Houston Defender: April 04, 2019

ENTERTAINMENT

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BLACK RESTAURANT WEEK KICKS OFF IN HOUSTON. P5

Houston’s Leading Black Information Source

Volume 88 | Number 23 APRIL 4 | 2019 |FREE

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NEWSTALK ALBERT MYRES among four new TSU regents appointed by governor

P2 NATIONAL MAXINE WATERS sees convictions against white nationalists

P3 FEATURE KIM FOXX under fire in Chicago over Jussie, R. Kelly cases

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DEFENDER ROUNDTABLE

STATE OF BLACK WOMEN H PAGE 8

Beyoncé

Josh James

The superstar was named entertainer of the year at the 50th annual NAACP Image Awards that highlighted works by entertainers and writers of color. Bey paid homage to the people who were nominated in the same category as her - LeBron James, Regina King, Chadwick Boseman and Ryan Coogler.

The 2019 MLB season is off to the races and the Houston Astros are poised for another championship caliber season.

Champions in 2017, the Astros fell to the eventual World Series champion Boston Red Sox in the 2018 ALCS. Now James and his teammates are ready to ‘Take it back’ in 2019.

honored by NAACP TOP EVENTS

Mia Wright, Sonny Messiah Jiles and Police Chief Mary Young at the Defender’s State of the Black Woman Roundtable

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ready for 2019

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DEFENDER | APRIL 4 | 2019

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newstalk

Appointments made to TSU Board of Regents Defender News Services

Gov. Greg Abbott has appointed Pamela Medina, Albert H. Myres Sr. and Jay S. Zeidman to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents for terms set to expire on Feb. 1, 2025.

Additionally, he appointed Marc C. Carter for a term set to expire on Feb. 1, 2023. The appointments are Albert Myres subject to Senate confirmation.

Pamela Medina of Houston is a trust and asset management officer for Cadence Bank. She is a member of the State Bar of Texas, Houston Bar Association, Houston Estate & Financial Forum, and the Greater Houston Partnership, and scholarship chair and past president of the Mexican American Bar Association of Houston. She is a volunteer with United Way of Greater Houston and Yellowstone Academy Lemonade Day, a lifetime member of the University of Texas-Texas Exes and a board member of St. Patrick Chapel Alumni Association. Medina received a B.A. in psychology from UT and a Juris Doctor degree,

Memorial Hermann Hospital, Emancipation Park, and Houston First Corporation. He is a former board member of the Texas Christian University National Alumni Board and the Small Business Advisory Task Force.

Zeidman received a B.S. in economics and political science from Texas Christian University, where he served as student body president, and an MBA from the Jesse Jones GraduJay Zeidman Marc Carter Pamela Medina ate School of Business at Rice University. cum laude, from TSU’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Marc C. Carter of Houston is an attorney and Albert H. Myres Sr. of Liberty is president and previously served as judge of the 228th District Court CEO of Octcet, Inc. and a rancher. He is a former senior for 16 years. Carter created and presided over the first executive with Reliant Energy and Shell Oil Company. He Veterans Treatment Court in Texas. He is a member has served on numerous community boards including the of the State Bar of Texas, United States District Court, YMCA of Greater Houston and the Nature Conservancy.

Criminal Justice Act Panel, Houston Bar Association, He was formerly appointed to serve on the TSU Advisory Committee and the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corpo- State Bar Foundation, Lone Star Veterans Association and Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity. Carter served as a capration. Myres received a B.S. in finance from the Univertain in the U.S. Army. He received a B.A. in government sity of Tulsa. from UT Austin and a Juris Doctor degree from ThurJay S. Zeidman of Houston is the managing director good Marshall School of Law. of Altitude Ventures. He is a board member of Children’s

Port disparity study to benefit MWBEs Houston.

“Harris County is among the most diverse communities in the country. For our entire economy

Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis to thrive, contracting opportunities with government applauded the Port of Houston Authority’s recent entities, including the Port of Houston, should reflect decision to conduct a disparity study of its procurethat diversity.” ment practices to ensure that the agency is equitably Disparity studies and MWBE programs are contracting with minority- and women-owned busipowerful economic development tools that can help ness enterprises (MWBEs). remove roadA disparity blocks to inclusion, study is a critical step strengthen and in establishing an diversify the region’s MWBE program. It economy, and help compares the availcreate wealth and ability of MWBEs jobs where they are in the sectors where needed the most. government contracts Recognizing the and procures with the economic and social level of participation benefits of such of those businesses programs, Ellis last in the government’s year led the effort to contracting and proinitiate a disparity curement processes. The Port of Houston supports the creation of economic activity study for Harris County When disparities exist, totaling almost $265 billion in Texas.

Commissioners Court. a gender or race-conThat study is currently underway and should be scious approach is appropriate and allowable. completed later this year.

“I applaud the Port of Houston Authority on Ellis also joined advocates in successfully urgapproving a disparity study,” Ellis said. “This is an ing Metro and the Port of Houston to conduct similar important first step in ensuring that all businesses have an equal opportunity to contract with the Port of disparity studies.

Defender News Services

Bessie Swindle remembered

Sunnyside community leader Bessie Swindle, shown above with Congressman Al Green, died March 28 at age 79. She was a longtime neighborhood leader and joined Green’s staff in 2005.

Her involvement included serving as president of the Southeast Coalition of Civic Clubs, president of the Cloverland Civic Club, president of St. Francis 55 Plus Seniors and precinct judge for Precinct 271. “Ms. Swindle was a powerful woman that walked in her faith daily by being a voice for the voiceless, the underserved, the elderly, the impoverished, and anyone she felt was in need of a helping hand in [Sunnyside],” Green said. A community center and street are named in her honor.

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APRIL 4 | 2019 | DEFENDER

national

U.S.briefs BALTIMORE’S EMBATTLED MAYOR is taking an indefinite leave of absence, just as a political scandal intensifies over what critics call a “self-dealing” book sales arrangement that threatens her political career. Mayor Catherine Pugh’s office said she feels unable to fulfill her obligations due to deteriorating health brought on by a recent bout of pneumonia. Her decision to go on leave indefinitely came the same day that Maryland’s Republican governor asked the state prosecutor to investigate corruption accusations against the leader of Maryland’s biggest city and the state’s comptroller, a Democrat, urged Pugh to resign. One health care giant reportedly sought a contract to provide coverage to city employees and paid $114,000 to purchase 20,000 copies of Pugh’s self-published books..……A GEORGIA MAN IS FACING MURDER CHARGES FOR allegedly shooting a 19-year-old after the teenager mistakenly knocked on the front door of the man’s apartment while looking for his girlfriend. Darryl Bynes, 32, was arrested after he allegedly fired at the teen from his Atlanta apartment’s balcony. Omarion Banks’girlfriend, Zsakeria Mathis, said he wasn’t yet familiar with the apartment complex’s layout as they both just recently moved in. She said he called her to meet her at their front door. When she didn’t hear a knock, she said she walked out onto her front porch and then heard the ensuing violence……..

