Houston Defender: August 29, 2013

AS HOUSTON MAYORAL RACE HEATS UP, FOCUS ON THE FACTS P9

OPINION

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NEWSTALK LARRY MARSHALL will not seek re-election

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Volume 82 | Number 44

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Labor Day special

P2 HS ZONE DEMETRIUS DAVIS carries ball for Sterling High

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CHAG’S PLACE OPINION

Workforce changing Houston Texans’ moms participate in back-to-school giveaway.

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Visit faces

Forest Whitaker embraces film Academy Award-winning actor Forest Whitaker has a lot to say about the film “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” which has become a box office hit. See why he wanted to portray a White House butler.

Learn what he says about working with co-star Oprah Winfrey. Discover his Texas connection.

Heishma Northern coaches PV A&M Prairie View A&M University football coach Heishma Northern has high hopes for the new season.

How will the team rebound from a disappointing record last year?

Who are the bright prospects and returning playmakers? Why does PV find itself in a unique dilemma at the QB position?

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 29 | 2013

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newstalk

Marshall not seeking re-election

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Defender News Services

rustee Larry Marshall is stepping down after serving 16 years on the HISD board. Four candidates are vying for his District IX position, including former HISD trustee W. Clyde Lemon and outgoing City Councilmember Wanda Adams.

Marshall was first elected to the board Larry Marshall W. Clyde Lemon Wanda Adams in 1997, and served as president in 1999 and in a bribery lawsuit and denies the allegations.

2009. He joined HISD as a teacher in 1955 and Lemon, who represented District IX before advanced to deputy superintendent by the time he Marshall, is an attorney. Adams is being termretired in 1991. He has recently been entangled

Center for women, children opens

limited after three terms on City Council. The other two candidates are educators Anthony Madry and Coretta Mallet-Fontenot.

Voters will go to the polls on Nov. 5 to elect trustees in four other HISD districts.

Incumbent Anna Eastman faces Hugo Mojica in District I. Incumbents Michael Luncheford (District V) and Greg Meyers (District VI) are unopposed. In District VII, incumbent Harvin C. Moore faces Anne Sung.

Next week: 1-on-1 with Larry Marshall

New TSU dean named

Defender News Services Texas Children’s Health Plan recently marked the opening of the Center for Children and Women, a patient and Participating in the Center for Children and Women ribbon-cutting are (l. to r.) Tangula Taylor, family-centered medical home Chris Born, Mark Wallace, Congresswomen Sheila Jackson Lee, Reggie Gray and Dr. Heidi for its members.

Schwarzwald.

The 50,000 square-foot facila laboratory and an onsite pharmacy. Dentistry will also be ity, located in the Greenspoint area, will include pediatricians, advance nurse practitioners, added to the scope of services in the coming months.

The facility is designed to address the shortage of priOB/GYNs, certified nurse midwives, optometry, imaging, Continued on Page 4

Texas Southern University has appointed Dr. Edward C. Stemley Jr. as dean of the College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He will assume his new role on Sept. 9.

Stemley previously served as vice chair in the Division of Clinical and Administrative Dr. Edward C. Stemley Sciences in the College of Pharmacy at Xavier University in New Orleans.

“I am very excited and grateful for the opportunity to become dean of a college that is positioned to excel,” he said.

Prior to joining Xavier, Stemley served as chief pharmacy officer at the Harris County Hospital District.

He received his Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Xavier and a master’s degree from Ohio State University.

localbriefs THE NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE FUND filed a motion to join the U.S. Department of Justice lawsuit as plaintiff interveners against Texas’ “racially discriminatory” photo ID law. The motion was filed on behalf of the Texas League of Young Voters Education Fund and a Black college student at Prairie View A&M University who previously voted using her student ID but does not have the photo ID that Texas is now requiring. The Justice Department filed the lawsuit against the State of Texas, the Texas Secretary of State and the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety……..THE COMPOSITE SCORE for all Texas students taking the ACT college admis-

sion test hit a new high of 20.9 according to a report released by ACT. In addition, the composite scores for African-American, Hispanic and white students are at all-time highs. “Our state’s ongoing commitment to rigor in the classroom is clearly evident in these national results,” said Texas Education Agency Commissioner Michael Williams. The 2013 composite score for African-American students in Texas is at an all-time high of 17.6, which is .7 higher than their national counterparts (16.9)……..A NEW HOUSING COMMUNITY for homeless and disabled veterans recently opened at 4500 Travis. The $18 million community features 192 units and offers

residents a variety of services, including job training, health screenings, legal assistance and counseling.

More than a dozen organizations collaborated on the project……..TWO NEW SCHOOL BUILDINGS constructed under HISD’s 2007 bond program have opened. Lockhart Elementary, located at 3200 Rosedale in Third Ward, dedicated its 750-student facility. Opening events included student performances, guest speakers and classroom tours. Atherton Elementary, located at 2011 Solo in Fifth Ward, is an 86,000-square foot school featuring modern science labs, a fine arts wing with dance studio, band and choir room, and a theater arts room.

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national

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D.C. march broadens focus unlettered grandmas who never saw the inside of a college campus who put their bodies on the line he 50th anniversary in Alabama and Mississippi and March on Washington sponsored you up here,” he said. celebrated a more diCongressman John Lewis (Dverse coalition, with the Ga.), the only surviving speaker central themes resonatfrom the 1963 March on Washinging around voting rights, jobs, gun ton, echoed Sharpton’s appeal to a violence and equality in minority broader audience. communities.

“All of us, it doesn’t matter if At this year’s march, Blacks, we’re Black, white, Native Ameriprogressive whites and the labor can, Asian American. It doesn’t movement were joined by Latino matter if we’re straight or gay. We groups and Native Americans, are one family, we are one house, Asian Americans, the Gay and and we all live in the same house.”

