February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication, Since 1989
Volume 33 | Number 09
Complimentary
Jesse Jackson
Avoiding Crisis Between Russia and Ukraine
ATTACKING THE RIGHT TO VOTE
Mayor Turner
Strategizes to Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions
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"We are united in our support of Ukraine"
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COMMENTARY
AVOIDING CRISIS BETWEEN RUSSIA AND UKRAINE By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer
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he crisis over Ukraine is on the verge of boiling over. Russia has amassed troops on the Ukrainian border, demanding that the U.S. promise not to bring Ukraine into NATO. The Biden administration rejects that demand and warns that a Russian invasion will be met with harsh economic sanctions. Although Biden has ruled out the use of U.S. troops in Ukraine's defense, Russian and U.S. military aircraft now jockey dangerously close to the Black Sea. Sanctions themselves, if implemented, would blow up the economy of Europe and quite possibly of the world. Before we find ourselves in a war we don't want, it is time for some common sense. What made Russia's leader, Vladimir Putin, trigger this crisis? Putin is a brutal authoritarian who has warned for over a decade that Ukraine must not be allowed in NATO. The U.S. ignored reassurances made by previous Russian leaders that NATO would not expand after the Cold War ended and the Soviet Union collapsed. Then the U.S. was complicitous in the street protests that led to the overthrow of a democratically elected, if massively corrupt, Ukrainian leader who was leaning toward joining the Russian economic zone. When that happened, Putin dispatched forces to take Crimea and secure its base on the Black Sea. U.S. and its allies then imposed the first level of sanctions. Ukraine has been intertwined with the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union for centuries. Pundits suggest that Ukraine joining NATO would be like Mexico entering a military alliance with China. The real analogy would be Texas seceding from the U.S. and entering a military alliance with China. For all the Biden rhetoric decrying spheres of in-
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fluence, no American president would allow that. It isn't surprising that once Russia began to recover its strength, any Russian leader would seek to stop Ukraine from joining NATO. Why won't the U.S. and NATO simply agree not to include Ukraine in NATO? The Biden administration says it stands for the principles that any sovereign nation should determine its own course and that NATO will retain an "open-door" policy. These are fine propositions that don't answer the question about NATO's policy. The NATO alliance provides any one member the virtual guarantee that all will come to its defense if it is attacked. Needless to say, the alliance doesn't and can't accept every country that wants in. If it did, the guarantee would mean nothing. So, why Ukraine? Obama, Trump and Biden have all made it clear that the U.S. won't defend Ukraine militarily. In fact, Ukraine is unlikely ever to be asked to join NATO. With Russia controlling Crimea, Ukraine's borders are in dispute, making it ineligible by NATO's own rules. Ukraine's economy is a basket case, and its politics are utterly corrupt. Over the last 30 years, it has had, by far, the worst economic record of any country in Europe. Ultra-nationalists and neo-fascists are a powerful force driving the current confrontation. Russia provides over 40 percent of Europe's natural gas and over 25 percent of its oil. If sanctions were to disrupt that, it would devastate the Russian economy but also that of Germany and the rest of the U.S.'s European allies. The U.S. would feel the impact, as oil and gas prices soar. We're risking war or economic dis-
February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
Protesters rally in a show of solidarity with Ukraine outside the United Nations in New York on Thursday, Feb. 17, 2022. Photo Getty ruption because admitting that Ukraine won't be part of NATO would be seen as backing down to Putin's threats. Biden would be savaged by hawks in both parties. Pundits argue that American credibility would be shot, that China would be emboldened to take Taiwan, and that NATO - if it acknowledged publicly what its actual policy is - would be finished. How do we avoid this folly? Ukrainians would suffer the most from war and economic disruption. The best resolution would be for Ukraine's government to accept that it has to find a way to live with its powerful neighbor and also announce that it won't seek to join NATO, if Russia affirms its sovereignty and territorial integrity. Germany, France, Russia and Ukraine essentially agreed on that proposition in the so-called Minsk Accords - but Ukraine and Russia can't
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agree on who makes the first steps to finalize the deal. What's needed now is for the peoples of Russia, Europe and the U.S. to make it clear to their leaders that there is no appetite for war or for economic recession - and demand their leaders find a way out of this mess. War over Ukraine would be tragic and absurd. Sadly, it would not be the first nor the last war like that. jjackson@rainbowpush.org. Follow him on Twitter @RevJJackson
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NATIONAL: BLACK IMMIGRANTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE DENIED US CITIZENSHIP THAN WHITE IMMIGRANTS, STUDY FINDS By Giselle Rhoden and Nicole Chavez, www.CNN.com
(Photo by Jeenah Moon/Getty Images)
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lack male immigrants are less likely to be approved for United States citizenship than White immigrants, a new study released this week shows. Researchers at the University of Southern California analyzed more than 2 million citizenship applications filed by US permanent residents between October 2014 and March 2018, and found racial disparities among those whose applications were approved. Black immigrants, researchers say, have been denied citizenship more often than any other racial and ethnic group. About 94% of White women and about 92% of White men were approved for US citizenship while Black men and women received an approval rating at or below 90%, the study shows. Black Muslim immigrants also had lower approval ratings at around 86%. The data analyzed by researchers did not include details about reasoning behind each application denial -- a key piece of
information that would help determine what leads to the disparities, said Emily Ryo, the lead author for the study and a professor of law and sociology at the USC Gould School of Law. The US Citizenship and Immigration Services told CNN in an email statement that it continues to "break down barriers in the immigration system; restore faith and trust among the immigrant community; and increase access to immigration benefits for all those eligible." The agency said that it "does not consider race, nationality or other demographic factors when making determinations related to applications for naturalization." The agency does not ask applicants to identify a religious affiliation, a spokesperson added. The agency also said it "launched an interagency strategy last year to promote naturalization opportunities and maximize the number of eligible applicants." How old stereotypes can continue
clouding the judgment Discriminatory statutes linked to citizenship began hundreds of years ago with the Naturalization Act of 1790, the authors wrote. The act, which was the first law to define eligibility for naturalization, limited citizenship to only "free White" immigrants who had lived in the country for at least two years. In 1870, Congress amended the law's requirements to include people of "African descent" but Ryo said those old stereotypes can continue clouding the judgment of immigration authorities who have the power to grant or deny citizenship. Ryo noted the applicants considered in the study lived in the country for a continuous period of time, many were long term residents, and immigrants often "experience a set of disadvantages and discrimination in other areas" that could potentially impact their immigration applications. "For example, if Black immigrants might be more targeted by law enforcement than White immigrants, that disadvantage and
targeting will become exaggerated over time as they try to seek citizenship," Ryo said. The study was published days after advocates across the country held a Black Immigrant Advocacy Day of Action last week. Nicole Morgan, an associate attorney at the Texas-based nonprofit RAICES, said anti-Black racism is as "ingrained" in the US immigration system as in the rest of America's culture and society. "As a Black person and an immigration attorney who works inside detention centers, I know that Black immigrants are being brutalized, dehumanized, and rendered invisible by the system," Morgan said in a statement. "Structural inequalities in the broader system, beyond immigration, can really have these kinds of ripple effects that we might not see until they enter the immigration system," Ryo added.
