Front page 1 - The Villager

Presorted Standard
U.S. Postage Paid
Austin, Texas
Permit No. 01949
This paper can
be recycled
Vol. 38 No. 1
Website: theaustinvillager.com
Email: [email protected]
St. David’s Foundation
Donates $50,000
for ACC Scholarships
RAPPIN’
Tommy Wyatt
It is time to
speak up!
For many years now we
have had numerous question
about the development of East
11th and 12th Streets. While there
have been development on East
11th Street, there are also a lot of
complaints about the removal of
citizens from the East Austin
community. Some call it
gentrification while others say
that property owners in the area
had a right to sell and move to
other parts of the city or the
county.
Many of them had seem
the community neglected by the
city who would not think of
spending money on improvements in the area. But with the
addition of the new residents
who are spending a lot of money
to improve the property they are
buying. By doing so, taxes have
been greatly increased on the old
residents.
The City of Austin is preparing to continue the revitalization of this area. But they proceed, they want to know what
the citizens think should be
done.
The city is hosting a Corridor Conversation Town Hall
Meeting to discuss the redevelopment of East 11th and 12th
Streets. The meeting will be held
May 26, 2010 at the George
Washington Museum and Cultural Center, 1165 Angelina Street.
For those persons who have
some ideas about what this development should look like,
should share their views with the
city officials.
City officials promise that
this is an opportunity to find out
about present success stories
and future plans for transforming 11th and 12th Streets by participating in this community meeting. You will also be able to view
block-by-block exhibits.
The African American
community will have two organizations that will be in the mix of
this development. They are the
Anderson Development Corporation and the Austin Revitalization Authority. Both of these
groups are positioned to be a
great participant in this development.
Recently, we told you
about some of the activity that
is going on East 11th Street. Two
new restaurants are poised to
open within the next few weeks.
And other development is ongoing.
It should be pointed out that
after the Town Hall Meeting are
over, the one who “has the gold
makes the rules.” In the past many
people have been quick to criticize
and slow to put up their money.
Because of the conditions of property on E. 12th street, it will require
a lot of investment to make the necessary improvements. This is what
African Americans have been reluctant to do in the past. But, the
fact is, property values are going
only one way - UP.
May 26 will be the next and
maybe the last, opportunity to have
your wishes known.
Scholarships to be awarded
to Health Sciences students
AUSTIN, Texas (May
18, 2010) – St. David’s Foundation has donated $50,000 to
the Austin Community College Foundation for scholarships benefiting students enrolled in ACC’s Health Sciences programs. The ACC
Foundation will award 25
scholarships, each worth
$2,000, for the 2010-2011 academic year.
The scholarships are
named in honor of Dr. W. Neal
Kocurek, who served as president/CEO of St. David’s
HealthCare System for six
years. He was passionate
about creating a healthcare
structure for the uninsured
among regional providers and
addressing the root causes of
health problems in Austin. Dr.
Kocurek was also a valued
member of the ACC
Foundation’s Board of Directors. He passed away in 2004.
“With the tremendous
need for more professionals in
the healthcare field, we are
delighted to provide this financial support for students
who are pursuing Health
Sciences degrees,” said Earl
Maxwell, CEO of St. David’s
Foundation and a founding
member of the ACC Foundation.
The generous donation
will help the ACC Foundation award $460,000 in scholarships during the upcoming
year.
“We are pleased St.
David’s Foundation has chosen to partner with the Austin Community College
Foundation,”
says
Cassandra Wiggins, ACC
Foundation board member.
“Many students face incredible barriers just getting to
college, and the cost can easily be a deterrent. This scholarship program is a lasting
tribute to Neal Kocurek’s passion to further education,
which in turn will provide
quality healthcare for our region.”
In Honor of Memorial Day
Presented by LBJ Library
Phone: 512-476-0082
Fax: 512-476-0179
May 21, 2010
NAACP opposes Texas
Text book changes
NAACP National President, Ben Jealous and State President Gary Bledsoe led a delegation of
members to the public hearing at the State Education Agency on May 19, 2010.
May 17 marked the 56th
anniversary of Brown v
Board of Education, the landmark decision that mandated
desegregation of American
schools. It began an era of
commitment to diversity and
the implementation of various mechanisms from busing
to magnet schools to increase
integration amongst students. Studies find that desegregation puts students of
color in schools with better
opportunities and higher
achieving peer groups.
There has been a steady
unraveling of almost 25 years
worth of increased integration according to a 2004 study
by NAACP and a more recent
study by Gary Orfield, currently co-director of the Civil
Rights Project at UCLA. Virtually all school districts analyzed are showing lower levels of inter-racial exposure
since 1986, suggesting a trend
towards resegregation, and in
some districts, these declines
are sharp. In 1990, following
several decades of efforts to
desegregate, over 40 percent
of black students in the South
attended majority-white
schools. Now less than 30
percent of students do.
Since 1986, in almost
every district examined, black
and Latino students have become more racially segregated
from whites in their schools
and charter schools are vastly
more segregated than public
schools.
States are beginning to
end their integration policies.
In North Carolina, for example, the state is attempting
to implement a rule that will
resegregate schools by enforcing a neighborhood schools
policy only and ending busing. The NAACP State conference is leading a coalition effort to fight back against the
policy.
“We have made
progress but there is much
more work to be done,” said
NAACP President and CEO
Benjamin Todd Jealous. “We
are not only witnessing a
move to resegreate our schools
but efforts to remove civil
rights from our history. Arizona just passed a law banning any teaching of ethnic
studies in its schools and
Texas is attempting to change
their history textbooks to reduce the study of the civil
rights movement, soften the
portrayal of Jim Crow and
slavery and celebrate the confederacy. These are attempts
to roll the clock back on
progress. Our nation benefits
from the diversity and equal
opportunity that comes from
access to a quality education.
All American students vitally
need accurate and inclusive
history to fully understand
our democracy, be informed
voters and compete in an increasingly global marketplace” Jealous said.
Jealous will join former US
Secretary of Education Rod
Paige to travel to Texas this week
to join forces with Texas President Gary Bledsoe and the Texas
branches to testify against the
proposed textbook changes here.
NAACP leaders are encouraging Texas citizens to fax
letters opposing changing the
text books to the state board at
(512) 322-0757. Tell them that
erasing civil rights from history
is wrong.
Actress Runs Non-profit Organization to Empower and Edify Inner City Kids
By Brian W. Carter
Special to the NNPA from the
Los Angeles Sentinel
An inspiring documentary, “For Love od Liberty: The Story of America’s
Black Patriots” will be
shown Wednesday, May 26,
2010 at the LBJ Library Auditorium. The screening will
be at 6 p.m.
After the film, there
will be a discussion featuring Producer, Director, and
Historical Consultant of For
Love of Liberty, and Dr.
