Can we just bask in this magnifcent crown???
With all the gloom in the world, I had to start out my message with an Angela Davis-Pam Grier-Jackson 5 salute to Aevin Dugas. Tis baaaaadddd Louisiana sista currently holds the Guinness record for the largest afro on a living female. Dugas frst earned the title in 2010. Back then, her afro measured four feet, four inches in circumference. Now, 13 years later, her beautiful head of hair has grown to a stunning 9.84 inches tall, 10.4 inches wide and 5.41 feet in circumference. Te 47-year-old says she’s been growing her fro for 24 years, a journey which started with a desire to stop using chemical straighteners and rock her natural hair. While her hair is certainly a showstopper, Dugas says it takes a lot of work to maintain, including frequent trims and conditioning treatments. I’m so impressed. My fro would be so lopsided….Well done, my sista, well done.
Angel did not come to play
Angel Reese of the LSU Tigers is on track to becoming the highest-paid women’s college basketball player. Afer her recent NCAA Champion win, the young athlete has seen her social media followers across all platforms reach 2 million. According to ON3, her NIL (name, image and likeness) valuation is now $1.3 million, up from $370,000 before the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Reese has reportedly landed a slew of NIL appearances with several brands and companies such as Calvin Klein, Bose, Coach, Raising Cane’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Leaf Trading Cards, Bleacher Report and the artifcial intelligence company Caktus AI. Outback Steakhouse reportedly signed Reese and her brother Julian, who plays for the Maryland Terrapins, in February 2022. Reese has grown in popularity since mocking Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark using
the John Cena “You Can’t See Me” hand gesture in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. We are loving Reese’s feisty, “Take me or leave me” demeanor and major props to her securing the bag. And the cherry on top? Reese is quick to say “All money isn’t good money,” and she is super selective about who she partners with.
By now, you’ve probably heard about Dominion Voting Systems suing FOX News for defamation–and winning! Dominion, a small, privately held company didn’t just win, they WON! But if you read social media, lots of folks seem to think Dominion lost in this deal.
I’m sorry, I know I’m not the best at math, but isn’t their $787 million payout like 3/4 of a BILLION dollars???? If that ain’t winning, let me lose. Yeah, I know, folks are up in arms because they should’ve gone to court to make FOX publicly have to apologize for spreading fake news. Well, it wasn’t written that a jury would side with Dominion and give them the nearly two billion they were asking. And a bird in the hand was worth more than spinning that wheel with a jury where it would only take one MAGA person to make sure that Dominion got nothing.
Yes, FOX is loaded, but trust, they are not just doling out nearly a billion dollars all willy nilly. But make no mistake…Dominion didn’t lose. Tey get that money now. IF a jury had awarded them money, it would have been tied up in court forever. And for a company valued at $80 million, I’d take ten times my value any day of the week.
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Convicted murder Daniel Perry, whom Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has pledged to pardon for the murder of an Austin protester, ofen made racist comments and regularly announced his desire to kill protesters in the months leading up to the day Perry killed Garrett Foster, according to social media posts and texts recently made public after court documents were unsealed.
On May 29, 2020, days afer George Floyd’s murder by a Minneapolis police ofcer prompted nationwide protests, Perry sent a text message saying, “I might go to Dallas to shoot looters.”
Two days later, records reveal Perry posted a Facebook message that said when he is in Dallas, “no protestors go near me or my car.”
Te person who Perry was messaging, whose Facebook handle is Justin S., replied, “Can you catch me a negro daddy,” to which Perry responded, “Tat is what I am hoping,” Perry said.
In June, Perry sent text messages from an undisclosed location mentioning that concurrent with a bars closing, “the blacks … gathering up in a group I think something is about to happen.”
Reminiscent of white domestic terrorists who cut of body parts of Blacks they had recently lynched, and using the severed limbs as souvenirs and trophies, Perry said, “I wonder if they will let m[e] cut the ears of of people who’s decided to commit suicide by me.”
Prosecutors had filed the sealed 82-page document of Perry’s phone records and social media messages in March, but much of it was not brought before jurors. Information depicting a defendant’s character is often not allowed to be introduced while a jury weighs guilt versus innocence, and was apparently not needed for a jury to fnd Perry, a U.S. Army sergeant, guilty of murder.
However, that same information can be used in a sentencing hearing.
Perry’s long history of racist social media messages also includes anti-Muslim messages the convicted killer posted before and afer Floyd’s death. One such post from April 2020, included a photo of a woman holding her child’s head under water in the bath, with the text, “WHEN YOUR DAUGHTER’S FIRST CRUSH IS A LITTLE NEGRO BOY.”
Additionally, in 2019, Perry Facebook messaged someone saying, “To[o] bad we can’t get paid for hunting Muslims in Europe,” as part of his search for activeduty military weekend work.
“Daniel Perry, who was recently
convicted of murdering a Black Lives Matter protester…sent private messages for years containing racist memes and defending the killing of protesters and Muslims,” read a statement released by Texas Democrats.
Perry’s defense attorney Clint Broden declined to comment on the newly released court documents.
Perry was convicted less than two weeks ago in Travis County for shooting and killing Foster in July 2020. Perry drove his car into a group of protesters, including Foster, a white Air Force veteran. Foster was carrying an AK-47, a legal act in Texas. Perry’s attorneys said at trial Foster raised his rife, prompting Perry to shoot Foster fve times through his car window with his handgun. Multiple witnesses said Foster did not raise his rife.
Conservative politicians, prompted in part by commentary made by Fox News host Tucker Carlson, have rallied to Perry’s side, saying the act was purely self-defense in the face of dangerous protests. Tey’ve faulted the progressive prosecutor for pursuing the case.
Less than a day afer the conviction, Abbott took the unprecedented step of declaring his intent to pardon Perry for the murder, requesting the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles hand him the legally required recommendation as soon as possible.
Defender News Service
Te Texas House has overwhelmingly passed a bill that would prohibit race-based hair discrimination in schools, workplaces and housing.
Te lower chamber’s vote took the state one step closer to adopting a law inspired by the experiences of two Black high schoolers near Houston threatened with discipline in the 2019-20 school year if they didn’t cut their locks.
House Bill 567, fled by state Rep. Rhetta Bowers, D-Garland, was voted out of a House committee in late March. An identical Senate bill from state Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, is sitting in the Senate State Afairs Committee but hasn’t yet received a hearing. Representatives approved the bill with a 143-5 vote.
“I believe how the hair naturally grows out of our heads should have nothing to do with what is inside,”
Defender News Service
A years-long Harris County criminal court backlog is declining but still has tens of thousands of cases. Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg, staf members and victims’ families recently gave an update that the court’s backlog has decreased by more than 21% since June 2021.
Bowers told the House committee.
“And therefore with any of the success that we accomplish, the time is now for Texas to take up this civil rights legislation and protect the people from racial discrimination.”
HB 567 would add to the state’s education, labor and property codes a prohibition on discrimination based on certain hairstyles — including braids, dreadlocks and twists.