Lesbian community and members of Joseph Lowery, a co-founder women’s rights and children’s rights of SCLC and one of its past presiorganizations to keep Dr. Martin dents, talked about the intervening Luther King Jr.’s dream alive. years between 1963 and now.

U.S. Attorney General Eric “Everything has changed and Holder credited Dr. King for bringing nothing has changed.” Lowery about profound changes in the United said “We came to Washington to States. commemorate, but we are going “Their march is now our march,” home to agitate.” he said. “Our focus has broadened to Myrlie Evers-Williams, include the cause of women, of LatiParticipants leading the way at the 50th anniversary March on Washington include Trayvon Martin’s mom Sybrina Fulton, NAACP board chair and widow nos, of Asian-Americans, of lesbians, National Urban League President Marc Morial, Congressman John Lewis and Rev. Al Sharpton.

(NNPA Photo by Freddie Allen) of slain civil rights leader Medgar of gays, of people with disabilities and Evers, implored marchers to stand of countless others across this great Washington having [ridden] in the back of buses. Some came their ground for justice and equality, country who still yearn for equality, “because there are efforts to turn back the clock of freedom.” opportunity and fair treatment as we recommit ourselves to the to Washington that couldn’t stop and buy a cup of coffee until they got across the Mason-Dixon Line…but they came to Rev. Jesse Jackson, who attended both marches, recalled quest for justice.”

Washington so that we could come today in a different time the time he spent as an aide to Dr. King.

Rev. Al Sharpton, founder of the National Action Netand a different place and we owe them for what we have “[Dr. King’s] mission was to disturb the comfortable and work and one of the key organizers of this year’s “National today,” he said. comfort the disturbed and he was determined to remain perAction to Realize the Dream” said the march was built on Sharpton chastised those who ignore the past. manently maladjusted until all of God’s children had a meal activists who stood on the same ground five decades earlier.

“Don’t act like whatever you achieved, you achieved for their bodies, education for their minds, and health care “There will be those that miscast this as some great social because you were that smart. You got there because some for their infirmities,” Jackson said. event but let us remember that 50 years ago some came to

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NNPA News Service

Whites who kill Blacks less likely to be punished VOLUME 82 • NUMBER 44 AUGUST 29, 2013 Publisher Print Editor Marilyn Marshall Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Art Director Advertising/Client Relations Tony Fernandez-Davila Selma Dodson Tyler People Editor Strategic Alliance Manager Yvette Chargois Clyde Jiles Sports Editors Multimedia Manager Max Edison Tiffany Williams Darrell K. Ardison Online Editor Contributing Writer ReShonda Billingsley Aswad Walker 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).

NNPA News Service When a Florida jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, the scales of justice had been tipped in Zimmerman’s favor long before opening arguments began.

According to a recent report by the Urban Institute, when the accused is white and the victim is Black, there is a far a greater chance that the homicide will be ruled justified.

“The odds a white-on-Black homicide is found justified is 281 percent greater than the odds a whiteon-white homicide is found justified,” the study found.

Criminal justice reform activists say that stand

your ground laws are likely to compound that racial disparity.

The Urban Institute also discovered that the known facts of the Zimmerman case point to an outcome that is more common than many Americans would like to admit.

“Several facts about the Martin homicide are known. Zimmerman and Martin were strangers, they were the only two people involved in the incident, neither was law enforcement, a handgun was used in the homicide, Zimmerman was white, Martin was Black, and Zimmerman was older than Martin,” stated the report.

When those facts are present, the homicide is six times more likely to be ruled justified.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 29 | 2013

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Center for Women... Continued from page 2 mary care medical needs for the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) populations.

The center aims to ensure that patients receive proper care by providing extended hours to accommodate the busy schedules of members, who will also have full support of other services such as behavioral health, social workers, care coordinators and nutritionists.

“We help guide patients through the process from start to finish,” stated Tangula Taylor, director of operations at the center. “If the patient comes in for a routine medical appointment and it is determined they need to see an optometrist, we schedule the appointment for the same day. Our goal is to make sure the patient walks out with all of their comprehensive needs met.”

Texas Children’s Health Plan was founded in 1996 by Texas Children’s Hospital and is the nation’s first HMO created just for children. For information visit TexasChildrensHealthT:4.79” Plan.org or JoinTheCenter.org.

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from

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Tommy Salazar / Eddie Jacobson

approvals

Implementation of METRORail’s Red Line Extension to Northline Transit Center; discontinuation of route 15; route and schedule modifications to routes 24 and 79 (December 2013).

Copies of proposed timetables and maps will be available Friday, August 23, 2013, for public

None printed review at at the following locations:

• Online - RideMETRO.org • METRO Administration Building - 1900 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002 from 8:00 a.m.

Fonts to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, and at our three METRO Outreach Offices located at: Helvetica (Black), Helvetica Neue (Medium, Bold, 77 Bold Condensed, 57 Condensed), Arial (Regular)○ Las Palmas Shopping Center at 6215 Harrisburg (served by route 50) ○ Palm Center at 5330 Griggs, Suite A104 (served by routes 5, 77) ○ 2613 Fulton (served by routes 15, 78) Images

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Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TX (METRO)

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TX (METRO) will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, September 4, 2013, at noon, to receive public comment about proposed service changes. The proposed service changes include:

The public hearing will be held in the METRO Board Room on the 2nd floor at 1900 Main Street in Houston, TX (served by METRO routes 3, 9, 11, 15, 24, 30, 44, 52, 56, 60, 66, 77, 78, 79, 88, 102, 108, 137, 249, and METRORail). The meeting will also be streamed live on www.RideMETRO.org.

It’s your future.