Betty Moseley Brown, Center for Women veterans.
This event is free and
open to the public. A DVD
of the 4-hour documentary
will be for sald that evening.
KLRU tv will show the
entire documentary on
Sunday, May 30, From 1 - 5
p.m. For more information,
call (512) 721-0177.
Old L. C. Anderson High
Class of 1965 to celebrage 45th
Reunion
The Original L. C.
Anderson High School Clas
of 1956 Planning Committee
is calling on all class mates
to come and celebrate their
45th Class Reunion, July 1618, 2010 at the Embasy Suite
Hotel, Hwy 290 and IH 35.
The theme is “A
Night of Glitz and Glamour”. For more information,
call Nancy (Houston) Thompson at 926-6309 or
Helen
(Chambers)
Patterson at 251-8899 before May 28th.
Visit our web site at
theaustinvillager.com
(NNPA) - Nakia Burrise
is a multi-talented, actress who
has made numerous appearances on television, film, national commercials and ads.
Burrise is also a busy mother of
two and happily married to her
husband, Nick Gavino. Despite
a busy schedule and a demanding career, she is giving back to
the community in a special
way.
Burrise grew up in Stockton, Calif. and was introduced
to musical theater and performing at an early age. At the age
of five, she continued to pursue
musical theater as well as dancing, singing and modeling.
She graduated from Edison
High School and went on to attend the UCLA School of Theater, Film and Television.
Burrise was the only Black female freshman accepted that
year, in that department. By junior year, her professional career
took off.
Burrise became known
for her role as Tanya Sloan, the
Yellow Ranger, on the popular
children’s show Power Rangers. After Power Rangers, she
would go on to appear on numerous shows like Nash
Bridges, Moesha, Boston Legal
and Bones, to name a few.
Burrise also flexed her pipes as
a member of a singing group
called
Divine.
She was briefly sidetracked in
life by a lung disease, which
took her away from acting.
Burrise would later receive a good prognosis; after
going
into
remission.
She returned to acting on television and the stage starring in
musicals like The Wiz, Bye-Bye
Birdie, Cinderella and many
others. She is also writing, directing and recently filmed a
sitcom pilot titled, Crazy Daze.
An actress, singer, model,
writer, director, and survivor,
Burrise has experienced life at
its many angles. She has also
spent her time substitute teaching within the inner city of Los
Angeles.
After starting a family
with her husband, Burrise began to substitute teach, as well
as act. At this period of time,
she taught within the school district in the city of Watts.
While working within the
school district, she noticed her
students were deeply affected
by the violence and lack of hope
in the community.
Burrise felt the need to
help her class see beyond their
circumstances and took action.
It started as a series of van trips
that she gave as a graduation
gift to her 5th graders.
”I took half of my class
on a Saturday and the other half
on a Sunday throughout Los
Angeles,” said Burrise. “I
wanted them to actually see, as
opposed to just seeing on television or dreaming of the possibilities ...what Los Angeles
had to offer, not just Los Angeles but life in general.”
What she found was that
many of her students had never
been to the beach. Many of her
students were surprised by the
stark contrast between their
neighborhoods and places like
Beverly Hills.
Burrise also took them to
her old alma mater, UCLA,
were she informed them that
education was their ticket to
their dreams.
What started out as gift
morphed into something else
all together. Burrise realized
that what she did for her class,
needed to be shared with other
children. In 2006, she founded a
501(c) organization, A Day In
The Life (ADITL), a grass-roots
program for inner-city youth.
”I felt like God led me
to start A Day In The Life,” said
Burrise, “where He, God, gives
through me an opportunity to
bless 4th and 5th graders by exposing them to opportunities
that are not readily accessible
in their community.”
ADITL offers weekly activities, along with monthly
field trips, to engage the kids in
a variety of activities. Each
month has a different theme
that highlights the activities.
Burrise exposes the kids to different careers, colleges, communities and many other things.
Page 2/THE VILLAGER/May 21, 2010
EDITORIALS/COMMENTARY
New Orleans The Oil This Time
By. Marc H. Morial
NNPA Columnist
(NNPA) - Five years after Hurricane Katrina’s swift
but devastating assault on
the Gulf Coast and my hometown of New Orleans, a slow
moving but massive oil spill
in the Gulf could have an even
more devastating impact on
the region’s shoreline, wildlife, economy and people.
While the BP oil company has
accepted full responsibility
and moved quickly to coordinate containment and clean
up of the spill, the company’s
efforts thus far have not resulted in capping the flow of
more than 200,000 gallons of
oil into the Gulf each day.
With the spill spreading, fear
mounting and the region’s
multi-billion dollar fishing
industry shutting down, the
Obama Administration has
mobilized all appropriate
government resources to assist BP in tackling what may
well be an unprecedented environmental disaster.
Last week, the President
and members of his response
team, including Coast Guard
Commandant, Thad Allen;
Homeland Security Secretary,
Janet Napolitano; Interior Secretary, Ken Salazar and EPA
Administrator, Lisa Jackson
toured the region and pledged
to spare no effort to fix the
problem.
Lisa Jackson, the
nation’s first African-American EPA Administrator, grew
up in New Orleans. While in
the region, she met with members of the local shrimping
and fishing industries to assess the spill’s potential economic impact. During meetings in Saint Barnard Parish
and at a church in New
Orleans’s Ninth Ward she
made it clear that BP must
train and hire local fishermen
and boaters to help with the
clean-up.
Nobody knows the
marshes and waterways better than the local fishermen,
many of whom are out of
work as the region’s huge seafood industry grinds to a halt.
Administrator Jackson has
also deployed a specially designed aircraft to assist in the
collection of air samples and
to provide photo documentation of the spill’s environmental impact. She has directed
EPA personnel on the ground
to support the Coast Guard’s
efforts. All told, the Obama
Administration has committed 10,000 personnel, more
than 270 vessels and dozens
of aircraft to assist in containment and clean-up efforts.
New Orleans is a city on the
mend.
A dynamic new Mayor,
Mitch Landrieu, has just
taken office. The New Orleans
Saints are Super Bowl champions. And the city continues
to rebuild and rebound in the
aftermath of Katrina. Now an
oil spill the size of Rhode Island threatens to make landfall. One wonders how much
the people of the region can
take.
The oil recovery effort is
a complex operation that
must be led by BP and the federal government. But, once
again, the spirit of community,
self-help, and empowerment
that makes New Orleans and
the Gulf Coast so great is
making its presence known.
Citizens are stepping up to do
their share - as volunteers, as
workers, and as protectors of
the environment.
We join all Americans
in continuing to pray that a
disaster can be averted. And
we applaud the Obama Administration and leaders like
EPA Administrator, Lisa
Jackson, for doing all they can
to protect the region’s environment, jobs and people.