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NATIONAL: BIDEN TO IMPOSE ADDITIONAL SANCTIONS ON RUSSIA NOW THAT UKRAINE ASSAULT IS UNDERWAY By Kevin Liptak, www.CNN.com
President Biden (Photo Credit: KCNC)
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resident Joe Biden, vowing the world will "hold Russia accountable" for the attack underway in Ukraine, will spell out a set of sanctions on Thursday once meant to deter such an assault. Set to address the nation Thursday afternoon, Biden is expected to unveil new measures that could cut off Russia from advanced technology, announce new restrictions on large financial institutions and slap sanctions on additional members of the inner circle of Russian President Vladimir Putin. The planned sanctions, the latest US reprisals against Moscow this week, had been reserved as Biden hoped to maintain some leverage in dissuading Putin from a full-scale invasion. But so far, Western threats of economic punishment, as
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well as Biden's strategy of revealing what the US knew about Putin's buildup of forces to try to make the Russian leader second-guess himself, have proven ineffective. After months of predictions and warnings, Russian forces began their attack on Ukraine Thursday morning local time, with reports of troops crossing the border to the north and south, explosions in multiple cities including the capital Kyiv, and warnings from Putin of future bloodshed unless Ukrainian forces lay down their arms. Biden's sanctions are now meant to punish Putin's actions, rather than prevent them, by going after Russia's economy, its military capabilities and those closest to the Russian President. How much they can alter Putin's decision-making going
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forward, however, remains an open question. Before he speaks, Biden is planning to confer with the leaders from the Group of 7 industrialized nations about which sanctions they plan to impose, hoping to coordinate a response that projects unity among Western allies. US and European officials spoke by phone overnight into Thursday to coordinate their responses. On Thursday morning, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen promised to "weaken Russia's economic base and its capacity to modernize" following the "barbaric attack" by Russia against Ukraine. "We will freeze Russian assets in the European Union and stop the access of Russian banks to European financial markets," she said.
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Biden also convened a meeting of his National Security Council on Thursday morning to discuss the situation in Ukraine, a White House official said. Biden announced a more limited package of sanctions on Monday following Putin's initial decision to send troops into Ukraine following recognition of two pro-Russia regions in the Eastern part of the country. Those measures went after two state-owned financial institutions, three members of Putin's inner circle and Russia's sovereign debt.
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February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
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STATE: BETO FOR TEXAS RECEIVES MORE THAN 68,990 DONATIONS IN LESS THAN A MONTH By www.StyleMagazine.com
Beto O'Rourke in San Antonio, Texas ( Jordan Vonderhaar/Getty Images)
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he Beto for Texas campaign announced today that its people-powered campaign received more than 68,990 donations in less than a month, outpacing Greg Abbott by more than 43,900 contributions during the same period. The campaign maintained its grassroots fundraising momentum with nearly $3 million raised from Jan. 21Feb. 19 without a competitive primary and as O’Rourke spent the month on the road. The average contribution was $43. O’Rourke’s financial support comes in addition to the on-the-ground support of tens of thousands of volun-
teers who have already contacted more than 3 million voters this month. “We have not only outpaced Abbott by more than 43,900 donations, but we have out-organized him as Beto’s more than 44,000 volunteers contacted more than 3 million voters in the last three weeks so we can ensure that Texas finally leads in great jobs, world class schools, and the ability to see a doctor,” said Beto for Texas Campaign Manager Nick Rathod. “We’re grateful to everyone who helped us raise nearly $3 million in less than a month as Beto showed up in every part of this state to unite people around our vision for a
brighter Texas.” Today’s announcement follows O’Rourke’s 12 day, more than 2,300 mile Drive for a Brighter Texas that took him back to two dozen communities across the state. He highlighted Abbott’s direct role in the preventable grid failure that led to hundreds of Texans losing their lives and millions more being stranded without power, heat, and running water. The people of Texas are still paying the price for the governor’s incompetence as they see higher utility bills each month. O’Rourke just wrapped up a Weekend of Action in which he re-
turned to communities throughout the RGV and across South Texas during Early Voting. He was in Edinburg, McAllen, Harlingen, Brownsville, San Benito, Donna, Mission, Laredo, Zapata, and Roma. He will return to the Houston area for a second Weekend of Action this week.
