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Austin, TexasPermit No. 01949

INSIDEVol. 43 No. 27 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] November 20, 2015

RAPPIN’

Tommy Wyatt

www.TheAustinVillager.com

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COMMON, NE-YO AND ELIJAH KELLEY ARE NEWESTADDITIONS TO ALL-STAR CAST FOR ‘THE WIZ LIVE!’Naomi Richard | The Austin Villager Newspaper

NBC’s highly antici-

pated holiday showing of

‘The Wiz Live!” will air on

December 3, 2015. Tele-

cast is to be among the

biggest TV events of the

Season. Adding to an al-

ready A-list cast, Oscar

winner Common, singer-

songwriter-actor Ne-Yo

and “Hairspray” co-star

Elijah Kelley have joined

NBC’s highly anticipated

holiday production cast.

Kelley will play the

Scarecrow, the first of the

three friends to meet Dor-

othy and who has always

dreamed of having brains,

but never realizing that

he’s the smartest of them

all.

Ne-Yo will play the

Tin Man, who was once a

flesh-and-blood woods-

man but a spell put on him

by the Wicked Witch

causes him to lose his

limbs and heart. He learns

that he’s never lost the

ability to feel.

Common will play

the Bouncer, the

gatekeeper of the en-

trance to Emerald City

who is out to get what he

can from Dorothy and her

three friends. Common

and John Legend won

Academy Awards earlier

this year for Best Original

Song for their composition

of the single “Glory” from

the 2014 film “Selma.” He

also co-starred in the

movie — about the 1965

voting rights marches

from Selma to Montgom-

ery, Ala. — as 1960s civil

rights movement leader

James Bevel.

"The Wiz Live!" Key Art -- (Photo by: NBCUniversal)

SeeTHE WIZ LIVE!,

page 2

Manor ISDPartners with

AustinCommunity

Collegefor $224,178Dual-Credit

Training Grant

TWC Chairman Andres Alcantar presents a $224,178 Skills Development fund grant check

to representatives from Austin Community College and Manor ISD on Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2015.

Pictured from left to right:are ACC Trustee Guadalupe Sosa, ACC President/CEO Dr. Richard

Rhodes, Manor ISD Superintendent Kevin Brackmeyer, Manor ISD Board President Marlin

Thomas, Chairman Alcantar, Manor ISD Board Secretary John Jonse, Manor ISD Board Trustee

Elmer Fisher, Manor ISD Board Trustee Ana Cortez, Manor ISD Board VP Melinda Fiebig and

Manor ISD Board Trustee Johnny Velasco. Photo Courtesy of Manor ISD

AUSTIN,TX - Manor

Independent School Dis-

trict (Manor ISD) has

partnered with Austin

Community College (ACC)

to offer Career and Tech-

nical Education (CTE) pro-

gramming to junior and

senior high school stu-

dents using a $224,178

Skills Development Fund

grant from the Texas

Workforce Commission

(TWC). Collaborative ef-

forts involved various part-

ners including Workforce

Solutions Rural Capital

Area, Samsung, Austin Re-

gional Manufacturers As-

sociation and Associated

Builders and Contractors.

This grant supports

dual-credit curriculum de-

velopment focused on oc-

cupational areas of com-

puter network support

specialists, electrical and

electronics engineering

technicians, electrical

power-line installers and

repairers and heating,

ventilation and air condi-

tioning mechanics and in-

stallers. Students will be

eligible for industry-recog-

nized credentials such as

CompTIA, Manufacturing

Skills Standards Council

(MSSC), NCCER and

EPA608.

“TWC is proud to sup-

port this innovative partner-

ship between Manor ISD,

Austin Community College

and industry partners which

will provide area students

with valuable dual-credit

training to accelerate their

college and career goals,”

said TWC Chairman Andres

Alcantar. “Collaborative ef-

forts like these are a valu-

able investment and benefit

the Texas economy.”

This dual-credit grant

is an expansion of the

Skills Development Fund

to support certain joint-

credit courses offered by

school districts in partner-

ship with public junior col-

leges, public state colleges

or public technical institu-

tions. Funding is made

available to further sup-

port the creation and ex-

pansion of dual-credit ca-

reer and technical educa-

tions in Texas schools that

are highly technical in na-

ture, addressing local area

demands for high-skill,

high-demand and high-

wage industries. Individu-

als seeking more informa-

tion about the Skills Devel-

opment Fund may visit the

TWC website at

www.texasworkforce.org/

skills.

ACC contact: Senior

Public Information Spe-

cialist and Media Coordi-

nator Jessica Vess, 512-

223-7596 or

[email protected].

A Challenge to the Internet Age:more than half of consumers in the

South prefer info over the phoneNovember 2015 – Despite the impact of the digi-

tal revolution, more than half of consumers in America’s

South prefer to receive information over the phone

rather than going online, research has revealed.

The study of 2,234 US respondents, conducted by

audio branding specialist PH Media Group, found 51

per cent of people in the region favour the phone when

searching for basic information on a company, such as

opening hours or details of products and services.

The result might come as a surprise, given Ameri-

cans spend an average of 11 hours each day using elec-

tronic media but older generations are particularly fond

of the phone.

Across the US, fifty-seven per cent of 55 to 64-year-

See DIGITAL AGE, page 2PHMG photo

We have beendown this road

before! With all of the talk aboutinviting more than 10,000refugees to the United Statesin the aftermath of the Paristragedy, it brings back somevery tense time that we hadin Texas after the Vietnamwar. While our Americansoldiers were coming hometo protests and rudetreatment, we rolled out thewelcome mat to theVietnamese. The first wave ofimmigrants arrived inHouston after the end of theVietnam War, when Saigonfell to the North Vietnameseon April 30, 1975.Thousands of Vietnamesepeople who had affiliationsto the South Vietnamesegovernment fled Vietnam.The first wave consisted ofa higher proportion ofmanagers and pro-fessionals and a smallproportion of blue collarworkers than the populatonof Vietnam. The federalrefugee resettlementsystem established by theIndochinese Assistanceand Refugee AssistanceAct of 1975, which wasactive from 1975 to 1988,designated Houston as amajor resettling site forVietnamese. The “boat people” whocame from 1972 to 1982,were socio-economicallypoorer than the first waveand brought a lot ofproblems with them. That is the group thatGovernor Abbott wasthinking about when he saidthat Texas would not beopen to the refegees ofSyria. He does not want tosee Texas go through thisproblem again and believesthat there needs to be a bettersolution. At a time when we havelegions of homeless andunemployed in this countrynow, it would be criminal tobring another group ofpeople into an enviromentthat they are not equipped tofit into. However, we shoulddo all that we can to helpthem get settled in an areathat they are more equippedto survive in. We need to do more tofind housing for our homelessveterans who are in need ofhousing, healthcare and jobs.We need to help our own firstthen we will be in a betterposition to help others.

Community leaderslauded for

social equality

tenacity.

See NAACP

Page 2

High volume brutality

cases calls for

regulation summit.

See JIMENEZ

Page 6

Urban Roots host

social justuce

interactive workshop.

See FOOD

Page 5

THE COMMUNIQUÉ ~ November 20, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

“The Wiz Live!” reunites Kelley with Queen

Latifah, as both co-starred in the 2007 film “Hairspray,”

where he played her son, Seaweed J. Stubbs. In addi-

tion, Kelley will once again collaborate with “The Wiz

Live!” and “Hairspray” producers Craig Zadan and Neil

Meron.

Mary J. Blige will play Evillene, the Wicked Witch

of the West, who holds sway over the Winkies and the

Winged Monkeys that do her bidding. She captures Dor-

othy and her friends to avenge the unintentional mur-

der of her evil sister, Evvamean, and to get back the

powerful silver slippers given to Dorothy by the Good

Witch of the North.

David Alan Grier will play the Cowardly Lion, who

asks Dorothy if he can join her in her journey down the

Yellow Brick Road to ask the Wiz for some courage,

which he is severely lacking. Uzo Aduba will play Glinda,

the Good Witch of the South, who finally reveals the

secret of the silver slippers to Dorothy and points her

way home.

Amber Riley will play Addaperle, the Good Witch

of the North who isn’t the best at magic but she does

try. She is a sister of Glinda, Evillene and Evvamene,

the other three witches of Oz. She points Dorothy to

the Yellow Brick Road and her journey to Emerald City.

