A er road rage shooting, community mourns beloved pastor of East Bethel Missionary Baptist Church. REV. MOUTONRONALDSR.NEWS Volume 91, issue twitter.com/defendernetworkfacebook.com/defendernetwork defendernetwork.cominstagram.com/defendernetwork FREE The popular Jack Yates High School photographer is retiring a er nearly three decades. CARRINGTONRAYFEATURE 33 June 30, 2022 Overturning Roe v. Wade BLACK WOMEN HIT HARD BY SCOTUS RULING.
Aswad Walker
• Excusing police from having to read you your Miranda Rights (“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law”), freeing up police to infict more abuse on us with even less restrictions, even as the country demands police be held accountable for wrongdoings, just like we would if we broke the law.
Tat said, we (folk who stand against the dictatorial, violent program of the modern-day GOP confederacy) have to play the long game. Te overturning of Roe v. Wade is a prime example of folk who are anti-everyone who’s not them, playing the long game. Tey’ve been talking about overturning Roe v. Wade forever, and sufered setback afer setback for decades. But they stayed true to their plan, even voting for candidates they personally hated, but who were committed to their same goal.
Well, Democrats really are asleep at the wheel, and have been for far too long. And they’ve put us all in danger. Tey haven’t acted with the urgency these dangerous times demand, choosing to focus and campaign on “kitchen table issues.” But there won’t be a kitchen or a table if these fools who want to overthrow democracy with violence on all levels aren’t stopped. If Dems want to win elections and excite their base, they have to wake the hell up soon, or we’re all crashing.
A sign with pictures of Justices Clarence Thomas, Brett Kavanaugh, Samuel Alito, Amy Coney Barrett, and Neil Gorsuch, as demonstrators protest outside of the US supreme court, on Tuesday. Jacquelyn Martin/AP
‘SCOTUS GONE WILD’
For years, I led missionary trips for my church that meant long hours on the road wile a carload of fellow mis sionaries. As team leader, I did the bulk of the driving. But when I got tired, someone else would take over while I caught some ZZZs in the backseat. But on more that one occasion, while sleep in the backseat, I’d wake up in total terror thinking I had gone asleep at the wheel and put my team in danger. Te reality was, I hadn’t, but it felt real.
ON THE WEB
• Learn more about outcomes from the NNPA (Black Press) Convention.
Tis is the most political SCOTUS ever, and it’s acting consistently with the Jan. 6 insurrectionists who sought to replace democracy with minority (white, hyper-conserva tive) rule. And this SCOTUS isn’t done yet.
DN 2 | June 30, 2022 | DEFENDER NETWORK
Associate Editor’s Message
Now, they’ve won, and are looking to overturn every thing else on their list. In contrast, if we don’t see results immediately from those we elect, we quit voting for good. I’m not saying we shouldn’t expect results in exchange for our votes. We should. But we’ve also got to commit to fghting until the fght is won. Tat’s the long game.
• Easing gun access in New York, a ruling that could ease gun access nationally, even as the majority of U.S. citizens of all races (Democrat and Republican; progres sive and conservatives) want more gun restrictions.
VOTING: PLAYING THE LONG GAME
• Check out the Defender channels: Black Women, Under 40 and Community Central.
DEMOCRATS: ASLEEP AT THE WHEEL
To the POINT
• More on the recent SCOTUS decisions.
• Overturning Roe v. Wade even though over 75% of the nation believe in a woman’s choice, whatever it may be, to exercise authority over her own body.
A few years ago, holier-than-thou Republicans deemed those “Girls Gone Wild” videos as immoral. But what’s even more obscene is “SCOTUS Gone Wild” with the Supreme Court’s moves to under mine the will of the people:
It is widely believed that Griner’s imprisonment is more connected to Russian president Vladimir Putin’s disdain for the United States due to the country’s involvement in Russia’s attack on Ukraine. e State Department has declassified Griner as wrongfully detained.
of an affordable housing complex in east downtown -- sparking backlash in the community.“Theywere only supposed to take 165 units,” Jackson Lee said. “ ey’re taking 375.” e congresswoman said she has asked the Federal Highway Administration to continue to investigate TxDOT’s I-45 design. She accused the company’s design of being discriminatory by not presenting any input from the impacted communities. Lee wants to continue the pause until the investigation has been fully completed.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee has known the beloved Pastor Mouton for many years and said he was a man of love and service and had a generous spirit.“ is was just an innocent man traveling on a road near his church where he worked all the time,” Jackson Lee said. “He loved ministry. He was just doing the work of a pastor.”
