Houston Defender: April 26, 2012

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Volume 81 | Number 26 WEEK OF APRIL 26, 2012 | FREE

LOCAL

CHAD HOLLEY supporters demand justice

P3 OPINION OPINION

REPUBLICANS in Congress fail Blacks

P10

FEATURE

U.S. REP. AL GREEN hosts event for veterans

P11 CHAG’S PLACE

Rev. Bill Lawson and Rev. Dr. Marcus Cosby joined by wives at Wheeler Avenue celebration

P16

St. John’s Pastor

Rudy Rasmus

An Uncommon Minister

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Ziggy Marley remembers his dad As the eldest son of legendary reggae great Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley has many memories of his late father.

Ziggy, an accomplished entertainer in his own right, is a Grammy-winning musician who has sold millions of records. He talks about a new documentary about his dad, and also discusses family and success.

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Darrell Asberry leads TSU’s team First-year Texas Southern head football coach Darrell Asberry has been on the job three months, and has a lot to be excited about. Spring football is helping him evaluate his team. The Tigers play their first game September 1, and look forward to starting the season in a new, stateof-the-art stadium downtown.

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Top summer movies Some red-hot movies are slated for the summer, many starring African Americans.

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What Obama must do now

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In Never Would Have Made It:The Rise of Tyler Perry, the Most Powerful Entertainer in Black America, Melvin Childs, former executive producer for Tyler Perry, details the incredible true story of the struggles, determination, friendship, and innovation that rocketed the star to Hollywood domination and forever altered the course of Childs’s life.

Polls show President Barack Obama leading Mitt Romney, but will he hold on to his lead? And what must the president do to ensure the Black vote? Weigh in at www.facebook.com/

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Chad Holley case Activists want justice in officer’s trial

By ASWAD WALKER Defender Chad Holley gained national attention after he was beaten by police in 2010.

Andrew Blomberg, one of four HPD officers accused of beating then 15-yearold robbery suspect Chad Holley, goes to trial as the country is still reeling from the killing of Florida teen Trayvon Martin by an armed citizen, George Zimmerman.

Before the Martin case, the videotaped beating of Holley grabbed national attention as another example of injustice in America.

“It is unacceptable that [the four officers] haven’t been charged with felonies,” contends Kofi Taharka, national chairman of the National Black United Front (NBUF). “They should serve the maximum jail time. As law enforcement they have many privileges and should be held to the highest standards. Jail time sends a message to others who would abuse power.”

Taharka says he and other concerned citizens are looking for Blomberg and the other three officers whose trials are pending – Phil Bryan,

Raad Hassan and Drew Ryser – to receive “the same ‘justice’ that is handed out to everyday citizens in Houston particularly young African Americans, Latinos and poor people.

“If an everyday citizen committed these crimes they would be charged with felonies. These former HPD officers should receive no special treatment as has been the case with so many police officers,” said Taharka.

“We have an issue with the fact that these officers were undercharged,” said Krystal Muhammad of the New Black Panther Party of Houston.

Muhammad and others protested while jury selection began for Blomberg’s trial, calling for a civilian oversight committee with subpoena power, and arguing that the Harris County District Attorney’s office has a tradition of no-billing officers accused of violating human rights.

Bryan, Hassan and Ryser were all fired from HPD, and have been charged, like Blomberg, with official oppression, a class A misdemeanor punishable by a maximum of a year in jail. Bryan and Hassan were

also charged with violation of the civil rights of a prisoner, a misdemeanor.

Taharka said Holley’s story never would have been told had it not been for the video of the beating taken by a surveillance camera from a nearby business and aired on a local news station.

“These beatings by police officers happen frequently but this was caught on tape.

It could be any of us or our children next,” added Taharka.

Blomberg was the first to begin beating Holley, according to Holley’s attorneys, initiating a Rodney King-like barrage of blows from the other officers. Defense attorney Dick DeGuerin has implied that he will use a similar defense for his client (Blomberg) employed by Zimmerman’s lawyers, suggesting that Holley was threatening the officers.

Taharka urges concerned citizens to attend the Blomberg trial along with weekly protests held Tuesdays at noon at the Harris County Court House, 1201 Franklin.

He also asks citizens to sign a petition for an independent, properly funded civilian review board with subpoena, prosecutorial

Verna McClain’s fiancé speaks out Defender News Services

The fiancé of Verna McClain, the Houston woman charged with killing Kala Golden-Schuchardt and snatching her three-day-old baby, said he didn’t know McClain had suffered a miscarriage.

Kevin Carter said he thought McClain had given birth and that their child was being treated in a hospital. Carter said that he and McClain had planned a May 5 wedding, and he would have married her regardless of the miscarriage.

McClain remains in jail facing a capital murder

charge, which could carry a death sentence. Prosecutors haven’t decided if they will seek the death penalty.

McClain’s attorneys said she plans to plead not guilty.

Authorities say Golden-Schuchardt had just left a pediatric clinic in Spring when she was allegedly shot several times by McClain who then abducted her infant son, Keegan. It is believed McClain was desperate for a baby after suffering a miscarriage.

Golden-Schuchardt described her assailant before dying at an area hospital. McClain originally told investigators she found the baby on her doorstep. He was found safe and returned to his family.

Verna McClain

localbriefs STATE REP. RON REYNOLDS, an attorney, is out on bond after being arrested and charged with barratry, an offense that used to be known as ambulance chasing. Barratry deals with the unlawful solicitation of clients by lawyers. “I maintain my innocence and plan to vigorously defend myself against all allegations,” Reynolds said. Reynolds is completing his first term as a state representative…….. THE DIVORCE OF DALLAS’ DEION SANDERS continues to make headlines beyond the sports page. The former pro football and baseball star was charged with

misdemeanor simple assault after an altercation with his estranged wife, Pilar. Simple assault carries a fine of up to $500 but doesn’t warrant arrest. The charge occurred the day after Pilar was arrested because of an incident in their suburban Dallas mansion in which Deion accused her of “jumping” him in front of their children.

Deion filed for divorce in December ……..THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON was one of three universities honored for its efforts in retaining minority students in engineering programs. The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE)

and ExxonMobil recognized UH, Michigan State University and University of Maryland-College Park during an event held at the Carnegie Institution for Science in Washington, D.C. “NSBE salutes these outstanding academic institutions for their success in keeping Black, Latino and other underrepresented minority students in engineering,” said Dr. Carl Mack, executive director of NSBE. “There is an urgent need for more skilled workers in science, technology, engineering and math fields. The United States cannot afford to continue losing two-thirds of these students to other majors, as it is doing now.”

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DEFENDER | WEEK OF APRIL 26 | 2012

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national

Obama fights student

loan interest increase

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Defender News Services

resident Barack Obama has launched an effort to keep interest rates on federal student loans from doubling – from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent – this summer.

More than 7.4 million

President Barack Obama

students will see their interest rates double on July 1 unless Congress steps in to keep them low.

July 1 is the date the College Cost Reduction and Access Act expires. Congress passed the act in 2007 to reduce interest rates on subsidized Stafford Loans (a federal student loan program)to 3.4 percent for four years.

To get his message across, Obama visited the campuses of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Colorado at Boulder and the University of Iowa.

At each stop he spoke with students about the critical need for Congress to act.

The White House is also kicking off a social media effort using Twitter, Facebook and Google+.

