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INSIDEVol. 42 No.43 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] March 13, 2015
RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’RAPPIN’Tommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy WyattTommy Wyatt
TheAustinVillager.comTheAustinVillager.comThis paper can
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Ferguson Increased Revenueby Targeting Blacks
By Freddie Allen ~ NNPA Senior Washington Correspondent
WASHINGTON, D. C.(NNPA) – The JusticeDepartment’s recent in-vestigation of theFerguson, Mo. Police De-partment not only re-vealed widespread racismin its operation, but de-scribed how poor Blackswere targeted to boost thesagging revenues of smallmunicipalities.
“Ferguson police of-ficers issued nearly 50 per-cent more citations in thelast year than they did in2010 – an increase thathas not been driven, or
even accompanied, by arise in crime,” AttorneyGeneral Eric H. Holdersaid at a press conferenceto release finding of itsinvestigation of Ferguson.“Along with taxes andother revenue streams, in2010, the city collectedover $1.3 million in finesand fees collected by thecourt. For fiscal year 2015,Ferguson’s city budget an-ticipates fine revenues toexceed $3 million – morethan double the total fromjust five years prior.”
Holder said that
Ferguson police officerswere pressured to deliveron those revenue goals,some even competed tosee who could write themost citations in a singlestop.
“Once the system isprimed for maximizing rev-enue – starting with fines
and fine- enforcement –the city relies on the po-lice force to serve, essen-tially, as a collectionagency for the municipalcourt rather than a lawenforcement entity,”Holder explained.
He told the story ofSee HOLDER, page 2
ACC’s ACCelerator and MATD 0421Course in National Spotlight
Second lady andUnder Secretary ofEducation toured
learning lab and satdown with students
AUSTIN, TX – TheAustin Community CollegeDistrict (ACC) welcomedsecond lady Dr. Jill Bidenand Under Secretary ofEducation Dr. Ted Mitchellon Monday, March 9, totour the Highland Campus’ACCelerator and meetwith students and facultyof the college’s new devel-opmental math course,MATD 0421.
The ACCelerator andMATD 0421 have gainednational attention for itsgroundbreaking success inclosing educational gaps.
“Developmental mathis the biggest challenge forcollege students nation-
wide,” says Dr. ConstanceElko, ACC mathematics de-partment chair. “TheACCelerator is revolutioniz-ing how we teach.”
MATD 0421 was thefirst course in the massive,600+ computer stationlearning lab. The course, acombination of three de-velopmental math classes,utilizes artificial intelli-gence to customize les-sons for each student.
In MATD 0421’s inau-gural semester: The with-drawal rate was less thanhalf the rate for traditionaldevelopmental mathcourses - 75 percent of thestudents completed theequivalent of one tradi-tional course. Nearly 45percent completed theequivalent to a course andone-half. Over 14 percent
Ferguson Increased Revenueby Targeting Blacks
ACC’s ACCelerator and MATD 0421Course in National Spotlight
See MATD 0421, page 2
Don’t OverlookContributions ofClarence Mitchell
Don’t OverlookContributions ofClarence Mitchell
By William Barber, State President of the NorthCarolina NAACP and Gary L. Bledsoe, State
President of the Texas NAACP
Looking at our nationand noting where we havecome since 1965 gives usreason to celebrate. How-ever, in our celebration weshould be mindful thattrue equality was neverachieved, and that insteadof moving towards justicewe are moving in the otherdirection.
Just a year ago wecelebrated the 50th anni-versary of the passage ofthe Civil Rights Act of1964, though the Act hasbeen and continues to beunder attack from the
Clarence Mitchell
right wing of this nation assome even ponder its“constitutionality.” Andnow we celebrate the 50thanniversary of the VotingRights Act of 1965, justtwo years after the lawwas gutted by a decisionby the Supreme Court thatwas not founded in lawand where the Chief Jus-tice incredulously opinedthat Blacks in Mississippihad superior voter accessthan Blacks in Massachu-setts.
It is in this vein thatwe say that there should
be a celebration, but theretoo must be a recognitionof the work that must bedone to repair the harmdone by the Shelby Countydecision. The ink wasn’t
dry on that decision beforeSouthern states such asNorth Carolina, Texas andMississippi started to takeaction to go back to how
See MITCHELL, page 3
InauguralHackathonInauguralHackathon
By: William Purcell
AUSTIN, TX - FromMarch 14-March 15 2015,Huston-Tillotson Univer-sity will be the hostinggrounds for the InauguralHackathon by MVMT50 atSXSW. MVMT50 is a coali-tion of Black tech thoughtleaders who gather annu-ally during SXSW Interac-tive to highlight the im-pact African Americanshave in shaping innova-tion. The hackathon is thefirst-ever youth and diver-sity focused hackathon atSXSW. A hackathon is acollaborative event whereindividuals meet and en-gage in solving a problemto impact social good. TheMVMT50 will select 50high school and collegestudents to participate inthe event, along with pro-viding mentors for the stu-dents to help them build aweb or mobile-based apphacking the Education,Health, or Justice Sectors.The Justice track seekssolutions related to bal-ancing the scales of jus-tice for marginalizedpeople of color. This trackwill also focus on strate-gies enabling ex-offendersto make successful transi-tions to regular membersof society. The Healthtrack will focus on issuesSee TRAILBLAZERS, page 3
Young entrepreneurspursue business
expansion in Austin.See UZOPage 6
SECOND TO NONE - Attendees ofHighland Campus’ ACCelerator tour in-cluded Jeffrey Richard, Second Lady Dr.Jill Biden, Naomi Richard and Under Sec-retary of Education Dr. Ted Mitchell. Photocredit: Austin Community College.
Clevelands celebrate7 decades of love.See WEDDING
Page 3
What a yearfor Selma!
When the movie “Selma”came out several months ago,it was received by a widespread mixed audience. Andmany thought it was a mustsee movie. “Selma” told the story ofAfrican Americans trying tovote in Alabama during theCivil Rights Movement in1965. It was led by Dr.Martin Luther King, Jr andthe Student NoneviolentCoordinating Committee(SNCC). And it also cameafter the signing of the CivilRights Bill of 1964 byPresident Lyndon B.Johnson. There was a publicoutrage over the fact thatnone of the actors werenominated for an AcademyAward, although the movieitself did, while the musicalscore was nominated andwon. This honor was givento the film just a few shortweeks before the 50thAnniversary of BloodySunday, March 7, 1965.That was the day that a grouptried to cross the EdmundPetis bridge that crossed into Selma. The group wasbeaten by state troopers andmade to turn around. Theymade a successful marchacross the bridge a few dayslater, under the protection ofFederal Troops afterPresident Johnson signed theVoting Rights Bill into law. We celebrated that daythis year when thousands ofAmericans returned to thebridge. One of PresidentJohnson’s daughters wasamong the marchers alongwith a number of the peoplewho was in the originalmarch. It is hard to believe thatVoting Rights is on the top ofour agenda again today. Somepoliticians want to passlegislation that will make it verydifficult for many to vote, if theVoter ID law is enacted. Selma reminds us of howimportant it is to vote. It alsoreminds us of the many citizenswho do not vote. And somepeople want to make thesystem harder, even for peoplewho are not using it. Selmashould be a reminder thatVoting Rights is one of ourmost precious rights.
