TPATPATPATPATPATEXASPUBLISHERSASSOCIATION

Presorted StandardU.S. Postage Paid

Austin, TexasPermit No. 01949

INSIDEVol. 42 No.45 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: vil3202@aol.com March 27, 2015

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

TheAustinVillager.comTheAustinVillager.comThis paper can

be recycled

AUSTIN URBANMUSIC FESTIVAL

10th AnniversaryFriday ScheduleGates Open @ 3PM

4:00 Crucial ProphetsReggae Showcase

5:15 Power of Soul,STC Young Band

Project5:55 Jackie Venson

6:35 Troy Noka7:15 Sebastian Mikael8:15 Robert GlasperExperiment Feat. Lala

Hathaway &Musiq SoulChild

Saturday ScheduleGates Open @ 11:30AM

Noon – 1PM DjMix1:00 South Flavas

Neo-Soul Showcase1:35 KAZI 88.7fmUntapped Showcase

2:10 NYOB Soul TreeCollective Showcase

2:40 MuzikHertz SoulTree Collective

Showcase3:15 Blues BoyHubbard & theEastside Kings

4:00 Quentin MooreR&B Vocalist

Town LakeAuditorium Shores908 W. Riverside Dr.Austin, Texas 78704

For More Information, TransportationAlternatives & Parking visit

www.austinurbanmusicfestival.com

4:35 Power of SoulSTC Youth Band #9

5:15 Teri TobinR&B Vocalist

5:50 Calvin Richadson6:40 DougieFresh7:55 Eric Benet9:15 Blackstreet

Black ChambersAnnounce BlackBusiness Day at

the Capitol

AUSTIN – The TexasAssociation of AfricanAmerican Chambers ofCommerce, a statewidenetwork of nearly two-dozen Black chambers ofcommerce, recently an-nounced plans to demon-strate the value of Black-owned businesses to theTexas economy.

“We have watchedwith alarm as state spend-ing with Black-owned busi-nesses continues toerode,” noted TAAACCChairman Christopher Her-ring. “We also know thatunless legislators aremade aware of the situa-tion, the 84th Legislaturewill come and go withoutthis critical concern beingaddressed.”

During the most re-cent Texas budget, Black-owned businesses were

awarded contracts total-ing 1.22% of nearly $16billion, a significant dropin spending from the em-barrassingly low 1.63% re-corded in 2012.

“On Tuesday, March31, we are inviting all Blackbusiness owners fromacross the state to witnessthe signing of the 2015Memorandum of Coopera-tion,” Herring continued.“The MOC commits thesigning agencies to con-centrated efforts to im-prove spending with His-torically UnderutilizedBusinesses (HUBs). It issimply unacceptable thatBlack-owned businesseswere the only group amongHUB businesses to expe-rience a decline in thevalue of contracts sincethe 2012 budget. Black

See TAAACC, page 2

Dallas Congresswomanleads Medal of Honor

push forPearl Harbor Hero

Doris “Dorie” Miller

WASHINGTON —Doris “Dorie” Miller wasan unlikely hero — a messattendant, second class,from Waco whose raceprecluded him from serv-ing in a combat assign-ment.

But when the Japa-nese hit the USS West Vir-ginia at Pearl Harbor, hemanned a machine gunhe’d not been trained onand ended up pulling theship’s captain and manyothers to shelter.

His acts of courageearned him the NavyCross, the Navy’s second-

highest honor. But for de-cades, admirers have be-lieved Miller deserved thetop award: the Medal ofHonor.

Now Rep. EddieBernice Johnson, a fellowWaco native, is mountinga fresh effort to rectifywhat she sees as a histori-cal slight.

Johnson, D-Dallas, isbuilding a national com-mittee of 500 communityleaders, elected officialsand historians, and asmaller committee ofabout 30 that will work

See HERO, page 7

Free TaxPreparationavailable throughApril 15th across

Williamson County The W illiamson

County Financial StabilityCoalition will continue tooffer free tax preparationservices in WilliamsonCounty until April 15 tohouseholds earning lessthan $53,000 in 2014, andto senior citizens of all in-come levels. Tax sites arestaffed by IRS certified vol-unteers to help individualsand families file their 2014Federal Income Tax return.Sites are located in CedarPark, Georgetown, Hutto,Jarrell, Leander, LibertyHill, Round Rock and Tay-lor.

There are no hiddencosts and no appointmentis necessary to meet witha tax preparer. All returnsare filed electronically.

Taxpayers will needto bring a Valid driver’s li-cense or photo ID, all W-2’s and 1099 Forms, SocialSecurity Cards for taxpay-ers and all dependents,Birthdates for all depen-dents, Day Care Receiptsand Provider ID #, Educa-tion Receipts and otherinformation may apply.

Bank Account # andRouting # for direct de-posit (a voided check isbest) is required.

For additional infor-mation on the free taxsites call 512-255-6799.

Community leadersacknowledged forexceptional labors.

See AKAPage 7

Panelists discussgentrification gaps.

See WOMENPage 6

Heavyweight gospelvocalist celebratesAustin’s iconic choir.

See JAMESPage 3

Senator Cruzannounces runfor President

Texas Senator Ted Cruzmade his official an-nouncement on Monday (3/24/15) that he is running forPresident of the UnitedStates in 2016. Cruz is in hisfirst term as Senator, butthere is no doubt that he hasbeen running for presidentfrom his first day inWashington. One of the harshest criticsof President BarackObama, Cruz never passesup the opportunity to speakout against the presidentseveral times a day. One ofthe issues that he hasannounced as one of themajor issues of his campaignis to overturn The AffordableCare Act (Obama Care) assoon as he is sworn intooffice. One thing that the Senatorshould be asked on thecampaign trail is what willhappen to the millions ofAmericans who are currentlysigned up for the program?Many of these citizens wereunable to have health carecoverage before ACA andwill be ineligible for coveragein the traditional way if theprogram is cancelled. Cruz is trying to get ahead start on the rest of theRepublican candidates whowill be vying to represent theparty. But he will get an earlyexample of how his statuswill change during thecampaign. One of theimmediate examples of thisis an article that was writtenthis week by AndyBorowitz, in New York. In the article he writesthat President Obama signedan executive order makingCruz ineligible for coverageunder the Affordable CareAct. This order would be forSenator Ted Cruzspecifically. Whether theevent is real or imagined, itdemonstrates how thegloves are taken off whenyou take on the race forPresident. Another issue that willfollow Cruz around iswhether or not he is eligibleto run for president since hewas not born in this country.Let’s see if someone in theRepublican Party will ask tosee his Birth Certificate.

EricBenet

Mus

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

Mavis!PremiersDuringSXSW

by Naomi Richard

The Austin Villager

The film Mavis! is thefirst documentary on gos-pel/soul music legend andcivil rights icon MavisStaples and her familygroup, The Staple Singers.Featuring powerful liveperformances and conver-sations with friends andcontemporaries includingBob Dylan, Prince, BonnieRaitt, Levon Helm, JeffTweedy, Chuck D, andmore, Mavis! reveals thestruggles, successes, andintimate stories of her jour-ney. Through 60 years ofperforming, crossing musi-cal genres and societalshifts, Mavis has trans-formed herself along theway but has never forgot-ten the importance of fam-ily. At 75, she’s making themost vital music of her ca-reer, and her message oflove and equality is needednow more than ever.

REVIEW: Set inAustin’s quaint and verypersonal Paramount The-atre, SXSW Film music lov-ers filled the audience tosee Mavis! To our surprise,in walks Mavis Staples towatch the film for the firsttime along with us. Not onlydid she watch the film, sheand her guitarist RickHolmstrom performed twosongs at the end of theshow.

