january 12, 2012

Houston’s Leading Black Information Source

www.defendernetwork.com WEEK OF JANUARY 12, 2012 | FREE Volume 81 | Number 11

SPORTS TSU TigerS geT Their man, fooTball coach Darrell aSberry P17

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CHAG’S PLACE

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NEWSTALK

Welcomes seven new faces

SPORTS

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TEXANSready for round two

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TSU’s Dr. James Ward and Dr. James Rudley at New Year’s party

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Local ministers keep MLK legacy aliveDr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a man of great faith whose calling into the ministry served him well in the fight for civil rights. Houston has its share of men and women inspired by Dr. King to keep his legacy alive through their ministries. They include three men and one woman who also have a dream – Robert Muhammad, D. Kimathi Nelson, Juanita Rasmus and Leslie Smith. In observance of the MLK Holiday, they reflect on Dr. King’s enduring legacy, how he impacted their lives and their desire to make a difference.

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Why does Houston havetwo MLK parades?

Minister Robert Muhammad Bishop D. Kimathi Nelson Pastor Juanita Rasmus Rev. Leslie Smith

MLK SPECIaL

ontheweb

By Dr. Julianne Malveaux

News & Opinion

Question of the Week

In The Book Corner

The Cartoon of the week

African Americans lose while others gain

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Does Houston need two MLK parades?

Joan Myers Brown & the Audacious Hope of the Black Ballerina: A Biohistory of American PerformanceBy Brenda Dixon GottsThis book is a timely testament to a legendary role model who inspired generations of little Black girls to reach for the stars in the face of a racist society that would just as soon crush their prima ballerina dreams.

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By ASWAD WALKERDefender

Houston’s radically remade City Council, inaugurated on Jan. 3, has seven new faces. Two of the council members beat incumbents and three won seats open because of term limits.

Two others were elected to newly formed seats in Districts J and K, which were added due to the city’s population growth recorded in the 2010 Census.

The Defender asked each new city official to answer two questions: 1) What are your top three priorities as an incoming council member and 2) What is the biggest issue facing your African-American constituents, and what is your solution?

Helena Brown – District aBrown is a 20-year resident of

District A, a community activist and volunteer, and an honors graduate of the University of St. Thomas. Brown has experience in administration, marketing and technology and has also worked in city government at Bunker Hill Village. President of the Moritz Village Townhomes Associa-tion, Brown is co-founder of Pachy-derm Club of Northwest Houston and a member of the Houston Property Rights Association.

Priorities“My top three priorities are

constituent service, starting with the opening of an in-district office; economic development; and fiscal accountability in matters that affect taxpayers and those subject to city fees. I believe that the best answers are not found at City Hall but from within the community. One of my biggest concerns is the new drainage fee that I opposed and believe unfairly affects low-income families and hurts job growth.”

Biggest issue facing Black constituents

District A has one predominantly African-American neighborhood, and an overall African- American popula-tion of roughly 8 percent woven into the fabric of its diversity. The big-gest issue for my African-American constituents I believe is to have their concerns voiced and to have leaders that respond to their priorities, which is how I plan to serve all of my con-stituents. While I recognize the exis-tence of diversity within the broader African-American community, I share a special bond with my brothers and sisters in Christ who comprise much of the African- American community and its leadership.

Among my honored guests at [the] inauguration were my friends Pastor Max Miller of the Baptist Ministers Association of Houston and Vicinity, and Cora Johnson, one of District A’s most beloved community leaders. In my first official remarks as a council member at our first coun-cil meeting, it was a privilege to be

able to recognize Pastor Miller, Pastor Jefferson, and Mrs. Johnson among my friends and supporters.

andrew Burks – at Large 2Burks, a Jack Yates and Texas

Southern University alumnus, is a na-tive Houstonian and product of Third Ward. He and his wife Thyra have three children and four grandchildren. Burks is the pastor of Bailey Chapel C.M.E. Church, and president and CEO of AM-PM Telephone Service. Burks ran for Houston City Council three times prior to his recent success-ful bid.

PrioritiesJobs, veteran affairs and home

ownership


Unemployment and jobs. I have a plan to encourage more of our citizens to go into business, using TSU, U of

H and Rice University’s Small Business Devel-opment Department to assist the new business owners in marketing, web design, loan propos-als and bookkeeping at no cost to the new owner through the City’s new revised incubator pro-gram. These new busi-ness owners will stay in the program for five years. After that, they

will move out and more business owners will move in.

We will locate our incubator program in the north, south, east and west sections of our city. We’ll encourage our citizens to do business with these businesses. There will be a large sign advertising what busi-nesses are in the incubator centers. We will ask these business owners to hire people from the community they are in. This will reduce unemploy-ment.

Jack Christie – at Large 5Christie has been a chiropractor

and small business owner for over three decades. He has served as chair-man and board member, Texas State Board of Education; board of trustees, Spring Branch ISD; board of direc-tors, Spring Branch-Memorial and Big Brothers/Big Sisters, and Medi-cal Corps member, Army Reserves. Inducted into the Texas Science Hall of Fame in 2000, Christie, an Eagle Scout, is the father of three.

PrioritiesFirst, a true health benefits pack-

age for all city employees; one that offers rewards for health and not pen-alties for disease. Second, for people to feel like this is the friendliest big city in America. We want those 50,000 annual convention attendees to say “Houston was the greatest city to have a convention.” Third, I’ll get rid of the food deserts. Most people living in poorer neighborhoods have little access to healthy foods. I’ll

3 defendernetwork.com WEEK OF JANUARY 12| 2012 | DEFENDER

newstalk

New faces on City Council

defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 80 years Continued on Page 4

Helena Brown Andrew Burks Jack Christie Ellen Cohen

Jerry Davis Larry Green Michael Laster

New faces on City...Continued from page 3

bring in Alice Waters, the person First Lady Michelle Obama worked with regarding her plans to focus on healthy, organic foods. Somewhere around City Hall we’ll find a large patch of land to provide an example, like Michelle Obama did at the White House, where she taught kids how to grow and prepare tasty food without chemicals. From there, we will have satellite gardens, like the ones in Fifth Ward, at no cost to the city.


Jobs, jobs, jobs. The way you get one is through getting a good education. That’s why I’ve given so much of my time to education, school boards, etc. I’ve been to Wheatley to see what students need. A good education gives you self-esteem to get a good job. I have three boys in the Big Brother/Big Sisters program. All are productive citizens.

Ellen Cohen – District CCohen is the former executive

director of the American Jewish Com-mittee, and former president and CEO of the Houston Area Women’s Center. She is a former state representative (District 134) and a President Bill Clinton appointee to the National Violence Against Women Advisory Council. She was also appointed to the Governor’s Planning Council for the STOP Violence Against Women campaign, and the Gender Fairness Implementation Executive Committee.

Priorities/Biggest issue facing Black constituents

The two questions you ask have very much the same answer. Whether District C members I spoke to were African American, Anglo, Hispanic or Asian, they seemed to care about the same basic issues – jobs and the econ-omy. They want to live in a thriving city with exciting career opportuni-ties; streets that are safe to drive on and sidewalks that are easy to maneu-ver by seniors, those with disabili-ties, and families with strollers; and increased police visibility. They want to feel safe in their own homes.

If they own their own business, they want to be sure people feel safe shopping there. People in District C also want integrated transporta-tion that is designed to move people safely, quietly and quickly across Houston. Everyone across the dis-trict wants their trash picked up and

neighborhoods maintained. From north to south, east to west, District C residents share the same concerns and strive for a secure quality of life for themselves and their families.

Jerry Davis – District BDue to his community involve-

ment, Davis was invited to serve on the board of the non-profit Change Happens! Davis recognized there was a void to be filled and founded the organization Making It Better. MIB is a local non-profit whose mission is to address the severe disadvantages faced by low-income children in the Houston area by providing them with academic intervention, positive activi-ties and adult role models.

PrioritiesCivic engagement and education;

illegal dumping and quality of life; and job creation and small business development.


My constituents don’t feel con-nected to the city. Houston as a global city is growing, new jobs are being created, new development is taking shape and the revitalization of older neighborhoods is taking root. However, in District B the story is different. Much of our streets and sidewalks are crumbling. Our neigh-

borhoods face challenges with aban-doned properties and illegal dumping, and our schools are slipping behind acceptable standards for success.

For many in my district the feel-ing is that the city is growing while District B is being left behind. As a council member I want to help be that bridge that reconnects District B to the city by connecting valuable resources at the City Hall with those in the community to help improve the quality of life for the residents in my district.

Larry green – District KGreen is a lifelong resident of

District K and serves as CEO of HoustonWorks USA, a workforce development non-profit organization. Green is also the vice president of development and government affairs for the Thurgood Marshall College Fund. A Houston attorney since 1992, Green is a graduate of UH and TSU’s Thurgood Marshall School of Law. Green is also the former district director for Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee.

