Houston Defender: April 30, 2015

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Volume 84 | Number 22

APRIL 30, 2015 |FREE

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NATIONAL LORETTA LYNCH becomes attorney general

New report

BLACK SCHOOLS AT THE BOTTOM H PAGE 8

P2 ENTERTAINMENT KIRK WHALUM performs at jazz festival

P4

SPORTS

See editorial page 10

GREG HARDY suspended for abuse

P14

Quanell X blasts sheriff

Queen Latifah produces film

Houston activist Quanell X is demanding the resignation of Harris County Sheriff Adrian Garcia. See why Garcia is being blamed for a jail inmate’s inhumane treatment. Read Garcia’s response to the incident and the accusations.

As an actress, recording artist and former talk show host, Queen Latifah has worn a lot of hats in Hollywood.

Hear what she has to say about her latest title, movie producer. See which actress has a starring role in “Brotherly Love.”

H PAGE 2

H PAGE 5

TOP EVENTS

Star Jones speaks at American Heart Association luncheon

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DEFENDER | APRIL 30 | 2015

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Garcia, Sheriff’s Dept. under fire Activist Quanell X joined the family of mentally ill man “treated like an animal” in the Harris County Jail in demanding the resignation of Sheriff Adrian Garcia.

Two jail sergeants reportedly left Terry Goodwin in a dirty cell with trash, bugs and his own feces for weeks in 2013. Garcia recently announced that six jailers had been fired over the incident and 29 others were suspended without pay.

The two sergeants were indicted by a Harris County grand jury and face Sheriff Adrian Garcia Quanell X charges of tampering with a government record, which is a felony. like an animal,” said Mashell Lambert. “He’s not Quanell X said Garcia still needs to step down. garbage and they treated him like garbage, so I will “The buck stops with Sheriff Adrian Garcia,” he not allow it.” said. “He was not in the dark with what took place Goodwin is now jailed in another facility, but his with this brother in this jail.” mother said he cannot forget the abuse he suffered.

Goodwin’s mother agreed. “He was treated Garcia said his administration is dedicated to the

highest level of transparency and accountability.

“The punishments I have handed out as a result of this tragic Goodwin incident are the actions I have taken all along since I took office, holding all staff accountable to levels never seen before,” Garcia said.

“This is what the community has expected and this is what I have delivered.

“After I learned of this incident I took the initiative to notify the DOJ, the FBI, and the District Attorney’s Office and gave each of them everything we knew about this incident at that time. No one had to demand such action.”

Garcia said he understands Lambert’s anger over what happened to her son and shares her feelings.

“What happened to inmate Goodwin should never have happened, and my actions will help to keep it from happening again,” he said.

Two new TSU regents named Gov. Greg Abbott appointed Derrick Mitchell of Houston and Wesley Terrell of Dallas to the Texas Southern University Board of Regents, and re-appointed Marilyn Agatha Rose.

Regents’ terms will expire on Feb. 1, 2021. The appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

Mitchell is a partner in the public law section of the Houston office of Bracewell &

Giuliani, LLP. He received a B.B.A. in finance from the University of Houston and a J.D. from the UH Law Center.

Terrell is a mergers and acquisitions lawyer with AT&T in the company’s Dallas headquarters. He is a graduate of Yale University, Columbia Law School and C.T. Bauer College of Business.

Derrick Mitchell

Wesley Terrell

localbriefs FORT BEND ISD Superintendent Dr. Charles Dupre said in a letter to parents that the district is suspending its truancy program and performing a complete review of procedures. “With the recent expressed concerns about the way FBISD handles truancy matters, we believe it will be in the best interest of our students and the community for us to re-examine aspects of the system that might need to be improved,” Dupre said. State Sen. Rodney Ellis, who requested a Justice Department investigation into Texas’ truancy laws, commended Dupre and the district. “My hope is that this review will bring the much-needed reforms to Fort Bend’s truancy

system, help to get students back into school, and reduce the school-to-prison pipeline. Sticking children in jail and forcing them to pay thousands of dollars in fines – which they often can’t afford in the first place – is the wrong approach and counterproductive to the students’ success,” Ellis said……..THE NORTHEAST HOUSTON community has lobbied for a grade separation over the train tracks on Homestead Road for more than 20 years. Councilmember Jerry Davis said the wait is over, and residents will no longer be forced to wait long periods of time for a train to pass. Davis and Mayor Annise Parker will host

a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Saturday, May 16 at 11 a.m. on the bridge. The ceremony is open to the public and will include entertainment and refreshments. Call 832-393-3009 to RSVP……..

THE TEXAS WORKFORCE COMMISSION warns Texas job seekers to be aware of scams that involve individuals posing as potential employers in order to collect money in exchange for non-existent jobs. Some fake employers have even used the names of established businesses and interviewed job candidates in legitimate meeting spaces in order to scam individuals out of money. To avoid becoming a scam victim visit www.oag.state.tx.us.

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APRIL 30 | 2015 | DEFENDER

national

U.S.briefs SIMMONS COLLEGE OF KENTUCKY in Louisville recently received federal accreditation from the U.S. Department of Education as the country’s 107th historically Black college. “It’s an exciting day for us,” said Simmons President Dr. Kevin W. Cosby.

“We’ve been waiting for this day for two years now, and finally we have it.” Simmons was founded in 1865 by former slaves who originally name it Kentucky Normal and Theological Institute. The institution served as a place where freed Blacks could obtain an education. The designation now entitles the college to participate in federal funding programs. Kentucky State University was the first institution in the state to be deemed an HBCU……..BEING POOR can have a bigger impact on your health than your race, according to a recent report by the Urban Institute. “Income is a driving force behind the striking health disparities that many minorities experience,” stated a recent report by the institute, a research group founded in 1968 to study programs associated with the War on Poverty. Although Blacks have higher rates of disease than whites, “these differences are dwarfed by the disparities identified between high- and low-income populations within each racial/ethnic group,” the report said. The effects of poverty on low-income families are often inescapable.

“Public transportation is often inadequate to enable residents to commute to employment, to find a better job, or to reach a supermarket, a reliable childcare provider, or health care services,” stated the report.……..

MICHAEL BROWN’S PARENTS filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the city of Ferguson, Mo., opening a new chapter in the legal battle over the shooting that killed their son and sparked a national protest movement about the way police treat Blacks. Attorneys for Brown’s parents promised the case would bring to light new forensic evidence and raise doubts about the police version of events.