If you want to knowthe rich history and amaz-ing journey of what’s beenlabeled “The Sound of TheCivil Rights Movement,”this is a must see film. Thefilm documents Ms. Staplesrise to fame as a solo artist,as well as her beginnings asa member of The StapleSingers. She and her familyreleased the first GospelAlbum to sell a million cop-ies. Ultimately, their careerwould extend across manygenres of music.

Clips are shown ofconcerts performedthroughout her career. Thetime and effort made to lo-cate these incredible bits ofhistory was well worth it.There were also sound bitesfrom those who experi-enced the climb to stardomlike Bonnie Raitt, Chuck D,Bob Dylan, Marty Stuart andCivil Rights Activist JulianBond. The end result is acompilation of music his-tory that is now etched inour history.

Mavis Staples(Photo credit Naomi Richard)

Business Day at the Capitol gives Black businessowners the opportunity to demonstrate their value tothe Texas economy.”

TAAACC works closely with legislators and agencyofficials to develop strategies that result in increasedspending. Over the past two years, the organization hashosted Professional Services Roundtables in venuesacross the state, bringing agency procurement staff,HUB coordinators and business owners together to learnabout upcoming opportunities, certification and the bid-ding process.

“We have crisscrossed the state in an effort toincrease spending,” noted TAAACC past chairman JimWyatt. “From the Permian Basin in west Texas, to Tylerin east Texas, Fort Worth, Killeen, Houston, Dallas…wehave delivered the message that increased utilizationof Black-owned businesses is essential to the health ofcommunities across the state. Without question, ourefforts have resulted in increased awareness for stateagencies and business owners.”

“We are counting on Black business owners andconcerned Texans to show up in strong numbers onMarch 31,” said Herring. “We’ve all heard the sayingthat the squeaky wheel gets the grease…well, unlesswe show up in record numbers the wheels of Black-owned businesses will fall off completely!”

WHAT: Black Business Day at the CapitolWHEN: Tuesday, March 31, 2015 – 10AMWHERE: Texas State Capitol Auditorium – ROOM E1.004

TAAACC DevelopsStrategies for IncreasedSpending with BlackBusinesses continued from page 1

Texas Relays & Fan FestEvents Set for Saturday

Fan Fest 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.Live music, Food, Autograph sessions,Interactive games, Exclusive Texas Relaysmerchandise and more.

Field Events:Prelims and Finals(Morning Session)

@9(Afternoon Session)

@Noon

Mike A. Myers Stadium707 Clyde Littlefield Dr, Austin, TX 78705

Running Events:Prelims and Finals(Morning Session)

@8:15(Afternoon Session)

@Noon

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Follow TX Relays for Non-Stop ActionTwitter #TXRelays15

@UTexasTrack | @TexasSports

City ofAustin andUT Austin

to Host 2015Texas Relays

Receptionand News

Conference

Dr. Vincent Mayor Adler

Event: Reception and news conference for the 88thannual Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. Sponsors includeThe University of Texas at Austin’s Division of Diversityand Community Engagement, Texas Men’s and Women’sAthletics, and the City of Austin.

When: Reception, 5-8 p.m., Friday, March 27; newsconference begins at 5:45 p.m.

Where: Google Fiber Community Facility, 201Colorado St.

Background: The reception honors the commit-ment that the university, the City of Austin and commu-nity leaders make to promoting cultural diversity andengagement during the historic Texas Relays event.

For more information, contact: Jessica Sinn, Di-vision of Diversity and Community Engagement, 512-232-4471; City of Austin Communications & Public In-formation Office, 512-974-2220.

News conferencespeakers include StevePatterson, Texas men’sathletics director; ChrisPlonsky, Texas women’sathletics director; Dr. Gre-gory Vincent, vice presi-dent for diversity and com-munity engagement; SteveAdler, mayor, City of Aus-tin; Marc Ott, city man-ager, City of Austin.

The reception will fea-ture opening remarks byAnthony Snipes, assistantcity manager, City of Aus-tin; Mark Strama, head ofGoogle Fiber’s Austin op-erations; and TeddyMcDaniel, affiliate chiefexecutive officer of theAustin Area Urban League.Kevin Carr, founder andchief executive officer ofPRO2CEO, will serve as

guest speaker.Entertainment will be

provided by Ballet AfriqueContemporary Dance Com-pany and Austin radio per-sonality/host DJ Kay Cali.

The City of Austin andthe Division of Diversityand Community Engage-ment have been workingwith the community andlocal organizations to ex-

tend an enthusiastic wel-come to athletes visitingfor the Clyde LittlefieldTexas Relays, an annualtrack and field meet atMike A. Myers Stadium.The predominantly AfricanAmerican crowd draws anestimated $8 million intourism dollars to Austin.The 2015 relays are sched-uled for March 25-28.

AUSTIN, Texas – Mi-cro-units are coming toAustin in a macro way.Spire, Austin’s largest-scale, micro-unit project todate is scheduled to beginconstruction in early 2016on more than 260 units atEast Fifth and Wallerstreets.

The five-story Spirecommunity will includebelow ground parking, ap-proximately 6,500 squarefeet of street-level retailand live-work space along5th Street, and four floorsof income-qualifying andmarket-rate micro-unitsthat will surround a centralcourtyard.

Developed by SpireEast Fifth LP in partnershipwith Kelly Grossman Archi-tects, Big Red Dog Engi-neering and dwg Land-

scape Architects the Spiremulti-family community isdesigned and tailored spe-cifically to the PlazaSaltillo Transit OrientedDevelopment plan.

Approximately 25percent of the micro-unitswill be reserved for thosewho earn 50 to 70 percentless than Austin’s medianfamily income (MFI).Spire’s income-qualifyingunits are anticipated torange from less than $400a month to a little morethan $500 per month.Other unit rents will bedetermined after Spire’sgroundbreaking, which isslated for early 2016.

Spire also plans tomake several street andsidewalk improvements,including additional streetlighting, wider sidewalksand public art displays.

Units at Spire will fea-ture a fully functionalkitchen and open-conceptliving room, with tall ceil-ings and large windows —all within approximately400 square feet.

“Spire is providing acritical component tohousing for Austin,” saidTerry Mitchell, founder andPresident of Momark De-velopment and a CapitalMetro board member. “Lo-cating needed residentialcommunities such as Spireaccomplishes two pur-poses: it offers reason-ably-priced housing soneeded in our urban core,and, by locating housingnear jobs, it serves as atransportation improve-ment as residents can getto work without accessingoverburdened freewaysand major arterial roads.”

Austin’s First Large-Scale, Micro-UnitCommunity Planned for East Austin

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/March 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

Happy BirthdayMs. Alice!

It’s that time again to help Ms. Alice Hollandcelebrate her birthday!!! On March 26th, she willbe 105 years young. What a blessing it is for ourfamily to have such a matriarch living amongst usand to share memories with. We are so proud thatshe is still living and in good health. We haveplenty of memories growing up and will cherishall the memories that we create with her from thisday forth. She is the mother of Bertha HollandJohnson & Bobbie Holland French (deceased). Ms.Alice resides with her youngest daughter Berthahere in Austin, TX.

St. James MBC Setto Celebrate 57th

Choir AnnualBy Naomi Richard

On Sunday March 29,2015 at 5:07 p.m., St.James Missionary BaptistChurch will celebrate its57th Choir Annual underthe leadership of PastorB.W. McClendon, choirpresident Billy Steen andchoir director Claudia Wil-liams. In true St. Jamesstyle, they’re bringing oneof the top heavyweights inGospel music to raise thepraise, Stellar Award Win-ner Vickie Winans!

