Houston Defender: May 14, 2020

THE NEW NORMAL Learn how to protect yourself as COVID-19 puts new rules in place for the way we live and interact

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ROSS BLACKLOCK

A dream comes true for the Houston native as he joins the Texans.

Volume 89, issue 29 May 14, 2020

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AHMAUD ARBERY

His death emphasizes the racial terror that exists in America today.

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DN On the web

FIT & FINE Lebrina Johnson Age: 31 Occupation: Entrepreneur/ Spa owner Education: Cosmetology certification Motto: “Life is self-care.”

LEARN… How Lebrina used wellness and self-care to find a love for herself.

Getty Images

Message from the Editor can’t peek into homes under construcIs it just me or does it seem like some peotion. You see other people doing it all the ple think this pandemic may be coming to time, but in the case of Ahmaud Arbery an end? As businesses slowly re-open and in Georgia, doing so while Black (and events like Major League Baseball give dates jogging while Black) constituted a death to resume, you might think that an end to sentence after two self-appointed vigilanthis global disaster is in sight. There’s just tes decided to chase him down like a dog. one problem: if anyone says that they know A Black female district attorney has been ReShonda Tate exactly when this pandemic will be over, tapped as the lead prosecutor handling Billingsley they are lying. No one can see the future. the murder case in which the two white The virus is an unknown player, and the men are accused of killing Arbery. Some best minds on Earth can’t do more than make educated people are not hopeful, though, because Joyette guesses about what comes next and when. I know a guess Holmes, is also a Republican who was selected for isn’t comforting when you’re dreading another week of her current position by Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp. being stuck inside.

But with the evidence laid out in black and white, Having an end date is comforting. Watching businesses we don’t see how Holmes can let this murder go unre-open is comforting. Contemplating a future that looks punished. a lot like our cozy, crowded past is way more comforting than our isolated present. But let’s not confuse comfort Take care Councilmember Plummer for truth. We have no sure-fire treatments for the virus, Prayers go up for Houston City Councilmember Letino vaccine, questionable leadership and a limited supply tia Plummer, who announced she has tested positive of health care workers. To keep as many people alive as for COVID-19. Plummer said she instructed her staff possible, even if we venture back out, we need to play it to be tested for the virus, and added she would not atsafe and realize even if it appears we’ve won the battle, the tend any council meetings until after recovering from war is far from over. the virus. Plummer, who was elected in December in a Here’s a glimpse at this week’s Defender... run-off, is the first elected official in the city of Houston to test positive for COVID-19. She represents the The new normal council’s At-Large Position 4.

In this week’s In Focus, we examine what life will look like as we resume our normal day-to-day activities. In School closures cause dilemma fact, what was normal may be no more. Check out my The closing of schools due to the pandemic is impactarticle on some of the major changes you can expect and ing students, teachers and parents everywhere. Byron read tips from Defender Associate Editor Marilyn Mar- Hannah, a teacher at Yes Prep’s Fifth Ward Campus, shall on how you can protect yourself going forward. says as a result, many students are not receiving the support they need beyond instruction. Read his inHere we go again… sightful editorial, which tells why a lack of support can Well, we have another thing we can’t do; Black folks lead to tragic circumstances.

The pandemic isn’t over

Read more on Friday about Lebrina at defendernetwork.com If you are Fit & Fine email: fitnfine@defendernetwork.com

May 14, 2020 |

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DN News WATER BILL GOING UP

LETITIA PLUMMER

Beginning in July, Houston residents get a new $1.14 fee on their monthly water bills for leasing the city’s garbage and recycling bins.

Groups file lawsuit over mail-in ballots

City could see furloughs with budget cuts pending

Defender News Service

Defender News Service

Massive cuts could be coming to the City of Houston as Mayor Sylvester Turner has presented the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2021. Turner is trying to close an estimated $169 million budget gap — an even greater shortfall than in 2018, when he closed a $114 million gap for the first fiscal year after Hurricane Harvey, and worse than the $160 million shortfall in 2016.

The 2021 plan also calls for municipal employee furloughs but would bring in $14.5 million in new revenue, including $4.5 million from a proposed garbage and recycling bin leasing fee that many council members have opposed.

The proposed budget for all funds totals $5.1 billion — an increase of $62.2 million or 1.2% over last year’s budget. That total budget figure includes the $2.53 billion proposed general fund, which calls for a decrease in spending by $22 million from the current year.

The general fund covers the city’s basic operational costs, with around half of that money going to public safety. The city’s total budget combines the general fund with several other funds — enterprise funds, special revenue funds, internal services funds and service chargeback funds.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the city was experiencing modest growth in sales tax revenue, but given the economic devastation of the pandemic, the city’s consultants predict a cumulative estimated loss in sales tax revenue of $107 million during 2020 and 2021, Turner said.