VOLUME 84 • NUMBER 22 APRIL 30, 2015

Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Advertising/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler Online Editor ReShonda Billingsley Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila

Print Editor Marilyn Marshall

Multimedia Coordinator LaGloria Wheatfall Sports Editors Max Edison Darrell K. Ardison

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

3

Lynch makes history as attorney general Loretta Lynch was finally sworn in as attorney general of the United States and the first African-American woman to hold the office. Vice President Joe Biden administered the oath of office to Lynch, as her father, brother and husband looked on.

Lynch’s confirmation had been held up because of an impasse in the Senate over legislation aimed at curbing human trafficking. She succeeds Eric Holder, the first African-American to hold the position.

Biden said Holder stood his ground and never yielded, and Lynch was cut from the same cloth.’

Vice President Joe Biden administered the oath of office to Attorney General Loretta Lynch.

“If there is anything you need to know about Loretta Lynch, it’s that she has excelled at everything she has done,’’ Biden said.

Lynch thanked President Obama for nominating her.

• Born in 1959 in Greensboro, N.C.; daughter of a “As I look out over all of you gathered here today, my Baptist minister and librarian overwhelming reaction is one of profound gratitude,” she said. “I must, of course, thank the president for his faith in • Earned bachelor’s degree in literature from Harvard me in asking me to lead the department that I love to even University; law degree from Harvard Law School greater heights.

Lynch said she and her colleagues in the Justice • Worked as litigator with a New York law firm Department have a duty to not just represent the law and enforce it, but use it to make real the promise of America, • Worked as prosecutor for U.S. attorney in New York’s the promise of fairness, equality, liberty and justice for all.

Eastern District; became chief of Long Island office “We are all just here for a time – whether in this • Served as U.S. attorney for New York’s Eastern building or even on this earth. But the values we hold District under Clinton and Obama administrations dear will live on long after we have left this stage. Our responsibility, while we are here, is to breathe life into • Married to Stephen Hargrove; has two them,” she said. stepchildren

About Loretta Lynch

Violence erupts in Baltimore after funeral Rioters burned buildings and looted stores in Baltimore following the funeral of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old Black man who died after he was injured in police custody. At least 15 officers were hurt during the disturbances, despite appeals from Gray’s family for peace, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake labeled the rioters “thugs” and imposed a citywide curfew for adults, with exceptions for work and medical emergencies. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard.

An Orioles baseball game was canceled and schools, businesses and train stations were shut

down in the city.

Gray died of an unexplained spinal injury while in police custody. Dignitaries attending his funeral included Rawlings-Blake, U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, activist Dick Gregory and former Maryland Rep. Kweisi Mfume.

Cummings called for fairness in the case. “For me, I am in the twilight years, but I am telling you we will not rest, we will not rest until we address this and see that justice is done,” he said.

The eulogy was delivered by Rev. Jamal Bryant, who said, “With everything that we’ve been through, ain’t no way you can sit here and be silent in the face of injustice.”

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DEFENDER | APRIL 30 | 2015

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Red Cat Jazz Festival in Galveston May 7-10 For the second consecutive year, the Red Cat Jazz Preservation Society presents the Red Cat Jazz Festival at Galveston’s Moody Gardens Hotel & Spa Resort. It takes place May 7-10, just in time for the Mother’s Day weekend.

Performers include renowned jazz saxophonist Ronnie Laws, BWB (Norman Brown, Kirk Whalum and Rick Braun), Peter White, Mike Phillips, Tizer featuring Chieli Minucci & Karen Briggs, Dean James, Tex Allen and Tom Browne.

The festival kicks off Thursday, May 7, with a white-tie gala. The guest list will include partners, sponsors, VIP guests, performers, business leaders and city officials.

On Friday May 8, at 9 a.m., a celebrity golf tournament will be held at Moody Gardens Golf Course. Later that evening, a VIP all-white poolside party will feature performances by Browne and The C.I.TY. There will also be an appearance

by Houston native Laws, who is celebrating over 50 years of music with his multi-talented family that includes sisters Debra and Eloise Laws.

Saturday events include a women’s empowerment seminar and morning workout. Performers include BWB, White, Tizer and Phillips.

Sunday Mother’s Day events include performances by Mindi Abair and an all-star ensemble of women in jazz. Other performers include Laws, Hiroshima, James and Jazz in Pink with Althea Rene.

For ticket information visit www.redcatjazz. com or call 713-226-7870.

Ronnie Laws

riggs

BWB (N o

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Whalum T:9.75” & Rick B rau

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The Texas Lottery Commission Invites You to Attend:

“Doing Business Texas Style” Spot Bid Fair

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© 2015 Texas Lottery Commission. All Rights Reserved.

The Spot Bid Fair is FREE of charge!

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APRIL 30 | 2015 | DEFENDER

entertainment

5

Queen Latifah & Keke Palmer

join forces for ‘Brotherly Love’

By KAM WILLIAMS Special to the Defender

Queen Latifah started out as a hip-hop artist before expanding her repertoire as an actress, model, television producer, record producer and talk show host.

Her work earned her a Golden Globe Award, two Screen Actors Guild Awards, two Image Awards, a Grammy Award and Academy Award nomination.

Keke Palmer is a multi-talented actress, singer, songwriter and talk show host who landed a breakout role in 2006 as the title character in “Akeelah and the Bee.” She has since embarked on an enviable show biz career while also finding time to give back to the community.

Here, the two talk about “Brotherly Love,” a hip-hop driven drama currently in theaters starring Palmer and produced by Latifah.

The film is a reunion for the two women, who first worked to-

Queen Latifah produced “Brotherly Love.”

another biopic planned?

Latifah: There are actually a couple floating around, but the scripts aren’t quite where they need to be for me to pull the trigger on them yet.

And I’m working on three scripts that are really close to me featuring three completely different characters from totally different time periods. So, I’m going to have a lot of fun once I decide which one’s going to go first.

And I can’t wait.

KW: What message do you want people to take away “Brotherly Love?”

Palmer: I want them to get whatever they honestly get from it…

Keke Palmer stars in “Brotherly Love” with (l. to r.) Eric D. Hill, Cory Hardrict and Quincy But what I took away from the film Brown. The film is about an inner-city family dealing with ‘hood life. was the importance of choices.

Sometimes, when you gether in “Barber Shop 2,” where grow up in one of these Palmer played Latifah’s niece. poverty-stricken neighborThey later played mother and hoods where the educational daughter in the musical “Joyful Read Keke Palmer’s advice to system isn’t the best, you Noise.” young girls don’t realize that you have KW: With all that you’ve any choices. Often, kids accomplished, was it still difdon’t appreciate the choices available, as if it’s either the street ficult for you to get this project greenlit?

