July 19, 2020
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
SYSTEMIC INEQUITY To you, she may look like a WELFARE MOTHER, too young, with too many kids and living off the system. But to us, she looks like a BLACK WOMAN shielding the ones she loves and who love her back. Her babies have already been born with two strikes against them, just because they were born BLACK and POOR. How are they going to make it, when
there is a dark cloud of racism already hovering above them, waiting for them to make one false move before they chain gang them on that infamous prison pipeline? Whether we call it “Systemic Inequity” or “Systemic Inequality,” it’s all been going on for far too long. Did you know there is a difference between the two? Inequity means injustice or unfair-
ness, while inequality doesn’t necessarily imply an injustice, simply an imbalance. They’ve been finding a way to hold us back, even more so after releasing us from the chains of slavery. Every move we make that’s on the “up,” they TRY to find a way to knock us back down. From the historical poll taxes that disenfranchised African American voters; to
poor treatment of Black soldiers who returned home after fighting in World War I and World War II, Jim Crow and segregation in schools, Blacks have had to fight every step of the way. And today, they are killing us in plain sight, for the world to see. Dead or in jail is where they want us. But where do you see yourselves? Think about it. Inequity cont’d on page 4
Vol. 25, Issue 26
BLACK VOTES MATTER
BLACK AGENDA NEEDED!
By: N.L. Preston
HOUSTON - Georgia Provost was born in Lafayette, Louisiana and came to Houston in 1959 to attend Texas Southern University. She’s been a Houston resident mainly ever since. She currently owns a photography studio, is a former educator at TSU and the Houston Independent School District and is on countless boards for various community organizations. Anyone who knows her, knows she is smart, determined and not afraid to speak her mind. In true fashion, she held no punches when speaking to African-American News&Issues about the political climate of today and lack of leadership, what we need to do for
our children’s futures and how we, as Black people, can get through this global pandemic while strengthening and building our communities. “We have some really tough issues that nobody wants to use common sense and critical thinking about,” Provost said as she began to lay out what seems so easy for many to understand. Yet, with simple solutions right in front of us, why are we being held back? “Right now, we as Black people need to get us an agenda and we need to discuss all of these disparities that we have in Black Agenda cont’d on page 3
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 19, 2020
EDITORIAL
President/Chief Editor
Tristar
Griselda Ramirez: Production
A Revival of God
Consciousness Bobby E. Mills, PhD
Office: (713) 692-1178
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
We Need A New Direction! America, we do not need to read a wellwritten documented book to know who Donald J. Trump is. He is who he has always been; the prototype of the “Strong-Man” that the Bible refers to whose objective is to rob, steal and kill. Thus, if any American must read a book to come to the rational conclusion that Trump is sociopathological, he/she needs to self-institutionalize. Blacks know that the GOP, Christian Right Evangelicals, Trump Loyalists nor President Trump can cause lasting problems for the Black community because we spiritually-understand that: “If God be for us, who can be against us?” It is moral-disciplinary time in the Black community! Too many institutional structures are morally and internally out-of-order; therefore, “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.” Seem-
ingly, there was a governmental conspiracy to promote warringgang-factions in the Black community as a drug-turf-war-moneymaking-enterprise. This ungodly sociospiritual-phenomenon is currently destroying any sense of a spiritually unified community. It is community-internal-cleanup-Come-ToJesus-Time. The Black community must collectively come together in order to eradicate all criminal enterprises in our community based upon God’s laws; especially “thou shalt not kill, steal and bear false witness against thy neighbor.” This we must do in order to become worthy in the sight of GOD, and for the sake of our children and future generations. We have lost two generations to the spiritual scourge of family breakdown/ dysfunctions, drugs and gun violence. Jesus spiritually warned us against allowing Satan (devil) to fill our hearts with evil for the love of money. “For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.” Blacks must morallyinternally-discipline themselves and move to a higher level of collective-interdependence/ collective-responsibility, because no one can
be better to you than you are to yourself. White Privilege is the structural cause of institutional dysfunctions in the Black community, but in the 21st Century, Blacks are socio-pathologically perpetuating the dysfunctions created by Whites. Blacks refuse to live from the inside-internally to the outside-externally. Materialism as a way of life is a losing proposition. An external value-orientation lifestyle creates confusion. God is not the author of confusion, but of peace. Living by what you put in and on your body is a losing spiritualphysical-proposition. Ultimately, individuals cannot save their bodies; only their souls. Here’s where Christian churches must play a spiritually-pivotal-role by ridding the community of houses of illrepute, gang-banging and those who will not listen nor seek to spiritually understand Biblical truths: thuggish behaviors. Blacks must relearn how to live as individuals of light, and above reproach morally so that we reflect God’s goodness to others. “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted the good word of God.” (Hebrews 6: 4-6)
Partin’ the Waters By Omowale Luthuli-Allen
You can’t do nothing about CRAZY Some lovers of fiction novels swear that Moby Dick was the greatest American fiction novel that was ever written. Some of our non-fiction writers are certain to contend that President Donald Trump’s niece, Mary Trump, has penned a classic. It will be touted as one of the most consequential analyses of cruelty and the descent into madness by a head of state. Her contention is that her uncle’s erratic behavior is the result of child abuse by his father. She reasons therefore the elevator does not go up to the upper floors. The Trump Administration decided to file an injunction to stop the publishing and distribution. By the time that his legal team could brush their teeth and speed to court, 70,000 copies were in the possession of booksellers. Mary Trump feels that it is her duty to bring her uncle down because if he is president for another four years,
it would mean the destruction of American democracy. Family secrets are killers. She had to be an insider to be adamant that Trump paid someone to take the college entrance exam for him. This is a new one, a stable genius pays a surrogate a generous award to take his place at the testing table. Our president is wearing bumpers in the middle of a pandemic and the American people are facing down a loaded Mack truck with 3 million plus infected and perhaps 200,000 dead by the end of the year. While he is stewing in his juices and targeting the scientists, the virus is kicking behinds and pulling tickets. His calling card is MISCHIEF through the trampling of the rule of law and constitutional norms. Mike Tyson thought that he was the undisputed King of the heavyweight division until he met a firedup Buster Douglas and Evander Holyfield. Trump refuses to call in the Lord’s prophet and interpret the night sweats and nightmares. Richard Nixon, ex-President of the United States, in an unbalanced moment said that the President Crazy cont’d on page 3
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Crazy, cont’d could not commit a crime. If the President did it, that means that it is legal. This doctrine of immunity is now being employed
Black Agenda, cont’d the Black community; education, healthcare and clinics, employment, parks for the youth, food, housing, economic development and the list goes on and on,” Provost said. “If everyone can grab a plate and bring something to the table, then we can do some things. We are lacking leadership in the city of Houston, and if we have no agenda, what are we going to do today or tomorrow?” Provost took us down memory lane of a past Houston and Harris County bustling with Black excellence and pride. “Over 50 plus years ago when we were segregated, we as Black people did not have to leave out of Fifth Ward, Fourth Ward, Third Ward or Acres Home. We had everything we needed. Did you know that Acres Home even had its own bus service? The doctors and the lawyers, all the professional people, lived in the community and the students didn’t have to worry about after school jobs or summer jobs, because all they had to do was knock on the doors of people who lived in their communities who could help them,” she said. “But af-
July 19, 2020
AFRAMNEWS.COM 3
EDITORIAL
by a Presidential clown legal team to stall the Congress and American people by contending that while the President is in office, he cannot commit a crime. Thus, if
the President is drunk as Cooter Brown and mows down school kids on 5th avenue, he did not commit a crime because he is the President. I have posted past
editorials on other anti-democracy monarchs and kings, King George and King Lear, Il Duce Mussolini, Nero and Fuehrer Hitler. All could not stop kissing their own lips,
chasing their own tails, as they were drowning in their reflections. They could not stop because there was no way that a spiritual cleansing could take place.
ter we decided to buy into integration, that was a disaster for us, because it removed many of our leaders from our communities.” It’s not that Provost wanted Blacks to remain segregated, she spoke about what it took away from us, things which have not been replaced to this day. So how do we regain our “independence” and start building a better future? We asked Provost to outline some “immediate action” items, also speaking about other issues we are fighting through. Q: The importance of voting A: Most Black folks don’t realize this, but when they get ready to distribute money and they look at our community and see we didn’t vote, we don’t get any money. You must vote to have a voice. Q: The importance of the Census A: Just like voting, the Census is very important. If we don’t take the Census, we won’t get the money we need in our communities. We need more Black elected officials coming out and telling us the importance of the Census. Q: In the middle of this COVID-19/ Coronavirus global pandem-
ic, do you think it is safe for children to return to school campuses this fall? A: Hell no! Q: Do you think we moved too fast with ‘Reopening Texas’? A: No. The problem is that they did not enforce the guidelines regarding social distancing and the masks order the way they should have. Q: Should Mayor Sylvester Turner and County Judge Lina Hidalgo shut down Houston and Harris County so we can try again to flatten the curve? A: No. Just enforce rules and get the police involved if need be. Black and Brown people need to pay attention. I go to a lot of places in our neighborhoods, like on Almeda, and I see people lined up outside certain restaurants with no masks on and no social distancing! What, are they not reading the paper or looking at the news? Wear masks, social distance and don’t go to places with large crowds. Q: What do you say to those who want to congregate in churches? A: Going to church every day is not going to make you go to Heaven. It’s the way you live your life. The same rules that apply to the businesses
are the same rules you would have to use for the churches. Use common sense and protect yourself and your families. You can still worship through the online services. Q: What are your TOP 3 items that should be on the Black Agenda? A: EDUCATION What we need to focus on is Black students learning how to read and write properly when they are young; by the time they get to the 3rd and 4th grade. We are not even teaching these kids critical thinking anymore and that’s a problem. You have kids graduating from high school and going to college and can barely read or write! The parents need to get involved more with their kids. In my household, we have more books than they have in the library. My son saw his father and mother read, and he did the same thing. Children emulate their parents. If you don’t teach them properly, you could be doing nothing more than preparing them for the prison pipeline. ECONOMICS - Get more Black people to go into business and get more Black people to support them. Economic development is not in any of our com-
munities. We need to teach these kids about entrepreneurship. They teach our kids in school how to get a job and go work for the “massah” instead of teaching these kids how to open up a business. In Louisiana, where I am from, we call money “lajan.” Money is made for three things; to save, to give and to invest.
STRENGTHEN THE BLACK FAMILY - Keep your families together. And Black women need to stop hollering that they “don’t need a man!” You carried a boy for 9 months, you raised him for 18 years, then you throw him out and not speak up for him? Until Black women start putting Black men on a pedestal, they will always get their behinds kicked. Provost is on a mis-
Yes, read that as spiritual exorcism. Maybe the problem is not the Narcissist in chief but those of us who need an Unbalanced Captain-Savior?
sion to make sure the Black community is well-represented and will not stop until we get where we need to be. “I’m going to tell you a little secret,” she said. “I like a good fight, and if I don’t see one, I’m going to start one!” Provost is demanding that leaders stand up and for Blacks to pay more attention. - AANI
4 AFRAMNEWS.COM Inequity, cont’d So let’s just get rid of all the fancy words -inequity, inequality, disparities, etc. and just call it what it is. FLAT OUT RACISM!!! Like the popular saying goes today, it is
July 19, 2020 what it is... so what are you going to do about it? NOTHING -- UNLESS YOU EDUCATE YOURSELF ON WHAT’S SPELLED OUT IN BLACK AND WHITE FOR YOU. My brothers and sis-
ters, a target has been on your back since the day you fought your way out of your mother’s womb. And just like you instinctively did then, you must instinctively fight to remain out of the belly
of the beast. It’s a simple look at facts and figures. Just think about the prison population alone when it comes to racial disparities, the graphs and data provided by Prison-
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION Policy.org shows that our criminal justice system is defined by stark differences at every stage. Pay close attention to the number of Blacks in the U.S. Population versus the num-
ber of blacks locked up in jail, incarcerated in state and federal prison, serving life sentences, serving life without parole sentences, and even awaiting execution. It makes your jaws drop just to see the statistics.
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
July 19, 2020
lic schools unconstitutional, progress in improving racial educational divides has been slow and
uneven. Gaps have narrowed by 30-40% when compared to the 1970s, but divides remain large.
3. Outsized unemployment burdens A lack of access to higher education or skilled work can make people of color more vulnerable to unemployment dur-
ing downturns and periods of economic growth. As researchers explained in one report from The Russell Sage Foundation and The Stanford Center on Poverty and
Inequality: “An African American cannot count on education as providing the same relief against the risk of unemployment that it provides to other groups.”
does not provide the same economic return as it might for other groups. People of color, particularly wom-
4. Health care insurance and life expectancy dynamics Life expectancy gaps en of color, typically between white Amerihave lower salaries cans and people of colthan white and male or have begun to narworkers with similar levels of education.
row, but inequities still exist thanks to a range of socio-economic factors such as income inequality, access to health insurance and adequate health care.
The disproportionate impact that COVID-19 has had on black Americans demonstrates some of the vulnerabilities the population faces.
And, of course, it doesn’t end with prisons. The World Economic Forum posted a series of charts illustrating other key racial inequality gaps among Blacks in the U. S. (Following info obtained from Weforum.org) 1. Wide educational gap In the 70 years since the US Supreme Court ruled racial segregation of pub-
2. Limited access to improved earnings, mobility For people of color in America, education
AFRAMNEWS.COM 5
THE BIG TAKEAWAY? The more you know, the more you can and will look out for and take steps to protect yourself. Work hard to close the generational gaps in your family, and let’s beat racism out of OUR neighborhoods.
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Inaction is not an option. Complete the 2020 Census to shape the next ten years for your community. The power to change your community is in your hands. We can help inform funding every year for the next ten years for public services like healthcare, childcare programs, public transportation, schools, and job assistance. And our responses determine how many seats each state has in the U.S. House of Representatives. But time is running out, so complete the census today online, by phone, or by mail.
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