EMBATTLED VIRGINIA LT. GOV. JUSTIN FAIRFAX said the results of two polygraph tests he took bolster his previous statements denying allegations of sexual assault. Fairfax said the lie-detector tests were administered by Jeremiah Hanafin, the former FBI agent who conducted a polygraph on Christine Blasey Ford, the professor who accused Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.

Fairfax, a married father of two young children, has been accused by two women, California political science professor Vanessa Tyson and Meredith Watson, Fairfax’s former college classmate, of sexual assault.

VOLUME 88 • NUMBER 23 APRIL 4, 2019 Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler

Strategic Alliance Manager

Clyde Jiles Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila Photographers

Ray Carrington III Jimmie Aggison

Editors ReShonda Tate Billingsley Marilyn Marshall Contributing Writer Aswad Walker Sports Max Edison Jodie B. Jiles Engagement Manager Margo Williams Hubbard

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender is audited by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For digital subscriptions, visit www.DefenderNetwork.com/ subscribe. No paper subscriptions are available. All material covered by 2019 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).

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White nationalists convicted for threatening Rep. Waters Stephen Taubert was found guilty by a federal grand jury after calling Waters’ Los Angeles office in July 2018 with a profanity-laced threat using racial Two racist and potentially murderous men are slurs. He also threatened former President Barack the latest in a series of men – many of whom are Obama in a separate call. white nationalists and/or supportTaubert was convicted for iners of President Donald Trump fluencing, impeding, or retaliating – who have been convicted in against a federal official; making a federal courts for threatening to threat in interstate commerce, and kill California Congresswoman making a threat against a former Maxine Waters. president of the United States. He Ceasar Sayoc – a man who faces up to 20 years in prison. reportedly once called himself The Sayoc and Taubert cona white supremacist and drove victions follow those of Anthony a van covered in pro-Trump imScott Lloyd and Richard Mel Philages – pleaded guilty in federal lips, who pleaded guilty to leaving court for mailing potentially threatening voicemail messages, explosive devices to Waters’ Los and Coast Guard Lt. Christopher Angeles and Washington, D.C. Hasson, a self-described white offices, and to the offices or resinationalist charged in February dences of 12 other Democratic for plotting to kill Rep. Waters, elected officials, private citizens several members of Congress and and media figures. television anchors.

Sayoc pleaded guilty to 65 “I am pleased by the idencounts, which include illegal Congresswoman Maxine Waters tification, arrest, and conviction mailing of explosives with intent to kill, and using weapons of mass destruction. He is of the men who threatened me, my family, and my staff in support of their racist, white supremacist and being held without bail, and faces a maximum poshate-filled agenda,” Waters said. sible sentence of life in prison.

NNPA Newswire

Footage shows fatal shooting by six officers officers assess the situation before they each fired into the vehicle.

Nearly two A previous statement months after the fatal said the officers were shooting death of “fearing for their a California rapsafety.” per, local authorities The footage shows released body camera officers surroundfootage of the inciing the car with their dent. guns drawn as they Willie McCoy try to open the locked was fired upon 25 doors. McCoy is seen times, according to scratching his shoulhis family’s lawyer, der. Captions added as he slept inside his Willie McCoy was killed while asleep in his car with a gun. to the video explain car in the drive-thru of a Vallejo, Calif., Taco Bell. McCoy, whose stage name that officers gave the 20-year-old verbal commands to show his hands. As the driver moves forward, the was Willie Bo, was snoozing with a gun on his lap, captions say his left hand reached for the gun in his his foot on the brake and the engine running when lap, however, the gun is not seen in the footage at any authorities responded to a call saying a man was point. After that, officers shout and begin firing into the “slumped over” at the wheel. vehicle.

On March 29, the Vallejo Police Department McCoy was pronounced dead at the scene. The ofreleased footage from the moment the incident unficers involved have been placed on administrative leave. folded. The graphic 30-minute video shows the six Defender News Services

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APRIL 4 | 2019 | DEFENDER

entertainment

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April 14-28

Black Restaurant Week fires up Houston Defender News Service

Award-winning Blackowned restaurants, culinary showcases, food trucks and master chefs will make the Space City sizzle starting April 14 as Black Restaurant Week LLC (BRW) comes to town.

The nation’s largest Black-owned, eight-city food celebration will seduce thousands of foodies with Houston’s hottest restaurants, food trucks, executive chefs and mixologists from April 14-28 while calling attention African-American, African and Caribbean cuisine is to the inequalities for minoricelebrated during Black Restaurant Week. ties in the food and beverage industry.

• April 24, 6-10 p.m., George R. During its two-week run Brown Convention Center | NOSH: in Houston, BRW will partner Culinary Showcase & Power of the with local, Black-owned Palate, A Bartending Competition – restaurants. In addition to resFeatures top-talent chefs, bartenders taurant offerings, BRW and mixologists. Guests are invited to will host a variety of taste and rank cocktails and delectable culinary events, includbites.

Participating restaurants ing pop-up dinners, • April 27, 7-10 p.m., Peggy Park | • Alfreda’s Soul Food informational and expoSoundbites: Food Truck Festival – Will Warren Luckett is co-founder of Black Restaurant • Ate Kitchen style events designed feature a fleet of diverse food trucks and Week and COO of Branwar Wine Distributing.

• B’s Wine Bar to expand awareness vendors, along with DJ sets and enter• Burns Burger Shack and increase support for tainment for the whole family. get old,” Luckett said.

• Burns Original BBQ Black culinary profesThis year, proceeds from Black Restaurant “Whether it’s discover• Cafe 4212 sionals.

Week will benefit the heartland of the Black cuing a new love for West • Cafe Abuja “There is still more linary community – the farmers who supply the African pepper soups or • Esther’s Cajun Café & Seafood work to be done when industry's ingredients.

The organization will donate finally sourcing the perfect • Esther’s Signature Dish it comes to inclusion in vital funds to Family Agriculture Resource Mancaterer for your wedding, • Etta's Kitchen the food and beverage agement Services (F.A.R.M.S.) in support of its we really strive to ensure • The French Fry House industry. African-Amerefforts to provide legal and technical services to our events are diverse and • Houston’s This Is It Soul Food icans make up only 8 farmers of color. have something for every• Indigo percent of restaurant "Supporting the entire culinary industry, from one.”

• Lucille's owners and managfarm to table, is necessary for providing more opThis year’s schedule • Mikki's Cafe ers in the U.S.,” Black portunities for the whole community to thrive," of culinary experiences • Phil and Derek's Restaurant and Lounge Restaurant Week coLuckett said.

