, know that they are cared for and cherished and always safe from harm.”
Obama’s speech represented a clear shift from four years ago when the newly-elected president optimistically thought that he could inject civility and common sense into Washington’s contentious politics. After being rebuffed by opponents who placed politics ahead of the interests of the country – including taking it to the brink of a self-inflicted financial cliff – President Obama boldly shifted gears Monday, by sketching a progressive vision and signaling a willingness to fight for it.
President Obama delivers his inaugural address.
The Obamas wave to the crowd at the inaugural parade.
“For now decisions are upon us afford delay,” he stated. “We cannot lutism for principle, or substitute sp tics, or treat name-calling as reason must act, knowing that our work wi We must act, knowing that today’s v be only partial and that it will be up stand here in four years and 40 year hence to advance the timeless spirit to us in a spare Philadelphia hall.”
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and we cannot t mistake absopectacle for polined debate. We ill be imperfect. victories will p to those who rs and 400 years t once conferred
President Obama and Vice President Joe Biden congratulate each other.
Excerpts from inaugural address Economic equality
“We, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it. We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class…We must harness new ideas and technology to remake our government, revamp our tax code, reform our schools, and empower our citizens with the skills they need to work harder, learn more, reach higher…”
Obama, the nation’s first African-American president, was sworn in on the day the nation observed the annual federal holiday to honor the birth of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He was sworn in on a black leather Bible used by King that was topped by a smaller one owned by President Abraham Lincoln. And he referenced both men as he declared Americans “are made for this moment.” The direct link between the nation’s first Black president and the observance of King’s birthday
he Houston area for over 80 years
Continued on Page 8
Reasons for optimism
“This generation of Americans has been tested by crises that steeled our resolve and proved our resilience. A decade of war is now ending. An economic recovery has begun. America’s possibilities are limitless, for we possess all the qualities that this world without boundaries demands: youth and drive; diversity and openness; an
endless capacity for risk and a gift for reinvention. My fellow Americans, we are made for this moment, and we will seize it – so long as we seize it together.”
Foreign policy
“We, the people, still believe that enduring security and lasting peace do not require perpetual war…we are also heirs to those who won the peace and not just the war; who turned sworn enemies into the surest of friends – and we must carry those lessons into this time as well.”
Immigration
“Our journey is not complete until we find a better way to welcome the striving, hopeful immigrants who still see America as a land of opportunity – until bright young students and engineers are enlisted in our workforce rather than expelled from our country.”
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Obama..Continued from page 7 underscores how far this country has progressed since the assassination of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) president and Nobel Peace Prize winner in 1968. Although King did not live to see the election of an African-American to the nation’s highest office, he predicted in 1964 that a Black would be elected president of the United States. In an interview with the BBC, King was asked to comment on a statement by then New York Senator-elect Robert F. Kennedy that it might be possible to elect a Black president in 40 years. “I’ve seen levels of compliance with the civil rights bill and changes that have been most surprising,” King said. “So, on the basis of this, I think we may be able to get a Negro president in less than 40 years. I would think that this could come in 25 years or less.” Obama’s election came 44 years after King’s statement and four years longer than what Robert Kennedy had envisioned. Standing in the shadows of a U.S. Capitol built by slave labor, Barack Obama expressed much more self-assurance Monday than he had four years ago. “We do not believe that in this country freedom is reserved for the lucky, or happiness for the few,” the president said. “We recognize that no matter how responsibly we live our lives, any one of us at any time may face a job loss, or a sudden illness, or a home swept away in a terrible storm. The commitments we make to each other through Medicare and Medicaid and Social Security, these things do not sap our initiative, they strengthen us. They do not make us a nation of takers; they free us to take the risks that make this country great.” The reference to a nation of takers was a direct rebuttal to Mitt Romney’s telling a group of donors that 47 percent of Americans are “dependent on government” and would “vote for the president no matter what.” Ironically, Romney received 47 percent of the popular vote in his losing effort against Obama. The president indicated he plans to move the U.S. away from “perpetual war” and will take on tough issues such as immigration reform and climate change. Obama became the first president to link the 1839 Seneca Falls Convention for women’s rights, the Selma-Montgomery, Ala. voting rights march and the 1969 Stonewall movement that put gay rights center stage. He said, “We, the people, declare today that the most evident of truths –- that all of us are created equal – is the star that guides us still; just as it guided our forebears through Seneca Falls, and Selma, and Stonewall; just as it guided all those men and women, sung and unsung, who left footprints along this great Mall, to hear a preacher say that we cannot walk alone; to hear a King pro-
Beyoncé sings the National Anthem, which generated debate.
