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Volume 79 Number 33 June 13 – 19, 2010 | FREE

Weekend

Marian Wright EdelmanThreats to School Diversity

Weekend

Family LifeDont Bail Out Your Family

Click on Defendernetwork.comMonday

Julianne MalveauxOur Jobless Recovery

By Kam WilliamsCONTRIBUTING WRITER

Besides playing the title character on the TNT series“HawthoRNe,” which is starting its second season, JadaPinkett Smith executive-produces the show through herproduction company, 100% Woman. With her husband,Will Smith, she is serving as producer of “The Karate Kid,”starring their son, Jaden, and also of Fela!, the Broadwaymusical nominated for 11 Tony Awards. Jada’s recent filmcredits include “Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa,” as the voiceof Gloria, and director Diane English’s remake of “TheWomen.”

In the past, she’s teamed up with Adam Sandler and DonCheadle in “Reign Over Me,” and enjoyed a pivotal roleopposite Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx in Michael Mann’s“Collateral.” However, she perhaps remains best known asthe take-charge Niobe of “Matrix Reloaded” and “Matrix

Revolutions” fame. Here, Jada reflects on the challenge of balancing career

and family when each member is a showbiz celebrity in hisor her own right.

Kam Williams: Thanks for the time, Jada. It’s nice tohave an opportunity to speak with you again.

Jada Pinkett Smith: Oh, thank you!KW: Well, first of all, let me say congratulations! You’re

blossoming on every front. Let’s see, “HawthoRNe’s” start-ing its second season, you’re on the cover of the July issueof Essence magazine, your Broadway musical has beennominated for 11 Tonys, and Jaden is starring in “TheKarate Kid,” a picture you and Will produced. How does itfeel?

JPS: It feels good. These are the moments that you keepin your back pocket to remember, “All of those were goodtimes!” [Laughs]

By Gregory DaleSPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM

THE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER

(NNPA) - While the trend of interracial marriagesbetween whites and American-born Asians, and whites andHispanics has slowed over the years, Blacks are more like-ly than before to marry whites, according to new censusdata.

The latest census reveals that the number of interracialmarriages in the U.S. has increased by 20 percent since 2000to nearly 4.5 million, according to the Associated Press.While the overall number of interracial marriages is still ris-ing, the pace of that increase has slowed from the 65 percentincrease seen between 1990 and 2000. Interracial marriagesnow account for 8 percent of all U.S. marriages, up from 7percent in 2000.

According to the data, Blacks are now three times morelikely to marry whites than in 1980. Nearly 14.4 percent ofBlack men and 6.5 percent of Black women are in interra-cial marriages. Experts attribute the number to a moreracially integrated military, higher educational attainmentand a rising Black middle class that offers more interaction

with other races.Despite the increase, there are still Blacks that would tra-

ditionally feel more comfortable only marrying inside theirrace.

“I would consider dating outside my race but I probablywould stay inside because of fewer complications on [mypartner’s] family not accepting me,” said Courtney Gamble,a 22-year-old African-American student at RutgersUniversity. “I might date outside my race but I would [defi-nitely] marry inside my race.”

However, American-born Asians and Hispanics haveincreasingly married members of their own races over thelast decade, according to the census data.

Nearly 40 percent of U.S.-born Asians marry whites—anumber that has not changed since 1980. But their likeli-hood of marrying Asian immigrants has multiplied 3 timesfor men and 5 times for women, to nearly 20 percent.

U.S.-born Hispanics saw a small increase in their likeli-hood to marry whites, which grew from 30 percent in 1980to 38 percent today. But their likelihood of marrying for-eign-born Hispanic immigrants has doubled, to 12.5 percentfor men and 17.1 percent for women.

★JADA, Page 3

By Jesse MuhammadSPECIAL TO THE NNPA

FROM THE FINAL CALL

(NNPA) - The deepening crisis inthe Gulf Coast caused PresidentBarack Obama to amend hisMemorial Day weekend plans; plusmake several tripsto the disaster area.He landed inLouisiana to tourthe devastationamid frustratedcomplaints that hisadministration hasresponded tooslowly and hasbeen weak in itspressure on BritishPetroleum (BP) tohalt what is being called the largestoil spill in the nation’s history.

“We expect that frustration andanger to continue until we solve theproblem,’’said President Obama dur-ing his May 28 speech at Grand Isle.He still was unsure whether the “topkill” method will halt the ecologicaldisaster.

★BP, Page 7

Black-white marriages increase over last three decades

New census data shows Black/white interracial marriages haveincreased by 20 percent over the last ten years.

BarackObama

The many shades of Jada

Advocatesblast BP fordisaster

By Hazel Trice EdneyNNPA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

WASHINGTON (NNPA) - U.S. Rep. John Lewis was headedfor the Capitol to vote onPresident Obama’s health carebill in March when he was peltedwith racial epithets when passingnear a group of conservative TeaParty protesters.

Days later, reports of attackson Democrats around the countryincluded bricks smashingthrough windows, a potentiallylethal gas pipe cutting at a homethought to be owned by VirginiaDemocratic Congressman TomPerriello. According to reports,the FBI announced the agencywould investigate Tea Partyersand a race hate group as potentialsuspects.

The madness continued intothe spring as former Alaska gov-ernor, Sarah Palin, and othersaccuse the Obama administrationof trying to kill the elderly with

★RACE, Page 4

America’sracial tensionsrising

By ReShonda Tate BillingsleyDEFENDER

Houstonians are mourning the passing of PercyCreuzot Jr., a popular local fast-food entrepreneurwho recently died at the age of 86. But friends and

family members say the legacy of the man known affec-tionately as “Frenchy,” continues to live on.

Creuzot suffered a stroke earlier this month and neverfully recovered, family members say. He died June 6th.His wake was held at Texas Southern University’sGranville Sawyer auditorium on June 9th and a privatememorial service will be held on Friday, June 11 at St.Peters Episcopal Church. He is survived by his wife, Sally,two sons, Percy “King” Creuzot and John Creuzot; adaughter, Angele Creuzot; and a sister, Martina Cox.

“My father would want people to remember him as a

★FRENCHYS, Page 8

Percy “Frenchy”Creuzot Jr.Remembering a Houston Icon

2 JUNE 13 – 19, 2010 | DEFENDER

SPECIAL TO THE

NNPA FROM THE GIN

(GIN) – After years oftroubled relations with itsformer colonies, FrenchPresident Nicolas Sarkozyannounced a new beginningwith the now-independentAfrican nations. Speakingthis week at the 25th Africa-France Summit, he promisedgenerous aid packages, tradedeals and political supportfor an Africa seat on the U.N.Security Council.

Designed as three mini-s u m m i t s ,the leaderswill addressA f r i c a ’ srole inglobal gov-e r n a n c e ,peace ands e c u r i t y ,c l i m a t echange andsustainable

development.Some 250 business execu-

tives and rights and civilsociety group leaders fromaround Africa and Francehave already checked in toattend workshops on thesidelines of the summit.