SAE fraternitycompromises role
of leadership.See BOREN
Page 7
THE COMMUNIQUÉPage 2 ~ March 13, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
HOLDER: DOJ Finds Ferguson Police Routinely Violated 4th Amendment,Used Unreasonable Force, Arrested Without Probable Cause
one woman, who re-ceived two parking ticketsin 2007 for $152 and haspaid more than $500 infines and fees toFerguson. She was ar-rested twice for failure topay tickets and even spenttime in jail and she stillowes Ferguson $541.
Beyond the com-pounding fines and fre-quent traffic stops,Ferguson police, chargedwith upholding the law, ranroughshod all over it, rou-tinely violated the civilrights of African Americanresidents.
Eric Holder, Attorney General of the United States
continued from page 1 Holder said that theJustice Department’s in-vestigation found “a com-munity where deep dis-trust and hostility oftencharacterized interactionsbetween police and arearesidents.”
He said that the Jus-tice Department’s investi-gation showed thatFerguson police officers“routinely violate theFourth Amendment instopping people withoutreasonable suspicion, ar-resting them withoutprobable cause, and usingunreasonable forceagainst them. According to
the Police Department’sown records, its officersfrequently infringe on resi-dents’ First Amendmentrights.”
Holder added: “Andeven in cases where policeencounters start off asconstitutionally defen-sible, we found that they
frequently and rapidly es-calate – and end up bla-tantly and unnecessarilycrossing the line.”
Holder recounted a2012 arrest in which aFerguson police officerapproached a 32-year-oldAfrican American manwhile he sat in his car af-ter playing basketball at apark.
“The car’s windowsappeared to be moreheavily tinted thanFerguson’s code allowed,so the officer did have le-gitimate grounds to ques-tion him,” said Holder.“But, with no apparent jus-
tification, the officer pro-ceeded to accuse the manof being a pedophile. Heprohibited the man fromusing his cell phone andordered him out of his carfor a pat-down search,even though he had no rea-son to suspect that theman was armed. Andwhen the man objected –citing his constitutionalrights – the police officerdrew his service weapon,pointed it at the man’shead, and arrested him oneight different counts. Thearrest caused the man tolose his job.”
See The DOJ, page 7
completed the equiva-lent to two courses. 13 stu-dents completed all theequivalent of three courses.
“Math has been aproblem subject for mesince high school,” saysSheila Estabillo, ACC stu-dent. “This class let me takethings one piece at a time.You don’t have the pressuresof feeling confused in class.It’s just you and your com-puter. It’s all about what
you’re ready for.” This semester over
1,000 students enrolled inMATD 0421, including 691new students and 334 re-turning students.
“We are redesigninglearning,” says Dr. CharlesCook, ACC provost and ex-ecutive vice president ofacademic affairs. “This isan opportunity for all stu-dents to accelerate at therate that works for them.
Motivated students canfinish up to three coursesin a single semester.Those who need longercan begin where they leftoff the next semester,rather than withdrawing orfailing in the traditionalclasses and beginning thecourse all over.”
For more informationon ACCelerator and MATD0421 visit austincc.edu/accelerator.
continued from page 1
Over 1,000Students
Enrolled inMATD 0421
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-
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: [email protected] 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/March 13, 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 [email protected]
or call 512-476-0082
Cleveland’s Celebrate 70th
Wedding Anniversary
Rev. Joe Dan (JD) Cleveland 90 years old and Mrs.Sallie Easley 92 years old have shared love for seventyyears. They will celebrate 70 years of marriage March17th 2015. To God Be the Glory! God blessed this unionwith 10 children (one deceased), 40 grandchildren, 80great grandchildren and 13 great- great grandchildren.With his virtuous wife by his side, Rev. J.D. Clevelandpastor emeritus of Union Hill and Union Lee BaptistChurches served over fifty plus years at each church.Rev. Cleveland has also served as First Vice Moderatorin the St. John Regular Baptist Association. Thank Godfor their faithfulness, humbleness, and the examplesthey have set forth that have inspired many lives.
things were.Blacks in all the old
confederacy are now con-fronting an array of re-pressive laws such as un-duly restrictive voter iden-tification laws, cut backson early voting, enhancedpurging of voters, burden-some identification issu-ance or renewal laws,changing of voting sites tomake it more difficult forpeople of color to vote anda facing host of other suchdiscriminatory obstacles.We are hearing dogwhistles every day in 2015.
In the wake of lastweekend’s celebration inSelma, we hope that theNAACP gets proper recog-nition for its essential rolein the law’s passage. Welove and respect thosegreat Americans such asDr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
and President LyndonBaines Johnson who aredeservedly given so muchcredit, but others, includ-ing Republican SenateLeader Everett Dirksen ofIllinois and the NAACP’sClarence Mitchell, had in-dispensable roles as well.Sadly, the celebration ofthe 1964 Act largely ig-nored Mitchell and wehope this year’s celebra-tion does not do the same.
Clarence Mitchellwas born into poverty, butrose into prominence asthe NAACP’s chief lobbyistand became widely knownas the Nation’s 101stSenator. He was awardedthe Presidential Medal ofFreedom in 1980 by Presi-dent Jimmy Carter and theNAACP’s Spingarn Medalin 1969. Mitchellstrategized with Johnson
continued from page 1
to keep waffling northernSenators on board and uti-lized his friendships withRepublicans and Demo-crats to help effectivelypersuade them to come onboard.
And as the nation’schief civil rights lobbyist,he helped to organize andguide a coalition of di-verse supporters fromNAACP units, other civilrights, church and laborgroups to address pres-sure points as they arosein Congress and to keeppressure on for membersof Congress to support thebill. President Johnsonwas even quoted as say-ing no person forced hisdoor open more thanClarence Mitchell.
