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February 10, 2022 - February 16 2022
Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication, Since 1989
Volume 33 | Number 07
Complimentary
Jesse Jackson
The NFL MUST Do Better!
DR RUTH CUMMINGS A CHILD OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT
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COMMENTARY
THE NFL MUST DO BETTER! By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer
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n the eve of the Super Bowl, an event watched by millions around the world, the National Football League remains “rife with racism.” In a league where nearly 70 percent of the players are African American, the NFL has not one African American owner and only one African American coach. Immensely profitable, professional football has the public relations savvy to try to whitewash a truly indefensible record. Now, in an act of remarkable courage putting his own future at risk, Brian Flores, most recently the coach of the Miami Dolphins, has stood up, filing a class-action suit demanding change. Flores’ complaint details a compelling indictment. The NFL was founded on racial exclusion, excluding Black players for many of its early years. When owners found that Black players made the game more exciting and increased revenues, they turned to running their franchises, as Flores’ complaint alleges, “like a plantation.” White owners, general managers and coaches govern the largely Black players who take the field and run the risks. For years – and even to this day to some extent – Black players were shunted from the position of quarterback, largely under the assumption that while they had better athleticism, they had less intelligence than white players. Similarly, Black players found it almost impossible to rise up to become offensive or defensive coordinators, much less head coaches. Under pressure, the NFL devised what is called the “Rooney Rule,” requiring that any team hiring a head coach (now extended to offensive and defensive coaches) must interview at least one candidate of color before making the decision. If treated seriously, this rule could expand the pool to include qualified candidates of all races. In the beginning, the Rooney Rule seemed to have an effect, and several Black coaches were hired. Today, however, there is only one head coach that is Black. What happened? The few Black coaches
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hired were held on a short leash. Flores reveals the astounding fact that Black coaches have been fired after having winning seasons in far larger numbers than white coaches. Flores himself was fired after leading the Dolphins to a winning record two years in a row, for the first time since 2003. The “Rooney Rule” interviews increasingly became sham interviews arranged for show, even after a white coach was already slated to get the appointment. Flores found himself interviewed for the head coach of the New York Giants – which has NEVER hired a Black head coach – even after learning that the management had already settled on a white coach for the job. NFL officials don’t even bother to deny this reality. The Flores indictment quotes Troy Vincent, the NFL executive vice president of football operations: “There is a double standard, and we’ve seen that . . . And you talk about the appetite for what’s acceptable. Let’s just go back to . . . Coach Dungy was let go in Tampa Bay after a winning season . . . Coach Wilks, just a few years prior, was let go after one year . . . Coach Caldwell was fired after a winning season in Detroit . . . It is part of the larger challenges that we have. But when you just look over time, it’s over-indexing for men of color. These men have been fired after a winning season. How do you explain that? There is a double standard.” With fans across the world rooting for teams based on the color of their jerseys rather than the color of their skin, this practice of systemic racist discrimination could damage the league’s reputation – and the box office. The league’s response essentially is to admit they have a problem, and to promise – over and over and over again –to do better. So, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell responded to the Flores lawsuit, saying, “We understand the concerns expressed by Coach Flores and others this week. … We must acknowledge that particularly with respect to head coaches the results have been unacceptable.” So, he promises to bring outside
February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
Brian Flores, former coach of the Miami Dolphins, filed suit against the NFL regarding its poor track record of hiring Black coaches. Wilfredo Lee/AP Photos experts in to “re-evaluate and examine all policies, guidelines and initiatives relating to diversity, equity and inclusion.” This is just another page from the same playbook of a league that ostracized an all-pro caliber Black quarterback – Colin Kaepernick — for expressing his solidarity with Blacks protesting racial injustice. Then, after the murder of George Floyd unleashed massive demonstrations across the country, Goodell released a video statement that “Black Lives Matter” and suggested the NFL wanted to work with Kaepernick in the creation of a multi-million foundation for social justice – even as Kaepernick remained excluded as an object lesson to other players. Flores is a remarkable leader who grew up in the tough streets of Brownsville in New York City. Asked if he worries about putting his career at risk, he said he understood the risks, but it was time for someone to stand up. His lawsuit calls for structural
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changes in the way the league operates, from opening up ownership to qualified Black investors to changing the way coaches are hired and fired. Whether the lawsuit succeeds or not, by speaking out and standing up, Flores has already made a difference. When you watch the Super Bowl next week, remember – amid all the pageantry, the fireworks, the advertisements, the halftime show, and the game itself – this is a league still stained by a pervasive racism that even its own officials cannot defend. jjackson@rainbowpush.org. Follow him on Twitter @RevJJackson
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NATIONAL: GROWTH OF BLACK IMMIGRANTS PROJECTED TO OUTPACE GROWTH OF U.S. BORN BLACK POPULATION By Claretta Bellamy, www.NBCNews.com
Aisha Mohammed, originally from Ghana, takes the oath of allegiance during a naturalization ceremony. Credit Michael M. Santiago / Getty Images file
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ne in 10 Black people living in the U.S. are immigrants, and the number is only expected to rise, according to new data. A Pew Research Center analysis of data from the U.S. Census Bureau and the University of Minnesota found that 4.6 million Black immigrants were living in the U.S. in 2019. That figure grew from about 800,000 in 1980. According to the report, 9.5 million Black immigrants are expected to live in the U.S. by 2060. The Black population represents all those who self-identify as Black. The analysis also found that the Black immigrant population is projected to outpace the growth of the U.S.-born Black population. This growth is fueled by the influx of individuals migrating from Africa. In 2000, approximately 560,000 African immigrants resided in the U.S., the report found. By 2019, that number had nearly tripled, to 1.9 million. Between 2010 and
2019, 43 percent of African-born Black immigrants settled in the U.S., which was the highest share compared to other U.S. immigrant groups. Although the Black immigration population is growing, many still face challenges related to racism, criminalization and deportation. Abraham Paulos, deputy director of policy and communications for the Black Alliance for Just Immigration, said his organization focuses on these three challenges while making sure immigrant communities have financial resources, food and clothing. These resources were greatly needed during the pandemic, as many Black immigrants worked as essential workers in health care. The organization’s efforts also focus on politically educating the Black immigrant community on the struggles related to being a Black person living in the U.S. “We fight for two things: racial justice and migrant rights,” Paulos said. “We
fight for Black people.” Born in Sudan, Paulos migrated to the U.S. with his family as a youth in the 1980s. He said the challenges Black immigrants face tend to stem from the criminal justice system. “I’ve had cousins that have gotten deported,” he said. “One cousin just got out of a detention center.” Based in Brooklyn, New York, Black Alliance for Just Immigration advocates for temporary protected status, which is granted to foreign-born individuals unable to return to their country of origin because of circumstances such as civil war or environmental disasters. According to the National Immigration Forum, the U.S. provides temporary protected status to more than 400,000 foreign nationals from countries including Venezuela, Sudan and Haiti. Challenges faced by U.S.-born Black Americans are also shared by Black
immigrants. According to the Pew Research Center, Black immigrants were less likely than overall immigrants to own their own home, and 14 percent of Black immigrants lived below the poverty line in 2019, which is higher than the poverty rate among the greater U.S. population. While African immigrants contribute to the growth of the Black immigrant population, the Pew Research Center’s report found that the Caribbean remains the most common region of birth for Black immigrants, with Jamaica and Haiti being the two largest origin countries.
