INSIDEMarch 30, 2018

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RAPPIN’Tommy Wyatt

TPATEXASPUBLISHERSASSOCIATION

Presorted StandardU.S. Postage Paid

Austin, TexasPermit No. 01949

www.TheAustinVillager.com

Vol. 45 No. 45 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: vil3202@aol.com

En Vogue and Johnny GillHeadline 13th Annual Urban Music Fest

During Texas Relays WeekendAUSTIN, TX - The Ur-

ban Music Fest an-nounces its line-up of na-tional artist who will beperforming during the fes-tival on Friday, March 30,2018, and Saturday,March 31, 2018 at theoutdoor venue, Audito-rium Shores, 900 W. Riv-erside Dr. Austin, TX78704. The Urban MusicFest will include live mu-sic and DJ’s performing allfestival long, with plentyof food purchasingchoices, and vendors tomake the weekendmemorable.

According to UrbanMusic Fest co-founderDonnie Little, “We are soblessed to enter our 13thyear, but none of thiswould be possible with-out the support of thecommunity, City of Austin,

and countless of our othersponsors. It is becoming achallenge to bring topnotch artists to Austin,however this festival is notall about the artists, butit’s more about the Qual-ity of Life Initiative for EastAustinites.”

On Friday, March 30,

the gates at AuditoriumShores will open at3:00PMwith the FridayLine-up Highlights to In-clude: The Soul Tree Collec-tive (STC) named, “VibingSoul” this year, will be per-forming on both days, andwill dedicate a tribute to fel-low STC memberDraylen

Mason. who passed awaytragically when a packagedbomb exploded at his homein Austin on 3/12/18.

Also on Friday, therewill be a smooth jazz per-formance called, TexasJazz Explosion with inter-national recording artistSee JOHNNY GILL, pg 2

SXSW MUSIC – VEVO HOUSEBRINGS TOP TALENT TO AUSTIN

Tinashe opens for Common on VevoStage during SXSW Music Festival

in Austin, Texas.Photo by Jerri Starbuck/Naomi Richard.

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By Naomi Richard | VILLAGER Columnist

AUSTIN, TX - OnMarch 4, 2018 the worldwatched entertainersCommon and Andra Dayperform their Oscar-nominated song “StandUp for Something” (from“Marshall”) during the90th Academy Awards. Afew days later, Commonarrived for Austin’s SXSWMusic Festival as a key-note speaker and per-former.

The Vevo House setup residence during thefestival featuring incred-ible performances byCommon’s new groupknown as “AugustGreene.” This was the firstever “live concert” perfor-

mance by August Greene,the supergroup comprisedof notable music starsCommon, Robert Glasperand Karriem Riggins. Alsotaking the stage was high-energy pop and R&B dar-ling, Tinashe who kept thecrowd dancing during herentire set.

In early 2016, musi-cians Common, RobertGlasper and KarriemRiggins found themselvesin the studio, crafting thesoulful backdrop ofCommon’s 11th album,the politically chargedBlack America Again. Thethree friends had knowneach other since the late1990s, so the camaraderie

felt organic. “It was such areal form of expression,”says Common, who’searned three GRAMMYs,an Oscar, a Golden Globeand an Emmy. “It felt natu-ral. We all have an affinityfor great music.”

As the trio created,they began to noticesomething different takingshape—something rootedin the warm R&B soundsof yesteryear but still verymuch in the present. It wassoul music with a modernbounce, a jazz-rap hybridin the spirit of A TribeCalled Quest. It fully en-capsulated the black expe-rience and laid the founda-tion for August Greene.

Also performing onthe Vevo House showcasewere rapper Ludacris andNoah Cyrus. On March 11,Ludacris gave a specialperformance at the 508Bar & Pelons Tex Mex inAustin. With a packedcrowd and lines stretchingdown the block, Ludacrisperformed about 20 of histop hits including “Wel-come 2 Atlanta” and“Money Maker.”

According to his biog-raphy, recording artist, ac-tor and philanthropist,Chris “Ludacris” Bridges,first gained worldwide ac-claim more than 10 yearsago with his debut album,

See VEVO, page 2

No Charges inAlton Sterling’sFatal ShootingBy Associated Press

Louisiana’s attorneygeneral ruled out criminalcharges Tuesday againsttwo White Baton Rougepolice officers in the fatalshooting of a Black manoutside a conveniencestore.

Attorney General JeffLandry’s decision camenearly 11 months after theJustice Department ruledout federal criminalcharges in Alton Sterling’sJuly 2016 death.

Landry made the an-nouncement at a newsconference after meetingwith family members ofSterling.

Veda Washington-Abusaleh, Sterling’s aunt,was in tears after meetingwith Landry.

“They said theydidn’t find anything,” shesaid. “They said it was jus-tifiable, what happened toAlton was justifiable.”

Landry said his officereviewed all of the evi-dence compiled by theJustice Department, in-cluding opinions issued byindependent experts, andalso conducted its own in-See TENSIONS, pg 7

Mayoral candidateseeks to enhance

Austin’s quality of life.See MORRISON

Page 6

Kings, Celtics standin solidarity forStephon Clark.See SHIRTS

Page 2

Rapper apologizesfor ignorant

comments on NRA TVSee WRATH

Page 7

What’shappening at theSchool District?

A few weeks ago wewere very excited that anAfrican American firmhad received a contractfrom The Austin Inde-pendent School District aspart of the multi-BillionDollar bond program thatwas passed to work on themany problems with ourschool buildings andfacilities. It was reportedthat the firm ofMcKissack & McKissack,one of the most successfulArchitect firms in thecountry, had been chosenas one of the firms to workwith the district. But, as usual, thedistrict is playing gameswith the program. Itappears that McKissackwas offered less than 1%of the projects that areapproved for the firstphase of the project. Itappears that the AISDBoard approved thecompanies, but left it upto the AISD staff todetermine which groupswould get the approvedproject for phase one. McKissack has beenone of the most successfulAfrican American firms inthe country for severaldecades. Among theiraccomplishments, thisfirm served as projectmanager for therenovation of DukeEllington School of theArts in Washington DC.They are also providingprogram managementservices to the TexasWomen’s University for anew student union atHubbard Hall on theDenton Campus, just toname a couple of theirprojects. As we fight to saveschools in ourneighborhood, it appearsthat the district is trying tomake sure that they are allclosed because they are nolonger safe to house ourstudents. The SchoolBoard needs to hear fromthe community on thisissue. And they mustknow in no uncertainterms that we will dowhatever it takes to insurethat our DBE companiesget a fair shake.

Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 30, 2018 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com

performing Live onFriday 3/30/18starting be-fore 6PM featuring Flau-tist Althea Renee, Saxo-phonist Kyle Turner, andViolinist Michael Ward.

After the live jazzperformances, the festivalwill continue with R&BsensationVivian Green,

and taking the audienceeven higher, and closingout the night will be fe-male recording artists EnVogue.