The St. James MassChoir has a legacy of be-ing one of the best Gos-pel choirs in Central Texasbacking up such Gospellegends as DonaldLawrence, RichardSmallwood, AlexisSpeight, Chester D. T.Baldwin, Earnest Pugh,Kim McFarland, AlbertinaWalker, Le’Andria Johnsonand The Clark Sisters. Ad-ditionally the choir has re-corded 4 projects over theyears and they havetoured around the country.How appropriate this yearto celebrate their 57th

Choir Annual with the in-credibly talented VickieWinans who loves beingsurrounded by largechoirs.

According to herwebsite, Vickie Winans(born Vickie Bowman)was born October 18, 1953and the 7th of 12 children.Who knew that a Billboard-charting Gospel iconwould be found in VickieBowman. While singingher first solo in church atthe age of 8, it’s certainthat Aaron and MattieBowman saw somethingspecial in their daughter.

Growing up in church inDetroit, MI, she honed herskills and belted out songsstunning audiences timeand time again. Eventually,she connected with theWinans family who helpedher get her start.

On the path to gospelsuperstardom, Winans re-leased one hit after an-other. Decades later,Vickie Winans is not onlyknown as an award-win-ning Gospel recording art-ist, but she’s revered as aconsummate businesswoman that heads upViviane, Inc. where shemanages herself andbooks hundreds of showsper year. She is also thePresident of her ownrecord label, Destiny JoyRecords. A producer, direc-tor, songwriter, actressand comedienne as well,Winans does everything inexcellence.

Winans is one of thebest-known artists in Gos-pel music with signaturesongs such as “How I GotOver,” “Shake YourselfLoose,” “As Long As I GotKing Jesus” and “We ShallBehold Him” to her credit.Winans has been profiledin Ebony magazine, USAToday and the AssociatedPress. Her profile on BET’sSunday morning TV series“Lift Every Voice” remainsthe most watched episodein that program’s historywith over 800,000 viewers.

Don’t miss this musicalcelebration happening March29, 2015 at 5:07 p.m. at St.James Missionary BaptistChurch located at 3417 E.Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.Austin, TX.

History of SXSW By: William Purcell

AUSTIN, TX - SXSW hasalways been one of the bestthings about living in Aus-tin, Texas. It is a great placeto hang out with friends andfamily, meet celebrities,attend your favorite musicartist’s concert, watch manymovies, and observe theconventions. I attendedthis year and was able to goto my first movie world pre-miere where I saw the starsof the film.

In July 1986, the orga-nizers of the New YorkCity music festival NewMusic Seminar contactedRoland Swenson, a stafferat the alternativeweekly The AustinChronicle, about organizingan extension of that festi-val into Austin after havingannounced that they weregoing to hold a “New MusicSeminar Southwest”. Theplans did not materialize,so Swenson decided to in-stead co-organize a localmusic festival, with thehelp of two other people atthe Chronicle: editor and

co-founder Louis Black, andpublisher Nick Barbaro.Black was the one to comeup with the name, takinginspiration from the AlfredHitchcock film, “North byNorthwest”.

The very first SXSWevent took place in 1987,where the attendancenumber reached over 700,versus the expected 150. In1993, the main festival wasmoved to the Austin Conven-tion Center where it is stillheld today and in 1994 SXSWadded a component for filmand other media, named the“SXSW Film and MultimediaConference” where musicianJohnny Cash served as thekeynote speaker. As of now,SXSW has been split into 3sections; “SXSW Film”,“SXSW Interactive”, and“SXSW Music”.

SXSW is one of themany highlights of Austin,Texas where people fromall across the world come toparticipate and will remaina major staple in the Austincommunity.

Vickie Winans (Photo credit: NaomiRichard for J. Spivey Productions)

YOUTH BRIGADEYouth of Today

Hope of Tomorrow Black RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack RegistryBlack Registry

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

My First College Tour

Wesley DickersonCedar Ridge H. S.

Over this past springbreak I was able to go onmy first college visit whileon vacation in New Or-leans, Louisiana. The col-lege campus that I visitedwas the campus of TulaneUniversity. Tulane is lo-cated in the suburbs ofNew Orleans right acrossfrom beautiful AudubonPark, which is home to theNew Orleans Zoo. Tulaneis also located right nextto Loyola, another majoruniversity in New Orleans.Tulane was very easy toget to via the trolleystreetcar system, whichallows you to see almostall of New Orleans in oneride for a low fee.

My visit to Tulanestarted at two o’clock inthe afternoon and beganat the front entrance ofthe school. From the startthe campus looked veryinviting and was very visu-ally appealing. At the be-ginning of the campus tourwe went into a room thatwas showing a video clip

that included aspects ofcampus life and also hadinterviews from studentsat the university. I foundit interesting to see andhear the perspectives ofmultiple students fromthe school. After the videowe were spoken to by arepresentative from theschool who gave all thehigh school studentspresent an in depth minilecture about more as-pects of the university in-cluding financial aid,scholarship opportunities,and personal experiences.

We left the class-room and selected our tourguides for our campus tour.When given this opportu-nity I suggest picking an en-ergetic tour guide who isexcited to be there, in myopinion I think it makes theexperience much more en-joyable. As far as the cam-pus goes it was beautiful.There were palm trees ev-erywhere, multiple grassfields for student to be ac-tive upon as well as manyimpressive buildings thatlooked very inviting. Myoverall impression of thecampus was that it was verycomfortable. I felt at homeand that I was in a greatplace where I could work,play, and enjoy doingboth. Although I am only asophomore I am stronglyconsidering Tulane as apotential college for me toattend, and for those in-terested or still looking forschools I would stronglyconsider making Tulane anoption.

Great News!

SaNaya WhiteCedars Int’l Academy

I received my accep-tance letter into the AnnRichards School for youngwomen leaders this week!!I heard nothing but goodthings about the school andI was happy to get my let-ter. A church family memberused to be a supervisor atthe Ann Richards Schooland they said they loved it

and could be there all day. Iwas cleaning my petferret ’s cage on Sundaywhen I received the letter. Ijust happened to check themail and there it was, theletter that might change theschool I went to I thought. Iran in the house to my momsaying “It’s here, the letterfrom Ann Richards!”

Then we went to mygrandparents’ house so Icould open the letter andwhen I did open it I was veryexcited because I had madeit in! In the packet therewere plastic confetti stars inthe envelope to congratu-late me and we glued themto the paper that printed “Iam now an Ann Richardsgirl.” Afterwards we put thepaper in a frame and nowwhen I walk by it I say I can’twait to start 6th grade nextyear! YAAYY!

Insurgent Movie Review

Ira “T.J.” WilliamsRidgeview M. S.On Friday, March 20,

“Insurgent”, the sequel tothe world-wide phenom-enon “Divergent”, came tomovie theaters everywhere.The cinema was full of teen-agers waiting anxiously forthe movie to start. When thefilm began, the whole audi-torium went silent.

“Insurgent” was a de-cent movie but wasn’t as

good as “Divergent”. “Insur-gent” was very entertainingand its action scenes kept meon the edge of my seat. It hadan equal amount of dramabut, unlike the first movie,the plot moved at a choppypace. The actors also lackedthe enthusiasm they had in“Divergent”. “Insurgent”didn’t show very much char-acter development for any-one but the main character,Tris.

I recommend thismovie to people who havealready seen the first moviebecause they can followthe story’s plot. Insurgent ismeant to attract teenageaudiences but adults maylike it too. “Insurgent” israted PG-13 and has somematerial that isn’t suitablefor children. I enjoyed In-surgent but I hope the di-rector does a better job onthe third movie.

High Noon Showdown 2015!

Latrice LipscombManor High School

W.A.M.M NationDrumline has finally madeit to the big all time compe-tition of the year! March28th, 2015 marks the Hous-ton, Texas battle ofDrumlines and you don’twant to miss it. W.A.M.MNation would like everyone

to come out and support usin our victory. For locationinformation you can contactme by my email,Latrice.Lipscomb29@edu.manorisd.net.We will be going up against11 high schools in the highschool division and are notonly ready to win 1st placebut overall category aswell!