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NATIONAL: NATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF SKIERS HOPES TO ATTRACT MORE BLACK SKIERS, SNOWBOARDERS By Spencer Wilson, www.CNN.com
Henri Rivers is the President of the National Brotherhood of Skiers. (Photo Credit: KCNC)
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he Henri Rivers loves to ski, and he loves to ski fast. That much was easy to see as he blew bast CBS4 Mountain Newsroom Reporter Spencer Wilson in Snowmass Sunday afternoon. Rivers is the President of the National Brotherhood of Skiers, a group with a mission “To Identify, develop and support athletes of color” in winter sports, and support bids for global competitions. This year, the group is meeting up where the mission started back in 1973. “…When you came to the
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mountains in 1973, there wasn’t a welcome mat out there,” Rivers explained. “There weren’t people saying come on and join us. It was kind of an exclusionary practice. So we felt more secure and safer traveling together.” Rivers said he still feels better on the mountain surrounded by skiers and boarders of similar skin tone but said there has been progress made to help inspire an underrepresented group on the mountain. “It used to be you were the only Black skier on the mountain, now maybe there’s two or three,” Rivers
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said. “And that’s still not a lot, but it’s a 200-300% increase so that sounds impressive!” This weekend, the group is hoping to change the dynamic of the mountainside, if only for a few days. “Come tomorrow, you’ll see it 50/50,” Rivers said, laughing. Rivers believes spending the day on the mountain is an experience everyone should get to have, which is why his non-profit has helped get kids out on the slopes for years to experience it for the first time.
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“Those are the communities that really don’t see mountains, don’t have the exposure or experience with snow sports,” Rivers said. “We’re trying to change that. We want to make sure that everybody knows that the mountains are for everybody, and we want them to go out there and enjoy it.
For more Information visit:
www.CNN.com
NATIONAL: DHS BULLETIN WARNS TRUCKER CONVOY COULD DISRUPT SUPER BOWL SUNDAY By Geneva Sands, www.CNN.com
SoFi Stadium (Photo: Ringo Chiu/AP)
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he Department of Homeland Security is warning law enforcement across the country that a convoy of truckers protesting Covid-19 vaccine mandates, similar to recent protests in Ottawa, Canada, could soon begin in the US -- with the potential to affect Sunday's Super Bowl in the Los Angeles area and cause other disruptions. A DHS bulletin issued on Tuesday to state and local officials, obtained by CNN, said the agency "has received reports of truck drivers planning to potentially block roads in major metropolitan cities in the United States in protest of, among other things, vaccine mandates for truck drivers." The DHS warning was first reported by Yahoo News. "The convoy will potentially begin in California as early as mid-February and arrive in Washington, DC, as late as mid-March, po-
tentially impacting the Super Bowl LVI scheduled for 13 February and the State of the Union Address scheduled for 1 March," the bulletin said. "While there are currently no indications of planned violence, if hundreds of trucks converge in a major metropolitan city, the potential exists to severely disrupt transportation, federal government operations, commercial facilities, and emergency services through gridlock and potential counterprotests," the bulletin continued. A DHS spokesperson told CNN in a statement that the department "is tracking reports of a potential convoy that may be planning to travel to several U.S. cities. We have not observed specific calls for violence within the United States associated with this convoy, and are working closely with our federal, state, and local partners to continuously assess the threat
environment and keep our communities safe." A federal law enforcement official told CNN that early last week, authorities began seeing calls on a variety of online forums for the events in Ottawa to expand into the US. The official said that law enforcement and security officials guarding the Super Bowl in Inglewood, California, are preparing for any possible disruptions. For nearly two weeks, Canadian truckers have been protesting a new rule that requires them to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or face a two-week quarantine in their homes after they return across the US-Canadian border. Others have joined to rally against mask mandates, lockdowns, restrictions on gatherings and other Covid-19 preventative efforts in the country. Tensions stemming from protests have simmered to the point that traffic at key
US transit points has ground to a stop and a judge has temporarily banned demonstrators in the nation's capital from using horns. DHS said it has worked for more than a year to support security measures around the Super Bowl and dedicated more than 500 individuals from the department to assist. The agency says it has also worked with federal, state and local partners to strengthen security around the US Capitol. President Joe Biden is set to deliver the annual State of the Union address to Congress on March 1.
For more Information visit:
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February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
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NATIONAL: 10 BOOKS ABOUT THE BLACK AMERICAN EXPERIENCE THAT CONSERVATIVES WANT BANNED By Bilal G. Morris, www.NewsOne.com
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t’s a few months into 2022 and sadly we still need to have a conversation about the banning of books in America. Conservative parents all across the country have been storming into school board meetings demanding certain books about race and sex be removed from their children’s curriculum.
Led by republican mainstream politics, right-wing parents have started a cultural war against education and their weapon is “white privilege.” After a republican victory for Critical Race Theory in the Virginia governor’s race, many conservatives have taken this as a rallying cry for censorship leaving some very important books in jeopardy of possibly being banned. In Spotsylvania County, Virginia the school board already voted to remove all “sexually explicit” books from the district’s libraries for review, some parents stating they would even like to see some of the books burned. In Wichita, Kansas, The Goddard school district has decided to remove 29 books from circulation after a parent objected to language he found offensive in “The Hate U Give,” a novel about the police shooting of a Black teenager that was later adapted into a feature-length movie. That same parent then sent a list of books to the school district he wanted to be banned. The list also included August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize winning play, “Fences.” A Republican lawmaker in Texas has compiled a list of 850 books he would like reviewed for censorship citing these books. “might make students feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other
form of psychological distress because of their race or sex.” So white parents don’t want their kids to learn about slavery and racism because it might hurt their feelings? American history is filled with violence, racism, and misogyny, but so many of them want to ignore it or erase it from existence. Listed below are 10 popular books about the Black American experience that republican want to ban. 1. When Wilma Rudolph Played Basketball, by Mark Weakland “When Wilma Rudolph Played Basketball,” is a story about great American athlete Wilma Rudolph. A suburban Dallas parent said the book should be removed from school libraries because “it opines prejudice based on race.” 2. Ghost Boys, by Jewell Parker Rhodes “Ghost Boys,” is a powerful story about a young Black boy killed by police. As a ghost, he observes the devastation that’s been unleashed on his family and community in the wake of what they see as an unjust and brutal killing. A Houston parent said the book might cause her children to “feel ashamed based on color of their skin.” 3. All Boys Aren’t Blue, by George M. Johnson “All Boys Aren’t Blue,” is a young-adult memoir weaves together the trials and triumphs faced by Black queer boys. 4. Michelle Obama: Political Icon, by Heather E.