TOMMY-MPRO

Notice of Public Hearing

Discontinuation of service on routes 216 West Little York – Pinemont and 219 Northwest Station – West Little York – Pinemont to and from the Pinemont Park & Ride lot, and closure of the Pinemont Park & Ride lot (January 2014).

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None None None NORMA VARGAS None

No matter your passion, HCC can help turn your dreams into reality.

DUE: 08/22If you’re just getting started, PUB: 08/29or starting a new chapter, we have the skills and knowledge that meet your goals and your schedule. HCC has convenient locations and hundreds of programs and degree plans.

What are you waiting for?

Go get it. It’s yours. notes

None Inks Black

How to Comment about the Service Change You may attend the public hearing, or write to us at METRO, 1900 Main Street, Houston, TX 77002. Include “ATTN: December 2013 Service Changes” as appropriate. You may also fax your comments to 713-652-7956 with a subject line referencing the December 2013 Service Changes, or call METRO’s Customer Service line at 713-635-4000 with your comments.

Visit METRO’s website at RideMETRO.org to make comments. Comments should be received by METRO no later than the date and time of the public hearing.

Help for People with Disabilities For individuals with disabilities, assistive services or copies of public documents in an alternate format can be provided. Please call 713-750-4271 or 713-635-6993 (for persons with a hearing impairment) a minimum of five (5) working days prior to the public hearing.

Language Interpretation Any person who requires language interpretation or special communication accommodations is encouraged to contact METRO Community Outreach at 713-739-4018, or via email at km13@ridemetro.org. Every reasonable effort will be made to accommodate your needs.

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

Your journey begins here.

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

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

visit hccs.edu to learn about our logistics program

Its your future Defender Fall 2013 .indd 1

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AUGUST 29 | 2013 | DEFENDER

entertainment

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Forest Whitaker stars in ‘The Butler’

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By KAM WILLIAMS Special to the Defender

orest Whitaker is one of Hollywood’s most accomplished performers. He received a Best Actor Academy Award and Golden Globe Award for his performance in “The Last King of Scotland,” and won a Cannes Film Festival Best Actor Award for “Bird.”

Whitaker also has a Texas connection. He was born in Longview, and his family moved to California when he was four.

In addition to his film work, Whitaker is the founder of PeaceEarth Foundation, cofounder and chair of the International Institute for Peace, and the UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador for Peace and Reconciliation.

Whitaker was the 2007 recipient of the Cinema for Peace Award, and sits on the board of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. In addition, he serves as a senior research scholar at Rutgers University, and as a visiting professor at Ringling College of Art and Design.

Whitaker’s impressive resume includes roles in “The Great Debaters,” “The Crying Game,” “Panic Room” and “Platoon.” Here, he talks about his latest outing as the title character in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler,” the box office hit chronicling the life and career of an African-American who served eight presidents in the White House.

KW: What interested you in “The Butler?”

FW: It’s an amazing story. And the script was beautiful in the way it followed this man who served eight presidents and portrayed his

love for his family, as well as the love between him and his son. So, I saw it as offering a great challenge and opportunity.

And I thought that Lee [director Lee Daniels] would do a wonderful job with the script as a filmmaker, so that was an attraction as well. And I had wanted to work with Oprah, so all of that came together to afford me this tremendous opportunity.

KW: Did the film’s father-son relationship resonate with you when you reflected upon your relationship with your own dad?

FW: Yes, it’s hard to always understand and appreciate your father when you’re coming up, especially since my dad had three jobs when we moved to L.A. So, he was always working. Plus, coming from the South, from Texas, he had a certain way of disciplining that made it hard for me to appreciate, at the time.

You don’t fully appreciate the reasons why or the sacrifices that were being made until a later age. In some ways it did parallel the journey of ultimate appreciation that we see in the movie of me towards my son and my son towards me.

KW: How did you prepare for the role of Cecil Gaines?

FW: I trained with a butler coach for quite some time. And I studied the history and, of course, tried to make that a part of my own emotional understanding of the time period and the presidency. In terms of the aging process, I particularly had to work on

movement and mannerisms.

I also tried to understand the dialect and speech patterns. And I worked on how I could

“Teach,” a special celebrating teachers in America, which airs Friday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. on CBS. Latifah, the daughter of a New Jersey public school teacher, said there is no profession more essential than that of an educator. “My mother was a teacher at the same high school I attended, and she was a great teacher who, in fact, was loved by all and played an important role in so many of her students’ lives,” she said.

The special looks at a year in the life of four public school teachers……..STEVE HARVEY is preparing for his third season as host of the hit syndicated game show, “Family Feud,” which kicks off its 2013 season on Sept. 16. Featured families traveled from across o the U.S. to participate on the show, and auditions were held in such cities as Austin, Atlantic City and San Francisco. The show has received

impressive ratings since Harvey signed on, and last season tied “Wheel of Fortune” in household ratings and surpassed “Jeopardy” for the first time........KENDRICK LAMAR received 14 nominations for the BET Hip-Hop Awards.

DRAKE earned 13 nominations and J. COLE received 10. SNOOP DOGG hosts the awards show, which tapes on Sept. 28 and airs on Oct. 15…….. CUBA GOODING JR. gave his final performance in “The Trip to Bountiful.” Gooding made his Broadway debut in the acclaimed revival and can currently be seen onscreen in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.”

LEON ADDISON BROWN will assume Gooding’s role of “Ludie” and takes the stage alongside CICELY TYSON, VANESSA WILLIAMS and rising star ADEPERO ODUYE.

Continued on Page 8

what’sup “WINNIE MANDELA,” starring JENNIFER HUDSON in the title role and TERRENCE HOWARD as NELSON MANDELA, arrives in theaters on Sept. 6. The film is described as an “epic story of love, sacrifice and courage.”

