august 09, 2012

Houston’s Leading Black Information Source

www.defendernetwork.com WEEK OF AUGUST 9, 2012 | FREE Volume 81 | Number 41

NEWSTALK Hospital district offers free back-to-scHool vaccines P3

tours Barbados with Oprah

LOCAL BRIEFS

P3

Kappas’ 2013 convention in Houston

WILLIAM ‘RANDY’ BATES

twitter.com/DefenderNetwork

facebook.com/DefenderNetwork

FEATURE

RIHANNA

H PagE 8

gabby Douglasstirs debateWhile gymnast Gabby Douglas was busy winning at the London Olympics, other aspects of her life garnered attention. Hear what one columnist has to say about the “rude” and “stereotypical” remarks. See why Don Imus’ notorious “nappy” comment comes to mind. Find out why Gabby’s family should be left alone. P9

P5

H PagE 10

Mike Daviscomes to TSUTexas Southern University basketball will have a new coach and a new look this season, and Tiger supporters are excited. Read about Mike Davis’ impressive record and resume. Learn how he answers skeptics who ask, “Why TSU?” Discover what his grandmother’s Alabama kitchen has to do with basketball.

OPINION

PRESIDENT OBAMA

NATIONAL

P4

discusses Black businesses

WHAT’S UP

asks his fans to vote

KYLE MASSEY

Drugsaddressing the problem

H PagE 6

defendernetwork.com • Serving the Houston area for over 80 years

2 DEFENDER | WEEK OF AUGUST 9 | 2012 defendernetwork.com

Stay Connected! Experience the Defender on the world wide web.

Book TaLK

See more on: defendernetwork

What to do this weekendLooking for something to do this weekend? The Defender has a list of things to do in the Houston area at defendernetwork.com.

7 Black myths dispelled

Someday by Jae Henderson is an inspirational romance full of adventure, excitement, thrills,

laughter, faith-filled challenges and love as Tee and Michael prove that it ain’t over until God says

it’s over! Find out more at www.defendernetwork.com.

You’ve heard them before: Liz Claiborne doesn’t make clothes for Blacks; Church’s Chicken will make you sterile. What’s true and what’s not? Black conspiracy theories dispelled at defendernetwork.com

ontheweb

It’s a cult classic, but there’s a whole lot you might not know behind the making of the movie “Juice.” The story at at defendernetwork.com.

Secrets behind ‘Juice’

The Children’s Museum, located at 1500 Binz, offers assorted activities just for kids.

• 5150 Buffalo Speedway• 3300 Montrose Blvd• 1938 W. Gray • 7747 Kirby• 10306 S. Post Oak• 1990 Old Spanish Trail

Discover The Defender

DefenderHouston’s Leading Black Information Source

Locations

2 DEFENDER | WEEK OF JULY 26 | 2012 defendernetwork.com

Stay Connected! Experience the Defender on the world wide web.

Book TALK

See more on: defendernetwork

What to do this weekendLooking for something to do this weekend? The Defender has a list of things to do in the Houston area defendernetwork.com.

What’s your score?

Many students have the false impression that all slaves were submissive, timid, illiterate, severely

oppressed and dirt poor. In Slaves with Swag, author Daryl T. Himmon provides a riveting read which endeavors to fill in some of the blanks in Black

history. At www.defendernetwork.com.

The mortgage meltdown could permanently impact Black family finances. Get the story at defendernetwork.com

ontheweb

When it comes to balancing career and family, can women really have it all? The story at defendernetwork.com.

Career and family

“The Lion King” musical continues at the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts through Aug. 12.

It’s no puzzle that the many outstanding Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston prepare your child for a successful life.

From grades Pre-K3 through 12, we educate mind, heart and spirit.

Now Enrolling! See how we’re a perfect fit! Visit choosecatholicschools.org

Your Child and a Catholic Education

Your Child

A Perfect fit:

Faith

Grades

Pre-K3to12

Academic Excellence

Available at

We keep Houston working.

The reasons people choose HCC are as diverse as the Houstonians we serve. And no institution does more to get students where they’re going faster than HCC. We keep Houston working with affordable tuition, innovative courses, and convenient locations.

enroll today at hccs.edu

Defender Fall 2012 .indd 1 8/2/12 2:25 PM

Rumors persist about the late Liz Claiborne.

Tupac Shakur and Omar Epps are among the stars in “Juice.”


localbriefs

newstalk 3defendernetwork.com WEEK OF AUGUST 9 | 2012 | DEFENDER

Sisters Network reaches more women

THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS recently filed its brief with the U.S. Supreme Court in Fisher vs. University of Texas at Austin, which challenges the consideration of race in college admissions. The case revolves around Abigail Fisher, who claims she was denied admission to UT in 2008 because she is white. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case in October. The fate of affirmative action policies throughout the nation could rest on the final ruling……..THE EXECUTION OF convicted killer Marvin Wilson received opposition from human rights groups and legal experts. Wilson, a Black man with an IQ of 61, was executed Aug. 7

in Huntsville for the killing of a police informant 20 years ago. Wilson’s attorneys argued that his IQ put him below the generally accepted minimum competency standard of 70. Houston State Sen. Rodney Ellis asked the Court of Criminal Appeals to grant a stay of execution for Wilson. “We do not execute children in the state of Texas, therefore we should not execute those who have the mental capacity of a child,” Ellis said……..KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY has selected Houston as the site of its national convention in August, 2013. More than 15,000 delegates are expected to attend the fraternity’s 81st Grand Chapter

Meeting. Houstonian William “Randy” Bates Jr. is the organization’s president, known as the Grand Polemarch……..HISD IS PROVIDING free and reduced-price meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program for the 2012-2013 school year. Household size and income criteria will be used to determine students’ eligibility. Foster children who are the legal responsibility of a state agency or court are eligible regardless of household income. Applications can be submitted anytime during the school year. For information visit www.mealapps.houstonisd.org.

Defender News ServicesHouston-based

Sisters Network Inc. continues to reach out to a growing number of women. The breast cancer survivor organization has joined forces with Solis Women’s Health to provide free mammograms for women nationwide through Sisters’ Breast Cancer Assistance Pro-gram (BCAP).

In addition to free mammograms, BCAP provides financial as-sistance for breast cancer survivors’ health-related expenses, including lodg-ing, co-pay, office visits and prosthesis. BCAP donors include Com-erica Bank, Sysco, United Airlines Foundation and Wells Fargo Bank. Funds are also generated from Sisters Network Stop the Silence National 5k Walk/Run event.