Saturday, March 31,the gates at AuditoriumShores will open at12:00PM with the ArtistHighlights Line-up to in-

clude: A performance byThe Soul Tree Collective,the make you wanna dancewith their unique soundand rhythms, Zapp Band,the soul stirring croonerDave Hollister, and closingout the night, former leadsinger of New Edition,Johnny Gill.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

JOHNNY GILL and THE SOULTREE COLLECTIVE to close out

UMF Saturday Night

Back for the FirstTime (2000). Ever since,his unrivaled lyrical prow-ess, dynamic perfor-mances and timeless hitsincluding “Stand Up,” “GetBack,”, “Number OneSpot,” “Money Maker,” and“My Chick Bad,” have so-lidified him as one ofmusic’s best entertainersand led to the sale of morethan 20 million albums

domestically.Ludacris has won

Screen Actors Guild,Critic’s Choice, MTV, andGrammy Awards. In 2010,MSNBC.com namedLudacris one of today’smost effective influencerson American culture.

Vevo, the organizer ofthis incredible list of per-formances, is the world’sleading all-premium music

video and entertainmentplatform with over 20 bil-lion monthly views glo-bally. Vevo delivers a per-sonalized and expertlycurated experience for au-diences to explore and dis-cover music videos, exclu-sive original programmingand live performancesfrom the artists they loveon mobile, web and con-nected TV.

Common performs on Vevo Stage during SXSW MusicFestival in Austin, Texas. Photo by Jerri Starbuck/Naomi Richard.

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

VEVO scores bigtime,online and on stage

Common performs on Vevo Stage during SXSW MusicFestival in Austin, Texas. Photo by Jerri Starbuck/Naomi Richard.

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NSacramento Kings, Boston

Celtics, Wear T-ShirtsHonoring #StephonClark

Special to the AFRO- In 2014, the BrooklynNets and Cleveland Cava-liers stood in solidarity af-ter the death of Eric Gar-ner wearing t-shirts withhis famously tragic lastwords, “I can’t breathe.” In2017, with outspoken NBAsuperstar LeBron Jamesleading the helm, the Cavsagainst the Boston Celticslinked arms speaking outagainst police brutality intheir season opener. OnMarch 25, the SacramentoKings and Boston Celticsserved as athlete-activistswhen they wore t-shirts incommemoration ofStephon Clark, the un-armed 22-year-old whowas shot to his death 20times by a police officer inSacramento.

The t-shirts fromSunday’s game, whichplayers wore duringwarm-ups read, “Account-ability. We are one.” Theback of each shirt said,“#StephonClark”.

Akachi Okugo, aKing’s player developmentstaff member, initiallycame up with the idea ofthe shirts, but was put intoaction by guard GarrettTemple, who has beenextremely forthright re-garding his feelings aboutpolice brutality.

“It ’s probably thetoughest job in Americaand I applaud them forputting their lives on theline every night, every day,but with that comes re-sponsibility. That’s themantle that they carry andthe burden that they bear,”Temple said according to“CBS News”.

Celtics forward,Jaylen Brown, also spokeabout his ability to join inthe activism.

“For the family I knowit’s tough. No gesture canbring your son back, but asNBA players and people ofinfluence, we have to con-tinue to speak up aboutthings,” said forward

Jaylen Brown.Players from both

teams also participated ina video promoting unity.

“These tragedieshave to stop. There mustbe accountability. Black,white, brown- we are one,”the players said in thevideo.

The NBA had to ap-prove the teams’ partici-pation in the video, andmembers from both ex-pressed their appreciationfor the league allowingthem to use their platformto speak out against po-lice brutality.

For players likeTemple, the hope is thatsuch activism will not onlygain the support of fansand the American people,but also help police offic-ers when they have to re-spond to a crime.

“That may make po-lice think twice about pull-ing that trigger if there is alittle more consequence forthose actions,” Temple said.

Vince Carter (r) and Justin Jackson wear T-shirts in memory of StephonClark before an NBA game in Sacramento, CA. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281

Christian Web Site-stpetersaustintx.ning.com

stpetersaustintx@att.netTHE PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.

COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH USSunday 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

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

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

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.

Sunday Services

DOUBLE

GROCERY“R”

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

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 - 5 p.m.

Closed SundayCall (512) 928-5555

www.theaustinvillager.com THE BULLETIN THE VILLAGER/March 30, 2018 ~ Page 3

We Want YOU!Advertise With

TheVILLAGER

New Lincoln Missionary Baptist Church2215 E. 8th St., Austin, TX 78702

DAVID CHAPEL Missionary Baptist ChurchSUNDAY

Christian Education 9:15a.m. | Worship 10:30 a.m.Nursery Available

WEDNESDAY |Worship 1st Wed. monthly 7:00p.m. | Bible Study 7:30p.m.

Dr. Joseph C. Parker, Jr.Senior Pastor

2211 East Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd.Austin, TX 78702

Office: 512-472-9748 Fax: 512-472-5399Website: www.davidchapel.org Email: info@davidchapel.org

“A Church with a Heart for The Community”

Going to Higher Heights,Trusting God along the way.

Sunday School 9:00amBTU: 10:00am

Morning Worship - 11:00 amChurch Phone (512) 477-2714

Cell Phont (512) 585-0744Email:

newlincolnmbc@att.netwww.newlincolnmbc.org Rev. Darron E. Patterson

Pastor

Pastor J.R.Roberson &First lady Lillian Robertson

(979)542-2784 Church& (979) 540-6352 Hlme

BETHEL-ST. PAUL UNITED BAPTIST CHURCH877 W. Hempstead, Giddings, Texas 78942

Weekly ScheduleSunday School 9:00 a.m.

Sunday Worship 10:45 a.m.Wednesday Night Bible

Study 6:00p.m.

Dr. Ricky Freeman,Pastor

GO YE EVANALGELISTIC GOSPEN MISSION(Arena of Refuge and Liberty)

Venu: Super 8, 8129 N. Interstate 35Austin, Texas 78753

CHURCH WEEKLY ACTIVITIESSunday: Sunday Celebration 9 am - 12 noon

Wednesday: Systematic Bible Sudy 6 pm-7:30 pmFri: “I Believe in Miracle” Prayer Meeting 6-7:30

JOIN OPERATION PUSH PRAYERLINE tEAM EVERYFRIDAY @ 6:pm

REV. SAMUEL EHIMEN, Minister In-chargeTel: 512-506-1645

Division of Diversity and Community EngagementBook talk with Dr. Leonard Moore

on the Defeat of the Black Power Movement

Dr. Leonard Moore

AUSTIN, TX - Forthree days in 1972, 8,000American civil rights ac-tivists and Black Powerleaders gathered at theNational Black PoliticalConvention in Gary Indi-ana, hoping to end ayears-long feud betweenintegrationists and sepa-ratists. What followed,however, effectivelycrippled the Black Powermovement and funda-mentally altered the po-litical strategy of civi lrights proponents. Afterthe convention, the influ-

ence of the Black Powermovement declined, itsleaders effectively barredaccess to the levers of so-cial and political power.