Shanice Williams, a 19-year-old New Jersey native who

has been raised and trained in musical theater, is the

new Dorothy.

Stephanie Mills will portray Auntie Em in “The Wiz

Live!” Mills is best known to many for playing Dorothy

in the original Broadway production of “The Wiz.”

“The Wiz Live!” is adapted from “The Wonderful

Wizard of Oz” by L. Frank Baum, with a book by Will-

iam F. Brown, and music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls.

The production opened on Broadway in 1975 at the

Majestic Theatre and won seven Tonys, including Best

Musical.

“The Wiz Live!” is produced by Universal Televi-

sion in association with Cirque Du Soleil Theatrical.

Ne-Yo as Tinman -- (Photo by: Paul Gilmore/NBC)

Beloved Stephanie Millsand Queen Latifah amongstars in “The Wiz Live!”

continued from page 1

RESEARCH SHOWING DIGITAL AGE HASN’TSUPPLANTED TRADITIONAL

COMMUNICATION MEANS YETcontinued from page 1

olds and 53 per cent

of 45 to 54-year-olds pre-

fer calling over using the

internet, compared to less

than half of 35 to 44-year-

olds (49 per cent), 25 to

35-year-olds (45 per cent)

and 18 to 24-year-olds (42

per cent).

“Although we have

entered a digital age, the

results of this study sug-

gest people still prefer the

reassurance of being able

to pick up the phone to re-

ceive a direct answer to

queries they have about a

particular business,” said

Mark Williamson, Sales

and Marketing Director, PH

Media Group.

“As such, it provides

a clear message to busi-

nesses in the South that

they should not neglect

traditional methods of

communication. Large

amounts of budget are

devoted to ensuring

websites are eye-catch-

ing, responsive and pro-

vide a positive user expe-

rience but call handling

practice must also meet

the same standards.

“At a basic level this

means ensuring staff are

properly trained on how to

answer calls but it also

means carefully controlling

all voice and music custom-

ers hear while on the phone.

It is important to ensure all

audio is brand congruent,

reinforcing desired com-

pany values.”

Further results re-

vealed more than two-

fifths of consumers (42 per

cent) in the South actually

prefer to receive informa-

tion quickly via an on-hold

message rather than

speaking to a customer

service advisor.

This trend is particu-

larly strong among

younger generations. Al-

most half of 18 to 34-year-

olds (49 per cent) in

America prefer to receive

information via an on-hold

message, compared to 32

per cent of people aged

over 35.

Mark added: “Tradi-

tionally, being left on hold

is perceived as an irrita-

tion for consumers but

these results suggest it

can actually become a

positive if managed cor-

rectly.

“By implementing so-

lutions such as on-hold mar-

keting, companies can turn

previously ‘dead air’ into a

valuable opportunity for

communicating key infor-

mation to customers while

they wait on the line.”

Austin, TX – Austin

NAACP President Nelson

Linder and the Award com-

mittee have officially re-

leased the names of the

keynote speaker and the

individuals that will be

given the chapter’s two

highest honors at the 50th

Annual DeWitty/Overton

Freedom Fund Banquet on

Saturday, December 5,

2015. The event will be-

gin at 6:00pm and will be

held at the Austin Conven-

tion Center in Ballroom D,

located at 500 East Cesar

Chavez Street, Austin, TX

78701.

The Austin branch of

the NAACP has worked dili-

gently to address the key

economic, social and po-

litical issues facing people

of color The DeW itty/

Overton Freedom Fund

Banquet has established

itself as one of the premier

events in the capital city

of Texas celebrating the

diverse accomplishments

of individuals who have

served the community and

upheld the rigors of social

equality.

The 50th Annual

Dewitty/Overton Freedom

Fund Banquet will focus

on the theme “Civil Rights

and Social Justice”. The

keynote speaker for this

event will be Dr. Paul But-

ler, of Georgetown Univer-

sity Law School in Wash-

ington, DC. Currently, Pro-

fessor Butler researches

and teaches in the areas

of criminal law, race rela-

tions law, and critical

theory. Butler received his

BA from Yale University

and his Juris Doctorate

from Harvard Law School.

His work has been pub-

lished in many leading

scholarly journals, and has

been the subject of intel-

lectual debate in both aca-

demic and major network

media.

This year, Albert L.

Black, will be the es-

teemed recipient of the

Dewitty/Overton Award

which is the chapter ’s

highest honor. For more

than 30 years Mr. Black

has championed the im-

portance of and worked in

the education sector dur-

ing his 27 year tenure at

the Texas Education

Agency. Currently, he is the

Executive Director of Child,

Inc. a non-profit organiza-

tion that provides low-in-

come families with early

childhood education, men-

tal health services, dis-

abilities services, nutri-

tional services, medical

and dental services, social

services and parent en-

gaged activities.

The NAACP Austin

Branch will also confer the

Captain Louie White

Award to Clayton Harris of

Austin Community Col-

lege. Having served nearly

38 years in law enforce-

ment. Harris has commit-

ted his life and career to

ensuring that residents in

the community have ac-

cess to excellent police

protection. Currently, Mr.

Harris is assigned to the

Elgin Branch of ACC. Ad-

ditional community service

awards will presented

throughout the evening

and the program will in-

clude the Austin Branch

Youth council, music and

local entertainment.

“Every year our re-

ward recipients bring to

the forefront how impor-

tant the key tenets of edu-

cation, access and justice

are as anchors to the well

being and success of

people of color— both in

our local communities and

around the world, says

Austin NAACP chapter

president Nelson Linder.

“Reaching our 50th cel-

ebration of these accom-

plishments — it is both

humbling and encouraging

that we are still able reach

into the community and

highlight these individual

and collective beacons of

excellence”, he continued.

For more information

visit the organization’s

website at

www.naacpaustin.com.

Contact the Austin NAACP

offices — Nelson Linder,

President via telephone at:

(512) 695-6674 or email

at: [email protected].

You can also reach the

media contact for the or-

ganization – Kimberly Gist

at (917) 327-1576 or

[email protected].

AUSTIN NAACP HOSTSITS 50TH ANNUAL

DEWITTY OVERTONFREEDOM FUND

BANQUETAND NAMES DR. PAUL

BUTLER OFGEORGETOWN LAW AS

THE KEYNOTE SPEAKER Dr. Paul Butler,Georgetown University Law School

in Washington, DC.

CHURCH & TOWN BULLETIN

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

[email protected] 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

7801 N. Lamar Blvd,Suite D 102,

Austin, Texas 78752

Worship: Sunday--10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Tuesday Bible Studies--7:30pm - 9:00 pmFriday Prayers--7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Church of Pentecost, USA Inc,Austin offers a wide variety of opportuni-ties for children, youth, adults, and olderadults to be involved in worship, spiritualgrowth, education, community outreach,and making a tangible difference to thosein need in our community. You too, canmake a positive difference in our commu-nity through your prayers, your presence,your gifts, your service, and your witness.Tel: 512 302-1270

Leading People to Experience God’s Love, Know Jesus Christ & Grow in His ImageThe Church of Pentecost

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

Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am

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

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

This life, therefore, is not righteous-ness, but growth in righteousness; not health,but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest,but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be,but we are growing toward it. The process isnot yet finished, but it is going on. This is notthe end, but it is the road. All does not yetgleam in glory, but all is being purified.

--- Martin Luther

Kenneth Hill, Pastor

1179 San Bernard Street,Austin, TX 78702, 512-478-7023

Sunday Morning Bible Study, 9:00 A.M.Sunday Morning Worship, 10:15 A.M.Visit our website @ www.obcaus.org

Globalizing the Gospel

A Ministry That Ministers

Edward M. Fleming,Sr. Pastor

OLIVET BAPTISTCHURCH

Felix Bamirin, PastorGRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Experience Grace For Life

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

Call: 682.472.9073 l Email: [email protected] lVisit: www.gracewaycca.org

JOIN US This SUNDAY / THURSDAY@ 12424 Scofield Farms Drive, Austin, TX 78758

SUNDAYS 10:30 A.M., THURSDAYS 7:30 P.M.

Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church 5900 Cameron Road Austin, Texas 78723-1843

(512) 451-0808 (512) 302-4575 Fax Web Site - www.themount.net

WORSHIP SERVICESSunday Worship - 7:45 a.m. & 11 a.m.Church School - 9:45 a.m.Bible Studies - Mon, 6:30 p.m. & Wed., 12 noonWednesday Night Worship - 7 p.m.