As part of the partner-ship, Solis will provide the mammogram screenings at their clinics located in Texas and four other states.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer among African-American women. According to the American Cancer Society, in 2011 an estimated 26,840 new cases of breast cancer and

6,040 deaths were expected to occur among African-American women.

In addition, African-Amer-ican women have a five-year survival rate of 78 percent com-pared to 90 percent for white women. The incidence rate of breast cancer is also higher among African-American wom-

en (under age 45) than white women.

Sisters Network is the only national African-American breast cancer survi-vor organization in the United States. Founded in 1994 by Karen E. Jackson, it has 3,000 members and more than 40 af-filiate chapters in 22 cities.

Solis Women’s Health is a special-ized healthcare provider focused exclusively on the screening and diag-nosis of breast can-cer. Headquartered in Addison, Texas, Solis operates 20 clinics in Dallas, Ft. Worth, Phoenix, Indianapo-lis, Greensboro, N.C. and Columbus, Ohio.

“Sisters Net-work looks forward to broadening our reach through our partner-

ship with Solis Women’s Health to ensure more women can have access to free mammogram screenings,” said Jackson, a 16-year breast cancer survivor.

For more information on the organization and its programs visit www.sistersnet-workinc.org.

Hospital district offers free vaccines

Summer vacation is almost over, and the Harris County Hos-pital District is offering free school immunizations every Tuesday and Thursday in August at its school-based clinics and comprehen-sive pediatric and adolescent health centers.

Vaccines are free of charge to children up to the age of 18 who are covered by CHIP, Medicaid or have no insurance. Officials urge parents to get vaccines early because of the expected rush of children needing the new state-required meningitis shot.

Parents should bring a current immunization record or any official communication from the school outlining required shots.

Immunizations are from available from 1-3 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 14 and Tuesday, Aug. 21 at the following locations:• Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center-Bear Creek, 5870 High-way 6, Suite 108, Houston• Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center-Cypress, 12340 Jones Road, Suite 100, Houston • Almatha Clark Taylor Health Clinic, 13940 Bonham, Houston• Deepwater Health Clinic at Deepwater Elementary, 305 Glen-more, Pasadena• Goose Creek School Health Clinic at San Jacinto Elementary, 2706 Kentucky, Baytown• Patrick Henry Health Clinic at Patrick Henry Middle School, 10702 E. Hardy, Houston • Robert Carrasco Health Clinic at Marshall Middle School, 1115 Noble, Houston,• Southside Health Clinic at Galena Park Community Resource and Training Center, 1721 16th Street, Galena Park• Sheldon Health Clinic at Sheldon Elementary, 17203½ Hall Sheppard, Houston

Immunizations are also available from 1-3 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 16 and Thursday, Aug. 23 at Pediatric and Adolescent Health Center-Pasadena, 3925 Fairmont Parkway in Pasadena.

No appointment is needed and all vaccines are given on an availability basis. For more information call 713-873-TOTS (8687).

Karen E. Jackson is founder and CEO of Sisters Network, headquartered in Houston.


national

VOLUME 81 • NUMBER 41WEEK OF AUGUST 9, 2012

The Defender newspaper is published by the Houston Defender Inc. Company (713-663-6996.. The Defender is audited by Certified Audited Circulation. (CAC). For subscription, send $60-1 year to: Defender, P.O. Box 8005, Houston TX 77288. Payment must accompany subscription request. All material covered by 2012 copyright. (No material herein may be reproduced without the written permission of the publisher).

art Director Tony Fernandez-Davila People EditorYvette ChargoisSports EditorsMax EdisonDarrell K. ArdisonContributing WriterAswad Walker

PublisherSonceria Messiah-Jilesadvertising/Client Relations Selma Dodson Tyler Print Editor Marilyn Marshall Online EditorReShonda Billingsley

U.S.briefs


Obama discusses Black-owned businesses

THE MOTHER OF TRAYVON MARTIN is pursuing more than $75,000 in damages from the homeowners’ association of the gated community where her son was killed on Feb. 26. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Sybrina Fulton is also seeking an undisclosed amount from a state fund established to help crime victims and their families. At the same time, Fulton is being sued by Traveler’s Insurance Company in a dispute over whether the insurance company is responsible for damages over her son’s death. Traveler’s filed suit so that a court would step in and clarify what, if any, damages it owes…….SOME ECONOMISTS are breathing a sigh of relief after the Labor Department recently reported that employers added 163,000 workers to their payrolls last month, doubling the 80,000 jobs added in June. More jobs were added in July than in the previous two months combined. Yet when it comes to the Black unemployment rate, the numbers are dismal. In July, the unemployment rate for Blacks was 14.1 percent, a slight decrease from June’s 14.4 percent rate. The overall Black jobless rate, however, is almost double that for whites (7.4 percent). Black men fared even worse, with an increase from 15.1 percent to 15.8 percent……...THE 47TH ANNIVERSARY of the Voting Rights Act was Aug. 6, and advocates used the occasion to reiterate the legislation’s importance. Congressman Emanuel Cleaver, chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, said voting rights of Americans is once again being threatened. “Six years ago, no voter identification law existed. Today, at least 33 states have introduced contemporary versions of voter ID requirements and at least 13 states have introduced bills to end Election Day and same-day voter registration that allows millions of voters, particularly minorities, the elderly and those from low-income households to participate in the democratic process. We cannot let this stand,” Cleaver said.

In three months voters will head to the polls to decide whether to give President Barack Obama a second term. The election will communicate whether the elector-

ate believes his continued occupancy of 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. will fulfill his promise of sustained economic growth and shared prosperity.

Black Enterprise recently inter-viewed Obama in the Oval Office. In a Q&A session with BE Editor-in-Chief Derek T. Dingle, he talked about his support of Black business, policies to advance small companies, and complet-ing his ambitious agenda.

BE: As you campaign for re-election, what do you communicate to Black businesses that will make them enthusiastic supporters?

Obama: The first thing is to un-derstand that we have just gone through the worst financial and economic crisis in our lifetimes. And my first job as president was to make sure that we didn’t slip into a second Great Depres-sion. We were losing 800,000 jobs a month. Banks were locked up. Credit was frozen. The auto industry was about to go under.

Because of the steps that we took, we have now seen two straight years of job growth, 4 million jobs created, [the] strongest manufacturing growth since the 1990s, unemployment has started to come down, and the auto industry is back. All of those steps that we took had an impact on Black businesses just like they did businesses generally.

Let’s take the auto industry. You know the number of Black businesses that are involved in the supply chain and that are involved in various services, whether it’s advertising or other aspects of the industry. They have all been impacted positively by the steps that we took. Now does that mean that we’ve done enough? Absolutely not.