Versions of the legislation, called the CROWN Act — an acronym for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair — have been adopted throughout the country since 2019, when school administrators ordered two young men in Mont Belvieu, about 30 miles east of Houston, to cut their hair.
Te bill so far has received what appears to be wide support on its journey through the legislative process — at least in the House.
Te court’s backlog of cases started six years ago afer Hurricane Harvey fooded the county courthouse and halted proceedings. In addition to suspending trials, the destruction of the courts displaced judges and attorneys. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the backlog afer in-person trials were suspended because of social distancing guidelines and concerns about transmitting the virus.
Now, county court officials say they are on the right path to decreasing the number of cases but still have much more to do.
“Twenty-one percent is significant to us and signifcant to victims,” Ogg said. “We never get down to zero. What we are trying to achieve is pre-Harvey levels, and we’re not there yet.”
There are 69,533 active cases— more specifcally, 38,000 felonies and 30,000 misdemeanors. In addition to the backlog of cases, ofcials said the county fles an average of 100,000 cases annually.
Ofcials also said the county is focusing primarily on violent criminal cases and using diversion programs in misdemeanor cases and low-level drug ofenses. Tey are also preparing to change drug testing policies and require police to send drugs weighing less than four grams to be tested by the lab department to confrm their substance before the prosecutor fles the charge.
“Delay doesn’t beneft the accused either,” Ogg added.
Te mother of Ralph Yarl, the Black teenager shot when he mistakenly went to the wrong Kansas City, Missouri, home to pick up his younger brothers, said her son is crying “buckets of tears” as he comes to grips with what happened to him.
“Ralph is doing considerably well,” Cleo Nagbe told “CBS Mornings” co-host Gayle King. “Physically, mornings are hard, but his spirits are in a good place. I borrow from his spirits.”
Nagbe said the trauma remains evident. She said her 16-year-old son is “able to communicate mostly when he feels like it, but mostly he just sits there and stares and the buckets of tears just roll down his eyes.”
“You can see that he is just replaying the situation over and over again, and that just doesn’t stop my tears either,” she said.
Te shooter, 84-year-old Andrew Lester is behind bars afer being charged with frst-degree
assault and armed criminal action. Some civil rights leaders urged a hate crime charge but ofcials said frst-degree assault is a higher-level crime with a longer sentence — up to life in prison.
Yarl’s parents asked him to pick up his twin brothers at a home on 115th Terrace on April 13.
Te honor student and all-state band member, mistakenly went to 115th Street. When he rang the bell, Lester came to the door and shot Yarl in the forehead — then shot him again, in the right forearm. Lester told police he lives alone and was “scared to death” when he saw a Black male on the porch and thought someone was trying to break
in, according to the probable cause statement. No words were exchanged before the shooting, but aferward, as Yarl got up to run, he heard Lester yell, “Don’t come around here,” the statement said.
Yarl ran to “multiple” homes asking for help before finding someone who would call the police, the statement said.
Te shooting outraged many in Kansas City and across the country. Civic and political leaders — including President Joe Biden — demanded justice.
Te civil rights attorneys for Yarl’s family, Ben Crump and Lee Merritt, said in a statement that Biden called the teen’s family and ofered “prayers for Ralph’s health and for justice.” Vice President Kamala Harris wrote on Twitter that “No child should ever live in fear of being shot for ringing the wrong doorbell.”
“Te police are not treating this case in the same way Black people accused of murder are treated,” Missouri NAACP President Nimrod Chapel Jr. said in a statement. “A Black suspect would have been in jail.”
Te assault charge carries a penalty of up to life in prison. A GoFundMe page set up for Yarl has raised $2.9 million.
NNPA
Te National Urban League 2023 State of Black America report concluded that an uptick in police brutality, specifically against Black Americans, is no coincidence. Across the nation, white supremacist groups and domestic terror cells have infltrated law enforcement and the military ranks, posing a threat to homeland security and the public.
Te report highlights fve topics revealed as troubling threats:
1. A hate manifesto: Te Rise in Violent Hate Crimes Across America.
2. Tracking parental rights’ movement rooted in racism: the threat within education.
3.Hate in the nation: Te threat within America’s political system.
4. A threat to national security: Hate within law enforcement and the military.
5. Te divided state of America: A surge of divisive policies.
Te State of Black America, which also drew from information from the Brennan Center, noted that the FBI reported that white supremacists posed a “persistent threat of lethal violence” that has produced more fatalities than any other category of domestic terrorists since 2000.
“And FBI policy documents have also warned agents assigned to domestic terrorism cases that the white supremacist and anti-government militia groups they investigate ofen have ‘active links’ to law enforcement ofcials,” the National Urban League’s report stated.
“Countries around the world have been destabilized by military and law enforcement coups led by extremists holding right-wing ideologies. To protect our communities and our democracy, we must take this threat seriously.”
Te authors of the report said that groups of state and
federal lawmakers working with shady political operatives and violent extremists are dangerously close to destroying American democracy and replacing it with autocratic rule.
Te 2023 report titled, “Democracy in Peril: Confronting the Treat Within,” sounds the alarm about extremist ideas taking root in classrooms, law enforcement, the military and the halls of Congress.
“Te mainstreaming of extremist ideology is an existential threat to American democracy, the rule of law, and decades of hard-won progress toward an equitable, inclusive, and more perfect union,” National Urban League President and CEO Marc H. Morial said.
“No longer limited to passing out mimeographed leafets on street corners or huddling in corners of the dark web, conspiracy-mongers and white nationalists openly spew their bile across social media and cable television,” he continued.
“Tey weave it into the public policy they impose on their constituents. It corrodes the trust between police, the military, and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve.”
Te State of Black America reveals how deeply extremist ideas have crept into America’s most important institutions, leading to a rising tide of deadly violence, harsh laws, and racial tensions being used as weapons.
A look at Mark Morial’s 20 years as president and chief executive ofcer of the National Urban League DN ONLINE
VOLUME 92, NUMBER 23 - APRIL 20, 2023
Publisher | CEO
Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles
Digital Content Manager Get Current Studios
Education Reporter Laura Onyeneho
Sports Terrance Harris Jodie B. Jiles
Photographer Jimmie Aggison
Managing Editor
ReShonda Tate
Associate Editor
Aswad Walker
Social Media Manager Tia Alphonse Jordan Hockett The
$52M redesign of Hermann Park will add play areas, dog park, enhance green spaces
Some big changes are coming to Hermann Park soon. A $52 million project is going to create Te Commons, the McWilliams Dog park, a new playground and add more plants to the area. Te project is being spearheaded by the Hermann Park Conservancy. Te Commons community areas will be built in the 26-acre southwest part of the park. Te conservancy said they want to restore habitats in Te Commons and add more than a thousand trees and thousands of plants to help provide a home for local birds and animals. Tere will be a two-acre playground that will be accessible for all children. Te Swing Hill will be a traditional playground with new swings, and it will be close to the Picnic Pavilion. Tere will also be a Gorilla Forrest in honor of the neighboring zoo. Tere will also be a Live Oak Terrace with tables and chairs and a two-acre dog park. Construction is already underway and Te Commons are expected to be completely built by January 2024.
estimated to be $270m
Houston event organizers are estimating a $270-million economic impact for the city afer the end of 2023’s College Basketball
Final Four in early April. Te number is based on various factors, including money spent at hotels, restaurants, and bars by visitors from out of town and from Houston. In comparison, the 2016 Final Four in Houston had a $250 million economic impact. Ofcials say the number takes the Fan Fest and Music Fest into consideration as well.