“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18 A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor

www.theaustinvillager.com THE VILLAGER/November 20, 2015 ~

Ebenezer Baptist Church1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax 512-478-1892

WednesdayMidweek Prayer Service 7:00 P.M.Child Development CenterAges 0-5 years (Daily) 512-478-6709

Bus Ministry Call 512-478-1875

Worship Service 8:00 A.M.Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Discipleship Training 10:00 A.M.Worship Service 11:00 A.M.

Dr. Ricky Freeman,Pastor

We Want YOU!Advertise With The

VILLAGER

We Want YOU!Advertise With The

VILLAGER

Sunday Services

Do you have church news? Would you like topurchase a monthly ad for your church?

Inquire TODAY!Send your information to [email protected]

or call 512-476-0082

ProphetessStephanie N’ChoAssociate Pastor

469-226-4679 | www.vainqueurs.org805 S. Sherman St. Richardson, TX 75081

La Génération des VainqueursMinistry Church

Tuesday - Friday: 3pm -10pmWalking and Appointment

Wednesday Bible Study | 7:45pmFriday Prayer |7:45pm

Sunday Service | 10:00am

Villager Youth Brigade will be taking sponsorshipsstarting summer of 2015.Your support has beenmuch appreciated over the years. Please continueto invest in Austin’s youth. We look forward toanother successful year with some promisingstudents. FMI Call 512-476-0082

DAVID CHAPEL Missionary Baptist ChurchSUNDAY | Christian Education 9:15a.m.Worship 10:30 a.m. (MLK)Nursery AvailableTUESDAY | TNT Bible Study(Pflugerville) 6:45p.m.WEDNESDAY | Prayer & Praise 7:00p.m.Bible Study 7:30p.m.

Dr. Joseph C. Parker, Jr.Senior Pastor

512-472-9748 www.davidchapel.org2211 E.MLK @ Chestnut St. Austin, TX 78702

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 - 8 p.m.

Closed SundayCall (512) 928-5555

*Mention this ad and get a FREE 20 oz. Drink*

An Interfaith Celebration of Thanksgiving“We have come this far by faith!”

For 31 years CentralTexans of diverse tradi-tions have gathered togive thanks with one voiceat the Interfaith Action ofCentral Texas annualThanksgiving Service andCelebration. This year’sevent is at 3 p.m. Sunday,November 22, 2015 at theSt. John Regular BaptistAssociation, 7501 BlessingAve. A free event, open tothe public. This interfaithservice celebrates andgives thanks for the diver-sity we bring to Austin andto our common ground.

As part of iACT’s mis-

sion to cultivate peace andrespect, people of diversefaiths gather to offerthanks and celebrate ourshared values. A variety offaith traditions are repre-sented including; Bahá’í,Hindu, Jewish, Muslim,Protestant, Catholic, Sikhand Unitarian. The serviceincludes prayers and mu-sic from the diverse tradi-tions.

The Rev. Dr. G. V.Clark graciously hostedthe 30th annual service in2014 at Mt. Zion BaptistChurch, where he hasbeen Pastor since 1970.

Building on that relation-ship, this year the servicewill be held at the St.John’s Tabernacle. PastorClark is the Moderator ofthe nearly 150 year old as-sociation, comprised of 64African-American congre-gations, which traces itsroots back to 1867 when,“four ministers from differ-ent parts of Texas met un-der a large oak tree inWheatsville…on the cornerof 25th and Leon Streets[and] divided Texas into fourdivisions of associations.”

In the U.S. we all sharethe distinctly American tra-

dition of Thanksgiving, set-ting aside one day as a na-tion to give thanks for thegood in our lives. Celebrat-ing together across religiousand ethnic lines connects usand fosters appreciation forthe many different pathsrepresented in our pluralis-tic society. The InterfaithThanksgiving Service andCelebration offers CentralTexans an experience ofunity in diversity; a wel-come response to the tur-moil we have seen this yearfrom Ferguson to Charles-ton, in the war in Syria andthe refugee crisis.

Brown SantaThe Travis County Wellness Committee, in asso-

ciation with the Austin Runner’s Club, is sponsoring the12th Annual Brown Santa 5k Run/Walk on December6, 2015, race begins at 8:15am at the Travis County ExpoCenter, 7311 Decker Ln., Austin, TX 78724. Proceeds willbenefit the Travis County Sheriff’s Office Brown Santaprogram. The Brown Santa 5K is offered as a competi-tive (chip-timed) event, as well as a fun run/walk.

Pre-Race Registration (through Nov. 30): Chip-Timed/Fun Run/Walk $35; 12 & under $15 Day of Reg-istration (Dec. 6): Chip-Timed/Fun Run/Walk $40; 12 &

A Christmas Holiday Project of the Travis County Sheriff’s Officeunder $20 Online Registration is available through raceday Awards will be presented to:

Overall Male & FemaleMasters (over 40) Male & FemaleTop 3 Male & Female finishers in the following age

groups: 12 & Under, 13-19, 20-29, 30-39,40-49, 50-59, 60-69, 70+ and wheelchair.Event information is at; https://www.tcsheriff.org/

community/events/365-12th-annual-brown-santa-5k orfor questions, please contact us [email protected] or (512) 854-7786.

Rep. Garnet Coleman(D-Houston) announcedlast week that he is calling ahearing to discuss data thatindicates DPS is inaccuratelyrecording the race of thoseticketed by troopers.

The House CountyAffairs Committee, forwhich Rep. Coleman is the

Chair, will meet Wednes-day at 11:15 am at theState Capitol in roomE2.016 to discuss this is-sue. The Committee willhear from Texas Depart-ment of Public Safety Di-rector Steve McCraw andProfessor FrankBaumgartner, University

of North Carolina atChapel Hill, an expert onthis issue, regarding thedata, the problems withthe current coding prac-tices, and how to correctthis moving forward.

“This is important.We need to make sure thateveryone is treated fairly

and no one is the victim ofracial profiling.”

The Committee willalso receive an update onthe new inmate intakescreening form from theTexas Commission on JailStandards and discuss re-cent jail suicides in theState.

County Affairs Racial Coding Hearing

EVENTS EXPLORE BLACKCOOPERATIVE ECONOMICS

AND INEQUALITYJessica Gordon Nembhard talks cooperative economy at HT

Austin, TX — A Decem-ber event series at Huston-Tillotson will explore how his-torical and contemporary Af-rican American communitieshave utilized cooperative eco-nomic strategies in responseto systemic inequality.

December 2nd willfeature short films abouttwo worker cooperativesand a “Q&A” session with

a worker-owner fromMandela Foods Coopera-tive in Oakland, CA.

The December 9thevent will feature an in-depth conversation withDr. Jessica GordonNembhard, author of Col-lective Courage: A Historyof African American Coop-erative Economic Thoughtand Practice.

Although the City of

Austin is growing, theBlack population is in de-cline. As the city hasgrown, so too has eco-nomic inequality, whichhas disproportionately af-fected Austin’s Black com-munities. This event seriesexplores what communi-ties can do in response tothese pressing economicconditions.

Both events are free

and open to the public at7:00 pm in Huston-Tillotson’s Dickey-LawlessAuditorium.

This event series ishosted by CooperationTexas, a local nonprofit or-ganization dedicated tocreating dignified jobsthrough the development,support, and promotion ofworker-owned coopera-tive businesses.

THE VILLAGER/November 20, 2015 ~ www.theaustinvillager.com

YOUTH BRIGADE

Youth of TodayHope of Tomorrow

Mother-Daugher Tea

On Sunday, Novem-ber 8, I went to a Mother-Daughter Tea hosted bythe Knights of PeterClaver Ladies Auxialiaryand Junior DaughtersHoly Cross Court #284.The theme was "Pearls ofWisdom". The programhad guest speakers, teatime, refreshments, spo-ken word poetry, and afashion show. There werevendors selling all kinds

Ava RobertsSpring Hill Elementary

of things. There was aphotographer too.

After the openingprayer, the first guestspeaker spoke about"Pearls of Wisdom". Dur-ing the program, we ateall sorts of cookies andsipped hot tea until inter-mission. At intermission,we ate food, drank morehot tea, shopped at thevendors, and took pic-tures. The second part ofthe tea started with afashion show. Then theother guest speakerspoke about alzheimerawareness.