The African-American com-munity ends up being hurt during recessionary times more than the population at large. [The] Afri-can-American unemployment rate is still way too high. You had a credit crunch for small- and medium-sized businesses that dispro-

portionately impacted African American businesses. But part of what we have been able to do is to specifically focus on disadvantaged businesses, disadvan-taged communities.

The Small Business Administra-tion, for example, which is a significant source of financing for minority- and women-owned businesses, has stepped into the breach by expanding their loan portfolios and cutting their fees at a time when a lot of banks and other financial institutions just pulled back. Some of the work that we did legislatively, like the New Markets Tax Credit, makes a huge difference specifically for African-American businesses.

BE: How do you respond to criticism that your administration hasn’t done enough to support Black businesses?

Obama: My general view has been consistent throughout, which is that I want all businesses to succeed. I want all Americans to have opportunity. I’m not the president of Black America. I’m the president of the United States of America, but the programs that we have put in place have been directed at those folks who are least able to get financing through conventional means, who have been in the past locked out of opportuni-ties that were available to everybody.

So, I’ll put my track record up against anybody in terms of us putting in place broad-based programs that ulti-mately had a huge benefit for African-

American businesses.BE: Major corporations have re-

ceived billions in government contracts meant for small businesses. How is your administration addressing this?

Obama: This has been historically true. Federal contracting is so com-plicated and the scale of the contracts are so large that unless you had a Washington office – lawyers, a battery of accountants, etc. – you couldn’t navigate through the federal procure-ment process.

I told every single member of my cabinet, “I want you to increase trans-parency, simplify the process, make sure that the goals that we have for small, minority-, women-, and veteran-owned businesses are prioritized inside your agency, and think about other ways that we can break up these contracts into smaller pieces so that smaller busi-nesses could actually bid for them. And we’ve actually seen significant progress in a lot of these agencies.

BE: Black unemployment still stands at nearly 14 percent. How do you communicate that the economy is headed in the right direction?

Obama: Most economists will tell you that there is no doubt the economy has gotten stronger, but we are digging ourselves out a deep hole. There are a lot more things we could be doing. To get them done, we need cooperation of Congress. We got the payroll tax portion of [my American Jobs Act] done, but what we didn’t get done is the assis-tance I was proposing to the states to help them hire back teachers, firefight-ers, and first responders, because one of the weakest parts of this recovery has been state and local government hiring.

Given the weaknesses of the con-struction industry, the American Jobs Act proposed that we rebuild schools, roads, bridges, airport, and ports. That

would provide small businesses with opportunities as contractors and vendors in this rebuilding process. Again, Congress needs to act.

President Barack Obama

What’sup


entertainmentSteve Harvey leaves stand-up comedy

5defendernetwork.com WEEK OF AUGUST 9 | 2012 | DEFENDER

CEDRIC THE ENTERTAINER’S new sitcom, “The Soul Man,” is being targeted by the conservative Christian group One Million Moms. According to the group, the show, which airs on TV Land, “blasphemes the name of Jesus Christ and mocks pastors.” It said the show is also full of “sexual innuendos” and includes vulgarity. The group has started a petition against the show and is trying to persuade advertisers to drop out. “The Soul Man” is based on a character, Reverend Boyce, which Cedric originated in another TV Land, sitcom, “Hot in Cleveland.” Cast members include NIECY NASH, who portrays Cedric’s wife in the show. TV Land isn’t commenting on the charges…….. JORDIN SPARKS said she is “super excited” about her movie debut in

“Sparkle,” which hits theaters Aug. 17. The “American Idol” winner said her co-star, the late WHITNEY HOUSTON, was confident and encouraging on the set. “Twenty years from now I get to say that my first film was this and it’s incredible I got to work with one of my idols. I got to make new friends and family and it’s amazing,” Sparks said……..Actor MICHAEL CLARKE DUNCAN is still hospitalized in Los Angeles nearly a month after suffering a heart attack. Duncan’s publicist released a statement saying the 54-year-old actor was removed from intensive care. “His family are firm believers in the power of prayer and have asked that you keep him in yours during this time,” the statement said. Duncan is known for his roles in such movies as “The

Green Mile,” “The Scorpion King” and “Armageddon.” According to TMZ, Duncan’s girlfriend, OMAROSA MANIGAULT-STALLWORTH of “The Apprentice” fame, discovered him in a state of cardiac arrest and revived him by administering CPR……..RIHANNA got a chance to show OPRAH WINFREY around her native Barbados. She tweeted a photo of herself behind the wheel of a Jeep with Winfrey as a passenger. Oprah sent a tweet which read, “What a refreshing surprise she is!” The talk show queen flew to Barbados for an interview with Rihanna, which is scheduled to air Aug. 19 on “Oprah’s Next Chapter.” Rihanna is expected to talk about her relationship with ex-boyfriend CHRIS BROWN, who was charged with physically assaulting her in 2009.

By KENYA VAUGHNSpecial to NNPA from St. Louis American

Before a single punch line had been delivered, “King of Comedy” Steve Harvey was met with a standing ovation. He was taking the stage at the Chaifetz Arena in St. Louis for one of his final performances in the lane that made him a household name.

He stood before the crowd as a best-selling author, nationally syndicated radio host, sitcom star or game show host. But on this night he was traveling back to his roots. Harvey was down the comedy road for what he says is the last time in a select-city mini-tour to give his fans one last dose of laughter.

“When I decided to do this, I knew I had to come here,” Harvey said to the packed arena. “I’m in St. Louis because of Joe Torry – and because of my main man Cedric. Without Cedric The Entertainer I wouldn’t be who I am today.”

Nearly over-come with emotion as he thanked Cedric and God for blessing him with a 27-year career in comedy, it was hard to tell what was to come as far as the actual act.

His bottom lip trembled, he fought back tears and he praised God. But once he composed himself he jumped right into a routine fit for a King of Comedy.

Harvey left the kind of impression one could only hope for as he hangs up the microphone – one that war-

ranted nonstop laughter and praise.He wrestled between hilarious bits and bouts with

raw emotion as he constantly reflected on his nearly three decades in stand-up game – and the idea of not performing any more.

“The closer I get to the end, the harder it gets,” Harvey confessed. “It’s been an incredible ride – and I thank y’all. Hollywood expected ‘Think Like a Man’ to do $31 million total. But ‘Think Like a Man’ did $33 million its first week and $91 million and counting because of y’all.

But in between praise reports was a profanity-laced laugh fest that had fans all but buckled over as he talked

about everything from the Waffle House, church, miracles, the Department of Motor Vehicles to childhood memories as a poor skinny boy from Cleveland nicknamed potato chip living in a crammed two-family flat with big dreams of being on the small screen.

