Post on 18-Aug-2018
TPATEXAS
PUBLISHERS
ASSOCIATION
Presorted StandardU.S. Postage Paid
Austin, TexasPermit No. 01949
INSIDEVol. 43 No. 27 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: vil3202@aol.com November 20, 2015
RAPPIN’
Tommy Wyatt
www.TheAustinVillager.com
This paper canbe recycled
COMMON, NE-YO AND ELIJAH KELLEY ARE NEWESTADDITIONS TO ALL-STAR CAST FOR ‘THE WIZ LIVE!’Naomi Richard | The Austin Villager Newspaper
NBC’s highly antici-
pated holiday showing of
‘The Wiz Live!” will air on
December 3, 2015. Tele-
cast is to be among the
biggest TV events of the
Season. Adding to an al-
ready A-list cast, Oscar
winner Common, singer-
songwriter-actor Ne-Yo
and “Hairspray” co-star
Elijah Kelley have joined
NBC’s highly anticipated
holiday production cast.
Kelley will play the
Scarecrow, the first of the
three friends to meet Dor-
othy and who has always
dreamed of having brains,
but never realizing that
he’s the smartest of them
all.
Ne-Yo will play the
Tin Man, who was once a
flesh-and-blood woods-
man but a spell put on him
by the Wicked Witch
causes him to lose his
limbs and heart. He learns
that he’s never lost the
ability to feel.
Common will play
the Bouncer, the
gatekeeper of the en-
trance to Emerald City
who is out to get what he
can from Dorothy and her
three friends. Common
and John Legend won
Academy Awards earlier
this year for Best Original
Song for their composition
of the single “Glory” from
the 2014 film “Selma.” He
also co-starred in the
movie — about the 1965
voting rights marches
from Selma to Montgom-
ery, Ala. — as 1960s civil
rights movement leader
James Bevel.
"The Wiz Live!" Key Art -- (Photo by: NBCUniversal)
SeeTHE WIZ LIVE!,
page 2
Manor ISDPartners with
AustinCommunity
Collegefor $224,178Dual-Credit
Training Grant
TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar presents a $224,178 Skills Development fund grant check
to representatives from Austin Community College and Manor ISD on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015.
Pictured from left to right:are ACC Trustee Guadalupe Sosa, ACC President/CEO Dr. Richard
Rhodes, Manor ISD Superintendent Kevin Brackmeyer, Manor ISD Board President Marlin
Thomas, Chairman Alcantar, Manor ISD Board Secretary John Jonse, Manor ISD Board Trustee
Elmer Fisher, Manor ISD Board Trustee Ana Cortez, Manor ISD Board VP Melinda Fiebig and
Manor ISD Board Trustee Johnny Velasco. Photo Courtesy of Manor ISD
AUSTIN,TX - Manor
Independent School Dis-
trict (Manor ISD) has
partnered with Austin
Community College (ACC)
to offer Career and Tech-
nical Education (CTE) pro-
gramming to junior and
senior high school stu-
dents using a $224,178
Skills Development Fund
grant from the Texas
Workforce Commission
(TWC). Collaborative ef-
forts involved various part-
ners including Workforce
Solutions Rural Capital
Area, Samsung, Austin Re-
gional Manufacturers As-
sociation and Associated
Builders and Contractors.
This grant supports
dual-credit curriculum de-
velopment focused on oc-
cupational areas of com-
puter network support
specialists, electrical and
electronics engineering
technicians, electrical
power-line installers and
repairers and heating,
ventilation and air condi-
tioning mechanics and in-
stallers. Students will be
eligible for industry-recog-
nized credentials such as
CompTIA, Manufacturing
Skills Standards Council
(MSSC), NCCER and
EPA608.
“TWC is proud to sup-
port this innovative partner-
ship between Manor ISD,
Austin Community College
and industry partners which
will provide area students
with valuable dual-credit
training to accelerate their
college and career goals,”
said TWC Chairman Andres
Alcantar. “Collaborative ef-
forts like these are a valu-
able investment and benefit
the Texas economy.”
This dual-credit grant
is an expansion of the
Skills Development Fund
to support certain joint-
credit courses offered by
school districts in partner-
ship with public junior col-
leges, public state colleges
or public technical institu-
tions. Funding is made
available to further sup-
port the creation and ex-
pansion of dual-credit ca-
reer and technical educa-
tions in Texas schools that
are highly technical in na-
ture, addressing local area
demands for high-skill,
high-demand and high-
wage industries. Individu-
als seeking more informa-
tion about the Skills Devel-
opment Fund may visit the
TWC website at
www.texasworkforce.org/
skills.
ACC contact: Senior
Public Information Spe-
cialist and Media Coordi-
nator Jessica Vess, 512-
223-7596 or
Jessica.vess@austincc.edu.
A Challenge to the Internet Age:more than half of consumers in the
South prefer info over the phoneNovember 2015 – Despite the impact of the digi-
tal revolution, more than half of consumers in America’s
South prefer to receive information over the phone
rather than going online, research has revealed.
The study of 2,234 US respondents, conducted by
audio branding specialist PH Media Group, found 51
per cent of people in the region favour the phone when
searching for basic information on a company, such as
opening hours or details of products and services.
The result might come as a surprise, given Ameri-
cans spend an average of 11 hours each day using elec-
tronic media but older generations are particularly fond
of the phone.
Across the US, fifty-seven per cent of 55 to 64-year-
See DIGITAL AGE, page 2PHMG photo
We have beendown this road
before! With all of the talk aboutinviting more than 10,000refugees to the United Statesin the aftermath of the Paristragedy, it brings back somevery tense time that we hadin Texas after the Vietnamwar. While our Americansoldiers were coming hometo protests and rudetreatment, we rolled out thewelcome mat to theVietnamese. The first wave ofimmigrants arrived inHouston after the end of theVietnam War, when Saigonfell to the North Vietnameseon April 30, 1975.Thousands of Vietnamesepeople who had affiliationsto the South Vietnamesegovernment fled Vietnam.The first wave consisted ofa higher proportion ofmanagers and pro-fessionals and a smallproportion of blue collarworkers than the populatonof Vietnam. The federalrefugee resettlementsystem established by theIndochinese Assistanceand Refugee AssistanceAct of 1975, which wasactive from 1975 to 1988,designated Houston as amajor resettling site forVietnamese. The “boat people” whocame from 1972 to 1982,were socio-economicallypoorer than the first waveand brought a lot ofproblems with them. That is the group thatGovernor Abbott wasthinking about when he saidthat Texas would not beopen to the refegees ofSyria. He does not want tosee Texas go through thisproblem again and believesthat there needs to be a bettersolution. At a time when we havelegions of homeless andunemployed in this countrynow, it would be criminal tobring another group ofpeople into an enviromentthat they are not equipped tofit into. However, we shoulddo all that we can to helpthem get settled in an areathat they are more equippedto survive in. We need to do more tofind housing for our homelessveterans who are in need ofhousing, healthcare and jobs.We need to help our own firstthen we will be in a betterposition to help others.
Community leaderslauded for
social equality
tenacity.
See NAACP
Page 2
High volume brutality
cases calls for
regulation summit.
See JIMENEZ
Page 6
Urban Roots host
social justuce
interactive workshop.
See FOOD
Page 5
THE COMMUNIQUÉPage 2 ~ November 20, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
“The Wiz Live!” reunites Kelley with Queen
Latifah, as both co-starred in the 2007 film “Hairspray,”
where he played her son, Seaweed J. Stubbs. In addi-
tion, Kelley will once again collaborate with “The Wiz
Live!” and “Hairspray” producers Craig Zadan and Neil
Meron.
Mary J. Blige will play Evillene, the Wicked Witch
of the West, who holds sway over the Winkies and the
Winged Monkeys that do her bidding. She captures Dor-
othy and her friends to avenge the unintentional mur-
der of her evil sister, Evvamean, and to get back the
powerful silver slippers given to Dorothy by the Good
Witch of the North.
David Alan Grier will play the Cowardly Lion, who
asks Dorothy if he can join her in her journey down the
Yellow Brick Road to ask the Wiz for some courage,
which he is severely lacking. Uzo Aduba will play Glinda,
the Good Witch of the South, who finally reveals the
secret of the silver slippers to Dorothy and points her
way home.
Amber Riley will play Addaperle, the Good Witch
of the North who isn’t the best at magic but she does
try. She is a sister of Glinda, Evillene and Evvamene,
the other three witches of Oz. She points Dorothy to
the Yellow Brick Road and her journey to Emerald City.
Shanice Williams, a 19-year-old New Jersey native who
has been raised and trained in musical theater, is the
new Dorothy.