"From the increased exposure for includes: • Prospect Park Restaurant South (Galleria) founder Warren Luckett Black-owned restaurants to the professional busi• April 16, 6-8 p.m., • Ray’s Real Pit BBQ Shack said. “Food is what ness guidance gained from the educational events, Emancipation Community • Soul Food Vegan connects us all. It’s the Black Restaurant Week helps businesses expand its Center | Aroma: Culinary • Taste of Nigeria common ground we can customer base and receive resources for ongoing Panel Discussion – Looks • Tropical Smoothie Cafe (Woodlands) all embrace to continue success." at culinary product placeour call for inclusion.”

Black Restaurant Week was founded in 2016 ment and shares best The 2019 lineup in Houston and has expanded to eight U.S. cities. practices on successfully features some of HousThe movement currently supports more than 500 navigating distribution to ton’s best spots. minority businesses nationwide and has generated stores and restaurants.

“It may be our fourth year, but feeling the love an economic impact of approximately $1.5 million.

• April 19, 7-10 p.m., Booked Design Space | Art and pride from the community and small business For more information visit: linktr.ee/blackrestaurantweek. of Flavor: Pop-Up Dinner with Chef Kenneth Temple. owners when we put on these events will never

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DEFENDER | APRIL 4 | 2019

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Death puts Nipsey Hussle in spotlight

Beyoncé, 'Black Panther' win at Image Awards

recently, it seemed as though Hussle had distanced himself from the gang.

He was involved in community activism, You may not have heard the name working to empower and employ underpriviNipsey Hussle before he was killed on March leged groups through real estate investments, 31 in Los Angeles. But news of Hussle’s science and tech learning death went viral and led centers for teens, and to an online outpouring other efforts in inner-city of grief and love from Los Angeles. huge names in the music Hussle was reportindustry and beyond, edly planning to attend from Chance the Rapper an anti-gang violence to Rihanna to LeBron meeting scheduled for James. not long after he and Hussle, 33, was two other men were shot a Grammy-nominated outside a store he owned rapper, as well as an called Marathon Clothentrepreneur, community ing. activist and father of two.

Police say at some Within the music induspoint, Hussle and Eric try, he was an established Holder, the suspect arrested presence who had colRapper Nipsey Hussle, whose real name was by Los Angeles Police laborated with artists as Ermias Joseph Asghedom, died from gunshot Tuesday in the rapper’s big as Drake and Diddy. wounds. murder, got into an argument He also had a violent and Holder opened fire.

Holder is currently being past and had spoken publicly about his long held in solitary confinement on over $7 million affiliation with the Rollin’ 60s, an L.A.-area bond. gang that is connected to the Crips. More

Beyoncé was named Entertainer of the Year at the 50th annual NAACP Image Awards that highlighted works by entertainers and writers of color.

After Beyoncé accepted the award, the superstar paid homage to the people who were nominated in the same category as her. She beat out Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, Regina King, Chadwick Boseman and director Ryan Coogler.

Jay-Z received the President's Award for public service achievements. He was recognized for his efforts through his Shawn Carter Foundation and serving as cofounder of the REFORM Alliance.

"Black Panther" was awarded Best Motion Picture and won in several other categories, including Best Actor in a Motion Picture (Boseman), Supporting Actor in a Motion Picture (Michael B. Jordan) and Directing in a Motion Picture (Coogler).

Jussie Smollett, who lost to "Grey's Anatomy" star Jessie Williams in the Supporting Actor in a Drama Series category, did not attend Beyoncé thanked the NAACP for her the awards.

Defender News Services

Getting

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We’re investing in infrastructure, technology and services that help keep you safe.

More information on natural gas safety is available at: CenterPointEnergy.com/Safety.

©2018 CenterPoint Energy 187119

CENT-0450_2018_Spring_Gas_Safety_Texas_4-79x6-5.indd 1

3/26/18 9:30 AM

Associated Press

Image Award.

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APRIL 4 | 2019 | DEFENDER LegaL Notice

To merchants who have accepted Visa and Mastercard at any time from January 1, 2004 to January 25, 2019: Notice of a class action settlement of approximately $5.54-6.24 Billion.

Si desea leer este aviso en español, llámenos o visite nuestro sitio web, www.PaymentCardSettlement.com.

Notice of a class action settlement authorized by the U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York.

This notice is authorized by the Court to inform you about an agreement to settle a class action lawsuit that may affect you. The lawsuit claims that Visa and Mastercard, separately, and together with certain banks, violated antitrust laws and caused merchants to pay excessive fees for accepting Visa and Mastercard credit and debit cards, including by: •

Agreeing to set, apply, and enforce rules about merchant fees (called default interchange fees);

Class Plaintiffs in service awards for their efforts on behalf of the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class.

hoW

To

aSk

for

PaymenT

To receive payment, merchants must fill out a claim form. If the Court finally approves the settlement, and you do not exclude yourself from the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class, you will receive a claim form in the mail or by email. Or you may ask for one at: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com, or call: 1-800-625-6440.

legal righTS

and

oPTionS

•

Limiting what merchants could do to encourage their customers to use other forms of payment; and

Merchants who are included in this lawsuit have the legal rights and options explained below. You may:

•

Continuing that conduct after Visa and Mastercard changed their corporate structures.

•

File a claim to ask for payment. Once you receive a claim form, you can submit it via mail or email, or may file it online at www.PaymentCardSettlement.com.

•

Exclude yourself from the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class.

If you exclude yourself, you can individually sue the Defendants on your own at your own expense, if you want to. If you exclude yourself, you will not get any money from this settlement. If you are a merchant and wish to exclude yourself, you must make a written request, place it in an envelope, and mail it with postage prepaid and postmarked no later than July 23, 2019, or send it by overnight delivery shown as sent by July 23, 2019, to Class Administrator, Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement, P.O. Box 2530, Portland, OR 97208-2530. Your written request must be signed by a person authorized to do so and provide all of the following information: (1) the words “In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation,” (2) your full name, address, telephone number, and taxpayer identification number, (3) the merchant that wishes to be excluded from the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class, and what position or authority you have to exclude the merchant, and (4) the business names, brand names, “doing business as” names, taxpayer identification number(s), and addresses of any stores or sales locations whose sales the merchant desires to be excluded. You also are requested to provide for each such business or brand name, if reasonably available: the legal name of any parent (if applicable), dates Visa or Mastercard card acceptance began (if after January 1, 2004) and ended (if prior to January 25, 2019), names of all banks that acquired the Visa or Mastercard card transactions, and acquiring merchant ID(s).

The defendants say they have done nothing wrong. They say that their business practices are legal and the result of competition, and have benefitted merchants and consumers. The Court has not decided who is right because the parties agreed to a settlement.

The Court has given preliminary approval to this settlement.

