Houston Defender: December 04, 2019

FEATURE

REPORT: RACIAL DIVIDE SHRINKS IN U.S. CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM P5

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Volume 89 | Number 7 DECEMBER 5, 2019 |FREE

NEWSTALK LAURIE VIGNAUD

named CEO of Unity Bank

Tony Buzbee Mayor

Willie Davis At-Large, 2

Sylvester Turner Mayor

David Robinson At-Large, 2

P2 NATIONAL

Anthony Dolcefino At-Large, 4

Carolyn Evans-Shabazz District D

Letitia Plummer At-Large, 4

KAMALA HARRIS calls it quits in the presidential race

Brad “Scarface” Jordan District D

P4 Van Huynh District F

Edward Pollard District J

Sandra Rodriguez District J

Who’s on the ballot Tiffany Thomas District F

Sat., Dec. 14 runoff

H.S. SPORTS COREY FLAGG JR. anchors North Shore defense

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Bill Cosby

Benardrick McKinney

The actor is breaking his silence, granting his first exclusive interview since beginning his sentence at SCI-Phoenix, a maximum-security Pennsylvania penetentiary near Philadelphia.

Find out how he’s spending his time in prison.

McKinney is part of one of the strongest linebacker corps from top to bottom in Texans franchise history. The unit is powerful and physical enough to fill the gaps and stuff the run, while it’s athletic enough to get after the quarterback in base defense and in blitz packages. Read more about it.

speaks from prison

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at the top of his game

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TOP EVENTS

Robynne Mitchell, Clayler White and Ruthie Mitchell at the Mayor’s Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting.

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District B race riles Harris County leaders

More than $2 million returned to victims Defender News Services

Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said she has returned more than $2 million to crime victims so far this year after modernizing a process and adding more staff to the Victim Services Division.

“Crime victims are the only unwilling part of the criminal justice system so they deserve to be made whole when we can do it,” Ogg said.

The money comes from defendants who have agreed to pay back their victims as part of their punishment, Ogg said.

“Every crime victim I’ve ever talked to said they felt violated. Repayment can DA Kim Ogg go a long way toward fixing the damage that was done,” Ogg continued. “Money matters to people, and this is common sense criminal justice reform.”

Recent cases that have seen restitution paid back to victims include a man who stole more than $800,000 from a local church, a soccer mom who took more than $300,000 from her child’s soccer league and an elderly woman who was ripped off by a man pretending to be a roofing contractor.

Defender News Services

Ogg said the system had been mismanaged for years and millions of dollars that defendants paid to victims sat in checks in old files and was routinely turned over to the state’s general fund when the money went unclaimed.

In 2009, the system was so mismanaged that a clerk, Eloise Mireles, was able to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from victims. She was arrested and pleaded guilty to theft for stealing cashier’s checks and money orders. Her theft of more than $255,000 was possible because there was no oversight.

With new safeguards in place and upgraded technology, the system is faster, easier and there is more accountability.

“The technology was antiquated so we updated it, we re-organized staff and we put in a simple system to make it work better,” Ogg said.

For many defendants who are seeking leniency, judges and prosecutors take restitution into consideration. Paying back victims is often a condition in plea deals to resolve cases like home and car burglaries, thefts, contractor fraud, embezzlement and criminal mischief.

The delayed election in Houston City Council District B is making waves at the county level.

Harris County Commissioners Court held a hearing into the county clerk’s decision to remove the contest from this month’s runoff ballot, pending the outcome of a legal challenge.

The third-place finisher in the District B contest filed suit contesting the eligibility of candidate Cynthia Bailey, due to a felony conviction.

County Clerk Diane Trautman said that, legally, she had no alternative but to act.

“Due to a legal challenge contesting the outcome of the Houston City Council District B race, the Office of the County Attorney advised me that the District B race could not be on the runoff ballot, per the Texas Election Code,” Trautman said.

Commissioner Rodney Ellis, among others, took the position that the delay was disenfranchising District B voters.

“In my opinion, I think some serious mistakes were made,” Ellis said. He questioned whether Trautman had the legal authority to pull the race from the ballot, even acting on legal advice.

Unity Bank names Laurie Vignaud CEO Defender News Services

Unity National Bank’s board of directors appointed Laurie Vignaud as CEO and president. Effective Jan. 1, she will assume day-to-day leadership of the company and will also join Unity’s board.

Unity Board Chair Dr. Kase L. Lawal said, “I am delighted to welcome Laurie as our new CEO and president. Laurie is a proven leader who has excelled at strategic leadership positions and is well-positioned to lead Unity’s continued transformation.”

Vignaud takes over for Jeff Smith, who led Unity for the

past two and a half years. She previously served as the president of Capital One Bank’s Community Development Corporation and senior vice president of Community Development Banking for the South-Central Region.

“I am honored by the opportunity to assume leadership of this great, historic and culturally significant institution. My background and vision align with Unity’s mission to financially empower under-served communities by creating opportunities to succeed,” she said.

