Houston Defender: August 26, 2010

August 26 – September 1, 2010 | FREE

Volume 79 Number 44

www.defendernetwork.com

Houston health survey underway The Institute for Health Policy at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) is hoping to get at least 12,000 households in the Greater Houston area to participate in the Health of Houston Survey 2010.

“A comprehensive survey of health conditions, access to care and service needs of Greater Houston residents has not previously been done,” said Stephen Linder, Ph.D., associate director of the Institute for Health Policy and professor at The University of Texas School of Public Health, part of UTHealth. “By collecting this inform a t i o n For information d i r e c t l y from the Health of public, we Houston Survey will have a 713-500-9411 timely and or visit accurate www.hhs2010.net. picture of health care needs that will make a difference in improving health services and programs in communities.”

The survey will examine residents’ health status, chronic health conditions, mental and behavioral health, social and neighborhood conditions, insurance coverage and access to health care. Data collected will permit comparisons to national health benchmarks and will also provide a baseline for assessing the impact of healthcare reform in subsequent surveys.

“We hope the data collected will help with program and service planning through identification of needs and recognition of vulnerable populations by location,” said Linder. Survey results will be used to support the efforts of health agencies, service providers and community organizations, giving them more accurate and up-to-date health information on Greater Houston residents. For example if there is a high concentration of residents affected by diabetes in an area that lacks adequate health care services, local organizations can use this information to apply for grants and assistance to establish clinics and prevention programs.

Nationwide marches expose inequities

By Hazel Trice Edney NNPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ReShonda Tate Billingsley DEFENDER

I

t’s a nationwide problem - the shortage of Black male teachers. Only two percent of the nation’s nearly five million teachers are African American.

“That’s one in 50 teachers. Something is wrong with that picture,” says U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan. “As a country, we have a huge challenge to make sure many more of our young Black boys are successful. Our graduation rates have to go up dramatically, our dropout rates have to go down. To get there, I’m convinced we have to have more men of color teaching, being role models, being mentors and doing so not just in high school but on the elementary level.”

Duncan is leading the challenge to get more Black males in the classroom – either on the elemenREPORT: tary or secondary level.

But he admits that it’s a Less than 50% huge challenge that of Black males may be an uphill battle, especially in the Lone graduate high Star State.

In Texas, there are school more than 333,090 see page 7 public school teachers, and less than one percent are Black men.

Two out of three Texas teachers in the past school year were white, and the state projects that minority students will make up around 62 percent of the student body in the 2011-12 school year, up more than 10 percent from a decade ago. In the Houston Independent School District, the country’s second largest school district, of the 12,829 teachers, only 1,043 are Black males – despite the fact that the district is 26.5 percent African American. In Fort Bend, the seventh largest district in Texas, 31.42 percent of students are Black, and there are only 265 Black male teachers. The lack of Black males in the classroom ultimately, education officials say, hurts everyone.

“The research shows that if you can match the ethnicity and race of teachers and students, teachers tend to be more effective,” said Ed Fuller, associate director of the University Council for Educational Administration at the University of Texas at Austin.

“It’s important for role modeling and pushing those students to go to college. Of course, you want to make sure teachers are well-qualified and not just thrown into a classroom because of race or ethnicity.”

Why the disparity?

The national epidemic is brought on by a myriad of factors – from low salaries, to declining Black graduation rates, to changing perceptions about education.

Texas school districts hire about 30,000 to 35,000 new

teachers every year, but the pool of minorities interested in the profession is small, local officials said. The shortage is particularly acute in early-childhood and lower grades, and is partly pay-related.

“Teachers in elementary school typically don’t make as much money as teachers in high school do,” says Reginald Weaver, president of the National Education Agency. “More than 50 percent of male teachers are at the high school level.”

In HISD, teachers with a Bachelor’s degree start at roughly $45,000 a year.

“For a man trying to support a family, that’s simply not enough,” says businessman Lewis Anderson, who left his teaching job with HISD after two years to make more money. “I would’ve loved to teach on the elementary level, but I had a family to support and as the breadwinner of the family, I needed more money. So I took a job in a high school because I could subsidize my income with coaching. Ultimately, I had to leave to ★WANTED BLACK MALES, Page 8

INTERVIEW

On the Q.T. with T.I.

By Kam Williams CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Tip “T.I.” Harris is one of his generation’s most captivating speakers and one of the biggest hip-hop artists of all time. Whether they see him conversing with a room full of young people about staying in school and following their dreams, or moving tens of thousands at one of his concerts, audiences are always engrossed by the words of the “King of the South.” In 2008, T.I. delivered his most potent and important LP to date, “Paper Trail,” and his highly-anticipated, seventh studio album, “King Uncaged,” is set to be released this fall.

T.I.’s second professional love is acting in films, and in this arena he has taken major steps forward in recent years. He made his motion picture debut in 2006 in the Warner Bros. film “ATL.” He also appeared in the hit Universal film “American Gangster” opposite Denzel

Washington, and guest-starred on HBO’s hit series “Entourage” in 2008. T.I. recently signed a three-picture deal with Screen Gems that will have him both acting in and producing movies.

Music and movies are just the leading edge of T.I.’s entertainment conglomerate. He’s also expanding into comedy tours, the nightclub and restaurant scene, talent management, and record producing. Plus, he has launched his own fashion line, Akoo.

Here, he talks about his new movie, “Takers,” a crime caper about a gang of bank robbers who decide to pull off one last heist before retiring. The film co-stars Zoe Saldana, Chris Brown, Idris Elba, Paul Walker, Michael Ealy and Hayden Christensen.

Kam Williams: Hey, T.I., thanks for the time.

TI: No problem, how you doing?

KW: I’m great. The last time we spoke was for the pre★T.I., Page 2

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Changing the Status Quo in Our Schools

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How Can We Sit Back?

WASHINGTON (NNPA) According to civil rights veteran the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr., an estimated 23,000 people were arrested in civil rights protests across America between Feb. 1, 1960 and Aug. 28, 1963. On that day, 47 years ago, people not only marched on Washington, but in cities and towns around the nation.

