February 07, 2013

Houston’s Leading Black Information Source FEBRUARY 7, 2013 |FREE

Volume 82 | Number 15

HS ZONE WHEATLEY WILDCATS GAIN STRENGTH AS REGULAR SEASON WINDS DOWN P17

finds Super Bowl success

JACOBY JONES

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Marian Edelmansays ‘no more’Children’s Defense Fund founder Marian Wright Edelman believes America has had enough and says, “This time, we want our collective heartbreak and outrage to be followed by ‘real’ change.” Why is she urging the country to say “no more?” Why is she calling for courage and boldness?”

DR.TERRY GRIERtells state of HISD

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SPORTS

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CARTER G. WOODSON

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Bert LongrememberedThe late Bert Long Jr. is remembered as a one-of-a-kind artist devoted to developing his talent. Learn about his surprising background and impressive accomplishments. Discover the qualities that made his artwork unique. Find out

when, where and how his works will continue to live on.

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Reggie and Michelle Hedgebeth, Audrey and Rev. William Lawson at the Ensemble Theatre.

CHAG’S PLACE

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2 DEFENDER | FEBRUARY 7 | 2013 defendernetwork.com

newstalkSchool funding ruled unconstitutional

Defender News Services

State District Judge John Dietz recently ruled that Texas’ system of funding public schools is unconstitutional. The deci-sion could force the Legislature to change the way it pays for education.

Dietz sided with hundreds of Texas school districts that filed lawsuits following the Legislature’s decision in 2011 to slash $5.4 billion from K-12 education funding. Houston schools have lost more than $120 million in state funding over the past two years, resulting in teacher layoffs and larger class sizes.

Linda Bridges, president of the Texas American Federation of Teachers, applauded the ruling.

“Today a state district judge has said the evidence is clear,” Bridges said. “The state’s system of school funding is unconstitutional on multiple grounds. It is inadequate, providing insufficient funding to school districts to meet state achievement targets.

“It is inequitable, failing to distribute school aid in a man-ner that gives all students a fair chance to succeed regardless of local property wealth. And it leaves rich and poor districts alike with no meaningful discretion over their local tax rates as they struggle to raise the funds to try to meet state mandates.”

HISD Board President Anna Eastman said the rul-ing recognizes the importance of providing educators with proper resources.

“It is time for the Texas Legislature to restore the funding cuts and come up with a fair public school finance system that is easy to understand and gives kids’ schools the money they need to provide the education they deserve,” Eastman said.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott’s office, on the other hand, contends that the school system is adequately funded. The state is expected to appeal the ruling to the Texas Supreme Court.

Perry says Texas stronger than ever

By ASWAD WALKERDefender

Gov. Rick Perry recently delivered his seventh State of the State address to the Texas Legislature. The address highlighted what Perry described as the state’s strong economic outlook, and outlined his priorities for this session.

“The state of our state is stronger than ever,” Perry said. “We remain the nation’s prime destination for employ-ers and job-seekers alike, and across the state – in classrooms, on assembly lines, in laboratories, on farms and in office buildings – hard working Texans are to-

day turning their dreams into realities.” Perry urged the Legislature to

provide at least $1.8 billion in tax cuts, invest in the state’s water and transpor-tation infrastructure and improve access and choice in both public and higher education.

He also called on lawmakers to use $3.7 billion from the Rainy Day Fund for a one-time investment in water and transportation infrastructure programs to address the state’s growing popula-tion.

Additionally, he called on the Leg-islature to end diversions from the State Highway Fund, freeing up an additional

Grier wants to close digital divide

By ASWAD WALKERDefender

Equipping all district students with a 21st century education via increased access to technology headlined HISD Superintendent Terry Grier’s fourth State of the Schools address.

“I’m proud today to announce that we are working on a far-reach-ing plan that will close the digital divide that exists in our schools and community,” said Grier, of his announcement to make take-home laptops available to students in

grades 3-12. HISD seeks to begin imple-

menting Grier’s plan at high schools next year, though he knows securing funding will be a chal-lenge.

“We don’t expect any money from the state this year and maybe next, and that’s a travesty,” said Grier. “It’s time for the Texas Leg-islature to meet its constitutional obligation and adequately fund public education and the teachers who make our schools, and more importantly our kids, great.”

Continued on Page 14 Continued on Page 14

Gov. Rick Perry HISD Superintendent Dr. Terry Grier

State of the State State of the Schools

3defendernetwork.com FEBRUARY 7 | 2013 | DEFENDER

nationalU.S.briefs

VOLUME 82 • NUMBER 15 - FEBRUARY 7, 2013

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender is audited by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For subscription, send $60-1 year to: Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston TX 77288. Payment must accompany subscription request. All material covered by 2012 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).

Print Editor Marilyn Marshall art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila People EditorYvette ChargoisSports EditorsMax EdisonDarrell K. ArdisonContributing WriterAswad Walker

PublisherSonceria Messiah-Jilesadvertising/Client Relations Selma Dodson TylerStrategic alliance ManagerClyde Jiles Multimedia ManagerTiffany Williams Online EditorReShonda Billingsley


group preserves Black History

ATTORNEYS FOR GEORGE ZIMMERMAN want more time to prepare for the shooting death case of Trayvon Martin, but the prosecutor is asking the judge to deny their request to delay the trial. Florida State Attorney Bernie de la Rionda wants to keep the original trial date of June 10. He said Zimmerman’s attorneys have spent too much time on media interviews and Internet postings instead of preparing their case. Shawn Vincent, a spokesman for Zimmerman’s defense team, said they want his second-degree murder trial moved to November. A hearing is scheduled for their request. Meanwhile, Zimmerman’s lead attorney, Mark O’Mara, continues to request for donations to Zimmerman’s defense, which he said could cost up to $1 million……... THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR recently marked the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Family and Medical Leave Act by implementing two expansions of FMLA protections. The first expansion enables more military families to take leave for activities that arise when a service member is deployed. The second expansion benefits airline personnel. The FMLA, enacted in 1993, entitles eligible employees to take unpaid, job-protected leave for specified family and medical reasons……..NATIONAL BLACK HIV/AIDS AWARENESS DAY is observed annually on Feb. 7, and according to activists, there is plenty that African-Americans need to observe. There are more than 1.1 million people living with HIV/AIDS in the United States, including more than 510,000 African-Americans. “It has been 31 years since the Centers for Disease Control made the public aware of what HIV/AIDS is and we’re still seeing Black community disproportionately impacted,” said C. Virginia Fields, president and CEO of National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS. Although Blacks represents only 12 percent of the U.S. population, they account for 44 percent of new cases of HIV every year and 44 percent of those living with HIV.