PrioritiesImproving infrastructure and

neighborhood quality of life revital-ization; security and safety through increased police presence and fire department responsiveness; and increased economic growth through

enhanced business activity and job creation.Biggest issue facing Black constituents

The biggest issue facing my Af-rican American constituents is having the confidence in city government to implement policies that truly make a difference in the quality of their lives. I intend to address this impor-tant concern by being responsive and accountable to each and every citizen in District K.

Mike Laster – District JLaster is a graduate of the Univer-

sity of Texas Plan II Honors Program, and earned his juris doctorate from the UH Law Center. Laster is an attorney with Williams, Birnberg & Andersen. He served as a senior assistant city at-torney in the City Attorney’s Office. He is a board member/past chairman of the Sharpstown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone and Redevelopment Authority and founding board member of the Greater Sharpstown Management District.

PrioritiesThe primary concerns of the

district center on the issue of neighbor-hood protection. Toward that end, three top priorities will be: the maintenance of fully staffed first responder teams – fire and police personnel – to make sure our families, home and businesses are protected; the pursuit of economic development programs that focus on both the expansion of strong business opportunities and the strengthen-ing and empowerment of our civic associations; and finally, providing quality constituency services to the residents of District J.


I believe that the issues facing our African-American constituents are the same as those facing all of our constitu-ents. Primarily, our constituents want to make sure that their families, homes and businesses are safe. They want to know that their decision to rent or buy a home or start a business in District J was a good one.

Our job is to provide quality city ser-vices that ensure their streets, parks and schools are safe and that their homes are located in good or improving neighbor-hoods. We are making progress in those efforts but we still have work to do. We need every community doing their part to make Southwest Houston a better place in which to live and work.



Houston’s City Hall

U.S.briefs

VOLUME 81 • NUMBER • 11WEEK OF JANUARY 12, 2012

PublisherSonceria Messiah-Jilesadvertising/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler associate EditorsReshonda BillingsleyMarilyn Marshall art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila

ColumnistYvette ChargoisSport EditorsMax EdisonDarrell K. ArdisonContributing WriterAswad WalkerWebmasterCorneleon Block

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender audited By Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For subscription, send $60-1 year to: Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston TX 77288. Payment must accompany subscription request. All material covered by 2011 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).

5 defendernetwork.com WEEK OF JANUARY 12 | 2012 | DEFENDER

national


THE U.S UNEMPLOYMENT RATE reached a three-year low. The country’s job market strengthened in the second half of 2011 and added 200,000 jobs in December while the unemployment rate fell to 8.5 percent from a revised 8.7 percent a month earlier. President Obama still could face voters in November with the highest unemployment rate of a sitting president seeking election since World War II. But he could benefit if the unemployment rate continues to dip……..SOME CONGRESSIONAL BLACK CAUCUS VETERANS are facing competition for positions they’ve held for years. According to BET, aspiring young politicians are taking aim at seats held by the likes of U.S. Reps. John Conyers (D-Mich.), John Lewis (D-Ga.), Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.) and Edolphus Towns (D-N.Y.). Some political watchers are pointing to President Obama’s meteoric rise to power as a source of inspiration for congressional hopefuls. Another factor is general discontent among the electorate concerning the way that Congress is doing, or not doing, its job……....CIVIL RIGHTS VETERAN C.T. VIVIAN, 87, is the new vice president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Vivian is no stranger to the SCLC, which has struggled with management and finances in recent years. “It just feels good to know that the organization that really changed America in the last half of the 20th century is, in fact, going to be back in full operation,” Vivian said. “That’s why I came back as vice president. You’re only worthy of what you’re willing to continue to do.” Vivian began working with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. shortly after King’s success in the 1955 Montgomery Bus Boycott…….. THE JUSTICE DEPT. IS REDEFINING RAPE, Attorney Gen. Eric Holder announced. The definition of the crime is being revised to apply to a broader range of victims, circumstances and actions. Rape will now cover “any gender of victim or perpetrator, and includes instances in which the victim is incapable of giving consent because of temporary or permanent mental or physical incapacity, including due to the influence of drugs or alcohol or because of age.”

AnalysisgOP race can’t get beyond race

By GEORGE E. CURRY TheDefendersOnline

The Republican race to become the party’s presidential standard bearer has been increas-ingly characterized by candidates invoking racist stereotypes.

Former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who came within eight votes of tying front-runner Mitt Romney in Iowa, is among the latest culprits.

At a stop in Sioux City before the Iowa caucuses, he was asked about foreign influence on the U.S. economy. The question was: “How do we get off this crazy train? We’ve got so much foreign influence in this country now. Where do we go from here?”

Santorum replied, “It just keeps expanding – I was in Indianola a few months ago and I was talking to someone who works in the department of public welfare here, and she told me that the state of Iowa is going to get fined if they don’t sign up more people under the Medicaid program. They’re just pushing harder and harder to get more and more of you dependent upon them so they can get your vote. That’s what the bottom line is.”

He added: “I don’t want to make Black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money; I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money.”

First, the question wasn’t about making Black people’s lives better. San-torum, unprompted, injected the hot-button issue of race. Not just the issue of race, but the stereotype of African-Americans depending on welfare.

As various news organizations pointed out, only 9 percent of Iowans on food stamps are Black and 84 per-cent are white. Nationally, 39 percent of welfare recipients are white, 37 percent are Black, and 17 percent are Hispanic.

Second, Santorum has no record of trying to better the lives of African-

Americans. To the contrary, he earned an “F” on the NAACP’s annual civil rights report card throughout his two terms in the U.S. Senate.

Badmouthing the poorRepublican contenders, including

Santorum, are competing to wrap themselves in the cloth of Ronald Reagan by copying his attacks on welfare recipients.

Gingrich tried to portray Black youth as shiftless and lazy.

In a speech in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Gingrich said, “Really poor children in really poor neighbor-hoods have no habits of working and have nobody around them who works. So they literally have no habit of showing up on Monday. They have no habit of staying all day. They have no habit of ‘I do this and you give me cash’ unless it’s illegal.”

I grew up as a poor child in a really poor neighborhood and have worked since I was in the 6th grade – legally. I can’t think of a time when my mother, who worked as a domestic, didn’t have two or three jobs. And we were the norm, not the exception. The really poor

children that Gingrich talks about are in the minority. Yet, he uses that stereotype to malign the majority of African-American youth who engage in lawful employment.

Speaking in New Hampshire, Gingrich said, “I’m prepared, if the NAACP invites me, I’ll go to their convention and talk about why the African-American community should demand paychecks and not be satisfied with food stamps.”

Ben Jealous, president of the civil rights organization, noted: “We invited Speaker Gingrich to attend our convention several times when he was Speaker of the House, but he declined to join us.”

Gingrich’s meanderings mirror his habit on the campaign trail of calling President Obama “the most successful food stamp president in American history.” He even made the outlandish claim that, “We have people who take their food stamp money and use it to go to Hawaii.”

The average month food stamp benefit, now called the Supplemen-tal Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, is $133.49. That’s not enough to fly from New York to Washington, D.C. Making a trip to Hawaii out of the question.

Continued on Page 6

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Prelude to an assaultSpeaking of Hawaii, one of Mitt Romney’s sons got into the

act by reviving the fabricated and thoroughly discredited birth certificate controversy involving President Obama, who was born in Hawaii after it had been admitted as a state.

Matt Romney said in Iowa that his father might acquiesce to demands that he release his tax returns “as soon as President Obama releases his grades and birth certificate and sort of a long list of things.” Young Romney later retracted his comment.

And there were the troves of racist newsletters published under Ron Paul’s name over two decades that he claims not to have written or read.

In the 1990s, newsletters appearing under his name described Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a “world-class philanderer who beat up his paramours” and “seduced underage girls and boys.” When Ronald Reagan reluctantly signed the Martin Luther King Holiday bill into law, one of his newsletters declared, “What an infamy Ronald Regan approved it!” He added, “We can thank him for our annual Hate Whitey Day.”

In recent years, Paul has called King a personal hero. If this is how he treats his heroes, I’d rather be one of his enemies.

The nastiness of this Republican contest is a prelude to a vi-cious assault on Obama this year.

We’ve already seen how low his opponents will stoop. Glenn Beck called the bi-racial president a racist who has a “deep-seated hatred for white people.”

Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina interrupted Obama’s State of the Union message in 2009 by yelling, “You lie!”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has stated the GOP’s single most important goal is to make Barack Obama a

Michelle Obama denies book’s claimsDefender News Services

First Lady Michelle Obama recently spoke out about depictions of White House friction in a new book.

In an interview with “CBS This Morning” co-host Gayle King, Mrs. Obama said reports of conflict between her and top aides to her husband aren’t true.