“That day a Jesse Jackson thousand marches took place around the country at the same time, marches for justice and jobs,” Jackson recalled.

As a result of those marches and Ben Jealous the publicity they got, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 were passed by a U. S. Congress that was hard-pressed to say no to hundreds of thousands of voters chanting in the streets. This appears to be the strategy being employed once again as at least four major marches and rallies, starting Aug. 28th, will hit sidewalks and parks across the nation for the purposes of calling attention to social ills and prevailing inequities mainly in America’s Black and Latino communities.

“We’ve never lost a battle we’ve had mass marches for,” says Jackson.

“Mass marches laid the ground work for mass registration. And forces immediately respond to the cry of the masses.”

Details for the four marches are as follows: • Saturday, Aug. 28, Detroit, Mich.: “Rebuild America: Jobs, Justice, Peace” march, led by Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr.’s Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. ★RACIAL INEQUITIES, Page 7

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AUGUST 26 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 | DEFENDER

T.I.

continued from page 1 miere of “ATL.” So, a lot has happened for you since then.

TI: Yeah, right.

KW: First of all, congratulations on your wedding last month. You finally made an honest woman of Tameka. Has being married changed you?

TI: [Chuckles] Man, please, we’re here to talk about the movie. It would be wonderful to just talk about the movie.

KW: Well then, what interested you in “Takers?” It seems like you had a hand in every aspect of this project, from acting to the soundtrack to executive producing TI: I was just producing, not executive producing. It was an outstanding experience. I had a phenomenal time, and I’m very, very proud of the outcome.

KW: How did you manage to assemble such an accomplished cast? There’s not only Oscar-nominees Matt Dillon and MarianneJean Baptiste, but Zoe Saldana, Hayden Christensen, Idris Elba, Chris Brown, Paul Walker and Jay Hernandez as well.

TI: I think that the script did most of the work in terms of attracting the talent, because it was so exciting that everybody jumped at the opportunity not only to work together but to be a part of something we felt had so much potential.

KW: And how did working with this ensemble turn out?

TI: Man, it was an honor and a pleasure.

KW: It even has a chase scene with Chris Brown doing some parkour, that French, free-running form of movement popularized in “District B-13” and the first James Bond film with Daniel Craig.

TI: Yeah, it definitely reads like a fastpaced, high-energy action flick.

KW: How did you prepare for your role?

TI: I think the first step in preparing for this or any other role involves developing a clear understanding of the script, and then mentally placing yourself in the scenarios of your character.

KW: I see that people are already calling Takers “T.I. 11” and “The T.I. Job,” allusions to Ocean’s 11 and The Italian Job. How do you feel about that?

TI: I mean, man, I’m just pleased to be talked about in the same breath as the elite of action films. You know what I’m saying?

The comparison is an honor all in itself.

KW: What message do you want audiences to take away from this movie?

TI: That there is no good without bad.

That karma is real. And that you can’t go through life doing only bad and expect good

©2010 Screen Gems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Chris Brown (left) and Tip "T.I." Harris star in Screen Gems' action thriller TAKERS.

©2010 Screen Gems, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Tip "T.I." Harris (left) and Michael Ealy star in Screen Gems' action thriller TAKERS. to come of it.

KW: What type of audience do you expect the movie to attract?

TI: A very diversified one over a broad spectrum.

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?

TI: [Laughs] Man, that’s a tough question to answer. I try to cook whatever the kids and the family want to eat. Let’s see, here…

I got a fresh shrimp dish that I prepare fairly well that has become a household favorite. I marinate it in a special parmesan sauce. [Chuckles]

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

TI: My reflection. [Laughs] That’s another very difficult question…[Pauses to think] I see the man that I’ve grown to become.

KW: As soon as a rap artist, sports figure or actor becomes well known, everyone says they are a role model for kids. How do you feel about that?”

TI: I feel that we are all one another’s examples in life. And if my experiences, past and present, can help guide a young person in the right direction, then so be it.

KW: Why do you love doing what you do?

TI: I’m just a passionate person by nature.

So, I have a lot of love for music, and a drive to succeed in general, be it film, be it fashion, or whatever the case may be. I put a lot of myself in all of my work. That passion carries over into each of my endeavors.

KW: Are you happy?

TI: [LOL] Absolutely! The happiest I’ve ever been.

KW: What are you listening to on your iPod? TI: I listen to a lot of old school R&B. I don’t get many opportunities to listen to much else right now because we’re in the final stages of the recording process.

KW: When will the album be finished?

TI: We’re taking the time necessary to dedicate the necessary attention to the marketing and promotion of the movie first.

After that, we will completely submerge ourselves into the completion of the album.

KW: If you could have one wish instantly granted, what would that be for?

TI: Just for healthy, productive, successful lives for my children and the rest of my family.

KW: How would you describe yourself in one word?

TI: Loyal.

KW: What is your guiltiest pleasure?

TI: I don’t feel the need to feel guilty about any of my pleasures. [Chuckles] KW: What has been the happiest moment of your life?

TI: The births of my children.

KW: How do you want to be remembered?

What do you want your legacy to be?

TI: Just as a stand-up guy, man, who put his family first, and who put a lot of passion and sincerity into his work.

KW: Is there any question no one ever asks you, that you wish someone would?

TI: Nah, nah, nah, I think I’ve been asked just about everything you can be asked.

KW: How can your fans help you?

TI: [Laughs] They’ve already been helping me throughout my career. Their continued love and support is enough for me. The only other thing outside of that is sharing their honest opinion of what could be done better.

Keep it real with me, that’s all.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

TI: If you set out trying to follow in my footsteps, you won’t achieve what I achieved without doing everything I did wrong, too. So, in order to do everything right and end up in a similar position without also making the mistakes I made, you have to aim higher. You have to endeavor to be better than me. On a daily basis, I’m always pushing and challenging myself to be better.

KW: Well, thanks again for another great interview, T.I., and best of luck with the movie and the album.

TI: Thank you, Kam. It’s been an absolute pleasure. Later!