As we celebrateBloody Sunday and themarch from Selma toMontgomery and other vi-tal and important eventsfrom 1965, let us remem-ber the heroes and martyrs– Dr. King, Rep. John Lewis(d-Ga.), Hosea Williams ofSCLC, Amelia Boynton andJimmie Lee Jackson. In ad-dition to those great Afri-
can-Americans we shouldcelebrate the courageousactions of White Ameri-cans such as Rev. JamesReeb and Viola Liuzzo whogave their lives so that wecould have a better coun-try. And let us rememberClarence Mitchell too!
RememberingClarence Mitchell remindsus of how important an in-tegrated strategy was be-fore and is now. We mustgo to the streets as LBJinsisted, but the work inthe halls of Congress andin the home states or dis-tricts of Congresspersonsplays an essential and vi-tal role as well. The strat-egy needed and includedthe NAACP and Mitchelland Roy Wilkins, SNCCwith Lewis, Julian Bondand others and of coursethe SCLC with King, HoseaWilliams, Andrew Youngand others. And as we tryto fix this law, let us re-store it with substance andvitality in honor of allthose great people, namedand unnamed, who gaveso much so that we mighthave the right to vote.
Clarence Mitchell rose toprominence as the NAACP’s
chief lobbyist and becamewidely known as the
Nation’s 101st Senator Lone Star Baptist Church, 268 Shiloh Road, Bastrop,TX Reverend Fred Blackman Sr., Pastor cordially inviteseach and every one to their Combined Mission Annual,Sunday, March 15, 2015 @ 7:00 AM. The guest speaker andchurch will be Reverend M. C. Walker, Pastor of East 19thStreet Baptist Church, Austin, TX. For more informationcontact Sister Hattie McMarion @ 512-303-6823 or SisterGeorgia Hunter @ 512-571-9733.
Lone Star Baptist Church to holdCombined Mission Annual
related to improvingthe experience and healthcare options available topeople of color. In additionto this, the track will focuson solutions for increas-ing diversity in the medi-cal profession. Lastly, TheEducation track will ad-dress issues related to dis-rupting the school-to-prison pipeline system,college readiness, accep-tance and completion andcareer guidance for minor-ity students. AutumnCaviness, who is directorof the hackathon and alsoHT’s Assistant Director ofthe W.E.B. DuBois HonorsProgram, views “this Inau-gural hackathon as servingas an information conduitfor talented students to
diversity in the technologyspace. We want our targetstudents to understandthat they can be more thanconsumers of technology;they too can be creators,innovators, and disruptorsof today’s technology.”The majority of the stu-dents, who are referred toas “Trailblazers” will in-clude African-Americans,Latinos, Native Americans,and underrepresentedAsians and Pacific Island-ers. The hackathon is anevent for students who areinterested in using tech-nology to solve a real-world problems, regard-less of whether they fullyknow how to use code ornot, and will greatly em-power the minorities ofthis country.
continued from page 1
“Trailblazers” looking tobecome creators, innovatorsand disruptors of technology
YOUTH BRIGADEYouth of Today
Hope of Tomorrow Black RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack Registry
Page 4 ~ March 13, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
Review: McFarland USA
SaNaya WhiteCedars Int’l Academy
Jarian GallowayHarmony Academy
Last Saturday Iwatched the movieMcFarland at the iPic the-atre in the Domain. Themovie was about 7 boyswho were all in the samehigh school in McFarland,California they loved to run.They had to face a lot of
challenges in life and on theteam. I won’t go into toomany details because Idon’t want to spoil themovie for the people whohaven’t seen it yet.
I believe that themovie was inspiring andwhen you watch the movieyou’ll know why! I had agreat time at the movies.The iPic Theatre is verycomfortable! They have re-clining chairs with blanketsand pillows for you to use!That’s the way a movie ex-perience should be! I lovedthe movie and suggestfamilies take time to see it.I’m pretty sure you will likeit too!
Engagment Rings!
My AP World Historyteacher shared a story withus about the history behindengagement rings:
Back then, marriageswere more like business
deals than they were loveceremonies. The couplewould be engaged for onlytwo to three months.
Well, after the man at-tained what he wantedfrom the woman and what-ever business agreement,he would end the engage-ment. Cecil Rhodes realizedthat if men put a financialinvestment into thewomen, the engagementwould be more likely toprosper. This gave way forthe engagement ring.
After my class heardthat story, the girls lookedhorrified, yet the boys werejust amused.
As Everybody thatreads my articles knowsthat I’m in 8th grade.Aparently as it seems I’mgoing to High School nextyear. I really want to go toHendrickson High School. Iwant to go there because allI hear from there is greatand excellent things andnothing bad at all.
All my teachers say
Getting Ready to Go
Zachariah WashingtonCedars Academy
that I’m prepared all acrossthe board. But to me I thinkthat I am not ready for HighSchool because all I hearthat people get bullied andbeat up. My parents also saythat High School was thetime of their life and howthey enjoyed and they hadno problems at all. So I go-ing to see next year whatHigh School really is.
Ms. Rende, I and allof my classmates are mak-ing a portfolio of all thework and skills that we didover the years in middleschool. Some of the tal-ents that we are putting inthe portfolio are basket-ball, football one of mineis being Student CouncilPresident and Vice Presi-dent other put Soccer andschool work. High Schoolhear I come.
DECA State
During the last weekof February I was fortu-nate to attend the TexasState Career DevelopmentConference or CDC forDECA competition. I havewritten about DECA inprevious articles and I un-derstand that many of myreaders do not know whatDECA stands for. HonestlyI myself did not know un-til the week before I leftfor competition, DECAstands for DistributiveEducation Clubs ofAmerica, in my opinionthe meaning of the acro-nym is probably the club’sbest kept secret. This ismost likely because theacronym does not per-fectly align with the actualpurpose of the club; DECAis a competition-basedclub that prepares younghigh school students to befuture business profes-sionals through competi-tion.
This was my partnerand I’s first trip to statecompetition and we werenot let down. The confer-ence was held in theSheraton Dallas hotel andthe events mainly tookplace in the Grand Hall ofthe hotel. Opening Cer-emonies were held in theLonestar Ballroom, aswere the closing ceremo-nies. The conference be-gan on Wednesday andwas supposed to end onFriday.
My partner and Icompeted on Thursday. Inmy event, which is Sports
Wesley DickersonCedar Ridge H. S.
and Entertainment Mar-keting Team Decision Mak-ing, we are given a sce-nario related to sports orentertainment and de-pending on the specificscenario we have to comeup with multiple market-ing strategies within 30minutes which we thenhave to present to a judgewithin 10 minutes. Afterall participants finishedcompeting on Thursdaythe hotel put on a casinonight for all of the DECAmembers in attendance. Itwas a lot of fun and wasenjoyed by nearly every-one present.