Questions Linger
About Obama’s Second
Supreme Court Pick
George E. Curry
NNPA Columnist
After pretending to be
seriously considering up to 10
people for appointment to the
Supreme Court, including
two
African-American
women, President Obama did
what most of us predicted all
along: He selected Solicitor
General Elena Kagan to fill
the vacancy created by the retirement of Justice John Paul
Stevens. I wrote more than a
month ago that Kagan is a
less than ideal appointment
and nothing in recent weeks
has changed my opinion.
I expect that Kagan will
be fine on civil rights issues
but could be a disappointment when called on to protect civil liberties or reign in
executive powers. Why not
get a candidate who will be
reliably supportive of both
civil rights and civil liberties?
The fact that we’re debating
whether Kagan would be a
good appointment to the
court underscores the depth
of the problem.
Not surprisingly, major
civil rights leaders and Black
Harvard law professors have
been busy in recent weeks
writing articles in support of
Kagan, the first female dean
of Harvard Law School.
Charles J. Ogletree, Jr.,
for example, wrote articles for
Newsweek and theroot.com
defending “my colleague.”
He observed that as dean of
the Harvard Law School,
Kagan requested to be appointed the Charles Hamilton
Houston Professor of Law instead of the customary Sir
Isaac Royall Professor of Law.
Houston was the law
school’s first African-American graduate. Royall was a
major slave trader and sold
his slaves in Antigua to help
create the Harvard Law
School. By electing to hold a
chair in honor of Houston instead of Royall, demonstrates
“a compelling sense of her
commitment to diversity and
equality,” according to
Ogletree.
It was the correct thing
to do, but was hardly compelling. A more accurate yardstick is what happened on her
watch as Harvard’s law
dean.
Ogletree says: “Since
Elena Kagan became dean,
the number of African American students admitted, particularly black males (given
the national decline in African American males in colleges and universities), is simply astonishing. From 2003
until she ended her deanship
in 2009, the number of African American students has
been at an all time high. Her
first year, 10 % of the students
were African American and
the total minority student
body was 29%. That percentage has increased in each category over the years. As a result, 31 percent of the entering class at Harvard Law
School over the past 9 years
is a record and a sign of her
commitment.”
That is significant
progress. But Kagan was
dean for six years, not nine,
therefore she should not be
given credit for what happened after she left Harvard.
Black student enrollment, however impressive, is
only part of the picture.
Three law professors –
Anupam Chander of the University of California-Davis;
Luis Fuentes-Rohwer of Indiana and Angela OnwuachiWillig of the University of
Iowa – co-authored an article
on Kagan’s diversity record.
They wrote, “The first
woman Dean of Harvard Law
School had presided over an
unprecedented expansion of
the faculty — growing it by
almost a half. She had hired
32 tenured and tenure-track
academic faculty members
(non-clinical, non-practice).
But when we sat down to review the actual record, we
were frankly shocked. Not
only were there shockingly
few people of color, there were
very few women. Where were
the people of color? Where
were the women? Of these 32
tenured and tenure-track academic hires, only one was a
minority. Of these 32, only
seven were women. All this
in the 21st Century.”
Kagan defenders correctly state that the law faculty, not the dean, vote on
whom to hire in the department. But Kagan backers
can’t have it both ways: They
can’t, as Ogletree did, brag
about how she increased student diversity at Harvard and
not have her accept responsibility for the dismal number
of tenure-track AfricanAmericans.
I am most concerned
about Kagan’s stated “love”
for the Federalist Society, the
network of law students, professors, lawyers and judges
whose stated goal is to move
the judiciary to the right. At
one Harvard gathering of the
Federalist Society, they gave
Kagan a standing ovation. Do
you think Justices John Roberts or Antonin Scalia would
ever receive a standing ovation from the ACLU or the
National Bar Association?
We need to know why Rightwingers are cheering Kagan.
At this point, no one
knows for certain what kind
of justice Kagan will be. But
we know this: When Roberts,
Scalia and Clarence Thomas
were appointed to the Supreme Court, there was absolutely no doubt about how
they would vote on issues
most important to AfricanAmericans. Given the opportunity to make two Supreme
Court appointments in as
many years, we shouldn’t be
wondering what kind of justices the president is appointing to the Supreme Court. But
that’s exactly what we’re doing.
Beyond the
Backpack:
Dora the Explorer
Helps Prepare Children
for School
By Marian Wright Edelman
NNPA Columnist
(NNPA) - Is every child
in your community ready to
start school? This may seem
like a strange question to families still finishing up their
plans for summer vacation.
But in reality, it’s never too
soon to start making sure children are prepared for their
first day of school. That includes children for whom kindergarten is still a few years
down the road.
So I’m pleased that
Nickelodeon has launched a
new initiative to help provide
preschoolers the resources,
skills, and support they will
need to be well-prepared for
school and ready to start their
school years on the right path.
The Children’s Defense Fund
(CDF) is joining the National
Parent Teacher Association,
actress Salma Hayek Pinault,
and others in partnering with
Nickelodeon on this important school readiness campaign.
The initiative was
launched as part of the celebration of the tenth anniversary of Nickelodeon’s popular Latina preschool character Dora the Explorer. It’s
named “Beyond the Backpack,” taking its title from the
well-stocked backpack that
keeps Dora ready for every
adventure. Nickelodeon
hopes to similarly prepare
young children for the big ad-
venture of starting school.
As they explain, “The first
five years of life are critical to
kids’ lifelong development.
However, too many children
enter kindergarten with
physical, social, emotional
and cognitive limitations
that could have been minimized or eliminated through
early attention to child and
family needs. Research
shows that children who are
not performing proficiently
by the end of third grade are
at very high risk of poor longterm outcomes, such as dropping out of school, teen pregnancy and juvenile crime.
Beyond the Backpack is
about the navigational
tools—emotional, physical,
experiential and actual that
kids need to start school. Beyond the Backpack engages
parents, educators and the
community at large in the
four areas critical to school
success: 1) social and emotional “know how,” 2) early
literacy and math skills, 3)
parental involvement in
schools, 4) health and
wellness. Families and communities are a critical part of
the solution for the wellrounded development of
young kids.”
This multi-year campaign will include a Web site
with information, links to
partner organizations, and
downloadable content for
parents and educators; public service announcements;
financial resources and
grants; fundraising activities;
and community events. The
National PTA will be coauthoring a parents’ toolkit
and distributing materials to
PTA leaders and parents
across the country. Salma
Hayek
Pinault,
John
Leguizamo, Slash, Shakira,
and others will be contributing to a limited-edition series
of celebrity-designed Dorathemed backpacks that will
be auctioned off in a number
of countries in support of
child education initiatives,
and one hundred percent of
the United States proceeds
will benefit CDF.