Vignaud serves on numerous boards and is a member of the Missouri City Chapter of the Links.

Laurie Vignaud

localbriefs THE NAACP AND AIRBNB announced the regional launch of a partnership to promote the benefits of homesharing to area residents. The announcement was made at the Houston Branch of the NAACP. In 2017, the two organizations came together to announce a program that included targeted outreach to communities of color to help more people use their homes to earn extra income. Houston is the final partnership kick-off of 2019, with prior partnerships launched in Miami, Los Angeles, Oakland/San Francisco, Atlanta, Seattle and Chicago. Airbnb is an online marketplace that lets people rent out their properties or spare rooms to guests.……..HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY

are now on the “fast track” in the fight against AIDS. Mayor Sylvester Turner and County Judge Lina Hidalgo signed on to the Fast-Track Cities Paris Declaration to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030. The declaration is a commitment by municipalities to achieve the 90-90-90 HIV treatment targets by 2020. The targets will rapidly reduce new HIV infections and AIDS-related deaths. The signing marked the conclusion of the Biomedical HIV Prevention Summit, an annual event that brings together clinicians and health professionals to highlight the role of biomedical prevention tools in ending the epidemic. This year’s event was hosted in Houston……..

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND UR-

BAN DEVELOPMENT (HUD) awarded $11.5 million to 23 Texas public housing agencies to fund a total of 1546 Housing Choice Vouchers to provide affordable housing for non-elderly persons with disabilities. The Houston Housing Authority received $2.3 million. The assistance is provided through HUD’s Mainstream Housing Choice Voucher Program, which assists the disabled, particularly those who are: transitioning out of institutional or other separated settings; at serious risk of institutionalization; experiencing homelessness; previously experienced homelessness and are currently a client in a permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing project; or at risk of becoming homeless.

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MACGREGOR MARKET MEET OUR TEAM

Anika Wiley – Top Store Leader | Victoria Hart – Community Coordinator | Adrian Judie – Pharmacist ANIKA WILEY

Victoria is the Community Coordinator for H-E-B MacGregor Market. A Houston native, she was raised in the South Park neighborhood. She is a proud alum of Texas Southern University and she is pursuing her master’s degree in Public Relations at The University of Houston.

Victoria is the Vice President for the Houston Area Urban League Young Professionals and is a member of the Texas Southern Alumni Association (Houston Chapter), Houston HBCU Alumni Association and the Greater Houston Black Chamber.

Victoria has strong ties to her childhood neighborhood and is an active member of her local Baptist Church. A devoted mother, she is deeply committed to giving, educating and empowering those in need.

ADRIAN JUDIE, RPH

Adrian is the Pharmacy Manager for H-E-B MacGregor Market. He is a long-time Houstonian and has nearly three decades of experience in the pharmacy field. In 2001, Adrian earned his bachelor’s degree in Pharmacy from Texas Southern University and is an active supporter of his alma mater.

While working for H-E-B, Adrian has received numerous company honors, including Excellence in Pharmacy, Preceptor of the Summer and Manager of the Year.

He is a long-time resident of Houston’s historic Third Ward. When not at work, Adrian enjoys spending time with his family and being involved in sports.

©2019 HEB, 20-0635

Anika is the Top Store Leader at H-E-B MacGregor Market.

She started her H-E-B career in 1997 in Austin. In 2002, she earned her marketing degree from Huston-Tillotson University, one of 10 historical black colleges and universities in Texas. Anika is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority and is a celebrated honoree of Who’s Who in Black Houston 2019.

With a strong sense for the community, Anika is a big supporter of public education, often volunteering her time as a mentor at area schools. “I’m humbled to serve our community with a state-of-the-art store,” says Anika. “We look forward to providing an outstanding shopping experience with the best H-E-B has to offer.”

VICTORIA HART

STORE OPEN DAILY 6 AM - MIDNIGHT I 6055 SOUTH FREEWAY HOUSTON, TX 77004

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U.S.briefs

Kamala Harris ends her 2020 presidential campaign Associated Press

Democratic Sen. Kamala Harris has ended her bid for the Democratic presidential nomination.

“I’ve taken stock and looked at this from every angle, and over the last few days have come to one of the hardest decisions of my life," she wrote in a note to supporters. “My campaign for president simply doesn’t have the financial resources we need to continue.”

Harris launched her campaign in front of 20,000 people at a chilly, outdoor campaign launch in January.