Over the past three years,Sarkozy has cut French mili-tary bases in Africa from fiveto three and reviewed thedefense pacts that kept sever-al African dictators in power.

But he has to repair misun-derstandings arising from aspeech in Dakar, Senegal,shortly after taking office in2007. There he managed tooffend African leaders and

intellectuals with a speechseen as riddled with stereo-types and prejudices.

“The tragedy of Africa isthat the African has not fullyentered into history,”Sarkozy said naively at that

time, adding that Africanshad missed out on“progress”.

On the economic front,Sarkozy is pledging “win-win” partnerships withAfrica. But his offer failed to

convince French rights groupSurvie International, whichnoted that Paris still defendsits interests in places likeNiger, a prime source of ura-nium for French nucleargiant Areva.

The Nice summit coin-cides with the 50th anniver-sary of the independence of14 former colonies who havealso been invited to Paris forNational Day celebrations onJuly 15 with their national

armies taking part in the tra-ditional Bastille Day parade.

“Africa is our future,” saidFrench President Sarkozy,“and will be a principlereservoir for world growth inthe decades to come.”

“Africa Is Our Future,” declares French President

NicolasSarkozy

JUNE 13 – 19, 2010 | DEFENDER 3

SPECIAL TO THE NNPA FROM

THE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER

(NNPA) - Fox News personality and conser-vative talk show host Glenn Beck has apolo-gized for mocking Malia Obama in a pretendconversation on his radio show.

Beck said he was trying toexplain how PresidentObama uses his children todeflect media criticism, andsaid he took it too far.

“In discussing howPresident Obama uses chil-dren to shield himself fromcriticism, I broke my ownrule about leaving kids out ofpolitical debates,” Beckwrote on his Web site. “Thechildren of public figuresshould be left on the side-lines. It was a stupid mistakeand I apologize—and as adad I should have known bet-ter.”

According to CNN, in arecent press conference dis-cussing the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico,Obama noted that Malia asked him if he’dplugged the hole yet. Beck used that as fodderfor his show as he mocked her voice in repeat-ing that and a series of other questions.

“... That’s the level of their education, thatthey’re coming to—they’re coming to daddyand saying ‘Daddy, did you plug the hole yet?’Plug the hole!” Beck said at one point, accord-ing to CNN.

Since then, he’s been criticized by a numberof media watchers, including the hosts of thedaytime talk show, “The View” and HowardKurtz of The Washington Post.

“This was a really low-blow on Glenn Beck’spart,” Kurtz said on the entertainment newsshow, “Inside Edition.” “To use an 11-year-oldgirl — to drag her into the politicalcrossfire…when he said it, it was wrong and it’ssomething that should never be done with kids.”

KW: What would you suggest as a lifestyleto keep young entertainers focused?

JPS: Wow… Whew! Man, that’s a hardone, because part of the challenge of beingyoung is finding what to be focused on. It’sa time of exploration when you have to dis-cover who you’re not, in order to know whoyou are. I would say being deeply involvedin the art world would help keep a youngartist on track. Doing what you love, so thatyour focus is your artistry.

KW: What is the key to balancing mother-hood, marriage and such a successfulcareer?

JPS: Staying true to yourself, and beingable to prioritize. It’s very important to pri-oritize. I know, for me, my family comesfirst. That makes every decision very easy.

KW: Are there any arenas left for you toconquer?

JPS: [LOL] Definitely! And I’m alwayslooking for them. But as I’ve gotten older,and now that my kids are starting to do whatthey do, I am now really focusing on sharingmy knowledge and insights with them tohelp guide them on their journeys.

KW: You and Will come across as down-to-earth and very family-centric. How do youkeep your family values intact with the chil-dren becoming stars themselves? Do theyhave chores and an allowance?

JPS: [Laughs] They definitely have chores,and they get an allowance from money theymake, believe it or not. I think that critical tokeeping them balanced is giving them pur-pose, and part of giving them purpose isallowing them to do things that they love todo, which is being part of this industry. Andas wacky as that might seem, it allows themto contribute to the family, and it allowsthem to develop their own self-worth. And Ifeel that when a child has self-worth andpurpose, that’s what keeps them grounded.

KW: Do you think the roles for women ofcolor — Black women in particular — haveimproved?

JPS: I’d say they’ve improved, but therestill aren’t enough. And I’d say that’s thecase, not only for African-American women,but for all women in the Hollywood game.It’s just slim pickings, and a very challeng-ing time for us. I think that’s why more of us

need to work our way behind the camera inorder to create roles that really illuminatewho women are. We still have room forgrowth in that area, without a doubt.

KW: Whatever happened to your TV sitcom“Good News?”

JPS: I never had a show by that name, butI did have one called “M.I.L.F. andCookies,” that got picked up and was set toair until the network and I had a disagree-ment at the last minute. They wanted tochange the concept a bit in a way I wasn’t inagreement with, so we had to go our sepa-rate ways.

KW: Richmond, Virginia is a beautiful andunique choice for the setting of“HawthoRNe.” Were you involved in thatdecision?

JPS: We felt like Richmond was an areathat’s growing, but hasn’t really beenexplored on television at all, in the way thatNew York, Los Angeles and Chicago have.So, we decided it would make a great loca-tion.

KW: What are you listening to on youriPod?

JPS: Oh, I’m listening to so much rightnow. I looooove Alicia Keys’ new song,“Unthinkable.” I’m blasting that all over the

place, but I’m also listening to Sade’s newalbum, and I always have my Heavy Metal,Mastodon. [LOL] KW: When you look in the mirror, what doyou see?

JPS: Oh, man, when I look in the mirror, Isee about a thousand different Jadas...Yeah…

KW: What is your favorite dish to cook?JPS: I don’t really cook much. I’m more of

a baker. My favorite things to bake thateverybody loves, and I can only keep in thehouse for about ten minutes, are 7-Up cakeand Pineapple Upside-Down cake.

KW: When was the last time you had agood laugh?

JPS: Oh, I laugh hard every day. I mean,my husband is Will Smith! [Shrieks] I’mtelling you, that’s one of the joys of beingmarried to him. My life full of laughter.Thank God I have him. My life is full oflaughter because of that man.

KW: How do you want to be remembered?JPS: I don’t know yet. I have no idea.KW: Well, thanks for another great inter-

view, Jada, and best of luck in all yourendeavors.

JPS: Thank you, Kam.

Jadacontinued from page 1

Photo: James White

Vanessa Legines, Michael Vartan, Jada Pinkett Smith, Hannah Hodson, Suleka Mathew,David Julian Hirsh and Christina Moore star in the critically-acclaimed show,“HawthoRNe.”

