THIS IS AMERICA BREONNA TAYLOR
DANIEL PRUDE
MARVIN SCOTT
RAYSHARD BROOKS
The Killing of Blacks Continues: Is This the New Normal?
DAUNTE WRIGHT
DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS
GEORGE FLOYD
ATATIANA JEFFERSON
PHILANDO CASTILE
STEPHON CLARK
BOTHAM JEAN
ALTON STERLING
Volume 90, issue 24 April 15, 2021
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DN To the POINT
FIT & FINE Harmony Cyrus Occupation: Pretty Girlz Fitness Education: Texas Southern University Major: Criminal Justice Motto: You will only go as far as your mind believes it will. Change your mind, change your life.
“I’m a big believer in developing fitness and health habits.”
U.S. Army Lt. Caron Nazario is seen here being confronted by one of the two Windsor police officers with their guns drawn.
Message from the Associate Editor stop, grotesque racial violence and trauma inflictFilmmaker Raoul Peck’s 2016 documentary ed upon a beautiful Black family just trying to live “I Am Not Your Negro” spotlighted legendary their lives? Don’t we see enough of that in the real activist/author James Baldwin. Raoul’s most reworld Or are you educating others? cent work, “Exterminate All the Brutes” (available on HBO Max) lets the world know that like Purple reign Baldwin, Peck is not your Negro either. The film Making matters worse, Blackworld was hit with tells it like it is, outlining the long, global history of news of DMX’s death. But like my favorite GeneraAswad Walker white supremacy justifying for its own profit and/ tion Z social commentator @_LYNEEZY reminds, or pleasure, the torture, jailing and killing of milDMX’s entire trauma-filled life filled the lyrics of his lions of “others” (Blacks, Native Americans, Latinos, Muslims, songs. We listened well enough to hear his beats, but failed to Jews, etc). Historically, they label us “others” as animals, savag- hear his cries for all of us to take seriously our mental heath. es, invaders, criminals, or, in a word, “brutes,” to devalue our I’m praying the “new” music coming from the late, great Prince lives to the point of easy deaths. And the more this enemy sys- provides some much-needed positivity. But wait, The Purple tem claims innocence, the more we see a Daunte Fowler shot One’s “new” album is named “Welcome 2 America.” Oh well. dead during a Minneapolis traffic stop, because apparently an outstanding warrant is a death warrant where Blackfolk are In this week’s defender concerned. The more we see Black/Latino U.S. Army Lt. TSU’s Howard Henderson talks criminal justice reform Caron Nazario pulled over for a traffic violation he didn’t while former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins speaks out commit, yet subjected to gun-drawn cops filling his face against the most recent round of Texas voter suppression with pepper-spray—WHILE IN HIS MILITARY UNI- bills, SB7 and HB6, among others. And did you know Blacks FORM. Mm-Hm. But Colin Kaepernick was disrespect- are quickly becoming more open to taking this COVID-19 ing the troops by taking a knee??? vaccine? That’s probably a good thing, because so many of us are out in them streets as if the pandemic was past tense. Why them It’s not. It’s still here, like Defender Sports editors Terrance All this is playing against the backdrop of Derek Chau- Harris and Jodie B. Jiles keeping us up on the latest in local vin’s murder (of George Floyd) trial. Yet, the “extermina- high school, college and pro sports. tors” continue to blame the supposed “brutes” for our own mistreatment. For Fowler, his death must have been his out- On the web standing warrant’s fault. For Floyd, how dare he be so big and • Georgia’s Governor Brian Kemp, who specializes in doing Black. For Nazario, who told him it was okay to be Black and things to hurt “minorities,” now says moving the MLB AllLatino? Whatever our plan is for dealing with this madness, Star Game out of Georgia will do just that. Whatever, man. it better be more than a call for kumbaya. Because this 24/7 • The AARP says nearly 11% of older Blacks lack health intrauma is too much. Which reminds me. Why on God’s green surance. Family, we’ve got to do something about that. earth would the writer extraordinaire Lena Waithe produce • State Republicans swear their voter suppression bills are a fictional TV drama, “Them,” that offers nothing but non“colorblind.” Mm-Hm. About as “colorblind” as justice. Exterminating Black folks
@harmonycyrus__ Website: Coming Soon Read more on Friday about Harmony Cyrus at defendernetwork.com If you are Fit & Fine Direct Message our Instagram page @DefenderNetwork
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DN News
Tanya Edwards, principal at Ryan Middle School, has been named HISD’s South Area Middle School Principal of the Year for 2020-21. Antoinette DorseyJames addresses the public as Chelsie Rubin, right, looks on, at a press conference announcing the filing of a wrongful death lawsuit against the city of Baytown. -Photo Credit
Turner family files lawsuit
Seek to hold Baytown, officer accountable for 2019 shooting death Defender News Service
The family of Pamela Turner, a Black woman who was killed by a Baytown police officer in May 2019, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the city in federal. The suit lists as defendants officer Juan Delacruz, the city of
Baytown and Cypress Point Equity Partners, which manages the apartment complex where Turner lived and died. Turner family lawyer B en Crump joined the family for a news conference downtown and filed the lawsuit in Houston’s
federal courthouse. “What (Delacruz) did was not extend any consideration, any professionalism or any humanity to Pamela Turner,” Crump said. The lawsuit alleges the Brixton apartment complex manager harassed and made fun of Turner for her mental health issues. As a result, the suit states, Turner allegedly broke the manager’s glasses and, according to court
documents, scratched the manager, and was later charged with misdemeanor criminal mischief and assault. Because Turner failed to appear in court, two arrest warrants were issued for her. The lawsuit then implies Delacruz, who also worked as a security officer at Brixton Apartments, tried to arrest Turner to help the apartment complex evict her.