Obama’s efforts will continue throughout the spring and early summer until Congress passes legislation to keep interest rates low. He said the increase is completely preventable.

“This issue didn’t come out of

nowhere. For some time now, I’ve been calling on Congress to take steps to make higher education more affordable – to prevent these interest rates from doubling, to extend the tuition tax credit that has saved middle-class families millions of dollars, and to double the number of work-study jobs over the next five years,” Obama said.

“Instead, over the past few years, Republicans in Congress have voted against new ways to make college more affordable for middle-class families, and voted for huge new tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires – tax cuts that would have to be paid for by cutting things like education and jobtraining programs that give students new opportunities to work and succeed.”

Obama said America cannot just cut its way to prosperity.

“Making it harder for our young people to afford higher education and earn their degrees is nothing more than cutting our own future off at the knees,” he said. “Congress needs to keep interest rates on student loans from doubling, and they need to do it now.”

George Zimmerman (left) was accompanied by a bail bondsman after his release from jail.

Zimmerman passes on arraignment Defender News Services

The defense attorney for George Zimmerman recently filed documents waiving his appearance at his arraignment on May 8. Mark O’Mara also entered a not guilty plea for Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer charged with second-degree murder in the case of Trayvon Martin.

O’Mara waived Zimmerman’s appearance out of his concerns for his safety. Zimmerman was released from a Florida jail around midnight on April 22 after posting $150,000 bond. He wore a bullet-proof vest, and O’Mara said he will likely stay in hiding until his trial.

“We have had serious threats that law enforcement is looking into where they’ve threatened his life and since we don’t know how legitimate they are we have to be concerned about all of them,” O’Mara told ABC News.

Zimmerman was fitted with an electronic monitoring device prior to his release. The GPS device can give authorities immediate identification of his location anywhere in the U.S. Attorney Daryl Parks, who represents Trayvon’s parents, said the family respected the judicial process but was “devastated by [Zimmerman] being able to walk the streets.”

In another development, Sanford, Fla. Police Chief Bill Lee offered his resignation, but the city council refused to accept it. Lee’s department came under fire for not arresting Zimmerman after he killed Trayvon.

Outlook worse for Social Security Defender News Services

The Social Security Board of Trustees recently reported that retirement and disability funds will be exhausted in 2033, three years sooner than projected last year. Trustees quickly added that the prediction does not mean funds will totally run out.

“Please, please remember that ‘exhaustion’ is an actuarial term of art and it does not mean there will be no money left to pay any benefits,” Commissioner of Social Security Michael

Astrue explained.

“After 2033, even if Congress does nothing there will still be sufficient assets to pay about 75 percent of the current level of benefits,” he said.”

In addition, trustees said that unless Congress makes changes to Medicare or overall health costs decrease, Medicare will only be able to pay 87 percent of expected costs by 2024 and 67 percent by 2050.

Trustees attributed the funds’ status to the fact that Americans are living longer and baby

boomers are beginning to collect benefits. The slow-rebound of the economy is also leading to a faster deterioration of the trusts that fund Social Security.

“This year’s Trustees Report contains troubling, but not unexpected, projections about Social Security’s finances,” Astrue said.

“It once again emphasizes that Congress needs to act to ensure the long-term solvency of this important program, and needs to act within four years to avoid automatic cuts to people receiving disability benefits.”

VOLUME 81 • NUMBER • 26 WEEK OF APRIL 26, 2012

Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Advertising/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler Associate Editors Reshonda Billingsley Marilyn Marshall Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila

Columnist Yvette Chargois Sport Editors Max Edison Darrell K. Ardison Contributing Writer Aswad Walker Photographer Bob Levey

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender audited By Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For subscription, send $60-1 year to: Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston TX 77288. Payment must accompany subscription request. All material covered by 2012 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).

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entertainment

Ziggy Marley remembers his father Entertainer Ziggy Marley has made a documentary about his father, the late Bob Marley.

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By KAM WILLIAMS Defender

avid Nesta “Ziggy” Marley was born in Trenchtown, Jamaica in 1968 to Bob and Rita Marley. A five-time Grammywinning musician, actor, artist, activist and humanitarian, Ziggy has enjoyed a prominent presence on the public stage for over a quarter-century.

At the age of 10, Ziggy first sat in on recording sessions with his father’s band, the legendary Bob Marley and the Wailers. Later, he joined with his sisters Sharon and Cedella and brother Stephen to form Ziggy Marley &the Melody Makers, which enabled him to craft his own soulful sound blending blues, R&B, hip-hop and roots reggae.

The Melody Makers earned their first Grammy (Best Reggae Recording) for their third album, “Conscious Party (1988),” produced by Talking Heads Chris Frantz and Tina Weymouth, which included the hit

songs “Tomorrow People” and “Tumbling Down.”

While selling millions of records and selling out numerous concerts, Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers never lost sight of their foundations in faith, fellowship and family.

Involved with a breadth of charities, Marley leads his own, URGE (Unlimited Resources Giving Enlightenment), a non-profit organization that benefits efforts in Jamaica, Ethiopia and other developing nations. The charity’s missions range from building new schools to operating health clinics to supporting charities such as Mary’s Child, a center for abused and neglected girls.

The title of his latest album, “Wild and Free,” is somewhat ironic,given his time-consuming commitments to family, philanthropy, songwriting, producing, studio work and touring.

Ziggy continues to head Tuff Gong Worldwide in honor of his father’s own music label Tuff Gong Records, working on the re-launch of the official Bob Marley website and an exhibit at the Grammy Museum in L.A.

Ziggy divides his residency among Florida, Jamaica and California. Here, he talks about “Marley,” a new documentary about his father.

KW: I loved the movie “Marley.” It taught me so much I never knew about your father. Why did you decide to make it?

Ziggy: It came from a personal need for me, as Bob’s eldest son, to be a part of a film about my father.

There have been a lot of other projects presuming to tell his story, but I thought it was time for one coming from his family, not from some third party claiming to be the authority on Bob Marley or reggae. The only thing that would be more authentic than this would be Bob himself.

KW: It’s definitely a very rich and spiritual film which humanized him in ways I never expected.

Ziggy: Yeah, man, we want people to feel that human connection, that emotional connection, that real connection, and Kevin [director Macdonald] did a great job of achieving that.

KW: How do you think your father’s music has Continued on Page 7

What’sup LIL’ KIM has chosen Texas as the first stop on her comeback tour. Kim will kick off her “Return of the Queen” tour on May 11 in Austin. The 11-stop tour is taking her to locations ranging from Pensacola, Fla. to Philadelphia. Her last show is June 1 in West Hollywood. Kim became one of rap’s biggest stars following her debut album in 1996.

In 2005, she served a year-long prison sentence for lying to a jury about a shooting four years earlier. She returned to the spotlight by competing on “Dancing with the Stars” in 2009…….. MARY J. BLIGE is scheduled to sing the national anthem at the 138th Kentucky Derby on May 5.

Blige has won nine Grammy Awards since her debut album “What’s the 411″ in 1992…….. JENNIFER HUDSON broke down while testifying at the trial of the man accused of killing her mother, brother and nephew in Chicago, in

2008. The Oscar-winning actress was the first witness called after prosecutors and attorneys for accused murderer William Balfour finished their opening statements. Hudson told jurors her family didn’t want her sister to marry Balfour.

