Dr. Joy Leary DeGruy calls it “Post-Traumatic Slave Syndrome.” Before her, Dr. Naim Akbar labeled it “Internal ized Oppression.” Prior to both of them, Reverend Albert B. Cleage Jr., “Father of Black Liberation Teology,” called it “Niggerization.” Each was referring to the ongoing mind/body/spirit damage done to us via enslavement and ongoing generations of racial terror. When I heard Kanye West wore a “White Lives Matter” T-shirt because in his brain “Black Lives Matter” was a “scam,” my frst thought was, “Social media has made us all dumber.” And that may still be true. But I was reminded that we all (Blackfolk) sufer from untreated damage done to us and our ancestors—damage scientists have shown is passed down via our DNA. Damage that shows itself in any number of ways displaying open “self-hate” and “hate” or disrespect or dismissal of those who look like us. It’s easy to see it in Kanye. He puts his on display daily. What’s harder is doing the work to see it in and root it out of ourselves.
Aswad Walkerthat say about America? What does that say about us who allow such abuse to continue?
Unfortunately, as expected, the ex-Baytown Police Ofcer Juan Manuel Delacruz who gunned down Pamela Turner in May of 2019 was found not guilty, though he did shoot and kill Turner. But for some reason, this latest travesty of justice feels diferent to me. Maybe it’s because Turner was a Black grandmother. Tink about that for a minute, and all that the institution of “grandmother” means to us as a people. Grandmothers not only raised our parents, for many of us, they’re raising our kids too. Black grandmothers have been our matriarchs, our spiritual North Stars, our family griots. And if our grandmothers can be shot down like dogs, and nobody pays a price, what does that say about the criminal justice system? What does
For the past few years, every election has been hyped as “the most important election ever.” And each one has been. Why? Because over the past few years, the little slither of “democracy” that exists in America has been under attack. Tis November, that attack is at “Treat Level Maximum.” National news media folk ofen mince words. I won’t. Believers in the myth of wealthy white male suprem acy have already taken away women’s rights to make deci sions concerning their own bodies. Now they’re banning “Girls Who Code” books to limit their access to educa tion also. Tey’re suppressing votes via gerrymandering and an ongoing Jan. 6 coup to trash Black votes — still in progress via the “election deniers” on ballots nation wide. Recently, U.S. Sen. (AL) Tommy Tuberville, who made tens of millions of dollars of the free labor of Black men as a college football coach, told a 99% white Nevada crowd, “Tey (Blackfolk) want reparations because they think the people that do crime (Blackfolk) are owed that. Bullsh*t. Tey aren’t owed that.” He basically outlined the national Republican Party stance: all Blacks are criminals who don’t deserve squat. Every right we have is on the line this November. Vote.
• Dark & Lovely scholarship for Black female college students.
• R&B legend Bobby Brown joins the fght against domestic violence.
By Aswad Walker
Proper honor is way past due for Reverend Dr. Calvin J. Abraham whose life and legacy touched so many, he is considered Houston religious royalty. And though Abraham passed away earlier this year, his influence on those he inspired lives on. Abraham’s name will live on in a more concrete way, as well.
The city of Houston which gave birth to the Phyllis Wheatley High School alumnus and Hall of Fame member, will name a street a er Abraham on Saturday, Nov. 5 at 10 a.m. at the Bella Vista Missionary Baptist Church located at the intersection of 803 East 36th @ Cornell Street in the Historical Independence Heights.
“In 1969 he was called to pastor the Bella Vista Missionary Baptist Church from his home church, Greater Galilee Missionary Baptist Church,” said Reverend Ray Mackey, who dedicated his life to God and the church upon hearing one of Abraham’s sermons. “From 1969 to February 2022, he faithfully served the church first as senior
pastor, and then as pastor emeritus from about 2014 forward.”
Mackey, who served at Bella Vista for a number of years as an associate minister, is the current chair of the Independence Heights Greater Houston Baptist Ministers Alliance, and a mentee of Abraham.
“From the outset, Pastor Abraham was one who had a love for early childhood education, for literacy and adult literacy, as well as the faith perspective. He spent over half a century being committed to the Houston community, and communities across our country, traveling and evangelizing. His legacy of commitment to Christendom and to our community is, in my opinion, certainly worthy of recognition,” said Mackey.
Abraham’s “commitment to Christendom” was recognized by US Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who invited Abraham and Mackey to attend a holiday ball hosted by President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama during Obama’s last year in office.
Darius Elam has been in prison for nearly 40 years, even though no evidence links him to the crime and DNA testing removed Elam from being anywhere near the scene of the crime. For these, and other reasons, the Honey Brown Hope Foundation (HBHF) has been on a mission to have Elam’s case reopened with the hope that a fresh review would allow him to go free. at hope is reportedly being dashed by the actions, or rather the inactions of Judge Josh Hill, who critics say has been a consistent roadblock in efforts to uncover the truth behind the heartbreaking case.
Elam filed a recusal motion requesting Hill’s disqualification based on abuse of power, favoritism to the state, lack of impartiality and inability to render fair judgment.
“ e HBHF is asking the community at large to denounce Judge Hill’s miscarriage of justice against Elam and demand that he recuses himself on Elam’s case,” said Tammie Lang Campbell, founder of the HBHF.
In 1984, Elam, a student at Texas Southern
gunshot wound to his head on the campus of Rice University on May 7, 1983.