State CDC finished onFriday morning with theawards ceremonies. Theway the awards workedthere were 14 people orteams, depending on theevent, that were called onstage. Being on stage meantthat you were either mov-ing on to internationalcompetition in DisneyWorld or that you were aState Finalist, which is theequivalent of second placeas well as an alternate. Mypartner and I were awardedas State Finalists, which weare both very proud of.
Although our journeyhome was not nearly enjoy-able as the stay. We endedup being snowed in on theFriday that we were sup-posed to leave. So weended up transferring ho-tels to Ft. Worth, Texaswhere we spent Fridaynight and most of Saturday.Saturday afternoon wewere picked up by RoundRock ISD school buses ataround four o’clock, and wereturned home at 8:25.
Despite the poorjourney home I still be-lieve that DECA is an amaz-ing club to join and I rec-ommend it to all studentsinterested in business. Ifeel even more stronglyabout this now because Ihave been to state compe-tition, which is a lot of funand a great opportunity tomeet new people.
Classic Car Show
Alon RodgersHendrickson H. S.
The Business Profes-sionals of America holdsthe annual Classic CarShow this Saturday infront of the school. This isa chance to see the ridesyou admire up close. TheBPA did very well at statethis year. Ravi Singh wonthe $2500 scholarship, thelargest offered each yearat state; Amanda Barron –4th place FundamentalDesktop Publishing (Na-tional Qualif ier); TylerLaMarre – 2nd place Com-puter Modeling (NationalQualifier); Aman Hingu –8th place PresentationManagement; Ravi Singh,Bou Silla, Daniel Alvarado,
& Royce Vaughn – 3rdplace Financial AnalystTeam (National Alternate).
Christian Gallardotook 5th place at the StateUIL Film Festival. Films aresubmitted in 3 categories;animation, documentary,and narrative. Christian’sanimation was about amagnet, AL Nico who goesthrough the trials andtribulations of metals be-ing drawn to him.
FFA Floriculture Ca-reer Development Eventteam placed 9th out of 44teams at their end of yearcompetition: The teammembers that competedwere Danielle Schramm,Kaylie Curington, JoseRodriguez and MadelineHiggs. Danielle Schrammwas the 12th high indi-vidual and KaylieCurington was 22nd.
Spring Break is hereand after, there are only10 weeks until graduation.Events this week are:Thursday: Ironman Volley-ball at 6 pm; Friday: Soc-cer vs. Rouse; Softball @PHS; Saturday: BPA Clas-sic Car Show from 10 am -2pm in HHS parking lot.
Hello everyone, Iwanted to talk to you abouthow important it is to washyour hands. Washing yourhands helps to keep downthe spread of germs. If youdon’t wash your hands youcan get sick and pass germsto other people. Hand wash-ing is one of the most impor-tant steps you can take toavoid getting sick.
We should alwayswash our hands after we usethe restroom, before we eat,cook, and if you are cleaningan open cut. It is good to getin the habit of washing your
Hand Washinghands because we are al-ways touching our faces orrubbing our eyes withoutthinking about it. We arespreading germs by notwashing our hands properlyalso. You are supposed to usesoap and water and wash upto your wrist, the back of yourhands and under your finger-nails. When you dry yourhands, use a dry disposabletowel or air dryer and use atowel or your elbow to turnoff the faucet.
If you don’t wash yourhands you can get sick or getother people sick. Especiallywhen you are around a lot ofpeople in public, touchingdoor knobs, shopping carts,shaking hands, hand rails,gym equipment at a play-ground. Sometimes peopleuse sanitizer but you stillneed to wash with soap andwater.
Remember to alwayswash your hands so you andothers can stay healthy!
Montrae NelsonRiverplace Elementary
Ira “T.J.” WilliamsRidgeview M. S.
Coach of the Year
On Saturday, March 7,2015, I played my last basket-ball game with Neighbor-hood Sports for Coach SamPerine, a coach I have playedfor since I was in the 5th
grade.Since I started playing
with Coach Sam’s team, manyof the same teammates havecome back almost every year.Each year, Coach Sam’s son,Savon Perine, my Ridgeviewteammate, Taylor Yonemura,and I have played with somenewcomers. We’ve comeclose to winning the cham-pionship each year but al-ways ended up losing the fi-
nals, until this year.At the beginning of the
season, our team started offwith 15 players and for thefirst time, I was the tallestplayer. For the entire season,we went undefeated andearned a spot in the champi-onship game. In our finalgame, we played the Thun-der for the title. In the end,we beat them by one pointand, after four years of tak-ing second place, Coach Samled us to victory and our firstundefeated season.
I’m glad I got to play onCoach Sam’s team for as longas did. He was a great leaderand was fun to be around.You could really tell that heloved to coach kids and wasnever in a bad mood. Hewould give every playerequal attention and neverplayed favorites. He focusedon fundamentals and had usplay defense because heknew it would help us suc-ceed. I’m going to miss play-ing for Coach Sam because hewas a great teacher andcoach.
Spring Break
Spring Break is hereand I can’t wait. I don’t haveany plans for spring break,but this year I truly feel likeI need a break. The stressof getting out of high schooland getting into college hasreally wore me out. I plan
on sleeping as much as I canwhile on spring break.
I know my parents willhave plans: doctor ’s ap-pointments, dentist ap-pointments, hair appoint-ments and spring cleaningall the things that havebeen put off because ofschool and other activities,but I have only one plan:sleep. After Spring Break isthe final push toward theend of this school year andfor me graduation, so I planon resting before the bigrush toward the end of myhigh school career. EnjoySpring Break, Be Safe, BeSmart, because as quickly asspring break comes it willbe gone.
Hannah RobertsonConnally High School
YOUTH BRIGADEwww.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/March 13, 2015 ~ Page 5
It was Sunday, and itwas cold! I think it actuallyhad snowed in the area wevisited. That day I went tochurch out of town. I sat with
My Day Out of Town
Erika LipscombManor Elementary
my cousin, she looked prettyin her church outfit. We didsome praise, fellowship, andworship songs. My mom letme take the Communion.
After church I left to gosee my uncle. Then all of asudden my other uncle andhis wife and his daughtercame in just as we wereabout to leave to go seethem. Then my other cousincame too. We talked andlaughed and had a good time.I also had a nice meal at myuncle's house. I had thechance to see quite a few ofmy relatives while I wasthere. Then we had to leave.I look forward to going again.
stuff together for school.I’m becoming a young adultand I see it more and moreeach day. I work and go toschool and I was just think-ing I have not always didthis. It’s crazy how fast yougrow up.
My child hood went byso fast. But I’m happywhere I’m at in life. I justthank god everyday that Iam able to do all the stuffthat I do. School I would notsay is fully preparing me forthe real world. I am nowasking myself what did Ilearn at school everydaythat I get home if I can’t an-swer that that is a problem.