“The Obamas,” written by New York Times reporter Jodi Kantor, claims that among other things, the first lady’s disputes with White House advisors put a strain on her marriage.

Kantor interviewed dozens of Obama col-leagues and aides for a behind-the-scenes look at the Administration and Mrs. Obama’s early fight for respect.

The first lady contends that some have tried to portray her as an “angry Black woman” ever since her husband first announced he was running for president.

“ ... I guess it’s more interesting to imagine this conflicted situation here and a strong woman…But that’s been an image that people have tried to paint of me since the day Barack announced, that I’m some angry Black woman,” she said.

Mrs. Obama denied reports of tension with for-mer White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanual and former presidential Press Secretary Robert Gibbs.

“Rahm is – and Amy, his wife, are some of our

dearest friends,” Mrs. Obama said. “Rahm and I have never had a cross word. He’s a funny guy.”

She added that Gibbs “is a trusted advisor” and “good friend.”

The first lady has not read the book, and ques-tioned Kantor’s methods.

“...Who can write about how I feel?” she asked. “Who? What third person can tell me how I feel, or anybody for that matter.”

Current White House Press Secretary Jay Car-ney also addressed the subject.

“Books like these tend to overhype and sensa-tionalize things, and I think that’s the case here,” he said.

Gop Race...Continued from page 5


7 WEEK OF JANUARY 12 | 2012 | DEFENDER

SpecialMLK

Why does Houston have two MLK parades?


As mid-January approaches, Houston prepares for its annual

tradition – the inability to hold one unified parade honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who gave his life to create a peaceful, all-inclusive “Beloved Community.” Houston’s oldest MLK parade, the Dr. MLK Birthday Parade and Celebration sponsored by the Black Heritage Society (BHS), happens to lay claim to being the first such parade in the nation. Since 1994, with the introduction of the inaugural MLK Grande Parade, Houston has played host to two separate holiday parades.

Continued on Page 8

Ovide Duncantell (top) heads the Black Heritage Society, which sponsors the Original MLK Birthday Parade.Charles Stamps leads the MLK Parade Foundation, which sponsors the MLK Grande Parade.


MLK specialWhy Does Houston Have...Continued from page 7


Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., affectionately known as “Daddy King,” even served as the BHS’s parade’s first grand marshal in 1978.

The two men behind the two parades, Ovide Dunc-antell and Charles Stamps, continue to go their separate ways.

Stamps was a one-time BHS volunteer before parting ways with Duncantell’s group in the 1990s and forming the MLK Parade Foundation.

Duncantell insists the original parade was under-cut, and King’s legacy usurped.

Stamps, coordinator of Houston’s MLK Grande Parade, did not respond to questions about why a second parade was organized when the city already had one.

“Their idea was to hijack Dr. King’s legend and make money,” said Duncantell. “Derrick King, Dr. King’s nephew, said this wasn’t going on just in Houston, but all over the country. If it wasn’t the cities or municipal units it was individuals trying to hijack MLK’s legend.”

“The other parade was started and funded by an Anglo lady. I don’t know if she’s still with the other group, but she funded it for several years,” added Duncantell. “She almost put us out of business, funding buses and bands and doing things there’s no way we could afford.”

Duncantell said that several participants in the BHS parade – the 34th annual this year – transferred their allegiance to the newer parade as it grew in prestige and the BHS’s parade struggled to keep up.

After years of contentious back-and-forth between Duncantell’s Black Heritage Society and Stamps’ MLK Parade Foundation, Duncantell filed a civil rights lawsuit against the City of Houston for blocking the BHS’s attempts to hold a down-town parade on the same day as the MLK Grande Parade, which was also scheduled to take place downtown.

In 2007 a ruling by U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal ordered city officials to allow Dun-cantell to host his event after Stamps’ parade. The ruling temporarily enjoined the city from enforcing a provision in the ordinance – revised by Houston’s City Council in late 2005 to deal with this very same dis-pute – that prevents two downtown parades on the same day.

More specifically, Duncantell filed a lawsuit

against Mayor Bill White, whose legal department drafted the parade law, and city Public Works Direc-tor Michael Marcotte administered permits. The suit alleged the ordinance violated First Amendment protections of free expression.

To add to this parade rivalry’s history, which includes finger-pointing and legal wrangling, it was a coin flip that allowed Duncantell’s group the coveted downtown permit in 2008.

Though asked about the history of contention between the two MLK parades, Stamps would only provide insight into this year’s parade.

“The 2012 MLK Events-Houston will honor the legendary Harlem Globetrotters and has selected Curly Neal to serve as co-grand marshal for the 18th annual MLK Grande Parade-Houston,” said Stamps.

The MLK Grande Parade’s website states: “Our sole purpose is to promote racial harmony through educational and promotional concepts and ideas.”

Those concepts include consensus building through the awareness of oneness and common values, and networking through the public, private schools and churches promoting the importance of respecting all cultures, ethnicity and spiritual beliefs.

When asked to provide more information about the existence of the two separate MLK parades, Stamps insisted that the responses given were suf-ficient.

“Why are you asking me these questions now? We’ve been working on this parade for a year. It seems to me you could have sat down with me months ago to get this,” Stamps said.

“I don’t mean to be rude but we’re in the middle of a production here. But if you need any other an-swers, please call back,” said Stamps, who failed to respond to all subsequent attempts to contact him.

“Our goal is to highlight and keep Dr. King’s legend alive,” said Duncantell. “The best way to

do that is to get people involved on different levels and at different places.”

Initially, the BHS held a parade. MLK activities were expanded due to public inter-est.

“In keeping with Coretta Scott King’s wishes that MLK Day be dedicated to

service our program will encourage people to register to vote. We’ll have registrars and

voting machines and show seniors how to use them,” Duncantell

said. “To fight against all the

misinformation out there aimed at stopping people from voting, we’ll be giv-ing the correct informa-tion. We’re not just out there as a money-making operation, selling T-shirts and pork bones.”

1978 – The Black Heritage Society (BHS), led by founder Ovide Duncantell, hold’s Houston’s first MLK parade, the Dr. MLK Birthday Parade and Celebration. Rev. Martin Luther King Sr., affectionately known as “Daddy King,” served as grand marshal. The event is said to be the first such parade in the nation.

1990s – Charles Stamps serves as a volunteer with the Black Heritage Society, until leaving to form the MLK Parade Foundation.

1994 – Stamps’ MLK Parade Foundation holds its inaugural MLK Grande Parade.

2005 – Houston City Council revises a provision in a city ordinance to prevent two downtown parades on the same day, a provision designed specifically to deal with the two warring MLK parades.

2007 – A ruling by U.S. District Judge Lee Rosenthal ordered city officials to allow the BHS parade to take place after Stamps’ MLK Grande Parade. The ruling temporarily enjoined the city from enforcing the 2005 provision preventing two downtown parades on the same day. Duncantell had filed a lawsuit against then Mayor Bill White and Public Works Director Michael Marcotte that alleged the ordinance violated First Amendment protections of free expression.

2007 – Stamps was ordered to pay Duncantell $110,000 for violating an agreement between the two parades and lying during a trial. The amount consisted of a $30,000 jury verdict plus $80,000 for false statements Stamps made in the 2007 trial. (According the Duncantell, Stamps never paid the money and the case is headed back to court in February 2012).

2008 – A coin flip was used to determine which group received the coveted downtown permit to hold their parade. The BHS won the coin flip.

2011 – Though the BHS MLK Parade was scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. and the MLK Grande Parade was set to begin at 1 p.m., the foundation held a “pre-parade” that started at 10 a.m., instigating yet another war of words between the two camps.

COMPILED BY ASWAD WALKER

Chronology of Houston’s two MLK parades


Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. had a dream. A dream thatone day we would live in a world with opportunity for all.

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MLK special

Local ministers keep MLK’s legacy alive


Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., our “Drum Major for Justice,” sought to do his best to live God’s truth for his life through coura-geous and selfless service to humanity. In so doing, King needed and expected others to do their part as well.

Joseph Lowry, Ralph David Aberna-thy, Andrew Young, JoAnn Robinson and the recently departed Fred Shuttlesworth were just a few who answered that call of service with King.

Today, Houston has its share of indi-viduals inspired by King to live their lives in ways that move us all towards King’s envisioned “Beloved Community.”

The Defender talked with four such individuals – Pastor Juanita Rasmus (St. Johns Downtown), Rev. Leslie Smith (ChangeHappens!), Minister Robert Muhammad (Nation of Islam, Mosque #45) and Bishop D. Kimathi Nelson (Shrine Christian Center of Houston).

All are keeping Dr. King’s legacy of divinely inspired social service alive and well in the Bayou City.

What is Dr. King’s most enduring legacy?Rasmus: His challenge, particularly for Black Americans but not exclu-

sively, to dream and envision life that would have represented his idea of a Beloved Community.

