TPATPATPATPATPATEXASPUBLISHERSASSOCIATION

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Austin, TexasPermit No. 01949

INSIDEVol. 42 No.41 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: vil3202@aol.com February 27, 2015

RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’Tommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy Wyatt

TheAustinVillager.comTheAustinVillager.comThis paper can

be recycled

The 87th Annual Academy AwardsThe 87th Annual Academy Awards

John Stephens (John Legend) and Lonnie Lynn (Common) accept the Os-car® for Achievement in music written for motion pictures (Original song) forwork in “Selma”, Music by John Stephens and Lonnie Lynn, Lyrics by JohnStephens and Lonnie Lynn during the live ABC Telecast of The 87th Oscars®at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 22, 2015. Credit:Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.

by Naomi RichardThe Villager

Entertainment Columnist

John Legend andCommon accept the Os-car® for Achievement inmusic written for motionpictures (Best OriginalSong) for work in “Selma.”The 87th Oscar Awardswere held on February 22at the Dolby Theatre inHollywood, California af-ter a three-hour red carpet.The stars were out with allthe glitz and glamourshowcasing designer at-tire from around the globe.

While there was un-rest with the lack of diver-sity among the 2015 Os-car® Nominees, the star-studded room gave astanding ovation to theperformance of “Glory”and the ultimate win byLegend and Common forBest Original Song. TheySee BIRDMAN, page 2

(Photographer Al Rodriguez)

Keishorne Scott Kicks andFights His Way To The ToP

by Shirley Hammond ~ Villager Columnist

KeishorneScott

Keishorne Scottfound that using positivityto overcome the chal-lenges and help him dealwith extreme adversitythat would have staggeredthe imagination of the av-erage person, helped himto become the man he istoday. A native of Trinidad,he grew up in Barbadosand then in Canarsie,Brooklyn New York. Hesaid he saw so many fruitsof maintaining positivity.“A positive attitude willhelp you to avoid worryingunnecessarily and will en-hance your physical andmental well-being,”hestated. During his adoles-cent years he and his fam-ily were cramped togetherin the close living quarters

of an older sister’s base-ment. That sister, her hus-band and nine childrenoccupied the upper part ofthe house. The one bed-room basement spacegave Keishorne and hisparents enough closenessto see and feel the es-sence of the struggle ofimmigrant lives.

His mother workedtwo jobs making minimumwage as a home healthcare nurse. At one time sheeven worked two jobs andserved as a live-in nurse soshe could make extramoney. This live-in workoften took her away fromher family for three daysat a stretch, but she did itso she could provide a bet-ter life for her children. Theexhausting and demand-ing work supplemented hisfather’s work in construc-tion. Their eyes told thestory of their struggle tojust get by. He recalledfeeling helpless that he

could not do anythingabout his mother having towork so hard for next tonothing. He said that in hereyes he could sometimessee tiredness settle in. Hehad an older brother andsister, and Keishorne wasthe youngest. Sleepinglate and having companyover were not options forthese children. The olderSmith’s purpose for bring-ing their children to theU.S. was so that they couldhave the chance for a bet-ter life.

Looking back, he re-alized that his parentsmotivated him by their ex-ample of hard work, fam-ily dedication and perse-verance. “I am inspired bymy parents. My parentslived a simple life. Theywere lower middle classimmigrants who came to

See L.I.F.E., page 2

Maya Angelou to beHonored with

Forever StampWASHINGTON, D.C.

— The U.S. Postal Servicewill honor Maya Angelou— the beloved author,poet, actress and cham-pion of equality — with aForever Stamp.

“Maya Angelou in-spired our nation througha life of advocacy andthrough her many contri-butions to the written andspoken word,” said Post-master General Megan J.Brennan. “Her wide-rang-ing achievements as aplaywright, poet, memoir-ist, educator, and advocatefor justice and equalityenhanced our culture.”

The Postal Servicewill preview the stampand provide details on thedate and location of thefirst-day-of-issuance cer-emony at a later date.

The Postal Servicereceives no tax dollars foroperating expenses andrelies on the sale of post-age, products and servicesto fund its operations.

Wells Fargo/NNPAF Internship ProgramWelcomes William Purcell, III

William Purcell, III

Wells Fargo and theNational Newspaper Pub-lishers Association Foun-dation (NNPAF) has an-nounced their inauguralInternship Program. Theprogram allows for AfricanAmerican owned newspa-pers who are members ofThe NNPA to nominatecollege students fromaround the country to ap-ply to work for papers intheir areas.

The Villager is happyto announce that WilliamJ. Purcell III, a student atHuston-Tillotson Univer-sity, is the Austin internfor the program. Purcell isa former member of The

Villager Youth Brigade. Hewas a student reporterfrom 2006-2012. He is agraduate of Manor New

Tech High. At HT he ismajoring in communica-tions.

Purcell is also a Ra-dio Talk Show supervisor/journalist for KAZI-88.7 FMRadio. He is a regular onthe “Below Zero” show. Heis also a member of sev-eral other community or-ganizations.

The program will gothrough April 30, 2015.During the internship,Purcell will attend BlackPress Week in Washing-ton, D.C. Each intern willhave to write up a newsarticle to report on theevents that happened atthe events.

Travis CountyDemocrat writes

civil war heroes bill.See HOWARD

Page 6

Nationwide searchyields three finalists.See PRESIDENCY

Page 7

Will RodneyReed get

another trial? For more than 18 yearsnow, Rodney Reed hasbeen sitting in jail asking foranother trial. His requesthas been denied severaltimes. However, his family,friends and supportersnever gave up hope. Evenafter his execution date wasset for March 5, 2015. Reed was accused ofkilling Stacy Stites in 1996in Bastrop . He wasconvicted in the case andwas sentenced to death. Hehas always maintained hisinnocence in the case. But,the case may have beenclouded by the fact thatReed, a Black man, wasaccused of raping andkilling Stites, a Whitefemale. Many residents of thecommunity believed that aGiddings Police Officer wasthe guilty party. However, hewas never considered asuspect. A few years later,that officer was charged inanother rape case in CentralTexas. However, he still wasnot considered a suspect inthe Stites case. He is now inprison for the rape case. Attorneys for theInnocence Project, MacRaeand Bryce Benjet listedseveral laws in the case as areason to stay the executionand review the evidence thatthey believed would proveReed’s innocence. Reed is the latest personin the area who has had hiscase reviewed after spendingmany years in prison. Oneperson has been released. The Black community ofCentral Texas has followedthis case closely and wasvery disappointed that thecase had not been retriedbefore now. It is cruel andunusual punishment foranyone to spend the mostproductive years of theirlives in jail for a crime theydid not commit. This casewill continue to be followedclosely to its finalresolution. Rodney Reedsupporters should be veryelated that they continuedtheir support. However,the case is not over and willnot be until Reed is freed.

Build a retirementincome stream

you can count on.See WELLS

Page 3

Larry Jackson

Volma Overton Sr.

Willie Mae Kirk

General Marshall

BLACKHISTORYMONTH

THE COMMUNIQUÉPage 2 ~ February 27, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

took to the stagemaking an acceptancespeech drawing attentionto voting rights and incar-ceration.

“Nina Simone saidit’s an artist’s duty to re-flect the times in which welive. We wrote this songfor a film that was basedon events that were 50years ago. But we say thatSelma is now because thestruggle for justice is rightnow,” expressed Legend.He continued with a pow-erful statement, “Thereare more black men undercorrectional control todaythan were under slavery in1850.”

“Birdman” and “TheGrand Budapest Hotel”tied for most wins, withfour Academy Awardseach. “Birdman” scoredwins for Best Picture, BestDirector, Best OriginalScreenplay and Cinema-tography.

BIRDMAN, THE GRANDBUDAPEST HOTEL

Combine for 8 AcademyAwards - SELMA Wins 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 “The Grand BudapestHotel” took home Makeup& Styling, Original Score,Production Design andCostume Design.

