Houston Defender: May 16, 2010

May 16 – 22, 2010 | FREE

Volume 79 Number 29

www.defendernetwork.com

NOT GUILTY VERDICT What’s next for Bellaire shooting victim?

By ReShonda Tate Billingsley DEFENDER

New Year’s Eve shooting It was around 2 a.m. on December 31, 2008, when another Bellaire police officer pulled Robert Tolan and his cousin over on suspicion of car theft. According to testimony, the officer mistakenly entered the wrong license plate number into his dashboard computer as the pair pulled into Tolan’s driveway. The number was matched to the plate of another vehicle that had been reported stolen.

The son of former major league player Bobby Tolan, Robert Tolan played baseball for Bellaire High School and was pursuing a professional baseball career at the time of the shooting. After the shooting, he spent three weeks in the hospital. The bullet, which entered his chest, remains in his

To many, it seemed like an open and shut case. A Black unarmed Bellaire resident, shot in his driveway in a case of mistaken identity. Many believed the jury would find the white officer accused of shooting him – Sgt. Jeffrey Cotton – guilty of aggravated assault of a peace officer. But on May 11, 2010, a Harris County jury of twelve found Cotton not guilty of wrongdoing.

But the fight is far from over for 24-yearold Robert Tolan. As community activists protest and call for an end to racial profiling, Tolan’s family is moving forward with a civil suit.

liver.

During the trial, defense attorneys tried to convince the jury that the shooting was justified and that Sergeant Cotton shot Tolan in self-defense because he believed Tolan was an auto theft suspect who was about to shoot him. They argued that Cotton relied on police procedures and his training to handle the already tense situation outside the Tolan’s Bellaire home. .

Tolan was shot seconds after Cotton arrived at the scene. Both Cotton and Tolan testified that he was shot as he rose to protest Cotton’s handling of Tolan’s mother, Marian Tolan. Cotton has denied Robert Tolan’s race affected his actions. ★NOT GUILTY, Page 2

Photo by: Vicky Pink

Participant holds sign at rally on Bellaire Police Dept. steps.

CBC pushes for Youth Jobs Bill

TEXAS TEXTBOOK MASSACRE II:

History book changes impact future

By Dorothy Rowley SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPERS

Texans asked to take action now

Legendary Lena Horne Dead at 92

By Aswad Walker DEFENDER

T

he State Board of Education’s proposed changes to the Texas public school curriculum, and hence textbooks, has been labeled by many politicians, educators and media pundits as the “Texas Textbook Massacre” because of the changes’ likely negative effects. On May 21 the Board will conduct its final and potentially ratifying vote on changes in the curriculum that will radically alter public school textbooks with a decidedly conservative spin resulting in a whitewashing of Texas and American history by downplaying and even ignoring historical contributions made by African Americans, Latinos and women.

Though the NAACP, LULAC, Congressional Black Caucus and others are seeking to rally the public to take actions aimed at swaying the Board’s ratifying vote away from its current course of action, the seven-member conservative bloc within the 15 member Board are said to be as

By Pharoh Martin NNPA NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

(NNPA) - Legendary singer, actress and dancer Lena Horne died on Sunday, May 9 night at the New YorkPresbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center at the age of 92. The Brooklynborn entertainer was the first Black performer to be signed to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio and who went on to achieve international fame as a singer. The cause of her death has not been reported.

Horne was a mantle of African★HORNE, Page 8

PROPOSED CHANGES TO TEXAS CURRICULUM & TEXTBOOKS Gains in Civil Rights civil rights granted by majorities ■ Denigrating the impact of the civil rights movement ■ The US govt. will be called "constitutional republic” instead of “democratic” ■ Removed the need for students to explain how institutional racism is evident in American Society ■

@ ★

defendernetwork.com

To view the full list of proposed changes to the Texas curriculum & textbooks log on to defendernetwork.com to find out more.

★TEXTBOOK, Page 9

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Citing the lingering, widespread joblessness among Black youth, members of the Congressional Black Caucus have gathered on Capitol Hill to urge the Senate to pass a bill aimed at putting more of those youth to work this summer.

The 42-member caucus had been in line to receive $1.5 billion for the creation of 500,000 summer jobs, as outlined in the Youth Jobs Act of 2010. But after nearly six months, that measure has stalled and current- Roland Burris ly sits in the Senate along with more than 300 other bills that passed the House.

Sen. Roland Burris (D-Ill.) blamed Senate procedures for the delay, procedures he said make it difficult to come up with new programs aimed at youth unemployment and other ★CBC, Page 7

INTERVIEW

Queen ‘Just Wright’ for new role Photo by: David Lee

By Kam Williams CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Dana Elaine Owens was born in Newark, New Jersey on March 18, 1970, the second child of Lance and Rita Owens, a police officer and a schoolteacher, respectively. The versatile entertainer first found fame in the world of hip-hop upon the release of her debut album “All Hail the Queen,” while still in her teens. As Queen Latifah, she has since enjoyed an enviable recording and concert career, featuring seven solo CDs plus countless collaborations with colleagues across a spectrum of musical genres.

“La” added acting to her repertoire in 1991, when Spike Lee cast her in “Jungle Fever.” Next, she made “House Party 2,” following that up with critically-acclaimed appearances in “The Bone Collector” and “Brown Sugar.” But it was for her

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breakout role as Matron Mama Morton in “Chicago” that she became the first rapper to land an Oscar nomination.

Latifah has been a bona fide box-office attraction ever since, starring in such hit movies as “Bringing Down the House,” “Hairspray,” “The Secret Life of Bees,” “Mad Money,” “The Perfect Holiday,” “Barbershop 2” and “Beauty Shop,” to name a few.

Meanwhile, among her impressive TV credits are stints on such sitcoms as “Living Single,” “The Fresh Prince,” and “Spin City.”

Here, she talks about her new movie, “Just Wright,” where she gets to play the title character for the first time ever opposite Common as her love interest. Directed by Sanaa Hamri (“Something New”), the romantic comedy’s talented supporting cast includes Paula Patton, Pam Grier and Phylicia ★QUEEN, Page 4

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MAY 16 – 22, 2010 | DEFENDER

Not Guilty

continued from page 1 Prosecutors claimed Cotton and the officer who initially stopped Tolan and his cousin in the SUV, were under pressure by the Bellaire Police Department and Bellaire city officials to “catch crooks” after a recent rash of car burglaries in Bellaire. Prosecutors also argued that Cotton panicked and struggled to get his story straight. They claim Cotton came up with three different versions of what happened Had he been convicted of the charge of aggravated assault by a public servant, Cotton could have spent anywhere from five years to life in prison.

Tolan’s attorney said he was surprised by the verdict and thinks it sets a dangerous precedent.

“While certainly we respect the jury, we also respectfully disagree. This is in my view a terrible message to send to the county, the state and the nation that one of the most dangerous things you can do in Bellaire is be a Black man,” said attorney Geoffrey Berg.

Racial profiling?

The shooting prompted complaints by the Tolan family, community leaders and activists that Bellaire police have a history of racial profiling.

“If Officer Edwards, the first one to show up on the scene, were really about resolution, he would’ve asked Robbie for his registration,” said Pastor KirbyJon Caldwell, a close advisor of the Tolan family. “All he had to do was ask, ‘May I see proof of the fact that this is your car?’ But he didn’t do that. He proceeded to treat the two young African-American males as convicts and then when his colleague, Officer Cotton shows up, he’s there for 32 seconds before he shoots Robbie Tolan. Forget about the fact that he put the license plate in there wrong. If you think it’s a stolen car, ask him for his driver’s license and registration.

He didn’t do it so everything escalated from there.”

Rev. Caldwell says racial profiling is the only way to sum up what the officers did.

“There was racial profiling and its substantiated by the fact that if those two young African-Americans were not racially profiled, why didn’t the first officer, the second officer, or any officer, ask to see his proof of auto registration? That’s all he had to do. But they weren’t there to confirm the fact, they were

Photo: Tony Morris

Robert Tolan and his family plans to move forward with their civil suit. there to profile and harass.”