“Darius was originally charged with
felony murder and credit card the ; however, with no proof of murder these charges were changed to aggravated robbery,” said Campbell. “He was convicted of aggravated robbery and sentenced to life despite no confession and maintaining innocence; a deeply flawed investigation and compelling evidence he was wrongly convicted.”
“ ere are three things pointing to Elam’s innocence: a recanted paid jailhouse informant testimony, DNA testing excluding Elam and an unidentified person’s DNA found at the crime scene,” said HBHF member Shar-day Campbell.
“Even with the compelling evidence of innocence, Judge Josh Hill, 232nd Judicial District Court of Harris County, continues to delay this case until a er his election on November 8 and also declined to accept District Attorney Kim Ogg’s request made in July 2022 to un-recuse itself and take back Darius D. Elam’s case (TDCJ Number: 00380190), to examine for themselves if Elam was convicted fairly or not.
Touting two significant achievements that specifically targeted Blacks: the $5.8 billion investment in HBCUs and the investiture of the first Black woman – Ketanji Brown Jackson – appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris outlined accomplishments positively impacting Blacks and promised to deliver more.
The comments were made during the 51st Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Annual Legislative Conference in D.C. Harris also acknowledged the CBC’s importance while challenging them to continue to flex their power.
“We need the leadership of this organization more now than ever,” said Harris referring to the ongoing GOP attacks on a woman’s right to choose, voting rights, and protections against hate and violence.
Biden cut to the chase.
“Without the CBC, I wouldn’t be standing here tonight. That’s a fact,” he said before outlining
his administration’s successes. These included increasing Black Americans with health insurance, cutting Black child poverty in half in 2021 via the Child Tax Credit, reducing Black unemployment, increasing Black small-business creation, making lynching a federal crime, aggressively attacking racial discrimination in housing and confirming more Black women appellate [federal] judges than every other President in history combined.
He then promised future actions, including getting the George Floyd Justice Policing Act, the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, and the Freedom to Vote Act passed; and increasing the share of federal government expenditures on small, disadvantaged businesses, including Brown and Black businesses.
“We’re going to bring that from 10% of all that money spent going to small businesses that are Black and Brown to 15% by 2025. It doesn’t sound like much [but] that means an additional $100 billion to those businesses and those communities,” said POTUS. [Source: Washington Informer]
By Gregory A. StevensCries of injustice were voiced immediately a er a Harris County jury offered a verdict of “not guilty” in the trial of Juan Manuel Delacruz, the former Baytown police officer who shot and killed Black grandmother Pamela Turner.
“Once again, our judicial system has proven to be unfaithful and unreliable when it comes to Black women receiving justice when murdered in cold blood by police officers,” said Dr. James Dixon, NAACP Houston president and pastor of Community of Faith. “It also proves that when it comes to Black women and other minorities, the crime worthy of death by police officers, is to simply be Black and female, [and] that in Harris County, Texas your life does not matter!”
Turner family attorney Ben Crump, who has represented countless Black, Latinx and poor whites killed by police, viewed this trail as bigger than simply the Turner case, stating before the trial
started, “ e reason this trial is so critically important is if the jury finds Delacruz guilty, it will be the first time in American history that a police officer is convicted in the killing of a Black woman.”
Upon hearing the verdict, he was left to console the grieving family and offer words of disgust.
“ is is a setback in the effort for equal justice under the law in America. You have to understand that the police, as documented by the Washington Post from 2015 to 2020, killed 400 Black women while in their custody and not one police officer was convicted of a felony. When will it end when the police can continue to get away with killing Black women and have no accountability?”
Delacruz was found not guilty of first-degree aggravated assault by a public servant. Police are rarely, if ever, charged with murder in such cases, no matter how heinous. e killing of Turner, which happened on May 13, 2019, was captured on video that went viral.
Clyde Jiles
Michael Grant
Media
Tia Alphonse
ReShonda Tate
Aswad Walker
Reporter Laura Onyeneho
Harris Jodie B. Jiles
Jimmie Aggison
Baytown cop who killed Pamela Turner found not guilty
The city’s second Gun Buyback event, which took place on Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Metro Westchase Park and Ride in US Rep. Al Green’s 9th Congressional District, was declared a success by the congressman. “Gun buybacks are an effective means by which to help reduce crime as well as gun violence in our communities. e epidemic of gun violence and mass shootings must end or it may be our end.” County Commissioner Rodney Ellis, who, along with Houston’s Mayor Sylvester Turner spearheaded the effort, said, “Because of lax gun laws in our state, our community is drowning in guns. We may not control gun laws, but we are not powerless to take guns off the street.”
Mayor Sylvester Turner, along with county commissioners Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia are inviting everyone out to the H-Town Family Palooza this Saturday, Oct. 15 from 10a.m. to 1p.m. at the El Franco Lee Public Service Plaza (1201 Congress St., Houston, 77002). “Bring your family and friends to an outdoor event to enjoy live music by MANGO PUNCH!, kidfriendly activities through Street Olympics, and NCAA Final Four activities, games and
prizes,” said Ellis. “ is event will also highlight the projects that Harris County is completing downtown and the work being done to transform this area into a vibrant community space.” From the H-Town Family Palooza festivities, families are being encouraged to board the free double-decker bus that will take them to Downtown Houston for the Street Art for Mankind: Downtown Art Market featuring an art show and mural tour for Big Art. Bigger Change.
