Houston Defender: March 17, 2011

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ment

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onal Black Caucus is the Black community on between education ve Conference (ALC). 80 Number 20 WalterVolume E. Washington

Houston’s Leading Black Information Source

Tension high in alleged rape case

★CBC Page 3

Defender The alleged gang rape of an 11-yearold Hispanic girl by a group of Black suspects has put an unwanted spotlight on Cleveland, a Texas Quanell X town 40 miles northeast of Houston. nst his relative, Eighteen who’s men and teens 14 to 27of have65. been arn theagesage rested in the case, and aces charges of Falseinclude two high school athletes, adults to Obtain Credit, with criminal records and the g a sonwith of a school board member. ental Record, Theft, The incident took place over the Thanksgiving holidays, Misapplication of and the first suspects were arrested Property. Three of in February. es are first degree The case has prompted hat expose Harrison questions about the issue of ears orrace, life in prison. whether the sexual act

h is a state jail felony

Defender Interview

Paula T Harris

was consensual, and whether the suspects involved knew the girl was only 11. In recent days, a Black www.tsu.edu/giving Houston activist, a or contact Wendy Adair Hispanic women’s Advancement group andUniversity a national publication have Adair@tsu.edu become part of the discussion. The escalating publicity prompted a Liberty County judge to issue a gag order at the request of prosecutors. Under the order, lawyers, police officers, witnesses and others involved in the case cannot talk about it. The gag order is designed to keep potential jurors from hearing inadmissible evidence when the case

By ReShonda Tate Billingsley

Save the TSU Murals

goes to trial.

H RAPE CASE, Page 4

DEFENDER

exas Southern University’s president has come up with a plan he hopes will put an end to a controversy surrounding the painting over of some historic murals on the campus of the historically Black university. 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 say they know it’s not enough, but it’s a first step. “We know $50,000 isn’t enough for the whole project. It’s just enough to bring in a conservator to analyze the

Leading HISD in @ defendernetwork.com turbulent times ★

★MURALS, Page 7

Let us know what you think adout the Mural Preservation

By ReShonda Tate Billingsley on Friday @ defendernetwork.com. We want to hear from you! Defender Houston Independent School District School Board President Paula McCann Harris is facing one of her greatest challenges ever – leading a school district with a possible $300 million shortfall. But Harris says her nine-member board is up for the challenge and determined to make sure that students in HISD will not suffer from the shortfall. Harris, who was elected to the Board of Education in November 2007, was chosen by her peers to serve as first vice president in her first year as a trustee and again in 2010. In JanuThe Houston community is remembering ary 2011, the board unanimously elected her ascapital included significant a longtime political president. investments, during a periactivist who died Sept. 11, A Houston native, Harris earned a petrood of uncertainty following 2010. Beulah Shepard, leum engineering degree from Texas A&M 9/11 in terror attacks ultiUniversity andthe has worked the oil industry 89, made her mark both carry the for more thanmately two decades,failed currentlyto as director locally and nationally as a of communityargument. affairs for a major company. Hartireless fighter ing for civiland how we can cut and make at where ris is a published In author whothree has been years named since the policy and fit together a plan that won’t rights and political justo Black Engineer’s “50 Who Make a Differthe council first embarked affect the education level of the student. I’m tice. ence” and “Key Women in Energy” as well as really big on human talent and recruiting Eddie Bernice its ofLove modern-n Address Budget Deficit services will be receiving the on “Women Color inField Technology” Funeral and professional development and measureJohnson ization plan, the conces-n Increase Teacher award. held at 10am at Galilee ment. That’s not going toBeaulah go away, but this The Defender sat downcontracts with Harris about have sions year will be the year of trying to balance the MBC, 6616 D.S. Bailey Shepard Effectiveness to move districtcontentious forward. emerged her as plans by far thethemost issue, budget. The state has told us they are going Pastor Edwin Defender: What is your first order of n Redesign Lane. Magnet to cut us by up to $300 million so the first and havebusiness led on to the accusations of political Davis, officiating. Interment: Houston HISD board? order of business is kind of to keep the boat Program favoritism onPaula both sides.Harris: We’re already McCann afloat. ★SHEPARD, Page 4 n Tackle Low Performing mid-stream. We’ve just got something in on our Defender: What is the biggest magnet report and recommendation. That’s only ★AIRPORT CONTRACTS, Page 4 Schools challenge you think the district is one piece of a whole budgetary pie. The same facing? n Improve Graduation week I was brought in as president, we found Harris: The financial shortfall will be out that we were going to potentially lose onethe biggest challenge. These are numbers Rates fifth of our budget. The first order is really look-