(Source: Tamir Kalifa / Getty) Schwartz
“Michelle Obama: Political Icon,” is a book about the life of former First Lady Michelle Obama. 5. Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You, by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi Stamped: Racism, Antiracism. and You,” is about that teaches young people where racist ideas came from, identify how they impact America today, and meet those who have fought racism with antiracism. This book was banned because a parent believed the book was fill with fabricated stories and conspiracy theories about historical events involving race. 6. New Kid, by Jerry Craft “New Kid,” is a children’s graphic novel the follows a 12-year-old Black boy, Jordan Banks as he learns to navigate his new private school culture while keeping his neighborhood friends and staying true to himself. The novel is the winner of the Newbery Medal, Coretta Scott King Author Award, and Kirkus Prize for Young Readers’ Literature. It was also an Audie Award finalist. 7. The Breakaways, by Cathy G. Johnson “The Breakaways,” is a children’s graphic novel that looks into the lives of a diverse and defiantly independent group of kids learning to make room for themselves in the world. 8. Ruby Goes To School: My True Story, by Ruby
Bridges
The extraordinary true story of Ruby Bridges, the first Black child to integrate a New Orleans school. Rewritten in simple text for young readers, this novel celebrates the story of a brave young girl who endured harsh racism, but persevered while attending an all white elementary school. 9. The Bluest Eye, by Toni Morrison Toni Morrison is arguably one of the most important authors in American history. Many of her books have been targeted by conservatives, but the Nobel Prize winner and her works have resonated with so many readers, her influence is too great to be silenced. 10. They Called Themselves the K.K.K.: The Birth Of An American Terrorist Group, by Susan Campbell Bartoletti “They Called Themselves the K.K.K.,” is the origin story of the Klu Klux Klan, a real American terrorist group that has existed for over 200 years. It was also among the 29 books that have been challenged and pulled off the shelves in Wichita, Kansas.
For more Information visit:
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HEALTH: HOUSTON ISD ADJUSTS CONTACT TRACING PRACTICES AND REVISITS MASK MANDATE By Shawn Arrajj, www.FoxNews.com
(Lucio Vasquez / Houston Public Media)
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ith COVID-19 cases trending downward in Houston, officials with Houston ISD announced changes to the district's contact tracing protocols in a Feb. 9 press release. HISD conducts contact tracing whenever an individual is confirmed positive for COVID-19, a process headed by each school's nurse or principal. The nurse identifies close contacts as defined by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which includes people who were less than 6 feet from the confirmed case for
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a total of 15 minutes or more within a 24hour period that starts from two days prior to the test being administered. Parents of close contacts are then notified. Previously, exposed individuals were instructed to quarantine for at least five days from the last day of exposure to the confirmed case with stricter rules for those who test positive or show symptoms. Moving forward, everyone in a classroom or involved in an activity or program where a case has been confirmed
February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
or is presumed will still be notified. Those people will then be advised to monitor for symptoms and test when applicable, according to the district. In its back-to-school plan, HISD strongly recommends immediate testing for anyone who feels sick, and those with positive results are required to isolate for at least five days from the onset of symptoms. "The threat of COVID-19 in our communities is still high, but we see that countywide data is trending in the right direction, including a steady decrease in new
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cases reported, which is consistent with trends observed in other places," the district said in a statement. Parents will continue to receive notifications whenever a child is in a class with a COVID-19-positive individual.
For more Information visit:
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LOCAL: HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO NAMES TOP YOUNG ARTISTS DURING PROGRAM AWARDS CEREMONY By www.StyleMagazine.com
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he Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo recognized talented young artists during the School Art Program Awards Ceremony today. Among the honorees were the Class Champions and Reserve Class Champions in the following categories: Colored Drawing, Mixed Medium, Monochromatic, Painting, 3D, Elementary and Junior High. 2022 GRAND CHAMPION WORK OF ART Exhibitor: Gracin Nguyen School District: Pearland ISD Grade: 11 Art: colored drawing, “In His Hands” 2022 RESERVE GRAND CHAMPION WORK OF ART Exhibitor: Mia Huckman School District: Lamar CISD Grade: 11 Art: painting, “Partners in Time”
Thousands of students participated in the Rodeo’s 2022 School Art Program, from 95 public school districts and 54 private schools. Teachers sent more than 3,000 pieces of students’ artwork to the Rodeo for preliminary judging in January. The judges selected 739 pieces of artwork to advance to the next round of judging on Jan. 30, where 72 students were selected to participate in the School Art Auction which will be held Sunday, March 13. The Rodeo’s School Art Program promotes an awareness of agriculture, Western heritage and Rodeo activities through artistic competitions for students. The School Art Program has recorded nearly 10 million entries since 1965. The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo promotes agriculture by hosting an annual, family-friendly experience that educates and entertains the public, supports Texas youth, show-
'Partners in Time' (Mia Huckman) cases Western heritage and provides year-round educational support within the community. Since its beginning in 1932, the Rodeo has committed more than $550 million to the youth of Texas and education. The 2022 Rodeo is scheduled for Feb. 28 – March 20. The 2022 World’s Championship Bar-B-Que Contest, presented by Cotton Holdings, is scheduled for Feb. 24 – 26.
'In His Hands' (Gracie Nguyen)
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February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
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DR. RUTH PURIFOY CUMMINGS A CHILD OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT By Dr. Ruth Purifoy Cummings
Dr. and Mrs. Charles N. Atkins and their children, Edmond, 10, and Charles, 3, look at a sign that reads "Negro waiting room" in 1955. (Photo: Oklahoman Archive)
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e grew up in a segregated community, everything that we needed was in walking distance, the church, the grocery store, the school, and all our friends. My father’s sister Aunt Mary lived three streets over and next to her house was land that the family owned where we grew corn, sweet potatoes, greens, squash, black-eyed peas, green beans (which we called snap beans), and other vegetables. The neighborhood was still rural, so we raised hogs and chickens, which we sold as well as put on the table. My maternal grandparents owned a farm in the country, which was on the Alabama River, there they grew cotton, cucumbers, corn, all kinds of fruit, everything that was not grown on the community property, was grown in the country and we wanted for nothing. Sunday mornings were special, we were treated to fried chicken, grits and gravy, and fresh homemade biscuits, we enjoyed our breakfast as we listened to radio as the Angelic Gospel Singers sang “Touch Me Lord Jesus.” Life was good. My mother taught me to read and write in the back yard while she washed clothes, and hung them on the line to dry, first one load and then another. I learned my ABC’s and 123’s writing them on the ground. “Having Fun with Dick and Jane” was our reading primer and by the time I was three, I had learned to read, life was good. But between my 3rd and 4th birthdays, I would