Beck apologizesto Obama’sdaughter, Malia

Glenn Beck

Malia Obama

death panels in the health carebill. He is also called aMarxist, a Socialist and a Naziby Tea Partyers and associatedradical conservatives.

Meanwhile, also, in March,Virginia’s Republican Gov.Bob McDonnell is roundlycriticized by the state’sNAACP after he declares aConfederate History Monthwhile neglecting to mentionthe cruelty and inhumanity ofslavery – a deed for which heapologized.

Among more recent racialflare ups, Arizona passes leg-islation that appears tounleash racial profiling onLatinos or anyone who policemight perceive as an illegalimmigrant; then the state ofTexas passes a law to distrib-ute history books with a con-servative bent that presentsslave-owning confederates asheroes.

Finally, the Obamas’ oldestdaughter, 11-year-old Malia,becomes the target of mock-ing by a conservative talkshow host after the presidentquotes her as asking if he had“plugged the hole” in the BPoil crisis. The mocker, FoxNews’ Glenn Beck, ultimatelyapologizes.

But are apologies enough tocalm the apparent smolderingatmosphere of racism that hasintensified since the electionof President Barack Obama?Both Black and White author-ities on racial hatred saywhat’s really needed is a voiceof reason within theRepublican Party.

“The reality is that the peo-ple who could really tamp thisdown are not doing so,” saysMark Potok, spokesman forthe Birmingham-basedSouthern Poverty Law Center,a foremost authority on racehate incidents around thecountry. “There are largenumbers of Republican offi-cials, so-called responsibleleaders of the party, who aredoing absolutely nothing totamp down the outright false-hoods, the defamatory propa-ganda that’s being pumped outinto the political mainstream.”

Potok, Jack Levin, directorof the Brudnick Center onViolence and Conflict atNortheastern University inBoston, Mass., and civil rightsicon Rev. Joseph Lowery allagreed on mainly two thingsin interviews with the NNPANews Service. One – thatracial tension in America hasgrown since the election ofPresident Obama. And two –that it could be quelled by avoice of reason rising from theRepublican Party.

“Most White people whoare on the adverse side of thisquestion would not admit it,but absolutely, much of this isdue to the fact that they sim-ply can not accept the fact thatwe have a Black leader in thiscountry,” says Lowery.“Without the Black president,we wouldn’t have all thisheavy tension and lighteningrod activity that’s driving usfurther and further apart.”

A civil rights stalwart whoco-founded the SouthernChristian LeadershipConference with Dr. MartinLuther King Jr., Loweryknows what it takes to quietthe currently smolderingatmosphere that he says he hasnot seen since the 1960s. Hesays it takes a person who isrespected by the aggressors torise up and call for peace.

Potok agrees, but says atthis point, it will be difficult toquell the political, race andanti-government tensions.

“This genie may be verydifficult to get back into thebottle. It would have been ahell of a lot better if some ofthe more ostensibly mainstream figures in our societyhad said something about thislong ago. Now we’re actuallyseeing people driving air-

planes into IRS buildings andmurdering Pentagon policeofficers and leaving coffins onthe lawns of congressmen.”

Levin of the BrudnickCenter, agrees with Lowerythat the reason the racial tem-perature is out of control andwill likely continue to surge issimple:

“It is the Obama factor. It isa big factor. Having anAfrican-American as presi-dent has brought out the worsein some White Americans andit’s brought out the best in oth-ers … There are many Whiteswho voted for Obama, whocontinue to praise him, whothink he’s a great president,but then there’s the other sideof the coin. The problem isthat it is a small but growingnumber of extremists who areconcerned about foreign influ-ence and they see Obama as aMarxist, a Socialist, theyquestion whether he was bornin the United States. They seehim as attempting to destroyour country. And these are thesame folks who are likely tojoin some White supremacistgroup or civilian militia

organization. They are so con-cerned about what they see asan erosion of American cul-ture and the American econo-my and they blame the Blackguy who holds the most pow-erful office in the world.”

Potok says most of thepolitical angst is really notcoming from organized mili-

tias.“I don’t think these are

organized hate groups. Theseare by in large more or lessevery day citizens who arevery fearful of the way theworld is changing aroundthem and who have beenwhipped up in a kind of whitehot anger,” he describes.

“Rather than seeing thechanges in the world aroundus, the kind of globalization ofthe economy, the increasingdiversity of our society andother societies as somethingthat is simply occurring in thecourse of history, they aredemonizing certain groupsand saying they are responsi-ble for these things. So that isthe problem. It is the identify-ing of phantom enemies andwhipping up the broad massesinto a fury about it.”

The name-calling and label-ing of President Obama asMarxist, Socialist, etc., havebeen among the worse offens-es, says Potok.

“These things are all utterfalsehoods and yet the peoplein responsible positions of theparty have done almost noth-ing to play this down and infact have played it up,” hesays.

The current frenzy has rootsin 9-11, Levin points out.

“The war on terror is part ofit. Certainly 9-11 made lots ofAmericans of any race feeluncomfortable or more inse-cure about their personal safe-

ty. But that’s a small part ofthe whole thing,” Levin says.“Immigrants of color comeinto this country from LatinAmerican countries and otherparts of the world as well. Andwhenever the economy goessour, the immigrants getblamed. That’s part of it.”

In America’s history ofracial strife, there have rarelybeen instances in which Whiteleaders actually take theresponsibility to speak againstwrongs unless pressed to doso. Such was the case withPresident Lydon B. Johnsonas he called for the passage ofthe Voting Rights Act, declar-ing “We shall overcome” afterthe 1965 “Bloody Sunday”attacks on civil rights protest-ers in Selma.

But, Johnson was consid-ered to be a friend of racialequality. It is even rarer whena foe rises up and speaks witha changed heart.

Levin concludes, “It wouldbe wonderful if someone whohas a reputation for extremismor racism would take the otherside and would come out fortolerance and respect.”

4 JUNE 13 – 19, 2010 | DEFENDER

Racecontinued from page 1

Dr. Joseph Lowery, pictured here receiving thePresidential Medal of Freedom from President BarackObama, says much of today's racial tension can be attrib-uted to the fact that we have a Black president.

The odds were stackedagainst Clements going intothe Class 5A Region III highschool baseball championshipseries at Reckling Park.

In the opposing dugout wasSpring Branch Memorial, ateam that had eliminatedperennial powerhouseBellaire and hot-hittingBrazoswood in the previousrounds.

What transpired on theRice University campusturned out to be historic forthe underdog Rangers.

Clements battled back froma 3-0 deficit in game one totake a 1-0 series advantage ina best-of-three format with a7-5 victory. In game two,Clements would not onlyhave to battle the Mustangs,but also overcome the ele-ments.

With the temperature top-pling the 90-degree mark,Clements ace pitcher BrianHethcoat held Memorialscoreless for five innings asthe Rangers advanced to thestate tournament in RoundRock with a 4-2 victory.