The first woman and first Black attorney general and U.S. senator in California’s history, she was widely Sen. Kamala Harris had hoped to become the country’s first Black female president. viewed as a candidate poised to excite Warren and Bernie Sanders. the same segment of voters that sent Harris suffered from what allies and critics viewed as an Barack Obama to the White House. inconsistent message. Her slogan “for the people,” referenced her She raised an impressive $12 million in the first three career as a prosecutor, a record the campaign struggled to pitch to months of her campaign and quickly locked down major the party’s most progressive voters. endorsements meant to show her dominance in her home Through the summer, she focused on pocketbook issues and state, which offers the biggest delegate haul in the Democratic her “3 a.m. agenda,” a message that never seemed to resonate primary contest. with voters. By the fall, she had returned to her courtroom roots But as the field grew, Harris’s fundraising remained flat; with the refrain that “justice is on the ballot,” both a cry for she was unable to attract the type of attention being showeconomic and social justice as well as her call that she could ered on Pete Buttigieg by traditional donors or the grassroots “prosecute the case” against a “criminal” president. firepower that drove tens of millions of dollars to Elizabeth

CHICAGO POLICE SUPERINTENDENT EDDIE JOHNSON WAS FIRED by Mayor Lori Lightfoot just weeks before he was set to retire, and the mayor isn’t mincing any words about why she believes he needed to be let go, effective immediately. Lightfoot accused Johnson of engaging in a series of actions that were “intolerable,” saying he intentionally misled the public, and also behaved in a manner that was unethical in relation to the evening where he was found asleep in his car after drinking. Johnson blamed exhaustion but later admitted that he had “a couple of drinks” with dinner.

Lightfoot said had she known all of the facts, she would not have chosen to participate in the celebratory press conference where Johnson announced his retirement…….TEN PEOPLE WERE SHOT AND WOUNDED NEAR THE FRENCH QUARTER in New Orleans, a popular spot for tourists.

Hours later in another part of town, another shooting killed two men and wounded two others. Police said both shootings remain under investigation, and authorities did not immediately draw any connection between them. Authorities say New Orleans has seen a significant reduction in violent crime over the past four years……A NEW STATUE OF CIVIL RIGHTS PIONEER ROSA PARKS was dedicated in Alabama’s capital city on the 64th anniversary of her historic refusal to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man. Montgomery Mayor Steven Reed and Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey pulled back a cloth to unveil the statue before a crowd of about 400 spectators. The ceremony coincided with the anniversary of Parks’ Dec. 1, 1955 arrest that sparked the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a pivotal part of the Civil Rights Movement.

Four granite markers near the statue honor plaintiffs in Browder v. Gayle, the court case that determined segregation on Montgomery buses was unconstitutional. Parks was 92 when she died in 2005.

Democratic candidates find HBCU votes matter Defender News Services

The fight for the Black vote is going to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCU) campuses across the country. Each candidate credibly seeking the Democratic nomination has been looking for chances to make inroads with Black voters before the primaries begin. For many of the candidates, that meant making overt appeals to students at HBCUs. College campuses are many times ripe with first-time voters, and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Mayor Pete Buttigieg and Julián Castro all held or participated in events that sought to gain support among Black voters and HBCU students in particular recently.

Students interviewed during a recent Bernie Sanders’ rally at Morehouse said that while they have their preferred candidates, there were still questions about whether they’ve truly advocated for Black people and deserve the Black vote.

However, at the recent Democratic debate in Atlanta, the

two major Black candidates — Cory Booker and Kamala Harris — took part in the debate at Tyler Perry‘s new studios but decided against visiting the Atlanta University Center, which is composed of Morehouse, Spelman College and Clark Atlanta University (AUC). The absence of Booker and Harris rubbed some students the wrong way.

“I feel as if they think it is guaranteed that they will get the Black vote,” Onna Geddie, a freshman Sociology major at Spelman, said. “It’s kind of disheartening that they haven’t come, but it shows where their interest is.”

Booker and Harris skipping out on the AUC during this key point in the election process wasn’t the only critique that students had for the slate of Democratic White House hopefuls. Students interviewed during Sanders’ rally said that while they have their preferred candidates, there were still questions about whether they’ve truly advocated for Black people and deserve the Black vote.

VOLUME 89 • NUMBER 7 DECEMBER 5, 2019 Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Ad/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler

Strategic Alliance Manager

Clyde Jiles Art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila Photographers

Ray Carrington III Jimmie Aggison

Editors ReShonda Tate Billingsley Marilyn Marshall Contributing Writer Aswad Walker Sports Terrance Harris Jodie B. Jiles Engagement Manager Margo Williams Hubbard

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender is audited by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For digital subscriptions, visit www.DefenderNetwork.com/ subscribe. No paper subscriptions are available. All material covered by 2019 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).

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Racial disparities in U.S. prisons narrow Associated Press

Racial disparities have narrowed across the U.S. criminal justice system over 16 years, though Black people are still significantly more likely to be behind bars than white people, new federal figures show.

Racial gaps broadly declined in local jails, state prisons, and among people on probation and parole, according to the study released by the nonpartisan Council on Criminal Justice.