Activists said there’s no need to demolish any buildings until a er the feds conclude their investigation. ey said it will prove the I-45 expansion project negatively and disproportionately impacts Black and brownDespitecommunities.claimsfor the city to intervene, Mayor Sylvester Turner said their hands are“TxDOTtied. has indicated it will not be seeking any further permits. State and federal properties are exempt from local building codes and do not require demolition permits. Assuming no objection by FHWA, and no demolition permit being requested by TXDOT, the city has no legal basis to stop the demolition.”
Pastor ragekilledMoutonRonaldSr.inroadincident
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Houston Police Department.
“I’m going to miss my friend but I know he is in heaven,” Flanagan said.
Residents protest the I-45 expansion.
WNBA star and Houston native Brittney Griner appears to be moving closer to learning her fate as she sits in a Russian prison on drug charges.eformer Nimitz and Baylor standout center was given a July 1 trial date during a court appearance in Moscow. Griner, who has been jailed in Russia since February, also had her detention extended another six months. Griner was ordered to remain detained throughout the duration of her trial.
Rev. MoutonRonaldSr.
Brittney Griner given July 1 trial date
Jackson Lee and Crime Stoppers of Houston have teamed up to offer a reward of up to $5,000 for information leading to an arrest in the case.
Members of East Bethel, pastors from around the Houston area, family and friends are now mourning the loss.
CongresswomanSheliaJackson
been physically seen since. at changed when cameras captured photos of the 6-foot-9 center being led into the
“He was always eager to be doing more,” Jackson Lee added.
By Terrance Harris
Griner, who plays basketball for a Russian team during the WNBA offseason, was arrested four months ago before boarding a flight to return home near Moscow a er she was said to have attempted to travel with vape cartridges containing oils from cannabis. Griner was held for weeks without anyone knowing her whereabouts and she has not
Rev. Dr. Ronald K. Mouton Sr. of East aroundtheasbyshottistMissionaryBethelBap-Churchwasandkilledanotherdriverhetraveledonfeederroad4:19p.m.
courtroom in handcuffs, wearing glasses and gray T-shirt while appearing disheveled.
ere has been some talk of a prisoner swap similar to what was done to free U.S. Marine Trevor Reed in February. Reed’s freedom was granted in exchange for a Russian pilot who was being held in the U.S.
Sheila Jackson Lee takes I-45 expansion fight to D.C.
Activists with Stop TxDOT I-45 are speaking out against TxDOT’s I-45 expansion project in downtown Houston. Among those joining the fight, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.
WNBA star and two-time Olympic gold medalist Brittney Griner is escorted to a courtroom for a hearing, in Khimki just outside Moscow, Russia, Monday, June 27, 2022. AP
TxDOT released the following statement regarding the lo s at the ballpark: “Delaying demolition of the Lo s at the Ballpark presents significant public health and safety concerns and would require
By ReShonda Tate
Defender News Service
NewsDN | 3June 30, 2022 | DEFENDER NETWORK
resources to keep the buildings secured.”
A highly revered pastor and staple in the Houston community was killed during a possible road-rage incident on the Gulf Freeway at Gould Road.
The controversial plan to widen I-45 is on pause while the Federal communities.comeimpacttigatesAdministrationHighwayinves-theproject’sonlow-in-andminorityDespitethepause,
Mouton was the pastor of his church for the past 30 years, according to their website. He graduated from Sterling High School in 1981 with honors before attending Baylor University and Stephen F. Austin State University.
Pressure has been mounting for the U.S. to gain Griner’s release in WNBA and NBA circles, elected government officials and local leaders in Houston.
“Pastor Mouton was a loving father, husband and friend. A wonderful pastor, and a true man of God that lived and practiced what he preached,” said Pastor Lionel Flanagan.