The audience en-joyed performances byJack Black, JenniferHudson, Lady Gaga, AnnaKendrick, Adam Levinewith Maroon 5, T imMcGraw, Rita Ora andTegan and Sara with TheLonely Island.

Finally, OprahWinfrey, Chiwetel Ejiofor,Jason Bateman, Idris Elba,Ansel Elgort, Kerry Wash-ington, Nicole Kidman,David Oyelowo, LiamNeeson, Viola Davis,Gwyneth Paltrow, LupitaNyong’o, Kevin Hart, andChanning Tatum weresome of the presenters atthis year’s Oscars. CraigZadan and Neil Meron pro-duced the show.

For a complete list ofwinners, go towww.osars.org.

Oscar® presenters actress Kerry Washington and ac-tor Jason Bateman onstage during the live ABC Telecast ofThe 87th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CAon Sunday, February 22, 2015. Credit: Mark Suban /©A.M.P.A.S.

Oprah Winfrey watches the live ABC Telecast of The87th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA onSunday, February 22, 2015. Credit: Darren Decker /©A.M.P.A.S.

Neil Patrick Harris with David Oyelowo during thelive ABC Telecast of The 87th Oscars® at the Dolby® The-atre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 22, 2015.

Lupita Nyong'o presents the Oscar® for Best Actor ina Supporting Role during the live ABC Telecast of The 87thOscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sun-day, February 22, 2015.

America to make sure I had a decent life, but alsogave me good education and fulfilled all my needs.”

Once he made it through school and got acceptedin a few colleges, he thought going to check out someof those colleges would be his next step. Those planswere derailed when a high school guidance counselortold him that without papers and a social security num-ber, he would not be able to attend college in the U.S.Thanks to his mother’s hard work and sacrifice, he wentto community college for two years. Eventually he at-tended Medgar Evers College, but he didn’t finish be-cause his mother couldn’t afford it. After a season heresumed his studies at Kingsborough Community Col-lege where he obtained his A.S. In Business Adminis-tration. He still felt like striving for more, because hestill lacked legal papers, a work permit, a state ID anda SSN. Soon after his realization that there were stillsome limitations trying to block him, he came to under-stand how much he needed to apply his faith and toleverage a strong dose of perseverance in order to over-come the roadblocks. He defines perseverance as ‘keepon keeping on” and defines it thusly,” It borrows strengthfrom resilience and optimism and brushes elbows withcourage along the way.”

As he’s pushed forward, he established “Be Posi-tive,” a platform and campaign for youth to help themstay on the right track using positivity and right actions.He is now an active vlogger, busy writer, an interviewsubject and more. When his video interview with MyPath Builder was posted, it described him as an entre-preneur, disciple, scholar, mentor, author, award win-ner, activist and philanthropist. Scott also has a hugesocial media presence and a massive following.

In July 2012, he launched his first book. He ex-plained that the title, “L.I.F.E.” is an acronym for Love,Insecurities, Friends and Envy. It also addresses life,family, and other relevant issues like bullying and self-esteem. He dedicated this work to those who lack con-fidence, self-esteem, and motivation. Speaking to hisreaders he said, “To everyone out there with poor selfimage and poor quality friend who aren’t there to seeyou through hardship and adversity, to the millions ofpeople with insecurities and believe they’re not goodenough to be successful, happy, or loved. I want you toknow that things aren’t always as bad as they seem,and you will grow through what you go through.”

He said he gained confidence through writing. Hestated that his parents have inspired him through theirexample and support. “They enable me to be an edu-cated, responsible black young man in society and allwhat I am today,” said Scott.

“L.I.F.E.”Love,

Insecurities,Friends and

Envy.CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CHURCH & TOWN BULLETIN

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723

Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281Christian Web Site-

stpetersaustintx.ning.comstpetersaustintx@att.net

THE PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH US

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.

(to include Children’s Choir Rehersaland Bible Study with age appropiate Activities)

Rev. Jack C. Gause Pastor

Agape Baptist ChurchIn “The Centre” Bldg. F-15 7801 N. Lamar Blvd. (SE Corner of N Lamar and 183)

AGAPE is a chuch for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the love Heexhibited is Exemplified.” Come, receive God’s unconditional lovefor you.

For there is no greater love!

Church ServicesSunday School 9:30 AMSunday Worship 11:00 AM

Mid-Week Service Thursday: Praise,Prayer and Bible Study 7:00 PMCall 454-1547 for Transporation

Website www.agapebcaustintx.comRev. H. Ed Calahan

Pastor

Imani Community ChurchDavis Elementray Auditorium 5214 West Duval Road

Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Worship Service 10:00 A.M.•Power Hour Bible Life Group 6:00 P.M.

Imani Complex & Office,11800 Mustang at Duval Austin, Texas 78727

Visit:imanichurch.comOffice: 512-343-9300Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims

7801 N. Lamar Blvd,Suite D 102,

Austin, Texas 78752

Worship: Sunday--10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Tuesday Bible Studies--7:30pm - 9:00 pmFriday Prayers--7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Church of Pentecost, USA Inc,Austin offers a wide variety of opportuni-ties for children, youth, adults, and olderadults to be involved in worship, spiritualgrowth, education, community outreach,and making a tangible difference to thosein need in our community. You too, canmake a positive difference in our commu-nity through your prayers, your presence,your gifts, your service, and your witness.Tel: 512 302-1270

Leading People to Experience God’s Love, Know Jesus Christ & Grow in His ImageThe Church of Pentecost

Olive Branch Fellowship of Austin / All Faith Chapel4110 Guadalupe St Bldg #639 Austin, TX 78751

Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am

Romans 5:1 Therefore,having beenjustified by faith, we have peace

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

This life, therefore, is not righteous-ness, but growth in righteousness; not health,but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest,but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be,but we are growing toward it. The process isnot yet finished, but it is going on. This is notthe end, but it is the road. All does not yetgleam in glory, but all is being purified.

--- Martin Luther

Kenneth Hill, Pastor

DOUBLE

GROCERY“R”

450l East Martin Luther King Blvd.*We cash ALL Tax Refund*Checks *Check Out

1179 San Bernard Street,Austin, TX 78702, 512-478-7023

Sunday Morning Bible Study, 9:00 A.M.Sunday Morning Worship, 10:15 A.M.Visit our website @ www.obcaus.org

Globalizing the Gospel

A Ministry That Ministers

Edward M. Fleming,Sr. Pastor

OLIVET BAPTISTCHURCH

Felix Bamirin, PastorGRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Experience Grace For Life

(By Parmer Lane Baptist Church building, behind Wells Fargo)

Call: 682.472.9073 l Email: gracewayaustin@aol.com lVisit: www.gracewaycca.org

JOIN US This SUNDAY / THURSDAY@ 12424 Scofield Farms Drive, Austin, TX 78758

SUNDAYS 10:30 A.M., THURSDAYS 7:30 P.M.

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 SERVICESSunday Worship - 7:45 a.m. & 11 a.m.Church School - 9:45 a.m.Bible Studies - Mon, 6:30 p.m. & Wed., 12 noonWednesday Night Worship - 7 p.m.

“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18 A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor

Country Boyz Fixin’s4140 E. 12th Street, Austin, TX 78721

Featuring Fish, Poboys, Hot Wings, Pork Chops,Homemade Gumbo, Shrimp and Alligator

DINE IN OR ORDER TO GOMon - Friday 11 am - 8 p.m.Saturday - 12 noon - 8 p.m.

Closed SundayCall (512) 928-5555

*Mention this ad and get a FREE 20 oz. Drink*

www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/February 27, 2015 ~ Page 3

Ebenezer Baptist Church1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax 512-478-1892

WednesdayMidweek Prayer Service 7:00 P.M.Child Development CenterAges 0-5 years (Daily) 512-478-6709

Bus Ministry Call 512-478-1875

Worship Service 8:00 A.M.Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Discipleship Training 10:00 A.M.Worship Service 11:00 A.M.