The SeTTlemenT Under the settlement, Visa, Mastercard, and the bank defendants have agreed to provide approximately $6.24 billion in class settlement funds. Those funds are subject to a deduction to account for certain merchants that exclude themselves from the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class, but in no event will the deduction be greater than $700 million. The net class settlement fund will be used to pay valid claims of merchants that accepted Visa or Mastercard credit or debit cards at any time between January 1, 2004 and January 25, 2019.

This settlement creates the following Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class: All persons, businesses, and other entities that have accepted any Visa-Branded Cards and/or Mastercard-Branded Cards in the United States at any time from January 1, 2004 to January 25, 2019, except that the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class shall not include (a) the Dismissed Plaintiffs, (b) the United States government, (c) the named Defendants in this Action or their directors, officers, or members of their families, or (d) financial institutions that have issued Visa-Branded Cards or Mastercard-Branded Cards or acquired Visa-Branded Card transactions or Mastercard-Branded Card transactions at any time from January 1, 2004 to January 25, 2019. The Dismissed Plaintiffs are plaintiffs that previously settled and dismissed their own lawsuit against a Defendant, and entities related to those plaintiffs. If you are uncertain about whether you may be a Dismissed Plaintiff, you should call 1-800-625-6440 or visit www.PaymentCardSettlement.com for more information.

•

WhaT merchanTS Will geT from The SeTTlemenT Every merchant in the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class that does not exclude itself from the class by the deadline described below and files a valid claim will get money from the class settlement fund.

The value of each claim will be based on the actual or estimated interchange fees attributable to the merchant’s Mastercard and Visa payment card transactions from January 1, 2004 to January 25, 2019. Pro rata payments to merchants who file valid claims for a portion of the class settlement fund will be based on: •

The amount in the class settlement fund after the deductions described below,

•

The deduction to account for certain merchants who exclude themselves from the class,

•

Deductions for the cost of settlement administration and notice, applicable taxes on the settlement fund and any other related tax expenses, money awarded to the Rule 23(b) (3) Class Plaintiffs for their service on behalf of the Class, and attorneys’ fees and expenses, all as approved by the Court, and

•

For more information about these rights and options, visit: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com.

if

courT aPProveS final SeTTlemenT

The

The

Members of the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class who do not exclude themselves by the deadline will be bound by the terms of this settlement, including the release of claims against the released parties provided in the settlement agreement, whether or not the members file a claim for payment.

The settlement will resolve and release claims by class members for monetary compensation or injunctive relief against Visa, Mastercard, or other defendants. The release bars the following claims: •

The total dollar value of all valid claims filed.

Attorneys’ fees and expenses and service awards for the Rule 23(b) (3) Class Plaintiffs: For work done through final approval of the settlement by the district court, Rule 23(b)(3) Class Counsel will ask the Court for attorneys’ fees in an amount that is a reasonable proportion of the class settlement fund, not to exceed 10% of the class settlement fund, to compensate all of the lawyers and their law firms that have worked on the class case. For additional work to administer the settlement, distribute the funds, and litigate any appeals, Rule 23(b)(3) Class Counsel may seek reimbursement at their normal hourly rates. Rule 23(b)(3) Class Counsel will also request (i) an award of their litigation expenses (not including the administrative costs of settlement or notice), not to exceed $40 million and (ii) up to $250,000 per each of the eight Rule 23(b)(3)

Object to the settlement. The deadline to object is July 23, 2019. To learn how to object, visit www.PaymentCardSettlement.com or call 1-800-625-6440. Note: If you exclude yourself from the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class you cannot object to the settlement.

•

Claims based on conduct and rules that were alleged or raised in the litigation, or that could have been alleged or raised in the litigation relating to its subject matter. This includes any claims based on interchange fees, network fees, merchant discount fees, no-surcharge rules, no-discounting rules, honor-all-cards rules, and certain other conduct and rules. These claims are released if they already have accrued or accrue in the future up to five years following the court’s approval of the settlement and the resolution of all appeals.

Claims based on rules in the future that are substantially similar to – i.e., do not change substantively the nature of – the above-mentioned rules as they existed as of preliminary approval of the settlement. These claims based on future substantially similar rules are released if they accrue up to five years following the court’s approval of the settlement and the resolution of all appeals.

The settlement’s resolution and release of these claims is intended

to be consistent with and no broader than federal law on the identical factual predicate doctrine.

The release does not extinguish the following claims: •

Claims based on conduct or rules that could not have been alleged or raised in the litigation.

•

Claims based on future rules that are not substantially similar to rules that were or could have been alleged or raised in the litigation.

•

Any claims that accrue more than five years after the court’s approval of the settlement and the resolution of any appeals.

The release also will have the effect of extinguishing all similar or overlapping claims in any other actions, including but not limited to the claims asserted in a California state court class action brought on behalf of California citizen merchants and captioned Nuts for Candy v. Visa, Inc., et al., No. 17-01482 (San Mateo County Superior Court). Pursuant to an agreement between the parties in Nuts for Candy, subject to and upon final approval of the settlement of the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class, the plaintiff in Nuts for Candy will request that the California state court dismiss the Nuts for Candy action. Plaintiff’s counsel in Nuts for Candy may seek an award in Nuts for Candy of attorneys’ fees not to exceed $6,226,640.00 and expenses not to exceed $493,697.56.

Any fees or expenses awarded in Nuts for Candy will be separately funded and will not reduce the settlement funds available to members of the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class.

The release does not bar the injunctive relief claims or the declaratory relief claims that are a predicate for the injunctive relief claims asserted in the pending proposed Rule 23(b)(2) class action captioned Barry’s Cut Rate Stores, Inc., et. al. v. Visa, Inc., et al., MDL No. 1720, Docket No. 05-md-01720-MKB-JO (“Barry’s”).

Injunctive relief claims are claims to prohibit or require certain conduct. They do not include claims for payment of money, such as damages, restitution, or disgorgement. As to all such claims for declaratory or injunctive relief in Barry’s, merchants will retain all rights pursuant to Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure which they have as a named representative plaintiff or absent class member in Barry’s, except that merchants remaining in the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class will release their right to initiate a new and separate action for the period up to five (5) years following the court’s approval of the settlement and the exhaustion of appeals.

The release also does not bar certain claims asserted in the class action captioned B&R Supermarket, Inc., et al. v. Visa, Inc., et al., No. 17-CV-02738 (E.D.N.Y.), or claims based on certain standard commercial disputes arising in the ordinary course of business.

For more information on the release, see the full mailed Notice to Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class Members and the settlement agreement at: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com.