I am so anxious to seewhat our competitors canbring to the table. We’vebeen working really hardand with our loss to VictoryPrep last competition, it’stime to show that some-times predators will letlittle fish go in order to catchthe big fish. This Saturday,W.A.M.M Nation Drumlineis going fishing and we’rebringing back the every tro-phy there!

Kiara MyersVista Ridge H. S.

Peer Assistance and Leadership

Peer Assistance andLeadership, also known asPALs, is a group located onmost high school campuses.It is comprised of Juniorsand Seniors who go out tosub campuses and mentoryounger students. It ’s afairly popular program andis very successful at build-ing healthy relationshipsbetween older and youngerstudents.

PALs are not onlymentors, but they’refriends. We strive to relate

to our mentees and ap-proach them in a way wherea good trust can be built. Iremember when I wasyounger; there was nothingcooler than a high school kidactually wanting to talk meor showing that they cared.It gives the children confi-dence when they are ableto handle mature relation-ships and communicate ef-fectively.

Another importantpart of the PALs program isLeadership. A PAL must be-come a role model for thepeople around them andrepresent themselves wellat all moments. Especiallywith the growth of socialmedia, it’s crucial to moni-tor the content of posts be-cause you never know whocan see your activity. It hasbeen very rewarding beinga part of the PALs program,and I think it has taught meso much about myself. Ev-erybody could use anotherfriend!

www.TheAustinVillager.com

@TheVillagerATX

Kevin ParishPark Crest M.S.

Spring Break

I had a great SpringBreak! When we got out ofschool I immediately askedmy mom if I can spend thenight at my friend’s house,

she slowly said “yes”. I waswaiting all day just to go tohis house. Also duringSpring Break I played myPS3, slept, I hung out withmy friends, and watchedmovies.

Another thing I didwas go to Jump Street withtwo other friends; it wasn’tanything special we wentthere just to have fun. Nowsince Spring Break is gone itis time to get extra seriousabout school. I am plainingto pass every class and theSTAAR test. I hope you cando the same at your schooltoo. Go Pumas!

Snake Farm

Montrae NelsonRiverplace Elementary

Hello everyone, thisweek I went to the SnakeFarm in New Braunfels. Iwas so excited and so weremy brothers. It took sometime to get there but wemade it there safely. Beforewe walked into the build-ing there were chickenswalking around digging androosters walking and crow-ing loud! When we wentinside there were so manysnakes! They were in indi-vidual containers behind awire screen. I saw rattlessnakes, a viper, boa con-

strictor, python, differentcolored milk snakes, somesnakes were poisonous andon the ten most deadliestsnake list!

There were otheranimals there too, lizards,zebras, parrots, otters, alli-gators, turtles, capybarawhich is one of the largestrodents and they were out-side in their own sections.There was a petting zooarea where you could buyfood to feed to the smallpigs and goats that walkedaround. One of the employ-ees brought out a white andyellow boa constrictor andwe were able to touch it.We also saw a young capu-chin monkey who was be-ing trained so he could bein future shows.

There was so much tosee and we looked at everyanimal and bought some sou-venirs from the gift shop. Ipicked out some nice rockswith different designs, colorsand shapes on them. I had alot of fun at the Snake Farm.

Spring Break

De’Ja HillLamar Middle School

Hello Readers,This week was not too

eventful, in fact there wasonly two things that I did that

were fun. The first fun thingI did was spend time with mydad, we got to spend a lot oftime together. The otherthing was spending timewith my nieces and neph-ews. I found out that two ofmy nieces are enrolled in ahip-hop dance class so thatcaught my attention. I toldmy mom that I would like tobe in the class to0, so she isgoing to check into it for me.

The rest of my springbreak I spent laying around,watching movies, and think-ing about the dance routinewe will be doing whenschool starts back.

Zyon HillReagan High School

Hello

Hello Readers,I really do not have too

much to talk about thisweek because of springbreak I did not do anything.My spring break was a goodone to me because I got torelax. I played basketball,hung out with some friends,spent some time with myfather, and my nieces andnephews.

The most importantthing to me was the muchneeded relaxation. Nowthat spring break is over it istime to get back to the books.

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

I am highly disap-pointed that Spring Breakis over but it’s time to goback to school. Since I amin 8th grade this year Ihave to take my ReadingSTAAR test on April 1st. Myteacher Mrs. Doyle hasprepared us for this testand anything that comesour way.

After the ReadingSTAAR test my class andthe rest of the school has

Zachariah WashingtonCedars Academy

to prepare for the rest ofthe subject test like SocialStudies, Science and Math.For the STAAR my teachersmake the school reviewpackets for each tek thatwe learn. The main STAARtest subject that I am readyand prepared for is SocialStudies because that is myfavorite subject and theone I excel the most in.

After the STAAR allmy teachers say thatthings are going to go backto the way things used tobe. They say after theSTAAR we will go back toproject based learningwhere we learn teks likeSpace Science, Life Sci-ence with projects l ikemaking models of cellsand making models of theUniverse and the differenttypes of Galaxies. W ishme luck on the STAAR andI will do the same to allthe readers that have totake the STAAR test.

Spring Break is Over

Alon RodgersHendrickson H. S.

Tennis Tournament

Hendrickson’s “BigEvent” on Friday the 13thwas coordinated by Assis-tant Principal ZackKleypas. Over the courseof the year he enlisted thesupport of students andstaff to take part on theday before Spring Break.Over 1,500 participatingstudents and their accom-panying staff sponsorwere bused into the com-munity to various loca-tions such as LakePflugervil le, parks andtrails, neighborhood com-

munity centers, and otherdesignated locations. Atthose job sites studentsperformed safe, studentfriendly community ser-vice such as; picking uptrash, cleaning benchesand plays capes, sweep-ing, shoveling, spreadingmulch, etc. Any studentnot participating experi-enced a normal school dayon campus.

Hendrickson varsitybaseball is 14-15 on theyear and 0-2 in District 13competition. They will beplaying at the Dell Dia-mond this week but by thetime you read this it willbe over. The softball teamis 4-2 overall and in district1-1. Boys soccer is 7-10-4overall and 3-7-3 in dis-trict. Girls soccer is 9-4-2overall and in district 6-2-2. Bi-district is Friday.

We are in the last 50days of school. Events thisweek include: Friday:Baseball vs. Cedar Ridge;Softball vs. Rouse; VarsityTennis Tournament.

Texas Workforce CommissionCo-Sponsors 2015 Texas

Science and Engineering Fairwith ExxonMobil

AUSTIN – More than 1,100 Texas middle and highschool students will display their outstanding projectsat the 2015 Texas Science and Engineering Fair. TheTexas Workforce Commission (TWC) continues its com-mitment to the success of tomorrow’s workforce by co-sponsoring the event for the 14th consecutive year.

The fair, which is being hosted by The Universityof Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), begins with early check-in in on Thursday, March 26 and culminates with a jun-ior division awards presentation on Saturday, March 28and a senior division awards presentation on Sunday,March 29 at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Centerin San Antonio. “The Texas Workforce Commission isproud to sponsor this event, which showcases the tal-ent and hard work of Texas students,” said TWC Chair-man Andres Alcantar, who will address the students atthe awards ceremony. “The students’ participation inthis competition will help them unlock their potentialfor future science, technology, engineering and math-ematics (STEM) careers.”

“This event brings out the best and the brightest

students of all backgrounds,” said TWC CommissionerRepresenting Labor Ronny Congleton. “Our hope is thatthese young people become inspired to continue to usethose skills once they enter Texas’ workforce.”

The Texas Science and Engineering Fair is officiallysanctioned by the Society for Science & the Public, theannual host of the Intel International Science and Engi-neering Fair. Awards will be presented to students in17 project categories in each of two divisions.