Smith: He actually was the example that we needed at that time for things to come, even though in his lifetime he wasn’t able to see his dream where we are treated equal come to fruition. However, we get to see that today because he spoke of the possibilities.

Muhammad: Dr. King’s faith, courage and steadfastness in condemning poverty in the United States and the Vietnam War despite violent opposition are his most enduring legacy.

Nelson: His impact as a “contemporary prophet.” King’s social actions were rooted in his Christian faith and his unconditional personal commitment to God. Unlike most religious people, Dr. King’s Christian faith was more about serving God than being served by God. This unconditional commitment to God made him revolutionary because it would not permit him to make peace with a world existing in stark contradiction to divine will.

He was not capable of the normal conformities that people make to get along. He was at war with the evil in the world, thus the status quo was his enemy. He was not simply seeking an end to segregation nor was he simply seeking the acceptance of Black people in a racist society. He was not simply a civil rights leader or a religious leader or a political leader. He was an “Ameri-can prophet” that sought to change American society by bringing it into confor-mity with the religious and democratic ideals upon which it was founded.

Dr. King was about changing values, changing hearts and minds. His social demonstrations and speeches presented a profoundly personal challenge, a transformative dilemma. This dilemma is the basis of all true transformations. Without this personal element we tend to create the appearance of change with-out the substance of change. The appearance of change always makes things worse by lulling us back to sleep imagining that we have overcome. Monu-ments, memorials and holidays are about the appearance of change. King was

never satisfied with the appearance of change; the pursuit of the substance of change is his legacy.

How has Dr. King’s life and legacy impacted you personally?Smith: Everything he did and said, and things he wanted to do for people,

drives my life now in what we do at ChangeHappens! We’ve been able to make a difference in the bottom of life because of what King was about. If he were here I believe he would be working in the bottom all the way to the White House. That’s what we do; work to get the top and bottom to meet in the middle – working to mobilize folk with information and legislation to help them reach their full potential.

Rasmus: The need to dream a world beyond our current reality. For me, it’s meant dreaming beyond my current financial predicament, socioeconomic reality, or educational level. That we have the capacity to dream and imagine, and if we turn that on we can create lives that we never would have envisioned. All of my life my father instilled in me what a mind can conceive and believe it can achieve – it can become your reality. I am living a life my grandparents would never have expected. My children are living a life my grandparents would have marveled at. Neither finished high school, so my daughters working on secondary degrees, my grandparents would never have imagined. Dream-ing creates not only a life but a legacy, and touches all those connected to the dreamer.

Muhammad: His death would not have had any impact had his life not been so meaningful. I remember the exact moment I heard of his assas-sination on April 4, 1968. I was standing in front of my grandmother’s apartment building in Harlem, New York. The mood of the people turned so dark and sad. I knew that a great man had fallen. His death inspired me to study and emulate his life of struggle for justice.

Nelson: Throughout my life most people were forced to choose between MLK and Malcolm X. One could not reconcile the two because they were understood to be polar opposites. I was a Malcolm X man and proud of it. However, as I grew older and learned more it became clear to me that they were not so much polar opposites as allies focused on different battlefields in the same war. MLK was concerned with civil rights and Malcolm X with self-determination. It is not contradictory to desire equal protection under the law in your own country and seek to build institutional power that gives you control of your own destiny. I realized that true freedom would require that a people have both. I also understood that they were both guided in their social actions by their religious convictions. In

Minister Robert Muhammad Bishop D. Kimathi Nelson Pastor Juanita Rasmus


11

MLK special

Local ministers keep MLK’s legacy alive

never satisfied with the appearance of change; the pursuit of the substance of change is his legacy.

How has Dr. King’s life and legacy impacted you personally?Smith: Everything he did and said, and things he wanted to do for people,

drives my life now in what we do at ChangeHappens! We’ve been able to make a difference in the bottom of life because of what King was about. If he were here I believe he would be working in the bottom all the way to the White House. That’s what we do; work to get the top and bottom to meet in the middle – working to mobilize folk with information and legislation to help them reach their full potential.

Rasmus: The need to dream a world beyond our current reality. For me, it’s meant dreaming beyond my current financial predicament, socioeconomic reality, or educational level. That we have the capacity to dream and imagine, and if we turn that on we can create lives that we never would have envisioned. All of my life my father instilled in me what a mind can conceive and believe it can achieve – it can become your reality. I am living a life my grandparents would never have expected. My children are living a life my grandparents would have marveled at. Neither finished high school, so my daughters working on secondary degrees, my grandparents would never have imagined. Dream-ing creates not only a life but a legacy, and touches all those connected to the dreamer.

Muhammad: His death would not have had any impact had his life not been so meaningful. I remember the exact moment I heard of his assas-sination on April 4, 1968. I was standing in front of my grandmother’s apartment building in Harlem, New York. The mood of the people turned so dark and sad. I knew that a great man had fallen. His death inspired me to study and emulate his life of struggle for justice.

Nelson: Throughout my life most people were forced to choose between MLK and Malcolm X. One could not reconcile the two because they were understood to be polar opposites. I was a Malcolm X man and proud of it. However, as I grew older and learned more it became clear to me that they were not so much polar opposites as allies focused on different battlefields in the same war. MLK was concerned with civil rights and Malcolm X with self-determination. It is not contradictory to desire equal protection under the law in your own country and seek to build institutional power that gives you control of your own destiny. I realized that true freedom would require that a people have both. I also understood that they were both guided in their social actions by their religious convictions. In

this fact, I found commonality with both men.

Why is it important for people today to keep Dr. King’s legacy alive?

Muhammad: In order to keep his legacy alive, you have to know what his legacy is. The Dr. King of 1968 was not the “I have a dream” King of 1963. Dr. King was evolving beyond civil rights for the so-called Negro to begin to address universal human rights, economic dispar-ity and poverty.

Smith: Because in the world we live in now, hope is very hard to find. His legacy is all about hope now and hope in the future. King had a vision about the possibilities of life. If we lose it, as

scripture says, the people perish.Nelson: Dr. King’s legacy is important to be kept alive because the

things he stood for and fought against are always with us. King could not solve our problems once and forever. His true value is in the example he leaves us. Every generation will have its own battles to face. King reminds us that we have the responsibility to face the battles we inherit in our time every bit as faithfully and forcefully as he did in his.

Rasmus: Our big problem today is people don’t believe they can impact change and create a new reality for themselves. To this point, there’s not enough talk about King’s contemplative life. He was a prayer warrior. We need both: social action combined with contemplation —being with God and catching God’s dream of how we can function as a people. We need a listening spirit to hear how God is inviting you into His dream. King didn’t see it as his dream but as God’s dream.

How are you keeping Dr. King’s legacy alive?Muhammad: By following the Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan’s

instructions to me: “Brother Robert, I don’t want your focus to be narrow. I want you to think for the whole and speak for the whole [people].” These words mean that we must move from being leaders of Blacks and evolve to envision a new universal order prophesized and destined to be led by those who are the descendants of the enslaved.

Smith: As a child I listened to King’s speeches and was inspired at how he motivated and encouraged the younger generation. That inspired me. I took that and put it into ChangeHappens! to inspire people to make changes for themselves. We empower people to help themselves and we try to instill King’s vision and hope for all people into the people we help daily.

Nelson: As the presiding bishop of the PAOCC, I am working to restore the service tradition to Christianity and the Black church.

Rasmus: To empower those I’m charged to serve to see they can tap into King’s Beloved Community, the one Jesus called the Kingdom of God. “When I was hungry, you fed me. When I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink.” At St. Johns we’re feeding and serving those in need. This wouldn’t be possible if our faith community did not view the homeless as part of our “Beloved Community.” Our HIV testing and outreach, mental health services, Path to Freedom Ministry supporting those just out of jail, and our Art Project Houston that facilitates the discovery of the creative self where you can encounter the creator; these reflect the key part of Beloved Community, which is the L-O-V-E.

Pastor Juanita Rasmus Rev. Leslie Smith

MLK Holiday 2012 calendar of events

Friday, Jan. 13The 16th annual gardere MLK Jr. Oratory Competition will be held 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at historic Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, 500 Clay Street. In-corporating ideas from Dr. King’s writing and speeches, students will compose and present original short speeches. Sponsored by Gardere Wynne Sewell LLP, the competition includes participants from 25 area elementary schools. The event is free. Contact: 713-276-5508 or [email protected].

The Mainland United Task Force will host its 22nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration starting with a banquet at 7 p.m. in the Wings of Heritage Ballroom of the Nessler Center, 2010 Fifth Ave. N., in Texas City. Dr. Mary Holt Ashley, author of “Leaders Get Up Off the Canvas,” will be the speaker. Tickets are $20 per person. Contact: 409-877-3417 or 409-938-7365.