His set was as much a memoir-laced narrative as it was a traditional comedy routine.

And as a confessed “new Christian,” infused messages of hope and inspiration were authentically woven into his profanity-laced presentation – and it absolutely worked.

“Support your kids,” Harvey said. “Because you have no idea who you’ve given birth to.”

The show was equal parts light and heavy, and as he told his jokes – or as Harvey said ‘reported the news’ one couldn’t help but feel inspired and grateful as he took - one of his last bows in St. Louis.

“Thank y’all for all of the years and thank you for Cedric,” Harvey said as if he were talking to the entire city of St. Louis. “When I chose to do the Steve Harvey Show picking Cedric made all of the difference in the world.”

The crowd erupted.“I have two dates left and every time I get up here

towards the end it gets tougher and tougher,” Harvey said. “But I’m so glad that I can walk away while y’all are still

clapping.”Harvey could barely contain himself as he

received special recognition from Alderwoman Marlene Davis and delivered an acceptance speech that could have served as a mini-sermon.

“Put God first,” Harvey said. “Trust in His will. If you obey Him with a little bit of your time He will give you more than you can imagine. I am a living witness of what can happen if you accept God’s will. His will is more than anything you can dream of for yourself.”

Steve Harvey

6 DEFENDER | WEEK OF AUGUST 9 | 2012 | defendernetwork.com

coverpage



Alcohol, crack main drugs of choice

The global recession of the past four years has instigated massive changes in every-thing from Wall Street regulations to birth rates. But in the world of substance abuse – at least in Houston – the more things

change, the more they stay the same. According to several individuals who operate

local recovery programs, alcohol and crack cocaine continue to lead the way as Houston’s drugs of choice.

In spite of the countless trends highlighted over the past few years, including purple drank, designer drugs, and bath salts, Regina Hasan, managing executive officer of Unlimited Visions Aftercare, sees alcohol as the top contender for Houston’s most abused drug.

“When talking about the most used drug, it depends on the demographics – economics and race – but alcohol still leads the pack as far as deaths attrib-uted to teenagers,” said Hasan. “Just because alcohol is legal does not mean it’s not a drug.”

Though Hasan does not see marijuana and crack lessening in popularity any time soon, she is adamant about keeping the public aware of the dangers of alcohol abuse.

“Though we saw drunk driving numbers go down due to the work of Mothers Against Drunk Driv-ing and others, recently, as we focus on other drugs, alcohol addiction and all that comes with it – drunk driving, spousal abuse, etc. – is again increasing,” said Hasan.

Hasan concedes the growing popularity of other drugs, namely prescription drugs, pushed by drug dealers of a different kind.

“We have doctors in our communities making out like bandits, just like pushers, providing drugs for

older populations. Many believe ‘Because my doctor prescribed it to me, it must be good,’ ” said Hasan, who identifies pain killers and anti-anxiety drugs (as the ones most over-used and over-prescribed.

“It usually starts out innocent. You’re in a car ac-cident. The doctor gives you a pain killer. It works. But because you’re not learning how to manage your pain, the anticipation of the pain causes great anxiety, so doctors prescribe anti-anxiety medications. Then, some people learn to work the system, and constantly switch doctors and pharmacies,” Hasan said of the process some prescription drug abusers use.

Hasan also bemoans those drugs easily acces-sible, especially to youth, such as high-inducing prod-ucts found in one’s home bathroom, and alcohol.

Robert “Runako” Stubbs, who runs the Turning it Around Ministry in Third Ward, knows all too well about alcohol addiction.

“It was my drug of choice,” said Stubbs, who will celebrate 13 years of sobriety in October. “Alcohol and drugs are just one level; folk are also dealing with the mental aspect. But honestly, we’re all recovering from something.”

Michael Robinson, assistant administrator of Riv-erside General Hospital’s Barbara Jordan’s Health-care Center recognizes the ravages of alcohol, but emphasizes the ever-present reality of another highly addictive substance.

“The epidemic is still crack cocaine; it hasn’t gone away,” Robinson said. “There has been a spike in heroine and OxyContin [a narcotic pain reliever] use, but crack is still the epidemic.”

Dealing with an addict

DO…• Learn all you can about alcoholism and drug dependence • Speak up and offer your support• Express love and concern• Realize the person cannot stop without help• Support recovery as an ongoing process• Take care of yourself

DON’T…• Preach, lecture, threaten, bribe or moralize• Cover up, lie or make excuses for them and their behavior• Assume their responsibilities• Try to have a rational conversation when they are using• Feel guilty or responsible for their behavior• Join them in drinking or using

Source: National Clearinghouse for Alcohol & Drug Information

Read about local drug recover options at

www.defendernetwork.com

By ASWAD WALKERDefender

7

coverpage



Darryal Williams (right) and his wife Jennifer started the Cocaine Deliverance Ministry with the help and blessing of Windsor Village UMC Pastor Kirbyjon Caldwell (left).

Ministry combats chemical dependency

This past May, Cocaine Deliverance Ministry celebrated its 25th anniversary at the place of its birth, Windsor Village United Methodist Church.

Ministries for those suffering from chemical dependency seem commonplace now; however, this was not the case when Darryal Williams originally set out to provide such care a quarter of a century ago.

Today, Williams and his wife Jennifer co-lead Cocaine Deliverance Ministry, the program that has produced an indel-ible legacy of changed lives, and shows no signs of ceasing anytime soon.

“I’ve been a recovering addict since July 18, 1986,” said Williams, who ventured shortly thereafter to found a recovery program easily accessible to Blacks.

“I started the program because there were not enough programs like this in Black communities. Not enough of us know enough about chemical depen-dency,” he said.

But getting started proved more than a notion.“Prior to meeting with Kirbyjon Caldwell [pas-

tor of Windsor Village], I met with at least five other churches that all said, ‘We don’t need that kind of pro-gram in our church.’ Kirbyjon simply asked, ‘Will the program help someone?’ and gave me an opportunity,” recalled Williams.

The program serves hundreds of recovering ad-dicts and meets three times a week, Mondays, Fridays and Saturdays, from 8-9:30am at Windsor Village’s 6000 Heatherbrook location. On Saturdays, three meetings run simultaneously, with one serving recover-ing addicts, another for their family members, and a third for teens 12-18 years old with substance abuse issues.

Though the Cocaine Deliverance Ministry operates on donations from church members, the program is free and open to the public, says Williams, who celebrated his 26th anniver-sary in recovery in July.