Stephanie Mills will portray Auntie Em in “The Wiz
Live!” Mills is best known to many for playing Dorothy
in the original Broadway production of “The Wiz.”
“The Wiz Live!” is adapted from “The Wonderful
Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, with a book by Will-
iam F. Brown, and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls.
The production opened on Broadway in 1975 at the
Majestic Theatre and won seven Tonys, including Best
Musical.
“The Wiz Live!” is produced by Universal Televi-
sion in association with Cirque Du Soleil Theatrical.
Ne-Yo as Tinman -- (Photo by: Paul Gilmore/NBC)
Beloved Stephanie Millsand Queen Latifah amongstars in “The Wiz Live!”
continued from page 1
RESEARCH SHOWING DIGITAL AGE HASN’TSUPPLANTED TRADITIONAL
COMMUNICATION MEANS YETcontinued from page 1
olds and 53 per cent
of 45 to 54-year-olds pre-
fer calling over using the
internet, compared to less
than half of 35 to 44-year-
olds (49 per cent), 25 to
35-year-olds (45 per cent)
and 18 to 24-year-olds (42
per cent).
“Although we have
entered a digital age, the
results of this study sug-
gest people still prefer the
reassurance of being able
to pick up the phone to re-
ceive a direct answer to
queries they have about a
particular business,” said
Mark Williamson, Sales
and Marketing Director, PH
Media Group.
“As such, it provides
a clear message to busi-
nesses in the South that
they should not neglect
traditional methods of
communication. Large
amounts of budget are
devoted to ensuring
websites are eye-catch-
ing, responsive and pro-
vide a positive user expe-
rience but call handling
practice must also meet
the same standards.
“At a basic level this
means ensuring staff are
properly trained on how to
answer calls but it also
means carefully controlling
all voice and music custom-
ers hear while on the phone.
It is important to ensure all
audio is brand congruent,
reinforcing desired com-
pany values.”
Further results re-
vealed more than two-
fifths of consumers (42 per
cent) in the South actually
prefer to receive informa-
tion quickly via an on-hold
message rather than
speaking to a customer
service advisor.
This trend is particu-
larly strong among
younger generations. Al-
most half of 18 to 34-year-
olds (49 per cent) in
America prefer to receive
information via an on-hold
message, compared to 32
per cent of people aged
over 35.
Mark added: “Tradi-
tionally, being left on hold
is perceived as an irrita-
tion for consumers but
these results suggest it
can actually become a
positive if managed cor-
rectly.
“By implementing so-
lutions such as on-hold mar-
keting, companies can turn
previously ‘dead air’ into a
valuable opportunity for
communicating key infor-
mation to customers while
they wait on the line.”
Austin, TX – Austin
NAACP President Nelson
Linder and the Award com-
mittee have officially re-
leased the names of the
keynote speaker and the
individuals that will be
given the chapter’s two
highest honors at the 50th
Annual DeWitty/Overton
Freedom Fund Banquet on
Saturday, December 5,
2015. The event will be-
gin at 6:00pm and will be
held at the Austin Conven-
tion Center in Ballroom D,
located at 500 East Cesar
Chavez Street, Austin, TX
78701.
The Austin branch of
the NAACP has worked dili-
gently to address the key
economic, social and po-
litical issues facing people
of color The DeW itty/
Overton Freedom Fund
Banquet has established
itself as one of the premier
events in the capital city
of Texas celebrating the
diverse accomplishments
of individuals who have
served the community and
upheld the rigors of social
equality.
The 50th Annual
Dewitty/Overton Freedom
Fund Banquet will focus
on the theme “Civil Rights
and Social Justice”. The
keynote speaker for this
event will be Dr. Paul But-
ler, of Georgetown Univer-
sity Law School in Wash-
ington, DC. Currently, Pro-
fessor Butler researches
and teaches in the areas
of criminal law, race rela-
tions law, and critical
theory. Butler received his
BA from Yale University
and his Juris Doctorate
from Harvard Law School.
His work has been pub-
lished in many leading
scholarly journals, and has
been the subject of intel-
lectual debate in both aca-
demic and major network
media.
This year, Albert L.
Black, will be the es-
teemed recipient of the
Dewitty/Overton Award
which is the chapter ’s
highest honor. For more
than 30 years Mr. Black
has championed the im-
portance of and worked in
the education sector dur-
ing his 27 year tenure at
the Texas Education
Agency. Currently, he is the
Executive Director of Child,
Inc. a non-profit organiza-
tion that provides low-in-
come families with early
childhood education, men-
tal health services, dis-
abilities services, nutri-
tional services, medical
and dental services, social
services and parent en-
gaged activities.
The NAACP Austin
Branch will also confer the
Captain Louie White
Award to Clayton Harris of
Austin Community Col-
lege. Having served nearly
38 years in law enforce-
ment. Harris has commit-
ted his life and career to
ensuring that residents in
the community have ac-
cess to excellent police
protection. Currently, Mr.
Harris is assigned to the
Elgin Branch of ACC. Ad-
ditional community service
awards will presented
throughout the evening
and the program will in-
clude the Austin Branch
Youth council, music and
local entertainment.
“Every year our re-
ward recipients bring to
the forefront how impor-
tant the key tenets of edu-
cation, access and justice
are as anchors to the well
being and success of
people of color— both in
our local communities and
around the world, says
Austin NAACP chapter
president Nelson Linder.
“Reaching our 50th cel-
ebration of these accom-
plishments — it is both
humbling and encouraging
that we are still able reach
into the community and
highlight these individual
and collective beacons of
excellence”, he continued.
For more information
visit the organization’s
website at
www.naacpaustin.com.
Contact the Austin NAACP
offices — Nelson Linder,
President via telephone at:
(512) 695-6674 or email
at: lindernelson@aol.com.
You can also reach the
media contact for the or-
ganization – Kimberly Gist
at (917) 327-1576 or
Kimberly@gistanevent.com.
AUSTIN NAACP HOSTSITS 50TH ANNUAL
DEWITTY OVERTONFREEDOM FUND
BANQUETAND NAMES DR. PAUL
BUTLER OFGEORGETOWN LAW AS
THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER Dr. Paul Butler,Georgetown University Law School
in Washington, DC.
CHURCH & TOWN BULLETIN
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281
Christian Web Site-stpetersaustintx.ning.com
stpetersaustintx@att.netTHE PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.
COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH USSunday School 8:45 a.m.
Praise and Worship 10:15 a.m.Wednesday Bible Study 12:00 p.m.
and Praise /Bible Study 6:30 p.m.(to include Children’s Choir Rehersaland
Bible Study with age appropiate Activities)Rev. Jack C. Gause Pastor
Agape Baptist ChurchIn “The Centre” Bldg. F-15 7801 N. Lamar Blvd. (SE Corner of N Lamar and 183)
AGAPE is a chuch for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the love Heexhibited is Exemplified.” Come, receive God’s unconditional lovefor you.
For there is no greater love!
Church ServicesSunday School 9:30 AMSunday Worship 11:00 AM
Mid-Week Service Thursday: Praise,Prayer and Bible Study 7:00 PMCall 454-1547 for Transporation
Website www.agapebcaustintx.comRev. H. Ed Calahan
Pastor
Imani Community ChurchDavis Elementray Auditorium 5214 West Duval Road
Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Worship Service 10:00 A.M.•Power Hour Bible Life Group 6:00 P.M.
Imani Complex & Office,11800 Mustang at Duval Austin, Texas 78727
Visit:imanichurch.comOffice: 512-343-9300Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims
7801 N. Lamar Blvd,Suite D 102,
Austin, Texas 78752
Worship: Sunday--10:00 am - 12:30 pm
Tuesday Bible Studies--7:30pm - 9:00 pmFriday Prayers--7:30 pm - 9:30 pm
The Church of Pentecost, USA Inc,Austin offers a wide variety of opportuni-ties for children, youth, adults, and olderadults to be involved in worship, spiritualgrowth, education, community outreach,and making a tangible difference to thosein need in our community. You too, canmake a positive difference in our commu-nity through your prayers, your presence,your gifts, your service, and your witness.Tel: 512 302-1270
Leading People to Experience God’s Love, Know Jesus Christ & Grow in His ImageThe Church of Pentecost
Olive Branch Fellowship of Austin / All Faith Chapel4110 Guadalupe St Bldg #639 Austin, TX 78751
Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am
Romans 5:1 Therefore,having beenjustified by faith, we have peace
with God through our Lord Jesus Christ
This life, therefore, is not righteous-ness, but growth in righteousness; not health,but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest,but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be,but we are growing toward it. The process isnot yet finished, but it is going on. This is notthe end, but it is the road. All does not yetgleam in glory, but all is being purified.