The divide in state imprisonment rates dropped for all major crimes but was most pronounced for drug offenses – a key driving factor for the racial shift. Black people were 15 times more likely than white people to be in state prisons for drug crimes in 2000, but that dropped to five times as likely The incarceration of Blacks is a bad problem getting a little better. by 2016, the most recent year available. together governors of both parties, police officials Many don’t realize how much the and Black Lives Matter organizers. “It turns out it’s racial gap has narrowed, not only in incarceration but a bad problem that’s getting a little better, and for in parole and probation, said Adam Gelb, president very complex reasons that we need to understand at a and chief executive of the politically diverse council much deeper level.” that launched in July to seek solutions to problems in Critics contend minorities’ disproportionate inthe criminal justice system. volvement in the U.S. criminal justice system reflects “Most people think this is a bad problem that’s systemic racial bias. Researchers have blamed prejugetting worse,” said Gelb, whose group has brought

crimes.

— Black women were imprisoned at a rate of six for every white inmate in 2000, which fell to two-to-one by 2016. Fewer Black women were being incarcerated for drug crimes, while more white women were imprisoned for violent, property and drug crimes.

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dice by police, prosecutors, judges and juries; racial differences in crimes; and get-tough sentencing laws during the high crime era of the 1980s and ’90s.

While racial inequity in arrests and incarcerations narrowed, the length of prison sentences increased across all crime types for Black people and partially offset the benefits, according to the report co-authored by Georgia State University professor William Sabol, former director of the federal Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Among the other findings of the report, which is based on numbers from the bureau, the FBI and other national statistics: — African American men were in state prisons at nine times the rate of white inmates in 2000, which dropped to a still disparate six to one by 2016.

The change mostly stemmed from a 30% decline in the Black male imprisonment rate, largely driven by falling drug

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‘Tis the season to scoot over.

Gather your loved ones together for the best TV experience. Share the entertainment you love, from classic holiday hits, blockbuster movies, music and more, all with Black Film & TV with Xfinity On Demand.

Your home will be a hub of good cheer with easy access to Netflix, YouTube and Prime Video, all without switching inputs. This holiday, make all your connections special with Xfinity. Simple. Easy. Awesome.

Visit xfinity.com/discovermore

Restrictions apply. Not available in all areas. Xfinity On Demand requires Xfinity TV service. ©2019 Comcast. All rights reserved. The Best Man Holiday ©2019 Universal Studios.

All Rights Reserved. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial ©2019 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved. Netflix streaming membership required.

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Exclusive: Bill Cosby speaks from prison

B

NNPA Newswire

ill Cosby is breaking his silence, granting his first exclusive interview since beginning his sentence at SCI-Phoenix, a maximum-security Pennsylvania penetentiary near Philadelphia.

In a special phone call with the National Newspaper Publishers Association’s BlackPressUSA.com, Cosby said he’s spending his time helping to teach and encourage a large population of African American inmates – men he calls residents – via Mann Up, a prison reform program.

The 82-year-old educator and award-winning TV producer/director/comedian was sentenced to serve three to 10 years in Pennsylvania’s prison system following his September 2018 conviction on charges of aggravated indecent assault.

Unless he receives relief from the state’s appellate courts, Cosby said he fully anticipates serving his entire sentence, saying he’s not guilty and will never admit to something he didn’t do. Displayed remorse is generally a required prerequisite to obtaining parole or a shortened sentence.

During the exclusive interview with NNPA, Cosby was candid, vivid and outBill Cosby as he heads to prison spoken.

Andrew Wyatt, Cosby’s spokesman, was also on the call, where Cosby stressed that there would be no ground rules or restrictions. No topics were off the table for discussion.

“I have eight years and nine months left,” Cosby said.

“When I come up for parole, they’re not going to hear me say that I have remorse. I was there. I don’t care what group of people come along and talk about this when they weren’t there. They don’t know.”

He said his trials were a sham, unjust and unfair.

“It’s all a set-up. That whole jury thing. They were imposters. Look at the woman who blew the whistle,” he said, alluding to the potential juror who overheard a seated juror proclaim before the trial that, ‘He’s guilty, we can all go home now.’ This is political. I can see the whole thing. I am a privileged man in prison.”

Cosby referred to his small cell as “my penthouse.”

He revisited his famous 2004 “Pound Cake” speech and clarified that he probably should not have addressed that controversial dissertation to all African Americans. (During the speech, he lashed out at single mothers, sagging pants and names like Shaniqua, among other things).

A weekly highlight for Cosby since his incarceration has been the reform program, Mann Up, where he

Reruns of “The Cosby Show” were pulled off the air after Cosby was found guilty of sexual assault.

is often the featured speaker. The program serves to encourage and empower African American men to strive for self-respect and dignity, and to put their family first.

Cosby says it’s easy to see the devaluation of the Black family by others. He said the shelving of his iconic “The Cosby Show” is proof that those in power have long conspired to remove anything positive from the Black community.

“When ‘The Cosby Show’ came on with the Huxtables, just think about it. While it was running, other networks and even the media were doing jobs on trying to belittle whatever it represented.”

He said that with “A Different World,” they really ramped up the rhetoric. “While new shows were coming and we had gone off the air – this is the worst time in the history of television – I remember hearing shows coming on advertising saying this is not ‘The Cosby Show,’ which is an indictment in itself.