Griner could be looking at 10 years in prison if she is convicted of the drug charges. Associated Press contributed to this report
TxDOT appeared to be moving forward on a major demolition
Mouton leaves behind his wife of nearly 40 years, Suzanne Pollard-Mouton, four children, 10 grandchildren, a twin brother along with other siblings and his church community.
Surveillance video shows what happened before Mouton crashed. Houston police say the suspected shooter was driving a black sedan.
on June 27.
e
Ed Gonzales
MoveOn activists call for the impeachment of Justice Clarence Thomas outside of the U.S. Supreme Court. Getty Images
In the 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut case, the court voted 7-2 to strike down a law restricting married couples’ access to birth control. Te cases of Lawrence and Obergefell respectively made same-sex activity and marriages legal.
Walker Education Reporter
For many, the Supreme Court not only abolished abor tion rights in America with its June 24, 2022, decision but also ended any semblance of racial tolerance in the United States. Former President Donald Trump’s Make America Great Again cry proved an easy to read between-the-lines moniker, but even that was seen as nothing more than the typical dog whistle – untilAfternow.the high court’s ruling, the MAGA crowd has become more“Presidentemboldened.Trump, on behalf of all the Maga patriots in America, I want to thank you for the historic victory for white life in the Supreme Court [June 24],” Illinois Republican Mary Miller told a cheering crowd during a rally as she stood next to the former president.
Harris County Sheriff withdraws from ICE top spot consideration
If the court overturned that law, Tomas’ marriage to Ginni, who is white, would face peril.
Aswad
NewsDN 4 | June 30, 2022 | DEFENDER NETWORK
Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
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U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforce ment, which operates under the Department of Homeland Security to detain and deport undocumented immigrants, has not had a Senate-confrmed director since early 2017.
Creative Director
Gonzalez’s confrmation vote to lead ICE was expected earlier this year but was halted afer an afdavit surfaced detailing a domes tic violence dispute between Gonzalez and his wife, Melissa Gonzalez, former president of Houston Community College-Southeast.
Managing Editor
In the afdavit, a former Houston Com munity College police ofcer alleged that Melissa Gonzalez, who was then the school’s vice chancellor of workforce and economic development, wanted to file a complaint
against her husband because of “suggested violence she had experienced at her home at the hands of the sherif.”
“Now do Plessy v. Ferguson and Brown v. Board of Education,” Cornyn tweeted at Obama following the 44th president writing that the court not only reversed nearly 50 years of precedent, “it relegated the most intensely personal decision someone can make to the whims of politicians and ideologues – attacking the essential freedoms of millions of Americans.”
Houston Public Media
Running for reelection in the 15th congressional dis trict, Miller received an invite from Trump to speak. Her camp attempted to defect from her racist com ment, stating that she misspoke and intended to say, “right to Respondinglife.”
“In future cases, we should reconsider all of this Court’s substantive due process precedents, including Griswold, Lawrence, and Obergefell,” Justice Clarence Tomas wrote a day before abolishing Roe.
VOLUME 91 - NUMBER 33 - JUNE 30, 2022
It is unclear who Biden will nominate next to lead the agency, which is currently led by acting director Tae Johnson. The previous interim director, Jonathan Fahey, resigned last year afer just two weeks on the job. Te agency has shufed through acting directors in recent years and hasn’t had a Senate-confrmed leader since the Obama administration.Gonzalezwas a vocal adversary of former President Donald Trump, who has previ ously endorsed Abbott, and his immigration policies, specifcally on deportation. Afer becoming sherif of Harris County, where more than 400,000 undocumented immi grants are estimated to live, Gonzalez ended a partnership with ICE that trained deputies to screen jailed individuals for their immi gration status, among other eforts.
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Laura
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
the allegations obtained by the Houston Chronicle undermined the credibility of the claims. Te White House stood by President Joe Biden’s ICE nominee.
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Both the sherif and Melissa Gonzalez denied the allegations, and an inquiry into
Cornyn echoed what many in the GOP and the high court’s conservative majority have always whispered: a desire to overturn Brown v. Board of Education and res urrect the 1800s doctrine of “separate but equal” to re-es tablish racial segregation laws that inherently imply that Black people are inferior.