Pamela Turner
Stacey Abrams joins voting rights fight in Texas Defender News Service
The TX GOP advanced the egregious #HB6 out of committee. It won’t just restrict voter access, it will criminalize voting with harsh penalties. Voters and business leaders must speak up while there is time to stop it from becoming law.”
Stacey Abrams
Voting rights advocates, including Stacey Abrams, founder of Fair Fight Action, are challenging provisions of the law which they say could strip control from local election boards, increase penalties for voting-related criminal charges, and require those helping voters in need of assistance to disclose why the voter needs help in addition to an oath already present. Several of the proposed Texas measures take direct aim at efforts to ease burdens during last year’s election in the middle of a global health pandemic. Election officials in Harris County sent out absentee ballot applications to voters 65 and older. A court order prevented the mailing of absentee ballots to all eligible voters in the county, the Texas Tribune reports. One of several states that requires an excuse for voting by absentee ballot, Texas did not waive the requirement during the pandemic. A court decision held that lack of immunity
to COVID-19 did not qualify individuals who are updating as an excuse for absentee baltheir driver’s license to register lot purposes. But the court did online. leave it up to individual voters to Observing the fallout from determine whether a health conthe passage of a restrictive votdition could rise to the level of ing law in Georgia, several Texdisability to fall within the listed as-based corporations and CEOs excuses available to request an have already spoken out against absentee ballot. HB 6, including American AirStacy Abrams lines, HP, Dell and Dow. A scroll through the 540-page public comment document for HB 6 shows The same day the MLB announced it various reactions and responses to the pro- would pull its all-star game from Georgia, posed legislation. A registered nurse from hundreds of corporate leaders released a joint Austin, Texas, raised concerns about the statement reaffirming their commitment to legislation’s potential impact, making it dif- voting rights and stressing its importance. But ficult to give rides to people with disabilities the statement stops short of calling for the or otherwise requiring assistance. passage of new federal legislation to address Adams also encouraged several measures elections and voting rights. expanding ballot access, including online Upset about the corporate pressure, Texas voter registration. Texas is one of the few Republicans have dug in their heels, insiststates that does not permit a voter registra- ing this is about restoring trust in a process tion application online. But a limited excep- that they and their presidential nominee tion was carved out last year, permitting undermined.
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DN News
Attorney Tiffany Cunningham
A Harvard Law School graduate and Phi Beta Kappa graduate of M.I.T., Cunningham is partner at Chicago’s Perkins Coie law firm. She handles trial and appellate cases for large multinational companies and cases involving complex patent and trade secret disputes.
Candace Jackson-Akiwumi
Former federal public defender nominated to serve on Chicago’s Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals. A graduate of Princeton University and Yale Law School, JacksonAkiwumi, 41, is a partner at Zuckerman Spaeder LLP in Washington.
Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson
Brown Jackson, who was tapped to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals in Washington, D.C., is a magna cum laude graduate of Harvard University and cum laude graduate of Harvard Law School. Brown Jackson has served on the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia since 2013.
Judge Lydia Griggsby
Made history as the first Black judicial nominee for the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. She formerly served as Chief Counsel for Private and Information Policy for the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Julien Neals
Nominated to the U.S. District Court of New Jersey. Since January 2015, he has served as County Counsel for Bergen County. In 2015, he was nominated by President Barack Obama to serve as a United States District Judge of the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey but the nomination expired in 2017.
Biden nominates five Blacks to serve in judicial seats on the federal court Defender News Service
President Joe Biden has nominated five accomplished Blacks to judicial seats in federal court, accounting for half of the 10 people nominated to the positions. During Biden’s
campaign that eventually earned him the presidency, he promised to diversify the judicial seats in the nation’s federal courts after former president, Donald Trump, chose mostly white males to serve on the bench. Addition-
ally, during his presidential campaign, Biden promised to nominate a Black woman to fill his first Supreme Court vacancy. The judicial nominees must be approved by a majority in the Democrat-controlled Senate.