“We did not like how he treated her,” she said. Balfour has pleaded not guilty to three counts of first-degree murder in the slayings……..NICKI MINAJ has fans wondering about her next step. A week after shutting down her Twitter account, Minaj hinted that she was considering leaving the industry altogether. She told radio host Tim Westwood that, “the kid is thinking maybe she should leave the game.” She also explained why she abandoned her fans for the time being. “A voice in my head told me to delete my Twitter and that’s what I did. I had 11 million followers and I hope they will wait for me,” Minaj said……..NICK CANNON

has changed his diet following a recent health scare, during which he was hospitalized with kidney failure and blood clots, among other ailments. Cannon said he has given up red meat, fast food and salt. “I feel better than I’ve ever been,” he said……... ESSENCE MAGAZINE fired its white managing editor Michael Bullerdick for right-wing Facebook postings. Bullerdick attacked Rev. Al Sharpton as a “race pimp” on his page, labeled President Obama a radical, and promoted videos by the late Andrew Breitbart, the man responsible for the firing of former USDA official Shirley Sherrod…….“THINK LIKE A MAN,” the movie based on Steve Harvey’s best-selling book, was a box office surprise its first weekend in theaters. The movie, which stars MICHAEL EALY, TARAJI P. HENSON and GABRIELLE UNION, was No. 1 with a $33 million opening.

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Marley...Continued from page 6 ....

made a lasting effect on the world?

Ziggy:My father’s music gives hope to people and also inspires them to break the bonds of injustice and to be positive in life. I’ve seen that everywhere I go, especially in poor countries and poor neighborhoods. Even in speaking to actual freedom fighters from South Africa to Ethiopia, they always told me how influential the music was in their struggles.

KW: What is the most significant life lesson you learned from your father?

Ziggy:Everything I’ve taken away from my father has been significant. So, I can’t say that any one lesson is the most significant. By being around him, I learned that there is a purpose in life, and that if we are inspired to help people, we should do it. And that there is a spiritual side to life as well as to music, and that we are here for a bigger purpose than just ourselves.

Those are some very significant ideas of my father’s that I have carried with me all my life and still cherish to this day.

KW: What was it like growing up as the son of such a famous icon?

Ziggy:I’d divide it into two periods. Bob wasn’t as big an icon as he later became after he died. When he was alive, he just acted like what he was, a musician people loved. He never behaved in any superficial or iconic way. He Bob Marley was just being himself. There wasn’t anything special or different about our lives. In Jamaica, everybody’s the same. The second period began after he passed away, when his iconic stature grew and everywhere we went people would show us a lot of love as Bob Marley’s kids. That was very positive for us.

KW: Your dad gave you the nickname, Ziggy, meaning marijuana. And you are an advocate for the legalization of pot. Why is that, because you consider it a sacred herb or a recreational drug?

Ziggy: My interest in it is actually a much wider spectrum than merely smoking marijuana. It’s all about the use of hemp for clothing, for building materials, and as a bio fuel, as an environmental alternative in the industrial sense. Plus, the seeds have nutritional value.

That’s what I’m interested in bringing to light, because everybody just talks about the smoking, the smoking, the smoking. I’m trying to get across to people that if we in this world are serious about the green revolution and saving the planet, then this plant has to be a part of the discussion, because it is the most suitable natural resource with thousands of beneficial uses.

KW: What key quality do you believe all successful people share?

Ziggy: That’s kind of a trick question, because it depends on how one defines “success.w” Success means different things to different people. To me, the greatest quality of successful human beings is the ability to love.

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cover

St. John’s Pastor Rud

An uncommon G

By ASWAD WALKER Defender

In an interview with the Defender, Rasmus discusses his uncommon ministry.

Defender: How have you been able to successfully minister to and attract so many teens and young adults?

Rasmus: We have attempted to counter the apparent avoidance of church attendance by addressing the following responses. First, “It is boring.” Many congregations feel that they cannot afford the cost of being a magnetic, engaging, exciting, 21st century worship experiences. But who said being engaging has fiscal costs? In the case of being a magnetic and effective worship experience, the number one element cannot be purchased – love.

Passion is an element vital to the attractiveness of a worshipping community, and passion is the fuel that promotes change in all revolutions. But do people experience passion when they enter our houses of worship? Or do they encounter systemic institutional boredom born out of ritual of having always done it this way? When people enter our doors they know immediately something is different.

Second, “It lacks cultural relevance and community

rowing up in Houston’s West End, Rudy Rasmus was “hard,” a prerequisite for achieving his professional goal of becoming a hustler.

Add to this, his father’s distrust of church folk, especially preachers, and it is all that more miraculous that Rasmus has become a nationally-respected pastor, albeit an uncommon one, of a thriving church with an uncommon ministry.

Divine intervention – meeting his future bride and co-pastor of St. John’s Downtown, Juanita Rasmus – changed everything.

Inspired by his wife’s faith journey, Rasmus began to take more seriously his own, eventually taking up the invitation extended by his pastor at the time, Kirbyjon Caldwell of Windsor Village UMC, to assist in the resurrection of a dying church, St. John’s.

The rest is history. Leaving their secure professional jobs, the Pastors Rudy and Juanita Rasmus have led St. John’s Downtown for 20 years, transRasmuses embarked upon an unforming the area’s spiritual landscape. common ministry geared toward the After beginning with nine members homeless and other underprivileged in 1992, St. John’s has grown to more than Houstonians. In the years since, St. 9,000 members (3,000 are or were homeJohns has grown to a fellowship that less). It has one of the most culturally diverse averages well over 700 new memcongregations in the country, and every week, bers annually, representing the full people of every social and economic backspectrum of Houston’s diversity. ground share the same pew.

Rasmus’ church is said to They attribute the success of the church to a compassionate congregation that has reflect an unconditional love and embraced the vision of tearing down the acceptance that allows for St. John’s walls of classism, sexism, and racism and to provide effective ministry to both building the bridges of unconditional love, the “haves and have nots,” as is reflected and universal recovery. in the fact that the church most known for Family is also important to the Rasmuses, service to the homeless is also the church of stars who have two daughters, Morgan and Ryan.

Beyoncé Knowles and Kelly Rowland, formerly of Lighthouse of love Destiny’s Child.

The Rasmuses co-founded the non-profit Yet, Rasmus’ ministry reaches far beyond the Bread of Life in December, 1992 and began serving dinner to the homeless in the sanctuwalls of St. John’s. He blogs weekly for the Houston ary at St. John’s. Seventeen years later the Chronicle and contributes monthly to O: The Oprah Bread of Life has become a lighthouse of love Magazine. providing an array of services to homeless He has written two books, “Touch,” which extols men and women seven days a week in the the reciprocal benefits of extending beyond one’s comDaybreak Community Health Center on the fort zone, and his latest offering, “The Jesus Insurgencampus. cy,” where he addresses the absence of young people Additionally, the Rasmuses co-founded in church, the future direction of the Black church, and the St. John’s Academy in 1999 to provide a safe and stable environment for children of the significance of St. John’s “Love Revolution.” the community.

signific amnesi lutiona which place o conven bound manda love on and au T to inco gap.” church of post messag convey lack of and de dad ou

A ministry in motio

In the aftermath o forts began to constru lion Temenos Place Ap collaborations with Ho Tina Knowles’ and Bey Survivor Foundation a The project is a 43-uni pancy development fo individuals.