The city’s property tax revenue cap — originally passed by voters in 2004 — limits the city’s ability to collect revenue. Turner said in FY 2021 the revenue cap will result in around $187 million of lost revenue — a figure greater than the $169 million budget gap that Turner is predicting.

Given the dire predictions, Turner is proposing an ending general fund balance of 7.15% — below the required minimum 7.5%.

“For the first time since taking office, in order to balance the budget, we are drawing down an amount from the general fund

The City Councilmember becomes the first elected official in Houston to test positive for COVID-19.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said some 3,000 employees could be impacted by furloughs.

balance which drops it below the required 7.5% expenditures less debt service and pay-as-you-go,” Turner said. “Since I have been mayor, we have always maintained a general fund balance of at least 7.5, but quite frankly it’s been more than 8%.”

The low-ending balance is one indication of just how stressed the city’s finances will be in the year ahead.

“Per our financial policies, however, this is allowable in the event of economic instability beyond the city’s control, which is where we are today,” Turner said. “I don’t think there’s any question.”

The drawdown includes $15 million from the budget stabilization fund.

“As we approach the hurricane season, it means that the economic stabilization fund is down to zero, which places us in a precarious financial state,” Turner said.

The mayor said the projected $169 million budget shortfall is tied to increased personnel costs, including police and municipal pay raises, health benefits and pensions, Turner said.

The proposed employee furloughs would not take place until after July 1 and would not impact any employees in the fire department or police department, the mayor said.

“We anticipate that about 3,000 employees will be impacted from furloughs, going up to a maximum of 10 days within the year,” Turner said, “That will generate about $7 million.”

The city received $404 million in federal CARES Act funding, however, the mayor has said that money must be used on expenses related to COVID-19 and cannot be used to plug the city’s budget gap.

A coalition of voters and civil rights groups opened a new front in the legal wars over mail-in voting in Texas during the new coronavirus pandemic.

Several lawsuits already underway challenge state limits on who can vote by mail, but a new lawsuit argues that existing rules will deprive voters of their constitutional rights in the middle of a public health crisis.

In the federal lawsuit filed in San

Antonio, five Texas voters with medical conditions, Voto Latino, the NAACP Texas and the Texas Alliance for Retired Americans argue that four existing rules for absentee voting will place undue burdens on the right to vote, or risk disenfranchising Texans, during the pandemic.

Naming Texas Secretary of State Ruth Hughs as the defendant, they’re asking a federal judge to block the state from enforcing the provisions.

MAIL-IN CHALLENGES Requirement that voters pay postage to return mail-in ballots - They argue that it amounts to a poll tax during a public health crisis.

Requirement that sets deadlines for when ballots must be postmarked and received - Suit argues that the window should be extended.

Requirement for matching signatures on the flap of a ballot envelope and the signature used on an application to vote by mail.

- Suit argues it discriminates against voters with disabilities whose signatures may change.

Restrictions on the assistance absentee voters can get to return a marked ballot.

VOLUME 89 - ISSUE 29 - MAY 14, 2020 Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles

Managing Editor ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler

Associate Editor Marilyn Marshall

Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles

People Editor Aswad Walker

Creative Director Michael Grant

Sports Terrance Harris Jodie B. Jiles

Photographers Ray Carrington III Jimmie Aggison

Engagement Manager Margo Williams Hubbard

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Newspaper Inc. and audited by Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). Only digital subscriptions are available at: www.defendernetwork.com/subscribe No paper subscriptions available. All materials covered by 2020 copyright. No materials herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. 713-663-6996 | P.O. Box 8005, Houston, Tx 77288

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DN News

A crowd marches through a neighborhood in Brunswick, Ga. in support of Ahmaud Arbery, who was shot to death after being stalked by a white father and son on Feb. 23. Bobby Haven/The Brunswick News via AP

Georgia killing revives racial terror Associated Press

Many people saw more than the last moments of Ahmaud Arbery’s life when a video emerged recently of white men armed with guns confronting the Black man, a struggle with punches thrown, three shots fired and Arbery collapsing dead.

The Feb. 23 shooting in coastal Georgia is drawing comparisons to a much darker period of U.S. history — when extrajudicial killings of Black people, almost exclusively at the hands of white male vigilantes, inflicted racial terror on African Americans. It frequently happened with law enforcement complicity or feigned ignorance.

The footage of Arbery’s death was not the only thing that rattled the nation’s conscience. It took more than two months for his pursuers — who told police they suspected he was a burglar — to be arrested and taken into custody. That is fueling calls for the resignation of local authorities who initially investigated the case and reforms of Georgia’s criminal justice system.

After the video emerged on social media, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation took one day after launching its probe to arrest Gregory McMichael, 64, and his son, Travis McMichael, 34. They are jailed on murder and aggravated assault charges.

Ahmaud Arbery

Several hundred people crowded outside the Glynn County Courthouse, with many saying it’s too soon to celebrate because the case must still go before a grand jury that will decide whether to indict the McMichaels.