CDF has worked for
over three decades to support
the growth and development
of our nation’s children
through quality early care. We
have paid special attention to
the crucial early years when
so much brain and emotional
development occur. These
foundational years can and
must propel all our children
towards healthy and successful lives.
I applaud Beyond the
Backpack, which will give
parents tools to share unforgettable learning opportunities that stir the mind and
spirit of their child. This is the
real power of education.
Let us know what you think
about this week’s column.
Click here to share your comments and find out what others are saying.
The Post-Obama
Election Malaise
By Ron Walters
NNPA Columnist
(NNPA) - It actually began last year, when there
were serious signs that Blacks
were not preparing to show
up for several important elections. The gubernatorial elections of John Corzine, the incumbent Democrat of New
Jersey and Creigh Deeds, the
Democrat of Virginia contesting for an open seat. Both of
the states have sizeable Black
populations with Virginia at
20 percent and New Jersey at
14 percent, yet both candidates lost – though not just
due to the Black vote.
Now, in 2010, another series
of important elections are
coming up and the issue of
whether Blacks will turnout
is still in the air. There is the
election of Arlen Specter of
Pennsylvania, who changed
his affiliation from Republican to Democrat to draw support from the popular Obama.
He will surely need Blacks in
Philadelphia to turn out because the city has a substantial impact of statewide elections contributing about
600,000 votes to the process.
Blacks who make nearly half
of the city population at (45
percent) are crucial, but voted
70 percent against Specter
when he was a Republican,
but he squeaked out a statewide victory in any case.
Now the issue is whether he
can be trusted and whether
that question is a deterrent to
many showing up at the polls,
even though President
Obama campaigned in the
State and in the City for Specter. In fact, some are viewing
this as a referendum on
Obama’s political power
right now. Turnout for Specter could be helped by the
candidacy of African-American State Senator Tony Williams for Governor, but he is
running behind opponent
Dan Onorato at this writing.
Then, there are primaries featuring high-profile Black candidates, Kendrick Meeks of
Florida for U. S. Senate and
Artur Davis of Alabama for
Governor both members of the
Congressional Black Caucus.
Meeks is running ahead of
his opponents former Miami
Mayor Maurice Ferre and
former North Miami Mayor
Kevin Burns and has $3.5 million in the bank, but the theater around sitting Republican Governor Charlie Christ
who will run as an independent creates a three-way race
and polls now have Marco
Rubio, Tea Party darling,
leading both. Artur Davis is
also leading his rival Agriculture Commissioner Ron
Sparks, but his decision to
reject the Black vote and to
vote against President
Obama’s health care bill, in
his quest for Governor, has
angered the largest Black political organizations, Alabama New South Coalition
headed by the influential
Hank Sanders and the Alabama Democratic Conference
headed by Joe Reed a powerful actor who also heads the
Alabama Education Association. Otherwise, in North
Carolina Democratic establishment candidate Cal
Cunningham, Secretary of
State Elaine Marshall and
African-American attorney
Ken Lewis are running for
the Senate. But while Lewis,
who is running behind in
third place, has been en-
dorsed by the two members of
the CBC, G. K. Butterfield and
Mel Watt and other Black officials, the Charlotte Black Political Caucus has endorsed
Marshall. Here again, the
Black vote, apparently split,
could make the difference.
In Georgia, AfricanAmerican Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond
has decided to run for the
Senate against Republican
Johnny Isaacson. And although polls are showing
him running behind Isaacson
52-31% he faces little opposition in the Primary and his
campaign hopes that his recent entry could eventually
change the numbers. Down
the road in Savannah, Georgia, Regina Thomas, former
State Senator, will take on
John Barrow again. Barrow
who is white represents a 45
percent Black district, but he
is a leading member of the
Blue Dog conservatives
Democrats in the House.
Much has been made of the
fact that a legacy of the Obama
victory is that 32 Black Republicans are running for the
House. But this will not be the
“year of the Black Republican” because 80 percent of
them are running against opponents who have a margin
of victory on their last election
of 55% or more and one-third
of them are running against
comfortable members of the
CBC. The Congressional
Quarterly says that only four
or five could make a reasonable showing at the primary
and general election level.
Most also face districts that
are heavily minority where
Republican candidate do
poorly, so if blacks don’t turnout they could create the conditions under which lightening could strike and a few
could conservatives could
win.
May 21, 2010/The Villager/Page 3
Meals on Wheels and More losing summer volunteers
President Obama Releases National Strategy To
Reduce Drug Use and Its Consequences
Client numbers grow while volunteers suspend service for summer vacations
AUSTIN – The number
of open meal-delivery routes
at Meals on Wheels and
More is growing steadily as
many regular volunteers
cancel their service commitments due to summer vacations and heat. the agency is
experiencing a shortage of
volunteers.
Currently, there are
over 40 open routes at Meals
on Wheels and More and
that number is expected to
grow in the coming weeks.
“The summer seasonis
always a challenge for us,
because of the high volunteer
turnover,” said Dan
Pruett, CEO & President of
Meals on Wheels and More.
“This past year, our client and
meal numbers have continued
to grow, and we are now serving more than 1 million meals
annually. We need volunteers
now more than ever to ensure
that we can reach all the
homebound people in Central Texas.”
Meals on Wheels and
More is looking for both regu-
Calendar of events for
Household of Faith
Harvest Time Conference
Household of Faith
Christian Fellowship Church,
1205 Round Rock Ave, Suite
109, Round Rock TX 78681,
Thursday and Friday, June
3rd & 4th at 7:30 pm, and
Sunday, June 6th at 11:00 am.
Bishop Victor Uzosike from
Port Harcourt, Nigeria will be
ministering and praying for
healing and deliverance. All
are welcome!
Earnest Pugh Live!
Gospel Concert
Gospel recording artist
Earnest Pugh and musical
guests, Double Portion, live in
concert at Household of Faith
Christian
Fellowship
Church, 1205 Round Rock
Ave, Suite 109, Round Rock
TX 78681 . Friday June 11,
2010 at 7:30 pm. Tickets are
on
sale
now
at
www.thehouseonline.org
Harvest Time Conference Close - Seventh Church
Anniversary Celebration
Household of Faith
Christian
Fellowship
Church, 1205 Round Rock
Ave, Suite 109, Round Rock
TX 78681, celebrates 7 years
of excellence in ministry Sunday, June 13, 2010 at 11:00
am. All are welcome!
lar and substitute mealdelivery drivers this summer, as well as meal managers. Drivers are most
needed in North Austin,
Pflugerville and in areas
East of I-35. To see a full
list of current openings,
please visit our website at
www .meals onwheels
and more.org/volunteer.
For more information, please contact Andrea Torres at 476-6325 x.