Growing Up Fast
Imani DempsDel Valle High School
This week went good.We have 11 weeks left ofschool. That is crazy then Ihave 2 months to get my
Last week I had a fash-ion show, the fashion showwas called Austin finest
School is Flying
Aubri Allen-BrentDel Valle High School
hour. It was located down-town Austin on 6th street. Ienjoyed working with themany designers, the clotheswere very pretty. Modelinghas made me become moreout of my shell, I used to beshy. But now I’m not somuch.
School is going by re-ally fast, we are already inthe second semester on the4th six weeks. That meanswe only have 2 more sixweeks left and then it ’ssummer time. During thesummer I plan on workingand going to cheer camp.
Sarah RobertsonAthlos Leadership Acad.
Tests and More Test
This past week atAthlos Leadership Academywe had our Spring BenchMark Testing. It was twodays, Tuesday and Wednes-day, of tests and more testson the subjects of Math andReading. It was importantfor us to take the test seri-
ously, get plenty of rest andeat a good breakfast so thatwe can do well on the test.After the testing was donewe were able to return toour regular schedule. Alltests are stressful but nec-essary in order to find outwhere we are and whatsubjects we need improve-ment.
Also this past Sundaythe time has changed. Itmarks the beginning of day-light savings time. All clocksget moved up one hour or“Spring Forward.” Adjustingto the new time usuallytakes about a week, youfeel like you are going tobed early but it means thatin the evenings you will stillhave the sun out so you canplay outside longer. Justanother test.
“Empire” Tackles Mental Illness
FOX’s groundbreakingTV show “Empire” is per-haps one of the best thingsto happen to FOX’sprimetime lineup since thefirst season of “AmericanIdol.” The overwhelmingresponse from its viewers,critics, and fans has madethis show a trending topicevery week on social me-dia.
The show intention-ally addresses pressing so-cial issues, including thoselike the degenerative dis-ease ALS and bipolar dis-order— a condition that isoften overlooked and un-der-diagnosed in theblack community.
“Empire” is what Ilike to call a hood soap op-era: it follows the familydrama of the Lyons, whohave achieved record-breaking musical successbut have failed to fullyleave their past lives inthe past. As a result, thestakes for the family com-pany Empire Records arehigher than ever and that
Rebecca RichardBowie High School
causes emotion and stressto influence the charac-ters’ actions.
One character thatappears to be cracking un-der the pressure is patri-arch Lucious’ son AndreLyon. Early on in the show,Andre’s wife revealed thathe was suffering from bi-polar disorder and neededto take his medicine.However, Andre’s ambi-tious goal of eventuallyrunning Empire Records istaking a toll and almostcauses him to commit sui-cide. In fact, he actuallyflushed his medicationdown the drain in an at-tempt to step up his pro-fessional game to impresshis father.
All eyes in the men-tal disorder communityare on “Empire,” to care-fully watch Andre’s reac-tions to various stimuli inorder to analyze its accu-racy with the 5.5 millionpeople that are currentlyliving with the disorder inthe United States. W ithWorld Bipolar Day onMarch 30 quickly ap-proaching, “Empire” hasthe tremendous opportu-nity to shed light on animportant but often ne-glected topic.
Bringing awarenessof such a subject to the hitnew show with skyrocket-ing ratings is sure to be aprescription for progressfor the entire mentalhealth community. Onelove.
Happy Birthday!
Every year around thistime every month I get ex-cited and anxious. Why, doyou ask? Because it’s mybirthday!!! I start trying toplan on what kind of party Iwant? What kind of things Imay ask for? Or where I may
Malakhi WashingtonCedars Int’l Academy
want to go on my birthday?Last year, on my birthday mymom made football cup-cakes and bought them toschool for myself and myclassmates to enjoy. Thisyear is very special becauseI will be turning THE BIG 10!!I plan on asking my mom tomake strawberry cupcakesthis year.
This year I plan on aspecial birthday because itis what my family calls alandmark birthday. Usuallylandmark birthdays are con-sidered as those yearssomeone in my family turns5, 10, 13, 18, 21, 30, 50 andso forth. I don’t have every-thing planned out com-pletely but I can’t wait tosee what ’s in store forMARCH 25th!!
Another Field Trip
Zyon HillReagan High School
Hello Readers,This weekend the X-Y
Zone went on anotherfieldtrip to the University ofTexas (UT). Every year UT hasan event called Explore UT,
where the University ofTexas allows people to roamfreely on their wonderfulcampus. There were severalevents and stands through-out the campus.
There was an obstaclecourse that a person wouldhave to figure his or her wayout while it was burning,which was not really on fire.There was a program called“Project Males” that I thoughtwas really cool. The projecttakes males of color such asAfrican American and Latinosfrom an early age and men-tor them all the way throughhigh school, which has al-ready changed many lives.
Until next time, Zyon
De’Ja HillLamar Middle School
Hello Readers,In school my dance
class is learning two danceroutines for our springdance recital, which means
This week in schoolwe learned how to do stuff
Aaron WilliamsKealing M.S.
S.T.A.R.R. Testthat will help us get goodgrades on our S.T.A.R.R.test. We are also going overthings we learned at thebeginning of the schoolyear as well as new things.
In my robotics class,some of the students arestill building their soccer-bots. I have completed myrobot and I am waiting formy teacher to check it out. Ithink I may need to fix myrobot to where it movesfaster, but I will wait untilmy teacher takes a look atmy robot and let me know.
Until next time, Aaron
What to Do?twice as much work, butthat’s okay I am up for thechallenge. I think that someof the dance moves areweird, but my mom saysthat the dance steps areright for the timeframe.
Now my big problemis what I am going to do dur-ing spring break. As every-one knows spring break isgetting closer and I still donot have anything to do ex-cept go to the eye doctor. Imay just sit up and watchmovies for seven daysstraight. Hopefully, I willfind something to do or I willbe bored.
Until next time, De’ja’
www.TheAustinVillager.com
@TheVillagerATX
Summer CampsThe Austin Parks and Recreation Department of-
fers a wide variety of summer programs for children 5-12 years old. Some facilities also provide preschool andteen programs.
NEW! Online Registration: We are excited to offeronline registration in time for summer camp this year.Please visit www.austintexas.gov/parksonline to famil-iarize yourself with our online system. If you have anyquestions or concern, visit our Account Creation, OnlineRegistration & FAQ page prior to calling site staff.
Whether you’re looking for active play, outdooradventure, strategic games, or cultural activities, wehave it all! Our goal is to provide your child with excit-ing experiences through supervised, structured recre-ation in a safe and welcoming environment. Focusingon youth development, our trained staff will guide yourchild through participation in a variety of activities, suchas golf, tennis, swimming, hiking, geocaching, paint-ing, theatre, dance, and more!