Aflac gives $200K grant to TSU
TSU recently announced receiving a $200K grant from Aflac to help advance health equity for diseases that disproportionately impact underrepresented
communities. e $200K gi will be split between community support/education and health-related research. According to the Aflac Care Index Texas was among the 11 states identified as having the most medical debt exposure. Aflac selected TSU for its Center for Biomedical and Minority Health Research, which oversees robust research and community-level initiatives that support underrepresented communities both locally and nationally. Aflac and TSU officials also unveiled TSU’s Aflac Park Bench, a natural space of rest, reflection, peace and comfort for the ird Ward campus. e bench is a physical manifestation of the commitments Aflac makes to educate, support and advocate to help close the gap. Aflac installs these
Park Benches in highly exposed communities where it awards CareGrants to organizations that are working to close the health and wealth gap.
Lone Star College received permission to expand its academic offerings to international students by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP). e SEVP acts as a bridge for nonimmigrants whose primary reason for coming to the US is to be a student. “Lone Star College welcomed more than 2,600 international students from over 100 countries this fall,” said Katharine Caruso, Ph.D., LSC Associate Vice Chancellor Honors and International Education.
“ is benefits students from other countries who are interested in receiving a quality education and introduces American students to different cultures and customs.” LSC will now be able to offer F-1 visa students the opportunity to study at LSC-East Aldine Center, LSC-Houston North Fallbrook and LSC-Westway Park Technology Center. An F-1 visa student is allowed to temporarily live in the US for a defined period of time while studying at a school or college. Visit LoneStar.edu/International-Student for more information.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second-leading cause of cancer among women. Despite the slight decline in the mortality rate due to early detection and improvements in treat ment, Black women are at a 40% higher risk of dying than white women, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Fourteen-year breast cancer survivor Dr. Jacque Colbert, who has a doctoral degree in Management and Organizational Leader ship, is part of what she calls a “sisterhood” of women who defeated cancer and has worked relentlessly to give back to women sufering from it.
If detected early, breast cancer is curable. Trough her nonproft Sipping PositiviTEA, the Houston-based global human resource leader has implemented annual fundraising, fashion shows and galas focused on raising funds for the cure and helping support postcare needs for survivors.
Last year, Colbert raised $11,000 in funds and $10,000 was donated to The Rose, a nonproft helping the insured and uninsured receive necessary testing and treatment, and $1,000 to support “Angels Fighting Cancer.”
On Oct. 22, Colbert will host her next fundraiser at Te Bougainvilleas in Hous ton at 7 p.m. Te Defender spoke with Colbert to learn about her experience.
Defender: Take us back to the begin ning of your breast cancer journey. Jacque Colbert: I was diagnosed in April 2008. I consider myself a healthy person. I’m a military veteran. I spent 4 ½ years there. Two weeks before feeling something was wrong, I had a com plete physical by my medical practi tioner, which included a full breast exam. I was told that I was clear. A week later, I felt a lump in my lef breast. It was odd. I’ve always been attuned to my body. I called my doctor, and he told me nothing was wrong. I became an active participant in my survival.
I kept beating the drum to be seen and heard. I wanted a mammogram done, and it took another month before that happened. I was shy of 39 at that time. Te ofcial age was 40 years old to receive them regularly. Mammography takes about 30 minutes, but I ended up being there for about two hours. I had a barrage of radiologists come in, and that was when I was told something was
wrong. Tey called my doctor immediately.
I was a single mom raising my daughter, and I started my doctoral journey as an exec utive at Dell Technologies. I had so much to look forward to. Te news was abrupt. But I’m thankful that I learned at an early stage and had a biopsy done, followed by a lumpectomy.
Defender: Did you later fnd out if this was hereditary?
Colbert: I started asking and thinking about my family tree, not knowing or ever being told of anyone on either side of my family with a history of breast cancer. I got the genetic
I decided to stop focusing on the negative because this experience was something I should be learning and teaching out of the despair of my pain.
Defender: How was the healthcare and treatment process for you?
Colbert: I’m thankful from a traditional medicine perspective. I had excellent tradi tional healthcare available to me. Being of Caribbean descent, I value nontraditional medicine. I went through a year of chemo, followed by 35 rounds of radiation. I sup plemented a high dose of nutraceuticals to keep me well and whole during my treat ment. I’m passionate about this body
healthcare was the Susan G. Komen Foun dation in Austin at the time. Tey ofered six months of housekeeping service to help me through the day. It took a whole year before I was cancer free.
Defender: What can Black women do to prevent this?
Colbert: Number one, we need to discuss this more and not be ashamed of our bodies. Number two, get comfortable with saying that we’re not superwomen. We need bal ance and a better work-life balance. Number three, learn how to say “no...” I believe stress was a signifcant factor in what induced this cancerous tissue in my body. In the Black community, we are constantly under stress due to many competing priorities. Number four, we got to put our money where our mouth is. Vote for the appropriate politicians and leaders with the right mindset about holistic care.
Defender: What lifestyle changes have you made since being cancer free?
Colbert: It’s the amplifcation of my life style. I choose to be positive. I serve my com munity, but I make sure I create time for rest. I’m consistent in ensuring that I stick to my mammograms, constantly researching and engaging with others. We need to prioritize ourselves frst.
Defender: Talk about your nonprofit. What solutions does it provide?