“We want to ignite a passion for discovery amongyoung people across Texas,” said TWC Commissioner Rep-resenting Employers Hope Andrade. “TWC is committedto providing a setting in which outstanding students canshowcase their research projects in the STEM fields.”

Winners from the science fair’s senior division willqualify for the Intel ISEF competition in Pittsburgh inMay and will also earn a spot at the Texas Governor’sScience and Technology Champions Academy, aweeklong residential summer camp, also sponsored byTWC, which will be held this summer at Texas A&MUniversity.

Getting My Teeth Pulled

Hannah RobertsonConnally High School

This past week I had togo to the dentist, not youraverage spring break activ-ity but it was necessary andtherefore good. I’ve beenneeding my wisdom teethtaken out but because ofschool, track and volleyball,

I hadn’t had the time. Theyhad been hurting for awhile so I was actually look-ing forward to having themtaken out.

The good part of thewhole experience was a lotof my friends and team-mates came to my houseand brought me snow conesand Ice-cream. They alsowatched movies with me. Itshowed me true friendship,those who care about youshould come see about youwhen you’re at your lowest.Because of the pain medi-cine I was taken, I actuallyfell asleep on them but theyjust took a nap with me.Although going to the den-tist was not pleasant, hav-ing my friends come overreally made my SpringBreak, That’s Friendship.

Sarah RobertsonAthlos Leadership Acad.

South by Southwest

South by Southwest(SXSW) is an annual eventin Austin, featuring music,film and interactive confer-ences. Part of the eventwas held at the Austin Con-vention Center, and I wasable to go with other report-ers and a couple of friends.

Also, on Friday at thePromiseLand Church as partof the SXSW events therewas a Christian concert fea-turing performers like KirkFranklin, The Wall group,Da’Truth, 5ive, and someothers.

The concert was reallygood and exciting. Theevent was designed for thegeneration of today aboutfocusing on Christ. This ex-perience was encouragingand inspiring to me. I at-tended SXSW Christian con-cert last year and was look-ing forward to this year’sconcert and this year didnot disappoint. I hope thatnext year that more peoplebe able to attend the SXSWespecially the Christian con-cert and I can go more events.

An African AmericanDiversity Forum

Join us on April 6, 2015 for a presentation led byour CEO George Miller that will highlight the programsand services CommUnityCare has to offer. Come learnabout how we are serving the African American Com-munity There will also be an opportunity to share yourfeedback with us on how we can better outreach to thecommunity.

Dinner and refreshments will be served. PleaseRSVP for you and up to 1 guest by 4/1 at:communityrelations@communitycaretx.org

When: April 6, 2015 6:00pm – 8:00pmWhere: 2115 Kramer Ln, Suite #100 Austin, Texas

78758

Austin, TX – Register voters for the May 9, 2015 JointGeneral and Special Election now by becoming a VolunteerDeputy Registrar. To volunteer, you must be age 18 or olderand attend a one-hour training session. Training takes placeTuesday, April 7, 2015 at 10:30 a.m., 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.at the main Travis County Tax Office, 5501 Airport Blvd., Aus-tin, TX 78751.

Volunteers help citizens register to vote, promote voterregistration at community events and within social networks,distribute voter registration applications and confirm that ap-plications are completed correctly, issue an official receipt asproof of registration, and deliver applications to the Voter Reg-istrar within five days of completion.

The deadline to register to vote for the May 9, 2015 JointGeneral and Special Election is Thursday, April 9, 2015. Formore information, please visit www.traviscountytax.org or call(512) 854-9473.

April Training Date Announced

Become a VolunteerDeputy Registrar

APD, AUSTIN SPURSInvite Youth to Free

Basketball Clinic“Creating Community Stars”The clinic will take place Saturday,

April 18, 2015.

The Austin Police De-partment, Police ActivitiesLeague of Austin (PAL) andAustin Spurs Basketballteam invite boys and girlsbetween the ages of 10and 18 years of age to reg-ister for a free basketballclinic on Saturday, April 18,2015 at Kealing MiddleSchool.

Youth are invited tocome out for a fun day ofimproving their basketballskills and learning from APDofficers, Kealing Men’s Pro-gram, high school coaches,

players and college ath-letes. Breakfast, lunch anda snack will be provided.

Register by Saturday,April 4, 2015 by calling DeeGonzales, Kealing ParentSupport Specialist (512)414-6700 or by emailingdee.gonzales@austinisd.org.

Free YouthBasketball Clinic

Saturday, April 18, 20159 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Kealing M. S., Gym1607 Pennsylvania Ave.,

Austin, TX 78702

ConnectedYouth at

the AustinPublic

LibraryThe Connected

Youth project is funded bya grant from the Michael& Susan Dell Foundation.Connected Youth Centersserve those ages 10 to18. (Up to your 18th birth-day, when you can get anAdult APL card.) These

computer centers are setaside for young people,and have special servicesavailable.

Each center isstaffed with librariansand interns who can as-sist users with their tech-nological and informa-tional needs. Youngpeople in the ConnectedYouth Centers are en-couraged to read and dis-cover library resources,get to know library staff,and find a place for them-selves within the library.

You can do manythings at a ConnectedYouth center. We offer ac-

tivities, crafts, and assis-tance as you explore yourinterests. Printing is freeat Connected Youth cen-ters, making them a

Programs, activities,and events encourage:

* Individual empowerment& leadership

* Collaboration &teamwork

* Role-modeling* Diversity of interests

& technologies

great place to do yourhomework as well as en-joy free time.

Locations: Con-nected Youth Centers

Each of the locationsbelow has a dedicatedConnected Youth Center,where young people 10-18can enjoy the servicesmentioned above.*Faulk Central Library*Carver Branch*Manchaca RoadBranch*Ruiz Branch*Southeast AustinCommunity Branch*St.John Branch*Terrazas Branch*University Hills Branch*Willie Mae Kirk Branch*Windsor Park Branch

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

Ending Women’s Month

As we close out the month of March, “Women’s Month”, the Annual Women’sForum was held on March 22. The Annual Women’s Forum seeks to bring womenand men of all races and ethnicities together in order to discuss and find solu-tions for women’ issues. According to the United Nation, “No nation has beenable to bridge the gender gap between women and men.” Thus, it is relevant todiscuss the issues that a woman may face in the various aspects of politics,education, immigration and gentrification.

The panelists came from various fields, such as: business, politics, com-munity organizers, and the social services. For instance, Eloise Sepeda who hasher own ministry spoke eloquently on both how gentrification affect women andthe family along with a focus on education. In terms of politics, Chantal Eldridgewho is running for 450th District Court introduced herself and also mentionedthat, “I was the only woman running for this Criminal Court and can bring De-fense Attorney perspectives to the bench.” Finally, Cecilia the owner of RemiRoots focused on the various nuances of women in business.

According to the organizational committee of Diaspora, at least 35 peopleattended this event. Although the majority of the attendees were women, therewere also a few men in attendance. For instance, Ibrahim Tembe who is a localpoet and writer mentioned that, “It is important for men to support women is-sues.” Furthermore, this event was free due to the fact several small businesswomen entrepreneurs, like Alka Bhanot and Deborah Winegarten made it pos-sible for this to happen

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

(Left to Right) Damon Miller Jr, Ibrahim, Ibrahim Checkron Azariah Tembe,Chantal Eldridge, Eloise Sepeda, Wendy Kalthoff, and Natasha Sharma.Photos by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

CedarPark

MunicipalElections

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon

On May 19, 2015, theresidents of Cedar Park,Texas will be going to thepolls to vote for variousmembers of their CityCouncil. Cedar Park is lo-cated North-West of Aus-tin, which covers bothWilliamson and TravisCounty. In the past de-cade, Cedar Park has seendramatic populationgrowth and increase. Ac-cording to the 2013 UnitedStates census, there areabout 59,000 people livingin Cedar Park, Texas.