The Black Heritage Society’s MLK Jr. Mountain-Top awards & Ester King Memo-rial gala is 7 p.m. at CWA Union Hall, 1730 Jefferson St. This year’s award will honor the late Olympic great Jesse Owens and will be accepted by his daugh-ter. Tickets are $50. Contact: 713-236-1700 or www.originalmlkparade.org.

Saturday, Jan. 14The King-Fest Martin Luther King Committee will host its sixth annual New Beginning Prayer Breakfast at 8:45 a.m. Jan. 14 at the Old Central Cultural Center, 2627 Ave. M, in Galveston. Pastor Yolande Herron-Palmore of Kainos Community Church is the guest speaker. LaVerne Turner will receive the Lady of Legacy Award. The event is open to women of all faiths. Tickets are $15 per person. Contact: 281-835-0519.

The Black Heritage Society’s MLK Community Festival, Health Care Fair, Youth Parade, and Tree & Statue Dedication begins at 10 a.m. at MacGregor Park. a Children’s March is 1 p.m. at Minute Maid Park. Contact: 713-236-1700 or www.originalmlkparade.org. Contact: 713-236-1700 or www.originalmlkparade.org.

The 11th annual galveston King-Fest Martin Luther King Jr. Parade begins at noon at the intersection of MLK Blvd. (29th Street) and Market Street. It ends at the McGuire-Dent Recreation Center, 2228 28th St. A picnic celebration and health screenings will follow. Contact: 409-741-0090.

The MLK Parade Foundation sponsors its sixth annual MLK Youth Parade at noon. It originates at San Jacinto and Elgin. The foundation’s 11th annual MLK Battle of the Bands Competition is 4 p.m. at Butler Stadium, 13755 South Main Street. Contact: 713-953-1633 or www.mlkgrandeparade.org.

Sunday, Jan. 15The Black Heritage Society’s MLK Feed the Hungry Food Drive is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at St. John’s United Methodist Church Cathedral Hall, 2019 Crawford St. Contact: 713-236-1700 or www.originalmlkparade.org.

The 11th annual King-Fest Martin Luther King Jr. Church Service will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Avenue L Missionary Baptist Church, 2616 Ave. L, in Galveston. Rev. Norris D. Burkley Sr. is the speaker. Local churches and the citywide MLK Celestial Choir will be featured. Contact: 409-392-1426.

Monday, Jan. 16The 24th annual MLK Stop the Violence Workshop & Youth Rally is 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Wheatley High School, 4801 Providence. Entities involved include Fifth Ward Enrichment Program, Sankofa Coalition, Communities in Schools, Harris County Sheriff’s Department, Boys Into Men, SEHAHA, HISD, Harris County Precinct 1 and No More Victims. More than 250 young people are expected to attend the workshop, the goal of which is to build peacemakers among Houston’s underserved youth and create safer communities. Contact: [email protected].

The North Houston Frontiers Club will host its annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast at 8:15 a.m. at the George R. Brown Convention Center Exhibit Hall. Keynote Speaker is Christina Norman, executive editor of Black Voices, Huffington Post Media Group. The MLK Drum Major Award will be presented to Robert Mills, president/CEO of Frontiers International Foundation. Proceeds will benefit the scholarship program. Contact: www.nhfrontiers.com, 713-331-0440 or 713-594-5907.

Continued on Page 12


- DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.- DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

THIS YEAR, MACY’S WAS PROUD TO BE AN INAUGURAL SPONSOR OF THIS YEAR, MACY’S WAS PROUD TO BE AN INAUGURAL SPONSOR OF

THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. NATIONAL MEMORIAL. THE MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. NATIONAL MEMORIAL.

WE’RE HONORED TO HAVE HELPED BUILD A MEMORIAL THAT COMMEMORATES WE’RE HONORED TO HAVE HELPED BUILD A MEMORIAL THAT COMMEMORATES MARTIN LUTHER KING’S VISION OF THE AMERICAN DREAM - FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY MARTIN LUTHER KING’S VISION OF THE AMERICAN DREAM - FREEDOM, DEMOCRACY AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. ON DR. KING’S BIRTHDAY, WE ASK EVERYONE TO HONOR AND OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL. ON DR. KING’S BIRTHDAY, WE ASK EVERYONE TO HONOR HIM BY SERVING THEIR NEIGHBORS AND MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.HIM BY SERVING THEIR NEIGHBORS AND MAKING A POSITIVE IMPACT IN THEIR COMMUNITIES.

N1120299K.indd 1 12/29/11 10:44 AM

The Black Heritage Society’s 34th annual Original MLK Birthday Parade starts at 10 a.m. at Minute Maid Park. The grand marshal is Congresswoman Sheila Jack-son Lee. A concert & festival follow at 11 a.m. at Discovery Green (Jones Lawn), featuring live performances by local and national recording artists. Contact: 713-236-1700 or www.originalmlkparade.org.

The MLK Parade Foundation sponsors the 18th annual MLK grande Parade at 10 a.m. It originates at San Jacinto and Elgin Streets. The parade will be led by the University of Houston marching band and will feature more than 20 other bands, floats, performing groups and dignitaries. Harlem Globetrotters legend Curly Neal and current star Blenda Rodriguez will serve as grand marshals. An MLK Day of Service with the Harlem globetrotters follows at 12:30 p.m. at Root Memorial Square Park, 1400 Clay Street. Contact: 713-953-1633 or www.mlkgrandeparade.org.

The Children’s Museum of Houston, 1500 Binz, sponsors special MLK Day events beginning at 10 a.m. and a peace rally at noon. Events include uplifting words by State Rep. Garnet Coleman, a speech by the Gardere Oratory Competition winner, a performance by Young Harmonies of Houston and various other activities. Admission is $5 per person, and free for children under one and museum mem-bers. Contact: www.cmhouston.org or 713-522-1138.

The Mainland United Task Force will sponsor its annual parade at 10 a.m. at the Carver Park area in Texas City. The route begins on Westward Street to FM 1765. A rally follows at Greater Bell Zion Baptist Church, 312 Rose. Pastor Michael Cox of New Hope Bible Baptist Church in La Marque will be the guest speaker. There also will be a performance by a puppet ministry, praise dancers and gospel singing. Contact: 409-877-3417 or 409-938-7365.

Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church, 3826 Wheeler, presents its annual MLK Cele-bration at 10 a.m. Contact: 713-748-5240 or www.wheeleravebc.org.

St. Vincent’s House hosts its Unity Prayer Vigil in honor of the King Holi-day at 11 a.m. at 2817 Post Office St. in Galveston. All religious denominations are invited to gather to pray, praise and sing for unity, peace and love. Contact: 409-763-8521.

The mainland chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, the Galveston chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha and Texas City Commissioner Donald Singleton will present their an-nual Martin Luther King Jr. Oratorical & Young author’s Contest at 3 p.m. at the New Beginnings Conference Center, 322 Laurel St. in La Marque. Students from all Galveston County schools are eligible to enter. Cash prizes will be awarded. Con-tact: 409-938-0462 or 409-948-0309.

Calendar of Events...Continued from page 7


“Intelligence plus character – that is the goal of true education.”– Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The University of Houston honors Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for changing the course of American history and uplifting the minds and hearts of every generation.

uh.eduThe University of Houston is an EEO/AA Institution.

Atlanta’s King Center continues the dreamEstablished in 1968 by the late Coretta

Scott King, the Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change is the official, living memorial dedicated to advancing the legacy of Dr. King.

Through various programs and part-nerships, the center strives to educate the world about Dr. King’s life and teachings, inspire new generations to further his work, and strengthen causes and “change mak-ers” continuing his

efforts today.The King Center is part of the MLK

Jr. Historic Site. Located just east of downtown Atlanta, the site is a popular destination.

Visitors can begin their trip by fol-lowing the Civil Rights Walk of Fame, past the statue of Mahatma Gandhi, to the National Park Service Visitor Center.

Exiting the visitor center, turn right and pass the International World Peace Rose Garden toward Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church at the corner of Auburn Avenue and Jackson Street. Proceed east on Auburn to enter the King Center’s outdoor campus.

View the crypt of Dr. and Mrs. King, the Eternal Flame, Freedom Walkway and Reflecting Pool.

The center strongly believes that Dr. King’s liberating efforts toward freedom, justice and equality are as relevant today as ever. The center’s guiding principles are:

• To develop a critical mass of leaders who embrace the philosophy of Dr. King in their own lives and apply his philosophy of nonviolence to the problems and issues of the commu-nity, the nation and the world.

• To educate and train leaders from all walks of life in the

philosophy and methods of “Kingian non-violence,” and its application to their own lives and to their institutional structures, philosophies and policies.

• To be an agent of reconciliation in bringing together individuals, leaders, groups, institutions and nations in the nonviolent resolution of conflict.

• To spread the spirit and princi-ples of nonviolence throughout America’s culture.

• To empower generations of

young people who are morally and spiri-tually mature and who embrace “Kingian nonviolence” in their lives.