18-year-old LSU student Kori Gauthier still missing Defender News Service
the latest available sonar technology. A student at Louisiana State University has Institutions taking part in the levee search been missing for days after her car was found include the Louisiana State University Police unoccupied at the site of a wreck on a freeway Department (LSUPD), the Baton Rouge Poin Baton Rouge, Louisiana. lice Department (BRPD), the Louisiana DeKori Gauthier, 18, has not been seen since partment of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) April 6. Law enforcement and volunteers are and the East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office searching for the student, focusing much of (EBRSO). In addition, the volunteer group, their attention on a part of the Mississippi River. the United Cajun Navy, has been helping with LSU first reported Gauthier’s disappearance the search. They will be bringing helicopters, Kori Gauthier April 2 in a series of Twitter posts. The vehicle ATVs and boats. was discovered abandoned on the I-10 eastOfficials investigating the circumstances bound side of the Mississippi River Bridge when another around Gauthier’s disappearances say they suspect “no crimidriver, Devin Jones, crashed into the car April 6. After the ac- nal activity or foul play took place” at the scene on the bridge. cident, Jones said the car Gauthier was driving was stationary, The school has been in close contact with Gauthier’s parabandoned and still running, WAFB reports. ents throughout the search. Her father, Levar Gauthier, joined Gauthier’s phone and other personal belongings were authorities in the search. found still in the vehicle by officers. The car was towed and “I haven’t eaten at work for lunch,” Gauthier told WAFB. taken to a junkyard, according to the outlet. “I’ve maybe gotten four hours of sleep in the last couple of According to the school, members of the Mercy Search & days and her mom hadn’t gotten that much, I’m sure. I get Rescue team narrowed down a search location on Saturday in a cat nap here and there, but I mean we won’t stop until we the Mississippi River after a K-9 cadaver dog alerted an area know something about my daughter.” twice. However, it has been determined that the target area Students of LSU have also been helping in the search for of the river is up to 90 feet deep and divers are unable to be Gauthier. The United Cajun Navy posted on Facebook that deployed due to the river’s unsafe conditions. Several author- students had been “riding bikes, walking and running on the ities are set to be taking part in the search, dispatching to the levee by LSU” in the search effort. levee on both directions of nearby Farr Park, equipped with “I really appreciate the effort that LSU students have
put in, Southern University students, friends from Opelousas, LaPlace, Texas, you know, the overwhelming support for my daughter,” Levar Gauthier said. “A lot of people don’t know her, but to see the compassion people have, I really appreciate it.”
VOLUME 90 - NUMBER 24 - APRIL 15, 2021 Publisher | CEO Sonceria Messiah-Jiles
Managing Editor ReShonda Tate Billingsley
Strategic Alllance Clyde Jiles
Associate Editor Aswad Walker
Creative Director Michael Grant
Sports Terrance Harris Jodie B. Jiles
Photographers Ray Carrington III Jimmie Aggison
The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Newspaper Inc. and audited by Alliance for Audited Media (AAM). Only digital subscriptions are available at: www.defendernetwork. com/subscribe No paper subscriptions available. All materials covered by 2020 copyright. No materials herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the Publisher. 713-663-6996 | P.O. Box 8005, Houston, Tx 77288
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DEFENDER NETWORK
DN News FORMER HARRIS COUNTY CLERK
Chris Hollins slams voter suppression bills By Aswad Walker
Georgia’s recently enacted “voter suppression” law has opened the door for Republican-led states across the country to attempt to pass similar laws. The Defender spoke with former Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins, whose leadership during the 2020 presidential election facilitated record-breaking voter turnout, to get his take on Texas’ 2021 version of Jim Crow voter suppression legislation in the form of Senate Bill 7 and House Bill 6.
DEFENDER: With the passing of Georgia’s recent law, which some are calling a voter suppression law, what are your thoughts on similar legislation here in Texas, Senate Bill 7 and House Bill 6? CHRIS HOLLINS: The entire intention of House Bill 6 and Senate Bill 7, and numerous other bills that are flowing through the state legislature here in Texas right now, is to reduce the number of people who are ultimately going to be able to make it out to cast their ballot and make their voices heard in our democracy. They’re focused specifically on reducing the
Screenshot taken of Chris Hollins while being interviewed by the Defender Network, April 2021. number of people of color and young people who were able to vote by trying to make it that much more difficult. DEFENDER: What are your thoughts on the 253 pieces of legislation nationally that mirror the Georgia law and Texas’ SB7 and HB6? CHRIS HOLLINS: Only a handful of those 47 states have the trifecta—the governor’s office, state senate, and state legislature. Texas is among that
handful. So, without the right sort of pressure, these laws can be passed through with little opposition. That’s extremely discouraging. But that doesn’t mean we can give up. Whether it’s through your community of faith, your fraternity or sorority, the corporation or business you belong to, we have to all stand up as a community and fight for democracy. To have freedom, you have to have free and fair elections that are not in any way tainted by suppression, by keeping people away from exercising, their constitutional right to vote. But because this is a national problem, it needs a national solution. That’s why we need HR1 which has been already by the U.S. House of Representatives at the national level and is waiting in the Senate, and HR4 which is more so known as the John Lewis Voting Rights Expansion Act. Those laws need to pass to protect us from this type of suppressive action taking place at the state level. DEFENDER: Any thoughts about taking
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick’s job or Governor Abbott’s job? CHRIS HOLLINS: I’m trying to keep my job right now, which is husband and father. You know, my son was born during the 2020 election season and I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with him until after November. So, I’m cherishing that time right now. I can say almost without a doubt that you will not see me on the ballot in 2022. That having been said, public service and the distinct type of public service that I was able to do in 2020, was the honor of my lifetime. It’s something that I enjoyed, and that I’m never going to forget. So, I think there’ll be an opportunity for me in the future.