The Tolan family is suing Cotton, the police department and the city of Bellaire, but the lawsuit has been on hold pending the outcome of Cotton’s criminal trial.

Now, the Tolan family said they are moving forward in their fight against the Bellaire Police Department.

The Tolan family released a statement saying, “We are obviously disappointed that the jury did not convict Jeffrey Cotton. Cotton’s criminal trial was only the first step in seeing that some measure of justice is done in Bellaire. The city has not changed its policy of racial profiling. We remain hopeful that our family may still find justice.”

“The city — from Mayor Cindy Siegel on down — has dug in its heels in defense of the unconstitutional practices which very nearly led to Robbie’s death at the hands of Jeffrey Cotton,” added the lawyer handling the civil case.

Attorney Craig Washington, who has handled many civil and criminal cases says the family should have a better chance at justice with a civil trial.

“The burden is not as high to prove beyond a reasonable doubt Sgt. Cotton violated that young man’s civil rights than it would be to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that he committed assault. It’s kind of hard for me to imagine a set of facts where a jury could wrap their hands around a unanimous verdict that the

officer didn’t intend to assault the young man.

I guess the question is whether he did it in self defense.”

A consultant hired by the city of Bellaire to prepare a report to the state concluded there was not enough information to indicate whether Bellaire officers conducted racial profiling. The Houston NAACP blasted the report when it was released, as well as the not guilty verdict.

“I’m shocked. The NAACP is shocked. It’s truly a travesty,” said Yolanda Smith, executive director of the Houston branch of the NAACP. “I believe the evidence the prosecution presented was more than enough to convict.”

Community activist Quanell X organized a protest in front of Bellaire City Hall and says they will continue to be vocal about the “unjust verdict.”

“When you see a brother who was not committing a crime, who broke no laws and in his own vehicle in front of his own home and shot down like a dog, and a jury will allow that cop to escape. I am angry,” he said Cotton has been on administrative duty with pay since the shooting. His attorney, Paul Aman says his client was devastated when he found out Tolan, then 23, was unarmed. The 10-year veteran officer had testified that he fired in self-defense after seeing Tolan digging in his waistband as he got up off the ground and turned to him during a chaotic scene in the

early morning hours in the Tolan family’s driveway.

“Is he happy (Tolan) was shot? Of course not. He feels terrible about it,” Aman said.

The jury’s decision It took the jury of nine women and three men, four and a half hours to return the verdict.

Two of the female jurors were Black. The remaining jurors were white. Still, one juror told a local television station that race played no role in their decision.

“I was really very disappointed that I see a lot of commentators on both sides saying race was a factor, that it was mentioned in the trial,” said Ellen Law. “It wasn’t. All the verdict means is that we found Sgt. Cotton was not guilty of the charges that were presented, nothing more. That’s all it can be.”

Laws is an attorney by profession and the daughter of a retired police officer. She says members of the jury took the deliberation process seriously.

Craig Washington disagrees.

“Unfortunately we still live in a time when people are still willing to give the benefit of the doubt in situations, where if it had been reversed, they wouldn’t give it to a citizen,” Washington said. “The difference is we have a more representative police department in the city of Houston. You have a lot of these smaller communities that aren’t as open-minded.

The easiest example would be to pose a question, if that had been a Black officer who shot a white youngster, would that same jury have found that Black officer not guilty? My sense of history teaches me that it would not have and if that’s true, there’s a real problem.”

Washington says the verdict also sends the wrong message.

“We ought not send a signal that’s its open season on young Black males in Harris County and that’s what that verdict does in my opinion. It would embolden other police officers to act like this guy and that’s wrong. Somebody’s child was shot by this guy for no good reason.

That’s not the message we ought to be sending in our community in 2010. We thought that we were past those days,” Washington said.

Bellaire responds William Helfand, an attorney representing the city in the case, said that the “jury’s verdict demonstrates that there was no excessive force here.” Addressing concerns about community backlash over the verdict, Helfand said, ★NOT GUILTY, Page 3

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MAY 16 – 22, 2010 | DEFENDER

Not Guilty

Horne

“Hopefully, people will have an understanding that opinions have to be formed based on the facts.”

Helfand also said the verdict should put to rest any claims of racial profiling in the Bellaire Police Department. He says he anticipates evidence of racial profiling as alleged by some groups.

“There are allegations, but ultimately when you look at the statistics compiled by the police department... you find that there are not a significant number of complaints and there are not really any sustained complaints which demonstrate any relationship between race and the way the police department operates.

This is a professional, welltrained police department, and while that may serve somebody’s lawsuit, it just isn’t a fact.”

Cotton’s department has long stood up for him, as have the city leaders.

“The city of Bellaire appreciates the hard work of the jury of the 232nd Criminal District Court which carefully considered all of the evidence in testimony and found that Sgt. Cotton did not break any laws, and that he acted reasonably and professionally on the circumstances he was forced to confront in the early morning hours of Dec. 31, 2008,” Helfand added. “Indeed, race was never mentioned as a factor in the trial or in the outcome of the criminal case,” added Helfand.

Sgt. Cotton will be eligible to return to the Bellaire police force although no date has been set when or if he would return.

Rev. Caldwell says people need to realize this problem is bigger than just one young man from Bellaire.

“I don’t want non-African Americans thinking this is not a community problem,” Caldwell said. “This is not a Black problem, a white problem, a brown, yellow, or polka dot problem. It is a community problem. And until the community understands that and demands change, all of us will suffer. We’re willing to work with the police department to help them educate and sensitive the police department on a team that obviously needs some help.”

American beauty, who as a versatile and iconic performer made her name from a variety of entertainment platforms including the big screen, where she was the first African-American actor to sign to a long-term contract by a major Hollywood studio; in music, where she won four Grammy awards, and in night clubs, where she extensively toured despite the racism that plagued her era.

As an entertainer, Horne’s light skin completion allowed her to traverse through doors that many other Black entertainers had a hard time walking through. Still, she was loved and highly respected because she refused to let herself become “an imitation of a White woman”, as she would later say.

Horne got her start in entertainment as a 16-yearold dancer at Harlem’s famed Cotton Club and worked the jazz club circuit before jumping into movies with her major studio debut in 1942 with Panama Hattie. Horne’s success in movies helped pave the way for actresses such as Halle Berry and Dorothy Dandridge to become silver screen starlets and for crossover entertainers such as Diahann Carroll and Diana Ross to exist. But, more importantly, her pioneering roles helped open doors for African-American actors to rise above subservient roles in Hollywood.

Although born in a Black upper middle-class family, Horne spent her life cutting through the red tape of racism. Although she has 22 film credits to her name, her outspoken criticism of the unequal treatment of Black soldiers during World War II and

continued from page 2

VOLUME 79 • NUMBER 29 MARCH 19 – 22, 2010 Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles Editor Von Jiles Associate Editor ReShonda Billingsley Art Director Cale Carter Columnist Yvette Chargois Sports Editors Max Edison Darrell K. Ardison Contributing Writers Aswad Walker Webmaster Corneleon Block The Houston Defender Newspaper published

by The Houston Defender Inc. Company (713) 663-6996. The Defender audited by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For subscriptions, send $60.00 — 1 year, to: Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston, TX 77288.

Payment must accompany subscription request. All materials covered by 2009 copyright... (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).

continued from page 1

her left-leaning political views and associations got her blacklisted from Hollywood for much of the 1950s.

Despite her absence away from the big screen, Horne went on to become one of the most revered night club performers in the post-war period.

During the movement for civil rights, Horne was an active participator in marches and protests, including the 1963 March on Washington where she spoke and performed.

Horne spent the last years of her life focused on her musical career. She released her last studio album, “Being Myself”, in 1998 on Blue Note records. She was 81 at that time. She received a Tony Award in 1981 for her one-woman Broadway show, “Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music”.

She is being mourned in both the entertainment and social justice worlds.