“They did not like what ‘The Cosby Show’ looked like for us, and many of us traded into it. Now, look at what has happened. They’ve taken everything that I’ve done and swept it into a place where it would not be shown.

“Thank goodness for TV One and BET, but we’ve got to respect ourselves. We’ve got to have a very, very strong respect for our history.”

Behind the steel walls at SCI-Phoenix, Cosby said he’s at peace and reaching his fellow residents.

“I’m reaching them because they want to be reached.

They’re in prison. I don’t forget a saying, one I quoted or read in a book, which says, ‘I don’t know the secret to success, but I do know the secret for failure.’

“You can’t please everybody. I have a feeling that these people [Mann Up participants] really want somebody. They have rappers here who are strong and spirited people. They don’t just blame people; they say, ‘we’ve got to do it.’”

Bill Cosby is speaking out from prison where he is serving a three-to-10year sentence.

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 5 | 2019

Who’s on

At-Large Position 1

Mike Knox

Raj Salhotra

Willie Davis

David Robinson

H

Runoff election S Defender News Services

ouston-area voters return to the polls on Saturday, Dec. 14 to finalize which candidates will become mayor, members of City Council and school board trustees for HISD and Houston Community College.

The mayor and City Councilmembers, who are elected to four-year terms, will face such issues as the 2020 Census, redistricting and Hurricane Harvey funding. More than half of the City Councilmembers will be

MAYORAL RACE

At-Large Position 3

Tony Bu

District A

Janaeya Carmouche

Michael Kubosh

At-Large Position 4

Anthony Dolcefino

Letitia Plummer

At-Large Position 5

Sallie Alcorn

Eric Dick

CITY COUNCIL

CITY COUNCIL

At-Large Position 2

Amy Peck

George Harry Zoes

Abbie Kamin

Shelley Kennedy

District C

District D

Carolyn Evans-Shabazz

Brad “Scarface” Jordan

defendernetwork.com • Servin

the ballot

new.

The runoff is also a controversial one. The District B race between Cynthia Bailey and Tarsha Jackson won’t appear on the ballot after third-place candidate Renee Jefferson-Smith challenged Bailey’s candidacy because she is a convicted felon. District B voters, however, will still be able to vote for the mayor, at-large, HCC and HISD candidates.

In addition, winners of the HISD trustee race will probably only serve the first quarter of 2020 before TEA installs a Board of Managers. Here are candidates on the ballot:

District 1

HCC BOARD

Saturday, Dec. 14

Monica Flores Richart

Tiffany Thomas

District H

HISD BOARD

District F

Kathy Blueford-Daniels

Isabel Longoria

District J

5

Things to know Edward Pollard

Sandra Rodriguez

ng the Houston area for over 89 years

John Curtis Gibbs

Position 4

Patricia Allen

Karla Cisneros

Rhonda Skillern-Jones

Position 2

Sylvester Turner

Van Huynh

Dave Wilson

District 2

Kathy Lynch-Gunter

uzbee

defender network.com

Matt Barnes

w Registered voters can cast ballots in the runoff even if they didn’t vote in November. w Harris County voters can vote at any polling location. w Early voting is 7 a.m.-7 p.m. through Tuesday, Dec. 10, except Sunday, Dec. 8, when polls open 1-6 p.m. There are 33 early voting locations. w The polls are open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. on Election Day, Dec. 14, at 385 polling locations. w Mobile phone users can text VOTE to 1-833937-0700 to find the nearest voting center.

For more info visit www.HarrisVotes.com

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Veteran enlists Comcast Internet Essentials Defender News Services

Army veteran Lakeitha Hearon knows how important having Internet access is and that’s why she signed up for Comcast Internet Essentials.

“Internet Essentials has been a huge help to me because I am in school and I have to have access to the Internet to complete my assignments and study material,” Hearon said.

“Also, because I use my GI bill to go to school it would be hard for me to complete the requirements asked of me by the VA without the Internet Essentials program.”

Hearon learned of the Comcast program, offering Internet to public housing residents, seniors, community college students and veterans, through Combined Arms.

In 2018, Comcast partnered with Combined Arms to officially open the first-ever computer lab for the veteran community in Houston. Kevin Doffing, COO of Combined Arms, said, “Programs like Internet Essentials remove barriers for Americans looking to achieve the dream of bettering themselves and the lives of their children.

Internet access is essential to all aspects of career transition and

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Supporting the Comcast and Combined Arms partnership are (l. to r.): Michael Bybee, director of External Communications, Comcast; Mia Garcia, programs director, NextOps; Lakeitha Hearon, Army veteran and Internet Essentials customer; Misha McClure, External Communications manager, Comcast; and Kevin Doffing, chief operating officer, Combined Arms.

mobility.”

Today, nationwide, Comcast has conected more than 8 million low-income people to the Internet at home, most for the very first time, including 600,000 in

the state of Texas, 400,000 of whom are in Houston.

Houston is now the No. 1-ranked city in America in terms of its overall participation rate in the Internet Essentials program.