claim that our individual freedom is inextricably bound to the freedom of every soul on Earth.” President Obama used “we the people” — the opening words of the U.S. Constitution — five times during his 18 ½ -minute speech. Later, the Obamas danced at two private balls in the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, down from the 10 held in their honor four years ago. At each ball, they slow-danced as they were being serenaded by fellow Chicagoan Jennifer Hudson, who sang Al Green’s “Let’s Stay Together,” a tune the president had belted last year at the Apollo Theater in Harlem to display his vocal talent. As usual, all eyes were on First Lady Michele Obama as onlookers waited to see what fashion designer she would elevate to international attention. She surprised everyone by selecting Jason Wu, the same designer she used for the first inauguration. The first lady came on stage at the Commander-in-Chief’s Ball in a dazzling ankle-length ruby-colored chiffon dress. Alicia Keyes was no fashion slouch, wearing a red backless dress as she played the piano and sang, “Obama’s on firrrrrre!” Earlier, Beyoncé Knowles stirred the inauguration crown with her rendition of the National Anthem. However, the The Times of London reported — and other news outlets later confirmed — that she lip-synced the National Anthem.
Now thru February 3 At the Alley Theatre A riveting re-imagining of the events that took place on the night before the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr.
Kelly Clarkson and all other program events were performed live. Obama became the second and probably last president to be sworn in four times. In 2009, Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts flubbed his line at the official swearing in and do-over was completed the next day. This time, Roberts administered the oath of office in a flawless private ceremony Sunday because the Constitution requires the president to be sworn in on Jan. 20; he repeated it in the public ceremony on Monday. “… We, the people, understand that our country cannot succeed when a shrinking few do very well and a growing many barely make it,” Obama said. “We believe that America’s prosperity must rest upon the broad shoulders of a rising middle class. We know that America thrives when every person can find independence and pride in their work; when the wages of honest labor liberate families from the brink of hardship. “We are true to our creed when a little girl born into the bleakest poverty knows that she has the same chance to succeed as anybody else, because she is an American; she is free, and she is equal, not just in the eyes of God but also in our own.” As he prepared to leave the U.S. Capitol, President Obama stopped and turned around. “I want to take a look one more time,” he said. “I’ll never see this again.”
E-mail your name and address to: HoustonDefender@defendermediagroup.com No purchase necessary. Contest ends January 25, 2013
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Dick Gregory calls Spike Lee ‘thug’ Special to NNPA from the Tri-State Defender Legendary social activist, comedian and author Dick Gregory, has weighed in on the controversial Quentin Tarantino film, “Django Unchained,” and he did so in explosive fashion. In an interview posted to YouTube, Gregory says that the movie spoke to him in ways that no film had in all his years on earth. He then calls out director Spike Lee for criticizing a film that he’s never seen, saying that if anyone has created movies that are disrespectful to our ancestors, it’s Lee himself. “I’ve seen ‘Django Unchained’ 12 times. Never in the history of Hollywood, have they ever made anything that freed the inside of me,” Gregory said. “I’m 80 years old. I saw cowboy movies, wasn’t no Black folks in cowboy movies. I’m looking at a western, plus a love story. To those of you all that see it, you’ll never see a love story about a Black man and a Black woman where it wasn’t some foul sex and foul language. “And Spike Lee can’t appreciate that. The little thug ain’t even seen the movie; he’s acting like he white. “So it must be something personal. [Lee said the movie] offended his ancestors, but when you did ‘She’s Got To Have It’ and some of those other thug movies you did…you took Malcolm X and put a Zoot suit on him…did that offend your ancestors, punk? “It’s a game, man. So whatever he’s mad about is something that happened way, way a long ago. Thank God it didn’t work (to stop the movie from being successful].”
