INSIDE

RAPPIN’Tommy Wyatt

TPATPATPATPATPATEXASPUBLISHERSASSOCIATION

www.TheAustinVillager.com This paper canbe recycled

Vol. 47 No. 34 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: vil3202@aol.com March 13, 2020

Ex-Presidentialhopeful seeks to

improve education.See BLOOMBERG

Page 8

Award-winningjournalist receivesProminence Honor.See RICHARD

Page 2

Prescott may playunder exclusivefranchise tag.

See COWBOYSPage 7

Who’s Feeling The Burn?By WILL WEISSERT and LAURIE KELLMAN | Associated Press

Democratic Presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden addresses the media and asmall group of supporters with his wife Dr. Jill Biden during a primary night event on March 10,2020 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Six states - Idaho, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Washington,and North Dakota held nominating contests today. (Photo by Mark Makela/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Joe Biden decisivelywon Michigan’s Democratic presidential primary,seizing a key battleground state that helped propelBernie Sanders’ insurgent candidacy four years ago.The former vice president’s victory there, as well asin Missouri, Mississippi and Idaho, dealt a seriousblow to Sanders and substantially widened Biden’spath to the nomination.

Biden again showed strength Tuesday withworking-class voters and African Americans, whoare vital to winning the Democratic nomination.Sanders’ narrow hopes for good news rested onNorth Dakota and Washington state. Washington’sprimary was too early to call, and because all votesthere are cast by mail or by dropping them off in aballot box, many ballots were marked for candidateswho have since dropped out of the race.

The six-state contest Tuesday marked the firsttime voters weighed in on the primary since it ef-fectively narrowed to a two-person race betweenSanders and Biden. And the first four states on Tues-day went to Biden, a dramatic reversal for a cam-paign that appeared on the brink of collapse justtwo weeks ago. Now it is Sanders, whose candidacywas ascendant so recently, who must contemplatea path forward.

Addressing supporters in Philadelphia, Bidennoted that many had “declared that this candidacywas dead” only days ago, but “now we’re very muchalive.” He also asked Sanders supporters to back himgoing forward.

“We need you; we want you, and there’s aplace in our campaign for each of you. I want tothank Bernie Sanders and his supporters for theirtireless energy and their passion,” Biden said. “Weshare a common goal, and together we’ll beatDonald Trump.”

It marked a high point for the former vicepresident’s staff. They sipped beer and broke intoan impromptu dance party after his speech, whichwas held close to his Philadelphia headquarters.

Even as the contours of the race came intoshape, however, new uncertainty was sparked byfears of the spreading coronavirus. Both candidatesabruptly canceled rallies in Ohio that were sched-uled for Tuesday night. That set the stage for Biden’sremarks in Philadelphia, while Sanders flew hometo Vermont and didn’t plan to address the public.

Sanders’ campaign also said all future eventswould be decided on a case-by-case basis givenpublic health concerns, while Biden called off ascheduled upcoming Florida stop. Still, the formervice president said Tuesday night that he’d be an-nouncing plans to combat the coronavirus later thisweek.

The Democratic National Committee also saidthat Sunday’s debate between Sanders and Bidenwould be conducted without an audience.

Among former White House hopefuls and lead-ers of powerful liberal groups, however, Biden’s mo-mentum is now undeniable.

See TOUGH NIGHT, page 5

Texas Own Advised Not To Come home(VILLAGER) - COVID-19 continues to disrupt

the lives of millions across the United States. Theentertainment industry has been especially hit overthe past few weeks. SXSW and Coachella have beencancelled in Texas and California, respectively. Andnow, Ciara is “disappointed” to have postponed aconcert in her hometown.

The “Level Up” hitmaker — who is pregnantwith her third child — had been due to perform atthe grand opening of the new Fort Hood, Texas, USOon March 19, 2020, but was “advised” to put theshow on hold due to concerns about the coronavirusoutbreak.

She said in a statement: “With the continuedspread of the coronavirus throughout the U.S., as apregnant woman, my doctors have advised me tolimit travel and large group gatherings.

“I am disappointed I won’t be able to returnthis month to the place where I was born, Ft. Hood,Texas, and put on the amazing show we hadplanned. I urge everyone to be diligent in takingsteps to stay healthy and safe.”

However, the 34-year-old star — who shares a5-year-old son Future Zahir with former partnerFuture — and 2-year-old daughter Sienna with hus-band Russell Wilson — is hoping to be involved

when the Fort Hood USO concert is rescheduledlater this year.

She added: “I look forward to being able tobring it to you at a later date in 2020.”

John Shearer/Getty Images for dcpCIARA

COVID-19

(CDC) - Early infor-mation out of China,where COVID-19 firststarted, shows that somepeople are at higher riskof getting very sick fromthis illness. This in-cludes:

+Older adults+People who have

serious chronic medicalconditions like:

++Heart disease++Diabetes++Lung diseaseIf a COVID-19 out-

break happens in yourcommunity, it could lastfor a long time. (An out-break is when a largenumber of people sud-denly get sick.) Depend-ing on how severe theoutbreak is, public healthofficials may recom-mend community ac-tions to reduce people’srisk of being exposed toCOVID-19. These ac-tions can slow thespread and reduce theimpact of disease.

If you are at higherrisk for serious illnessfrom COVID-19 becauseof your age or becauseyou have a serious long-term health problem, it isextra important for you totake actions to reduceyour risk of getting sickwith the disease.

Who is atHigher Risk?

Coronavirus

And ThenThere

Were Two! When the politicalseason started, there weremore than twentyDemocrats who steppedup to take on PresidentDonald Trump in the nextpresidential election.These candidates repre-sented voters from all overAmerica. While the presidentdid not see any of thesecandidates serious con-tenders to defeating him inthe next election, they allwaged serious campaignsthroughout the country. They eventuallyconceeded that goodintentions were no matchfor big money. Also itappeared that theAmerican voters couldnot make up their mindsover who the next leadershould be. As the candidatesstarted to drop outbecause they were notable to raise thenecessary funds neededto complete the race,things started to change. On Super Tuesday, itbecame clear that theDemocrats would haveto choose a candidatethat had both the fundingand the support to wagea successful campaignagainst Trump. The racehas now been reduced totwo candidates who haveto get enough support tobe chosen by the Demo-cratic Party NationalConvention to be thatcandidate. The race has beenreduced to two candi-dates - Bernie Sandersand Joe Biden. It appearsthat they both have agreat deal of supportfrom the voters. Butcome convention time, itappears that the one thatgets the support from theconvention will dependon the one who has thelargest group ofdelegates voting at theconvention. The drive now is to getthe former candidates tothrow their support behindthe one of the tworemaining candidates. Thequestion now is “Whowill get your Support?”

Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 13, 2020 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com

Austin Revitalization Authority Held Annual BoardAppreciation Dinner at Old Historical Business Site

By Adrienne Rison-Isom | VILLAGER Contributor

Gregory L. SmithArthur Upshaw Boone

(AUSTIN, TX) - TheAustin RevitalizationAuthority (ARA) hostedtheir Annual Apprecia-tion Dinner on Wednes-day, February 26th, 2020.

