Sun photo/Lonal Robinson

The ladies of Delta Sigma Theta paused on a Sunday afternoon to take photos on the steps of St John church on Dowling in preparation for their 2011 meeting.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Students displaced by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina are making academic gains in Texas schools.

The Texas Education Agency has released results of a study that tracked the progress of Katrina students.

Katrina devastated coastal states in August 2005, sending more than 46,000 young evacuees from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida into Texas public schools.

TEA reported Tuesday that the children who were studied performed slightly better than their Texas peers in the same demographic groups.

When compared with all Texas students, the Katrina students perform as well or better than the Texans on reading performance. The gap in mathematic performance narrowed substantially. 

Benjamin Hooks


BALTIMORE, MD – The NAACP family is deeply saddened by the passing of Executive Director and CEO Emeritus Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks. Dr. Benjamin Hooks served as Executive Director and CEO of the NAACP from 1977-1992.

“Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks was among the greatest Americans of the 20th Century. He was a giant of hope and humanity who, as Executive Director and CEO of the NAACP, expanded the circle of opportunity in our nation for millions by greatly accelerating the desegregation of our largest corporations. He was a crusading lawyer—the first Black judge in Tennessee since Reconstruction— who confronted Southern Justice on behalf of the down trodden and oppressed. He was a courageous and committed preacher of the Word who, as chairman of the Leadership Conference for Civil Rights, insisted that our nation acknowledge and respect the dignity of all Americans regardless of race and ethnicity, as well as gender and sexual orientation. He was a great organizer, communicator, and mentor to legions of young leaders who continue to define our nation today. He was simply the greatest living person to have served as Executive Director and CEO of the NAACP. We will miss him dearly” stated NAACP President and CEO Benjamin Todd Jealous.

“The NAACP is deeply saddened by the passing of Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks. Dr. Hooks led this organization to new heights, and we will continue to honor his legacy by fighting on, in his words with truth, justice and righteousness on our side,” stated NAACP Chairman Roslyn M. Brock. “Not only was Dr. Hooks the NAACP Executive Director and CEO Emeritus but he was a civil rights icon and my mentor and personal friend. He taught me to stand up for what I believe in; even in the face of adversity, and that the struggle for civil and human rights for all Americans never ends. Dr. Hooks was a giant in the civil rights movement, in the NAACP and in my life, it is in his memory and the memory of all the other civil rights soldiers who have passed that I will lead the NAACP into the second century,” concluded Brock.

“Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks was a dynamic NAACP CEO who lifted the organization and by force of personality gave it a heightened presence on the national scene. He performed my wedding ceremony to my wife Pam and was a stalwart advisor during my tenure as Chairman of the NAACP Board of Directors. Dr. Hooks will be much missed,” stated Chairman Emeritus Julian Bond.

NAACP Chairman Emeritus Myrlie Evers-Williams added: “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my personal friend and one of America’s most outstanding civil rights leaders Dr. Benjamin L. Hooks. Dr. Hooks was one of the strongest supporters of my husband Medgar Evers, and a strong supporter of mine during my three years as Chairman of the Board. He was a trusted advisor and never ceased to share his wisdom on pressing issues of the day. He welcomed the involvement of all people in the NAACP and the civil rights movement. I know that his spirit will remain with us as we move forward in the struggle for justice and equality.”

“The NAACP and the Civil Rights movement lost a giant today. Dr. Hooks was a man who broke down racial barriers throughout his entire life, and dedicated his personal and professional life to the struggle for all people of color. I had the pleasure of serving as National President of the NAACP while Dr. Hooks was Executive Director and CEO. He worked tirelessly to ensure that all Americans were treated equally and righteously, he inspired everyone he spoke to and dealt with. Without a leader like Dr. Hooks we would not have the generation of leaders we have today, Chairman Roslyn Brock and President and CEO Jealous. Dr. Hooks will be missed terribly,” stated NAACP New York State Conference President Hazel N. Dukes.

Hooks was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1925. He graduated from Howard University in 1944 and then joined the army shortly thereafter where he earned the rank of staff sergeant. After completing his army duty, Dr. Hooks enrolled in DePaul University College of Law after no Tennessee law school would admit him. Upon receiving his law degree, Hooks returned to Memphis to practice law and he joined the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. In 1965 he became Tennessee’s first black criminal court judge and in 1972 Richard Nixon appointed him to be one of the five commissioners of the FCC. On November 6, 1976, the NAACP Board of Directors elected Hooks as Executive Director where he served until 1992.