AUGUST 26 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 | DEFENDER

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AUGUST 26 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 | DEFENDER

SPORTS

AUGUST 26 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 | DEFENDER

Max Edison

on Sports

Bailey Remembered Thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of the late Johnny Bailey who passed recently. The former Jack Yates and Texas A & I star was one of the most electrifying running backs to ever originate from the city of Houston.

Bailey’s career at Texas A & I (86-89) was legendary. He closed his career as college football’s all-time leading rusher with 6,320 yards, the all-time leader in all-purpose yards with 7,803, and as one of the most honored college players in history. He was a three-time Harlon Hill Trophy winner, which is given to the best player in Division II college football winner and was the runner-up as a freshman.

He was named a college football, All-American 4 consecutive years and his Javelina teams were 38-8 with him in the line up.

He was a 9th round pick to the Chicago Bears in 1990.

His NFL career spanned 6 years, playing with the Bears, Phoenix Cardinals and LA/St Louis Rams.

Thanks for the memories JB, rest in peace.

Another Young at UH Former Yates High School star Joseph Young has joined the University of Houston men’s basketball program with the start of classes earlier this week.

Young enrolled and is attending classes as a full-time student. He may practice with the Cougars in 2010-11 but will not compete in any games. He will have three seasons of eligibility remaining with the start of the 2011-12 season.

The son of former Cougar legend and director of basketball operations Michael ★EDISON, Page 6

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2010

Prairie View Panthers Defending the Crown

Photo:Anthony Odums

James Blanton (RT), Langston Patterson (RG), Stoney Owens (C), James Dekle (LG) and Timothy Tusey (LT) make-up the SWAC's best O-Line and the foundation of the explosive PV offense.

By Max Edison DEFENDER

I

f you thought the Prairie View A & M Panthers were getting fat and lazy, basking in the glow of their first SWAC Championship in 45 years, one look at head coach Henry Frazier tells you all you need to know. Frazier has dropped 35 pounds and pronounced himself and his team lean, mean and ready to defend their title.

“Every team is different, every team has its own identity. On paper, I feel this is the best football team we’ve had since I’ve been here,” Coach Frazier shared. “They’re talented, fast, hungry and still on a mission. The last three years we’re 25-5. We return 16 starters, eight on either side of the ball. I took a page out of Tony Dungy’s book, “we’re going to do what we do.” We’re not to going to change nothing just because we’re champs. We’re not changing how we prepare and go about the game of football.

“We’re as good as any team on our schedule, physically,” the Coach continued. “The only thing that can stop us is us. If we stay hungry, keep hunting and really trust our teammates we can win every game on our schedule.”

"I want to be one of the best recognized offensive lines not just in this conference, but in the nation.”

– PV Asst. Hd. Coach/Line Coach Prince Pearson How loaded is PV? They boast 10 players on the Pre-Season All-Conference Teams.

Most of these players were All-Conference at the end of the 2009 season. Experience won’t be a problem in their quest to go back to back.

Of course, the major challenge for any team that seeks to repeat is the psychological issue of motivation. The Frazier challenge is no different than that of Alabama’s Nick Saban or New Orleans’ Sean Payton. Of course Frazier began work on the 2010 season repeat shortly after the last victory parade.

“Back in February I had every kid write a half page paper on ‘How do Champions Prepare’”, Frazier explained. “I read each one. What the team realized was a lot of the stuff that they said, we were already doing. I took a quote from each kid and put together a packet and gave each player their own packet. Now I can just pull up a kid’s name and say to him, ‘You said champions do this, are you doing it’. It’s all about accountability.

“That’s my job as head coach. I’ve got great coordinators and coaches and I’m not just throwing that term around. I take advantage of their experience. My job as CEO of this organization is to eliminate distractions so those kids can perform at their maximum on Saturdays.”

The Panthers boast the conference’s most balanced offense. KJ Black is not just the best quarterback in the conference, but among one of the best players in the nation in Division I AA. He is on the watch list for the Walter Payton Award, as the nation’s best DIAA Offensive Player. Senior running back Donald Babers has been the conference’s most productive backs over the last two years. This type of productivity is not accom★PV PANTHERS, Page 6

Darrell Ardison

on H.S. Sports In my 31 years of covering high school football in the state of Texas, former Yates High School standout running back Johnny Bailey has to rate as one of the best ever players I’ve ever seen.

Bailey was a smaller version of NFL Hall of Fame running back Gale Sayers. He was poetry in motion, quick as a hiccup and more powerful than his frame would suggest.

The 43-year-old Bailey died last week after battling pancreatic cancer for several months.

A key cog on what is arguably the best high school football team ever assembled in the Lone Star State, Bailey rushed for 190 yards in the 1985 state championship game as Yates dismantled Odessa Permian 37-0 to finish 16-0 and become the first primarily African-American team to claim a title in Texas’ largest classification.

“He was a quiet leader and could excel at anything he wanted to do,” said Ronald Mumphrey, an assistant coach in the 1980s, who is currently the principal at Yates. “The Yates family has lost a tremendous giant.”

Bailey left Yates and won three Harlon Hill Awards as the best player in Division II college football at Texas A&I (now Texas A&MKingsville). He played for three NFL teams in the 1990s and became an All-Pro punt ★ARDISON, Page 6

The Lamar Redskins have big expectations in 2010.

HISD Football Preview: District 20-5A

By Darrell K. Ardison DEFENDER

In a wild district race last season that went down to the final two weeks of the regular season, Westside High School outlasted perennial contenders Lamar, Madison and Chavez to win the title. Lamar is primed to climb back up the mountain in 2010.

Redskins head coach Tom Nolen has a number of talented, Division I college prospects to depend on this season. Leading the charge will be three-year starting quarterback Bram Kohlhausen, offensive tackle Koutlandt Atkins, running back Darren Ervin, defensive back Earl Foster and defensive end Alonzo Mitchell.

Kohlhausen passed for 1,102

yards on 80-of-154 attempts and 19 touchdowns. Ervin rushed for 702 yards and nine TDs while Atkins anchors a veteran offensive line.