Colbert: It didn’t start as a nonproft. It began with positive psychology and creating services and products that were visual indi cators of positivity. I want to raise as many funds as possible to help the underserved so they can at least get mammograms for free. Ten, I want to ensure those things that aren’t covered through traditional healthcare, such as housekeeping services, lymphatic drainage treatment, or neurop athy support. We also support men who wouldn’t ordinarily have these available to them.
Defender: Let us know about your upcoming event.
Colbert: Tis is the premiere fundraising fashion show and gala aimed at amplifying and uplifting what we’ve been doing for four years. We are bringing in the best of H-Town. It combines food, fashion, friends, family and fundraising. We need to help our survivors at every stage of their process.
By Von Jiles
As the November election draws nearer, the League of Women Voters (LWV) of Houston and the Houston Defender Network have joined forces to encourage the community to exercise the highest civic privilege we have as citizens – voting.
An Early Voting Rally is set for Saturday, October 22 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Emancipation Park, 3018 Emancipation Ave., in the heart of ird Ward. Highlights include spoken word artists, other performers and fun for the entire family. The theme is “Empowering Voters, Defending Democracy,” and the timing is crucial – early voting is Oct. 24-Nov. 4.
The Oct. 22 rally, which is sponsored by Texas Children’s Hospital, has garnered a number of community partners: Black Women of Greater Houston PAC, City of Houston, Greater Houston Black Chamber, Houston Area Urban League, Houston Metropolitan Baptist Ministers Conference, Metro, NAACP Houston Branch, Texas Southern University Student Government Association, Top Ladies of Distinction, University of Houston Student Government Association and Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Social Justice Ministry.
Annie Johnson Benifield, president of LWV of Houston, said, "Democracy is not a spectator sport where one simply sits in the arena and watches events take place, but rather a gladiator sport where you fight for what you believe in, such as voting rights, equality and justice. “As a descendant of enslaved people, I am honored to serve as the first woman of color elected president
of this 102-year-old organization,” Benifield said. “I am committed to the League’s mission of empowering voters through voter registration and voter education and defending democracy by advocating/ fighting for voting rights.”
She added that the League’s Voters Guide is now available at https://lwvhouston.org/voters-guide/ and is its signature effort in the realm of voter education. “It provides nonpartisan, fact-based information in English, Spanish, Chinese and Vietnamese on a digital platform so citizens can make informed choices about who best represents them in the political arena.”
As the signature sponsor, Texas Children’s Hospital Executive Vice President Michelle Riley-Brown stated, “Texas Children’s Hospital is proud to sponsor this event.”
“The right to vote is an incredible privilege that was hard-earned. When we exercise our right to vote, we honor not only our responsibility to ourselves, but to each other.”
Sonny Messiah Jiles, CEO of the Defender Network, said it is fitting that the rally is held at Emancipation Park, which was purchased by former slaves 150 years ago and signifies power. “Voting is a privilege that we continue to fight for,” Messiah Jiles said.
“We must unify to emphasize the power each of us has if we only take the time to vote. Despite past and present voter suppression tactics, we remain resilient. For 12 days, we have the opportunity to vote early at any polling location. That is the true meaning of “Power to the People.”
Your support has been amazing and we truly appreciate the commitment you have made to Black women and their families. With the sponsorship of Women’s Wellness and Parenting Today, you are making an investment in generations to come. The Health Forum, “The Woman King” movie screening and the Power of Us Eary Voting Rally all demonstrate that the “Whole Woman” is valued. We applaud your commitment.
THE POWER OF OURAnnie Benifield Michelle Riley Brown Sonny Messiah Jiles By ReShonda Tate
can lead to identity the , compromised passwords for online accounts or downloads that track the user’s activity on the device.
With the pandemic also came huge increases in remote working scams.
A thief patiently observes customers inside or outside a bank, follows the customer, then burglarizes the vehicle or victim directly.
Callers pretending to be law enforcement call and threaten people with arrest for an alleged federal warrant unless they pay a specific amount immediately. e callers are given the actual phone number of deputies, counting on victims not to call.
The Better Business Bureau (BBB) says thieves have stepped up their game when it comes to getting your coins. While there are a number of scams you may be aware of, officials say cra y criminals are targeting unsuspecting consumers more and more and disenfranchised communities are being hit the hardest.
A recent study from Social Catfish, a company that aids citizens in avoiding online scams, found that Texas ranked second highest in the nation for the total number of scam victims in 2021, totaling 41,148 people who lost an average of $14,732. Overall, Texans lost $606,179,646. California held the top spot with 67,095 victims losing $1.2 billion to financial scams.
e BBB’s Scam Tracker reported several hundred scams in the Greater Houston area since the beginning of 2022, including some you may not be aware of. Here are some of them:
Rental
Landlords who may not own the properties up for sale are asking for security deposits or first month’s rent before the renter is shown the listing in person. Unsuspecting renters show up to move in and only to find other victims, and no house key in sight.
The victim receives an email (phishing), phone call (vishing) or text message (smishing). In the communication, the scammer urges the target to click a link, share information or download an attachment
that likely contains malware. In the case of an email or text, the link frequently leads to a form, which prompts the target to enter personal information.
Scammers have spoofed caller ID to appear as “Mom” or “Dad.” ey are relying on the fact that many people have “Dad” or “Mom” saved in their contacts list. Scammers hope you won’t think twice (or double-check the phone number) before sending help, normally a request for money. If you do transfer money to a bank or digital wallet account, your money will be gone for good.