Thanks to a gene Beyoncé and Kelly Row includes the $1.2 millio Center for Youth.

Media & Music In 2010 “Pastor R premiered on SIRIUS X nel. The bi-weekly rad uplifting conversation “Ask Pastor Rudy.” The Sunday at 11 a.m. (SIRI Channel 33) and re-air 5 p.m.

Rasmus said the s dream to touch and po world forever with the love.”

His new film proje ment” began airing on His first music pro Rudy Experience,” on features artists such as Courtney Wilson, amo

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cance.” Church and society have experienced widespread sia in relation to the role of the church in service and revoary change in the community over the ages. The church, was once at the center of life in most towns, has lost its of influence. At the very core of the challenge facing the ntional church is, as a result of becoming so heavenly that it has become no earthly good. We have forgotten the ate of its Revolutionary Founder who espoused the need to ne’s neighbor as one loves self. St. John’s offers a tangible uthentic presence among the hurting masses.

The third reason people don’t attend our churches is due onsistencies in the institutional message, or the “integrity My dad always taught me to never trust preachers and h people. At the core of this statement was the experience t-Depression era war veterans’ view on the inconsistent ging of the churchgoer and religious professional that often yed, “Do as I say,” but rarely, “Do as I do.” A systemic f accountability, a tendency towards self-righteousness, elusional visions of God-entitled prosperity, clocked my ut at an early age, and millions more over the last three

on

of Hurricane Katrina, efuct Phase I of the $4 milpartments, the result of ouse of Dereon founders yonce Knowles’ the and the City of Houston. nit single room occuor formerly homeless

erous donation from owland, the campus on Knowles-Rowland

Rudy’s Love Revolution” XM Radio’s Praise Chandio show features music, and a regular segment, e show airs live each IUS Channel 68 and XM rs every Wednesday at

show is, “a long awaited ossibly change the e power of unconditional

ect “The Last Commandn networks in July 2011. oject, “Touch: The Pastor Music World Gospel, s newcomer Brian ong others.

decades. We attempt to be as real as possible as we present and represent a tangible Gospel.

Defender: What is it like conducting a ministry with your wife?

Rasmus: We have been married for 27 years and for all of those years we have worked together. Anytime two people work together in any vocation, communication is essential.

Working and serving in a very public context requires us to be constantly open, honest, and available to one another.

Over the years my wife has suffered through several lifethreatening health challenges including kidney cancer that could be directly tied to an exhausting profession and the heartache associated with public ministry. The fact that we have a timetested, solid relationship has made those difficult moments a little easier to bear. I must add a good therapist, attention to self-care, mutual respect, and authentic love for one another, are essential tools in a lasting and loving relationship.

Defender: What is the significance of your beard?

Rasmus: Eight years ago I braided my beard into three braids and noticed the variety of reactions from people I encountered. While traveling I discovered the uniqueness of my facial hair afforded me entrée to the lives of many curious people who wondered either “who was I” or wondered “what I did professionally.” The beard became part brand and part conversation starter.

People who were instinctively judgmental would simply run! Whenever I polled curious people the top three The hungry an d hom access ele to responses were always artist, musician, or gangster, but service hot meals a ss have nd oth s at St. er John’s never pastor or preacher. Bingo! Anything that kept me . from looking like a pastor or preacher sold me immediately on keeping my crazy beard!

Defender: What are St. John’s most effective community ministries?

Rasmus: Over the years we have seen some amazing miracles occur in the lives of homeless and people marginalized by life’s challenges. Our Bread of Life project continues to provide 12,000 meals monthly with additional critical services to chronically homeless people.

Temenos Community Development Corporation is now providing housing opportunities to previously homeless men and women in an apartment complex constructed on our campus several years ago. We have purchased land and we are currently preparing to build a second complex in downtown Houston. dy rs Ru Pasto anita Last year Juanita began the Art Project Houston, a u and J s have u therapeutic art program aimed at helping the homeless Rasm ugha community restore dignity and the ability to earn an intwo d yan R , s r te come through the creation of art. Lastly, every Wednesday and (left) n for many years we have distributed on the average, nine a Morg . t) h tons of food for hungry families in our partnership with the g i (r Houston Area Food Bank. This effort has helped curtail the effects of hunger for 300 families weekly.

e Houston area for over 80 years

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DEFENDER | WEEK OF APRIL 26 | 2012 | defendernetwork.com

opinion

pointofview

Republicans in Congress fail Blacks

By GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA Columnist

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Frederick Deligne, Nice-Matin, France

he new NAACP Report Card for the first session of the 112th Congress is out and it shows that every graded Republican member of the House and Senate received an F on issues considered important to the nation’s oldest civil rights group.

In the Senate, all 46 GOP senators received Fs from the NAACP. Of those, 34 voted against the NAACP’s position every time, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and former presidential candidate John McCain.

In the House, all 238 Republicans graded also received Fs. Although GOP House members have a reputation but being more conservative than their Senate colleagues, only 10 House Republicans voted against the NAACP every time.

In stark contrast to Republicans, 47 Democrats in the Senate earned As, three received Bs, one got a D and none received an F. The two independents in the Senate, Connecticut’s Joe Lieberman and Bernie Sanders of Vermont, received a B and an A, respectively.

In the House, all 238 Republicans graded earned an F. House Democrats voted like their counterparts in the Senate: 159 earned As, 22 got Bs, four earned Cs, one got a D and four received Fs. I have been studying NAACP legislative report cards for a couple of decades and I can’t remember a time when Republicans in Congress have been this solidified in their hostility towards civil rights. About eight years ago, Republican Congresswoman Mary S. Leach of Iowa earned a C. More recently a couple of Repub-

licans have earned Ds as the rest flunked.

In the session of Congress that lasted from Jan. 5, 2011 to Dec. 23, 2011, only one Republican – Senator Scott Brown (R-Mass.) – voted with the NAACP 40 percent of the time.

The GOP’s so-called moderate senators – Olympia J. Snowe and Susan Collins of Maine – supported the NAACP 33 percent of the time.

The NAACP graded members

of Congress on votes taken on such issues as repealing funding for health care reform, judicial nominations, deep budget cuts, job creation and criminal justice reform.

This NAACP Report Card should put to rest the lie that there’s no difference between Democrats and Republicans. There is difference – a huge difference at that.

Even the Black Republican alternatives are not viable alternatives.

Congressman Tim Scott of South Carolina backed the NAACP only 5 percent of the time. The only other Black House Republican, Allen B. West, also earned an F, supporting the

NAACP 25 percent of the time.

It hasn’t always been this way.

In fact, most Blacks voted Republican until switching to Franklin D. Roosevelt. Dwight D. Eisenhower received 39 percent of the Black vote in 1956. In his close election with John F. Kennedy in 1960, Blacks gave Richard Nixon 32 percent of their vote.

The GOP began the political equivalent of ethnic cleansing in 1964 with the nomination of Arizona Sen. Barry Goldwater, who made an open appeal to segregationists. Goldwater’s “Southern Strategy” went up with flames, with Blacks giving Lyndon Johnson 94 percent of their vote.

Over the last half century, GOP moderates, such as former Secretary of State Colin Powell have either been pushed out of the party or marginalized.

Moderates have been replaced by rabid Tea Party activists who have pushed an already conservative party to the extreme right.