--- Martin Luther
Kenneth Hill, Pastor
1179 San Bernard Street,Austin, TX 78702, 512-478-7023
Sunday Morning Bible Study, 9:00 A.M.Sunday Morning Worship, 10:15 A.M.Visit our website @ www.obcaus.org
Globalizing the Gospel
A Ministry That Ministers
Edward M. Fleming,Sr. Pastor
OLIVET BAPTISTCHURCH
Felix Bamirin, PastorGRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH
Experience Grace For Life
(By Parmer Lane Baptist Church building, behind Wells Fargo)
Call: 682.472.9073 l Email: gracewayaustin@aol.com lVisit: www.gracewaycca.org
JOIN US This SUNDAY / THURSDAY@ 12424 Scofield Farms Drive, Austin, TX 78758
SUNDAYS 10:30 A.M., THURSDAYS 7:30 P.M.
Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church 5900 Cameron Road Austin, Texas 78723-1843
(512) 451-0808 (512) 302-4575 Fax Web Site - www.themount.net
WORSHIP SERVICESSunday Worship - 7:45 a.m. & 11 a.m.Church School - 9:45 a.m.Bible Studies - Mon, 6:30 p.m. & Wed., 12 noonWednesday Night Worship - 7 p.m.
“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18 A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor
www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/November 20, 2015 ~ Page 3
Ebenezer Baptist Church1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax 512-478-1892
WednesdayMidweek Prayer Service 7:00 P.M.Child Development CenterAges 0-5 years (Daily) 512-478-6709
Bus Ministry Call 512-478-1875
Worship Service 8:00 A.M.Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Discipleship Training 10:00 A.M.Worship Service 11:00 A.M.
Dr. Ricky Freeman,Pastor
We Want YOU!Advertise With The
VILLAGER
We Want YOU!Advertise With The
VILLAGER
Sunday Services
Do you have church news? Would you like topurchase a monthly ad for your church?
Inquire TODAY!Send your information to vil3202@aol.com
or call 512-476-0082
ProphetessStephanie N’ChoAssociate Pastor
469-226-4679 | www.vainqueurs.org805 S. Sherman St. Richardson, TX 75081
La Génération des VainqueursMinistry Church
Tuesday - Friday: 3pm -10pmWalking and Appointment
Wednesday Bible Study | 7:45pmFriday Prayer |7:45pm
Sunday Service | 10:00am
Villager Youth Brigade will be taking sponsorshipsstarting summer of 2015.Your support has beenmuch appreciated over the years. Please continueto invest in Austin’s youth. We look forward toanother successful year with some promisingstudents. FMI Call 512-476-0082
DAVID CHAPEL Missionary Baptist ChurchSUNDAY | Christian Education 9:15a.m.Worship 10:30 a.m. (MLK)Nursery AvailableTUESDAY | TNT Bible Study(Pflugerville) 6:45p.m.WEDNESDAY | Prayer & Praise 7:00p.m.Bible Study 7:30p.m.
Dr. Joseph C. Parker, Jr.Senior Pastor
512-472-9748 www.davidchapel.org2211 E.MLK @ Chestnut St. Austin, TX 78702
DOUBLE
GROCERY“R”
450l East Martin Luther King Blvd.*We cash ALL Tax Refund*Checks *Check Out
Country Boyz Fixin’s4140 E. 12th Street, Austin, TX 78721
Featuring Fish, Poboys, Hot Wings, Pork Chops,Homemade Gumbo, Shrimp and Alligator
DINE IN OR ORDER TO GOMon - Friday 11 am - 8 p.m.Saturday - 12 noon - 8 p.m.
Closed SundayCall (512) 928-5555
*Mention this ad and get a FREE 20 oz. Drink*
An Interfaith Celebration of Thanksgiving“We have come this far by faith!”
For 31 years CentralTexans of diverse tradi-tions have gathered togive thanks with one voiceat the Interfaith Action ofCentral Texas annualThanksgiving Service andCelebration. This year’sevent is at 3 p.m. Sunday,November 22, 2015 at theSt. John Regular BaptistAssociation, 7501 BlessingAve. A free event, open tothe public. This interfaithservice celebrates andgives thanks for the diver-sity we bring to Austin andto our common ground.
As part of iACT’s mis-
sion to cultivate peace andrespect, people of diversefaiths gather to offerthanks and celebrate ourshared values. A variety offaith traditions are repre-sented including; Bahá’í,Hindu, Jewish, Muslim,Protestant, Catholic, Sikhand Unitarian. The serviceincludes prayers and mu-sic from the diverse tradi-tions.
The Rev. Dr. G. V.Clark graciously hostedthe 30th annual service in2014 at Mt. Zion BaptistChurch, where he hasbeen Pastor since 1970.
Building on that relation-ship, this year the servicewill be held at the St.John’s Tabernacle. PastorClark is the Moderator ofthe nearly 150 year old as-sociation, comprised of 64African-American congre-gations, which traces itsroots back to 1867 when,“four ministers from differ-ent parts of Texas met un-der a large oak tree inWheatsville…on the cornerof 25th and Leon Streets[and] divided Texas into fourdivisions of associations.”
In the U.S. we all sharethe distinctly American tra-
dition of Thanksgiving, set-ting aside one day as a na-tion to give thanks for thegood in our lives. Celebrat-ing together across religiousand ethnic lines connects usand fosters appreciation forthe many different pathsrepresented in our pluralis-tic society. The InterfaithThanksgiving Service andCelebration offers CentralTexans an experience ofunity in diversity; a wel-come response to the tur-moil we have seen this yearfrom Ferguson to Charles-ton, in the war in Syria andthe refugee crisis.
Brown SantaThe Travis County Wellness Committee, in asso-
ciation with the Austin Runner’s Club, is sponsoring the12th Annual Brown Santa 5k Run/Walk on December6, 2015, race begins at 8:15am at the Travis County ExpoCenter, 7311 Decker Ln., Austin, TX 78724. Proceeds willbenefit the Travis County Sheriff’s Office Brown Santaprogram. The Brown Santa 5K is offered as a competi-tive (chip-timed) event, as well as a fun run/walk.
Pre-Race Registration (through Nov. 30): Chip-Timed/Fun Run/Walk $35; 12 & under $15 Day of Reg-istration (Dec. 6): Chip-Timed/Fun Run/Walk $40; 12 &
A Christmas Holiday Project of the Travis County Sheriff’s Officeunder $20 Online Registration is available through raceday Awards will be presented to:
Overall Male & FemaleMasters (over 40) Male & FemaleTop 3 Male & Female finishers in the following age
groups: 12 & Under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39,40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+ and wheelchair.Event information is at; https://www.tcsheriff.org/
community/events/365-12th-annual-brown-santa-5k orfor questions, please contact us atBrownSanta5K@traviscountytx.gov or (512) 854-7786.
Rep. Garnet Coleman(D-Houston) announcedlast week that he is calling ahearing to discuss data thatindicates DPS is inaccuratelyrecording the race of thoseticketed by troopers.
The House CountyAffairs Committee, forwhich Rep. Coleman is the
Chair, will meet Wednes-day at 11:15 am at theState Capitol in roomE2.016 to discuss this is-sue. The Committee willhear from Texas Depart-ment of Public Safety Di-rector Steve McCraw andProfessor FrankBaumgartner, University
of North Carolina atChapel Hill, an expert onthis issue, regarding thedata, the problems withthe current coding prac-tices, and how to correctthis moving forward.
“This is important.We need to make sure thateveryone is treated fairly
and no one is the victim ofracial profiling.”
The Committee willalso receive an update onthe new inmate intakescreening form from theTexas Commission on JailStandards and discuss re-cent jail suicides in theState.
County Affairs Racial Coding Hearing
EVENTS EXPLORE BLACKCOOPERATIVE ECONOMICS
AND INEQUALITYJessica Gordon Nembhard talks cooperative economy at HT
Austin, TX — A Decem-ber event series at Huston-Tillotson will explore how his-torical and contemporary Af-rican American communitieshave utilized cooperative eco-nomic strategies in responseto systemic inequality.
December 2nd willfeature short films abouttwo worker cooperativesand a “Q&A” session with
a worker-owner fromMandela Foods Coopera-tive in Oakland, CA.
The December 9thevent will feature an in-depth conversation withDr. Jessica GordonNembhard, author of Col-lective Courage: A Historyof African American Coop-erative Economic Thoughtand Practice.
Although the City of
Austin is growing, theBlack population is in de-cline. As the city hasgrown, so too has eco-nomic inequality, whichhas disproportionately af-fected Austin’s Black com-munities. This event seriesexplores what communi-ties can do in response tothese pressing economicconditions.