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STATE: TEXAS RECEIVES FAILING TO PASS LEGISLATION THAT PROTECTS TEXANS FROM GUN VIOLENCE By www.StyleMagazine.com
Guns in America: It’s Time for Change (Image: Shutterstock.com)
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tures took the threat of gun violence seriously and passed 75 new laws in 27 states and Washington DC. In the latest edition of the Annual Gun Law Scorecard, Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence graded and ranked each state on the strength of its gun laws, showing that states with stronger gun laws have lower gun death rates and save more lives. Texas received an F due to its dangerously weak gun laws. In 2020, the last year for which data is available, 4,164 people died from firearm injuries in Texas, representing a 12% increase in the gun death rate in the state over the previous year. The increase in gun deaths was primarily driven by increases in gun homicides, which comprised 42% of all gun deaths in the state in
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2020. From 2019 to 2020, the gun homicide rate rose 32%. The firearm suicide death rate rose 2% from 2019 to 2020. In 2021, Texas enacted permitless carry. In order to improve its grade, Texas should require background checks for all firearm sales, create extreme risk protection orders, repeal its permitless carry law, enact anti-gun trafficking laws, and strengthen protections for victims of domestic violence and hate crimes. • Website: Learn more about Texas's ranking by visiting this year’s Scorecard. • Fact Sheet: The State of Gun Violence in Texas. “2021 was yet another difficult year for our country. Too many communities had to reckon with the trauma
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and pain of surging gun violence, armed hate, and racial discrimination—all in the midst of the ongoing pandemic,” said Robyn Thomas, executive director of Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence. “What our Scorecard shows, year after year, is that it is possible to bring an end to this senseless violence. States with strong gun safety laws have fewer gun deaths—but trafficking leaves residents of these states vulnerable, too. We must see this progress must extend to every single state across the nation. We hope the Gun Law Scorecard will continue to serve as a resource for our elected officials who understand that getting a passing grade can be a matter of life and death.” In 2020, over 45,000 people
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were killed by guns—a number of gun deaths not seen in decades. This sharp spike in gun deaths comes after several years of increasing gun deaths. The Annual Gun Law Scorecard highlights opportunities states have to reverse these devastating numbers. Strengthening background checks, implementing child access prevention laws, investing in community violence intervention programs, and passing extreme risk protection order laws are all policies that can reverse the growing gun death rate.
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POLITICAL: ALPHA KAPPA ALPHA SORORITY, INCORPORATED SUPPORTS CONFIRMATION OF A BLACK WOMAN TO BECOME THE NEXT UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT JUSTICE By Glenda Glover, Ph.D., JD, CPA, International President and CEO, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated®
Glenda Glover
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or Steeped in far more than historical significance, the confirmation of a Black woman to the highest court of the land would represent yet another significant step in America fulfilling its promise to African Americans who helped build this country. The appointment of a Black woman to the United States Supreme Court is a long time coming. In fact, it was 55 years ago in 1967 that Justice Thurgood Marshall — the first African American — was appointed to the nation’s high court and 40 years ago in 1981 when Justice Sandra Day O’Connor — the first woman ― was ap-
pointed to the Supreme Court. Rather than a long time coming, for many, this appointment is a long time overdue. Either way, the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® stand in support of the Biden-Harris Administration in fulfilling this promise. Founded in 1908 by African American women who were service-minded scholars, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority is comprised of professional women who have succeeded despite unimaginable odds to lead in every area of human endeavor. Sadly, however, there are still “firsts” to be achieved and glass ceilings that still must be shattered. We are encouraged by the fact that with so many Black women serving as attorneys, state and federal judges, law clerks, public defenders, prosecutors, corporate counsel, law professors and non-profit lawyers ― all fighting on the frontlines of the ongoing struggle for justice and equality in America ― there has never been more qualified Black women ready to meet this moment. It has only been the glaring absence of opportunity that has stunted our progress and impeded the Supreme Court from reflecting the true diversity of these United States. We are now waiting with resigned anticipation that this glaring omission will be corrected with President Biden’s commitment to nominate the first Black woman to serve on the United States
Supreme Court by the end of February. We stand united in the continued fight for Black women to be represented in all arenas important to the progress of our nation, and we are ready to walk arm-in-arm with this administration every step of the way as some of the very best and brightest Black women judges and attorneys are identified, vetted, interviewed, and presented to the United States Senate Judiciary Committee. Finally, we support swift confirmation hearings under the leadership of Senator Dick Durbin, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman, leading to a fair vote for the chosen candidate. We also call for the highest level of professionalism befitting the institution and solemnity of the U.S. Senate and worthy of the ultimate nominee’s qualifications and accomplishments for this sacred service. To witness a Black woman confirmed as a United States Supreme Court Justice for the first time in the Court’s 233year history will merely affirm what we all already know to be true. There are countless Black women in the legal field who have distinguished themselves as brilliant jurists, fierce advocates, and venerable legal scholars and made tremendous sacrifices to shape the laws of the land and help secure justice for all. Charlotte E. Ray would be one case in point. Attorney Ray was the first African American
woman lawyer in the United States. She graduated from Howard University Law School in 1872 upon gaining admission under the name C.E. Ray and was the first woman admitted to the District of Columbia Bar 150 years ago. Described as a woman of “decided ability” and “one of the best lawyers on corporations in the country,” she was unable to sustain her legal practice and was eventually forced to return to teaching. However, Ray’s historic bar admission was the precedent that set the stage for the admission of countless other women to state bars around the country. This confirmation of an African American woman Supreme Court Justice will be a moment in time when at least one African American woman will no longer be forced to abandon her dream and live beneath her privilege. We know for certain that this hallowed institution will be better with the appointment of an African American woman. That fact serves us all well.