Dr. Hooks spoke at the NAACP’s Centennial Convention in New York last July and left the NAACP with words to live by: “Let’s fight on until justice runs down like waters and righteousness as a mighty stream. Let’s fight on until there is no down-sizing, until there is no glass ceiling. Let’s fight on until God shall gather the four winds of heaven; until the angel shall plant one foot on the sea and the other on dry land and declare that the time that has been will be no more. Fight on, until the lion shall lie down with the lamb. Fight on, until justice, righteousness, hopes equality and opportunity is the birthright of all Americans.”

Founded in 1909, the NAACP is the nation’s oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its members throughout the United States and the world are the premier advocates for civil rights in their communities, conducting voter mobilization and monitoring equal opportunity in the public and private sectors.

21st Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge Team members from Prairie View A&M University show off the trophy they received after being crowned National Champions at the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge on Monday April 12. 2010 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The annual event is the largest academic competition of its kind.

Torrance, CA – Overcoming stiff competition, Prairie View A&M University was named 2010 National Champions of the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge (www.hcasc.com), an annual academic competition among the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. This year more than 250 students from 48 Historically Black Colleges and Universities answered the call to flex their academic prowess at the 21st annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge. While each team brought their “A” game, Prairie View A&M University emerged victorious after answering the following question correctly:

“The title of a 1908 play was coined to refer to the concept that a number of ethnic groups, cultures, and religions in a society will fuse together to produce new cultural and social forms.  For 10 points -- what is this term that also names a chain of fondue restaurants?”
 
Final Answer: The Melting Pot
 
Over the weekend the nation’s leading Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) gathered in Orlando, Florida to participate in the two-day academic competition that tests knowledge, teamwork and speed.  Each school showcased their skills and intellect by quickly and accurately answering questions on world history, science, literature, religion, the arts, social sciences, popular culture and African-American history and culture.
 
Prairie View A&M University beat second place finisher Mississippi Valley State University to claim the championship title and take home $50,000 in grant money for their school. “The intensity of the practices that we had with one another were so competitive that we knew it would carry over into the national championships,” said Cedrick Wilson, Prairie View A&M University team captain. “We felt like we just needed to keep working hard and keep believing and playing the game and not let anything else affect us.”   

The Prairie View A&M University team included: Team Captain Cedrick Wilson, senior, biology major; Jonathan Gholston, senior, communications and radio major; Edward Hackett, senior, civil engineering major; and Isaac Hoyt, junior, chemical engineering major.  
During the two-day tournament, the 48 HBCU teams competed in a modified round robin format. The top two teams from each of eight divisions advance to the “Sweet 16” in a single elimination playoff. The final two teams then competed for the National Champion title in a best 2- out of 3- final series.

In addition to Prairie View A&M University and Mississippi Valley State University, student teams from North Carolina Central University and Fayetteville State University also demonstrated their academic prowess by making it to the final four.

“The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge is one of Honda’s largest and longest running philanthropic initiatives here in the United States,” said Steve Morikawa, assistant vice president, Corporate Community Relations, American Honda Motor Co., Inc. “It is through this program that year over year we are able support one of our nation’s largest contributors to professional and academic talent - Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We are proud to say that through this program, each year we are able to give $328,000 in grants and in the programs 21-year history we have given more than $6 million.”

Since 1989, HCASC has brought together the nation’s best and brightest academic competitors from America’s top HBCUs. Throughout its history, HCASC has been the only annual academic competition between the nation’s HBCUs, touching over 50,000 students.

For downloadable broadcast quality b-roll footage of local schools competing visit the Medialink Digital Newsroom at www.mediaseed.tv . For more information on the Honda Campus All Star Challenge and a list of the 48 participating HBCUs, please visit www.HCASC.com .
 

About Honda
Honda supports a variety of initiatives aimed at advancing education and creating experiences of discovery that help people see and achieve their own dreams. The Honda Campus All-Star Challenge, along with the Honda Battle of the Bands, are two of Honda’s major initiatives supporting Historically Black Colleges and Universities and helping young people pursue  their dreams.

Documents and/or Photos available for this release:

Team members from Prairie View A&M University show off the trophy they received after being crowned National Champions at the Honda Campus All-Star Challenge on Monday April 12, 2010 in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. The annual event is the largest academic competition of its kind.

Note: if you want To view supporting documents and/or photos, go to www.enr-corp.com/pressroom and enter Release ID: 251406

Surrounded by members of Congress, President Barack Obama (center) signs historic health care legislation on March 23 after 100 years of trying to get comprehensive health coverage.


WASHINGTON (AP) _ President Barack Obama on Tuesday signed into law a landmark health care reform bill, presiding over the biggest shift in U.S. domestic policy since the 1960s and capping a divisive, yearlong debate that could define the November congressional elections.