Both events are free
and open to the public at7:00 pm in Huston-Tillotson’s Dickey-LawlessAuditorium.
This event series ishosted by CooperationTexas, a local nonprofit or-ganization dedicated tocreating dignified jobsthrough the development,support, and promotion ofworker-owned coopera-tive businesses.
THE VILLAGER/November 20, 2015 ~ Page 4 www.theaustinvillager.com
YOUTH BRIGADE
Youth of TodayHope of Tomorrow
Mother-Daugher Tea
On Sunday, Novem-ber 8, I went to a Mother-Daughter Tea hosted bythe Knights of PeterClaver Ladies Auxialiaryand Junior DaughtersHoly Cross Court #284.The theme was "Pearls ofWisdom". The programhad guest speakers, teatime, refreshments, spo-ken word poetry, and afashion show. There werevendors selling all kinds
Ava RobertsSpring Hill Elementary
of things. There was aphotographer too.
After the openingprayer, the first guestspeaker spoke about"Pearls of Wisdom". Dur-ing the program, we ateall sorts of cookies andsipped hot tea until inter-mission. At intermission,we ate food, drank morehot tea, shopped at thevendors, and took pic-tures. The second part ofthe tea started with afashion show. Then theother guest speakerspoke about alzheimerawareness.
My favorite thingswere the fashion show,shopping, and drinking thetea that tastes the sameevery time. I have attendedthe tea every year and amexcited about going againnext year.
Benchmark and Veteran’s Day
This past week atAthlos Leadership Acad-emy, we had First Bench-mark testing. Since I’m in 7thgrade we had to take three
Averill ToppsO. Henry Middle School
Hello everybody, Iam here to tell you aboutmy experience with a re-ally great restaurant. Therestaurant is namedThree Chicks Soulfood.At Three Chicks Soulfoodyou can get anythingfrom oxtails to fried ribs.My mom got the oxtailswith collard greens andsweet potatoes. My dadgot fried ribs with blackeyed peas and sweet po-
tatoes.Three Chicks
Soulfood restaurant wasestablished about twomonths ago when itsowner decided theywanted to put a ThreeChicks Soulfood in Austinright next to 2 other res-taurants. One of the res-taurants that is near byThree Chicks Soulfood isRolling Rooster. At Roll-ing Rooster I got the gritsand shrimp because theylooked really good andtasted really good aswell.
Well that's all for to-day but I hope you go toThree Chicks Soulfoodbecause the food is re-ally good. I suggest thatyou go and try the Oxtailsbecause they taste veryhigh-quality. I hope youliked this article. GoO'Henry Mustangs
Three Chicks Soulfood
tests that includes: math,reading, and writing. It wassuch a long week for all ofus middle school and highschool. I’m really glad thatall this testing is over.
What made the weekbetter, since I’m in MusicalTheater, we had a perfor-mance on veteran day. Weperformed “The Star-Spangled Banner” is thenational anthem of theUnited States of Americaand “Boogie-Woogie BugleBoy” by the Andrew sisters.I had a great time perform-ing this week and gettingthe through benchmark.
Sarah RobertsonAthlos Leadership Acad.
Breast Cancer Awareness Walk
Wesley DickersonCedar Ridge H. S.
This past weekend Iwas able to attend the17th Annual Susan GKomen Race for the curein Austin. The Susan GKomen walks are heldacross the country and areused to promote breastcancer awareness as wellas to fundraise for the re-search for a breast cancercure. The way the eventworks is that people pay torun in the race or partici-pate in the walk and themoney goes towardsbreast cancer awarenesspromotion and research.Although the main event isthe 5K run or walk, manyother things in the areasurround the event. Res-taurants have special pro-motions and people willopen up stands for the par-ticipants to eat after theirrace. There are also
people who will run therace in groups that aremade from different orga-nizations and even someschools.
Another aspect ofthe race are the volunteerswho make the race hap-pen. Some people will helpwith set up and clean upwith the race, others willset up stations for runnersto get water on the go.Lastly some people arejust there for support.What I did this past Sun-day was stand near theside of the finish line withmy fellow members of theteen group of the Austinchapter of Jack and Jill andcheered on the runners,walkers, and survivorsalike as they completedtheir races. Our contribu-tion may not have beenhuge in the traditionalsense but it can be veryuplifting to see peoplewho don’t even know youcheering you on to the fin-ish. After the race awoman, who was a breastcancer survivor, came upto a friend and I andthanked us for cheeringher on.
This past breast can-cer awareness walk wasvery uplifting and it was anamazing event to attendwith many activities to do.
Genesis StiggersElgin Middle School
CenTex
This weekend is myfirst real band competition.It is called the CenTex BandCompetition and it’s on Sat-urday. I am both nervous andexcited to compete in thisspecial competition, eventhough I still need to prac-tice. After all, I will be com-peting with districts from allover Texas. It is mandatoryfor my band, which is WindEnsemble, and the percus-sion from Symphonic Bandto compete in CenTex, andhopefully everyone will getplaced.
Even though I’ve neverdone CenTex before, myband teacher explained it tome pretty clearly. The com-petition is at Farley MiddleSchool in Hutto. We willmeet at my school anddrive to Farley. When we getthere we will have a seat inthe cafeteria and wait until
they give us letters. Weneed letters to use asnames because the judgescan’t know our names orthey might score us unfairly.After we get our letters wego to our rooms we will playour music and get judged.Unfortunately, we have toplay in front of every otherkid in our room no matterhow bad or good you are.We also have to wait forevery single student in ourroom to finish, whichmeans waiting for 55 bas-soons and alto Saxes. Iguess it’s better than beinga clarinet, who has to waitfor 99 kids to play their mu-sic.
Anyway, I’m actuallypretty pumped to go toCenTex because all the hardwork I’ve done since the be-ginning of the year will fi-nally pay off. Ever since I gotthe CenTex music andscales it’s been my prioritywhen I practiced. Every sixweeks I thought I wouldn’tbe able to play my music butat the end of every sixweeks I end up one of thefirst ten people to finish myobjectives, even though I’min the band a grade higherthan most of seventh grade.CenTex will hopefully bevery fun and I’m excited tofind out what happens to-morrow.
Stomach Bug
Monday morningthe 9th, I woke up with alittle stomach ache andtold my mom and she said"Do you feel like going toschool? " I said yes andwent on to school. Tues-
day morning my stomachwas really hurting but Iwent to school anyway. 15minutes after I got into 1stperiod I couldn't hold it inand had to let it out andended up vomiting inclass. I went to the nursesoffice and stayed forabout an hour until mymom came to pick me up.We went home and I vom-ited 6 more times that daythen I rested. I missedschool for Wednesday andThursday as well. I went tothe doctor and was told Ihad a stomach virus andwas given medicine. I wentback to school Friday be-cause I was feeling a lotbetter and I still am. Hope-fully that doesn't change.
SaNaya WhiteAnn Richards
Thanksgiving Season
Erika LipscombManor Middle School
Now that Halloween isover it is time for thanksgiv-ing. The tradition , the holi-day , and the celebration of
family getting together andeating delicious food with abeautiful turkey. Basicallythanksgiving is when thingscome together. The seasonscolors that make me thinkand represent thanksgivingare brown , yellow , orange, kind of a bright red. I can'twait for Black Friday and allthe other sells. I also can'twait for the season feel ofthat warm-ish , cool-ishweather. Well , that is all fornow ! Gobble to ya later , Imean talk to ya later!
School to Prison
Damon Luckett IIHays High School
The term "school-to-prison pipeline" is a phrasethat is used by scholars, edu-cation reform activists, andothers. Organizations suchas the American Civil Liber-ties Union (ACLU), the JusticePolicy Center, AdvancementProject, and the New York CivilLiberties Union (NYCLU) de-scribe what they view as awidespread pattern in theUnited States of pushing stu-dents, especially those whoare already at a disadvantage,out of school and into theAmerican criminal justice sys-tem. The school to prisonpipeline works its way up fromschool districts to the federalgovernment. The school toprison pipeline starts at 3rdgrade. Imagine the reaction ofa 3rd grader if you told themthat they are being watchedby the government.
As a black male inschool, I've learned nothingabout my heritage. I want to
learn more about black his-tory in my school. I want tounderstand these questionsthat I'm about to ask. Why dowe have to learn about myhistory when it's MLK day andBlack History month? Howcome Black History month isjust one month? Why does myheritage have to define itselfin one month when we'vebeen in America since 1619and just now got our freedomin the 1960's? Why does myschool have a have meetingsabout pulling a Rebel flagdown and removing "Dixie"from a school song but can'thave a meeting aboutwhether they should teachblack history? These are thequestions I ask myself as ablack male. What If I'm notdoing well in school becauseI can't engage? Everythingwe learn isn't interesting tome. I don't learn anythingabout me. That affects me inmany ways, including theschool to prison pipeline.