Three Baltimore men exonerated after 36 years NNPA Newswire

Alfred Chestnut, Ransom Watkins and Andrew Stewart were released and exonerated after spending 36 years in prison for a crime they didn't commit.

The men were teenagers when they received a life sentence in 1984 after being convicted of murdering 14-year-old DeWitt Duckett in Baltimore.

"Everyone involved in this case – school officials, police, prosecutors, jurors, the media, and the community – rushed to judgment and allowed their tunnel vision to obscure obvious problems with the evidence," said Shawn Armbrust, executive director of the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, which represents Watkins.

"This case should be a lesson to everyone that the search for quick answers can lead to tragic results.”

NOW EVEN CLOSER TO HOME.

DeWitt reportedly was shot in the neck following a dispute over a jacket as he walked to class at Harlem Park Junior High School in Baltimore.

Marilyn Mosby, the Baltimore City state's attorney, reopened the case earlier this year because of lingering questions and recent revelations of corruption in the city's police department that allegedly stretched back for decades.

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DECEMBER 5 | 2019 | DEFENDER

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Black woman-owned businesses receive help for Black women business owners, but also be a supportive and effective resource.

BlackWoman Startup’s marketing camp is an intensive training ground committed to helping women transitioning from careers move into cash flow-positive businesses.

“Our marketing camps, which typically only accept 30 highly-motivated

Defender News Services

Although Black women are being lauded as the fastest growing group of entrepreneurs in the U.S., their earnings are not on par with their white counterparts. For women of color, revenue averages have dropped from $84,000 in 2007 to $64,000 in 2018.

Conversely, white women business owners’ revenues rose from $181,000 to $212,000.

E.R. Spaulding, CEO of BlackWoman Startup, a Chicago-based company, created the firm as a support system for Black women business owners who wanted to achieve above average success. They are pursuing their goal through coaching, training, customized programming, systems development, innovation, integration and automation.

“I’m a true believer that powerful people ask powerful questions and the information found in the 2018 State of Women Report by American Express helped me to ask different questions,” said Spaulding, also the chief operations officer and a partner in the 200,000-member strong BlackCEO Business Network, along with founder, Trevor Otts.

people per quarter, is designed to help Black women business owners build systems to help power their success for the next 10 years, and we believe in the results and value of what we’re offering so much, for the first time, we’re allowing women to name their own price to attend,” she said.

For more information visithttps:// blackwomanstartup.com/marketingcamp/

E.R. Spaulding

“The answers to these questions revealed that Black women in business who were moving from employee to entrepreneur, were barely making it, because the average Black woman in business was earning only about $24,700 a year as of 2017,” she continued. “This helped me to see that the narrative was incomplete and that Black women business owners needed a life raft.”

Spaulding at one point found herself in a challenging financial situation which negatively impacted her first company. With the help of caring business mentors, she was able to turn her circumstances around. As a result, she says that she created BlackWoman Startup to not only offer affordable, practical and proven success strategies

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DEFENDER | DECEMBER 5 | 2019

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Alelia Murphy: Oldest living person dead at 114 Defender News Services

For more than a century, Alelia Murphy bore witness to changes in America, from wars to a long succession of presidents to the growth of opportunity and freedoms for African Americans.

Murphy, a longtime New York resident, died on Nov. 23, four months after celebrating her 114th birthday. The announcement was made by the 1199 United Healthcare Workers East Union.

“It is with great sadness that we share news of the passing of Mrs. Alelia Murphy.

Mrs. Murphy was the oldest living American, having celebrated her 114th birthday in July, surrounded by her family, friends, community leaders, and members of our AFRAM Caucus,” wrote the healthcare workers union in a Facebook post.

Though easily considered a local historic figure, at heart Murphy was a friend, a mother, a grandmother, a confidant. Perhaps she made it well past 100 years of life by living by one simple rule: “Treat people right.” That was the message she had for family, friends, and community leaders who attended her 114th birthday festivity at the Adam Clayton Powell Jr. State Office Building in New York.

Her visiting nurse, Natalia Mhlambiso, also attributes Murphy’s habits as younger person, such as staying away from processed foods, drugs, and alcohol, as contributing factors to her longevity.

“She is where she is now because of what she did when she was young,” Mhlambiso told ABC News.

Murphy lived through 20 presidents and two world wars and saw the dismantling

Alelia Murphy was cared for by her nurse, Natalia Mhlambiso.

A healthcare workers union announced her death and funeral services.

of the institutionalized segregation that ruled

American life when she entered the world.

Rose Green, Murphy’s daughter, was able to recall her mother’s stories of drinking from water fountains just for African Americans, and a time where entering establishments through the back door was standard and not the “celebrity” entrance many might now associate it with.

Through her years of life, Murphy saw America’s economic expansion, as she worked for a hat fac-

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tory and sold cosmetics at different points in life. But her most important job was that

of being a mother and imparting life-long lessons to her daughter.

“She always taught me to keep going, whatever happens,” Green told ABC News in July.