105 or atorres @meals on
wheels and more. org.
New Balanced and Collaborative Approach Emphasizes
Prevention, Treatment, Enforcement, International Cooperation
WASHINGTON, DC –
Today, President Obama released the Administration’s
inaugural National Drug
Control Strategy, which establishes five-year goals for reducing drug use and its consequences through a balanced policy of prevention,
treatment, enforcement, and
international cooperation.
The Strategy was developed
by the Office of National Drug
Control Policy (ONDCP) with
input from a variety of Federal, State, and local partners.
“This Strategy calls for
a balanced approach to confronting the complex challenge of drug use and its consequences,” said President
Obama. “By boosting community-based prevention, expanding treatment, strengthening law enforcement, and
working collaboratively with
our global partners, we will
reduce drug use and the great
damage it causes in our communities. I am confident that
when we take the steps outlined in this Strategy, we will
make our country stronger
and our people healthier and
safer.”
The 2010 Strategy highlights a collaborative
and balanced approach that
emphasizes communitybased prevention, integration
of evidence-based treatment
into the mainstream health
care system, innovations in
Thank you for your assistance and please feel free
to contact me for questions or
additional information as
needed.
Flora Gray, Director of
Operations
Church: 512-341-9377
Mobile: 512-745-3447
[email protected]
We can stretch
your
advertising
budget.
Just call us at
512.476.0082
the criminal justice system to
break the cycle of drug use
and crime, and international
partnerships to disrupt
transnational drug trafficking
organizations.
During a nationwide
listening tour soliciting input
for the development of the
Strategy, National Drug
Policy
Director
Gil
Kerlikowske met with police
and medical professionals,
drug treatment providers and
people in recovery, elected officials, corrections officials,
academics, parents groups,
faith leaders, and others.
Throughout the consultation
process, significant themes
emerged which connect the
drug issue to major Administration policy priorities, in-
cluding the economy, health
care reform, youth development, public safety, military
and veterans’ issues, and foreign relations.
“In following
President Obama’s charge to
seek a broad range of input
in the Strategy, I gained a renewed appreciation of how
deeply concerned Americans
are about drug use,” said Director Kerlikowske. “It
touches virtually all of us,
whether we know a family
member, a friend, or a colleague who suffers from addiction or is in recovery, a
police officer working to protect the community, or a parent striving to keep a child
drug free,” said Director
Kerlikowske.
Church news?,
If so, send to
vil3202 @aol.com or
call 476-0082
Check us out on our website
www.theaustinvillager .com
NEW AND USED CARS
PRE APPROVAL HOT LINE
call
DONNIE POWELL
HOSPITAL PHARMACY
Serving Austin since 1970
Let us Fill your next Perscription!
SAVE TIME
Ask your doctor to call
your prescription in to us
and we’ll have it ready for you
when you get here!
2115 E. MLK Blvd.
512-476-7338
Austin, Texas 78702
www.PHRX.Net
Open Mon-Fri 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sat 9 a.m. - Noon
at
970-1556
Discounts for
City, State, Military, Federal
Government
Bankruptcy welcome
Large selection of
Cars and trucks
To fit every need!!
HENNA CHEVROLET
Rev. Jack C. Gause
Pastor
Church Services
(to include Children’s Choir Rehersaland
Bible Study with age appropiate Activities)
Ebenezer Baptist Church
1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax: 512-478-1892
Radio Ministry (KIXI 970 AM
TV Ministry (ACTV. Ch 32)
Bus Ministry
9:00 A.M.
9:00 A.M.
Call 512-478-1875
8:00 A.M.
9:00 A.M.
10:00 A.M.
11:00 A.M.
Wednesday
Rev. Marvin C. Griffin
Pastor
JOSHUA CHAPEL CHRISTIAN METHODIST
EPISCOPAL CHURCH
1006 Yeager Lane, Suite 102-A
Austin, Texas
Sunday Services
Sunday School
10:00 A.M.
Worship Service
11:00 A.M.
WEDNESDAY Bible Study
6:30 P.M.
SATURDAY New
Midweek Prayer Service
7:00 P.M.
Child Development Center
Ages 0-5 years
(Daily) 512-478-6709
4930 South Congress Avenue, C-302 512-750-4628 512-804-2537
Jesus is Coming Again
The church fellowship where everybody can be somebody!
Sunday Services
Sunday School
Morning Service
Wednesday Service
9:00-10:00 A.M.
10:00 A.M. -12Noon
7:00 - 8:00 P.M.
Floyd Fontenot, Sr., Founder Floyd Fontenot, Jr., Pastor
Imani Community Church
Davis Elementray Auditorium
Rev. Lois Hayes, Pastor
5214 West Duval Road
Sunday School
Worship Service
•Power Hour Bible Life Group
9:00 A.M.
10:00 A.M.
6:00 P.M.
Imani Complex & Office,
11800 Mustang at Duval
Austin, Texas 78727
Visit:imanichurch.com
Office: 512-343-9300
Member Assimilation 10:00 A.M.
Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims
AFRICAN ASSEMBLIES of GOD
CHURCH
A growing church ministering to African American and
other nationals
Come worship with us
Sunday Services
Worship Service
Sunday School
Discipleship Training
Worship Service
450l East Martin luther King Blvd.
Maranatha Faith Center
Sunday
School
9:30 AM
Sunday Worship
11:00 AM
Mid-Week Service
Thursday: Praise, Prayer and Bible Study 7:00 PM
Call 454-1547 for Transporation
Website www.agapebcaustintx.org
Rev. H. Ed Calahan
Pastor
Sunday School
8:45 a.m.
Praise and Worship 10:15 a.m.
Wednesday Bible Study 12:00 p.m.
and Praise /Bible Study 6:30 p.m.
THE AIRPORT FLEE MARKET
Saturdays and Sundays
Agape Baptist Church
David Chapel
THE PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.
COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH US
Check Out
1149 Airport Blvd.
AGAPE is a chuch for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the love He exhibited is
Exemplified.” Come, receive God’s unconditional lovefor you. For there is no greater love!
4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723
Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281
Christian Web Sitestpetersaustintx.ning.com
[email protected]
We cash ALL Tax Refund
Checks
8805 N. IH-35
Austin, TX 78761
In “The Centre” Bldg. F-15 7801 N. Lamar Blvd. (SE Corner of N Lamar and 183)
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church
DOUBLE “R” GROCERY
Sunday Worship
Wednesday Prayer Meeting
11:30 A.M.
6:45 P.M.
Rosewood Avenue Missionary Baptist Church
1820 Rosewood Avenue, Austin, Texas 78702
(512) 476-8201 Fax (512) 476-5693
“Divine Enpowerment for Bold Ministries”
Weekly Services
Sunday School 9:30 a.m.
Sunday Worship 11:00 a.m.