Arbery’s killing reminds some of Emmett Till, a Black teen from Chicago who was kidnapped in 1955 in Mississippi, lynched and dumped in a river after he was falsely accused of whistling at a white woman. An all-white jury acquitted the white men accused of killing Till, who was 14. His death helped fuel the Civil Rights Movement and brought about the eventual passage of federal civil rights protections.

Gregory and Travis McMichael told

police they suspected Arbery was the same man recorded by a security camera committing a break-in. When they saw Arbery running on a Sunday afternoon, the McMichaels grabbed guns, got into a pickup truck and pursued him.

Video footage shows a runner grappling with a man armed with a shotgun.

Shots are fired and the runner staggers and falls. A Georgia Bureau of Investigation statement said the McMichaels confronted Arbery with two firearms and that Travis McMichael fatally shot Arbery.

Arbery’s death has drawn sharp reactions and expressions of sadness across the U.S. A Change.org petition calling for justice hit over 700,000 signatures, President Donald Trump called the video “very disturbing” and presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden said it was like seeing Arbery “lynched before our very eyes.”

While likening Arbery’s death to a lynching may seem like an apt comparison, doing so isn’t sufficient for understanding why the man’s death is a tragedy, said Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Alabama-based Equal Justice Initiative. The organization has cataloged more than 4,400 racial terror lynchings in the U.S. that took place between Reconstruction and World War II.

GA Gov. Brian Kemp has appointed Cobb County District Attorney Joyette Holmes to oversee the murder case.

REACTIONS FROM ACTIVISTS The modern-day lynching of Mr. Arbery is yet another reminder of the vile and wicked racism that persists in parts of our country. The slothfulness and inaction of the judicial system, in this case, is a gross testament to the blatant white racial privileges that permeates throughout our country and our institutions.”

Rev. James Woodall, State President, Georgia NAACP Law enforcement did nothing about lynchings for a century. It should be a national priority to eliminate this kind of racial terror so that we do more, not less, when someone like Ahmaud Arbery is killed in this manner.”

Bryan Stevenson, Executive Director, Equal Justice Initiative Vigilantism involving Black victims has been driven by hate, resentment and generations-old racial anxiety. We need to make people afraid to do something like this to other people. And until we do that, this is going to continue to happen.”

Phillip Agnew, Movement For Black Lives

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DN In FOCUS SOCIAL Focus CORONAVIRUS: THINGS TO KNOW

Fauci warns of reopening too soon Defender News Service

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the government’s top infectious disease expert, is warning that “the consequences could be really serious” if cities and states reopen the U.S. economy too quickly. More COVID-19 infections are inevitable as people again start gathering, but how prepared are communities, Fauci told the Senate Health, Labor and Pensions Committee. If there is a rush to reopen without following guidelines, “my concern is we will start to see little spikes that might turn into outbreaks,” he said. “The consequences could be really serious.” Fauci was among the health experts testifying to the Senate panel.

IRS asked to provide stimulus answers

Thousands of Americans have signed a petition demanding answers from the Internal Revenue Service about the status of their stimulus payment. On April 15, the IRS rolled out an online payment tool called “Get My Payment.” The tool was designed for people who had not previously used direct deposit with the agency to up-

The consequences could be really serious.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci load their bank account information and get their stimulus money sooner. The IRS issued a deadline of May 13 to upload bank account information for direct deposit. After that date all stimulus money was to be sent by mail.

Bill would make changes to PPP

Reps. Dean Phillips (D-Minn) and Chip Roy (R-Texas) have introduced bipartisan legislation that would make changes to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) aimed at providing additional help to employers trying to weather the financial fallout caused by the coronavirus crisis. The PPP was authorized in legislation earlier this year to

provide forgivable loans to struggling small businesses. Lawmakers say more needs to be done to help employers stay afloat and that changes to the program could make a substantial difference. The measure, titled the Paycheck Protection Flexibility Act, includes language that would extend PPP loan forgiveness in hopes that businesses will be able to keep more of their workers on the payroll. It would also allow businesses to utilize more than 25 percent of the loan for purposes that extend beyond payroll and allow the term of the loan to extend beyond two years.

Residents can get legal help

HARRIS COUNTY COVID-19 FORGIVABLE LOAN PROGRAM

7,135

Total number of forgivable loan program applicants.

79%

of applicants have fewer than 10 employees.

63%

of applicants’ businesses started after 2010.

Members of the public with general legal questions or COVID-19-related inquiries —including unemployment, eviction, the CARES Act, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and more — are invited to sign up online for the Houston Bar Association’s LegalLine program scheduled every Wednesday through May 2020. VisitHBA.org/LegalLine to learn more and view available slots.

Jackson Lee wants delivery of student funds Aswad Walker

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee chose Texas Southern University as her backdrop for calling on the White House to get already approved U.S. Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds into the hands of local college students quickly.