The courT hearing abouT ThiS SeTTlemenT On November 7, 2019, there will be a Court hearing to decide whether to approve the proposed settlement. The hearing also will address the Rule 23(b)(3) Class Counsel’s requests for attorneys’ fees and expenses, and awards for the Rule 23(b)(3) Class Plaintiffs for their representation of merchants in MDL 1720, which culminated in the settlement agreement. The hearing will take place at: United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York 225 Cadman Plaza Brooklyn, NY 11201 You do not have to go to the Court hearing or hire an attorney. But you can if you want to, at your own cost. The Court has appointed the law firms of Robins Kaplan LLP, Berger Montague PC, and Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP as Rule 23(b)(3) Class Counsel to represent the Rule 23(b)(3) Settlement Class.

QueSTionS? For more information about this case (In re Payment Card Interchange Fee and Merchant Discount Antitrust Litigation, MDL 1720), you may: Call toll-free: 1-800-625-6440 Visit: www.PaymentCardSettlement.com Write to the Class Administrator: Payment Card Interchange Fee Settlement P.O. Box 2530 Portland, OR 97208-2530 Email: info@PaymentCardSettlement.com Please check www.PaymentCardSettlement.com for any updates relating to the settlement or the settlement approval process.

www.PaymentCardSettlement.com • 1-800-625-6440 • info@PaymentCardSettlement.com

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DEFENDER | APRIL 4 | 2019

State of Black Wom

Addressing issues

By MARILYN MARSHALL Defender

M

ore than 100 Houston-area women of vision recently gathered at the State of Black Women Roundtable to determine the agenda for an upcoming summit. The roundtable was sponsored by the Defender Network and the Barbara Jordan Institute at Texas Southern University.

Participants brought different areas of expertise and different levels of experience to the roundtable, hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas-Houston Branch. Participants included educators, entrepreneurs, activists, journalists, elected officials, engineers, doctors, attorneys, pastors, bankers, administrators and retirees.

They joined together to develop a list of the most pressing issues impacting Black women and help identify the agenda for the State of Black Women Summit, which will be held Friday, Sept. 20 and Saturday, Sept. 21 at TSU. “The SOBW Roundtable was significant in that it provided a sister space for 100 of the most prominent Black women thought leaders in the Houston metropolitan area to share their vision and concerns of the socio-economic and political realities facing Black women,” said Carla Brailey, an assistant professor at TSU and co-organizer of the roundtable and summit.

“The roundtable established a collaborative that honored the diverse voice of Black women in various industries and organizations, who operate with various perspectives and at different educational and economic levels,” Brailey said.

Sonceria “Sonny” Messiah-Jiles, Defender CEO/publisher and summit/roundtable co-organizer, said she is grateful for the roundtable participants’ efforts.

“What was accomplished was amazing, thought-provoking and passionate,” Messiah-Jiles said. “The working lunch resulted in a dynamic list of issues and ideas presented by strong and powerful Black women.

“The synergy and energy created will be channeled to formulate a program that will support Black women as we work together individually and through existing women organizations and church groups to improve the quality of life in Houston.”

Brailey added that ultimately, the roundtable and summit, “will allow Black women to develop their own life narratives and solutions to solve some of the more pressing matters.”

DefenderNetwork.com

The conversation continues with…. * Wanda Adams, HISD trustee * June Williams Colman, M.D., Ob-Gyn * Toni Jackson, Attorney * Jeralynn Manor, Attorney * Georgia Provost, owner, Provost & Associates

Participants in the State of Black Women Roundtable met at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas-Houston Branch.

Women offer insight into ch

The Defender asked a group of SOBW Roundtable par opportunities facing Black

DENISE HAMILTON CEO, WatchHerWork

“I think the greatest challenge facing Black women today is fatigue. There are so many challenges and they are all so important and they seem insurmountable. We have incredible Black women all over the country who are chipping away, chipping away, but your spirit gets broken, you get discouraged, you get daunted.

The greatest opportunity is the ability to refuel each other for the fight, focus on what the biggest challenges are and where we can make the most immediate impact and to make our requests specific. We have a general disappointment, general unhappiness. You can’t solve problems generally. You have to solve them specifically. So targeted, organized, focused efforts are our opportunity to change our future.”

CHARLENE JAMES

State volunteer president, AARP “Spreading ourselves too thin and in many cases not focusing on the details that we really need to address is one of our biggest challenges, because we’re trying to be all things to all people in all areas and we really need to try and focus. There are enough of us that we can parcel out different areas and issues that we need to address in greater detail.

We have the opportunity to continue to be involved.

We are fortunate in that people look to us, they know we can get things done, we have the expertise and we’re willing to speak out and say what needs to be done and what the real issues are. So, people are going to be looking to us to be a part of the vision for tomorrow and further down the road and bring our children along. I think that’s another important thing – to really create opportunities for our young leaders to be involved.”

MARCIA JOHNSON

Professor, Thurgood Marshall rector, Urban Research and Re

“The greatest challenge facing B the same one facing Black men, an – what’s happening to them in the what’s happening to them in the cr what’s happening to them as we compare the opportunities we may have had to what they’re having now. There are a lot of forces that are not supportive of meaningful and impactive change.

I think the greatest opportunity comes from within Black women because we recognize that our power is in us and with each other, presents to us opportunity to work make an impact with what happens happens in the legal system and wh

defendernetwork.com • Serving th

men Roundtable

s, summit agenda

rticipants to discuss the greatest challenges and k women today:

Black women today is nd that is our children educational system, riminal justice system,

, and that fact alone k together to really s policy-wise, what hat happens socially.”

9

A list of i s s u es

Here is a list of pressing issues developed by participants in the State of Black Women Round table.

EDUCATION – Primary/seco ndary education, college board prep, mentoring/tut oring, unequa l education, vocati onal training.

FAMILY – Car egiving, lack of available Black men as mates, sing le parenting, teen age pregnanc y, toxic relationsh ips.

FINANCES – A ccess to capit al markets, retire ment, unequa l pay, wealth develop ment, wills.

HEALTH – HIV /AIDS, materna l mortality, mental health, other issues (Alzheimer ’s, cancer, diabet es, hypertension, obesity), selfcare/ self-improvem ent.

hallenges, opportunities

School of Law; diesource Center, TSU

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LAW & CRIMIN AL JUSTICE – Child abuse, crimin al justice refo rm, domestic abuse, incarceration rates, sexual assault.

POLITICS – In stitutionalized racism, lack of in clusion, leader ship, voter suppress ion.

JACKIE POPE

JUANITA RASMUS

TIFFANY D. THOMAS

“Trying to be everything to everybody is our greatest challenge. I still work, I’m a mom, I want to be a grandmother but I’m not. Family time is very important time.

But it must be balanced with work, church, friends and community involvement – all of those entities that make us who we are. I have to really concentrate on balancing this thing out and I do that by doing what I want to do.

I think we have opportunities now because everywhere you look, we’re talking about women being healthy, taking charge of their lives, doing ‘me’ time, and I think all of that is important.”

“One of the greatest challenges facing African-American women right now is the reputation of being strong Black women.