Since the program’s beginning, the Williams’ started sim-ilar programs at other churches, including one they founded at Lilly Grove Baptist 14 years ago, and the programs they helped start at Pentecostal Baptist Church four years ago and St. Johns Downtown roughly five years ago. In addition, for six years, the couple has coordinated the Cocaine Deliverance Ministry at Covenant Glen United Methodist Church.

Logistically, Williams could not run each program while

simultaneously serving as Prairie View A&M University’s Alcohol & Other Drugs (AOD) educator, a post he has held for nearly two decades, educating students about spotting the symptoms of substance abuse. However, Williams still finds ways to expand his influence and the message of his recovery ministry.

One such venue is the radio show he hosts on KCOH 1430 AM every first Tuesday of the month beginning at 10:30 a.m. as part of the Gloria Leonard Ministries. In addition, the Williams were recently in Dallas with comedian and author Steve Harvey helping with his mentor program.

Williams, who proudly states that he and his wife have been married for 35 years, is big on celebrating an-niversaries.

“Every month our ministry has people celebrat-ing 15 to 20 years sober. We’ve had a great impact because over the years with 10 to 25 people per meet-ing on any given night, we’ve helped thousands. Still, we need to get more parents involved with kids on substance abuse issues,” said Williams.

Williams believes having his program in a church is a godsend.

“Most people who need this help don’t have transportation but they can walk to the church,” said Williams, who believes communication is the key to getting more people the help they need.

“As a people we must stop talking at people and start talking with them,” he said.

Williams invites those who want to become part of his recovery ministry to call Windsor Village at 713-726-2680.

Drug abuse facts & figures• According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health an estimated 20 million Americans aged 12 or older used an illegal drug in the past 30 days. This estimate represents 8 percent of the population aged 12 years old or older. • Illicit drugs include marijuana/hashish, cocaine (including crack), heroin, hallucinogens, inhalants, or prescription drugs used without a prescription.• The most commonly used and abused drug after alcohol is marijuana. • Each year more teens enter addiction treatment with a primary diagnosis of marijuana dependence than all other illegal drugs combined.• The estimated cost of drug abuse to society exceeds $190 billion, and includes $130 billion in lost productivity, $20 billion in healthcare costs and $40 billion in legal costs including efforts to stem the flow of drugs

By ASWAD WALKERDefender


opinionGabby Douglas’

hair-raising experience

8 DEFENDER | WEEK OF AUGUST 9 | 2012 | defendernetwork.com

Black vote agaIN taken for granted

By JULIANNE MALVEAUXNNPA Columnist

If you don’t follow Olympic gymnastics, you may not have heard about Gabrielle “Gabby” Douglas before this year. But the amazing grace of this 16-year-

old African-American propelled her to Olympic gold, and she is the first African American to win an individual medal in gymnas-tics.

Indeed, her performance toppled the Russians, who have portrayed themselves as unbeatable. So unbeatable, as a matter of fact that the winner of the silver medal, Viktoria Komova, “sobbed uncontrollably,” because she so expected to win.

This calls for unqualified celebration. Sneaking into some of the celebratory com-ments, though, were snarky and rude comments that many reserve to tarnish African-American accomplishment and victory. Channel surfing in the talk radio space, these comments came in two cat-egories, equally objectionable.

First, there were com-ments about Gabrielle’s hair. As the young gymnast did her thing, there were many – including some self-hating Af-rican American women – who commented that her hair wasn’t up to par. I’m not sure what style would be appropriate for a gymnast, but let’s celebrate Gabrielle’s medal instead of railing on her hair. Are we still stuck on the Spike Lee version of “straight or nappy” as a contrast?

When Don Imus insultingly uses the word “nappy,” we Black folks are up in arms, as we should be. But when sisters excoriate an accomplished young woman, there are those who nod their hair in agreement. When will we, Black women, get over this hair thing?

And when will we stop playing into other people’s stereotypes? To be

honest, hair was the last thing on my mind when I saw Gabrielle’s stunning performance. Why was anyone think-ing of hair?

In addition to thinking of hair, some commentators were thinking of fatherhood. Where was her dad, too many asked? One radio talk show host took a whole five minutes ruminating on absent dads.

But the truth is that while Gabri-elle’s mom, Natalie Hawkins, and her dad, Timothy Douglas, are divorcing, Douglas, a soldier who has served both in Iraq and Afghanistan, is very much part of her life. He was present for the Olympic trials, but had responsibili-ties that kept him from the rest of the games. His presence or absence should not be the fodder for speculation.

I wouldn’t mind the commentary so much if the same folks spent any time speaking of the economic plight of African-American men.

African- American men. The

employment-population ration, which measures the percentage of men aged 10 to 65 who are working, shows that 57.7 percent of African-American men in that age group have jobs, which means that more than 40 percent do not.

More than two of three African-American men, then, do not have work, yet this statistic is rarely discussed. In

contrast, the employ-ment-population ration for white men was 68.4 percent, a full 10 per-centage points higher than the rate for Black men.

Timothy Douglas is employed, and he is, indeed, defending our country. Why is his presence or absence at the Olympic Games subject to mean-spirit-ed discussion, when it is clear that he supports his daughter?

It is easy to sug-gest that the Tea Party attacks on President Barack Obama have made it “open season” on Black people among the commentariat. And certainly, coverage of the president and his family has been rife with stereotypes.

Still, Tea Party attacks can’t explain

the ways that some African-American women have talked about Gabrielle Douglas’ hair. In the face of caustic comments about Black people from outsiders, must we turn on ourselves?

The only thing I want to hear about Gabrielle Douglas is how amazing her victory was, and how inspirational she will be for other young women. All of America ought to celebrate this victory because Ms. Douglas brought the gold home, not for herself, but for our na-tion. The stereotypes are simply unac-ceptable, whether African Americans or whites are wallowing in them.

Taylor Jones, El Nuevo Dia, Puerto Rico

By CLOVES CAMPBELLNNPA Chairman

There are less than 100 days until voters throughout the country cast their votes for the next president of the United States of America as well as U.S. Senate, congressional and state

legislatures. The campaign war chests for President Obama and Mitt Romney total almost $3 billion!

However as of this writing, not one dollar has been spent in the Black Press. Once again the Black Press has been unfortunately relegated to an “Oh By the Way” campaign that features one 1/2 page ad placed two weeks before the election in all Black newspapers totaling a shameful $1.2 million! That is the money placed by the Obama for America Campaign (OFA). The Romney campaign has zero dollars allocated! To put this all into paper perspective, let me fill you in on the process.

In January of this year we had conversations with the OFA campaign. At that time, we were told that money was not coming in as expected so they could not talk about advertising in Black newspapers.

In late April, after we found out that the OFA campaign had only $800 million dollars, we put together a very detailed advertising proposal for $21 million dollars which included multiple inser-tions in all NNPA publications from June through November. The plan suggested a campaign that encouraged three phases of action.

