August 22, 2025
GREATER HOUSTON EDITION
Vol.30, Issue 31
AframNews.com
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African-American News&Issues
“Addressing Current & Historical Realities Affecting Our Community”
DOLORES “DODIE” OSTEEN
A LIFE OF FAITH, HEALING, AND LEGACY By: Fred Smith
EXTREME HEAT HITTING BLACK NEIGHBORHOODS THE HARDEST By: Roy Douglas Malonson
Harris County’s summers have always been hot, but new data show the heat is now taking a heavier and deadlier toll — and it’s not affecting everyone equally. According to Harris County Public Health, heat-related illness cases have risen by 329 percent since 2019, with more than 7,600 emergency room visits recorded between 2019 and 2023. Nearly half of those cases occurred on days when the heat index exceeded 103°F.
The report also reveals stark racial disparities. Black residents make up about 18–19 percent of Harris County’s population but account for 29 percent of heat-related illnesses. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 33 percent of cases, while White residents account for 26 percent. Public health officials say these numbers reflect both environmental and social factors, including where people Heat on pg. 3 live, how neighborhoods are built,
Dolores “Dodie” Osteen, the matriarch of Lakewood Church and mother of Pastor Joel Osteen, passed away on January 19, 2025, at the age of 91. Her death marks the end of a remarkable chapter in American faith history, but her legacy continues to inspire millions across the globe. Born in 1933 in rural Texas, Dodie’s early life was marked by hard work, perseverance, and a deep connection to faith. Alongside her husband, the late Pastor John Osteen, she co-founded Lakewood Church in 1959. What began as a small congregation inside an abandoned feed store in Houston would eventually grow into one of the largest churches in the United States. Dodie’s story is not only about building a church— it is about surviving when the odds said she could not. In 1981, she was diagnosed with metastatic liver cancer and given only weeks to live. Refusing to surrender, she turned to her faith and scripture. Against medical expectations, she recovered—a healing she credited entirely to prayer. That miracle became the foundation of her lifelong ministry of compassion and intercession. For more than four decades after her recovery, “Mama Dodie,” as many affectionately called her, became a beacon of hope for the sick and weary. She prayed Read more at over thousands, mailed out handwritaframnews.com