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learn that life was not good for us as a race of people. One late afternoon, a group of men in cars and pick-up trucks wearing white robes and their heads covered with white hoods, and carrying guns rode through our neighborhood. Our parents tried to rush us into the house, but we were not afraid, just fascinated, so we did not run, we just stood there. Daddy called us into the house and explained to us who those men were. He explained that there was trouble between the Negros and White people in Montgomery and the Klan wanted to be sure the trouble would not spread to Selma. The lesson that followed that incident would be our first on how to survive as children of the civil rights movement. We were taught that because we are Christians and because we followed the commandments of Jesus Christ, we must love everybody, but do not trust anybody unless you know them. These instructions changed my life forever. I was born on February 29, 1952, in Selma, Alabama, and the seventh born of thirteen children in our family. Our address was Rte. 1 Box 8, Selma, Alabama, after our community was annexed to the city the address change to 712 Highway 80 East in Selma. My father Nelson Purifoy and my mother Laura Ellen Perry Purifoy moved into this three-room house in the early 1940’s. Over the years as the family grew, so did the house, my father a Preacher and church planter was also a carpenter would add rooms to the house, so by the time my youngest brother was born in 1964,
February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
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we had three bedrooms, a dining room, inside bathroom, and a den. This house was exactly one mile from the banks of the Alabama River and to get to downtown Selma, we had to walk across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. The same bridge that was the center of attention on Bloody Sunday, March 7, 1965. My personal involvement with this phase of the Civil Rights Movement began when African American citizens, ( at that time, we were called Negro) persisted in claiming their right to vote. A right that had been denied to them, or should I say us? To tell this bit of my history through the eyes of a 13-year-old, will give you only a tiny glimpse into what shaped my life as a child of the Civil Rights Movement. At first, we as children were not allowed to participate in the demonstrations as we called them. We were not allowed to attend the mass meetings or participate in any other activities until the adults of the movement were being beaten, losing their jobs, and threatened on every turn, then the leaders of the movement decided to use children, perhaps the sheriff and his deputies would not harm children. Some things I remember: My first act of civil disobedience was to leave Tipton High School along with other students and we walked to downtown Selma and proceeded to march around the Dallas County Courthouse. We were not harmed, but we were suspended from school. When our parents attempted to take us back to
school, we were met by the principal who refused to let us in by order of the school board president. Our suspension was short lived but that was not the last time we skipped school to participate in the demonstrations. The same principal who stood in the door of the school and refused to let us into the school, attended the Bloody Sunday march, we were told that he was sent there by the school board to take names of those students who took part in the demonstration. We were lined up on the opposite side of the street from those who were to cross the bridge. The principal was on the side where we were. When he saw the deputy approaching on horseback, he stood and proclaimed, “I’m not with them,” the deputy replied, “you are a nigger aren’t you, and hit him in the head with his Billy club. The principal spent a considerable time in the hospital. He would recover. Mrs. Pearlie Hale had passed the literacy test required for becoming a registered voter only to be told that she cheated and was required to take the test again which included naming all 67 counties in the state, and how many beans are in a bushel? Such were the things done to prevent us from voting. My brother Hosea (now deceased) was an active participant in the movement from start to finish. He was wounded on bloody Sunday, he came home wreaking of tear gas, with minor cuts and bruises. He walked the entire fifty miles from Selma to Montgomery and was proud to be in Montgomery on that final day. He was arrested more than once for demonstrating, he related one time when he was arrested, that they were jammed pack into one cell, the women were in another. The men could hear the women screaming as the jailers were mistreating them; to stop the treatment the women were experiencing, my brother along with others ripped the toilet out of the floor causing a flood and the men to be beaten, but they were not sorry for their actions.
My mother became a part of the movement when she agreed to transport freedom riders to and from mass meetings, she would also carry lunches to the walkers on the Selma to Montgomery march. My mother would go on to take us to Montgomery to the state capital on the final day of the march. My father was a lot less of a participant in the whole movement, he felt the need to not be associated to protect us. We did convince Daddy to attend the Mass Meeting held at Brown Chapel AME Church on March 8, 1965, where Dr. King was the speaker. Daddy was told that the church would be overcrowded, and a seat would be hard to find, and no matter what happens do not leave your seat, he got there early and found a seat in the balcony and waited for the program to begin. As soon as they asked everyone to stand for prayer, he stood up, someone slipped into his seat and he had to stand the entire program, at the end of the evening he was excited that he stayed and that he heard Dr. King speak. One vivid memory that we all have of bloody Sunday is what looked to us like smoke coming from the Edmund Pettus Bridge, and the news reporters scrambling to find homes with telephones so they could make their reports back to the news stations. Richard Valeriani NBC News knocked on our door and asked to use the telephone, my mother let him in, he made his report, then proceeded to give my mother five dollars and a peppermint, he said that was all he had to give. My mother was grateful as she had loaned her last two dollars to one of our neighbors earlier that day. She reminded us “if you are good to others, God will be good to you.” NOTE:: There is more to Ruth Purifoy Cummings story, and she is open to sharing her experiences as a child growing up in Selma during the Civil Rights Movement.
Dr. Ruth Purifoy Cummings
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STOP CHILD ABUSE. END NEGLECT. If you see any combination of the following signs in a child, please make a report! • Displays of hunger, stealing, hiding, or hoarding food. • Frequent injuries with a lack of parental communication or care. • Poor hygiene, scrapes, bruises, and cuts left unattended. • Clothing and belongings are dirty, worn, broken and clothes are inadequate for the weather. • Frequent unexplained school absences.
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If you suspect a child is being neglected or abused contact Texas Department of Family and Protective Services at 1-800-252-5400 or txabusehotline.org
February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
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LOCAL: HOUSTON NEUROLOGIST BESTOWED TMA’S HIGHEST HONOR By wwww.StyleMagazine.com
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William H. Fleming, III, MD
bout 70 years after he first had the inkling to become a physician, the Texas Medical Association (TMA) has honored 75-yearold William H. Fleming III, MD, with its Distinguished Service Award. “I'm truly, truly, truly honored to receive this award,” said Dr. Fleming. The Houston neurologist was a small child when decided he wanted to be a doctor. He later considered music or being a fighter pilot, but medicine always drew him back. “I love it, and my desire to help people is really where it came from,” he said. “I had excellent role models throughout my childhood; my pediatrician, my family doctor. It's these guys who steered me along, and I emulated.”