Wed. Night Bible Fellowship 6:30 p.m.
The Spencer & Ora Lee Nobles
“Hope Center” (512) 476-6722
Place of Worship
The Church of Glad Tidings 2700 Northland Dr. Austin, TX 78756
For more information, contact Pastor Jonah Ghartey
512-873-8103 [email protected]
St Annie A.M.E. Church
1711 Newton Street
Austin, Texas 78704
Voice mail (512) 444-4509
E-mail: [email protected]
Advancing the Ministry Expanding the Church
Church School
9:30 A.M. Sun
Morning Worship 10:45 A.M. Sun
Bible Study 7:30 P.M. Sun.
Rev. Derwin D. Gipson, Pastor
Rev. Coby Shorter, III
Pastor
We b s i t e :
w w w.rosewoodbaptistchurch.org
Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church
5900 Cameron Road
Austin, Texas 78723-1843
(512) 451-0808 (512) 302-4575 Fax
Web Site - www.themount.net
WORSHIP SERVICES
Sunday Worship - 7:45 a.m. & 11 a.m.
Church School - 9:45 a.m.
Bible Studies - Mon, 6:30 p.m. & Wed., 12 noon
Wednesday Night Worship - 7 p.m .
“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18
A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor
Page 4/THE VILLAGER/May 21, 2010
Managing campaigns for corporations
around the clock, around the world.
Youth of Today. Hope of Tomorrow.
My first African-American
Men and Boys Conference
Jeremy Henderson
McCallum High School
On Saturday, May 15,
2010, McCallum COBRA and
VOICES went to LBJ for the
African-American Men and
Boys Conference. The conference was great, because this
was the first one I’ve been to
and the experience was awesome.
The speakers were Mr.
Benito Escobedo and LBJ “Retiring” Principal Mr. Patrick
Patterson. They both gave
awesome messages and the
messages were directed and
focused on the young adults,
and that both messages were
inspiritional and motivating.
Mr. Benito Escobedo,
who is from Mexico, gave a
great speech on what he went
through as a kid, and how he
and his parents were illegal
immigrants.
They went back to
Mexico and came back, because he wanted to get a great
education and have better opportunities in the US. He had
a 3.4 in high school and college and majored in computer
science and that is a great accomplishment and that he is
part of the Cornerstone Financial Education and that
his message that we can succeed in whatever we do and
don’t give up the opportunities we have. The speech and
message was inspiring and
powerful.
Mr. Patrick Patterson,
LBJ “Retiring” Principal,
gave a great speech too. He
finished his degree in education and teaching in Chicago,
moved to Austin, TX in 1983,
was a teacher, then became
an assist principal and became principal for Lanier
and LBJ. I didn’t know all
that, but those are many awesome accomplishments and
things that he had achieved
in his life and that is fantastic.
His message, was to
study up on your education
and that achieve your goals
in life and continue to get a
great education. His message
was powerful and inspiring.
Then, we split up
into our workshops. Both
McCallum and LBJ COBRA
and VOICES, got together to
get all the activities and
things ready for the Youth
Sypsioum on Thursday, May
20, 2010, at UT. We got a lot
of things accomplished and
are ready for next Thursday.
Then, everyone had
lunch and the lunch we had
was from SCHLOTZSKY’S
DELI and it was good. We also
had two groups show off
their talent and then we had
door prizes won by people.
This whole conference was great, because we
got what we needed to accomplished and the experience
was something I will never
forget.
Once again, McCallum
COBRA and VOICES went to
the African-American Men
and Boys Conference at LBJ
and it was great.
LASA STUDENT WINS
SUMMER SCHOLARSHIP
Adam Khan, a junior
at Liberal Arts and Science
Academy High School at LBJ
High School, has been
awarded a full scholarship to
the 2010 Telluride Association Summer Program at
Cornell University, “Democracy and Diversity.”
This year the Telluride
Association is co-sponsoring
three programs, two with
Cornell University and one
with the University of Texas
at Austin. These six-weeklong educational programs
involve college-level seminars for gifted and highly motivated high school juniors.
Admission to the TASPs is
highly selective. This year’s
50 participants were chosen
from 1001 applications from
all parts of the United States
and abroad. The Telluride
Summer Programs solicit applicants from high scorers on
the Educational Testing
Service’s PSAT and receive
recommendations of potential applicants from school
teachers and counselors.
The Telluride Association is an independent notfor-profit educational organization that has offered Summer Programs to high school
juniors of exceptional promise since 1954.For more information, call 607-273-5011.
NABA meets TOPS
Rickey Hayes
Manor New Tech HS
This weekend while attending a “Top Teens of
America” meeting, I was impress to meet these two men
who were representatives of
the NABA organization.
NABA stands for The National Association of Black
Accountants. At first, I
thought the program was created to help African American
teens get interested in ac-
should be returned to Dr.
Christopher Adejumo by email
attachment
at:
[email protected].
Application Deadline:
May 31,th 2010. Dates for the
program are June 4th – June
24,th 2010; 10:00am – 12:30p.m
(Mon – Fri)
The Art Building is located on the corners of 23rd
and San Jacinto streets. It
could also be accessed
through Trinity street
(across from the Doty Fine
Arts Building).
For questions about
the program and registration, please contact Dr.
Christopher Adejumo at:
[email protected].
counting and to teach them
how to balance their money.
During their presentation we
talked about, checking and
savings accounts, credit and
debit cards, credit reports,
credit score and loans. Then I
went home and researched
NABA and found that it’s
been around since 1969. I read
that the organization main
purpose is to expand the influence of minority professionals in the field of accounting and finance. This also
means, encouraging minorities of all ages so, this is the
reason NABA visited our
“TOPS” meeting. I found a
lot of the information they
gave us to be very useful and
can’t wait to apply these tools
to my life as I mature.
Jaylon Knighten
Campbell Elementary
This Saturday the Austin Community Steel band
will be performing at the
Boyd Vance Theatre, Carver
Museum, during the Theatre Action Project Youth
Art Festival. The event is
The National Sorority of
phi Delta Kappa Inc. recently
had their Regional Conference in Arlington, Texas. Our
chapter, Delta Beta recipients, won two scholarships:
The 2010 Educational Scholarship Award and the
Gertrude Robertson Scholarship. We are very proud of our
winners.
Ikechukwu (Ike) Ntube
won the 2010 National Educational Scholarship Award
for $6,000.00.
He attends Lanier
High School and was presented with a plaque and
certificate a this Awards Ceremony. Ike is planning on attending Texas A&M Univer-
Austin
community
Steelband offers
Summer session
Austin Community
Steelband’s professional
steelpan school’s Summer
Session, with Cecil Francis, a
Captain of Trinidad’s legendary Desperadoes Steel Orchestra, will teach authentic
technique and tropical
rhythms as you play calypso,
reggae, and Latin. Age 10
years to Adult. All skill levels.