Join Dr. Leonard N.Moore, interim vice presi-dent for the Division of Di-versity and CommunityEngagement, for a conver-sation about what hap-pened during that historictime in 1972 as he dis-cusses his new book, “TheDefeat of Black Power:Civil Rights and the Na-tional Black Political Con-vention of 1972.”

The interactive dis-cussion will take place onWednesday, April 11,2018, 12-1 p.m., on theUT Austin campus in theMain Building, Room 212.Lunch will be served tothose attending. Thisevent is free and open tothe public.

If you would like toattend, please RSVP byemailing ovp-ddce@utexas.edu or calling512-232-4621. For thoseoff campus, public parkingis available in the San An-tonio Garage.

HT TO HOST THIRTEENTHANNUAL COMMUNITY

EASTER-EGG HUNTAUSTIN, TX — Children of all ages are invited to

hunt for the thousands of eggs hidden around theHuston-Tillotson University campus during the 2018Community Easter Egg Hunt on this Saturday, March31, 2018 at 10:00 a.m. This will be the University’s thir-teenth Easter-egg hunt.

The hunt features a $500 scholarship prize egg,prize eggs for school supplies and gift certificates, eggswith candy and coins, and filled baskets. Children willgather in the Mary E. Branch Gymnasium for a briefmeaning of Easter story time before joining their agegroups and beginning the hunt.

The event is free and open to the public. In caseof rain, the hunt will be held on Monday, April 2 at 4p.m. The University is located at 900 Chicon Street.

For more information, call 512.505.3006.

AUSTIN, TX - Judge Harriet Murphy and herniece, Elaine City, recently visited Huston-TillotsonUniversity to contribute to the Patrick and HarrietMurphy Scholarship. Pictured, from left to right,are: Vice-President for Institutional AdvancementAngela Watkins, Elaine City, Judge Murphy, andHT President Dr. Colette Pierce Burnette.

HARRIET DOES HT

AUSTIN, TX - The Al-pha Kappa Zeta Chapter ofZeta Phi Beta Sorority issponsoring an educationalworkshop entitled, “GoingBack to School,” and willhave education specialistsand college professionalsavailable to speak on top-ics related to this event. Itwill be held Saturday, April21, 2018, 10:30 am to12:00 noon at CarverBranch Library, 1161Angelina Street, Austin,Texas.

Sessions will includeinformation about acquir-

ing a GED, learning newjob skills if interested inchanging careers, enroll-ing in college as an oldernon-traditional student,returning to college to ac-quire an advanced degree,and educational optionsfor Veterans. In addition,a session will be availablefor parents and studentscurrently enrolled in highschool who need alternateoptions for graduatingwith a high school di-ploma. For additional in-formation, contact:info@alphakappazeta.com.

ZETA PHI BETAto hold “Going Back toSchool” Event in April

at the Carver

Youth of TodayHope of Tomorrow

Kappa Alpha PsiFraternity, Inc

Page 4 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 30, 2018 YOUTH BRIGADE www.theaustinvillager.com

Ruby GeorgeRiojas Elementary

Montrae NelsonFour Points M. S.

Streetz Dance Competition

On March, 23rd, Iwent to The Streetz dancecompetition with my mom.Usually my sister and mystep dad come, but it wasjust me and my lovelymother. So normally at acompetition all of the kidswould take classes until

Ira “T.J.” WilliamsCedar Ridge H. S.

Endangered Species

What do you think ofbees? I know some of youthink they're annoying andyou wonder why they'rehere and why it hurts whenthey sting you. There arepeople who actually valuebees and the role thatthey play in the world andwithout them this worldwould be entirely differ-ent.

The bumble bee isnow on the endangered

species list, and not onlyis this a problem but sci-entists have figured outthat there is no real wayto help them. Bees are dy-ing simply because of tra-cheal mites living inter-nally in the honeybee killsthem and there is no wayto prevent it from happen-ing.

Lastly, Honeybeespollinate all sorts of fruitsand vegetables, and polli-nation is vital for the foodwe eat directly. Its vital forthe foraging crops such asfield beans and clove usedto feed the livestock wedepend on for meat. Theelimination of garden pes-ticides will help with thesurvival of the bees andmake sure to support yourlocal bee keepers. Thanksfor reading.

the competition starts. Weall take classes in our agedivision, and we haveabout an hour each class.My favorite class is jazzbecause that is the class Iaudition in for scholar-ships.

When it was time togo to the dressing room toget ready, I relaxed andthen changed into my firstcostume. When it was timefor our hip hop dance, wegot really hype and wewon double platinum,which is the highestaward. We also got first,first over all, and best ofstreetz, which we get toperform at the closingshow. And the best part is…we’re taking all ourdances to nationals!

Injuries in the NBA

During this currentNational Basketball Asso-ciation (NBA) season,there has been a plethoraof injuries amongst theleague’s top athletes.Starting in the first gameof the regular season,fans have seen their favor-ite players fall victim toseason-ending injuriesand some were very grue-some. These injuries havestarted determiningwhether teams qualify forthe playoffs.

In the first game ofthe season, Celtics star,Gordon Hayward, suffereda terrible ankle injury thatmany thought would messwith the chemistry of theteam. Fortunately, theCeltics were able to findaway to win games with-out their All-Star guard.However, other teams inthe NBA haven’t had thesame luck when their topplayer goes down. TheNew Orleans Pelicans, forexample, have two of the

best “big men” in theleague, Anthony Davis andDeMarcus Cousins. ThePelicans started the sea-son off strong and were ontrack to make it to the play-offs. But when Cousinsruptured his Achilles ten-don, Davis was forced toput the team on his backto try and keep their play-off dreams alive. New Or-leans still has a chance tomake the playoffs, but theprobability of the teamgetting past the firstround is very unlikely.

With multiple NBAplayers getting injuredthroughout the season,many top matchups in theschedule haven’t lived upto their hype due to thefact that one team’s All-Star may be out when theyplay. The league has rarelyseen the number of inju-ries from their key playersas they have this season.Plus, earlier this year Com-missioner Adam Silver toldthe teams that theycouldn’t rest their starplayers unless injured orsick. In response, manybelieve that teams saythat their players are in-jured when they reallyaren’t just so that they canget their players time torest.

The league mustmake a decision. If theNBA wants more people toview their games, theymust allow teams to resttheir players so that thetop matchups feature topplayers that are healthy.

Shimmering Lights

Cyrena MatingouCedar Ridge H. S.

On Saturday, March24th, “ShimmeringLights,” a fashion showorganized by ProjectGraduation, was held atCedar Ridge High School.Project Graduation is agroup of parents whohave seniors at CedarRidge and do fundraisingactivities throughout theyear to throw a party forthe senior class at theend of the school year. Inaddition to spring andformal wear being mod-eled by seniors andsophomores, the “Shim-mering Lights” fashionshow included variousentertainment acts and asilent auction.