Te Harris County Department of Education will host a job fair at its administration building located at 6300 Irvington Blvd., Houston, TX, 77022, 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, April 22. HCDE is hiring for various positions that support the Department’s instructional programs and support divisions, including certifed and substitute teachers; non-certified early childhood
education teachers; non-certified adult education teachers; administrators; paraprofessionals; licensed physical, occupational, and music therapists; facilities and custodial staf; and professionals in the Information Technology, research and evaluation, accounting, and afterschool time fields. To view and apply for open positions, visit TeachHarrisCounty.org.
More than 1,600 jobs available at Turnaround Houston Job Fair
Te city of Houston is hosting a job fair later this month for people looking for work. Te Turnaround Houston Job and Readiness Fair will be hosted on Tursday, April 27 at the Alief Community Center Gymnasium from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. More than 30 employers and resource organizations are expected to be at the job fair, and several of them will have hiring managers hosting on-the-spot interviews.To register for this event, go to https://tinyurl.com/pwfky39 .
Call for Artists: Applications open for Fall 2023 Bayou City Art Festival
Bayou City Art Festival, produced by the Art Colony Association Inc. (ACA) and benefting Houston nonprofts, is inviting artists to apply for the opportunity to showcase and sell their art at the nation’s premier spring outdoor art festival in the U.S. scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, October 14-15, 2023. Te artist application deadline for the spring 2023 Bayou City Art Festival is Sunday, June 18, 2023, at midnight CST. ACA produces a Bayou City Art Festival in the spring and in the fall and has provided a venue for more than 20,000 artists to showcase their work to thousands of art lovers from all over the world. Attendees have the opportunity to personally meet the artists, view original works, and purchase worldclass art. Only 300 artists will be selected to exhibit at Bayou City Art Festival. Cash prizes are awarded for “Best in Show,” second and third place, as selected by on-site judges at the festival. Ribbons are awarded for “Best Booth” and all winners receive jury exempt status for two years as well as priority booth placement. Apply at https://www. zapplication.org/event-info.php?ID=10785.
By Aswad Walker
While countless local, state and federal Republican lawmakers refute the existence of climate change, decades of scientific research strongly suggests it’s not only real, it’s deadly; especially to communities of color. And State Rep. Ron Reynolds, chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus (TxLBC) wants members of the Black community to know that Earth Day and other environmental-focused initiatives deserve and demand our attention.
“Tis Earth Day, we must continue to fght for equitable policy changes that address the environmental and public health disparities in our communities,” said Reynolds. “We see that 71% of African Americans live in counties in violation of federal air pollution standards and experience 56% more pollution than our consumption generates. Tese inequities consequently have resulted in elevated rates of cancer, asthma and other ailments.”
And Reynolds should know. He’s the only African American Texas legislator sitting on the state’s Environmental Regulation Committee.
“Robert D. Bullard, a fellow Texan and the ‘Father of Environmental Justice,’ defnes environmental racism as ‘Any policy, practice
or directive that diferentially afects or disadvantages (where intended or unintended) individuals, groups or communities based on race.’ We must continue to center Black communities in our conversations today on
environmental health and regulation,” added Reynolds.
Reynolds also shared some key statistics to highlight the importance of Earth Day and environmental justice for Black individuals,
families and communities:
Climate change disproportionately afects African Americans. According to Pew Research Center, 57% of Black people say that environmental issues are a big problem in their local area — more than any other racial or ethnic group.
Black people are 75% more likely to live near oil and gas refneries. Exposure to dirty air can result in serious health conditions and death. Earth Day brings attention to how pollution can impact the health and wellness of Black folks.
Black communities bear the brunt of environmental hazards. Earth Day helps bring awareness to environmental concerns that they face.
Bullard and Reynolds are not alone in seeking to raise awareness in the Black community of the importance of environmental justice and the current climate crisis facing the planet. Word in Black, a groundbreaking collaboration of 10 of the nation’s leading Black news publishers, has produced a series of articles on the subject, many of which were written by Word In Black’s Environmental Justice Reporter Maya Richard-Craven. Check out their important work at www. WordInBlack.com.
For Black people’s 99 problems, we tend to think the environment “ain’t one.” Take, for example, just a few comments by Blacks on the issue.
“Tat environmental sh*t is for them white boys and them fower-children white girls running around barefoot, feet dirty,” said Fenton Ralph.
“All that environmental talk is for Whole Earth-shopping, quinoa-eating, liberal white college kids who don’t have to worry about systemic racism, and have time and energy for saving the whales, dolphins, dogs, the planet and everything alive but Black people. Tat is, until they graduate and become the same conservative Republicans who are anti-everybody and anti-planet, as well,” said Elise Horne.
Tese quotes summarize much of what Black people have thought about the environmental movement, including its biggest day—Earth Day.
However, Word In Black reporter Maya Richard-Craven argues that Earth Day and all the environmental work that surrounds it, should be high on the list of Black people’s priorities.
“Do you remember a time when Black folk weren’t afected by climate change? Probably not, considering that the climate crisis has been hurting us for decades,” said Richard-Craven. “We receive little to no support when it comes to receiving aid during a climate-related disaster. But Black folk can get in the fght for climate justice because climate change is afecting all of us.”
In other words, environmental justice is not, what some have
labeled it in the past, a “white” issue.
“We have to breathe this air too,” said Afrencia Farqua, a Houston environmental champion. “We have to drink the water available to us on this planet and eat the food grown from earth, just like everybody else. Te fact that Black people are not central to the decision-making rooms in Congress and in big business doesn’t mean we aren’t impacted by climate issues.”
Farqua’s words ring even truer when you realize the person celebrated as the “Father of the Environmental Justice Movement” is a Black man. In fact, he’s a local, Houston-based brother—Dr. Robert Bullard, a professor at Texas Southern University, and world-renown for his work fghting for environmental justice for communities of color.
And there are several good reasons why Bullard has been on this battlefeld for decades.
Black people are 75% more likely to live near oil and gas refneries. Exposure to dirty air can result in serious health conditions and death. From lung cancer to asthma, there are so many ways pollution can impact the health and wellness of Black folk.