Though physically gone, memories and tales of the woman Murphy was in life will certainly keep going. Funeral services will be held Dec. 6 at the United House of Prayer for All People in Harlem.

classifieds IPR South Central, LLC ITB Minority Sub Quotes Project – CITY OF HOUSTON – Wastewater Collection System Rehabilitation and Renewal – 4259-06 Bids – December 12th, 2019 Quotes Returned – December 9th - COB SCOPES: • Open Cut – Well pointing, sewer point repairs up to 15’ and deeper.

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IPR South Central, LLC ITB Minority Sub Quotes Project – CITY OF HOUSTON – FY2020 Local Drainage Program (LDP) Contract #4 Bids – December 12th, 2019 Quotes Returned – December 9th - COB SCOPES: • Open Cut – Well pointing, sewer point repairs up to 15’ and deeper.

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NOTICE TO BIDDERS All interested parties are encouraged to attend any scheduled pre-bid and/or pre- proposal conference(s). It is the interested party’s responsibility to ensure they have secured and thoroughly reviewed all solicitation documents prior to any scheduled conference(s). Interested parties can download all forms and specifications from the Internet at http://purchasing.houstontx.gov/Bid_Display.aspx?id=T29253 Downloading these documents will ensure all interested parties will automatically receive any updates via e-mail.

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14

DEFENDER | DECEMBER 5 | 2019

sports

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Texan linebackers show unity

A

By TERRANCE HARRIS Defender

Linebackers nticipating the pregame theme of the Zach Texans linebacker corps each week Cunningham and Jacob has become almost as intriguing as the Martin are game itself. relentless on We have seen this colorful crew the field. walk the corridors of NRG Stadium in full costume as the Ninja Turtles, Mortal Combat and prior to the recent handling of the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots, the group showed up as S.W.A.T. The Black Ops, decked out in all black and matching vests.

“It’s camaraderie and keeps the game fun,” inside linebacker Tyrell Adams said after the Texans stunning 28-22 win over the previously one-loss Patriots. “It keeps it exciting every week.”

As fun and animated as the group can be off the field – including Zach Cunningham, Benardrick McKinney, Brennan Scarlett, Peter Kalambayi, Jacob Martin, Whitney Mercilus and Adams – it’s far more relentless and punishing on it. This could be the strongest linebacker corps from top to bottom in Texans franchise history.

The unit is powerful and physical enough to fill the gaps and stuff the run, while it’s athletic enough to get after the quarterback in base defense and in blitz packages. Just ask future Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady, who had virtually no time to think as he was harassed and hit early and often in their primetime Sunday Night Football clash.

Brady was sacked three times, pressured 12 times and hit quite often as he was held in check until picking up some late, meaningless touchdowns.

“A quarterback like [Brady] doesn’t want to get hit and gets him frustrated with his line, allowing guys like us to get going,” said Mercilus, who is the veteran of the Texans linebacker group. “We were on him all night, forced the ball out and made him make some bad throws and things of that nature. It feels good.”

Texans coach Bill O’Brien is definitely feeling good about what he sees out of his linebackers of late, especially as they head into the final month of the regular Benardrick McKinney is season with the AFC South dianother linebacker at the vision and playoff positioning top of his game. on the line.

“The linebackers have played well

Players (l. to r.) Tyrell Adams, McKinney, Peter Kalambayi and Cunningham (kneeling) arrive at the Patriots game dressed in costume. (Photo courtesy Houston Texans)

all year long, including ‘B Mack’ (McKinney) and Cunningham,” O’Brien said. “We have a good front, decent depth there. Those guys played hard [against the Patriots]. It wasn't always pretty.

They gave up some plays here and there. They played hard, they played the next play, which is what we need to keep doing.”

The linebackers credit much of their

swagger this season to their unity and creativity as a group. With the opponent and challenge ahead in mind, Cunningham helps mastermind the costume theme for each week. The decision is made Friday and the gear is at the team hotel on Saturday.

The S.W.A.T. gear seemed appropriate considering the Texans hadn’t beat Brady and the Patriots since 2010 and only for the second time in franchise history. So, the win was needed for the standings and confidence as the postseason mentality sets in.

“We are some bad a----,” Martin said. “We are swagged out.”

defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 89 years

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DECEMBER 5 | 2019 | DEFENDER

sports

15

North Shore linebacker

Corey Flagg Jr. anchors defense speak with them to make that kind of impact. He’s a real coach on the sideline and he’s the type of player you want to build your defense around.” ast season, North Shore High School middle The Defender spoke with Flagg about his style of linebacker Corey Flagg Jr. played a key play, leadership and the defense’s keys to success against defensive role as a starter in the Mustangs Katy. title run. As this season has breezed by Defender: How would you describe your style of play as Flagg is doing even more as a playmaker on an inside linebacker? the defensive side of the ball.