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to a tweet by the nation’s frst African Amer ican president, Texas GOP Sen. John Cornyn compared the decision to reverse Roe v. Wade to segregation.
Tomas also votied to strike down New York’s gun law, even afer more than 277 mass shootings have occurred in 2022. Te Black justice invoked the Dred Scott decision, where then-chief justice Roger Taney cautioned that Afri can Americans would have the right to carry frearms in public if the court recognized them as U.S. citizens.
Michael Grant
Jim Obergefell, the plaintif in that landmark case, noted that Tomas specifcally named same-sex and contraceptive rights, in his opinion, omitting interracial marriage.
Justice Clarence Thomas fans the fames of racism
Strategic Alllance
Harris County Sherif Ed Gonzalez, who was previously tapped to lead the country’s immigration and customs enforcement agency, said that he was withdrawing him self from consideration for the role afer his confrmation vote has stalled for months in Congress.Gonzalez made the announcement via Twitter, noting that “more than a year has passed since the President nominated me for this important position.”
“Even Chief Justice Taney recognized that public carry was a component of the right to keep and bear arms – a right free Blacks were ofen denied in antebellum America,” TomasTomassaid.also compared abortion statistics to soldiers killed during the Civil War. “I join the opinion of the court because it correctly holds that there is no constitutional right to abortion,” Tomas wrote. “Abortion is not deeply rooted in this nation’s history and tradition. It’s not implicit in the concept of ordered liberty,” he said.
Clarence Thomas
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Tat law, Texas House Bill 1280, makes it a second-degree felony “for a person who knowingly performs, induces, or attempts an abortion” according to the bill analysis. Te penalty increases to a frst-degree infraction “if the unborn child dies as a result of the ofense.”Seema Mohapatra, a visiting professor of law at Southern Methodist University, said that the Texas trigger law could have a dis proportionate“Practically,impact.people who are seeking an abortion in Texas will have very little options, especially if they are not able to travel to a far-away state,” she said. “It really does afect peoples’ lives, and when we look at the fact that forced pregnancy really has diferent outcomes depending on what race you are, we know that Black women are much more likely to die during pregnancy than other women. Tis has diferential impact on peo ple of color and poor people, and the court opinion really ignores that.”
Texas is one of more than a dozen states that have passed trigger laws that further restrict abortion in the afermath of a Roe v. Wade reversal. Last year, Texas passed a law that stated if the Supreme Court over rules Roe v. Wade and abortion is no longer protected by the federal Constitution, then abortion will be completely illegal in the
Black-led social justice groups said the gutting of Roe v. Wade is just the latest exam ple of lawmakers stripping their rights.
Overturning Roe v. Wade Black women hit hardest
How ruling impacts Black women, families
And their votes brought Roe v. Wade to an end. But what does this new reality mean for Black women, other women of color and their families and communities?
an issue for men to be addressing without consulting women. We already know that Black women in particular, and also other women of color, don’t have access to qual ity healthcare, don’t have access to womenburdenontoityaddcomes.andferentbyatelydisproportioninsurance,healthareimpactedsomanydifdiseaseshealthoutSo,tothisinabiltochoosethegreatthattheofthis
Te NAACP released a statement with one leader saying the Supreme Court decision sets the country back to a “dangerous era where basic constitutional rights only exist for a select few.”
By Aswad Walker
By ReShonda Tate
LISA MALLORY: A woman needs to have the rights to her body to make her own healthcare decisions around her abil ity to reproduce. And only a woman and her medical professionals are able to have these discussions, and perhaps the father of a child, if there’s a child involved, or partner involved. But I think of more con cern is, this is a personal issue for an indi vidual and their healthcare providers. Tis is not a government issue. It’s certainly not
DEFENDER: What can we do to fght this new reality?
And many believe this will have especially damaging consequences for Black women, who ofen face life-threatening complications during pregnancy.
Te historical racism embedded within the American healthcare system accounts in large part for why birthing is so much deadlier for Black Americans. Tey are rou tinely dismissed, ignored and have their con cerns denied while seeking medical care and intervention. Black women also fall behind in other social determinants of health including housing, employment and socioeconomic status, all of which can afect their capacity to have safe, healthy pregnancies and care for a child.