I say that because if we strictly work on the reputation and don’t work on the internal work we have to do, the work of self-care and self-love, the work of silence and solitude, where we’re able to ground ourselves, know ourselves, know God and are given courage, strength, wisdom, joy and hope. If we’re not grounded in those ways that bring life, it becomes very challenging to meet the tasks that come at us every single day.

We have to be rooted in the ground of our being. We are grounded in God no matter who you are and how you name God. I choose to name God as the Trinitarian God who shows up as the Holy Spirit empowering me and giving me life and the insight, giving me revelation, along with Jesus who made Himself known in flesh.

When we ground ourselves, opportunities begin to manifest that never would have.”

“One of the greatest challenges is that Black women are not completely heard and seen.

Historically, Black women were used as a commodity to birth children for slavery. But now we’re used as the apparatus to push other political agendas and not our own. When Black women stand up and ask for what they want, they’re often dismissed. We see that in the workforce, we see that politically, we see that in other systems, we see that in healthcare.

We are at a critical time for us to collectively have our own agenda. Oftentimes when we talk about an agenda we only think politically, but it’s about looking at the system. Why are we participating in systems that do not serve us? Looking at what the State of Black Women Summit might offer, what this roundtable discussion might offer, and our needs in the culture and the community - this is an opportunity for us to craft an agenda by us, for us, with us.”

Executive assistant, City Controller

he Houston area for over 88 years

Co-pastor, St. John’s Downtown

Assistant professor, Prairie View A&M University

10 DEFENDER | APRIL 4 | 2019

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Ending Obamacare would hurt Blacks Defender News Services

President Donald Trump announced his renewed effort to end President Barack Obama’s signature health care reform law at a time when the Affordable Care Act (ACA), more commonly known as Obamacare, has narrowed the racial gap in health care coverage.

Trump vowed to make the Republicans the “party of health care” and directed GOP Senate leaders to make ending Obamacare a top agenda item leading up to the 2020 elections. But days after that declaration, he added that Republicans will not have a replacement plan for at least 19 more months and then only if they win the 2020 election.

“The president tweeted that they will come up with their plan in 2021,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the Democratic leader, said. “Translation: they have no health care plan.

It’s the same old song they’ve been singing. They’re for repeal. They have no replace.”

The 2010 health care law, which passed with only Democratic votes, went into effect in 2014 and opened the door to a variety of coverage options for low- and moderate-income individuals who had no health insurance. The options included an expansion of Medicaid

coverage in some states.

“People of color experienced large gains in coverage under the ACA that narrowed longstanding disparities in coverage. Research suggests these gains will likely lead to reductions in disparities in access to and use of health care as well as health outcomes over the long-term,” said a Kaiser Family Foundation analysis of Obamacare that was released in February.

Before Obamacare went into effect, people of color were at much higher risk of being uninsured compared

to whites. About 19 percent of African-Americans were uninsured, which doesn’t take into account the scores of Black people who received minimal health coverage on low wage jobs. At that time, 12 percent of whites were also uninsured.

By 2017, the uninsured rate of Black people fell to 11 percent, while 7 percent of whites also had no health care coverage.

Trump came into office in 2017 vowing to repeal Obamacare and replace it with something better, a vague plan that has never materialized. Even though Republicans controlled Congress in his first two years in office, the GOP failed to put forward an alternative health care plan that received widespread public support or was able to pass in Congress.

Trump falsely claimed in the weeks before the 2018 midterm elections that it was a Republican priority to ensure coverage for those with asthma, diabetes, pregnancy and other conditions. He hoped that his base would ignore that the GOP tried but failed for years to end Obamacare, which has become more popular among poor white conservatives who benefitted from health care reform.

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APRIL 4 | 2019 | DEFENDER

11

2020 CENSUS: For all to count, all must be counted

W

NNPA Newswire

hile every census faces challenges and even controversies, the count remains important because it’s the federal government’s very first responsibility to the U.S. Constitution, the cornerstone of the nation’s representative democracy and America’s largest peacetime activity, said Terri Ann Lowenthal, a consultant to many census stakeholders and former staff director for the U.S. House Subcommittee on Census and Population.

However, Lowenthal believes the 2020 Census is heading into “a perfect storm.”

“I think of unprecedented factors that could thwart a successful enumeration – one that counts all communities equally well,” said Lowenthal, who consults on the Census Project, a collaboration of business and industry associations, civil rights advocates, state and local governments, social service agencies and other vital services.

“The risks include cyber-threats foreign and domestic, IT failures, weather events that have become more extreme, disinformation campaigns, and the unknown consequences of adding a new, untested citizenship question,” she said.

The official kickoff to the 2020 Census began on April 1.

Lowenthal said the unknown consequences of adding a new, untested citizenship question are among the growing challenges.

She noted other challenges including consistent underfunding and President Trump’s budget request for next year, which is well below the amount needed; distrust of government at many levels and fear among immigrants that their census responses will be used to harm them and their families.

“An inclusive, accurate census is especially important for Black Americans and other people of color,” Lowenthal said.

“The census determines the distribution of political power, from Congress, to state legislatures, to city councils and school boards, and guides the allocation of almost $9 trillion over the decade in federal assistance to states and communities for

hospitals, public transit, school facilities, veterans’ services, Medicaid, school lunches, and many other vital services,” she said.

Advocates say unfortunately, the census is not an equal opportunity enumeration.

Scientific yardsticks since 1940 reveal that the census misses Black Americans at disproportionately high rates, especially Black men ages 18 to 49 and Black children under age five.

“At the same time, the census over-counted non-Hispanic whites in 2000 and 2010. And because the people who are more likely to be missed do not live in the same neighborhoods as those more likely to be double-counted, some communities get more than their fair share of political representation and resources, while others get less than they deserve and need,” Lowenthal said, adding that we then must live with those results for

the next 10 years.

MAJOR IMPLICATIONS

The census is a civil rights issue with huge implications for everyone, particularly people of color, added Beth Lynk, the director of the Census Counts Campaign at the Leadership Conference Education Fund.

“Census data are used to draw congressional district lines and help determine the amount of federal funding communities receive for programs like Head Start and SNAP,” Lynk said.

“Communities that are missing from the census lose out on what they need to stay safe and healthy. Unfortunately, Black people and Latinos are considered to be harder to count, and accurately counting these populations takes a focused effort,” she said.

Lynk added, “That’s why it’s critical that local governments and community organizations educate their own constituents and members and encourage them to be counted.”

Census data are inherently personal; the data record and codify individual stories, and help to paint a mosaic of rich racial, ethnic, cultural, and geographic identities, said Jason Jurjevich, assistant director of the Population Research Center, a research institute in the College of Urban and Public Affairs at Portland State University in Oregon.