Dr. Fleming said one of the most influential physicians might have been Harris Hauser, MD. Dr. Hauser visited during Dr. Fleming’s residency at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, urging him to move to Texas to practice. Instead, the young physician wanted to go to the East Coast or West Coast. “He said, ‘Come and take a look at Texas; we have a coast!’ ” said Dr. Fleming. Convinced, he moved to Houston, where he has practiced neurology for decades, and where he still sees patients. Dr. Fleming is the first African American physician to receive TMA’s highest honor in the 59-year history of the association’s award, the significance of which he acknowledges. He credits predecessors who helped pave his way, like Frank Bryant Jr., MD, an African American doctor who provided primary care in San Antonio for decades. “To look up to someone like a Dr. Bryant let me know this can happen, and happen in Texas. It can happen in the south,” he said. “It gave me the idea that I can do this too.” When he started in organized medicine, few others looked like him. That has changed. “We are a diverse society and I think medicine should reflect our society,” said Dr. Fleming. He also cites an influential incident during his childhood, when racial diversity and inclusion were not common. Someone in power broke the norms to invite him to an area reserved for white people. That person was his doctor. Those sorts of events, he says, “brought him along” and framed his outlook today, giving him a glimpse of what was possible, and solidifying his desire to help people. After a general medicine internship at Montreal General Hospital at McGill University
in Montreal, he completed his neurology residency at the Mayo Clinic and Mayo Graduate School of Medicine. He marvels at how much the field of neurology has improved patients’ outlooks since he began practicing. “When I was in medical school, we had no medicines for multiple sclerosis. We now have 18. We had one medicine for Parkinson’s [disease]; God knows how many medicines we have now for Parkinson's disease.” Dr. Fleming recalls when George H. W. Bush was president, he designated the 1990s as the decade of the brain. “During his presidency is when… neuroscience took off,” he said. Before then, “My friends would always ask me, ‘why are you going into neurology? There's nothing you can do,’ ” said Dr. Fleming. He acknowledged medicine’s reach in brain care was limited, but physicians “still gave hope and you took care of people.” “Now there are things we can do. Stroke survival is a 180-degree turnaround; there have been tremendous strides in in neurological care.” He served as TMA president in 20092010, which he says he enjoyed particularly because of the people he met as he traveled representing the organization. “For me to grow up and become president of what I feel is the best medical society in the country, maybe the world, is tremendous.” He helped lead TMA’s effort to improve federal health care reform, as Congress debated and ultimately adopted the Affordable Care Act. In addition to serving as TMA president, in 41 years as a TMA member Dr. Fleming has served on the Board of Trustees; as speaker and vice speaker to the House of Delegates; on
the Council on Legislation; and as a Texas delegate to the AMA. Participating in organized medicine brought the potential for leadership, and influence. “You have the possibility of promoting change,” he said. “The best way to do that, I thought, was to be a role model, and live the life you would expect others to emulate.” Dr. Fleming also has served on the Minority Affairs Consortium Advisory Board of the AMA since 1999. He is on the Texas Medical Liability Trust board of directors and chaired the state affairs committee for the American Academy of Neurology. He also served as president of the Texas State Board of Medical Examiners, the Federation of State Medical Boards of the United States, the Texas Neurological Society, the Houston Academy of Medicine, and the Harris County Medical Society. “I love what I do,” he said. “I look forward to going to see patients every day in the office. I love the interaction with my patients. You have to embrace medicine as a profession. It's a way of life to me.” After all these years it still brings him joy to help people. “I love… to give people comfort to know someone cares and there's hope. Which is part of why I'm in neurology, there's hope; you can't manufacture that.”
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LOCAL: SUGAR LAND STUDENT NAMED CANDIDATE IN U.S. PRESIDENTIAL SCHOLARS PROGRAM
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Anjali Agrawal
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By www.StyleMagazine.com
anaging PA Harmony School of Innovation Sugar Land senior, Anjali Agrawal has been named one of more than 4,000 candidates in the 2022 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. The candidates were selected from nearly 3.6 million students expected to graduate from U.S. high schools in the year 2022. Inclusion in the U.S. Presidential Scholars Program is one of the highest honors bestowed upon graduating high school seniors. Scholars are selected on the basis of superior academic and artistic achievements, leadership qualities, strong character, and involvement in community and school activities. Agrawal scored 1590 on her SAT and is heavily involved in extracurricular activities. She founded the Stop Canned Food Organization to educate the public about the harmful health effects of consuming canned food and promote alternatives. Agrawal is also the Vice-President of Technology Student
February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
Association (TSA) and Secretary of HOSA - Future Health Professionals at Harmony School of Fine Arts & Technology and is a member of the National Honor Society and National English Honor Society. The U.S. Presidential Scholars Program was established in 1964 by the Executive Order of the President to recognize some of our nation’s most distinguished graduating seniors for their accomplishments in many areas: academic success, leadership, and service to school and community. It was expanded in 1979 to recognize students demonstrating exceptional scholarship and talent in the visual, creative, and performing arts. In 2015, the program was expanded once again to recognize students who demonstrate ability and accomplishment in career and technical fields. Annually, up to 161 U.S. Presidential Scholars are chosen from among that year’s senior class, representing excellence in education and the promise of greatness in Ameri-
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ca’s youth. If circumstances permit all Scholars are invited to Washington, DC in June for the National Recognition Program, featuring various events and enrichment activities and culminating in the presentation of the Presidential Scholars Medallion during a White House-sponsored ceremony. A distinguished panel of educators will review these submissions and select approximately 600 semifinalists in early April. The Commission on Presidential Scholars, a group of up to 32 eminent citizens appointed by the President, will select the finalists, and the U.S. Department of Education will announce the Scholars in May.
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LOCAL: SAY ‘I DO’: EXPRESS WEDDING CEREMONY FOR VALENTINE’S DAY FROM THE HERITAGE SOCIETY By wwww.StyleMagazine.com
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Justice of the Peace Wanda Adams marries a Valentine's Day bride and groom
n the name of love and tradition, The Heritage Society will be offering a $250 express wedding package for ceremonies on the day before Valentine’s Day and on Valentine’s Day. “Why is the Heritage Society offering a wedding ceremony worth $3,000 for only $250?” The Heritage Society’s executive director, Alison Bell rhetorically questioned. “We encourage heritage and tradition and that all starts with a celebration of building lives together, plus we are romantics at heart and do weddings year-round.” The Heritage Society broke a record in 2021 in Sam Houston Park’s history and conducted 29 ceremonies in a Valentine’s weekend-long express wedding extravaganza. Couples jumped at the chance to get married for a “Love Is in the Air” wedding package including all the wedding bells and whistles. In 2022, a couple can walk down the aisle or renew their vows for $250 in a historic church followed by a light reception in the
Altar at St. John Church
charming, remodeled Albert and Ethel Herzstein Museum Gallery with the Alley Theatre's fantastical exhibit on display. “Our generous vendors have returned to give couples an affordable yet charming wedding experience in the beautifully decorated 1891 St. John Church,” The Heritage Society’s wedding events director, Laura Woods said. “Couples will have a floral-decorated church, musicians from Heartstrings String Ensemble, a reception area with a champagne toast, an officiant, and much more.” The express ceremonies we hosted in 2021 were a first…they were kept as safe as possible with masks and had small guest lists,” The Heritage Society’s board president, Minnette Boesel stated. Boesel said that Valentine’s weekend 2021 proved that the demand for one-hour wedding ceremonies was a good alternative when love cannot wait.
1891 St. John Church at Sam Houston Park with Downtown Houston skyline
“We are able to offer this special because of our board, our volunteers, our officiants, and our partnerships with generous wedding professionals,” Bell said. Most of the wedding services professionals such as Kirksey Gregg Productions, Rexberry Luxury Weddings and Events, The Ballroom at Bayou Place, and Heartstrings String Ensemble who participated last year are returning to create romantic events of couples’ lifetimes. To book an express wedding event for Valentine’s Day weekend, please contact lwoods@heritagesociety.org or call 713-655-1912, ext. 112 by Friday, February 11. More about The Heritage Society: The Heritage Society serves as a popular wedding venue in Downtown Houston with its picturesque park grounds and historic St. John Church. Their park grounds and museum tell the stories of the diverse history of Houston and Texas through collections, exhibits, educational programs, film, video, and
now online content. Founded in 1954 by a number of public-spirited Houstonians to rescue the 1847 Kellum-Noble House from demolition, The Heritage Society has since saved an additional nine historic buildings, moved them from various locations to join the Kellum-Noble House in Sam Houston Park, and restored them to reflect their respective eras. These 10 buildings, along with the museum gallery, serve as historic reference points and exhibition spaces for more than 23,000 artifacts that document life in Houston from the early 1800s to the mid-1900s. To book your wedding event, please contact info@heritagesociety.org or call 713-655-1912, ext. 114.