Chris Hollins tells us “How” to combat Texas voter suppression. DEFENDERNETWORK.COM
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DN Health MORE BLACK AMERICANS OPEN TO VACCINES NOW By Associated Press
Campaigns aimed at Black communities across the U.S. are making headway in the effort to persuade people that the COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. With millions of dollars in assistance from President Joe Biden’s administration, local groups have urged Black Americans to roll up their sleeves for shots and set aside what for some is a shared historical distrust of science and government. The latest number shows Black Americans leaning against getting shots in almost the same proportion as white Americans at 26% and Hispanic Americans at 22%. Dr. Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, said attitudes toward the vaccine among Black Americans have taken “almost a 180-degree turnaround” as outreach campaigns have worked to combat misinformation. He credited Black physicians, faith leaders and other community organizers for being trusted messengers during the pandemic, which has killed more than 550,000 Americans. “It’s the messenger and the message,” but the messenger “is probably the most important part of it, and people doing it in a way that wasn’t preachy,” Benjamin said. “They didn’t tell people, ‘You need to get vaccinated because it’s your duty.’ They basically said, ‘Listen, you need to get vaccinated to protect yourself and your family.’” Some of the most effective outreach has relied on existing community relationships, such as local physicians talking about their own decisions to get vaccinated, to reassure the public, said Dr. Lisa Cooper, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity. Community members in the Baltimore area who knew Cooper from her research on food deserts and nutrition trusted her as a source of information on COVID-19, she said. Based on that relationship, “people felt comfortable hearing from me,” she said. Some state health departments have rolled out ads targeting communities of color. NAACP chapters in some cities have booked appointments for people to get shots. Pastors of Black churches have urged their parishioners to take the vaccines. In Brunswick, Georgia, the Rev. John Perry and another Black pastor put their faces on a billboard promoting the vaccines, and postcards with a similar
People wait in line at a 24-hour, walk-up COVID-19 vaccination clinic hosted by the Black Doctors COVID-19 Consortium.
image were mailed to res— have made it hard to idents. Both efforts were overcome his uncertainty. produced by the Georgia “I’m thinking in my Blacks Department of Public head not only would it against the be good for me to get it, Health. vaccine “I think we still have because I don’t want to enough people on the get sick myself, but also fence that are going to to protect other people budge and get their shots,” who come into the shop,” said Perry, who initially Pettibone said. “But it’s Now wanted to wait a year t he u n k now n . Eve r y before getting his shots body’s really scared of the but changed his mind after unknown.” reading up on how the In Savannah, Georgia, January vaccines were developed. community activist NataJason Pettibone, a Black *AP/NORC via Sanders said outreach barber in Perry’s coastal efforts can backfire with G e o r g i a c o m m u n i t y, some in the Black comremains hesitant. His parents and sis- munity who suspect the government is ter have all been vaccinated with no ill targeting them as test subjects rather than effects. Yet Pettibone said the stories he seeking to protect their health. Some of hears from customers — including one that skepticism can be traced to an infawho swore his father lost all feeling in the mous study in Tuskegee, Alabama, where right side of his body after getting a shot the government let hundreds of Black
24% 41%
men suffer untreated syphilis for 40 years for research purposes. Sanders declined to say whether she was getting vaccinated. She said she’s spoken with several people who had to be hospitalized with COVID-19 but still have doubts about the vaccines. “That’s how skeptical people are,” Sanders said. “They’re like, ‘No, I’ll fight it myself. I fought it already.’” P.M. Browner got her vaccine recently in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The 88-yearold Black woman said she doesn’t understand why she needs to get vaccinated if she’s not sick or around sick people. Still, she agreed to get her shot. She said she thinks vaccinations will eventually be required, and she wants to be able to continue to socialize at a local senior center. “If you ain’t got nothing, why do we need to take it?” Browner said. “But we’ll take it because later on, they’ll say, ‘You’ve got to take it.’ If you don’t, later on, I think we’ll have to.”
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DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL
THIS IS AMERICA Is criminal justice reform possible?
BY THE NUMBERS
Blacks more likely than whites to be killed during police contact
3.2X Nationwide
6.5X Chicago
5.87X
San Francisco/Oakland
5.38X New York/Newark
5.14X St. Louis, MO
4.83X Columbus, OH
4.73X Milwaukee, WI
SOURCE: Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health study, June 2020
By ReShonda Tate
But unfortunately, it took all of this to move in the right direction. We thought Rodney King was going to be the move in the right direction. Emmett Till, Trayvon Martin, Philando Castille. We have so many cases where that didn’t happen. But I think George Floyd is going to be the face of criminal justice reform. Who would’ve thought the guy from Houston is going to be the one to change all of it? He’s revealed through his death and victimization that it’s not just the officer that we need to deal with, but we need to deal with the system. We need to deal with policies, because until we address the underlying issues, nothing really changes.