The law will bring near-universal coverage to a wealthy country in which tens of millions of people are uninsured.  The plan's provisions will be phased in over four years, and it is expected to expand coverage to about 94 percent of eligible non-elderly Americans would have coverage, compared with 83 percent today.

''We have now just enshrined the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health,'' Obama said at a signing ceremony at the White House, where he was joined by House and Senate Democrats who backed the bill as well as ordinary Americans whose health care struggles have touched the president.

''We are not a nation that scales back its aspirations.  We are not a nation that falls prey to doubt or mistrust,'' Obama said.  ''That's not who we are.  That's not how we got here.''

The plan is expected to extend coverage to 32 million uninsured Americans, reduce federal budget deficits and ban such insurance company practices as denying coverage to people with existing medical problems.

Obama has pushed health care as his top priority since taking office in January 2009.  Failure would have weakened him and endangered other issues on the president's ambitious domestic agenda, including immigration reform and climate change legislation.

Republicans were united in opposition to Obama's redesign of the health care system, criticizing it as a costly government takeover affecting one-sixth of the U.S. economy. They have vowed to use the issue to try to regain control of Congress in this year's elections.

''By signing this bill, President Obama is abandoning our founding principle that government governs best when it governs closest to the people,'' said House Republican leader John Boehner.  ''Never before has such a monumental change to our government been carried out without the support of both parties.

Shortly after Obama signed the bill, mostly Republican attorneys general from 13 states said they are suing the federal government to stop the health care overhaul, arguing that the provision that requires Americans to carry health insurance is unconstitutional.

Experts say the effort will likely fail because the U.S. Constitution states that federal law supersedes state laws, but the legal challenge may keep the issue fresh in the mind of voters come November.

Democratic lawmakers say they have delivered on Obama's campaign pledge for change, revamping a system in which the spiraling costs have put health care and insurance out of the reach of many Americans.

Now the president must sell the law's merits to a wary American public.  The next act begins Thursday, when Obama visits Iowa City, Iowa, where he announced his health care plan as a presidential candidate in May 2007. There Obama plans to talk about how the new law will help lower health care costs for small businesses and families, selling the overhaul to Americans who are deeply divided over the plan.

The House passed the 10-year, $938 billion bill Sunday night after a rancorous debate.  Not one Republican voted for the bill.  Some Democrats also voted against it.

The measure represents the biggest expansion of the U.S. federal government's social safety net since President Lyndon B. Johnson enacted the Medicare and Medicaid government funded health care coverage programs for the elderly and poor.

Governor Perry presented Timothy Cole's pardon to Tim's mother, Ruby Session, Tim's brother, Cory Session, and other members of the Session family today.

Tim's pardon comes more than ten years after he died in a Texas prison for a rape he did not commit.  Tim was officially exonerated in April 2009 by Judge Charles Baird.

"Tim's mother, Ruby, has said many times that she would believe Tim was pardoned when she saw that pardon in her hand.  That day has finally come for her today with the governor hand-delivering the pardon to her.  It is unfortunate that it came ten years too late, but nonetheless, Tim's name is officially cleared, his reputation has been restored, and Ruby Session can sleep peacefully tonight knowing that for a fact," said Sen. Rodney Ellis.

"Like in the bible in the book of Timothy, Tim Cole fought the fight, he finished the race and he kept the faith.  Tim has victory at last!" said Cory Session, Cole's brother.

The pardon comes after the Attorney General issued an opinion in January 2010 affirming that the governor has the power to issue posthumous pardons.  Senator Rodney Ellis requested the opinion on July 14 in the hopes of giving the Governor latitude to issue a pardon of innocence for Timothy Cole.

Sen. Ellis also tried to pass a constitutional amendment specifically granting the governor such authority, but it failed to pass the 2009 legislature.  "While this is the first posthumous pardon in Texas, the legislature and the governor need to make criminal justice reform a priority next session if we are going to make sure there are no more Tim Coles in the future.

The quality of indigent defense needs to be improved.  The Texas Forensic Science Commission needs to be reexamined so the integrity of investigations like the Cameron Todd Willingham case are protected.  We need to look at the reliability of forensic evidence being admitted into our courts, especially eyewitness identification evidence. Tim's wrongful conviction was due to the use of faulty eyewitness identification procedures, the most frequent cause of wrongful convictions in Texas and the rest of the country.

Every law enforcement agency in Texas should have written eyewitness identification procedures based on best practices, but unfortunately only 12 percent have any written procedures at all," noted Sen. Ellis.