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LOCAL: HMAAC DEDICATES THE STAIRWELL OF MEMORY AND INAUGURAL TOLAN/BLAND/FLOYD LECTURE By Kathleen Coleman, Art & Entertainment Editor, www.StyleMagazine.com
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he Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC) is pleased to announce the February 19 dedication of its Stairwell of Memory and Inaugural Bland/Floyd/Tolan Lecture at 2:00 pm in the museum. The dedication will feature comments from Robbie Tolan and a book signing of No Justice: One White Police Officer, One Black Family. Special guest Lezley McSpadden-Head, Michael Brown's mother, will be present in support of the Tolan family. It has been clear to the museum that we needed to lift up Robbie Tolan, “The Survivor,” and have him join Sandra Bland and George Floyd in its Stairwell of Memory.. On December 11, 2021, HMAAC dedicated a portrait of Tolan by artist Cedric Ingram that was added to the ones of Bland and Floyd. The three of them represent our area’s most prominent symbols of police brutality. America is indeed lucky and blessed that one of them survived; a living reminder that justice for black victims of police brutality
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is so rare as to essentially be non-existent, and that good citizens of all races must be diligent to change our current culture to one of fairness and equity. According to HMAAC CEO John Guess, Jr., “We are all blessed to celebrate Robbie Tolan, ‘The Survivor,’ as the last portrait for HMAAC’s Stairwell of Memory. Robbie joins Sandy and Big Floyd, all subjected to police brutality that we must never forget. The Bland/Floyd/Tolan Lectures will help us learn from what happened to them as we improve the criminal justice system.” On December 31, 2008, Bellaire Texas Sgt. Jeffrey Cotton, who is white, shot Tolan, an unarmed 23 year old black man beginning his professional baseball career, in the driveway of the home where he lived with his parents, Marian and Bobby Tolan, who came outside in their pajamas and tried to explain that the car was theirs and that they lived in the house. Robbie had been ordered to the ground at gunpoint, and
February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
was shot as he started to get up protesting the treatment of his mother who was being pushed toward a garage door by one of the officers on the scene. Cotton said he thought Robbie was reaching for a gun in his waistband. Cotton was indicted on a charge of aggravated assault by a public servant but was found not guilty and continued to work. “Because of the Tolans this case found its way all the way to the Supreme Court, and began the legal examination of qualified immunity for police officers involved in deadly use of force,’ HMAAC Board Chair Cindy Miles said.
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POLITICAL: HERE AND NOW, WE THANK OUR BLACK ALUMNI
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s Black students elected to be Presidents of Harvard, MIT, and Wellesley, we’ve often been looked to as voices of both our student bodies and the Black community. Immediately upon our elections, we experienced outpours of local and even national praise, including features in CNN, People and USA Today. While we could not be more grateful for the overwhelming support, we must publicly acknowledge that our presidencies were neither the beginning nor end of Black achievement at our schools. We are only the recent bricks laid atop a wall that countless Black alumni, activists and community members began building long before we were ever born. We are only able to be seen from far and wide because we stand on the shoulders of the giants who came before us. From the first Black graduates to the alumni who created our Black student organizations, our forebears fought tirelessly to transform our predominantly white campuses from hotbeds of anti-Black racism to places capable of electing Black Student Body Presidents. Their work and achievements are integral parts of not only Harvard’s, MIT’s, and Wellesley’s history — but America’s history overall. The emergence of Black students
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onto our three campuses took place in the late 1800s. Richard T. Greener, the first Black student to earn a degree from Harvard College, did poorly in school throughout his early life due to his mother’s illness and racist treatment. Nevertheless, he persisted in pursuing an education at several institutions before beginning his Harvard career in 1865, which ultimately resulted in him winning numerous awards and making large progress towards equal opportunities at Harvard. In 1883, 17-year-old Harriett Rice was starting her first semester at Wellesley, eventually making history by becoming the first Black student to graduate from the College, one of the first Black female physicians in the U.S, and one of the first American female physicians to own her own medical practice. Almost a century later, Shirley Ann Jackson and Jennifer Rudd would make history as the first Black women to graduate from MIT (over 75 years after the graduation of Robert Robinson Taylor, MIT’s first Black alumnus). During their years at MIT, they faced consistent discriminatory treatment, including being avoided in lecture halls and excluded from homework groups. They, along with other Black students at Harvard and Wellesley in the 1960s, made up less than 1% of their predominantly white student bodies.
Danielle Geathers, President of MIT’s Undergraduate Association, Noah Harris, President of the Harvard Undergraduate Council and Tatiana Ivy Moise, President of Wellesley College Government In an effort to cultivate stronger Black student communities on campus — and catalyzed into action by the 1968 assasination of Martin Luther King Jr. — students came together to officially found the first Black student organizations at our institutions. That spring, MIT students organized the Black Student Union (BSU) of MIT. Focusing first on the task of leading diversity efforts, they traveled to high schools (over 93 in 2
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months), organized letter writing campaigns, and served on the admissions selection committee. Their free labor and commitment led to the number of Black MIT students increasing from 7 in the class of 1968 to 53 in 1969.