No musical knowledge
necessary. The maximum 10
members per class. Contact
Paula Beaird for details at
512-473-8434. Tuition scholarships are available.
“We may have
all come on different
ships, but we’re
in the same
boat now.”
-Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
sity and majoring in Agricultural Education. His career
goal is to teach Agriculture
at the high school level.
Garisha Warren was
the recipient of our Regional
Award, the Gertrude
Robertson Scholarship for
$1,500.00. She attends
Hendrickson High School
and was presented a certificate at her Awards Ceremony. Garisha is planning
on attending the University
of Houston and majoring in
English and Sociology. Her
career goal is to become a
high school Principal.
Congratulations to our
National and Regional winners!
from 2pm-4:30pm but my
group is schedule to start
performing at 1:45pm. There
will be other performance
and art work on display by
the TAP students.
All fourth and fifth
graders will be taking a field
trip to the Symphony on Friday May 21 st. Next week
Campbell will be having
Track and Field day.
Thank you to Mrs.
Youngblood and Mr. Wyatt
for the pizza party we had
last week during our Youth
Brigade meeting.
AP World History Exam
mail.
PDK announces
scholarship winners
Free Youth Summer Art
Program
The Department of Art
and Art History, the University of Texas at Austin will
present a Free Youth Summer
Arts Program, June 4th to June
24, 2010.
The University of Texas
at Austin’s art education professor, Dr. Christopher
Adejumo, invites area youth
to join in a fun filled summer
art program for children at the
University of Texas at Austin.
The program will be in the Art
Building, Room 3.430, the University of Texas at Austin.
Free registration forms
are available at Mitchie’s Gallery, 7801 North Lamar, Building B, Suite 14B, Austin, Texas
78752. Completed forms
Steel Bands to perform
Toni Nelson
KIPP
Last week on Thursday
May 13th Ap students
around the nation took an Ap
exam. At Kipp Austin Collegiate all sophmores took the
Ap World History exam. We
will be receiving our scores
in late June early July so all
Ap students be on the look
out for your scores in the
Also within the next
couple of weeks high school
students everywhere will be
finishing up the year taking
fianls. At Kipp Austin Collegiate on our last three days
of school we will be taken
on a end of the year trip,
freshman to San Antonio
and sophmores to Houston.
Last week on Thursday May 13th Kipp Austin
Collegiate held their spring
show. Performing was the
dance team the band and the
soccer team was recognized
for their achievements so
congratulations to all of
them.
So until next time stay
in school.
The VILLAGER
YOUTH BRIGADE.
Youth of today,
Hope of Tomorrow!
Coming Soon
The 2010 edition of
The Black Registry
Page 6/THE VILLAGER/May 21, 2010
Local Politics By Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
The series of discussions with City Council Members seek to bring the city government closer to the residents of Central Texas by interviewing the members of the
council. Bringing the discussions and decisions of the
council to the residents is crucial because everyone living
in the vicinity of Austin is affected by the results and votes
regarding issues that face the
city.
Furthermore, the series
of discussions help to explain
why certain members of the
council voted a certain way.
Moreover, we were able to talk
to the Honorable City Council Member, Sheryl Cole who
explained certain issues pertaining to Austin. On May 13,
2006, when Sheryl Cole was
first elected to the Austin city
council, she became the first
African American woman
elected to this position.
Throughout her first term, she
took action that would make
Austin a better place, such as,
sponsoring a resolution to
support Austin CarShare;
voting to create a by-pass for
Walker Creek; helping to
build a partnership with lo-
cal grocery stores that would budget includes making cuts
establish an energy-saving and also selling more bonds
Compact Fluorescent Light on the open market. MoreBulb Program; sponsoring a over, she and other members
resolution that would televise of the council have agreed on
the Austin Police Department a plan that would ban travel
By Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
disciplinary appeal; and vot- for business in Arizona being on other items set before cause of that State’s new immigration laws. According to
the council.
council member Sheryl Cole,
Arizona’s new immigration
bill is “over-reaching.” Furthermore, council member
Sheryl Cole is for the establishment of a single member
district. However, she is concerned about what the percentage of the African American population would be represented, if a single member
district is to be established. In
summary, a series of discusSheryl Cole
sions with city council members would seek to bring city
Then on May 9, 2009 government to the residents of
Sheryl Cole was re-elected for Central Texas. It would seek
a second term. In her second to inform the readers about
term, she has worked and the decisions and reasons
voted on crucial items set be- why the city council takes cerfore the council. Some of the tain decisions and votes.
crucial items that council Whatever happens at city
member Sheryl Cole had to hall, affects everyone living
take include finding ways within the vicinity of Austin.
and methods to fix the city’s Consequently, people need to
budget due to the deficit. One stay inform and updates
of the ideas to fix the city’s what the council vote on.
Local News By Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
Barton Springs
Pflugerville Festival
On May 14 and May 15,
2010 the city of Pflugerville
held their annual Deutsen
Pfest in the heart of downtown Pflugerville. For a
couple of days, people and
vendors from throughout
Central Texas and other cities in Texas descended on the
festival in order to celebrate
the Germanic Heritage of the
city. Although it was a celebration of Germanic Heritage upon the city, there was
a diversity of racial and ethnic groups who either attended the festival or served
as vendors. For example, two
vendors were originally from
the nation of Senegal, West
Africa. One of the vendors
sold authentic African arts,
jewelry, sculptures and
painting. While the other
vendor who was originally
from Senegal, sold food and
beverages “with a touch of
Senegal”. Moreover, the
Deutsen Pfest was attended
by a variety of people. It
served as a family event with
enjoyable entertainment for
everyone. For instance, a family could enjoy arts and crafts;
music and dancing; an animal park where children
could pet and ride the animals. For instance, one individual who attended the
event stated, “I enjoyed the
food from Senegal and also the
fact that it was a family
friendly event in which her
child could pet animals and
also enjoy the rides”.
Friends of Barton
Springs Meeting Held on
May 17, 2010
On May 17, 2010, between the hours of 6:30 pm
and 8:30 pm, the Friends of
Barton Springs held a meeting regarding the landscaping improvements; planning
electrical power upgrades
and burying overhead power
lines; purchasing new pumps
to facilitate pool cleaning and
irrigation along with new perimeter fences; and creating
an access path from the south
gate to the pool deck and
“Tree Court”. Moreover, the
FBSP’s creation resulted from
the frustration of the declining water quality and conditions of the pool. So they decided to do something about
it. Furthermore, the FBSP’s
vision is to create a community of people dedicated to restoring, improving and maintaining the pool along with
the surrounding grounds
through organizing, advocacy, volunteer work, education and fun. In addition, the
group seeks to underscore the
financial and environmental
impact of Barton Springs to
the rest of Austin and Central
Texas. Moreover, all of Central Texans should be concerned and involved with
Barton Springs because it has
significant financial and environmental impact on the
city. In terms of finances, over
half a million people ranging
from local to international
visitors swam at the pool during the last fiscal year. As a
result, it produced significant
economical windfalls to the
city and to the region. Environmentally, Barton Springs’
water comes from a natural
underground source. Moreover, it is the home of the endangered salamander species. The salamander plays a
crucial and vital role in the
balancing of the Austin’s ecological system.