All Democratic leaders in the House earned As: Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (100 percent), Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (100 percent), Assistant Democratic Whip James Clyburn (100 percent) and Democratic Caucus Chair John Lucas (95 percent).Each Republican leader in the house, on the other hand, got Fs. In 2004, the Republican Party announced a goal of quadrupling its share of the Black vote to 25 percent. It has obviously abandoned that goal.

Your vote counts so register & vote

A

frican Americans are faced with a long list of issues, from unemployment to injustice to overall inequality.

Though many of us face these issues every day, they are not on the front burner of enough elected officials. Only a handful seem to carry the torch for us, and we are somewhat responsible because we allow the rest of them to stay in office.

How can we complain about being ignored by insensitive politicians when we fail to register to vote and cast our ballots?

This is a pivotal election year. Nationally, we know that the country’s first Black president, Barack Obama, will almost certainly be challenged

by Republican Mitt Romney in November. Their agendas are totally different and we can judge for ourselves which candidate has our best interests at heart.

Closer to home, we will elect our leaders at the city, county and state levels. These leaders make decisions that impact our daily lives, as well as the lives of our parents and our children.

In addition to electing legislators, we will decide which judicial candidates hold office.

If you’ve ever stood before a judge, you know the importance of their positions.

It’s easier than ever to make your voice heard. You can register online and vote by mail.

Stop complaining about what politicians are and aren’t doing.

Register to vote by April 30th and vote in the Texas primary on May 29th. Your vote counts.

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defendernetwork.com | WEEK OF APRIL 26 | 2012 | DEFENDER

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U.S. Rep. Green hosts veterans’ event Defender News Services

Houston’s homeless veterans spent an informative, entertaining day at an event hosted by Congressman Al Green in conjunction with the Michael E. DeBakey Veterans’ Affairs Medical Center.

Attendees were provided with information about VA services while enjoying live entertainment, games and other activities. The DeBakey Center is located in Green’s congressional district.

“I am committed to working with this great medical facility to help our veterans who have sacrificed so much for this nation,” Green said. “[The VA] staff has done an outstanding job and I hope the veterans who attend this event today will obtain useful A local veteran is greeted by Congressman Al Green at the DeBakey VA Center. information about how the local VA can provide them with family and friends, substance abuse or mental assistance.” health issues.

According to the Department of Veterans “These are our fellow Americans who have Affairs, thousands of veterans have spent at least risked their lives to keep us safe and defend our one night in an emergency shelter or transitional liberty,” Green said. “I think we should do our best housing program. Some are considered at risk of to ensure they have a stable place to call home. homelessness due to poverty, lack of support from There are multiple VA programs that can help them

a great deal and events like these are a perfect way to reach out to them.”

Green also noted current efforts aimed at ending homelessness among veterans. Last month, and with overwhelming bipartisan support, the House of Representatives passed the Homes for Heroes Act of 2011 (HR 3298), a bill sponsored by Green.

The bill improves the collaboration between the Departments of Veterans Affairs and Housing and Urban Development on the issue of homeless veterans.

In 2010, the VA launched a fiveyear campaign to address homelessness through programs that provide safe housing and medical attention, as well as employment opportunities and benefits assistance. The plan places emphasis on cooperation between all levels of government and private, faith-based and non-profit organizations.

Green hopes the recent event can be held on an annual basis.

“I would like these block parties to become a tradition that will grow in the near future,” he said. “I want to ensure our veterans receive help that can bring a very positive change to their lives and also reinforce the concept of community in our city.”

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DEFENDER | WEEK OF APRIL 26 | 2012 | defendernetwork.com

International Festival features global music

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Defender News Services

he 2012 Houston International Festival wraps up Saturday, April 28 and Sunday, April 29 in downtown Houston. This year’s festival, which honors Argentina, features continuous music, dance and cultural performances on various estages.

“This year’s lineup showcases performers representing Argentina, as well as the South American nations of Venezuela, Chile, Ecuador and Brazil,” said Rick Mitchell, festival director of performing arts. “It will be the most impressive lineup of headliners we have ever had.”

On April 28, the legendary group War will perform such timeless favorites as “The Cisco Kid,” “The World Is a Ghetto” and “Low Rider.” Also performing on April 28 is Niger’s acclaimed guitarist Bombino.

The festival’s final day will feature rising reggae stars Soja, Nigerian Afro-pop’s Seun Kuti leading the orchestra Egypt 80, and Steel Pulse, often described as the best reggae

band ever to come out of the United Kingdom.

Sur, an internationally-known, Houston-based band that plays South American folk music of the Andes, also performs. Stage highlights include: Center Stage is located on the steps of Houston’s City Hall. April 28th performers include Rene Casarsa, an Argentine native now living in Texas, and Chico Trujillo from Chile. Accordion player Hector del Curto performs twice daily on

April 29. Cuban Pedrito Martinez can also be seen on April 29.

Americas Stage in Tranquility Park features a distinctive Gulf Coast gumbo of zydeco, blues, funk, jazz, rock, alternative country and Latin music. April 28th performers include Lil Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers, and blues singer/ guitarist Joe Louis Walker. The Texas Tornados headline a Latin-flavored bill on April 29.

The 29-95 Entertainment Stage is located behind City Hall. April 28th headliners includeThe Presidents and Dharma. April 29th headliners include Roky Moon & Bolt, Rozz Zamorano Group, Zydeco Dots and Sol Driven Train.

The H-E-B Cultural Stage is the heart of the festival’s tribute to Argentina. Each day will end with a performance of traditional Argentine music, including the sounds of Barandua (April 28).

Festival hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. both days. Tickets range from $18 to $4, and admission is free for children under three. Call 713-654-8808 or visit www.ifest.

War will sing some of its greatest hits on April 28.

Notice of Public Meeting Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TX (METRO) Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TX (METRO) will hold a Public Meeting on Monday, April 30, 2012, at noon to receive public comment about proposed changes including:

referencing the June 2012 Service Change or visit METRO’s website at www.RideMETRO.org to make comments. You may also telephone METRO’s Customer Service line at 713-635-4000 with your comments.

New Services — 59 Aldine Mail Crosstown

Comments should be received by METRO no later than the date and time of the Public Meeting.

New Contract Services — 412 Greenlink Circulator Non-Renewal of Contract Services — 320, 321, and 322 routes Route Re-alignments — 20, 29, 37, 38, 42, 50, 70, 87, 102, and 297, 298 routes Schedule Changes — 18, 25, 33, 46, 53, 85, 212, 221, 244, 246, 247, 255, 256, 257, 265, and 297 routes

a man for all seasons The University of Houston salutes James E. Anderson, Ph.D., for more than 40 years of exemplary service and accomplishments as an award-winning educator, researcher and community liaison for the university. We extend our deepest gratitude for his leadership and contributions upon his retirement.

The Public Meeting will be held in the METRO Board Room on the 2nd floor at 1900 Main Street in Houston, TX (served by METRO Routes 3, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30, 44, 52, 56, 60, 66, 77, 78, 88, 102, 108, 137, 249, and METRORail). The meeting will also be streamed live on www.RideMETRO.org.

Copies of proposed timetables and maps will be available Monday, April 23, 2012, for public review online at www.RideMETRO.org, or at METRO’s office, 1900 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM weekdays, and at our three METRO Outreach offices located in Las Palmas Shopping Center at 6215 Harrisburg (served by Route 50), in Palm Center at 5330 Griggs, Suite A104 (served by Routes 5, 77), and at 2613 Fulton (served by Routes 15, 78).