My favorite thingswere the fashion show,shopping, and drinking thetea that tastes the sameevery time. I have attendedthe tea every year and amexcited about going againnext year.

Benchmark and Veteran’s Day

This past week atAthlos Leadership Acad-emy, we had First Bench-mark testing. Since I’m in 7thgrade we had to take three

Averill ToppsO. Henry Middle School

Hello everybody, Iam here to tell you aboutmy experience with a re-ally great restaurant. Therestaurant is namedThree Chicks Soulfood.At Three Chicks Soulfoodyou can get anythingfrom oxtails to fried ribs.My mom got the oxtailswith collard greens andsweet potatoes. My dadgot fried ribs with blackeyed peas and sweet po-

tatoes.Three Chicks

Soulfood restaurant wasestablished about twomonths ago when itsowner decided theywanted to put a ThreeChicks Soulfood in Austinright next to 2 other res-taurants. One of the res-taurants that is near byThree Chicks Soulfood isRolling Rooster. At Roll-ing Rooster I got the gritsand shrimp because theylooked really good andtasted really good aswell.

Well that's all for to-day but I hope you go toThree Chicks Soulfoodbecause the food is re-ally good. I suggest thatyou go and try the Oxtailsbecause they taste veryhigh-quality. I hope youliked this article. GoO'Henry Mustangs

Three Chicks Soulfood

tests that includes: math,reading, and writing. It wassuch a long week for all ofus middle school and highschool. I’m really glad thatall this testing is over.

What made the weekbetter, since I’m in MusicalTheater, we had a perfor-mance on veteran day. Weperformed “The Star-Spangled Banner” is thenational anthem of theUnited States of Americaand “Boogie-Woogie BugleBoy” by the Andrew sisters.I had a great time perform-ing this week and gettingthe through benchmark.

Sarah RobertsonAthlos Leadership Acad.

Breast Cancer Awareness Walk

Wesley DickersonCedar Ridge H. S.

This past weekend Iwas able to attend the17th Annual Susan GKomen Race for the curein Austin. The Susan GKomen walks are heldacross the country and areused to promote breastcancer awareness as wellas to fundraise for the re-search for a breast cancercure. The way the eventworks is that people pay torun in the race or partici-pate in the walk and themoney goes towardsbreast cancer awarenesspromotion and research.Although the main event isthe 5K run or walk, manyother things in the areasurround the event. Res-taurants have special pro-motions and people willopen up stands for the par-ticipants to eat after theirrace. There are also

people who will run therace in groups that aremade from different orga-nizations and even someschools.

Another aspect ofthe race are the volunteerswho make the race hap-pen. Some people will helpwith set up and clean upwith the race, others willset up stations for runnersto get water on the go.Lastly some people arejust there for support.What I did this past Sun-day was stand near theside of the finish line withmy fellow members of theteen group of the Austinchapter of Jack and Jill andcheered on the runners,walkers, and survivorsalike as they completedtheir races. Our contribu-tion may not have beenhuge in the traditionalsense but it can be veryuplifting to see peoplewho don’t even know youcheering you on to the fin-ish. After the race awoman, who was a breastcancer survivor, came upto a friend and I andthanked us for cheeringher on.

This past breast can-cer awareness walk wasvery uplifting and it was anamazing event to attendwith many activities to do.

Genesis StiggersElgin Middle School

CenTex

This weekend is myfirst real band competition.It is called the CenTex BandCompetition and it’s on Sat-urday. I am both nervous andexcited to compete in thisspecial competition, eventhough I still need to prac-tice. After all, I will be com-peting with districts from allover Texas. It is mandatoryfor my band, which is WindEnsemble, and the percus-sion from Symphonic Bandto compete in CenTex, andhopefully everyone will getplaced.

Even though I’ve neverdone CenTex before, myband teacher explained it tome pretty clearly. The com-petition is at Farley MiddleSchool in Hutto. We willmeet at my school anddrive to Farley. When we getthere we will have a seat inthe cafeteria and wait until

they give us letters. Weneed letters to use asnames because the judgescan’t know our names orthey might score us unfairly.After we get our letters wego to our rooms we will playour music and get judged.Unfortunately, we have toplay in front of every otherkid in our room no matterhow bad or good you are.We also have to wait forevery single student in ourroom to finish, whichmeans waiting for 55 bas-soons and alto Saxes. Iguess it’s better than beinga clarinet, who has to waitfor 99 kids to play their mu-sic.

Anyway, I’m actuallypretty pumped to go toCenTex because all the hardwork I’ve done since the be-ginning of the year will fi-nally pay off. Ever since I gotthe CenTex music andscales it’s been my prioritywhen I practiced. Every sixweeks I thought I wouldn’tbe able to play my music butat the end of every sixweeks I end up one of thefirst ten people to finish myobjectives, even though I’min the band a grade higherthan most of seventh grade.CenTex will hopefully bevery fun and I’m excited tofind out what happens to-morrow.

Stomach Bug

Monday morningthe 9th, I woke up with alittle stomach ache andtold my mom and she said"Do you feel like going toschool? " I said yes andwent on to school. Tues-

day morning my stomachwas really hurting but Iwent to school anyway. 15minutes after I got into 1stperiod I couldn't hold it inand had to let it out andended up vomiting inclass. I went to the nursesoffice and stayed forabout an hour until mymom came to pick me up.We went home and I vom-ited 6 more times that daythen I rested. I missedschool for Wednesday andThursday as well. I went tothe doctor and was told Ihad a stomach virus andwas given medicine. I wentback to school Friday be-cause I was feeling a lotbetter and I still am. Hope-fully that doesn't change.

SaNaya WhiteAnn Richards

Thanksgiving Season

Erika LipscombManor Middle School

Now that Halloween isover it is time for thanksgiv-ing. The tradition , the holi-day , and the celebration of

family getting together andeating delicious food with abeautiful turkey. Basicallythanksgiving is when thingscome together. The seasonscolors that make me thinkand represent thanksgivingare brown , yellow , orange, kind of a bright red. I can'twait for Black Friday and allthe other sells. I also can'twait for the season feel ofthat warm-ish , cool-ishweather. Well , that is all fornow ! Gobble to ya later , Imean talk to ya later!

School to Prison

Damon Luckett IIHays High School

The term "school-to-prison pipeline" is a phrasethat is used by scholars, edu-cation reform activists, andothers. Organizations suchas the American Civil Liber-ties Union (ACLU), the JusticePolicy Center, AdvancementProject, and the New York CivilLiberties Union (NYCLU) de-scribe what they view as awidespread pattern in theUnited States of pushing stu-dents, especially those whoare already at a disadvantage,out of school and into theAmerican criminal justice sys-tem. The school to prisonpipeline works its way up fromschool districts to the federalgovernment. The school toprison pipeline starts at 3rdgrade. Imagine the reaction ofa 3rd grader if you told themthat they are being watchedby the government.

As a black male inschool, I've learned nothingabout my heritage. I want to

learn more about black his-tory in my school. I want tounderstand these questionsthat I'm about to ask. Why dowe have to learn about myhistory when it's MLK day andBlack History month? Howcome Black History month isjust one month? Why does myheritage have to define itselfin one month when we'vebeen in America since 1619and just now got our freedomin the 1960's? Why does myschool have a have meetingsabout pulling a Rebel flagdown and removing "Dixie"from a school song but can'thave a meeting aboutwhether they should teachblack history? These are thequestions I ask myself as ablack male. What If I'm notdoing well in school becauseI can't engage? Everythingwe learn isn't interesting tome. I don't learn anythingabout me. That affects me inmany ways, including theschool to prison pipeline.

When I don't get goodgrades, my GPA gets lower.When my GPA gets lower, it'llaffect my chances of going tocollege. If I don't have an edu-cation for a good job, then Iwon't be getting money toprovide for myself whichmight lead to illegal activities.Illegal activities lead to jail. IfI don't apply myself in school,they'll have a bed waiting onme in prison.


THE COURIERMy Weekend

Last Saturday we

went to a soccer game to

see my 6 year old god-sis-

ter play. She did pretty

well for their age and size.

Their team got a couple of

goals and got the win.