Huston-T illotsonUniversity PresidentColette PierceBurnette, Ed. D, theColony Park /LakesideNeighborhood Associa-tion, and Mr. JamesMcDonald, Chairmanof Kids Helping Kids ofTexas, all honored theARA with thank yougifts and tributes for ex-ceptional communityservice throughout thecommunity. For moreinfo about ARA andtheir end of year event,you may view their siteat http://austinrev.org/.

ARA was started bynotable, former CityCouncilman, Dr. CharlesUrdy, and continued to-day by Mr. Gregory L.Smith. The event wasalso attended by newCity CouncilwomanNatasha Harper-Madi-son, and many more fa-

miliar leaders.ARA’s mission is to

engage, commercial,residential, and culturaldevelopment.

Notably, the dinnerwas held at the oldFrosty Acres / Frostexbuilding, which manyolder Austinites remem-ber as a cold food stor-

age supplier located onSpringdale Rd., and Air-port Blvd.

Currently, as theface of Austin changes,that business-site(Which was Frostex)changed also.

Frostex was for-merly owned by theBoone family, and

Arthur Upshaw Boone,who was a descendantof Daniel Boone. Boonewas born on August 13,1921 in Owensboro,Kentucky.

His business hassince been convertedinto a center for restau-rants, rock wall climbingand more.

The Hall where thedinner was held is theold Train Depot Building.Mr. Boone had bought atrain car (Back in theday) and outfitted it“James West” style with

interior fixings andmore. He and his familyused the train car for va-cations.

He hired the rail-road to pull that car upthe tracks to his vacationdestination once a year.

Boone was verykind to all of his employ-ees, no matter whatrace, creed, or color.

They celebratedthe company’s successeach year, and he retiredthem securely.

That certainly issomething to examine,especially today.

The new develop-ment, brings back oldmemories, and a perfectmodel project which canbe called preservationof a site.

The remaining effortwhich needs to be added,should include an “UntoldStory Historical Marker”,so that visitors may knowand appreciate wherethey visit.

Read more aboutwhat use to happen atthe Frosty Acre site. Visitthe URL address below.

h t t p s : / /www.legacy.com/amp/obituaries/statesman/118563021.

THE VILLAGER’S “NAOMI RICHARD” SELECTEDAS A 2020 PROFILES OF PROMINENCE HONOREE

By Glynnis Woolridge

(AUSTIN, TX) –Naomi Richard, award-winning entertainmentjournalist and ownerand CEO of White GlovePhotos (certified womanand minority business),has been selected as a2020 Connie YerwoodConner African-Ameri-can Women’s “Profilesof Prominence” Hon-oree by the AustinMetroplex Chapter ofNational Women ofAchievement, Incorpo-rated.

This distinguishedaward will be presentedat the organization’s Six-teenth Biennial cer-emony, held at 6:00pmon Saturday, March 28,2020 at Saint James Mis-sionary Baptist Church,located at 3417 EastMartin Luther King, Jr.Boulevard in Austin. Ri-chard is one of 10 awardrecipients being hon-

ored during the pro-gram. The event is freeand open to the public.

“I am deeply grate-ful to be selected as a2020 Profiles of Promi-nence Honoree,” ex-pressed Richard. “It ishumbling to be in thecompany of such incred-ible and trailblazingwomen – not only thosewho are sharing thisyear’s honor with me,but each one who camebefore us.”

The Profiles ofProminence award rec-ognizes women in theAustin-Travis Countyarea who have madeoutstanding professionalachievements in law,community service, edu-cation and other fields ofendeavor. Richard wasselected as an honoreein the area of Communi-cations, which cel-

NAOMI J. RICHARD (Getty Photo by Gary Miller)

ebrates those in the fieldof journalism, advertis-ing or public relationswho demonstrate lead-

ership in shaping publicopinion and promotingcommunity affairs.

While she has re-

ceived national acco-lades for her journalismand communicationssavvy, Richard has aheart for engaging andinforming Austin-areacommunities. For morethan a decade, she hasreported for and con-tributed articles to localmedia outlets such asUjima Magazine, TheAustin Villager Newspa-per, KRGN 98.5FMKilleen and KAZI 88.7FMThe Voice of Austin,among others.

Her blog, Red CarpetView, provides readerswith up-to-the-minuteentertainment news andevent coverage.

She has capturedsome of the most power-ful and influential peoplein society, such as formerPresidents BarackObama, George H. W.Bush, George W. Bush, BillClinton and Jimmy Carter,as well as internationalsuperstars such as Oprah,

Lady Gaga, Beyoncé,Rihanna, Elton John,Meryl Streep, Viola Davis,David Oyelowo, SidneyPoitier, Stevie Wonder,Taylor Swift and QuincyJones.

Ms. Richard is amember of The Record-ing Academy, The StellarAwards Gospel MusicAcademy, The GospelMusic Association, theNational Association ofBlack Journalists and theTexas Association ofGospel AnnouncersGuild. Ms. Richard is alsoa Certified Project Man-agement Professional,Certified Systems Engi-neer, a member of DeltaSigma Theta Sorority,The Links Incorporated –Austin Chapter, pastmember of Jack & Jill ofAmerica, Inc, a lifetimemember of the UrbanLeague and the NAACP.

Connect with Ms.Richard on social media@NaomiJRichard.

Naomi Richard interviews film legend Forest Whitaker. Photo by Richard NicholsNAOMI RICHARDPhoto by Keemon Leonard

We Want YOU!Advertise With

TheVILLAGER

www.theaustinvillager.com THE BULLETIN THE VILLAGER/March 13, 2020 ~ Page 3

Felix Bamirin, PastorGRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Experience Grace For LifeCall: 682.472.9073 l Email: gracewayaustin@aol.com l

Visit: 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.

New Lincoln Missionary Baptist Church2215 E. 8th St.,

Austin, TX 78702Going to Higher Heights,

Trusting God along the way.Sunday School 9:00am

BTU: 10:00amMorning Worship - 11:00 amChurch Phone (512) 477-2714

Cell Phont (512) 585-0744Email: newlincolnmbc@att.net

www.newlincolnmbc.orgRev. Darron E. Patterson

Pastor

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

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

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

“This life, therefore, is notrighteousness, but growth in righteousness;not health, but healing; not being, butbecoming; not rest, but exercise. We are notyet what we shall be, but we are growingtoward it. The process is not yet finished,but it is going on. This is not the end, but itis the road. All does not yet gleam in glory,but all is being purified.” --- Martin Luther

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

Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am

Kenneth Hill,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: 512-343-9300

Rev. Dr. JacquelynDonald-Mims

Globalizing the Gospel

A Ministry That Ministers

Edward M. Fleming,Sr. Pastor

OLIVET BAPTISTCHURCH

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 ORORDER TO GO

Mon - Fri: 11 am - 8 p.m.Saturday: 12 noon - 5 p.m.

Closed SundayCall (512) 928-5555

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.orgEmail: info@davidchapel.org“A Church with a Heart

for The Community”

Pastor J. R. Roberson& First lady

Lillian Robertson

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.(979) 542-2784 Church(979) 540-6352 Home

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

Do you have church news?Would you like to purchase

a monthly ad for yourchurch?