How to Comment about the Service Change You may attend the Public Meeting or write to us at METRO, ATTN: June 2012 Service Change, 1900 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002. You may also fax your comments to 713-652-7956 with a subject line

Visit us at uh.edu The University of Houston is an EEO/AA institution.

Help for People with Disabilities For individuals with disabilities, assistive services or copies of public documents in an alternate format can be provided. Please call 713-750-4271 or 713-635-6993 (for persons with a hearing impairment) a minimum of five working days prior to the Public Meeting.

Language Interpretation Any person who requires language interpretation or special communication accommodations is encouraged to contact METRO Community Outreach at 713-739-4018 or via email at na01@ridemetro.org. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate your needs.

1. This Public Meeting conforms to requirements described in the Federal Transit Administration’s Circular 9030.1D, published May 1, 2010, page IV-13.

2. METRO does not discriminate on the basis of disability in the admission or access to, or in treatment or employment in, its services, programs, and activities.

3. METRO is committed to ensuring that no person is excluded from participation in, or denied the benefits of its transit services on the basis of race, color, or national origin, as protected by Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

defendernetwork.com | WEEK OF APRIL 26 | 2012 | DEFENDER

autoreview 2012 Toyota Prius v Five

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By DARRELL K. ARDISON Defender

he 2012 Toyota Prius v model is bigger, bolder and better than its predecessors.

All new for 2012, the Prius v is built for versatility. That’s what the “v” stands for. For starters, the Prius v can accommodate five full-sized adults in the roomy cabin. You could even sneak a child in the rear cargo area if necessary.

Interior features include a navigation system with a 6.1inch touch-screen and backup camera, AM/FM/CD player with MP3/WMA capability and satellite radio with eight speakers. There’s a 60/40 split/sliding/reclining fold-down rear bench seat with armrest and adjustable headrests. The front dashboard features digital instrumentation and trip information.

Other interior amenities include center console armrest, storage and tray, single-dial automatic climate

SPECS MSRP base price - $29,990 (as tested – $36,622) Engine – 1.8-liter four-cylinder Transmission – Variable with three driving modes Fuel economy – 44 miles per gallon (city), 40 mpg (highway Estimated annual fuel cost - $1,321 (based on $3.70 per gallon) control, remote keyless ignition and pushbutton start. The 2012 Prius v has a tilt/ telescopic steering wheel with audio and cruise controls, three front and two rear cup holders, automatic dimming rearview mirror and heated front seats.

This vehicle is powered by a hybrid synergy drive system that consists of a 1.8-liter DOHC, 16-valve, four-cylinder engine matched with a variable transmission that includes three different driving modes.

The 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, electric power steering and front independent suspension yield the best

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ride Prius has ever delivered and I’ve driven every one of them.

An exterior reminiscent of a European sedan consists of a rear spoiler with high-mounted stop lights, LED headlamps with automatic level control, automatic on/off feature and front integrated fog lamps.

The Prius v has color-keyed power heated folding exterior mirrors and front variable and rear intermittent windshield wipers.

Safety and convenience features include Toyota’s Star safety system with Smart Stop Technology, electronic brake-force distribution, whiplash-injury lessening seats, engine immobilizer and brake assist.

There’s a drive and front passenger advanced air bag system, driver and front passenger seat-mounted side air bags and side curtain air bags along with driver knee air bag.

Toyota has all but eliminated the hesitation between the electric and gas modes. The only time I felt it was when idling for a long time as I read the owner’s manual.

Optional equipment on the test vehicle included a panoramic view moon roof with power sunshades, safety connect with emergency assistance, stolen vehicle locator, roadside assistance and automatic collision notification.

I enjoyed driving this Prius more than ever because of the way it holds the road on a wet track, spacious interior with plenty of elbow room and terrific gas mileage.

Do yourself a favor and test drive one soon.

2012 Toyota Yaris Five-Door SE Liftback

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oyota is advertising the 2012 Yaris Five-Door SE Liftback as a basic car package without all the pomp and circumstance.

Eliminating the Yaris sedan model makes the three-door or five-door liftback the center point of the Yaris lineup. Toyota says hatchbacks currently account for 70 percent of Yaris sales, and eliminating the sedan helps reduce the number of build combinations from 24 to nine.

The all-new Yaris won’t turn many heads on the street, but credit Toyota for making a decent-looking hatchback. The top-of-the-line SE features darkened headlamp surrounds, aluminum wheels, a more aggressive front bumper with fog lights, and a rear fascia with spoiler.

From a design standpoint, the 2012 Yaris offers few changes. The same could be said for subcompacts in general, ranging from Ford, Chevy, Hyundai and even Toyota’s own Scion division.

There’s nothing new under the hood either. The latest Yaris carries the same 106-horsepower, 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine from last year with a new body wrapped around it. Transmission choices remain a five-speed manual and a four-speed automatic.

It should be noted the SE has a superior driving feel

versus the L and LE models with a quicker steering ratio, sport- For 2012, the instruments have been re-positioned in front of tuned suspension, 16-inch wheels and better body control. the driver.

The throttle response is snappier too, and the upgraded brake The front sport bucket seats on SE models get more agsystem (discs on all four corners gressive side bolsters, versus the front-disc, rear-drum setup although lumbar on other trim levels) has a real bite. support is lacking in The Yaris interior is new and all Yaris front seats.

MSRP base price - $17,200 (as tested - $18,140) improved. Gone is the horrendous The rear seats have Engine – 1.5-liter DOHC 16-valve four cylinder dashboard design of the previous genreasonably good seatTransmission – Four-speed automatic eration model with its aestheticallying position and nice, Fuel economy – miles per gallon (city), 35 mpg ineffective center-mounted gauges. theatre-style views (highway) ahead.

Estimated annual fuel cost - $1,732 (based on Safety and conve$3.70 per gallon) nience features include the Star safety system that features traction control, anti-lock brake system and smart stop technology.

There’s a drive and front passenger advanced air bag system, driver and front passenger side curtain air bags and seat cushion air bags.

Other safety features include a tire pressure monitor system, engine immobilizer and child-protector rear door locks.

A neat-looking tonneau cover conceals items in the rear cargo area.

SPECS

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DEFENDER | WEEK OF APRIL 26 | 2012

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sports

classified HOUSTON BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT, INC. REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS

TSU spring football

The era of Coach Darrell Asberry begins

By MAX EDISON Defender

F

or first-year Texas Southern head football coach Darrell Asberry, there is a vivid reminder of exactly why he came

through to September 1 [the first game],” he said.

Asberry will bring to TSU a spread offense philosophy that served him extremely well during his tenure at Shaw. Spring workouts and the spring game have afforded him his first opportunity to evaluate the talent he inherited.

Now he has to figure out if he has the perquisite talent to run his style of system.

“The beauty about this offense is you can run it from so many different sets,” Asberry explained.

to TSU. Just three months on the job, Asberry gets fired up when he drives by the new home of Tiger football, the $95 million, state-ofthe-art BBVA Compass Stadium at 2222 Texas Ave. He pays homage to it every day.

“I pass by the stadium every morning and I sit there for about five minutes,” Asberry said. “I get very excited thinking about playing there in the fall.”