In Richard-Craven’s article “3 Black-Centered Reasons to Take Action on Earth Day,” she noted: “Another result of climate change is extreme temperatures, a direct result of climate change. Around 65,000 Americans go to the emergency room for heat-related health problems, and over 700 people die from exposure to extreme heat every year. From 2004-2018, Black folk had more deaths due to extreme heat than most racial groups, with 1,965 deaths.”
Want to make an impact in your community and have a ball while doing so?
Houston area rapper and award-winning artist Tobe Nwigwe is coming back home to perform as one of the headliners at 1DayHouston’s exclusive concert experience on April 29 and 30. He will be joining a star-studded lineup of notable musicians including country music superstar Tim McGraw.
You can gain access to one of two private concerts, but there is a minor catch… you have to serve a minimum of 3 hours of volunteer work.
Te host organization Love Has No Limits is expecting 50,000 people to join this movement, but the frst 32,000 registrants to volunteer will enjoy the concert experience.
“We created this outreach with Tobe in mind. He is so loved across the city,” Gabe Bahlhorn, 1DayHouston event collaborator. “Tere are so many people that look up to him. He’s at Coachella, he has the new Transformers movie coming out, he recently
had a new baby and he and his wife Fat were so over the top about wanting to do this.”
Bahlhorn says there are about 200 volunteering opportunities to choose from and the services they have been able to provide has yielded positive results.
“Tere are opportunities to help 2,000 refugee families, and wrap-around support for long-term distribution for them,” he said. “We’ve partnered with a group called Better Help and they’re providing critical counseling support for families and individuals who are in crisis.”
Nwigwe is no stranger to giving back to his community. Te Alief native made “Monumintal” strides in the city not only through representing Houston throughout his music career, but establishing his nonprofit organization, Team Gini, offering education programs to youth while helping them use creative outlets to change their lives, including visual art, theatre and motivational speaking.
For more information about 1DayHouston and to register visit 1dayhouston.com.
For many, Latin Fest signals a big party spotlighting Mexico. Others realize that Latin Fest extends far beyond Texas’ southern border neighbor. Still, when people think of this particular culture, Black people are not what comes to mind, even though the Afro-Latinx U.S. population includes several million who society would classify racially as Black.
Tat fact is one of the reasons why Raúl Orlando Edwards is hyped about this year’s Latin Fest, the 10th annual which will take place on Sunday, April 23 from 1p.m.–10p.m. at Crown Festival Park (18355 Southwest Frwy, Sugar Land, TX 77479).
“This year’s Houston Latin Fest is important to me because it is a refection of my vision of presenting all aspects of Latin culture with the dignity and respect they deserve,” said Edwards, who has been featured by local and national media for his work in Houston’s Afro-Latinx art scene.
Edwards, founder of the non-profit Foundation for Latin American Arts (F-LAMARTS) and Strictly Street Salsa, Houston’s frst salsa studio, sees Latin Fest as important to the city’s history and current reality.
“Latin Fest embodies the most diverse title our city has in the areas of representation of
the many cultures that make up our city. In this case, we focus on showcasing not one but as many as possible countries in Latin America.”
And there are many.
According to Edwards, scholar Dr. Will Guzman and poet/author and educator
Jasminne Mendez, a Dominican American, the Latinx community nationally and locally is extensive. Guzmán, a former Prairie View A&M University professor, says most Afro-Latinx in the US hail from the Caribbean, particularly Te Dominican Republic, Cuba, Haiti and Puerto Rico.
However, Honduras, Colombia, Venezuela and Panama are the countries of origin for most of Houston’s Afro-Latinx residents.
“Currently, there are nearly three million people in the U.S. who self-identify as Afro-Latinx, and some suspect the numbers are much higher, particularly in places such as Afro-Brazilians in the Ironbound section of Newark, NJ, Afro-Mexicans in California and North Carolina, Afro-Puerto Ricans in Kissimmee and Orlando, Florida, and Afro-Dominicans in Washington Heights, Boston and Orlando,” said Guzman.
Edwards views Houston’s Latin Fest as an opportunity to bring those various local Latinx communities together, along with others.
“Te event is a citywide celebration of the people who live in it but in addition, it serves as a platform of unity were all are important and welcome,” shared Edwards.
“For so long, when it came to things like Hispanic (or Latinx) Heritage Month or even Black History Month, so much of our experiences and stories we’re just not a part of the conversation,” said Mendez.
Admission is free with courtesy tickets which can be found by checking the website: https://theofcialhoustonlatinfest.com/. Pre-sale tickets are $12. Children under 12 enter for free.
AHouston mother beats her 4-month-old daughter because the baby’s father no longer wanted a relationship with her.
A 7-year-old boy was found dead in a washing machine where his adoptive parents reportedly stuffed him after he was beaten, suffocated and possibly drowned - all because the boy stole the father’s snacks.
Two teen siblings who made a daring escape from a Cypress home, revealed unimaginable abuse and horror at the hands of their own mother and her younger boyfriend. The 16 year olds were “severely malnourished” and had lacerations on their wrists consistent with being restrained with handcuffs.
The tragic stories are endless. And child advocates say they’re a prime example of the growing problem of child abuse in the Houston area.
April is National Child Abuse Awareness
Month and community leaders say now, more than ever, it’s necessary to discuss ways to work together to prevent child abuse and neglect, especially in the Black community.
According to the Department of Health and Human Services, Black children were three times more likely to die from abuse or neglect than white children.
“Child abuse occurs within the Black community pretty much at about the same rate that Black people exist in the population, 13%. But it is in the death that results from that child abuse where the
Physical abuse: Any physical injury resulting in substantial harm to the child, or the genuine threat of substantial harm from physical injury to the child.
77% of Black abused children are 0 to 5 years of age
61% of Black children abused by biological parents
656,000 victims of child abuse/ neglect nationwide
64,093 Texas victims
10% of all children suffer sexual abuse before age 18
1,840 child fatalities from abuse and neglect in Texas
susceptible to unconscious, systemic bias.
Bias can harm both Black and white children, said senior study author Stephanie Chao, MD, assistant professor of surgery at Stanford Medicine.
“If you over-identify cases of suspected child abuse, you’re separating children unnecessarily from their families and creating stress that lasts a lifetime,” Chao said. “But child abuse is extremely deadly, and if you miss one event — maybe a wellto-do Caucasian child where you think ‘No way’ — you may send that child back unprotected to a very dangerous environment. The consequences are really sad and devastating on both sides.”
Texas law requires that any person suspecting that a child has been abused or neglected must immediately make a report to The Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) at 1-800252-5400 or visit txabusehotline.org.
Child Advocates: Child Advocates mobilizes court-appointed volunteers to advocate for abused/neglected children in court so they can find safe, permanent homes. childadvocates.org/ Children @ Risk: Uses research and data to understand the needs of Texas children and their families. childrenatrisk.org
Children’s Assessment Center: provides a safe haven to sexually abused children and their families. cachouston.org/
numbers are skewed and Black children are far overrepresented,” said psychologist Dr. Norman Fried. “Twenty-five percent of all child abuse cases in America are of Black children. And we know that one in every four Black children by the age of four will be abused, but one in every 10 white children will be abused at that same age range.”