By MAYA RHODANNNPA Washington Correspondent

For 97 years, the As-sociation for the Study for African American Life and History has been commemorating

the accomplishments of African-Americans through Black History celebrations.

In 1915, Carter G. Woodson founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History and sought to expand the under-standing of Black history beyond slavery.

What began as a weeklong celebration that coincided with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lincoln has devel-

oped into a highly anticipated month of events, television pro-grams, headlines, and lectures that connect the trials and triumphs of African- Americans to the people of the community.

“From the beginning, Carter G. Woodson was of the opinion that a lot of Black people did not have a great enough apprecia-tion of who they were because they didn’t know what they had accomplished,” said Daryl Scott, president of ASALH.

“But today, Black people care more about history than any other people in America. The fact of the matter is Americans don’t care about history at all.”

It’s true. In general, Americans don’t know the basics of the nation’s

history.In a 2009 national survey by the

American Revolution Center, more Americans could identify Michael Jackson as the person who wrote and sang the song “Beat It” than could identify the Bill of Rights as a part of the U.S. Constitution.

According to the 2010 Na-tion’s Report Card presented by the National Center for Education Statistics, only 20 percent of fourth graders, 17 percent of eighth graders and 12 percent of 12th graders per-form at or above “proficient” levels in U.S. History.

In a land where history is not deemed as important, how does an organization based on the idea that history, specifically Black history, is of the utmost importance stay relevant?

Continued on Page 4

About Carter G. Woodson

Carter G. Woodson was born in 1875 in New Canton, Va. His parents were former slaves.

Woodson earned a high school diploma in West Virginia and bach-elor and master’s degrees from the University of Chicago. In 1912, he became the second African-Amer-ican to earn a Ph.D. at Harvard University.

Recognizing the lack of infor-mation available on the accomplish-ments of Black Americans, in 1915 he founded the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, now called the Association for the Study of African American Life and History.

Under Woodson’s pioneering leadership, the association created research and publication outlets for Black scholars with the establish-

Continued on Page 4

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Scott says it does because it must.“[African-Americans] are the only ones

who really tell the story of American history on a consistent basis,” Scott said. “We pro-mote American history in a serious way.”

He adds: “One of the downsides of the age in which we live is that new media favors the talking head, the person, the celebrity who can send out a tweet. There’s a way in which, no matter how much tech we have, until people meet with people the problems we have will not be addressed. We’re not go-ing to tweet our issues away, it’s only going to change with human-to-human contact.”

The mission of ASALH is to promote, research, preserve and disseminate informa-tion about Black culture to the world. The organization publishes three journals on African-American life and is housed at How-ard University.

Scott, who is also a history professor at Howard, remains unapologetic about the work he does with ASALH.

“You can’t celebrate Black History with-out American history and vice versa,” Scott said. “Unless you think that our freedom came out of a box than not through struggle, then you know that it was through an experience. You can’t understand the state of America without understanding the struggles between Blacks and whites.”

ment of the Journal of Negro History and the Negro History Bulletin.

Woodson formed the Asso-ciated Publishers Press in 1921 and wrote more than a dozen books, including “A Century of Negro Migration,” “The History of the Negro Church,” “The Negro in Our History” and “Mis-Education of the Negro.”

In addition to his writing pursuits, Woodson served as a training school principal in Washington, D.C. before work-ing as a college dean at How-ard University and the West Virginia Collegiate Institute.

In 1926, Woodson initiated the celebration of Negro His-tory Week, which corresponded with the birthdays of Frederick Douglass and Abraham Lin-coln. In 1976, the celebration was expanded to include the entire month of February.

Woodson died on April 3,1950.

Black History..Continued from page 3 Carter..Continued from page 3

The ASALH operated out of Carter G. Woodson’s home in Washington, D.C.

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Carter..Continued from page 3


opinion


Getting a fair share of city advertising dollars The City of Houston spends over $2

million in advertising each year with two publications – the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Business Journal according to the city annual financial report. The advertising is mostly bid notices and legal notices.

To address this disproportionate allo-cation of taxpayers’ dollars, Houston City Councilman Larry Green recently hosted a meeting of minority publication publishers and city department leadership. The objec-tive of the meeting was to explore the oppor-

tunities for the city to advertise with them. The revelation was that state law man-

dates that the bulk of city advertising dollars be spent with the daily newspapers because of their general market readership, leaving the MWBE-owned weekly publications out

It’s our turn to say ‘No More’By MARIAN WRIGHT

EDELMANNNPA Columnist

At the Jan. 30 Senate Judi-ciary Committee hearing on gun violence, former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Gif-fords, the survivor of a

gunshot to the head, gave us our march-ing orders.

“Violence is a big problem,” she said. “Too many children are dying. Too many children. We must do something. It will be hard. But the time is now. You must act. Be bold. Be courageous. Americans are counting on you.”

The United States stands alone in the world in our tolerance of gun vio-lence but in the wake of the devastating Newtown, Conn., murders, a powerful outcry of ordinary Americans across the country is saying no more. This time we want our collective heartbreak and outrage to be followed by real change.

How have people in other countries responded after a gun massacre or mass shooting?

Australia and Great Britain provide two examples. In 1996, 35 people were killed and 23 others were wounded by a gunman at the Port Arthur tourist site in Tasmania, Australia, in one of the largest massacres ever committed by a single shooter.

Within 12 days of the shooting, spurred by strong public support, the Australian federal and state governments agreed to the historic National Firearms Agreement (NFA), which banned semi-automatic and pump action rifles and shotguns and required registration of all firearms, strict standards for gun licenses, and a permit for each gun purchase subject to a 28-day waiting period.

To get banned rifles and shotguns off the streets, the federal government bought back or accepted turn-ins of more than 1 million guns which were then destroyed.

In the 16 years since, Australia has not had a single mass shooting. Rates of overall gun deaths, gun homicides, and gun suicides, which were declining prior to the NFA, started declining twice as fast after the reforms.

Just weeks before the Port Arthur massacre in Australia, 16 5- and 6-year-olds and their teacher were killed in a dev-astating school shooting in Dunblane, Scotland. After those murders the public outcry in Great Britain was very similar to the one we are seeing in the U.S. right now.

The shooter owned his guns legally and the outrage over his crime started a public campaign for tighter gun control culminating in a petition being handed to the government with more than 700,000 signatures.