The growing city ofCedar Park, will be votingfor three new City Councilseats. For Place 1, BobLemon will be facing

Dr. Thakkar (Board Member), Harish Kotecha (Founder of Hindu Charities) andDinesh Vakharia (Scholarship Program).

Stephen Thomas. ForPlace 3, Melissa Cowartwill be facing LymesGrimes; and finally forPlace 5, Mario L Tamalowill be facing Jon Lux.Moreover Place 3 will bean interesting race to fol-low.

In Place 3, the incum-bent Lyle Grimes will befacing the challenger Me-lissa Cowart. AlthoughLyle Grimes the incum-bent, was appointed to the

position. In other words,he has never been on theballot. Therefore, MelissaCowart and her team be-lieve that they are at, “anequal standing.” Melissaa wife and mother is alongtime resident of CedarPark. In addition, she is abusiness owner. Althoughit is a nonpartisan race,she has a backgroundsimilar to John Bucy, whoran as a Democrat for theTexas House District 136.

Kim Collins Gilby, Melissa Cowart and John Bucy.

Hindu Charities Seek toExpand to Other Communities

In 2010, the Hindu Charities was founded in Austin, Texas. According to thefounders, “It was conceived for the purpose of providing the Indian American com-munities across the United States an opportunity to give back to the communitieswho have embraced and given us the chance to prosper. It has launched variousinitiatives to help Indian communities in the USA to get involved in giving back totheir local societies.”

Although the Hindu Charities first launched in the growing Indian AmericanDiaspora, it now seeks to get individuals of all races/ethnicity on its board. Notonly does it seek to have a broad base board membership but, it also seeks to get adiverse group of individuals involved through volunteering or helping with it variousactivities and programs.

The goal of the Hindu Charities is to help with the, “Education of the homelesschildren in America.” Since its foundation, they have donated numerous schoolsupplies to Austin Community College and to various Independent School Districtsin the Central Texas area. For instance, they have donated scholarships of $500dollars each to 15 ACC students; along with scholarship of $500 dollars each to 15Manor ISD students; and $1,000 dollars each to 10 students of Capital Idea. There-fore, the Hindu Charities are making great efforts help with the education of stu-dents in many communities.

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

U.S. Supreme Court Hears:CONFEDERATE LICENSE PLATE CASE

Texas NAACPStatement

Austin, TX – Todaythe United States Su-preme Court heard argu-ments dealing withwhether Texas should al-low license plates withthe Confederate BattleFlag be made. PresidentGary Bledsoe said, “TheBattle Flag is a FightingFlag that never flew overTexas. Choosing this flagover other less stridentsymbols not currently as-sociated with the whitesupremacist movementexposes this proposal forwhat it is--an unabatedattempt to antagonize Af-rican-Americans and exaltwhite Supremacy. It is notabout Southern Heritage.Taking the SCV's argumentto its natural conse-quence, the Governmentwould be obligated to per-mit license plates idealiz-ing ISIS or Boko Haram.This makes no sense andis essentially saying anar-chy prevails.”

In attendance at thearguments today repre-

senting the State Confer-ence was Texas StateConference Legal Re-dress Chairperson RobertNotzon, himself a de-scendant of a Confeder-ate Veteran. Notzon said,“the argument that theuse of the confederatebattle flag is just aboutheritage is an inten-

tional, if not willfully ig-norant, ruse to hide thevery real message of ra-cial hatred fomented bythe white supremacistgroups that have usedthe confederate battleflag as their symbol ofidentity. In fact, it is thatvery "heritage" of thesehate groups using theconfederate battle flagthat creates the problemfor many members of oursociety. This is not justabout honoring great,great, grandfather. If thatwere the case, then thereare many other symbolsthat could be used, chiefof which would be theactual flag of the confed-eracy, rather than thebattle flag with its gen-

erations-long associationwith intimidation and op-pression. Notzon added,“I, myself, am a descen-dant of a confederatearmy officer, but in hon-oring my great greatgrandfather, I have nodesire to link him with theheritage created by thewhite supremacists using

the confederate battleflag as their banner whilelynching and burning Af-rican Americans sincethe end of the civil war.There is no honor thatshould be acknowledgedby the State of Texas as-sociated with the confed-erate battle flag, when itis a symbol of hate anddeath for so many of ourcitizens.”

The NAACP has longbeen opposed to the useof this flag, adoptingmany national resolu-tions against its use andeven agreeing to boycottthe State of South Caro-lina because of its in-tended meaning and vio-lence necessarily associ-ated with its use.

Austin Habitat forHumanity Recognized

with “Affiliate ofDistinction” Awardfor its Innovation,

Leadership andCommunity Impact

Austin, Texas (March24, 2015) — Austin Habitatfor Humanity has beennamed one of 14 “Affiliatesof Distinction” by Habitatfor Humanity International

Local organization is oneof only 14 out of 1,400nationally to receive

prestigious distinction

for its achievements and in-novation in serving the Aus-tin community. This is thesecond year Austin Habitathas been selected as anaward recipient; the organi-zation is the largest non-profit provider of afford-able homeownership op-portunities in Central Texas.

Austin Habitat forHumanity is a second-timerecipient of this distinctionand also received the Aus-tin Foundation for Architec-ture Excellence Award forthe Built Environment in2013, the Texas HabitatNeighborhood BuilderAward in 2014, and the Aus-

tin Business Journal’s GreenHome Builder Award in Feb-ruary 2015.

This summer, AustinHabitat is moving into itsnew home, located at 500W. Ben White Blvd., whereit will consolidate its ad-ministrative offices and Re-store, a discount home im-provement store. TheReStore generates revenuethat is plugged directly backinto Austin Habitat pro-grams and services. In linewith organization’s greeninitiatives, the ReStore pro-gram has recycled morethan 17-million tons of con-struction materials.

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 website often as new jobopportunities 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/March 27, 2015 ~ Page 7

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

Position: District Clerk CivilDivision Director

Location: Travis CountyCourthouse

Manages and coordinates allfunctions of a District Clerkdivision, including, but not limitedto, management of 35+ divisionemployees, supervision ofprograms and operations of thedivision, and representation of theDistrict Clerk in an official capacity.Manages operations in accordancewith State, Federal and Local lawsand guidelines, policies andprocedures. For additionalinformation see www.traviscountytx.gov.

closely with her of-fice as part of her mostrecent efforts to securethe nation’s highest mili-tary award for Miller.

They will seek sup-port for the effort, and,starting this summer,members will be asked towrite letters to the WhiteHouse requesting thatPresident Barack Obamaaward the Medal of Honorto Miller. She’s aiming forat least 5,000 letters.

Miller was killed inaction in 1943, when theship he was serving on inthe South Pacific wasstruck by a torpedo.

The senior survivingofficer, Cmdr. R.H.Hillenkoetter, noted in theWest Virginia’s action re-port on Dec. 11, 1941, thatMiller and Lt. F.H. Whitehad been instrumental in“hauling people alongthrough oil and water tothe quarterdeck, therebyunquestionably saving thelives of a number ofpeople who might other-wise have been lost.”

Secretary of the NavyFrank Knox issued an offi-cial commendation forMiller for his actions atPearl Harbor but recom-mended against the Medalof Honor.

But Adm. ChesterNimitz saw value in givingMiller an award, not just acommendation, saidReginia Akers, a historianat the Naval History andHeritage Command.

“President [FranklinD.] Roosevelt approvedthat, but it was interven-tion on [Nimitz’s] part thatthat happened,” Akerssaid.

We wantYOU!

AdvertiseWith The

VILLAGER

In early May 1942,Roosevelt approved theNavy Cross for Miller, andNimitz, commander of thePacific Fleet, pinned themedal on him later thatmonth, making Miller thefirst African-Americanawarded the Navy Cross.