As America grapples with yet another killing of an unarmed Black man, many across the country are wondering if reforming the criminal justice system is even possible. Sadly, the trend of fatal police shootings in the United States seems to only be increasing, with a total of 214 civilians having been shot, 33 of whom were Black, in the first three months of 2021. In 2020, there were 1,021 fatal police shootings, and in 2019 there were 999 fatal shootings. Additionally, the rate of fatal police shootings among Black Americans was much higher than that for any other ethnicity, standing at 35 fatal shootings per million of the population as of Howard Henderson March 2021. Defender: What are the biggest issues facing African Americans in dealing One of the men on the forefront of comwith criminal justice reform? bating this problem of criminal justice reform in America Henderson: is Howard Henderson, Founding Director of the Center for Number one, a fair representation, making sure Justice Research at Texas Southern University. The Defender that our experience is treated just like anyone else’s experience. talked with Henderson about this pressing issue. We expect compassion like people with money are treated compassionately. Secondly, many of the issues that have been placed Defender: As the public watches the Derek Chauvin tri- before the criminal justice system don’t belong in the criminal al, a lot of people who are concerned that justice will not justice system, like mental health, employment, housing opprevail (because we’ve always seen justice not prevail), portunity, livable wages. All of those issues have nothing to do are cautiously optimistic. Why do you think that is? with the criminal justice system, but yet they do. And if I was in Howard Henderson: With this televised trial, we get a charge of the criminal justice system, I would be asking those chance to see how the system treats and responds to one of questions - what are you all going to do with your systems to their own that has committed a crime against a Black man. make sure they don’t come before us? Because that’s ultimately There are facts in this case that we’ve never seen before. We what happens when those other systems break down. The crimsee officers testifying. We have a full video that showed what inal justice system is there to address the errors of the other happened just before George Floyd was murdered. And what governmental systems that are broken down. happened just after. We’ve had medical personnel testify that he could have been saved. Fellow officers who said that what Defender: Is there anything that the community can do Chauvin did was not protocol. It wasn’t a part of training. You to push the criminal justice agenda? Henderson: The community has to be organized in their have a world that has protested around the victim. So I think that what we also see now are the circumstances that need to approach and dealing with a system and institution. I mean, exist in order to hold a police officer accountable. Which, on policing is as old as America. And it started out as an opthe other hand, is scary because all police murders are not go- portunity for rich slave owners in the South to control their ing to have all of these facts surrounding them. property. Their job was to make sure they went out and found escaped slaves. But the community’s got to be able to organize Defender: If Chauvin is convicted, is that a step toward and express what they see in the community. They have to be reform? able to talk to the police. The police need the community to be Henderson: I think we’re moving in the right direction. engaged in the conversation.
The killings of Blacks have ignited protests across the country.
I think George Floyd is going to be the face of criminal justice reform. Who would’ve thought the guy from Houston is going to be the one to change all of it? He’s revealed through his death and victimization that it’s not just the officer that we need to deal with, but we need to deal with the system.”
BREONNA TAYLOR
DANIEL PRUDE
MARVIN SCOTT
RAYSHARD BROOKS
DOMINIQUE WILLIAMS
GEORGE FLOYD
ATATIANA JEFFERSON
BOTHAM JEAN
PHILANDO CASTILE
DAUNTE WRIGHT
STEPHON CLARK
ALTON STERLING
Howard Henderson
Watch as Howard Henderson talks about what Houston’s Police Chief Troy Finner needs to do to tackle crime and why criminal justice reform is a matter we all should be concerned about. DEFENDERNETWORK.COM
10 | April 15, 2021 |
DEFENDER NETWORK
DN InFocus FOCUS SOCIAL
Minnesota police chief, cop quit Death of Daunte Wright prompts demonstrations
A demonstrator heckles authorities who advanced into a gas station after issuing orders for crowds to disperse during a protest against the police shooting of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minn. -AP Photo/ John Minchillo
Associated Press
A white Minnesota police officer who fatally shot a Black man during a traffic stop in a Minneapolis suburb and the city’s chief of police resigned Tuesday. Officer Kim Potter and Police Chief Tim Gannon both resigned two days after the death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center. Potter, a 26-year veteran, had been on administrative leave following the April 11th shooting. Gannon has said he believed Potter mistakenly grabbed her gun when she was going for her taser. She can be heard on her body camera video shouting “Taser! Taser!” “Whenever, through the line of duty, someone kills another human being, there must be accountability,” Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott told the “Today” show earlier Tuesday. Activists and some residents say Wright was racially profiled, and his death has sparked two days of clashes between police and protesters. The shooting happened as the Minneapolis area was already on edge over the trial of the first of four police officers in George Floyd’s death. Wright was shot as police were trying
to arrest him on an outstanding warrant. “I’ll tase you! I’ll tase you! Taser! Taser! Taser!” the officer is heard shouting on her body cam footage. She draws her weapon after the man breaks free from police outside his car and gets back behind the wheel.
After firing a single shot from her handgun, the car speeds away, and the officer is heard saying, “Holy (expletive)! I shot him.” Brooklyn Center Mayor Mike Elliott called the shooting in his city “deeply tragic” and said the officer should be fired. Elliott, the city’s first Black mayor,
announced that the City Council had fired the city manager and voted to give the mayor’s office “command authority” over the police force. “We’re going to do everything we can to ensure that justice is done and our communities are made whole,” Elliott said.