The Rangers improved to32-7 on the season andearned a berth in the statetournament for the first timesince 1997.

Hethcoat allowed two runson five hits and walked threein a 93-pitch performance. Inthe sixth inning, the heatbecame unbearable.

Leading 3-0, Hethcoatwalked Memorial’s Ben Carlwith the bases loaded for the

Astros Draft for the FutureThe Astros selected

Delino DeShields Jr. withtheir first pick in the 2010Major League Baseball FirstYear Player Draft that washeld earlier this week. The17-year-old DeShields, whowas the eighth player takenoverall and is the son of for-mer Major League secondbaseman Delino DeShieldsSr.

This season, DeShields(5’9” 175 lbs.) earned 4-AAA All Region First Teamhonors while at WoodwardAcademy in College Park,GA, hitting .415 (39x94)with nine home runs, 40RBI and 29 stolen bases. Atwo-sport star, Deshields isranked as one of the tophigh school running backs inGeorgia.

“He’s a top of the scalerunner with a very good feelto steal bases and has thepotential to be a leadoff hit-ter at the Major Leaguelevel,” said Director ofScouting Bobby Heck.“We’re going to send himout this summer and he’sgoing to play as a centerfielder and then transition toa second basemen.”

The club also selectedRHP Michael Foltynewiczwith the 19th selection.Foltynewicz , 18, posted a9-1 record and a 0.38 ERAat Minooka CommunityHigh School in Illinois. Hestruck out 128 hitters in 72.2innings. He is the first highschool pitcher from Illinoisto be drafted in the firstround since Chicago (AL)drafted Kris Honel in 2001.

“We thought we saw apretty complete package fora high school right-handedpitcher,” said Heck. “He’s

★ARDISON, Page 6

★EDISON, Page 6

JUNE 13 – 19, 2010 | DEFENDER 5SPORTS

Max Edisonon

Sports

Darrell Ardison

on H.S.Sports

The world’s largest sportingevent begins on June 11thand runs through July 11th.

The 2010 FIFA (FédérationInternationale de FootballAssociation) World Cup, the pre-mier international football(soccer) tournament willbe held in South Africa,the first time ever on thecontinent. The event isheld every four years in adifferent host country. It isthe culmination of a quali-fication process that beganin August 2007 andinvolved 204 of the 208FIFA national teams. It istruly a “world” championshipevent!

To give you some perspective ofhow big the World Cup is, the tele-vision audience for the 2006 WorldCup finals between Italy andFrance attracted an amazing 715million viewers, compared to 151million viewers for the SuperBowl!

The World Cup competition iscomposed of 32 international teams(23 man rosters) playing in eightgroups of 4, Groups A-H. The totalprize money for the tournament isroughly $420 million, with approx-imately $ 30 million going to thewinning team.

The mere fact that South Africais the World Cup host is a tribute tohow far the country has evolvedpolitically. The country will wel-come over 375, 000 visitors fromaround the world for the monthlong event. For those guests and the

billions worldwide that will watchon television, this will be a gradecoming out party to display theirpride, culture and progress sincethe abolition of apartheid.

South African President JacobZuma, former captain ofhis soccer team on notori-ous Robben Island, whereNelson Mandela was incar-cerated for more than 18years alongside other polit-ical prisoners, says Africawill shine when it stepsonto the world stage.

“This is the single great-est opportunity we haveever had to showcase our

diversity and potential to theworld,” he said at the 50-day count-down celebration in April. “Wemust rise and tell the story of a con-tinent, which is alive with possibil-ities.

Italy, the defending World CupChampion (2006), knows that agiant bulls-eye is squarely on theircollective backs. Italy is one ofonly two nations to repeat as WorldCup champions, yet no one hasdone it since Brazil in 1962. A pointnot lost on Italy’s midfielderDaniele De Rossi.

“We are playing as the worldchampions, which means all theteams will give their best againstus,” De Rossi explained.

The United States squad,coached by Bob Bradley, is current-ly No. 14 in FIFA’s world rankings.The U.S. team will be in Group C

By Darrell K. ArdisonDEFENDER

AUSTIN – Despite a secondconsecutive trip to the Class 5Astate title game, it took thePearland Oilers 10 innings in the2010 state tournament to shakethe jitters and find a comfortzone.

To the everlasting sorrow offinals opponent Austin Bowie,the Oilers snapped back to formin time to pound out a convinc-ing 4-0 victory at McCombsField on the campus of theUniversity of Texas.

A spectacular team defensiveeffort and another stellar pitchingperformance from junior right-hander Jessica Bowden enabledPearland to seize control of thegame and secure the school’ssecond state softball title and

first since 1996.“I was happy that the kids

stayed composed and didn’t startthinking that this wasn’t going tohappen,” said Pearland headcoach Laneigh Clark. “They keptgoing and going and became thesame feisty team that they havebeen all year.

“We came out a little tight andtentative in the semifinal game,”Clark said. “That’s not the teamthat we are. We’re a team thatrelaxes, has fun and likes to play.

Left fielder Leandra Malyseemed to awaken the Oilers inthe bottom of the third inningwhen she dove to catch a sinkingline drive and rose to her feet tothrow a strike to first basemanMegan Coronado and double upa wandering runner off the bag.

“That play that Leandra madecoupled with the offense getting

on track all at once seemed to getthe momentum on our side,”Clark said.

In the next inning (fourth), anissue that had worked to AustinBowie’s advantage in its semifi-nal victory over Tomball, workedto its detriment at the worst pos-sible time.

Bowie relief pitcher AmySundahl was called for four ille-gal pitches. That’s when thepitcher’s foot loses contact withthe pitching rubber prior toreleasing the ball. Every time anillegal pitch is thrown, it countsas a ball to the batter and runnersget to advance one base.

One of Sundahl’s illegal pitch-es in the fourth inning movedBrooke Dubois to second baseafter she reached with a single.Jaclyn Bechtle followed with asingle to move Dubois to third

where she scored on HaleyBeam’s RBI single.

“I hate to see an umpire’s deci-sion be the difference in thegame,” Clark said. “By him call-ing it early, the pitcher had achance to adjust. But it’s toughwhen it hasn’t been called on herall season and all of a sudden inthe state tournament, it becomesa major issue.

That 1-0 advantage would beenough for Bowden who tossed acomplete-game five-hitter andsecond straight shutout in thestate tournament.

“The defense was incredibletonight,” Bowden said. “It takesso much pressure off of me whenthey are making plays like that.”

Pearland, 37-6-1, left the basesloaded in the fourth with only a

★PEARLAND Page 6

Pearland girls celebrate 2010 Class 5A state softball championship.

★WORLD CUP, Page 6

Pearland finds comfort in State Championship

2010 FIFAWorld CupThe World’s Game

Bob Bradley

By Max EdisonDEFENDER

Defending champion Italy's Daniele De Rossi.