U.S. senators Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Joe Manchin (D-W.Va) are claiming to have been had, duped, hoodwinked, bamboozled, led astray and run amok by current SCOTUS members Brett Kava naugh, Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett for testifying under oath during their confirmation hearings that they would not vote to overturn Roe v. Wade, yet did so anyway. But Black America and others who believe in a women’s right to have agency over her own body were not surprised, and sounded the alarm long before Collins and Manchin cast key votes that allowed the trio onto the Supreme Court in the frst place.
Te Defender spoke with Lisa Mallory, Ph.D., executive director of the National Association of Health Services Execu tives (NAHSE) out of Washington, DC to get her perspective on answers to those questions.
Te overturning of Roe v. Wade under scores the economic hardships and mater nal health crisis Black and brown women face, with many advocates saying forced pregnancies would only worsen their out comes. For example, Black women are three times more likely than white women to die of pregnancy-related complications, such as pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Abortion rights leaders also worry poor Black and Latino women will not have the money to travel out of state for an abortion.
Portia White, policy and legislative afairs vice president for the NAACP, likened the abortion ruling to lawmakers suppressing the Black “Tey’vevote.stripped away our right to vote, and now women have lost their right to their own body. What’s next?” White said. “We cannot allow our future to rest in the hands of those determined to crush every bit of it. We need to fght back.”
6 | June 30, 2022 | DEFENDER NETWORK FOCUSDN SOCIAL InFocusDN An abortion-rights activist wears tape reading “2nd Class Citizen” on their mouth as they protest outside the Supreme Court. | 7 Risk of death from abortion ban
Lisa Mallory
N
Read about additional impacts the Roe v. Wade overturning will have on Black women, families and communities at DefenderNetwork.com
ow that Roe v Wade has been over turned, the legal status of abortion is back in the hands of state lawmakers.
White said the NAACP will be mobilizing voters for the “most critical midterm election America has ever faced” in November.
A 2021 study published in the journal Demography found that abortion bans put all women at greater risk of death, but “the additional mortality burden is estimated to be greatest among non-Hispanic Black women.”
33% increase for womenBlack *Source: Demography 21% increase for all women marchOurtheAvenueConstitutionwalkyellonstratorsrightsAbortion-demastheydownduringBansOfBodies Getty Images
DISPARAGING NUMBERS
DEFENDER: What’s going to be the impact of this overturning on the reproductive health of Black women and women of color?
LISA MALLORY: Our mandate is to really educate. So, we educate around healthcare, and this is one of those issues that we want to educate the populace about because it is reproductive rights or human rights, and we believe strongly that this is a personal conversation for an individual in their healthcare pro fessional. And at the end of the day, in addition to educating ourselves, the one most important thing now is for people to educate themselves about who is sup porting these movements that are really impacting African Americans and people of color, and to vote accordingly.
In many states, Black and Latino women receive abortions at higher rates than White women, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which collects data from state health agencies.
TROUBLE IN TEXAS
country have to carry is extremely disap pointing. And it will have a tremendous impact. Duke University had a study that they published in December that said a complete abortion ban—and hopefully we won’t get to that place; but who knows— could increase Black maternal deaths by 33%.
state of Texas.
FIGHTING BACK
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Beck&Call Hospitality in partnership with Gold Was Made Fa Her hosted an event honoring Carrington at Teory Studios.
He recently announced his retirement with 2021-2022 school year being his last year in theForprogram.thelast 28 years, Carrington has been a strong pillar, mentor, father fgure, and educa tor to many students and families in the com munity. He created opportunities for students to learn the art of photography along with the rich history and culture of Black Houston.
FeatureDN 8 | June 30, 2022 | DEFENDER NETWORK
“Mr. Carrington is special to me because of the way he embraces his students and arts in the community. He always encourages us to capture great images of the Tird Ward com munity,” said Kaylon Beck, former photogra phy student. “We used to walk every day in class around the area. It was moments like that helped us embrace and realize what culture and what neighborhood we were uplifing.”
“I’m really kind of shocked. I’ve been in the business for a long time… since 1968, and even though I’ve had some accomplishments, not to this level where the people I care about…make it to the next level. Tey stop to give me something [fowers],” said Carrington. “I’ve been blessed over the years to have seen and dealt with stu dents who are just phenomenal.”