Latifah: “…It’s easy when you’re the ‘greenlighter.’ It or nothing. I want them to understand that reality is what’s relative to you, and that you can make choices that allow you to was more about lining up the financing. It always comes create a new reality for yourself. back to the dollars and cents, and finding the money to KW: Did you feel a lot of pressure growing from a child be able to fund the project and make it happen. That’s star into a woman under the bright lights of Hollywood? what we went on immediately, and I’m fortunate to Palmer: I definitely, at times, felt the pressures of life work with a tiger who doesn’t rest until it all happens.

He and I really jumped in on it until and worked with similar to the pressures anyone would feel growing up. The only difference was that maybe more people were aware of some other partners to help create the finances, and they came through for us. So, we all put it together, mine. But, if anything, I changed the pressure from negative to positive. So, instead of thinking everybody wanted to see me collectively, and made it happen. fail, I decided everybody wanted to see me win, since I wanted KW: You have an upcoming biopic about to see myself win. iconic blues singer Bessie Smith. Do you have

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what’sup THE ENSEMBLE THEATRE kicks off its regional premiere comedy, “Two Old Black Guys Just Sitting Around Talking,” which runs May 7-31. The show will bring together former Alley Theatre company member ALEX MORRIS and actors WAYNE DEHART and BYRON JACQUET, whose careers date back to the Ensemble’s early years. The play is about two men who can’t seem to get along, but nevertheless are drawn to the same park bench every day. Now, in the twilight of their lives, they find themselves humorously intertwined by ever-changing times. The play is directed

by Ensemble Artistic Director EILEEN J.

MORRIS. For ticket information visit www.

EnsembleHouston.com or call 713-520-0055… …..PATTI LABELLE, who was voted off “Dancing With the Stars” after six weeks, plans to add some of the techniques she learned on the show to her concert routines. “I’ve always danced in my shows, but not like this. I’ll have a one-partner dance with somebody,” she said. “Somebody maybe from the audience – I don’t know.” LaBelle, who turns 71 on May 24, has been in the music industry more than 50 years……..COMMON has signed up for “Suicide Squad,” an upcoming all-star action movie featuring DC comic book villains. Stars

such as WILL SMITH and VIOLA DAVIS have already joined the cast……… DENZEL WASHINGTON will star in a sequel to the 2014 film version of “The Equalizer.” Washington played a retired government operative who thought he had escaped his past until he met a girl under the control of Russian gangsters and decided to save her. “The Equalizer,” which was based on the TV show of the same name, earning $192.3 million at the box office……..

TYLER PERRY’S next big screen role will be in “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2.” He will portray a scientist who becomes a cyborg. Perry’s last non-Madea role was in “Gone Girl.”

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DEFENDER | APRIL 30 | 2015

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health

Alzheimer’s study seeks Black volunteers Family Features

More than 5 million Americans are currently suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and scientists expect this number to triple by 2050. Experts say that AfricanAmericans are two to three times more likely than white Americans to develop the disease.

A groundbreaking study testing whether an investigational drug can prevent or slow the development of Alzheimer’s seeks volunteers – including African-Americans – who have just the earliest changes in their brain associated with the disease but don’t yet have any symptoms.

The A4 Study (which stands for the Anti-Amyloid in Asymptomatic Alzheimer’s study), funded by the National Institute on Aging, Eli Lilly, and several philanthropic organizations, seeks to delay Alzheimer’s-related brain damage and curb memory loss before any outward signs develop.

Healthy people with normal memories can join a clinical trial aiming to prevent memory loss associated with the disease.

“It is extremely important that African-Americans get involved with this study,” said Dr. Reisa Sperling, principal

investigator of the A4 Study. “We need to know why AfricanAmericans develop Alzheimer’s in such high numbers…”

The landmark study takes a new approach to Alzheimer’s research by testing for an elevated level of a protein known as “amyloid” in the brain. Scientists believe that elevated amyloid in the brain may play an important role in the eventual development of memory loss and Alzheimer’s.

Children’s Memorial Hermann recognized Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital has received international recognition as a Baby-Friendly designated birth facility. A hospital can only be deemed “Baby-Friendly” after the completion of a rigorous onsite assessment survey and a final review of the External Review Board.

“We are so honored to receive this significant acknowledgement, becoming one of only two hospitals in Houston, and only 10 hospitals in Texas, to officially be designated ‘Baby-Friendly,’” said Susie Distefano, senior vice president and CEO of Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

“This important recognition is a result of the hard work and commitment from all of our Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital staff and affiliated UTHealth physicians who continuously work to provide our mothers and patients with the highest quality of care.”

Baby-Friendly USA is the U.S. authority for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program sponsored by the World Health

Organization and UNICEF. The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

To prepare the hospital for the designation process, Children’s Memorial Hermann recently participated in the Best Fed Beginnings initiative operated by the National Institute for Children’s Health Quality and the CDC.

Researchers say that the goal of the A4 Study is to test whether an investigational drug that targets amyloid plaques can help to slow the progression of memory loss associated with Alzheimer’s. Another major emphasis of the study is to help determine why certain populations, including African-Americans, are more likely to develop the disease.

“For too long, medicines have been developed without substantial research on how they work specifically in African-Americans,” Sperling said. “Medications that are used by the entire community must be developed and tested on the entire community and that’s why it is critical to volunteer for this study.”

The A4 Study requires 1,000 healthy participants between the ages of 65 and 85 who have normal thinking and memory function to enroll in sites across the United States. Researchers estimate that 10,000 people will need to be screened to find 1,000 individuals who qualify.

Potential study volunteers can learn more about the study, including how to enroll by visiting www.A4Study.org, calling 844-247-8839 or by emailing BrainLink@ucsd.edu.

Students’ e-cigarette use causes concern Current e-cigarette use among middle and high school students tripled from 2013 to 2014, according to data from the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Center for Tobacco Products.

Current e-cigarette use has surpassed use of every other tobacco product overall, including conventional cigarettes.

Most e-cigarettes contain nicotine but no tobacco and users exhale a vapor.

“We want parents to know that nicotine is dangerous for kids at any age, whether it’s an e-cigarette, hookah, cigarette or cigar,” said CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden. “Adolescence is a critical time for brain development. Nicotine exposure at a young age may cause lasting harm to brain development, promote addiction, and lead to sustained tobacco use.”

E-cigarettes were the most used tobacco product for Hispanics and whites while cigars were the most commonly used product for Blacks.

Overall in 2014, the products most commonly used by high school students were e-cigarettes (13.4 percent), hookah (9.4 percent), cigarettes (9.2 percent), cigars (8.2 percent) and smokeless tobacco (5.5 percent).