Dr. Ricky Freeman,Pastor

We Want YOU!Advertise With The

VILLAGER

We Want YOU!Advertise With The

VILLAGER

Sunday Services

Villager Youth Brigade will be taking sponsorshipsstarting summer of 2015.Your support has beenmuch appreciated over the years. Please continueto invest in Austin’s youth. We look forward toanother successful year with some promisingstudents. FMI Call 512-476-0082

Do you have church news? Would you like topurchase a monthly ad for your church?

Inquire TODAY!Send your information to vil3202@aol.com

or call 512-476-0082

Ebenezer 3rd BaptistChurch Celebrates

140 Yrs.AUSTIN, TX - The Ebenezer 3rd Baptist Church cel-

ebrated its founding, during the weekend of February14-15, 2015, observing 140 yrs. of Christian service.The events served as a time of reunion for foundingand former family members, community leaders, neigh-bors, friends, former and current members from the city,state and nation. The reception on Saturday recognizedthe founding of the first three Baptist Churches in Austin,namely: First Baptist of Austin-1847; First Baptist (HeflinLn.)-1867; and Mount Zion Missionary Baptist-1873.Certificates were presented to representatives fromeach congregation. Also recognized were descendantsfrom an original charter family and representativesfrom 11 pioneer families; a presentation was made ofhistorical videos and pictorial exhibits. The currentstreet was re-named- Ebenezer (Third) Baptist Church.

The celebration on Sunday featured historicalreflections, performances of several genres of music,ranging from concert-arranged hymns to spirituals andgospels, performed by several Ebenezer choirs, with

brass and percussion accompaniment. The afternoonof worship featured special greetings from the religiouscommunity, city officials and a spirit-filled message fromReverend Dr. G.V. Clark, accompanied by the choir andmembers of Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church.Leadership for this monumental occasion was providedby Sisters Orvis Austin, and Barbara F. Wilson with plan-ning teams; the Reverend Dr. Ricky Freeman is Pastor.

Addressing EBC - San Marcos and 10th streetsre-named Ebenezer (Third) Baptist Church. PhotoGeneral Marshall

The community andsurrounding areas is in-vited to a prayer walk forBrother Rodney Reed andfamily, Saturday, February28th @ 8:30am, beginning@ the Fishermans Parkand ending at the BastropCounty Courthouse.

For more informationcontact, Sister Lula Reese@ 512-775-5621, SisterSue Moore @ 512-321-5374, Deacon KennethLimuel @ 512-784-5720,or Elder Michael Simms @512-550-9738.

Travis CountyDemocratic PartyHonors 1st Same-Gender MarriedCouple in Texas

AUSTIN, TX, TravisCounty Clerk DanaDeBeauvoir issued thestate’s first marriage li-cense to a same-gendercouple. The Travis CountyDemocratic Party ap-plauds this developmentbecause Sarah Goodfriendand Suzanne Bryant havecelebrated over 30 yearstogether.

Sarah and Suzannefiled a lawsuit and soughta Temporary RestrainingOrder to allow them toobtain a marriage licenseand get married. After ahearing on the request forthe TRO, State DistrictJudge David Wahlbergsigned a court order direct-ing County Clerk DanaDeBeauvior to issue a mar-riage license, which shedid after consultation withher attorney, County Attor-ney David Escamilla.

Wells Fargo to hostRetirement Day in Texas stores

Customers areinvited to come to

stores and talkabout

how to prepare fortheir retirement

HOUSTON, TX - Feb-ruary 24, 2015 – WellsFargo today announced itwill host a Retirement Dayevent at all of its Texasbanking locations. Cus-tomers are invited to visita store on Saturday, Feb-ruary 28, and have a per-sonal conversation abouthow they are doing ontheir journey to retire-ment, or how to getstarted on saving for re-tirement.

Tax time is whenmany people are naturallylooking at their financesand setting goals for thecoming year. With a ma-jority of Wells Fargo cus-tomers ranking “savingsand investing” or “retire-ment” as their number onefinancial priority, Retire-ment Day will help themunderstand the impor-tance of saving early and

regularly, as well as hav-ing a plan to track progressand estimate funds in re-tirement.

“We are excited tostart a new retirementconversation with custom-ers or to check in withthose who may be savingdiligently and want acheck-up on their plan andgoals. We think our storesare the perfect place andthis is an ideal time tohave that dialogue,” saidJohn Sotoodeh, WellsFargo Regional BankingExecutive for the South-west Region. “Retirementconfidence is strongly tiedto having a plan. Savingearly and regularly is criti-cal to the success of one’sfinancial outcome for re-tirement.”

Some of the many toolsand resources available toprepare for retirement in-clude:

My Retirement Plan®,an online tool that pro-vides a realistic savingsgoal tailored to customers’needs — and a realistic

plan for pursuing thatgoal.

Way2SaveSM Retire-ment Account can be setup to receive regulartransfers to begin to buildsavings and make adjust-ments, too, as a person’sbudget grows.

Wells Fargo IRA givesindividuals a tax-advantaged way to savefor retirement.

For help understand-ing how to prepare for andlive in retirement, anyonecan visit Wells Fargo’s Re-tirement site or visit theBeyond TodaySM blog

Wells Fargo has morethan 700 banking loca-tions taking part in thisevent across Texas. Sincebusiness hours vary by lo-cation, Wells Fargo en-courages people inter-ested in attending Retire-ment Day to contact theirlocal Wells Fargo bankingstore for additional infor-mation as in some loca-tions that are normallyclosed on Saturdays, Re-tirement Day will then oc-cur on Friday, February 27.

Hear theHeavenlyVoices of

The ViennaBoys Choirat the Long

Center

Feb 23, 2015 (Austin,TX) —The boys are back intown! The Vienna BoysChoir that is! The world-famous choir is heading tothe Long Center. Perform-ing everything from classi-cal to popular music, theVienna Boys Choir is oneconcert you won’t want tomiss! Tickets are on salenow starting at $29.

YOUTH BRIGADEYouth of Today

Hope of Tomorrow Black RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack Registry

Page 4 ~ February 27, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

Zachariah WashingtonCedars Academy

Space Science

In the 8th grade Sci-ence my Science TeacherMs. Rende is teaching usabout space science. We arelearning about how the Uni-verse was created and allthe things that it containslike Galaxies, Planets and

Stars. I really like to learnabout Space because itsvery interesting.

Recently we learnedabout Nebulae which is acloud of dust and dirt inspace. I thought it was coolbecause it glows and shinesin the sky. We also learnedabout the Big Bang Theroy,the hertzsprung-russelldiagram which is a diagramthat measures luminosityand heat, and more. Themain thing I like about learn-ing about space is that itsfun and we get to do a lot ofexperiments like makecomets.

Lastly we get to learnabout whats out there in-stead of being in a box justwondering feeling con-fused.

The Hilton Hotel

Last week my grand-parents and I went to theHilton Hotel in Houston. Wewent because my grandmawent to her 1965 class re-union. On the road Ibrought some activities toenjoy myself. I listened tomusic, did a word searchpuzzle, and tried to com-plete my Rubik’s cube.Once we got there andchecked-in a nice man whoworked there helped ustake our bags up to room 315which was our room. Oncewe got settled into theroom I was super eager toexplore the hotel and that’sexactly what I did! Mygrandparents and I went

SaNaya WhiteCedars Int’l Academy

looking for the microwavewhen I came back from get-ting the ice. When we fi-nally gave up on looking forthe microwave we justasked the manager at thefront desk and he told us itwas on floor 2 in the washroom and that ’s where Iwent. When I was up thereI found out that the gym,bar and wash room were allon the 2nd floor. Before mygrandma’s 1965 class re-union started we wentthere to help set-up.

Once it started I had tostay in the room by myselfbecause I wasn’t allowed togo. I watched a show calledDual survivors and it was apretty good show! After thereunion I begged my grand-parents to go to the gym andtrust me we came out tired!I burned around 120 caloriesand I felt good! Then we leftand fell asleep in the roomand in the morning wechecked out but I kept theroom key as a souvenir likeI always do. I had so muchfun even if it was only 1 dayI loved spending time withmy grandparents

Aubri Allen-BrentDel Valle High School

Last week we hadcheer tryouts, I made theteam again. I can’t wait tillfootball season again, I per-sonally love cheering forfootball games better be-

Cheer Tryoutscause it’s really fun workingthe crowd and getting thempumped along with team.This school year is going byreally fast. We only 4 moremonths left of school thenit’s SUMMER!