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February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
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ATTACKING THE RIGHT TO VOTE HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR YEARS By Nse Ufot, Executive Director of the New Georgia Project
A demonstrator carries a placard at a march against voter suppression laws near the White House [Tom Brenner/Reuters]
In today’s environment, too many thought leaders are making conversations about voting rights academic, but the motivation for restricting voting is simple. Republicans wants to hold onto power. They want control at every level of government, from school boards to prosecutor and district attorney races to state legislatures to statewide offices to Congress and the White House. That creates conflict, because in the marketplace of ideas, fewer and fewer Americans are subscribing to the GOP vision for the nation.
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cross the country, we are witnessing the continued trend of Republican leaders passing measures that make it harder for Black and poor people to vote. In Georgia’s Spaulding County, two Republican officials created a new law that only applies to the county to elect a fifth member of the Spaulding County Board of Elections. Upon the law’s passage, the legislators privately interviewed candidates, selected a Republican to fill the new vacancy and then the newly constituted group ended Sunday voting, which Black voters disproportionately use. In today’s environment, too many thought leaders are making conversations about voting rights academic, but the motivation for restricting voting is
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simple. Republicans wants to hold onto power. They want control at every level of government, from school boards to prosecutor and district attorney races to state legislatures to statewide offices to Congress and the White House. That creates conflict, because in the marketplace of ideas, fewer and fewer Americans are subscribing to the GOP vision for the nation. Given the juxtaposition between what Americans want and what the GOP is offering, the only way for Republicans to maintain power and control is to cheat. But the levers that allow Republicans to manipulate voting rules for partisan gain were laid years ago. In Shelby County v. Holder, the Supreme Court eliminated
February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
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Sections 4 and 5 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. That allowed Republicans a means of restricting the right to vote without having to get their plans precleared by the Department of Justice. Many of the voting rights laws that we see today would have had to be precleared prior to going into effect. That extra step protected voters and the franchise. Unfortunately, all hell has broken loose since the Voting Rights Act was gutted. Making matters worse, in Citizens United vs. the Federal Elections Commission, the Supreme Court allowed corporations and outside groups to spend unlimited funds on elections. That reversed a century-old precedent around campaign finance laws and allowed entities all
over the country to interfere with elections, tipping the outcome in races without transparency or accountability. It also minimized average voters’ ability to determine candidates of choice. The truth is that unlimited dark money has terribly influenced American politics. But the nail in the proverbial coffin is redistricting. Redistricting is the drawing of state and congressional lines. It occurs once in a decade following the census and determines the number of seats allotted to each region. It also impacts who can win those seats in the first place. When redistricting is done unfairly, it gives certain politicians, namely Republicans, a chance at picking up more seats per state, even when the demographic population would naturally make it easier for a Democrat to win. When done with ill intent, elected officials pick their voters, and voters have little chance – regardless of how large their voting bloc may be – of determining candidates who will represent their interests. It is one tool in a broader arsenal to dilute Black people’s voting power. Gerrymandered districts don’t just exist to give Republicans an upper hand; they’re done to prevent Black people from electing candidates of choice. More recently, in the South, there has been justifiable anger over the failure of the For the People Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Organizers did all they could, but in the end, Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema tanked the bills. They have been on a roll lately. Both received massive donations after vowing to oppose President Biden’s $1.75 million infrastructure package, the Build Back Better Act. Manchin reportedly raked in $300,000 days after publicly opposing the Build Back Better Act and raised over $4.8 million in 2021. Sinema received over $1.5 million in the last quarter of 2021.
The money came after Sinema objected to a change in the filibuster, opposed the Build Back Better Act, the climate change bill and a measure to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. One could be forgiven for drawing the conclusion that Manchin and Sinema sold out voters for campaign cash. This was not about Senate rules; this was about keeping donors happy. Attempts to make it harder to vote aren’t new. They have been going on in one form or another for decades. But here is the lesson I want readers to grasp: Organized resistance from ordinary people has been the most effective check on the power of the elite, dictators and authoritarian sympathizers. The power of the people has been the only check on the machinations of strong men. It has been the wall of resistance, challenging the power of money. Follow the Example of the Luminaries In this moment, there are three things I’d like ordinary people to remember. First, we should follow the examples of the luminaries, including martyrs who have died for the cause of freedom. They’ve given us the playbook. We must be mindful and remember that one failed vote doesn’t mean we’ve failed. There will be additional opportunities to protect the franchise, even if we have to create those avenues. Next, I want us all to remember that elected officials are not visionaries. They cannot lead our movements; they can only be servants of the people. Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and other elected officials are not leaders of the movement. They can be champions, but they are not our North Star. The North Star is love for self, love for family and love for the community. When elected leaders are no longer
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humble enough to do the people’s work, they must be replaced. Third, voting is a tool to hire people to go to Washington or the state capitol to do work on behalf of our communities. Voting is a tool to build the kind of country in which we want to live. Certainly, we do not want to relinquish our right to vote, but it is important to remember that voting is a means to an end – not the end. In conclusion, my message to people who are discouraged is to remember the words of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., “the arc of the moral universe is long but it bends towards justice.” In the South, we focus on the work of bending the arc. The question we must ask ourselves is: What are we doing to bend the arc? What campaigns are we volunteering on or donating to that would help create the kind of world we envision? The arc is long but there is a place for all of us to engage. We are a part of an unbroken chain of freedom fighters. Let’s remember their legacy and continue the fight for justice. Nse Ufot is the executive director of the New Georgia Project, a Harvard IOP fellow, and author
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February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
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LOCAL: HOUSTON NATIVE NAMED FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES CIVILIAN FIRE OFFICER OF THE YEAR By Rick Burke, Navy Office of Community Outreach
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Cedric Patterson
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Houston native was named Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA) Fire and Emergency Services Civilian Fire Officer of the Year. Cedric Patterson serves at CNRMA Fire and Emergency Services, Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story (JEBLC-FS) as the Assistant Fire Chief responsible for overseeing and coordinating emergency services delivered across five military installations. "It is a very humbling experience to be selected for this honor amongst my peers and it solidifies the trust my leadership has put in me and more importantly, highlights the hard work and dedication my team puts into the job on a daily basis," said Patterson. Located in Little Creek, Virginia, JEBLC-FS is a major operating base for the Amphibious Forces in the United States Navy’s Atlantic Fleet. The bases comprises of four locations in three states, including almost12,000 acres of real estate. JEBLC-FS ensures maximum combat readiness for frontline deployed modern day warriors while ensuring the best possible quality of life for all military families and retirees. Patterson previously served in the Marine Corps for four years as an Aircraft Firefighting and
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Crash Rescue Specialist and has 26 total years of government service. "I strive daily still to live up to the Core Values I was taught in the Marine Corps – Honor, Courage, and Commitment – and to always put the mission and my teammates above myself," said Patterson. Patterson, a 1995 Willowridge High School graduate, places a great deal of value on education as evidenced in earning a Bachelor of Science in Management in 2005 from Park University and a Master of Business Administration in 2011 from University of Houston-Victoria. Patterson's mother, Alisa Cooper, wife, Samantha Patterson, and children, Alisa and Jada Patterson, 10, all reside in Chesapeake, Virginia.