When the interviewer asks Gregory if he has a problem with Tarantino’s excessive use of the word “n*gger,” he said that he absolutely did not and that no other culture insists on white-washing their painful past in this country like Black people: “We talking about history, man. It happened. Nigger happened.”
classified HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTICE TO PROPOSERS
The Houston Independent School District located in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center at 4400 West 18th Street Houston, Texas 77092 will accept proposals, until the stated date and time deadlines, in the Board Services Office, Level C1.
Project 13-02-01 – RFP for Business Assistance 2012 Bond Program Staffing with a deadline of Wednesday, February 13, 2013 at 2 P.M. The pre-proposal conference for this project will be Wednesday, January 30, 2013 at 10 A.M. in Room 3C10 at the above stated address.
Proposals are available on the HISD web-site at www.houstonisd.org. The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or, to accept the proposal that is most advantageous to the District. The District sells obsolete assets on-line at www.PublicSuprlus.com.
Invitation for Bids BALFOUR BEATTY INFRASTRUCTURE, INC. Is soliciting bids for subcontractors and vendors for construction of the following project no. C 500-3-577, ETC on IH 45 from N of West Rd to N of Shepherd Dr, bid date is February 6, 2013. Quotations may be mailed to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., 1701 Directors Blvd, Suite 1010, Austin, Texas 78744 or faxed to (512) 707-0798 or emailed to bbiisw@bbiius.com. DBE/HUB contractors are encouraged to submit bids. Plans and specifications are available to be reviewed at TxDOT Plans On-line: www.dot.state.tx.us/ business/plansonline/plansonline.htm E.O.E. For information contact Brian Ficzeri at (512) 707-0797.
Competitive Sealed Proposal Notice for Competitive Bid Notice for Renovations to Port Houston Elementary School Project Number: Project 13-01-02CS
Houston Independent School District (HISD) The Houston Independent School District will receive Competitive Bids from contractors for renovations to Port Houston Elementary School. The work includes, but is not limited to, general renovations, including ADA and code upgrades. The work includes installation of a new elevator, security and safety improvements, and updates to existing lighting and HVAC system. Bids are due no later than Tuesday, February 5, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. at 4400 West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Houston, Texas 77092. The price bids will be opened and the amounts read aloud. Port Houston Elementary School is located at 1800 MCCarty, Houston, TX 77029. The bid package, which includes plans and specifications, will be available beginning Monday, January 21, 2013, and may be obtained from Gurrola ReproGraphics Inc., 6161 Washington, Houston, TX 77007, (t) 713-861-4277, gurrolareprographics.com, upon refundable deposit of $100.00 for each set of plans and specifications. Documents in portable document format (pdf) are also available from Gurrola ReproGraphics on disk for a deposit of $50.00. Deposit checks should be made payable to HISD. Any questions regarding bid documents are to be addressed STOA Architects, Ramon Patino, 6001 Savoy Drive, Suite 100, Houston, TX 77036, v. 713995-8784 f. 713-995-8765. The Competitive Bid process will be utilized as authorized in H.B. No. 628, Legislative Session 82 (R)-2011. Bids will be opened and the amounts read aloud at 2:00 PM on the due date. M/WBE Forms, schedules and statements, as required by the project manual and in accordance with the Office of Business Assistance, will be received at 2:00 PM, on the due date, at the Board Services Office, 4400 West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Houston, Texas 77092. BIDS SUBMITTED WITHOUT M/WBE FORMS, PROPERLY COMPLETED, WILL BE CONSIDERED NOT RESPONSIVE. A mandatory pre-bid conference will be held on 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, January 30, 2013, at Port Houston Elementary School, 1800 McCarty, Houston, TX 77029. For additional information regarding this project, please contact Mr. Earl Finley at 713-556-9306, or wfinley@houstonisd.org. Drawings and Specifications may be reviewed at the following Houston locations: Associated General Contractors, 3825 Dacoma Street Houston, TX 77092, (713) 843-3700 HISD Construction Services Office (Bond), 3200 Center Houston, TX 77007, (713) 556-9250
Dick Gregory has harsh words for Spike Lee.