Eleven months after the Dunblane murders, Great Britain passed the Firearm (Amendment) Act of 1997 instituting tighter controls over handguns. Soon after, the country went a step further and prohibited all handguns in civilian hands. The government also instituted firearm amnesties across the country resulting in the surrender of thousands of firearms and rounds of ammunition.

After Great Britain acted, gun-related crimes continued to rise for a while. But after peaking in 2003 and 2004, the total number of firearm offenses has fallen every year since.

In 2009, nearly 67 percent of U.S. homicides were com-mitted with guns while in Great Britain the number was only

6.6 percent. In 2010, 27 people were killed by gun homicide in the United Kingdom. In California and Texas, with a similar combined population of 62 million people, there were 2,255 gun homicides. What a differ-ence guns make.

Some will argue that other factors contribute to the lower gun violence rates in Australia, Great Britain, and similar countries beyond their strong gun control legisla-tion. Others note that the United States is a very different place, with entrenched attitudes equating guns with personal freedom. These points may have some merit but are not reasons to dismiss anything other countries may be getting right in favor of continuing to do nothing new here.

In both Australia and Great Britain extraordinary tragedies pushed a groundswell of citizens to stand up and say no more and elected officials to follow through with significant action. If Americans

had said no more after Columbine, there may never have been a Virginia Tech.

If we had said no more after Virginia Tech, there may never have been a Tucson. If we had said no more after Tuc-son, there may never have been an Aurora. If we had said no more after Aurora, there may never have been a Newtown, and maybe some of the more than 31,000 other American gun deaths that occur each year could have been prevented.

President Obama was correct when he said that “no single law, no set of laws, can eliminate evil from the world, or prevent every senseless act of violence in our society. But that can’t be an excuse for inaction. Surely, we can do better than this.

If there is even one step we can take to save another child, or another parent, or another town, from the grief that has visited Tucson, and Aurora, and Oak Creek, and New-town, and communities from Columbine to Blacksburg before that, then surely we have an obligation to try.”

Let’s heed Gabby Giffords’ moving testimony to be bold, to be courageous, and to act now for our children’s sake.

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Getting a fair share of city advertising dollars

Summit focuses on higher education

By MARILYN MARSHALLDefender

Current and aspiring college students are invited to learn more about the power of a higher education by attending a special event.

It’s called the College Career Empowerment Summit, and it takes place Thursday, Feb. 14, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Houston Community College Southwest Auditorium, 5601 West Loop South.

Speakers and panelists include educators, elected officials, athletes and physicians. Exhibits will spotlight the arts, science, technology, energy, engineering, finances and health and wellness.

The summit is presented by HCC South-west’s Career Ambassador Network, Career Planning and Resources, Student Life Division and Student Government Association, in collaboration with Syren Music Group, Game Changerz and the Tamar Davis Project.

Tamar Davis, the summit’s co-executive pro-ducer, is excited about the event. As an entertainer, Davis has shared the stage with Prince and toured with multiple Tyler Perry plays.

Show business, however, isn’t the Grammy nominee’s only passion. She is concerned about the community, and said her involvement with the summit is an extension of her interest in young people. (Through her self-titled project, for example, up-and-coming artistic entrepreneurs receive assistance in following their dreams).

“There needs to be an awakening of passion and excitement among this generation about the power of education,” said Davis, a native Hous-tonian.

“The summit will serve as a catalyst to answer the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s initiative for educators, legislators, parents, and citizens to collaborate to support college readi-ness and completion.”

HCC Southwest President Dr. Fena Garza also has high hopes.

“The College Career and Empowerment Summit was created as a way to reach teens, and current and future college students,” Garza said. “We hope to engage them with a true peer-to-peer, social and educational summit where they can interact with local and national role models and successful leaders.”

Davis said the summit will offer something for every student, and will not leave one question unanswered. Other highlights include a mini step show, DJ jam sessions and “life-changing” breakout sessions.

“We expect attendees to leave with [the desire] to excel wherever their hearts lead,” Davis said.

The summit is free but registration is required. Visit www.teeninspired.org or call 713-718-7718.

Singer Tamar Davis is co-executive producer of the College Career Empowerment Summit.

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How NBa all-Star game haschanged

One of the most anticipated events to hit the city in recent years, the NBA All-Star game, is coming to Houston.

The event runs Feb. 15-17, and there will be no shortage of big-time celebrities and professional athletes from other sports in

town to witness the NBA’s greatest stars. Some 200,000 fans are expected to attend the three-day

event, and city officials estimate the economic impact on the area could be $100 million.

Throughout the years the names on the jerseys have changed – from Abdul-Jabbar, Johnson, Bird, Jordan and Ola-juwon to Bryant, James, Garnett, Wade and Anthony – but the game has continued to flourish. The opportunity to see all this collective star power in one place makes All-Star weekend one of sport’s biggest attractions.

Former Houston Rocket and Hall of Famer Calvin Murphy, now a TV sports analyst, has been a part of the NBA family for 45 years. He has seen the league evolve over the decades and marvels at its popularity.

“The NBA game has evolved from basketball players to athletes,” Murphy said.

“The game itself is tailor-made for the spectator. The ath-letes are able to do things that average Joes wished they could do and they watch and dream.”

Murphy gives the NBA high marks for progressive mar-keting and the forward- thinking to take its product interna-tional.

“You’ve got to give the NBA kudos for its marketing department,” Murphy said. “It’s been a marketing bonanza. The NBA has taken their game global.

“I remember 35 years ago the NBA sent Bill Walton, Hubie Brown, Dr. Jack Ramsey and I around the world to teach coaches our game. [The NBA] found innovative ways to create interest in the game around the world.

“That investment has paid off and now the league has global popularity and that’s represented by the wide range of appeal in the All-Star game.”

Changing the gameMurphy gave an example of the NBA’s marketing savvy. “When we had the Old Timers game nobody wanted to

play in it because of the connotation,” he recalled. “When they changed the name to the Legends Classic, everybody wanted to play in it. That’s the concept the NBA has used to make everybody interested. They have gone with the way society is today and tailored the NBA to meet it.”

“It’s the same thing with the dunk contest that had be-come very boring,” Murphy said. “Now they let the players use all types of props. They raise the goal, they leap over team-mates and cars. They have allowed guys to be more creative and as a result the competition has remained exciting. Fans can’t wait to see what players will try next.”

The essence of the game is the players and Murphy feels they have changed as well.