Officer accused of force in stop of Black Army officer fired
One of two police officers accused of pepper-spraying and pointing their guns at a Black Army officer during a traffic stop has since been fired, a Virginia town announced hours after the governor called for an independent investigation into the case. The town of Windsor said in a statement that it joined calls from election officials, including Gov. Ralph Northam, in requesting an investigation by Virginia State Police into the December 2020 encounter in which two Windsor officers were accused of drawing their guns, pointing them at U.S. Army second lieutenant Caron Nazario and using a slang term to suggest he was facing execution. Nazario, who is Black and Latino, was also pepper-sprayed and knocked to the ground by the officers, Joe Gutierrez and Daniel Crocker, according to the lawsuit he filed earlier this month against them. The two sides in the case dispute what happened, but Crocker wrote in a report that he believed Nazario was “eluding police” and he considered it a “high-risk traffic stop.” Attorney Jonathan Arthur told The Associated Press that Nazario wasn’t
In this image made from Windsor, (Va.) Police video, Caron Nazario is helped by an EMT after he was sprayed with an agent by Windsor police after a traffic stop on Dec. 20, 2020, in Windsor, Va. -Windsor Police via AP
trying to elude the officer, but was trying to stop in a well-lit area. Windsor officials said an internal investigation opened at the time into the use of force determined that department policy
wasn’t followed. Officials said disciplinary action was taken and Gutierrez has since been fired. Officials added that departmentwide requirements for additional training were
also implemented beginning in January. “The Town of Windsor prides itself in its small-town charm and the community-wide respect of its Police Department,” the statement said. “Due to this, we are saddened for events like this to cast our community in a negative light. Rather than deflect criticism, we have addressed these matters with our personnel administratively, we are reaching out to community stakeholders to engage in dialogue, and commit ourselves to additional discussions in the future.” Northam called the December 2020 encounter “disturbing” in a tweet, adding that he directed State Police to review what happened. “Our Commonwealth has done important work on police reform, but we must keep working to ensure Virginians are safe during interactions with police, the enforcement of laws is fair and equitable, and people are held accountable,” Northam said in his statement calling for a review of the actions. The Windsor police chief didn’t respond to messages sent through the police department’s Facebook page over the weekend.
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DEFENDER NETWORK
DN Health
A DEFENDER AND KELSEY-SEYBOLD CLINIC ALLIANCE
How to lower your risk of metabolic syndrome
BY WANIKA WILLIAMS, M.D.
Metabolic syndrome is a health condition that is extremely common, affecting upwards of 50 million Americans or approximately one out of every six people. The highest prevalence of this somewhat newly discovered condition is among African American women. Metabolic syndrome is more of a group of risk factors than a disease in itself. These risk factors include: • High blood pressure FROM THE DOC “Metabolic syndrome can • High blood sugar be avoided or reversed • Insulin resistance by making smart lifestyle • A large waist circumference choices.” These factors can lead to Type 2 diabetes Dr. Williams is a boardcertified Internal Medicine and cardiovascular disease. However, you can lower your chances physician at Kelsey-Seybold of developing metabolic syndrome, or Clinic.
• High cholesterol and triglycerides
reverse the effects of it, by simply making lifestyle changes.
• Fruits and vegetables • High-fiber foods
INCREASE PHYSICAL ACTIVITY • Whole grains A Mayo Clinic study found that exercise can prevent and treat metabolic • Lean protein syndrome and that the combination of It is also suggested to avoid processed aerobic activity and resistance training is foods, refined sugar, alcohol, unhealthy especially effective. Try to get at least 30 fats, and high levels of salt. minutes of aerobic exercise per day and one hour of resistance training per week. PRACTICE SELF-CARE Both smoking and stress are big ACHIEVE A HEALTHY WEIGHT contributors to the risk factors that cause Losing weight can be a struggle, metabolic syndrome. Give up smoking but shedding just 7% to 10% of your and reduce or manage stress through body weight can reduce two metabolic meditation, yoga, or some other activity syndrome risk factors: insulin resistance that helps you relax. and high blood pressure. If you think you may have metabolic syndrome, talk to your doctor, who can EAT A HEALTHY DIET order tests to determine if you are at risk The most effective diet plans to lower and help you find the best ways to take the risks within metabolic syndrome control of your health. focus on eating:
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DN Entertainment Michael Eric Dyson and Loni Love have been tapped to deliver the keynote addresses for Prairie View A&M University graduation.
Victoria Christopher Murray celebrates books going to film Raquel Rogers Victoria offers tips When NAACP-Award winning author for aspiring writers. Victoria Christopher Murray first started writing books more than 20 years ago, her DEFENDERNETWORK.COM dream was to simply provide thought-provoking, entertaining books that would keep readers turning the pages. Now, 32 books longtime active member of Delta Sigma later, she’s not only built a loyal following, she’s Theta Sorority, Inc. is an accomplished gaining a whole new slew of fans as her books author with over a million books in print, turn to films on Lifetime. as well as five NAACP Several of Victoria’s Image Award nominabooks from her Seven tions. In 2016, she won the Deadly Sins series, includImage Award for Outstanding Lust and Envy, are being ing Literature for her social produced for Lifetime by commentary novel, Stand Bishop TD Jakes, former Your Ground. She is the Access Hollywood Host co-founder and co-owner Shaun Robinson and Derof Brown Girls Books. Her rick Williams. Lust aired on upcoming novel, The PerApril 10 and was trending sonal Librarian, with Marie on Instagram and Twitter. Benedict is expected to be a Victoria Christopher Envy will follow on April groundbreaking book that’s Murray 17th. The movies boast a garnering a lot of buzz. star-studded cast, which “That book is a fictional includes Keri Hilson, Serayah, Tank and account of Belle de Costa, who was the Tobias Truvillion. In addition, her novel personal librarian for J. P. Morgan Chase. The Ex Files is also being produced by Set in the early 1900s, it focuses on the fact Tracey Edmonds and Shaun Robinson. that Belle built this massive and popular “When I set out to write my books, I library collection, and yet no one knew she never dreamed of them becoming movies. was Black passing for white,” said MurI am simply walking in the gift God gave ray, who divides her time between Washme. And I guess that opened up the door ington, D.C. and Houston, where she’s for my gift to be expanded,” Murray says. working on a huge yet-to-be disclosed The graduate of Hampton University and film project.