“What we were able to get for our students in the $2.2 trillion [CARES Act] was $30.75 billion for the Education Stabilization Fund for K-12; $14 billion post-secondary institutions; $406 million going straight to colleges and universities requiring they utilize some of that for our students,” Lee said. “However, the money needs to be sent expeditiously to the state of Texas.”

Stating that she represents thousands of area college students, Lee added, “Our students need those dollars and our institutions need those dollars to be able to plan for the next steps on how they begin and continue to educate young people.”

According to Texas Southern University Interim President Ken Huewitt, $11.79 million has been designated for

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee speaks at TSU. Photo by Aswad Walker

TSU, with $5.9 million earmarked for students, which is roughly the amount TSU has received thus far.

“TSU has created a streamlined process for our students to apply for and to access these funds,” said Huewitt. “In just the first 24 hours our application

went live, we’ve had over 3,300 students apply for CARES Act funding.”

Though advocating for all area colleges, Lee noted the extra burden the pandemic has had on African Americans.

“Thirty-three percent of the people

that are hospitalized with COVID-19 are Black, though we make up only 13% of the U.S. population,” she said.

“So historically Black colleges and their students are facing conditions in their families, and also individually for themselves. The idea of providing $5 million to Texas Southern University, among other dollars to be able to assist our students, is a start. But we want to make sure that our students can continue their education.”

The CARES Act provides $31 billion in emergency education funding nationally, with $13 billion to support school districts, $14 billion for emergency financial relief and additional flexibility to support institutions of higher learning, and $3 billion for governors for emergency education relief to be spent on school districts.

Lee said the next step when back in D.C. is seeking an additional $175 billion to ensure that primary and secondary schools are able to open in the Fall, and another $175 billion on top of that to make sure students 17 and over, who are living on their own, and who have received no cash disbursements, get needed support.

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DN InFocus

Coronavirus: LIVING THE NEW NORMAL

ReShonda Tate Billingsley

It was once normal for author Sherron Elise to greet as many as 100 readers with a handshake or hug during a booksigning. But that was before the coronavirus epidemic changed life as we knew it. When she’s finally able to get back to her fans, Elise said it will be a vastly different experience.

“First of all, if I do go to a big event with a lot of people, I’ll have a mask on,” she said. “And I don’t see how I’ll ever be comfortable hugging people ever again. I admit it’s going to be awkward because it’s such a part of who I am and what I do, but the old ways of doing things have changed.”

Elise is not alone. As many states begin to reopen — most without meeting the thresholds recommended by the White House — a new level of COVID-19 risk analysis begins for Americans. Should I go to the beach? What about the hair salon? A sit-down restaurant meal?

States are responding to the tremendous economic cost of the pandemic and Americans’ pent-up desire to be “normal” again. But public health experts remain cautious. In many areas, they note, COVID cases — and deaths — are still on the rise, and some fear new surges will follow the easing of restrictions.

“Reopening is not back to normal. It is trying to find ways to allow people to get back out to do things they want to do, and business to do business,” said Dr. Marcus Plescia, chief medical officer at the Association of State Health Officials. “We can’t pretend the virus has gone away. The vast majority of the population is still susceptible.”

The bottom line, health experts say, is people should continue to be vigilant: Maintain distance, wear masks, wash your hands — and take responsibility for your own health and that of those around you.

1.

Here are some ways experts say you can expect things to change, creating a “new normal:” WEARING MASKS

2.

Expect to see masks continuing to be worn. While masks can reduce the amount of droplets expelled from the mouth and nose, they aren’t perfect. Droplets from sneezing, coughing or possibly even talking are considered the main way the coronavirus is transmitted, from landing either on another person or surface. Those who touch that surface may be at risk of infection if they then touch their face, especially the eyes or mouth.

Here are tips on staying safe when going out during the new normal:

GOING TO THE SALON

Many Black women say the hardest part of being on lockdown was not being able to go to the beauty salon. Now that they’re opening back up, if your beautician is following the rules, expect big changes.

States and professional associations are recommending requiring reservations, limiting the number of customers inside the shop at a given time (so much for double-booking), installing Plexiglas barriers between stations, cleaning the chairs, sinks and other surfaces often, and having stylists and customers wear masks.

Some salons and barbers are servicing customers outside, which may reduce the risk because of better ventilation. Salons should also keep track of the customers they see, just in case they need to contact them later, should there be a reason to suspect a client or stylist had become infected.

TRAVELING

The travel industry is bracing for big changes and experts urge you to consider your options and whether you really need to hop on a plane, train or bus. Driving may be an option for avoiding close contact with strangers.

Airlines are adjusting to the new normal by doing deep cleaning between flights. Fresh and recirculated air goes through special HEPA filters.

While there is little specific research yet on the coronavirus and air travel, studies on other respiratory and infectious diseases have generally concluded the overall risk is low, except for people within two rows of the infected person.

Maintaining distance on the plane and in the boarding process is key and some airlines are keeping the middle seat empty.