It chronicles how a young Winnie found love with a rising political star, Mandela. After he is imprisoned for protesting the apartheid government, she works to win his freedom, and ends up being persecuted herself. Winnie Mandela criticized the film. “I was not consulted,” she told CNN. “I am still alive, and I think that it is a total disrespect to come to South Africa, make a movie about my struggle, and call that movie some translation of a romantic life of Winnie Mandela.”

The Mandelas were divorced in 1996, six years after he was released from prison……..QUEEN LATIFAH will host

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 29 | 2013

Face of American workplace evolving

By ELESKA AUBESPIN Defender

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he workforce landscape in America is changing and by all accounts, these changes are due to several factors.

Technological advances and immigration play a role, as well as the identities of the workers themselves, includBrian Dickens ing age, ethnicity, and education, among other things.

Also playing a role in workforce changes are employers who are not only redefining the way they operate, but also broadening the scope of whom they employ.

What this means for employees, especially Black employees, is that they must bring their skills, education and diverse backgrounds to the table in order to successfully ride this tide of evolution.

Both workers and employers who rec- Lois Blyden ognize these changing trends and ultimately keep up with them will be successful in the future, said Brian Dickens, associate vice president over human resources and payroll services at Texas Southern University.

“Workforce and workplace trends that are emerging [include] rapid globalization, health plan redesigns, wellness incentives, cost containment, demographic shifts and emerging technologies,” Dickens said.

“These trends have substantially altered the human resource landscape and will continue for the foreseeable future, creating competitive advantage for organizations that can anticipate, adapt and manage human capital strategically in the face of accelerating external change,” he added.

Throw into the mix that more employees are working longer hours or changing jobs, more businesses are hiring temporary staffers and more people are working on contract, and there are even bigger and more challenging changes to face.

There are numbers to confirm these current trends and future predictions when it comes to the changing face of the American workplace and workforce.

According to a recent U.S. Department of Labor report called “Futurework,” immigration will drive a population spike in the next 50 years and there will be a larger pool of workers to draw from.

Those workers will be more diversified, bringing different religions, perspectives, backgrounds and ideas.

Population shift

According to the “Futurework” report, the white population is expected to dip from 73 to 53 percent between 2000 and 2050. On the other hand, the Hispanic population will increase from 10 to 25 percent.

The Black population will remain fairly steady, going from 12 to 14 percent during that time period. The number of Asians and Pacific Islanders will jump from 3 to 8 percent.

Baby boomers in the workforce are getting older and reaching retirement age; more people are graduating from high Martin Wickliff school and college but there is disparity in education rates between ethnic and racial groups. That disparity likely means a disparity in earning levels in the future, the report said.

More women are expected to work full-time and are running their own businesses, with about 60 percent from home, according to the Department of Labor report.

To help cope with these changes, employers are being more inclusive, flexible and sensitive to their employees’ needs.

By doing this, employers can become more productive and workers can reap the benefits.

“Employers are more proactive in trying to have a better working environment with their employees,” said employment expert A. Martin Wickliff Jr., an attorney with Cozen O’Connor’s Houston office.

“With a better working relationship, the more productivity increases and the more profitable employers are,” Wickliff added. “Therefore they can pay more bonuses and higher wages.”

Wickliff, who was named one of the nation’s most powerful employment attorneys by Human Resource Executive Magazine, said employers have become more sensitive and attentive to their relationships with their employees. That means fair treatment and a comfortable, but diverse workplace. It also means an opportunity to handle conflict internally.

Resolving issues

“If employees have issues, questions or complaints, rather than going to a third party like a government agency or union, employers are hoping employees will file internal complaints to see if issues can be resolved internally,” Wickliff said.

“I am seeing more companies trying to resolve issues more quickly and efficiently than before,” he said.

“Companies are creating these employee handbooks so that people understand their benefits, rights, policies and the procedures to make the workplace more productive for employees.”

Along with workforce diversity and different employer strategies, technology is greatly impacting how the workplace operates.

“Technology has changed the workplace significantly

cover

Labor Day

Workforce in the past few years,” said Professor Lois Blyden, who teaches business law at Prairie View A&M University.

“Remote access means thousands of people can work from a home office instead of commuting. Computers allow businesses to continue working while traveling. We are sure to witness more positive changes in the workplace due to technology,” Blyden said.

Gone are the days that businesses used paper and pencil to keep track of financial statistics. And machines have replaced work that previously required human labor.

“Modern technology has improved the efficiency of the modern workplace,” Blyden said. “Due to this efficiency, business owners have reduced human labor greatly. A receptionist is no longer needed in the modern workplace.”

Blyden said educational institutions play a key role in ensuring that future employees keep up with changing times.

Workers, particularly Blacks, must be armed with tools like education, skills and a good work ethnic to not only compete in a changing workforce but also thrive in it.

“It is the responsibility of schools to provide the necessary tools for students to transition into the workplace,” Blyden said.

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Tips for Black employees The face of the American workforce is changing. According to experts, here is what Blacks can to do to keep up: • African-Americans in particular must ensure that they are actively involved in professional development to help improve their personal brand equity.

• Get the education and skills needed to compete.

• In college, major in a subject that will make you competitive in the workforce. Major in growing industries such as gas, energy, law or healthcare.

• People who are technologically savvy have a leg up. In every industry, technology is critical. If you want to get ahead, you’ve got to know about technology and social media.

• Find a mentor, someone in a particular industry who can help guide you through the nuances of what it will take to get into a company and how to progress once you are there.

• Be prompt, friendly, assertive, have good work ethics and be diversity-minded.

ay update

Q&A:

On-the-job trends management strategy. This may be justified as a cost saving measure given the additional expenses associated with a growing full-time workforce.

Defender: How has technology changed the workplace?