When I don't get goodgrades, my GPA gets lower.When my GPA gets lower, it'llaffect my chances of going tocollege. If I don't have an edu-cation for a good job, then Iwon't be getting money toprovide for myself whichmight lead to illegal activities.Illegal activities lead to jail. IfI don't apply myself in school,they'll have a bed waiting onme in prison.
www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/November 20, 2015 ~ Page 5
THE COURIERMy Weekend
Last Saturday we
went to a soccer game to
see my 6 year old god-sis-
ter play. She did pretty
well for their age and size.
Their team got a couple of
goals and got the win.
When we came back
home I was sitting on the
couch and I got up be-
cause I wanted a little
snack, so I looked in the
pantry and I saw some
brownies. When my mom
woke up from her nap I
Kevin ParishPark Crest M.S.
asked her “after we eat
McDonalds can we make
these brownies?” she re-
plied “yes”. I have not
baked brownies before
but it was an easy task to
complete. Those brownies
were really good!
On Thursday, Novem-
ber 19, 2015 my family
and I are going to the east
coast to spend a week
there for Thanksgiving.
Every year for about the
last 16 or 17 years (13 yrs
for me) they have gone to
Hilton Head, South Caro-
lina for Thanksgiving
which is just across the
bridge from Savannah
Georgia, where my grand-
parents a from. I’m looking
forward to the trip.
I did not make my
school basketball team
this time but I’m going to
join PYBA, (Pflugerville
Youth Basketball Associa-
tion). GO Pumas!!
The African Children's Choir to Perform in Austin
AUSTIN, TX - The Af-
rican Children’s Choir
melts the hearts of audi-
ences with their charming
smiles, beautiful voices
and lively African songs
and dances. The program
features well-loved
children’s songs, traditional
Spirituals and Gospel favor-
ites. Concerts are free and
open to all. A free-will offer-
ing is taken at the perfor-
mance to support African
Children’s Choir programs,
such as education, care and
relief and development pro-
grams.
Music for Life (The
parent organization for
The African Children’s
Choir) works in seven Af-
rican countries such as,
Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda,
Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana and
South Africa. MFL has edu-
cated over 52,000 children
and impacted the lives of
over 100,000 people
through its relief and devel-
opment programs during its
history. MFL purpose is to
help create new leadership
for tomorrow’s Africa, by fo-
cusing on education.
The African
Children’s Choir has had
the privilege to perform
before presidents, heads
of state and most recently
the Queen of England,
Queen Elizabeth II, for her
diamond jubilee. The
Choir has also had the
honor of singing alongside
artists such as Paul
McCartney, Annie Lennox,
Keith Urban, Mariah
Carey, Michael W. Smith,
and other inspirational
performers!
Please visit
www.africanchildrenschoir.com
for information on
dates , locations, and
shows.
The Best Buy Foundation has awarded the Hous-
ing Authority of the City of Austin’s (HACA) nonprofit
subsidiary Austin Pathways a $6,000 Community Grant
to support the Digital Opportunities for Music Educa-
tion program at a public housing property that serves
576 residents in southwest Austin.
The funds will be used to purchase music equip-
ment in the audio recording room at HACA’s Henry
Flores Education and Training Center, a state-of-the-art
facility that opened at Meadowbrook Apartments in No-
vember 2014. Grounded in Music – a local nonprofit
organization whose mission is to leverage the power of
music to transform lives by creating self-confidence,
opportunity and hope – will provide in-kind services to
mentor youth and develop their musical talents.
“We are excited and honored to receive this Best
Buy Foundation grant,” said HACA President and CEO
Michael Gerber. This award will help transform an
empty room into a vibrant media and music lab for our
youth, teaching and inspiring the next generation of
artists right here in the live music capital of the world.”
The program will consist of three core compo-
nents, including spring and summer sessions. During
each session, Grounded in Music instructors will pro-
vide professional guidance and training in computer-
based music production — as well as instrument train-
ing in electric drums, guitars and keyboards — to youth
for two hours a day, three days a week. All instructors
will be professional musicians handpicked to guide eco-
nomically disadvantaged students.
Austin Pathways Wins Grant toSupport Music Education
Students will also be tasked with planning and
implementing a performance at the conclusion of the
fall and spring sessions to showcase their newly devel-
oped musical skills and talents to the community. The
events will be held at an outdoor amphitheater at
Meadowbrook.
“Grounded in Music is thrilled to aid in the cre-
ation of the new production studio facility at the
Meadowbrook Henry Flores Education and Training
Center,” said Grounded in Music Executive Director
Michael Longoria. “Music has slowly been put aside in
schools systems which has created a hole for artistic
creation, exploration and education. Music has many
benefits which help individuals build strong character,
including better memorization, increased coordination,
sense of achievement, development of creative think-
ing, teamwork and hope.”
The Best Buy Foundation donation is made pos-
sible through the contributions of Best Buy Co., Inc.
retail store operations and special event fundraising.
The foundation’s primary goal is to provide underserved
teens with technology programs to help develop 21st
century skills and bridge the digital divide.
Austin Pathways and HACA are also committed to
funding and sustaining effective digital inclusion program-
ming. The agency’s digital inclusion initiative, Unlocking
the Connection, includes a consortium of community part-
ners that will connect more than 4,300 public housing resi-
dents with free basic broadband Internet, digital literacy
training and refurbished personal computers.
Huston-Tillotson UniversityAnnounces a Car Raffle to
Support Greatest Need Areas
(AUSTIN, Texas) —
Huston-Tillotson Univer-
sity officials are pleased to
announce a fundraising
effort in the form of a
luxury car raffle to support
greatest need areas. Do-
nors may make a $100 pur-
chase for a 1 in 1,000
chance to win a luxury
2016 vehicle courtesy of
Sterling Acura of Austin.
Those interested may stop
by the Huston-Tillotson
University Institutional
Advancement Office,
Room 208, of the Anthony
and Louise Viaer Alumni
Hall, to purchase a raffle
ticket or look for Institu-
tional Advancement staff
at upcoming events such
as Homecoming and Re-
union Weekend. The
drawing will be held dur-
ing the Commencement
celebration on May 7,
2016. Office hours 8:30
a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday
through Friday. For more
information, call
512.505.3073.
YMCA’s Early LearningReadiness Program
The YMCA’s Early
Learning Readiness Pro-
gram provides a stimulat-
ing environment for chil-
dren ages 2-4 to play and
learn while developing the
physical, verbal, and social
skills they’ll need to start
school ready to succeed.
Thanks to grant fund-
ing, the program is offered
free of charge to the pub-
lic and focuses on increas-
ing the school readiness of
young children in low-in-
come families. In an infor-
mal setting with multiple
play stations, adults will
learn more about how
children develop and how
they can encourage learn-
ing and skill-building at
home. The program is
geared toward families
without access to other
early learning opportuni-
ties.
Classes are offered
twice a week for
caregivers and children –
2 hour class. Instruction is
taught in both English and
Spanish and is open to
children ages 2-4 years of
age. There are three con-
venient locations around
the Austin Area (North,
South and East Austin).
Applications for H-E-BExcellence in Education Awards
due Dec. 6 Nominees have
been sent an invitation to
complete an online appli-
cation, which asks for
written responses about
education philosophy,
learning experiences and
insights on key issues fac-
ing educators in Texas to-
day.
In the School Board
category, up to five public
school boards may be rec-
ognized and awarded
$5,000 towards the district
they serve. Additionally,
one or more school boards
may receive a special
judge’s award totaling up
to $25,000 that will be an-
nounced during a recogni-
tion dinner and celebra-
tion in May 2016.
Nominations are not
required for participation.
Educators, school districts,
early childhood facilities
and school boards can go
to www.heb.com/educa-
tion and complete an ap-
plication.
For additional up-
dates, follow the H-E-B Ex-
cellence in Education
Awards program on
Facebook.
AUSTIN YOUTH HOLD FIRSTFOOD JUSTICE SUMMIT
Urban Roots interns are creating and hosting a Youth Food Jamto explore youth leadership and food justice with their peers
AUSTIN, TEXAS Ur-
ban Roots is proud to
present the Youth Food
Jam, sponsored by Kerbey
Lane Café and created by
Urban Roots youth interns.