Tiger football fans are excited about the arrival of Asberry, a proven winner at Shaw UniverNew TSU head coach Asberry instructs QB Riko Smalls sity (three CIAA conference titles in five years).

“People think because it’s the The Tigers recently concluded spread that it has to be run from a their first series of spring workouts four- receiver set. That’s not how under Asberry and the new “Top I learned it. Your talent is the key Cat” was reasonably pleased with to it. I run it based on the type of the results. talent we have.

“Up to this point we’ve been “If I can’t do four wides, then having a pretty good camp,” AsI can run it with three receivers and berry said. “We’re trying to get the two backs. I could even run it with offensive side of the football down. a tight end and two wideouts. We By week two the guys started to will modify the scheme to fit our gel and learn the system; it’s a talent.” tough system to learn.

An offensive scheme is only as “I do feel we got the basic good as the quarterback play, and things done. We got a great part of Asberry must find out which QB the offense in, enough to carry us can handle those responsibilities.

“We had three quarterbacks working this spring, Dantavious Parker, Rudy Johnson and Riko Smalls. We held Parker out of the spring game because he is recovering from knee surgery. He did participate in spring workouts. The offense is new to all three of the guys and each one had their share of ups and downs.”

Defensively, TSU seeks to regain the form that made them the nation’s No. 1 unit in 2010, the SWAC championship year.

Kevin Ramsey, the former defensive coordinator and interim head coach in 2011, is back as defensive coordinator.

Asberry was quick to point out their advantage in spring workouts.

“On the defensive side of the ball you have the same defensive coordinator so that was much easier for those guys to learn.

The defense has really been flying around.”

Although the spring workouts were good, Asberry was not pleased with the offensive flow during the spring game.

“It’s been great all spring, but today wasn’t our day offensively.

Hopefully they will use the words that I expressed to motivate them.

They don’t have a choice; they have to get motivated because September 1st is just around the corner,” he reiterated.

It is just right around the corner and fans can’t wait to see the Tigers and their brand new house.

Houston Business Development, Inc. (HBDi) is requesting proposals from independent CPA firms licensed to practice in the State of Texas to perform a financial audit of HBDi for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2012. HBDi seeks proposals from firms experienced in auditing economic development programs, funded through the City of Houston under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and the Economic Development Initiative (EDI) Grants of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The RFP document may be picked up on Thursday, April 26, 2012 at 5330 Griggs Road, Houston Texas 77021. All proposals submitted to HBDi in response to this RFP shall comply with Houston City Council Ordinance No. 78-1538, passed August 9, 1978, relating to Equal Opportunity Contract Compliances. HBDi reserves the right to reject any and all proposals and to accept any proposals deemed to be in HBDi’s best interest. Sealed proposals are due no later than 4:30 p.m. Monday, May 18, 2012 and must be delivered to 5330 Griggs Road.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

College of the Mainland Board of Trustees Redistricting The Board of Trustees of the College of the Mainland will conduct public hearings on the redistricting of its five single member trustee districts at the following locations and times: Monday, April 30, 2012 11:30 a.m.

College of the Mainland Board Room, Enrollment Center 1200 N. Amburn Rd. Texas City, Texas 77591-2435

Tuesday, May 15, 2012 6:00 p.m.

College of the Mainland Board Room, Enrollment Center 1200 N. Amburn Rd. Texas City, Texas 77591-2435

The hearings are part of an effort to gain public input into the process of redrawing the five single member trustee districts as a result of the 2010 census. A quorum of the Board may or may not be present at the hearings. Public comment is welcomed and solicited. Maps of the current boundaries, proposed redistricting plan and 2010 census data will be available at the hearings and may be obtained by request to Jennifer Johnson, jjohnson@com.edu, 409-933-8268.

AUDIENCIAS PÚBLICAS

Nueva delimitación de distritos de la Junta de Síndicos de College of the Mainland La Junta de Síndicos de College of the Mainland llevará a cabo audiencias públicas sobre la nueva delimitación de sus cinco distritos de síndicos de miembro único en las siguientes localidades y horarios: Lunes 30 de abril de 2012 11:30 a.m.

College of the Mainland Salón de Juntas, Centro de Inscripción 1200 N. Amburn Rd. Texas City, Texas 77591-2435

Martes 15 de mayo de 2012 6:00 p.m.

College of the Mainland Salón de Juntas, Centro de Inscripción 1200 N. Amburn Rd. Texas City, Texas 77591-2435

Las audiencias forman parte de un esfuerzo para obtener la opinión y sugerencias del público en relación al proceso de la nueva delimitación de los cinco distritos de síndicos de miembro único como resultado del censo de 2010. Los comentarios del público son bienvenidos y son solicitados. En las audiencias habrá disponibles mapas con los límites actuales de los precintos, el plan propuesto con los nuevos límites y datos del censo de 2010 los cuales además pueden ser obtenidos comunicándose con Jennifer Johnson, jjohnson@com.edu, 409-933-8268.

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WEEK OF APRIL 26 | 2012 DEFENDER

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h.s.zone

sportsbriefs

Black high schools

face baseball challenges

By DARRELL K. ARDISON Defender

Major League Baseball recently celebrated the 65th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier and signing with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947.

Every Major League player wore Robinson’s No. 42 jersey number that day to observe the monumental occasion.

Unfortunately, the number of African-American players at the professional level continues to decrease. Only The game of baseball needs more Black players. eight percent of MLB players are “They get to high school and haven’t currently Black as the numbers continue played organized ball in four, five or six to dwindle. years,” Ellis said. “Finding kids that grew Head baseball coaches at predomiup playing baseball is a major challenge. nately African-American high schools in Most of the kids that I have now are firstthe greater Houston area find themselves time players.” facing a number of major challenges Little League Baseball programs that translates to a lack of success on the have disappeared in African-American playing field. neighborhoods over the last two decades.

“One of the main issues I’m seeWhen the Southeast Little League ing is that the players I get are playing program shut down 11 years ago, that organized baseball for the first time when adversely affected high school baseball they get to high school,” said Kashmere programs at Sterling, Worthing and Jones High School head baseball coach Craig high schools located less than 10 minutes Ellis. “They don’t realize that they have to from each other in southeast Houston. provide their own equipment in the way “It makes a huge difference when of gloves, cleats and bats.” you have a kid with baseball experience While most school districts do taking the field,” Ellis said. “They just provide bats to each team, the majority of have that baseball awareness. But baseball players at the upper-echelon high school at my school is like the fourth or fifth programs purchase their own bats. Alumi- choice for the student-athletes.” num bat prices begin at roughly $135 and range to over $300.

“That’s almost a lethal combination,” Ellis said. “A lack of playing experience and a considerable financial investment at the high school level makes for an uneven playing field.”

Kashmere doesn’t have a Little League Baseball program operating within its vicinity and this is compounded by another key factor.

“It takes nine players on the field to have a baseball team,” Ellis said. “Very few of my players have Little League experience and the ones that do couldn’t find teams to play on during the middle school (sixth, seventh and eighth grade).

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Another Houston - area high school baseball coach at a predominately-Black high school spoke to the Houston Defender and requested anonymity.

“The kids just aren’t dedicated to baseball like they used to be,” he said. “I’ve had days at practice this season when only three or four players showed up.

“I’ve had players tell me they had to go get a hair cut or meet with a social organization. It’s unbelievable what they can come up with for excuses why they missed practice. Then on game days, everybody shows up.”