Con artists email or text that they know you’ve been watching online pornography and if you don’t pay a fee, they’re going to release the videos/pictures to the public.
Your computer/laptop shows an error. You Google and dial the first number that pops up. The “tech” who answers says they need remote access to your computer, which enables them to install malware that records passwords, keystrokes,
or other files that contain personal information.
You receive a call or voicemail from someone claiming to represent a new student loan forgiveness program. To see if you qualify for forgiveness, the scammer insists that you need to complete an online application form, which asks for personal information, such as your bank account details.
Fraudulent QR codes are often placed on the back of parking meters, leading victims to assume that they can pay for parking through the QR code if they do not have change. Con artists can easily create a QR code for free online, which they then print on stickers and either cover up an actual QR code or place where it makes logical sense. A er paying for the spot through the QR code, some victims return to find their vehicle has been towed or received a parking ticket for non-payment, multiplying the amount of money lost. In other cases, a er scanning a code found in an email, text or on a flyer, some victims are directed to a website that requests personal information that
ese rely on your excitement to lure you into paying fees for your prize or typically require that you provide your personal information with the intent of compromising your identity. Remember, you should never have to pay fees for winning a prize. You will also never win a lottery you never entered.
While scammers certainly want access to your finances, also valuable are your Social Security number, debit/credit card info, pin numbers, passwords, and any other items containing your personal information. If this sensitive information falls into the hands of a criminal, it may be used to steal your identity and open new accounts.
It may seem as if some of the best deals may be found online but use caution. It’s easy for a scammer to hijack photos from a legitimate retailer and post prices that seem too good to be true. Make sure you are dealing with a legitimate seller who has a history of conducting business ethically by going to bbb.org.
Victims receive a phone call, email or letter stating they qualified for a government grant, but to receive the grant you must pay the processing and/or delivery fee via wire transfer or prepaid debit card. Remember, the government does not award
grants for which there has been no application.
Scammers posing as IRS agents contact consumers either claiming they could help them expedite stimulus checks or that they owed back taxes and threaten lawsuits and arrest if payment is not sent immediately. Keep in mind, the IRS does not make threatening phone calls, nor do you send payment via unconventional methods such as gi cards or wire transfers.
Scammers advertise a job opening or guarantee job placement if you pay a fee to cover the cost it takes to place you in a job. However, a er you pay, there’s no job and you are out of money. Remember, if a potential employer asks you to pay the company to cover the costs of testing, training or background checks, consider it a red flag.
Consumers report receiving harassing calls and/or calls for debts that are not owed. Remember, there are debt collection process rules in place to prevent unethical collection business practices.
Block unwanted calls and text messages.
Don’t give your personal or financial information in response to a request that you didn’t expect.
Resist the pressure to act immediately.
Never pay someone you don’t know with a gi card or by using a money transfer service.
Stop and talk to someone you trust.
Do not open suspicious texts, pop-up windows or click on links or attachments in emails – delete them.
Don’t respond to phone calls about your computer asking for remote access – hang up. Keep your personal details, mobile devices and computers secure. Choose your passwords carefully. Resist the urge to scam the scammer for revenge.
Scammers try new methods to trick you all the time. But if you know the signs to look for, you may avoid becoming a victim.
They contacted you. When someone contacts you first, you can’t be certain they’re telling the truth. Remember, email addresses and caller ID information can be faked.
They dangle bait — usually money. You’ve heard it before – if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Especially when it comes to money. People simply don’t give away large sums of money easily. If someone dangles bait in front of you — a big prize, a shopping spree, an easy loan — for nothing, they’re probably lying.
They want your personal information. Anytime anyone asks for your personal information — bank accounts, Social Security number, etc. — you should be on alert. Don’t give it away quickly or easily, especially to someone you don’t know.
You have to pay them first.
If someone offers you a prize, debt relief, or employment — but first you have to pay an upfront fee to get it — you’re probably being scammed.
You have to wire money or send gi cards. If you’re about to wire money or send gi cards to someone in order to receive a prize, or pay off a debt collector that contacts you...STOP!
Just miles from where one of only two Level 1 trauma centers in Atlanta is scheduled to close at the end of October, dozens of medical professionals, CEOs, COOs, hospital and healthcare system presidents, and the media gathered for the 2022 Black Directors Health Equity Agenda (BDHEA) summit.
The summit goal: to ensure healthcare leaders remain aware of societal healthcare inequities while working in the ivory towers of America’s healthcare industry. e summit highlighted four things critical for healthcare professionals and the general public to do in order to lessen and ultimately eliminate the current existing healthcare disparities.
“We’re here because our communities deserve better,” said Atrium Health President & CEO Eugene A. Woods. “It’s really up to us and our colleagues in this room to own up to that.”
Participants made the link between participation in the upcoming midterm elections in states across the nation and actions they and everyday citizens can take.
“My strong belief is that governance can be a compelling force for good,” said Woods, alluding to the importance of voting and actions beyond casting ballots. “We are here because we all have aspirations to leave our communities better than when we found them.”
Dr. Derek J. Robinson, VP & Chief Medical Officer, Blue Cross and Blue Shield Illinois and the BDHEA program chair, said a big step toward improving the health of the Black community is asking questions.