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LOCAL: FORT BEND COUNTY ATTORNEY SMITH LAWSON ANNOUNCES DISPARITY STUDY KICK-OFF By www.StyleMagazine.com
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ort Bend County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson, will hold a press conference to announce the start of the Fort Bend County Disparity Study. The study will document Fort Bend County’s contracting with minority and women-owned businesses between 2017 and 2020 and provide
recommendations the County can implement to ensure there is equity in its award of contracts to all Fort Bend businesses. “We are thankful for our Fort Bend County Commissioners for their visionary leadership in agreeing to this study. I am very excited to kick off
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this study during Black History Month. This study will identify the policies that are working and those we need to revamp. We expect the study to create better opportunities for women and people of color to do business with Fort Bend County,” said Smith-Lawson. Fort Bend County has contracted with Mason Tillman Associates, Ltd., a certified African American woman-owned business established in 1978 in Oakland, California. With over 40 years of experience preparing comprehensive and legally sound disparity studies, Mason Tillman has conducted 146 disparity studies for government entities, including 19 studies for counties. The disparity study will analyze the contracting practices of Fort Bend County to determine if woman-owned, minority-owned, small, local, and veteran businesses have equal access to public contracting opportunities. Fort Bend County is growing exponentially, with a population of approximately 822,000 per the last Census data. With that growth, the County
leads the nation in diversity. The 2020 Census data shows Fort Bend County with a population of 30% White, 20% Black, 22% Asian, and 24% Hispanic. “This disparity study will assess how we’ve done business, who we’ve done business with, and depending on the study results, provide recommendations on including more opportunities for women-owned and minority businesses,” stated Smith-Lawson. “I look forward to serving as the project manager for this study to ensure compliance by all parties in submitting data and complying with the review so that we can have a clear and accurate assessment of how the Count has performed.”
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February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
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CULTURE: FIVE BLACK-OWNED HOT SPOTS TO VISIT FOR FOOD, DRINKS, HISTORY AND AMBIANCE By www.StyleMagazine.com
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f you are looking to support Houston’s Blackowned restaurants and businesses during Black History Month, and hopefully year-round, here are five establishments that run the gamut from historic to brand-new, with some of the best food, drinks, and ambiance in H-Town and owners who are dedicated to giving back to the community! The Spot Lounge and Bar on Emancipation Avenue is believed to be the oldest operating black-owned bar in the Third Ward. The quintessential neighborhood dive bar has been dubbed the “African-American Cheers” of Houston’s Historic Third Ward, offering some of the best drinks, jams, and relaxed vibes in town! Open Thursday-Saturday 4pm-2am and Sundays 12pm-2am. The Spot 3rd Ward 4709 Emancipation Ave Houston, TX 77004
Husband and wife entrepreneurs Adfanie Smith Gray and Aaron Gray opened a trendy new second version of The Spot just two miles north of the Third Ward bar on Emancipation Avenue, in November 2021. The Spot EaDo offers a great space to meet for drinks and unwind with a large, upscale, contemporary bar, VIP Lounge and outdoor patio, featuring hand-crafted cocktails, DJs and live music every Thursday in East Downtown! Open Thursday-Saturday 4pm-2am and Sundays 12pm-2am. The Spot EaDo 2003 Emancipation Ave, Houston, TX 77003 Turkey Leg Hut founders Lynn and Nakia Price first introduced Texans to their mouthwatering turkey legs in a family parking lot outside the Houston Rodeo in 2015. What they thought would be a fun BBQ for the city, has turned into
one of Houston’s biggest hotspots, attracting celebrities like Snoop Dogg, Drake, Kevin Hart and some of the biggest names in professional sports and entertainment! Their world-famous, over-sized smoked Turkey Legs, Hennessy-glazed or stuffed with dirty rice, Shrimp Alfredo and Crawfish Mac & Cheese, are a must-try at the restaurant, where you can enjoy them with TLH’s famous Mega Cocktails, or you can get then to-go at Food Trucks on Almeda and throughout the city! Open Sunday 11am-10pm, Tuesday - Thursday 11am10 pm, Friday - Saturday 11am-12 am. (Closed Mondays). Turkey Leg Hut 4830 Almeda Rd suite A/B Houston, TX 77004 Founded by NBA Star, James Harden, Thirteen is an upscale, fine dining restaurant that offers an unmeasurable experience in the heart of Midtown Houston. Thirteen was built on Harden’s passion for excellent food and wine and a desire to bring something distinctive and fresh to the city that can’t be found anywhere else. The restaurant has become a celebrity magnet and a chic place ‘to see and be seen’ in Midtown with a large, elegant dining room filled with Harden’s signature touches, outdoor patio, hookah lounge and private VIP room. Thirteen’s mission is to create a memorable fine dining experience for every guest, with an exclusive menu featuring the best cuts of steak and fresh seafood paired with fine wines flown in from around the world. Open Tuesday-Thursday, 4pm -10pm,
Friday & Saturday, 4pm -11pm, Sunday Brunch served from 11am - 3pm. Reservations and walkin seating. Thirteen 1911 Bagby Houston, TX 77002 Hibachi Bros, Houston’s first authentic Japanese Styled Hibachi Food Truck, was launched in August 2021 by Dempsey Robinson, a 24-year-old Texas Southern University grad who came to Houston from Los Angeles on a football scholarship. The menu features authentic made-to-order Japanese Hibachi Entrées with Filet Mignon, lobster, shrimp, salmon, chicken and New York Steak, served with rice, grilled vegetables, and Hibachi Bros’ own hand-crafted sauces, made with fresh ingredients daily! Hibachi Bros also offers vegetarian options served with Garlic Noodles and rice, and three flavors of “Samurai Ice”- a tasty frozen treat that contains no dairy, fat, soy, gluten, or peanut. The Food Truck is open Wednesday - Saturday from 5pm - 12am, and Sundays from 3pm - 10pm in the Bus Stop Food Truck Park in the Third Ward. Hibachi Bros Food Truck 4501 Alameda Rd. Houston, TX 77044 .Read the full story online at:
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ENTERTAINMENT: DAVE CHAPPELLE SPOKE OUT AGAINST AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN IN HIS COMMUNITY By Lisa Respers France, www.CNN.com
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plan for an affordable housing portion of a new development in Yellow Springs, Ohio has reportedly been scrapped after comedian Dave Chappelle added his voice to those opposing it. According to the Dayton Daily News, a plan for Oberer Homes can move forward, but without the affordable housing that originally had been planned
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as part of a development of single family homes, townhomes and duplexes to be built on a 53-acre area at the south edge of town. The publication said the village had been working with Oberer on the development. In a statement to CNN on Thursday, Chappelle's publicist, Carla Sims, wrote "Dave Chappelle
February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
didn't kill affordable housing. Concerned residents and a responding Village Council 'killed' a half-baked plan which never actually offered affordable housing." Chappelle, who plans to open a restaurant and a comedy club in the area under his company Iron Table Holdings LLC, was one of several who spoke out Monday during a village council meeting about the project. As seen on a video posted to the Yellow Springs Community Access YouTube page, Chapelle questioned why the council would support the housing plan "while it kicks out a $65 million-a-year company." "I cannot believe you would make me audition for you," Chappelle said. "You look like clowns. I am not bluffing. I will take it all off the table." The Dayton Daily News reported that he was one of numerous residents who spoke out against the affordable housing portion. "Without question, Dave Chappelle cares about Yellow Springs," Sims added in her statement to CNN. "He's sewn into the fabric of the Village. The passion with which he delivered his comments during the Village Council meeting was just as evident
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as when he fought to create living-wage jobs with his famed 'Summer Camp' for residents during the height of the COVID pandemic," Sims continued. "Neither Dave nor his neighbors are against affordable housing, however, they are against the poorly vetted, cookie-cutter, sprawl-style development deal which has little regard for the community, culture and infrastructure of the Village." The council ultimately deadlocked on it by voting two for and two against. In December 2021, the Yellow Springs News reported that Chappelle, who lives near the planned development, said during a council meeting that he was "adamantly opposed" to the proposal that would add "140 mixed-income level homes to the village." "I've invested millions of dollars in town. If you push this thing through, what I'm investing in is no longer applicable," he said. "I would say that Oberer can buy all of this property from me if they want to be your benefactor because I will no longer want to."