The Jam will have interac-
tive workshops about so-
cial justice, food prepara-
tion, and leadership skills
led by adults and youth
from the community as
well as Urban Roots in-
terns. It will be punctuated
with a keynote address by
internationally renowned
author Raj Patel and a per-
formance by Austin hip
hop group Mindz of a Dif-
ferent Kind. Chipotle is
providing a free lunch to
all attendees.
The Youth Food Jam
will happen on December
5, 2015 at Gonzalo Garza
Independence High
School from 9am to 3pm.
The event is free and open
to high school age youth.
Complimentary breakfast
will also be provided. Reg-
istration is required; at-
tendees must signup at
www.urbanrootsatx.org.
After attending the
Rooted In Community
(RIC) gathering in 2014,
Urban Roots Interns saw an
opportunity to bring the
same youthled energy to
Austin. José Morin, a junior
at KIPP Austin Collegiate,
says that his RIC experience
is something he will never
forget. “Once I had the op-
portunity to meet the other
youth, I realized that our dif-
ferences in location meant
little as we all had an indis-
tinguishable passion for
food justice. That shared
passion put on display was
contagious,” says José. “My
biggest hope of all is that
everyone gets to experi-
ence a similar journey like I
did.” Raj Patel
CITY ~ STATE ~ NATIONAL ~ WORLDPage 6 ~ November 20, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
Travis CountyCandidate
Manuel JimenezHolds De-EscalationTown Hall Meeting
In the recent months,
the various profiles of po-
lice shootings have come
to the forefront of media
coverage. There has been
a situation in which a po-
lice officer flamed a minor
offense into a big one. For
instance in the case of
Sandra Bland in which she
was stopped for not put-
ting her blinker on, the of-
ficer increased the ten-
sion. In other words, in-
stead of bringing down the
tension, the officer flamed
the incident that led to her
arrest and death. As high
profile cases of police vid-
eos have come out, Mr.
Manuel Jimenez, candi-
date for the Travis County
Constable Precinct 4 held
“Police De-escalation
Summit.”
Manuel Jimenez who
is the chief deputy at the
Travis County Constable
Precinct 4 office decided
to run for the Constable
office because his “boss”
Maria Canchola is going
into retirement. Conse-
quently, Chief Deputy and
by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon | Villager Columnist
Manuel Jimenez forTravis County Precinct 4 Constable
Austin Asian American Film Festival
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist
Pictured left to right are, Leng Wong, Herb, Abhay and Tim Tsai. Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
On November 12-
15, the Austin Asian
American Film Festival
held their 8th noncon-
secutive edition. The fes-
tival showcases and
brought light to some of
the best Asian and Asian
American films. At this
8th edition, there were
numerous Asian fi lms
that made the lineup for
the festival. For instance,
some of the movies being
showed at this festival in-
cluded, “The Killing Fields
of Dr. Hain; “The Chinese
Mayor”; “The Purple On-
ion;” “Seoul Searching”;
“La Salada”; “Atomic
Heart”; and “Placebo.”
Moreover, the lineup is a
showcase of the diversity
of Asian and Asian Ameri-
can films.
According to the or-
ganizers, the movie “The
killing Fields of Dr. Haing S,
Ngor” was one of the high-
light movies of this festival.
The movie is a documen-
tary about Dr. Haing S Ngor
who was “well known and
an outspoken survivor of
the Cambodian genocide
but, was tragically killed in
an alley of the Los Ange-
les Chinatown.” More-
over, this movie has won
the Best Documentary
Audience Award of the
Los Angeles Asian Film
Festival. In addition, an-
other movie “Placebo”
won also.
Moreover, this was
another successful year
for the Austin Asian
American Film Festival.
The AAAFF’s mission is to
“Showcase the best in
Asian and Asian Ameri-
cans, in order to cel-
ebrate their communi-
ties, entertain, enlighten
the public and to support
the creative talents of
Asian and Asian America.
Furthermore, they have
gathered the support of
the community. As the
8th edition comes to an
end, they are now look-
ing forward to the 9th
edition.
David Holmesfor Travis County
CommissionerCourt Precinct 3
The majority of Travis County has been a very
“blue” and a Democratic Party. For a very a long time,
the Democratic Party had managed to keep Central,
Eastern, Northern and Southern parts of Travis County;
but has failed to have a strong consistent presence in
Western Travis County. Moreover, this divide can be also
been seen on the Travis County Commissioner Court.
Although there are 3 Democratic Party controlled
County Commissioner Court seats, only one is held by
a Republican. Now, the Democrats have placed David
Holmes as their opportunity to “flip” the Western Travis
County.
So far, David Holmes is the only Democrat that is run-
ning for the Travis County Commissioner Court Precinct 3
position. David Holmes is a “Veteran of Democratic Party
politics” and has served in State government for a very
longtime. According to David, he started politics “At the
age of 19 when he worked for the office of the LT gover-
nor Bob Bullock. According to David Holmes, he gained an
understanding of the biggest problems facing the state
and local governments and acquired valuable experience
in intergovernmental relations.”
Now, his challenge will be flipping the seat from a
Republican to a Democrat one. Moreover, the current
Precinct 3 Commissioner has not announced whether
he will run for re-election. Moreover, it is unlikely that
the current Commissioner Daugherty will run for re-
election. On the other hand, another Republican has
also announced his plan to run for this seat. In both
cases, David Holmes will face a Republican candidate
during the general election.
by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon | Villager Columnist
candidate Jimenez used
this opportunity to hold a
town hall meeting about
the issue of the use of
force. During this event,
he spoke about the
records of the Travis
County Constable Precinct
4. It shows records of
treating people with re-
spect and their ability to
resolve issues without in-
flaming or “making the
matters worse.”
At the “De-escala-
tion” town hall meeting,
Chief Deputy and candi-
date Jimenez mentioned
that “police officers” are
trained on various de-es-
calation” technique that is
meant to bring calm to
situation. In addition he
mentioned that officers
are called “peace officers”
because their mission is
bring to two different
“parties” to a place of un-
derstand. Furthermore,
he mentioned officers are
“public servant” who are
payed by the taxpayer;
therefore, should be cour-
teous.
David Holmes
Austin Habitat forHumanity Celebrates
Grand Opening of Its NewCommunity Home Center
Grand Opening celebration of Austin Habitat for
Humanity’s new Community Home Center and ReStore.
Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, from 10:00a.m. to
2:00p.m. Formal remarks will be made at 10:15a.m.
500 W Ben White Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78704.
Austin Habitat for Humanity (Austin Habitat) is ex-
cited to open its new permanent home. Its previous of-
fices were spread across town, and its ReStore was long
overdue for renovations.
The new Community Home Center will allow the
non-profit to consolidate offices and operations into one
location; to renovate and expand its ReStore, increasing
a significant revenue stream for the organization; and
to increase the educational opportunities it provides to
Austin families.
The Community Home Center will also allow the
non-profit to be more efficient, create more volunteer
opportunities, serve more families and teach more
people. It will allow Austin Habitat to better meet its
mission of ending the cycle of poverty by providing
Austinites with quality, affordable places to live.
After the ceremony, and throughout the day, Aus-
tin Habitat will have fun activities for all ages. Guests
will have the opportunity to have their faces painted,
jump in a bounce house, build a birdhouse, listen in on
a DIY presentation or color a masterpiece.
Event sponsors and local vendors will be onsite of-
fering tasty samplings of delicious Austin favorites like
Moojo, Tiff’s Treats, KIND, Zilk’s, Good Pop, Rhythm Su-
per Foods, Oatmega, Live Kombucha, Slab BBQ and
Rosarito’s.
More Space Means More Ways to Give Back
Photo Exhibit of ChildrenCelebrates National Adoption Month
(Austin, Texas) – About 700 children, ranging
from infants to teens, in the Central Texas foster care
system are awaiting adoption. Permanent adoptions
and forever families for the foster children in Cen-
tral Texas are more of a reality with the proven suc-
cess of the special photo exhibit, The Heart Gallery
of Central Texas.
The Heart Gallery opened Nov. 12, at 6:30 p.m.,
at the Blanton Museum of Art- Smith Building, 200
E. Martin Luther King Blvd., in Austin. The event,
which is open to the public, will display the portraits
of over 100 foster children in Central Texas who are
available for adoption.
CLASSIFIEDS ~ PUBLIC INFORMATION
City of AustinPurchasing Office
EMPLOYMENTPROPOSALS
PUBLICINFORMATION
FOR SALEFOR RENT
BIDSMISCELLANEOUS
The City of Austin Purchasing Office invitesyou to view current bid solicitations at https://www.c i . aus t i n . t x . u s / f i nanceon l ine /vendor_connection/solicitation/solicitations.cfm.Vendors are encouraged to register on-line in theCity’s Vendor Self Service System. Once yourcompany is registered, you will receive notifica-tions about new bid opportunities. For additionalinformation regarding current bid opportunitiesor Vendor Registration, please call the Purchas-ing Office at 512-974-2500.