“The players that they have to market now are much dif-ferent than we had. We were just basketball players,” Murphy observed. “The players now are like rock stars. They have their own followings. I played with some great players. Take Oscar Robinson, he’d be considered boring now. All he did was get triple doubles; he didn’t do spectacular dunks, sit on the rim or shoot 3-pointers.”

“Guys like Lebron James have revolutionized the game, not only with their play on the court, but his persona off the court is similar to what you get with entertainers,” Murphy said.

The All-Star game has immense popularity across the board with athletes in other sports. Many NFL players played basketball in high school and at some point had to make a cru-

cial decision as to which sport they would concentrate on. NFL stars such as Terrell Owens and Randy Moss have flirted with the game in the minor leagues.

Putting on a showTexan defensive end Connor Barwin was

a two sport performer, playing football and basketball for a time at the University of Cin-cinnati. He understands why the All-Star game has such popularity with NFL stars.

“So many NFL players played basketball at some point in their career and had to make a choice on which sport to pursue,” Barwin explained. “I was one of those guys and I chose football, but I still love basketball.

“Growing up in the Detroit area I’ve always been a fan of the NBA game. The players on the NBA level are so gifted and talented. As profes-sional athlete you really appreciate their talent and skill level because you know how difficult it is.

“The All-Star game comes at a time when our season is over and it gives us a chance to relax and watch some of the worlds greatest athletes put on a show,” Barwin said.

Of course any time you mention the entertain-ment aspect of the game you have to factor in the influence of hip-hop.

“This is the hip-hop generation,” Murphy said. “So many people involved with the game are also in-volved with the whole hip-hop entertainment business. Jay-Z is a good example with his relationship in the ownership with the Brooklyn Nets.

’It becomes more than a game with their involvement it, becomes an event, an extravaganza. Everybody wants to be in that environment, to rub shoulders with the stars. That’s what makes the All-Star game so popular.”

NBa all-Star game startersEast TeamLebron James, Miami HeatCarmelo Anthony, New York Knicks Dwyane Wade, Miami HeatRajon Rondo, Boston Celtics (injured)Brook Lopez, Brooklyn NetsKevin Garnett, Boston Celtics

West TeamKobe Bryant, LA LakersKevin Durant, OKC ThunderChris Paul, LA ClippersDwight Howard, LA ClippersBlake Griffin, LA Clippers

Carmelo Anthony represents the New York Knicks on the East team.

By MAX EDISON Defender

DEFENDER | JANUARY 31 | 2013 defendernetwork.com 11

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How NBa all-Star game haschanged

all-Star weekend highlightsFriday, Feb. 15, 6 p.m., Sprint NBA All-Star Celebrity Game; BBVA Rising Stars Challenge, 8 p.m.Saturday, Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m., NBA All-Star Saturday Night featuring Sears Shooting Stars, Taco Bell Skills Challenge, Foot Locker 3 Point Contest and Sprite Slam Dunk ContestSunday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m., NBA All-Star Game

Former Rocket Calvin Murphy said the All-Star Game has become an extravaganza.

Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is on the West team.

By MAX EDISON Defender


health A Defender & Texas Children’s Hospital Alliance


healthnotes

What is the Human Papillomavirus?

Is anesthesia safe for children?

Doctors have recently addressed the issue of safety of anesthetic and sedative drugs in young children, specifically whether they have effects on long-term neurodevelopment, including learning, language, memory and school performance. Some research in young animals (and in young children) has found that anesthesia exposure resulted in worse performance in these areas.

However, other research did not, and anesthesiologists cannot be certain that the anesthesia effect is a real problem, or that other factors are the cause of the worse performance. These other factors include having surgery, being in the hospital or pre-existing medical conditions. Recently, the FDA, the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia, the International Anesthesia Research Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics released a consensus written at a workshop in September 2012.

This very important statement makes two main points:

1) Necessary surgery or other procedures requiring anesthesia or sedation should not be withheld in young children.

2) Current anesthesia drugs and techniques are safe for young

children and should be used to prevent pain and stress associated with surgery and other procedures.

Millions of children undergo anesthesia and sedation every year for lifesaving surgery or for procedures that enhance health and quality of life, including improving learning and language skills. The consensus of the experts in the field is that parents should speak with their doctors, including pediatricians, surgeons and anesthesiologists, and discuss the pros and cons of the proposed surgery. In almost all

cases, any risk of the anesthesia will be less than the benefit of having the surgery, and it should go ahead as planned.

“At Texas Children’s Hospital and the many other hospitals providing anesthesia for children, parents can be assured that their anesthesiologist will consider the individual needs of their child, and design the best possible anesthetic, with their child’s comfort and safety in mind,” says Dr. Dean Andropoulos, chief of anesthesiology at Texas Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Andropoulos monitors a patient during surgery.

What is the right age to potty train? As a general pediatrician, parents often seek professional opinions regarding development and expectations. “For successful potty training, I generally offer an expected range of between 2 and 3 years,” says Dr. Erica Thomas, pediatrician at Texas Children’s Pediatrics Ripley House. The fact is, in the United States, the community often frowns upon diapered kids beyond age 3. In some parts of the world, kids are expected to successfully toilet train at just 1 year of age. It is well accepted in medicine that holding behavior sometimes leads to voiding dysfunction, urinary tract infections, encopresis (poop accidents), chronic constipation, etc. Thomas provides the below tips and advice to parents: · Potty training is a process that must begin with preparation. A child must have the needed vocabulary and motor skills to make it to a restroom. For many children, successful training can start and finish before the third birthday. If your child is behind the developmental curve, adjust the expectation and focus on the readiness aspect. · If your child is in daycare or any school before age 6, there must be very clear communication of the restroom policy and expectations between the parents and staff. · It is difficult to potty train a constipated kid. Handle that issue first before you push the potty training issue too far. · And finally, if your child can aim an Angry Bird on his own iPad with the precision of a military sharpshooter – well, it goes without saying.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer in women, anal cancer in men and genital warts in both men and women. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection and is usually asymptomatic.

There are currently two vaccines available in the United States to protect against HPV: Gardasil® and Cervarix®. Gardasil® protects against HPV types 16, 18, 6 and 11. Cervarix® protects against types 16 and 18. Types 16 and 18 are responsible for approximately 70

percent of cervical cancers and types 6 and 11 are responsible for 90 percent of genital warts. The Gardasil® vaccine is available for males and females 9 to 26 years of age, and the Cervarix® is available for females age 9 to 25 years. The Centers for Disease Control recommend initiating the vaccine between ages 11 and 12 years.