The products most commonly used by middle school students were e-cigarettes (3.9 percent), hookah (2.5 percent), cigarettes (2.5 percent), cigars (1.9 percent) and smokeless tobacco (1.6 percent).

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APRIL 30 | 2015 | DEFENDER

7

$5.2 million raised for MD Anderson Former President Bill Clinton and retired Gen. Colin Powell were honored at a Conversation With a Living Legend at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The bipartisan event raised $5.2 million for the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center. Proceeds will benefit the center’s Moon Shots Program, an effort to significantly reduce deaths from cancer, including a pilot initiative to advance innovative pancreatic cancer research.

Bob Schieffer, CBS chief news correspondent and “Face the Nation” Bill Clinton moderator, led an onstage conversation with Clinton and Powell, a former secretary of state.

The conversation touched on such topics as America’s Promise Alliance, Haiti, poverty and the challenges facing the nation’s next Colin Powell president.

Dr. Ron DePinho, president of MD Anderson, thanked the more than 650 guests from across the nation for helping to provide hope for cancer patients around the world.

“Your generosity drives our world-class research momentum and, ultimately, will help improve the lives of patients and their families for generations to come,” he said.

“Our success will be our generation’s greatest legacy – our greatest gift.”

DePinho cited progress in the fight against cancer advanced by the Moon Shots Program, thanks to “early transformative philanthropy.”

“We’ve made lifesaving advances, but our work is far from done,” he said. “History will write that our generation addressed a humanitarian crisis with courage and compassion, with resolve and research, with ingenuity and intensity. The challenge is ours to conquer. The responsibility is ours to fulfill.”

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8

DEFENDER | APRIL 30 | 2015

Children at Risk releases rankings

C

By MARILYN MARSHALL Defender

hildren at Risk recently announced its annual rankings of area public schools, and a number of historically Black schools made the bottom of the list again.

HISD high schools that received F’s in 2014 and 2015 include Kashmere, Madison, Sterling, Wheatley and Yates.

HISD also received some good news concerning school rankings. Five HISD high schools made the top 10 with a grade of A-plus. For the sixth consecutive year, DeBakey High School for Health Professions was listed as No. 1.

T.H. Rogers, which serves students in grades Pre-K through 8, has remained No. 1 among the top middle schools in Houston since 2011, and has ranked first at the elementary level since 2012.

Children at Risk analyzed 1,348 schools, which are measured by:

• Achievement indicators – performance on STAAR Reading and Math tests • Performance indicators – an adjustment of achievement indicators to eliminate bias toward campuses with low percentages of economically disadvantaged students • Growth indicators – the improvement over time on standardized test scores in reading, English and math • College readiness – graduation rates, SAT/ACT participation rate and scores, and AP/IB participation rate and scores According to Children at Risk, the rankings have proven to be instrumental in generating conversations among educators and the public regarding methods for improving the public education system.

“As a research and advocacy organization, the purpose of the rankings is not only to provide a tool to parents and students, but also to provide information to campuses and districts on how they perform relative to their peers, comparing them against successful models of high-performing public schools,” the organization said.

High school rankings

How area high schools rank Top 10 Campus

District

DeBakey HS for Health Professions Carnegie Vanguard Kerr Performing & Visual Arts Clements Clear Horizons Early College Eastwood Academy Yes Prep-Southwest Clear Lake North Houston Early College

HISD

State Rank 1

Houston Rank 1

Grade

HISD Alief ISD HISD Fort Bend ISD Clear Creek ISD

4 7 8 9 10

2 3 4 5 6

A+ A+ A+ A+ A+

HISD Yes Prep Clear Creek ISD HISD

11 17 18 19

7 8 9 10

A+ A+ A+ A+

Campus

District

Willowridge Northbrook

Ft. Bend ISD Spring Branch ISD HISD HISD HISD HISD HISD Cleveland ISD Houston ISD La Marque ISD

New report

BLACK SCHOOLS AT THE BOTTOM

A+

Bottom 10

Yates Scarborough Madison Wheatley Sterling Cleveland Kashmere La Marque

cente

State Rank 1193 1196

Houston Rank 154 155

Grade

1203 1211 1212 1217 1220 1223 1225 1226

156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163

F F F F F F F F

F F

How middle schools rank Middle school

ran

Top 5 Campus

District

T.H. Rogers Fort Settlement Beckendorff Seven Lakes Wharton K-8

HISD Fort Bend ISD Katy ISD Katy ISD HISD

Bottom 5 Campus

District

Bammel Cullen Fallbrook College Prep

Spring ISD HISD Fallbrook College Prep HISD La Marque I

Forest Brook La Marque Junior High

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erfold

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Lawmakers address failing schools Two proposals co-authored by State Rep. Harold Dutton Failing public schools will be taken to the emergency room in the OSD to assess the problem, fix the school and return an would change the way Texas deals with persistently failing improved school to the school district. schools. Dutton said the legislation, which is under consider“With a statewide superintendent appointed by the [TEA] ation by Texas lawmakers, can affect the fate of those schools commissioner, teachers in the OSD would be permitted to teach and the students “languishing in them.” only in their area of certification,” Dutton said. “Placement of House Bill 1536 establishes an Opportunity School District to turn Texas’ worst-performing schools into successes, and a public school campus in the OSD requires that the campus be low-performing for at least two consecutive is co-authored by State Reps. Dan Huberty, Ken school years.”

King, Debbie Riddle and Matt Schaefer.

Dutton said HB 1727 is another means to HB 1727 provides parents the power to improve failing schools. negotiate changes in failing schools, and is co“Current Texas law empowers parents to authored by Riddle. petition for corrective action in a failing school, “There are currently 297 public school but only after the campus has failed for five campuses in Texas that have been failing for at consecutive years. That is simply too long,” he least two consecutive school years,” Dutton said. said. “The length of time now required renders “And there are 147,769 children trapped in those the law relatively useless to parents. schools.

“Consider that a parent with a child who “You and I don’t know the names of these enters first grade when a campus is first desigchildren but they are depending on us, nonetheless, to do something that will change their funated as failing would have to wait until that State Rep. Harold Dutton ture. Their future, in most cases, is determined by child moved on to middle school before the their access to a quality education,” Dutton said. parents could use the petition tool, presuming, “If their future is dimmed, that will be largely the fault of of course, that the school continues to fail,” he said. “Clearly, those of us in a position to make a difference – elected officials, current law offers only a false promise to parents of children in parents, community and education leaders.” failed schools.”