The questions to providing care are, “How is the care being provided for men and women?, How is it being provided for individuals who maybe don’t speak English as their first language?,” said Robinson. “If you don’t know the questions to ask, then you likely will not give visibility into the challenges that are being encountered by patients.”
BDHEA founder John W. Daniels, Jr. asked summit attendees questions of his own, which really sounded more like calls to action: “How can we collaborate and deliberately take action in the health equity space?” and “What are we going to do to advance the efforts going forward?”
Blacks make up only 5.3% of medical professionals, according to the Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. at means the odds of a Black family or individual having a Black primary physician are low. “We know that because we have under-representation in the healthcare workforce of African Americans and in Hispanic and American Indians, that makes the healthcare provider workforce a little bit less relatable to those patient populations,” Robinson said.
Robinson said teaching hospitals must ask themselves how are they as a whole, and their individual specialty divisions doing with recruitment of underrepresented minority medical students and residents.
Blacks made up just over 11% of first-year medical school students in 2021, according to American Medical Association data. at number is up from 9.5% in 2020. e number of Black male first-year students nationwide increased by more than 20% during the same time period.
“We know there’s plenty of research and data that not only suggests but really informs us that there are differences in how care is delivered to patients,” said Robinson.
Some of the underlying factors that lead to disparities in care are a lack of education in medical care, transportation, income disparity, and food insecurity, which can lead to diabetes, among other
chronic health conditions common among Blacks. Awareness can lead to better diagnosis of diseases. Having leaders of color in the healthcare profession aware of how patients are being cared for at the ground level, can begin to lower healthcare disparities nationally. [Source: e Atlanta Voice]
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The maternal grandparents are Sidney Goodman of Richmond, Texas and Carleen Webb of Alexandria, Louisiana. The paternal grandparents are Donna Swan of Spring, Texas and Roosevelt Swan of Houston, Texas.
The Downtown Redevelopment Authority (the “Authority”) / TIRZ No. 3 will receive responses to this Request for Proposal (RFP), for a consulting firm to conduct third-party feasibility studies on select buildings participating in exploring adaptive reuse of vacant office space in Downtown Houston, Texas. Hardcopy proposals will be received until 3:00 PM, local time on Thursday, December 1, 2022, by Robert Pieroni, Director of Economic Development, Central Houston Inc. Hardcopy proposals received after this time will not be accepted. Hardcopy proposals are to be delivered to 1221 McKinney Street, Suite 4250 Houston, TX 77010.
Beginning Thursday, October 13, 2022, this project’s Request for Proposal (RFP) may be reviewed and downloaded as an electronic file on the Authority’s website: www.downtowntirz.com . An optional Pre-submittal Conference will be held at 1:00 PM, local time, on Thursday, October 27, 2022, in the Authority’s offices, 1221 McKinney Street, Suite 4250 Houston, TX 77010. All potential respondents are invited to attend. Following this conference, queries or requests for information will be addressed by the Authority, pursuant to the instructions provided in the RFP. Based on the Proposals submitted, an evaluation and selection committee will identify the winning proposal. The Authority will negotiate and award the contract to the selected consultant based on the evaluation criteria.
Proposers shall comply with City of Houston Code of Ordinances, Chapter 15, Articles II, V, VI, and XI and the Mayor’s Executive Orders No.1-7 Pay or Play (POP) Program for Houston Public Works for the public procurement procedures of the City of Houston Office of Business Opportunity (OBO) established in March
and the entity responsible for the administration of the Minority/ WomenOwned (M/WBE), Persons with Disabilities
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Looking to break into the tech indus try but don’t know where to start? Reskill Americans is ofering learning opportuni ties for free.
Te non-proft provides tuition-free sof ware development training and mentorship for historically underrepresented racial minorities nationwide.
“Our evolving apprenticeship program is designed to help graduates hone their new skills in a real-world environment, giving them on-the-job experience and confdence,” said Giselle Fuerte, Reskill Americans’ exec utive director.
“Te length of the apprenticeship period may vary; the apprenticeship ofers fnancial compensation, and most-to-all opportunities will be virtual.”
Te training program duration is a rig orous seven-month process with a proj ect-based approach designed to equip students with the skills they need to become sofware development professionals. Stu dents will earn a certifcate of completion
in web development or UX/UI design.
“We recognize that by the very nature of being an underrepresented racial minority looking to enter the feld, participants in our program are unlikely to have had direct access to diverse mentors and advocates in tech and might enter our program carrying the burden of uncertainty and imposter syn drome,” said Fuerte.
“However, by working alongside likeminded participants, learning technical skills required to get a career in the industry, hav ing direct access to role models and network ing opportunities, and receiving support and motivation every step of the way, they gradu ate equipped with the tools to build a career in tech that will transform their lives, and ultimately, the industry as a whole.”
Reskill Americans launched its inaugural program in 2021 with more than 2,000 par ticipants from 42 states, and alums have been hired at businesses of all sizes.
Te current cohort will graduate in May 2023. Tose interested in next year’s cohort should visit: https://reskillamericans.org/
Rosalind Riggs, a former teacher with 31 years in the classroom, is now a children’s book author on a mission to minister to young souls. Her book, “ e Army of the Lord,” is a collection of prayers Riggs says the Lord placed on her heart to equip children with the powerful spiritual technology of prayer.
e Defender spoke with Riggs, who is also an ordained minister, about her journey to her new career as an author.