Today a lot of teensface obesity. The teen obe-sity rate is 36.6 in America,Texas is the 5th highestchildhood obesity rate inthe United States. Obeseteens are more likely to be-come obese adults. To pre-vent obesity you can workout and eat healthy foodssuch as food and veg-etables. Or you can maybetry becoming more active bygetting into sports in school.

Swoozie

Ira “T.J.” WilliamsRidgeview M. S.

In my opinion, thefunniest YouTube artist onthe Internet would haveto be Swoozie. His videosare all about his experi-ences in middle school,high school, college, andadult life.

Swoozie’s real nameis Adande Thorne. Adandewas born on a small islandin the Caribbean calledTrinidad. Adande and hisfamily l ived in a roughtown called Diego Martin.People would break intohis house in the middle ofthe night and rob them onoccasion. His parents thenput bars on all of the doorsand windows to protectthe fami ly. WhenAdande’s fami ly wasn’tbeing harassed by crimi-nals, he would try to oc-cupy himself with other

activities. Ever since hewas little, Adande loved todraw. He would get his ac-tion figures and draw themin his free time. Due tocrime in the town, theThorne family packed uptheir belongings andmoved to America.

To try and fit in withthe kids at Adande’s newschool, he would wearclothes he saw other kidswearing including Nike. Af-ter a while, people wouldstart calling him Nike Boy orSwoosh. The nicknameSwoosh then evolved intoSwoozie. To try and makemore friends Swooziewould make videos andhave people watch them.People started to really likehis videos and suggested hestart his own Youtube chan-nel. After Swoozie starteduploading his videos, sev-eral people started sub-scribing to his account andleaving positive comments.

Today Swoozie has2,700,000 subscribers and285 videos viewed by hun-dreds of people everyday.Swoozie’s hilarious videosentertain viewers and haveopened many opportuni-ties for the Youtube artist.You can view Swoozie’s vid-eos at www.youtube/swoozie06.com

Getting Prepared

Latrice LipscombManor High School

The year of 2016 willbe the year of all years be-cause I will finally be a se-nior. I have been thinkingsmart and preparing for afantastic year and am veryexcited for the turnout.Cheerleading tryouts willbe held at the end of March.The participating girls willbe finding out if they made

the team on the last Fridayof the month. I’m also con-tinuing another year of theW.A.M.M Nation Drumline.It will be the last year for themajority of the drummers inthe organization being thata lot of us are class of 2016.

My freshman year wasthe first year of the pro-gram, so it’s going to be funseeing how many events weget to be a part of becauseof our last year. I’m defi-nitely going to stay in Col-lege Forward. For anyonewho doesn’t know aboutthis program, it’s a great or-ganization to join if youwould like to go to college.I do have a lot of otherthings that are in workingprogress and will be sharingthem with you as soon asthey are in go. I hope every-one has a wonderful week!

Optical Illusion

Erika LipscombManor Elementary

Optical illusion iscalled opt art for short. Optart is art that makes youreyes go zooloo! Or where itcan make your eyes thinkthat the picture is moving.

Like for example, there is apicture in your mind of a 3-D shape drawing of a hand,it is drawing something, an-other hand! And that handis drawing the hand that isdrawing it. Pretty opt isn’tit. So really for opt art, it islike a 3-D shape with an-other 3-D figure. So it givesyou the feeling like you canreach out and touch it. It isreally cool!

In my art class, we aredoing optical illusions onsquares within squares withdifferent colors and circles.It’s not really 3-D, but thecolors are mixed up to-gether! I love opt art,makes me dizzy, ha ha!

Hawks Line Up

If you are interested injoining the StatesmanCap10K School Challengefor High Schoolers Go tocap10k.com and registerwith our unique team name(Hendrickson High School)from team champion(Clarissa Alvarado). TheSchool Challenge is achance for the teachers, ad-ministrators, and most of allstudents to participate to-gether in a fun event whilepromoting healthylifestyles and to support therace beneficiary, The TrailFoundation. The Finish Line

Alon RodgersHendrickson H. S.

Festival includes live music,food trucks, and a massagetent. Cost is $30 and regis-tration ends March 10.

The Policy Debateteam of Nico Williams andAyu Sofyan excelled at theprestigious Harvard tourna-ment, one of the largest inthe country, earning a bid tothe National Tournament ofChampions in April.

Anastasia Alfred andMegan Williams competedat the Texas Association ofFuture Educators StateCompetition at Texas TechUniv. and are now advanc-ing to the National Compe-tition in Washington D.C.

Events this week in-clude Thursday -- SoftballTournament at Round Rock.Friday -- Boys Golf atNorthside ISD; Tennis atWestlake; Boys Basketballand Boys Soccer at StonyPoint.

Additionally, the dis-trict will host FAFSA days atour high school from 2:30 –7:30 p.m. February 26, 2015and March 10, 2015

Priorities

Imani DempsDel Valle High School

This week I had a badweek I missed 2 days ofschool and started failing

because I missed 2 days ofschool. I was so mad at my-self. Because I literally havefour months of school leftand I have no room for a er-ror. I need to keep pushingmyself to do better. I’m go-ing to stay after school oneday this week to try to getall my grades up. But I knowif I push myself I will bealright school is my numberone priority right now. Thisis what counts. Well reallyit all counts but I’m at theend and I have to give it myall. I won’t to become some-thing in life and enjoy lifeas a successful person.

Ferdinand Magellan

Hello everyone, thisweek I wanted to talkabout an explorer namedFerdinand Magellan.

Ferdinand was bornin 1480 and died in 1521.Magellan put together anexpedition that would bethe first to sail from theAtlantic ocean into thePacific ocean. Magellan’sexpedition completed thefirst circumnavigation ofthe Earth.

Montrae NelsonRiverplace Elementary

C i r c u m n a v i g a t i o nmeans to travel all theway around an island, con-tinent, or the Earth. Theirvoyage began in 1519 butMagellan did not com-plete the expedition.Magellan was kil led inbattle in the Philippines in1521 and Juan SebastianElcano took command inhis place and they re-turned to Spain in 1522. Ittook them three years!That is a long time to beout in the ocean and stop-ping in places you don’tknow.

There were so manyexplorers who were braveand followed their dreamsto find out what was outin the rest of the world andwe thank them. I wouldhave been scared but Iwould have wanted to gotoo. I like learning aboutthe earth and space.Ferdinand Magellan willalways be remembered.

YOUTH BRIGADEwww.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/February 27, 2015 ~ Page 5

Kevin ParishPark Crest M.S.

Trail Ride

My week was prettygood. I got to see my sisterfor a week. When she left Iwas kind of sad to see her gobecause I wanted her to staya little bit longer but I washappy because I get to takeher room while she is gone.On that same day she left Iwent to a birthday trail ride

with my friends. We playedfootball in the moonwalk andoutside. My dad was ridingthe horse to the break placewhere we stopped at then hetold me I was riding the horseback. So I did and we wentreally fast.

When everybody gotback to the starting place allwe did was party. We had agreat time. I played withfriends, rode some morehorses and ate. It was reallyfun, I hope I can do it again.Our last game was onWednesday. It was an excit-ing game and would go frompoint to point. but we sadlyloss to Kelly lane MiddleSchool by one point thescore was 51 to 50. Go Pu-

mas.

2nd Annual Fine Art EventOn Saturday March 7th

Del Valle ISD will host itsSecond Annual Fine ArtsEvent at Del Valle HighSchool. Students fromKindergarten through 12th

grade will have the oppor-tunity to present their art-work and performances tothe Del Valle Community.The event is free andthere wil l be vendor ’savailable selling food. Theevent will begin at 9am

until 1:30pm.

