Houston Defender: September 05, 2013

FLORIDA A&M MARCHING BAND RETURNS TO THE FIELD AFTER TWO YEARS P3

NATIONAL

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Volume 82 | Number 45

SEPTEMBER 5, 2013 |FREE

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1-on-1 with Larry Marshall H Page 8

NATIONAL CORNEL WEST calls Sharpton ‘house Negro’

P3 ENTERTAINMENT SHERYL UNDERWOOD criticized for hair comments

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SPORTS OPINION EARL MITCHELL proud to play for Texans

Frankie Beverly still performing

Louis Farrakhan not included

They haven’t produced a new album in years but Frankie Beverly and Maze are as popular as ever. See why lead singer Beverly says he’s blessed to be in the business. Hear his thoughts on record companies today and the love of money. Share his memories of another soul singer.

Despite his success with the 1995 Million Man March, Nation of Islam Minister Louis Farrakhan was absent from the recent anniversary March on Washington. Read what columnist George Curry has to say about the omission. Learn why another leader stayed in the background.

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DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013

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Houston hosts Black MBAs

By TIFFANY L. WILLIAMS Defender

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ach year, the National Black MBA Association (NBMBAA) descends on a city with its conference and expo, bringing jobseekers and those hiring together in one location.

This year, the conference will be held Sept. 10-14 at the George R. Brown Convention Center, and will offer a host of speakers, activities and job opportunities.

“We take job seekers and job opportunities and bring them together for what we think is the largest professional conference anywhere in the country,” said Jesse Tyson, president and CEO for the NBMBAA. “We will have about Members of the Houston Chapter of the National Black MBA Association are preparing for the 10,000 in attendance and about 450 national conference Sept. 10-14. corporate partners.”

Tyson said he believes the job and scholarship opportunities. outlook is good and encourages members, non-members and Darrell James, president of NBMBAA’s Houston Chapter, those with or without an MBA to attend. said they also have events in store for conference-goers.

“I think the outlook today is very positive,” he said. “The “The events we’re sponsoring are more networking and economy is on the upswing both nationally and globally, and social events,” he said. “We’re having a kickoff party called that creates opportunities. The key is we have to be ready when the H-Town Lounge. It’s a social /networking event, where those opportunities come.” we’ll have live music, and a video deejay. We’re also having a One of the ways the NBMBAA prepares its members for Farewell Day Party at Lucky Strike.” what’s next is by offering a range of activities outside of the James said the Houston chapter, which has won Chapter expo. of the Year for eight out of the last nine years, intends to show “We have opportunities for career development and everyone attending why Houston is the perfect place to host the coaching and resume development,” said Audrey Dillard conference.

Hines, chairwoman of NBMBAA. “We also have a leadership Tyson said while the conference is a big part of the NBMinstitute that is focused on the development of people attending BAA, it is not the only focus. and participating.”

“We aren’t just about a one-time-a-year event,” he said.

For those who do not yet have an MBA, Dillard Hines “We focus on what the issues and needs of our constituents and said there will be academic institutions present with educational partners might be in a given region.

“We have several things we do to prepare our membership for the corporate world, starting with the high school students in our Leaders of Tomorrow program all the way through undergrad to graduate school. We make sure our pipeline is full of talent, so our corporate partners will be pleased.”

For more information about visit nbmbaaconference.org.

Conference highlights This year’s National Black MBA Association conference, which will be held at the George R. Brown Convention Center, has a number of prominent speakers. Here’s a look at some of them.

• Keynote breakfast with Judy Smith is Wednesday, Sept, 11 at 8 a.m. Smith is the inspiration behind the hit TV show “Scandal” and author of “Good Self, Bad Self: Transforming Your Worst Qualities into Your Biggest Assets.”

• Town hall luncheon on “Courageous Leadership” is Thursday, Sept. 12 at noon.

Moderator is Star Jones, former talk show host and chief development officer and national spokesperson for the National Association of Professional Women. Speakers are Rev. Al Sharpton, founder and president of the National Action Network, and Bonnie St. John, inspirational speaker, business owner and author.

• Keynote luncheon is Friday, Sept. 13 at noon.

Speaker is Robert L. Johnson, chairman of RLJ Companies and founder of BET.

localbriefs JUSTICE WALLACE JEFFERSON, the first African-American member of the Texas Supreme Court and the first to serve as chief justice, announced that he is retiring effective Oct. 1. Gov. Rick Perry will choose his replacement. Jefferson, who has one child in college and two in high school, said he is resigning due to financial pressures. Houston State Sen. Senator Rodney Ellis said Jefferson will have a permanent place in Texas history books. “He will also leave a legacy as a consistent champion for civil legal aid and improving the quality of representation for the poor in our criminal courtrooms to ensure that Texas

fulfills its duty to guarantee that all Texans, rich or poor, stand equal before the law,” Ellis said……..

HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY Mike Anderson died Aug. 30 of cancer. He was 57. Anderson was elected D.A. in November 2012 after serving 12 years as a state district judge and 17 years as a county prosecutor. He was born and reared in Pasadena and earned his law degree from South Texas College of Law. He is survived by his wife and two children. Gov. Rick Perry will appoint Anderson’s successor……...THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON has been named one of the “12 Top Colleges Where Students Get the Best Bang

for Their Buck” by the news outlet Policymic.

The rankings took into consideration student debt upon graduation, starting salaries after graduation, tuition and room and board for four-year institutions, six-year graduation rates, and the percentage of students eligible for Pell grants……..THE 100 YEAR Starship Public Symposium chaired by former astronaut Dr. Mae Jemison takes place Sept.

19-22 at the Hyatt Regency. The symposium brings together influential leaders and global experts to explore the strategies needed for human travel beyond the solar system. For more information visit symposium.100yss.org/registration.

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SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013 | DEFENDER

national

U.S.briefs PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA is waiting until Congress reconvenes Sept. 9 for approval of a limited military strike against Syria. In the meantime, he has been meeting with congressional leaders to urge a prompt decision. Syrian government forces are accused of gassing residents by firing rockets that released deadly fumes over rebel-held neighborhoods near Damascus, killing men, women and children while they slept. Obama called the incident the “worst chemical weapons attack of the 21st century,” and said it presents a serious danger to national security.

“I am asking Congress to send a message to the world that we are ready to move forward together as one nation,” he said……..CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE extended condolences to Syrians impacted by the attack, which killed nearly 1,500 people, and discussed steps to be taken. “The question is not whether the United States and the international community should act, but what actions should be taken,” Jackson Lee said. “I commend President Obama and Secretary of State Kerry for the thoughtful and deliberative manner in which they have handled the ongoing crisis in Syria. I especially appreciate their recognition of the importance of genuine consultation and collaboration with the Congress in reaching a decision regarding the use of military force.” Jackson Lee added that she is ready to work with the administration to make the right decision……..THE TRAYVON MARTIN FOUNDATION was presented with a $50,000 scholarship to be divided among four graduating seniors from Trayvon’s high school in Florida. Donors included a law firm, an auto dealership and a Black fraternity based in Orlando, Delta Xi Lambda. “We are doing what we can to make the world a better place by not being divisive but by uplifting our community through educational opportunities for kids who otherwise would not have the same opportunity,” the donors said.