Foster (three interceptions) and Mitchell will be counted on to be defensive stalwarts.

Kohlhausen, Atkins and Foster have already committed to the University of Houston. Ervin is headed to Cal. Nolen has eight starters back on offense and four on defense. A slew of underclassmen ready to make an impact include offensive lineman Zach Mafrige, running back Steven Sannoh and sophomore defensive back Cedric Lancaster.

Look for Lamar to employ a clock-control offense in the season’s early stages to give the defense time for seasoning.

A major midseason clash will take place Oct. 2 at Delmar Stadium when Lamar confronts Westside.

“We take pride in the kind of football we play in HISD,” Nolen said. “It should be an interesting season.”

Nolen is 21 victories shy of the 300-win plateau in his career.

Westside returns six starters from last year’s offense but only one of defense. The Wolves must find a replacement at quarterback for the departed Otis Seals.

Head coach Mark Byrd has some good playmakers in wide receiver Jamarcus Williams (560 receiving yards and seven touchdowns) and running back Hakeem Etti (400 rushing yards and five TDs).

“Jamarcus has great vertical

stretch and makes for a big target,” Byrd said. “He makes the clutch catch and possesses deceptive speed.”

Etti proved to be a valuable short-yardage back in 2009, but will now be the feature back in the Wolves’ spread offense.

Other key players for the Wolves include offensive lineman Christian Burch, wide receiver Justin Blake, wide receiver John Teltshick, offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, safety Juwan Ellis and linebacker Christian Decuire. Running back Benjamin Catalon III could be an impact player after serving as a key reserve in 2009.

Even with a number of holes to fill, Westside should be playoff★HISD FOOTBALL, Page 6

SPORTS

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PV Panthers

was All-Conference last year. Stoney Owens (C, Sr. 6’1” 255 lbs.) has been a starter for three continued from page 5 years. He’s not the biggest center in the world, plished without a talented offensive line and the but he’s very smart and keeps the guys in the Panthers front five is the best in conferright blocking and protection schemes. ence.

Langston Patterson (RG, R-Jr. 6’3” 320 Coming into the 2010 season, four of lbs.) is the new starter at guard. He’s the Panther offensive linemen have from this area, Langham Creek. He’s played together for two years and they having a great camp, very mean and boast the accolades that bear out their solid at the point of attack. James success. Success that assistant head Blanton (RT, R-Sr. 6’7” 340 lbs.) was coach/line coach Prince Pearson one of the best linemen in the conferexplains starts with a strong work ethic. ence in 2008. He had some injury “We’ve been consistent up front James Blanton issues last year, but he’s healthy now because the guys come to work in pracand having a great camp. We all work tice, it starts there,” Coach Pearson said. together very, very well and we want to “They know they have to work hard, continue the success up front.” they want to be good and they’re motiGuard James Dekle explains for anyvated. They’ve been given an opportuone that has any misgivings about the nity by Coach Frazier. A couple of these Panthers success, it’s a new era on “the kids came here without any money.

Hill”.

They’ve earned scholarships and “Those days when Prairie View was they’re staying hungry and they want to Langston the laughingstock is a thing of the win, it makes my job easy. Practice is Patterson past,” Dekle proclaimed. “We’re the not an issue for them and they give me new Prairie View and we don’t accept a great effort. Dogs like to go hunt and losing. Even though we’re at the top of I’ve got five guys up front that like to the hill, we’re not going to be complago hunt! That’s why we’ve had success cent. We’re not going to be satisfied till up front.” we win another championship, until Known for being extremely demandthen we’ll just keep working and working, Coach Pearson expects the best ing.” from his experienced troops.

Because the offensive line as a unit “I demand what God has given them, Stoney Owens has played together for so long, center their best! I want to see the same attribStoney Owens believes they have creutes that we saw on film when a young ated a unique bond. man was in high school and we were “With the experience and the game recruiting him on the practice field situations that we’ve been in, we’ve every day. I’m not running a day camp. seen every type of defense, every type I want to be one of the best recognized of blitz, stunt that they can give to us,” offensive lines not just in this conferOwens reasoned. “I feel by having vetence, but in the nation. The last four or eran guards and tackles in there is a five years we’ve had success running level of maturity that makes us hard to James Dekle the football. We’re always going to be beat.” in the top two or three teams in the conFor the benefit of all the fans of ference when it comes to sacks allowed, SWAC football across the nation, RT we don’t allow sacks.”

James Blanton has a simple message.

Of course it always helps to have “A lot of people around the SWAC good athletes and Coach Pearson is are thinking that Prairie View has won quick to acknowledge that. a championship so that’s it for them. I “We try to recruit good athletes,” want the whole SWAC and the nation Coach Pearson affirmed. “James Dekle to know that this train ain’t stopping.

Timothy (LG, R-Sr. 6’2” 280 lbs.) has been a We’ve got a championship in 2009 and Tusey great find for us out of Florida. He was that’s done. 2010 is another year and as first team All-Conference last year. long as we keep our faith in God and Timothy Tusey (LT, R-Jr. 6’3 280 lbs.) from believe in this team, we will win again in 2010.

Booker T Washington in Houston, walked on to Prairie View is the new dynasty!” our program. Now he’s on full scholarship and

HISD football

continued from page 5 bound once again.

Madison opens the season with a tough road matchup against Pearland. However, the Marlins are led by one of the top head coaches in Texas and Ray Seals has a veteran coaching staff at his disposal.

Seals also has nine starters back from a playoff squad that includes defensive end William Moore (80 tackles, eight sacks), running back Chris Williams (720 rushing yards, eight TDs), wide receiver Terrence Lee (52 receptions, two TDs) and defensive tackle Stephon Williams (20 tackles).

The Marlins are counting on key contributions from tight end Olatunde Ldowu, defensive end Lawrence Henderson, defensive tackle Nick Simpson, offensive tackle Chris Rose and offensive tackle Cleveland Sims.

Other prospects include linebacker Ryan Tillman, Charles Phillips, Raymond Hinojosa, Demarcus Willis, Demarcus Burks, Kefenste Juba and Robert Douglas.