The show startedat 6:30 and opened witha piano performance by asenior at the school.Next, sophomore and se-nior girls modeled theirspring attire, which wasprovided by CharmingCharlie’s, as Mrs. DebraHoward, the fashionshow coordinator, read abrief biography as thegirls walked. After thatsegment, there was a 45-

minute intermissionwhere audience mem-bers could bet in the si-lent auction, which in-cluded various items thatwere donated, such as a1-hour massage at a spaand scarves from Charm-ing Charlie’s. Afterwards,the show resumed with aguitar and violin duet,then a swing dance per-formance by six membersof the Cedar Ridge the-atre department. Finally,the senior boys and girlsmodeled their formalwear as the last segmentof the show. After thefashion show concluded,guests could purchaseshaved ice, snacks, andCedar Ridge spirit wear,all of which profitedProject Graduation.

In the show, I mod-eled a bright pink longcardigan with a royal blueshirt and white pants andwhite heeled sandals. Iarrived at the school at1pm to have my hair andmakeup done by studentsfrom the Paul-MitchellSchool in Austin, thentook photos and bondedwith the other models aswe enjoyed pizza. To beprepared for the show, Ihad to stay after-schoolmany times last week topractice walking in myheels and the timing ofthe show. Everyone put ina lot of hard work to pro-duce the show, whichturned out wonderfully,and to support the se-niors in their last year atCedar Ridge.

Testing /Competitions

This is a busy weekfor me. We have theSTAAR testing. This testit seems we are alwaysgetting ready for. I know

it is very important. Ithink I will do okay. Theconstant challenge com-ing up is the AISD Com-petitions.

I have to discuss the"Opioid Crisis" at thecompetitions. This willbe my first time I recitinga speech from memoir infront of a large audiencein a competition. Onething I must say is that Ihave learned quite a bitabout pain and medicine.Most medicine prescrip-tions are for infections orpain management. Ilearned that pain medi-cine does not eliminatethe cause of pain. It re-mains.

Tyler AllenGus Garcia YMLA

Hot Science – Cool Talks

Hot Science – CoolTalks is a nationally recog-nized series presented bythe Environmental ScienceInstitute (ESI). The pro-gram gives researchersfrom prominent universi-ties the opportunity toshare their passion aboutScience, Technology, Engi-neering and Math (STEM).Public events are held sixtimes. On March 23, theUniversity of Texas at Aus-tin (UT) held Sleuthing, TheAvengers, & Chemistry.

I attended the event.There were ‘Cool Activi-

ties’ and a guest speaker.The ‘Cool Activities’ gaveme the chance to partici-pate in hands-on activitiesand demonstrations. Theguest speaker was Dr.Raychelle Burks. Sheshared her experiencesabout working in a crimelab, being a professor, andbeing a TV personality.She told about developingmethods for detecting avariety of materials, in-cluding illegal drugs andexplosives. She also toldabout designing portablesensors for smart phones.

I got a front rowseat to world-class re-search! There were manyactivities but my favor-ites were learning thechemistry behind luminol(blood detection underUV light), analyzing bothfinger prints and vision,and creating slime. I dis-covered how superhe-roes use chemistry to pro-tect the world from vil-lains!

Ava RobertsPflugerville M. S.

Baylor Field Trip

Thursday March 22,2018, was the AVID fieldtrip to Baylor. The drive it-self there and back tookabout 2 hours. In my opin-ion which suprised me isthat Baylor is a privateschool and they let us takea tour . I know most otherprivate schools wouldn'twant students roamingaround on campus "dis-turbing students trying toget their life together."When we arrived there ,the first thing we went togo see were their bears ,because a bear is theirmascot. It was two femalebears but our group only

saw them asleep.On the way we

walked past a very beauti-ful water fountain. It wassparkling and the watersprouted into this hugebowl and came back upthen recycled which Ithought was pretty. Thenext stop was a little walkthrough the campus be-fore our student panel. Wedidn't see everything be-cause Baylor is a really bigschool. At the studentpanel , some studentsasked really good ques-tions about the campusand what the collage isabout and they recievedfree gifts for asking. Afterthat, it was time to eat.Their buffet was reallygood , they had all kindsof food and delicious des-serts.

Sadly , the fun had tostop because it was timeto leave for a long ridehome. Traveling to Baylorwas a really fun experi-ence and educatedlyhelped me for options tochoose a collage in my fu-ture.

Erika LipscombManor M. S.

www.TheAustinVillager.com

@TheVillagerATX

TheVillagerAndBlackRegistryCompany

www.theaustinvillager.com THE COURIER THE VILLAGER/March 30, 2018~ Page 5

Kennedy GeorgeWeiss High School

AP Testing

In about sevenweeks I take my very firstAP test. AP stands forAdvanced Placement. If Ipass this test, I can getsome college credit.Thething is this is a class Ihave been struggling on

all year.At my school, we

have been told that ourAP Human Geographyclass has been madeharder to push us intopassing the test. I havebeen doing plenty ofstudying for the test butthere is a lot of informa-tion. Sometimes it feelsoverwhelming. I know ifI continue working I canpass the test, becauseeven though I struggle inthat class I have neverfailed it.Next year I amtaking two AP classes, APBiology and AP WorldHistory, but these aresubjects that I under-stand better.

Bridges

For the past fewweeks we have been talkingabout bridges. The types ofbridges that we are learning

are called suspensionbridges , arch bridges, andbeam bridges.

This week we are go-ing to have to design andbuild a bridge made out ofonly 100 popsicle sticks.Also, we have to paint thepopsicle sticks so that heknows what group werein. The hardest thingabout this project is prob-ably going to be coloringthe sticks. The easiestthing about this project isprobably going to bechoosing what type ofbridge we are going tobuild.

Joshua MooreManor New Tech M.S.

Preparation for Lone Star South Regional

My robotics team,FIRST {For Inspiration andRecognition of Scienceand Technology} team2881, the Lady Cans ofAustin, Texas, is currentlypreparing for our secondcompetition, which willbe the Lone Star SouthRegional, held from April5th through 7th in Pasa-dena, Texas. During ourfirst competition, welearned a lot about howthe robot moves and dis-covered the simple mis-

Quinn LangfordCedar Ridge H. S.

takes that could hamperus for an entire match, soI think we will have im-proved results in this up-coming competition. Lastcompetition, I was incharge of taking picturesand videos of our robotas it competed on thefield, but this time, I willbe the manipulator.

Our robot is con-trolled by two control-lers: one that moves thewheels, which allows therobot to drive around thefield, and one that con-trols the arm and the in-take, which are used topick up and place the yel-low game cubes that weuse to score points. Asmanipulator, I will usethe second controller.The job carries a lot ofpressure, but it’s moreinteresting than just sit-ting in the stands cheer-ing, and the more I prac-tice, the more confidentI feel about doing it.