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Dr. Cornel West

West blasts Sharpton

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by [MSNBC analyst] Michael Dyson and others who’ve prostituted themselves in a very ugly and vicious way.”

The animosity between West and Sharpton is not new. r. Cornel West once again called Rev. Al. During a previous interview, West had some choice Sharpton a “house Negro,” and accused words for Sharpton, Dyson and Melissa Harris-Perry, who him and President Barack Obama of he claims have been bought and paid for by the “Rent-a“sanitizing” the vision of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the 50th anniversary of the March Negro” network MSNBC. While some may disagree of Washington, reports with West’s verbal assaults Mediaite.com. on Sharpton’s character, his “Brother Martin assertion that the March on himself, I think, would’ve for the video with West’s comments Washington didn’t tackle been turning over in his imperialism or drone warfare grave,” West said of the event. “[King would have wanted] people to talk about Wall — and that that fact would have been displeasing to Dr. Street criminality, he wants people to talk about war crimes, King — is not far off the mark.

In his 1967 speech on his opposition to the Vietnam or drones dropping bombs on innocent people,” he asserted.

War, King said, “I knew that I could never again raise my “Instead,” he lamented, “we saw the coronation of the bona fide house Negro of the Barack Obama plantation, our voice against the violence of the oppressed in the ghettos without having first spoken clearly to the greatest purveyor dear brother Al Sharpton.” of violence in the world today – my own government.”

West declared that Sharpton’s decline was “supported NNPA News Service

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FAMU band returns to the football field VOLUME 82 • NUMBER 45 SEPTEMBER 5, 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).

Defender News Services

The famed Florida A&M University Marching 100 band recently returned to the field nearly two years after a drum major’s hazing death silenced the music.

The band’s performances were halted after Robert Champion collapsed and died following a hazing ritual on a bus.

Fifteen former band members were charged with manslaughter and felony hazing. Seven accepted pleas that included probation and community service-related sentences. One has yet to be sentenced and the remaining band members await trial.

The fallout from Champion’s death included the

resignation of the university’s president, James Ammons, and the departure of the band’s director.

FAMU interim president Larry Robinson said the school has taken steps to prevent hazing, including an anti-hazing website, a new student code of conduct, and new procedures to report and investigate hazing.

“This band will be a model of excellence for other bands across this nation,” Robinson said. “It will actually focus on its founding principles of character, academics, leadership, marching and service.”

A moment of silence was held for all hazing victims before the game.

Champion’s parents, Pam and Robert Champion Sr., said they were opposed to the band’s return.

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DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013

entertainment

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Frankie Beverly Still ‘amazing’ after all these years

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By KENNETH MILLER Special to NNPA from the Los Angeles Sentinel

t was just another “Golden Time of Day” at the Gibson Amphitheater recently when Maze featuring Frankie Beverly played for the 28th consecutive year, and for the final time at a place that Beverly calls “home.”

The Gibson will be renovated into a Harry Potter theme park, closing its doors on concerts.

Times change and buildings close, but for Frankie Beverly and Maze the beat goes on, and with a loyal legion of fans that have supported the group for the past four decades, it shall forever move forward.

Beverly never envisioned that 50 years after he first started out that he would still be singing today, let alone be as popular as he and Maze have become.

“I was thinking of this just the other day because we are on a tour now with Ronnie Isley,” Beverly said. “I remember always looking up to him and here I am headlining over this guy and the people are recognizing me like never before.”

Beverly, a Philadelphia native, spoke of how strangers recognize him in airports all over the world, although he hasn’t produced a new record in over 20 years.

“The way this is working is just mind boggling in what has happened to me,” he added. “It’s a good thing too because I was raised to be humbled by my gifts…I understand that it’s not me, it’s a blessing.”

Few in the history of music have enjoyed the run that Maze has.

His raspy voice has belted out such songs as “Lady of Magic,” “Happy Feelings,” “Southern Girl” and the one that kept the crowd at Gibson on their feet, “We Are One.” They have become like anthems among his core of African-American followers.

Beverly doesn’t own any of his masters and does not have a contract with any record company, but he performs 150 times per year and wherever he goes, the fans of his music flock to sing along Continued on Page 5

what’sup KANYE WEST was reportedly paid $3 million to perform at a wedding in the Central Asian country of Kazakhstan.

He was invited to perform by the bridegroom’s grandfather, Nursultan Nazarbayev, who is president of the country.

Nazarbayev has been criticized by rights groups in the past for his authoritarian rule……..RANDY JACKSON is elated to return to “American Idol” in a different role. Jackson, who stepped down as a judge, will serve as an in-house mentor next season. “Surprise, surprise! I am so happy to be back as part of this amazing show that started it all,” he said. JENNIFER LOPEZ returns to join newcomer HARRY CONNICK JR. and KEITH URBAN at the judge’s table……..

NBA superstar LEBRON JAMES will serve as executive producer of “Survivor’s Remorse,” a half hour sitcom being

developed by the Starz network. It tells the story of two cousins from Philadelphia who achieve fame and fortune. “I have a deep passion for the amazing television being created right now,” James said. “When my business partners Tom Werner and Maverick Carter brought up the idea of creating a television series that would capture the story of what happens when you make it out, I jumped at the chance.”

Werner, who is chairman of the Boston Red Sox, served as executive producer of the “Cosby Show” and various other sitcoms…….. Comedian DAVE CHAPPELLE surprised fans during a recent concert in Hartford, Conn., when he cut short his performance and sat silently on a stool for nearly a half hour before leaving the stage amid boos. Chappelle stopped talking because the members of the audience shouted

at him and interrupted his routine. “I’ve been up here a while now and I thought it was me but now I’m sure it’s you.

There is definitely something wrong with you,” he told the audience……..CHADWICK BOSEMAN, who portrayed JACKIE ROBINSON in the box office hit “42,” has been cast to play JAMES BROWN in an upcoming movie.

Shooting begins this fall in Mississippi. Boseman said it won’t be easy portraying the “Godfather of Soul,” who died in 2006. “Those are big shoes to fill,” Boseman said……..

TYLER PERRY made his recent trip to Dallas a memorable one. Perry came to Texas for MegaFest sponsored by Bishop T.D. JAKES. During a Sunday morning visit to the Potters House, Perry donated $1 million to build a youth center, and laid hands on Jakes.

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SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013 | DEFENDER

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Co-host under fire for Black hair comments Defender News Services

Comedian Sheryl Underwood, a co-host on CBS’ daytime chat show “The Talk,” has come under attack after remarks she made about “nasty” natural Black hair.

Underwood, who often wears long straight wigs on the show, responded to a report that model Heidi Klum saves her biracial children’s hair after cutting it. Klum, who was married to singer Seal, said she keeps her sons’ Afro hair in a zip-lock bag.

“OK, I’m sorry but why would you save Afro hair?” Underwood asked on the show. “You can’t weave in Afro hair. You’ll never see us at the hair place going ‘Look here, what I need is this nappy, curly, beady hair.’ That just seems nasty.”

When co-host Sarah Gilbert added that she saved her son’s hair, Underwood said it was “probably some beautiful, long, silky stuff.”