Cut Hair Wanted for Gulf Oil Spill,
Hair Salons and Barbershops Asked to Help
(NNPA) - A call for
hair has gone out
throughout the Mississippi Delta. Beauty shops,
hair salons and barbershops across the Delta
have been asked to save
all the hair they cut and
trim so it can be used to
soak up the BP oil leak on
the Gulf Coast, according
to
WABG
Radio.
The collected hair will be
used to make mats that
will absorb the oil floating
in the Gulf’s water. Stylists and barbers said all
types of hair will be recycled, and was collected
on May 14 and taken to
Jackson and then to Louisiana for processing.
WABG also reported that
a sales rep from State
Beauty Supply suggested
the project, and collected
hair was then placed in a
nylon stocking and
thrown into the water to
soak up the oil.
The African Diaspors Section
By Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
Hair Care Business
Last year, a group of sisters decided that the time was
right to launch a hair care
enterprise which is a multibillion business. After years
of saving money for their business, the sisters were able to
purchase the necessary merchandise and to also save sufficient funds to pay for the
rent of their store. Moreover,
the sisters of African origins
are fearless in their endeavors to make it in the hair business which is dominated by
other ethnic groups. In January 1998, the sisters arrived
to the United States to achieve
the American Dream. Unlike
other immigrants, they chose
a medium size city to start her
new life. They chose a medium size city like Austin
since it offered better opportunities than the big cities like
Houston, Dallas, New York,
or Los Angeles. After settling
down in Austin, they found a
good paying job. As result,
they were able to save money
to open a store. Moreover, the
sister took their own money
because the majorities of
banking institutions probably won’t lend them money.
Consequently, they opened
their store. After opening their
store, they realized that they
were on their road of achieving their dream in a field that
tends to be dominated by
other racial groups. In the
hair care business, they have
found it hard for their suppliers of hair care products to
give them a fair price at the
wholesale level. For instance,
they are purchasing their
product at a higher price than
others beauty supply stores.
However, they have found
ways not to pass the higher
cost on to their customers. On
the other hand, they have
found ways to make their
prices more affordable than
other stores. Moreover, their
store carries a big variety of
hair care products. For instance, they sell things such
as, wigs, lotions, brushes,
mirrors, shampoos, extensions for braiding and a host
of products. In summary, the
sisters are on the pathway to
achieving their American
dream. Just last year, they
opened their own beauty
supply store in Pflugerville
Texas. Without any type of
bank loans, they managed to
raise the sufficient funds.
Moreover, they have been able
to break into a market that
lacks many Africans or African Americans owners. Furthermore, they sell hair care
products at affordable prices.
Bringing The Music Home
For HAITI
While Austin is the
Music Capital of the world,
the music community isn’t
always inclusive. I heard of
several Haiti Relief benefits
that took place, but no one
that I knew was given an opportunity to participate.
I know that all artist
have one thing in common, a
love for the arts, and love for
people. Bluechild Entertainment had the idea to join the
love for both together in forming “Bringing The Music
Home for Haiti”. Now we
will have the opportunity to
do our part to directly benefit
and have a positive impact on
the people of Haiti by this relief effort.
Bluechild Entertainment is giving us the opportunity to do use our gifts and
talents to show our love for
our brothers and sisters in
Haiti. “Bringing the Music
Home for Haiti” will offer
food, fun and live music from
several bands and other art-
ist who will take the stage to
entertain and make a change!
Taking place Sunday May 30,
2010 at MJ’s located at 6700
Middle Fiskville Rd. Austin,
Texas 78754 to benefit
H.A.C.A.O.T. (Haitian and
Caribbean Americans Organization of Texas.)
H.A.C.A.O.T is nonprofit organization operated
by a small staff of volunteers
that is actively involved and
engaged to assist our brothers and sisters from Haiti.
H.A.C.A.O.T in collaboration
with 82nd Airborne US Army
was blessed to have a very
successful earthquake medical relief mission from January 23 to January 29, 2010. As
we enter the recovery phase
of the Haitian disaster,
HACAOT is in need of all our
help.(www.hacaot.org)
HACAOT is gearing up
or their next medical mission
and they need our help to
make it a success. They are in
Andrea Bridgeman,
President of Bluechild
Entertainment
the planning stages of sending another team of doctors,
equipment and interpreters to
Haiti in November of 2010.
“Bringing the Music Home
for Haiti” has set a goal to
raise $5,000.00 to support
HACAOT
Bluechild Entertainment is reaching out to you
for your support. Please make
a charitable contribution today!
Bluechild Entertainment,
P.O. Box 141513, Austin Texas
78714, Phone (512) 496-0649
President’s Message to Hampton University
Grads: ‘Education Means Emancipation’
President Obama tries to hold back a smile as he is “hooded” with
an honorary doctorateas Hampton University President William R.
Harvey gleefully reads the award citation duringthe school’s 140th
graduation ceremonies. PHOTO: Jerome Reid/Richmond Free Press
HAMPTON,
Va.
(NNPA) - It was an unforgettable, historic occasion for
more than 18,000 students
and guests who attended the
140th commencement of
Hampton University, where
President Obama was the
main speaker on a breezy, 59degree, sunsplashed day.
In his 21-minute, attentionriveting message, the president told 1,100 celebrating
graduates that education is
the answer for overcoming
heavy challenges facing
black people and America.
The president, in his first
commencement address at a
historically Black university,
quoted Frederick Douglass to
underscore his point, declaring: “Education means emancipation.”
Speaking before an enthusiastic audience assembled on the university’s
football field on Mother’s Day,
the nation’s first Black president also recalled the origins
of the university, which traces
its roots to an 1861 school for
escaped slaves who sought
asylum after fleeing nearby
plantations in the Confederate South.
In addition to awarding
the president an honorary de-
gree, HU officials also presented him with a seedling
from Emancipation Oak, under which former slaves once
were taught and where President Abraham Lincoln later
came to read the Emancipation Proclamation.
The president’s appearance on the stage situated on
a stage in the end zone of
HU’s football field was
greeted with a roar of clapping and cheering and a
shout from the crowd: “I love
you.”
The president, with a
big smile, responded: “I love
you back, that’s why I’m here.