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

or call 512-476-0082

Hopewell Primitive Baptist Church690 TX-21 West, Cedar Creek, TX 78612

Sunday School9:30 a.m.

Morning Worship10:30 a.m.

Elder Carl E SheltonPastor Ph: (512) 626-3660

Hope thou in God -Psalm 42:11

WEBBERVILLEEBENEZER MISSIONARY

BAPTIST CHURCH

Give thanks to the Lord for heis good. -Psalms 136:1

Sunday Morning Worship11 AM

Sunday School 10 AM

1314 Weber St,Webberville, Tx 78653

(512) 276-7917

Pastor W. B. Routt, Jr.Cell # (512) 694-1877

Agape Baptist ChurchAgape Baptist ChurchAgape Baptist ChurchAgape Baptist ChurchAgape Baptist ChurchIn “THE CENTRE” Bldg. F-15

7801 North Lamar Blvd. (S.E. Corner of North Lamar and 183)Austin, Texas 78752

AGAPE: A church for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the LoveHe exhibited is Exemplified.” Come, received God’s Unconditional Love for you.

For there is No Greater Love!

H. Ed Calahan, Pastor

Church ServicesSun. School – 9:30a Sun. Worship – 11:00a

Mid-WeekThurs.: Praise, Prayer and Bible Study – 7:00PM

Call: 454-1547 for transportationWeb: www.agapebcaustintx.com

Brother CharlesMurray Miles

A 1962 initiate of the Austin Alumni Chapterof Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. has passed on tothe Chapter Invisible on February 25, 2020 at theage of 81.

Brother Miles was among the first black stu-dents at the University of Texas in Austin. In addi-tion to the many achievements and recognition at-tributed to Brother Miles for his public service andpolitical appointments, he also served as a pastPolemarch of the Austin Alumni Chapter.

Let us now reflect on the legacy Brother Milesleaves behind and continue to share his story withfuture generations of brothers to come.

TEXAS DAIRY QUEENINVITES YOU TO

CELEBRATE THE FIRSTDAY OF SPRING WITH

A FREE CONE!

BEDFORD, TX – Nothing says spring has arrivedin the Lone Star State better than lush fields of glo-rious bluebonnets. But on Thursday, March 19th,DQ’s fans (and fanatics) can celebrate spring’s ar-rival with a free small cone from participating TexasDairy Queen (TDQ) stores across the state.

Fans can upload their Free Cone Day photosusing the hashtag “freeconeday.” But wait, there’smore. If fans want more free treats, they can up-load their photos to the DairyQueenTexas Facebookpage under YourDQMoments, and if their photo isselected, they could snag a $10 TDQ gift card.

As much as we’d like to give away a bunch offree cones to everybody forever, we have to drawthe line somewhere. So, we’re limiting the free give-away to one cone per customer. And needless tosay (but we’ll say it anyway), while supplies last.

We’re proud of our iconic brand status. Longbefore social media, TDQ has been THE place forTexans to connect with each other and make memo-ries. We invite everyone to grab a free cone onMarch 19, go admire the Texas bluebonnets andcreate new memories.

For more information, visit dqtexas.com or fol-low TDQ on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook.

Wesley UMCCelebrates 155th

AnniversaryBy Arlene L. Youngblood

The University of Arkansas at Pine BluffVesper Choir

Pine Bluff, Arkansas(AUSTIN, TX) - Wesley United Methodist

Church will celebrate its 155th anniversary duringthe month of March with two special worshipevents. On Wednesday, March 25, 2020 at 7:30 p.m.– The University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff VesperChoir will present a spirit filled concert in the MainSanctuary at 1164 San Bernard Street. On Sunday,March 29, 2020 at 10 a.m., the Rev. Bryan Dalco ofOne Fellowship United Methodist Church of Waco,Texas will share the anniversary message.

The public is invited to come and worship.Rev. Sylvester E. Chase, Jr. is senior pastor of

Wesley UMC. For more information, contact thechurch office by calling 512/478-7007, emailthedeskofwesley@sbcglobal.net or go to http://wesleyunited.org/.

ListenLive)))

Every Friday | 8AM - 9AM

www.KAZIFM.orgKAZI 88.7 FM

The BreakfastClub

T. L. Wyatt Damita Shanklin

Page 4 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 13, 2020 YOUTH BRIGADE www.theaustinvillager.com

Youth of TodayHope of Tomorrow

Tyler AllenGus Garcia YMLA

Rebekah McNealRound Rock H. S.

Lacee JohnsonConally High School

Deadly Viruses

Today, everyone istalking about thecoronavirus. This virus isspreading across theglobe. Little seems to beknown about this virus.

Coronavirus cur-rently outbreak haslower fatality rates butstill poise a seriousthreat to public healthbecause we don't have ameans to combat it.Mankind has been fight-

ing viruses since the be-ginning of time. Todaywe have been able tocontrol some viral dis-eases with vaccines andantiviral drugs. In recentdecade several viruseshave jumped from ani-mals to humans andcaused huge outbreakshaving killed thousands.The Ebola virus in WestAfrica killed 90% of thepeople it infected. Thereare many other virusesthat are as deadly oreven worst.

The deadly SpanishInfluenza in 1918 sick-ened 40% 0f the worldspopulation. An estimate50 million died. Duringthe 2017-2018 seasonthe flu killed estimate61,000 people and in-fected 40 million. Thedeadest virus is H.I.V.. Itis estimated that 32 mil-lion have died since1980.

STAR TESTING Active Weekend

The STAR test isgiven in both public pri-mary and secondaryschools. This test is onlyrequired in the state ofTexas and the purpose isto screen students fortheir reading and mathachievements levels. Afew months ago, I tookthe PSAT in preparationfor taking the SAT test. Itnever occurred to methat the importance ofSTAR testing to my aca-demic success. It is some-thing Texas students haveto deal with that is notnecessarily as known byothers.

STAR stands forState of Texas Assess-ments of AcademicReadiness Testing beganin 2012, but before thatit was called the TAKStest. The TAKS test was atest that was also a staterequirement. This is thetest that most parents orolder adults remembertaking. Eventually, in

2007 Senate Bill 1031eliminated the TAKS testwhich arose the upcom-ing of the STAR aroundspring time in 2012. Inever had a problem withthese tests when I wasyounge. I just dreadedwhen test time came be-cause we spent most ofour classroom time pre-paring for the tests. Look-ing back though I realizedhow young I was when Iwas exposed to thesetests. In third grade I tookmy first STAR exam,which seems like tooyoung of an age to be tak-ing a test that could havea major impact. The testcan range from 4-5 hoursdepending on your sub-ject and you are stuck ina room for the completetime. Finishing early onlyleads you to the option ofsleeping. During the testyou are supplied with onetiny bag of snacks (MainlyCheezits or Goldfish) anda bottle of water. TheTAKS test was not timed.

Overall, I somewhatagree with the testingpurpose and its reason-ings but not exactly everypart of it. I think that theage/grade the test shouldbe given is around the be-ginnings of middleschool, it doesn’t seemlogical to have third grad-ers taking 4 hour test atthe end of the schoolyears.