According to Be a Resource (BEAR), the number of children under child protective services in Houston continues to grow. For example, 16,000 children are involved with CPS-related cases. Over 1,000 of them were removed from their homes in an emergency.
“These children and victims suffer severe and often life-altering consequences,” said Monica Sanders, regional director for Child Protection Investigations in Harris County. “As a result of their abuse, the abuse they suffer can have lasting consequences and impact them physically, psychologically, behaviorally and cognitively as well.”
Sanders said that abuse is manifested in different ways.
“Many times when we encounter runaways, we learn that they were running from abuse. Many times when we encounter someone that may be involved in prostitution, we soon learn that they were running from abuse. Often when we have people that are incarcerated, we learn that at some point they too were abused and we know that a great deal of the abuse that happens happens at the hands of people that were abused when they were children. So we must break those cycles, the
impacts that they have, they could feel for years and we must do what we can to prevent it.”
Children’s rights advocates have identified the abuse of children in Black communities as a byproduct of the normalization of abuse experienced by Black people as a whole. We often hear, “I was beat, and I’ve turned out fine.” Or “Spare the rod, spoil the child.” And the excuses behind physical punishment become muddled because of traditions in the Black community. But Fried says while mindsets have changed, it’s important to draw the distinction between child abuse and normal discipline.
“The different types of cultural norms that go into parenting, whether it’s Black versus white families or different religions or cultures, that’s not included in the statistics for child abuse,” Fried said. “What we talk about when we discuss child abuse are heinous crimes whereby a child’s sense of safety is threatened and it’s a life-threatening event. And so its any experience for a child that involves a sense of absence of safety where they are hurt either emotionally and/or physically. That doesn’t mean that certain cultures that allow spanking should be considered abusive. This is more a traumatic event that is placed somewhere in the brain of the child. And their worldview is changed forever.”
Sexual abuse: Any sexual conduct harmful to a child’s mental, emotional or physical welfare, as well as failure to make a reasonable effort to prevent sexual conduct with a child.
Emotional abuse: A pattern of behavior that impairs a child’s emotional development or sense of self-worth.
Neglect: The failure to provide for a child’s basic needs to sustain the health and life of the child, excluding failure caused primarily by financial inability unless relief services have been offered and refused.
Medical Neglect: A type of maltreatment caused by failure of the caregiver to provide for the appropriate health care of the child although financially able to do so, or offered financial or other resources to do so.
Human Trafficking: The exploitation of a child for the purpose of commercial sex or through force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of forced labor.
Tradezsha Trenay Bibbs, 29, was found guilty of felony murder for April 16, 2016, killing of 4-month-old Brielle Robinson, and she was sentenced on Monday, April 3, 2023.
Child psychologist Alana Breed says it’s important to recognize that physical discipline, such as spanking, is not considered abuse as long as it is reasonable and causes no bodily injury to the child or youth.
“Many parents feel like their rights have been taken away from them because society as a whole has lumped child abuse together with any form of physical discipline. We have to be careful not to do that because it takes away from the very real issue of child abuse,” Breed said.
For years, child-welfare agencies, family courts and various activists have looked to fix racial disparities in the system. A new study from the Journal of Pediatric Surgery shows Black families are more likely to be investigated than their white peers, investigations involving Black children are more likely to be substantiated and Black children are more likely to be removed from their families into the foster-care system.
In an effort to combat the structural racism of the “family policing system,” a movement to abolish the child-welfare system has sprung up. Using the “Defund the Police” movement as a model, its leaders demand the elimination of foster care and congregate care, of mandated reporting of maltreatment (by teachers and doctors, for instance) and of drug testing of infants and new mothers. They also want less police involvement in domestic violence calls (because it leads to more reporting of child maltreatment).
*Children’s Bureau (Administration on Children, Youth,and Families,Administration forChildren and Families) ofthe U.S.Department ofHealth and Human Services (acf.hhs.gov).
The study highlights the potential for bias in doctors’ and nurses’ decisions about which injuries should be reported to Child Protective Services, according to the researchers. Medical caregivers are mandated reporters, obligated to report to CPS any situations in which they think children may be victims of abuse. Because caregivers rarely admit to injuring their children, such reports rely in part on providers’ gut feelings, making them
While April is the month dedicated to the recognition of child abuse prevention, one month is not enough.
Just as one agency cannot be tasked to do this work alone, we must all work together to strengthen our communities and build localized supports that are accessible and contribute to the well being of children.”
Monica SandersHouston-Area Internet Crimes Against Children: Taskforce engaged in proactive and reactive investigations and prosecutions of persons involved in child abuse and exploitation involving the Internet. icactaskforce.org/
BEAR (Be a Resource): raises awareness about how necessary it is to be a voice for at risk children and help put an end to child abuse across the greater Houston area. BEAResourcehouston.org. DePelchin Children’s Center: visit: http:// www.depelchin.org.
As individuals, Jeremy Peaches and Ivy Walls are both forces to be reckoned with. Together, they are darn near unstoppable. Te two entrepreneur/activists each have thriving businesses of their own, but were brought together by a like-minded love of their community and passion for fresh foods grown by Black farmers.
Enter Fresh Houwes Grocery, the pair’s vehicle of resistance from the food desert reality that undermines the holistic health of Peaches’ and Walls’ beloved Sunnyside. Te store, located in the heart of Sunnyside (5039 Reed Rd., Houston, TX 77033), ofers organic fruits, vegetables and much more, all produced by Black farmers, ranchers and entrepreneurs.
Frank E. Burrell, now a regular Fresh Houwse customer, appreciates the multiple opportunities the place afords shoppers.
“Te frst time I walked in, a young lady explained to me who she was and where the vegetables were coming from, and they look great,” said Burrell. “Plus, we need to support our own businesses. We’ve been growing vegetables just as long as anybody else.”
Tough Peaches and Walls are alums of Prairie View A&M University, the two didn’t meet until later, discovering their shared passion for Black farming and for delivering fresh foods to Black communities.
Te Defender spoke with the two modern-day heroes about how their work together over the years led to the opening of Fresh Houwse Grocery.
DEFENDER: What was the impetus behind Fresh Houwse Grocery?
PEACHES: Fresh Houwse Grocery actually started because in 2021, UH came out with a study that in certain neighborhoods the gastrointestinal levels of individuals and the nutrient levels of lettuce and diferent foods in certain neighborhoods were poor quality and it was causing gastrointestinal issues. But at the end of that UH study, a year-long study during COVID, they didn’t necessarily have a solution for it. So, Ivy and I, we both grew up in Sunnyside. We both were already doing Black Farmer Boxes. And we felt like this may be another opportunity and outlet to provide access for our community. So, we got right in. We fundraise a certain amount of money to get the grocery store going. It was really a community efort, and it’s been great. It’s almost like reciprocity, like we’re giving back, providing solutions to problems.