For information on the City of Austin’s Mi-nority Owned and Women-Owned ProcurementProgram and the certification process, pleasecontact the Small & Minority Business ResourcesDepartment at 512-974-7600 or visit their websiteat http://www.austintexas.gov/smbr.
City of Austin Featured JobOpportunities
www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/November 20, 2015 ~ Page 7
Apply at HRMiddle Fiskville Rd.
6th Floor, Austin, TX 78752Job Line (512 223-5621hhtp://www./austincc.ed
EEOC/AA/M/F/D/V
The City of Austin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Please visit the City of Austin employmentwebsite at www.austincityjobs.org to view
requirements and apply for these and other jobopportunities. We encourage you to check the
employment website often as new jobopportunities are posted daily.
If you have any questions or need assistance,please call 512-974-3210 or email us atemployment.services@austintexas.gov.
The City of Austin is currently seeking qualifiedapplicants for the following positions:
• Associate Judge• Assistant Director, Public Works Engr andProject Delivery• 911 Call Taker/Dispatch Trainee• Athletic Officials I-IV (30 Part Time Openings)
• Dispatcher II (Night Shift: 9:30 p.m. - 5:30 a.m.)
• Project Manager
• Street & Bridge Operations Technician I
• Compensation Consultant (Two Positions)
• Dispatcher II (Night Shift: 9:30 p.m. - 5:30 a.m.)
• Graduate Engineer A or Graduate Engineer B
• Case Manager
• Administrative Specialist
Please visit the City of Austin employment website at
www.austincityjobs.org to view requirements and apply for these
and other job opportunities. We encourage you to check the
employment website often as new job opportunities are posted
daily. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call
512-974-3210 or email us at
employment.services@austintexas.gov. The City of Austin is an
Equal Opportunity Employer
New Jobs for theWeek of 11/15/2015Technician, Help Desk
Service CenterJob# 1511008
Specialist, Financial AidHighland Business Center
Job# 1511021Supervisor, Advising
Hays CampusJob# 1511020
Director, Office of Student MoneyManagement
Highland CampusJob# 1511019
Marketing CopywriterHighland Business Center
Job# 1510045
Austin TravisCounty Integral Careis currently soliciting pro-posals through a Requestfor Proposals (RFP) pro-cess for PharmaceuticalWhole- sale Services. RFPsmay be mailed or sentelectro- nically, by contact-ing Brody Ballard at brody.ballard@atcic.org or (512)440-4022 beginning No-vember 16 , 2015. Thedeadline to submit a pro-posal under the RFP is 4p.m. CST on December 7,2 0 1 5 . H i s t o r i c a l l yUnderutilized Businesses,including Minority-OwnedBusinesses and Women-Owned Businesses, areencour- aged to apply.
Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm
CBC Founding Member ShirleyChisholm to Receive Posthumous
Presidential Medal of Freedom Award
WASHINGTON, D.C.
– CBC Chairman G. K.
Butterfield released the
following statement rec-
ognizing this year’s Presi-
dential Medal of Freedom
Award recipients, which
include CBC founding
member Shirley Chisholm.
“The Congressional
Black Caucus is proud to
recognize this year’s Presi-
dential Medal of Freedom
Award recipients. This dis-
tinguished group of
American citizens have
each made significant con-
tributions here at home
and abroad through their
promotion of peace and
cultural excellence in their
public and private endeav-
ors.
“This year, the Presi-
dential Medal of Freedom,
which is our Nation’s high-
est civilian honor, will be
presented posthumously
to one of the founding
Members of the Congres-
sional Black Caucus, Rep-
resentative Shirley
Chisholm.
“Representative
Chisholm made history in
1968 by becoming the first
African American woman
elected to Congress where
she served seven terms in
the House of Representa-
tives. She was the first
major-party African
American female candi-
date to make a bid for the
U.S. presidency when she
ran for the Democratic
nomination in 1972. She
was known as a champion
of minority education, em-
ployment opportunities,
and was the driving force
behind SNAP and WIC. Her
service in Congress on be-
half of the constituents of
New York’s 12th Congres-
sional District and her
leadership within the CBC
made an indelible and last-
ing impact on our 46 cur-
rent Members.
Cedar Valley College Receives$2.4 Million Federal Grant to EnsureSuccess of African-American Males in
Science, Technology and Math
U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, right, presents a check toDr. Jennifer Wimbish, president of Cedar Valley College, on Nov. 11,2015, for a $2.45 million federal grant through the Predominately BlackInstitutions (PBI) program that will help fund STEM programs at CVC.The grant is aimed at improving access and opportunities for academicsuccess for African-American males.
LANCASTER, Texas -
Cedar Valley College, one
of seven independently
accredited colleges that
make up the Dallas County
Community College Dis-
trict, has been awarded a
grant from the U. S. De-
partment of Education’s
Predominantly Black Insti-
tutions (PBI) program. The
college will receive
$2,452,567 over the next
five years to focus on Sci-
ence, Technology, Engi-
neering and Math (STEM)
programs.
Cedar Valley College
plans to use the PBI grant
to promote enrollment
and participation in STEM
programs among young
African-American men
who reside in communi-
ties surrounding the col-
lege in Southern Dallas
County. The grant will also
be used to create positive
synergies between Cedar
Valley College’s African-
American Male Initiative
and the recently devel-
oped Pipelines and Path-
ways project, which is de-
signed to promote success
for male students of color.
U.S. Rep. Eddie
Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas,
presented the first install-
ment of the PBI grant to
Cedar Valley College at a
press conference yester-
day in the college’s state-
of-the art Math, Science &
Allied Health Building. In
addition to local business
and community leaders,
the press conference was
attended by the superin-
tendents of Cedar Hill,
Lancaster and DeSoto In-
dependent School Dis-
tricts.
“To address poverty
and quality of life issues in
our communities, educa-
tion will play a key role,”
said Johnson. “I am very
pleased to see Cedar Val-
ley College at the forefront
of eliminating barriers and
providing opportunities
for African-American male
students to succeed in the
STEM fields of math, sci-
ence and technology.
Their STEM education will
be key in helping these
students to secure good
paying jobs in the 21st cen-
tury.”
Dr. Jennifer Wimbish,
president of Cedar Valley
College, thanked Rep.
Johnson for her support
and lauded her grant de-
velopment team for an in-
novative proposal that re-
sulted in Cedar Valley Col-
lege being the only Texas
institution to receive a PBI
grant for this round of
funding.
“Our African-Ameri-
can Male Initiative has
much in common with
President’s Obama’s My
Brother’s Keeper initiative,
which was created to pro-
vide high-return opportu-
nities for disadvantaged
youth,” said Wimbish.
“We truly believe this op-
portunity will be a life-
changing experience for
young African-American
men who benefit from this
generous grant. It all starts
with providing opportuni-
ties for success,” Wimbish
added.
Cedar Valley College’s
African-American Male
Initiative will target 6,000
students over a five-year
period. Anticipated results
include a 15 percent in-
crease in the number of
African-American males
who enroll in STEM
courses, with a secondary
outcome of ensuring
those students complete
their Associates degree
and acquire marketable
knowledge and skills. The
program’s overall goal is to
improve the college’s Afri-
can-American male reten-
tion rate by 15 percent
between year one and
two, with a 3 percent in-
crease in the graduation
rate from 5 percent to 8
percent over the five-year
period.
“Congratulations to
Cedar Valley College for
securing this important
grant that will contribute
directly to student suc-
cess, which is our top pri-
ority. With support pro-
vided by this grant, our
students will be able to
graduate with a degree or
certificate or to prepare
for the next phase of their
educational journey,” said
Dr. Joe D. May, chancellor
of the Dallas County Com-
munity College District.
For more information
on the PBI grant and Cedar
Valley College’s African-
American Male Initiative,
please contact Lee Hayes,
communications consult-
ant at Cedar Valley Col-
lege, at (214) 440-2370 or
leehayespr@gmail.com.
TheBreakfast
ClubLISTEN LIVE
Every Friday8 AM - 9 AM
Hosted by
Tommy Wyatt,Damita Shanklin& Akwasi Evans
www.KAZIFM.org
Page 8 ~ November 20, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
NATIONAL PRÉCISUS Muslims Face Backlash after Paris Attacks
by: Dave Collins Associated Press (AP Photos)
Graffiti in the shape of the Eiffel Tower inside a circle is painted onthe side of the Islamic Center in Omaha, Neb., Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. AMuslim civil rights group wants the FBI and local police to investigate thevandalism as possible hate crime, that may be related to the Paris terrorattacks. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik).