Critics on Twitter blasted Underwood for her inappropriate statements. The president of the Compton NAACP agreed, and joined a coalition of Black activists in asking for an apology “On behalf of the NAACP of Compton, Underwood comments were in poor taste,” said Paulette Simpson Gibson. “It’s difficult enough giving encouragement to African-American women who choose to wear their hair naturally, but Underwood’s comments, which were broadcast nationally, were very painful and hurtful to listen to.”

Underwood tweeted her detractors back and told them to “lighten up.”

Sheryl Underwood

© 2013 McDonald’s

T:4.79”

Maze featuring Frankie Beverly hopes to record a new album in the future.

T:8.5”

Frankie Beverly...Continued from page 11 ....

with him in droves.

“Ray Charles was the only one who ever owned his masters and I don’t anticipate that would ever be done again because the business is way beyond that now,” he explained. “Record companies are signing acts now with this 360 deal.

They want part of the concerts, they want part of the publishing even to sign acts now.”

Most of Maze’s music was on Capitol Records and his last deal was with Warner Brothers. Each of those stops included multiple platinum albums.

He said another album is forthcoming. “I think what’s held me up is that we kind of changed the band a little bit. I was waiting for this band to get what the other bands had, and this band is really ready now.”

Beverly said that record executives of the past were concerned about the artist and wanted to make music, but today they just want to make money.

His advice to young artist is, “Just do your thing and stop letting people talk you into things just to make money. Do you.”

Beverly added that people can relate to his songs because of the music and their simple lyrics.

Looking back on his life, Beverly was touched by the legend of Sam Cooke when he was 12 years old. He recalls meeting Cooke at the Uptown Theatre in Philadelphia while standing in line with a friend to obtain an autograph.

“He reached over and signed a picture and stuff and then asked if we had been backstage. We said, ‘Naw,’ and he asked, ‘Do you want to come back?’ ” Cooke brought the two of them backstage and Beverly still gets emotional telling the story.

“It inspired me to be like him and to this day, I can be eating and I will stop eating and sign autographs and take pictures,” he said.

From left: Leanna Archer, Beverly Johnson, Roland Parrish, Gladys Knight, Dr. Steve Perry, Kenny Williams, and Charles Orgbon III.

We applaud the few that inspire the many.

For this year’s 365Black® Award recipients, each day is exceptional.

They stand for greatness and bow with selessness. Through their dedication and service, they inspire a world of change. We’re proud to honor them all for staying Deeply Rooted in the Community,® 365 days a year. To learn more about this year’s honorees, go to 365Black.com.

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DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013 defendernetwork.com

200,000 heart disease, stroke deaths could be prevented

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Defender News Services

ore than 200,000 preventable deaths from heart disease and stroke occurred in the United States in 2010, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More than half of these deaths happened to people younger than 65 years of age.

The report looked at preventable deaths that could have been prevented by more effective public health measures, lifestyle changes or medical care.

Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, kill nearly 800,000 Americans each year. However, the report notes that most cardiovascular disease can be managed or prevented in the first place by addressing risk factors.

While the number of preventable deaths has declined in people aged 65 to 74 years, it has remained unchanged in people under age 65.

Men are more than twice as likely as women — and Blacks twice as likely as whites — to die from preventable heart disease and stroke.

“Despite progress against heart disease and stroke, hundreds of thousands of Americans die each year from these preventable causes of death,” said CDC Director Tom Frieden, M.D. “Many of the heart attacks and strokes that will kill people in the coming year could be prevented by reducing blood pressure and cholesterol and stopping smoking.”

Key facts in report about the risk of preventable death from heart disease and stroke include: • Death rates in 2010 were highest among adults aged 65-74 years (401.5 per 100,000 population). But preventable deaths have declined faster in those aged 65-74 years compared to those under age 65.

• Blacks are twice as likely – and Hispanics are slightly less likely – as whites to die from preventable heart disease and stroke.

• Avoidable deaths from heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure were higher among males (83.7 per 100,000) than females (39.6 per 100,000). Black men have the highest risk.

• In order to save more lives from these preventable deaths, health care providers can encourage healthy habits at every patient visit, including not smoking, increasing physical activity, eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and taking medicines as directed.

To learn more visit cdc.gov/heartdisease and cdc.gov/stroke.

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SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013 | DEFENDER

opinion

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D.C. marches inclusive

– up to a point

By GEORGE E. CURRY NNPA Columnist

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rganizers of the two recent marches on Washington – one called by Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III and the other engineered primarily

by King’s sister, Bernice – almost stumbled over one another praising the diversity of their respective marches.

However, not one addressed the elephant in the room: Why was more emphasis placed on bringing in groups that were not part of the push for jobs and freedom in 1963 than assembling a broad coalition of Black leaders?

To be even more direct: How can you justify excluding Minister Louis Farrakhan?

After all, he managed to draw more Black men to the nation’s capital on Oct. 16, 1995 than the combined crowds at the 1963 March on Washington, the Sharpton-led march on Aug. 24 and the Aug. 28 commemorative march.

In fact, the Million Man March at least doubled their combined attendance.

Regardless of your personal view of Farrakhan, he has demonstrated that he has a significant following in the Black community and deserves to be part of any serious attempt to address the numerous problems facing Black America.

Of course, the reason Farrakhan was excluded is because he is anathema to Jews, who view him as a virulent anti-Semite. Essentially, the choice for Black leaders is that they must choose between Jews, longtime allies of the Civil Rights Movement, and Farrakhan, who inspires and motivates some segments of the Black community that establishment leaders can’t reach.

Over the years, Black leaders have sided with Jews. Except for a couple of months under Kweisi Mfume, the Congressional Black Caucus, one of the strongest pro-Israel voting blocs in Congress, and the NAACP under Ben Chavis have consistently distanced themselves from Farrakhan.

At its 1993 CBC Weekend town hall meeting on “Race in America,” Mfume declared, “No longer will

we allow people to divide us. We want the word to go forward today to friend and foe alike that the Congressional Black Caucus, after having entered into a sacred covenant with the NAACP to work for real and meaningful change, will enter into that same covenant with the Nation of Islam and other Black organizations, such as fraternities, sororities and professional groups.”

But after Farrakhan assistant Khalid Abdul Muhammad gave a speech at Keene College in New Jersey denouncing Jews as “blood suckers” and the Pope as a “no good cracker,” CBC members pressured Mfume to withdraw the offer of a covenant.

Non-Blacks never understood that Mfume wasn’t endorsing Farrakhan’s or Muhammad’s views of Jews.

Rather he was advocating what civil rights leaders call “operational unity,” meaning that they will cooperate to collectively address some of the ills in the AfricanAmerican community while maintaining their independence.

Democratic pollster Mark Mellman told the Los Angeles Times, “There is a failure of many Jews to understand the sense of crisis in the Black community.” But he added, “There is a lack of appreciation

by Blacks of Jewish anxieties over their embracing people like Farrakhan who are vicious anti-Semites.”

Although he spoke at Sharpton’s rally, Jesse Jackson was noticeably absent from the array of speakers at the Aug. 28 observation that featured President

Barack Obama and former presidents Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton. Jackson, who had his own share of problems with Jews after he referred to New York City as “Hymietown” during his 1984 presidential campaign, was probably omitted from the program because of his strained relationship with Obama.