The first steps were “Voters Registration – you can’t vote if you are not registered.” Second was, “Proper ID – What to take to the polls.” Understanding that voter suppression laws vary from state to state, it is important that voters know what to take to the polls in order to vote. The last stop is “GOTV – get out the vote.”

Mobilizing our communities to go to the polls is the key to winning the upcoming election. Our proposal also included an aggressive digital and social media campaign as well.

Today, we are once again in a position of being taken for granted. Does Jim Messina know something about Black folks that we didn’t know? I am beginning to wonder where are the Black folks that are advising this campaign?

Do they not see the money being spent around them? Are they not asking why are there no Black pollsters, ad agencies, placement, firms, or other Black-owned businesses reaping the benefits of the only $3 Billion dollars being spent in this campaign season. SHOW ME THE MONEY!

At the end of the election, over $3 billion will be spent. Some people will be very happy.

They will not care who wins. What are we to do? Do we stand by and again wait four more years? Let’s get moving now! Come on Roland Martin, Rev. Sharpton, Rev. Jackson, Cliff Kelly, Steve Harvey, Oprah Winfrey! Let’s talk about this now. SHOW ME THE MONEY!

The National Newspaper Publishers As-sociation is comprised of more than 200 Black newspapers across the U.S.

9defendernetwork.com WEEK OF AUGUST 9 | 2012 | DEFENDER

CHIP covers prescriptions, dentist visits, eyeglasses, and more. See if you may qualify. Apply online or call 1-877-543-7669.

www.CHIPmedicaid.org | 1-877-KIDS-NOW

Surprised? $50 or less covers all your

children for one year.

Family Size (Adults + Kids) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Yearly Family Income Before Taxes

Up to $22,340

Up to $30,260

Up to $38,180

Up to $46,100

Up to $54,020

Up to $61,940

Up to $69,860

Up to $77,780

HHSC-0369_HoustonDefender_5n36x4.indd 1 4/11/12 4:08 PM

MEDICAID AD RESIZE4.79” X 3.25”

Need help making rent?Get on the list for help!

Houston Housing Authority Section 8 Vouchers

Apply August 20 - August 26www.housingforhouston.com

1-855-702-9130

‘Dancing with the Stars’Kyle Massey needs votes

for 2nd shotBy KAM WILLIAMS

Special to the Defender

Kyle Massey can cur-rently be seen in Dancing with the Stars: The Live Show in Las Vegas at the Tropicana Hotel. The multi-talented entertainer came in second in the 11th season of ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars” in 2012.

Massey is also the voice of Milo in the Disney animated series “Fish Hooks.” But he is perhaps best known for his star-ring role on Dis-

ney’s “That’s So Raven” and its spinoff sitcom “Cory in the House.”

He recently starred in the Disney Channel Original Movie “Life Is Ruff.” He and his

brother, Chris, are also accomplished rap-pers in a group called the Massey Boyz. Here, Massey talks about his quest to become the 13th contestant – 12 stars have already been announced – on the 15th season of “Dancing with the Stars: All Star Edi-tion,” which begins on Sept. 2.

Fans have until Aug. 24 to choose be-tween Massey and two

other contestants by voting online.

KW: Why do you want to compete in the “Dancing with the Stars All-Star Edition?” You and your partner Lacey Schwimmer were runners-up in season 11.

KM: Lacey and I want to compete in this competition more than anything. Being runner-up was amazing, but I think I’ve picked up a couple skills that would help me win.

KW: How can your fans help you get back on?

KM: Go to abc.com and vote for Kyle!

KW: How do you explain how well Bristol Palin did when you were on the show in spite of low scores from the judges? A lot of people were flabbergasted that she came in third.

KM: Bristol came a long way. Even with the low scores from the judges she made a huge improvement. I think she is amazing on and off the hardwood.

KW: If you get back on, will you ask to be paired with Lacey again?

KM: Without a doubt I would want to be paired

with Lacey. She’s the reason I came in second and I believe the two of us together are a force.

KW: When you look in the mirror, what do you see?

KM: I see someone who wants to go home with that mirror ball trophy.

KW: What advice do you have for anyone who wants to follow in your footsteps?

KM: Just stay fo-cused and always believe in yourself. Keep mov-ing toward your goal no matter what.

Entertainer Kyle Massey is asking fans to vote for him as the final contestant on “Dancing with the Stars: All Star Edition.”


sports


Mike Davis new TSU basketball coach

By MAX EDISONDefender

In a move that once again reflects the muscle of Texas Southern University athletics, the university announced that former Indiana and Alabama Bir-mingham head coach Mike Davis has

been named interim head basketball coach. Davis replaces Tony Harvey, who resigned earlier this summer.

He brings an impressive resume, which includes numerous NCAA and NIT tourna-ment appearances. His Indiana team made it to the title game of the Final Four in 2002.

Davis holds a 237-151 overall career record in his 12 years as a head coach high-lighted by seven 20-plus-win seasons.

“We’re very pleased to announce that Mike Davis will be joining our men’s basket-ball program for the 2012-13 season,” said TSU Director of Athletics Dr. Charles McClelland.

“Coach Davis brings with him an impressive resume both on and off the court as clearly shown by the success his student-athletes have achieved academically and athletically. We’re elated to be able to bring someone with his credentials to lead our program next season.”

With such impressive credentials, eyebrows were raised when Davis was announced as the new top cat of Tiger basket-ball.

“This is a great opportunity for me as a coach,” Davis said. “Lots of folks in interviews recently have asked me why I would come to Texas Southern. My answer is why not? Big-time is not where you are; it’s what you think and who you are.

“I’ve been to five-star restaurants in New York and California, but my best meal came from my grandmother in the state of Alabama. I feel like I am in the big-time at Texas Southern,” he said.

Davis also embraces the concept of athletes as students and expects his players to tow the line in the classroom.

“We want our basketball players to be graduates of Texas Southern, not just basketball players at Texas South-ern. At Indiana only two players that played for me didn’t graduate when their eligibility was up. One was one class away and the other was two classes away. It’s all about preparing for the future, not just basketball.”

The basketball cupboard at TSU is far from empty. Coach Davis inherits a squad that was 15-18 overall last season including a 12-6 mark in South-western Athletic Conference play and berth spot in the finals of the conference tournament.

“From what I’ve seen on tape, we have very, very good talent, but talent alone won’t win you champi-onships, Davis said. “It’s all about heart, effort and knowing what you’re doing. It’s the same thing in the

classroom and on the basketball court. If you’re prepared and give a great effort you’ve got a chance to win in both areas.

