July 12, 2020
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol. 25, Issue 25
BLACK VOTES MATTER
‘THE VIRUS LIKES A WEAK HOST’
By: N.L. Preston
3 MOST POWERFUL SIGNS
One hand, one sign, one message and a million different meanings depending on who you are or what stage of WOKE you’re in, but SIGNS we silently “throw
up” give a glimpse into the windows of our souls. So, are you paying attention? PEACE ...two fingers, shaped like a “V.” It’s part of the phrase of “Love, PEACE
and Soul,” shouted by the late, great Don Cornelius at the end of Soul Train. It was the symbol of the Flower Child in the Hippy Era and has evolved into a Hip-
Hop Era “Chunk up the Deuce,” meaning “Stay well, good wishes and I’m out!” But did you know, its origins, according Signs cont’d on page 3
HOUSTON - H-E-B Vice President of Operations Terry Williams had double pneumonia, was extremely tired and hallucinating from drugs and fever when his father came into his room and told him two simple words, “Get up.” And just like any obedient son, he did. Williams heeded his father’s words and he started walking around his room, determined to not die from Coronavirus/ COVID-19. If it wasn’t for his father, who was also a fellow “Que-Dog” as they were both Omega Psi Phi Fraternity “bruhs,” he believes he would
not have made it. “My best friend, who was my dad, came and visited me, he said ‘get up and keep going, you can do this,’” Williams shared. But there’s just one thing to mention; his father has been dead for two decades. “He’d been dead for 20 years and told me to get up and before I knew it, I was up walking around the room. I looked back at him, I didn’t know if I was hallucinating or not, but it looked real, then he was gone. Every day after that, I would get 10 percent better,” Williams said. Survival cont’d on page 4
WASH YOUR HANDS FREQUENTLY • AVOID PUBLIC SPACES OR EVENTS WITH MORE THAN 10 PATRONS • SANITIZE AND STOCK UP • AVOID TOUCHING YOUR EYES, NOSE AND MOUTH • PRACTICE GOOD HYGIENE
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July 12, 2020
EDITORIAL
President/Chief Editor
Tristar
Griselda Ramirez: Production
Partin’ the Waters By Omowale Luthuli-Allen
Office: (713) 692-1178
FAT MEAT IS GREASY We are being lied to, our freedoms are being taken forever, and I will not be muzzled like a mad dog! And I will not have my health destroyed because you idiots can’t figure this out and simply can’t read the truth! You go along with the lies that the people who are trying to take down our freedoms and destroy our country tell us and you are sipping the Kool-Aid that can get you killed. This is sick! You ought to be ashamed of yourself for being a part of this. It’s time for us to stand up for our freedoms. If we stand back and let these pieces of crap handle our freedoms, we will have nothing left. In fact, we will be dead. When you maintain your version of reality after it is contradicted by an avalanche of facts, you are delusional, living in “La La Land.” One fact is
worth a shipload of loud-mouthed declarations. One UNDENIABLE fact is that fat meat is always greasy, without exception. No matter how many women you test for pregnancy, the rate of positive pregnancy tests will not increase among the women whose eggs have not been fertilized. If she has not been playing doctor/nurse, there will not be a star in the east or west. My friend and his wife were at a motel in Beaumont, Texas and he asked the front desk clerk how they sterilized for COVID-19 and the reply was that they didn’t because the virus was nothing but a mild flu. My friend gathered his wife and swiftly checked out of the motel. The clerk was sincerely wrong and/or delusional. Herman “I WILL NOT COMPLY” Cain, 2012 Presidential candidate, is in a hospital trying to recover from the mild flu. Mr. DENIAL was an unforgiving and staunch accomplice to the unsound belief that the virus and its impact was a hoax
to keep the country and economy from reopening. Thus, we have a lack of critical thinking and problem-solving skills. We have an educational system that promotes lofty goals, but the learning objectives are met by memorization and rote learning. Real learning is the application of classroom knowledge to solve problems in the real world. The mandatory mask order is an attempt to keep us alive and check the damage that this virus can and will do. It is formulated by responsible governmental leadership after evaluating the best science available. Governor Greg Abbott did not believe that fat meat was greasy and now he is crawfishing, admitting that the State of Texas reopened to soon. Governor Ron DeSantis in Florida is crawfishing and is also admitting that the State of Florida reopened too soon. Magical thinking is a poor substitute for the scientific expertise of Dr. Anthony Fauci and the surgeon general, Dr. Jerome Adams.