But if travel is not essential, Plescia reiterates that you should think twice.

EATING OUT

1. Stevin Kane, who has owned and operated Kane’s Barber Shop since 2006, gives his first haircut of the day to loyal customer Larry Franklin.

Jordan Vonderhaar for The Texas Tribune 2. Nail salons are trying to get creative in how they handle customers.

3. Shoppers have to wait patiently to go into the Gucci store. LM Otero

Visit the DefenderNetwork.com Coronavirus Channel

Protecting yourself

3.

Many states and the CDC have recommendations for restaurants that limit capacity — some states say 25% — in addition to setting tables well apart, using disposable menus and single-serve condiments and requiring wait staff to wear masks.

Expect to be turned away or forced to wait as restaurants adapt to the changes. Overall, decide how comfortable you are with the concept.

“If you’re going to go to a restau-

rant just to sit around and worry, then you might as well do takeout,” Plecia said.

ATTENDING GATHERINGS

Large gatherings may remain rare.

A report led by Scott Gottlieb, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner, said gatherings should be limited to 50 people or fewer. This would preclude many weddings, sporting events or concerts. It would rule out a full return to commuting by public transit. Many malls, gyms, restaurants and bars and places of worship might remain partly closed. So would many offices and factories.

GOING TO CHURCH

“Reach out and touch your neighbor’”could take on new meaning in houses of worship. What was once a staple of fellowship in churches will change as people become antsy about hugging and shaking hands.

Expect to see some churches do away with this practice altogether. And many people will simply opt to continue getting their praise on, online.

CHANGING MINDSET

For all the attention to the science and politics of the coronavirus, another factor may be just as important in shaping life under the pandemic: the ways that people will change in response to it.

Changes in how we think, behave and relate to one another — some deliberate but many made unconsciously, some temporary but others potentially permanent — are already coming to define our new normal.

When the coronavirus outbreak is under control, aversion to strangers or large groups, and the threat of infection they could pose, might echo in our minds for years.

Our ability to focus, to feel comfortable around others, even to think more than a few days into the future, may diminish — with lasting consequences. But we may also feel the tug of a survival instinct that can activate during periods of widespread peril: a desire to cope by looking out for one’s neighbors.

Until the virus is subdued either by a vaccine or by a global campaign of strategically coordinated lockdowns — which one Harvard study estimated would take two years to work — daily life is likely to be defined by efforts to manage the pandemic.

GYMS Go to the gym at off-peak hours when there are fewer people.

Stay at least 6 feet away from other patrons and avoid handshakes or high-fives.

Wipe down equipment before or after use with disinfectant wipes or sprays provided by the gym or that you bring from home. Get the surface completely wet and wait 30 seconds to one minute for it to air dry.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth when working out.

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds when you’re done with equipment or use a hand sanitizer.

MALLS/RETAILERS Wear a mask and stay at least 6 feet away from others while shopping and in check-out lines.

Shop when fewer people will be there, such as early in the morning or at night.

Disinfect the shopping cart with wipes you take with you or provided by the establishment.

If possible, use touchless payment without touching money, a card or a keypad. If not, use hand sanitizer right after paying. Use your own pen if you have to sign a receipt.

BARBERSHOPS/SALONS When going to a barbershop, hair salon or nail salon, wait outside or in the car until it is time for your appointment.

Do not touch or handle retail supplies or magazines.

Do not take extra people with you, such as children, to lessen their contact with others.

Do not interact with other customers and stay at least 6 feet away from them.

Be prepared to have your temperature taken at some establishments.

Keep your conversation with your barber or stylist to a minimum.

Wear a face mask and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer before entering the shop.

Leave the establishment as soon as your service has been rendered instead of waiting for fingernails or toenails to dry.

RESTAURANTS Make reservations and order food ahead of time to minimize waiting time.

Avoid buffets, salad bars and beverage stations.

Eat outside if there is outdoor seating.

Do not share appetizers, desserts or other plates of food.

Wear a mask upon entrance and while in the restaurant until the food or drink is served.

Order drinks in cans, bottles or disposable cups.

Be seated as far away as possible from other customers.

Sources: CDC, Defender Files, Office of the Texas Governor, Texas Dept. of Licensing & Regulation

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DN In Focus EDITORIAL

School closures more than missing instruction Byron Hannah

Two weeks ago, one of my friends learned two of his students, a pair of brothers, had been shot. One died immediately, and the other was suffering major gun wounds from an incident that took place around 3 p.m. on the Northside of Houston.

I have found myself grieving for those students as if they were my own, for the mother who lost her two sons, and for a world in which these students who would have normally been at school, presumably safe when the incident occurred, were left outside to fall victim to these tragic circumstances.

Due to the unforeseen circumstances of COVID-19, students across the nation are not receiving the consistent support that they typically receive from their schools and communities. No school not only means less academic instruction, it also cancels a variety of supports that are necessary for the survival and productivity of students and families.