Beloved Yates photographer announces retirement
Since 1995, Carrington has partnered with the Museum of Fine Arts for the Eye on Tird Ward annual Exhibition showcasing photo graphs by students in the Magnet School of Communications. His photography classes focuses on Houston’s Third Ward neigh borhood, a historically Black community with strong ties to many cultural, political, religious and educational organizations. He challenges his student to be the historians of the butamy“Icommunity.triedtoinspirestudentsnotwithprofessionaljob…withthefactthat
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“I feel that they [Jack Yates High School] will miss the kind of discipline and the kind of tutelage that he brought with the students especially in photography”, said Hudnall. “Ray will still be involved with the community, and
• She is board certified in Family Medicine
Mrs. Carrington and former Yates High School Student Kaylon Beck pose with Ray Carrington during Through A Cultural Lens Honoring Ray Carrington III held at Theory Studios on June 17, 2022 in Houston, Texas. Jimmie Aggison
Better health begins with caring doctors
Carrington shared the spotlight alongside Earlie Hudnall, Jr., a celebrated photographer best known for his gripping pictures high lighting the overlooked aesthetics of daily life in Black communities in the south. Hudnall and Carrington met at Texas Southern Uni versity as students in 1970. Carrington was the senior editor of the school yearbook. He was a history major at the time and knew nothing about photography. He heard of Hud nall, who was a novice photographer in the art department and spoke to him about shooting for the yearbook. Tat was the beginning of their long-lasting friendship.
to
you are capturing history, he said. “You may be the only one who captures the history. It’s a historical value to the people who are here.”
totheVideo-ThroughLens:ASaluteRayCarringtonONLINE
GCHLKSZEN We
• She listens to her senior patients and addresses their
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His impact in the community brought out many students both former and current and family members who expressed their favorite memories of him.
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Jake Yates High School photography teacher Ray Carrington III is saying farewell to his old stomping ground.
“Te thing that Jack Yates will miss when Ray Carrington retires is the ability to relate to the students, said former student Chataria Geason. “Te ability to meet us where we were… and bring us where we need to be. Te preparation that he gave us in order to be successful, the long days he had us walking through Tird Ward where he would stop and point and tell us to tell him what an image mean to us.”
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I think the students [who] he has tutored over the years will still carry that foundation into diferent parts of the community. Ray will for ever be a part of this community especially the Tird Ward.”
• Completed her residency at the DeTar Family Medicine Residency Program in affiliation with Texas A&M University
By Laura Onyeneho
FeatureDN
Transformative Justice Coalition Founder Barbara Arnwine and board member Daryl Jones joined Dr. Chavis and members of the NNPA board to announce a “votercade” aimed at registering 10 million new African American voters. Arnwine told a captivated panel that their organization had recorded 72 voter suppression tactics to prevent a large population from casting ballots.
Erica Myles, the senior consultant and senior vice president of Diverse Segments, Representation, and Inclusion for Wells Fargo, discussed the topic, “Relationships and Resources: Tools to Move Blackowned Small Businesses from Surviving to Triving.”AGeneral Motors contingent spoke with NNPA President and CEO Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr. about “Te Path to Inclusion is Electric: How GM is Building an All-In clusive Workforce to Build an All-Electric Future.”Representatives from GM and Wells Fargo also sat for a live interview on the NNPA’s national news program, “Let It Be Known,”
Te Defender took home top honors at the National Newspaper Publishers Associ ation (NNPA) -- the Black Press of America trade association -- 2022 convention in New Orleans.With three frst-place awards, four sec ond-place, and two third-place awards, the Defender led the pack among the 286 entries in the NNPA Fund Messenger Awards, which included the presentation of scholarships to underserved students.
June 30, 2022 | DEFENDER NETWORK MAKE DECISION.INFORMEDAN LEARN THE BENEFITS AND RISKS OF CHILDREN.IMMUNIZATIONCOVID-19FOR Your Choice. Their Future.
Te panel discussed how young African Americans view the importance of the Black Press’s future, emphasizing the need for pub lishers to enhance their digital presence on platforms like Tik Tok and Instagram.