Jaylon KnightenDel Valle High School

Cost of Self Esteem

Rebecca RichardBowie High School

Former US Olympian andreality star Bruce Jenner re-cently announced that he is ontrack to changing genders andbecoming a woman. This an-nouncement comes on theheels of a separation and ulti-mately a divorce between heand Kris Jenner. While many arepraising his openness given hisnotoriety, his announcementawakens a much larger discus-sion on the influence of celebri-ties on mainstream culture andthe body image that results.

Jenner’s transition istimely-- LGBTQ issues are at theforefront of the movement forsocial action. In fact, for the firsttime in history, the words“transgender” and “bisexual”were used in a State of theUnion Address this past January.The relatively new concept ofgender fluidity is receiving moreattention than ever before. Al-tering one’s physique, in thiscase gender, could be life chang-ing-- but it also has the poten-tial to negatively affect one’sbody image.

Hollywood is notorious forpromoting an unattainablephysical ideal for both men andwomen. Keeping up with thetimes is a weary task: last yearskinny was in, this year facial hairis out-- the list goes on. In order

to address gap between trendsand reality, the new societalbattle cry is closer to “Be your-self!” or “Love the skin you’rein!”

Therein lies the issue withcelebrities today. As opposed topromoting a healthy self-image,celebrities surgically alter them-selves in order to experienceself-love, perhaps for the firsttime. As a result, we have a so-ciety that is juxtaposed between“You’re perfect the way youare!” and “If you don’t likesomething, change it!” This con-flict between self-esteem andthe media is the crux of my is-sue with Jenner’s transition.

Jenner is in no way aloneon his path to sexual realization,but actually having the surgeryis often not an option for the av-erage citizen as a result of theexorbitant monetary and socialcosts. As a result, while Jennermay now be able to experiencelife in a new way, many Ameri-cans are forced to remain, un-happily, in their realities. Testi-monials that equate surgical op-erations to happiness are re-ported in the media daily, andthey often override the earliermotifs of loving yourself whereyou are. Further, the falloutfrom such a decision asJenner’s may not be conceiv-able without the celebrity in-sulator or safety net that pro-tects Jenner from many prac-tical issues that the averagecitizen would have to contendwith. Health care, lost wages,peer conception, and socialnorms are factors that celeb-rities often don’t deal with onthe level that regular peopledo.

Ultimately, it is Jenner’saccess to resources that facili-tates his transition, but shouldthis be the case? Is self-esteem

a condition of wealth? One love.

Grandma’s House

Going to grandma’shouse can be exciting. Thispast week I stayed with mygrandma because my sister,Mom, and Dad went to Ten-nessee. She took me to

Sarah RobertsonAthlos Leadership Acad.

Hannah RobertsonConnally High School

school, picked me up, andtook care of me for a fewdays.

When I was with mygrandma it was really funand awesome to hang outwith her. Grandma loves tobake so we made a rainbowcake and that took a lot oftime and effort. We had toread the directions, preparethe mix, and place in theoven. The cake turned outgood and it tasted delicious.

Even though I missedmy parents and sister, I hada really good time with mygrandma and grandpa. I hada great time with my grand-parents and I hope I can goagain even if my parents are

not out of town.

Black History Program

In the month of Febru-ary, we celebrate Black His-tory Month. It is a wonderfultime to remember, reflectand realize the accomplish-ments and contributions ofAfrican Americans to our so-ciety. Black history is for hon-oring those who have pavedthe way for us today.

This year at my church,like many other churches inthe city, our youth and youngadult department put to-

gether a program celebratingblack history. We did some ofthe heroes and heroines ofthe past. Recognized the trailblazers in sports, politics, artsand science. From inventorsto athletes, from poets topoliticians, from the firstblack woman pilot to the firstblack mayor we studied thepast to inspire our future.

One thing that reallytouched me this year beingan African-American youngadult was when we honoredthe memory of those teensthat have died due to policebrutality. Now those faceswe see on TV and theinternet are starting to looka lot like friends and class-mates. Their ages are reallyclose to my age 17 and 18.Police brutality is real butalso Black History Month re-minds us that we have comea long way and we shall over-come this someday.

More Test

Hello readers,This week was not too

eventful, in my dance classwe are getting ready to per-form again. This spring wehave two dance recitals in-stead on one. The theme is60’s dances and I think it will

De’Ja HillLamar Middle School

be a lot of fun.The thing I really con-

centrated on was my historyand science middle of theyear2 (MOY2) test that wetook on Friday. In all honestyI think I crushed the sciencetest, but I am not too sureabout the history test. I doknow that I did the best that Icould do and I am happyabout that. Next week some-one from McCallum Highschool will come to LamarMiddle school to help theirfuture students to completethe choice sheets for the nextfour years. The rest of theweekend I spent with mynieces and nephews, not do-ing anything too exciting justwatching television and play-ing games.

Until next time, De’ja’

Smiling is a blessing.Some say life is not filled withstarry skies and happy times,though it really is. There arejust those who choose not toexperience them. This pastweek, I’ve found that it is easierto hear negativity and discour-agement in our world, but youcan’t let those words hit you.Some you may not be able tododge. You must try your bestto find the silver lining. This is

Smile

Whitney BrownS. F. Austin H. S.

the time of year in high schoolwhen discouragement can getto the best of us. The holidayshave passed, grades are due,and graduation deadlines aredown to the wire.

Even as a sophomore,opportunities are beingthrough at me. Yes, I wouldlike to take advantage of allof them. But I have to remindmyself that I have time andGod equals victory. With allthe stress, deadlines, and ac-tivities I have learned to taketime and pray. Take time toreflect. Most importantly, Itake time to plan. I hope mymessage to you all put a smileon your face and light in yourheart. Just know there is al-ways a brighter day, so keepyour head up. “Everydaywon’t be perfect. You’re stillblessed.” –Min. Tom Guyton

(Genesis 41: 53-57)

In my class, I learnedabout Jewish kids and Islamickids. They both had differentlifestyles because the Jewishkids that got on the bus, werescared to get blown up and theIslamic kids were not reallyafraid of anything. Their lives

are still surrounded by war andtheir lives could be taken awayat any moment. They livewithin 15 minutes of each otherand both speak different lan-guages. I imagined, "What ifmy life was surrounded by vio-lence?" I realized I need to ap-preciate my life and what Ihave because those kids wouldkill to live where I live. Im sorryfor everybody who works to bewhere I am and I just be lazybecause I'm fortunate. I ask myself, "Do some people deservethe lives that they are living?"If you don't work hard and youthink everything is going to behanded to you, then you bet-ter have a plan B.

Damon Luckett IIHays High School

Jewish

CITY ~ STATE ~ NATIONAL ~ WORLDPage 6 ~ February 27, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

Local Community Ministry Holds 2nd Annual Anniversary

On February 22, thelocal church GracewayChristian Church heldtheir 2nd Anniversary. Al-though this church isyoung, they have left a lotof their “imprints” on thecommunity. In the pasttwo years, GracewayChristian Church of Aus-tin has held numerousoutreaches to the CentralTexas community. For in-stance, they organized aprayer vigil for the nationof South Sudan. Duringthe “prayer vigil” theyhad invited the South

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon

Sudanese community of Central Texas and other African communities in

Central Texas to hold avigil so that peace canreturn to South Sudan.

Over the past twoyears, they have heldevents that have signifi-cantly impacted the com-munity. For instance,they also organized a“Barbecue Greet andMeet Festival”. More-over, this event was anopportunity for the Aus-tin community to knowmore about Grace WayChristian Church. It wasa "family atmosphere" inwhich families couldcome with their childrenin order to eat some bar-becue, play games, and

also listen to live music.In addition they held aback to school supplygiveaway.

Finally GracewayChristian Church is a Bap-tist church in the heart ofAustin-Round Rock,Texas which started inFebruary 2013. Sincethen the church hasgrown to include collegestudents. GracewayChristian Church meetson Sundays 10:30 am andThursdays 6:30 pm forgood food, fellowshipand a Tuesday Bible studyat 7:00 pm on the Univer-sity of Texas at Austincampus.