Need assistance paying for summer camp? Applyfor Financial Aid now! www.austintexas.gov/depart-ment/summer-camps-0
Community Easter Egg Huntat Metz Recreation CenterSaturday, March 14, 2015 - 10:00am to 12:00pm.
Everyone is invited to come and participate in MetzRecreation Center Community Easter Egg Hunt. We willhave Easter Activities from 10:00am-11:15am. EasterEgg Hunt will begin at 11:15am. Hunt will consist ofage divisions 1-3, 4-6, 7-9 & 10-12. Come and try tofind the winning egg. 1st-3rd prize will be given in eachdivision.
So bring the whole family and come have a FREEFUN TIME. Metz Recreation Center, 2407 CanterburyStreet, Austin, TX 78702. For More information call 512-478-8716
Hello Lamp Post:Austin SXSW Public Event
Tuesday, March 17, 2015 - 1:00pm to 4:00pm, HelloLamp Post: Austin, an official art project of SXSW 2015,is a city-wide platform for play that lets you talk to thecity's infrastructure, lamp posts, bus stops and moreto share your stories using the text messaging func-tion of your mobile phone.
Learn more about Hello Lamp Post during SXSW!On Tuesday, 3/17, we'll be on the north lawn of theBrush Square Museums from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. Sam Hillof Pan Studio, the project's designers, will give a shortpresentation at 2 p.m. This event is free and does notrequire a SXSW badge.
www.hellolamppostaustin.com and http://sxsw.com/attend/getting-around/art-at-sxsw
Hello Lamp Post: Austin is commissioned by theCity of Austin in partnership with Art Alliance Austin.Sponsors: Downtown Austin Alliance, Capital Metro
Official Art Project of SXSW 2015. FMI Call 512-974-7700
CITY ~ STATE ~ NATIONAL ~ WORLDPage 6 ~ March 13, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
UZO Catering BusinessThe WE Con Event
From March 7-8, theWomen’s Community Cen-ter and the other women’sorganizations are planningthe “WE Con Event.” The“WE Con Event” is a com-munity conversation andresource fair. “WE Con” isa free event that providesWorkshops for Adults;Workshops for Teens andJob Training. Moreover,the “We Con” is an An-
nual Conference that isheld at the Austin Com-munity College East ViewCampus.
Moreover, the eventwas well attended. Ac-cording to the organizers,there were about 650people who showed up tothe event. The majorityof the attendees werewomen; however, therewere a few men who at-tended the event. In ad-dition, the event lastedfor two days in which the
attendees could “dive”into certain issues.
Finally, the event of-fered a lot of pertinentinformation to its attend-ees. Some of the attend-ees could go to certainworkshops. For instance,some of the attendeescould go to sessions thatfocused on issues suchas “Mamas in theStruggle for Social Jus-tice” and “Dismantlingthe Womb to Prison Pipe-line.”
Amaka Nwachukwu,owner of Uzo Catering.
Photos by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon
Amaris Diaz, Leticia Urieta, Sarah Rafae. Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
In the past couple of years, younger and more entrepreneur African Americanshave returned back to Austin seeking to open up their own businesses. For in-stance, Amaka who was born in Austin had moved away to go to college and finallycame back to open up her own business.
In recent times, younger Black Americans like Amaka believe that their home-town of Austin is the best place to start and grow their own business. Moreover,Amaka opened her business called UZO’s over a year ago. So far, she enjoys whather business has become. Now, she plans to expand her business.
UZO is a catering business that also holds a Sunday Brunch. UZO’s SundayBrunches are from 11 to 3pm and is located inside Victory Grill (1104 East 11th
Street). According to Amaka the owner, the menu tends to change from week toweek. However, one can expect to eat a delicious “fresh home cooked” meal. Inaddition, there is a local band that plays during the brunch hours; therefore, one canenjoy a “good meal” while listening to “local Austin musicians.”
by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon
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The 2ndAnnualWomenEvent
As we enter the“Women’s History Month”,the group Diaspora plansto hold its 2nd AnnualWomen’s Event. Theevent is planned for March22nd at Createscapte, inAustin, Texas. Some ofthe key speakers for the2nd Annual Women Fo-rum are Gina Hinojosa, aBoard member of AustinISD; Linda Pham of theAsian Family Services;and Mayte Salazar withthe Sierra Club. DeborahW inegarten is a localwriter and publisher whowill also be a speaker.
All of these speakerswill focus on certain is-
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon
sues that pertain towomen. Gina Hinojosawill focus on the variousaspects of education. Onthe other hand, MayteSalazar from the AustinSierra Club will speak onthe effects of the environ-ment regarding women’shealth. For instance, cer-tain types of pollution docarry certain types ofhealth risk to women andmay also affect their off-spring.
At last year ’swomen event, there wereabout 35 participants. Theparticipants came fromvarious backgrounds. Ac-cording to Chantal whoplans to run for judge, “last year event broughtwomen from various back-ground together. “ Andthis year, the organizersbelieve that there will beeven more people of vari-ous ethnicities present.At last year event, SherylCole (a former Councilmember) and a memberof Healthier Busby, (Pro-Choice Naral) were someof the keynote speakers.
2015 Anderson-Hines Scholarship
The 2015 Anderson-Hines scholarship applica-tion is now availableonline! This scholarship isopen to male graduatinghigh-school seniors andmale college students ofall classifications. If youor someone you knowwould benefit from thisscholarship, please visitthe website below for fur-ther information and a link
Completedapplication packetsare due no later than
April 17th.
www.austinalumninupes.com/akelf/scholar-ship/
If you have any ques-tions, please reach out tothe Scholarship CommitteeChairman, BrotherMcQueen at (512) 419-8764
to this year’s application.Feel free to share at
work, your place of wor-ship, or other appropriatevenue.
TemporaryEvents andMobile VendorInspection -Monthly FoodSafty Training
Tuesday, March 17,2015 - 3:00pm to 4:30pm
Overview of tempo-rary food events and themobile food vending pro-gram. Registration re-quired to ensure spaceavailability. FMI Call 512-978-0300
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 [email protected].
www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/March 13, 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
Austin Community CollegeDistrict is requesting qualificationsfrom firms for the purpose ofselecting multiple highly qualifiedfirms for three (3) separateIndefinite Delivery IndefiniteQuantity (IDIQ) services contractsfor ACC district-wide for Geo-technical and Materials Testing;Commissioning; and Land Sur-veying.