Dickens: Technology is ever evolving and will continue to drive the nature and method of delivering work products globally.

Technology also provides greater opportunities for a telecommuting workforce, which provides for fewer desks and corporate headquarters in terms of actual space needed.

Defender: How can Blacks keep up with workforce changes?

Dickens: In order to keep up with these trends and to remain relevant and necessary, people must ensure that they are adding value to their organizations.

Brian Dickens is associate vice president, human resources, at Texas Southern University. In a Q&A he discussed trends in the workforce.

Defender: Why is diversity important?

Dickens: The pressures and reality of globalization really emphasize the need for a more diverse workforce. The trend of diversity, equity and inclusion continues to be a common theme for organizations that wish to be competitive and relevant in the future.

Defender: Are more people working on contract?

Dickens: Organizations are focused more on contingent workforces rather than building their full-time employee workforce numbers. Companies appear to be migrating more to the temporary staffing models as a permanent component of their overall talent

e changing

Facts & figures The U.S. Department of Labor report, “Futurework – Trends and Challenges for Work in the 21st Century,” lists the following facts:

• More women and people with disabilities will be on the job.

Diversity

• The use of computers and the Internet in workplaces will become more pervasive and the functions performed using computers will dramatically increase.

• The influence of technology will go beyond new equipment and faster communications, as work and skills will be redefined and reorganized.

• By 2050, the U.S. population is expected to increase by 50 percent, and minority groups will make up nearly half the population.

• The Black population will remain fairly steady, going from 12 to 14 percent from 2000 to 2050.

• Immigration will account for almost two-thirds of the nation’s population growth.

• One-quarter of all Americans will be of Hispanic origin.

• Almost one in ten Americans will be of Asian or Pacific Islander descent.

he Houston area for over 80 years

Technology

Challenges

• The challenge of flexibility and family as employers seek more flexibility to compete in the global marketplace and workers pursue more oppor-

tunities to spend time with loved ones.

• The challenge of destiny and diversity as employers hire from a more diverse pool of workers in the future, creating new opportunities for economic growth but also raising the potential for persistent discrimination and inequality.

Alternatives

• Roughly 1 in 10 workers fits into an alternative arrangement. Nearly four out of five employers use some form of nontraditional staffing arrangement.

• America’s alternative workers number 13 million. The majority (8.5 million) are independent contractors. A growing number (1.3 million) are agency temporary workers.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 29 | 2013

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Firest Whitaker... Continued from page 5 communicate my thoughts more clearly without words. I wanted to fill myself up enough so that you would be able to feel my thoughts, even in scenes where I would say nothing.

KW: Is there a story about an icon that you would like to direct and star in?

FW: Yes, there’s a film I’ve been developing world. about Louis Armstrong KW: If you could have a suthat I’d like to direct and perpower, which one would you star in. I wrote the script choose? and really believe in it. I FW: I’d be a spreader of think it’s something I’ll love. probably do next year, KW: If you had to choose although I haven’t made another profession, what would a final decision about Forest Whitaker portrays Cecil Gaines and Robin Williams portrays President Dwight D. Eisenhower in “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.” that be? whether I should direct it FW: I’d either be a natural or not. It’s a really special from Ashes.” healer or a teacher. story.

KW: What excites you?

KW: What key quality do you believe all KW: You produced the extraordinary FW: Two things: The success of my chilsuccessful people share?

“Fruitvale Station.” Is this a new role you see dren, and the work for social justice that I do FW: Passion! for yourself? with my foundation.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone FW: The truth is, I produce one or two KW: When you look in the mirror, what do who wants to follow in your footsteps? movies every year, both independent and studio you see?

FW: Always tell yourself that you want to films. I’ll continue to produce. In fact, I have FW: I see someone who is continuing to continue to grow, and you’ll be more connected a documentary that just came out about the try to build his connection with the rest of the to growth.

Rwandan National Cycling team called “Rising

“The script was beautiful in the way it followed this man who served eight presidents .”

PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County, TX (METRO) Public Hearing for FY2014 Operating & Capital Budgets The Public Hearing for METRO’s FY2014 Operating & Capital Budgets will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2013, at 8:30 a.m. in the METRO Board Room at 1900 Main Street on the 2nd floor in Houston, TX. METRO’s FY2014 Operating & Capital Budgets will be available for public review beginning Thursday, September 12, 2013, at METRO headquarters at 1900 Main Street on the 14th floor.

Contact Aly Alonso at 713-739-4009 to schedule a time to review the documents in person. Also, you are urged to visit METRO’s website, RideMETRO.org, to view the documents and make comments.

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AUGUST 29 | 2013 | DEFENDER

Marching orders for the future

By GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA Columnist

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ow that we’ve had two events at the Lincoln Memorial to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1963 March on Washington, it is important to remember a few things about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. beyond his “I Have a Dream” speech.

The question is always asked: What happens after the marches are over?

Demonstrators left Bill Day, Cagle Cartoons Washington, D.C. in 1963 determined to change the American landscape. Consequently, we had passage of the 1965 Civil Rights Act, the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the 1968 Fair Housing Act. Those laws were passed not because of a speech in the nation’s capital, but because of the hard work and dedication of people at the local, state and national level to bring about change.

While the “I Have a Dream” speech might have been Dr. King’s most popular oration, it was not his most substantive one. A far more important one was his “Mountaintop” speech, delivered in Memphis the night before he was assassinated.

In that speech, Dr. King outlined a plan for economic empowerment and told us how to strengthen our institutions to accomplish that goal. He reminded us, “Always anchor our external direct action with the power of economic withdrawal.”