Defender: Growing up, was teaching your dream job?
Riggs: Actually, it wasn’t. My mom was an elementary teacher, and she would bring home these big bags of paper and say, “Come on, and help me grade these spelling tests.” We’d be up hours, and I was like, “Oh, I’m never going to be a teacher. Never, ever, ever.” When I called her and told her that I was going to teach, she said, “What? Not you?” I said, “Yeah, but mom, I’m teaching art. I’m not going to be bringing home stacks of papers and all of that.”
Defender: What did you do before teaching?
Riggs: I was in retail management. I did buying for Montgomery Ward. at’s what I did when I first moved here. I was traveling quite a bit, opening stores, and I had my daughter. It was just too much, leaving her with my mother-in-law. I was like, “I’ve got to do something else.” And it just came on my heart to do teaching and check into it. I had all the requirements as far as the art part with my major, but I needed the education courses. I went to TSU and took those 30 hours of education and got certified pre-K through 12.
Defender: Can you give us an overview of the book?
Riggs: It’s like a prayer book I’ve never seen before for children. First of all, there’s a prayer for salvation that the children themselves—they’re the army of the Lord—can pray. en the other prayers include a prayer for healing. You need to know how to pray when somebody’s sick. ere’s a prayer for the healing of cancer, a prayer for your parents’ marriage, a prayer for mom and dad. People don’t realize their kids worry about you. ere is a prayer for when you’re lonely. ere are so many children, especially with
the isolation of the virus and everything. Children were totally isolated for the very first time. ey couldn’t go out and play. ey couldn’t see their other family members. is was a real situation.
Defender: Why is this book something parents would want for their children?
Riggs: Because they should want them to know how to pray. ey should want them to be armed up. You’re not with them all the time. And if something goes down, they know what to do. ey know they have a heavenly father that’s always watching, that loves them and he’s there for them and they’ll never have to be alone.
Birthplace: Chicago
Education: Iowa State University
Favorite music: Gospel
Favorite food: Seafood
Favorite things about Houston: Oh, I really like Houston, especially Mo. City. That’s where I’ve been living for 36 years. I love, first of all, that I don’t have to wear those big coats anymore, like in Chicago and Iowa. I’m getting used to the heat, but I keep my house
70. I’ve also met some wonderful people and friends.
Te player described as the heart and soul of the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, Draymond Green, is apologizing for engag ing in a physical altercation with his War riors’ teammate Jordan Poole during a recent practice.
And by “physical altercation” we mean he punched the hell out of Poole.
Green, who Warriors’ fans love, and who other NBA fans love to hate, is seemingly regretful for the punch he landed that foored Poole. During a recent Warriors’ media avail ability, Green ofered up his public apology.
“I was wrong for my actions that took place on Wednesday. For that, I have apologized to my team. I have apologized to Jordan.”
According to various news outlets, Green
and Jordan had been beefng since training camp began. And while he did not specifcally mention what led up to the incident, Green did share that he’d been dealing with some per sonal matters of the court. Still, Green made no excuses for his actions, the video of which went viral afer the footage was leaked to the public.
Te Warriors have launched an investigation regarding how the video was leaked.
“When you are doing something, when you step on the court, that doesn’t go away. As a leader of this team, I need to have a better feel for myself,” he said.
Earlier in the week, Green apologized to his teammates, all of whom say they accept his apology. He’s unsure about Poole however, and said he wants to give him his space.
“I think my apology was accepted pretty well
from the team, at least that’s what I was told.
As far as how it was accepted from Jordan, I’m not sure how it was accepted.”
With the new NBA season fast approach ing, some fans, media members and players and coaches of other teams are wondering aloud, “What’s next?” Green said he will con tinue to take time away from the team to allow both himself and his teammates time to heal. It’s uncertain whether he’ll play in the season opener.
During the talk, Green insisted on making one thing clear: his love and support for Poole has not changed.
“I love Jordan Poole. Tat’s my guy. I will still ride for Jordan, still advocate for Jordan and do anything I can to make Jordan’s job easy.”
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It seemed like the moment a er the Las Vegas Aces defeated the Connecticut Sun on Sept. 18 to claim their first WNBA Championship, the lights dimmed on women’s basketball and the attention faded on the league’s biggest star – imprisoned Brittney Griner.
e warmup T-Shirts demanding “Free BG” aren’t being captured by the television camera to keep her imprisonment in Russia at the forefront. e stories of her plight have been reduced to filler news.
But Griner, who has been held captive in Moscow since February and has been sentenced to nine years in prison for attempting to board a flight home with less than one gram of cannabis oil, has not been forgotten. e two-time U.S. Olympic champion and Houston native was just no longer headline news.
at, however, began to change this past week as Griner and her imprisonment resurfaced on national news a er her wife, Cherelle Griner, candidly discussed Griner’s mental and emotional state with CBS news anchor Gayle King as she awaits her long-term destination to begin serving her lengthy sentence.
Cherelle has had two conversations with the former Nimitz and Baylor standout since her detainment. e first was upbeat. e most recent talk was anything but.
“You could hear that she was not okay. If you think about just a person’s suffering and when they have suffered to a max…she was at the max that day,” Cherelle told King.
Richardson, who isn’t working on the behalf of the U.S. government or the White House, says he had discussions about Griner and Whelan during his recent visit to Russia.