My weekend wasextremely packed. Everyday was almost too busy.

I went with the TopTeens of America to theirannual Area 1 confer-ence. It was about threedays long, from early Fri-day to Sunday after-noon. I woke up at 2:30am to be ready by 3:30am, so I could meet with

Slaughterhouse-Five

the other teens at one ofour Top Lady’s house.From there, we drove toour hotel in Houston.

After being aroundover 120 teens, I realizeI act way older than myage. I am the reincarna-tion of Queen Elizabeththe first. I need to be onmy phone more, I didn’tknow any of the songseveryone was screamingalong to or any of thedances. Now that I know,I’ll be more preparednext time and “studyup”.

Honestly, the meet-ings we had at the con-ference were pretty dulland tedious. My favoriteparts were seeing newpeople, getting familiarwith the crowd, and howeveryone showed offtheir fancy clothes. I’mthrilled to be able to goto the next Area 1 con-ference in Vegas for2021!

Quinn LangfordCedar Ridge H. S.

Montrae NelsonFour Points M. S.

The Evolution of Plastic

Ruby GeorgeCele Middle School

Recently, I readSlaughterhouse-Five, ananti-war novel written byKurt Vonnegut. It centerson the experiences of afictional World War II sol-dier named Billy Pilgrim.Going into the novel, Ithought the story wouldbe gory, with shockingscenes of violence at ev-ery turn. However,Vonnegut took all possiblesurprise out of the bookby spoiling his own story.One of the opening linesis, “One guy I knew reallywas shot in Dresden fortaking a teapot thatwasn’t his. Another guy Iknew really did threatento have his personal en-emies killed by hired gun-men after the war.” Andthat’s about as bad as thebook gets, violence-wise.In fact, much of the bookdescribes Billy Pilgrim’sexperiences after the warhas already ended, andsome of the book even oc-curs on another planet.After World War II ends,Billy starts to believe thatthere is an alien specieson a planet calledTralfamadore. TheTralfamadorians can seein the fourth dimension,and they observe all oftime at once instead of lin-early. And that’s exactlyhow Slaughterhouse-Five

is set up: the book con-stantly bounces back andforth between differentmoments in time andspace. At one moment,the reader is in a dirty,cramped train after Billy iscaptured by German sol-diers; in the next moment,the reader is transportedto Billy’s fantasy planet,Tralfamadore; next, thereader may be trans-ported to Earth years af-ter the war, where Billy isinstitutionalized for strug-gling to differentiate real-ity from his imagination.The entire novel proceedslike this, flipping randomlyback and forth until ananti-climatic end. Thisseems like an odd way towrite a serious anti-warnovel, but the structurereally illuminates Billy’ssense of hopelessness af-ter the war. Because theTralfamadorians can see allparts of time at once, theydon’t try to change the fu-ture. They know that thefuture is inevitable, sothey just accept it. Invent-ing this alien race is Billy’sway of coping with thefact that he was draftedinto the war against hiswill, and he just had to goalong with what his offic-ers and German captorswanted him to do.

Like theTralfamadorians, Billy hasgrown to simply accepteverything that has hap-pened to him, and every-thing that will happen tohim. So, it’s no wonderthat he recounts an entirecity being blown to pieceswith no emotion whatso-ever. He has been desen-sitized by war, which dem-onstrates how war takeseverything from us – ourhope, our souls, and ev-erything else that makesus human.

Some grocery storesand big companies havebeen talking about cuttingoff plastic bags andstraws. New York hasmade an official law thatthere will be no plasticbags on any grocerystores, boutiques, anddrugstores. Plastic is a bigproblem for the environ-ment forever. I think it is agreat idea for stores tostart using reusable bags,especially since some gro-ceries are heavier thanothers, and can breakthrough plastic bags. NewYork's goal is to reduce thebillions of plastic bags thatstream into landfills andthe oceans. The law for-bids most businessesfrom handing out the thinbags that are ubiquitousin supermarkets, bodegasand boutiques, makingNew York the third stateto bar the bags after Cali-fornia, where a ban has

already changed the waymillions of people shop,and Oregon, where onetook effect last month. Ifsuccessful, the transitioncould spur a cultural seachange as significant asthe end of smoking inbars, or the shift in atti-tudes ushered by seatbeltlaws: Once optional, buck-ling up is now so auto-matic for most peoplethat it happens almost un-consciously. New Yorkerscurrently use 23 billionplastic bags each year,state officials say, many ofwhich end up as one ofthe most problematicforms of garbage. Theyblow across streets andbecome caught in trees.They harm birds and ma-rine creatures. They clogsorting machines, makingrecycling them cumber-some. Measures in othercountries and localitieshave significantly reducedplastic bag use, and astudy in Washingtonfound a 5-cent bag feethere had cut down onplastic pollution in water-ways. The laws include ade facto ban in Hawaii,where all counties forbidsuch bags, and also aim toaddress climate change byreducing the planet-warming emissions frommaking the petroleum-based bags.

STAAR Test

Its that time for 9thgraders to start multipletests that determine ifyou can go to 10th gradeand earn your credits.This test can also deter-mine your academialevel on what you hadlearned that school year.STARR is the state ofTexas Assessments ofAcademic Readiness.This text is used in Texaspublic primary and sec-ondary schools to accessa student achievements.This teats the curriculumtaught from the Texasessential knowledge andskills.

These tests mean alot and 70 million dollarsis needed every year tomake these tests. De-pending on the distract

the time limit mustrange from 4-5 hours,the time can differ bysubject as well. Now ifyour wondering whatscore you can get to passwell that also deepenson the level of the testthat had been taken bythe district/school. TheSTARR tests are sup-posed to be releasedand tests in the spring.Most students will havetwo to four testing daysduring the 180-dayschool year.

I took the STARR aweek ago and felt veryconfident about it. Themath STARR that we hadtook was petty simpleand i had fewer prob-lems with the math thanI did with the readingSTARR. In two weeks wewill get the results and ifwe passed or not. If wedon't pass we will haveto retake it in May. Andif we still didn't pass the2nd time you have to goto summer school to fin-ish and then the districtand your teachers deter-mine if your ready totake on 10th grade. Imconfident that I passedand did very well on mytest, and the informationbehind it is amazing.Thanks for reading!!

www.TheAustinVillager.com

@TheVillagerATX

TheVillagerAndBlackRegistryCompany

www.theaustinvillager.com THE REVEALER THE VILLAGER/March 13, 2020 ~ Page 5

SaNaya WhiteAnn Richards

2020 ChosenWomen’s Conference

Friday March 6 andSaturday March 7, awomen’s conferencewas held at The Connec-tion Church in Buda,Texas. The Conferencewas titled, “ChosenWomen’s Conference”with a theme of “Wildand Free”. The confer-ence was a two dayevent, organized togather women together,empower them, and inthe words of The Con-nection Church, “to dis-cover the incrediblethings God wants to dothrough us to make animpact in our own livesand our generation”. Theevent’s scripture camefrom 1 Peter 2:9-10 stat-ing, “But you are theones CHOSEN by God,CHOSEN for the highcalling of a priestly work,CHOSEN to be a holypeople, God’s instru-ments to do His workand speak out to Him, totell others a night-and-day difference He madefor you from nothing to

Sarah RobertsonConnally H. S.