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February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
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SPORTS: LOVIE SMITH ANNOUNCED AS HOUSTON TEXANS HEAD COACH By Brian Barefield, Sports Editor - wwww.StyleMagazine.com
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n Tuesday, the Houston Texans introduced Lovie Smith as their fifth head coach in franchise history. Smith served as the defensive coordinator and associate head coach for the Texans under former head coach David Culley who was recently fired after one season. “There’s 32 of these (NFL head coaching) jobs in the country, so, to have an opportunity to lead one, and there’s an extensive process Nick went through to get the best person that he felt could lead our program,” said Smith said to the media and former players in attendance. “So, of course, you can imagine how I felt”. Smith, 63, became the first African-American man to coach three NFL teams. His first job was with the Chicago Bears which he helped lead to Super Bowl XLI and also won NFL Coach of the Year honors for that accomplishment. After going 10-6 in 2012, Smith was fired from Chicago. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hired him as their head coach in 2014, but he met the same fate that he did in Chicago after an unsuccessful 8-24 record in two seasons. After spending five years as the head coach of the University of Illinois and producing a 17-39 record, Smith was hired by general manager Nick Caserio. He heaped high praises on him and his ability
to coach. Once Culley was fired due to what Caserio called “Philosophical Differences,” Smith was asked to be involved in helping find the next head coach for the Texans that eventually ended up being himself. Smith was not part of the initial finalist group released by the Texans a week ago. His name did not surface as a potential head coaching candidate until former Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores filed a racial discrimination lawsuit against the NFL for their minority hiring practices. Multiple sources reported that Houston was ready to hire former backup quarterback Josh McCown who had no coaching or coordinating experience. “Well, as far as a finalist, I don’t know when I became a finalist,” said Smith. “I just know that once the head football coaching position was open, that was going forward, I was still under contract. I was still working for the Houston Texans. Being in that role that I was, associate head coach, my opinion has been asked on a lot of different things.” “I did give my opinion on what I thought we needed to do going forward and things we needed to improve upon and things like that. Sometimes when you’re just doing your job, most of us, when we’re doing our job, we’re being interviewed for a
Lovie Smith, Houston Texans Head Coach job, you could say. So, I don’t know exactly when I became a candidate.” Although it took longer than expected to name a new head coach, the Texans feel they have the right person for the job who will help get the team back on track after consecutive four-win seasons and bring fans back to the stadium. “The fourth phase would be the fans,” Smith said as he laid out his plans for the team. “Cannot play winning football
without you. I have seen a day when it’s tough playing inside NRG Stadium, and it’s our responsibility to get the fans back and get them excited about the product we’re going to put on the football field.”
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LOCAL: CITY OF HOUSTON AND CENTERPOINT ENERGY ANNOUNCE TRANSFORMATIVE INITIATIVE
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he City of Houston and CenterPoint Energy today announced the launch of Resilient Now, a first-of-its-kind collaborative framework to develop a regional master energy plan to enhance local power resilience across the greater Houston area. The collaboration is designed to optimize infrastructure investments and advance new energy solutions to address the challenges of increasingly frequent and disruptive weather events, while building the blueprint for a sustainable future to support increased electric transportation and the use of more renewable energy sources. As part of the master energy plan, the public-private collaboration will develop programs to advance residential weatherization and economic development in vulnerable communi-
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ties. The initiative will also focus on the training needed to enable a new sustainable energy workforce. Originally announced at Houston’s State of the City Address, Resilient Now aligns around three core pillars critical to the success of the endeavor: Infrastructure modernization; outcome-based investments; and inclusive and continuous communication. “CenterPoint Energy is proud to be collaborating with the City of Houston to develop a regional plan to focus on immediate, medium- and long-term reliability solutions that are specific to the needs of individual communities,” said Dave Lesar, President and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy. “My administration set out to make
February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
resilience a foundational priority because, as the past six years have shown us, we continue to face increasingly challenging weather events of an unprecedented magnitude,” said Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. “We must all work together to address power vulnerability and insecurity across every community in our area. Resilient Now will include additional infrastructure investments to support our community in a manner that helps businesses grow, and even thrive, in our changing environment.” Lesar added, “Last year’s winter storm and other storms like Hurricane Nicholas demonstrated the effects increasingly disruptive weather can have on our community. Resilient Now will help establish the range of strategic power infrastructure investments that will help advance the greater Houston area as a leader for meeting community power reliability needs and supporting our continued population growth, while also enabling a roadmap to a clean energy future.” Both the City of Houston and CenterPoint Energy have begun implementing a range of individual and joint actions to strengthen critical infrastructure and protect essential services in neighborhoods. During its most recent session, the Texas Legislature authorized several measures that are allowing Transmission and Distribution Utilities (TDUs), such as CenterPoint Energy, to immediately implement critical actions to lessen both the fre-
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quency and impact of power outages. These actions include piloting a year-round volunteer commercial load-shedding program and the procurement of mobile emergency electric generation to aid in more quickly restoring power to distribution customers during certain widespread power outages, which are defined by the legislation. Resilient Now will guide strategic plans and investments around power resilience over the next 10 years. CenterPoint Energy is working jointly with the City of Houston’s leadership team, including the Airport System, Public Works, the Office of Emergency Management and METRO. They are also working with Harris County and other regional cities and counties to implement the necessary actions and investments to drive successful outcomes. Mayor Turner added, “As the fourth largest U.S. city, Houston endeavors to be a global leader in innovation and establish a model of resilience for cities everywhere. The City of Houston is committed to this higher purpose and believes making these improvements today will position us to continue our global leadership in energy, space exploration and healthcare innovation.”
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2022
SEE MORE + PHOTOS AND EVENTS
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H Celebration of the Legendary Lil Keke's New Album "LGND" H
2021
Courvoisier hosted Lil KeKe’s LGND Dinner in honor of his new project that will release on February 11th. As guests arrived at Five Central Houston, they stepped on the red carpet for photo opps. After the pictures, guests were escorted inside the black and red affair which included customized name plates, Couvouiser gift bags, gifts by Gas Gods, and LGND only custom cookies prepared by “It’s My Bakery”.