“Ms. Horne was a pivotal figure in the entertainment world. She was a consummate entertainer whose dignified stage presence destroyed many of the stereotypes in which other Black entertainers of her era were cast. She was a cross-over success before the term was widely used. Although many have failed to fully acknowledge her civil rights efforts, Ms. Horne used the power of her celebrity to change the shape of racial discrimination in the United States,” said Dr. E. Faye Williams, national chair of the National Congress of Black Women in a statement. “Her life was genuinely iconic. The beauty and enjoyment that she brought to the masses with her entertainment will last far longer than many of the entertainers who followed her. She was a unique personality who will truly be missed.”

Lena Horne has often been celebrated for her timeless beauty.

4

MAY 16 – 22, 2010 | DEFENDER

Queen

continued from page 1 Rashad.

Kam Williams: Hey, Queen Latifah, I’m honored to have this opportunity to speak with you.

Queen Latifah: Please, just call me, La. KW: Okay, La, what interested you in “Just Wright?”

QL: Actually, it was kinda something we just created from scratch. What we wanted to do was make a romantic comedy that was both sexy and romantic and had some emotion, but at the same time wasn’t just a chick flick. And that had some action, some energy.

And that’s where the whole NBA component came in with Leslie Wright, my character, being a big basketball fan, and a daddy’s girl.

One of the ways that she and her daddy bonded was by his taking her to the games because he didn’t have a son. That made a really big fan out of her. So, the overall goal was to make a movie that was family friendly, but that at the same time had some action, some edge and some sexiness to it.

KW: What was it like being directed by Sanaa Hamri and working with Common and the rest of the cast?

QL: Oh, man, it was amazing! Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to work with. It was a true team effort.

There’s no way we could have done this independently of one another. Sanaa was the perfect choice because she had a great vision for the film from the moment she first read the script. We interviewed a lot of different directors, but her take on it was something that we appreciated because she assured us that she planned to bring a certain style and taste to the production, that it would be elevated and classy, and have cool shots that would make everyone look really good onscreen. I think that she managed to pull it all off, and I’m really proud of her.

KW: You used to play a mean game of bas-

Photo by: David Lee

L to R: Paula Patton, Queen Latifah and Common in ‘JUST WRIGHT’. ketball back in the day. [La played power forward on a high school team that won the NJ State Championship twice.] Do you still find time in your busy schedule to shoot around at all?

QL: I do. Whenever a ball is around, you can’t help but pick that thing up and shoot it.

You know what I mean?

KW: Yep. QL: I was never the best player on the team, but I do love basketball and I have no problem shooting the rock. My body is not exactly as limber as it used to be in high school, obviously, but I still enjoy a good game of basketball.

KW: Do you think “Just Wright” will help revive the Black romantic film?

QL: I think you definitely see true black love in this film. And I hope that it helps to revive the genre, but I can’t say whether it will be a catalyst for that. But “Just Wright” isn’t a romantic comedy just for Black folks.

I think anybody who watches this movie is going to fall in love with the idea of love again. You get to see a strong male in Common’s character, Scott, and two completely different female leads in my character, Leslie, and Paula Patton’s, Morgan. And we also get to see them sort of be family and go through the types of things many families go through, yet still find love in the end. That’s the realistic image that we wanted to portray, not broad stereotypes with one swipe of the

brush. We’re painting our pictures as vividly as possible.

KW: What about acting do you find most challenging, and do you think the range roles for Black women in Hollywood are improving?

QL: I approach the film business the way I feel about self-esteem. It’s something that has to be maintained. That’s kind of how I feel about positive roles in Hollywood. They have to be maintained. You have to purposefully, intentionally try to make the right type of films. And the more people that do that, the more things will continue to improve.

Absolutely!

KW: Since you seem so together, is there anything you’re insecure about?

QL: I’m not always so together. Like I said, it’s not just a given, but something that has to be maintained. I’m as flawed as anybody else. I have my ups and downs, and people around me to help me fight through it.

KW: What is your favorite way to express yourself spiritually?

QL: To go to church.

KW: What cause are you most passionate about?

QL: I’m passionate about children, particularly, whether it’s education, HIV prevention, treating HIV and AIDS, or protecting young girls from being molested.

KW: Well, thanks again for the interview, La, and best of luck with “Just Wright” and your other upcoming projects.

QL: Thank you, Kam.

SPORTS

MAY 16 – 22, 2010 | DEFENDER

Max Edison

on Sports

Norris Sponsors Spending Spree Lots of professional athletes have foundations and give back to the communities they grew up in or currently work. Of course, I’m a big proponent of this. I’ve always subscribed to the scripture “to whom much is given, much is required”.

Last summer we introduced you to former Madison standout and current San Francisco fullback Moran Norris and his foundation for youth in the Houston area.

Norris’s motto for his foundation is quite simple and parallels his role as a fullback, “follow me”.

“On the football field, my job is to lead the way, make a path, and block any opponents that get in front of me.

This strategy allows my teammates to FOLLOW ME and score one for the team,” Norris shared. “This is my job off the field and yours too – to be a leader at school, set goals for the future, and avoid any pitfalls that may try to prevent you from reaching your goals.”

The Moran Norris Foundation recently took 100 under privileged students in the Houston area from middle schools throughout HISD on a shopping spree for demonstrating good character. The 100 students were selected through a nomination process by their teachers and will each receive $100 ($10,000 total) to purchase a variety of items throughout Super Target, including Mother’s Day items, school supplies and food.

“We thought it was important this year to coordinate the shopping spree with

5

Tony Wyllie

NFL executive on the move

By Max Edison DEFENDER

H

Photo: Yvette Chargois

The executive fast track has led Wyllie to the Washington Redskins

e has been the face of the Texans organization since their inception, although that face has been firmly placed in the background.

He’s Tony Wyllie, Vice President of Communications for the Texans. Whenever there has been an event of significance, either on or off the field, Wyllie has been there. Wyllie is one of the hottest young executives in professional sports and recently he accepted a position as Sr. Vice President of Communications for the Washington Redskins.

For those unfamiliar with Wyllie and his role; he serves as the liaison between the local and national media and the Texans’ front office, coaches and players. He oversees publicity for the club while serving as the team spokesman. He also oversees the Texans’ public relations, community relations, the Houston Texans Foundation and the content for HoustonTexans.com, the team’s official website.

A Texas Southern University alum, Wyllie and the work of his communications staff has been recognized as the gold standard in the business of professional sports. A veteran of 17 years in the NFL, with stints with the Dallas Cowboys, LA/St. Louis Rams and Tennessee Titans, Wyllie’s success is well documented. He and his staff have earned the prestigious Pete Rozelle award, which is presented annually by Pro Football Writers of America to the best NFL public relations staff, two times with the Texans (2004 and 2007) and four times overall. The Rams’ PR department won the award in 1997 and the Titans’ in 2000.

For Tony Wyllie, the decision to leave his hometown team and head east to DC was a difficult, yet necessary process in his career evolution.

“It’s all about professional growth,” Wyllie explained. “Washington is the nation’s capital, with

★EDISON, Page 6

Darrell Ardison

on H.S. Sports Former Lee High School and University of Texas standout quarterback Peter Gardere was one of nine recent inductees into the Texas High School Football Hall of Fame.

The inductees were honored last weekend at a ceremony in Waco.

Gardere threw for 5,754 yards at Lee and was named an all-state punter. He was also an all-district catcher for the Generals and was drafted by the Chicago Cubs. Instead, he attended UT and remains the only Longhorns’ quarterback to record four victories over Oklahoma in the Red River rivalry.

Other inductees included NFL Hall of Fame quarterback Sammy Baugh, Dr. Mark Bing, Joe Clements, Koy Detmer, Bert and Bill Gravitt, Thomas Lott and Theo C. “Cotton” Miles.

Wade To Leave Hisd Houston Independent School District athletic director Daryl W. Wade will leave his post in July to run the Houston Astros’ Major League Baseball Urban Youth Academy.