Some parents who are approached about the vaccine express concern that their child will be more likely to become sexually active or engage in more risky behaviors. Researchers

from the University of Georgia recently found that girls who have received the HPV vaccine were not more likely to become pregnant or acquire a sexually transmitted infection.

“Regardless of vaccination status, it is currently not recommended that adolescents be screened for HPV. Cytological screening for cervical cancer is recommended for women beginning at age 21,” says Jennifer Kurkowski, nurse practitioner for Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology at Texas Children’s Hospital. Jennifer Kurkowski


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Healthy, happy kids make forhealthy, happy communities.

Every child deserves a chance to grow up healthy and strong – and every parent deserves to know their child’s health isin the hands of someone they trust. That’s what it means to have a medical home – a relationship with a trusted physicianwho follows your child’s health throughout childhood. We offer access to health care that’s convenient and affordable,right in your neighborhood.

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• Affordable health care from birth to age 18• Well visits, sick visits, immunizations and much more• Low-cost, flexible options regardless of your ability

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IT’S A WINNING IDEA!The Texas Lottery Commission is committed to including Historically Underutilized Businesses (HUBs) in its procurement opportunities. Your minority- or woman-owned company may qualify to be certified as a

Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) with the State of Texas.

For information about state certification and Texas Lottery op-portunities, contact our HUB Coordinator, Joyce Bertolacini at (512) 344-5293 or [email protected]

To learn more about the State of Texas HUB Program, visit the Texas Procurement and Support Services web page at:http://www.window.state.tx.us/procurement/prog/hub/

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MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY

will be accepting qualifications for the following:

ELEVATOR CONSULTANT REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATION

Specifications may be secured from MHMRA, Harris County, Purchasing Department located at 7011 Southwest Freeway, Suite 100 in Houston, Texas 77074, telephone (713) 970-7300 and/or via MHMRA website www.mhmraharris.org or the Electronic State Business Dailey Site https://portal.cpa.state.tx.us/ beginning Monday, February 11, 2013. Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFQ is Tuesday, February 19, 2013. Qualification packages must be submitted to Purchasing Services, 7011 SW Free-way, Houston, Texas 77074 by 10:00 a.m., Thursday, February 28, 2013 in a sealed envelope marked "RFQ - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL – THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2013, ELEVATOR CONSULTANT”. Any questions pertaining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to Nina Cook, Purchasing Manager, via fax at (713) 970-7682 or E-mail questions to [email protected] cc: [email protected] MHMRA reserves all rights to reject any and/or all proposals, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests, and is not obligated to accept the lowest proposal.

MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY

will be accepting bids for the following:

TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES-PHARMACISTS & PHARMACY TECHNICIANS Specifications may be secured from MHMRA, Harris County; Purchasing Department located at 7011 SW Freeway, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77074 beginning Monday, February 11, 2013. Bids must be submitted to Purchasing Department, Suite 100, 7011 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by 10:00 a.m., Thursday, February 28, 2013, in a sealed envelope marked “BID DO NOT OPEN UNTIL THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2013 – TEMPORARY STAFFING SERVICES-PHARMACISTS & PHARMACY TECHNICIANS”. Any questions pertaining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to Joycie Sheba, Buyer II via fax at (713) 970-7682 or E-mail ques-tions to [email protected]. MHMRA reserves all rights to reject any and/or all bids, waive formalities and reasonable irregulari-ties in submitted documents as it deems to be in its best interests and is not obligated to accept the lowest bid. All rights reserved.

$1.3 billion of ongoing biennial funding avail-able for transportation.

Some Black legis-lators, however, view the state of the state as one leaving minorities, seniors, and other groups out in the cold.

“The governor said the state of Texas has never been stronger,” said State Sen. Rodney Ellis. “Tell that to the tens of thousands of chil-dren without health care. Tell that to the teacher who now has 35 kids in class because of the cuts from last session.”

Ellis pointed out that Texas is 44th in child poverty, first in percent-age of uninsured chil-dren, 50th in per capita spending on mental health and 44th in col-lege enrollment.

“In Texas, every-thing that ought to be down is up, and every-thing that should be up is down. That is not strength; it is a glaring

reminder of how much more work we have to do to ensure all Texans have the opportunity to achieve their dreams,” Ellis said.

State Rep. Ron Reynolds gave his opin-ion on the State of the State.

“Once again Gover-nor Perry is out of touch with the middle class and failed to address the real issues of our state,” Reynolds said. “Our pub-lic schools are suffering and Texas schoolchildren are not a priority…”

Reynolds also shared his thoughts on the Rainy Day Fund.

“We need to demand that the Rainy Day Fund, which has over $12 bil-lion sitting in reserve, be used to restore the cuts to public education, help increase funding for our institutions of higher education and restore funding to Medicaid programs and providers,” Reynolds said.

Perry..Continued from page 2 Grier..Continued from page 2

Grier lauded HISD’s 2012 improved student achievement, in-cluding a 45 percent increase in the num-ber of college-level Advanced Place-ment exams passed by HISD students since 2009, and the highest graduation rate and lowest dropout rate ever for HISD under the modern account-ability system.

These im-provements led to the district being named a finalist for the Broad Prize for Urban Education for the first time in a decade. Grier also announced:

• Plans to develop a new magnet high school focused on energy and technology, and a middle school version of the High School for the Per-

forming and Visual Arts.

• Expan-sion of HISD’s career and technical education pro-grams that graduate students with an associate’s degree from HCC, and professional certifi-cations.

• Forward movement on $1.89 billion worth of school building projects approved by Houston vot-ers in November. Those projects in-clude new campuses for 20 high schools.