CLASSIFIED LIGHTING CONTROLS SYSTEM UPGRADE BID Houston First Corporation requests bids from qualified contractors capable of providing, installing and testing lighting control system upgrades at the George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, Texas. Please visit https://www.houstonfirst.com/do-business for specifications, drawings and further details.
The HARRIS CENTER For Mental Health and IDD (formally known as Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County) will be accepting Request for Qualification for the following:
FACILITIES PROJECT MANAGER CONSULTANT SERVICES Specifications may be secured from The HARRIS CENTER, Purchasing Department located at 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074; telephone (713) 970-7116 and/or via The HARRIS CENTER website www.theharriscenter. org or the Electronic State Business Daily Site https://portal.cpa.state.tx.us/, beginning Tuesday, April 20, 2021. Deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFQ is Tuesday, April 27, 2021. Solicitation documents must be submitted to Purchasing Services, 9401 SW Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 by 11:00 A.M., Tuesday, May 11, 2021 in a sealed envelope marked “RFQ FOR FACILITIES PROJECT MANAGER CONSULTANT SERVICES” - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL - TUESDAY, MAY 11, 2021 AT 11:00 A.M. Any questions pertaining to this solicitation should be addressed in writing to James Blunt, Buyer II or E-mail questions to james.blunt@theharriscenter.org cc: sharon.brauner@theharriscenter.org., or via fax at (713) 970-7682. Historically Underutilized Businesses, including Minority-Owned Businesses and Women-Owned Businesses, are encouraged to participate. The HARRIS CENTER reserves all rights to reject any and/or all responses, 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 response.
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DN Feature
Student Justin Lofton talks with a recruiter during a Chi Omicrom Omega #CAPS program.
Local AKA sorority chapter, Chi Omicron Omega, committed to serving Defender News Service
At 14, Katriel Turner knew she wanted to attend college, but had little information on how to make that happen. It was something that was important to her family and they needed help in getting started with the process. But then she enrolled in the College Assistance Program (CAP) hosted by the Chi Omicron Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated and everything changed. “We work with young girls like Katriel to get them prepared for the college admissions process and for college,” said Chimiri Duncan, who chairs the CAP committee. “It’s so amazing to see students like her develop a love of higher education. We have supported hundreds of students get into colleges with that program. It’s one of the main ways we serve our community.” Service has been the goal of the Chi Omicron Omega chapter since it was started 17 years ago by Camille Clark, who wanted to bring a new chapter in Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated to Katy, Texas. The intent was to serve Alief, Katy, Richmond, Sugarland, Rosenburg and parts of far Northwest Houston. Now, as the chapter boasts a membership of 210 women, they continue to work to help students like Turner. “There are many chapters of Alpha
Kappa Alpha Sorority in the Greater Houston area, but they are focused on serving other parts. We felt like there was a void in the Katy area, and thankfully, the region agreed,” said President, Racquell Garret. In just a few months an interest group was formed known as the Cultured Pearls of Service, and almost a year later Chi Omicron Omega chapter was chartered on Monday, April 12, 2004 under the 21st South Central Regional Director, Mrs. Shirley R. Fisher. “We started with 18 women and the tenaci t y, d r i v e , a n d resilience have prevailed since our inception,” said Garret. “We have survived two of the costliest hurricanes, and in the midst of the pandemic we continue to serve pretty and with a purpose, present and available to provide for those in need.” Members service the community with CAP for high schoolers, breast cancer awareness services with their Women’s Healthcare and Wellness programs, webinars on Building Your Economic Legacy and family events in The Arts! They have also extended their reach by sponsoring and providing school supplies to schools in other countries. “As we reflect on the 17 years of service, we are excited about what’s to come,” added Garret.
Protect yourself and your loved ones.
Get vaccinated against COVID-19.
14 | April 15, 2021 |
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DN Sports Texas Southern utility player Oscar Ponce was named SWAC Co-Hitter of the Week after batting .429 with six hits, six RBI, a double and a home run during the series against Southern.
Prairie View runner Jemal Wote blew away the field in the 5,000-meter run during the Texas A&M Invite, setting a personal best of 14:57.30.