DEFENDER: What is this Black Farmers Box that helped birth the grocery store?
PEACHES: So, Black Farmer Box is a
Ivy Walls is the owner and operator of Ivy Leaf Farms. The farm is dedicated to neighborhood beautifcation while creating sustainable food sources for Sunnyside, Houston Texas
Jeremy Peaches is owner and operator of Fresh Life Organic Produce Co. & Agricultural Consulting Firm. He specializes in aquaponics, hydroponics and traditional soil farming.
Website: www.blackfarmerbox. com/fresh-houwse-grocery
Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday-Sunday, 9 a.m. -1 p.m.
weekly subscription box curated from local farmers, product makers and entrepreneurs. It has a meat, bread, two eggs, a protein, and also a hard item that changes every week. You can buy this box online or you can come in the store. Black Farmer Box came in because during the pandemic, usually the
farmers, especially African-American farmers, get paid only a tenth of what a product may cost in a store. Also, our farmers were really going through it during COVID, with farmers markets shutting down, climate change issues with the heat and prices of things skyrocketing. Since we were farmers ourselves, we felt like we should put something together for us and our fellow farmer and rancher friends. It started with about 10 boxes. Now, we probably have distributed thousands of them.
DEFENDER: Where did your love of food, gardening, farming come from?
WALLS: I come from a large, agricultural family. My dad has 17 brothers and sisters and they’re all about sustenance. Te way they grew up is they had to know how to hunt, fsh, harvest, and things like that. And that’s just embedded in me.
PEACHES: My real last name is Peaches. So, I was doing research, and realized farming was already in me. Like, even how my family got their last name on my
grandfather’s side. On my grandmother’s side, they were Choctaw Indian. Tey grew up on the reservation. So, we always had this connection to the land. But my grandfather, and even generations before that, they worked on one of the largest peach plantations in Orchard. So, it’s like in my blood. But I didn’t really realize that until later on in life, even with having the last name Peaches. I actually went to college at PVAMU for agriculture. I interned for the USDA and forest service. I always trained and rode horses around Houston. I always had a love and passion for plants and animals. So, it was just something that I love to do that eventually it turned into me wanting to do it for my community.
DEFENDER: Where do you see Fresh Houwse Grocery in the next fve, 10 years?
WALLS: I see us in a supermarket space. I see this being a fagship and education space. I see us having multiple locations around Houston. And I see us setting citywide plans for urban agriculture in other major cities.
In celebration of National Poetry Month, Mayor Sylvester Turner has named the new Houston Poet Laureate: Aris Kian Brown. Brown is the sixth poet laureate and the youngest to be chosen.
“It is an honor to have selected Aris as the next Poet Laureate,” said Turner. “She represents Houston’s literary future with her prophetic poetry. She will continue the Poet Laureates’ hard work before her, inspire the City of Houston with her words and bring out the poetry in everyone. My heart is gladdened to see the Houston Poet Laureate program continue to thrive and become a part of my legacy as Mayor of this Arts City.”
“Poetry, language and building narrative power are all my life’s work,” said Brown. “As the next Poet Laureate, I am looking forward to being able to share my love for both community organizing and creative expression.”
“I am so pleased to join our mayor and Cultural Affairs Director, Necole Irvin, in congratulating Aris Kian Brown,” said Houston Public Library Director, Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson. “We are excited to support Ms. Brown in engaging Houston’s diverse communities served by Houston Public Library through the exciting Poet Laureate program.”
Aris’ two-year term runs through April 2025. As Poet Laureate, she will work closely with MOCA and HPL to implement her Community Outreach Project, “Space for Us: Afrofuturism and the Poetic Imagination.” Brown will conduct a series of interviews with community members across Houston asking them questions
like, “What do you hope Houston looks like tomorrow?” and then “stitch” a poem utilizing those answers, allowing everyone to see the poetry that is “already embedded in everyday people.”
Brown will also translate the fnished poem
into the top spoken languages in the city.
Irvin, director of Mayor’s Ofce of Cultural Afairs, is excited about Brown’s community project.
“Aris will create a unique project that will speak to all residents of Houston, which
aligns with our ofce’s goal of equity, inclusion and accessibility to the arts for all. Te project is one that complements the goals of the Houston Poet Laureate program as well, which is to make poetry accessible to everyone.”
Comcast Texas, the Houston area’s largest internet service provider, will commit more than $1 million to shrink the local digital divide this year by supporting more than 60 organizations and programs that help people connect to the Internet, learn digital skills, and climb the economic ladder. Te investment is part of Comcast’s Project UP – a comprehensive $1 billion initiative to advance digital equity across the nation and help build a future of unlimited possibilities.
To help fuel economic mobility locally this year, a large portion of Comcast Texas’ $1 million investment will go to area nonprofit organizations to fund community programs with the following focus: Connectivity & Adoption, Digital Skills in the Workforce, and Entrepreneurship.
Connectivity programs equip individuals, families and community partners with the right tools and resources to take advantage of the Internet. Adoption programs teach individuals the skills needed to increase competency and confdence in technology in order to use it profciently.
Over 90% of jobs available today require digital skills, yet nearly one-third of US workers lack opportunities to build these skills. Digital skills programs teach individuals the tech skills needed to land a job and stay competitive in the changing marketplace.
Entrepreneurship programs focus on helping people build digital skills to launch and grow their businesses.
“Tese investments are part of Comcast Texas’ ongoing commitment to provide people with the digital tools needed to succeed in this ever-connected world,” said Ralph Martinez, Comcast Texas’ Regional Senior Vice President. “As we expand our next-generation network across southeast
Texas, we’re here to be good neighbors. We’re here to support and uplif the communities we’re honored to do business in by teaming up with trusted partners to invest in programs that make a diference.”
Te frst round of Comcast Texas’ 2023 grant funding and other support to local organizations will be announced in May with more announcements made throughout the year. Internet Essentials provides afordable home Internet for qualifying households ($9.95/mo for up to 50 Mbps, or $29.95/mo for up to 100 Mbps) — as well as low-cost computers, free WiFi hotspots, and free Internet training. Te federal Afordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides qualifed households with a credit of up to $30/mo towards internet and mobile services.
Ja’Leah Davis is one of Houston’s Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees, recognized as the youngest to own a digital television station in the country at age 25.
Te Missouri City native is the CEO and creator of the Houston-area television station Eyeconic Television LLC, currently on KVVV Ch.15.10 and streaming nationwide on Amazon, Roku, Apple TV+ and more.
Te station aims to showcase up-and-coming talent, and providing informational talk shows and inspirational content for visionaries and entrepreneurs.
Being a young Black woman in leadership comes with many responsibilities and challenges, and Davis shares her story with the Defender as a reminder to keep the faith no matter what season in life you’re in.
the next person can really take you to the next level. I became the vice president of the station at age 22 and then lef to start my own station. I realized I was working very hard for something that wasn’t mine.