Playland Fundraiser

something, from re-jected to accepted!”

On the first day ofthe conference, the spe-cial guest speaker TaraJenkins brought forth amessage of her own tocontribute. Tara Jenkinsis the founder ofMinistryMates.org. Sheresides with her hus-band, songwriting andrecording artist, CharlesJenkins and their threechildren. Mrs. Jenkinsspoke on the topic ofbeing enough, and livingwild and free. Her amaz-ing spoken word was agreat way to start of theconference. Praise andworship was continuousthroughout the event,and it was a blessing towatch my aunt performas she was a participantin the choir. The secondday of the event con-sisted of various sessionsthat you could attend.Participants were askedto pick 2 of the followingfour session. First, LevelUp your Leadership. Sec-ond, Tea Time: SpillingTea in How to Live forJesus in your 20s. Third,Battling the Mom Guilt.Lastly, Make the Most ofIt. Each session discussedsomething unique as theperson who taught thelesson brought forthsomething new to the dis-cussion. I absolutely en-joyed being able to attendthis women’s conference,and I feel that it was verybeneficial. If you’re look-ing for something to at-tend next year, this maybe the conference foryou.

On Friday March6th the Connally HighSchool class of 2021hosted a fundraiser atPlayland skate arena.This fundraiser was anopportunity for the classof 2021 to raise moneyfor prom and to have anice night out. As a classofficer, I had promotedthe fundraiser prettymuch everyday for thepast two weeks so we

could have as manypeople as we could atplayland. Even thoughthe fundraiser was pri-marily targeted at jun-iors, there were a lot ofpeople from othergrades at playland.

There were peoplefrom the basketballteam, baseball, bandand even the danceteam there. I was so ex-cited to see 40+ peopleat playland because Ididn’t expect to see thatmany people at playlandbecause most people atConnally don’t seem in-terested in outside ac-tivities. I had a great timeat playland, I finallylearned how to some-what skate and got tohang out with my friendswhile supporting myjunior class. I can’t wantto see what the nextfundraiser is. Go Cou-gars!

Report: Texas named the Second BestState for Black Entrepreneurs

DEFENDER NEWS -A study was conductedto see which states havethe best environmentfor black entrepreneurs— and Texas rose to thetop.

The Lone Star Statewas ranked No. 2 in thei n a u g u r a lFitSmallBusiness study,behind only Georgia.Florida, California, andNorth Carolina roundedout the top five. Theranking factored inmetrics such as startupgrowth, cost-of-living,black business success,and social equality.

“Entrepreneurshipis the backbone of theAmerican economy andminority-owned busi-nesses are no exceptionto that fact,” saysFitSmallBusiness’s spe-cial projects editor,Michael De Medeiros, ina release. “With this be-ing the inaugural study,our goal was to focus onthe data that paints anoverall picture of whatthe African Americanentrepreneur faces inthe business world.”

Breaking down themetrics for the state,Texas ranked fourth for

three categories — blackbusiness success,startup climate and fi-nancial health. However,when it came to socialand financial equality —which factored in educa-tion, health, mortalityrate, etc. — the stateranked seventeenth.

The study usedreputable reports fromthe United States CensusBureau, WalletHub, U.S.News & World Report,and more. From thesereports, the study foundthat black-owned firmshave grown 34 percentfrom 2007 to 2012, to

now more than 2.6 mil-lion companies. The top100 black-owned com-panies generated $30billion in 2018, but only1 percent of venture-backed startup founderswere black.

The study alsopolled more than 1,300U.S. citizens regardingtheir own experiencewith black entrepre-neurship. When askedabout opportunities forblack entrepreneurscompared to recent his-tory, more than 21 per-cent of respondents saidit was about the same;

however, more than halfresponded that therewere more opportuni-ties than before.

“While we weren’tsurprised by certain find-ings, some of the staterankings told an interest-ing story of the uniquejourneys that AfricanAmerican entrepreneurshave to traverse,” DeMedeiros continues in therelease. “Ultimately, wehope that our continuingwork to identify the beststates for minority entre-preneurship will lead tonew businesses outsideof just the most prosper-ous areas of the U.S.”

In Texas, Austin-based Capital Factory —a startup developmentand investment organi-zation — in partnershipwith DivInc, haslaunched its second an-nual startup pitch com-petition for blackfounders. The applica-tion is live now, and thedeadline is March 20.Five startups will be in-vited to pitch on April 14at Capital Factory’s Blackin Tech Summit, and onewill walk away with a$100,000 investment.

-CultureMap

Bradley Beychok, president and co-founder ofAmerican Bridge 21st Century, a liberal super PAC,said his group “will be ALL IN to elect @JoeBiden asour next president.” The organization is spendingmillions of dollars trying to win over people whobacked President Donald Trump in key states in2016.

Guy Cecil, chairman of the flagship Democraticoutside political organization Priorities USA,tweeted: “The math is now clear. Joe Biden is goingto be the Democratic nominee for President and@prioritiesUSA is going to do everything we can tohelp him defeat Donald Trump in November.”

There were other major warning signs forSanders on Tuesday. He again struggled to win sup-port from black voters. About 70% of Mississippi’sDemocratic primary voters were African American,and 86% of them supported Biden, according to anAP VoteCast survey of the electorate.

After Sanders upset Hillary Clinton in Michi-gan four years ago, his loss there Tuesday was par-ticularly sobering. It undermined his argument thathe could appeal to working-class voters and thathe could expand the electorate with new youngvoters.

One of the few bright notes for Sanders washis strength among young voters, but even that hasa downside because they didn’t turn out enough tokeep him competitive. Sanders won 72% of thoseunder 30 in Missouri and 65% in Michigan, accord-ing to AP VoteCast. The senator was also about evenwith Biden among voters ages 30 to 44.

“There’s no sugarcoating it. Tonight’s a toughnight,” New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, oneof Sanders’ highest-profile supporters, said onInstagram. “Tonight’s a tough night for the move-ment overall. Tonight’s a tough night electorally.”

Another top Sanders backer, Minnesota Rep.Ilhan Omar, tweeted: “Yes we are a family, unitedin restoring our democracy and committed to de-feating Trump, but that doesn’t mean we shouldstop fighting for the candidate that best representsour policy priorities in this Primary.”

According to an Associated Press analysis,Biden had picked up at least 153 new delegates: 53in Michigan, 40 in Missouri, 29 in Mississippi, fivein North Dakota, 17 in Washington and nine in Idahoon Tuesday. Sanders got 89: 35 in Michigan, 23 inMissouri, two in Mississippi, seven in Idaho, five inNorth Dakota and 17 in Washington.

Although six states voted, Michigan, with its125 delegates, got most of the attention. Trump wonthe state by only 10,704 votes during the general

election, his closest margin of victory among Michi-gan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin. Those states gaveTrump the narrow edge in the 2016 Electoral Col-lege after Clinton won the popular vote.