The facility is located in the Acres Homes community at Sylvester Turner Park. It’s the second operation of its kind in the country. The first was opened four years ago in Compton, Calif.

After opening in April, the academy will provide yearround free baseball and softball instruction to youths ★ARDISON, Page 6

★SPORTS, Page 6

High school baseball playoffs in full swing

By Darrell K. Ardison DEFENDER

Bellaire head baseball coach Rocky Manuel says the best thing about advancing past the first round of the state high school baseball playoffs is that half the field vying for a spot in the state tournament in Austin next month has been sent home.

Ranked No. 10 in the latest Baseball America High School Top 25 Poll, Bellaire rolled out the big bats in sweeping Eisenhower 2-0 in a best-of-three first-round playoff series.

The 29-3 Cardinals will face Seven Lakes in the area round of the state baseball playoffs. Seven Lakes, 21-11, swept Strake Jesuit 20 in its first-round series.

“We were hitting the ball well and that was good because we made a few defensive mistakes that we don’t normally make,” said Manuel, who has guided the Cardinals to three state tournament berths and two state championships (1994 and 1999). “We pride ourselves on playing good defense and we don’t want to develop bad habits.”

Junior lefthander Toller Boardman was the beneficiary of double-digit offensive support in game one at Ray Knoblauch Field (Butler Stadium) as the Cardinals hammered out a 16-2 mercy ruleshortened victory.

Bellaire senior right-hander Kyle Chaskin took the mound in game two at Lansford Field and with sen-

Bellaire centerfielder Sean Washington had three hits, including a solo home run, in the series-clinching victory over Eisenhower. ior centerfielder Sean Washington leading the offensive charge (3-for4 with a solo home run), the Cardinals closed out the series with a 17-5 verdict.

“When you can score 33 runs in two games, it means that you can cover up areas where you didn’t play as well,” Manuel said. “We’ll want to play a best-of-three series in the next round, but if we have to play one game, we’d better be play-

ing well in all phases of the game.”

Bellaire is in quest of its eighth state baseball title. The last time the Cardinals qualified for the state tournament was in 2008.

The greater Houston area is guaranteed at least one representative at the state baseball tournament (Region III-5A). With a number of good Houston-area schools competing in the Region II-5A bracket such as Klein (No. 11 in Baseball

America High School top 25 Poll), Tomball, Spring and Klein Collins, there’s a good chance two 5A schools from the Houston area could advance to Austin.

That would enhance the chances of the Houston area not coming up empty for a third consecutive year.

The last 5A champion from the area was Cy-Fair in 2007.

The last time the Houston area went three straight years without a baseball champion in the University Interscholastic League’s highest classification was 19721975 when Lubbock Monterey, Midland and Duncanville combined for five Class 4A titles. The Houston area produced the next four 4A champions.

Since the advent of Class 5A baseball in 1981, Houston area schools have won 16 of 29 state championships. From 1998-2007, Houston schools won eight of 10 state 5A titles.

While Bellaire and Klein are nationally ranked, the top-ranked 5A school in the Houston area is Kingwood. The Mustangs earned state tournament berths in 2004 and 2005, including a state championship in 05.

Kingwood averted a first-round upset at the hands of Milby for the second year in a row by sweeping two close games this year.

In game one, Kingwood head coach Kelly Mead received a stellar pitching performance from senior right-hander Blake Whitter and ★HIGH SCHOOL, Page 6

SPORTS

6

MAY 16 –22, 2010 | DEFENDER

CLASSIFIED NOTICE OF SALE OF PROPERTY The Houston Independent School District is offering to the general public an opportunity to submit sealed bids for purchase of certain real estate district property listed below. A sealed bid proposal for this property addressed to the Houston Independent School District, Real Estate, will be received at the Board Services Office located on Level 1 of the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center, 4400 W. 18th Street, Houston,Texas 77092-8501. The bid deadline is 2:00 p.m. on June 15, 2010. Real estate brokers will be entitled to receive a commission not to exceed one percent (1%) from the sales proceeds if such broker and commission amount is specifically named and included as part of the successful purchaser’s bid in accordance with HISD bid procedures. The minimum bid that will be accepted for this property will be $335,000.00. Bid proposals must be accompanied by a Bid Security Deposit consisting of a Certified or Cashier’s Check in the amount of $25,000.00. The Bid Security Deposit shall be made payable to the Houston Independent School District. Bid proposals will be subject to automatic rejection if not accompanied by the prescribed form and amount of the Bid Security Deposit. Potential bidders who wish to discuss details of the proposed bid procedures and obtain individual bid packages or general information, or to schedule a tour or a meeting are requested to contact Gary Hansel at ghansel@houstonisd.org, or by telephone at 713-556-6670.

This sale is subject to terms contained in the bid package and subject to approval by the HISD Board of Education, and HISD retains the right to accept any bid proposal or reject any or all bids regardless of the bid price, and to withdraw the property from sale at any time. HISD reserves the right to waive informalities in any bid proposal as deemed appropriate by HISD. It is the intent of the Houston Independent School District that the qualified bid proposal which results in the highest net proceeds and/or the greatest net benefit to the school district shall prevail.

Madison-ex, 49er fullback Moran Norris gives instructions prior to shopping spree.

Edison

continued from page 5 Mother’s Day,” Norris shared. “This gives the students a chance to get something for their Mom’s and show their appreciation”.

Moran continues on why he and his family have committed themselves to these types of projects.

“When I look at the news and I see what is happening with the dropout rate in Houston and the problem with bullying across the country, I wanted to step up and do my part in the development of youth in my hometown,” said Moran Norris. “My wife Tamara and I are both products of HISD,

and we want to be positive role models in our community and show students the right way to achieve their goals.”

This summer, Norris will sponsor his 4th annual football camp June 25th and 26th at Delmar Stadium for boys age 717. Many of Norris’ 49er teammates such as Frank Gore, Patrick Willis, Tarell Brown, Michael Crabtree, Vernon Davis and Takeo Spikes are all expected to attend.

In addition, the foundation sponsors their 4th Annual Follow Me to the Stars Dinner, Sunday, June 27th at the Oceanaire Seafood Room. For more information on how you can participate in any of these worthy activities call 281773-7844 or visit the website, www.morannorrisfoundation.org

Wyllie

continued from page 5 a tradition of winning. They have an owner (Daniel Snyder) that’s really passionate about winning and a head coach (Mike Shanahan) with two Super Bowl titles under his belt. As far as my career, this was just a big opportunity.”

As simple as that sounds, the decision to leave Houston was a tad more complicated.

“It was a real difficult process. I prayed on it. I left Houston before; the only difference now is I have three other people to think about with my wife and two kids.

My wife is supportive and my parents are retired so they can travel anytime they want to see the grandkids. This opportunity was just such a good one that you have to take advantage of it.”

John Wooten, chairman of the Fritz Pollard Alliance that coordinates diversity hiring practices within the NFL, has watched Wyllie’s career progression and is happy with his move to the Redskins.

“I’m ecstatic for Tony. He’s done a tremendous job with the Texan’s organization,” Wooten acknowledged. “He has shown his commitment to football and the NFL for a number of years and has always done an outstanding job in all his work. I mentioned to the Commissioner at our league meetings in December that we now need to look at where we can expand our program beyond just the realm of football operations, (head coaches, general managers, etc.) but into the entire workings of an organization.

Tony’s hiring as Sr. VP of Communications for a historic franchise like the Washington Redskins symbolizes that.”

For Tony Wyllie the foundation that propelled him to professional success was forged under the watchful eye of his mentors at his alma mater, Texas Southern University.

“While attending TSU, athletic director Curtis Williams gave me an opportunity

Ardison

continued from page 5 between the ages of seven and 17.

Wade, 51, took over as AD in HISD in January 2007 after spending 23 years in Aldine ISD. He was athletic director in Aldine from 2003-2006.