Many of the students I’ve taught in Houston come from low-income households; more than one in five residents in the city -- higher than the state’s overall numbers -- live below the poverty line.

Here in the Fifth Ward, where I teach, that number increases to more than half of the children in Ward 5 living below the poverty line. A majority of the households in the area are single-parent households, and most of these parents and guardians are considered “essential employees.” This means many of our students are left home alone while their parents and guardians work to provide for their basic needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a

result, our students are without supervision for long periods of time each day.

We are working to find solutions to issues around childcare, food insecurity, maintaining a sense of community, providing structure for students, monitoring student safety and security, addressing technology gaps and offering Byron Hannah is a counseling to our parents and ninth grade algebra teacher at Yes Prep’s students as they navigate these Fifth Ward Campus. trying times. These supports are part of the reason our students come to school daily.

Still, the amount of time these students are not spending in school is negatively impacting them in numerous ways. At the same time, while prioritizing student academic growth, the city’s public charter schools, which

serve disproportionate numbers of low-income students, are working hard to serve students, families, and communities in different ways.

School closures and the lack of support are putting low-income students at more of a disadvantage and risk than ever before. More specifically, the lack of structure, safety, and security leaves open an opportunity for students to fall victim to the circumstances of their environment.

The city of Houston is classified as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and has one of the highest crime rates in America, and more than 98% of communities in Texas.

In response to students’ and families’ high need for support, Yes Prep has been distributing not only meals, but also care packages to families in need. The district recently received a grant allocated specifically to families that demonstrate a financial need.

All teachers have been assigned 10 to 15 students to personally contact on a weekly basis, and are completing a form that indicates whether the student needs virtual counseling services and/or other major needs. Understanding the district’s emphasis on culture, each grade level has hosted numerous culture building activities to maintain a sense of belonging and community.

Still, it saddens me to know this is our reality. In addition to thinking about lesson plans and distance schooling to make sure my students are still learning, I find myself spending a lot of time thinking about their well-being. I do think we can overcome these trying times together, though.

And I am thankful for the efforts of my school and many of the other public charter schools in the city taking a proactive approach to making sure student needs are met.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT VIRUS IMPACT “As much as I enjoyed dining out & going to the movies, I think I will always be anxious now.

Afraid to talk to strangers without a mask, afraid to touch things. Afraid to do things I used to do -- get a massage, get a pedicure...I just hope that this anxiety will wane with time and I will feel normal again.”

– Raquel M. Wallen

“Life will never be the same. I was a bit of a germaphobe so eating out will be difficult for me. I started trying new dishes so I can avoid restaurants. I will also be homeschooling my grandson. So life will be much different. Not what I expected of retirement.”

– Traci Lynn Manigault

“Things will not be ‘business as usual’ for me and my house. We’ll probably wear a mask and gloves for quite some time. I will question every personal service business on their sanitation process and social distancing logistics...

We’re not in a hurry to get back into this rat race that may lead us to a sickness that could have been avoided with a little patience.”

– Phyllis Looney-Jones

“A lot will be the same for me, only because I treated EVERYONE as if they were contaminated, long before the ‘Rona.’

However, my eating out habit...This isolation has helped me to realize I had no business trusting the people in the restaurants.

Therefore, won’t be eating out anymore.”

– Evita Peron

“I won’t be going to grocery stores unless I have a list of things to buy. No hugs or handshakes, students will respect personal space once school opens, takeout dinners, movies at home, avoid crowds.”

– Shereka Greene

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DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Feature Citywide celebration for grads June 5 Defender News Service

HISD seniors will still get to celebrate their graduation according to a plan by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and several superintendents in the region, including HISD’s Grenita Lathan. Described as “a first-of-its-kind citywide outdoor celebration,” seniors will go to their home campuses in their caps and gowns on the evening of Friday, June 5.

HISD said details are still being finalized, but the celebration might include elements such as students simultaneously singing a popular song, viewing pre-recorded messages by local, national and global celebrities, and taking group photos by drone.

The ceremony is not a commencement and no diplomas will be issued to students during the event, which is for students and faculty only. Family members will not be able to accompany their students.

Social distancing measures will be in effect with graduates instructed to remain at least 6 feet apart and wear face coverings. During picture-taking, masks may be removed briefly.

“On behalf of the HISD Board of Education, our high school principals and approximately 11,000 graduates, we thank the mayor and the City of Houston for planning this wonderful event for the Class of 2020, which has not been able to engage in traditional celebrations due to COVID-19 precautions,” Lathan said.

The citywide event will also include graduating seniors from neighboring school districts in the Houston area who will assemble at their high schools.

“We want to have an event that creates a collective memory for our seniors and recognizes their accomplishments,” Turner said. “This will be a special experience befitting our students who have sacrificed so much as they close out their last year of high school.”