When we came back

home I was sitting on the

couch and I got up be-

cause I wanted a little

snack, so I looked in the

pantry and I saw some

brownies. When my mom

woke up from her nap I

Kevin ParishPark Crest M.S.

asked her “after we eat

McDonalds can we make

these brownies?” she re-

plied “yes”. I have not

baked brownies before

but it was an easy task to

complete. Those brownies

were really good!

On Thursday, Novem-

ber 19, 2015 my family

and I are going to the east

coast to spend a week

there for Thanksgiving.

Every year for about the

last 16 or 17 years (13 yrs

for me) they have gone to

Hilton Head, South Caro-

lina for Thanksgiving

which is just across the

bridge from Savannah

Georgia, where my grand-

parents a from. I’m looking

forward to the trip.

I did not make my

school basketball team

this time but I’m going to

join PYBA, (Pflugerville

Youth Basketball Associa-

tion). GO Pumas!!

The African Children's Choir to Perform in Austin

AUSTIN, TX - The Af-

rican Children’s Choir

melts the hearts of audi-

ences with their charming

smiles, beautiful voices

and lively African songs

and dances. The program

features well-loved

children’s songs, traditional

Spirituals and Gospel favor-

ites. Concerts are free and

open to all. A free-will offer-

ing is taken at the perfor-

mance to support African

Children’s Choir programs,

such as education, care and

relief and development pro-

grams.

Music for Life (The

parent organization for

The African Children’s

Choir) works in seven Af-

rican countries such as,

Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda,

Sudan, Nigeria, Ghana and

South Africa. MFL has edu-

cated over 52,000 children

and impacted the lives of

over 100,000 people

through its relief and devel-

opment programs during its

history. MFL purpose is to

help create new leadership

for tomorrow’s Africa, by fo-

cusing on education.

The African

Children’s Choir has had

the privilege to perform

before presidents, heads

of state and most recently

the Queen of England,

Queen Elizabeth II, for her

diamond jubilee. The

Choir has also had the

honor of singing alongside

artists such as Paul

McCartney, Annie Lennox,

Keith Urban, Mariah

Carey, Michael W. Smith,

and other inspirational

performers!

Please visit

www.africanchildrenschoir.com

for information on

dates , locations, and

shows.

The Best Buy Foundation has awarded the Hous-

ing Authority of the City of Austin’s (HACA) nonprofit

subsidiary Austin Pathways a $6,000 Community Grant

to support the Digital Opportunities for Music Educa-

tion program at a public housing property that serves

576 residents in southwest Austin.

The funds will be used to purchase music equip-

ment in the audio recording room at HACA’s Henry

Flores Education and Training Center, a state-of-the-art

facility that opened at Meadowbrook Apartments in No-

vember 2014. Grounded in Music – a local nonprofit

organization whose mission is to leverage the power of

music to transform lives by creating self-confidence,

opportunity and hope – will provide in-kind services to

mentor youth and develop their musical talents.

“We are excited and honored to receive this Best

Buy Foundation grant,” said HACA President and CEO

Michael Gerber. This award will help transform an

empty room into a vibrant media and music lab for our

youth, teaching and inspiring the next generation of

artists right here in the live music capital of the world.”

The program will consist of three core compo-

nents, including spring and summer sessions. During

each session, Grounded in Music instructors will pro-

vide professional guidance and training in computer-

based music production — as well as instrument train-

ing in electric drums, guitars and keyboards — to youth

for two hours a day, three days a week. All instructors

will be professional musicians handpicked to guide eco-

nomically disadvantaged students.

Austin Pathways Wins Grant toSupport Music Education

Students will also be tasked with planning and

implementing a performance at the conclusion of the

fall and spring sessions to showcase their newly devel-

oped musical skills and talents to the community. The

events will be held at an outdoor amphitheater at

Meadowbrook.

“Grounded in Music is thrilled to aid in the cre-

ation of the new production studio facility at the

Meadowbrook Henry Flores Education and Training

Center,” said Grounded in Music Executive Director

Michael Longoria. “Music has slowly been put aside in

schools systems which has created a hole for artistic

creation, exploration and education. Music has many

benefits which help individuals build strong character,

including better memorization, increased coordination,

sense of achievement, development of creative think-

ing, teamwork and hope.”

The Best Buy Foundation donation is made pos-

sible through the contributions of Best Buy Co., Inc.

retail store operations and special event fundraising.

The foundation’s primary goal is to provide underserved

teens with technology programs to help develop 21st

century skills and bridge the digital divide.

Austin Pathways and HACA are also committed to

funding and sustaining effective digital inclusion program-

ming. The agency’s digital inclusion initiative, Unlocking

the Connection, includes a consortium of community part-

ners that will connect more than 4,300 public housing resi-

dents with free basic broadband Internet, digital literacy

training and refurbished personal computers.

Huston-Tillotson UniversityAnnounces a Car Raffle to

Support Greatest Need Areas

(AUSTIN, Texas) —

Huston-Tillotson Univer-

sity officials are pleased to

announce a fundraising

effort in the form of a

luxury car raffle to support

greatest need areas. Do-

nors may make a $100 pur-

chase for a 1 in 1,000

chance to win a luxury

2016 vehicle courtesy of

Sterling Acura of Austin.

Those interested may stop

by the Huston-Tillotson

University Institutional

Advancement Office,

Room 208, of the Anthony

and Louise Viaer Alumni

Hall, to purchase a raffle

ticket or look for Institu-

tional Advancement staff

at upcoming events such

as Homecoming and Re-

union Weekend. The

drawing will be held dur-

ing the Commencement

celebration on May 7,

2016. Office hours 8:30

a.m. to 5:30 p.m., Monday

through Friday. For more

information, call

512.505.3073.

YMCA’s Early LearningReadiness Program

The YMCA’s Early

Learning Readiness Pro-

gram provides a stimulat-

ing environment for chil-

dren ages 2-4 to play and

learn while developing the

physical, verbal, and social

skills they’ll need to start

school ready to succeed.

Thanks to grant fund-

ing, the program is offered

free of charge to the pub-

lic and focuses on increas-

ing the school readiness of

young children in low-in-

come families. In an infor-

mal setting with multiple

play stations, adults will

learn more about how

children develop and how

they can encourage learn-

ing and skill-building at

home. The program is

geared toward families

without access to other

early learning opportuni-

ties.

Classes are offered

twice a week for

caregivers and children –

2 hour class. Instruction is

taught in both English and

Spanish and is open to

children ages 2-4 years of

age. There are three con-

venient locations around

the Austin Area (North,

South and East Austin).

Applications for H-E-BExcellence in Education Awards

due Dec. 6 Nominees have

been sent an invitation to

complete an online appli-

cation, which asks for

written responses about

education philosophy,

learning experiences and

insights on key issues fac-

ing educators in Texas to-

day.

In the School Board

category, up to five public

school boards may be rec-

ognized and awarded

$5,000 towards the district

they serve. Additionally,

one or more school boards

may receive a special

judge’s award totaling up

to $25,000 that will be an-

nounced during a recogni-

tion dinner and celebra-

tion in May 2016.

Nominations are not

required for participation.

Educators, school districts,

early childhood facilities

and school boards can go

to www.heb.com/educa-

tion and complete an ap-

plication.

For additional up-

dates, follow the H-E-B Ex-

cellence in Education

Awards program on

Facebook.

AUSTIN YOUTH HOLD FIRSTFOOD JUSTICE SUMMIT

Urban Roots interns are creating and hosting a Youth Food Jamto explore youth leadership and food justice with their peers

AUSTIN, TEXAS Ur-

ban Roots is proud to

present the Youth Food

Jam, sponsored by Kerbey

Lane Café and created by

Urban Roots youth interns.

The Jam will have interac-

tive workshops about so-

cial justice, food prepara-

tion, and leadership skills

led by adults and youth

from the community as

well as Urban Roots in-

terns. It will be punctuated

with a keynote address by

internationally renowned

author Raj Patel and a per-

formance by Austin hip

hop group Mindz of a Dif-

ferent Kind. Chipotle is

providing a free lunch to

all attendees.

The Youth Food Jam

will happen on December

5, 2015 at Gonzalo Garza

Independence High

School from 9am to 3pm.

The event is free and open

to high school age youth.

Complimentary breakfast

will also be provided. Reg-

istration is required; at-

tendees must signup at

www.urbanrootsatx.org.