Spike Lee is critical of “Django Unchained.”
Virtual Builders Exchange, 3910 Kirby, #131 Houston, Texas 77098-4151, (832) 613-0201 McGraw Hill Construction/Dodge, www.construction.com
Renovation of Deady Middle School Project Number: 13-01-03CS
Houston Independent School District The Houston Independent School District will receive Competitive Sealed Proposals from contractors for Renovation at Deady Middle School. The work includes, but is not limited to, renovation of school that include ADA code compliance, safety and security improvements, and electrical upgrades. Proposals are due no later than Wednesday, February 6, 2013, at 02:00 p.m. at 4400 West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Houston, Texas 77092. The price proposals will be opened and the amounts read aloud. Deady Middle School is located at 2500 Broadway, Houston, TX 77012 The Request for Competitive Sealed Proposal (RFCSP), which includes plans and specifications, will be available beginning Monday, January 21, 2013, and may be obtained from Gurrola Reprographics, 6161 Washington Ave., Houston, TX 77007 upon refundable deposit of $100.00 for each set of plans and specifications. Documents in portable document format (PDF) are also available from A&E on disk for a deposit of $50.00. Deposit checks should be made payable to HISD. Any questions regarding bid documents are to be addressed to Houston Independent School District, 4400 West 18th Street, Houston, TX 77092, 713-556-9306 or Collaborate Arch LLC, Martin Needle, 1943 Norfolk #A, Houston, TX 77096, v. 832-409-3050, f. 267-695-9035. The Competitive Sealed Proposal process will be utilized as authorized in H.B. No. 628, Legislative Session 82 (R)-2011. The Competitive Sealed Proposal process enables HISD to select contractors on the basis of price and qualifications/methodology. M/WBE Forms, schedules and statements, as required by Section AB of the RFCSP and in accordance with the Office of Business Assistance, will be received at 2:00 p.m., February 6, 2013, at the Board Services Office, 4400 West 18 th Street, Office of Board Services, Houston, Texas 77092. PROPOSALS SUBMITTED WITHOUT M/WBE FORMS PROPERLY COMPLETED WILL BE CONSIDERED NON RESPONSIVE. A pre-proposal conference will be held 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, January 29, 2013 at Deady Middle School, 2500 Broadway, Houston, TX 77012. For additional information regarding this project, please contact Mr. Earl Fenley, at 713-556-9306, or wfinley@houstonisd.org. Drawings and Specifications for the RFCSP may be reviewed at the following Houston locations: Associated General Contractors, 3825 Dacoma Street Houston, TX 77092, (713) 843-3700 HISD Construction Services Office (Bond), 3200 Center Houston, TX 77007, (713) 556-9250 McGraw Hill Construction/Dodge, www.construction.com Virtual Builders Exchange, 3910 Kirby, #131 Houston, TX 77098-4151, (832) 613-0201
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DEFENDER | JANUARY 24 | 2013
sports
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Ravens, 49ers set for Super Bowl By MAX EDISON Defender
In a scenario that has more subplots than a soap opera, the match-up for Super Bowl XLVII is set. The Baltimore Ravens take on the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Feb. 3 at 5:30 pm at the Mercedes Benz Superdome in New Orleans. This Super Bowl marks the first time two brothers will face each other on opposite sides of the field as head coaches. Jim Harbaugh leads the 49ers and John commands the Ravens. Hall-of-Famer-in-waiting, linebacker Ray Lewis, who announced his retirement prior to the beginning of the playoffs, will be playing in his final game. Budding offensive superstar 49er quarterback Colin Kaepernick will be throwing to another Hall of Fame candidate, receiver Randy Moss, who would likely retire with a 49er win. Jim Harbaugh, the younger brother, played 15 years as a quarterback in the NFL. He spent the 1998 season as a member of the Ravens and was a teammate of Ray Lewis. Jim played down the sibling match up. “It’s