Request for Qualifications No. 925-15020RW
All qualifications must besubmitted to the ACC PurchasingDepartment by no later than 2:00p.m., Central Time, on ThursdayApril 9, 2015.The Request for Qualifications willbe available on 9 March 2015 onthe ACC Purchasing website athttp://www.austincc.edu/purchase/advertisedbids.php or in the ACCPurchasing Office (512) 223-1300between the hours of 9 AM and 4PM, Monday through Friday. Allresponses must be sealed andreturned to the ACC PurchasingOffice, ACC Service Center, 9101Tuscany Way, Austin, Texas 78754,by the date and time indicated above.Electronically transmitted res-ponses will NOT be accepted unlessotherwise stated in the documents.Late submittals will be retainedunopened.The ACC Board of Trusteesreserves the right to reject any and/or all responses and waive allformalities in the solicitationprocess.NOTE: ACC Business Serviceswill be closed for the Collegespring break from March 14, 2015toMarch 22, 2015.
Austin Community CollegeDistrict is requesting qualificationsfrom firms for the purpose ofselecting a highly qualified archi-tectural and engineering firm forservices for the ACC LeanderCampus.
Request for Qualifications No. 906-15021RW
All qualifications must besubmitted to the ACC PurchasingDepartment by no later than 2:00p.m., Central Time, on WednesdayApril 22, 2015.The Request for Qualifications willbe available on 10 February 2015on the ACC Purchasing website athttp://www.austincc.edu/purchase/advertisedbids.php or in the ACCPurchasing Office (512) 223-1300between the hours of 9 AM and 4PM, Monday through Friday. Allresponses must be sealed andreturned to the ACC PurchasingOffice, ACC Service Center, 9101Tuscany Way, Austin, Texas 78754,by the date and time indicated above.Electronically transmitted re-sponses will NOT be acceptedunless otherwise stated in thedocuments. Late submittals will beretained unopened.An optional pre-submittal meetingis scheduled for April 3, 2015; 9am-12pm; at the ACC HighlandCampus, Room 1390. (This is inthe mall proper across from theformer Men’s Dillards).The ACC Board of Trusteesreserves the right to reject any and/or all responses and waive allformalities in the solicitationprocess.
• 911 Call Taker Trainee- MultiplePositions• Parking Enforcement Officer (2Openings)• Video Production Specialist (Part-TimeTemporary)• Distribution Electrician• Street & Bridge Operations Technician• Water Meter Technician Assistant• Dispatcher Technician- Temporary• Inclusion and Adaptive ProgramsActivity Specialist I, II, III• Engineer A• Administrative Specialist
We want YOU!AdvertiseWith The
VILLAGER
New Jobs for the Week of 03/08/2015
Supervisor, Computer SupportRiverside CampusMonday-Friday,
8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.$3,674-$4,593/Monthly
Job# 1503002
Department of Justice: Ferguson police omitted criticalinformation from citations, making it impossible for persons to
know what offenses they were being charged for
Pictured above isFerguson police chief
Tom Jackson revealingthe name of officerDarren Wilson, the
policeman accused ofshooting Michael Brown.
Photo Chad Garrison
These types of inci-dents were anything butisolated, according toHolder.
Even though Blacksaccount for 67 percent ofthe population inFerguson, they comprisedmore than 85 percent ofthe traffic stops, betweenOctober 2012 and Octo-ber 2014. Once they werestopped, Blacks weretwice as likely to besearched than Whites, but26 percent less likely topossess contraband or il-legal substances.
Nearly 90 percent ofthe incidents where policeofficers used force in-volved Blacks, and in all 14uses of force involving acanine bite in which therace of the person bittenwas reported, the personwas African American. Be-tween October 2012 andJuly 2014.
“This deeply alarm-ing statistic points to oneof the most pernicious as-pects of the conduct ourinvestigation uncovered:that these policing prac-tices disproportionatelyharm African Americanresidents,” said Holder. “Infact, our review of the evi-dence found no alternativeexplanation for the dispro-portionate impact on Afri-can American residentsother than implicit and ex-plicit racial bias.”
Even though city of-ficials and Ferguson PoliceDepartment (FPD) officersattributed the individualexperiences of residentstrapped in the maze of themunicipal enforcement sys-tem to a lack of personal
continued from page 2
responsibility, they seemedto ignore the gaps in theirown professional account-ability to the system.
The Justice Depart-ment reported that,Ferguson police omittedcritical information fromthe citations, making itimpossible for a person toknow what offense theyare being charged for, “theamount of the fine owed,or whether a court appear-ance is required or somealternative method of pay-ment is available,” the re-port said.
“In some cases, cita-tions fail to indicate theoffense charged alto-gether; in November 2013,for instance, court staffwrote FPD patrol to ‘seewhat [a] ticket was for’because ‘it does not havea charge on it.’ In othercases, a ticket will indicatea charge, but omit othercrucial information. Forexample, speeding ticketsoften fail to indicate thealleged speed observed,even though both the fineowed and whether a court
appearance is mandatorydepends upon the specificspeed alleged.”
Not only did Fergusonpolice officers submit in-complete citations theyalso gave people thewrong dates and times forcourt appearances, in-creasing the likelihood thatthey would face additionalfines for failing to appearat the correct time.
“It is often difficultfor an individual who re-ceives a municipal citationor summons in Fergusonto know how much isowed, where and how topay the ticket, what theoptions for payment are,what rights the individualhas, and what the conse-quences are for variousactions or oversights,”said the report. “The ini-tial information providedto people who are cited forviolating Ferguson’s mu-nicipal code is often in-complete or inconsistent.Communication with mu-nicipal court defendants ishaphazard and known bythe court to be unreliable.
And the court’s proce-dures and operations areambiguous, are not writ-ten down, and are nottransparent or even avail-able to the public on thecourt’s website or else-where.”
The Justice Depart-ment recommended thatFerguson implement a ro-bust system of communitypolicing, prohibit the useof formal or informal tick-eting and arrest quotas,and encourage de-escala-tion and the use of mini-mal force necessary. Thedepartment also recom-mended that police offic-ers seek supervisory ap-proval before issuing mul-tiple citations and makingarrests in certain cases.
In the wake of the re-
port, two Ferguson policeofficers were forced to re-sign. The fate of Tom Jack-son, the chief of police, isstill uncertain.
Holder said that dia-logue, by itself, will not besufficient to address theseissues, because concreteaction is needed. However,initiating a broad, frank,and inclusive conversationis a necessary and produc-tive first step.
“It is time forFerguson’s leaders to takeimmediate, wholesale andstructural corrective ac-tion,” Holder said. “Let mebe clear: the United StatesDepartment of Justice re-serves all its rights andabilities to force compli-ance and implement basicchange.”