USA defender Oguchi Oneyewu.

one-run advantage.Yet with Bechtle going 3-

for-4 with an RBI andCoronado adding two morehits, the Pearland offensestarted gaining momentumand finished with 10 hits inthe game. Bechtle wasnamed the 5A tournamentMost Valuable Player for herefforts.

“It felt great to see all ofour defenses working togeth-er and all of our offenseclicking together and it waslike a weight was lifted offour shoulders,” Coronadosaid. “That when we knewthat this was our game.”

Pearland advanced to thestate championship gamewith a 1-0 win overLewisville Hebron despitepicking up only one hit.Coronado scored the win-ning run on a wild pitch inthe sixth inning.

Clark said Hebron sopho-more pitcher Heather Stearnswas the best her team hadfaced this season. “You hate

to see the game decided ona wild pitch because shereally did a fantastic job.

“All things considered,she was the best pitcherwe’ve seen this year,”Clark said.

While Pearland’soffense struggled in thestate semifinals, the batscame around in the cham-pionship game.

“Yesterday we came outhere and we were very nerv-ous,” Bechtle said. “It waslike Oh My God, we werehere last year, what are wegoing to do? But we didmuch better tonight and I’mso proud that we won a statechampionship.”

Tomball pitcher ShelbyLancaster was called for 16illegal pitches that resultedin four runs as Austin Bowieadvanced to the 5A titlegame with a 9-1 victory.

Magnolia attempted tobecome the second Houstonarea school to bring back astate title as the Bulldogssquared off against WacoMidway in the Class 4Astate championship game.

However, Midway pitcher

Kermetria Ward had otherideas as she hurled an eight-inning no-hitter to defeatMagnolia 1-0.

It was the 11th no-hitter inthe state tournament since itsinception in 1993. It wasalso the first no-hitter in the4A state tournament since1997.

Ward was named the tour-nament MVP after register-ing 15 strikeouts in the game

and her double in the topof the eighth inningdrove home SydneyWatson with the winningrun.

Magnolia, 32-13, tookthe game to extra inningsbehind a superlative per-formance from pitcherKaty Adair. Pitching 18innings in two games,

Adair allowed just three hitsand struck out six batters inthe title game. Overall, shegave up five hits and struckout 11 hitters.

Adair will play forGalveston College next sea-son.

The victory gave Midwayhead coach Sherry Rogers aperfect going-away presentas she is retiring from coach-ing this year.

6 JUNE 13 – 19, 2010 | DEFENDERSPORTS

Mustangs’ first run prior to exiting for reliever AlecHorvath.

Memorial, 35-8, had relied upon great pitching andsuperlative defense in gaining a berth in the regional finals.However, the Mustangs were facing a Clements’ offensethat averaged nine runs per game coming into the series.

Three Memorial pitchers combined for 11 walks in theseries-clinching victory for Clements as none of theRangers’ RBIs came via the hit variety.

The Memorial loss culminates an impressive season forthe Mustangs as they advanced to the regional finals for thefirst time in school history.Nationally-Ranked Klein Advances To State

The Klein Bearkats (31-6) utilized a pair of outstandingpitching performances to sweep their best-of-three RegionII-5A best-of-three championship series against District 13-5A rival Klein Collins in College Station.

Klein won 4-0 and 10-1 to advance to the state tourna-ment in Round Rock for the first time since 2001. TheBearkats are ranked No. 1 by Baseball America Magazine.

Klein senior pitcher Michael West threw five innings ofshutout ball in the opener. Clayton Crum went the distancein the second game, allowing just one run and five hits.Brenham State-Bound in 4A

Brenham scored six runs in the first inning and held offFriendswood 8-6 in game three of a best-of-three regionalchampionship series in Huntsville.

The 35-5 Cubs captured the Region III-4A title andreturn to the state tournament for the second consecutiveseason and will try to bring home the school’s first statebaseball title since 1988.

Ardisoncontinued from page 5

very physical, he’s athletic andhe’s a good strike thrower.We’ve seen him pitch comfort-ably with a plus fastball, aswell as a plus changeup and aplus breaking ball. We thinkhe’s an advanced high schoolpitcher.”

They completed the firstround by selecting MichaelKvasnicka (33rd overall).Kvasnicka, 21, hit .350(84x240) with 24 doubles,eight homers and 48 RBI in 61games for the University ofMinnesota this season.

“He’s a self-made player, agood baseball player,” saidHeck. “He does have versatili-ty, he’s caught, he’s played theoutfield, and he does go backto his high school days asplaying the infield. We’ve seenhim take ground balls and feelcomfortable just because of hismakeup, work ethic and hisathleticism. We think (thirdbase) is where we’d like toexplore, we think that’s wherehis better ceiling and profilelies.”

The Astros had three selec-tions in the first round of theFirst-Year Player Draft for thefirst time since 1994. For ateam whose farm system isvirtually void of big time tal-ent, we certainly hope theseprospects can prove to bekeepers.

Edisoncontinued from page 5

along with Algeria, England and Solvenia. TheAmericans are hoping to improve on their disap-pointing 2006 World Cup in which they scoredone goal in three games and exited after the firstround with a 0-2-1 record.

For U.S. midfielder Landon Donovan, the teamgoals are very basic, getting out of their group.

“For us, until we get to a point where we areconsistently getting out of our group, that has tobe the goal,” Donovan says. “And I think asidefrom 10 countries in the world, that’s the goal.Some countries have higher expectations but notmany.”

In addition to Donovan, the U.S. must getstrong play from among others: goalkeeper TimHoward, defenders Carlos Bocanegra and OguchiOneyewu and veteran midfielder Clint Dempsey.

If you’re looking for favorites, count Spain,Brazil, England, Argentina and the Netherlandsamong the top 5 teams to watch.

Spain is the reigning European champion.Spain is blessed with some of the best midfieldersin the world. Barcelona’s Xavi and Andres Iniestaalong with Real Madrid’s Xabi Alonso andArsenal’s Cesc Fabregas spoil Spanish managerVicente del Bosque for choice. All four playerslove to play with the ball at their feet. They allhave great technical ability while in possessionand are gifted with the vision and talent to spotand deliver great passes.

The majority of Spain’s goals will come fromthe boot or head or Fernando Torres or DavidVilla, but their job is made so much easier thanksto the players they have playing behind them.

Another strength that the Spanish team canboast about is depth between the posts.

Spain is gifted with two of the world’s bestgoalkeepers. Real Madrid’s Iker Casillas andLiverpool’s Pepe Reina offer Vicente del Bosqueone of the greatest luxuries possible.

Brazil enters the 2010 World Cup as the mostdecorated team in World Cup history. They havewon the World Cup an outstanding five times.

Brazil has been one of the most consistentnations as far as their attacking flair goes.