“We’re here today to see the beginning of the fu-ture of education,” Grier said. “No longer can we think about education in the manner in which we experienced it. It’s a whole new world and we are part of leading it.”

artist Bert Long dead at 72


what’sup


entertainment

BEYONCÉ is making Houston one of the stops on her Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. Tickets go on sale Feb. 11 for the concert, which is July 15 at the Toyota Center. She announced the tour following her electrifying Super Bowl halftime performance, which included a guest appearance by former Destiny’s Child members KELLY ROWLAND and MICHELLE WILLIAMS. ……..Sisters Tina and Erica Campbell, also known as MARY MARY, are clearing the air about their rumored musical split. Erica told Essence.com that they are not breaking up, but are taking a break. “I’m going to do some solo music. Tina’s going to vacation and travel the world. We’ve been joined at the hip the last 12 years and I think in order for us both to be our healthiest selves [we will] take some time to think and re-assess. We’ve been going

constantly year after year, baby after baby, tour after tour and now season after season on TV,” she said……..KURT CARR’S new CD “Bless This House” debuted at the top of Billboard’s Gospel Sales Chart and at No. 43 on the Billboard Top 200. It is the highest Top 200 debut for Carr, who recently received the James Cleveland Lifetime Achievement Award at the Stellar Awards. The first single is “I’ve Seen Him Do It,” and Carr said it has a special meaning. “When we think about it, we all can say that we’ve seen God do miraculous things,” Carr said…….. Grammy nominee ANGIE STONE and former Xscape vocalist LATOCHA SCOTT have joined the cast of “R&B Divas,” TV One’s most watched reality series. They join such artists as FAITH EVANS, who also serves as executive producer. The show takes

a behind-the-scenes look at several women struggling to get their lives and careers back on track…….. The recent “44th Annual NAACP Image Awards” on NBC garnered its highest ratings in four years. Some 3 million viewers tuned into the show, during which veteran entertainer and activist HARRY BELAFONTE received the prestigious Spingarn Medal. Belafonte challenged the Black community to take a stronger stand against gun violence and asked, “Where are our leaders? Our legislators? Where is the church?” KERRY WASHINGTON was the night’s big winner and picked up three trophies. She won Outstanding Actress in a Drama series for “Scandal,” Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture for “Django Unchained” and the President’s Award for special achievement and public service.

Defender News Services

Acclaimed Houston artist Bert Long Jr. died Feb. 1 of pan-creatic cancer at the age of 72.

Long, a native of Fifth Ward, was a widely regarded painter, sculptor and photographer. His works were shown across the country and in Europe. Local venues for his exhibits included the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston and the Museum of Fine Arts.

In 1990 he won the Rome Prize, an American Academy in Rome honor given to artists and scholars who represent the highest standard of excellence in the arts and humanities.

Robbie Lee, owner and founder of Houston’s Black Heri-tage Gallery, knew Long for 35 years.

“When I first met Bert he was an executive chef at the Hyatt Regency,” Lee recalled. “He came into the gallery in his chef uniform and introduced himself as an artist. He had a studio in Rice Village and wanted me to see his art.”

Lee said Long was a self-taught artist who devoted his life to developing his craft.

“He was unique and eclectic,” Lee said. “You might find a piece of his artwork that had a chicken bone, a fork, an eye or a ghost. It was all unique. He never copied anyone.”

She added that Long had a personality bigger than life. “He was warm, receptive and loving. He always saw the good in everybody.”

She said professionally, “Bert was very easy to deal with as a businessperson. He wanted his

art to speak for itself.”Long’s works will continue to live on. A

special screening of “Bert,” a new docu-mentary exploring his life and art, will be presented by the Menil Collection, Houston Museum of African American Culture, and the Houston Cinema Arts Society on Thurs-day, Feb. 14, at 7 p.m. at the Menil Collec-tion, 1515 Sul Ross.

In addition, Houston Baptist University will be the site of the exhibit “Bert L. Long Jr. – An Odyssey.” It opens Thursday, Feb. 28 at 6 p.m. at HBU’s Contemporary Art Gallery, 7502 Fondren. A memorial service will follow.

Long is survived by his wife, Joan, and six children.

The artwork of Bert Long is described as unique and original.

The late Bert Long Jr.


sportsFormer Texans find Super Bowl success


By MAX EDISONDefender

The Baltimore Ravens are the NFL champions after a thrilling victory over the San Francisco 49ers, 34-31, in Super Bowl XLVII in New Or-leans.

For many Texan fans who watched the game there had to be some bittersweet moments as they observed three former Texan players play major roles in the Ravens Super Bowl victory.

Vonta Leach, Bernard Pollard and Jacoby Jones were all veteran players who spent time with the Texans and played well during their stints. These players, for whatever reasons, were not cov-eted by our hometown favorites, but have landed in “high cotton” with the Ravens.

Raven fullback Vonta Leach played five seasons with the Texans. During his tenure he was an acknowledged leader in the locker room. He is a three-time Pro Bowler, three-time All Pro and regarded as simply the best fullback in the NFL.

The Texans felt he was too expensive for their taste and allowed him to leave when his contract expired. Leach has found a home in Baltimore where he is an integral part of the Ravens of-fense, paving clear running paths for Raven backs Ray Rice and Bernard Pierce.

Following the contest an elated Leach described the feeling of being a world champion.

“It’s a great feeling,” Leach said. “Just like Ray [Lewis] said. To feel that confetti drop down at the end of the game, to be able to share it with all my family and have them join me on the field after the game, to see my little girl playing with the confetti, it’s the greatest feeling in the world.”

Bernard Pollard started at strong safety for two years with the Texans. His services were no longer deemed neces-sary after his contract expired and he was

signed by the Ravens as a free agent. For the past two seasons he has roamed the

secondary with Hall-of-Famer-in-waiting Ed Reed. Known for his punishing, hard-hitting style and outspoken demeanor, Pollard has blended in perfectly with the Ravens.

“It’s truly a blessing for me [winning the championship],” Pollard said. “This entire organi-zation has embraced me. From Mr. Bisciotti [own-er], to Ozzie [Newsome, GM], my teammates, the entire city has embraced me. Winning the cham-pionship was what we said we were going to do at the beginning of the year. We stayed true to it, we won it and it’s truly been a blessing.”

For Jacoby Jones, the Super Bowl was an op-portunity for him to play the biggest game of his career in his hometown of New Orleans. Drafted by the Texans in the third round from tiny Lane College, Jones was with the organization for five years.

After an ill-fated decision resulted in a fum-bled punt in last year’s playoff game against the Ravens, Jones was subsequently released by the Texans. Ironically he was signed by the Ravens as a free agent.

Jones showed his gratitude by enjoy-ing a Pro Bowl season as a return man and was the team’s third wide-out. In the Super Bowl, one could make

a case for Jones being the game’s MVP.

With his mother in the stands, he scored on a 56-yard pass play from quarterback Joe Flacco and found the end zone again on a breathtaking 108-yard kickoff return to begin the second half.

“It’s such a blessing, to play the way I did, to win the game here in my hometown, to be a champion, everything is just a blessing and I thank God,” Jones said.

In a jubilant Ravens post-game locker room, Pollard summed up the feeling of his fellow for-mer Texan-turned-Raven teammates.

“We all looked at each other after the game. [The Texans] they gave us all an opportunity, but everything happens for a reason. We’re truly happy, we’re blessed, we’re world champs!”