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

Howard's House Bill 1242,Seeks toRemember Civil War Heroes

Under the current Texas' law, there is a holidaydedicated to honor Confederate veteran soldiers. Rightnow, the holiday is designed for the 2nd Monday in theMonth of January. So, sometimes it falls on January 19,the same day as Martin Luther King, Jr. day; while some-times it doesn't. However, some people believe thatmoving it completely would avoid the conflict.

Texas House Bill 1242 written by Texas State Rep-resentative Donna Howard, changes the name of thelittle known “Confederate Soldier Day Celebration” to“Civil War Heroes Day Celebration”. In addition, itchanges the day of the new holiday from the 2nd weekin January to May 24. However, the bill does not specifywhich army from the Civil War conflict will be honoredon the “Civil War Heroes.” Since it is in Texas, then itcan be assumed that it would be in honor of the Con-federacy.

Moreover, the author of the bill, Donna Howardwho is from a Travis County district which is consid-ered to be one off the most “liberal and democraticcounty” in the State of Texas. Throughout the TexasState Capitol, there are symbols that “glorify” the “OldSouth” through numerous monuments which are alreadydedicated to the Confederacy. However, there are notraces of the legacy of African Americans in the TexasState Capitol. Also, this bill does not acknowledge thatthe issue of slavery is what caused the Civil War. Nowthe question is why would a Travis County Democrat

be the author of the “Civil War Heroes” when there areso many rural Republicans at the Legislature who couldwrite this bill?

State Rep. Donna Howard

(L - R) Members of Graceway Church, Vangie, Lisa, Adenike and Dr. Taiwo.Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

(L - R) Pro-Choice Texas attendees, Amelia, Melissa and Heather.Photo courtesy of Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

Pro Choice(NARAL) of Texas

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon

As the 84th legisla-ture meets, numerousgroup are watching the

various bills that are com-ing from this body. Numer-ous “liberal and progres-sive” groups are keeping aclose watch to see whetheror not the right leaning Re-publicans legislature withsupermajority will undo nu-merous progressive laws.In addition, they arewatching to see if they willadd laws that will movefurther the State of Texasto the right.

One of the group

watching the legislaturevery closely is Pro ChoiceTexas. According to ProChoice, their mission is to“use education, training,organizing and public policyto support and protect allTexans’ freedom to makepersonal reproductivehealth decisions and toguarantee access to the fullrange of options, includingtimely and affordable ac-cess to abortion.” As a re-sult, they are watching tosee if the right leaninglegislatture will right morebills that would restrict “pro

choice reproductive mea-sure.”

Some of the bills ofthe pro choice reproductivebills that they are watching,include the following:House Bill 708; House Bills709 and House Bills 1210.For instance, House Bills708 require that the infor-mation the state requiresabortion providers to give topatients include medicallyaccurate terms like “embryoor fetus” and that the infor-mation is medically accu-rate. This bill also requiresthat the list of free

sonogram providers thatdoctors are required tohand out also include en-tities that provide familyplanning services.” HouseBill states that “waiting pe-riod before a physician mayperform an abortion. Thisbill removes the require-ment that a patient wait 24hours between the manda-tory sonogram and theabortion appointment. “Moreover, these pro-choicebill do not have muchchance of passing bothHouses of the Texas Legis-lature.

The 2015 King and Queen Black History Pageant washeld at Boyd Vance Theater on February 21, 2015. TheE.M.M.A (Educate, Motivate, Minorities, Achieve) wouldlike to thank everyone that has contributed to the successof the King and Queen Black History Pageant. Pageantry issuch positive and rewarding event it can lead to great fu-ture opportunities. It helps the contestants develop theirown individuality and it creates a high level of self-es-teem. The E.M.M.A Committee would like to thank all thevolunteers and special guest E.M.M.A -Lady Royals: Direc-tor Candise Moore and Ms. Kay Randall. To this year’s dis-tinguish panel of judges thank you for your time and ef-forts. We also had a large number of sponsors for thisyear’s pageant; thank you all for your support to the con-testants. To the contestant parents; Thank you all person-ally for giving these special youth young men and womenthe opportunity to grown and learn from this experienceand perusing the crown of 2015 King and Queen Black His-

tory Pageant. Director: LaDonna Moore

Top Row (L – R): Judges: De’Aqujwyanta Sorrells-Walker Miss Juneteenth 2011, Joseph Rese Mr.

Houston-Tilloston and Raven Robinson MissHouston Tillotson. Bottom Row (L – R) 2015 King

LaDainian Green and 2015 Queen Journee Hill

CLASSIFIEDS ~ PUBLIC INFORMATION

City of AustinPurchasing Office

EMPLOYMENT / PROPOSALSPUBLIC

INFORMATIONFOR SALE / FOR RENT / BIDS

MISCELLANEOUS

The City of Austin Purchasing Office invitesyou to view current bid solicitations at https://www.c i . au s t i n . t x . u s / f i nanceon l ine /vendor_connection/solicitation/solicitations.cfm.Vendors are encouraged to register on-line in theCity’s Vendor Self Service System. Once yourcompany is registered, you will receive notifica-tions about new bid opportunities. For addi-tional information regarding current bid opportu-nities or Vendor Registration, please call the Pur-chasing Office at 512-974-2500.

For information on the City of Austin’s Mi-nority Owned and Women-Owned ProcurementProgram and the certification process, pleasecontact the Small & Minority Business ResourcesDepartment at 512-974-7600 or visit their websiteat http://www.austintexas.gov/smbr.

City of Austin Featured JobOpportunities

The City of Austin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please visit the City of Austin employmentwebsite at www.austincityjobs.org to view

requirements and apply for these and other jobopportunities. We encourage you to check the

employment websiteoften as new job opportunities

are posted daily.If you have any questions or need assistance,

please call 512-974-3210 or email us atemployment.services@austintexas.gov.

www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/February 27, 2015 ~ Page 7

Apply at HRMiddle Fiskville Rd.

6th Floor, Austin, TX 78752Job Line (512 223-5621hhtp://www./austincc.ed

EEOC/AA/M/F/D/V

The City of Austin is currently seeking qualifiedapplicants for the following positions:

• Regional Branch Operations Manager• Administrative Assistant - LibraryCirculation Clerk• MuniProg, Service/Maint-Public EventWorker - 20 Part-Time TemporaryPositions• Neighborhood Liaison• Accountant Associate• Dispatcher Technician- Temporary• Public Health Program Specialist II• Drainage Ops & Maint III• Engineer A• Administrative Specialist

New Jobs for theWeek of 02/22/2015

Specialist, Recruiting/AdvisingEastview CampusMonday-Friday,

8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.$2,879-$3,599/Monthly

Job# 1502025Technician, Lab-Auto Body

Multiple Locations: South AustinCampus/Crockett High School/Reagan High School as assigned)

Monday-Friday,2:30 a.m.-10:30 p.m.

$2,487-$3,109/MonthlyJob# 1501028

Supervisor, Faculty EvaluationHighland Business Center

Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

$3,674-$4,593/MonthlyJob# 1502010

Clerk, Duplication/MailroomHays Campus

Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.

$1,767-$2,209/MonthlyJob# 1502024

Huston-Tillotson University OfficialsAnnounce Three Finalists for the

Presidency Position

Dr. Thomas J.Calhoun, Jr.

Ms. ColettePierce Burnette

Dr. Deneese L.Robinson Jones

(AUSTIN, Texas) —Huston-Tillotson Universityofficials today announcedthree finalists for theHuston-Tillotson Universitypresidency position aftercompleting a nationwidesearch that began whenPresident and Chief Execu-tive Officer Larry L. Earvin,Ph.D. announced his retire-ment 11 months ago.

The announce-ment for Earvin’s replace-ment, posted and dissemi-nated widely within thehigher education sector,netted about 70 applica-tions. The finalists are: Dr.Thomas J. Calhoun, Jr., Ms.Colette Pierce Burnette, andDr. Deneese L. RobinsonJones.