Considered as the nation that perfected football,Brazil boasts an array of stars who excel at thebeautiful element of attacking.

Kaka, Robinho, Julio Baptista, Luis Fabiano,and Elano are just some of the names that will addattacking flair to the Brazilian line-up.

And that is without adding in the attackingthreat Brazil hold at the full back position.

Dani Alves and Maicon are two of the best rightbacks in the business at going forward with attack-ing intent.

Brazil is also stacked at the centre half position,which is something that is not often thought ofwhen it comes to the Brazilian national side.

Lucio and Juan make the defense wall at theheart of the back for Brazil. Thiago Silva com-pletes the trio of Brazilian centre backs that playtheir club football with the best in Italy.

Benfica’s Luisao is another giant centre back athead coach, Dunga’s disposal.

England is filled with star players who are nat-ural born leaders. Rio Ferdinand and John Terryhead the list of star players.

John Terry led Chelsea to their first ever Leagueand FA Cup double in history. When healthy Riohas lead out his Manchester United teammates.

England is also blessed with tremendous versa-tility. A number of their stars can play in numerouspositions which can only be a benefit to managerFabio Capello.

Steven Gerrard has played in nearly every posi-tion possible in midfield for both club and coun-try.

James Milner can be used on the wing or inside,and in a worst case scenario he could be pushedback as a makeshift right back.

Glen Johnson can play anywhere along the rightside and Jamie Carragher can be used anywhereacross the back-line.

Argentina despite being an extremely talentedteam, qualified for the 2010 World Cup by theskin of their teeth!

Despite being a team that has underachievedprior to World Cup play, their striking optionsmake them a very formidable team to contendwith.

Carlos Tevez, Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero,Diego Milito and Gonzalo Higuain are the fivemost likely candidates to make up the list of strik-ers heading to South Africa.

Milito will be hoping he can add a ChampionsLeague medal to the league and cup medals healready picked up with Inter Milan.

The five aforementioned strikers have scored acombined 143 goals this season and despite previ-ous and current form, opposition defenses will beaware of the threat carried by such an awesomeline of talent.

The Netherlands are a team known for theexceptional creativity of their midfielders.

Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder bothshowed off their skill-set in helping their respec-tive teams reach the Champions League final.Robben was the top goalscorer for Bayern Munichthis season. Along with Robben and Sneijder, theirformer Real Madrid teammate Rafael van derVaart is a player that figures to play a major role.

The Dutch team is blessed with a great amountof versatility.

Robben, Sneijder and van der Vaart can playanywhere along the middle of the pitch, and allthree can also play in more advanced attackingpositions.

The U. S. opens play against England, June 12th1:30 CST.

World Cupcontinued from page 5

Pearlandcontinued from page 5

Jaclyn Bechtle,MeganCoronado

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VOLUME 79 • NUMBER 33

JUNE 13 – 19, 2010

PublisherSonceria Messiah-Jiles

EditorVon Jiles

Associate EditorReShonda Billingsley

Art DirectorCale Carter

Columnist Yvette Chargois

Sports EditorsMax EdisonDarrell K. Ardison

Contributing WritersAswad Walker

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REQUEST FOR COMPETITIVE

SEALED PROPOSALSREQUEST FOR BIDS: Project Name:W.R. BanksFirst Floor Remodel, Project No. PV-0456 atPrairie View A&M University, Prairie View, TX.Estimated project cost: $840,000.00. SCOPEOF WORK: Remodel the first floor to include,but not limited to:walls,carpentry,carpet,wall-paper,vct, lighting,electrical,HVAC,DATA,secu-rity, communication, etc.. RECEIPT OF BIDS:Sealed Proposals will be received by PrairieView A&M University, Procurement & ContractServices, W.R. Banks, Room 129 L.W. MinorStreet, or mailed to Procurement & ContractServices, Mail Stop #1311 P.O. Box 0519 PrairieView,Texas 77446. BIDS DUE: All bids are dueWednesday, July 7, 2010 between hours of12:00a.m.-2:00p.m., one hour before bids areto be read. PROPOSAL READING:Wednesday,July 7,2010 @ 3:00 p.m. publiclyopen and read aloud at Physical PlantAdministration Building Room 111 located onAnne Preston at Reda Bland Evans Street. PRE-BID CONFERENCE: Meeting will be heldWednesday, June 23, 2010 @ 10:00 a.m., inRoom 111, Physical Plant AdministrationBuilding, Anne Preston Street & Reda BlandEvans Street, Prairie View, TX 77446. Singleprime contract award. Non-mandatory atten-dance. INFORMATION AND BIDDING DOCU-MENTS: Studio Red Architects, 1320McGowen, Houston, Texas 77004,713.622.5333 phone, 713.255.8753 fax, DBREngineering Consultants, 9990 RichmondAvenue, South Building, Suite 300, Houston,Texas 77042,713.914.0888 phone,7139140886fax and Construction & Planning Office.Bidding documents obtained from PrairieView A&M University Physical PlantAdministration Building, Construction &Planning Office Rm 114. Non-RefundablePlan Deposit: $50.00 per set. Check orMoney Order Only for General Contractors &Subcontractors. Checks made payable to:Prairie View A&M University Construction &Planning Office. If you desire bids to be mailedto you , please include a fed-ex number forS&H. Mail to Channen McGary, Physical PlantAdministration Building Construction &Planning Office, Prairie View A&M University,Mail Stop #1411, P.O. Box 519, Prairie View,Texas 77446, 936.261.9170, e-mail:cmcgary@pvamu.edu It is the intent of theTexas A&M University System that HistoricallyUnderutilized Businesses be afforded everyopportunity to participate in its constructionprojects as prime contractors, subcontractorsand/or suppliers.

CLASSIFIED

Landon Donvan

The visit was the president’s second trip to theregion since BP’s offshore oil rig DeepwaterHorizon exploded over a month ago on April 20,killing 11 and triggering a massive oil spill. It isestimated that this oil spill has surpassed theExxon Valdez spill in Alaska in 1989.

According to the White House, the purpose ofthe trip was for the president to meet with localofficials and hear their ideas. But this crisis hassome analysts zeroing in on what they call a sys-temic history of corporate criminal behavior andnegligence by government to fully hold thesecompanies accountable.

“BP is a habitual criminal offender and cannotbe trusted. The fact they were even allowed tomanage this oil spill up to this point in the Gulfis horrendous. The company has one of theworst track records of any oil company operat-ing in America,” Tyson Slocum, energy policyprogram director of the progressive group PublicCitizen, told The Final Call.

At Final Call press time, a BP press releasereported that the cost of the response as of May28 was about $930 million, including the cost ofthe spill response, containment, relief welldrilling, grants to Gulf states, claims paid andfederal costs.The company says that 26,000claims have been filed and 11,650 paymentshave already been made and over 96,000 callshave been made to the help line. Experts haveestimated that the rate of oil spill into the Gulfcould reach as high as4.2 million gallons(100,000 barrels) a day.