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LOCAL: MAYOR TURNER ANNOUNCES PURCHASE OF ELECTRIC VEHICLES FOR CITY FLEET
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oday, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Houston City Council announced approval to purchase 97 battery electric vehicles. The new electric vehicles (EVs) will replace internal-combustion engine (ICE) vehicles that are aging out of the City of Houston fleet. The EV purchase is driven by the Houston Climate Action Plan – a strategy that sets out to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve regional air quality, and build climate resilience. The Houston Climate Action Plan aims to convert all non-emergency, light-duty municipal vehicles to electric by 2030. Mayor Turner anticipates bringing additional electric and low-emission vehicle purchases to Council in the near future. “With today’s purchase approval we more than triple the number of EVs in our municipal fleet!” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “We still have a long way to go to reach our Climate Action Plan target of all non-emergency, light-duty vehicles, but we are determined to continue leading by example.” The Fleet Management Department, working in coordination with the Mayor’s Office of Resilience and Sustainability, is spearheading the City’s EV initiative. The City recently partnered with Evolve Houston to apply state-of-theart methods in life cycle analysis and optimization modeling to determine financial and environmental impacts of investment decisions in EVs and associated infrastructure. Based on this study,
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electrifying the municipal fleet will generate significant savings from lower energy and maintenance costs, and estimated savings are expected to grow as the cost difference between ICE vehicles and battery electric vehicles continues to shrink. For example, the purchase price of these battery electric pickups is only 7% ($2,774) greater than a similarly equipped, gasoline pickup. "Evolve Houston is encouraged to see the City of Houston's commitment to electric vehicles reaffirmed after the results of our fleet study,” said Harry Tenenbaum, Director of Commercialization & Infrastructure at Evolve Houston. “We're excited to continue working with the City to electrify their fleet, reduce carbon emissions, and improve Houston's air quality." The purchased electric vehicles will be deployed throughout the City organization. City departments adopting electric vehicles from this purchase include: • Houston Airport System • Department of Neighborhoods • Houston Health Department • Solid Waste Management Department • Administration and Regulatory Affairs Department • Houston Police Department • Houston Fire Department • Houston Parks and Recreation Department • Fleet Management Department
Photo courtesy of City of Houston •
General Services Department Data collected on the operation of the EVs in the different City applications will be used to optimize additional EV deployments. “Transitioning to electric and low-emission vehicles will yield both environmental benefits for the community and financial benefits for the City,” said Director of Fleet Management, Gary Glasscock. “Over an 8-year life, each EV is expected to save the City approximately $16,000 in total cost of operation and reduce tailpipe and upstream greenhouse gas emissions by 25 tons compared to a conventional, gasoline powered ve-
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hicle.”
This purchase will add to the 40 battery electric vehicles already in the fleet. The City of Houston is actively placing EV charging infrastructure at multiple City facilities to support the delivery of the additional EVs.
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February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
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LOCAL: HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL EXTENDS TWO CONTRACTS RELATED TO HOMELESSNESS SERVICES, TRANSPORTATION By Sofia Gonzalez, www.CommunityImpact.com
Houston City Council Meeting (Screenshot courtesy HTV)
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ouston City Council passed two ordinances during its Feb. 23 meeting to extend contracts in efforts to continue helping the homeless. The first ordinance passed extends a third amendment for a contract between the city and Healthcare
for the Homeless-Houston, giving the program an additional $150,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds. According to the ordinance, the additional funds will go to the Project Access homelessness transportation
program, a service that helps homeless Houstonians travel to and from health care appointments, facilities for meals, shelters and social services. The contract extension will benefit 1,800 more riders, according to information submitted to the city. Project Access transports riders using a 40-passenger, wheelchair-accessible bus that runs on weekdays from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. According to the ordinance, funding will also support a health care worker who serves as a resource for the riders while also serving as the face of the program. The contract was set to end Feb. 28 but will now continue until Dec. 31. The second ordinance approves a third amendment between the city and Search Homeless Services to extend a contract for the Homeless Services Program. According to the SEARCH Homeless website, the program offers services such as interventions, on-thespot assistance, assessments, referrals,
food, water, clothing and blankets. Included in the ordinance is a Mobile Outreach/Welcome Center and housing case management services, both of which will be funded using $500,000 in Texas Homeless Housing Services Program funds. The housing care management services program provides long-term housing and supportive services to help others in “achieving housing stability,” on-the-spot assistance, referrals for medical and mental health services, substance use disorder services, and access to food programs and stamps, according to the ordinance. The contract was set to end Feb. 28, but it will now extend until Feb. 28, 2023.