• To establish in the U.S. and throughout the world a social order based on peace and justice, which will eliminate violence, racism, poverty and war, and to establish what Dr. King called the “beloved community.”

Source: Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change, www.thekingcenter.org.


ABC-13 celebrates the life of Martin Luther King, Jr.

and his insistence on equality amongst all people, all

creeds and all races. Through our love, compassion

and understanding, his dream still marches on.

Dear Fellow Houstonians,

Thank you for electing me to a second term as your mayor. I start this term inspired by the words of Dr. King, and with the acknowledgment that my number one job for the next two years

is to continue to bring more jobs to Houston.

Let’s work together to achieve a meaningful Martin Luther King, Jr. Day by making his dream a reality.

M ay o r a n n i s e Pa r k e r

P o l . a d v. a n n i s e Pa r k e r C a m Pa i g n

“ Equality means dignity. And dignity demands a job and a paycheck that lasts through the week.”

R e v. D R .

Martin Luther King, Jr., 1963

Commentary Dr. King’s voting rights legacy under attackBy MARC H. MORIALNational Urban League

On Monday, Jan. 16, America will celebrate what would have been the 83rd birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The day will be marked from coast to coast with parades, speeches, and pilgrimages to the new King Memorial on the National Mall.

But in the midst of this outpouring of praise, there is a sinister movement afoot to undo one of Dr. King’s hardest fought victories – the removal of discriminatory barriers to voting and the passage of the Voting Rights Act signed into law by President Lyndon Johnson in 1965.

In Dr. King’s day, billy clubs, cattle prods and guns kept African Americans away from the polls. Today, new voter restriction laws on the books or in the works in at least 34 states could deny the right to vote to more than 5 million Americans this year.

These laws include new photo ID require-ments, elimination of early voting, bans on voting by out-of-state college students, and rollbacks of voting rights for ex-felons who have paid their debts to society.

Florida has even eliminated voting on the Sunday before Election Day which has tradition-ally been a day when African-American churches organized “souls to the polls” drives for their congregations.

The mostly conservative proponents of these new laws claim they are meant to prevent widespread fraud – the casting of ballots by people who are not legally eligible to vote. But both the Bush and Obama Justice Departments have looked and not found significant voter fraud in American elections.

So let’s be clear – the real reason behind this spate of new laws is to suppress the votes of people likely to support progressive candidates and issues – African Americans, Latinos, young people, the elderly and people with disabilities.

This is unconscionable. It is un-American. And it dishonors the sacrifices of generations of Americans who have fought and died to extend the right to vote to every citizen.

Fortunately, a growing number of Americans are fighting back.

Last Dec. 10, the National Urban League joined the NAACP and a coalition of civil rights groups at a “Stand for Freedom” march and rally at the United Nations to protest this blatant attack on voting rights.

Attorney General Eric Holder has also ex-pressed concern about the legality of some of these new laws. Recently, the Justice Department struck down a voter ID law in South Carolina and Holder promises to continue to monitor these attempts and stop them when they violate the law. But beating back these efforts will require citizen vigilance and action.

In a recent speech at the LBJ Library and Mu-seum in Austin, Texas, Holder urged Americans to, “Speak out. Raise awareness about what’s at stake. Call on our political parties to resist the temptation to suppress certain votes in the hope of attaining electoral success and… urge policymakers at every level to reevaluate our election systems – and to reform them in ways that encourage, not limit, participation.”

We agree. We must not let the hard-won voting rights secured by Dr. King, John Lewis, LBJ and so many others slip away.

15defendernetwork.com WEEK OF JANUARY 12 | 2012 DEFENDER

entertainmentHector Elizondo talks about life, career

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Born in New York City in 1936, Hector Elizondo first gained recognition on the New York stage for his Obie Award-winning portrayal of God in “Steambath.”

He went on to garner praise for his work on Broadway in Neil Simon’s “The Prisoner of Second Avenue,” “The Great White Hope” and “Sly Fox.”

Hector was nominated for a Golden Globe Award and an American Comedy Award for his performance in Garry Marshall’s mega-hit “Pretty Woman.” He has worked with Marshall in all of the director’s films, beginning with “Young Doctors in Love.”

Hector won an Emmy Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Dr. Phillip Watters on CBS’s “Chicago Hope.”

Currently, he can be seen in the ABC comedy hit “Last Man Standing” starring Tim Allen. Here, he talks about his role as Kominsky in Marshall’s ensemble comedy, “New Year’s Eve,” among other things.

KW: You’ve appeared in all of Garry Marshall’s films. How did the two of you start collaborating?

HE: We met playing basketball in a pickup game with a bunch of other older guys from New York. We hadn’t been introduced, but this guy with wrapped knees was guarding me and sticking to me like Velcro. And when I tried to whip a behind-the-back pass to a teammate, something happened. So, the first time I met Garry Marshall was right after I almost knocked his teeth out. The ball hit him in the chops and that was the beginning of a beautiful friend-ship. “New Year’s Eve” is our 17th film together.

KW: How hard was it to come up with Kominsky’s Eastern European accent in New Year’s Eve?

HE: Not hard at all. It was my sixth or seventh time with that accent. I do many accents, everything from Japanese to Russian to Middle-Urdu. In the case of Kominsky, we invented this character, because he wasn’t in the script. We had to figure him out. He brings the light to the dark, so he’s sort of like the cavalry that saves the day.

Continued on Page 18

16 DEFENDER | WEEK OF JANUARY 12 | 2012 defendernetwork.com

sports


Texans gear up for round 2 of playoffs

By MAx EDISONDefender

Playoff football in the NFL is an inter-esting mix of mindsets. As you bask in the jubilation of every playoff triumph it has to be tempered with the fact that the next opponent is even more

formidable. So while the city of Houston basks in the

glow of our franchise’s first playoff vic-tory our team prepares for business, and that business is the Baltimore Ravens.

The Ravens host the Texans in Balti-more in a rematch of week six when they defeated our local heroes 29-14. The Ravens have been a Jekyll & Hyde team all season.

They finished as the champions of the brutal AFC North division with 12-4 record. They were undefeated at home (8-0) and undefeated in their division (6-0). Their only glaring weakness was their tendency to play down to lesser opponents, losing to the likes of Jacksonville and Seattle.

For the Texans, this week’s theme should be revenge. In their week six match-up they played without an injured Andre Johnson, trailed at the half 10-7 and were ahead 14-10 early the third. In other words, we let one get away.

None of these facts will be over-looked as coach Gary Kubiak prepares his troops.

“We know what we’re facing going down there,” Coach K said. “They have been an excellent foot-ball team all year long. You have to go play at their place. I think they are 8-0 at their place this year in the regular season.

“So, we understand. We went there earlier in the sea-son and we’ll have to play as good as we can possibly play. But we took a step in the right direction. We’ll go to work have a good week,

and we expect to play well.” Kubiak and the Texan players know exactly

what to expect in Baltimore.“I’ve been there once in the playoffs. Our

guys know,” he continued. “They know what type of team we’re playing. It will be a physi-cal game. We’ll have to handle a hostile crowd and we have to do it with the young kid again, with the quar-terback.

“We know what we’re up against, but you know what, that’s kind of the way

we play. It’s the type of football we like to play. We need to go down there and we’ll have another good week. And like I said, we’ll play well.”

Texan Pro Bowl linebacker Brian Cushing knows what to expect from the Ravens and eagerly accepts the challenge.

“We’ve been there before, and it’s not going to be anything new,”

No. 56 explained. “I’m sure it’ll be a little bit louder with the playoff environment. They’ll be

excited, coming off of a bye, but we’ll be ready. Going up there, it’s going to be a fun, exciting challenge, and we’re ready for it.”

After losing their final three regular season games, All-Pro cornerback Johnathan Joseph feels the team has regained their swagger and is ready for a deep playoff run.

“I think the playoffs are about momentum,” Joseph said. “ Me per-sonally, from going in and being one-and-done, just watching from the side sitting at home, you find a lot of teams that get hot early and they go to the playoffs and they’re one-and-done.

“Then, you find some teams that catch momentum late and they ride it all the way to the end and find themselves some way to get in

to the Super Bowl. For us, hope-fully we clicked at the right time.”

# 24, said the playoffs are about momentum.

# 80, has waited for a playoff appearance.

17defendernetwork.com WEEK OF JANUARY 12 | 2012 DEFENDER


TSU Tigers get their man, coach Darrell asberry

By MAx EDISONDefender

It may have taken longer than anticipated, but Texas Southern has finally introduced new head football coach

Darrell Asberry, a Baton Rouge native who comes to Houston after a very success-ful stint at Shaw University (North Carolina).

If a resume and track record is any indication, TSU has selected a major young coaching star. Asberry’s re-cord at Shaw was 30-13 (40-25 career), winning 3 CIAA (Div II) championships in five years. He has been an of-fensive coordinator at North Carolina Central, Albany State and Jackson State.