a blessing and a curse,” the 49ers coach said. I’m happy for them and for us to get to this point. I have great respect for their organization.” Raven head coach John Harbaugh also wanted to move the spotlight away from the coaching match-up. “Let’s just cut that right out,” John said in jest. “Can we all agree? Just forget about that stuff. We did that last year, OK? It was fine. It got old last year.” John said the opportunity to face his brother in the Super Bowl was something he never imagined. “I don’t know if we ever had a dream this big,” he said. “We had a few dreams, a few fights. We had a few arguments. Just like all brothers.” Completing his 17th year in the NFL, the iconic Lewis was overwhelmed with the thought of
concluding his career in the Super Bowl. “For me to come out and say this was my last ride and for now to be headed back to the Super Bowl with the possibility of winning a second ring, how else do you cap off a career?” Lewis said. “The last ride … I can only tell you I’m along for the ride.” Former Texan and Ravens Pro Bowl fullback Vonta Leech says the team is motivated to send Lewis out on top. “We want to send Ray out the way he deserves to go out, as a champion,” Leach said. “To a man everybody on the team wants this for Ray. He’s been that type of inspirational leader.” For Kaepernick, a second-year player with a mere nine starts under his belt, it’s been a whirlwind ride that has led his team to the big game. “It feels good...We’re one step closer to where we want to be,” Kaepernick said. “I feel like I had a lot to prove. A lot of people doubted my ability to lead this team.” Ray Lewis plans to retire after the Super Bowl on Feb. 3.
Brothers Jim and John Harbaugh will coach against each other.
Colin continued. “I’m just enjoying this...I mean, I couldn’t ask to be anywhere else.” Texans fans can lament about the ones who got away and are now playing in the Super Bowl. In addition to Leach, safety Bernard Pollard and receiver Jacoby Jones are playing prominent roles for the Ravens. One final postscript – former Prairie View A&M University All-American defensive end Adrian Hamilton is now a rookie on the Raven practice squad and could be active for the Super Bowl. This game has a little something for everyone and should be one fantastic match-up.
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Randy Moss hopes to get a Super Bowl ring with the 49ers.
JANUARY 24 | 2013 | DEFENDER
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Bellaire’s Kramer always optimistic By DARRELL K. ARDISON Defender There are similarities and then there’s this big coincidence. Bellaire High School girls’ varsity basketball head coach Michael Kramer has seen this script before and made the most of it. Once again, the Cardinals are short on height and long on guts. They are a guard-oriented squad that utilizes quickness to force turnovers and three-point shooting to demoralize opponents. For the fourth consecutive season, Bellaire is led by senior guard A.J. Alix, one of the top prep talents in the Lone Star State. Without a single six-footer on the squad, Bellaire has emerged as one of the favorites to claim the Region III-5A title next month along with Clear Springs, Manvel and sleepers Port Arthur Memorial and Cypress Ranch. Bellaire improved to 24-3 on the season and 7-0 in District 20-5A with a 70-42 victory over Houston Madison. Junior guard Angel Williams led the way with 22 points, including 11 in the first quarter when the Cardinals seized control of the contest. “We have no height again. We’re just a feisty, scrambling, pressing team that if we’re hitting our shots, we can create a long game for our opponent,” Kramer said. “We don’t dwell on things we may lack. We play with the hand that’s been dealt to us and go after it.” Alix and Williams are normally joined by Lulu McKinney, Brianne Jolivet and Shandice Waugh in the starting five, with sophomore Mimi Jackson usually the first off the bench. McKinney is currently sidelined with a leg injury and Jackson has been inserted into the starting lineup. “We’re going to need Mimi to step up in Lulu’s absence,” Kramer said. “Those are big shoes to fill and we’re hoping to get her back in two weeks.” Kramer says his team ran up against a number of taller opponents in the season’s early stages and over the holidays. “Duncanville had two 6-foot-2 girls and two more that were 5-11,” Kramer