Dr. King explained: “We don’t have to argue with anybody. We don’t have to curse and go around acting bad with our words. We don’t need any bricks and bottles, we don’t need any Molotov cocktails. We just need to go around to these stores, and to these massive industries in our country, and say, ‘God sent us by here, to say to you that you’re not treating his children right. And we’ve come by here to ask you to make the first item on your agenda – fair treatment, where God’s children are concerned. Now, if you are not prepared to do that, we do have an agenda that we must follow.

And our agenda calls for withdrawing economic support from you.”

He urged us to “strengthen our Black institutions” by patronizing them.

Instead of placing so much emphasis on what Dr. King said in 1963, we should look at what he was doing at the time of his death.

He wasn’t trying to create a special commission or hold conferences on how to strengthen the middle class.

He was organizing a Poor Peoples Campaign, a trek to

opinion

Mayoral race shaping up

Focus on the facts

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Washington, D.C. to dramatize the urgent need to help the least among us.

After President Lyndon B. Johnson shifted his focus from the War on Poverty to the war in Vietnam, Dr. King and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) launched an effort in 1968 to seek economic justice for poor Blacks, whites, Latinos and Native Americans. The idea was to have another March on Washington that would force political leaders to address the issue of poverty.

SCLC continued the Poor People’s March after King’s death, erecting a tent city on the Mall. After six weeks, demonstrators were evicted.

Today, the poor are still suffering. Poverty is defined as a family of four being able to live off of $23,021 a year. Today, a record 46.2 million people –15 percent of the U.S. population – are living in poverty.

One of the goals of the 1963 March on Washington was a minimum wage that could lift a family of four out of poverty. They demanded that the minimum wage of $1.15 an hour be increased to $2 an hour. As a report by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI) titled, “The Unfinished March: An Overview,” noted, “The inflationadjusted value of the minimum wage today is about $2.00 less than it was at its peak value in 1968.”

Worse than living on below-poverty wages is to have no job at all.

“Even when the national unemployment rate has been low, the African American unemployment rate has been high,” the EPI report stated. “For example, in 2000, when the national unemployment rate was 4.0 percent, and the non-Hispanic white unemployment rate was 3.1 percent, the unemployment rate of non-Hispanic blacks was still 7.6 percent.”

When he was assassinated, Dr. King was helping organize garbage workers in Memphis. He was not dreaming because he was not asleep. We honor him by continuing his work, not by merely continuing to recite his “I Have a Dream” speech.

n less than 90 days Houston will determine who will be the mayor. We have two strong frontrunners in the race – Mayor Annise Parker and challenger Ben Hall – along with others in the line-up.

The Defender has done business with both of them and Houston is blessed to have quality candidates. With that said, the race is heating up and misinformation is swirling out of control.

Beware of people painting one candidate or another in a bad light. Always question their motives.

Examples are the usage of the words “fledgling campaign” – when both candidates have experienced campaign staff. Another example is criticizing one candidate for having lived in the suburbs yet omitting his 27 years of living and paying taxes in Houston. Many of our policemen, firemen and administrators live in the suburbs but that has nothing to do with whether they care about our city or their ability to serve.

Granted, we need to address the issue of urban flight and the drain on the city’s tax base. But don’t tailor the facts to help one candidate or another.

The Defender does not endorse candidates in elections. We believe our purpose is to provide voters with the facts and information about the candidates so they can decide who to vote for.

Be suspicious of those who do endorse because there is an agenda attached. Voters should not blindly follow these endorsements unless their personal politics align with those doing the endorsing.

In the interest of full disclosure, Jodie L. Jiles, the husband of Defender publisher Sonceria Messiah Jiles, is serving as co-chair of Ben Hall’s finance committee.

Regardless of who works for whom, or who buys ads in the Defender, it does not sway our responsibility as an information source to seek the truth and let you, OUR READER, know the facts.

YOU the VOTER have the responsibility of deciding which candidate will operate in your best interest – not the Defender. Don’t take the privilege of voting for granted. Register to vote and exercise your right to vote. In the meantime...

FOCUS ON THE FACTS.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 29 | 2013

sports

PV Panthers plan to move forward

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By MAX EDISON Defender

ntering his third year at the helm, head coach Heishma Northern knows this is a critical year for the Prairie View A&M University football program.

Over the past seven years, the Panthers have been one of the amazing turnaround stories in FCS (formerly Division 1AA) college football.

Now a program with a winning tradition and a 2009 conference championship, the team must rebound from a heartbreaking 3-8 campaign in 2012 to recapture its momentum.

It’s not like the cupboard is bare on the “Hill.”

The Panthers have no fewer than seven players selected to the preseason All-SWAC team. They return 13 starters, eight on offense and five on defense from the 2012 squad.

Offensively for the Panthers it starts up front in the line. Preseason All-Conference candidates center Dillon Bonnet (redshirt sophomore) and tackle Tre Glover (junior) will anchor an offense that led the conference in offense (414.7 yards per game).

At the game’s most pivotal position, the Panthers have a unique dilemma – two quality quarterbacks.

Juniors Jerry Lovelock and De’Auntre Smiley have both won key games for Northern during their careers. Both have been named conference Player of the Week at various times during their careers.

“We’re confident with either quarterback as the

offense does not have to change much with either one of those guys playing,” Northern said.

“We have some comfort as both guys have been in and able to put up a good numbers of points on the scoreboard versus a variety of opponents, and have been in contention for a number of awards.”

Whoever the quarterback is, he will hand off to a trio of talented backs. Fred Anderson (junior), Johnta Hebert (sophomore) and Courtney Brown (junior) will be the principals in the ground attack.

Wideouts Robert Primes (senior), Deandre Cooper (redshirt senior), Jacoby Anderson (senior) and Gabe Dunlap (junior) are all experienced receivers and proven playmakers.