“We cannot let bureaucracy and red tape delayour action while oil hits our wetlands week afterweek,” said Louisiana Gov.Bobby Jindal. “Morethan 100 miles of our shoreline has been impact-ed by the oil spill. That is more than the entiresea coastline of Mississippi and Alabama com-bined,” said Gov. Jindal.

BP officials have said the company “will payall necessary response costs and is committed topaying legitimate claims for other loss and/ordamage caused by the Deepwater Horizon inci-dent.”

“The American people should know that fromthe moment this disaster began, the federal gov-ernment has been in charge of the responseeffort. As far as I’m concerned, BP is responsi-ble for this horrific disaster, and we will holdthem fully accountable on behalf of the UnitedStates as well as the people and communitiesvictimized by this tragedy,” said PresidentObama at a May 27 press conference.

President Obama also ordered a halt todrilling operations at all 33 deep-water rigs inthe Gulf of Mexico for six months or until acommission completes its task. Rigs that arealready drilling will have to stop and others thatwere preparing to drill will have to stop thosepreparations.

According to the U.S. State Dept., some 17countries have offered assistance, includingCanada, Mexico, South Korea, Croatia, France,Germany,Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands,Norway, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, theUnited Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom andVietnam. But no approval has been made by theU.S.

Lack of corporate transparency“BP is as transparent as oil about the disaster.

BP has consistently misled the public about howmuch oil is gushing from the well. BP must be

held accountable andshould be subject to per-manent sanctions andcriminal charges againstexecutives,” said Slocumof Public Citizen.

“It is clear that Obama’sadministration respondedtoo slowly. He needs tofire BP and put this underfull federal control. Thesolutions to this are diffi-cult but he made a mistakeentrusting BP with han-dling this,” he continued.

In a letter to BP,Rep.Henry Waxman, (D-Calif.) and Rep.BartStupak (D-Mich.) saidcompany investigatorsfailed to keep lawmakersthoroughly informed in a series of briefingsabout the company’s abrupt decision to use atype of drill casing that was prone to cause moreleaks.

“This raises the possibility that BP’s internalinvestigation is not examining the consequencesof BP’s own decisions and conduct,” the twolawmakers said in the letter. Waxman chairs theEnergy Committee and Stupak is chairman ofthe Subcommittee on Oversight andInvestigations.

“Mounting evidence shows that BP was neg-ligent. Firsthand accounts describe BP managersproceeding with work to cap the well, eventhough they were informed that the integrity ofthe blowout preventer had been compromised,”said Slocum.Corporate Gangsters on Capitol Hill

Public Citizen and other progressive groupshave been beating the drum for decades aboutthe free ride corporations get when it comes tobeing held responsible for acts that cause physi-cal, economical and environmental damage.

Slocum believes the government is unjust inits prosecution of corporations and executiveswhen compared to actions taken against every-day citizens.

“We should have seen it coming. BP wasunder criminal probation at the time of the disas-ter for felony violation of U.S. environmentallaws. The government needs to think about theway it punishes corporations because we treatindividual offenders harsher than we do thesecorporate criminals,” said Slocum.

According to research by Public Citizen, injust the last few years, BP has pled guilty to twocrimes and paid over $730 million in fines andsettlements to the federal government, state gov-ernments and in civil lawsuit judgments forenvironmental crimes, willful neglect of workersafety rules, and penalties for manipulating ener-gy markets.

BP paid the two largest fines in OSHA histo-ry—$87.43 million and$21.36 million—fornegligence that led to the deaths of 15 workersand injured 170 others in a March 2005 refineryexplosion in Texas, according to data compiledby Public Citizen.

“The American people should be very con-cerned and outraged that these corporate crimi-nals keep getting away with these crimes withonly fees. The government needs to start punish-ing them by putting executives in handcuffs,”said Slocum.

Although BP has vowed to cover all related

costs due to the spill, fed-eral law currently capsoil companies’ liability at$75 million per spill.Democrats want to raisethe cap to $10 billion.

“I don’t think BP’swords are anything torely upon,” said SenatorRobert Menendez (D-N.J.). “By lifting the capunlimitedly, whoever isdetermined to be beyondBP, the responsible party,will also be held respon-sible,” said Menendez.

“In any case, cashcompensation for eco-nomic harms caused—while necessary—does-n’t bring back destroyed

ecosystems and does little to mitigate the com-pany’s culpability for not preventing theblowout in the first place,” said RobertWeissman, president of Public Citizen.

“BP needs more than just a financial slap onthe wrist, which is what it will get if the $75 mil-lion liability cap remains in place. These oilcompanies are allowed to destroy people’s livesand murder workers. That’s a slap in the face tothe American people,” said Slocum.

According to its annual report, BP made aprofit of $17 billion last year, on revenue of$246 billion. First quarter profits in 2010 wereover $6 billion. Based upon data collected by theWashington, D.C.-based Center for ResponsivePolitics, BP has positioned itself to combat theforeseen scrutiny from this spill by financiallybacking U.S. lawmakers and keeping a stronglobbying arm intact.

An online report posted on the Center forResponsive Politics’ Web site shows that duringthe 2008 election cycle, individuals and politicalaction committees associated with BP con-tributed half a million dollars to federal candi-dates—40 percent being Democrats. PresidentObama was reported to be the top recipient ofBP-related donations during the 2008 cycle with$71,000 collected.

The center also says BP handed out $16 mil-lion to lobby and influence legislation in 2009.In the first quarter of 2010, BP had already spentover $3.5 million on lobbying efforts in D.C.,trailing only Conoco Phillips in the top oil andgas interest groups. The entire oil and gas indus-

try reported $169 million in total lobbyingexpenditures in 2009.

BP was instrumental in lobbying for theAmerican Clean Energy Leadership Act of2009, which allows increased oil and gas leasingin the Gulf of Mexico, in areas closer to shorethan current law allows. The company also lob-bied for the Oil Spill Prevention Act of 2009 andthe Clean Water Restoration Act, according theCenter.

Phone calls made to BP were not returned.Environmental damage and future problemsWith globs of thick, gooey petroleum balls

washing ashore along the south Louisiana coast,marine biologists are beginning to prepare stud-ies to monitor how the spill will impact the gulflong term. Scientists are expecting a lot of ani-mals and plant life to die.

“We’re in uncharted territory,” said SteveMurawski, an adviser with the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration. He’s helpingto assess the damage caused by the spill.

“The federal response to protect our marshesis a failure,” said Sen.David Vitter, a Republicanfrom Louisiana. “Just look at their response toour emergency dredging barrier island plan—weeks of foot-dragging before approving twopercent of it so they can study it further overmore precious weeks and months.”