A stellar defensive line will be a cornerstone for the Marlins and Seals figures to have his team headed for the postseason again in 2010.

Chavez had one of the most prolific offenses in the Houston area last season and wide receiver Jafus Gaines is back after averaging 20 yards per catch and scoring nine touchdowns.

Seven starters return a 7-4 playoff squad. Tailback Tim Gay rushed for 777 yards and scored 14 TDS in 2009 while compiling 329 receiving yards and five TDs. The Lobos’ defense will be led by defensive back Marqui Christian and linebacker A.J. Coleman (74 tackles). A linebacker corps that includes Derrick Thompson and Reggie Cole figures to be a strength of the team.

Chavez is a favorite to secure one of the district’s four playoff berths.

Bellaire and Westbury will be right there to take advantage of an opportunity to make the playoffs should any one of the top four anticipated schools falter.

Head coach Trey Herrmann has a number of talented weapons that includes defensive end Arnold Blackmon (42 tackles, four sacks), a unanimous first-team all-district selection a year ago.

Sophomore tailback Denzel Evans rushed for 907 yards and scored 11 touchdowns as a freshman. Herrmann says

AUGUST 26 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 | DEFENDER

Edison

continued from page 5 Young, Joseph Young was ranked among the ESPNU Top 100 2010 recruits and was ranked No. 69 by MaxPreps. He was named the Texas Gatorade Boys’ Basketball Player of the Year and was named to the Parade All-America Third Team. Young also was recognized as a Class 4A TABC All-State Team selection.

He led Yates High to a perfect 34-0 record as the school won its second straight Class 4A state championship. A 6-foot-3 guard, he averaged 27.5 points, 4.4 steals, 4.1 rebounds and 3.8 assists per game.

Young was the Most Valuable Player of the state championship game and the TMobile Invitational in Alabama. In that latter event, he scored 43 points in the title game, including 24 points during the final five minutes of the second quarter.

Ching Receives Honor Houston Dynamo forward Brian Ching was voted Major League Soccer Player of the Week by the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) for Week 21 of the 2010 MLS season. Ching’s hat trick led the Dynamo to a 4-3 victory over the

continued from page 5 returner for the Arizona Cardinals (1992) after being drafted in the ninth round (1990) by the Chicago Bears.

His collegiate career began with a bang as Bailey rushed for an unprecedented four consecutive 200-yard games and finished with 6,320 career rushing yards. His 7,803 all-purpose yards were a record when he completed his eligibility and Bailey was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2000.

A candlelight vigil for Bailey was held on the front lawn of Yates High School on Aug. 21st.

DAMBRINO IS NAMED HISD AD Marmion Dambrino became the first woman to be named athletic director in the history of the Houston Independent School District last week.

Dambrino, 49, has been an HISD employee since 1988 and has served in a variety of positions ranging from teaching and coaching to academic and athletic administration.

She most recently had been the Senior Athletic Program Administrator since 2007 under former athletic director Daryl Wade, who left on July 9 to become the director of the Astros’ Urban Youth Baseball Academy.

Dambrino said one of her primary goals is increasing athletics participation in the district as well as continuing to increase the number of scholarships the district’s student-athletes earn annually.

A native of Pascagoula, Miss., Dambrino is a graduate of southern Mississippi and earned her masters of education at Prairie View A&M.

Evans could be the most explosive running back in Texas by the time he’s a senior.

Herrmann will need valuable contributions from veterans like cornerback Dequante Carter, linebacker Michael Holland, fullback Christian Dolphus, safety Denzel Johnson, linebacker Keith Ewing and tight end Chisolm Ibeh.

It would not be a surprise if the Cardinals qualified for the postseason.

Westbury moves back to Class 5A after qualifying for the postseason in 4A last season.

The Rebels have talented players at the skill positions that includes wide receivers Tiji Batiste (28 receptions, four TDS) and Alex Bennett (26 receptions, four TDs).

Donald Haynes figures to shoulder the bulk of the rushing load after gaining 326 yards last season.

Isaiah Van Zant and Delvon Carpenter will battle it out for the starting quarterback job.

Milby has 14 starters back and a tough schedule to contend with as the Buffs will face Chavez and Westside in weeks nine and 10 of the regular season.

Sam Houston returns to varsity competition for the first time since 2007.

REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS

Publisher Sonceria Messiah-Jiles

Columnist Yvette Chargois

Editor Von Jiles

Sports Editors Max Edison Darrell K. Ardison

Associate Editor ReShonda Billingsley Art Director Cale Carter

Contributing Writers Aswad Walker Webmaster Corneleon Block

The Houston Defender Newspaper published by The Houston Defender Inc. Company (713) 6636996. 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).

Chicago Fire last weekend at Robertson Stadium.

“It was just one of those nights the ball just kind of fell to me” Ching said. “The first goal, I got a little bit lucky there, but sometimes that’s what you need to get off a bad streak. Once that kind of went in then the confidence builds around the whole team.”

This is the fifth Player of the Week award for Ching, who won previously in Week 16 of the 2004 season, Week 1 of the 2006 season, and in Weeks 11 and 28 of the 2008 season.

Ardison

Professional Services for Urban and Architectural Design of a Mixed-Use Retail Core Area for the Houston Downtown Management District (HDMD)

VOLUME 78 • NUMBER 44 AUGUST 26 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2010

Brian Ching

HDMD is seeking Statements of Qualifications (SOQ) on which to base the selection of a professional design consultancy team for an Urban Mixed-Use Retail Project in downtown Houston. A team comprised of Urban Design & Architecture with Retail Specialization should comprise the team’s primary leadership. HDMD will serve as the client to the contracted design consultancy team.

The broad goal of the project is to develop an integrated urban design document which allows HDMD to pursue a shared vision with downtown stakeholders and public officials for a sustainable and vital mixed-use metropolitan core. The Scope of Work to be performed is the preparation and presentation of conceptual design documents to promote the revitalization- and retail-specific goals of the 2004 Downtown Development Framework, including identification of opportunities and challenges in the seventeen (17) block area of downtown’s Shopping District.