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H Grand Opening Ceremony at the Blossom Hotel Houston H
Government officials and city leaders at the grand opening of the Blossom Hotel. This new development is located next to the Medical Center and NRG Park Complex.
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February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
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February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
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Houston Style M
–HISD AD PR
Houston Independent Schoool District Notice To Proposers The Houston Independent School District is soliciting Request for Proposals (RFP) via the District’s electronic bidding portal. Proposers may login to view specifications and submit their responses at the following link https:// houstonisd.ionwave.net/Login.aspx cxuntil 10:00 a.m. (CST) Wednesday, March 9, 2022, for the following solicitation: • RFP 22-01-07 Family and Adult Enrichment Activities Pre-proposal conferences via Microsoft Teams will be held in conjunction with this RFP. Information regarding dates, times, and a link to join the meeting can be located within the electronic bidding portal under the “Event Details” tab specific to this solicitation.
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SIGN UP AND GET FIRST 3 MONTHS OF HBO MAX ™ INCLUDED! Subject to change.HBO Max auto renews after 3 months at thenprevailing rates (currently $14.99/mo.for HBO Max), unless you call to change or cancel. Req’s you to select offers. Access HBO Max only through HBO Max app or hbomax.com. HBO Max also includes HBO channels and HBO On Demand on DIRECTV. Online account registration required. Data rates may apply for app download/usage.
*$19.95 ACTIVATION, EARLY TERMINATION FEE OF $20/MO. FOR EACH MONTH REMAINING ON AGMT., EQUIPMENT NON-RETURN & ADD’L FEES APPLY. Price incl. CHOICE Pkg., monthly service and equip. fees for 1 HD DVR & is after $5/mo. autopay & paperless bill discount for 12 mo. Pay $74.99/mo. + taxes until discount starts w/in 3 bills. New approved residential customers only (equipment lease req'd). Credit card req'd (except MA & PA). Restr’s apply. *ALL DIRECTV OFFERS REQUIRE 24-MO. AGREEMENT. $19.95 ACTIVATION, EARLY TERMINATION FEE OF $20/MO. FOR EACH MONTH REMAINING ON AGMT, EQUIPMENT NON-RETURN & ADD’L FEES APPLY. Price incl. All Included pkg, monthly service and equip. fees for 1 HD DVR & is after $5/mo. Auto Bill Pay with Paperless Billing discount for 12 mos. New approved residential customers only (equipment lease req’d). Credit card req’d (except MA & PA). Restr’s apply. DIRECTV ALL INCLUDED OFFERS: Ends 1/22/22. Available only in the U.S. (excludes Puerto Rico and U.S.V.I.). Pricing: $64.99/mo. for ENTERTAINMENT All Included; $69.99/mo. for CHOICE All Included; $84.99/mo. for ULTIMATE All Included; $134.99/mo. for PREMIER All Included for first 12 mos. only. After 12 mos. or loss of eligibility, then prevailing rate applies (currently $102/mo. for ENTERTAINMENT All Included; $122/mo. for CHOICE All Included; $151/mo. for ULTIMATE All Included; $206/mo. for PREMIER All Included), unless canceled or changed prior to end of the promo period. Pricing subj to change. $5/mo. discount: Must enroll in autopay & paperless bill within 30 days of TV activation to receive bill credit starting in 1-3 bill cycles. First-time credit will include all credits earned since meeting offer requirements. Must maintain autopay/paperless bill and valid email address to continue credits. No credits in 2nd year for autopay/paperless bill. Includes: All Included TV Pkg, monthly service & equipment fees for one Genie HD DVR, and standard pro installation. Additional Fees & Taxes: Price excludes Regional Sports Fee of up to $9.99/mo. (which is extra & applies to CHOICE and/or MÁS ULTRA and higher Pkgs.), applicable use tax expense surcharge on retail value of installation, custom installation, equipment upgrades/add-ons (min. $99 one-time & $7/mo. monthly fees for each extra receiver/ DIRECTV Ready TV/Device), and certain other add’l fees & charges. See directv.com/directv-fees for additional details. Different offers may apply for eligible multi-dwelling unit and telco customers. DIRECTV SVC TERMS: Subject to Equipment Lease & Customer Agreements. Must maintain a min. base TV pkg of $29.99/mo. Programming, pricing, terms and conditions subject to change at any time. Some offers may not be available through all channels and in select areas. Visit directv.com/legal/ or call for details. 2021 NFL SUNDAY TICKET OFFER: Subject to change. Package consists of all live out-of-market NFL games (based on customer’s service address) broadcast on FOX and CBS. However, games broadcast by your local FOX or CBS affiliate, and select International games, will not be available in NFL SUNDAY TICKET. Games available via remote viewing based on device location. Other conditions apply. 2021 NFL SUNDAY TICKET regular full-season retail price is $293.94. 2021 NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX regular full-season retail price is $395.94. Customers activating CHOICE Package or above or MÁS ULTRA Package or above will be eligible to receive the 2021 season of NFL SUNDAY TICKET MAX at no additional cost. NFL SUNDAY TICKET subscription will not automatically renew. Only one game may be accessed remotely at any given time. Compatible device/operating system required for online/mobile access. Additional data charges may apply. Visit directv.com/nfl for a list of compatible devices/system requirements. Short Cuts are available from midnight Sunday ET through midnight Wednesday ET via the NFL SUNDAY TICKET App. For full Mix Channel and interactive functionality, HD equipment model H/HR 21 or later is required. NFL, the NFL Shield design and the NFL SUNDAY TICKET name and logo are registered trademarks of the NFL and its affiliates. NFL team names and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. Programming, pricing, promotions, restrictions & terms subject to change & may be modified, discontinued or terminated at any time without notice. Offers may not be combined with other promotional offers on the same services and may be modified or discontinued at any time without notice. Other conditions apply to all offers. HBO Max: Access HBO Max through HBO Max app or hbomax.com with your DIRECTV log-in credentials. Compatible device or browser required. Use of HBO Max is subject to its own terms and conditions, see hbomax.com/terms-of-use for details. 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February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
19
H-E-B IS PROUD TO SUPPORT
BLACK-OWNED
Brands
Percy Creuzot Jr., Founder
Kim & L.J. Williams, Founders
FRENCHY’S SAUSAGE CO.
JINKA TURMERIC PASTE
CLASSIC CREOLE FOOD
SUPPLEMENTAL INSPIRATION
Percy Creuzot, Jr. founded Frenchy’s Sausage Co.
Kim and L.J. Williams put their love and faith
with a unique product known as Chaurice, a
into Jinka Turmeric Paste. They both used it
delicious Creole hot sausage. As the demand for
to lose more than 100 pounds combined, fight
Chaurice grew beyond his restaurant’s needs in
diabetes, and inspire friends and family to join
1977, Frenchy and his family grew it into a full
in. Now, they’ve begun small-batch production
food service distributor that currently services
so all our customers can enjoy it in soups, sautés,
over 200 businesses.
and sandwiches.
Learn more about these products and other Black-owned brands at heb.com/bethechange
20
February 10, 2022 - February 16, 2022
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©2022 HEB, 22-2083