The Houston native is a grad-

Photo: Houston Texan

Texan owner Bob McNair and Tony Wyllie share a moment in Reliant Stadium. to work in sports information,” Tony recalled. “I got a chance to travel with Coach Highsmith (Walter) and the football team and Coach Moreland (Robert) and the basketball team. I was doing basically what I do today at Texas Southern. It was my advantage to be at a school in a major metropolitan city that had all of the professional sports. That ultimately led me to an internship with the Houston Oilers. The folks at TSU were always supportive of my ambitions. They knew they were big. I always tell the story of an opportunity I had to intern with the San Diego Chargers, but I didn’t have the money for a plane ticket to go there for the interview. Somehow Dr. James Ward, the Dean of the Communications department, found out and gave me a plane ticket. He basically said you worked too hard to get to this point, go out there and do it.

To this day I don’t know how he found out! I finished with a degree in journalism from TSU in 1993.”

Professionally, Tony’s career has been on the fast track since leaving TSU. His first job was with the Dallas Cowboys in 1993. Wyllie collected a Super Bowl ring with the season of work there and received a “master’s” degree in P.R. in the process.

“No team was covered more than the Cowboys at that time,” Wyllie shared.

“That was the year Emmitt Smith held out and missed the first two regular season games. Anything and everything you can imagine happened that year. It was like

uate of Waltrip High School and Paul Quinn College.

North Shore, Hightower Reign Supreme The North Shore boys and Hightower girls won team titles at the 2010 Region III5A track and field meet at Turner Stadium.

North Shore won the 400, 800 and 1,600 relays to pace

High School

continued from page 5 some late offensive heroics to hold off the Buffs 5-3.

“Last year was miserable,” said Whitter, who allowed four hits, two walks and nine strikeouts in five-and-1/3 shutout innings. “We’re not going to let that happen this year.”

Whitter proved to be prophetic when the Mustangs emerged victorious 9-8 in game two at Andy Wells Field in Kingwood.

“We play and practice for the ultimate goal of getting to Dell Diamond in Round Rock for the state baseball tournament,”

grad school for crisis management P.R.” From the Cowboys, Wyllie’s career led him to Los Angeles and later to St. Louis when that franchise relocated. He served as their assistant director of P.R. from 1994 to 1998. In 1998 he moved to Nashville to work for the Titans and to become the youngest Director of Communications in the NFL. He returned home to Houston and took the title of Vice President of Communications for the expansion Houston Texans in 2000.

Kirbyjon Caldwell, Texan limited partner and Wyllie’s pastor took a reflective view of Tony’s contribution to the Texan organization.

“Tony Wyllie has worked extremely hard and always remained focused on delivering value to the enterprise,” Caldwell stated. “Tony made a tough job look very easy. We might not know exactly everything he’s done in terms of laying the foundation and establishing the infrastructure until he’s gone. Whoever comes in after Tony, I hope they bring their own shoes, otherwise they have some big shoes to fill!”

The highlight of Wyllie’s10 year tenure with the Texans has been his relationship with team owner Bob McNair.

“It was a blessing to have him come into my life. Just getting to know him prior to the expansion draft and having a relationship with him has been invaluable. He exposed me to things, like the Kentucky Derby that I had never been exposed to. He sent me to business school (Rice, MBA). Bob McNair has done a lot for me and my family and I’ll forever be indebted to him.”

Tony Wyllie has been on the career fast track rocketing through the front office ranks in the NFL and ultimately, even he doesn’t know what’s next.

“If you would have told me twenty years ago I’d be in this position I would have laughed at you,” Tony confessed. “I just work hard. I really love what I do. So whatever God has planned for me, we’ll just wait an see.”

a 112-point performance.

DeAndrew White won the long jump and was a member of the mile-relay foursome.

Hightower took the girls team championship with 79 points to edge district rival Fort Bend Marshall by five points. Cousins Chelsea Stephen and Kayla Savoie placed 1-2 in the 100-meter

Mead said. “But you have to believe that you can do it.”

Kingwood, 26-4, will face Stratford in the area round of the playoffs. The Spartans swept past Morton Ranch 6-2 and 19-12.

While College Park succumbed to Spring 2-1 in a best-of-three first-round Region II-5A playoff series, Tomball rallied from a five-run deficit in game three to defeat The Woodlands.

The Cougars (24-9) will face Leander in the area round.

Trailing 6-1 in the third inning, Tomball sent 12 batters to the plate and benefited from two Highlanders’ miscues to score seven runs on four hits and two walks and take an 8-6 advantage. The

hurdles to jump-start the Hurricanes.

Dulles sprinter Sheroid Evans won gold medals in the 100- and 200-meter dashes.

The Angleton boys and Westbury girls won team titles in the Region III-4A meet held in Huntsville.

Cougars added three more runs in the fifth inning to secure an 11-8 home victory.

Tomball survived a two-run Highlanders’ uprising in the seventh inning for the final margin of victory.

Klein is still alive after defeating Oak Ridge 4-3 in a one-game first-round playoff.

Other Houston 5A schools to advance to the second round of the state baseball playoffs include Cy-Fair, Klein Collins, Atascocita, South Houston, Memorial, Brazoswood, Kempner, Pearland, Lamar, Katy Taylor, La Porte, Fort Bend Austin and Baytown Lee.

The following property will be available for bids to purchase: Telephone Road Property: 1.0215-Acre HISD site located at 1409 and 1417 Telephone Road - Houston, Texas BID ENVELOPES SHALL BE PLAINLY MARKED: Sealed bid for: Sale of Property 1409 and 1417 Telephone Road (1.0215 acres) Do Not Open Until 2:00 p.m. on June 15, 2010 Any bid received later than the specified time, whether delivered in person or mailed, is subject to rejection.

HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTICE TO PROPOSERS The Houston Independent School District located in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center at 4400 West 18th Street Houston, Texas 77092 will accept proposals, until the stated date and time deadlines, in the Board Services Office, Level C1 ‘ • Project 10-04-04 – LED MARQUEE SIGNS – with a deadline of 10 A.M.; May 26, 2010. The preproposal conference for this project will be held in room 2C06 on May 19, 2010 at 10 A.M • Project 10-05-12 – RFP – Food Services – Temporary Personnel Services with a deadline of 10A.M. June 2, 2010. The pre-proposal conference for this project will be in Room 2NE51 at the above stated address on May 17, 2010 at 10 A.M • Project 10-06-02 RFP / Boiler and Machinery Insurance with a deadline of 2 P.M. June 9, 2010. The pre-proposal conference will be held on May 18, 2010 at 3:30 P. M. in Room 3C04 at the above stated address.

Proposals are available on the HISD web-site at www.houstonisd.org.

The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or, to accept the proposal that is most advantageous to the District.

Scwyana Smith

MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY will be accepting Request for Qualification for the following:

CONSUMER RELATED SERVICES FOR MHMRA ECI EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION PROGRAM Specifications may be secured from MHMRA, Harris County, Purchasing Department located at 7011 Southwest Freeway, Suite 100 in Houston, Texas 77074, telephone (713) 970-7300 and/or via MHMRA website www.mhmraharris.org beginning Tuesday, May 18, 2010. A Pre-Proposal Conference is scheduled for, Tuesday, May 25, 2010 at 11:00 a.m.., 7011 S.W. Freeway. Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Thursday, June 3, 2010. Proposals must be submitted to Purchasing Services, 7011 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by 10:00 a.m., Tuesday, June 15, 2010 in a sealed enveloped marked "PROPOSAL - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL – TUESDAY, JUNE 15, 2010, CONSUMER RELATED SERVICES FOR MHMRA ECI EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION PROGRAMS ". Any questions pertaining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to Marguarette C. Washington, Senior Buyer, via fax at (713) 970-7682 or Email questions to Marguarette.washington@mhmraharris.org cc: Sharon.brauner@mhmraharris.org. MHMRA reserves all rights to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests, and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.

MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY will be accepting proposals for the following:

PHARMACY DRUG DISPENSING SERVICES Specifications may be secured from MHMRA, Harris County, Purchasing Department located at 7011 Southwest Freeway, Suite 100 in Houston, Texas 77074, telephone (713) 970-7300 and/or via MHMRA website www.mhmraharris.org beginning Monday, May 17, 2010.

Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Tuesday, June 1, 2010.

Proposals must be submitted to Purchasing Services, 7011 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by 10:00 a.m., Thursday, June 10, 2010 in a sealed enveloped marked "PROPOSAL - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL - THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 2010, PHARMACY DRUG DISPENSING SERVICES". Any questions pertaining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to Sharon Brauner, Buyer III, Senior Purchasing Coordinator via fax at (713) 970-7682 or E-mail questions to sharon.brauner@mhmraharris.org cc: nina.cook@mhmraharris.org. MHMRA reserves all rights to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests, and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.

MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY will be accepting Request for Qualification for the following:

TELEPHONE HARDWARE REPLACEMENTS Specifications may be secured from MHMRA, Harris County, Purchasing Department located at 7011 Southwest Freeway,Suite 100 in Houston,Texas 77074,telephone number (713) 970-7300,and/or via MHMRA website www.mhmraharris.org beginning Monday, May 17, 2010. The Request for Proposals (RFP) must be submitted to Purchasing Department, Suite 100, 7011 Southwest Freeway, Houston,Texas 77074 by Wednesday, June 09, 2010, 10:00 a.m. in a sealed envelope marked "RFP - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL – WEDNESDAY, JUNE 09, 2010, 10 A.M – “TELEPHONE HARDWARE REPLACEMENTS”. Any questions pertaining to this RFP should be addressed in writing to Joycie Sheba, Buyer II / Sharon Brauner, Buyer III via fax (713) 970-7682 or email questions to joycie.sheba@mhmraharris.org, cc: sharon.brauner@mhmraharris.org. MHMRA reserves the rights to reject any and/or all offers it deems to be in its best interests, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.

NOTICE SpawGlass Construction Corp., General Contractor, is soliciting for subcontractor and vendor bids from qualified companies including Small Business, Minority and/or Women Business Enterprises, MBE, and SBE, for the IAH Terminal “A” North Gate A3 Expansion in Houston. Bids will be received until 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 20, 2010. The project consists of an addition to and interior renovation of the existing Terminal “A” at George Bush Intercontinental Airport.

Please direct all inquiries to Dale Seyler at 281-970-5300 [office], 281-728-6268 [cell] or fax 281-517-8282. Plans, specifications,bonding and insurance requirements are available for review at the SpawGlass plan room at 13800 West Road, Houston, Texas. Plans have been uploaded into iSqFt and are also available at both the ABC and AGC plan rooms, Builders Exchange of Houston, F.W. Dodge Corporation, Hispanic Contractors Association of Houston, Sub-Hub and NAMC Greater Houston.

SPAWGLASS IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Advertise in the Defender

7

MAY 16 – 22, 2010 | DEFENDER

CBC

continued from page 1 pressing issues.

“This is an emergency,” Burris said during a May 6 press conference. “I will be working very hard with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle of the United States Senate to say that it is crucial [that the bill be passed].”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, joblessness a m o n g young Black males constitutes the fastest climbing demographic, with more than Bobby Rush half of Black males ages 16 to 19 unemployed. In the nation’s capital, overall joblessness Carolyn hovers at Kilpatrick about 10 percent.

Rep. Bobby Rush (D-Ill.) called for advocacy groups such as the NAACP to step forward and demand action on the bill. Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (DMich.) said failure to quickly address the matter could cause serious societal problems.

“If we don’t, we’ll suffer the consequences,” Kilpatrick said. “We can’t afford another catastrophic situation in this country…and putting [youth] as well as their parents back to work ought to be at the top of the list.”

FEMA

Black Officials work toward partnerships after Katrina

By Pharoh Martin NNPA NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - FEMA’s botched response to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 reduced the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to a different four-letter word in the eyes of many, especially African-American New Orleans residents, who were disparately victimized and displaced by the storm and the floods that killed more than 1,800 people.

In an effort to reduce future disastrous responses from FEMA in heavily Black populated Gary Flowers, chief executive officer of the Black Leadership Forum, hosted the organization’s first annual FEMA Black Leadership Gary Flowers Summit at a Washington, D.C. hotel last week. The conference allowed FEMA executives to engage and form critical relationships with Black local government officials and representatives from key Black non-governmental organizations across the nation.

“Hurricane Katrina in 2005 led us in the Black community to understand one basic fact - The federal government, by way of FEMA, did not know us. And we, by way of the Black Leadership Forum, did not know them,” Flowers said, “We were not convinced in the months that followed that FEMA knew the links of the Black organizations or knew the Black mayors and local elected officials.”

Like FEMA, the Black Leadership Forum is wide and expansive. Made up of 51 national Black organizations, which has almost 7,000 chapters and affiliates between them and a combined membership base of almost 12 million people, the Black Leadership Forum is the largest organization of its kind. When the Obama administration came in, he promised to close the gaps through FEMA’s currently appointed administrator Craig Fugate, Flowers said.

“I want to be in the initial meetings,” Flowers said. “I want to receive one of the first calls or emails so I can more quickly distribute the information to our nearly 7000 chapters and affiliates across the country who are all on the ground.”

Flowers hopes to take away a new construct between the federal government and states so that the resource deployment is more equitable to communities of color. As of now, the constitutional construct limits FEMA’s authority to only respond at the behest of a state’s governor but that doesn’t mean that FEMA isn’t allowed to work with and build better relationships with community partners.

“We would like stronger communication channels between the federal government and the Black Leadership Forum,” Flowers said. “Also, we would like to serve as third party responders on the ground so grants and contracts can go to Black organizations to train their people on the ground.”

Building strong community partnerships are critical for FEMA’s mission, said Tim Manning, deputy administrator of FEMA’s Protection and National Preparedness Bureau.

“Historically, FEMA would respond to disasters and would work with anybody that we would come across as far as elected leadership at the gubernatorial and mayoral levels,” Manning said. “In working with the Black Leadership Forum we have an opportunity to strengthen relationships across the country and across service and leadership organizations and all levels of government. We can actually plan for our communities and work with them and not just with those that we traditionally work with.”

He added, “The best thing that we can take away from this forum is how we can do our jobs better.”

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate, flying in from a severely-flooded Nashville, served as the summit’s keynote speaker. His remarks surrounded how his background as a paramedic, fire fighter, a director of Florida’s disaster response agency in a hurricane heavy state helped him “get it”, as one

attendee described him. “[One] thing we cannot do is continue this process where we say that it’s going to be government-centric, that the government has the answers,” Fugate said in a down-to-earth key note address that seemed to connect with the conference attendees very well. “The government doesn’t have all of the answers.”

He said that his agency needs “more voices” and “more connections.”

“The message that came from Administrator Fugate was especially powerful for me,” said Laura Hall, a state representative for Huntsville, Ala. She said that Fugate didn’t speak what she calls “bureaucrat language” and that he has a good understanding of how things should go.

“I think that they are actually trying to reach out is the most important thing,” said State Representative Charmaine Marchand Stiaes, who represents New Orleans 9th ward, the heavily African-American district of the city that sustained the most damage.

“Those coming into the community to assist us didn’t look like the community,” Marchand Stiaes said. “It made you feel like there was a disconnect of community efforts or getting that message that those that are trying to help you look just like you.”

Stiaes said that she found out that during disaster response, recovery and rebuilding periods like the one that’s been gripping her city for the past five years, she will be able to better navigate the emergency process.

“I found out about how things trickle down,” Stiaes said. “At first, we were told that the monies were not going down to our mayor only because we heard that they didn’t trust our mayor [Ray Nagin]. On May 3, Mitch Landrieu succeeded Ray Nagin as mayor of New Orleans.

Stiaes resolves, “So hopefully that we have a new mayor, the dollars will flow down to New Orleans with regard to recovery efforts and getting our buildings and roads back online.”