Sanders has vowed not to drop out regardlessof Tuesday’s results and frequently railed againstthe “Democratic establishment” that he says hasaligned against him.

In addition to the powerful groups now sidingwith Biden, the former vice president has pickedup the endorsements of many of his former presi-dential rivals, including Sen. Kamala Harris, Sen.Cory Booker and, as of Tuesday, entrepreneur An-drew Yang. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, some-times mentioned as a possible vice presidentialchoice, also endorsed Biden and campaigned withhim ahead of Tuesday’s primary.

Biden also gave a nod to all his former com-petitors, saying, “We’re bringing this party to-gether.”

“That’s what we have to do,” he said.Not every Democrat was lining up behind

Biden, though. Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell, whorepresents a sprawling district from the college townof Ann Arbor to the Detroit suburbs, said Tuesdaythat she’s staying neutral.

“I remember what it was like four years agoand the vitriol and the anger, the people mad ateach other the whole election cycle. We can’t af-ford that,” Dingell said. “It’s about getting out andvoting in November.”

Like Sanders, Biden has no public events sched-uled for Wednesday. And though he’s celebrating agrowing delegate lead, he’s still confronting voterswho question his positions, which include a gun con-trol plan that reinstates an assault weapons ban andincludes a voluntary buyback program for assaultweapons.

That issue was at the center of a testy exchangewith a worker while Biden was rallying earlier Tues-day in Detroit. The man accused him of “activelytrying to end our Second Amendment right.” Bidenshot back, “You’re full of shit,” but went on to saythat while he supports the Second Amendment, “Doyou need 100 rounds?”

Sanders Supporter admits to “toughnight” after Super Tuesday II

Continued from page 1

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-CortezCredit\ AARON P. BERNSTEIN/ REUTERS

Selection Sunday 2020 is on March 15. TheNCAA selection show will begin at 6 p.m.

Eastern and be broadcast on CBS. You canstream on https://www.ncaa.com/march-

madness-live/watch

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TravisCountyElection

Day

VILLAGER NEWS -On March 3, 2020, Cen-tral Texans went to thepolls to elect candidatesrunning for various of-fices, including UnitedStates President; US Sen-ate, US Congress, TexasHouse of Representa-tives, Texas SupremeCourt, Constable races,and several countywidejudicial races. Accordingto the Travis CountyClerk, "Travis Countysaw one of the highestvoter turnouts."

The countywideTravis County judicialraces held many sur-prises. For instance, inthe Travis County DistrictAttorney race, JoseGarza received morevotes than MagaretMoore, the incumbentDistrict Attorney. SinceGarza did not receivefifty percent of the vote,the DA race will be head-

Pictured left to right: Tonya Nixon andLarry Wallace Jr., Phd.

Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon

VILLAGERColumnist

ing to a runoff.According to Tonya

Nixon, "WE did it! Tues-day night we finishedthe fight with 14,933(61%) of the votes whilemaking history in TravisCounty! I am the FIRSTAFRICAN AMERICAN FE-

MALE to run and win theseat of Constable inTravis County." On thenational level, formerVice President Joe Bidendefeated Bernie Sand-ers, his surge in Texaswas due to his win inSouth Carolina.

Charlie Torres forPflugerville ISD Trustee

VILLAGER NEWS -On March 8, 2020, CharlieTorres announced his in-tention to run for thePflugerville IndependentSchool District. Accordingto Torres, "I am a neigh-bor, fellow Pflugervillian,and someone active in mycity and faith communi-ties since I was a youngman."

According toCharlie Torres, "I am nowin a position where I canhelp young people todayget the same opportuni-ties I enjoyed, and havedecided to seek electionto the Pflugerville ISDBoard of Trustees. I amnow asking you to en-trust me with your votefor Place 7 Trustee in the

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon

VILLAGERColumnist

upcoming May 2ndSchool Board election."

During his meetand greet event, Torreshad the opportunity toengage with a variety ofpersons, while raisingmoney. Torres had the

opportunity to meetwith the African Caucus.According to the AC,"the large African andAfrican American popu-lation will play a key rolein this school boardrace."

Pictured left to right: Bubbah Janneh andCharlie Torres. by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

Judge Sulak

Judge Sulak SurprisinglyLoses District Court Race

V I L L A G E RNEWS - At the lastminute, MadeleineConnors decided tochallenge Judge Sulak.Among political con-sulting, it was a sur-prise that a longtimeTravis County Judgewould receive a chal-lenge. As a result,Judge Tim Sulak wentinto the campaignmode, despite his ef-forts, Judge Sulak wasdefeated by Connors.

In 2010 JudgeSulak was elected tothe 353rd DistrictCourt. He then was re-elected in 2012 and2016. According toJudge Tim Sulak, "Ihandle cases that di-rectly affect everydayTexans, including ap-peals of regulatory de-cisions by state agen-cies, cases where the

state is challenging acity policy, and caseswhere a citizens’group is challenging astate policy. I alwaysexercise impartialityand strives for fairnessand the correct inter-pretation of the law."

Connor has beendeemed a vexatiouslitigant and Black-

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon

VILLAGERColumnist

listed by the court inTravis County. Whilemany voters did notsee all these issues asa problem, TravisCounty activistsfound that Connor isnot qualified andwasn't endorsed byany Travis CountyDemocratic Partyclubs.

Trump Hires Paris Dennardto Engage Black CommunityBy Stacy M. Brown | NNPA Newswire Senior Correspondent@StacyBrownMedia

Paris Dennard poses with Donald Trump

(NNPA) - Republi-can National CommitteeChairwoman RonnaMcDaniel has appointedParis Dennard as theorganization’s new Se-nior CommunicationsAdvisor of Black MediaAffairs.

“We are thrilled forParis to officially join ourteam! A fierce advocatefor our President andour Party, he will be agreat leading voice as wecontinue to grow our all-encompassing approachto expand our presencein black communities,”said McDaniel. “He willhelp us connect withvoters on the issues theycare about and work tore-elect President Trumpand secure Republicanvictories up and downthe ballot on November3rd.”

Dennard, a long-time GOP political com-mentator, writer, con-sultant, and strategist,will work to ensure thatAfrican Americans andother minorities areaware of PresidentTrump’s efforts to sup-port their communities.

In an exclusive in-terview with NNPANewswire, Dennard saidTrump has been“pained” by unflatteringand unfair characteriza-tions that do not reflecthis work as president.

He said the presi-dent also understandsthe importance of theBlack vote, and the GOPis committed to demon-strating its value to allcommunities.

“I won’t sugarcoatit. It is a challenge to getthe Republican Party’sand the TrumpAdministration’s cam-paign message to theBlack community,”Dennard stated.

“But it’s a challengethat’s worth fighting forbecause I believe, at theend of the day, PresidentTrump and the Republi-can Party want to earnthe vote of the Blackcommunity.”

Dennard addedthat the RNC and Trumphave platforms and poli-cies that would resonatemore soundly and posi-tively in the Black com-munity.