In explaining HB 1536, Dutton said currently, the comDutton said HB 1727 changes the five-year wait to two missioner of the Texas Education Agency has three options to years, giving parents a real “trigger” to effect changes in a failaddress failing Texas school campuses: reconstitute the campus, ing school campus. permit the home district to operate the campus as a charter “Under the proposal, parents can meaningfully negotiate school, or require the home district to seek technical assistance for a wide array of changes, including replacing the principal for the campus. and contracting with a charter school to run the campus. HB “Placing the failing campus in the Opportunity School 1727 will put power in the hands of parents and create new opDistrict would simply add to the current options,” Dutton said. portunities and, especially, hope for the children in these failing “HB 1536 offers the TEA something like an ‘emergency room.’ schools,” he said.

S

school HowElementary elementary schools rank

nkings

D

p

ISD

9

State Rank 1 6 8 10 18

Houston Rank 1 2 3 4 5

Grade

State Rank 1769 1776 1793

Houston Rank 311 312 313

Grade

1799 1800

314 315

F F

A+ A+ A+ A+ A+

F F F

he Houston area for over 80 years

rankings

Top 5 Campus

District

T.H. Rogers West University River Oaks Colony Meadows Commonwealth

HISD HISD HISD Fort Bend ISD Fort Bend ISD

Bottom 5 Campus

District

Jane Long Atherton Best Henderson, Nat Early Childhood University

Brazosport ISD HISD Alief ISD HISD Galveston ISD

State Rank 1 2 3 9 15

Houston Rank 1 2 3 4 5

Grade

State Rank 4402 4408 4410 4414 4420

Houston Rank 866 867 868 869 870

Grade

A+ A+ A+ A+ A+

F F F F F

10

DEFENDER | APRIL 30 | 2015

defendernetwork.com

opinion

Black women’s lives matter too

By JULIANNE MALVEAUX NNPA Columnist

Y

ou know their names – Eric Garner, Michael Brown, Tamir Rice – because these African- American men were unarmed and killed by “law enforcement” officers. Their names have been part of a litany invoked when police shootings are discussed. Their deaths have been part of the impetus for the Black Lives Matter movement, especially because the police officers that killed these men (and a little boy) have paid no price for their murders.

You are far less likely to know about Rekia Boyd, shot by an off-duty police officer in Chicago. While the officer that killed Ms. Boyd’s was acquitted, her killing sparked few protests, and little national attention.

Kate Abbey-Lambertz of the Huffington Post identified 15 women who were killed during police encounters when they were unarmed, including Tanisha Anderson (Cleveland), 7-year-old Aiyana Stanley-Jones (Detroit), and Yvette Smith (Bastrop, Texas).

The killing of Miriam Carey was especially shocking. Carey drove her car into a security checkpoint near the White House. The Secret Service fired multiple shots at Carey, killing her and putting her 1-year-old daughter at risk.

Meanwhile, a white man scaled the White House fence without a shot fired. Another made it into the White House residence without encountering a gun. A few people protested Carey’s death, but the protests fizzled out.

The publicized killings of African-American

men have happened all too frequently in the past 12 months. Each killing strikes our collective community like a body blow, especially when officers are poorly trained, have records of brutality, and are acquitted.

When the roll of recent killings is called, women may be absent because there has been little publicity about assaults against women in the past year. Based on the record, however, we know such assaults are likely to have happened.

Contemporary African-American women are not the only ones who history has swallowed. Fannie Lou Hamer was beaten so many times, and so severely that she developed a blood clot and lost much of her sight in one eye. One kidney was injured and her entire body covered with welts and bruises.

She never regained her health, yet when people call the roll of civil rights leaders and icons, her name is too often excluded. There is a historical precedent for the invisibility of AfricanAmerican women. Fannie Lou Hamer is but one of many women whose lives and sacrifices are often ignored.

Public policy also ignores the plight of African-American women.

President Obama’s My Brother’s Keeper initiative is well-meaning, yet ignores the status of young AfricanAmerican women.

While young Black women are more likely to go to college than young Black men, those who do not go to college face some of the same job challenges as men do. Young women can benefit from the same efforts that young men are offered through My Brother’s Keeper, such as mentorship and initiatives to develop pathways to education and employment.

The Black Lives Matter movement must recognize the killing of black women as well as Black men. Any African-American who is shot and killed by police officers deserves our attention.

Both African-American men and women have economic, psychological, and physical wounds because of the racism we experience both now and historically. We won’t have healthy and functional communities until we focus on healing wounds among all of us.

I’ve been impressed and excited by the Black Lives Matter movement and the young leadership that has emerged from it. This is a movement that, powerful as it is, would be so much stronger if it acknowledged that Black women’s lives also matter

Emergency: We must save our Black schools The future of the Black community is in the hands of young African-Americans currently in school. These are our future doctors, lawyers, nurses, bus drivers, teachers, preachers, and the list goes on.

The quality of their education, however, is at risk, and we cannot afford to stand by and allow their futures to be jeopardized by our lack of action to correct the injustices of a poor education.

In the past, our Civil Rights Movement was about lunch counters, equal housing, the right to vote and other forms of segregation and discrimination.

Today, some forms of inequality have disappeared while others still exist. Unequal education remains a problem in America, and we know that if you handi-

cap a child in the early stages you inhibit his or her future opportunities.

As members of the Black community, we cannot sit idly by and watch this destruction of our offspring.

The newest Children at Risk report shows that once again, certain Houston-area Black schools are at the bottom of the performance ladder and have not moved for years. We complain and complain, but we have not been able to change that dynamic.

What is the problem? Is it leadership? Is it lack of early childhood intervention? Is it substandard facilities? Is it poor teachers? What is the source of this problem and how do we change this paradigm?

Even if we don’t have all the answers, we need to

do something.

We applaud State Rep. Harold Dutton and other lawmakers for authoring legislation to create emergency rooms for our failing schools. The analogy of taking a sick school and giving it emergency care instead of allowing it to shrivel up and die makes sense.

There are other great ideas out there, but what you do speaks louder than what you say, so let’s do something.

As the old adage says, if you keep on doing what you’ve always done, it’s called insanity. We are far from insane. We are inactive and our children are at risk because of it.

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DEFENDER | APRIL 30 | 2015

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business

It’s never too early to plan retirement Family Features

It’s easy to live for the moment and leave planning the future to another time. But when it comes to planning for your retirement, it is never too early.

Many Americans expect they will need to work longer in order to support themselves as they age, and many worry about not having enough of a nest egg to retire. But with the wealth of tools, products, insights and information available to help, you can start planning those “golden years” earlier, more easily and with less worry.

According to a Gallup poll conducted on behalf of CBS News, less than half of Americans (46 percent) say they will be ready to retire at age 65 or sooner. Notably, this number has dropped 21 points over the last 10 years.