TSU Athletic Direc-tor Dr. Charles McClelland explained what made Asberry such an appealing candidate.

“If you look at his back-ground and his track record, he developed Shaw into one of the premier Division II football programs,” said Mc-Clelland.

“He has a very high graduation rate. We wanted somebody who was going to come in and be a great foot-ball coach and a great fit for Texas Southern University and I think Darrell can help us achieve our goals.”

Asberry is delighted to be in Houston and excited to be at TSU.

“This is a great opportu-nity for me and my family to be a part of something great like Texas Southern,” said Asberry. “I’ll give 110 per-cent to help the young men at TSU finish school and win championships. Texas South-ern is striving to be the best and I want to be a part of the best.”

Asberry reiterated the point that McClelland made, stressing

the importance of student-athletes handling their business in the classroom.

“We will recruit students

first,” said Asberry. “We are going to go to class and do our work…then we will practice because when we get it right in the classroom the winning and championships will fol-low.”

For Asberry, a former Jackson State quarterback, the opportunity to come back “home” to SWAC competition was too good to pass up.

“When I say coming back home I’m referring to the SWAC. I support all my HBCUs and especially the SWAC conference. That’s the conference I played in while at Jackson State. I wouldn’t want to be any other place.”

Asberry was so positive-ly influenced by his experience at Jackson State under legendary coach W.C. Gordon that it has

become the foundation of his philosophy on coaching.

“If I wouldn’t have had a W.C. Gordon in my life at Jackson State to tell me the right things I wouldn’t be here today. That’s how I want to run my program, like my college coaches related to me,” he said.

“Academics is first, then we’ll focus on winning a championship. I don’t talk a whole lot about football because that’s what we do. We’re going to win, but we have to win in life, not just in football.”

The move to Houston also provided an additional personal bonus for the new coach.

“My mother is three to four hours down the road [in Baton Rouge]. She’s getting

up in age and she gets the chance to see her youngest son work.”

Asberry is an outstanding hire, but he has to hit the ground running. He has to hire a staff and begin recruiting immediately. The national signing day is a month away and TSU is behind the competition.

One positive thing for As-berry is that the talent cupboard is not totally bare at TSU, a year removed from a conference championship. He inherits two of the top running backs in the conference and an All-American caliber defensive end. He prefers a spread offense, but has to find a quarterback to make it work.

The Tigers begin the 2012 season in their beautiful new state-of-the-art downtown sta-dium this fall. There is still the dark cloud of an NCAA investi-gation and its sanctions against the football program.

The Tiger alums and fans have not been known for being particularly patient, so it is hoped Asberry will get their attention quickly.

TSU introduces new head football coach Darrell Asberry.

TSU AD Charles McClelland (left) and President Dr. John Rudley (right) with new head football coach Darrell Asberry (center).


18 DEFENDER | WEEK OF JANUARY 12 | 2012 defendernetwork.com

Purchase tickets at the Box Office, by calling 866-4HOUTIX

or online at ToyotaCenterTix.com.For group tickets, contact Courtney Aldrich

at [email protected]

Sat., Jan. 28 • 2pmSun., Jan. 29 • 2pm

entertainment

what’supJOHN LEGEND will perform on Black Heritage Day at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. His performance is Friday, March 2. The rodeo runs Feb. 28-March 18, and tickets go on sale Jan. 14. In all, 22 star entertain-ers representing different genres will perform during the rodeo. In addition to Legend, they include Alabama, Kid Rock, ZZ Top, Enrique Iglesias and Reba McEn-tire……..SNOOP DOGG came to Texas recently and got himself arrested. He was picked up at a highway checkpoint near El Paso after border agents said they found several joints on his tour bus. The rapper, whose name is Calvin Broadus, was cited for possession of drug paraphernalia, a misdemeanor. A border agent reportedly smelled marijuana and ordered everyone off the bus so that a dog could inspect it. Snoop admit-ted the drug was his and was released. If convicted, he could face up to 180 days in jail…….. BOYZ II MEN received the 2,456th star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman, Wanya Morris and Michael McCary (who left the group in 2003 due to health issues) were joined by Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis at the ceremony. “It’s the best feeling in the world to 20 years later be standing here in front of everybody and be appreci-ated, which means that we did our jobs and the job that we did is memorable,” Morris said. The group has sold more than 60 million albums…….. NICK CANNON was hospitalized for kidney failure, and his superstar wife Mariah Carey tweeted a photo of them cuddling in his hospital bed. Carey said it was “a serious mo-ment that’s very tough on all of us so please keep us and our family in your prayers.” They were vacationing in Aspen with their twin babies when Cannon became ill……..KIRK FRANKLIN is celebrating the 20th an-niversary of establishing his first major recording group, The Family. A native Texan, Franklin is credited with revolutionizing contemporary gospel music. For his ef-forts, he has amassed 10 No. 1 gospel hits, and earned seven Grammy Awards, 12 Dove Awards and 35 Stellar

Awards. A 28-song double CD titled “The Essential Kirk Franklin” will be released Jan. 24……..WILL & JADA PINKETT SMITH made a nice profit after selling their seven-acre Hawaii vacation home for $20 million. They purchased the Kauai home for $13.5 million in 2009.

Hector Elizondo...Continued from page 15

KW: What’s up next for you?HE: A half-hour sitcom with Tim Allen called

“Last Man Standing.” It airs Tuesday nights at 8 p.m.KW: What has been the biggest obstacle you

have had to overcome?EH: I was a very sickly kid. I sent away for a

Charles Atlas booklet for 98-pound weaklings…It took a lot of work, but that gave me the confidence I needed.

KW: What excites you?HE: Art…a great painting… new ideas…new

music…the curve of a woman’s calf… shapely hips…Serena Williams.

KW: Who’s at the top of your hero list? HE: My father. My dad was my hero, a working-

class guy who came here during the Depression and just did the right thing. He was an old-fashioned,

classifieds

Beyoncé’s baby Blue makes big debutDefender News Services

Even though the public hasn’t seen her, Blue Ivy Carter is currently the most famous baby in the entertainment world.

The brand new daughter of Beyoncé and Jay-Z was born Jan. 7 in New York’s Lenox Hill Hospital, and made headlines from the start. Early reports incorrectly said the baby’s name was Ivy Blue.

New aunt Solange Knowles called her “the most beauti-ful girl in the world” on Twitter. Celebrity friends Rihanna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Diddy and Russell Simmons also tweeted their best wishes.

New daddy Jay-Z released a song on his website titled “Glory,” which included samples of the baby’s cries. The lyrics said in part, “Most amazing feeling I feel, words can’t describe the feeling for real./ Baby I paint the sky blue, my greatest creation was you, you. Glory.”

The New York Daily News reported that Beyoncé checked into the hospital under the name Ingrid Jackson and rented out the hospital’s entire floor for more than $1 million.

In addition, a couple visiting their twin daughters in the neonatal intensive care unit the day before Blue Ivy was born publicized their grievances. They said they were stopped by security guards, and that the maternity ward’s windows were covered and security cameras taped over.

However, Lenox Hill released a statement denying reports that the couple paid $1.3 million for a luxury baby delivery suite.

The hospital admitted that the family had its own security detail, but “made every effort to ensure minimal disruption to other families experiencing the births of their own children over the past three days.”

h.s.zone19defendernetwork.com WEEK OF JANUARY 12 | 2012 DEFENDER

sportsbriefs

Sterling Raiders sparkle off radar screen


By DARRELL K. ARDISONDefender

The Sterling Raiders boys’ varsity basketball team is spar-kling off the radar screen as district races heat up through-out greater Houston.

While most of the early-season talk concerning top Class 4A teams has revolved around Yates, Wheatley, Jones, Rosenberg Terry and Lamar Consolidated, Sterling head coach Andre Young has guided his squad to 17 victories in their first 22 outings, including 3-0 in District 21-4A.

“When we’re playing well, it starts when we’re defending well,” Young said. “In our man-to-man defense we try to create steals and turnovers so we can get into our transition game. That creates easy shots and allows us to get into a flow.”

Young is in his sixth year as head coach after serving 15 years as an assistant coach at the Houston Independent School District member. He was a two-year starter at point guard for Coach Robert More-land’s Texas Southern University Tigers after migrating from Crystal Springs, Miss.

With many of his players back from last year’s squad that finished 21-11 overall and placed second in district to Yates, Young said he had high expectations for the 2011-12 season.

A recent 67-48 victory over Sharp-stown notched Sterling its third consecu-tive victory to open district play. Leading 32-26 at halftime, Sterling broke open the game in the second half with its stifling defense forcing numerous Sharpstown turnovers.