The 10-mem-ber Search Committee,comprised of representa-tives from the HT Board ofTrustees, faculty, staff, stu-dents, alumni, and com-munity and business lead-ers, narrowed the field toa list of semi-finalists whowere engaged in two daysof interviews before thefinalists were selected.

Search Com-mittee Chair and TrusteeTrennis Jones, said, “We

are pleased to make thismuch anticipated an-nouncement with an invi-tation for the communityto meet the candidatesduring this phase to selectthe next president ofHuston-Tillotson Univer-sity. The interest showsthat the institution’s repu-tation is respected amonghigher education leadersthroughout the country.”

Calhouncurrently serves as the In-terim Vice President forAcademic Affairs and Pro-vost at University of NorthAlabama in Florence. Hehas served at the institu-tion in various academicpositions with advance-ment from Associate VicePresident for AcademicAffairs to Vice President ofEnrollment Management.He has experience at sev-eral higher education in-stitutions and served asPrincipal of HalesFranciscan High School,Chicago, IL. Calhounearned his doctorate inphilosophy from the Uni-versity of Washington, Se-attle, WA. He also has aMaster of Divinity degreefrom the Interdenomina-

tional Theological Center,Atlanta, GA.

ColettePierce Burnette serves asthe Interim Director andChief Executive Officer ofthe urban satellite locationfor a public liberal artsuniversity serving morethan 2,500 students atCentral State University,Dayton, OH. Her leader-ship experience includes aposition as Interim Presi-dent of Pierce College,Puyallup, WA. Prior to thepresidency, PierceBurnette was Vice Presi-dent of Administrationand Chief Financial Officer,Administration and Fi-nance at Central State Uni-versity, Wilberforce, OH.She was also Vice Presi-dent for Information Tech-nology and Services andChief Informational Of-ficer, and the ExecutiveAssistant to the Presidentat Wilberforce. PierceBurnett will defend herdissertation within a fewmonths to earn her doctor-ate in education from theGraduate School of Educa-tion, University of Pennsyl-vania in Philadelphia.

Robinson Jones

earned her doctorate andmaster ’s degrees fromTexas A&M University, inCollege Station. Shegraduated from South OakHigh School in Dallas, be-fore earning herbachelor ’s degree atTexas Woman’s University.Since 2012, RobinsonJones has served as Pro-vost and Professor of Edu-cation, Drake University,Des Moines, IA. She alsoserved as Dean and Pro-fessor of Education, Col-lege of Education and Hu-man Services, LongwoodUniversity, Farmville, VA.In her longest serving po-sition, she was Directorand Co-founder of the Cen-ter for the Study of Aca-demic Achievement inLearning Environments(SAALE), Curriculum andInstruction Department,College of Education, Uni-versity of Kentucky in Lex-ington.

Huston-Tillotson is ahistorically black institu-tion with a heritage in Aus-tin that dates back to1875. Earvin informed theHT board last year that hewould conclude his tenureas President at the end ofhis current contract, effec-tive June 30, 2015. He hasserved the University as itsfifth president since July 1,2000. During this time,Earvin had an enormousimpact on the school, rais-ing it from a College to a

University in 2005, dou-bling enrollment from 500to 1,031 students, andmore than doubling theschool’s endowment from$5 Million to more than$11.5 million.

Candidateswill visit the HT campusFebruary 27, March 10, andMarch 12, 2015. For thecomplete visit schedulevisit www.htu.edu and fol-low the link to PresidentialSearch from the homepage.

Why Blacks Are More Likely to Die From Colon Cancer

Dr speaking with elder AA male and caregiver

African-American pa-tients are less likely thanwhites to survive coloncancer.

Now, researchershave found that the dispar-ity has less to do with racethan with the quality of care.

“Our study findingsturn the way we thinkabout health disparitieson its head,” said lead au-thor Kim Rhoads, MD,MPH, assistant professorof colon and rectal surgeryat Stanford and a RobertWood Johnson FoundationHarold Amos Scholar.

The study, published inthe Journal of Clinical On-cology, shows that whenpatients fromunderrepresented groupsreceive colon cancer treat-ment within an integratedhealth system—one wherethe patient’s insurance, out-patient health services, andhospital-based care are all

accessed through a singleorganization—they aremore likely to survive.

“This proves thatrather than simply askingourselves what’s wrongwith the patient—Are theypoor? Uninsured?—weneed to ask ourselveswhether we are providingthe right quality of care,”said Rhoads.

Colon cancer is thethird leading cause of can-cer-related deaths in the

United States, but blacksdie at significantly higherrates than whites. Afterevaluating more than30,000 patients diagnosedand treated for colon can-cer, Rhoads and her co-authors discovered that allpatients, including thosefrom underrepresentedpopulations, had a betterchance of survival whenthey were treated in inte-grated settings. In otherwords, quality of care was

a bigger factor than race.“We were surprised

to discover that racial dis-parities in colon cancersurvival were eliminatedwhen patients weretreated in integrated set-tings, but we were mostexcited to find that deliv-ering evidence-based carecould eliminate racial dif-ferences in all settings,”said Rhoads.

“This means that fix-ing colon cancer dispari-ties is in our hands. Wecan improve outcomes foreveryone and erase racialdifferences in colon can-cer survival if we increaseaccess to coordinated careand improve adherence totreatment guidelines.”

Welcome Table, Inc.announces the

second summer ofChildren’s Defense

Fund FreedomSchools in Austin.

AUSTIN, TX - CDF Free-dom Schools® is a 6-weekreading enrichment pro-gram designed to combatsummer learning loss. It in-cludes experiences thatbuild self-esteem and ac-countability. Most readingactivities promote social,cultural, and historicalawareness. At the Austinsite we also focus on Sci-ence, Technology, Engineer-ing, Arts, and Math (STEAM).

Over the summer, un-der-resourced students canlose 2-3 months of learn-ing.* If a child is already be-hind, they return to school

at an extreme disadvan-tage. By 5th grade, studentscan be as much as 2 ½ yearsbehind their peers. Thecycle of learning loss ad-versely impacts the child’slikelihood to finish highschool. In 2014, testing atthe Austin site showed that84% of the scholars main-tained or improved theirreading skills.

In addition to the sig-nificance of maintainingreading levels over thesummer, Freedom Schoolscreates an environment inwhich each scholar learnsthey Can Make a Difference:in themselves, in their fami-lies, in their communities,in their country, in theworld, with hope, educa-tion, and action. They areencouraged to think aboutactions and consequencesin a self-empowering, es-

teem-building atmosphere.The Austin Freedom

Schools site is Oak SpringsElementary School (MonicaWoods, Principal), locatedacross the street fromAustin’s largest housingproject. At this location, weare able to reach some ofthe most under-resourcedchildren in Austin, thosewho are most in need ofsummer learning activities.

Freedom Schools-Austin, June 15 to July 24,2015. For information, con-tact Gina Houston 512-656-7805.

Page 8 ~ February 27, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

PROGRAMS ~ AWARENESS

The Original L C Anderson Alumni Assoc. Austin Chapter (OLCAAAAC) heldtheir annual Black History Month Celebration Sat. 2-21-15 at Chapter Pres. AlbertJ. Walker club house. This year’s guest speaker was former F.B.I. Agent AlexanderW. Porter, a 1950 graduate of Anderson High School. Honored also were formerMiss Anderson High School, Helen Porter Wright – 1948; Rose James Thompson– 1959; Harrette Walker Lilly – 1966; Joyce Smith Bolton – 1963; Almaree CorzineOwens – 1964; Pamela Nesby McCullough – 1966 and Debra E. Jarmon – 1971.Recognized and making a presentation to the former Miss A.H.S. was NationalPresident Raymond Whitley, Jr.