Jackson alienated Obama supporters when he was caught on tape disparaging thencandidate Obama. As Jackson prepared to be interviewed on “Fox & Friends Weekend,” he was overheard saying Obama had been talking down to Black people.

Jackson told a fellow guest that he wanted to cut off Obama’s testicles.

He quickly apologized for what he called “crude and hurtful comments.”

Jackson’s comments hurt his standing in the Black community more than it hurt Obama, who accepted Jackson’s apology before going on to win the general election.

Although Obama accepted Jackson’s apology, Jackson has not been among the civil rights leaders who meet regularly with the president or Valerie Jarrett, a top White House adviser. And many AfricanAmericans, who overwhelmingly support the nation’s first Black president, have yet to forgive Jackson for his comments.

Few will admit that in one respect, Jackson was right – Obama sometimes comes across as lecturing Black audiences while not doing the same when speaking to mostly white groups.

Jackson acknowledges that he was wrong for saying he wanted to dismember a certain part of Obama’s lower body. However, that was five years ago and the civil rights leader has contributed too much over the past four decades to be forever excommunicated from the Black race.

The two recent marches on Washington are over and shouldn’t be the yardstick by which we judge the value of Black leaders. The Black community is in a crisis and needs all of the help it can get, regardless of how unpopular that might be with others.

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DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013

cover

1L Ma

HISD trustee Larry Marshall makes a point while speaking.

Departing HISD trustee speaks out

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By MARILYN MARSHALL Defender

or the first time in a long time, Larry Marshall will not play a role in the Houston Independent School District. Marshall, who joined HISD as a teacher in 1955 and spent the last 16 years as a board trustee, is not seeking re-election in November.

Marshall represents District IX and was first elected to the board in 1997. He served as president in 1999 and 2009. Schools in his district include: Madison, Westbury and Worthing High Schools; Dowling and Welch Middle Schools, and Law, Reynolds and Windsor Village Elementary Schools.

For the last three years, Marshall has made headlines surrounding alleged questionable business dealings connected to his trustee position. He said the allegations are “meritless,” and the media coverage he received leaves a lot to be desired.

In an exclusive interview with the Defender, Marshall discussed why he is leaving and what he has accomplished, among other things.

His decision to step down

Marshall said he decided not to run for reelection four years ago following the search to replace outgoing Superintendent Abe Saavedra.

“It was the most demanding, taxing and strenuous year I have ever spent on the board during my tenure,” Marshall said. “Conducting

a search for an office like the office of superintendent is equivalent to conducting a search for a chief executive office of a corporation.

“We read hundreds of resumes, we interviewed a large volume of people and we had community pressures, especially from an ethnic group wishing to prevail by urging us to name another ethnic superintendent. We withstood those pressures and we searched for the best mind in America to lead HISD.” Marshall said after the quest, “I concluded that I had given this search my A-game.”

His legal troubles

Marshall has been entangled in a bribery lawsuit since December 2010. Gil Ramirez Jr., a construction contractor, alleges in the civil suit that Marshall received thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks from HISD vendors.

HISD is paying Marshall’s legal fees in the case, which goes to trial in December. The charges against Marshall have been featured in ongoing articles by the Houston Chronicle.

Referring to the case, Marshall said, “It is totally meritless. My conduct has been above and beyond reproach and I am looking forward to my day in court.”

He is critical of the coverage he received.

“It is really a sad state of affairs in a city when you have a print media that has a history of very racial-restricted views,” he said.

“When you go back and look at that, when we had a second [daily] newspaper in the city, if you happened to have been African-Amer-

ican, you felt you would really get a fair shake in the other newspaper. But with a restricted racial print media as a sole source for general information, it leaves a lot to be desired. And let me assure you that the print media is a secondary source. It is not a court of justice. It is simply an instrument that is being printed to sell newspapers.”

It has been reported that the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office are investigating the case, but Marshall said that he has not been contacted by federal authorities.

His accomplishments

Marshall said achieving a unanimous vote to name Terry Grier superintendent was one of his greatest accomplishments. He describes Grier as “caring” and “committed,” and cites his handling of the North Forest school district annexation as an example.

“The way he has handled the annexation of North Forest has been absolutely brilliant,” Marshall said. “He never questioned the Texas Education Agency, which has spent thousands of dollars on consultants who never fixed the problem. I am proud of our superintendent. I

am pro and the sponde Ma other a was “g ineffici Richmo “I ment to I starte vote an were ab million He worked membe executi and bey We now ca, and

defendernetwork.com • Serving th

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-on-1 with Larry arshall

“The only way we are going to fix the high schools is to develop and fix all of our elementary schools, then in turn fix the middle schools.”

• Native Houstonian. Received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Texas Southern University. Pursued advanced studies at the University of Houston and Texas A&M University.

• Joined HISD as a teacher in 1955 and subsequently served as a principal, area superintendent, assistant superintendent, associate superintendent, and deputy superintendent before retiring in 1991.

• Served as interim superintendent of the Kendleton Independent School District.

• Professional and civic affiliations include American Heritage Education Foundation, Southeast Coalition of Civic Clubs and Harris County Appraisal District.

• Chairman, Houston Area Alliance of Black School Educators advisory committee.

• President, M Associates of Houston management consulting firm.

• Honors include Benjamin Elijah Mays Lifetime Achievement Award, Texas Legislative Black Caucus Outstanding Texan Award for Education, HISD Living Legend.

he Houston area for over 80 years

9

Marshall and Superintendent Terry Grier visit an Apollo 20 school.

About Lawrence ‘Larry’ Marshall

oud of our board e way they reed.” arshall said anaccomplishment getting rid of that ient building on ond Avenue. led that moveo get rid of it. ed off with one nd five years later I had five votes. As a result we ble to sell that building at peak time. We got $38 n for it.” e said in addition, “During my tenure I have d hard to eliminate micromanagement by board ers and allowed the superintendent to be chief ive officer in making sure our behavior was above yond reproach and that we managed our funds. w have one of the highest bond ratings in Amerid I’m not sure there’s another urban school system

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in America with a triple A bond rating.”

His concerns about HISD

Marshall said he is especially concerned about HISD’s underperforming high schools. He said it is a district-wide problem that begins at a lower level.

“Before [Grier] arrived, we had virtually become an elementary school district,” Marshall said. “All of our leaders, superintendents, were persons with elementary backgrounds. They were not capable of addressing some of the issues we were facing in high schools.

“None of our schools are going to be successful unless we have leadership,” Marshall said. “Trying to find principals right now for high schools is one of the major tasks in this country. It is tough. And the only way we are going to fix the high schools is to develop and fix all of our elementary schools, then in turn fix the middle schools and you get a better high school product. In the meantime, it’s all about leadership.”

His future

Marshall said leaving the board “is going to be a divorce that requires some adjustment.”

He plans to stay involved in the community. “One of my efforts was to work with Central Care health facility, and to see how they are thriving today is really a testimony to our involvement. To see that kind of facility present in our community is gratifying to me and very heartwarming.

“I intend to continue that kind of work, and work with small businesses to help them be competitive. I have also done a lot of work with women who have started their own businesses. I enjoy that because it gives me an opportunity to help females compete in the good old boys word.”