OU PresidentBoren Expells2 for Racist
Chant[ABC News] - The Uni-
versity of Oklahoma has ex-pelled two students in-volved in the singing of aracist chant in connectionwith an Sigma Alpha Epsilonfraternity event.
University of Okla-homa President DavidBoren said the studentswho played a leadershiprole had created a hostile
learning environment. Hesaid the chant was heard notonly by those on a bus, butalso affected the entire uni-versity community becauseit was also distributedthrough social media.
Boren said, “I haveemphasized that there iszero tolerance for this kindof threatening racist behav-ior at the University of Okla-homa. I hope that the en-tire nation will join us inhaving zero tolerance ofsuch racism when it raisesits ugly head in other situa-tions across our country. Iam extremely proud of thereaction and response ex-
pressed by our entire uni-versity family -students,faculty, staff, andalumni about this incident.They are “Real Sooners”who believe in mutual re-spect for all. I hope that stu-dents involved in this inci-dent will learn from thisexperience and realize thatit is wrong to use words tohurt, threaten, and excludeother people. We will con-tinue our investigation ofall the students engaged inthe singing of this chant.Once their identities havebeen confirmed, they willbe subject to appropriatedisciplinary action.”
Page 8 ~ March 13, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com
PROGRAMS ~ AWARENESS
We are celebrating Osie Mae King’s (Big Mama),100th Birthday Party at Givens Park, 3811 E. 12thStreet, Austin, Texas on Saturday March 14, 2015from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Osie Mae King was bornMarch 12, 1915, along with twin brother OtisDenmon to Nathan and Leeola Denmon, inSmithville, Texas.
BIG MAMA’S HOUSE!
Gary Clark Jr. bares his soul during a performance atthe Greek Theatre on November 1, 2014 in Los Angeles.Photo: Jeff Golden/WireImage.com
HT Holds12th Annual
MaskedBall Gala
by Naomi Richard |The Villager
AUSTIN, TX - The12th Annual President’sScholarship Masked Gala,one of Austin’s signaturefundraising galas and pre-mier social events, washeld March 7 at Austin’snew J.W. Marriott down-town. Founded 12 yearsago by name, the Gala washosted by local corporatesponsors. Its purpose is toinvolve celebrities, digni-taries, civic leaders, volun-teers, public officials andother supporters in thePresident’s Scholarship forHuston-Tillotson (HT) Uni-versity.
Grammy® Award win-ner and Austin’s own GaryClark, Jr. headlined theevening along withGrammy® Award winnerChrisette Michele. Bothartists were outstanding.
Clark won Best Tradi-tional R&B Performancefor Please Come Home in2014. The Villager News-paper sat down for an ex-clusive interview prior tothe HT gala.
We asked Mr. Clarkabout his musical career,“I’m from the Austin areaand always had a passionfor music. I always wantedto be a part. As a kid, Ikept pursuing my dreams.”
“Winning theGrammy® Award gave mea sense of relief and elimi-
nated a lot of doubt. It af-firmed that I was on theright path and gave astrong statement of ap-proval from my peers. Myfamily was there cheeringme on and that felt sogood. It was good to sharethe moment with thosewho dropped me off atmusic lessons!”
When asked abouthis advice to students as-piring to make it in themusic industry he said,“Make sure there’s nodoubt in your mind regard-ing your path. Stick to itthrough highs and lows.Trust in yourself and workhard. Stay focused and beconfident.”
During the recent“Grammy’s Tribute ToStevie Wonder,” Mr. Clarkwas a featured musicianalong with Beyoncé and EdSheeran. “That was ashock. Beyoncé’s peoplecalled my people and said‘Beyoncé wants you onthat stage!’ I felt sostrange. Stevie Wonder’smusic is so classic that I’vedeliberately stayed awayfrom it. It was a lot ofpressure to perform one ofhis songs while he was inthe audience.”
What excellent en-tertainment choices forH u s t o n - T i l l o t s o nUniversity’s annual gala.
Jazz Trumpeter Jeff LoftonReturns to One World Theatre
Jazz trumpeters arenot all created equal. Onestand-out in this class isAustin’s own Jeff Lofton.Lofton’s musical stylingsare often compared tothose of the late/greatMiles Davis. Lofton willperform a 1950’s MilesDavis Tribute at One WorldTheatre on March 28. Thevenue is located at 7701Bee Caves Road, Austin78746. In 2010, Loftongave a Miles Davis tributeat the same theatre anddrew a massive crowd al-though it occurred on theopening night of SXSW.The trumpter, composerand band leader had simi-lar success with a tributein 2007 at Austin’s iconicVictory Grill.
Lofton studied music
by Shirley Hammond |The Villager
in the birth state of DizzieGillespie, another jazztrumpeter of note. Hemoved to Austin in 2007.
According to Lofton’sofficial biography, he hasbeen often compared toDavis. His fans and musiccritics hint at his similar
style of music. Reviewersacross the state use termslike, “keepers of the origi-nal cool jazz flame,” “liv-ing history lesson,” andmore.
Lofton has gracedAustin venues and drawnjazz lovers to places likethe Blanton Museum UT,The Driskill Hotel, TheBelmont Hotel, Antoine’s,Scottish Rite Theatre, andeven the Barack Obamafundraiser at Victory Grill.He has also played at vari-ous venues both insideand outside the Lone Star
State.He has been in-
ducted into the Texas Mu-sic Museum, voted BestJazz Band at the AustinMusic Award during SXSW,and had a day (January 15,2009) named for him bythe City of Austin. In 2013-2014 he was voted BestHorn Player.
He and his band, JeffLofton Electric Thang, re-corded a live album atAustin’s Cactus Cafe.
Tickets can be pur-chased by telephone at888-616-0522 from Mon-day-Saturday from8:00am-9:00pm and Sun-day from 8:00am-8:00pm.They can be bought in per-son by appointment or 3hours before showtime atthe performance venue.
A brass instrument,the trumpet has the high-est register in its class.The Israelites, Egyptiansand Tibetians were re-ported to use the trumpetand pictures of the instru-ment was found in KingTut’s tomb.
Jeff Lofton with his handy trumpet. Photo Jeff Lofton staff
ADRN Grand Opening of HOPE FAMILYTHRIFT STORE Scheduled for Saturday,
March 14th, 2015 from 10AM – 6PM
Austin, TX – The Austin Disaster Relief Network(ADRN) is a Christian, non-profit organization that is madeup of 130 churches and over 3,800 trained volunteers thatsponsor families affected by disaster, great or small.
The Hope Family Thrift Store was created to helpADRN in their mission to support disaster survivors andfamilies. FMI visit www.hopefamilythrift.org