OLCAAAAC HoldsAnnual BHM Celebration

OLCAAAAC HoldsAnnual BHM Celebration

BCTF Pays Tribute to Turner, RobertsThe Black Citizens

Task Force was agrassroots political orga-nization founded in Austin,Texas in 1972 by a groupof concerned Austin citi-zens that included, Dr. JohnWarfield, former CityCouncil member CharlesUrdy, Velma Roberts, LarryJackson, Charles Miles,Tommie Wyatt and others.The group, which existedprimarily between the1970s and early 2000s,formed in order to combatracism against the AfricanAmerican Community. Dor-othy Turner joined the or-ganization in 1974 andbecame its president in1979. She was the last per-son to hold this title aswell as the longest holderof this position. The re-cipient of various awards,Turner was an outspokenproponent of civil rights forthe underprivileged, mi-norities and women. Thecollection (1979-2004)consists mainly of organi-zational records duringTurner’s presidency andincludes correspondence,programs, printed mate-rial, clippings, researchmaterial, photographs,and audiovisual material.A group of concerned Aus-tin citizens that included,Dr. John Warfield, formerCity Council memberCharles Urdy, Velma Rob-erts, Larry Jackson,Charles Miles and othersstarted the Black CitizensTask Force (BCTF) in 1972.According to the BCTF bro-chure, they organized withthe intent “to bring aboutfundamental political, eco-nomic and social changeto people of African de-scent, through liberationfrom racism and capital-ism.” In the beginning,BCTF’s mission dealt withequality in employment. Itlater expanded to encom-pass education, health,housing and other areasthat afflicted the commu-nity, such as police brutal-ity. Additionally, the groupwas a strong supporter ofthe anti-apartheid move-ment.

Two of the most vis-ible members of the BlackCitizens Task Force wereDorothy Turner and VelmaRoberts. Both women were

outspoken proponents ofcivil rights for underprivi-leged, minorities andwomen. Locally, they wereknown as “Batman andRobin” and received amultitude of awards fortheir dedication to advanc-ing civil rights and high-lighting community issuesthrough grassroots activ-ism. Examples of such ac-tivism under Turner’s lead-ership include leading ef-forts to get city officials tohire more women and mi-norities, partnering withgroups such as the BrownBerets to protest the KuKlux Klan (KKK) activities,partnering with Universityof Texas students to fightracism on UT campus,building and supportingorganizations that en-gaged the youth of Austinin positive activities, sup-porting East Austin build-ing initiatives that pro-vided community centersfor neighborhood activi-ties, initiating a city-wideKwanzaa celebration, andproducing the local TVshow Liberation and theradical newspaper,Grassroots Struggle, bothof which addressed issuesof equality, racism, anddiscrimination.

Dorothy Turner,(1935-2005) was born andraised in Austin, TX. Sheworked for the City of Aus-tin in a variety positions for26 years where she noted

the inequality to minoritiesand women. It was her ex-perience at the city thatgalvanized her to take ac-tion by organizing employ-ees, writing complaints,and confronting supervi-sors. As an employee atBrackenridge hospital, shefiled two complaints withthe EEO regarding lowwages and immobility ofminority employees thatdirectly led to the rising ofwages and promotions. In1977, she filed a class ac-

Dorothy Turner

tion law suit against theCity of Austin citing dis-criminatory hiring prac-tices. Soon afterwards, thefirst African American per-sonnel director and femaleassistant city managerwere hired. That sameyear, she became thepresident of the BCTF. Sheserved as its longest aswell as its last president.During her tenure, Turnerfought against racism anddiscrimination on local,national, and globalscales.

Velma Roberts,(1930-2000) was born andraised in Austin, TX. Shetrained as a paralegal, andworked in legal aid for 10years. She was one of thefounding members of theBCTF. Some of her numer-ous accomplishments in-clude serving on the firstcommittee to launch KAZI

Velma Roberts

radio station, “a local non-commercial communityradio that serves the Afri-can American commu-nity”; helping launchJohnson’s War on Povertyprograms, which includedhelping to organize thefirst Head Start programand a breakfast programfor children; in 1969, shefounded, and later becamethe first president of thelocal chapter of the Na-tional Welfare Rights Or-ganization, she was laterelected state representa-tive to the National Wel-fare Organization; shefounded activist group,Sisters in the Hood; shealso fought against bus-ing East Austin childrento other schools duringdesegregation and laterhelped to found a short-lived alternative schoolfor children.

BCTF Pays Tribute to Turner, Roberts

Rep. Coleman Files Legislation to Repeal Texas“Stand Your Ground” Law

AUSTIN, TX – Rep.Garnet Coleman (D-147)filed House Bill 1627, a billthat would repeal Texas’“Stand Your Ground” law.

Our state’s “Stand YourGround” law allows Texansto use deadly force basedon their perception of a per-son or situation as danger-ous. House Bill 1627 rightlyreturns Texas law to a com-mon sense standard whilemaintaining the ability ofhomeowners to use deadlyforce in their home.

“Every day millions ofTexans are unreasonablyperceived as a threat sim-ply because of the color oftheir skin, so this law posesa special threat to people

of color,” said Representa-tive Coleman. “Today themajority of Texans arepeople of color, faced con-stantly with the prospectof encountering someonewho finds their very exist-ence threatening. I can’tbear to see anotherTrayvon Martin, anotherRenisha McBride, or an-other Jordan Davis, butunfortunately as long asthese laws are on thebooks it will continue tohappen here.

HB 1627 maintainsthe ability of homeownersto use deadly force with noduty to retreat, and stillallows Texans to usedeadly force for self-de-

fense purposes or to pre-vent a serious crime - butonly when necessary. Thebill also clarifies underwhich circumstancesdeadly force can be rea-sonably used in defense ofa third person.

“Texans have everyright to defend themselvesand their family from im-mediate harm, but it is ourresponsibility to ensurethat deadly force is used asa last resort whenever pos-sible.”

R e p r e s e n t a t i v eColeman filed similar leg-islation last session. Hewas one of 13 legislatorsto vote against S.B. 378’spassage in 2007.

Men’s Day 2015 Honors Greatness

(AUSTIN, TX) - “We Can’t Land Yet!” Rev. William Campbell of Anderson ChapelAfrican Methodist Episcopal Church in Killen, Texas preached the Annual Men’s DayCelebration Sunday afternoon, February 22, 2015 hosted by the Metropolitan Afri-can Methodist Episcopal Church of Austin, Texas, pastured by Rev. N. JordanMkwanazi.

Service led with a procession of hymns by Metropolitan AME, St. James BaptistChurch, Wesley United Methodist Church all male choir and guest soloist DwightPiper. The Men’s Day ceremony accumulated many community residents, dignitar-ies and city officials including Rev. Jeffree Richards, Austin Community CollegeTrustee; Judge Richard Scott and Rev. Danny Thomas, Constable Precinct One-TravisCounty.

Sunday’s commemoration concluded with the presentation of awards and proc-lamations. Men honored were, Charles Gates, Director of Aviation-Finance and Ad-ministration for the City of Austin, received the 2015 Man of Valor; Akwasi Evans,founder of NOKOA, the Observer news publication, received the 2015 BusinessmanEagle Award; Tommy Wyatt, Editor and Chief of the Villager Newspaper, receivedthe 2015 Businessman Eagle Award; Judge Same Biscoe, 2015 Lifetime Achieve-ment Eagle Award; Henry Ellison, an Aviation pioneer and community activist, re-ceived the 2015 Civil Service Eagle Award and Coach Charlie Strong, newly selectedAfrican American football coach for the University of Texas at Austin, received the2015 Eagles Sports Hero Award.

Congratulations to all men receiving special recognition for their services andcommunity involvement.

by Angela Wyatt, Villager Columnist

(L - R) Judge Sam Biscoe, Tommy Wyatt and Henry Ellison acceptMen’s Day accolades for all their contributions and outstanding work

in Central, Texas. Photo by Angela Wyatt

THANK YOU ALL FORCELEBRATING ANDPARTICIPATING IN

BLACK HISTORY MONTH

THANK YOU ALL FORCELEBRATING ANDPARTICIPATING IN

BLACK HISTORY MONTH