Marshall, who owns a consulting company, also said, “I will welcome an opportunity to work with school districts that have an interest in becoming better.”

In addition, he will continue to spend time with his family. He and his wife, Barbara, have one daughter and three grandchildren.

“I dropped the youngest one off this morning and I will be picking him up at 3:30,” he said. “So I’m still in the school business.”

10 DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013

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Local teen inspired to change the world

By VICKEE SYES Special to the Defender

During a trip to Israel, Worthing student Elizabeth Henderson engaged in activities such as picking tomatoes at a plant which helps feed thousands of families.

W

hen 17-year-old Elizabeth Henderson boarded the airplane to Israel this past summer, she didn’t know she would return to Houston a month later ready to change the world as a more culturally aware and disciplined teen.

Henderson, a senior at Evan E. Worthing High School and a resident of Sunnyside, applied for the Mickey Leland Kibbutzim Internship during her junior year. The internship program was founded by the late Congressman Mickey Leland and his close friends J. Kent Friedman and Vic Samuels.

Her leadership abilities coupled with her positive personality landed Henderson a spot with the group of 10 teens who traveled abroad on an all-expense paid trip to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa and Eilat.

“My trip to Israel was life-changing,” Henderson said. “I took so many things for granted before this trip including air conditioning, water, food and education.”

The youngest of six children reared by a single mother, Henderson saw the trip as the opportunity of a lifetime. She experienced life on a kibbutz, a collective community known for producing fruits and vegetables.

“I want other students to get this experience if they ever have the opportunity to go,” said Henderson, the reigning Miss Worthing.

The trip to Israel has also given her the courage

to make plans to travel to Colombia, South America to visit the father she hasn’t seen since she was 3 years old.

While on her trek through Israel, she volunteered at a community center assisting non-English

speaking children. “[The language barrier] was a challenge because when the children saw me and thought I was Ethiopian they began to speak Hebrew,” Henderson recalled. “Although we did not share the same language, they felt that I loved them, and I do love those little kids now.”

In addition, she spent four days at the Gadna, an Israeli military program, under the leadership of an 18-year-old commander.

Overcoming her fear of heights, Henderson and her peers hiked Mountain Masada to see the sunrise over the Dead Sea from the mountaintop at 4:30 a.m. They also visited a tomato plant where they picked tomatoes for an hour.

“The [plant] started small with tomatoes to feed about 50 families and through support of other organizations, scientists, researchers, they had an opportunity to grow to feed over 50,000 families a year,” Henderson said. “I look at my community of Sunnyside and there is a need for a lot of improvements.”

At Worthing, Henderson is National Honor Society president and a leader of an award-winning service project. She plays volleyball and softball, and expects to be valedictorian of her graduating class.

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SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013 | DEFENDER

business Nielsen: Celebrating 90 years of innovation

By CHERYL PEARSON-MCNEIL NNPA Columnist

I

acquired the rights to the first instantaneous audiometer in 1936. This device attached to a radio to record when it

was on and what station was being listened to. A few years later, in 1942, Continued on Page 12

GET YOUR

Sandra C.

Eden K.

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08/29/1312:25 Status

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sn’t it fascinating Setup how a person can have a single idea or dream planted, take root and change the world as we know it?

Well, that’s exactly how Nielsen came to be. Nielsen is celebrating its 90th anniversary.

Team So, I’d like to give a sincere kudos on such a momentous, milestone anniversary.

On August 24, 1923, in Chicago, a visionary engineer named Arthur C. Nielsen Sr. (also known as A.C. Nielsen) first came up with the idea of selling performance surveys.

He borrowed $45,000 to start a business to test the quality of conveyor belts and turbine generators.

With those first, simple measurements, Mr. Nielsen introduced the concept of market research. Today, 90 years later, Nielsen has evolved and grown to become a global4market pt. Checklist research company with a presence in more than 100 countries – headquartered in New York and the Netherlands.

Did you know that Nielsen has many “firsts?” And we are most known for our TV ratings, but there is so much more. So, if you don’t mind, how about I Creative Review share with you a short history lesson today?

After the engineering surveys, Nielsen began measuring drug and retail store sales in 1933, followed by food and department store sales the next year. Client service teams were assembled after in order to make sure the data being collected would be interpreted correctly and so that clients would have a liaison to work with on their day to day operations.

And fueled by his passion and curiosity for consumer insights, A.C. Nielsen created the

concept of “market share” in 1935.

Folks were listening to radio long before TV came along, so Mr. Nielsen

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Nielsen...Continued from page 11 ....

Nielsen’s radio index was launched in the U.S. Also in the 1940s, the U.S. Chicago headquarters doubled in size and two more international offices in Canada and Australia were opened (the first opened in the United Kingdom in 1939). In addition to radio, the consumer and pharmaceutical indexes were introduced.

Mr. Nielsen really stepped out on a limb in 1948 and invested in the first commercial computer, the UNIVAC 1. Now you can imagine this computer was far from today’s PC or even the new portable tablet devices. You know those giant, clunky metal and cable masses you may have seen in old sci-fi movies? Yes, that’s what it looked like. I wonder what Mr. Nielsen would say if he could see how technology has evolved today?

The infamous “Nielsen Ratings” as you know it, made its debut in 1950 when the company began measuring TV audiences. National daily TV ratings in the U.S. weren’t offered until 1973.

And, who remembers when those now-ubiquitous bar codes (officially known as Universal Product Codes or UPCs) started popping up? Yes, it was

classified

Nielsen that introduced the scanning of bar codes in 1977.

This revolutionized the way marketers and retailers were able to understand how and why consumers make purchasing decisions every day.

Today, Nielsen measures 400 billion retail product transactions a year in more than 600,000 stores around the world.

As technology has continued to evolve, so have Nielsen’s measuring tools and methods.

Today, Nielsen measures the activity more than half a million online panelists worldwide. Who remembers when there were only a few channels available for television?

The famous “black box” made its debut in 1987 and used to capture the viewing habits of Nielsen households. Now there are hundreds of networks and channels from which to choose for our viewing pleasure – those premium channels that each have a specific interested audience and a plethora of program options as well.

Talk about coming a long way. In addition to monitoring our viewing here in the U.S., today Nielsen also measures TV viewing audiences in 33 countries.

And with the changing times and how our lives have become so dependent on mobile de-

HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

The Houston Independent School District located in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center at 4400 West 18th Street Houston, Texas 77092 will accept proposals, until the stated date and time deadlines, in the Board Services Office, Level C1



Project 13-06-08 RFP – Playground Equipment with a deadline of 10 A.M., September 19, 2013. The pre-proposal conference for this project will be in Room 2C18 at the above stated address on September 12, 2013 at 10 AM.



Project 13-08-03 RFP – Fire Extinguishers – Purchase, Inspection and Maintenance with a deadline of 10 A.M., September 18, 2013.

The pre-proposal conference for this project will be in Room 2E26 at the above stated address on September 11, 2013 at 10 AM.



Project 13-09-01 – RFP / Full Service Drug and Alcohol Testing Administrator with a deadline of September 18, 2013 at 2 P.M. The pre-proposal conference for this project will be Thursday, September 12, 2013 at 11 A.M. in Room 3W26 at the above stated address.