SaNaya WhiteAnn Richards

The First Run

I achieved my goaland conquered my fear ofjoining the track team.Again, I was afraid that Iwould not be able to par-ticipate because of myasthma, but I actually feelthat track is allowing me tobe stronger. For practiceswe run two laps aroundour track, dynamic stretch,and for our most recentpractice, we ran aroundthe school as we werechallenged not to walkeven once to build up en-durance. I did not succeedin the challenge but I didtry. Wednesday, March 21,I ran in my first track meet.The meet was againstBailey and Bedichek atBedichek. As we arrivedand set our eyes on thosewho had already began torun, I noticed something. Inoticed that those girlsand boys were fast! I felt alittle nervous but I knewthat we would do fine. Wewatched others run as we

warmed up, and waitedfor our event to be an-nounced. Once the an-nouncer yelled for the 4 by1 runners I set place as firstleg in the relay. I waitedand looked over at the girlsnext to me to see thempreparing for the race.Each runner did some-thing totally different andunique from each other towarm up. Some usedblocks, some practicedtheir starting spring, andothers bounced back andforth. I had no idea whatto do. In fact, we had nothad that many practices tobegin with. I just watchedand waited. Eventually thegun was shot and I ran asfast as I could to hand offthe baton to the secondleg. We were in third placeuntil our second legtripped during hand off. Itwasn’t pretty, but she gotback up and continued torun. We ended in 5th outof 7 but we know that nexttime will be much better. Ialso ran the 100 meterdash. I placed 3rd and wassuper close to second butI slowed down and gotpassed up. The track meetwas hard but a overallpositive first experience. Itallowed me to see what Ishould expect, see my mis-takes, and visualize what Ineed to practice in orderto be better than the lasttime. My first run was agood one, but the nextone will be great.

Manor Senior High School

Manor Senior HighSchool is made for juniorsand seniors next year.The school will be open-ing for next year. The

school will have a collegesetting in the inside. Thefood area of the schoolwill look like a food court.There will be multiplestudy areas for students.There will be a field forfootball and brand newgyms for the students.

I think that thisschool wi ll make stu-dents feel like they mat-ter because this school isa bunch of students ideasto make the regular highschool better. Many ofthe students are very ex-cited to see the highschool next year becauseit is a newer atmosphereto see and experience.

Alyssa James WinnManor H.S.

YOUTH HIGHLIGHTMarch for Our Lives in Austin

Pictured left to righ: Keely Nonette, LBJ High School Early College Student introduces Austin CityCouncil Member Alison Alter during Student Lead March for Life Rally at the Texas State Capital. Ms.Nonette standing with Guest speaker Matthew McConaughey. Photo by Parent Wayne Cook

Art in Public Places (AIPP), a program of theCity of Austin’s Cultural Arts Division of theEconomic Development Department, announcesthe expansion of TEMPO, its annual temporarypublic art program. TEMPO provides the com-munity a deeper appreciation of public art

Text Structures

Hello, everyone!We’re going to be talkingabout the all different textstructures and some tipsto help you recognize thetext structure. If you’rewondering what a textstructure is, it is how theauthor organizes the infor-mation in a text. If you’reconfused it means just be-cause the author is de-scribing a topic(s) doesn’tmean that every text is adescriptive text. It’s howthe author chooses to de-scribe his topic(s). I hopethat makes sense and thatyou enjoy my article.

The first text struc-ture I want to cover is adescriptive text. A descrip-tive text basically has atopic and has random factsand information about thetopic, in no clear pattern.Another text structure issequential or chronologi-cal. A little fun fact is that

in mythology there was aGreek god called Chronowho controlled time. Thatgives you a hint that achronological text hassomething to do withtime. Bingo! A chronologi-cal text has dates and havethe events that go alongwith the dates.

Our third text struc-ture is cause and effect.A cause and effect textstructure gives a causethen effect, cause theneffect, and so on. Somekey words that can helpyou find a cause and ef-fect text structure are,because, so, cause, andeffect. But be careful, thekey words can be mis-leading. A problem andsolution text has a prob-lem and a whole bunch ofsolutions. A compare andcontrast text has two top-ics and the author writesthe similarities and differ-ences. Some key words aresimilarities, alike, same,differences, but, unlike,and different. The last textstructure we’ll be talkingabout today is proceduralor how- to. A how-to textlists the materials to dosomething and how to dosomething.

Thanks for readingmy article! I hope you en-joyed my article! Thanksfor reading!

Kamryn MackKipp Leadership Elem.

through temporary, thought-provoking installa-tions that impact and enhance city-owned sitesacross Austin. Since 2012, the TEMPO programhas commissioned dozens of artists to createoutdoor installations. While diverse in materialand theme, TEMPO artworks have typically beenthree-dimensional sculptural installations. Thisyear, AIPP will grow the program to includeopportunities for muralists. Through TEMPO 2-D, AIPP will commission seven to ten artists tocreate temporary murals at select sites across theCity. The deadline to apply is April 26 at 5 PMand compensation will be provided for the se-lected artists.

“This new initiative will enable many addi-tional local artists to participate in the TEMPOprogram,” said Sue Lambe, Administrator of theArt in Public Places Program. “Honoring the age-old tradition of mural painting, TEMPO 2-D willprovide the public with fresh new ways to expe-rience art in the community.”

AUSTIN ART INPUBLIC PLACES

EXPANDS POPULARTEMPO PROGRAMTemporary public art program to now

include opportunities for muralists

Page 6 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 30, 2018 DIASPORA www.theaustinvillager.com

2018 Travis County DemocraticParty Convention

Sunday, March 24, 2018, the Travis CountyDemocratic Party held its “County Convention.” More-over, the “County Convention” was held in the heartof downtown Austin. Moreover the County Conven-tion is a like big “fair for those involved in TravisCounty Democratic Party politics.Moreover, the day was full of activity and startedearly. According to the organizers, the registrationbegan at 9:00 Am and the call of order started at 10AM. After the registration there was an opening cer-

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon | Villager Columnist

Pictured are Travis County Democratic Party Delegates. Photo by Tsoke Chuch Adjavon

emony. Furthermore, the opening ceremony wasused to established the tone for the rest of the event.After the opening ceremony there were numer-ous speeches. The speeches came from the follow-ing: Mayor Adler; Democratic Party nominee forAttorney General Justin Nelson; Travis County JudgeSarah Eckhard; Texas State representatives DonnaHoward and Celia Israel; and a representatives fromMarch for Our lives. Finally, the Travis County Chair-woman elect, Dyana Limon Mercado also gave a speech.Laura

MorrisonFor

AustinMayor

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist

Monday, March 26,2018, Laura Morrisonannounced her inten-tion to run for Mayor ofAustin. In a crowdedroom of downtown Aus-tin, her supporters gath-ered up to meet her andalso listen to her speech.During her speech, shetalked about the reasonof why she is running forMayor. Austin is indeedat a crossroad, in which,certain legislation wouldaffect the city grow andwell being.

In the past 4 years,Austin has been experi-encing a “boom”. More-over, there has been nu-

merous business invest-ment in Austin; how-ever, this boom hasbeen experienced by afew. For instance, therapid building invest-ment has increased theeffect of gentrification,in which, entire neigh-borhoods of Black andHispanic have been

priced out of theirhomes.

In addition, thenext Mayor will have toaddress certain issues,such as, transportationand also the Austin Po-lice Department. First ofall, Austin faces serioustransportation issues.There are major conges-

tion that Austin drivefaces. Moreover, if theissue of congestion isnot fix then it will affectthe economist develop-ment of the city. Sec-ondly, the next Mayor willhave to change the “cul-ture of APD”, in which,the rights of people ofcolor are respected.