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February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
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CULTURE: CHEF STANLEY IDLEBIRD IS CHANGING LIVES By Alandria Jack, Food Writer, www.StyleMagazine.com
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Students from Wunsche Senior High School and Chef Idlebird (Photo: A. Jack)
s we continue our journey into this Black History Month, I want us to continue to focus on chefs that are doing work to inspire others. We mentioned before that the theme for 2022 Black History Month is health and wellness and for many of us, health and wellness start in the kitchen. As I am taking this journey with you all, I have cried tears of joy because I have come across some of the most amazing people in the Houston Black Food Scene. For this week I would like to introduce you to an amazing chef that not just cooks well but is inspiring students to venture into a career in the culinary arts. Meet Chef Stanley Idlebird, the culinary arts teacher at Carl Wunsche Senior High School. Wunsche Senior High School is a career academy in Spring ISD. One of the most amazing things about this school is that they allow students to get certified in various career paths. One of those career paths is in culinary and pastry arts. These students can graduate with accolades like Workforce Ready Certification in Culinary Arts and Commercial Baking and National Restaurant Association Certificate of Achievements in Culinary and Baking. They also get experience working in a full commercial kitchen on campus. Chef Idlebird is putting in the work and inspiration to allow these students to excel in this field. Chef Idlebird is a product of Booker T. Washington High School. His early influences were his great-grandmother, Lilian Wilkerson, and grandmother, Helen Idlebird. Despite not knowing that he had a place in the culinary world, he found his way into it and has held many positions. Leaving his job of ten years in 2015 with a major airline company, was the start of his journey in culinary. He attended the culinary arts program at Houston Community College, graduating with his Certificate in Culinary Art Specialization 2 for International Cuisine. After graduating, he has held jobs ranging from prep cook to executive chef. Now he is changing the lives of young people by showing them how to truly navigate their way in the culinary industry and mentor them with life skills.
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I had a chance to spend time with Chef Idlebird and his students and he has curated an environment for excellence. From showing them how to work in the kitchen to allow them to run a student-run café. He allows them to be autonomous and self-starters, which is the opposite of what many of us have been taught to be in the real world. They can even set up catering opportunities for clients from start to finish. When we made it to the campus, we were served an amazing breakfast. We had classic sausage gravy and biscuits with a side of eggs and potatoes. We also had some of their yummy chocolate chip cookies and muffins. Once we were done, students packed our food up for us like in a fine dining restaurant. The professionalism that has been taught to these students is better than most adults in this field. He is mentoring them to be not just workers but entrepreneurs. When I first met Chef Idlebird last year, he discussed with me his plans of building an environment to push the students forward in their careers. Ultimately, he wants them to know the real world of restaurant management, kitchen skills, and catering. He wants to create an immersive learning plan for his future students as and bring technology into the classroom. His goal is to raise funds to supply virtual reality equipment that will allow his students to learn the fast pace environment of the actual restaurant kitchen. That would be awesome to gain that type of experience. When they do start to apply for real jobs, they will be ready to tackle the kitchen! In addition to learning in the kitchen, Chef Idlebird also oversees the student ran café. The cafe sells coffee, tea, sandwiches, desserts, and other things that also help to fund this program. His students hold positions in this café and they run it smoothly and professionally. He allows them to treat it as their business! Another major portion of this program is catering. As mentioned before, students are taught the ins and outs of the catering business. The student ran catering team starts with consultations to come up
February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
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with a menu. Then they plan and make sure your needs are fulfilled. The students assemble a team to work the event. They not only do in-school event catering but are available to be there for your event as well. This is another source of revenue to support the students. This is a mission and cause that I not only want you to SUPPORT but to think of this program first for your catering needs! They are the full package. I promise you all that the food here is not what you would expect to come from high school students. This food is what you expect from professionals and that is what they are. Chef Idlebird is creating the future of culinary leaders, business owners, and more. He is assisting them to dream bigger because many of them may not see the vision from their homes. There are so many ways avenues that you can give besides catering. If you would like to support Chef Idlebird's program and his endeavor to bring virtual reality equipment into the kitchen, please visit https:// www.donorschoose.org/classroom/7761711. Wensche High School's Log-On Café also allows you to make orders for some of the BEST Chocolate Chip Cookies in town. They have big chunks of chocolate chip and are available with pecan. They have brownies, cupcakes, and custom cakes as well. There is even word that the catering team is looking to start doing weddings! So exciting! If you would like to order your treats, please visit https://wunschehs.revtrak.net/ Log-On-Cafe/wunsche-baking-and-pastry/#/list . Chef Idlebird is changing lives. I'm looking forward to seeing what he has next for his students. This is a black chef on a mission and is involved in his student's success. It is warming to see what he is doing and to see where he is going. Community let us come together to help this program by SUPPORTING! Stop by the school for lunch or be there to cheer the students on at the Le Nôtre Chopped competition on April 1. SUPPORT SUPPORT SUPPORT!