The poll also shows that more than a quarter of Americans (28 percent) expect to have to work until they are in their 70s. While one solution to ensure income later in life may be to continue working, another is to start early on a retirement savings plan.

Whether you’re just starting to plan for retirement or looking to reevaluate your existing plan, you can take advantage of these four simple steps to guide you: 1. Envision your retirement. Though it can be hard for many, now is the time to start thinking about

how long you will work or when you want to move to a more exotic locale. Think about your retirement goals. While one never knows exactly what the future may hold, the first step to planning is to envision your golden years now.

2. Determine what retirement will cost. After you’ve identified your retirement goals, be realistic about how much they will cost. Begin by identifying your expenses, assets and other income sources and set aside money for unforeseen expenses. This will help you determine what your monthly income

should be to make sure you can cover your costs. Consider ensuring a steady source for your retirement income rather than having a simple savings account at the bank.

3. Determine what your retirement income will be. Once you’ve calculated the cost of retirement, assess your investment options. Decide if you need to adjust your savings rate or explore additional revenue sources in order to have the income you’ll need to live the retirement you’re planning.

4. Protect your retirement income. With your savings plan completed take the time to decide what more you can do to help protect your family and assets during – and after – your retirement.

Although it may be easy to worry later about retirement or just assume you’ll be working well into your 70s, it is never too early to get informed and create a plan.

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Tips on how and where to save Everyone knows they should save money to help pay for their future needs or wants, but not everyone knows the best or easiest ways to save.

Here is some advice from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC).

Review how and where you are saving for retirement. Options include workplace retirement plans, individual retirement accounts (IRAs) offered by many banks and investment companies, and the U.S. Treasury Department’s new “myRA” (myRetirement Account), which is a simple, safe, and affordable savings program to help individuals start saving for retirement.

The myRA program offers a new type of Roth IRA, guaranteed by a new U.S. Savings Bond that costs nothing to open and carries no risk of losing value. Because myRA accounts do not have minimum contribution requirements, savers can contribute the amount that best fits their budget.

Visit www.myra.treasury.gov or call toll-free 1-855-406-6972.

Set savings goals for specific reasons. “Designating accounts that you will regularly contribute to for a particular purpose, such as for a vacation or the next holiday season, will help motivate you to meet your goals by a certain deadline,” said Luke W. Reynolds, chief of the FDIC’s Outreach and Program Development Section. “Some banks offer ‘club’ accounts that promote regular, small savings for a certain reason, but you can use regular deposits into any savings account to reach your target.”

Certificates of deposit (CDs), which provide a predetermined fixed- or variable-rate interest payment for a set time period (usually three months to five years), also may be an option.

Find more money to save by cutting expenses. One resource for ideas on how to use your money wisely is MyMoney.gov, the U.S. government’s main website about personal finances with information from more than 20 federal agencies.

Visit www.mymoney.gov.

HOUSTON DOWNTOWN MANAGEMENT DISTRICT PEDESTRIAN WAYFINDING IMPROVEMENTS The Houston Downtown Management District (the “Downtown District”) will receive sealed bids for the Pedestrian Wayfinding Improvements project, located in Downtown Houston. Bids will be received until 11:00 AM, local time on Tuesday, May 19, 2015 by the Director of Planning & Design, Downtown District, 2 Houston Center, 909 Fannin, Suite 1650, Houston, Texas 77010. Bids received after this time will not be accepted.

Beginning 11:00 AM, Monday, April 27, 2015, Bid Documents may be purchased for $50 per set from the Downtown District by cash; or by cashier's check, certified check, or money order (payable to the Houston Downtown Management District); or by credit card (MasterCard, Visa, or Discover). The cost for up to two sets will be refunded to Bidders who submit a valid bid for this Project and return bidding documents to the Downtown District. Addenda are free of charge and will be distributed by email to those who purchase Bid Documents and attend the Pre-bid Conference. Bid Documents may also be examined at plan rooms of the Minority Business Development Center (2302 Fannin Street, #165, Houston, TX 77002), Amtek Information and Plan Room (4001 Sherwood Lane, Houston, TX 77092) or viewed online at isqft.com.

A MANDATORY Pre-bid Conference will be held at 11:00 AM on Tuesday, May 5, 2015, in the Downtown District’s Conference Room, 2 Houston Center, 909 Fannin, Suite 1650, Houston, Texas 77010. All bidders (general contractors) are invited to attend. Bids will be ruled non-responsive if received from a bidder who did not attend the Pre-bid Conference. Late arrivals will not be admitted to the Pre-bid Conference.

Bidders shall comply with City Ordinance 95-336 (March 29, 1995) and Exec. Order No.1- 2 (June 14, 1995), and City of Houston Affirmative Action and Contract Compliance Division Minority/Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) Procedures (June 1995). The successful Bidder will be required to make good faith efforts to achieve an M/WDBE participation goal of 20 percent.

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APRIL 30 | 2015 | DEFENDER

Summer jobs for youth: Deadline Friday, May 8 Friday, May 8 is the deadline for young people to apply for the City of Houston Summer Jobs Program. Applicants must be between the ages of 16 and 21 by June 15 and live in Houston (the city help check addresses to see if applicants quality). Most positions are for 32 hours per week and pay $7.25 per hour.

Opportunities will be available in a variety of City departments, including Public Health and Human Services, Public Works and Engineering, City Council/government, Solid Waste Management, Human Resources, Municipal Courts Operations, finance, construction/design and law enforcement.

Other opportunities include library support,

pool gate attendant, customer service, office clerical, computers, neighborhood beautification, park management aide (must be 18 with knowledge of basic lawn care tools and equipment) and recreation center assistant (for high school seniors or college students with three months recreation experience).

Before applying online, job-seekers must have the approximate dates of any previous employment, correct Social Security number, an email address, references and City Council district. There will also be essay questions to answer.

For information visit www.houstontx.gov/ summerjobs/ or call 713.773.6004.

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Make your summer count or gaining in-depth knowledge of a favorite subject.

3. Join or form a book club. Participating in a book club is a great way to become comfortable sharing your thoughts in a group setting, a common activity in college classes.

4. Keep a journal. Keeping a diary or blog is a great way to boost your writing skills. You may even find the perfect topic for a college application.

5. Read the news. Reading is the best way to build your vocabulary, expand your knowledge and stay informed about current events.

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While it’s important for students to enjoy their summer break from school, it’s also a great time to do something interesting and challenging. Here are some suggestions for high school students from the College Board, 1. Get hands-on experience. Gain experience in the real world through a paying job, volunteer work or internship. Summer work allows you to develop new skills and looks good on a college application.