Those policies in-clude the First Step Act,a law that reduced sen-tences for some drug of-fenses; Criminal JusticeReform, The Future Act,which assures fundingfor historically Black col-leges and universities;and new Black Voices forTrump Community Cen-ters.

“As long as theyhave an open heart andopen mind to receivethe factual informationof all the good thingsthat the GOP underPresident Trump’s lead-ership has been doingover the past threeyears,” he said.

“What I hope todo is work with Blackmedia, specifically theNational NewspaperPublishers Association,which is Black-ownednewspapers and mediacompanies. I want toshow my communitythat, as a proud BlackAmerican, this is whatthe administration isdoing to celebrate thesuccesses of Blackpeople,” Dennard con-tinued.

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

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Are you interested in doingbusiness with the City of Austin?

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Purchasing OfficeVendor Registration

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N O T I C E OF COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALSfor

District Building Envelope UpgradesIn

Pflugerville ISDPflugerville ISD will accept Competitive Sealed Proposals from qualifiedconstruction firms until 2:00 p.m., March 27, 2020, in the lobby of thePISD Administration Building. Address all submittals to:

Craig Pruett, Director of PurchasingPflugerville Independent School District

1401 West PecanPflugerville, Texas 78660

The anticipated budget for this project is estimated at $8,000,000. Thescope and schedule for this project as currently defined is described in theProposal Document.Proposal documents may be obtained by contacting the Pflugerville ISDPurchasing Department by email at craig.pruett@pfisd.net. Documentscan also be downloaded from the district website at: http://www.pfisd.net//site/Default.aspx?PageID=259Pflugerville I.S.D. reserves the right to waive any formalities and to rejectany or all Proposals.

Project Schedule of Events„ Request for Proposals Released March 05, 2020„ Pre-proposal Conference March 12, 2020, 8:00 p.m.„ Due Date for Proposals March 27, 2020, 2:00 p.m.„ Board Approval Expected April 16, 2020„ Notify Firm April 17, 2020„ Begin Construction May 04, 2020„ Expected Completion Date August 01, 2021

N O T I C E OF COMPETITIVE SEALED PROPOSALSfor

District Campus Safety & Security UpgradesIn

Pflugerville ISDPflugerville ISD will accept Competitive Sealed Proposals from qualifiedconstruction firms until 2:00 p.m., March 26, 2020, in the lobby of thePISD Administration Building. Address all submittals to:

Craig Pruett, Director of PurchasingPflugerville Independent School District

1401 West PecanPflugerville, Texas 78660

The anticipated budget for this project is estimated at $5,490,400. Thescope and schedule for this project as currently defined is described in theProposal Document.Proposal documents may be obtained by contacting the Pflugerville ISDPurchasing Department by email at craig.pruett@pfisd.net. Documentscan also be downloaded from the district website at: http://www.pfisd.net//site/Default.aspx?PageID=259Pflugerville I.S.D. reserves the right to waive any formalities and to rejectany or all Proposals.Project Schedule of Events„ Request for Proposals Released March 05, 2020„ Pre-proposal Conference March 12, 2020, 2:00p.m.„ Due Date for Proposals March 26, 2020, 2:00 p.m.„ Board Approval Expected April 16, 2020„ Notify Firm April 17, 2020„ Begin Construction May 04, 2020„ Expected Completion Date August 01, 2021

Cowboys, Dak Prescott not seeing Eye-to-Eye

By John Harris Jr.VILLAGER Sports

Columnist

Dak Prescott quarterbacking the Dallas Cowboys at the WashingtonRedskins on October 29, 2017. Photo/Kieth Allison - Hanover, MD, USA.

(VILLAGER) - Neverfear, Dallas Cowboysfans. All’s well in the on-going soap opera betterknown as the DakPrescott contract nego-tiations.

Here’s everythingyou need to know.

Will Prescott be theCowboys starting quar-terback next year? Yes,he will. But he may beplaying under an exclu-sive franchise tag thatwill pay him $33 millionnext year if the Cowboysdon’t sign him to a long-term deal by March 12.

The exclusive fran-chise tag probably worksbest for both sides.

If the Cowboyssigned Prescott to a non-franchise tag worth $28million, he would hit thefree agent market andany team could makehim an offer. This way, bypaying Prescott an addi-

tional $5 million, theCowboys maintain theirexclusive rights to thequarterback.

The exclusive fran-chise tag is the averageof the top five salaries atquarterback for the cur-rent year. The non-exclu-sive tag is the average ofthe top five salaries atquarterback over thelast five years.

Either way, it’s astrange way to treattheir so-called franchisequarterback, but theseare the Cowboys, afterall.

Either the Cowboysdon’t believe Prescott istheir franchise quarter-back, or they’re playinga dangerous game ofcontract chicken wherethey believe he willeventually agree to theirterms on a long-termdeal.

It’s dangerous be-cause Prescott seesother teams signingtheir quarterbacks tohuge deals with no hesi-tation. There’s bound tobe some hard feelingson Prescott’s part, andthat’s never a goodthing.

Prescott wants tobe paid market value,

which is his right. On theother hand, it appearsthe Cowboys want tosee Prescott for onemore season before giv-ing him the big contracthe desires.

Now that JasonGarrett is gone, newcoach Mike McCarthy,who’s credited withAaron Rodgers’ develop-ment in Green Bay, getsto work his magic withPrescott, If Dak andMcCarthy hit it off, and

Dak’s displays improve-ment under his newhead coach, expect theCowboys to reward No.4 financially.

However, ifPrescott doesn’t im-prove on the career sea-son he had last year,

which also featured Dal-las missing the playoffs,the Cowboys may con-tinue to lowball Prescottor look elsewhere for anew quarterback.

That would be amistake.

Prescott isn’t thebest quarterback in theNFL, but he isn’t theworst quarterback, ei-ther.

Unfortunately forPrescott, he plays for ateam that didn’t takeadvantage of Prescott’sfirst four years when heplayed under a rookiecontract. That’s whathappened in Seattlewhen the Seahawkswent to the Super Bowltwice when quarterbackRussel Wilson was play-ing on his rookie con-tract before they had tofork over big bucks toWilson.

Seattle didn’t mindpaying Wilson, becausehe delivered a SuperBowl championship. Thesame can’t be said forDak in Dallas.

So now we wait tosee if the Cowboys cometo their senses and signPrescott to a long-termdeal, or if both sides con-tinue to see who blinksfirst.

Too bad.

DAV RecruitMilitaryAustin Veterans Job FairWHO: DAV and RecruitMilitary are joining forces to attract, hire and retain militaryveterans and military spouses in the Austin area.WHAT: This is a free hiring event for veterans, transitioning military personnel,National Guard members, Reserve members and military spouses.WHEN: Thursday, April 2nd 2020, 11:00 am - 3:00 pmWHERE: Frank C. Erwin Jr. Special Events CenterMORE DETAILS: In 2019, DAV RecruitMilitary hosted more than 140 veteranhiring events across the United States with 6,400+ exhibitors engaging morethan 28,000 military-trained job candidates. “We are pleased to provide thesecompanies with access to the widest network of highly qualified veteran jobcandidates who are looking for meaningful civilian career opportunities,” saysTim Best, CEO of Bradley-Morris & RecruitMilitary.