After attending the

Rooted In Community

(RIC) gathering in 2014,

Urban Roots Interns saw an

opportunity to bring the

same youthled energy to

Austin. José Morin, a junior

at KIPP Austin Collegiate,

says that his RIC experience

is something he will never

forget. “Once I had the op-

portunity to meet the other

youth, I realized that our dif-

ferences in location meant

little as we all had an indis-

tinguishable passion for

food justice. That shared

passion put on display was

contagious,” says José. “My

biggest hope of all is that

everyone gets to experi-

ence a similar journey like I

did.” Raj Patel

CITY ~ STATE ~ NATIONAL ~ WORLD ~ November 20, 2015/THE VILLAGER www.theaustinvillager.com

Travis CountyCandidate

Manuel JimenezHolds De-EscalationTown Hall Meeting

In the recent months,

the various profiles of po-

lice shootings have come

to the forefront of media

coverage. There has been

a situation in which a po-

lice officer flamed a minor

offense into a big one. For

instance in the case of

Sandra Bland in which she

was stopped for not put-

ting her blinker on, the of-

ficer increased the ten-

sion. In other words, in-

stead of bringing down the

tension, the officer flamed

the incident that led to her

arrest and death. As high

profile cases of police vid-

eos have come out, Mr.

Manuel Jimenez, candi-

date for the Travis County

Constable Precinct 4 held

“Police De-escalation

Summit.”

Manuel Jimenez who

is the chief deputy at the

Travis County Constable

Precinct 4 office decided

to run for the Constable

office because his “boss”

Maria Canchola is going

into retirement. Conse-

quently, Chief Deputy and

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon | Villager Columnist

Manuel Jimenez forTravis County Precinct 4 Constable

Austin Asian American Film Festival

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist

Pictured left to right are, Leng Wong, Herb, Abhay and Tim Tsai. Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

On November 12-

15, the Austin Asian

American Film Festival

held their 8th noncon-

secutive edition. The fes-

tival showcases and

brought light to some of

the best Asian and Asian

American films. At this

8th edition, there were

numerous Asian fi lms

that made the lineup for

the festival. For instance,

some of the movies being

showed at this festival in-

cluded, “The Killing Fields

of Dr. Hain; “The Chinese

Mayor”; “The Purple On-

ion;” “Seoul Searching”;

“La Salada”; “Atomic

Heart”; and “Placebo.”

Moreover, the lineup is a

showcase of the diversity

of Asian and Asian Ameri-

can films.

According to the or-

ganizers, the movie “The

killing Fields of Dr. Haing S,

Ngor” was one of the high-

light movies of this festival.

The movie is a documen-

tary about Dr. Haing S Ngor

who was “well known and

an outspoken survivor of

the Cambodian genocide

but, was tragically killed in

an alley of the Los Ange-

les Chinatown.” More-

over, this movie has won

the Best Documentary

Audience Award of the

Los Angeles Asian Film

Festival. In addition, an-

other movie “Placebo”

won also.

Moreover, this was

another successful year

for the Austin Asian

American Film Festival.

The AAAFF’s mission is to

“Showcase the best in

Asian and Asian Ameri-

cans, in order to cel-

ebrate their communi-

ties, entertain, enlighten

the public and to support

the creative talents of

Asian and Asian America.

Furthermore, they have

gathered the support of

the community. As the

8th edition comes to an

end, they are now look-

ing forward to the 9th

edition.

David Holmesfor Travis County

CommissionerCourt Precinct 3

The majority of Travis County has been a very

“blue” and a Democratic Party. For a very a long time,

the Democratic Party had managed to keep Central,

Eastern, Northern and Southern parts of Travis County;

but has failed to have a strong consistent presence in

Western Travis County. Moreover, this divide can be also

been seen on the Travis County Commissioner Court.

Although there are 3 Democratic Party controlled

County Commissioner Court seats, only one is held by

a Republican. Now, the Democrats have placed David

Holmes as their opportunity to “flip” the Western Travis

County.

So far, David Holmes is the only Democrat that is run-

ning for the Travis County Commissioner Court Precinct 3

position. David Holmes is a “Veteran of Democratic Party

politics” and has served in State government for a very

longtime. According to David, he started politics “At the

age of 19 when he worked for the office of the LT gover-

nor Bob Bullock. According to David Holmes, he gained an

understanding of the biggest problems facing the state

and local governments and acquired valuable experience

in intergovernmental relations.”

Now, his challenge will be flipping the seat from a

Republican to a Democrat one. Moreover, the current

Precinct 3 Commissioner has not announced whether

he will run for re-election. Moreover, it is unlikely that

the current Commissioner Daugherty will run for re-

election. On the other hand, another Republican has

also announced his plan to run for this seat. In both

cases, David Holmes will face a Republican candidate

during the general election.

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon | Villager Columnist

candidate Jimenez used

this opportunity to hold a

town hall meeting about

the issue of the use of

force. During this event,

he spoke about the

records of the Travis

County Constable Precinct

4. It shows records of

treating people with re-

spect and their ability to

resolve issues without in-

flaming or “making the

matters worse.”

At the “De-escala-

tion” town hall meeting,

Chief Deputy and candi-

date Jimenez mentioned

that “police officers” are

trained on various de-es-

calation” technique that is

meant to bring calm to

situation. In addition he

mentioned that officers

are called “peace officers”

because their mission is

bring to two different

“parties” to a place of un-

derstand. Furthermore,

he mentioned officers are

“public servant” who are

payed by the taxpayer;

therefore, should be cour-

teous.

David Holmes

Austin Habitat forHumanity Celebrates

Grand Opening of Its NewCommunity Home Center

Grand Opening celebration of Austin Habitat for

Humanity’s new Community Home Center and ReStore.

Saturday, Nov. 21, 2015, from 10:00a.m. to

2:00p.m. Formal remarks will be made at 10:15a.m.

500 W Ben White Boulevard, Austin, Texas 78704.

Austin Habitat for Humanity (Austin Habitat) is ex-

cited to open its new permanent home. Its previous of-

fices were spread across town, and its ReStore was long

overdue for renovations.

The new Community Home Center will allow the

non-profit to consolidate offices and operations into one

location; to renovate and expand its ReStore, increasing

a significant revenue stream for the organization; and

to increase the educational opportunities it provides to

Austin families.

The Community Home Center will also allow the

non-profit to be more efficient, create more volunteer

opportunities, serve more families and teach more

people. It will allow Austin Habitat to better meet its

mission of ending the cycle of poverty by providing

Austinites with quality, affordable places to live.

After the ceremony, and throughout the day, Aus-

tin Habitat will have fun activities for all ages. Guests

will have the opportunity to have their faces painted,

jump in a bounce house, build a birdhouse, listen in on

a DIY presentation or color a masterpiece.

Event sponsors and local vendors will be onsite of-

fering tasty samplings of delicious Austin favorites like

Moojo, Tiff’s Treats, KIND, Zilk’s, Good Pop, Rhythm Su-

per Foods, Oatmega, Live Kombucha, Slab BBQ and

Rosarito’s.

More Space Means More Ways to Give Back

Photo Exhibit of ChildrenCelebrates National Adoption Month

(Austin, Texas) – About 700 children, ranging

from infants to teens, in the Central Texas foster care

system are awaiting adoption. Permanent adoptions

and forever families for the foster children in Cen-

tral Texas are more of a reality with the proven suc-

cess of the special photo exhibit, The Heart Gallery

of Central Texas.

The Heart Gallery opened Nov. 12, at 6:30 p.m.,

at the Blanton Museum of Art- Smith Building, 200

E. Martin Luther King Blvd., in Austin. The event,

which is open to the public, will display the portraits

of over 100 foster children in Central Texas who are

available for adoption.

CLASSIFIEDS ~ PUBLIC INFORMATION

City of AustinPurchasing Office

EMPLOYMENTPROPOSALS

PUBLICINFORMATION

FOR SALEFOR RENT

BIDSMISCELLANEOUS

The City of Austin Purchasing Office invitesyou to view current bid solicitations at https://www.c i . aus t i n . t x . u s / f i nanceon l ine /vendor_connection/solicitation/solicitations.cfm.Vendors are encouraged to register on-line in theCity’s Vendor Self Service System. Once yourcompany is registered, you will receive notifica-tions about new bid opportunities. For additionalinformation regarding current bid opportunitiesor Vendor Registration, please call the Purchas-ing Office at 512-974-2500.