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Following the science, ignoring the noise and focusing on the signal was the beacon light that led Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and Japan out of the darkness. Leadership had to make a good decision and impart to the people the best practices of public health. Once the people trust the leadership and act on the recommendations of experts, things can change for the better. New York is no longer the epicenter of the COVID infections and death because Governor Andrew Cuomo and the leadership silenced the Tin Man and won the confidence of the people to social distance, avoid mass gatherings, wear masks and sanitize by washing hands. The epicenter has shifted to Texas and Florida, red states where governors were militant about not having their First Amendment rights treaded upon. We thought that education and science were supposed to be a check on ignorance and a break on stupidity, but we were wrong. Therefore, the body count
must unnecessarily and exponentially increase. SO SAD. Twitter and other forms of social media are not a substitute for critical thinking and problem solving. The virus is thousands of times smaller than a grain of sand. Masks contain the virus blast from coughing and sneezing. Clusters of little curvy 36-24 -36 honeys with daisy dukes are on the Almeda strip without masks. The admiring brothers seeking to score are without masks. Momma and grandmother will be sitting ducks when they return home. This country is up against militant ignorance and crushing stupidity. We can win this battle, preventing a half million unnecessary deaths. But as County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Mayor Sylvester Turner said, we have got to be PROACTIVE and not wait until the hospital beds are full. My message is that FAT MEAT IS GREASY without exception.
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION Signs, cont’d to reports, is more likely related to the once extremely close, but now long ago decayed, relationship between hippie culture and Christianity-Jesus Freaks. The peace symbol, with two fingers extended but apart, the thumb folded over the remaining fingers, has a close correlation with Jesus’ sign of benediction; the only difference being the two fingers touching or close rather than in a wide V. BLACK POWER! Throughout history, the raised clenched fist has been a demonstrative act of re-
bellion against institutional oppression. As noted on the BlackSheepAgency. com, one early visualization of the clenched fist was depicted by Honoré Daumier and was likely inspired by the Revolution of 1848 that saw the overthrow of King LouisPhilippe’s monarchy. Daumier, who was in Paris during the time known as the “Bloody June Days,” was moved by the intense passion of the people and used the raised fist as a symbol of their “strength, determination and will to fight.”
July 12, 2020 The 1968 Olympics in Mexico City became the site of one of the most highly publicized (and criticized) uses of the raised fist. Months prior, the United States was reeling from the assassination of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the ongoing civil rights turmoil. American track athletes, Tommie Smith and John Carlos, viewed the games as a critical platform to speak out from for better treatment of black athletes and black people around the world. When Smith and Carlos won gold
and bronze respectively in the 200m dash, they raised their fists, protesting racism and injustice on the world stage. And today, Black Lives Matter has brought the raised fist back to the forefront as a symbol of resistance and defiance, shouting, “We can no longer watch from the sidelines what is happening in our nation. We must raise our hands and voices until we force those who are blind to these injustices to acknowledge and protect us.” WHITE POWER and President Don-
AFRAMNEWS.COM 3 ald Trump - If you look carefully, our nation’s president can be seen displaying the White Power sign at many public appearances. While some say it’s merely a hand gesture, others say it’s a signal of support to the Aryan nation. Some white supremacists may use a twohanded handsign in which one hand forms the letter “W” and the other hand forms the letter “P,” to represent WP or “White Power.” And others use what appears to be just an “OK” sign, but is there a bigger meaning behind it?
According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, the problem, of course, is that there are white nationalists, neoNazis and Klansmen who have increasingly begun using the use of the symbol both to signal their presence to the likeminded, as well as to identify potentially sympathetic recruits among young trolling artists flashing it. Be on the lookout, you may have folks flashing things around you that you aren’t even aware of. STAY WOKE AND INFORMED!
- AANI
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Survival, cont’d
It is commonly said in the black community that when a person is close to death, our dearly departed loved ones come to us to hold our hand. They are either coming to escort us to the other side, or they tell us it is not yet our time to go. Williams’ father was telling his son that he would see him later and that he still had work to do. So, Williams got busy. “If he (dad) would have said ‘Come with me,’ my soul would have left my body, and every time I talk about that, it gives me chill bumps,” he said.