Te weekend culminated with a boat ride on Saturday. Many in attendance agreed the conference proved among the best in the NNPA’s 82-year history.
During the convention, Black Press publishers from across the country, along
along with Defender Associate Editor Aswad Walker.Munson Steed, the Rolling Out National Publications publisher, presented the topic: RIDE (Rolling Out Innovation Digital Enter tainment) Lab for NNPA Publishers.
Dr. David Childs, a professor of Black Studies, Education, and History at Northern Kentucky University, led a discussion on the “Black Press and the Antidote to Racism in America” with the Defender’s ReShonda Tate andWestsideWalker.
the mindset to become a media mogul.”
Defender Managing Editor ReShon da Tate holds the nine awards the Defender received.
By Raquel Rogers
Honors were given to the Defender for Website and Newsletter Excellence, Original Advertising, Layout and Design, Educational story, Video Campaign, Environmental story, Faith and Religion and Fashion, Beauty & Lifestyle.“Weare ecstatic to be recognized by our peers for our hard work and commitment to delivering news to the Black community,” said Defender Publisher Sonny Messiah Jiles. “We have a top-notch team and are constantly on a learning journey to improve our product and service to our readers. Tis honor is a culmination of our eforts.”
with their staf members, tackled an array of Markissues.Thompson, a decorated journal ist and host of the podcast “Make It Plain,” moderated one panel on, “Amplifying Voices of Generation Z and Millennials Trough the Black Press of America.”
“I want NNPA Publishers to think digital,” Steed exhorted as he led a discussion, “Steps to lead to making money; criteria for hiring the right people, OTT (Over the Top), changing
Gazette Publisher Bobby Henry received the NNPA 2022 Lifetime Achieve mentFridayAwardnight, Westside Gazette Publisher Bobby Henry received the NNPA 2022 Life time Achievement Award, while Rep. Maxine Waters and entertainer Stephanie Mills took home Legacy Awards at the gala.
| 9
Defender wins big at NNPA historic convention
By Terrance Harris
In many ways, the Rockets may have pulled off the steal of the 2022 NBA Dra . While the belief had been that Banchero would fall to them in the third spot, they ultimately ended up with a player who seems better suited for the young core that is already in place.Smith is expected to form a nice inside-out combination with the Rockets’ young backcourt of last year’s No. 2 overall pick Jalen Green and Kevin Porter Jr. His perimeter shooting ability also figures to give second-year center Alperen Sengun more room to work on the pointsaveragedinterior.thedefendshooterismanbestSmithTheblock.6-foot-10waseasilytheshootingbiginthedra.Heaquality3-pointandcanbothonperimeterandSmith16.9and7.4
“But I don’t remember anybody at his size in college with his ability to stay in front and contain and contest on the perimeter and he is also good on the interior. He has some kind of unique skills there and we are excited abouteit.”Rockets fan base seems to share in Stone’s excitement. As soon as the under
10 | June 30, 2022 | DEFENDER NETWORK SportsDN
“I think Jabari is really interesting,” said Stone, who also added LSU’s Tari Eason and Kentucky’s TyTy Washington in the first round of the 2022 dra . “He is big and he does move exceptionally well. He moves his feet really well on the perimeter. He is doing it in college so I don’t know how that translates in the NBA but we are hoping it translates perfectly and quickly but we will see how that works out.
Astros hire 5 from TSU for summer internships
knew that meant the Rockets had landed the most versatile big man in the dra . e show of fan enthusiasm wasn’t lost on“ItSmith.means a lot,” he said. “It makes me feel like I’m wanted, being welcomed with open arms is good. ey give me love so I’m going to give them that same love back and the same energy and effort every night. It made me kind of happy and put a smile on my face.”