Family seeks answers after police kill singer Defender News Service

Family and friends of a Houston choir director and gospel singer who was shot and killed by police during a traffic stop are demanding that video of the incident be released.

Adrian Medearis, 48, who was Black, was shot during an alleged scuffle with a police officer who stopped him on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said that he would not release the bodycam and dashcam video until he could meet with the family and personally show it to them.

Officials say that Medearis was pulled over while speeding. An officer -- identified as J. Ramos -- conducted a field sobriety test. The officer then tried to arrest Medearis on suspicion of driving while intoxicated, according to the police statement.

Medearis allegedly resisted and grabbed the officer’s Taser, and the policeman then fired four times, including two rounds that struck and killed the suspect. Medearis was transported to a hospital, where he later died.

Acevedo said that before the scuffle, Medearis complained to the officer about the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was shot and killed by a white

Adrian Medearis

father and son while jogging in Georgia on Feb. 23.

The struggle between the officer and Medearis took about two and a half minutes, Acevedo said. At one point the officer had Medearis pinned to the ground. But when he let go with one hand to call for backup, Medearis flipped the officer over and the fight continued.

“What’s sad about this is that by all accounts what occurred is conduct that is not consistent with who Mr. Medearis is,” Acevedo said.

Medearis was the choir director at the Evangelist Temple Church of God In Christ

Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo addresses the shooting of Adrian Medearis.

and several years ago formed the gospel group Standing in the Gap. “We are beyond shocked at the initial accounts of this tragedy,” Medearis’ family said in a statement posted by his brother, Audrick. “Unfortunately, there are no public details available regarding the murder of our loved one.”

Dav Lewis, a longtime friend of Medearis, called for releasing the video. “Everybody- and especially his family -- deserves

to know what happened that night, they need to see what happened to their loved one,” he said. “We must hold the police accountable and we’re not going to just sit back and take the police word on this.”

Lewis said it would be completely out of character for Medearis to react aggressively during a traffic stop.

“We deserve to see the proof of what police are alleging,” he said. “Nothing is going to make sense until we see the video.”

10 | May 14, 2020 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Entertainment Little Richard (aka Richard Penniman), the flamboyant rock-and-roll star known for “Tutti Frutti” and “Good Golly Miss Molly,” died May 9 at age 87.

Betty Wright, the Grammy-winning singer/ songwriter whose hits included “Clean Up Woman” and “Where is the Love,” died May 10 at age 66.

FACEBOOK AWARDS BLACK PRESS RELIEF GRANTS

NNPA Newswire

Facebook announced that 15 member publishers of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) will receive $1.288 million in grants through the Facebook Journalism Project’s relief fund for local news.

The social media giant said more than 200 news organizations would receive nearThe money was issued after Facebook rely $16 million in grants, which stem from ceived more than 2,000 applications for the $25 million in local news relief funding COVID-19 Local News Relief Grant Program announced in March as part of Facebook’s from newsrooms across every state in Amer$100 million global investment in the news. ica, all U.S territories and Washington, D.C. The grants include $10.3 million awarded The grant recipients were selected to 144 U.S local newsrooms as part of the through a process led by the LMA and the COVID-19 Local News Relief Fund Grant Lenfest Institute and with significant conProgram. tributions from the Institute for Nonprofit The NNPA is a trade organization that News (INN), Local Independent Online represents the Black Press of America. News Publishers, Local Media Consortium Locally, the Houston Defender and and the National Association of BroadHouston Forward Times (Karen casters (NAB).

Carter Richards, publisher) were “The COVID-19 pandemic among the newspapers receivhas highlighted the critical role ing grants. local news plays in our com“I am grateful to Facebook munities, while simultaneousfor recognizing the importance ly threatening their very exisand relevance of the Black Press tence,” said Jonathan Kealing, especially considering the threat INN’s chief network officer. of COVID-19 on the Afri- Sonny Messiah Jiles “Reviewing hundreds of can-American community and applications on a tight timeon our financial stability,” said Defender line both illustrated the depth of need, but Publisher Sonceria “Sonny” Messiah Jiles. also highlighted the innovation that these The fund is supporting many publishers small, independent publishers can provide who are hardest hit by this crisis, with nearly for their communities when given the re80 percent of recipients being family- or in- sources,” he said. “I’m excited to see new dependently-owned and more than half are news products and more critical original reporting in these communities, thanks to published by or for communities of color.

The grants also include $5.4 million Facebook’s support.”

Facebook noted that the pool of grant reawarded to 59 North American newsrooms cipients is notable in several ways: that participated in Facebook Local News • Nearly four in five are family- or indeAccelerator programs focused on subscrippendently owned. tions and memberships.

Facebook said the remaining funds would • Half are published by or for communities of color. be used throughout 2020 to support projects focused on longer-term sustainability in lo- • Nearly 40 percent are digitally native publishers. cal journalism. That includes $2.5 million for Report for America, helping the group • Just over a third are non-profits.