DEFENDER: How did you get the opportunity to become an owner of a TV station?
DAVIS: I have a problem sleeping at night because I work so hard; working hard for some thing that wasn’t mine… Tis isn’t to shame people who work for people, but [I] realized that if I didn’t show up at work tomorrow, or if it was my last day, they were going to replace me. Afer that, then what? What is lef to my future kids; my family legacy? I worked for a station and
DEFENDER: How has growing up in Houston shaped your career?
JA’LEAH DAVIS: Houston is major because of what it has ofered [me]. I started in the media industry in the 8th grade. I went to Dulles [High School] in the Sugar Land area, and it was the programs that were ofered by the education system. Tat’s what helped me get my start, because of their media program. I was able to start young. Most schools these days don’t have those programs. My second language is sign language because the school ofered those programs. So, the diversity of these diferent things created who I am today. I’m grateful for the city I live in.
DEFENDER: You got into the business as a television host and were living the dream, but did you feel something was missing?
DAVIS: Coming out of college, I was scared. I was nervous. But thank God for Houston, because there are so many people like me you can really touch who are in those major areas. We have your A-list, B-list, [and] C-list celebrities, and the natives in Houston are so friendly. I was able to connect with [people] at a Matthew Knowles event. I [met] with [representatives] at a local [Black-owned] television station. It was local channel 43. I was able to work with them, and it was my frst job out of college. I created a platform on their station where I was interviewing celebrities and people around Houston. Houston has that friendly cultural vibe where
God. I lef Tanksgiving 2017. I had just fn ished interviewing Cardi B… I thought I was going to move to L.A and be a host somewhere. It was never a plan to have a television station. I ended up at a networking event and was [con versing] with these two Caucasian men talking about a television station for sale. I asked them about it, and they gave me the information, thinking I wouldn’t do anything with it. I went to check it out and found out it was only seven minutes away from me. Come to fnd out that a station [representative] was trying to hire me fresh out of the col lege as a manager. [He] saw what I was doing with the other station and thought I would do great. I was 25 at the time. I had no money to fund a station, but I was ofered half of. Tis man didn’t owe me any thing. It was a blessing. I probably had $2,000 in my account. I made a short list of 10 people I felt knew me or did some business within Houston. I was asking people for funds, and [in return] I would pay them back. I did a business plan and asked for feed back. Tey asked me how much it was, wrote me a check, and didn’t ask for anything in return. They
How be a Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree impacted her business and life. DN ONLINE
became my angel donors. I always tell my [sponsors] and my parents I will take care of them as soon as my millions hit.
DEFENDER: Owning a TV station isn’t an easy thing to do. What was the process like?
DAVIS: Te station is on 24
going to happen. Unfortunately, my first studio was broken into [Fall 2021], and I lost over $30,000 worth of equipment. To pick up the pieces and start over messed with me mentally, but I knew I had to keep going because people depended on me. I still had rent to pay, and no business came in for three months [at the time]. On GoFundMe, I raised $2,000. I moved into a new studio last July. I worked with Rick and Edward Davis of EBD Contracting, who helped me build a new studio. What could have cost me thousands of dollars, they
For the frst time in the system’s history, Houston Community College will ofer bachelor’s-level degree programs starting in the fall. Te new four-year programs are Applied Technology in Artificial Intelligence and Robotics and Applied Science in Healthcare Management.
“We are continually exploring ways to provide relevant programs and instruction that serve the needs of students and employers in our service area,” HCC Chancellor Cesar Maldonado said. “With these two inaugural bachelor’s degree programs, we give students an opportunity to start and complete their fouryear education on the same HCC campus.”
The college received state approval in December as a Level 2 baccalaureate-granting institution, allowing the college to grant bachelor’s-level degree programs. Te approval came fve years afer Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 2118 into law in 2017, which allowed the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to authorize public junior colleges to ofer bachelor’s degrees in applied science, applied technology and nursing.
According to HCC Director of Communications Zen Zheng, HCC was the frst college in Texas to ofer an associate degree in artifcial intelligence. Zheng said artifcial
intelligence has gained a foothold across industries, stating that the 2021 National Security Commission on Artifcial Intelligence recognized AI as “already ubiquitous in everyday life” and claimed that AI is “turning once-fantastical ideas into realities across a range of disciplines.”
“Te new Bachelor of Applied Technology in Artifcial Intelligence and Robotics will
address a growing and critical need for skilled workers in a rapidly evolving technical feld,” Zheng said in an April 12 news release.
He said graduates of the Artifcial Intelligence program will enter a profession with 2,586 annual job openings in the Gulf Coast region and a starting median annual salary of $97,200. Meanwhile, the Bachelor of Applied Science in Healthcare Management
Defender News Service
Te Texas A&M University System will supercharge the development of Prairie View A&M University’s new National Center for Infrastructure Transformation with a $500,000 boost for the next fve years.
Te investment refects the confdence in Prairie View A&M University’s leadership to fnd practical new ways to enhance the durability and extend the life of the nation’s transportation infrastructure. Prairie View A&M University was recently selected as the frst HBCU to lead a competitively awarded national-tier University Transportation Center by the U.S. Department of Transportation.
“Tis historic frst for Prairie View A&M University shows the power of its partnership with the A&M System, which made this success possible,” said John Sharp, chancellor of Te Texas A&M University System. “Prairie View A&M University’s alliance with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Texas A&M University is an example of how this kind of collaboration makes it possible for us to compete against the best research institutions in the country and win.”
Prairie View A&M University’s National Center for Infrastructure Transformation (NCIT) will receive $4 million per year for fve years and is one of only fve awarded
national-tier centers. Its focus will be on practical research to improve the durability and resilience of the nation’s transportation infrastructure for the next century.
“Te Texas A&M System contribution will support the administration of NCIT, as well as its programs in education and technology transfer,” said Dr. Judy Perkins, director of the National Center for Infrastructure Transportation at Prairie View
is intended to prepare students for career advancement or entry-level health care managerial positions.
HCC ofers a few health science programs, such as respiratory therapy, radiography and sonography. A Healthcare Management graduate will have access to about 1,700 annual openings and a starting median annual salary of about $64,000, Zheng said.
A&M University. “Tis will free up more assets to pursue research in better ways to design, construct and maintain transportation infrastructure.”
Joining Prairie View A&M University in the consortium, is Texas A&M Transportation Institute and Texas A&M University, Rutgers University, Michigan State University, Arizona State University and Blinn College District.
Specifications may be secured from The Harris Center website www.theharriscenter.org beginning Tuesday, April 25, 2023. The Harris Center utilizes Bonfire for their solicitations https://theharriscenter.bonfirehub.com/portal/?tab=openOpportunities. Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Tuesday, May 2, 2023. Proposals must be submitted by 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, May 17, 2023. Historically Underutilized Businesses, including Minority-Owned Businesses and Women-Owned Businesses are encouraged to participate. The Harris Center reserves all rights to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.