“Telling the story of diverse communities, including individuals of color, requires a fair and accurate count,” Jurjevich said.

“As with any census, an all too common obstacle is that some individuals are excluded, resulting in an undercount. In the 2010 Census, considered one of the most accurate censuses in recent American history, 1.5 percent of Hispanics and 2.1 percent of AfricanAmericans were undercounted,” he said.

Jurjevich added that among AfricanAmerican men, ages 30 to 49, the undercount was much higher, at 10.1 percent.

The decennial census is the one chance, every 10 years, to stand up and be counted, Jurjevich added.

He noted that Census 2020 will offer the first-ever online response option, which could improve census response rates and, at the same time, numerous challenges and barriers will likely make it more difficult to count Americans.

“This means that communities will need to organize and address on-the-ground challenges like the proposed citizenship question, increasing public distrust in government, growing fears among immigrants about the current sociopolitical climate, the first-ever online response option and concerns around the digital divide and security of personal data, and inconsistent and insufficient federal funding,” Jurjevich said.

Each community should first consider developing a Complete Count Committee – or CCC, he said. The first step for CCCs is to develop a Complete Count Plan.

The plan should identify local barriers to a fair and accurate count, identifies potential sources of funding, build on the strength of trusted community voices, and develop culturally resonant messaging, Jurjevich said.

“For all to count, all must be counted,” he said.

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12 DEFENDER | APRIL 4 | 2019

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Cases raise doubts about Chicago prosecutor Associated Press

Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx was elected in 2016 mainly because of anger that the prosecutor she ousted had waited a year to charge a Chicago police officer in the killing of Black teenager Laquan McDonald.

Then Foxx, who is a survivor of sexual assault as a child, grabbed national attention by charging singer R. Kelly with aggravated sexual abuse.

But in the course of just a few days, her reputation as rising political star and legal crusader was badly tarnished by her office's handling of two celebrity cases involving "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett and Kelly.

The dismissal of all charges against Smollett enraged many, from President Donald Trump to Chicago's mayor and the city's police union. They accuse her of allowing Smollett to walk away from faking a hate crime attack

classifieds

The fate of Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx is being debated.

and lying about it to police without so much as an apology or admission of guilt.

Adding to her woes, Kelly's attorney Steve Greenberg recently accused Foxx of caving in to pressure from celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti to charge Kelly. Avenatti, who is accused by federal prosecutors in a separate case of trying to shake down shoe company Nike, said he had provided Foxx with a video of Kelly having sex with a 14-year-old girl.

Retired Illinois Appellate Justice Sheila O'Brien vowed, in an opinion piece posted on the Chicago Tribune's website, to file a petition to the courts asking that a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate Foxx and her office.

Foxx declined to comment for this article. Her fate was literally debated in the streets of Chicago at dueling protests – one organized by civil rights leader Rev. Jesse Jackson in support of Foxx and another by the police union where demonstrators chanted "Foxx must go."

The praise she received for opening up about being raped as a small child, and then taking on R. Kelly – a Chicago native who had beaten a charge of child pornography in 2008 – has been drowned out.

Her office has been severely criticized by two major legal groups for what they called ethical lapses in the Smollett case.

Even Foxx's decision to recuse herself from the Smollett case is being questioned. Former judge O'Brien said a special prosecutor should answer whether Foxx really stepped back from the Smollett case after she said she was removing herself because of communications with a relative of the actor.

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Go to recovery.houstontx.gov/survey or call 832-393-0550 today.

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APRIL 4 | 2019 | DEFENDER

13

Report says NCAA shortchanges Black men NNPA Newswire

With the Final Four underway, and the recent college admissions scandal continuing to unfurl, all eyes are on higher education.

Coming into view behind the excitement of the scoreboards and drama of the bribery scandal is a troubling dynamic playing out in real time: Big-time college sports are deepening the inequities faced by Black male students seeking higher education.

A new issue brief from the Center for American Progress (CAP), a Washington D.C.-based nonpartisan research and educational institute, paints a vivid portrait of how college athletics distort the reality of Black male experiences on college campuses and raises significant concerns about racial equity in college admissions and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The report, by Sara Garcia and Connor Maxwell, “The Madness Doesn’t End in March: The Surprising Ways College Sports Shortchange Black Men,” analyzes the total number of student athletes per athletic conference and the number of student athletes who receive some form of scholarship or athletic aid at a Power Five institution.

The authors said they found that Black men are

overrepresented in major revenue-generating sports such as basketball and football – which have the highest risks of physical injury and academic insecurity – but are underrepresented on their campuses and in all other athletic programs.

Money earned by schools during the famed March Madness tournament and the revenue generated from the

EVERY SATURDAY

College Football Playoff (CFP) series, will likely total $1 billion for the NCAA, according to the report.

Colleges make a significant amount of money as well. In 2016, the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) sent six schools to the tournament’s round of 16, bringing in a collective $39.9 million for the conference.

What receives less attention, said the report’s authors, and is less easily observed on a TV screen, athletic court, or ballfield are the ways that college sports play into and obscure the inequities that Black male students face in higher education.

While Black men generate profit for their colleges and the NCAA, they see none of those benefits trickle down. For the first time, the CAP said it’s calling for compensating college athletes in revenue-generating sports.

“The NCAA relies on the athletic abilities of Black men to generate revenue but places little capital in their ability to complete a college degree,” said Garcia, senior research and advocacy manager for Postsecondary Education at CAP. The report findings include: • Black men comprise the minority of athletes in NCAA athletic programs.

• The majority of Black male athletes generate revenue, but they do not profit.

• A disproportionately large share of Black men on college campuses are athletes.

10 A.M. Join Defender Managing Editor ReShonda Tate Billingsley every Saturday morning at 10 a.m., for NewsWrap, the Defender's new digital newscast.

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You cannot get this collection of Black news in a quick, easy and convenient format anywhere else.

14

DEFENDER | APRIL 4 | 2019

sports Astros ready to ‘Take it Back’ in 2019

T

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By MAX EDISON Defender

Pitcher Josh he 2019 MLB season is off to the races and the James made Houston Astros are poised for another championhis Major ship caliber season. Champions in 2017, the Astros League debut with the Astros fell to the eventual World Series champion Boston in 2018.

Red Sox in the 2018 ALCS. The home team has adopted “Take it Back” as the tagline for the upcoming season. The clear implication is that the team feels they can recapture the magic that made the 2017 season special.

With a young nucleus that remains intact from the 2017 team, the Astros know what it takes to get through the long MLB season and have success in the postseason. There is no lack of confidence in the Astros clubhouse. That confidence starts with skipper A.J. Hinch.

“I have as much confidence as I ever have in this team,” Hinch said. “I love this team. I love the makeup. I love the edge that we have, the versatility that we have, the depth that our minor league system has. There's a lot of good going on here.”