July 12, 2020
EDITORIAL Williams’ fight was a tough one. He contracted the virus either at the end of February or early March, at a time when no one was wearing masks and there was a shortage of ventilators and respirators. He went to the emergency room after experiencing a laundry list of symptoms including diarrhea, vomiting, loss of appetite, loss of taste (everything tasted like salt or metal), shortness of breath and fatigue. He remained at a local emergency room for about six hours before they sent him home. Pneumonia was verified, but it was too risky to ad-
ARE YOU SENDING YOUR CHILD TO CAMPUS IN THE FALL? HOUSTON - There is mixed reaction from parents who are trying to decide whether to send their children back to campus when the 2020 fall semester returns. Is it safe? What are the Plan As and Plan Bs for exposure? There are no guarantees. In this phase one of dealing with the coronavirus
and COVID-19, is it too soon to send students back to the classroom? The Texas Education Agency announced this week comprehensive guidelines for students to return to school, prioritizing their health and safety while ensuring that students receive quality instruction,
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
mit him because the Intensive Care Unit was filled with COVID patients. Two days later, a deputy constable showed up at his door for a welfare check because he was not answering his phone and informed him that he had contracted the deadly disease. “I had the most severe case. I had double pneumonia with COVID-19. The people like me, 80 percent of them were dying because they put them on a respirator. I had just read about not going on a respirator, so I refused to go on one and that saved my life,” Williams said. “I was
on two or three different inhalers because COVID likes a weak host. A lot of people don’t know that, but when you go on that ventilator, your body relaxes and COVID can attack all your organs until it kills you. Even as I was working hard to just try to breathe, my body was working. I wasn’t the weak host that COVID likes, I was fighting for my life. You have to be moving, you can’t be stationary.” More is known about COVID and more people are surviving now. Health care physicians are not putting as many patients
on the respirators, they are instructing them to sleep on their stomachs and other helpful information. Williams has made a full recovery. “My recovery took about six weeks and not only am I testing negative now, but I have the antibody. My doctor was excited to tell me I was his first patient with the antibody. I can’t get it again, nor can I give it to anyone,” he said. “I trust what he says but that is with this strand. They are saying another one will come, and we don’t know what can happen with that. I still wear my masks in public and
practice safety measures.” Williams said his doctor also told him that he is healthier now than he was before. He’s lost 30 pounds, is no longer borderline diabetic and has a renewed sense of faith, family and community. And of course, he has his beloved father forever watching his back. His final advice to everyone: “Stay active, move your arms, move your legs, force yourself to eat even if you don’t like it or can’t taste it. Always remember, COVID likes a weak host. Stay strong!”
whether they choose to learn in a safe oncampus environment or remotely. “Both as Commissioner and as a public-school parent, my number one priority is the health and safety of our students, teachers, and staff,” said Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath. “That is why the guidance laid out today will provide flexibility to both parents and districts to make decisions based on the
ever-changing conditions of this public health crisis. The state is and remains committed to providing a high-quality education to all Texas students, while ensuring the health and safety of students, teachers, staff, and families.” Morath added that, despite what will be a challenging budget year, Governor Greg Abbott, Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dennis Bonnen, and other legislative leaders are committed to
fully funding in-class and remote instruction for every child in the upcoming school year. As a result, parents will have more choices than normal this year as they decide which school setting is best for their children, including: • Daily on-campus learning will be available to all parents who would like their students to learn in school each day. • In addition, all parents will have the option to choose remote
learning for their children, initially, or at any point as the year progresses. Parents who choose remote instruction for their students may be asked to commit to remote instruction for a full grading period (e.g. 6 or 9 weeks), but will not have to make that commitment more than two weeks in advance, so they can make a decision based
- AANI
Campus cont’d on page 6
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
July 12, 2020
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Campus, cont’d on the latest public health information. • Health and safety procedures will be in place to support student and teacher safety. • Some health procedures are mandated for every school in the state. For example, all students, teachers, staff, and visitors coming to campus must be screened before being allowed on campus. Consistent with the Governor’s most recent executive order, and assuming that order is still in place, masks will be required while in school buildings, with certain excep-
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tions made, as noted in the order. Schools will also be required to follow any forthcoming executive orders issued by the Governor. • Additional health procedures are recommended for every school that can reasonably implement those procedures. • Districts have the option to establish a phased-in return to on-campus instruction for up to the first three weeks of the school year, to ensure all appropriate health and safety procedures are fully in place. Some parents have mixed emotions about sending their students back to school. E. Henry is the mother of an 8th grader who attends a performing and visual arts magnet school in the Houston Independent School District. Her child plays instruments and is in advance placement courses, but Henry has underlying health conditions that puts her at greater risk if her daughter brings COVID-19 home to her. Henry doesn’t feel like it is safe, and feels her hands are tied. “I’m not worried about my kid following the rules, I’m worrying about other kids not doing what they are supposed to do,” she said. “The advanced courses my child need can’t be learned online. And I called the TEA yesterday, guess where they
were working from -HOME until the end of the year! They are protecting themselves but are not protecting my baby? None of this makes sense. They could have come up with more clear answers for us. And don’t even get me speaking about the bus HUB situation. Will the kids be socially distanced on the buses? And if a teacher gets sick, will all the students be quarantined for 14 days? What’s the plan if someone is exposed?” In June, HISD Superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan showed a CNN reporter around a Houston area elementary school, discussing the concerns and the safety measures that were being put in place. “One of the biggest issues that we possibly will encounter, especially with elementary students, is ensuring that they keep their mask on if masks are required to be worn. Because you know, children, that’s hard. It’s hard for us as an adult,” Lathan said, adding an extra message for parents. “Allow us an opportunity to finalize our plan, to ensure students can be on the playground and be in the classroom, in the cafeteria and on our buses. Be patient with us.”
- AANI
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
July 12, 2020
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