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Westside rises to the top The Westside and Bellaire boys came into their first-round District 20-5A showdown with unblemished league records. Defending district champion Westside utilized a key three-point shot by Sidney Pritchett at the outset of the fourth quarter and dunks by Brandon Woods and Rodrick Trimont down the stretch to pull out a 67-62 victory over Bellaire at Delmar Field House. Westside broke a halftime tie early in the third stanza and never looked back. Woods led Westside with 15 points and Robert Hatter added 14. Franklin Iheanacho finished with 12 points and eight rebounds. The Wolves improved to 23-5 on the season and 6-0 in district play. Bellaire’s Christian James scored seven straight points in the fourth quarter and recorded 16 points and six rebounds. Cruz Ginns had 15 points, seven rebounds and four steals. Jarren Greenwood scored 11 points.
Cy Ranch overcomes injury Syndey Coleman was leading the Cypress Ranch girls in scoring and rebounding before the 6-foot-1 junior forward suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate knee injury just prior to the District 17-5A opener last month. Cy Ranch coach Tresa Hornsby said the injury forced her team to change its approach while still emphasizing the running game, defense and outside shooting. The Mustangs thrived in all three facets to defeat rival Cypress Creek 63-57 in overtime. Cy Creek led 35-26 at halftime after converting 11-of-14 field goals during the second quarter. After the game went into overtime, Cy Ranch made nine of 12 free throws to clinch the win.
The 2013 Bellaire girls’ basketball team is feisty and gutsy.
House wins again
Coach Michael Kramer
A.J. Alix
said. “The Woodlands had a legitimate 6-5 girl and Temple was bigger than us. I saw our girls grow up that weekend. We were doing it, and came away with victories over both Temple and The Woodlands. “Before that, we played Clear Springs in the McDonald’s Invitational and nobody gave us a chance,” Kramer said. “We’re the same prototype, small and quick, but we were hitting our shots in that game, and when we’re doing that, we can be a problem.” McKinney says there’s a very good reason why the Cardinals click on all cylinders more often than not. “Our team chemistry is good and each person knows what they have to do,” McKinney said. “Jolivette and Shandice work hard for us under the
Lulu McKinney
basket. They get rebounds and put-backs all the time. We feel like we can run with anybody in Texas.” Then there’s the coincidence. Alix is wrapping up her stellar high school career and heading to Texas Christian University next fall. Kramer is set to retire at the end of the 2012-2013 school year and hand the reins off to assistant coach Lamar Simons. Alix and Kramer will be leaving the Bellaire girls’ basketball program at the same time. “This is the best team I’ve played on at Bellaire and we really don’t fear anyone,” Alix said. “It’s about who plays harder, who is more aggressive and who has the most heart. Wouldn’t it be a bigger coincidence if Kramer and Alix left Bellaire with a state championship?
For the third time this season, University of Houston forward Danuel House has been honored as the Conference USA Freshman of the Week. The Hightower High product was the team’s leading scorer in road losses at C-USA rivals East Carolina and UCF. House averaged 18.5 points and 4.5 assists per game to lead the Cougars in both categories. He scored a teamhigh 22 points at East Carolina for his fifth 20-point game of the season and followed that with a 15-point, 11-rebound performance against UCF at Hofheinz Pavilion for the first doubledouble of his young career.