Leftfielder Michael Brantley was acquired “There's an expectation of winning here and in free agency. there should be,” Hinch continued. “We have a good team. We all know what it takes to get to the finish line.”

Here is the outlook:

Starting pitching: The front end of the Astros starting pitching rotation is rock solid. Justin Verlander is the ace of the staff. At 36 years old Verlander is still capable of bringing it in the mid90’s and simply overwhelming opposing hitters.

Right-hander Gerrit Cole would be the ace on any staff that didn’t include Verlander. In 2018 he struck out a remarkable 34.5 percent of the batters he faced while walking just 8.0 percent.

With Dallas Keuchel lost to free agency and Lance McCullers out for the year recuperating from surgery, the back side of the starting pitching lineup has to step up. Veterans like Colin McHugh and Brad Peacock have big-game experience and will be counted on to shore up the rotation. Newcomer Wade Miley, youngster Josh James and top minor league prospect Forrest Whitley could also figure into the equation.

Bullpen: If the starters should falter, the bullpen is loaded with reliable arms. Will Harris, Chris Devenski, Hector Rondon and Ryan Pressly have proven they can hold a lead or stop the bleeding. Expect Roberto Osuna to be one of the games top closers.

Infield: The Astros can lay claim to the AL’s No. 1 infield and get very little argument from most experts. All-Star Alex Bregman, 25, was the All-Star game MVP and literally carried the offense on his back last August when the team was beset with injuries offensively. Expect All-Star shortstop Carlos Correa, 24, to bounce back from an injury plagued 2018 season.

Jose Altuve, 28, has recovered fully from offseason knee surgery and is poised for another MVP run. The elder statesman Yuli Gurriel, 34, continues to be a force defensively at first base and boasts a career .290 batting average. Expect newcomer Robinson Chirinos to handle the duties at catcher with relief from Max Stassi.

Outfield: The Astros added another weapon in the outfield acquiring former Cleveland Indian leftfielder Michael Brantley in free agency. Brantley, 31, is a career .295 hitter. Brantley is a player Astros management has had on their wish list for a while.

“We like everything about Michael's game, and we've been watching him for years,” GM Jeff Luhnow said. “To be able to add a bat like Michael Brantley at this point in our progression, it gives us a lot better chance to continue to do damage the next two years. So we're excited.”

Centerfielder George Springer was World Series MVP in 2017.

Brantley joins Mr. Reliable, All-Star centerfielder George Springer, 29 and Josh Reddick in a talented, athletic outfield.

The MLB 162-game regular season is known as a marathon, not a sprint. The team that can stay consistent and healthy has a chance at the end of the season. The Astros have a talented, deep lineup, bursting at the seams with playmakers. Expect them to repeat as AL West champs for the third consecutive year and make a strong push for another World Series appearance.

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APRIL 4 | 2019 | DEFENDER

15

HS sports Stafford Sprinter

Ryan Martins wins at Texas Relays

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By JODIE B. JILES Defender

USTIN – When the starting gun goes off, Stafford High School senior sprinter Ryan Martin quickly shows why he’s one of the best. Martin set a personal record in the 100m dash with his 10.37-second performance, the third best time nationally, earning him a gold medal in the finals of the Texas Relays.

Stafford sprint coach Chad Jones noted what Martin brings to the team. “First and foremost, [he demonstrates] leadership ability,” Jones said. “He is a great leader and he works very hard.”

The Defender spoke with Martin about his style of running and victory run in the 100m dash that took the relays by storm.

Defender: How would you describe your style of running?

Martin: I change it up a lot and I go off whatever I can do to make myself go faster. But I really try to listen to what my coaches tell me what to do because it works.

Defender: What were your keys to success on the 10.37-second run that you won?

Martin: I just stayed patient and calm when they were close to me.

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Meet Strake Jesuit phenom Matthew Boling & Spring #1 hurdler Treyvon Mays.

Defender: What is your personal goal for the 100m dash at the end of the year?

Martin: 10 flat (10.00 seconds) Defender: How do you plan on achieving your personal goal of a 10.00 seconds at the season’s end?

Martin: Keep working out and try to work harder than I ever have while at the same time learning from my mistakes.

About Martin

Twitter: @rtmartin01 Offers considering: University of Houston, Texas A&M University Favorite subject: Social studies Favorite food: Cinnamon rolls World problem he would solve: Hunger Sprinters he studies: Trayvon Bromell, Tyson Gay Shout-outs: “Coach Will, Coach Jones, my dad, my mom.”

Martin is joined by teammates (l. to r.) Tu'Shawn Wilson, Jaiden Walker and Deon McGiver

Martin is interviewed by Defender sports reporter Jodie B. Jiles. (Photos by Jimmie Aggison)

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Ryan Martin records the nation’s third best time in the 100m dash at the Texas Relays.

16

DEFENDER | APRIL 4 | 2019

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State of Black Women

Roundtable

Pastor Mia Wright, Sonny Messiah Jiles, TSU Police Chief Mary Young

D.J. Supastar

Missouri City Mayor Yolanda Ford is applauded

LaMonica Love, Jalene Mack, Jackie Pope

Paige Hubbard

S

Dr. Carla Brailey, Nicque Montgomery, ReShonda Tate Billingsley, Melinda Spaulding

Shawn Rose

Georgia Provost, Kim Roxie, Pastor Suzette Caldwell

Carolyn Evans-Shabazz, Dr. Creshema Murray, Dana Smith

Wanda Adams

Licia Green, Pastor Juanita Rasmus, Cydonii Miles, Kristal Palmer, Michelle Harden, Laurie Vignaud, Remington Wiley, Judge Genesis Draper

ome of Houston’s who’s who gathered to discuss issues affecting Black women at the Defender State of Black Women Roundtable co-sponsored by the Barbara Jordan Institute and hosted by the Federal Reserve Bank. Community, professional, faith and business leaders collectively worked to establish the agenda of the most pressing issues involving Black women

in preparation for the State of Black Women Summit, set for Sept. 20-21 at the at Texas Southern University. The roundtable was organized by Sonny Messiah-Jiles and Dr. Carla Brailey. Music was provided by D.J. Supastar . On hand for the exclusive event were Yolanda Ford, Shawn Rose, Pastors Suzette Caldwell, Mia Wright and Juanita Rasmus, Toni Wallace, Jalene Mack,

Linda K. Brown, Jackie Pope, Andrea Odom, Chief Mary Young, Pam Gaskin, Tammy Smithers, Kim Davis, Fern Dawkins, Georgia Provost, Carla Lane, Dr. Carolyn Evans Shabazz, Marcia Johnson, Marilyn Marshall, Kim Roxie, Margo Williams Hubbard, Licia Green Ellis, Melinda Spaulding, Misty Starks, Dr. Pretta VanDibble Stallworth and countless others.

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