PV, TSU haven’t played much football this spring By Terrance Harris
When it comes to football, Prairie View coach Eric Dooley is known for saying, “We scratch where it itches.” Well, this spring football season it’s safe to say the Panthers haven’t had many itches to scratch. In fact, the 2-0 Panthers haven’t played a football game since March 13 due to COVID-19 protocols in this already abbreviated SWAC season. It will be five weeks in between games when Prairie View takes on Arkansas-Pine Bluff on Saturday in a showdown of the two undefeated West division teams. With the world still struggling to get the pandemic under control, it was known that the SWAC would have challenges pulling off this football season uninterrupted when it shifted the 2021 fall season to this spring. Dooley has been undeterred. “It’s not just me but I think it has been beneficial because you never know how the cards are going to be played or what hand you are going to be dealt, but you’ve just got to take them as they go,” he said. The Panthers aren’t alone in dealing with games being postponed, canceled and the schedule being juggled around since the SWAC “spring” season officially opened Feb. 27. Only a handful of conference teams have played at least four games to this point with the conference championship game set for May 1. Texas Southern has also only played two games so far and currently sits at 1-2. The Tigers haven’t played since losing to Southern, 51-23, on March 20. Their game against Grambling State on April 3 was postponed because the GSU Tigers had to press pause on their season for two weeks due to COVID-19 issues within the program. TSU won by forfeit this past weekend because Alcorn State chose to sit out this spring schedule. The Tigers host Mississippi State on Saturday and then conclude their season at Arkansas-Pine Bluff next week. Prairie View will end the regular season at Jackson State on April 24 while its games against Alabama A&M and Southern have been canceled. “It’s something that is hard to prepare for, but we expected it just with the whole COVID issues that we’ve been dealing with
On Mar. 6, PVAMU defeated TSU 20 - 19 due to a controversial (blown) call in the game’s waning minutes.
PVAMU offense in action on Mar. 6 against TSU.
for over a year,” said TSU coach Clarence McKinney. “But we just prepare each day as if there was a game at the end of that week.” Both Dooley and McKinney admit that it has been difficult preparing and then not knowing if the reward of playing a game on Saturday will happen or not. But Dooley commends his team for how it has handled the uncertainty. “The guys understand that a lot of times you want to put that hard work in and at the end of the week get something from that,” Dooley said. “But the guys understand. I
have a veteran team that understands the situation that is going on not just at Prairie View but the world. “We understand that and are continuing to prepare ourselves for the next contest.” Dooley also commends the efforts of SWAC commissioner Charles McClelland, who put this spring season together under some expected challenges. The league has been able to play in front of ESPN viewing audiences partly because of the time of the year and mainly because Deion Sanders, now heading up Jackson State, has created national attention for the SWAC. “No one had the answers, because even playing in the fall it could be the same thing,” Dooley said. “I thought it was great because now it gives the student-athletes a sense of normalcy, something that they miss. There are teams playing and facing one another who haven’t played football in 400-plus days. That’s not the norm. “So I thought it was a great idea, regardless of everything is not going to be same, not everybody is going to be dealt the same hand. But at the end of the day we all had the opportunity to go out and play something that we love. That’s football.”
Sports Briefs Watson to know accusers Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson received a couple of key victories in court when two judges ruled that the names of 13 of his 22 massage therapist accusers Deshaun must be Watson named and identified. But Watson has also lost some big endorsement deals like Nike, Beats By Dre and H.E.B. Limiting Wall The Rockets will rest point guard John Wall one game during back-toback games for the John Wall remainder of the season, coach Stephen Silas confirmed. The decision comes with Wall struggling with a leg injury during the last half of the season and also with the Rockets well out of playoff contention. Prairie View soccer players recognized Prairie View defenders and sisters Andrea Nugent and D’Sanye Nugent were both named to the Andrea All-SWAC Nugent women’s soccer first team. Freshman Lauren Hermosa also made D’Sanye the allNugent conference second team.
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DN Sports BELLAIRE TWINS: TALIA AND TAKI PALMER
TWO OF A KIND By Jodie B. Jiles
ABOUT TALIA PALMER IG: @Taliapalmer_ Runners She Studies: Tori Bowie and Allyson Felix Favorite Artist: Megan Thee Stallion World Issue She Would Solve: Racial Profiling Shoutouts: My coaches and parents
After a dominant first place performance by Bellaire High School at the Houston Relays, the Lady Cardinals had high expectation going into the playoffs. At the HISD district meet Bellaire junior twins Talia and Takia Palmer took over the track like it was theirs to begin with. In the 100 meter and 200 meter dash, the Palmer twins finished with first and second place. Takia won both races, running a 12.69 time for the 100m dash and 13.06 time for the 200 meter. And Talia was right there with her sister earning second place with a 26.33 time for the 100 meter and 26.39 in the 200 meter. Bellaire’s 4 x 100 meter relay and 4 x 200 meter relay teams also qualified to move on to the next round with second place finishes. The Defender spoke with the Palmer twins to discuss how they push each other to greatness and what it will take to keep their momentum going forward to the next round of the track and field playoffs. STYLE OF RUNNING Takia: “For sprints you have to just take off and keep it going. There is no slowing up after the start, you have to keep going all the way.” Talia: “I like to keep a dry face. I’ll pop up, sprint and never slow up because somebody will catch you at the finish line. I also make sure to always run through the line.”
PUSHING EACH OTHER
Talia: “If I ever notice, my sister is beside me, I just try to speed up.”
KEYS TO SUCCESS
Talia: “You have to do the workouts and push yourself at practice.” Takia: “I’d say eat healthy, sleep, hydrate with waters, and cut out the sugars, because you have to maintain a healthy eating schedule.”
MOVING FORWARD
Takia: “Practice, practice, practice, use the weight room to get stronger and faster, and no days off.”
ABOUT TAKIA PALMER
IG: @Takiapalmer_ Runners She Studies: Sha’Carri Richardson (LSU) Favorite Artist: YoungBoy Never Broke Again World Issue She Would Solve: Police Killing of Unarmed Black People Needs To Stop Shoutouts: My old track coaches, my new track coaches , my AAU coach and my mom and dad
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