Daniels added to Pro Bowl Texans tight end Owen Daniels has been added to the 2013 AFC Pro Bowl roster. Daniels will be making his second appearance. The seventhyear veteran caught 62 passes for 716 yards and had a team-high and career-best six touchdown receptions this season. Daniels’ reception and yardage totals were the highest since his first Pro Bowl selection following the 2008 season, when he had career highs of 70 receptions and 862 yards. Owens brings the number of Texans in the Pro Bowl to nine. Houston’s nine Pro Bowlers are the most of any team in the AFC this season and are the most in team history. Daniels is joined on the AFC team by Texans teammates LT Duane Brown, RB Arian Foster, WR Andre Johnson, CB Johnathan Joseph, C Chris Myers, QB Matt Schaub, LG Wade Smith and DE J.J. Watt.
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DEFENDER | JANUARY 24 | 2013
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Actors Bowman Wright and Joaquina Kalukango
Reginald and Sloane Young
chag’splace
Nathaniel and Leticia Prevost
Bobby Jenkins, Bobby Glaze and Eugene Wilkerson
Impact Award Winner George Nelson and Houston Graduate Chapter President Bobby Glaze
Scholarship Recipients Kamal McMillan and Samira Williams
Toni Burns, Danielle Burns and Stephanie Carroll
Chelsa Wade and Arielle Montgomery
Pat Jasper and Sabrina Motley
until February 3, 2013. Fantastic play!.....GROOVE THE MOUNTAINTOP…..Playwright Katori Hall PHI GROOVE…..Over 250 folks attended the is making her Alley Theatre debut along with actors Groove Phi Groove Social Fellowship’s third annual Bowman Wright (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.) and Black & White Scholarship Gala. The organization Joaquina Kahukango (Camae) in the gripping was founded at Morgan State in play “The Mountaintop.” Taking 1962 by 14 young men (one now place on April 3, 1968, “The Join Yvette Chargois deceased), all of whom are as Mountaintop” is a re-imagining Events of the Week close today as they were almost of events the night before the More photos on defendernetwork.com 50 years ago. Their mission is to assassination of civil rights leader See Events on KTRK Ch.13’s Crossroads educate and empower the people Dr. King. After delivering one with Melanie Lawson Sunday Morning @ 11 a.m. in our communities, especially of his most memorable speeches, an exhausted Dr. King retires young Black men. This year Kamal McMillan and Samira Williams received to his room at the Lorraine Motel. A provocative college scholarships and George Nelson was maid arrives to seduce the 39-year-old leader. Their presented with the Impact Award for his many encounter depicts King, the man, as he confronts contributions to the organization and community. his fate. Spotted at the play were Patricia McGill, Some of the attendees included Minister Robert Robert Ross, Lillie Nobles, Debra Baker, Sloane Muhammad and his family, Sue and Lionel and Reginald Young, Phyllis Bailey, Tiffany and Feazell, Shamarion and Bobby Jenkins, Dr. Martin Espinoza, Leticia and Nathaniel Prevost, Phyllis Tyler, Theta Robinson, Sharon Cheflin, Donna Smith and Delores Smith, to name a few. Cassandra Cheflin and Dennis Thomas, to name The play runs on the Alley Theatre’s Hubbard Stage
a few. Kudos to chapter president Bobby Glaze, Eugene Wilkerson, James Carter and the entire membership for a great evening……Continued success!.....RICH ARTISTIC AND CULTURAL TRADITIONS….. The Houston Arts Alliance Folklife and Traditional Arts Program focuses on promoting and presenting the lively cultural traditions of Houston’s rich and diverse landscape. The Asia Society Texas Center is an institution dedicated to promoting mutual understanding and strengthening partnerships among peoples, leaders and institution of Asia and the United States in a global context. They recently collaborated and presented a concert, “Voices of the Spirit III,” that explored the devotional music representing five of our city’s immigrant faith communities. This year’s program featured Sufi music, Sikh Kirtans, Vietnamese pentatonic choral music, Indian Carnatic music and highlife-inflected Nigerian praise songs. Great concert!.....From Chag’s Place to your place, have a great week!
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