AUTO NEWS

8

MAY 16 – 22, 2010 | DEFENDER

By Darrell K. Ardison

2010 Chevrolet Equinox The 2010 Chevrolet Equinox all-wheel-drive LTZ sports utility vehicle is a General Motors product that reminds you of something foreign.

With a navigation and OnStar system within close proximity in the center of the dashboard, you can talk to an OnStar advisor and find out where you need to go and turn-by-turn directions will be downloaded to your vehicle.

Listen to the voice-guided directions after the advisor disconnects from the vehicle and arrive at your destination.

You actually have e-mail from your vehicle and that is part of OnStar vehicle diagnostics.

Every month, you’ll receive a personalized email with your diagnostics results. Color-coded icons let you check results at a glance.

Click on the account profile to make sure OnStar has the most up-to-date contact information.

Enough with the latest technology.

The latest Chevrolet Equinox midsize SUV is aesthetically-appealing, functional and fuel-efficient.

We took the Equinox on the road for the 2010 girls basketball tournament in Austin. A 167-mile trek with a smooth highway and hills in between.

The Equinox was up for the challenge.

Armed with an optional 3.0-liter, six-cylinder engine matched with a six-speed automatic transmission, the Equinox felt at ease motoring down the highway and we had to monitor our speed because it felt like we were going 55 miles per hour when the speedometer was registering 80.

We really didn’t have funds to give the Texas

EQUINOX: HIGHLIGHTS Highway Department.

There was plenty of interior room with leather-appointed seats, heated front seats and a driver’s bucket seat with eight-way power lumbar with memory seat and mirrors.

The rear seat had a multi-flex sliding feature with 60/40 split and three-position recline setup.

Along with automatic climate control, the new Equinox had a cargo net, rear tonneau cover and cross rails.

Throw in cruise control, AM/FM stereo system with CD player and satellite radio, the

Equinox has eight Pioneer speakers combined with an amplifier and equalization.

Exterior features were just as impressive.

There’s a power programmable liftgate, power heated outside mirrors and fog lamps.

Safety/security features include a tire pressure monitoring system, side impact air bags, head curtain side air bags with rollover protection and remote keyless entry.

GM vehicles now offer the peace of mind that consumers previously thought was only available in foreign vehicles.

You might ought to test drive one today.

MSRP base price $29,795 (as tested -$36,380) Engine 3.0-liter V6 Transmission Six-speed automatic Fuel economy 17 miles per gallon (city), 24 mpg (highway) Estimated annual fuel cost $1,950

2010 Chevrolet Camaro

CAMARO: HIGHLIGHTS It possesses the “WOW” factor.

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro 2LT RS Coupe with matching exterior “inferno orange” paint and interior trim turned heads as if they were on a swivel.

They tell me the yellow and black painted version is called the “Bumble Bee.” There was plenty enough buzz caused by the “jack-o-lantern” Camaro.

It seemed that everybody around the schoolhouse wanted to be seen in this “hot” sports car that rivals such competitors as the Ford Mustang, Dodge Challenger, Nissan 370Z, Hyundai Genesis Coupe and BMW 3 Series.

Teachers, cheerleaders and athletes all had something positive to say about the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro Coupe. Most of the conversation centered around taking it out for a test drive.

Of course, the mere mentioning of the six-speed manual transmission quickly separated the contenders from the pretenders.

The rules of this job states that I may take as many people as I want for a ride, yet I’m to be the one and only driver.

That’s a rule that I take seriously, so I gathered up a few lucky souls and off we went.

They loved the quick acceleration generated by the 3.6-liter direct injection V6 engine matched with the aforementioned sixspeed manual transmission. You can hurt yourself in this vehicle, so you have to be careful.

I loved the fact that the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro earned a fivestar rating in the rollover category by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Peace of mind means a lot when you’re behind the wheel of a true “muscle car.”

The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS also received a five-star safety rating in the side front seat category along with four-star rankings in the frontal driver and crash passenger divisions.

Safety and security features include dual stage frontal air bags with front and rear head curtain side air bags, turn-by-turn navigation, automatic crash response, stabilitrak with traction control and theft deterrent system.

In a sports coupe (compact), you don’t expect much leg room for rear-seat passengers and the 2010 Camaro RS remains true to that trend. With small rear side windows, there are blind spots, so you’d better closely monitor the exterior side mirrors.

If the front seat belts aren’t mounted on the seats themselves, it can be uncomfortable trying to turn around and reach the safety devices. Fortunately, the seat belts are mounted through a leather strap on the top door-side of each front seat.

The AM/FM/CD stereo system with auxiliary input jack and USB port in the center console and Boston acoustics premium nine-speaker system provides exquisite sound. Did I mention XM satellite radio?

There’s Bluetooth for your phone, driver information center, ultrasonic rear park assist system, full folding rear seat with trunk pass through and leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise- and stereo-mounted controls.

A memorable sports car ride is enhanced by a sport suspension, power-variable ratio steering and 19-inch aluminum alloy wheels.

The RS option package includes 20-inch wheels with midnight silver finish, rear spoiler, RS unique tail lamps, interior accent trim package, accent stitching on steering wheel, shift knob, door armrest, center console and seats along with a stripe package.

Standard equipment includes battery rundown protection, automatic headlamps, intermittent windshield wipers, dual exhaust with polished stainless steel tips, heated front seats, dual cup holders, front reading lamps, four-pack auxiliary gauges and an easy-to-read front dashboard.

MSRP base price $26,875 (as tested- $30,470) Engine 3.6-liter V6 Transmission Six-speed manual Fuel economy 17 miles per gallon (city), 29 mpg (highway) Estimated annual fuel cost $1,856 (based on $2.60 per gallon)

9

MAY 16 – 22, 2010 | DEFENDER

Textbook

continued from page 1 determined to garner the eight total votes needed to enact the changes.

Nicole Nieto de Sada, senior vice president of the National Hispanic Institute, views the proposed changes a having injurious social, political and educational ramifications.

“The danger of removing Latino and African American historical figures and contributions from our school’s textbooks is that there will be no role modeling for these students—no images of people who look like them in the pages of their history books,” said Nieto de Sada.

Nieto de Sada believes that ignoring the historical contributions of Latinos, African Americans and women will leave such students feeling like they are not a part of the American experience.

“They will be left to feel like trespassers or guests rather than owners. And such feelings could lead them to contributing less to the wellbeing of society. Because when you feel like an owner, you act out in ways than reflect your ownership in society. However, when you feel isolated, like an outsider, you can behave that out as well, in ways that show a lack of investment in the past, present or future of this country,” shared Nieto de Sada, who believes we are already seeing precursors of such ill-effects.

“Those who drop out and disconnect from the public school system do so often because they feel as if they have no stake, no claim, no connection to what is being taught. The proposed changes by the Board would only exacerbate an already negative situation,” added Nieto de Sada.

Board proposed omissions from the curriculum include the work and contributions of advocacy groups like the NAACP and LULAC. “The NAACP, the nation’s oldest and largest Civil Rights group, as well as LULAC, have had a great impact on our state and nation, and have earned a place in the public school conversation on U.S. history,” said Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas NAACP. Both Bledsoe and Nieto de Sada believe the Board’s proposed changes do not bode well for preparing Texas public school students for present and future global realities.

“As a nation we are facing numerous global

WHAT YOU CAN DO TO STOP THE TEXAS TEXTBOOK MASSACRE ■ Fax letters complaining about this to the State Board of Education at 512-463-9838 and to the Texas NAACP Office, attention Yannis Banks at 512-322-0757 ■ Participate in the May 19 rally and forum in Austin with the NAACP, LULAC and the Congressional Black Caucus ■ Attend the Board’s public hearing (May 19-21). If you want to speak at the public hearing call the Board 48 hours in advance of May 19 at 512-463-9734

crises—environmental, energy and economic—and we need ideas and innovations from all of our people. However, if you feel disconnected and outside the realm of a ‘real and true American’ how likely are you to be willing and able to contribute? We’re all in the same boat, people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and educational levels. We are all in danger if we do not inspire all our children to become the best and brightest they can be,” said Nieto de Sada.