The oil spill has nearly crippled the normalshrimping season which has been largelybrought to a halt due to government-ordered clo-sures. According to a news report, severalrestaurants in Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippiand Florida have already sued BP and its part-ners.

Public Citizen wants to send a clear messageto BP by calling on the American people to boy-cott its gas and retail store products. “Don’tspend a cent of your hard-earned money to feedthe bottom line of the corporation responsiblefor the worst oil spill in our nation’s history,” thegroup urges.

They launched an online Beyond BP petitionand have gathered over 14,000 signatures ofsupport from those who have pledged to boycottthe oil giant.

Said Slocum, “Government regulators shouldhave protected us as citizens but they didn’t. Sothis is a peaceful way of channeling our anger.We want to hit BP in the pocketbook. Peopleshould be concerned about the practices of theseconvicted corporate criminals.”

JUNE 13 – 19, 2010 | DEFENDER 7

BPcontinued from page 1 BP FACTS

■ 2009 Earnings: $246 billion

■ 2009 Profits: $17 billion

■ 2008 Election Contributions:

$500,000+

■ 2010 Lobbying Contributions: $3.5

million/first quarter

■ Contributions: 40% Democrats,

60% Republicans

Source: Center for Responsive Politics

8 JUNE 13 – 19, 2010 | DEFENDER

man who gave back to the community andwho was involved in a lot of things in thecommunity,” said King Creuzot . “He gavehis time, talent and money and that’s a bigpart of his legacy. That’s why it’s been somuch response to his passing from the com-munity.”Humble beginnings

It was in 1965 when Creuzot, a NewOrleans native, moved to Houston to workas a traveling salesman for a company thatmanufactured robes, rings and other gradua-tion paraphernalia. He soon moved over tothe Texas Employment Commission, wherehe worked as a placement officer. Then, oneday, he decided to share one of his favoriteconcoctions with the Bayou City, NewOrleans-style sno-balls, whose finely shavedice and array of unorthodox flavors differen-tiate them from standard snow cones. Thatonly served to make him miss that NewOrleans flavor even more.

“I loved Creole food, especially Creolesausage, whether on a Po-boy or with gritsand eggs,” Creuzot told the Defender in aJuly 2009 interview, when the company wascelebrating its forty year anniversary. “I justhad a feeling that a Creole restaurant andCreole food would go over well here. Andthis was before Creole food got so popular.”

Creuzot and his wife, Sally opened thefirst restaurant in 1969. Originally namedFrenchy’s Po-Boy, the Third Ward eateryoffered the signature sandwiches with hotsausage or roast beef, as well as shrimp loafsand oyster loafs. It wasn’t until a neighbor ofthe Creuzots made a helpful suggestion thatthe menu item they are most known forbecame available to the public.

“A friend of mine, Jesse Hearns, insist-ed that I sell chicken,” Creuzot said. “Hewas an automobile salesman, but he hadexperience in the restaurant business. So hehad a lot of wisdom to share, and he told methat while I was trying to teach Houstonianshow to eat shrimp loafs and oyster loafs, topay my rent I should sell fried chicken. Hisreasoning was that I didn’t have to teach ourcustomers to eat fried chicken; it was some-thing we were familiar with and would bringmore people through our doors to eventuallytry the other selections.”

Sure enough, the cus-tomers came and tried allof Frenchy’s menu items,but made fried chickentheir number one choice.Some 40 years later, thecustomers are still com-ing.

Though the Creuzotfamily still owns the orig-inal restaurant and the onelocated in the H.E.B. atScott and Old SpanishTrail, a licensing/fran-chising deal struck withGlennLock Foods has helped expandFrenchy’s to seven additional locations inHouston and surrounding areas.

“They, the people of GlennLock Foods,came to us,” Creuzot said. “When they orig-inally called, we decided we didn’t want todo franchising. We had done some franchis-ing before the energy crisis and decided wedidn’t want to do it anymore. But when wegot into the meeting, Aaron Glenn (theFormer Houston Texan and CEO ofGlennLock Foods) was such an impressive

guy and sincere, we gavehim a limited franchisingnetwork of ten stores,”shared Creuzot.Passing the torch

Over the years, themenu has changed, butwhat hasn’t is the factthat Frenchy’s is a familytradition. Percy “King”Creuzot has been underhis father’s wing, watch-ing the growth ofHouston icon, Frenchy’s,since childhood.

“Being part of a company that was justgetting started gave me some perspective onwhat it takes to start a business, how to builda business one day at a time by alwaysimproving and increasing your sales goalsone day at a time,” said King Creuzot. “Atthat time, we didn’t have the number ofemployees that we do today so you hadmany jobs. You had to know how to doeverything—cook, cut, and clean chicken,work the register… every facet of the busi-ness.”

After retirement, Creuzot often returned tohis original restaurant to chat with cus-tomers on the covered patio. “He was a veryengaging guy,” King Creuzot said. “Heenjoyed talking to people. He always hadinteresting things to say.”

King Creuzot says despite their loss, as faras their customers are concerned, it will bebusiness as usual.

“We plan to continue Frenchy’s. My son,niece and nephew are involved in the com-pany. We know that his eyes are on us, sowe’re certainly going to continue doingthings like we have and there will be nochange. My mother is here every day. She’sthe task master. This is the first place peoplewill stop when they come into town and thelast place people will go when they leave.My father has taught me so much, and wewill continue his legacy and vision.”A lasting legacy

Besides the loyal clientele, Percy CreuzotJr. will be remembered by everyone fromlawmakers to community leaders.

“Percy Creuzot was a business pioneer inHouston, a community leader and a commu-nity steward. Through his restaurants andgenerous financial support of communityneeds (continued by his children), PercyCreuzot touched the lives of so many peoplein his community,” said State Rep. GarnetColeman. “We’ve lost a family friend. Foranyone else who has frequented the Creuzotfamily restaurants, they feel the same. PercyCreuzot demonstrated that AfricanAmericans could be successful in develop-ing a small, customer-oriented and whole-sale business venture that has been aroundfor forty years, now going on another forty.The reason it feels like he’s family to somany is because Frenchy’s is a family busi-ness.”

“Frenchy’s Chicken will live on as willPercy Creuzot’s charitable impact onHouston,” added Houston Mayor, AnniseParker. “He was an entrepreneurial leaderwho didn’t hesitate to give back to the com-munity that helped his family businessbecome so successful. His charitable givingboosted many of our city’s nonprofit organi-zations and programs.”

Frenchyscontinued from page 1

Former mayor Jim McConn (l) and Anthony Hall (r), pictured with Percy "Frenchy"Creuzot Jr. (c) and his wife, Sallie, were among the many community leaders who lovedFrenchy's Chicken.

“My father would want people to

remember him as a man who gave

back to the community and who

was involved in a lot of things in the

community…He gave his time, tal-

ent and money and that’s a big part

of his legacy.”

– Percy “King” Creuzot III