For information on the City of Austin’s Mi-nority Owned and Women-Owned ProcurementProgram and the certification process, pleasecontact the Small & Minority Business ResourcesDepartment at 512-974-7600 or visit their websiteat http://www.austintexas.gov/smbr.

City of Austin Featured JobOpportunities


Apply at HRMiddle Fiskville Rd.

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

EEOC/AA/M/F/D/V

The City of Austin is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Please visit the City of Austin employmentwebsite at www.austincityjobs.org to view

requirements and apply for these and other jobopportunities. We encourage you to check the

employment website often as new jobopportunities are posted daily.

If you have any questions or need assistance,please call 512-974-3210 or email us [email protected].

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

• Associate Judge• Assistant Director, Public Works Engr andProject Delivery• 911 Call Taker/Dispatch Trainee• Athletic Officials I-IV (30 Part Time Openings)

• Dispatcher II (Night Shift: 9:30 p.m. - 5:30 a.m.)

• Project Manager

• Street & Bridge Operations Technician I

• Compensation Consultant (Two Positions)

• Dispatcher II (Night Shift: 9:30 p.m. - 5:30 a.m.)

• Graduate Engineer A or Graduate Engineer B

• Case Manager

• Administrative Specialist

Please visit the City of Austin employment website at

www.austincityjobs.org to view requirements and apply for these

and other job opportunities. We encourage you to check the

employment website often as new job opportunities are posted

daily. If you have any questions or need assistance, please call

512-974-3210 or email us at

[email protected]. The City of Austin is an

Equal Opportunity Employer

New Jobs for theWeek of 11/15/2015Technician, Help Desk

Service CenterJob# 1511008

Specialist, Financial AidHighland Business Center

Job# 1511021Supervisor, Advising

Hays CampusJob# 1511020

Director, Office of Student MoneyManagement

Highland CampusJob# 1511019

Marketing CopywriterHighland Business Center

Job# 1510045

Austin TravisCounty Integral Careis currently soliciting pro-posals through a Requestfor Proposals (RFP) pro-cess for PharmaceuticalWhole- sale Services. RFPsmay be mailed or sentelectro- nically, by contact-ing Brody Ballard at [email protected] or (512)440-4022 beginning No-vember 16 , 2015. Thedeadline to submit a pro-posal under the RFP is 4p.m. CST on December 7,2 0 1 5 . H i s t o r i c a l l yUnderutilized Businesses,including Minority-OwnedBusinesses and Women-Owned Businesses, areencour- aged to apply.

Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm

CBC Founding Member ShirleyChisholm to Receive Posthumous

Presidential Medal of Freedom Award

WASHINGTON, D.C.

– CBC Chairman G. K.

Butterfield released the

following statement rec-

ognizing this year’s Presi-

dential Medal of Freedom

Award recipients, which

include CBC founding

member Shirley Chisholm.

“The Congressional

Black Caucus is proud to

recognize this year’s Presi-

dential Medal of Freedom

Award recipients. This dis-

tinguished group of

American citizens have

each made significant con-

tributions here at home

and abroad through their

promotion of peace and

cultural excellence in their

public and private endeav-

ors.

“This year, the Presi-

dential Medal of Freedom,

which is our Nation’s high-

est civilian honor, will be

presented posthumously

to one of the founding

Members of the Congres-

sional Black Caucus, Rep-

resentative Shirley

Chisholm.

“Representative

Chisholm made history in

1968 by becoming the first

African American woman

elected to Congress where

she served seven terms in

the House of Representa-

tives. She was the first

major-party African

American female candi-

date to make a bid for the

U.S. presidency when she

ran for the Democratic

nomination in 1972. She

was known as a champion

of minority education, em-

ployment opportunities,

and was the driving force

behind SNAP and WIC. Her

service in Congress on be-

half of the constituents of

New York’s 12th Congres-

sional District and her

leadership within the CBC

made an indelible and last-

ing impact on our 46 cur-

rent Members.

Cedar Valley College Receives$2.4 Million Federal Grant to EnsureSuccess of African-American Males in

Science, Technology and Math

U.S. Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas, right, presents a check toDr. Jennifer Wimbish, president of Cedar Valley College, on Nov. 11,2015, for a $2.45 million federal grant through the Predominately BlackInstitutions (PBI) program that will help fund STEM programs at CVC.The grant is aimed at improving access and opportunities for academicsuccess for African-American males.

LANCASTER, Texas -

Cedar Valley College, one

of seven independently

accredited colleges that

make up the Dallas County

Community College Dis-

trict, has been awarded a

grant from the U. S. De-

partment of Education’s

Predominantly Black Insti-

tutions (PBI) program. The

college will receive

$2,452,567 over the next

five years to focus on Sci-

ence, Technology, Engi-

neering and Math (STEM)

programs.

Cedar Valley College

plans to use the PBI grant

to promote enrollment

and participation in STEM

programs among young

African-American men

who reside in communi-

ties surrounding the col-

lege in Southern Dallas

County. The grant will also

be used to create positive

synergies between Cedar

Valley College’s African-

American Male Initiative

and the recently devel-

oped Pipelines and Path-

ways project, which is de-

signed to promote success

for male students of color.

U.S. Rep. Eddie

Bernice Johnson, D-Dallas,

presented the first install-

ment of the PBI grant to

Cedar Valley College at a

press conference yester-

day in the college’s state-

of-the art Math, Science &

Allied Health Building. In

addition to local business

and community leaders,

the press conference was

attended by the superin-

tendents of Cedar Hill,

Lancaster and DeSoto In-

dependent School Dis-

tricts.

“To address poverty

and quality of life issues in

our communities, educa-

tion will play a key role,”

said Johnson. “I am very

pleased to see Cedar Val-

ley College at the forefront

of eliminating barriers and

providing opportunities

for African-American male

students to succeed in the

STEM fields of math, sci-

ence and technology.

Their STEM education will

be key in helping these

students to secure good

paying jobs in the 21st cen-

tury.”

Dr. Jennifer Wimbish,

president of Cedar Valley

College, thanked Rep.

Johnson for her support

and lauded her grant de-

velopment team for an in-

novative proposal that re-

sulted in Cedar Valley Col-

lege being the only Texas

institution to receive a PBI

grant for this round of

funding.

“Our African-Ameri-

can Male Initiative has

much in common with

President’s Obama’s My

Brother’s Keeper initiative,

which was created to pro-

vide high-return opportu-

nities for disadvantaged

youth,” said Wimbish.

“We truly believe this op-

portunity will be a life-

changing experience for

young African-American

men who benefit from this

generous grant. It all starts

with providing opportuni-

ties for success,” Wimbish

added.

Cedar Valley College’s

African-American Male

Initiative will target 6,000

students over a five-year

period. Anticipated results

include a 15 percent in-

crease in the number of

African-American males

who enroll in STEM

courses, with a secondary

outcome of ensuring

those students complete

their Associates degree

and acquire marketable

knowledge and skills. The

program’s overall goal is to

improve the college’s Afri-

can-American male reten-

tion rate by 15 percent

between year one and

two, with a 3 percent in-

crease in the graduation

rate from 5 percent to 8

percent over the five-year

period.

“Congratulations to

Cedar Valley College for

securing this important

grant that will contribute

directly to student suc-

cess, which is our top pri-

ority. With support pro-

vided by this grant, our

students will be able to

graduate with a degree or

certificate or to prepare

for the next phase of their

educational journey,” said

Dr. Joe D. May, chancellor

of the Dallas County Com-

munity College District.

For more information

on the PBI grant and Cedar

Valley College’s African-

American Male Initiative,

please contact Lee Hayes,

communications consult-

ant at Cedar Valley Col-

lege, at (214) 440-2370 or

[email protected].

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NATIONAL PRÉCISUS Muslims Face Backlash after Paris Attacks

by: Dave Collins Associated Press (AP Photos)

Graffiti in the shape of the Eiffel Tower inside a circle is painted onthe side of the Islamic Center in Omaha, Neb., Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2015. AMuslim civil rights group wants the FBI and local police to investigate thevandalism as possible hate crime, that may be related to the Paris terrorattacks. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik).

HARTFORD, Conn.