Texas A&M junior
Zoe Slaughter, the first African American women’s golfer in Texas A&M history, won her third playoff hole on a putt for par to lift the Aggies over Mississippi State to claim their second SEC Championship. Slaughter, who is a product of Memorial, won her match against Mississippi State’s Surapa Janthamunee in 21 holes.
Texas Southern women’s track and field thrower Phylan Perkins and men’s track and field jumper Kenneth Pree were both named SWAC Athlete of the Week in their respective sports. Perkins, a product of Bellaire, finished fifth in the hammer with a SWACbest throw of 171-8 during the Cameron Burrell Alumni Invitational. Pree won the long jump with a 23-5.25 feet distance during the Cameron Burrell Alumni Invitational.
Quarterback
Jalen Hurts, 24, has been rewarded with the biggest contract in NFL history after leading the Philadelphia Eagles to last season’s Super Bowl. The former Channelview standout has agreed to a five-year, $255 million extension that comes with $179.3 million in guaranteed money and a no-trade clause.
There isn’t any hesitation from Texas Southern running back LaDarius Owens when the conversation turns to what he wants out of himself when the season kicks off in the fall.
“I’m looking to be one of the leading backs of the SWAC,” Owens said after Saturday’s Annual Spring Game wrapped up the Tigers’ spring football season. “I’m looking to be explosive and more of a leader on the team.”
A two-time Top 10 rusher in the SWAC, Owens is preparing for a season in which he hopes to make the leap to the top of the conference in rushing. It’s a realistic goal in Clarence McKinney’s run-heavy offense.
“I’ve gotten bigger, faster and stronger,” said Owens, who finished tenth in the SWAC in rushing last season with 661 yards and five touchdowns on the season. “I’m reading my keys a lot faster than I would my freshman year.”
McKinney has watched Owens in each of the last three spring seasons he has been on campus and is optimistic about how the team’s leading rusher’s redshirt junior season can go. In addition to making plays on the field, the former Manvel standout has also become one of the Tigers’ leaders off the field.
McKinney was pleased that Owens came
out this spring and showed growth in all facets of the game.
“He comes out, he makes plays, he protects when he is supposed to,” said McKinney, whose team finished fourth in the SWAC in rushing with quarterback Andrew Body and running back Jacorey Howard also being significant contributors to the Tigers’ ground attack. “We’re excited about what’s about to happen for him this upcoming season.”
McKinney believes big things are in store for Owens in 2023.
“I think the sky’s the limit,” McKinney said. “He has shown he can lead us in rushing, but he can also lead the conference in rushing. It’s just a matter of his going out and doing it.”
It’s without question the 5-foot-9, 186pound Owens is up for the challenge.
“I’ve grown mentally, I’ve become a better man in what I do,” he said. “My coaches know me and have developed me.”
Throughout his TSU career, Owens has proven himself to be a versatile running back who is capable of making big plays. His numbers might have been more robust during the last two seasons were it not for McKinney’s share-the-load philosophy. Body was the 13th leading rusher in the SWAC last season with 576 yards on 125 carries and Howard was 16th in the conference with 425 yards and
six touchdowns on 97 carries.
Perhaps Owens will have a bigger role in the offense this season.
“He’s a guy who doesn’t have to come off the field whether that is short yardage or thirdand-long,” McKinney said. “He can run the ball well, he can protect and he catches the ball well out of the backfield. He’s a complete back.”
Owens smiled when he heard what McKinney said about him.
“It feels good,” Owens said. “It lets me know that my coaches believe in me, want to see me succeed and have high expectations for me.”
But as excited as Owens is about his own possibilities this upcoming season, he is even more pumped for the Tigers. After being at the bottom of the SWAC West Division the last few years, the Tigers made strides last season with a 5-6 overall and 4-4 league finish that included wins over division champion Southern along with Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Alcorn State and Grambling State.
TSU, which finished third in the division in 2022, has a chance to take another leap with talents like Body and Owens returning.
“It’s a confidence builder,” Owens said. “Now that we know what a winning program looks like, it’s time for us to become better at what we do.”
Class: 2024
Twitter:
@CamrenVandible
IG: @_.cvandible2._
Races: 110-meter
hurdles, 300-meter hurdles, 4x400meter relay
Height & weight:
6-feet-1, 160 pounds
Runners he studies:
Grant Holloway, Noah Lyles
Status: Uncommitted
Favorite artist:
Favorite subject:
Anatomy
Hobby: Working out
Shout-outs: Lavon & Tim (trainer)
The Lamar High School track program has not one, but two dominant hurdlers this year who are focused, fearless and fast.
“Ciara Farrington has natural speed. She’s the only senior we have in the hurdling program, so she’s been the queen,” said Lamar track coach Mark Krimm. “Camren Vandible he’s fun to watch in both the 110 and 300-meter hurdles. He’ll be a senior next year. I have great kids and they’re a great example.”
Farrington has been in the program since her freshman year and has advanced to the area round for a second straight time. She set personal records in the 100-meter hurdles with a time of 16.62 seconds as well as the 300-meter hurdles with a time of 49.57 seconds.
“I’m so proud of myself because I haven’t broken 17 seconds the entire season until today when I almost got 15 seconds in the 100meter hurdles,” said Farrington. “I’m really proud of that and I’m also really proud of my teammates because we’ve all been working really hard.”
Farrington didn’t run hurdles until her freshman year. Prior to running track she was all about volleyball. But after making it to the area round last year and seeing her hard work pay off, she knew track was the sport for her.
“I did a lot of sports, but I feel like track was really where I needed to be,” said Farrington.
Vandible has also advanced to the area round for a second time with a personal record time of 14.76 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles and 40.12 seconds in the 300-meter hurdles.
FARRINGTON
Class: 2023
@favgirl.c
Races: 100-meter
hurdles, 300-meter hurdles
Height & weight:
5-feet-2, 113 pounds
Runner she studies: Sha’Carri
Richardson
Status: Will attend
Texas State
Favorite artist:
Billie Eilish
Favorite subject:
Environmental Science
Hobby: Crocheting
Shout-outs: Mom, sister, step-dad
“It feels amazing. My [personal best] time in the 110-meter hurdles prior was 15.5 seconds. It’s only going to get lower from here as I face tougher competition,” said Vandible.
Vandible credits the hard work he and his trainer put in for getting him in shape to run at faster speeds.
“I really want to thank my trainer and his friend, Lavon. He was a college hurdler. We trained really hard over the summer. We worked with hurdles, bands and treadmills to increase speed, and it has paid off,” said Vandible.
In the fall, Farrington plans to attend Texas State and minor in psychology while majoring in animal science. Eventually, she would like to attend vet school to become a veterinarian.
Vandible has another year of high school but has hopes of attending the University of Texas and studying mechanical engineering. Both athletes plan to continue their careers running hurdles.
“They’re great in the classroom and they’re leaders in the program as well,” said Krimm.