“I do think so. Now, I hate making predictions, but yes,” Richardson responded to CNN when asked if he believes Griner and Whalen could be released before the year is out.
Brittney GrinerBut that wasn’t it for headline-grabbing news on Griner. This past weekend, former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he was optimistic that Griner and ex-U.S. Marine Paul Whalen would both be freed from their Russian imprisonments by the end of the year.
is comes as we await Griner’s Oct. 25 appeal hearing that isn’t expected to yield any positive results. A prison labor camp assignment seems imminent.
So Richardson’s prediction may be the most tangible prospect for Griner’s freedom.
These are the actions that we know of because of recent headlines. We also know the U.S. Department of Justice and the White House have engaged in discussions with Russia about some sort of prisoner swap involving Griner and Whelan.
But where that all stands seems to be a mystery as the U.S. remains at odds with Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion and attempted takeover of Ukraine.
It’s seemed from the beginning that Griner’s imprisonment, which now is described by the government as wrongfully detained, is more political than anything and that she is nothing more than a pawn in Putin’s indirect conflict with the U.S.
is is why the Biden administration has mostly been silent on the subject of Griner as have her closest family and friends here in Houston and around the country. ere is a delicate balance between keeping her name and imprisonment out front and not wanting to make her even more of a target in the political fight.
But there does seem to be a great deal still happening in the background. e U.S. Justice Department and White House are said to have made a substantial trade proposal that Russia has neither accepted nor made a counter offer to this point.
Biden has met with Griner’s family to offer support and to let them know Griner hasn’t been forgotten.
“He’s doing what he can. But there’s another party in this situation, and we also are dealing with the need for Russia to have mercy on B.G. as well,” Cherelle said in the interview with CBS.
e waiting game, of course, has those closest to Griner on edge.
“B.G. has truly suffered beyond her crime already,” Cherelle said.
The Texans defeated the Jacksonville Jaguars on the road, 13-6, for their first win of the season. It was the Texans’ ninth straight win over the Jaguars, but even bigger for first-year coach Lovie Smith, it was the first time he watched his team stay the course in a tightly contested game. “There’s a lot of things that we had at stake, but as much as anything, for us to be able to finish a game, we talked about it,” he said. “We’re getting better in a lot of areas.”
Lovie Smith
The Sacramento Kings haven’t done a lot of winning since they dra ed Cypress Lakes product De’Aaron Fox out of Kentucky nearly six years ago. That has led to speculation that the rising star point guard would eventually ask out of Sacramento. But Fox recently told the Sacramento Bee that he wants to remain with the Kings and win in Sacramento.
De’Aaron Fox
Dusty Baker Jr.
Aaron Judge has been the talk of baseball a er setting an American League record with 62 home runs this season. But as far as Astros manager Dusty Baker is concerned there is only one home run king in baseball and that is controversial slugger Barry Bonds, who crushed a record 73 homers in 2001. “What I saw Barry do, I don’t care what people say,” Baker said to reporters. “I was with him every day. They want to put an asterisk by it, but them 73 that went over the fence didn’t have an asterisk by them when they went over that fence with regularity.”
With an NFL pedigree and a coach’s son resume, David “D.J.” Hicks is the highest-ranked high school prospect in the Texas area without question.
At 6-feet-4 and 270 pounds, Hicks has strength as solid as a rock, and he possesses a unique type of speed and quickness that could evoke comparisons to greats like Aaron Donald, Chase Young and Warren Sapp. His father, David Hicks Sr., is an assistant coach at Katy Paetow and former NFL player and Grambling standout.
As David Hicks Jr. takes his talents to Texas A&M next season, it will be interesting to see if the Aggies bulk him up to be a force inside as a lineman or move him to the edge to give opposing quarterbacks nightmares. Either way, you should expect Hicks to put on a show that will have his name called sooner than later in an NFL Dra to come.
New Katy Paetow head coach Lonnie Teagle revealed what his new 5-star addition adds to the roster.
“Just his explosive playmaking ability. He is able to command double teams which opens up opportunities for his teammates,” Teagle said. “And off the field, he is one of the hardest-working kids I’ve met.” e Defender spoke with Hicks to discuss his style of play, keys to success, leadership, advice to others and more.
“I play aggressive, I play smart, and I am a leader on the defense.”
“It is really just my coaches and teammates that set me up with alley-oops to make plays.”
“I really started getting into anime during the COVID year. I started watching a little bit Naruto, and a er I started watching I was like, ‘this is hard!’”
“I want to coach. My best path is coaching because I like helping people...I like working with young kids that look up to me and that really makes me want to coach even more.”
“I really learned a lot of my leadership from my coaches. Before I got here in my sophomore year I was really quiet and noticed that the best way to become a good leader is to be able to stand up in the toughest moments and say what needs to be said.”
“Definitely the coaching staff, my parents, and talking to everyone in my family led to that decision.”
“Work hard, and if you believe you can achieve if you put in the work.”
“Getting smarter because it is all about mental. A lot of people want to sharpen their physical, but you won’t be as good of a player if you’re not smart.”
Instagram: @thakiddj2x
Players he studies:
Favorite food:
Favorite subject:
Honors: Ranked No. 1 player in Texas according to 247 and No. 17 in the nation by ESPN Shout-outs: “My mom, my dad, grandma, grandpa, and everybody that has been in my corner throughout this whole process.”