The Ravens signed former Texan receiver Jacoby Jones as a free agent.

Bernard Pollard started at strong safety for two years with Houston.

Raven fullback Vonta Leach played five seasons with the Texans.

h.s.zone17defendernetwork.com FEBRUARY 7 | 2013 | DEFENDER

sportsbriefs

Wheatley boys build toward finish


By DARRELL K. ARDISONDefender

Willie Patrick has nearly forgotten what it feels like to play with a full deck. Yet the Wheatley High School head boys’ basketball coach still sees his Wild-cats gaining strength as the 2012-2013 regular season winds down.

The latest evidence was a pair of blowout victories against District 21-4A rivals Sharpstown and Houston Austin in typical Wheatley fashion. The first was a 97-57 decision over the Apollos with sophomore guard Gerald Thomas scoring a game-high 26 points and senior post Tavario Miller adding 24. Ronald Johnson had 10.

Wheatley followed up that perfor-mance by dismantling the Austin Mus-tangs 121-43 with five players scoring in double figures led by 21 points from Thomas. Ronald Johnson chipped in with 18 points, Miller had 14, Jacolby Smith 13, and 10 came from Paris Williams.

“We’re playing real well right now,” Patrick said. “Every week lately we’ve had a couple of guys out. But we’ve had guys to step up.”

Marcus Loud missed some games with a concussion. Kevon Johnson missed the Austin game with an undis-closed injury and he’s a shooter that aver-ages better than 15 points per contest.

“Normally we have a 13-man roster and everybody contributes,” said Patrick, who guided the Wildcats to the Class 4A state tournament in 2008 and returns following a three-year stint as head coach at Worthing High School. “When we’re playing our best basketball, we’re running and gunning, pressing and hustling.”

The No. 9 state-ranked Wildcats improved to 21-4 on the season and 12-0 in district play with the most recent pair of victories. The Wildcats have won five state champions since integration.

In two of the four losses, Wheatley had 15-points leads before squandering the advantages. “I really don’t like to dwell on losses, but we lost by one point to the two-time defending state champi-

ons [Dallas Kimball] when we didn’t get a rebound at the end of the game,” Patrick said. “We’ve been in all of our losses.

“We start three sophomores and two seniors so we’re young. Overall, on the roster I’ve got four seniors and nine returning players so our best basketball is ahead of us,” Patrick said.

Miller has already committed to Texas A&M for basketball. Loud is a senior who is leaning toward attending the University of Missouri in football.

When asked to name his two or three top players, Patrick simply responded with “Wheatley. Everybody contributes on this team. I couldn’t name you my top players,” he said.

“I told my kids that we can be a great team. We led Reagan by 16 in the first half and they took a one-point lead in the second half. We eventually won by nine,” Patrick said. “We came back and fought through some adversity and

played hard,” Patrick said.“I love being back at Wheatley

because I get a lot of help here. Former coach Jackie Carr is my partner and it feels good coming back home,” he said.

Fort Bend Marshall is the No. 1 ranked Class 4A team in Texas. Patrick believes other regional favorites include Beaumont Central, Beaumont Ozen, Brazosport, Montgomery and Huntsville. Wheatley remained in 4A while longtime rival Yates moved to Class 3A during the recent re-align-ment.

“I know a lot of people were looking forward to the Yates-Wheatley game,” Patrick said. “I just hope both of us make it to Austin. If they win and we win, that will make both of us happy.”

Watch out if Patrick is playing with a full deck.

The Wheatley Wildcats are gaining strength in the regular season

Gerald Thomas Tavario Miller

Joseph Coach of the YearThe Katy Tigers won the school’s seventh state football championship and head coach Gary Jo-seph was named the American Football Monthly’s high school football National Coach of the Year. Katy claimed the 2012 Class 5A Division II state title with a 35-24 victory over Cedar Hill at Cow-boys Stadium in Arlington. The 16-0 Tigers were named national champions by the National Sports News Service, which has ranked teams nationally since 1927. Joseph led Katy to state titles in 2007 and 2008. His career record is 120-11 and he also was named his district’s Coach of the Year for the eighth time. Katy outscored opponents 829-206 and was led by offensive player of the year Adam Taylor and defensive player of the year Matt Di-mon. Taylor rushed for 2,755 yards and scored 44 touchdowns. Dimon led a defense that limited half of Katy’s opponents to less than 10 points.

Episcopal boys ranked No. 1 The Episcopal Knights have come close to winning a state title the past two years. Two years ago, Epis-copal lost to St. John’s in the Southwest Preparato-ry Conference title game. Last year, Episcopal lost to St. John’s in the state semifinals. This season, the Knights are 24-1 and 5-0 in conference play. Their motto is L.A.M.E., which stands for Living Above Most Expectations. Senior Kameron Mitchell, a music buff, came up with the acronym to remind himself that anything negative can be turned into a positive. Episcopal’s only loss was to San Antonio Churchill.

Penn Player of the WeekTalented Texas Southern University guard Ray Penn was recently named SWAC Player of the Week. The junior from Houston was an offensive weapon for the Tigers in their two recent blowout wins. Penn averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 assists for the week. He scored 39 points and accounted for at least 30 more with his 15 assists. Penn was the picture of consistency scoring 20 points and hand-ing out seven assists in the Tigers’ 89-57 win over Alabama A&M. He followed up that effort with 19 points and eight assists in TSU’s 95-40 win over Alabama State.

Watt top defensive playerTexans All-Pro defensive end J.J. Watt was recently named the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year. Watt is the first Houston Texan to earn a league-wide player of the year award and is the first defensive lineman to be recognized since Miami DE Jason Taylor won it in 2006. He is the 17th de-fensive lineman to be named AP Defensive Player of the Year and the eighth defensive end. Watt (6-feet-5, 295 pounds) led the NFL with 20.5 sacks, and his 16 passes defensed were the most in league history by a defensive lineman. He became the only player in NFL history with at least 15 sacks and 15 passes defensed in the same season. He led the Texans defense with 107 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, 42 quarterback hits and four forced fumbles, and tied for second with two fumble recoveries.


We keep Houston working.