Laura Morrison and her husband Phil Morrison.Photo by Tsoke Chuch Adjavon

Terrorism HitsCentral Texas

In the past week,the Central Texas wasrocketed by a domesticterrorist. Moreover,Mark Conditt, the do-mestic terrorist con-ducted his “reign of ter-ror” by placing explo-sive material in pack-ages. During his reign ofterror, he killed 2 peopleand injured numerousother people. The twodead victims, includethe following: DraylonMason and AnthonyStephan House.

Conditt’s terrorismbrought out both thegood and bad side ofCentral Texans. First ofall, there was a sense ofunity among law en-forcement to find thesuspect. In addition,various communities inCentral Texas began to“look out for each

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon | Villager Columnist

other.” However, it alsobrought out the racialdivide among some inPflugerville. For in-stance, those that knewthe family “blamed theterrorist pure evilnesson mental illness.”

Moreover, there arestill some unresolvedquestions regardingthese incidents. Someof the unresolved ques-tion, include the follow-ing: Why did the Aus-tin Police Departmentfocused on the wrongissue when Mr. Housewas killed by the bomb?Did that delay causedmore people to affectedby this act of terrorism?Why did the InterimPolice Chief call Conditta “person who had nu-merous issues”? Insteadof calling it an act of do-mestic terrorism?

They Did it Again: Ann RichardsSchool Media Tech Program Wins

UIL State Championship inTraditional Animation

Austin, Texas - When the UIL Young FilmmakersFestival was held recently at the Paramount Theater,three films from Ann Richards School for Young WomenLeaders made it to the state finals.

Willow Daleheit earned the state championshipin Division 2 for traditional animation for her film, "Sun-flowers."

This is the second year in a row that Ann Richardsstudents have won the state championship in this cat-egory.

Willow created her animation by drawing hun-dreds of pictures, scanning them and then combiningthose pictures with hand-painted watercolor back-grounds. Willow also wrote and performed the musi-cal score for the film.

Isabella (Izzy) Baladez and Samantha (Sammie)Seamon also attended the state finals and placed in thetop six in state, earning an honorable mention in thedivision 2 traditional animation category for their film,"When it Rains."

Jacky Ortega, Elly Garcia and Emily Garza placedin the top six as well, earning an honorable mention inthe Nobelity Social Impact Award category for theirdocumentary, "Para Mi." The Nobelity Social ImpactAward recognizes films that inspire viewers to live abetter life, encourages them to transform their beliefsor urges them to take action on important issues.

Pictured: Willow, accompanied by Izzy andSammie, holds her state champion award in frontof the Paramount Theatre the night of the festival.

Pictured, from left, Anthony Stephan House(Courtesy/Shannon Johnson),

Draylen Mason (Courtesy/Jones-Wilson Family)

it.”

Austin, TX - The lo-cal improv comedy com-munity that has drivenThe New MovementTheater Austin for 6years is proud to an-nounce its transition toFallout Theater. Withnew ownership and anew direction, the in-credible space at 616Lavaca Street in theheart of downtown Aus-tin will host classes andshows 7 nights a week.

Apply at HRMiddle Fiskville Rd.

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

EEOC/AA/M/F/D/V

EMPLOYMENT | PROPOSALS | PUBLIC INFORMATIONFOR SALE | FOR RENT | BIDS | MISCELLANEOUS

www.theaustinvillager.com CLASSIFIEDS THE VILLAGER/March 30, 2018 ~ Page 7

Are you interested in doing businesswith the City of Austin?

We are here for you!City of Austin

Purchasing OfficeVendor Registration

512-974-2018VendorReg@austintexas.gov

www.austintexas.gov/department/purchasing

For information on the City of Austin’s Minority/Women-Owned Procurement Program please contact theSmall & Minority Business Resources at 512-974-7600 orvisit www.austintexas.gov/smbr.

New Jobs for the Week of 03/25/2018Dean, Student Services

Riverside CampusJob# 1802060

Technician, Senior IT (ComputerSupport)

As assigned.Job# 1803015

Technician, MaintenanceMultiple Locations

Job# 1803013Assistant, Student Services

Northridge CampusJob# 1803006

Analyst, Business OperationsEastview Campus

Job# 1803002Faculty, German-Part-Time (50%)

Highland CampusJob# 1802053

Supervisor, Advising (Area ofStudy)

Riverside CampusJob# 1803017

Coordinator, Fashion IncubatorProduction

Highland CampusJob# 1803024

“The Pflugerville IndependentSchool District will open

Proposals for:Bond Counsel

on Thursday, April 12, 2018@ 2:00 p.m

All proposals may be submitted(by mail or hand carry) to:

Pflugerville ISD 1401 West Pecan

Pflugerville, TX 78660 Attn: Craig Pruett

Proposals may be picked up inperson or downloaded from the

PISD website at: www.pfisd.net.Contact Craig Pruett atcraig.pruett@pfisd.net.

Travis County Healthcare District d/b/a Central Health1111 E. Cesar Chavez Street

Austin, TX 78702RFP #1803-002 - Construction Mgmt. at Risk Services

Clinical Education Center (CEC) Alternate UtilitiesDue Date: April 13, 2018 by 2:00PM CT

Scope of Work: The purpose of this Request for Proposals (RFP)is to select a highly skilled and experienced construction mgmt.entity to provide Pre-Construction and Construction Phaseservices at the CEC Bldg. Alternate Utilities and the BrackenridgeCentral Plant Decommissioning Project which primarily involvesmechanical, electrical and plumbing systems, additional generalconstruction work is required.This package can be downloaded from: www.bidsync.com, http://www.centralhealth.net/finance/purchasing/ OR http://esbd.cpa.state.tx.us

terviews of eyewit-nesses to the shooting. Hesaid he is “always mindfulof the human element” inthe case beyond his re-view of the facts and ap-plicable laws.

“I know the Sterlingfamily is hurting,” Landrysaid. “I know that theymay not agree with thedecision.”

Landry did not takeany questions from re-porters after his state-ment. His spokeswoman,Ruth Wisher, would notsay if they planned to re-lease the body camerafootage and surveillancevideo that hasn’t beenmade public.

Officer BlaneSalamoni shot and killedSterling during a struggleoutside a conveniencestore where the 37-year-old Black man was sellinghomemade CDs. OfficerHowie Lake II helpedwrestle Sterling to theground, but Lake didn’tfire his gun.

The shooting cameamid increased scrutiny offatal encounters betweenpolice and black men. Twocellphone videos [Warn-ing: Graphic content] ofthe shooting quicklyspread on social media,leading to protests duringwhich nearly 200 peoplewere arrested. The offic-ers’ body cameras and astore surveillance cameraalso recorded the encoun-ter, but those videos havenot been released.

Federal authoritiesopened a civil rights inves-tigation immediately afterthe shooting and releasedtheir findings in May 2017.They said Salamoni yelledthat Sterling was reachingfor a gun in his pocket be-fore shooting him threetimes, and then firedthree more shots intoSterling’s back when hebegan to sit up and move.