Flagg: I [try to play like pros] Bobby Wagner, Devin In addition to Flagg’s ability to be everywhere on the White, Jaylen Smith and Ryan Shazier. There are a lot of field, his knack for rallying the troops when need be and guys that I like and I pick up information watching them.” getting that bit of extra Defender: What push is what really sets would you say were the www.defendernetwork.com him apart. keys to success in getting In the regional ‘Coming Up’ with Sterling running back a win when it mattered championship rematch Frank Brown Jr. against Katy in the against Katy, North playoffs?

Shore’s defense bent Flagg: Just executbut did not break in a back-and-forth 35-21 half. North ing and doing our jobs by staying in our gaps.

Shore’s defense buckled down in the second half when Defender: Moving on to the next round, what does they forced Katy into punt situation after punt situation, that mean to you? eliminating Katy from contention with a 56-35 win.

Flagg: It’s definitely a blessing so let me give all North Shore head coach John Kay talked about glory to God because it is a huge blessing. We put in work Flagg’s contributions to the defensive scheme. day in and day out.

“He understands what we want to do defensively,” Defender: Describe your journey as a leader on Kay said. “He can make adjustments. He can talk to this championship level defense? people on the sideline when we are struggling.

Flagg: I have great teammates and great coaches so “…When I’m not communicating with a kid, he can [it’s not] that hard for me.

L About Flagg

Instagram: @coreyflaggjr College status: Verbally committed to Miami Schools considering: Texas Tech, Boston College, Virginia Tech, University of Houston Shout-outs: “My grandma Mudear”

Corey Flagg Jr. celebrated a big-time stop against Lake Travis during North Shore's 2018-19 championship run.

By JODIE B. JILES Defender

Flagg fills his gap in the 56-35 win over Katy (Photos by Jimmie Aggison)

defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 89 years

16

DEFENDER | DECEMBER 5 | 2019

defendernetwork.com

Happening in Houston For event coverage email: events@defendermediagroup.com

topevents

MAYOR'S HOLIDAY CELEBRATION & TREE LIGHTING……..Mayor were treated to a vendor gallery and silent auction. Attendees included Tonja Jackson, Sylvester Turner and Reliant kicked off the holiday season at the 100th Annual Mayors Brishaun Sutton, Angela Sterling, Cindy George, Stephanie and Alex Carr, Uncle Holiday Celebration & Tree Lighting. Held at Hermann Square (City Hall), the event Funky Larry Jones (MC), Susan Moore-Fontenot, Jvonne Lowe, Dr. Michelle Smith, was headlined by Chloe x Halle, the Grammy-nominated duo of sisters Chloe and Karen Hauser, Pamela Gray, Sharon Watkins Jones, Lisa Hawkins Mead, Demethra Halle Bailey. Additionally, nationally recognized artists from Houston, Tamar Davis Orion, Shannon Stokes, Lisa Collins and many others……..OUR NARRATIVE, OUR and Uche (American Idol top 10 finalist) performed along with many others, including VOICE WORLD AIDS DAY……..The T.R.U.T.H. Project, Inc. recently sponsored Our MacArthur High School’s drumline. Fireworks capped the evening attended by Samica Narrative, Our Voice, a candid conversation with people of color living with HIV and a Knight (ABC13), J. Xavier, Nathan Rocha, the Sugarland prologue to World AIDS Day 2019. A panel discussion moderated Seahawks, the Titus-Pleasant family, the Burton family, the Kevin Anderson saw community health workers and HIV/AIDS Defender TOP EVENTS by Harris family, Shaniqua, Michael and Kiara Johnson and advocates tackle issues associated with HIV/AIDS including stigma, More photos on defendernetwork.com countless others……..18th ANNUAL JAZZ SOIREE……..The discrimination, and life experiences. The event sought to reduce stigma Houston Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. by educating all communities and strengthen knowledge and resources. and One Delta Plaza Education Center hosted its 18th Annual Jazz Soiree Scholarship Panelists included Tiffany Quinton, Jordan Edwards, Steven Vargas, Marnina Miller Fundraiser. Titled “Beads, Masks, Parasols and Jazz,” the event opened with a Second and Nathan Maxey. Other attendees included Shawn Newcost, Robert Ross, Johnny Line of DST sorors making a grand entrance into the Marriot Marquis Houston Deal, Dwight McDonald, Tana Pradia, Ariel McMahon, Madison Thomas, Vonetta ballroom. Along with live jazz featuring renowned artist Joe Carmouche, attendees Berry, Renee Forest, Veleria Levy, Kimberly Edwards and many more.

Chloe x Halle (Chloe Bailey, Halle Bailey)

Tonja Jackson, Brishaun Sutton, Angela Sterling

Renee Forest, Veleria Levy, Jordan Edwards, Kimberly Edwards

The Burton family

Susan Moore-Fontenot, Jvonne Lowe

Steven Vargas, Tiffany Quinton

Robynne Mitchell, Clayler White, Ruthie Mitchell

Terri Hornsby, Evelyn Hicks, Dr. Lisa Thompson

Tana Pradia, Marnina Miller

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