Invitation for Bids Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc. is soliciting bids for subcontractors and vendors for construction of the following project no. CM 2013 (984) on IH 45 @ IH 610E, bid date is September 10, 2013. Also, project no. IM 0107 (442) ETC. on IH 10 from Elysian St to Commerce to Brooks St, bid date is September 11, 2013. Quotations may be mailed to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., 1701 Directors Blvd, Suite 1010, Austin, Texas 78744 or faxed to (512) 707-0798 or emailed to bbiisw@bbiius.com. DBE/HUB contractors are encouraged to submit bids.

Plans and specifications are available to be reviewed at TxDOT Plans On-line: www.txdot.gov/business/letting-bids/plans-online.html E.O.E. For information contact Brian Ficzeri at (512) 7070797.

Proposals are available on the HISD web-site at www.houstonisd.org The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or, to accept the proposal that is most advantageous to the District.

The District sells obsolete assets on-line at www.PublicSuprlus.com.

Notice of Availability of the Draft FEIS Re-evaluation US 290 Corridor FM 2920 to IH 610, Harris County This notice is to advise the public that the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has released for review the Draft Re-evaluation of the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the US 290 Corridor Project from FM 2920 to IH 610 in Harris County, Texas, CSJ 0050-09-069, etc. This Reevaluation addresses the interim placement of the tolled managed lanes in the center of the expanded US 290 main lanes from IH 610 to SH 99.

Copies of the released Re-evaluation and Public Meeting Summary Report for this project are available for review and reproduction at the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) Houston District Headquarters, 7600 Washington Avenue, Houston, Texas 77007 or the US 290 Program Management Consultant office at 2950 North Loop West, Suite 1150, Houston, TX 77092. It is also available for review at www.my290.com. The Re-evaluation will be available for review for a period of thirty days. Written comments may be mailed to TxDOT Houston District, Attention: Director of Project Development, P.O. Box 1386, Houston, TX 77251-1386. at: Comments will be accepted by e-mail HOU-PIOWebmail@txdot.gov. The comment period for this review ends on September 18, 2013. For further information, please contact the Director of Project Development, TxDOT Houston District Office at (713) 802-5243.

NOTICE OF REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL FOR Bureau of Community and Children’s Environmental Health Lead Program The Houston Department of Health and Human Services (HDHHS) Bureau of Community and Children’s Environmental Health announces the availability of funds to provide outreach, education, training and reduce environmental lead hazards in low to moderate income housing units.

The RFP will be released on Tuesday, September 3, 2013.

The RFP package can be picked up at: City of Houston Department of Health and Human Services 8000 N. Stadium Dr. 2nd Floor Houston, Texas 77054 or it can be found online at: http://www.houstontx.gov/health/rfp.html.

The City of Houston will receive submissions at the City’s Secretary’s Office, on Tuesday, October 1, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at: City Hall Annex, Public Level 900 Bagby Street Houston, Texas 77002 Questions concerning the RFP will be responded to during the PreProposal Conference Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at 2:00 p.m. at: 8000 N. Stadium Dr. 2nd Floor Conference Room Houston, Texas 77054 All submissions will be required to comply with City Council Ordinance No. 78-1538, passed August 9, 1978, relating to Equal Employment Opportunity Contract Compliance. The City reserves the right to reject and/or accept all or any portion of a submission deemed to be in the City’s best interest.

vices, we can watch our favorite programs on our phones, tablets, computers and game consoles.

So as the devices and gadgets evolved where we watch our favorite shows, so did Nielsen’s measurement services. In 2008, Nielsen began developing reports that detailed media usage across screens – television, Internet, and mobile devices.

Nielsen’s history is progressive and delivers a forecast of infinite possibilities in years to come, which I hope inspires you. And, I hope you see and are empowered by your role in Nielsen’s success.

Nielsen research, studies, survey results and data provide clients with this information to better engage and reach us and our communities. So here’s to another 90 years of innovation! I know you can’t wait to see what’s in store next.

Invitation for Bids Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc. is soliciting bids for subcontractors and vendors for construction of the following project no. Contract 804 on SH 249 from N of Canyon Gate Pointe Dr to S of Willow Creek, bid date is September 9, 2013.

Quotations may be mailed to Balfour Beatty Infrastructure, Inc., 1701 Directors Blvd, Suite 1010, Austin, Texas 78744 or faxed to (512) 707-0798 or emailed to bbiisw@bbiius.com.

DBE/HUB contractors are encouraged to submit bids. Plans and specifications are available to be reviewed at: www.civcastusa.com. E.O.E. For information contact Brian Ficzeri at (512) 707-0797.

Competitive Sealed Proposal Notice for Renovation work to Wainwright Elementary School Project Number: 13-08-01CS Houston Independent School District (HISD) The Houston Independent School District will receive Competitive Sealed Proposals from contractors for work at Wainwright Elementary School. The work includes hazardous materials removal, painting, flooring, ceilings, window system replacement, minor site and drainage work, electrical system replacement, security system, PA system, fire alarm, mechanical systems equipment replacement and other miscellaneous trades. Proposals are due no later than Tuesday, October 1, 2013, at 2:00 p.m. at 4400 West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Houston, TX 77092. The price proposals will be opened and the amounts read aloud.

Wainwright Elementary School is located at 5300 Milwee Street, Houston, TX 77092.

The Request for Competitive Sealed Proposal (RFCSP), which includes plans and specifications, will be available beginning Monday, September 9, 2013, and may be obtained from A&E The Graphics Complex, 4235 Richmond Avenue, Houston, TX 77027, Phone: (713) 621-0022 / Fax (713) 621-2537, www.aecomplex.com upon refundable deposit of $150.00 for each set of plans and specifications. Documents in portable document format (pdf) are also available from A&E on disk for a deposit of $50.00. Deposit checks should be made payable to HISD. Any questions regarding bid documents are to be addressed to RWS Architects Incorporated, 3100 Timmons Lane, Suite 410, Houston, TX 77027, Cheryl Lawrence, 713-621-1651, 713-621-1677.

The Competitive Sealed Proposal process will be utilized as authorized in H.B. No. 628, Legislative Session 82 (R)-2011. The Competitive Sealed Proposal process enables HISD to select contractors on the basis of price and qualifications/methodology.

M/WBE Forms, schedules and statements, as required by Section AB of the RFCSP and in accordance with the Office of Business Assistance, will be received at 1 2:00 Noon, Thursday, O c t o b e r 3 , 2013, in the Board Services Office, 4400 West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Houston, TX 77092. PROPOSALS SUBMITTED WITHOUT M/WBE FORMS PROPERLY COMPLETED WILL BE CONSIDERED NON RESPONSIVE. A Pre-Proposal Conference will be held at 9:00 A M , Wednesday, September 18, 2013, at W ainwright Elementary School, 5300 Milwee Street, Houston, TX 77092. For additional information regarding this project, please contact Mr. Raymond Hooks, at 713-556-9345, or rhooks@houstonisd.org.

