ment
NT
onal Black Caucus is the Black community on between education ve Conference (ALC). 80 Number 18 WalterVolume E. Washington
Houston’s Leading Black Information Source
MARCH 3 - 9, 2011
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a panel on “Exploring ral Government.” Sen. e future when it comes vote time into learning w jobs in the emerging
Extraditing Day Care owner?
Summit African American Legislative
★CBC Page 3
Defender Now that day care operator Jessica Tata is the focus of an international manhunt, her return to Houston is a main concern. Local authorities have asked the U.S. Marshal’s Office to assist in bringing Tata back to face charges stemming from a fatal fire that nst his relative, who’s killed four children and injured three. n thePatage of 65. Lykos aces charges of False Though the District Attorney’s Office is confident it will to Obtain Credit, be able to extradite Tata back to Harris g withit could take a weeks or months for County, ental Record, Theft, that to happen. Tata, 22, fled of to Nigeria after it was Misapplication alleged that she left Property. Three ofthe seven youngsters alone at her west Houston home day care
ncial dicted
House
By ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Save the TSU Murals
DEFENDER
T
www.tsu.edu/giving exas Southern University’s president has come up or contact Wendy Adair with a plan he hopes will put an end to a controUniversity Advancement versy surrounding the painting over of some hisAdair@tsu.edu By Leslie Rangel, Defender UT Intern toric murals on the campus of the historically Black uni-
Senate
versity. But some students and community members wonder if his contribution of $50,000 for a Preservation plan is enough to undo the damage. University officials Members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus communicate one another. need not to organize say with they knowWeit’s enough, but it’s a first step. are searching for ways to teach their communities how and then we need to move forward to do things for “We know $50,000 isn’t enough for the whole project. to remain relevant in the midst of changing demothe people in our respective areas,” said State Rep. It’s just enough to bring in a conservator to analyze the graphics. Sylvester Turner of Dist. 139.
Raising Awareness of Black Texans
Caucus members recently held a summit in Austin to inform African-American residents about major issues this legislative session. Attendees learned about issues like redistricting, tips for young elected officials, fighting for equal pay with women, and more. “It was imperative to raise the attention of African-American leaders because we need to
es are first degree hat expose Harrison H DAY CARE, Page 2 ears or life in prison. h is a state jail felony
Metro settles lawsuit with ★INDICTED, Page 3 former counsel
The whole summit wasn’t all about business, though. A banquet was held for the event with prominent members of the Black community, including Debra Lee, President and CEO of BET, Ronald Martin, TV One and CNN contributor, Loretta Devine, actress and more.
★ @
★MURALS, Page 7
defendernetwork.com
Congress
H AWARENESS, Page 7adout the Mural Preservation Let us know what you think on Friday @ defendernetwork.com. We want to hear from you!
Redistricting tops the priority list
Redistricting has long been an issue in Texas, mid-February, when the Census released its latest but now more than ever, some are saying that numbers. Those numbers had legislators scramfight needs to be beefed up or African-Americans bling to draw preliminary redistricting maps. will find their political power impacted. “We’re seeing dramatic changes in Members of the Texas Legislative Black the landscape in the United States, ” former state Caucus are among those leading the redistricting demographer Steve Murdoch and a member of the fight, trying to find ways to address the challenges redistricting session panel for the Texas Legislabrought on as more and more minorities in the tive Black Caucus from Rice University said. “It’s inner cities move to suburbs, a move which will going to be a very exciting time on redistricting.” have a major impact on urban elections. Add to According to 2010 Census numbers, that a growing Hispanic population, and a declinHispanics have grown statewide in terms of The Houston community is remembering included capital ing and aging white population, and legislators say significant population. Projections show by the year 2040, a longtime political The redistricting lines for the State of Texas House, investments, during a perithe Black community could be hit hard. the majority population will be young Hispanactivist who died 11, districts will be impacted Senate and Sept. Congressional The problem was hammeredod home ofinuncertainty following by the increases and decreases in population. 2010. Beulah Shepard, H REDISTRICTING Page 7 the 9/11 terror attacks ulti-
By ReShonda Tate Billingsley Defender The Houston Metropolitan Transit Authority (METRO) has agreed to settle a defamation lawsuit by the agency’s former chief counsel. Pauline Higgins had acPauline Higgins cused Metro of firing her dation city tothe extend forby trying to staff prevent allegedly unlawthe fulcontracts of Star destruction of documents. Under theand settlement, Metro has Concessions Hudson agreed to pay Higgins up to $100,000 to Retail Sales - two firms with
ontracts divide Dallas uncil in Race debate
H METRO, Page 7 ties to prominent mately failed to carry the Democrats, including State argument. Rep. Helen Giddings and In the three years since U.S. Congresswoman Eddie the council first embarked Helen Eddie Bernice on its Love Field modernBernice Johnson - without a Giddings Johnson competitive bid. ization the concesthink otherwise are “living in a Bond isplan, currently a distinBy Morgan Lynch dream world.” guished professor at have The essence Defender of the city sions adjunct contracts Bond has been active in as theby farAmerican University in Washing A year after stepping down staff recommendation that the no-bid contracts emerged the most contentious issue, movement for some 50 years. ton, D.C., and a faculty member as board chair of the NAACP, Juwould be appropriate given the incumbents’ and have led to accusations of political While a student a Morehouse in the history department of the lian Bond is as vocal as ever about experience, thefight desirability of minimizing favoritism sides. of Virginia. College disin the early 1960s, he on co- both University the ongoing for civil rights. ruptions theviews renovation the busithe Student Nonviolent In Houston, Bond shared his Bond during brought his to Hous- andfounded Coordinating Committee, better thoughts on such topics asPage police 4 ton recently as keynote speaker ness risks taken by the incumbents, which ★AIRPORT CONTRACTS,
REMEMBERING
Beulah Shepard
89, made her mark both locally and nationally as a tireless fighter for civil rights and political justice. Funeral services will be issues thatheld have at always beenat on the 10am Galilee Beaulah table: jobs, education, work, and the MBC, 6616 D.S. Bailey Shepard kinds of things that African AmeriPastor cans haveLane. struggled for and won Edwin Davis, officiating. Interment: Houston some victories on over the years.