2. Take a class. Explore an interest that you don’t have time for during the school year. It may mean learning a new language

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DEFENDER | APRIL 30 | 2015

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sports

Cowboys Greg Hardy

Greg Hardy

Domestic abuse issue resurfaces in NFL

By MAX EDISON Defender

L

ast year’s footage of former Baltimore Raven running back Ray Rice knocking his fiancé Janay out in an Atlantic City elevator rocked the NFL. Now, newly acquired Cowboy defensive end Greg Hardy has put the spotlight on domestic violence in the league.

The NFL recently announced that Hardy has been suspended without pay for the team’s first 10 games of the 2015 regular season for conduct “detrimental to the league.” Hardy, a former Carolina Panther Pro Bowler, was found guilty last summer of assaulting his former girlfriend Nicole Holder and threatening to kill her.

According to court testimony, Hardy was suspended for abusing his former girlfriend Nicole Holder. the 6-foot-4, 265-pound Hardy in the mood for another PR disaster. flew into a rage in his apartment After conducting their own investigation into the after a night of drinking and partying in Hardy incident, the NFL concluded he violated the Charlotte.

Personal Conduct Policy by using physical force against He reportedly flung his girlfriend Holder in at least four instances – in the tub, on the futon from the bed and threw her into a covered with rifles, placing his hands around her neck bathtub. He then tossed her on a futon and shoving her against a wall. covered with rifles. Holder said Hardy “The net effect of these acts was ripped a necklace he had given her off her that Ms. Holder was severely trauneck, threw it into a toilet and slammed the matized and sustained a range of lid on her arm when she tried to fish it out. injuries, including bruises He then dragged her by the hair room to and scratches on her room, she said, before putting his hands around neck, shoulher throat and threatening to kill her.

Hardy, 25, had signed a $13 million, one-year agreement with the Panthers earlier in the spring.

Hardy’s case warranted an automatic appeal and as a result he was placed on the Exempt/Commissioner’s Permission List, where he was paid his full salary, but not allowed to play.

Hardy won his case on appeal, reaching an out-ofcourt financial settlement with Holder. The case was dismissed due to the unavailability of the victim.

Fast-forwarding, Hardy, with a fresh acquittal and 26 career sacks over a two-year period, signed a oneyear deal with the Cowboys, which carries a base salary of $750,000. Hardy can earn a workout bonus of $1.3 million, a whopping $9.25 million in per-game roster bonuses, and $1.8 million in incentives based on sacks.

The NFL, however, wasn’t pleased with Hardy’s behavior away from the gridiron. After last year’s spectacle surrounding Rice and Adrian Peterson, Goodell was not

ders, upper chest, back, arms and feet,” Goodell wrote.

“The use of physical force under the circumstances present here, against a woman substantially smaller than you and in the presence of powerful, militarystyle assault weapons, constitutes a significant act of violence in violation of the Personal Conduct Policy.”

In addition, the NFL concluded that Hardy “failed to provide complete and accurate information” to league investigators and staff members. As part of his decision, Goodell ordered Hardy to obtain a clinical evaluation and comply with any counseling or treatment that is recommended.

Hardy’s first game back from suspension will be Thanksgiving Day when the Cowboys face his former team the Carolina Panthers.

Cowboys’ owner Jerry Jones released a statement shortly after the suspension was announced.

“This suspension is something that we anticipated prior to Greg’s signing, and we respect the commissioner’s ruling,” Jones said.

“Our organization understands the very serious nature of this matter. We will use our resources [and] work closely with Greg and with the league to ensure a positive outcome.”

Hardy, who previously played with Carolina, signed with the Cowboys.

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APRIL 30 | 2015 DEFENDER

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h.s.zone High school track regionals on tap tition. I just want to get to state.”

Madison’s Tia Omagbemi admits

to being motivated to succeed in track he top high school track and and field her entire life. Her mother field talent from throughout (Mary Onyali-Omagbemi) competed the greater Houston area and for Texas Southern University and Team the surrounding Gulf Coast Nigeria in the late 1990s and won two Region will be on display Olympic bronze medals (open 200 and May 1-2 at sites ranging from Huntsville 4x100 relay).

(Sam Houston State University) to Alief Tia won gold medals in the District (Crump Stadium) and as far west as Waco 20-5A 100-meter dash (12.32 seconds), (Region II-6A). The state meet in Austin is 200-meter dash (25.88 seconds) and the set for May 15-16.

400-meter dash (57.82 seconds). She will Here’s a closer look at some individube one of the favorites at the regional als who may bear watching. meet.

Booker T. Washington middle distance “Running comes naturally to me and runner Isaac Brown will be auditioning for the 200 is my favorite race,” she said. “I try an athletic scholarship. Several colleges to push my limits every day.”

Westbury’s Ludreche Bouanga was the upset winner of the District See which Lamar state qualifier is 20-6A 800-meter run. shut down due to injury The junior topped rivals from Lamar and Westside with have informed the honor roll senior that all a time of 2:01.71. “I was shooting for he needs to do is lower his personal-best 1:59 or 1:58, but on the second lap I times in both the 400-meter dash (49 secwas running by myself and ended up onds) and the 800-meter run (1:58.00). with 2:01,” Bouanga said.

“I’ve been running without much “My goal this year is to run the competition all year and I’m sure my best 800 under two minutes. I haven’t will come out against the caliber of runners done that yet, but I will at the regional I’ll face at the regional meet,” Brown said. meet,” he said.

“This is the opportunity I’ve been waiting Bouanga also qualified for the for.” regional meet in the mile run with Brown reached the Region III-4A a runner-up finish (4:38.83) to track and field meet by placing first in the Bellaire’s Ababu Mohamed District 20-5A 800-meter run (1:59.01) and (4:31.13). Bouanga’s personalsecond in the 400-meter dash (50.42). best in the mile is 4:35.00.

Brown would like to major in either Lamar High School zoology or pre-vet. He’s always had an senior Chanell O’Conner interest in science and animals and spends is targeting a repeat trip to time taking care of his pet gerbils and turtle. state in 2015 after signing Takyera Roberson of Wheatley High her scholarship to Arkansas School is one of the top prep sprinters State on the same day she in the Gulf Coast region. She has been competed in the District 20state-ranked all season in the 100-meter 6A meet. dash (11.8 seconds), the 200-meter dash She finished sixth at state in the (24 seconds) and the 400-meter dash (54.3 200-meter dash last year. O’Conner seconds). qualified for regionals in the 100-me“I try to run comfortably in each race ter dash (12.12 seconds), the 200-mebecause I know there’s a whole new level I ter dash (25.31) and the 4X100 meter can get to,” said Roberson, who is enrolled relay (48.72). in all AP classes. “I don’t so much think “I just want to get back to state about the people I’m running against as the and come out better than I did last time I want to post. Time is my real compe- year,” she said.