Drawings and Specifications for the RFCSP may be reviewed at the following Houston locations: Associated General Contractors, 3825 Dacoma Street, Houston, TX 77092, (713) 843-3700 HISD Construction Services Office (Bond), 3200 Center, Houston, TX 77007, (713) 556-9250 McGraw Hill Construction/Dodge, www.construction.com Virtual Builders Exchange, 3910 Kirby, #131, Houston, TX 77098, (832) 613-0201

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SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013 | DEFENDER

13

NNPA chair leads Black Press of America

By KAM WILLIAMS Special to the Defender

C

loves C. Campbell Jr. is publisher of the Arizona Informant, a family-owned and operated newspaper that provides an important voice for the African-American community in Arizona. This year it celebrates 42 years of publishing. He also serves as board chair of the National Newspaper Publishers’ Association (NNPA).

Campbell is a native of Phoenix. He served in the state House of Representatives from 2007-2010 and served on the Appropriations, Banking and Insurance, and House Ethics committees.

With an extensive background in marketing communications, media/ public relations and advertising sales, he lent his expertise as vice-chair of the Arizona African-American Democratic Caucus.

He is a lifetime member of the NAACP, and board member of such organizations as the George Washington Carver Museum, Roosevelt Foundation for Our Children’s Future, Black Theatre Troupe, Arizona African American

Cloves C. Campbell Jr.

Legislative Days Coalition, Wells Fargo Community Advisory Board and Tanner Chapel A.M.E. Church Renaissance Committee.

Campbell attended Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif., and the University of Virginia Darden School of Business Legislators Program. He and his wife of 22 years, Lanette, have three children:

Candidate Booker not distracted by rumors

Daivon, Chanette and Cloves III. Here, he talks about the newspaper business among other things.

KW: How would you describe the primary mission of the Black Press?

CC: I believe that our mission is to deliver the news of and about the Black community to our respective markets.

The most important aspect our mission is that we deliver that news from the Black perspective.

KW: What’s at the top of your agenda as you start your new term?

CC: My main focus will be, as it was two years ago, to continue to integrate the digital platform to our member papers’ portfolios. However, we still want to maintain our strong print presence, as well as to continue to reach out to younger readers.

KW: Do you consider mainstream papers your competition?

CC: Not at all. Mainstream papers’ biggest competition is television. They are competing for the instant gratification customer. Black newspapers are a niche market and Black consumers are being targeted by major corporations for their dollars.

KW: Do you think the NNPA

“FIGHTING FOR YOU!” MICHAEL KUBOSH HAS:

*FOUGHT CITY HALL SUCCESSFULLY TO REMOVE RED LIGHT CAMERAS IN HOUSTON *FOUGHT CITY HALL TO ALLOW CITIZENS TO FEED HOUSTON HOMELESS WITHOUT BEING FINED UP TO $2000 *FOUGHT CITY HALL TO HONOR THE VOTE OF THE PEOPLE

MICHAEL KUBOSH WILL:

By AFRO Staff

The U.S. Senate campaign of Newark, N.J. Mayor Cory Booker is being overrun by rumors about his sexuality, but the celebrity politician seems to be taking it in stride. “…People who think I’m gay, some part of me thinks it’s wonderful. Because I want to challenge people on their homophobia,” Booker, the Democratic nominee for the seat, said in an interview with The Washington Post.

Booker, 44, has long been plagued by questions about the fact that he is not married, which some have attributed to his alleged homosexuality.

And his deliberate ambiguity on the matter has only fueled the gossip.

Steve Lonegan, Booker’s Republican rival for the New Jersey Senate seat, said he thought it was “weird” that Booker was unwilling to answer the question, speculating that maybe “it helps get him the gay

publications get their fair share of corporate advertising dollars?

CC: Definitely not. We have been making that argument for several decades. As a matter of fact, two years ago we partnered with the Nielsen Ratings Research Company to conduct a study of African-American consumers and it has been very useful in our advertising sales call and marketing efforts.

KW: What was your best career decision?

CC: Getting into the newspaper business.

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

CC: The ability to listen.

KW: If you could meet any historical figure, who would it be?

CC: Frederick Douglass.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

CC: Treat everyone the same way you would want to be treated.

KW: How do you want to be remembered?

CC: As a person who was always willing to help others.

*FIGHT FOR JOBS *FIGHT AGAINST CRIME *FIGHT FOR BETTER EDUCATION *FIGHT TO KEEP TAXES DOWN *FIGHT FOR EFFICIENCY IN MASS TRANSPORTATION “I HAVE DEDICATED MY LIFE FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT. I HAVE FOUGHT CITY HALL FROM THE OUTSIDE. NOW I’M ASKING YOU TO ELECT ME TO HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL SO I CAN FIGHT FOR YOU FROM THE INSIDE!”

-Michael Kubosh

Michael

EARLY VOTE:

OCT 21- NOV 1 2013

ELECTION DAY: NOV 5, 2013

KUBOSH 281-594-7680 WWW.KUBOSHFORCOUNCIL.COM

FOR

HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL AT LARGE POSITION 3 Mayor Corey Booker

vote by acting ambiguous.”

Booker told MSNBC that his sexuality was irrelevant.

“The question really should not be am I gay or straight. The question should be, why the heck are you asking the question in the first place? It doesn’t make a whit of difference what kind of senator I’m going to be or not,” he said.

MICHAEL KUBOSH SPONSORS BUS TO THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON Political Ad Paid for by the Michael Kubos Campaign, James Nash, Treasurer

14

DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 5| 2013

sports

Mitchell proud to be homegrown Texan

I

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Earl Mitchell

By MAX EDISON Defender

t’s a classic case of a local kid doing well and a late bloomer who came into his own at just the right time. Such is the case with Texan starting nose tackle and former North Shore standout Earl Mitchell.

Mitchell, a third-round draft pick in 2010 (81st overall) from Arizona, never saw this coming. Playing in the NFL and in his hometown is like a fantasy too farfetched to imagine.

“Looking back I had no clue I’d ever be playing in the NFL, let alone here at home in Houston,” Mitchell said.

“In high school I was struggling.

I was third string fullback as a sophomore. I worked my way up to starting tight end by my senior year. I just kept getting better, that’s how I wound up getting a scholarship to Arizona.”

It was at the University of Arizona, competing against a teammate he would ultimately play against professionally, that the dream slowly came into focus.

“Brooks Reed and I were teamTexan nose tackle Earl Mitchell (No. 92) played high school football at North Shore. mates at Arizona, and going into my junior year we were both competing against each other for the starting fullback position,” Mitchell recalled.

“We switched to a spread offense so we didn’t have a need for a fullback. Coach [Mike] Stoops called me into his • Height: 6-feet-3 office, asked me to gain 30 pounds for the team and move over to defense and play defensive tackle.”

• Weight: 300 pounds Ever the team guy, Mitchell agreed to make the change.

• Age: 25 One could say he will forever owe Stoops a debt of gratitude • Experience: 4th season for an unexpected position change that altered the course of • Played in 47 of 48 games since his career.

“I had never played a defensive position at North Shore, being drafted in 2010 nor in college prior to moving over to that side of the ball my • Made 104 tackles, including 55 junior year. Stoops knew what we were lacking and thought solos, along with 2.0 career sacks, with my athleticism it would be a really good move for me.” one forced fumble, and one fumble The move was an immediate success for Mitchell, even though he didn’t realize it. He had never played defense a day recovery in his life.