Junior tight end Olatunde Idowu is a preseason All-Conference candidate who figures to be a reliable security blanket for either QB. Defensively, Northern has brought in a dynamic new defensive coordinator in Charles McMillian, who has had stops at Boise State, Cincinnati, the Naval Academy and Indiana.

“We still plan to be very aggressive defensively,” Northern said. “At the end of the day we simply want to put guys in position to make plays when they have a chance, something we didn’t always do last year.”

Meshak Williamson (junior), Darrien PattersonRamsey (junior) and Amir Smith (redshirt senior) coupled with recent junior college transfers Chima Nduka and Brock

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Jerome Howard

Linebacker Howard is an AllConference candidate for the Panthers.

Newton will anchor an explosive defensive front.

Preseason All-Conference candidate Jerome Howard (junior) leads an outstanding group of linebackers. He’ll be joined by Raheem Cardwell (redshirt senior), Danny Brownell (redshirt junior) and James Paul Bryant (redshirt freshman).

Texas A&M transfer Desmond Gardiner will lead an inexperienced secondary group that will have to grow up in a hurry. Foster Brown (redshirt freshman), David Metcalf (junior) and Chris Motley (senior) will all figure in the mix.

If a game comes down to special teams, the Panthers are talented there as well. Punter Travis Jatzlau (junior) and place kicker Chris Barrick (sophomore) and return specialist Hebert are all preseason All-Conference candidates.

The Panthers have a talented team that lost several key conference games in 2012 late in the fourth quarter. With an additional year of experience the team could be a contender in the SWAC’s West division.

Tackle Glover helps anchor Prairie View A&M’s offense this year.

Tre Glover

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AUGUST 29 | 2013 | DEFENDER

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h.s.zone

sportsbriefs Jackson verbally commits

Colbert begins second stint at Sterling

By DARRELL K. ARDISON Defender

I

n the words of soul/pop group Shalamar, “The second time around is so much better.”

Sterling High School head football coach Dwayne Colbert is hoping to make those words transition into reality as he begins his second tour of duty at the HISD school.

Colbert served as head coach of the Raiders for five years from 2007 to 2011 before leaving to become offensive coordinator at Kashmere High School during the 2012 season.

He was asked to return to Sterling for the 2013 season.

“We’re going to treat this like it’s a brand new program starting from the ground up and build a foundation,” Colbert said, following his squad’s final scrimmage against Milby at Barnett Stadium. “This is going to be a new Sterling and a new Dwayne Colbert at the helm as head coach.”

Of the 30 players on Sterling varsity squad last season, 26 were lost to graduation.

Among the four returning players, one is out six to eight weeks due to an injury.

Another returning player is senior running back Demetrius Davis, who Colbert says is one of the top backs in District 23-3A. “Demetrius brings experience and explosiveness to the table,” Colbert said. “Last season he was the backup to Jarvis Duckworth and every time he got in the game and touched the ball, he did a great job.

“Now, it’s his turn to be the No. 1 back in our offense.

He can catch the ball, he can run the ball and he can block. He can do it all,” Colbert said.

Davis is also optimistic about the 2013 high school football season.

“This is going to be our year, the class of 2014,” Davis

said. “In my position, you have to be strong and keep your head up. Every good back has to have good field vision as well as cutback vision.”

Davis will combine in the offensive backfield with running back Cory Lee and quarterback Tyrond Blackmon. Defensive back Dionte Miller is being counted on to provide leadership on the other side of the ball.

“This is a very young group of players and we’ve still got a lot of work to do,” Colbert said. “We don’t have the quantity of players that some programs have. Yet I’m always looking for quality whether it’s 15 players or 50. We’re inexperienced and we’ve got some growing pains to go through.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge and we’re going to upset some people this season,” Colbert said.

While Kashmere passed the ball quite a bit in 2012 en route to winning the district title with Colbert calling most of the plays, the Raiders will attempt to be a little more balanced with young receivers that will be put to the test.

Unlike last season, four Class 3A schools will advance to the postseason instead of three. Yates’ dominance at the top of the district standings could be in jeopardy under firstyear head coach Jeff Caeser.

“In my opinion, I look at Worthing and Kashmere as the top two teams in this district,” Colbert said. “Furr and Booker T. Washington will be in the running and we hope to be as well.”

Sterling will open the 2013 high school football season Aug. 29 against Sharpstown at Barnett Stadium. The Raiders will play seven games at Barnett during the 2013 season, including the second game (Sept. 6) against Willowridge.

Colbert says he knows Sharpstown runs a fast-paced, no-huddle offense and his

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Justin Jackson, a 6-foot-7 forward from Homeschool Christian Youth Association, has verbally committed to attend the University of North Carolina. Ranked No. 14 overall in the Class of 2014 by ESPN, Jackson selected the Tar Heels over Arizona, Ohio State, Texas A&M, Virginia and Washington. “I thought North Carolina was the place for me and my visit sealed the deal,” Jackson said. “The atmosphere was great and coach [Roy] Williams is one of the best. I think he wants another national championship ring.”

Jackson was selected to participate in the recent Under Armour Elite 24 basketball game in New York City. Prominent alumni of the Under Armour Elite game include No. 1 NBA draft picks John Wall (Washington Wizards, 2010) and Kyrie Irving (Cleveland Cavaliers, 2011).

Road race benefits academy

Coach Dwayne Colbert and running back Demetrius Davis

team’s physical conditioning will be severely tested in the season opener. He reminded his players of that fact following the scrimmage against Milby.

“Sharpstown goes nonstop on both sides of the ball

and we’ll need to grow up in a hurry,” he said.