“It’s my job as the leader of this program to make sure we’re the hardest playing team and the best prepared in the conference,” Davis said.

Mike Davis

Davis is joined by his wife Tamilya, TSU AD Charles McClelland (left) and President Dr. John Rudley.

athletes bring home Olympic goldAs the London Summer Olympics wind

down there have been any number of success stories. Most prominent among them was the success of American gymnast Gabby Douglas.

Douglas led the United States to a gold medal in the team competition and followed that up with gold in the all-around category. She is the first African American to win the gold in the all-around category.

Serena Williams captured the gold in the women’s tennis singles category, and then paired with her sister Venus to win the double competition.

Predictably, the Jamaicans dominated the sprints. Usain Bolt and Yohan Blake grabbed

the gold and the silver in the 100, and the women were just as dominant. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Veronica Campbell-Brown grabbed gold and bronze respectively, with American Carmelita Jeter winning a silver medal.

Sanya Richards-Ross avenged her bronze in Beijing with gold in London in the 400 meters. A native of Jamaica, Richards-Ross moved to America at the age of 12 and ran track at the University of Texas. Her husband, Aaron Ross, played defensive back for UT and won a Super Bowl with the New York Gi-ants. He signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars as a free agent this year.

Sanya Richards-Ross

h.s.zone11defendernetwork.com WEEK OF AUGUST 9 | 2012 DEFENDER

sportsbriefs

classified

Nicole HutchisonLamar tennis player on the move

MENTAL HEALTH MENTAL RETARDATION

AUTHORITY OF HARRIS COUNTY

will be accepting responses to a Request for Proposal for the follow-ing service:

BRANDING CONSULTANT SERVICES Scope: MHMRA of Harris County expects to enter into a relationship with a Vendor qualified to provide Branding Consultant Services. Specifications may be secured from MHMRA, Harris County, Pur-chasing Department, located at 7011 Southwest Freeway, Suite 100, Houston, Texas 77074; telephone (713) 970-7300 and/or via MHMRA website www.mhmraharris.org beginning Tuesday, August 21, 2012. A Pre-Proposal Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, August 28, 2012 @ 11:00 a.m., 7011 Southwest Freeway. The deadline for prospective vendors to submit questions to this RFP is Wednesday, September 5, 2012. Responses to the Request for Proposal (RFP) must be submitted to Purchasing Department by 11:00 a.m., on Tuesday, September 18, 2012, at 7011 South-west Freeway, Houston, Texas 77074 in a sealed envelope marked "REQUEST FOR PROPOSAL - DO NOT OPEN UNTIL – TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2012, “BRANDING CONSULTANT SERVICES”. Any questions pertaining to this request for proposal should be addressed in writing attn: Marguarette Washington, Senior Buyer via fax at (713) 970-7682 or E-mail questions to attn: [email protected] cc: [email protected]. MHMRA reserves the rights to reject any and/or all responses to the Request for Proposal deemed to be in its best interests, to waive formalities and reasonable irregularities in submitted documents and are not obligated to accept all responses to the Request for Proposal.

Hall of Fame inducts sixIt was the year of the lineman as the NFL Hall of Fame welcomed six new members recently, and four were offensive or defensive linemen. Center Dermontti

Dawson, offensive tackle Willie Roaf, defensive end/linebacker Chris Doleman and defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy were joined by running back Curtis Martin and cornerback Jack Butler. Dawson, a Pittsburgh Steeler from 1988-2000, was named first team All-Pro six consecutive years (1993-98) and was selected to seven consecutive Pro-Bowls. Roaf played with the Saints from 1993-2001and Kansas City from 2002-2005. He was an 11-time Pro-Bowler and NFC Of-fensive Lineman of the Year twice. Doleman played for Minnesota, Atlanta and San Francisco from 1985-1999. He was named to eight Pro Bowls and was named to the NFL All-Decade team for the ‘90s. Kennedy played with the Seattle Seahawks from 1990-2000. Kennedy was named All-Pro five times and made five Pro Bowls. Butler played with the Steelers from 1951-59. He was a six time All-Pro and was named to the All-Decade team for the ‘50s. Martin was a Patriot from 1995 to 1997 and played with the Jets from 1998-2005. He was voted to five Pro Bowls and retired as the game’s fourth leading rusher in history (14,101 yards).

Dynamo on a rollDon’t look now sports fans, but while everyone focuses on the Texans and the Summer Olympics we’ve over-looked the fact that the Dynamo have been on quite a roll. They’ve won five consecutive games and are tied for first place with Kansas City in the Eastern Confer-ence. In an attempt to further strengthen their roster, the Dynamo have been in negotiations with midfielder Ricardo Clark. He was a key member of the team’s MLS championship squads in 2006 and 2007. Clark, a former MLS All-Star, had been playing in Europe. “I can confirm that the Dynamo are interested in finding a way to sign Rico and are in the process of finding a way to do so,” team president Chris Canetti recently said. “Ongoing negotiations are occurring in an effort to bring him here.” Clark, a fan favorite, made 97 appear-ances for the Dynamo between 2006 and 2009. College football kicks off Not only are the Texans involved in preseason work-outs, the area universities have begun as well. Coach Heishma Northern’s Prairie View A&M University Panthers have begun workouts on the “Hill.” Ninety-plus student-athletes reported to camp recently. In town, both Texas Southern University and the Uni-versity of Houston began workouts recently under the watchful eye of new head coaches. The Darrell Asberry (TSU) and Tony Levine (UH) regimes have begun, literally across the street from each other. Experts have predicted the Panthers to finish second in the SWAC’s tough Western Division, while TSU is expected to finish fourth. The Cougars have been tabbed to be the class of the Western Division in Conference USA in what will be their final season in the conference. The Cougars begin play in the Big East next season.


By BRIANNA WILLIAMSDefender

Nicole Hutchison is an athlete to watch. The 15-year-old Lamar High School sopho-more is an award-

winning member of the varsity tennis team, and a rising star in the United States Tennis Association (USTA) rankings.

She realizes that aiming for the top takes a lot of effort. “Tennis is very time consuming, but my favorite part of it is getting to know and compete with other good play-ers,” she said.

The Lamar tennis team is one of the best in the Houston area, and has won the District 20-5A team championships for the past two years. This past year the team advanced to the semi-finals of the Region III cham-pionship and was ranked No. 24 out of 238 high schools in Texas 5A Team Tennis.

Hutchison received the “Most Improved Player” award for the 2011-2012 school year, and was also district runner-up in the girls’ singles category at the 2012 District 20-5A championships.