The submittal of a Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) must include a letter of interest and availability for prospective design consultancy teams. The SOQ should describe the composition of the assembled team and how various personnel, individual consultants and design specialists contribute to the team’s overall organization, management and skill set.The minimum SOQ submittal contents should include the following: statement of qualifications and interest; firm prospectus; identification of design team’s leader and,if different,the design team’s project manager; brief and applicable resumes for key personnel assigned to the project;relevant project experience where similar services were provided with successful implementation; three (3) letters of reference (minimum) from previous or current clients.

Utilization of certified Minority / Women Business Enterprise (M/WBE) firms is a consideration of HDMD, but will not solely determine the preferred or selected design consultancy team.

Selections will be based on merit and qualifications.

From the pool of qualified design consultancy teams, a short-list of up to five (5) teams will be selected for a second-stage interview process on Thursday, October 7, 2010, in Houston, for which the design team’s lead and project manager must be available.Notifications to all submitting firms will be completed by Thursday,October 7,2010.HDMD authorization to engage the preferred design consultancy team will be processed at the monthly Board of Directors meeting on October 14, 2010. The anticipated conceptual design schedule is from November 1, 2010 through March 31, 2011.

A downloadable pdf-version of HDMD / RFQ-100917 is available at the HDMD website: http://downtowndistrict.org/Home/Procurement

CLASSIFIED 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 10-8-06 – RFP – Flight Instruction – Sterling High School - with a deadline of 10 A.M. September 1, 2010. The pre-proposal conference for this project will be in Room 2NE51 at the above stated address on August 25, 2010 at 10 A.M. • Project 10-8-07 – RFP – Purchase of Furniture/Remanufactured Workstations & Refurbishment of District Owned Furniture - with a deadline of 10 A.M. September 1, 2010. The pre-proposal conference for this project will be in Room 2NE51 at the above stated address on August 25, 2010 at 2:000 P.M. • Project 10-08-08 – RFP – Talent Acquisition System – with a deadline of 10 A.M. September 06, 2010, No-Pre Proposal Conference 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.

The District sells obsolete assets on-line at www.PublicSuprlus.com.

Scwyana Smith

Competitive Sealed Proposal Notice for Renovation work at Foerster Elementary and Welch Middle Schools The Houston Independent School District will receive Competitive Sealed Proposals from contractors for work Renovation work at Foerster Elementary and Welch Middle Schools The work includes but is not limited to site paving and grading; improvements and repairs to: electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems; replacement of: storefront/curtain wall panels, windows, doors, lighting, ceilings, flooring; painting, ADA compliance, fire and life safety improvements, and public address system upgrades, etc. Proposals are due no later than Thursday, September 16, 2010, at 12:00 PM at the Board Services Offices, 4400 West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Houston, Texas 77092. Foerster Elementary School is located at 14200 Fonmeadow , Houston,TX, 77035. Welch Middle School is located at 11544 South Gessner, Houston, TX, 77071.

The Request for Competitive Sealed Proposal (RFCSP), which includes plans and specifications, will be available beginning Monday, August 23, 2010, and may be obtained from Gurrola Reprographics Inc, 6161 Washington Ave., Houston, Texas 77007, Phone (713) 861-4277, Fax (713) 861-8635 contact is Brady Hefner, bhefner@gurrolareprographics.com upon refundable deposit of $150.00 for each set of plans and specifications. Documents in pdf format are also available from Gurrola on disk for a deposit of $150.00. Deposit checks should be made payable to HISD. Any questions regarding bid documents are to be addressed to HERMES ARCHITECTS, INC., 1177 West loop South, Suite 500, Houston, TX, 77027, Amy Pelton, v.

713-785-3644, f. 713-785-3644.

The Competitive Sealed Proposal process will be utilized as authorized in Senate Bill 669, Section 44.039 of the Texas Education Code. The Competitive Sealed Proposal process enables HISD to select contractors on the basis of price and qualifications/methodology.

Price proposals will be opened and the amounts read aloud at 2:00 PM on the due date.

Following opening of proposals, HISD will conduct its evaluation and scoring of contractor proposals in relation to the selection criteria published in the RFCSP. HISD will select the Proposal that offers the best value to HISD based on the published selection criteria and on the ranking evaluation.

M/WBE Forms, schedules and statements, as required by Section AB of the RFCSP and in accordance with the Office of Business Assistance, will be received at 2:00 PM,Thursday, September 16, 2010, at the Board Services Office, 4400 West 18th Street, Office of Board Services, Houston, Texas 77092. PROPOSALS SUBMITTED WITHOUT M/WBE FORMS, PROPERLY COMPLETED, WILL BE CONSIDERED NOT RESPONSIVE. A pre-proposal conference will be held on 2:00 PM,Thursday, August 26, 2010 at Welch Middle School located at 11544 South Gessner, Houston,TX 77071 at 2:00 pm with a walk a walkthrough at Foerster Elementary School.

For additional information regarding this project, please contact Mr. Elvis Eaglin, at 713746-8256, or eeaglin@houstonisd.org.

Drawings and Specifications for the RFCSP may be reviewed at the Reed Construction Data Electronic Plan Room and the following Houston locations: Associated General Contractors, 3825 Dacoma Street, (713) 843-3700 McGraw Hill Construction Dodge Plan Room, 10106 Hempstead Rd., Ste.110, (713) 316 9411

Qualifications are to be submitted in 8.5”x11”paper format (1 original plus 7 copies) and digitally as a locked Adobe Acrobat Reader (pdf) file.

Associated Builders & Contractors, 3910 Kirby, #131, (713) 523-6222

Qualifications are to be submitted by 11:00 A.M., Friday, September 17, 2010, to: HDMD / Attn: Mr. Lonnie Hoogeboom / 909 Fannin, Suite 1650 / Houston,TX 77010.