Ministers claim bond racial divide bias ontracts Dallas uncil in Race debate

★INDICTED, Page 3

get out and do the right thing,” said Rev. Robert Jefferson, a leader with Houston Ministers Against Currently, there Crime. “I talked with are more than 10,000 many judges and they inmates in the Harris dation by city staff toRobert extend Jefferson said, ‘I don’t know County jail awaitthe ingcontracts of Starwhat they’re gonna do if I let bond. And according to Concessions andAgainst Hudsonthem out.’ That’s our next feat, Houston Ministers RetailCrime, Sales - two firms if you’re white, then withto try and get things for them to do. We’re gonna try to reduce your chances of getting out on ties to prominent bond are greater than if you’re Democrats, including Statethe jail by 50 percent, just on things we found.” a minority. It’s a disturbing Rep. statistic Helen Giddings The ministers claim agthat the ministers are and U.S. hoping Congresswoman Eddiegressively locking up those to change. accused – but by Helen Bernice According Johnsonto a- report without awho have been not yet convicted – for crimes the group of politically connectGiddings competitive bid. like fighting and trespassing ed pastors, more than 15,000 The essence of the citycosts taxpayers big bucks. The people were booked into the staff recommendation that the no-bid average cost ofcontracts keeping an Harris County jail for misdewould be appropriate the inincumbents’ inmate jail is $45 a day, plus meanors in the final monthsgiven of processing expenses dis2010. Seventy of white of experience, thepercent desirability minimizing “That’s lot of busimoney per inmates were released on bond ruptions during the renovation and athe year because that’s 365 days, before trial, compared to 50 ness percent risksortaken by the incumbents, which less of Hispanics and and some of them have been in there over a year waiting on African Americans. trial,” Jefferson said. “I think because people The report alleges that are biased, they don’t trust the current system harms poor Black people in letting them

By ReShonda Tate Billingsley Defender

REMEMBERING

Beulah Shepard

HISD Top Five Issues

INTERVIEW

Kickin’ back with K’Naan

H HARRIS, Page 2

H BOND RACIAL BIAS, Page 4

Soledad O’Brien covers devastation in Japan C

butions by the likes of Damian Marley, Mos Def, Chali 2na, Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Adam Levine of CONTRIBUTING WRITER00 Maroon 5. During his early childhood, the Western music, which Somalia. The name alone conjures up images O’Brien of is currently in Japan, where without a lot of thought or without taking By Kam Williams reachedofK’naan’s ears was pretty much limited to “Bob she is covering the aftermath the earththe proper precautions. unbridled destruction, merciless warlords and ruthless Marley and Tracy Chapman,” until heNorth, became tsunami and nuclear meltdown Right now, I’m at up 10, in the way NN’s Soledad O’Brien has from staked thequake, terror. A place where nobody is safe atrocities fascinated byShe the hip-hop being emitting from in a the tiny car which have devastated the country. out of the range. Safety’s always her career on reporting breaking of war, and where eight year olds handle AK-47s like was gracious enough to grant an of your mindbut whenever reportnews from domestic disasters speaker. “Iexclusive had heardback a rap verse, I had you’re no idea what toys. When Forbes their from the midst of the disaster, ing from a potentially-dangerous location, suchmagazine as Hurricanerecently Katrina asunveiled well interview it was back then,” he recalls. “Most Dangerous Destinations,” Somalia, above Iraq checking in by cell to share her eyewitness which is pretty much every story we’re as on location at international hotspots At 14, K’naan and covering his three best wereworried attacked perspective of the state of affairs in the here. But friends if I were really ranging from the sites of the Israeli-Hezand Afghanistan, topped the list. But it’s also “The by warlords, just oneabout of countless crippled region. it, I’d get onindelible a plane andimages go home.for conflict to thea terrorist in inspire Nation ofbollah Poets,” where poem attacks can both peace KW: Do you worry about being exposed teenager. KW: What are thechased mid to long-term London to the tsunami in Thailand. the impressionable Having them and end wars.She has also hosted a number of to nuclear radiation?through the streets ofestimates on the range of dangercornering from the Mogadishu, eventually Growing up, it was both of these Somalias that SO: No, I don’t worry. We’re careful. meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear critically-acclaimed documentaries for the boys in an alley, the men began shooting. K’naan We don’t Power Station? How far has the immediate the news network,K’naan including Warsame, “Black informed musician/emcee who is stand downwind. We haven’t avoided injury, but his three friends were brutally been hanging out near the reactors in quesevacuation zone been extended? in America,” “Latino in America,” forging his own musical path via a unique blend of regAnd there is a gunned great deal down. of constant SO: We have a team of experts who are “Eyewitness to Murder: The King gae, funk, pop, soul and, above all, hip-hop. tion. Recorded concern at very high levels aboutthat where the business of calculating that, nother just Assassination,” “Pictures Don’t Certain it was in only a matter of time before primarily in Kingston, Jamaica at“Muslims Bob Marley’s everyhome single person on our team is at any for our on-air coverage, but also for all the Lie,” and the upcoming studio, his second album,to“Troubadour,” includes contrimoment. So, we don’t go anywhere blindly in America,” name a few. ★K’NAAN, Page 2 By Kam Williams

H O’BRIEN, Page 3

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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

ncial dicted

MARCH 17 - 23, 2011

Weekend Weekend

Weekend

Monday

Family Judge Mathis

Parenting

Julianne Julianne Malveaux Malveaux

Stop Housing Cuts

Monday

Signs Your Teen is Raising Eager Readers Ron Walters Gender Equity is Using Marijuana Everybody’s Business - A Scholar and a Gentleman


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