In addition, Nicole is striving to attain a “Super Champ” ranking in the USTA, the national governing body for the sport of tennis. It is the largest tennis organization in the world, with 17 geographical sections, more than 750,000 individual members and 7,000 organizational members.

Super Champ is the highest level of tennis in Texas. Playing in and winning specific tournaments allows players to accumulate points in order to “champ up.” Super Champs are sought after by coaches when scouting players for their colleges and universities.

Hutchison began playing tennis at the age of 12 on the advice of her father. She was playing soccer at the time, but found that the sport was not competitive enough for her.

“With tennis I’m able to be more strategic and quick on my feet,” she said.

Hutchison’s tennis schedule includes tournaments three weekends out of the month and practice every day after school. The rest of her practices take place with her father, who works with her on agility, speed, weightlifting and reinforcing her technique.

She comes from an athletic family. Her father, An-thony Hutchison, played in the NFL with the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills. Her mother, Deborah, was a high school cheerleader.

Although her father had no prior experience playing or coaching tennis, Nicole’s interest in the sport sparked his participation.

Despite her busy tennis schedule Hutchison is an

honor roll student who

goes home and studies after

practice. She also plays the piano, sings and acts. She oc-casionally plays

soccer when she can find the time.

“I have to take one weekend off a month to enjoy my friends and family,” she added.

After high school, Hutchison plans to major in sports communication at Stanford University or

Northwest- ern University. Her ultimate goal is to become a professional tennis

player, and she is inspired by Serena Williams, who recently won her fifth Wimbledon title.

Nicole Hutchison is an award-winning tennis player from Lamar High School.

12

autoreviewDEFENDER | WEEK OF AUGUST 9 | 2012 defendernetwork.com


2012 Nissan Juke SV Crossover

By DARRELL K. ARDISONDefender

The 2012 Nissan Juke stands out from the pack of affordable small cars with its unique appearance and up-tempo performance.

Yet despite its sports utility vehicle-influenced design elements, a tight back

seat area and small cargo space may limit its appeal. Not being as space efficient as many small hatchbacks might outweigh its expressive attitude.

That said, the 2012 Nissan Juke is a fun vehicle to operate. It blends the ride height and looks of a crossover with the soul and sensibility of a hot little hatchback.

Armed with a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine matched with a six-speed manual transmission, the Juke compares favorably with performance-orient-ed crossovers like the Mini Cooper and Volkswagen GTI. A powerful engine, confidence-inspiring handling and available all-wheel drive give the Juke an edge to certain buyers.

The Juke returns virtually unchanged from the 2011 model with three available trim levels – S, SV and SL. All models have a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and optional al-wheel drive. Front-wheel drive and a six-speed manual transmission are standard

equipment. Premium fuel is the best option.

Juke’s interior is adorned with printed fabrics and hard plastic panels. A lack of small-item storage areas is noticeable.

Comfort and convenience features include a six-way manual driver’s seat, four-way manual front pas-senger seat, 60/40 fold-flat second-row seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and steering wheel audio and cruise controls. Other interior highlights include power sliding moonroof, power doors and windows and cargo area under-floor storage.

Safety features include driver and front passenger side impact and curtain air bags, front-seat active head re-straints, traction control system and Nissan vehicle im-mobilizer system and tire pressure monitoring system.

With outsized fender flares, saucer-eyed

round headlamps and a taper-ing roofline, the 2012 Nissan Juke resembles a Murano in its infancy.

Some of the Juke’s competitors are the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra and Subaru

Impreza.Yet few can match its funky attitude, firm sus-

pension and racy performance.

SPECSMSRP base price – $21,080 (as tested – $22,015)Engine – 1.6-liter four-cylinderTransmission – Six-speed manualFuel economy – 25 miles per gallon (city), 31 mpg (highway)Estimated annual fuel cost – $2,192

2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0 SIt was time for our annual trek to Austin for the state high

school track and field meet and we were in a bit of a quandary.

My group of four journalists has grown accustomed to riding in style. Yet this time the options ap-peared to be limited. We immediately ruled out the sub-compact vehicle. Three of us stand 6-feet or better. It ultimately came down to renting a car or going with the 2012 Nissan Sentra 2.0 S sedan.

When in doubt, go with the Nissan.The 2.0 S is the middle grade in the Sentra lineup with

more interior space than you might imagine, including comfort-able seating. The rear seat had a center armrest with cupholders that came in handy. On the way back we substituted a cooler in the middle with water and sodas on ice.

We were impressed with the silky smooth ride that was more reminiscent of a bigger Altima or Maxima.

With a powertrain that consists of a 2.0-liter DOHC four-cylinder engine matched with an automatic transmission, the Sentra devoured the 290 West highway like contestants at a hotdog-eating contest.

I’m a stickler for a good stereo system, so I’d probably upgrade

the base 160-watt, six-speaker system that was in place. Yet by the time we headed back home, either the system had hit its stride or our hearing had made the adjustment.

Besides being a good highway vehicle,

the 2012 Sentra 2.0 S is a great value for the price. Starting at a base price

of just under $18,000, this test car had a convenience package that included Nissan Intelligent Key keyless entry and ignition system, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a cargo net and hooks in the trunk.

The trunk was enormous! All four of us had a gear bag and the cooler in the trunk for the 167-mile trip to Austin. There was clearly room for more.

Interior amenities included air conditioning with in-cabin microfilter, power windows with driver’s one-touch up/down feature, door locks with automatic-locking feature, six-way adjustable driver’s seat, 60/40 split fold-flat rear seats, trip computer with outside temperature gauge, dual sunvisors with vanity mirrors and variable intermittent windshield wipers.

The Sentra 2.0 S has a sporty exterior that features power-adjustable sideview mirrors, body-side moldings with chrome inserts, chrome trunk lid finisher and rear decklid spoiler with integrated brake light.

The list of safety and security features goes on-and-on. For starters, there’s Nissan’s advanced air bag system with dual-stage supplemental front air bags, front-seat-mounted side impact supplemental air bags, roof-mounted curtain side impact supplemental air bags and a tire pressure monitoring system.

Sentra gets high marks in three categories of the govern-ment safety ratings. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration rated Sentra five stars in the side front seat divi-sion, along with four stars in frontal driver and rollover.

SPECSMSRP base price – $17,990 (as tested – $19,870)Engine – 2.0-liter four-cylinderTransmission – Variable automaticFuel economy – 27 miles per gallon (city), 34 mpg (highway)Estimated annual fuel cost – $1,498 (based on $3 per gallon)

august 09, 2012

Documents

black history

black family finances

black myths dispelledsomeday

black conspiracy theories

houston area

whats true

comdefendernetworkfeatur

problemh page