But advocates say hedeserves the Medal ofHonor.

70 years laterGetting the Medal of

Honor for someone aftermore than 70 years takestime, though.

“One of the provi-sions is that each branchof service that they servedwith has to clear them tobe considered when you’regoing to get it congres-sionally. I have never beenable to get that done. Andit’s not just me,” Johnsonsaid.

The father of recentlyretired Rep. John Dingellof Michigan attempted toget the Medal of Honor forMiller in 1942, and Reps.Jake Pickle, Barbara Jor-dan, Craig Washingtonand Mickey Leland, also ofTexas, tried after him.

The Medal of Honorusually goes through arecommendation processin the military chain ofcommand. But that has tohappen within three yearsof the heroic act.

After that, getting theMedal of Honor requiresseveral extra hurdles.

First, a member ofCongress must ask thesecretary of the Navy, orother appropriate militarybranch, to review thecase. If the secretary findsa serviceman deserving,Congress can pass a bill

creating an exemptionfrom the time limits. Thenthe secretary can ask thepresident to grant theMedal of Honor.

According to a state-ment from Navy spokes-man Lt. David Bennett,Miller’s Navy Cross cita-tion has been reviewedmultiple times.

During 1988 and1989, the Navy conducteda review of awards to Af-rican-Americans duringWorld War II to determinewhether racial discrimina-tion had played a part inthe level of awards ap-proved.

“The 1988-1989study concluded there wasno evidence of racial dis-crimination in the Millercase and the heroic acts ofPetty Officer Doris Millerdid not rise above the linebetween the Medal ofHonor and the Navy Cross.In 1996, a second studycame to the same conclu-sion,” Bennett said.

In Miller’s wakeW. Marvin Dulaney, a

professor at the Universityof Texas in Austin, is lead-ing a committee of histo-rians as part of Johnson’sefforts. He said Miller wasinstrumental in changingthe way African-Ameri-cans serve in the Navy.

“Prior to World War II,most African-Americanswere required to be cooksand messmen. Theycouldn’t join the Navy andbecome a seaman,”Dulaney said. Millershowed that they could domore.

After Pearl Harbor,the U.S. Office of War In-formation published a

poster featuring Miller toencourage African-Ameri-cans to join the war effort.

“His valor and hisheroism sort of set the tonefor the new approach theUnited States Navy was go-ing to start taking after thatpoint,” Dulaney said.

The West Virginia’scaptain, Mervyn S.Bennion, was awarded theMedal of Honor after hewas killed in the attack onPearl Harbor. His Medal ofHonor citation said, “Ascommanding officer of theUSS West Virginia, afterbeing mortally wounded,Captain Bennion evi-denced apparent concernonly in fighting and savinghis ship, and strongly pro-tested against being car-ried from the bridge.”

Bennion was one of17 people who receivedthe Medal of Honor for ac-tions during Pearl Harbor.Of those, 11 wereawarded posthumously.

No African-Ameri-cans received the Medal ofHonor for actions duringWorld War II until 1997 af-ter a review of African-Americans who had re-ceived the DistinguishedService Cross. At thattime, seven — only one ofwhom was still living —were upgraded to theMedal of Honor.

Retired Army ColonelFred L. Borch, president ofthe Orders and Medals So-ciety of America, said theMedal of Honor is for ex-traordinary heroism incombat.

“The actual wordsare ‘conspicuous gallantryand intrepidity at the riskof life above and beyond

the call of duty,’” Borchsaid. “You just have to beunbelievably heroic.”

The citation forMiller’s Navy Cross said itwas for “distinguished de-votion to duty, extraordinarycourage and disregard forhis own personal safety.”

Miller wasn’t forgotten.Rep. Bill Flores, R-

Bryan, got legislationpassed last year to renamethe Waco VA Medical Cen-ter for Miller. The Navynamed a ship for Miller in1973. The USS Miller, aKnox-class frigate, was de-commissioned in 1991.And in 2001, Cuba GoodingJr. portrayed Miller in themovie Pearl Harbor.

Cmdr. Hillenkoetter: Miller unquestionably saved the lives of anumber of people who might otherwise have been lost continued from page 1

AKAs Host Public Luncheonto Honor Outstanding Service to the Community

The city of San Antonio will be flooded with theillustrious women of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority, Inc.fulfilling their Sorority’s mission of being a service toall mankind this Easter Weekend, April 2-5, 2015. Mem-bers of the South Central Region, made up of membersfrom Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, and New Mexico areproud to host its 83rd South Central Regional Confer-ence in San Antonio and are expecting more than 3,000members and their families to be in attendance. Therewill be several programs and initiatives that memberswill partake in that will help them to transform theircommunities for the better in education, health, the en-vironment, the family, and in the development of youth.One of the conference’s highlights includes a publicluncheon that will focus on programs and initiativesthat will specifically impact the San Antonio/Austin com-munities while also acknowledging the works of indi-viduals and corporations who work to make a differ-ence in San Antonio and neighboring communities. SanAntonio’s Mayor, Ivy Taylor, Richard Overton of Austin(thought to be the oldest living veteran in the UnitedStates), Dr. Adena Willams Loston (14th President of St.Philips College), Navarro Williams (SAMMS Ministries);USAA, Mr. Gordan Hartman (Morgan’s Wonderland), andthe Warrior and Family Support Center are a few amongthose who will be honored at this highly anticipated

event. KENS 5 Reporter Marvin Hurst will be the Mas-ter of Ceremony. Tickets are $60. For more informa-tion, or to purchase a ticket, please contact Mrs. PamelaRay at (210) 724-0189.

Another highlight for this year’s conference fo-cuses on the opportunity for local vendors to purchasebooths and participate in what has traditionally beenavailable to only AKA approved vendors. Interested ven-dors can contact Ms. Monica Robinson at (210) 601-6124 for more information.

Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. (AKA) is an in-ternational service sorority founded on the campusof Howard University in Washington D.C. on January15, 1908. Today, the sorority has more than 265,000members; consisting of 972 chapters in 42 states,the US Virgin Islands, Bahamas, Germany, South Ko-rea, Japan, Liberia, and Canada, and is composed often regions.

The South Central Region of Alpha Kappa Alpha,Sorority Inc. which is comprised of members from Ar-kansas, New Mexico, Louisiana, and Texas is under theleadership of Mrs. Chelle Luper Wilson, Regional Di-rector. Austin’s own Beta Psi Omega Chapter of AlphaKappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. is one of several host chap-ters that is hard at work preparing to host over 3,000participants.

Mayor Taylor Richard Overton Dr. Loston Navarro Williams

• 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

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

PROGRAMS ~ AWARENESS

What Black TV Looks Like Today

Whatever your race,color or creed; whenForbes notices you, itmeans something. In2013, they noticed howAfrican-American writer,producer and directorShonda Rhimes has cre-ated and run two success-ful shows on ABC. Firstthere was the medicalshow “Grey’s Anatomy”and more recently, “Scan-dal.” According to theForbes article, those twoshows bring in$13,000,000 weekly in ad-vertising revenue. NielsenRatings reports that“Scandal,” a politicalthriller of the first order, isviewed by 10.1% of blackhouseholds each week,making it the highest ratedscripted television dramaamong African-Americans.The particular distinctionof this show is that it is thefirst network drama writ-ten and produced by anAfrican American womanwhich has an African-American woman playing

by Shirley HammondVillager Columnist

the lead character. Thatlead actress would benone other than KerryWashington. Not to takeaway anything from thesetwo shows, nor the actorsor the writer/director;there are more than a fewshows that have African-American leads. There aremore than a few that aregetting some seriousviewing time.