“Not only would the Board’s proposed changes be an insult to those Americans who sacrificed so much for the cause of civil rights, doing so would also place Texas students of all races and ethnicities at a horrible disadvantage when competing on national exams for admission to college and scholarships against students from other states,” said Bledsoe.

“The Board’s changes threaten to weaken our position in the world because we would have players who were not playing—those who feel left out. And when we don’t have the entire citizenry contributing to society we can’t maximize our full potential outputs. The Board should be using these textbooks as an opportunity to include and celebrate all people so that we all feel a part and want to contribute,” said Nieto de Sada.

Nieto de Sada believes the issue at hand with the proposed textbook and curriculum changes is psychological and social in nature.

“If students don’t see and feel their ancestors had a stake in the history of this state and country they will relish in a state of ‘outsiderness.’

They will not feel like full citizens. And when that happens, the best you can hope for is to be adopted by someone who is. But with adoption, there are serious drawbacks. You can be adopted or not, or forever feel outside. It’s just a very schizophrenic way to live,” added Nieto de

Sada.

Nieto de Sada believes the potential illeffects of the Board’s curriculum changes will make it more difficult for students to learn because they feel left out, and more difficult for teachers to teach because they are dealing with a non-receptive audience.

“And students who don’t feel acceptance will go looking for acceptance elsewhere, and often in negative place,” said Nieto de Sada.

Nieto de Sada also sees the Board’s proposed curriculum changes adversely affecting our country’s bottom line, more specifically the tax base which depends upon employed people who make contributions to society.

“There are second, third and fourth generation students who potentially will support that tax base; but if socially isolated due to the Board’s textbook changes, they will be unem-

ployable and not participating in the systems as contributors. And with the groundswell of undocumented workers we’re witnessing we will have more and more people and less contributors, creating in this country a reality much like many Latin American countries,” Said Nieto de Sada. “It seems like you would want to make people feel more included and not excluded. But by deleting Latino and African American contributions from history you’re creating a bigger problem.”

As a precursor to the Board’s upcoming vote on May 21, Bledsoe and others are asking that concerned citizens take action by writing and faxing the Board of their disapproval of the proposed curriculum changes, participating in a rally and forum scheduled for May 19 in Austin, or by attending the public hearings.

Nieto de Sada suggests concerned citizens take actions more close to home.

“Besides pushing for change through the system you must also do your own research your history. You can start with heroes in your own family, and discuss them with your children over dinner. The issue is expectations; our children realizing ‘I come from a long line of heavy-hitters, so I have to step up my game.’

You can’t just wait for change to happen.

You’ve got children in your household who can’t wait; children who need to be educated about heroes who reflect their culture immediately,” added Nieto de Sada.

10

LIFE IS A CARARET…….That’s the theme chosen for the 2010 Houston Chapter of Links, Inc. Cabaret Scholarship Gala benefiting The Educational Fund. Over the years, this chapter has provided nearly $1 million dollars in scholarships and other educational opportunities for Houston area youth to help them achieve their dreams. Chapter President Jacquelyn Alton and gala chairs, Diedra Fontaine, Marsha Penn and Winell Herron can keep those smiles on their faces because the event was a hit. This festive evening was full of elegance and cabaret entertainment, featuring Yvonne Washington and the Mix. About 600 cabaret-chic dressed ladies attended, including Katishia Cosley, Melanie Lawson Dr. Johanna Thomas-Smith, Sharron Melton, Algenita Segars, Madeleine Wright, Beatrice Sowell, Artie Jackson Judges Maria Jackson, Josefina Rendon and Gladys Bransford and Marianne Walker and John Merritte.

Continued Success!.......YOUTHS EXPLORING THE ARTS……..The Northeast Cultural Arts Council sponsors a five-week summer arts enrichment program for urban youth that would normally not have the opportunity to be exposed to the arts, music, dance or creative writing. Recently the Board of Directors and the American Heart Association “Power of Legacy Soiree” hosted a 25th Anniversary Dinner at The Power Center and presented several awards.

Receiving the Louis J. Bailey Alumni Award was Valerie Murray-Singleton and Anthony Pruitt, the Community Partnership Award was presented to Cynthia Wilson and the Board of Directors Award was presented to Maria McNeal Sheppard, Phyllis Murray and Anthony Williams. During the program, a historical reflection and new directions beyond 2010 was given by Jewell McGowen, Founder and Board Chair and Ernest McGowen, Sr., Chairman Emeritus. City Controller Ronald Green and his wife, Judge Hilary Green served as their Honorary CoChairs. In the mix was Rebbie and Ernest McGowan, Jr., Mildred Tate, Ave Grayer, Chiquita Easley and Geneva and Tamadge Sharp, to name a few. We salute dinner chair, Phyllis Murray and her committee for a successful dinner.

Congratulations!.......WALK ON THE WILD SIDE…….For more than a decade, Macy’s has produced Brentwood’s Community Foundation Scholarship Luncheon and Fashion Show. As usual, the models took to the catwalk and showed off some fabulous fashions. Beaming with pride over the event’s success included Dr. Joe Samuel Ratliff, his wife Doris, Glenda Hopkins, Foundation’s Executive Director and Betsy Zeino, Macy’s Regional Director of Stores.

To date, over $1 million dollars in scholarships have been awarded to students seeking higher education and in memory of a charter member and faithful and dedicated servant, the scholarship committee announced the creation of the 2010 Norma Mims WatsonBediaho Scholarship to be awarded to a high school graduate or post-graduate student in pursuit of a Criminal Justice discipline.

Spotted at the fashionable event included luncheon chair, Carolyn Grant, Tony Glover, Vickie Byrd, Myrtle Morrow, Marshenell Sells, Sheila Wheatley-Clark, Dr. Alexander Brown, LaRence Snowden, April Armwood, Taylor Sutton, Monica Sutton and Paul Jefferson. Continued Success!.........NEWS FLASH…….Houston’s own, Marcus Davis and The Breakfast Klub is one of the four finalists in the Good Morning America’s “Best Breakfast Challenge.” The segment will air on Saturday morning, May 15th, so be sure to watch. Good Luck!........ UPCOMING EVENT……..Solutions for Better LivingHouston (SBL) will present “The Power of One: A Documentary” about ordinary people living extraordinary lives at The Caroline Collective, 4820 Caroline Street beginning at 6:30pm. You’ll not only want to see this short documentary about moving stories of several SBL program participants, but also learn how they can assist you by serving as a catalyst to promote innovation and social entrepreneurship among non-profits and grassroots programs. Oh, they also will provide seed funds to get you started and help you develop your ideas. The event is free, but you can make a tax-deductible donation. For more info contact Valarie Jackson at 281236-3989……..Have a great week and remember to watch CROSSROADS on Channel 13 Sunday morning with Melanie Lawson for your event covered by Ms. Chag.

Also check out our website at defendernetwork.com to view the “Event of the Week.”…..From Chag’s Place to your place, Ciao Darling!

MAY 16 – 22, 2010 | DEFENDER

Artie Jackson and Judges Maria Jackson, Josefina Rendon and Gladys Bransford

John Merritte and Marianne Walker

Diedra Fontaine, Marsha Penn, Jacquelyn Alton and Winell Herron

Katishia Cosley, Johanna Thomas-Smith, Melanie Lawson and Sharron Melton

Algenita Segars, Madelaine Wright and Beatrice Sowels

Jewell and Ernest B. McGowan, Sr.

Tamadge and Geneva Sharp

Ernest McGowan Jr. and Rebbie McGowan

Mildred Tate, Ave Grayer, Chiquita Easely and Phyllis Murray

Betsy Zeino and Glenda Hopkins

Dr. Joe and Doris Ratliff and Paul Jefferson

April Armwood, Taylor Sutton and Monica Sutton

Dr. Alexander Brown and LaRence Snowden

Vickie Byrd, Myrtle Morrow, Marshenell Sells and Sheila Wheatley-Clark

Carolyn Grant, Tony Glover and Vickie Byrd