The officers recov-ered a loaded revolver

Louisiana Racial Tensions StillRaw From 2016 Baton Rouge

Police Killings

Photos of Alton Sterling are taped to the wall at a makeshift memorialoutside the Triple S convenience store in Baton Rouge, La. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

from Sterling’s pocket. Asa convicted felon, Sterlingcould not legally carry agun. Sterling had pleadedguilty in 2011 to being afelon in possession of afirearm and illegally carry-ing a weapon and was ar-rested in May 2009 afteran officer confronted himoutside another storewhere he was selling CDs,court records show.

Federal authoritiesconcluded there wasn’tenough evidence to proveSalamoni or Lake willfullydeprived Sterling of hiscivil rights, or that the of-ficers’ use of force wasobjectively unreasonable.

The officers encoun-tered Sterling after re-sponding to a report of aman with a gun outsidethe Triple S Food Mart.The officers told Sterlingto put his hands on thehood of a car andstruggled with him whenhe didn’t comply, the Jus-tice Department said.Lake shocked Sterling witha stun gun before the of-ficers wrestled him to theground, according to fed-eral investigators.

Attorneys forSterling’s relatives havesaid federal authoritiestold them that Salamonipointed a gun at Sterling’shead and threatened tokill him before thestruggle began. In a sum-mary of its findings, theJustice Department saidSalamoni pointed his gunat Sterling’s head butdidn’t mention any verbalthreats by the officer.

Salamoni and Lakehave remained on paidadministrative leave sincethe July 5, 2016, shooting.

Racial tensions werestill simmering inLouisiana’s capital whenGavin Long, a 29-year-oldBlack military veteranfrom Kansas City, Mis-souri, ambushed policeofficers near a car wash onJuly 17, 2016. Long killed

three Baton Rouge law en-forcement officers andwounded three others be-fore being shot dead.

East Baton RougeDistrict Attorney HillarMoore recused himselffrom any state criminal in-vestigation into Sterling’sdeath, citing his profes-sional relationship withSalamoni’s parents, whohave served as police of-ficers in Baton Rouge.Moore’s recusal leftLandry’s office to reviewevidence and decidewhether any state chargeswere warranted.

In June 2017, lawyersfor Sterling’s five childrenfiled a wrongful death law-suit against the city of Ba-ton Rouge, its police depart-ment and former policechief, and the two officersinvolved. Their suit allegesthe shooting fit a pattern ofracist behavior and exces-sive force by the BatonRouge police. It also claimspoor training and inad-equate police proceduresled to Sterling’s death.

The mass arrests ofprotesters after Sterling’sdeath spawned lawsuitsthat accused police of us-ing excessive force andadvancing against peace-ful protesters while wear-ing military gear and gasmasks and brandishing as-sault weapons. In October,a federal judge approveda class-action settlementthat awards up to $1,000in cash to dozens of pro-testers who claim policeviolated their civil rights.

Police prepared foranother round of protestsbefore the Justice Depart-ment announced its deci-sion last year, but the re-sponse was far more sub-dued. After learning nei-ther officer would becharged with federalcrimes, dozens of peopleheld a peaceful vigil out-side the conveniencestore where Sterling wasshot.

Following the Wrath of Black Twitter,Rapper Killer Mike Apologizes

By Sean YoesSpecial to the AFRO

Rapper Killer Mike was the recipient of socialmedia heat for criticizing protesters whoparticipated in the March For Our Lives eventsacross the nation. (Photo: Twitter)

KillerMike

AFRO - Rapper andpolitical activist Killer Mikehas apologized publicly foran interview he gave toNRA TV that was critical ofthe March for Life move-ment. The apology wasmade in the form of avideo posted on socialmediaMarch 25.

“I’m sorry that an in-terview I did about a minor-ity, Black people in thiscountry, and gun rights wasused as a weapon againstyou guys,” he said. “Thatwas unfair to you and it waswrong, and it disparagedsome very noble workyou’re doing.”

During the NRA inter-view, the rapper, who wasborn Michael Render, saidhe has worked with indi-viduals on both sides of thegun issue, but specificallycriticized those who partici-pated on National SchoolWalkout Day, March 14.

“I told my kids on theschool walkout, ̀ I love you,but if you walk out thatschool, walk out myhouse,” he said. “We are agun-owning family, we area family that my sisterfarms, we are a familywhere we’ll fish and hunt,but we are not a familythat jumps on every singlething that an ally of oursdoes because some stuffwe just don’t agree with,”added Killer Mike, whowas a visible and vocalsupporter of Vermont Sen.Bernie Sanders during hispresidential bid in 2016.

The Atlanta basedrapper has also been anadvocate against policebrutality. While the rappersaid the interview with theNRA was recorded a weekago, it aired on March 24,the day of the March ForOur Lives rallies across thenation, where hundreds ofthousands gathered in cit-ies and towns to protestgun violence and the NRA.

The rapper facedconsiderable backlash viaTwitter and other socialmedia for apparentlyembracing the NRA, agroup whose support ofthe Second Amendmentrights of Black gun own-ers has seemed dubious.

“Killer Mike clearlyhas not studied NRA his-tory,” wrote Ebony Noor,The Spiritual Anthropolo-gist, via Twitter March 24.“When the Black Pan-thers were defending

themselves against policebrutality…the very thingthat 2A (Second Amend-ment) was meant for, theNRA supported gun controlin the form of the MulfordAct.”

The Mulford Act was a1967 California bill craftedby Republican Assembly-man Don Mulford fromOakland (as well as otherRepublican and Democraticcolleagues), in response tomembers of the Black Pan-ther Party conductingarmed patrols of Oaklandneighborhoods, an actioncalled, “cop watching.” TheMulford Act repealed a Cali-fornia law that allowed car-rying loaded firearms, andit was signed into law bythen Gov. Ronald Reagan,July 28, 1967. In protest, thePanthers marched withloaded weapons to the Cali-fornia State Capitol in Sac-ramento, May 2, 1967.

Page 8 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 30, 2018 THE DISPATCH www.theaustinvillager.com

Linda Brown, Center of 1954School Segregation Ruling, DiesBy Associated Press

In this April 30, 1974, photo, Linda Brown, right, and her two childrenpose for a photo in their home in Topeka, Kan. Brown, the Kansas girl atthe center of the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that struck down racial

segregation in schools, has died at age 76. (AP Photo)

AFRO - Linda Brown,who as a Kansas girl was atthe center of the landmarkU.S. Supreme Court rulingthat struck down racialsegregation in schools, hasdied at age 76.

Her father, OliverBrown, tried to enroll thefamily in an all-Whiteschool in Topeka, and thecase was sparked when heand several Black familieswere turned away. TheNAACP’s legal arm broughtthe lawsuit to challengesegregation in publicschools, and Oliver Brownbecame lead plaintiff inthe 1954 Brown v. Board ofEducation decision by theSupreme Court that endedschool segregation.