15

sportsbriefs Astros RBI holds tryouts Astros RBI, a free baseball and softball program funded by the Astros Foundation, is holding tryouts for their summer baseball and softball leagues at the Houston Astros Urban Youth Academy, 2801 S. Victory Drive. Baseball tryouts are scheduled for May 2, 9 and 16, and softball tryouts are scheduled for May 9 and 16.

Astros RBI includes teams in three divisions: junior baseball (boys 13-15), senior baseball (boys 16-18) and senior softball (girls 13-18).

“We are very proud of the Astros RBI program and the Astros Urban Youth Academy,” said Astros owner Jim Crane. “The RBI program is a continuation of our efforts at the academy where we provide free baseball and softball instruction.” More information is available at www.astros.com/uya.

Isaac Brown

By DARRELL K. ARDISON Defender

T

Williams posts top time Takyera Roberson

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Tia Omagbemi

Ludreche Bouanga

University of Houston junior hurdler Issac Williams ran the top time in the NCAA this season at the Mt. SAC Relays in Walnut, Calif.

Williams clocked a 13.56 to finish fourth in the invitational of the men’s 110m hurdles placing behind three professional athletes. The Willingboro, N.J. native ran a new personal best by nearly three-tenths of a second and is currently tied for the top time in the NCAA with Chris Caldwell from Texas Tech. In addition to Williams, the Cougar 4x100m relay team posted a new season best at the Mt. SAC Relays after the team of Williams, juniors LeShon Collins and James Arnett, and sophomore Curtis Brown ran a 40.10 to finish fourth in the event.

Will Houston host 2015 UIL championship?

When the NFL released its 2015 schedule a conflict became evident between AT&T Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, and the University Interscholastic League. The Cowboys host the New York Jets on Dec. 19. The NFL’s lone Saturday game during week 15 is scheduled for 7:25 and will be televised nationally on the NFL Network. The UIL is the governing body for all extracurricular activities in Texas public schools. Ten of the organization’s 12 high school football championships are tentatively scheduled for Dec. 17-19 at AT&T Stadium. The chances of the NFL game being moved are slim.

Therefore, NRG Stadium in Houston and the San Antonio Alamodome are the most likely options to host championship weekend since both facilities have done so in the past. Houston last hosted the event in 2008. San Antonio hosted the event in 2006, 2007 and 2009. AT&T Stadium has hosted all of the 11-man football championships since 2011. The six-man finals (Class A) were added two years ago (2013). The final announcement will come three or four months from now.

Omagbemi, Heymach shine

Chanell O’Conner

Tia Omagbemi of Houston Madison swept the 100- (12.16), 200- (24.77) and 400-meter (56.55) sprints at the UIL Area Meet held at Stratford High School. While Omagbemi harvested three gold medals, Julia Heymach of Lamar High School continues unbeaten during the 2015 high school track season in her two specialties. Heymach took home gold medals in the girls 6A 3,200-meter run (10:18.56) and the 1,600-meter run (4:59.87).

Photos by Ray Carrington III

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16

DEFENDER | APRIL 30 | 2015

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Happening in Houston For event coverage email: events@defendermediagroup.com

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Tammy Kimble, Shalonda Tucker, Tonnette Martin, Tasha Joshua, Lori Robertson, CSTEM STAKEHOLDER BREAKFAST……..CSTEM held its annual Stakeholder Alex Chamorro, Kimberly Ducet, Sedrick Robinett, Luz M. Mouton, Sharon Lee Breakfast at the Hilton Americas. The breakfast kicked off the 2015 CSTEM Challenge Zapata, Yekcira’ Burnom, Julia D. Andrieni, Martha Cuellar-Thompson and Gary Competition. CSTEM stands for communication, science, technology, engineering and Hudgins…….. WHEELER AVENUE WOMEN’S GUILD AWARDS & FASHION math. Founder Dr. Reagan Flowers emceed the event and Chris Coleman from Aviation SHOW……..The theme “Supporting our Community with Generosity, Style, Elegance Technocal Services was the guest speaker. Guests in attendance included Janae Branch, and Grace” was showcased at the Women’s Guild of Wheeler Avenue Inner City Visions, Joya Gathe, Deanna Gathe, Ruthie Lee Esene, Antonio Canales, Angela Knight, Inc. IMPACT Awards Luncheon and Fashion Show. The organization Paula Northern, Sean Jamieson, Renee Logans, Barry Esene, is celebrating 52 years of service to the Houston community and Tobe Nwigwe Stedman Esene……..GO RED FOR WOMEN Defender TOP EVENTS continues to strive for excellence. The seven women honored for LUNCHEON……..The American Heart Association’s Go Red for More photos on defendernetwork.com service were Carolyn Guess, Jacquelyn Alton, Dr. Rose Austin, Dr. Women movement was the focus of its annual luncheon. Go Red See Events on KTRK Ch.13’s ‘Crossroads’ with Melanie Lawson Sunday Morning @ 5:30 and 11:30 a.m.

Heather Brown, Pastor Suzette Caldwell, Gayla Gardner, Winell for Women has inspired women to come together to advocate for Herron and Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee. KTRK-TVs healthier hearts, spreading the word about heart health and making Melanie Lawson was the mistress of ceremony and the organization’s a difference with time and resources. Guests showed their support chair, Diedra Fontaine, welcomed attendees. Guests included Sharon Cushingberry, by wearing red for awareness of heart health and raising funds to prevent heart disease and strokes in women. KTRK-TV anchor Gina Gaston welcomed the crowd as keynote speaker Cydonii Miles, Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Cosby, Rev. William and Audrey Lawson, Irene and TV personality Star Jones followed with her speech. Others showing their support were Allen, Grady Graines and Anne Neal.

Renee Logans, Sean Jamieson and Dr. Reagan Flowers

Star Jones

Joya Gathe and Deanna Gathe

Shalonda Tucker and Tammy Kimble

Honorees Jacquelyn Alton, Winell Herron, Dr. Rose Austin, Dr. Heather Brown, Pastor Suzette Caldwell, Carolyn Guess and Gayla Gardner

Rev. William and Audrey H. Lawson and Irene Allen

Antonio Canales, Dr. Reagan Flowers, Paula Northern and Angela Knight

Sharon Lee Zapata, Luz M. Mouton and Martha Cuellar-Thompson

Susan Silverman and Dawn Elliott

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