The reasons people choose HCC are as diverse as the Houstonians we serve. And no institution does more to get students where they’re going faster than HCC. We keep Houston working with affordable tuition, innovative courses, and convenient locations.

enroll today at hccs.edu

Defender Fall 2012 .indd 1 12/4/12 9:14 AM

RYAN WHITE PLANNING COUNCIL MEETINGS FOR 2013

January-no meeting April 11 July 11 October 10 February 14 May 9 August 8 November 7

March 14 June 13 September 12 December 12 Meetings are open to the general public; only Council members are allowed to vote but public comment is always welcome at the beginning of every meeting. The Council meets at Noon at our offices located in the Galleria area (near METRO bus routes 73, 81, 82). Call to request a calendar, a membership application or more information.

Attend a Meeting Apply for Membership Be a Participant

The calendar of all Council and Committee meetings and a wealth of other information is available on our website. Check the calendar regularly for topics of specific interest to you.

We hope to see you soon! Houston Ryan White Planning Council

2223 West Loop South, Suite 240, Houston, TX 77027 Phone 713 572-3724 TTY 713 572-2813 Fax 713 572-3740

w w w . r w p c H o u s t o n . o r g

of the mix. What is missing from the

equation is that in a “minority” majority city such as Houston, daily newspapers no longer de-liver the “general market” which has been fragmented into several ethnic markets that get most of their news from weekly newspa-pers that provide in-depth cover-age of their communities.

Hence the city misses a large section of qualified contractors by using only dailies.

The city department repre-sentatives were very cordial but admitted they had limited dol-lars. Those departments with ad dollars pointed out that the state law tied their hands. However, they committed to look into ob-taining additional dollars for the purpose of spreading the ad dol-lars more fairly to minority and women-owned publications.

To change the laws requires state legislative action. Texas state legislators – “We need your HELP.”

Granted, this is an election year and the meeting may have been politically motivated but the fact of the matter is the city needs to put some policies in place to be more equitable in their advertising spending. Fair is fair.

Some of the policies intro-duced at the meeting included ro-tating the business, requiring the daily newspapers to subcontract with MWBE-owned publications, and mandating that the prime contractors do more than a good faith effort by actually advertis-ing in the publications for sub-contractors and/or workers.

If city prime contractors were required to advertise with mi-nority publications, this option would open the door to new ad-vertising dollars for minority and women publications taking some of the pressure off the city.

More importantly, it encour-ages corporations that reap big dollars from city contracts or our taxpayer dollars to share some

of those dollars with MWBEs, simultaneously helping the prime contractors meet their MWBE goals.

Carlecia D. Wright, director of the Office of Business Op-portunity, along with Councilman Green, expressed a sincere com-mitment to address the challenge of providing a fair share of the City of Houston advertising dol-

lars with minority and women-owned publications.

Thank you in advance for your initiative to tackle this issue, which benefits the Houston com-munity. The ball is in your court.

Our closing words…What you do, speaks louder than what you say…Let’s get it done and put it on a fast track for all the right reasons.

Commentary: City ad dollars...Continued from page 6

chag’splaceFor Event Coverage...visit defendernetwork.com


Events of the Week More photos on defendernetwork.com

Join Yvette Chargois

See Events on KTRK Ch.13’s Crossroadswith Melanie Lawson Sunday Morning @ 11 a.m.

Rickey Brown and B-Day Girl Geraldine Brown Casey Brown, Geraldine Brown and Rohyn Carrier Back Row Semaya Roberts and Sydnee Carrier; Front Row Peyton Carrier and Parker Francois

1st V.P. Barbara Smith, Chapter President Shwanda Warner and 2nd V.P. Wondy Weston

Gala Chairs Sylvia O’Neal, Sylvia Jones and Joyce Jacquet Mary Washington, Dr. Brenda Ards and Barbara Fields

Honorary Co-Chairs Couples Reggie and Michelle Hedgebeth and Audrey and Rev. William Lawson

Michael Helm, Becky and Ralph O’Connor, Brenda Peters-Chase and Jackie Phillips

Director Chuck Smith and Award-Winning Playwright Charles Smith


DOLLARS FOR SCHOLARS…..The Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc./Humble Intercontinental Chapter hosted their 26th annual scholarship and western gala and chose the theme, “Dollars for Scholars.” The organization’s mission is to enhance and enrich the lives of youth and adults through national and community based programs and projects. In addition to awarding several scholarships they also honored Gwendolyn Climmons-Johnson, Mary Lilly, Dr. Shirlette Glover Milton, Dr. Charlotte Parker, Marva Rasberry, Rev. Leslie Smith II and Captain James W. Tryon with the 2013 Humanitarian Award. Over 200 cowboys and cowgirls all dressed up in their western duds filled the ballroom at Column A in downtown Houston for the first western gathering of the season. Those responsible for this grand event included chapter president Shwanda Warner, chair Sylvia Jones,

co-chairs Joyce Jacquet and Sylvia O’Neal, and the entire western gala committee. Fabulous gala!.....A STORY OF LOVE AND DEFIANCE…..The Ensemble Theatre is presenting “Knock Me a Kiss” by

award-winning playwright Charles Smith and directed by visiting artist Chuck Smith. The play takes place during the 1920s in Harlem and the story follows Yolande Du Bois, a woman torn between two lovers. One is a fast-living musician and the other a poet. This fictional account is inspired by the actual

events surrounding the 1928 marriage of W.E.B. Du Bois’ daughter Yolande. That’s all Ms. Chag will tell you, so make your reservations to see this great play. Attending the opening night were honorary co-chairs of the Ensemble’s Inaugural Founder’s Circle, Becky and Ralph O’Connor, who gave an individual donor match challenge of $75,000. In addition to the O’Connor’s leadership, Audrey and Rev. William Lawson and

Michelle and Reggie Hedgebeth served as the other honorary co-chairs. Couples who united to head the successful campaign were also in attendance, along with board president Jackie Phillips, Brenda Peters-Chase and Michael Helm. The show runs through Feb. 24. Great play!.....A B-DAY CELEBRATION…..Photog Rickey Brown celebrated his wife Geraldine Brown’s 60th birthday in grand style with a fabulous party at Column A. Over 100 family and friends attended and included Casey Brown, Rohyn Carrier, Semaya Roberts, Sydnee Carrier, Peyton Francois and Parker Francois, to name a few. Happy b-day!.....BLACK HISTORY TRIBUTE…..Wilfred Broussard Jr. has been sworn in as the first African-American to serve as chair of the North Channel Chamber of Commerce. In 2011-2012, he served as the first African-American president of the Galena Park ISD board of trustees. Wilfred is a licensed real estate broker and president of Broussard’s Real Estate Investments Group, LLC. Congrats!..... From Chag’s Place to your place, have a blessed week!

February 07, 2013

Documents

Transcript of February 07, 2013