Consider for ex-ample, a family friendlyshow, also offered by ABC.The show, “Black-ish,” fea-tures Tracee Ellis Rossplaying opposite AnthonyAnderson as parents tofour adorable children.Ross, daughter of song-stress Diana Ross, hasbeen outspoken and sup-portive of the culturalidentity and realistic ele-ments of the show. Subjectmatters such as subtleblack signals (The Nod),pranking protocol (ThePrank) and entitled chil-dren (The Gift of Hunger)have been tackled in epi-sodes.

ABC also provides thecontroversial drama, “How

To Get Away With Mur-der,” with Viola Davisplaying an attorney pro-fessor whose home andlife demands that she stayone step ahead of anyonewho might oppose her. Sheis depicted as constantlyoutsmarting and out think-ing others. She gets clientcases where she offersher legal expertise andcourtroom savvy, all whiledealing with an ugly per-sonal secret that keepssighing louder and louderwith each cliff-hangingepisode.

While that show isdone for the season, anew show featuring Regina

King is taking its ABC timeslot on Thursdays. In“American Crime,” Kingportrays a devout Muslimwho is brother to a drugaddict and murder sus-pect. This crime drama iswritten and produced byJohn Ridley, who wrote“12 Years a Slave.”

Fox TV has definitelythrew their names in thefray with the scintillatingmusical drama, “Empire.”Taraj P. Henson, who haschanneled a diverse arrayof female roles, plays thematriarch of a music em-pire on this show. As anex-con, who took one forthe family, she is released

in the first episode andreturns to her broken andtalented family to stir upsome heat, bring out someskeletons and get whatshe feels is her just des-sert. Terrence Howardplays the family patriarch,but it’s clear that he hasto jockey for power andsolid footing from his busi-ness savvy, street smartex-wife.

On BET, which usedto seem like the main go-to place for black televi-sion where people couldsee images of themselves;there is “Being MaryJane.” On this show,Gabrielle Union plays anews anchor/reporter whotackles some controver-sial stories in the courseof her very public career.The show is a creation ofMara Brock Akil, who alsobrought “Girlfriends” intoprominence. Otherprojects such as “SouthCentral,” and “Moesha”are to her credit.

Soon BET will featuretheir BLACK GIRLS ROCK(BGR) Award show, whichis a collaboration between

them and Bondvision Me-dia Production. BGR pro-motes the arts for youngwomen of color. The awardshow will air on April 5 onBET, with Regina King andTracee Ellis Rock servingas co-hosts.

This brings the storyback to Shonda Rhimes,who was noticed by ABCbefore Forbes got herstory. ABC EntertainmentGroup president, Paul Lee,was credited with saying,“What Shonda Rhimespossesses is this extraor-dinary instinct and com-pass for what our audienceneeds.”

Rhimes, who recentlyreceived the Ally forEquality Award, statedthat she believes in mak-ing television look like thereal world. She gave a Hu-man Rights Campaignspeech which was quotedin numerous sound bites.

In an EntertainmentWeekly interview, she ex-plained, “The goal is thateveryone should get toturn on the TV and seesomeone who looks likethem and loves them.”

by Shirley HammondVillager Newspaper

Realizing the Freelancer’s Dream

Some people havethis idea or notion thatif they could freelanceor consult and be theirown boss, they wouldbe on easy street. Theycould set their ownhours and not have toanswer to a boss. It endsup that this may stillbe a dream and anideal for life; but it willalso come with somenew responsibilities,including becomingone’s own boss andeven working longerhours than most jobsdemand. Those whothink that consulting orfree-lancing wouldhelp them fulfill theirhighest ideals have achance to hear fromsome panelists who’vedone it. The ExploringE n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p :

Freelancing and Con-sulting workshop willtake place on March 31at the IBC Bank Com-munity Room from11:30am-1:00pm. Thebank is located at 2817East Cesar Chavez.

The term free-lanceis broadly applied towork that one does as aform of self-employ-ment. This can includethe fields of music, copyediting, journalism,writing, photography,programming, web de-sign, event planningand more.

Consulting is thework which involves

offering expert advicein a particular field.Those fields can betechnical or in someprofessional area likeeducation.

Included in the dis-cussion will be insightsabout juggling the re-sponsibilities that comewith freelancing or con-sulting. This includessales, production/ser-vice, customer serviceand billing. Additionalinformation about net-working savvy, timemanagement and mak-ing the transition frombeing under the author-ity of a boss to being

one’s own boss will bepresented.

Three featured en-trepreneurs will serveas panelists. They in-clude Jim Comer, withComer Communica-tions, Ilend Haddadwith Ilene HaddadGraphic Design andKandi Cook with KCCouture Styles.

According to hiswebsite and otherinfomation, Jim Comeris known as a presenta-tion guru. His companyoffers presentation/speech writing coach-ing, speech workshopsand training in public

speaking across severalindustries.

According to herLinkedIn profile, IleneHaddad is a graphicdesigner, cartoonist andoccassional blogger. Sheis also listed as founderof BlogathonATX,where every year oneday is dedicated to dis-cussions aboutblogging, technology,social media and col-laboration.

Per her website,Kandi Cook has a bou-tique consulting firmthat helps both gendersand businesses learnhow to cultivate a

unique signature styleof dress.

The moderator forthe panel discussionwill be Ron Oliveirawith Oliveira PublicCommunications.

The workshop isone of several presenta-tions presented by TheCity of Austin SmallBusiness Development.

While lunch is pro-vided and registrationis free, there is a 425 no-show fee.

For more informa-tion, visit http://www.austinsmallbiz.com/WebCOE/new-sbdp-calendar.htm.

TexasCommunity

Futures Forumset for April 13in Austin will

focus ongrass-rootsconsensusbuilding

AUSTIN – The TexasA&M AgriLife ExtensionService and the TravisCounty Extension Leader-ship Advisory Board willhold the Texas CommunityFutures Forum on April 13,2015 from 6:30 to 8:30PM, on the first floor of theTravis County Hall of Gov-ernment, 700 Lavaca St, inAustin.

Daphne Richards, theInterim County Extension

Director, says that the Fo-rum is being held in TravisCounty to assist localTexas A&M AgriLife Exten-sion Service Agents andthe Leadership AdvisoryBoard identify the mostcritical issues affectinglocal citizens. “Extensionhas a rich history of pro-viding educational pro-grams that address themost critical issues in thecounty, specifically in pro-

gram areas related to ag-riculture and natural re-sources, families andhealth, youth develop-ment, and community de-velopment.” In order tomake sure that Extensionprograms being plannedfor the future are on tar-get, Travis County resi-dents are invited to par-ticipate in this grass-roots,consensus building forum.“We need input from thelocal community members

to shape our focus for thenext five years. We wantto make sure that we’remeeting the needs ofTravis County residents,”Richards said.

The meeting shouldlast less than two hours,and refreshments will beserved. For more informa-tion, or to RSVP, pleasecontact the Extension of-fice at 512.854.9600, oremail Richards atdrichards@ag.tamu.edu.

OPEN GOVERNMENTSYMPOSIUM

The City of Austin's Open Government Symposiumwill be held Thursday, April 9, 2015 at City Hall (301 W. 2ndStreet). This free, one-day community event will featurespeakers on a range of open government issues includinglegislation, litigation, transparency innovation, and fos-tering an ethical environment.

Panel 1, Plenary: Why Acting Legally & Ethically MattersPanel 2A: Open Government - Litigation DevelopmentsPanel 2B: Open Government - Legislative DevelopmentsLunch on the Plaza (Registered Attendees)Panel 3, Plenary: Views From A County Attorney’s OfficePanel 4A: Open Government - InnovationsPanel 4B: Open Government - Beyond the CityPanel 5, Plenary: Why Municipal Open Government Matter

2015 Agenda 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM

http://austintexas.gov/opengov2015