Julian Bond: An activist for the ages
at Houston Community College’s Black History Scholarship Gala. During a meeting with local media, Bond said race is still an issue in America, and those who
known as SNCC. He went on to serve as a legislator in the Georgia House and Senate for 20 years. He chaired the NAACP from 1998 to 2010.
INTERVIEW
brutality, today’s activists and the status of the NAACP.
‘New’ civil rights issues
“They’re pretty much the same
Those really don’t change much. They’re the same now as they are ★SHEPARD, when the NAACP was founded 102 years ago and while the parameters change and the struggle changes somewhat the issues don’t really change at all.” Perceptions about the NAACP
Kickin’ back with K’Naan H BOND, Page 7
ng in ctions?
Julian Bond
A chat with actor Louis Gossett
butions by the likes of Damian Marley, Mos Def, Chali 2na, Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Adam Levine of CONTRIBUTING WRITER00 Maroon 5. Last year, Gossett published his aptly entitled autobiography, An Actor and a By Kam Williams During his early childhood, the Western music, which Gentleman. Here, he talks about his new movie, “The Grace Card,” a faith-based Somalia. The name alone conjures up images of K’naan’s was pretty much limited to “Bob tale of reconciliation and ears redemption. ouis Cameron Gossett Jr. was born in Brooklyn on May 27, 1936, reached unbridled destruction, merciless warlords and ruthless Marley and Tracy Chapman,” 10, he became KW: What interested you in “Theuntil GraceatCard”? to Helen Rebecca Wray, a nurse, and Lou Sr., a Pullman porter. terror. A place where nobody is safe from the atrocities Lou Gossett Actually, “The Grace Card’s” aim is the same as that of the car Gossett’s stellar career started in 1953 while he was still in high fascinated by Jr.: the hip-hop being emitting from a tiny of war, and where eight olds handle AK-47s like of “Take foundation, the elimination of racism. How synergistic and opportune is that? It school, whenyear he landed a role in the Broadway production speaker. “I had heard a rap verse, but I had no idea what seems to me that if we can create a society where racism just can’t thrive, it’ll go toys. When magazine recently unveiled their a Giant Forbes Step.” it away. was My back then,” hechildren recalls. concept is to teach everything from self-respect to respect for One ofDestinations,” a select group of actorsSomalia, to win both anabove AcademyIraq and Emmy “Most Dangerous At 14, K’naan and were attacked elders and the opposite sex to ahis dressthree code to best how tofriends conduct themselves and how Award, he is best known for his Oscar-winning performance as a and Afghanistan, topped the list. But it’s also “The live in harmonyjust with the planet. you start teaching kids these things atfor a gunnery sergeant in the film classic, “An Officer and a Gentleman,” bytowarlords, one of When countless indelible images Nation of Poets,” a poem can both inspire young age, even before theyteenager. start school, itHaving sticks. It’s our responsibility to teach andwhere for his Emmy-winning portrayal of the characterpeace Fiddler in the the impressionable chased them and end wars. historic miniseries, “Roots.” our children and to prepare them for the next level. That’s not happening right through the streets of Mogadishu, eventually cornering now, and you don’t see it onscreen often. GossettSomalias decided to devote his energies to Growing up, it was bothIn 2006, of these that in an alley, the men began shooting. K’naan They have nothing to copy right now. Some of the decisions they’re making fighting socialK’naan ills, so he founded the Eracism Foundation, a non- the boys informed musician/emcee Warsame, who is avoided injury, but his three friends were brutally are antisocial and illegal. The culture currently glorifies womanizing, drinking, profit designed to create a “conscious offensive against racism, forging his own musical path via a unique blend of regusing drugs, bling-bling, and making babies they don’t take responsibility for. And violence and ignorance.” Toward that end, the organization gunned down. gae, funk, pop, soul and, aboveprograms all, hip-hop. Recorded itCertain has them believing that sort of behavior makesof them a man. It’s irrational. has sponsored focused on youth mentoring, antithat itthat was only a matter time before her primarily in Kingston,gang Jamaica at Boband Marley’s hometraining It’s coming from a society that’s not healthy. Consequently, this generation is a lost violence initiatives, diversity sensitivity generation. But you can’t blame them, because that’s all they know. When they sessions“Troubadour,” at its Shamba Centers.includes contristudio, his second album, ★K’NAAN, Page 2 By Kam Williams
L
H GOSSETT, Page 2
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Monday White Out - Oscar and
Walters Culture - A Scholar and a Gentleman