HARTFORD, Conn.
(AP) — Muslims around
the U.S. are facing back-
lash following the deadly
attacks in Paris, including
vandalism to mosques and
Islamic centers, hate-filled
phone and online mes-
sages and threats of vio-
lence.
Advocacy leaders say
they have come to expect
some anti-Muslim senti-
ment following such at-
tacks, but they now see a
spike that seems notable,
stirred by anti-Muslim
sentiment in the media.
“The picture is get-
ting increasingly bleak,”
said Ibrahim Hooper, a
spokesman for the Wash-
ington, D.C.-based Council
on American-Islamic Rela-
tions. “There’s been an ac-
cumulation of anti-Islamic
rhetoric in our lives and
that I think has trigged
these overt acts of vio-
lence and vandalism.”
He said the rise in the
level of anti-Muslim senti-
ment is reflected by some
GOP presidential candi-
dates, governors and oth-
ers speaking out in oppo-
sition to the U.S. accepting
more Syrian refugees.
Hooper said the
council is seeing an in-
crease in anti-Muslim inci-
dents since Friday’s at-
tacks in Paris that killed
129 people and wounded
more than 350.
In Connecticut, the
FBI and local police are in-
vestigating reports of mul-
tiple gunshots fired at the
Baitul Aman mosque in
Meriden hours after the
attacks.
Leaders of the
mosque don’t know the
motive of the shooter or
shooters, said Salaam
Bhatti, a spokesman for
the Ahmadiyya Muslim
Community in New York,
to which the mosque be-
longs. The Ahmadiyya
Muslim Community is a
movement within Islam.
Bhatti said the shoot-
ing has not rattled mosque
members. He said many
are from Pakistan, where
conditions for the
Ahmadiyya movement are
much worse.
“It’s a teachable mo-
ment,” Bhatti said. “As we
do raise awareness of at-
tacks in mosques, we will
see mosques do not re-
spond in violence. Islam
teaches us to teach peace.”
At the University of
Connecticut, authorities
are investigating after the
words “killed Paris” were
discovered on Saturday
written beneath an Egyp-
tian student’s name on his
dorm room door.
Muslim leaders also
have reported recent van-
dalism, threats and other
hate crimes targeting
mosques in Nebraska,
Florida, Texas, Kentucky,
Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio,
New York and other states.
10 Percent Black Faculty Would Place Missouri Above All OtherState Universities by: Carolyn Thompson and George M. Walsh Associated Press (Dan Glaun/MassLive.com and Carol Lollis/Daily Hampshire Gazette via AP)
In this Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, photo, University of MassachusettsAmherst student Evandro Tavares speaks to students gathered to high-light issues from racial inclusion to student debt, during a march at theStudent Union on the UMass campus in Amherst, Mass. UMass adminis-trators held a “listening session” the following day where students ex-pressed their need to see more faculty of color in the classroom, those whoare more familiar with their experiences as students of color. (Carol Lollis/Daily Hampshire Gazette via AP)
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)
— If the University of Mis-
souri succeeds in meeting
a student demand for a
faculty that’s 10 percent
Black in two years, it will
likely be alone among its
peers.
No state’s “flagship”
public university campus
had a Black faculty popu-
lation approaching that
level, and only a handful
topped even the 5 percent
mark, an Associated Press
analysis of 2013 federal
data found.
The norm on most of
the main campuses was a
faculty that was between
2 percent and 4 percent
Black, the data showed.
Universities are well
aware that staff and stu-
dent bodies often don’t
match, administrators and
experts say, and demon-
strations and discussions
around the country in re-
cent days have driven
home the point.
Fresh from a two-
hour “listening session”
Friday, University of Mas-
sachusetts Senior Vice
Provost John McCarthy
said students made clear
the need for change.
“It was the biggest
auditorium we have and
undergraduates of color
were standing up and talk-
ing about the fact that
they need to see more fac-
ulty of color in the class-
room, they need to see
more faculty that look like
them, they need to see
faculty who are more fa-
miliar with their experi-
ences as students of
color,” McCarthy said.
It’s the difference be-
tween feeling understood
and the pressure of being
seen as representing a
race, students and others
said.
“There’s a difference
in the learning experience
that you have when you’re
learning from someone
you believe you can iden-
tify with more closely,”
said Micah Oliver, 21,
president of the Black Stu-
dent Association at the
University at Buffalo.
Oliver, a senior,
added, “The injustices that
are happening in society
aside, police brutality
aside, those matters aside,
I feel like I can learn from
you better because you
seem like somebody I can
connect with on a per-
sonal level or on an expe-
riential level.”
Recent racist inci-
dents, and the perceived
lack of response by admin-
istrators, led to protests, a
student hunger strike and
a threatened boycott by
the football team at the
University of Missouri,
where student demands
now include a call for in-
creasing the percentage of
Black faculty and staff to
10 percent by the 2017-18
school year.
A group of former
minority faculty members
sent a letter Monday to
President Michael
Middleton supporting the
students. It citied their “ex-
perience related to being
racial and ethnic minori-
ties on a predominantly
White campus.”
Like Missouri, the
percentage of Black fac-
ulty members at the vast
majority of main cam-
puses in each state’s pub-
lic university system was
generally well below the
percentage of Black stu-
dents enrolled, the AP re-
view found.
At a number of
schools, the percentage of
Black faculty was close to
or below half the percent-
age of Black students, no-
tably at schools in the
South with both relatively
large proportions of Black
students and faculty.
The school with the
largest percentage of
Black faculty, the Univer-
sity of Mississippi at 6.29
percent, also had the larg-
est percentage of Black
students, 15.26 percent.
The University of North
Carolina at Chapel Hill has
a faculty that’s 6 percent
Black, compared to 8 per-
cent of the student body.
The University of
Alabama’s faculty is also 6
percent Black, but the pro-
portion of Black students
is higher at 11.46 percent.
The University of
Georgia had the next high-
est percentage of Black
faculty at 5.76 percent
with a 7.83 percent Black
enrollment while the Uni-
versity of South Carolina-
Columbia’s faculty was
5.18 Black compared to
10.56 percent of the stu-
dents.
At no other school
was the percentage of
Black faculty above 5 per-
cent.
“Studies show that
students normally do bet-
ter if they’re taught by
people that can relate to
them, not only economi-
cally or socially, but racially
because naturally we face
similar struggles, being
adults, students, staff,”
said Deidree Golbourne,
20, an African-American
studies major at Buffalo,
New York’s flagship univer-
sity, where 2.5 percent of
the faculty and 5.7 percent
of the student body are
Black, according to the
data.
Experts say the pool
of candidates is tradition-
ally small for positions that
often require PhDs.
UMass, the State Univer-
sity of New York and oth-
ers have funded programs
meant to boost minority
numbers.
“It’s very competitive
to get faculty of color sim-
ply because a lot of
schools want them. There
are a lot of programs out
there,” McCarthy said.
But the problem also
may be in how schools
define who is qualified,
said Stella Smith, presi-
dent of the Black Faculty
Staff Association at the
University of Texas at Aus-
tin. She said it may be
time, she said, “to open up
the definition of what is
academy worthy and also
to understand that there
are different ways to be
exceptional, so there’s not
just this one route to be-
ing the best kind of faculty
member.”
The disparities were
less pronounced when the
numbers of all non-White
faculty were compared
with non-White students.
The school with the
largest percentage of non-
White faculty at 38 per-
cent was the University of
Hawaii at Manoa, where
72 percent of the student
is also non-White. Many
students and faculty mem-
bers are Asian.
The University of Cali-
fornia-Berkeley was one of
eight main campus public
universities with a greater
percentage of Black fac-
ulty members than Black
students. But the overall
percentage of non-White
staff — 29 percent — at
Berkeley compared to a
student body that is 53
percent non-White. The
school has relatively large
populations of Asian and
Hispanic students.
At South Dakota
State University, the per-
centage of non-White fac-
ulty outstripped the stu-
dent body, 13 percent to 9
percent because of a rela-
tively large number of
Asian faculty.
The numbers don’t
make for ready role mod-
els, said Beth Olivares,
dean for diversity initia-
tives at the University of
Rochester.
“At the root of it is not
just encouraging but en-
suring that high school
students and undergradu-
ate students are aware of
that as a career path,”
Olivares said. “Many stu-
dents are not.”
CarolinaPanthers
DallasCowboys@
Thursday, November 26, 3:30 PM on CBS AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas