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Ahmad Richardson Meets the Mayor
A Dream Come True PICTURED (L-R) IS ROY DOUGLAS MALONSON, PUBLISHER OF AFRICAN-AMERICAN NEWS&ISSUES AS AHMAD RICHARDSON PRESENTS HIS AWARD WINNING ESSAY TO MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER All Photos By: Provost Studios
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SOMEONE LIED TO ME:
THERE IS SOMETHING THAT CAN STOP THE U.S. MAIL By: Dan Freeman
There is a popular saying that I learned during my childhood that goes something like this; “Neither rain, sleet, snow, or hail can stop the U.S. Mail.” The events that occurred on this past St. Patrick’s Day have caused me to seriously question that little ditty. The alluded to incident involves Glen Grays, a 27-year-old mail carrier working in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn, New York. Grays, an African-American male, prided himself in servicing the people of this predominantly Black community. However, his best efforts to serve this community were dis-
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rupted by ‘New York’s finest’, meaning plainclothes officers’ of the New York Police Department. To his credit, the services that Grays provided to those he delivered packages to included getting to know them beyond a courteous ‘Hello’. Glen Grays took the initiative to learn which people on his route had health issues that required the delivery of medicine. According to Grays, “I can shake a box and usually figure that out.” Such information was very important to Grays as he would walk such parcels up to the door of those waiting on their medication to arrive, even in cases where they resided on the top
Edit rial & Opini n
floor of their building. In the evening of this most recent St. Patrick’s Day, Grays was preparing to deliver a parcel to 999 President Street. While exiting the rear of his mail truck, Grays was startled by an automobile making a sharp right turn onto President Street from Franklin Avenue. As New Yorkers are known to do, Grays yelled at the reckless driver who had actually forced him to climb back into his truck to avoid being hit. To Glen Grays utter shock, the vehicle, with its four occupants, not only stopped, but also sped back in reverse toward him. It was at this moment that the driver informed Grays that he was an officer and therefore always had the right of way. Cell phone video captured officers approaching Grays, who is ironically
engaged to marry a NYPD officer, while he attempted to continue delivering packages. The footage captures officers ordering Grays to “stop resisting”, there were no images of any resistance captured on film, prior to searching him and placing him in the back of their vehicle. If one did not know any better, they would have sworn that they were witnessing a well-planned abduction. Mr. Grays has further stated that the video did not capture his being placed in the back seat of the unmarked police vehicle, without a seat belt, and that the driver, who also turned and taunted Grays regarding his arrest, slammed his vehicle into a car located in front of him causing the hand-cuffed Grays to slam his shoulder against the seat in front of him.
“THERE’S NO INDEPENDENCE IN MARRIAGE…” Before I Lay it Down... By “Coach” Mark Spivey, M.Ed
“Two people working TOGETHER can have anything they want…” - Bishop Billy Spivey, Sr. I’ve heard my Apostolicpreaching dad say this many times; I guess he’s somewhat qualified to do so seeing how he and my mom have been married almost 58 years. It’s amazing, to say the least, how much both of them had to give up in order to maintain some sustainable civility in this union. My dad, (like myself) is strong-headed, strong-willed, and determined. My mom, on the other hand, is soft-spoken (like myself), patient, and kind. I’ve inherited the best of both characteristics. What we have here is an example of polar opposites bound together by wedding bands and compromise. It also helps that they are intelligently endowed with ample supplies of common sense and “mother wit”. This combination provides them the knowledge of
when to stay out of each other’s way if individual space is needed. Though not college “degreed” (I know that’s not a word, but I’ll take credit for it when Mr. Webster decides to put it in his dictionary), both of my parents are extremely educated. The most important thing they’ve learned is there’s no independence in marriage… When our forefathers fought for the rights of total independence from Great Britain and slavery, they were fighting against establishments rooted in denying liberty, freedom, and unalienable rights to those destined to lives of servitude and rejection. Through bloodshed and reform, independence was snatched away from those who didn’t want to share it and protected by the United State Constitution, only to have said freedoms amended time after time again. Though not totally right, things are better than they were yesterday (year), but there’s nothing independent about independence. In order to coexist, concessions had to made on both sides. Marriages, like slavery, strip away most of the freedoms we enjoyed as single folk. I started to say that the difference between the two is a bullwhip, but a lot of y’all
are off into that kinky, “50 Shades of Grey” ish and might like a few lashes “here and there” every now and then. Needless to say in that instance, “a little bit of pleasure’s worth a whole lot of pain” is not exactly what Betty Wright meant her classic, “No Pain, No Gain”. But then again, I don’t know exactly what Betty might have been referring to. Imma leave that right here… The institution of marriage is not like what it used to be back in the day. The sanctity of it is not the same. I never quite understood why couples marry and continue to do the same things they did when they were single. Things like “hanging witcho boys” or “girl’s night outs”. Why would married couples want to go on “weekend getaways” with their homies or girlfriends? I mean, I understand that individuals need space from time-to-time, but why would married people hang out with single friends in a party atmosphere? I don’t care how mature or secure you feel you “might” be in your marriage, married folk should not be hanging with single people. That’s a recipe for danger. In my opinion, that’s the certain type of independence in a marriage that should be prohibited. But, that’s just me.
TEXAS • APRIL 4 - 10 2016 As expected, Mr. Grays was taken to the 71st Precinct station and issued a summons for disorderly conduct that will require a court appearance. In a long forgotten interview, famed rapper Tupac Amaru Shakur once stated that a police officer angrily told him that they, meaning any local police force, were ‘the biggest and baddest gang’ on the street. Most African-Americans who have lived in the inner-city have always known that a segment of law enforcement officers have behaved as if they were not only above the law, but also determined to prove it through repeated brazen activities; after all, who were their victims going to call? To continue reading visit us online Source: Aframnnews.com I guess my title can be a little mis-leading because I do believe there are certain liberties that couples can have in a marriage. After all, we ARE grown folk. But, those said liberties should be earned after both people have shown the ability to cohabit lovingly over a period of time and give their relationship ample opportuinties to flourish. There’s a maturity factor to consider also. Especially, if you are marrying a younger person or an older geezer/ geezette. You have to find a way to work out all of the nuances of marriage and the many challenges it will throw at you. You WILL be challenged. Until then, independence in marriage is limited or void. Why would anyone get married if they wanted to stay independent? The two don’t go together. In closing, successful couples should encourage younger couples to hang in there and work together. There will come a time when independence will turn into interdependence. That is when you love each other so much that you can’t live without each other. My parents can bear witness to that. God bless, goodnight, and keep yo families together. Read more “Before I lay it down” articles online @ www.aframnews.com
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Texas • April 4 - 10 2016
We MUST Understand: Save Our Children!
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Edit rial & Opini n
uring the Acres Home Chamber for Business and Economic Development’s 27th annual recognition banquet, I challenged the audience to, among other things, SAVE OUR CHILDREN!. It was not an empty challenge but a heartfelt sounding of an alarm that is ringing throughout our country and world. It is our obligation to prepare our children for the challenges that lie ahead, as we have done for generations. It is important to recognize that for many children in traditional homes in middle and upper income families, failure is not an option. It is also important to recognize that for many children who face great challenges economically, culturally, socially rise above their circumstances and realize success. The alarm is not for these children, who are performing well, except to say, for them, we must continue to provide nurturing and positive environments. As a community, we owe these children and their families our support, resources and assistance. But the focus of this alarm is for the many children who lack strong support systems at home and in their communities. These children are most highly at risk and it is these children that we have an immediate obligation to save. From what you ask, from a lifetime of failure, from prison, from drug addiction, from the cycle of poverty and parentless children, from the vagaries that a prosperous and evolved society should never permit to befall its people. Like many people of my generation, I wish our young men would pull up their pants but I am less stricken by their fashion sense as I am by their downward spiral from poor education, grave academic performance and unreadiness for the business or marketplace. Part of the reason for their failure is on them because they must have the drive to achieve regardless of the barriers that may surround them. But the major burden is on us because they learn from us, they mimic in large order, what they see us do. They learn from us what is important and what is foolishness and unacceptable. We teach them to speak well and respect authority. We teach them to read and to think critically, to hone their talents to achieve; to master their skills. We teach them how to work with each other, to love, to honor, to respect, to hate, to demand dignity. When we fail to fulfill our responsibilities as parents and guardians of the village, it is we who fail and leave a legacy of failure for our children. WHAT MUST WE DO Stop Widespread Incarceration: For far too long, America has accepted the policy of ‘law and order’ which while sounding sensible has in fact led to incarcerating more Americans per capita, and particularly African Americans, than almost any other country in the world. This over- incarceration increases the number of unskilled, uneducated men and women who may in turn, have little positive to offer when they return to their communities. And we should make no mistake about it…they do come home. But our national and local policies insure that when
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! Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not: nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not: the world is full of educated ~ Calvin Coolidge derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. they return home there will be far too little opportunity for them to get education, housing, jobs, or government assistance. Over-incarceration continues to have long lasting effects of tearing down already ravaged communities and destroying families and especially children. At the risk of oversimplification, we must stop imprisoning our young people. Prison must stop being our only option. We need to refocus our attention on educating our children before they get in trouble and even afterwards with prison education. Some years ago, the Earl Carl Institute of the Thurgood Marshall Law School at Texas Southern
ROY DOUGLAS MALONSON - PUBLISHER, AALIYAH ASHLEY JONES & AHMAD RICHARDSON
University in collaboration with the NAACP-Houston branch published a research paper that showed the extreme and positive impact education has on reducing/eliminating crime. We must give more than lip service to Education: Education is not the same as warehousing children in school buildings for long periods of the day. Education requires adequate intellectual resources and commitment to learning and to teaching. Our children should not just be taught to memorize answers to questionable standardized questions, but instead should be taught to think critically, to learn concepts, to solve problems so that they will perform well on any tests. The idea that merely teaching children to spit back what they’ve memorized, like a parrot, is senseless. When was the last time any of us heard a parrot explain what he meant when he said “Polly want a cracker”? We must hold our educators accountable. But the failure of an education system most assuredly begins with the failure of the community’s commitment to education. We as a community must raise our expectations of our school
leaders and for our children. Area universities, particularly Texas Southern University and Prairie View A & M University should require its learned educators to develop an academic plan directed at area ISDs for the education of our children. Their view should be academic excellence and market competitiveness. While we encourage the infusion of engineers, scientists, professionals from other countries, we cannot do that at the expense of our children at home. Failure should not be an option. Failure must not be an option. We must provide job training and experience: Our children should not be left to their own devices during summer breaks from school. Mayor Sylvester Turner has committed the City of Houston to work with local entrepreneurs, organizations, nonprofits and other employers to hire at least 5,000 children during the summer beginning in 2016. Such a summer jobs program serves multiple purposes. Children learn professionalism, work ethics, the importance of being on time, how to talk to and with their colleagues and supervisors, what is expected in the work place, how to be successful, how to perform and they have something to do that’s productive and meaningful. Finally, they earn money. The Mayor said that he intends to expand the program next year and he should be commended for his dedication to our children and to the City of Houston. We must teach and mete discipline: We need to set clear paths for our children by establishing what is right and what is wrong. I started this article with talking about over-incarceration, a huge problem, especially in the traditionally urban community. But that is not to say that improper behavior should be ignored. In fact, for too long, our community may be guilty of providing a safe haven for wrongdoing. We must commit to stop that cycle. We should be as vocal about the wrongdoing within our community as we are about wrongdoing from outside our community. It is irrelevant whether the plague in our community is brought in by a black patient zero or a white one, it is our duty to isolate it and to cure it. Embrace our daughters: The power of our girls and women is often overlooked, but their role is pivotal to our childrens’ success. Long the strength in our communities, our girls and women must reclaim their power to direct the activities of our boys and men. When our daughters reject the foolishness that our sons most assuredly will engage, our boys will stop. When we join with our daughters and reject domestic violence, mistreatment, rape, describing women by unmentionable terms; when our community makes certain that our daughters’ rejections are heard; and when we teach our young men how to respect our daughters, our sisters, our mothers, our friends, we will be able to save our children. By: Roy Douglas Malonson, Publisher of African-American News&Issues Read more We MUST Understand online @ www.aframnews.com TX-3
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African
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Through A Child’s Eyes
AALIYAH ASHLEY JONES
Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. My name is Aaliyah Ashley Jones and I am 11 years old. I am currently a sixth grader at Houston Academy. Not too far from Garden City (Mayor Sylvester Turner’s childhood neighborhood). I also serve as the President of National Elementary Honor Society at my school. And so far as my later career I would like to enter law or meteorology at Texas A&M. Before I start, I just want to say that is an honor to stand here in a room with such inspiring, strong people. But I have to say, the most honorable of them all are my parents, Linda Ford and Michael Ford. Please stand. These two are the best!
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And last but not least, I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Malonson for inviting me and seeing something special in me. But now let’s get to our discussion: Like you guys most likely already know, it has gotten harder for us kids to succeed. That is why we need someone that we can trust, a TRUE friend, but not one that will get you in trouble because they’re just big black walls. We need check-ups. Not for the doctors, no, from leaders. Do you know how much better it would be if we wouldn’t have 1 hour to talk to a leader and then… ABA-CADA-BRA! OMG! My life has totally changed. No, we need someone who will take the time out to listen to us. Someone who we can go to for problems and who will be willing to be there. Someone who won’t judge us. We need education of course. But what’s education when you are not listening. For instance there is this person at my school named Blank – Blank Blankity Blank and he goes right along with the statistics about boys in lower - income communities. Fights? He’s in them. The Books? He’s destroying them. Teachers? He’s belittling them. But do you know the one thing that he gravitates to? His only vacation from his troubled life? Music, to be more specific, singing. And boy can’t, I tell you, that boy can sing. It’s the only thing he wants to do, the
only thing he really loves. So instead of working with him through his talent they want everyone to follow the path. It’s not that they are not smart, they just want to relax, get some pressure off of them. Tell me, would you want to go to school, listen to a teacher yell and tell you what to do in a way that is ludacris to you, wishing to go on your “vacation”, while trying to figure out another route to go home because your main route is always crowded by big brawls or moms fighting kids. Why don’t we have teachers that will actually take time to break it down for us so that we can understand. Or even just trying to stay up, period, because last night you were restless from the sounds of gunshots. Now I can’t tell you what to do or what to give because we are at a point to where anything useful will certainly help. We just want supporters, someone that will show the love, care, and concern that some of us are lacking at home. We really need some help and I am standing right here, right now asking you. Now that I have come to think about it, where are the parents? Where are the most important people in a child’s life? The people who we look to too get the comfort of love, the people who should be trying to give us Heaven on Earth. Where are they? It seems as if after our progress as a way of living, people just depend on excuse after excuse to not grow. Excuse
Texas• August • April 412-18, - 10 2016 Texas 2013 after Excuse to not get up and struggle to get success, while some would rather lay down and struggle and try to predict what is happening next. All of these problems that are within our youth, comes from the caregivers behind us. I can bet you that if a good backgrounded kid mess up, they’ll get back on track. But if a kid whose background is pretty messed up, do you really think they’ll succeed. Think of us kids as a flower, delicate, but beautiful. We can have loyal friends like the roots, good teachers like the rain, but if you have no sunlight, no oxygen like the parents, do you really think that we’ll blossom? Now you can’t replace the spot of a parent like a flashlight can’t replace the spot of the sun. But it stills give off good nutrients, and you can too. Like the Great Whitney Houston said “I believe the children are our are future, Teach them well and let them lead the way, Show them all the beauty they possess inside Give them a sense of pride to make it easier, Let the children’s laughter remind you on how it used to be, Everybody searching for a hero, People need someone to look up to, If never found anyone who fulfill your needs, A lonely place to be, So I learned to depend on me” It’s how to see it through a child’s eyes. Thank You
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AGAIN - GET OUT & VOTE!
**REMEMBER THE DATES:** Special Elections: Saturday -- May 7, 2016 Run - Off Election: Tuesday -- May 24, 2016
TEXAS • APRIL 4 - 10, 2016
APR
Apr 4 - Apr 16
Monday - Saturday The Ensemble Theatre Detroit ‘67 3535 Main St Houston, TX 77002 Times Vary For more info contact: (713) 520-0055
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Saturday Visit Black Houston Taste of Black Houston From 10:30am - 4pm For more info contact: (832) 707-5057 Tuesday Windsor Houston Networking Breakfast 6920 TC Jester Blvd Houston, TX 77091 Beginning at 9:20am For more info contact: (281) 224-0280 Thursday Community Immunity Spring Luncheon 1600 River Oaks Blvd Houston, TX 77019 Beginning at 11:30am For more info visit: immunizeusa.org Saturday HCC Foundation Scholarship Gala 1600 Lamar St Houston, TX 77010 Beginning at 6:30pm For more info contact: (713)718-8631
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Every Monday Aldine ISD Free Evening Meals During School Year All Middle & High School Students For more info contact: (281) 985-6213 Saturday Alliance Financial Ministries, Inc. Casino Night 8111 Kirby Dr. Houston, TX 77054 For more info contact: (281) 845-3642 Sunday New Hope MBC 73rd Anniversary Celebration 4827 Creekmont Dr. Houston, TX 77091 For more info contact: (713) 498-5987
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UNIVERSAL PICTURES PRESENTS AN ON THE DAY/GARY SANCHEZ PRODUCTION MELISSA MCCARTHY MUSIC “TEXECUTIVE HE BOSS” KRISTEN BELL KATHY BATES TYLER LABINE AND PETER DINKLAGE BY CHRISTOPHER LENNERTZ PRODUCED PRODUCERS ROB COWAN KEVIN MESSICK BY MELISSA MCCARTHY p.g.a. BEN FALCONE p.g.a. WILL FERRELL WRITTEN ADAM MCKAY CHRIS HENCHY p.g.a. BY MELIDIRECTEDSSA MCCARTHY & BEN FALCONE & STEVE MALLORY A UNIVERSAL PICTURE BY BEN FALCONE © 2015 UNIVERSAL STUDIOS
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the moments. We are grateful for 15 years of special moments with our Medicare Advantage members and the local doctors and other healthcare professionals who care for them.
HOUSTON’S LARGEST MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PLAN 4-STAR QUALITY RATED BY MEDICARE TexanPlus® HMO and HMO-POS are Medicare Advantage plans with a Medicare contract. Enrollment in these plans depends on contract renewal. Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-Star rating system. Star Ratings are calculated each year and may change from one year to the next. For more information about TexanPlus HMO and HMO-POS call 1-866-470-0041 (TTY users call 711), 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. in your local time zone Monday–Friday. Your call may be answered by a licensed agent. Y0067_AD_CELE_0216 CMS Accepted 02/28/2016 TX-8
TEXAS • APRIL 4 - 10, 2016
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FRAN PATTERSON, LEVAR RICHARDSON, AHMAD RICHARDSON, HON. SYLVESTER TURNER CITY OF HOUSTON MAYOR & AMANDA K. EDWARDS -- CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE POS. 4
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A Night to Remember
AHCBED 27TH BANQUET
ow! That was all that I could say, and it was the same thing that came out of everyone’s mouth. Wow! My family always believed that I was probably going to meet a big time official. But to sit at the table with the Mayor at the age of eleven, was unbelievable. But I was able to establish it. I’m Aaliyah Ashley Jones, the over-achiever of my family, the hope that keeps my family looking forward to another day. When my mom first told me the news, I was going through a lot. From school, to friends, to family. I was tired of it all, MICHAEL FORD, AALIYAH ASHLEY but I kept faith and God blessed me. My JONES & LINDA FORD whole world started to change. I started to feel relief, so did my family. For us, Joy became a plague and had spread everywhere. We had been preparing a week before. Our prayers had been answered and I was the one who was able to present it. Right when I felt as if I was tipping over, an angel swooped down and picked me back up. That night I had a feeling that is unexplainable. I was jumping like a bouncy ball inside, but as calm as all of the other ETTA S. FORD & JULIA JONES guests there. Except for my family. They GRANDMOTHERS OF were so amazed and shocked that they AALIYAH ASHLEY JONES didn’t know what to do. From tears to stationary cheeky smiles, they were there, no matter what. When I arrived there, I was so surprised at how beautiful it was. And then to see that they gave me a special flower to wear, I was electric. I was bummed to see that my family were all the way in the back, while I was in the front. They are the people that got me here, they worked just as hard as me, and they should be here celebrating with me. But sadly,
MARTHA JEAN BRANCH, AALIYAH ASHLEY JONES & CONGRESSWOMAN SHEILA JACKSON LEE
TX-10
Texas • April 4 - 10, 2016
AALIYAH ASHLEY JONES AND HER MOTHER LINDA FORD CHECK IN WITH ANTHONY STEWART TO BEGIN HER “NIGHT TO REMEMBER”
there wasn’t anything that I could do. So I took a deep breath and let go. I also loved the band, I have a lot of connections with Carver and to know that they were playing was awesome. They played wonderfully as well. I was also shocked to know that I was the first person to say a speech. I was very nervous because I thought that I was toward the end, but I wasn’t. It was a positive thing and a negative thing because the intro sets the mood on how the program will be. So I knew that I had to bring it or I would be embarrassed and set a bad tone for the program. The positive thing is that I totally rocked it and I got the crowd going. I just wish Mayor Sylvestor Turner was there to hear it. And he came right after I sat down, literally right after!!! I bet if he had heard it he would be amazed too. The night went absolutely beautiful, from pictures, to food, to people. I also had so much fun with listening to the different speeches. And to know that in one night I was offered a scholarship, another speech, a plan to help my school, and exclusive tours was awesome. My whole life could have started and been ignited by this one night. So I want to thank Mr. and Mrs. Malonson for giving me the chance to something great. And everyone from one wall to the next, thank you. Everyone in that room contributed to make that night very special for me. Words can’t explain how I felt in that moment, I was just so amazed. And I am so thankful because I believed that it has allowed me to get that much closer to my destiny.
MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER & AALIYAH ASHLEY JONES
AALIYAH ASHLEY JONES & GEORGIA PROVOST
Texas • April 4 - 10, 2016
AHCBED 27TH BANQUET
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Annual Awards Banquet Wrap Up
HON. RODNEY ELLIS - TX SENATOR OF 13TH DIST., HON. AL GREEN - CONGRESSMAN OF 9TH DIST., ROY DOUGLAS MALONSON - AANI PUBLISHER, SHIRLEY ANN MALONSON - OWNER OF SHIRLEY ANN’S BLACK KOLLECTIBLES & FLOWERS, HON. SHEILA JACKSON LEE - CONGRESSWOMAN OF 18TH DIST., DR. LINDA HEAD - ASSOC. VICE CHANCELLOR OF WORKFORCE DEV., GUEST SPEAKER DR. STEPHEN HEAD - CHANCELLOR OF LONESTAR COMMUNITY COLLEGE SYSTEM, HONOREE HON. SYLVESTER TURNER - CITY OF HOUSTON MAYOR, HONOREE HON. AMANDA K. EDWARDS - CITY OF HOUSTON COUNCIL AT-LARGE POSITION. 4, HON. JOHN WHITMIRE - TX. SENATOR OF 15TH DIST.
HOUSTON - Recently, the Acres Home Chamber for Business and Economic Development hosted its 27th annual recognition banquet at the Beulah Ann Shepard Building. This year’s banquet honored Acres Home natives, the incomparable Mayor of the City of Houston, the Honorable Sylvester Turner and City Council member at-large position four, Honorable Amanda Edwards. The theme for the night was “Determination and Persistence”. Chamber chairman Roy Douglas Malonson said that “these Houston powerhouses continue to personify the banquet’s theme through their personal histories as well as their continued leadership and civic service.” continuing on, Malonson said, “the Chamber recognizes them because of their determination to help overcome the challenges faced by many of Houston’s historically-ignored communities; these two products of the Acres Home community are continuing their commitment to improving the lives of all Houstonians. They represent the quintessential public servant; the chamber chose its honorees wisely.” Banquet emcee, Ms. Andrea Cooksey, introduced two people who stole the audience’s heart, wowed the many academic, political and community leaders in attendance and upstaged them all with their rousing presentations. Eleven-year old Aaliyah Ashley Jones and Eight year old Ahmad Richardson captured the night and earned a day in City Hall with Honorable Mayor Turner and Councilmember Edwards. Aaliyah, who is President of the national elementary honor society at Houston Academy, challenged our leaders to invest in our children with love, care and concern in order to help ensure their success and our futures. She called out to parents, teachers, politicians, a caring community to establish the village that will help raise our children to the heights they deserve. Ahmad Richardson wrote the winning essay in the Beulah Ann Shepard Writing Competition this year. He chose to write about Mayor Turner, who he said inspires him. Richardson rejected his prize as contest winner to pursue his dream to meet his hero, Mayor Sylvester Turner. It was a moving moment when Ahmad got to meet his hero at the banquet and to present him with a drawing. But it seemed that it was the Mayor, a long-time champion of children, and himself a dreamer, who was most moved. Mayor Turner extended the invitation to these highly motivated children to join him at City Hall where they would meet all city councilmembers and see how their city representatives work for them. Keynote speaker and Chancellor of Lone Star College System, Dr. Stephen Head, offered reflections on the influence that the Acres Home chamber, had and continues to have in Lone Star’s determination to persist in its support of the community. As evidence of their commitment, Lone Star will expand its Victory campus that is located in the Acres Home community. To end the night, Chamber Founder, Roy Douglas Malonson issued his annual challenge to the audience. This year he charged the audience to do three things. First, in recognizing Mayor Turner’s dedication to all Houstonians, he charged the audience to support the Mayor’s efforts to
improve the city’s lifestyle. Second, he charged us to educate our children to become successful citizens. Third, he urged the audience to hold elected officials and community organizations accountable. To continue reading visit us online @ www.aframnews.com | By: V. Allen Johnson
Lone Star College-Victory Center Star Student of the Month Verenice Lara decided to attend Lone Star College-Victory Center in the fall of 2014 for two reasons: she wanted to get her basic classes out of the way and stay close to her home in Inwood North. So, LSC-Victory Center was the perfect choice for her.
another; we are like a family.” She also said that when she first came to the campus, she was a very shy person. However, being able to meet and get to know other students and faculty on a daily basis helped her overcome her shyness and get more involved on campus.
According to Verenice, “What impressed me most about LSC-Victory Center is that the students and faculty here truly are close to one
Thanks to the support of her parents, school has been a priority for Verenice because she knows the value of a college education. “My parents did not have the opportunity to go to college and that is why they have always supported me and my siblings. They wanted something better for us and something that they never had – an education,” she said. Verenice will earn her Associate of Arts degree this May, but not without a bit of sadness. “I know my time at LSC-Victory Center is coming to an end, and it breaks my heart,” she said. After graduation, she plans on transferring to the University of Houston to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in teaching. For more information about LSC-Victory Center, call 281.810.5602 or visit: LoneStar.edu/victory-center
LSC-Victory Center Star Student Verenice Lara TX-11
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