Revive Houston Plan Room, Roland W. Smith Bldg., Rm. 122, 5555 Community College Dr, Houston 77013, (281) 704-9269

7

AUGUST 26 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 | DEFENDER

Racial inequities continued from page 1

According to Rev. Jackson, the march aims to focus on the void in urban policy. “Dry roots do not produce fruit. People are disengaging in politics because their needs are not being addressed. In Detroit, Chicago, Memphis, vacant lots boarded houses rising unemployment, rising violence and closing schools are leading to low [voter] turnout. We want a focus on the need for a renewed commitment to an urban policy. It’s a key to November and beyond.”

• Saturday, Aug. 28, Washington, D.C. “Reclaim the Dream” March, sponsored by the National Action Network, led by the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Sharpton told the NNPA News Service that the march is intended to expose the issues still disparately plaguing Black communities and then “lay out legislative actions we want to see enacted.”

“Marching is not designed to solve the problems. Marching is designed to expose the problem. But, if you don’t expose the problems, no one is going to solve it because no one’s going to be forced to,” Sharpton says. “We want to expose that there is double unemployment, Black to white in this country. We want to expose the education gap that is clearly in this country…Also, we want to expose the criminal justice system from police brutality to the question of high incarceration and fourthly we want to say that we want to expose the health disparities. We want to say that we’ve made a lot of progress in 47 years but we’re still not equal and that life for Blacks in this country is still qualitatively different that life for Whites.”

• Sunday, Aug. 29, New Orleans, La.: Fifth Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, sponsored by the Black Leadership Forum and the Hip Hop Caucus. The event will start at 10 a.m. with a healing ceremony at Jourdan Road and North Galvez at the location where the levee’s breached in the lower 9th Ward.

Protestors will reveal obvious racial bias in the lack of reconstruction in the predominately Black Ninth Ward; a 75 percent reduction in public housing apartments which were 98 percent African-American; and a 50 percent dropped in the 90 percent Black public schools population.

• Saturday, Oct. 2, Washington, D.C. Mall: “One Nation, Working Together for Jobs, Justice

and Education for All”, sponsored by the NAACP and more than 200 social and civil rights organizations around the nation of multiple races and socio-economic statuses.

NAACP President and CEO Ben Jealous said the march is aimed to push for progress in the U.S. Senate by encouraging people to vote on Nov. 2.

“We have made tremendous progress in this country over the last two years. We have seen this progress destroyed by obstructionists in the Senate, including on job creation, justice for Black farmers, and urgently needed funding for schools,” Jealous said.

“Where we’ve made progress, we’ve made progress because Blacks, Latinos, organized labor, students and small business people found a way to work together and put our shoulders to the wheel together. We saw that with health care for instance which was pronounced DOA and then revived by us coming back together and working hard together.”

The October march, nicknamed the “10-2-10 March”, will have a three step goal, Jealous said.

“Step one will get people to Washington on Oct. 2 so we are reenergized and refocused. Step two is to return to our communities to re-energize, refocus and reconnect our neighbors, get them committed to vote and turnout. Step three is to return to Washington next spring with the agenda of the march and work with Congress to get bills passed and assure that progress is made.”

The fact that America has its first Black president has not slowed the need to press for change in racial inequities.

Anyone who thought marching and rallies would be over due to the Obama presidency had a “foolish thought,” says Jackson. “There’s always been a competition for the attention of the president. Whoever has the most activity and strength gets on the priority list. … Marching empowers the president.”

President Obama himself, during his historic campaign, repeatedly quoted Frederick Douglass’, “Power concedes nothing without a demand.”

Says Jackson, in 2010, nobody has to get arrested in order to make an impact, but “People who feel they can’t do it alone feel courage when they do it together. Marches involve action. Moses marched when Egypt crossed the Red Sea to Cannon. Jesus marched on Palm Sunday. Ghandi marched. Dr. King Marched…We’re encouraging people to march wherever you are.”

REPORT:

Less than 50 percent of Black males graduate from High School SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM THE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER WASHINGTON (NNPA) - Fewer than half of all Black males nationwide graduate from high school, according to a new report, which paints a grim picture of the current state of education for AfricanAmerican males.

T h e findi n g s are part of The 2010 Schott 50 State Report on Black Males in Public Education.

According to the report, only 47 percent of Black males graduated from high school in the 2007-2008 school year, compared to 78 percent for white males. While the disparity is alarming, the authors of the report said they believe it’s not due to the ability of Black males intellectual abilities.

“It indicates that systemic disparities evident by race, social class, or zip code are influenced more by the social policies and practices that WE put in place to distribute educational opportunities and resources and less by the abilities of Black males,” John H. Jackson, president and CEO of the Schott Foundation, wrote in the report.

“Currently, the rate at which Black males are being pushed out of school and into the pipeline to prison far exceeds the rate at which they are graduating and reaching high levels of academic achievement.”

Nationally, the five worst performing states are New York, Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana and Nebraska. Florida

has four of the 10 lowest performing districts nationally and New York has two, including New York City and Buffalo.

Locally, Baltimore city has a graduation rate of 35 percent, Washington, D.C. lists a rate of 41 percent, Prince George’s County has a rate of 55 percent, and Baltimore County has a rate of 67 percent.

Many local educators have taken notice of the trend.

Rodney Henderson, principal of Possibility Prep, a new public charter school in Prince George’s County, said that America must look at how it reaches Black males in the classroom.

“Right now there’s a need for a different approach with our AfricanAmerican men,” said Henderson. “We know that right now young men are lagging behind in achievement in comparison to young women. The gap is even larger when you add race into the equation.”

Henderson said that at his school the goal “to eliminate those achievement gaps so that one of our highest functioning target populations is African-American males instead of being the group that lags behind.”

The Schott Foundation for Public Education was founded in 1991 by Lilo Leeds and Greg Jobin-Leeds. The foundation’s mission is to achieve fully resourced pre-K-12 public education.

8

AUGUST 26 – SEPTEMBER 1, 2010 | DEFENDER

Wanted: Black Males continued from page 1

find a job that paid more altogether.”

“If you started paying teachers $150,000 per year, you’d see a lot of guys going into the field,” adds Bryan Nelson, founder of MenTeach.