Jason Hawthorne led the way with 22 points while Douglas Burks and Brodrick Chatmen chipped in with 14 and 13, re-spectively. James Washington and Jeremy Broussard round out the Raiders’ starting five, with Toddrick Jordan leading the reserves off the bench.

“I normally like to have a good mixture of seniors, juniors and sophomores on the team,” Young said. “Right now we don’t have any sophomores and we’re 10 deep. I plan to add two sophomores in the coming weeks so we’ll have 12 players on the roster by playoff time and I try to play everybody.”

Sterling advanced to play in the third-

place game against the Village School in the Houston ISD boys’ tournament. Hawthorne earned all-tournament honors after putting on a shooting clinic in the second half.

“Jason lit it up in the second half but it was Burks who kept us in that game in the first half,” Young said. “He’s been one of our most consistent players and he’s shooting the ball well right now.”

Hawthorne and Brodrick Chatmen serve as the team captains.

A three-year varsity letterman, Hawthorne is currently leading the team in scoring at 20 points per game. He’s also averaging 3.2 assists, three steals and a little over three rebounds per contest.

His career high is a recent 33-point effort against Furr, but he says a 32-point outing versus Booker T. Washington is more memorable.

“Washington knocked us out of the tournament last year and out of the play-offs,” Hawthorne said. “We really wanted to beat them this season.”

Hawthorne, a senior shooting guard, has adjusted to a new role this season.

“I knew with the way the team was shaping up this year that I needed to become more of a leader and take over the role of leading scorer,” he said. “It was something I was looking forward to doing.”

Sterling lost to rival Yates in the Houston ISD Tournament, but has two more encounters with the Lions in district play.

“I’ve got to be more aggressive in scoring the next time we play them,” Hawthorne said. “I’ve got to help slow the tempo of the game down. We run a three-guard offense so it’s going to be up to us to protect the ball and play to our strengths.”

Hawthorne says the best thing he likes about playing for Coach Young is that he prepares his players for life.

“He wants us to become better young men,” he said.

Hawthorne’s favorite subject in school is math and he’s considering major-ing in business administration once he starts college with the hopes of owning his own business one day.

He lists Texas-San Antonio and Sam Houston State University as possible college choices but hopes his basketball talents create a few more opportunities by the end of the season.

When relaxing, Hawthorne likes to hang out with four friends he met as a freshman. “We call ourselves the “Fab Five” and we have a lot of fun together,” he said.

Jason Hawthorne favorites

Color: greenBook: BibleFood: cerealMovie: “He got game”Music: R&B, rap, oldies

Coach Andre Young (right) and leading scorer Jason Hawthorne (#12) are striving for another postseason appearance.

Westside’s running back Catalon chooses TCUB.J. Catalon will take his immense talents to Texas Christian University. The Westside High School record-setting running back scored 32 touchdowns during the 2011 season as he helped the Wolves finish 8-3 and earn a berth in the postseason. Seventeen of those TD runs covered at least 40 yards and nine were 71 yards or longer. Catalon was named the District 20-5A Most Valuable Player and a first-team selection on both the Texas Associated Press Sports Editors Class 5A all-state and All-Greater Houston teams.

Dekaney’s Amendola named Texans Coach of the YearDekaney High School head football coach Willie Amendola has been named the Houston Texans 2011 Ray Seals High School Coach of the Year. Amendola’s Wildcats went 14-2 and won the Class 5A Division II state title last month after defeating Cibolo Steele 34-14 at Cowboys Stadium in the school’s first playoff appearance. The award was renamed in honor of the recently retired Houston Madison coach. Amendola was honored Jan. 1 at the Methodist Training Center. He received a $3,000 donation for his program from the Texans.

Two minority candidates land high-profile NFL JobsThis is the time of the year in the NFL when coaches and front office executives get fired and hired. There are multiple openings around the league and al-though it’s still early in the process, two minority hir-ings are a positive sign. Longtime Green Bay Packer front office executive Reggie McKenzie was recently named general manager of the Oakland Raiders. The former University of Tennessee standout had most recently served as director of Football Operations for the world champions. In addition, former Cleveland Brown head coach Romeo Crennel has been named the new head coach of the Kansas City Chiefs. Crennel had served as the team’s interim head coach and de-fensive coordinator since the Chiefs fired Todd Haley last month.

TSU’s basketball team explodes in SWAC play It’s early, but the Texas Southern men’s basketball team has exploded out of the blocks, three games into conference competition. Despite a 1-11 pre-conference record, the Tigers are 3-0 in SWAC play. The average margin of victory in those three games is 35 points. Texas Southern is in a major rebuilding mode, after losing three key players from last year’s regular season conference championship team (19-13), including conference Player of the Year Travele Jones. Despite the record, head coach Tony Harvey believes there is something positive to be gleaned from the tough pre-SWAC schedule. “We learned from the trials and tribulations we experienced on the road in those hostile environments,” said Harvey. “We just contin-ued to stay focused and take one game at a time. We’re just continuing to get better, 20 minutes at a time. We are dialed in and I like the direction we are heading in right now.” The next test for the Tigers will be how the team plays on the road. Their next two games are on the road against Grambling and Jackson State respectively.

DEFENDER | WEEK OF APRIL 14 | 2011 | defendernetwork.com

20

chag’splaceFor Event Coverage...visit defendernetwork.com


Events of the Week More photos on defendernetwork.com

Join Yvette Chargois

See Events on KTRK Ch.13’s Crossroadswith Melanie Lawson Sunday Morning @ 11 a.m.

DEFENDER | WEEK OF JANUARY 12 | 2012 defendernetwork.com

FREEDOM FUND BREAKFAST......The Northeast Family YMCA Center Board hosted their 23rd Annual Martin Luther King Jr. Freedom Fund Breakfast at Union Station at Minute Maid Park. Awards were presented to outstanding citizens, entertainment was provided by the Salvation Army Harbor Lights Choir and Camron, Carlon and Brandon Johnson entertained the audience of about 300 with a beautiful musical selection. Dr. Larry Rideaux, associate vice president of Lone Star College served as master of ceremonies and Rhonda Lewis-Nwosu, CEO and founder of Sparkles for Life, delivered the keynote speech. Attendees included Ann Franklin, Alonzo Barnes, Ethel Lewis, Antonio Barnes, Wendell Prothow, Marjorie Allen, Ivy Deckard, Anna James and Ira, Brenda and Christopher Scott, to name a few. Kudos to Iris Allen, Marian Harper, Elvin Franklin

Jr., Shelia Dansby Harvey, Demetta Landry and others for a successful event. Congrats!.....FOUNDERS DAY OBSERVANCE.....The Houston Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. commemorated the founding of the

99-year-old service organization at their Founders Day Observance held at the Bayou City Event Center. Cynthia M. A. Butler-McIntyre, the sorority’s national president, delivered a motivational address that touched everyone. Since 1913 Delta women have continued to be servant leaders in communities throughout the world. Program participants included

Karen Hauser, chapter president, Penny Nobles, event chair, Gwendolyn Grant, Karen Dourseau, Tia Simmons, Shatonya Marshall, Sonya Mack and Lucy Udofia. Spotted at the event were Erie Callaway, Audrie Lawton, Mary Catherine Hamilton, Kim Lockett, Sylvia Turner, Yolanda

Dillon, Agnes Dunbar and Josephine Daniels. Continued success.....2012 FIRST HOUSE PARTY.....You can count on Dr. James Ward to start the New Year off right, with a house party at his beautiful home. His hospitality and the fellowship among his friends set the tone for the entire year. A lavish dinner was served and live entertainment was provided. It was standing room only in the house, and since the weather was perfect, folks just went outside and enjoyed the fabulous backyard with blooming flowers, waterfalls, lights and a fish pond. In the mix were U.S. Reps. Sheila Jackson Lee and Al Green, Hilary and Ronald Green, Zinetta Burney, Vanessa Gilmore, Ruben Davis and Larry Green. Other guests included Drs. Docia and John Rudley, Sonny and Jodie Jiles, Sharon and Doug Owens, Jackie Pope, Sharon Davis, Walter Criner, Dr. Peggy Engram, Michale Helm, Genoria and Dwight Boykins, Dr. James Douglas, Jeffery Guidry, Georgia Provost and George Thomas, to name a few. Thanks Dr. Ward........From Chag’s Place to your place, have a blessed week!

Shelia Harvey, Demetta Landry, Elvin Franklin, Jr., Iris Allen and Marian Harper Wendell Prothow and Marjorie Allen The Scott Family, Ira, Brenda and Christopher

Karen Hauser, Penny Nobles, Cynthia Butler-McIntyre and Josephine Daniels Gwendolyn Grant, Karen Dourseau and Tia Simmons Shatonya Marshall, Sonya Mack and Lucy Udofia

Dr. James Ward and Dr. John Rudley Sharon and Constable Ruben Davis Walter Criner and Jeffery Guidry

january 12, 2012

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