FILE - Auburn forward Jabari Smith (10) shoots a 3-pointer over Vanderbilt guard Jamaine Mann (23) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Feb. 16, 2022, in Auburn, Ala. Smith is one of the top forwards in the upcoming NBA dra . AP Photo/Butch Dill, File
NBA Dra Night wasn’t supposed to go this way for Jabari Smith. e All-American power forward out of Auburn was slated to go No. 1 overall to the Orlando Magic. It had been set that way for months.Buta couple of days before the NBA Draft, word of a shift began to spread. Maybe the Magic preferred the most NBAready player in the dra , Paolo Banchero. Smith remained hopeful of hearing his name called first by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. But it wasn’t to be. Banchero went No. 1 and Chet Holmgren went second to Oklahoma City, leaving Smith the obvious pick of the Rockets. at moment of disappointment quickly changed to excitement as Smith realized his dream of being a top NBA dra pick had been realized. He is just a little extra motivated“Notnow.necessarily slighted but it is what it is,” Smith said. “ ose players that were selected before me, they are great players and great people. So it’s nothing about the teams or the people that were picked, but I will go in with that chip on my shoulder ready to prove to everybody.”
The recent Astros-Texas Southern partnership has led to five students in the athletic department receiving internships for the summer with the major league club. Tyrese Clayborne (baseball) is interning with baseball waAdedejioperations,Iyyanuolu-Adeyeye(men’s
John Wall, Rockets reach buyout deal
ness. But that changes this week with workouts with the Rockets followed by his first pro action during the NBA Summer League
track and field), Kyira Porch (volleyball) and Zy’Riah Simmons (TSU Athletics) are in the community & foundation division and Isaiah Thornton (TSU Athletics) is in marketing & communications.
rebounds as a freshman last season while shooting an impressive 42% from 3-point range.While many have compared Smith favorably to Kevin Durant, general manager Rafael Stone doesn’t see a spot-on comparison for his 19-year-old dra pick.
Now the real work duringSmithbegins.hadn’tplayedorga-nizedbas-ketballsincehisfreshmanseasonendedMarchMad-
“I’m real excited,” Smith said. “I haven’t played since the Miami game. I haven’t played in so long. So it will be good when I get home to get to play against the guys who are back and a couple of pros then get with my team for Summer League and just get to work.”
Veteran point guard John Wall and the Rockets have reached a buyout for the final year of his $47.7 million contract.
Deshaun disciplineWatson’sunderway
John ClaybornTyreseWallDeshaunWatson
The NFL has started discipline proceedings for former Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson, who has been accused by more than two dozen massage therapists of sexual misconduct. He recently settled 20 of 24 lawsuits against him. The NFL is believed to be seeking a one-year suspension for Watson, who is now with the Cleveland Browns. The NFL Players of Association is believed to be seeking no suspension at all. The negotiations on punishment are projected to continue until right before training camp.
Rockets Jabari Smith enters league with chip on shoulder
Wall, who recently opted into the final year, has agreed to take about a $7 million hit on the deal which he should be able to get when he signs with another team. Wall will be one of the most sought-a er free agents this summer and is believed to be leaning toward signing with the L.A. Clippers once the buyout with the Rockets is complete.
Sports Briefs
KLEIN HS JUMPER INDIA ALIX on her way
“Stay in your right state of mind and don’t let everyone else’s jump get in your head because you will throw your whole self off when you should know that you are capable of many things. And I know that I am capable of growing and getting better.”
of getting better and trust the work.”
The Defender spoke with Alix to discuss her keys to success and her lessons learned from the UIL silver medal performance.
LESSONS FROM UIL STATE JUMP
step up our level of work ethic and stuff like that. And pretty much build a schedule and stay consistent with it.”
Chris Carter (also trains with) 2022 triple jump silver medalist, USATF 2x All America triple jump, USATF U20 long jump “My mom and my coaches.”
“A lot of patience. Honestly once you learn patience you learn to work with people even the hard people to work with because there is a lot out there. Learn to work with yourself and what you are capable of
By Jodie B. Jiles
After earning a silver medal in the triple jump with a 20-foot jump at the UIL State track meet, Klein High School junior India Alix has been on a roll this summer improving her stats with a 21¼-foot jump. And after Alix won gold at the USATF U20, she is now officially on the radar of Team USA at the age of 17.
success in this league.”
SportsDN
WHAT TODAYPLAYERANTOTAKESITBENBA
The Defender spoke with the new first-round Houston Rockets rookies Jabari Smith Jr. (No. 3), Tari Eason (No. 17) and TyTy Washing ton Jr. (No. 29) to discuss their keys to becoming NBA players and men talities going into the NBA.
| 11June 30, 2022 | DEFENDER NETWORK
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