Other key reasons behind the male-teacher shortage, according to MenTeach, is the stereotype that teaching is “women’s work,” as well as possible fears of lawsuits around accusations of sexual abuse of children.

Mark Brewer believes the Civil Rights movement may have actually had an adverse effect on Black male teachers.

“About 30 years ago the education field was one of the major avenues available for those with higher education. Hence, someone would major in a field, be denied the chance to truly make a career of it, so they taught the subject to others.

Since the civil rights movement when Blacks were allowed to move out of an enclave to the suburbs, most of their sons were pointed to other fields of study. The major emphasis was more money, as well as, to fields once off limits to men of color. Earlier generations may have had more emphasis on uplift of race through education, today’s generations may have more focus on financial gain, trappings, and attaining the so called “American dream’,” he said.

In some cases, others at the school ask male teachers to play disciplinarian.

“A lot of female teachers would come to me if they had a disciplinary problem — mainly with boys — and ask me to handle it,” says Alan Flory, a retired special education teacher with twenty-eight years of experience. “I didn’t particularly appreciate it, but I did it.”

Black males also leave teaching at a higher rate than their colleagues, according to a 2003 study by the National Education Association, a national teacher’s union. Half of black males leave the profession before retirement, compared with 30 percent of all teachers.

Why they stay At KIPPAcademy – Sharpstown, David Tell is one of only two African American teachers out of a staff of twenty-seven. He knows the startling statistics regarding Black males in his profession and he’s not deterred.

“I was that textbook kid who my teacher saw potential and they dragged me out of the crowd.

I thought about all the kids that were left behind.

For me, I decided to teach and continue to find that potential in all of our children. A lot of times, just seeing someone that has a similar story, that

Less than two percent of American's teachers are Black males, which hurts Black male students the most. looks like them, that shares a similar background, the kids kinda reach out,” said Tell, who is entering his ninth year as a teacher.

“I wanted to have an impact on the next generation,” says Chaz Douglas, who teaches first grade and was one of only three Black male education majors at Eastern Michigan State. “I had a Black teacher as a high school freshman. He impacted me and I said I want to have that same impact on a student and make a difference on the elementary level.”

“I was a special education teacher for two years,” says Jeffrey Campbell, who initially worked as an auditor for the first seven years after college. “I was inspired by a male friend who has just started teaching (and is still teaching) to investigate transitioning into education. It was a good fit and really equipped me to do much of the work that I do today. My biggest challenge as a teacher was the recognition of the lack of cultural sensitivity, particularly when it came to some white teacher’s inability to understand and nurture young Black male students. I taught on the east side of the Alief School District during a time when schools in that area were transitioning from predominately white schools to predominately minority schools.

Much of this change was caused by many of the apartment complexes in the area being designated as Section 8 properties. Almost overnight white teachers in these schools were faced with classes filled with Black and brown faces. Those teachers, although good teachers, were not prepared to handle these new students and it was the students who suffered from it.”

Even though he left the field (only to pursue a career in ministry), Campbell remains committed to young people and says he’d like to see more Black male teachers in the classroom.

“Black male teachers are needed in schools because Black children and youth from pre-K through 12th grade need Black men in their lives as role models, guides, mentors and wisdom resources,” Campbell said.

Changing the face of the classroom A Harvard University Kennedy School of Government study published in 2004 concluded that white and Black students did better on state tests with teachers of their own race.

The findings indicated that recruiting more minority teachers could generate important gains among minority students. One of the reasons is that minority teachers better understand cultural differences and can “break down the students’ stereotypes,” according to the study.

Fuller said the state hasn’t pushed hard to get more minority college graduates into the classroom.

“It’s hard to change the makeup of our teaching force very quickly,” he said. “The state leadership hasn’t paid much attention to this problem or even thought about it for years and that’s why we are where we are. We don’t stand alone in this crisis, this challenge, there are coast to coast, states, colleges, universities, school districts faced with the same challenges. We think that by placing African American men in the classroom is extremely critical because we’re losing so many black males in the school district. In fact, more than half of our children don’t make it through high school. That’s an alarming statistic.”

To attract more male teachers, heavy recruiting at the university level is necessary, says Steve Peha, president of Teaching That Makes Sense, an education-consulting company. “We won’t see more male teachers if we don’t see more young men pursuing teaching degrees,” he notes.

One of the more prominent recruitment programs is Call Me MISTER (Mentors Instructing Students Toward Effective Role Models), which provides tuition assistance and leadership training to male African American students pursuing education degrees. When the 150 participants in the program, which originated at South Carolina’s Clemson University, finally start working, they will double the number of Black men teaching in the state’s elementary schools.

The program has ten participating colleges throughout the state, and two other colleges in Pennsylvania and Virginia are replicating it.

Still, according to Peha, a coordinated effort to recruit male teachers is lacking, in part because some education experts remain unconvinced about the added value male teachers bring to the classroom. “If we want more men in the classroom, we’ll need to see some data about the benefits of a gender-balanced corps,” he notes.

Campbell says he would like to see a grassroots effort to get more Black men.

“I think you need recruitment programs starting in high school, similar to Future Teachers of America that specifically target Black males.

These recruitment programs should be lead by a myriad of individuals who not only equip these young men to be educators but also equip them to be well rounded individuals. School Districts should be connected to these programs providing information about their individual hiring requirements and offering internships for the young men in the programs. This would look something like the internships that Shell Oil and other major corporations hosts annually,” Campbell said.

And Tell says recruiters can start by changing the mindset about teachers.

“We still have a stereotype about teaching, especially Black males because we have this macho façade. I think if you can pump up the need for role models. Get away from ‘you’re in a classroom making lesson plans,’ and focus on ‘you get to bond with children and be a father figure.’ Pay more attention on the mentoring aspect and you’d reach more Black males,” he said.

Getting more Black male teachers in the classroom, Duncan adds, is a win-win for everyone.

“When we get more Black male teachers, all of our students benefit, white, Blacks, Hispanics, but particularly young Black male. They gravitate to them, find them before school, looking for a connection. When young people don’t have that positive mentor, there’s always a guy on the street corner that says come my way I’ll take care of you.”