Sherrilyn Ifill, presi-dent and director-counselat NAACP Legal Defenseand Educational Fund,Inc., said in a statementthat Linda Brown is one ofa band of heroic youngpeople who, along withher family, courageouslyfought to end the ultimatesymbol of white su-premacy — racial segrega-tion in public schools.

“She stands as an ex-ample of how ordinaryschoolchildren took centerstage in transforming thiscountry. It was not easy forher or her family, but hersacrifice broke barriersand changed the meaningof equality in this country,”Ifill said.

Peaceful Rest FuneralChapel of Topeka con-firmed that Linda Browndied Sunday afternoon. Nocause of death was re-leased. Funeral arrange-ments are pending.

Her sister, CherylBrown Henderson, found-

ing president of TheBrown Foundation, con-firmed the death to TheTopeka Capital-Journal .She declined commentfrom the family.

The landmark casewas brought before theSupreme Court by theNAACP’s legal arm to chal-lenge segregation in pub-lic schools. It began afterseveral Black families inTopeka were turned downwhen they tried to enrolltheir children in whiteschools near their homes.The lawsuit was joinedwith cases from Delaware,South Carolina, Virginiaand the District of Colum-bia.

On May 17, 1954, theSupreme Court ruled unani-mously that separatingBlack and White childrenwas unconstitutional be-cause it denied Black chil-dren the 14thAmendment’s guarantee ofequal protection under thelaw. “In the field of publiceducation, the doctrine of‘separate but equal’ has noplace,” Chief Justice EarlWarren wrote. “Separateeducational facilities are in-herently unequal.”

The Brown decisionoverturned the court’sPlessy v. Ferguson decision,which on May 18, 1896, es-tablished a “separate butequal” doctrine for Black’sin public facilities.

“Sixty-four years ago,a young girl from Topeka,Kansas sparked a case thatended segregation in pub-lic schools in America,”Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyersaid in a statement. “LindaBrown’s life reminds usthat by standing up for ourprinciples and serving our

communities we can trulychange the world. Linda’slegacy is a crucial part ofthe American story andcontinues to inspire themillions who have realizedthe American dream be-cause of her.”

Brown v. Board was ahistoric marker in the CivilRights movement, likelythe most high-profile casebrought by ThurgoodMarshall and the lawyersof the NAACP Legal De-fense and Education Fundin their decade-plus cam-paign to chip away at thedoctrine of “separate butequal.”

“Her legacy is notonly here but nationwide,”Kansas Deputy EducationCommissioner Dale Den-nis said.

Oliver Brown, forwhom the case wasnamed, became a ministerat a church in Springfield,Missouri. He died of aheart attack in 1961. LindaBrown and her sisterfounded in 1988 theBrown Foundation forEducational Equity, Excel-lence and Research.

The foundation sayson its webpage that it wasestablished as a living trib-ute to the attorneys, com-munity organizers andplaintiffs in the landmarkSupreme Court decision.Its mission is to build upontheir work and keep theideals of the decision rel-evant for future genera-tions.

“We are to be grate-ful for the family thatstood up for what is right,”said Democratic state Rep.Annie Kuether of Topeka.“That made a differenceto the rest of the world.”

Travis County Volunteer Deputy Registrar TrainingAUSTIN, TX – Travis County is looking for volunteers to register voters.Travis County invites residents 18 years and older to become Volunteer Deputy

Registrars, qualifying them to register voters. The deadline to register to vote isThursday, April 5, for the May 5 local election and Monday, April 23 for the May 22runoff election. As a Volunteer Deputy Registrar, you will register county residents tovote, ensure applications are complete and filled out correctly, issue proof of registra-tion receipts and deliver applications to the main tax office within five days of comple-tion. You will promote voter registration at community events and within social net-works, helping the county to ensure all citizens who are eligible to vote are registered.

To volunteer, you must attend a one-hour training session, which are availableon the first Tuesday or Saturday of each month. Training opportunities at the maintax office, 5501 Airport Blvd: Tuesday, April 3, 2018 – 10:30 a.m., 2:30 p.m. or 6:30p.m., Saturday, April 7, 2018 – 10:30 a.m., No reservation needed.

For more information, please visit www.TravisCountyTax.org or call (512) 854-9473. Follow the tax office on Facebook for all the latest voter registration news,including training dates, www.facebook.com/TravisCountyTaxOffice.

2018 ARA BoardAppreciation Dinner

AUSTIN, TX - The ARA honored Ms. Augustine Wil-liams, owner and operator of the Style Rite Salon,with the lifetime achievement award at the 2018 ARABoard Appreciation dinner. The theme for this year’sevent was “Appreciating Visionary Guidance and Out-standing Leadership for over 50 years in the East Aus-tin community”. Thirty eight community members at-tended this event including: Dr. Colette PierceBurnette, Dr. Charles Urdy, and Council member OraHouston, at the Green Pastures event center. Videoof event can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/PZC1MdicBS00

Pictured L to R: Sonja Corbin and Mrs. Augustine Williams

Pictured L to R: Ms. Douglas Mae Newton, Dr. Charles Urdy,and Dr. Collette Pierce-Burnette

Rep. Blanco Urges Governor Abbott and AttorneyGeneral Paxton to Stand Up For Texas In 2020

Census Questionnaire Decision

Austin, Texas- Lateyesterday, the Trump Ad-ministration through theCommerce Departmentannounced its decision toinclude a question aboutcitizenship on the 2020U.S. Census. The inclusionof the citizenship questionis expected to adverselyimpact states with highimmigrant populations,such as Texas. It is ex-pected that a citizenshipquestion will lead to a sub-stantial undercount inTexas’ population, espe-cially along the Texas-Mexico border. Trump’scensus citizenship ques-tion threatens Texas’ po-litical representation, ap-portionment, and federalfunding for critical infra-structure and services. Acitizenship question hasnot been included in a U.S.Census for almost 70

years. In response to theCommerce Department’sannouncement, TexasState RepresentativeCésar Blanco is urgingGovernor Abbott and At-torney General Paxton tosue the Trump Adminis-tration to block the inclu-sion of the citizenshipquestion.

Texas State Repre-sentative César J. Blancoissued the following state-ment:

“Texas stands to gainfrom a full and accuratecount of ALL Texas resi-dents. The 2020 Census isalso vitally important tothe future of our localcommunities. The datagathered will determinefunding for vital local ser-vices, such as education,health care and transpor-tation, and it will also af-fect representation at all

levels of government.“Today, I am calling

on Governor Abbott andAttorney General Paxtonto stand up for Texas andsue the Trump Adminis-tration to block the inclu-sion of the citizenshipquestion. Texas is a fastgrowing state with grow-ing needs and is alsopoised to gain up to 3 newcongressional seats. Anydecision by the TrumpAdministration that di-lutes Texas’ political rep-resentation and reducesfuture federal fundinghurts our communities,businesses, and workingfamilies.

“This isn’t about poli-tics, it’s about Texas re-ceiving its fair share ofresources and representa-tion. It is not a Democraticissue or a Republican is-sue— it’s a Texas issue.”