(AP) — Muslims around

the U.S. are facing back-

lash following the deadly

attacks in Paris, including

vandalism to mosques and

Islamic centers, hate-filled

phone and online mes-

sages and threats of vio-

lence.

Advocacy leaders say

they have come to expect

some anti-Muslim senti-

ment following such at-

tacks, but they now see a

spike that seems notable,

stirred by anti-Muslim

sentiment in the media.

“The picture is get-

ting increasingly bleak,”

said Ibrahim Hooper, a

spokesman for the Wash-

ington, D.C.-based Council

on American-Islamic Rela-

tions. “There’s been an ac-

cumulation of anti-Islamic

rhetoric in our lives and

that I think has trigged

these overt acts of vio-

lence and vandalism.”

He said the rise in the

level of anti-Muslim senti-

ment is reflected by some

GOP presidential candi-

dates, governors and oth-

ers speaking out in oppo-

sition to the U.S. accepting

more Syrian refugees.

Hooper said the

council is seeing an in-

crease in anti-Muslim inci-

dents since Friday’s at-

tacks in Paris that killed

129 people and wounded

more than 350.

In Connecticut, the

FBI and local police are in-

vestigating reports of mul-

tiple gunshots fired at the

Baitul Aman mosque in

Meriden hours after the

attacks.

Leaders of the

mosque don’t know the

motive of the shooter or

shooters, said Salaam

Bhatti, a spokesman for

the Ahmadiyya Muslim

Community in New York,

to which the mosque be-

longs. The Ahmadiyya

Muslim Community is a

movement within Islam.

Bhatti said the shoot-

ing has not rattled mosque

members. He said many

are from Pakistan, where

conditions for the

Ahmadiyya movement are

much worse.

“It’s a teachable mo-

ment,” Bhatti said. “As we

do raise awareness of at-

tacks in mosques, we will

see mosques do not re-

spond in violence. Islam

teaches us to teach peace.”

At the University of

Connecticut, authorities

are investigating after the

words “killed Paris” were

discovered on Saturday

written beneath an Egyp-

tian student’s name on his

dorm room door.

Muslim leaders also

have reported recent van-

dalism, threats and other

hate crimes targeting

mosques in Nebraska,

Florida, Texas, Kentucky,

Virginia, Tennessee, Ohio,

New York and other states.

10 Percent Black Faculty Would Place Missouri Above All OtherState Universities by: Carolyn Thompson and George M. Walsh Associated Press (Dan Glaun/MassLive.com and Carol Lollis/Daily Hampshire Gazette via AP)

In this Thursday, Nov. 12, 2015, photo, University of MassachusettsAmherst student Evandro Tavares speaks to students gathered to high-light issues from racial inclusion to student debt, during a march at theStudent Union on the UMass campus in Amherst, Mass. UMass adminis-trators held a “listening session” the following day where students ex-pressed their need to see more faculty of color in the classroom, those whoare more familiar with their experiences as students of color. (Carol Lollis/Daily Hampshire Gazette via AP)

BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP)

— If the University of Mis-

souri succeeds in meeting

a student demand for a

faculty that’s 10 percent

Black in two years, it will

likely be alone among its

peers.

No state’s “flagship”

public university campus

had a Black faculty popu-

lation approaching that

level, and only a handful

topped even the 5 percent

mark, an Associated Press

analysis of 2013 federal

data found.

The norm on most of

the main campuses was a

faculty that was between

2 percent and 4 percent

Black, the data showed.

Universities are well

aware that staff and stu-

dent bodies often don’t

match, administrators and

experts say, and demon-

strations and discussions

around the country in re-

cent days have driven

home the point.

Fresh from a two-

hour “listening session”

Friday, University of Mas-

sachusetts Senior Vice

Provost John McCarthy

said students made clear

the need for change.

“It was the biggest

auditorium we have and

undergraduates of color

were standing up and talk-

ing about the fact that

they need to see more fac-

ulty of color in the class-

room, they need to see

more faculty that look like

them, they need to see

faculty who are more fa-

miliar with their experi-

ences as students of

color,” McCarthy said.

It’s the difference be-

tween feeling understood

and the pressure of being

seen as representing a

race, students and others

said.

“There’s a difference

in the learning experience

that you have when you’re

learning from someone

you believe you can iden-

tify with more closely,”

said Micah Oliver, 21,

president of the Black Stu-

dent Association at the

University at Buffalo.

Oliver, a senior,

added, “The injustices that

are happening in society

aside, police brutality

aside, those matters aside,

I feel like I can learn from

you better because you

seem like somebody I can

connect with on a per-

sonal level or on an expe-

riential level.”

Recent racist inci-

dents, and the perceived

lack of response by admin-

istrators, led to protests, a

student hunger strike and

a threatened boycott by

the football team at the

University of Missouri,

where student demands

now include a call for in-

creasing the percentage of

Black faculty and staff to

10 percent by the 2017-18

school year.

A group of former

minority faculty members

sent a letter Monday to

President Michael

Middleton supporting the

students. It citied their “ex-

perience related to being

racial and ethnic minori-

ties on a predominantly

White campus.”

Like Missouri, the

percentage of Black fac-

ulty members at the vast

majority of main cam-

puses in each state’s pub-

lic university system was

generally well below the

percentage of Black stu-

dents enrolled, the AP re-

view found.

At a number of

schools, the percentage of

Black faculty was close to

or below half the percent-

age of Black students, no-

tably at schools in the

South with both relatively

large proportions of Black

students and faculty.

The school with the

largest percentage of

Black faculty, the Univer-

sity of Mississippi at 6.29

percent, also had the larg-

est percentage of Black

students, 15.26 percent.

The University of North

Carolina at Chapel Hill has

a faculty that’s 6 percent

Black, compared to 8 per-

cent of the student body.

The University of

Alabama’s faculty is also 6

percent Black, but the pro-

portion of Black students

is higher at 11.46 percent.

The University of

Georgia had the next high-

est percentage of Black

faculty at 5.76 percent

with a 7.83 percent Black

enrollment while the Uni-

versity of South Carolina-

Columbia’s faculty was

5.18 Black compared to

10.56 percent of the stu-

dents.

At no other school

was the percentage of

Black faculty above 5 per-

cent.

“Studies show that

students normally do bet-

ter if they’re taught by

people that can relate to

them, not only economi-

cally or socially, but racially

because naturally we face

similar struggles, being

adults, students, staff,”

said Deidree Golbourne,

20, an African-American

studies major at Buffalo,

New York’s flagship univer-

sity, where 2.5 percent of

the faculty and 5.7 percent

of the student body are

Black, according to the

data.

Experts say the pool

of candidates is tradition-

ally small for positions that

often require PhDs.

UMass, the State Univer-

sity of New York and oth-

ers have funded programs

meant to boost minority

numbers.

“It’s very competitive

to get faculty of color sim-

ply because a lot of

schools want them. There

are a lot of programs out

there,” McCarthy said.

But the problem also

may be in how schools

define who is qualified,

said Stella Smith, presi-

dent of the Black Faculty

Staff Association at the

University of Texas at Aus-

tin. She said it may be

time, she said, “to open up

the definition of what is

academy worthy and also

to understand that there

are different ways to be

exceptional, so there’s not

just this one route to be-

ing the best kind of faculty

member.”

The disparities were

less pronounced when the

numbers of all non-White

faculty were compared

with non-White students.

The school with the

largest percentage of non-

White faculty at 38 per-

cent was the University of

Hawaii at Manoa, where

72 percent of the student

is also non-White. Many

students and faculty mem-

bers are Asian.

The University of Cali-

fornia-Berkeley was one of

eight main campus public

universities with a greater

percentage of Black fac-

ulty members than Black

students. But the overall

percentage of non-White

staff — 29 percent — at

Berkeley compared to a

student body that is 53

percent non-White. The

school has relatively large

populations of Asian and

Hispanic students.

At South Dakota

State University, the per-

centage of non-White fac-

ulty outstripped the stu-

dent body, 13 percent to 9

percent because of a rela-

tively large number of

Asian faculty.

The numbers don’t

make for ready role mod-

els, said Beth Olivares,

dean for diversity initia-

tives at the University of

Rochester.

“At the root of it is not

just encouraging but en-

suring that high school

students and undergradu-

ate students are aware of

that as a career path,”

Olivares said. “Many stu-

dents are not.”

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