For Dwayne Colbert’s feelings on the UIL’s new rule limiting contact during high school football practice, go to defendernetwork.com and click on high school sports.

classified

Does Your Home Still Have Damage From Hurricane Ike? The Disaster Recovery HAP Program is intended to provide housing assistance to those affected by Hurricane Ike. Activities for approved applicants include rehabilitating or reconstructing homes on its current site, or relocating applicants to areas of higher opportunity. Completing an outreach form does not guarantee qualification for the program.

What are the eligibility requirements?    

You must meet HUD established income limits.

You must have owned and occupied your home at the time of the hurricane.

You must currently own your home.

Your home must have hurricane damage.

What are the program options?   

Repair of your existing home Replacing your existing home with a new home Voluntary relocation to another qualified area

Applications Are Limited.

How do I apply for the program?  

Houston Housing and Community Development Department Call Center at 713-865-4565

The intake process is scheduled for 90 days. Due to limited funding, intake may close early if sufficient forms are received. Please apply now.

Houston’s 12K of Christmas is a new road race (7.45 miles) set for Dec. 21 with runners starting and finishing at Discovery Houston in the middle of downtown. The 12K race will begin at 7:45 a.m. and will take runners through the streets of downtown Houston and the popular midtown area. Yellowstone Academy will serve as beneficiary and 10 percent of all race registration fees will be donated to the organization. Yellowstone Academy was established for the purpose of creating a high quality faith-based private school serving students living in poverty. Located in Houston’s Third Ward community, Yellowstone Academy recently celebrated its 10th anniversary as well as graduating its first eighth-grade class.

Vince Young a Packer It looks like former Madison High School and University of Texas All-American Vince Young has found a home in the “Land of Cheese.” Young signed with the Green Bay Packers to compete for the back-up job behind Aaron Rodgers. It is being reported that the Packers have decided to cut Young’s primary competition Graham Harrell (Texas Tech) who has looked very unimpressive in three preseason contests. VY on the other hand, with limited experience in the Packers west coast offense, has improved in every outing, despite missing OT’s, mini-camp and the early weeks of training camp. Young has shown glimpses of the talent that made him the NFL’s Rookie of the Year (2006) and a two-time Pro-Bowler. Let’s hope he can continue to improve.

Tigers land big man It’s being reported that Aaric Murray, a 6-foot10 center, has decided to come to Texas Southern University. Murray will transfer from West Virginia. He recently graduated and has one year of eligibility. The great news is Murray a big man who can ball. The bad news is he’s had off-thefield issues. He was arrested in December 2011 for marijuana possession. He was suspended in 2012

by West Virginia. “Aaric Murray will be a big addition to our team and he will give us a chance to compete at the highest level of the SWAC,” Tiger head coach Mike Davis proclaimed.

Truer words have never been spoken. We hope Murray can take advantage of this opportunity.

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DEFENDER | AUGUST 29 | 2013

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For Event Coverage...visit

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chag’splace

his mom Karen Johnson, who is the president BACK TO SCHOOL…..As thousands of children and founder of PACE Moms. Others in attendance headed back to school, two organizations partincluded Jacoby Jones’ mom Emily Jones, Wade nered to make sure they had the essentials needed Smith’s mom Sheila Smith, DLW to start school. The DLW ScholFoundation board members, Sue arship & Charitable Foundation Join Yvette Chargois and Lionel Feazell, Angelee and along with the Professional Events of the Week Athletes Celebrities and EnterGeorge Rhyne and Veronica and More photos on defendernetwork.com tainers Mothers Organization Keith Williams, and Cynthia and See Events on KTRK Ch.13’s Crossroads (PACE Moms) held their annual Azell Carter, Mary Young and Juwith Melanie Lawson Sunday Morning @ 11 a.m. back-to-school book bag givelian Rhyne, to name a few. Continaway and community festival ued success!.........HEALTH FAIR….. at Hobby Elementary School.

The Bay City Alumnae Chapter of They gave away hundreds of backpacks and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. hosted a health schools supplies to students in Pre-K to 5th grades. fair at the Westside Event Center in Pearland. The PACE and DLW Foundation continuously seek to event consisted of diabetes and glucose screening, make a difference in the lives of children and their body composition analysis, blood pressure screenparents. Several Houston Texans made appearing and much more. An abundance of informaances as well as some retired NFL players. Among tion regarding free health services in Brazoria those attending were Texan Andre Johnson and County was available for attendees as well as free

Lionel Feazell, Angelee Rhyne, Veronica Williams and Sue Feazell

Alisa Gordon and Marcy Wilson

Sheila Smith, Karen Johnson and Emily Jones

Mary Woodward, Marlisa Allen and Demecia Davis

B-day girl Verna Reece and Rosemary Clark

Joanne Sullivan and Anthony Freddie

massages and a zumba fitness class. Some of the attendees included president emeritus Alisa Gordon, vice president Marcy Wilson, Mary Woodward, Marlisa Allen, Demecia Davis, Michelle Kendrick, Magen Singleton, Mary Helen Nelson, Rosetta Calhoun and Kenita Shaw. Great event!..........B-DAY CELEBRATION…..Friends and family gathered at the Oakton Place Reception Hall to celebrate Verna Reece’s 60th birthday. Guests were asked to dress to impress in their best 1920s attire and most did. Those sharing in the friendship and fellowship included Rosemary Clark, Kym Lewis, Renee’ Linsey, Toni Lewis, Beverly and Fred Griffin, Pat and Mike Brisco, Myrtha Harris, Michael and Estella Rucker, Debbie Dillard and Marina Coryat-Mitchell, to name a few. Happy birthday Verna and welcome to the big girls’ club!.....From Chag’s Place to your place, have a blessed week!

Mary Young, Karen Johnson and Angelee Rhyne

Michelle Kendrick, Magen Singleton Mary Helen Nelson, Rosetta Calhoun and Kenita Shaw

Royce and Marshenell Sells

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