Additionally, RecruitMilitary supports the career readiness and transitionefforts of military service members and their families by providing a newlylaunched program titled Team Transition. This program was created byveterans and military spouses for veterans and military spouses. Team Transitionsupports those individuals who are professionally curious about taking the nextstep in finding civilian employment with military experience-friendly employers.EVENT REGISTRATION & EXHIBITOR INFO: http://bit.ly/Austin040220

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Page 8 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 13, 2020 THE DISPATCH www.theaustinvillager.com

Black Lives Matter founders honored on coverof Time’s ‘100 Women of The Year’ issue

By Blue Telusma | The Grio

(THE GRIO) - This month Timemagazine out its “100 Women of theYear,” issue and front an center amongstthe honorees are the three female ac-tivists who founded the Black Lives Mat-ter movement.

Time used to annually celebrate the“Man of the Year,” and in 1999 changedit to “Person of the Year.” But even witha more politically correct name, womenwere still severely under-represented.To address that gender disparity, theiconic magazine has now come out withits 100 “Women of the Year” list whichis meant to highlight women who’veshaped history.

In the special issue, one woman isretroactively chosen for every yearstarting from 1920 all the way through2019.

The impressive list of honorees in-cludes Oprah Winfrey, Michelle Obama,Hillary Rodham Clinton, Aretha Franklin,Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Beyoncé, Serena

Williams, Marsha P. Johnson, ToniMorrison, and Billie Holliday.

But when representing the year2013, the publication opted to collec-tively celebrate Patrisse Cullors, AliciaGarza and Opal Tometi for creating thehasthtag #BlackLivesMatter that wentviral in the wake of George Zimmermanbeing acquitted for the killing of un-armed Florida teen Trayvon Martin.

“While critics called Garza, Cullorsand Tometi terrorists and threats toAmerica, the activists continued urgingthe public to pay attention to the spateof fatal shootings of unarmed black menand women that followed Martin’s, shut-ting down highways, blocking bridgesand staging die-in demonstrations,”staff writer Melissa Chan wrote in hertribute to the trio.

Their gorgeous cover art, which wasillustrated by New York-based artist andwriter Molly Crabapple, is also nowavailable for sale.

MichaelBloomberg

donates $2 millionfor Black voter

outreachby Dana Givens | BLACK ENTERPRISE

(BE) - Michael Bloomberg has donated $2million to a nonprofit group that will registerBlack voters ahead of the November election.

CBS News reported Monday that the bil-lionaire made the donation to Collective Futurewhose goals are to support Black candidates.They want to register 500,000 Black voters inAlabama, Florida, Georgia, Michigan, NorthCarolina, South Carolina, Texas, and Wiscon-sin. Bloomberg’s donation will help to hire fieldorganizers.

“There is a critical need for Black voterengagement across the country in the 2020election and beyond and we are deeply grate-ful to Mike Bloomberg for his partnership anddedication to this critical cause,” Quentin James,president of The Collective, said in a statement.

“His significant financial contribution willpropel our work to historic levels and we arehopeful that this game-changing investment willbe supported and replicated by those who em-brace the need to advance the Black commu-nity.”

Mike Bloomberg speaking in Houston, Texas

Bloomberg declared that he wanted to dohis part. He stressed it needed to be easier forthe Black community to do its civic duty. Ac-cording to aides, this has been an investmentsix weeks in the making.

“Voter suppression efforts across the coun-try have been a barely-disguised effort to keepBlack Americans and other Democratic-leaningvoters from the polls,” Bloomberg said in a state-ment. “I‘ve always believed we need to make iteasier for all citizens to register and vote, notharder.”

Bloomberg’s contribution comes a weekafter he exited the presidential race. The formermayor of New York did not gain traction withBlack voters. His controversial Stop and Friskpolicy were heavily criticized as it led to the ra-cial profiling of Black and Brown men.

Bloomberg apologized for the practicewhen he belatedly entered the presidential racelast November. He was only able to win Ameri-can Samoa on Super Tuesday. He quickly en-dorsed Joe Biden and reiterated his desire todefeat President Donald Trump.

“Staying in would make it more difficult toachieve that goal,” he said.

Former New York City Mayor MikeBloomberg greeting audience members afterhis appearance on a Democratic debate stage.

Photo: Shutterstock.com

President Donald Trump reportedly believesthat journalists are trying to infect him with thecoronavirus but he won’t give anyone the satisfac-tion of canceling any of his MAGA rallies.

Vanity Fair reported Monday that the com-mander in chief is frustrated by the public healthcrisis that has gripped the nation and world. It’s anepidemic that has resulted in 550 people being in-fected in the United States, killing more than 20.More than 111,000 people have been infectedworldwide, while more than 3,800 have died.

The stock market is also taking a plunge. How-ever, he has steadfastly believed that reporters areout to get him.

“He wants Justice to open investigations of themedia for market manipulation,” a source said overthe Covid-19 coverage.

Trump doesn’t just believe that reporters wantto paint him in a bad light but also want to makehim sick. According to Vanity Fair, Trump feared jour-nalists would try to purposefully contractcoronavirus to give it to him on Air Force One. Hehas also instructed Secret Service to bar anyone witha cough from entering the White House grounds.

“Donald is a famous germaphobe. He hates itif someone is eating nachos and dips a chip back inafter taking a bite. He calls them ‘double dippers,’”a prominent Republican said.

“He’s definitely melting down over this,” an-other source said.

Beyond reporters, Trump has to contend withlawmakers being impacted by the virus. On Mon-day, Rep. Doug Collins announced he would self-quarantine. Reps. Julia Brownley (D), Matt Gaetz (R)and Paul Gosar did the same. Gaetz, Collins and Sen.Ted Cruz attended the recent CPAC conferencewhere it has been confirmed that an infected per-son was there.

The White House stated that Trump never in-teracted with the infected person. Trump did, how-ever, make contact with Collins and Gaetz.

Trump’s handling of the crisis has seen him becriticized and not taking the matter seriouslyenough. He has downplayed its effects or misledthe public.

“As of right now and yesterday, anybody thatneeds a test [can have one], that’s the thing, andthe tests are all perfect, like the letter was perfect—the transcription was perfect,” he said Friday dur-ing a press conference.

At the moment, “slow federal action” has re-sulted in a short supply of coronavirus test kits. Ithas made it difficult for people to follow throughon his orders. He even told folks to go to work whenit has been encouraged to stay home or self-quar-antine if needed.

“There’s very little that fazes anyone now,” aformer official told Vanity Fair. “He’s just now wak-ing up to the fact that this is bad, and he doesn’tknow how to respond.”

Still, Trump has his loyal base of supporterswho approve of his job performance. He is not go-ing to let them down by canceling any rallies.

“He is going to resist until the very last minute,”a former West Wing official said. “He may take sug-gestions to stop shaking hands, but in terms of shut-ting stuff down, his position is: ‘No, I’m not going todo it.’”

Trump believes journalists want tomake him sick with the coronavirus

By Stephanie Guerilus | The Grio