What typically occurs during his games are a plethora of mental mistakes, physical errors and a lack of execution on routine plays.

“When you have inexperienced players that don’t have a feel for the game, fundamentals are missing. If fundamentals are not executed in baseball, the chances of experiencing success are minimal,” he said.

Both coaches believe that knowing when to run and when not to run on the bases, knowing to backup a teammate on defense or when to sacrifice yourself at bat to advance runners into scoring position, are fundamentals sorely missing at many of the Houston area Black high school baseball games.

These are nuances of the game that are learned when a player is five, six or seven years old and honed through repetition. It is also during this time that players overcome their fear of the ball hitting them in the face or other vulnerable areas.

It’s virtually impossible to teach a 14- or 15-year-old kid not to be afraid of the ball because it’s always in the back of his mind. Just one bad hop can erase weeks of teaching fundamentals and the kid goes back to doing what he did previously.

The challenges just go on and on.

Coach Craig Ellis

Hempstead ISD coach reinstated by board A week after the Hempstead ISD school board voted to fire him, Ricky Sargent returned to his post as head football and boys’ track and field coach. Sargent came under fire after he made the call to leave two students-athletes alone at a restaurant more than an hour from home late at night following a track meet in Elgin. In a statement released through the school district’s lawyer, the board announced that “after hearing from the community, parents, students and the coaches, the Board voted to rescind the proposed discharge of Sargent and the four other coaches on leave of absence.”

TAPPS to have bylaws reviewed In the wake of a controversy surrounding Beren Academy of Houston when parents filed a lawsuit asking that a boys’ basketball playoff game be rescheduled during the Jewish Sabbath, the Texas Association of Private and Parochial Schools will appoint a committee to review whether changes are needed in the organization’s constitution and bylaws.

Patrick Fulton, principal of Houston’s St. Thomas High School, said “we want to re-examine ourselves and make sure we are serving students first and foremost.” Several TAPPS schools expressed they would consider leaving the organization if changes were not forthcoming.

Regional track meets scheduled for the weekend Turner Stadium in Humble will host the Region III-5A boys’ and girls’ track and field meet on Friday and Saturday with the top two finishers in each event advancing to the state track meet in Austin. The Region III-4A meet will be held on the same two days in Huntsville on the campus of Sam Houston State University.

Astros foundation hosts Pink in the Park brunch and bazaar The Astros in Action Foundation’s Pink in the Park Brunch and Bazaar will be held in Union Station at Minute Maid Park on Friday, May 4, to raise funds for the Methodist Cancer Center. Astros players and their wives will attend the brunch and bazaar and Astros in Action Foundation board member Shawn A. Taylor is serving as event chair. The brunch program will feature a “Talking Pink” panel discussion with Sara Lyon – wife of Astros pitcher Brandon Lyon – whose mother is a breast cancer survivor. Dr. Jenny Chang, an internationally acclaimed breast cancer researcher and clinician and director of the Methodist Cancer Center, will join Lyon on the panel. Also participating will be breast cancer survivor Roberta Schwartz, executive vice president for Methodist Hospital. The brunch begins at 12:30 p.m. For information visit http://houston.astros.mlb.com/hou/community/ pink_brunch.jsp.

Cougars sign guards Tione Womack and Brandon Morris The Houston Cougars, in an attempt to shore up their backcourt, have recently signed to JUCO prospects.

Hagerstown Community College guard Tione Womack (six-feet one, 170 pounds) and Kansas City Community College guard Brandon Morris (six-feet, 185 pounds) have both signed national letters of intent to begin play in the 2012-2013 season.

Womack averaged 10 points and 7.6 assists per game in 2011-12. Morris averaged 16.9 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game in 2011-2012. They will have two years of eligibility.

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16

DEFENDER | WEEK OF APRIL 26 | 2012

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For Event Coverage...visit

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chag’splace

Charter Members Carol Sulaiman, Charlotte Kelly-Bryant, Dorothy Booker and Frances Jackson

Rev. William and Audrey Lawson and Audrey and Rev. Dr. Marcus Cosby

Jeanie Cain, Sharon Murphy, Turkessa Taylor, Patricia Roberts and Dr. Evelyn Thornton

Iris Cross, Sharon Owens, Janiece Longoria, Roxann Chargois and Argentina James

Emily, Van and Anne Marie Foster

Board President Ed Smith with Winell and Doug Herron

GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY…..In June, 2012, Wheeler 50 years of providing spiritual guidance and leadership to all Avenue Baptist Church will celebrate its 50th anniversary. who enters its doors. Congratulations and God bless!.......

Several events leading up to the date have been held and CELEBRATING WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP…….The most recently they celebrated their Jubilee Gala at the Hilton Missouri City Chapter of The Links, Neiman Marcus Houston Americas Hotel with over 1,800 folks in attendance. A and the Choice Foundation honored several women who special tribute was given to the founding exemplify leadership and the shoes they Join Yvette Chargois pastor, Rev. William Lawson and his wear. “Walking in her Shoes” was the wife, Audrey, his successor, Rev. Dr. theme for the luncheon and these ladies Events of the Week Marcus Cosby and his wife, Audrey, wore some fabulous ones, just check out More photos on defendernetwork.com and several charter members, including our website to view them. The honorees See Events on KTRK Ch.13’s Crossroads Carol Sulaiman, Charlotte Kellyincluded: Crystal Ashby, executive vice with Melanie Lawson Sunday Morning @ 11 a.m.

Bryant, Dorothy Booker, Frances president of government and public affairs Jackson and Helen and Dr. Jesse with BP America; Shauna Clark, partner in-charge, Houston Fulbright & Jaworski; Cindy Clifford, Cashaw, to name a few. Program participants included Don Poole, Carolyne Oliver, Richard Nichols, Terence president of the Clifford Group; Eileen Morris, artistic director Fontaine, Lisa Hicks, Charles Kelley, Michael Helm, of The Ensemble Theatre, and Dr. Peggy Smith, professor and director/OBGYN, psychology and pediatrics at Baylor Rev. Jacques Denkins and Johnnye Ridley. It’s worth College of Medicine. Kudos to chapter president Sharon mentioning that the church has had only two pastors in the

Charter Members Rev. Dr. Jesse and Helen Cashaw

Honorees Shauna Clark, Eileen Morris, Crystal Ashby, Dr. Peggy Smith and Cindy Clifford

Amir Halevy and Willetta and Alvin Rucker

Owens, honorary chair Janiece Longoria, event co-chairs Roxann Chargois, Iris Cross and Argentina James, as well as Yava Scott, Marian Harper and the entire membership for a grand event. Congratulations!......... BUILDING HOPE FOR CHILDREN…..Casa de Esperanza de los Ninos (the House of Hope for Children) recently celebrated 30 years of providing a safe place for children in crisis due to abuse, neglect or the effects of HIV. They also provide residential, medical and psychological care according to the needs of each child. Kathy Foster, who worked in a halfway house for emotionally disturbed mothers and their children and Bill Jones, a child life specialist at Hermann Hospital working with abused children, joined forces and founded the organization.

With a donation of $500, a house they found in Third Ward and a handful of volunteers to spruce it up, the first baby arrived. Their story is a testimony that miracles are possible.

Continued success!......From Chag’s Place to your place, have a blessed week!

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