“We’re proud to support this diverse place 225 journalists in 160 local news orgroup of publishers — many of which are ganizations for their 2020 reporting corps.

Partnering with leading industry orga- family- or independently owned,” said nizations like the Local Media Associa- Campbell Brown, VP of global news parttion (LMA) and the Lenfest Institute for nerships at Facebook.

“Not only are these journalists workJournalism to move quickly, the Facebook Journalism Project has awarded more than ing tirelessly to serve people right now — 600 grants across the U.S and Canada since they’re focused on transformation, building the pandemic began. Additional grant pro- innovative local news businesses that can grams have been launched to support jour- continue to serve communities beyond the current pandemic,” Brown said. nalism around the world.

I am grateful to Facebook for recognizing the importance and relevance of the Black Press especially considering the threat of COVID-19 on the African-American community and on our financial stability.”

Sonceria “Sonny” Messiah Jiles, Defender Publisher & CEO

May 14, 2020 |

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DEFENDER NETWORK

DN Sports WESTBROOK AMONG TOP 50

Rockets guard Russell Westbrook is ranked as the No.42 overall best player in NBA history in a new poll of the top 74 players by a panel of ESPN reporters.

ZACH EVANS

The Galena Park North Shore HS running back committed to Texas Christian University according to ESPN.

BLACKLOCK LIVING NFL DREAM NEAR HOME Terrance Harris

Like most college football players, Ross Blacklock dreamed of hearing his name called in the first round of last month’s NFL draft.

When that didn’t happen for the Elkins High School product, the next best thing did. The hometown Texans took the TCU standout defensive tackle with the eighth pick of the second round (40th overall).

It was a heck of a consolation prize when his phone rang and it was Texans coach/general manager Bill O’Brien on the other end.

“It was crazy, just amazing emotions,” said Blacklock, who was surrounded by family at home when the

It was crazy, just amazing emotions.

We had a little feeling. I said right before they called, I said, ‘Houston is about to call,’ I just had that feeling and then I was talking to Bill O’Brien.”

Ross Blacklock

call came. “We had a little feeling. I said right before they called, I said, ‘Houston is about to call,’ I just had that feeling and then I was talking to Bill O’Brien.”

Part of that feeling had to do with the up-close and personal connection Blacklock had developed with the Texans during the pre-draft process. Because of his proximity to the team, Blacklock got a chance to meet with the coaching staff and tour the Texans facilities pre-COVID-19 quarantining.

So unlike most of the players the Texans drafted there was a personal connection.

“It’s amazing how God works,” Blacklock said. “Like I said, I’ve never

been around the Houston facility like that...It was amazing just to be there and now it’s going to be home so I’m going to be there quite often.”

His presence will definitely be welcome as Blacklock fills a critical need along the interior of the Texans defensive line. After losing D.J. Reader to free agency, the Texans had to find someone who could fill the void.

Blacklock, who is an explosive 6-foot-4 and 305 pounds, gives the Texans a dynamic defensive tackle who can rush the passer and stop the run. The former Freshman All American and All-Big 12 performer had nine tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season after recovering from a season-ending Achilles tendon injury in 2018.

“I bring physicality, I bring passion, I bring leadership, I bring just relentless effort,” Blacklock said. “My potential is through the roof just like anybody else’s would be, and I just want to be able to make sure I can reach that potential and more, and just keep growing and improving as the years go by.”

Follow Terrance Harris on Twitter @ terranceharris

Ross Blacklock

VIRTUAL GRADUATIONS Prairie View defensive lineman Stephen Scott received his Master’s degree in Special Education Curriculum and Instruction during a virtual graduation ceremony that Stephen Scott saw 57 studentathletes and athletics support staff earn their degrees.

In its first virtual graduation, Texas Southern’s annual athletics Tyrik Armstrong graduation presented degrees to 34 studentathletes and support staff members, including senior men’s basketball player Tyrik Armstrong.

TEXANS TAKING ACTION The Houston Texans plan to hire a facility hygiene coordinator – a first among pro sports teams – to implement new virus protections protocols in hopes of reducing the chances of spreading the coronavirus around the team facilities.

JONATHAN GREENARD IS OFFICIALLY A TEXAN The Texans and third-round draft pick Jonathan Greenard have agreed on a fouryear contract.

Greenard is a hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker out Jonathan Greenard of University of Florida.

12 | May 14, 2020 |

DEFENDER NETWORK

If I could do one thing, I’d have a daycare closer to work.

If you could do one thing for your community, what would it be? More daycare centers? More funding for Head Start? Completing the 2020 Census is a safe and easy way to inform how billions of dollars in funding flow into your community for hundreds of services.

Respond online, by phone, or by mail.

Complete the census at:

2020CENSUS.GOV Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.

B24097_73a_2019_Census_Motivation_Daycare_Newspaper_SizeA_9_75x12_25.indd 02.24.2020