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LOCAL: COMMISSIONER ELLIS SECURES $94,368 GRANT FOR S.H.A.P.E. COMMUNITY CENTER TO PURCHASE COMPUTERS AND KITCHEN UPGRADES By www.StyleMagazine.com
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DeLoyd Parker S.H.A.P.E. Community Center (Photo courtesy of SHAPE)
ouston To help close the digital divide in underserved communities, Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis has secured a $94,368 county grant that was awarded to S.H.A.P.E. Community Center to purchase and install 15 laptop and 15 desktop comput-
ers in its computer lab that will be open for Third Ward resident. The grant, approved by Commissioners Court on Tuesday, also provides funds for S.H.A.P.E. to purchase and install supplies and equipment for its kitchen that serves free meals week-
ly to children, adults and seniors. “The COVID-19 pandemic has shed light on existing inequalities in our communities, including access to food, technology and internet connectivity,” Commissioner Ellis said. “I’m pleased that we can assist S.H.A.P.E. to get people in the Third Ward online so they can have vital access to essential services like education, employment opportunities and social services.” On Thursday afternoon, Commissioner Ellis will be the guest speaker at S.H.A.P.E.’s dedication of its Marcos Mazula Technology Center, which is named after longtime S.H.A.P.E. volunteer and children’s educational advocate who started the first technology program at center. The grant funds will complement the services provided to S.H.A.P.E. by Houston Community College (HCC) and Siemens USA, who are introducing students to computer-aided design (CAD) software, 3D printing, and engi-
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neering pathways that are not always accessible to under-resourced communities. “Computers and internet connectivity are no longer luxury items, but rather necessary tools to make sure our children can continue to learn,” Commissioner Ellis said. “Together, this is a public, private and nonprofit effort to close the digital divide. It takes a team effort to meet the community’s needs and improve the quality of life for people of all ages.”
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February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
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ENTERTAINMENT: DISNEY HONORS IMAGINEER LANNY SMOOT, OWNER OF OVER 100 PATENTS By Lisa Respers France, www.CNN.com
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Lanny Smoot (Photo Courtesy of Disney Parks)
e’s behind all the magic! Disney honored imagineer Lanny Smoot, the owner of more than 100 patents, the most of any Disney employee. According to Disney Parks, Smoot has been with the company for more than two decades, his passion for creating and inventions inspired by his father. “Growing up, our family did not have a lot of money. My dad was a bit of a jack-of-all-trades and taught himself how to make many mechanical gadgets, including several of my early toys. One of my earliest childhood memories was him bringing
home an electric bell, a light bulb, some batteries and wire. He set up the bell to ring and the bulb to light, and that light lit my career!,” Smoot recalled. . “My mindset is to create things that are fun, entertaining, often surprising and, hopefully, a bit ahead of their time. At Disney, I can work on cutting edge technologies that are designed to make people happy. What’s not to like?!,” said Smoot. Smoot and his team are always drumming up new technology, thinking outside the box to create things that can’t be seen anywhere else in the world. Not only does Smoot work on technology for the Disney parks, but also for their cruise ships
and other Disney brand offerings. The team goes back and forth creating, choosing the best of their design technology to roll out. Recently, Disney Parks celebrated with Smoot as he received his 100th patent from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office , Smoot totaling 102 patents to date, the most of any employee in Walt Disney Company history. “We’re constantly inventing, and constantly trying to live up to Walt’s dream - that our work will never be done as long as we have guests to entertain,” Smoot said. The inventor also lends himself to work around advocacy for STEAM education and opportunities for students of color. Recently, Smoot served as a judge for an Innovation Challenge sponsored by Disney on the Yard for HBCUs. He says that diversity in the fields of science and technology are critical to the evolution of the field and the creation of future inventors. “We need to give young students - especially Black students and people of color - experience in these fields. The Walt Disney Company is digging deeply into this by making sure that we mentor diverse young people, and I’ve done that many times - sharing my technical knowledge with people who are interested in doing technology but may not have in the past had the exposure that they need,” Smoot explained. Disney Parks is highlighting and celebrating the contributions of their Black creators, cast members, fans, and guests all Black History Month.
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ENTERTAINMENT: ADDITIONAL ARTISTS AT RODEO FOR BUN’S H-TOWN TAKEOVER By www.StyleMagazine.com
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he Local rap legends will join Bun B for Rodeo’s Black Heritage Day, presented by Kroger Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo officials announced today the four additional artists who will join the five previously announced artists and Bun B for their RODEOHOUSTON debut performance, March 11, 2022, for Black Heritage Day. “Thanks to Bun B for helping us put this group of Houston rap legends together,” said Chris Boleman, president and CEO of the Rodeo. “We think this all-star list will make an unforgettable Black Heritage Day performance.” The performance, known as Bun B’s H-Town Takeover, features Bun B and nine of Houston’s most well-known legendary rap icons, including: Previously Announced Artists • Paul Wall • Slim Thug • Lil Flip • Lil Keke
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H City of Houston Inspira Public Health Storytelling Campaign H
Mayor Sylvester Turner and environmental justice representatives kickedoff the “Houston Inspires/Houston Inspira,” public health storytelling campaign today at the Houston Climate Justice Museum and Cultural Center in Second Ward. The campaign is aimed at educating people and improving lives in five of the Complete Communities: Acres Homes, Alief/Westwood, Kashmere Gardens, Near Northside, and Second Ward.
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H 2022 Vision Luncheon East End Chamber Luncheon H
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of the top 25 products selected in the H-E-B Primo
8 secret family recipes are handmade daily to
Picks Quest for Texas Best competition, she’s now
give you a rich, tasty snacking experience.
packaging and distributing Savannah Rose Sweet Tea Punch to H-E-B stores throughout Texas.
Learn more about these products and other Black-owned brands at heb.com/bethechange
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February 24, 2022 - March 01, 2022
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