• Recorded a career-high seven “Honestly I was just playing to the best of my ability. tackles (four solo) vs. Green Bay I really had no clue I was doing well,” he said. “My junior

About Earl Mitchell

year I had one sack and I thought I did pretty well, based on just making the transition. The next year I had six sacks and that’s when my coaches came to me and said I might have the chance to play on the next level.”

For Mitchell, the window of opportunity was opening.

“I got invited to the East-West Shrine game and then to the Combine. I did pretty well at both. That’s when I knew I had a shot.”

Now, after splitting time the previous three years with Texan Shaun Cody, Mitchell is the undisputed starter at nose tackle. He finds himself starting between the reigning Defensive Player of the Year J.J. Watt and Pro Bowler Antonio Smith. It doesn’t get much better than that.

“It’s been a surreal experience when you stop and think about it,” Mitchell said. “It’s been like a dream that couldn’t be more perfect. I get drafted in the third round. I’m playing in my hometown. I’m playing between two Pro Bowlers. It’s everything you could ask for. The only thing left is winning a Super Bowl.”

Hopefully, it’s a dream Mitchell and friends can make come true.

defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 80 years

SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013 | DEFENDER

defendernetwork.com

h.s.zone

11 15

sportsbriefs Dawson plays Texas City There are some important high school football games on the horizon. Dawson goes against Texas City on Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. at Stingaree Stadium.

These two ranked powerhouses should put on a showdown in Galveston County. The former two-time state champion Stingarees have taken a back seat to Dawson since the new kid on the block opened its doors six years ago. Dawson has won the last four encounters while making two trips to the state semifinals since 2009. Texas City is coming off a 9-3 campaign and a trip to the second round of the Class 4A Division II playoffs. Dawson was 12-1 last season and a Class 4A Division I regional semifinalist. Top players include Dawson’s Tony Upchurch, Brent Johnson and Travonte Moody. Texas City will counter with Armanti Foreman, D’Vonta Hinton and D’Onta Foreman.

La Porte vs. North Shore

Sharpstown head coach Charles Perridon relies on players such as Cleveland Bailey (left) and Rodrick Bernard. (Photo by Darrell K. Ardison)

Sharpstown relishes life in the fast lane

S

By DARRELL K. ARDISON Defender

harpstown was forced into a quick-as-lightning affair by the Sterling offense led by running back Demetrius Davis, but it was the Apollos who emerged victorious with a 48-39 victory in the 2013 high school football season opener at Barnett Stadium.

Both teams went no-huddle in the fast-paced game that is a statistician’s nightmare. Yet Sharpstown head coach Charles Perridon didn’t think his team’s fast pace was the difference in the game.

“We really didn’t go as fast as we normally go,” he said.

“Tonight, we slowed down and kept making mistakes and kept turning the ball over. We weren’t getting our snap count down and it threw us off.”

Sharpstown ran a total of 62 rushing plays that resulted in 386 yards and six touchdowns via the run. Running back Cleveland Bailey rushed for 198 yards on 23 carries and touchdown runs of 37, four and five yards. Quarterback Camern Allen added 104 rushing yards on 20 attempts and a one-yard TD run before leaving the game in the second half with an injury.

Two-way performer Rodrick Bernard, a University of Texas pledge, had fourth-quarter TD runs of 20 and 31 yards that enabled Sharpstown to offset a 305-yard, two-touchdown rushing performance by Sterling’s Demetrius Davis. Bernard also added an interception that ended the first half and caught three passes for 63 yards.

Despite all the offensive superlatives, Perridon had other concerns at the game’s conclusion. “We had a lot of turnovers.

We’ve got to make corrections on the turnovers,” he said. “We

had way too many turnovers.”

Sharpstown had three lost fumbles (seven overall), including one on a kickoff late in the fourth quarter that gave Sterling an opportunity to slice into its nine-point deficit.

However, a key late-game sack by Sharpstown linebacker Williams Markell helped the Apollos celebrate the victory and look ahead to a matchup against Westbury at Butler Stadium.

“We’ve got to do a better job of tackling,” Perridon said.

“We were in position to make plays and we just didn’t finish.

They might have been a little quicker than we thought they were.”

When starting quarterback Camern Allen went down with an injury, Bernard shifted over from his wide receiver slot to stand under center. “Rodrick had an outstanding game,” Perridon said.

“He did some things I knew he could do and he did some things I didn’t think he could do.”

Bernard’s 31-yard TD run with three minutes, 13 seconds left in the game proved to be a backbreaker for the Raiders. “It was almost a busted play,” Bernard said. “Then I saw an opening and I took it. It felt good to get into the end zone and help my team out.”

Cleveland Bailey’s contributions began in the first quarter and continued throughout the contest. “Bailey really stepped up his game tonight,” Perridon said.

Bailey credited his teammates for his success in the game.

“I wouldn’t have been able to do anything without the offensive line,” he said. “They were opening up the holes for me and all I did was my job and ran through the holes. I’m very thankful for them.”

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Another big showdown is Nov. 1 at 7 p.m. at Galena Park ISD Stadium. La Porte suffered through 13 years of futility in this matchup before breaking through in 2011 and winning the last two contests. This could be for the District 21-5A championship and all eyes will be on east Houston for this one. North Shore has the Houston area’s largest enrollment and notable players include linebacker Zach Whitley, running back Tristan Houston and wideout Kevian DeLeon.

North Shore and head coach David Aymond are celebrating the 10th anniversary of its 2003 state championship. La Porte is coming off an 11-2 season and top returning players include linebacker Hoza Scott, free safety Vic Holmes and running back Jonathan Lewis.

Rockets sign Brewer The Rockets signed unrestricted free agent forward Ronnie Brewer (6-feet-7, 235 pounds, Arkansas). He has averaged 8.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.29 steals in 478 career games (301 starts) with Utah, Memphis, Chicago, New York and Oklahoma City. Last season, Brewer split time between the Knicks and Thunder, averaging 3.0 points and 2.3 rebounds over 14.2 minutes per outing in 60 games (34 starts).

His best statistical season came in 2008-09, when he averaged a career-high 13.7 points (.508 FG percentage) with a career-best 3.7 rebounds in 32.2 minutes per game over 81 appearances (80 starts). Brewer also ranked seventh in the NBA in steals (1.70) in 2008-09.

Astro Castro acknowledged The Astros All-Star catcher Jason Castro was recently named American League Player of the Week. This marks his second Player of the Week honor this season. Castro hit .529 (9x17) with two doubles, a triple, three home runs and five RBI with a .619 on-base-pct., a 1.294 slugging pct., and a 1.913 OPS. Castro led the AL in batting average, extra-base hits, OBP, and SLG. On the year, Castro is hitting .278 (113x406) with 33 doubles, 17 homers, 51 RBI and a .352 on-base percentage.

His 33 doubles are a franchise record for catchers and currently rank eighth in the American League. Among AL catchers, he ranks first in slugging (.490), second in OPS (.842), and third in hits, doubles and homeruns.

for coach Perridon’s thoughts on the no-huddle offense

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16 DEFENDER | SEPTEMBER 5 | 2013

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