Sen. Ellis authored a number of measures last legislative session to improve criminal justice practices so that evidence was more accurate and wrongful convictions less likely.  Those bills included legislation to improve eyewitness identification procedures; a bill to require custodial interrogations in felony cases to be recorded; and legislation to broaden defendants' access to post-conviction DNA testing.  All three of these bills passed the Senate but unfortunately died in the House.

Sen. Ellis also authored or sponsored legislation bearing Tim Cole's name that was enacted in 2009, including legislation to establish the Tim Cole Advisory Panel on Wrongful Convictions, and the Tim Cole Act, which increased compensation for person's wrongfully convicted.

LOS ANGELES — As Michael Jackson lay dying in his bedroom in a rented mansion, his doctor stopped CPR on him and delayed calling paramedics so he could collect drug vials at the scene, according to an employee of the pop star who called 911.

Alberto Alvarez, who worked as Jackson's logistics director, told investigators that after receiving a distress call from another worker June 25, he rushed up the stairs of Jackson's home and entered a bedroom to find the singer lying on a bed with his arms outstretched and his eyes and mouth open.

At his side, Jackson's personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was administering CPR with one hand.

"Alberto, Alberto, come quickly," Murray said, according to a statement obtained by The Associated Press. "He had a reaction, he had a bad reaction."

Two of the star's children, Prince and Paris, came in the room and cried as they saw Murray trying to save their father. They were quickly ushered away.

The account and other statements obtained by the AP depict a grisly scene in Jackson's room in the final minutes before paramedics arrived.

Jackson's death at age 50 was ruled a homicide caused by an overdose of the powerful anesthetic propofol and other sedatives.

The possibility that Murray may have tried to hide evidence is likely to be a focus as prosecutors move ahead with their involuntary manslaughter case against him.

Alvarez told police he arrived at Jackson's home around 10:20 a.m. He was awaiting instructions for the day in a security trailer outside Jackson's rented mansion when, at 12:17 p.m., his phone rang. It was Jackson's personal assistant Michael Amir Williams, who said Jackson was in trouble.

Alvarez said he was "frozen and stunned" when he saw Jackson on the bed.

Murray then grabbed a few vials with rubber tops and told Alvarez to put them in a bag, Alvarez told investigators. Alvarez picked up a plastic bag from the floor and Murray put the bottles inside, then Murray told Alvarez to put that plastic bag inside a brown canvas bag, according to the account.

Alvarez said Murray then told him to remove an IV bag from a stand and put it in a blue canvas bag. He did, and noticed the bag had a connector with a milky white substance in it. Alvarez didn't say what happened to the bags, nor did he identify what was in the vials.

Two days after Jackson's death, under several hours of questioning by police, Murray eventually directed them to a closet in Jackson's bedroom. In it, they found propofol and other sedatives in a bag.

Murray's lawyer, Ed Chernoff, rejected the notion his client tried to hide drugs. He also noted Alvarez was interviewed twice by police and gave different accounts of what happened in Jackson's bedroom. During the first interview, Alvarez did not mention being told to tidy away medicine vials.

"He wasn't putting bottles in a bag and trying to hide them," Chernoff said. "We are confident that a fair trial will ferret out the truth."

On the day Jackson died, Murray waited until the bags were filled before telling Alvarez to call 911, according to Alvarez's statement.

The documents also detail an odd encounter with Murray after Jackson was declared dead at a nearby hospital. Murray insisted he needed to return to the mansion to get cream that Jackson had "so the world wouldn't find out about it," according to the statements, which provide no elaboration.

Alvarez and the others who gave the statements, Williams and driver/bodyguard Faheem Muhammad, could be key witnesses should Murray go to trial. Except for the brief appearances by the nanny and the children, Alvarez and Muhammad were the only others in the room with Murray as he tried to save Jackson before paramedics arrived.

Murray, 57, a cardiologist licensed in Nevada, California and Texas, has acknowledged briefly leaving Jackson's bedside the day he died but maintained from the outset that nothing he gave the singer should have killed him. It wasn't illegal for him to administer propofol, though whether he followed proper procedures while Jackson was under the influence is a key part of the case.

California Attorney General Jerry Brown's office has asked a court to suspend Murray's license pending the outcome of criminal proceedings against him.

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — The Legislative Black Caucus is criticizing Sen. Randy Brogdon (pictured) for a remark he made about fried chicken during a debate on federal health care legislation supported by President Barack Obama.

Caucus chairman Rep. Jabar Shumate of Tulsa Wednesday called on Senate President Pro Tem Glenn Coffee to admonish Brogdon. Shumate says Brogdon's comment is part of a pattern of disrespectful and inflammatory actions and statements.

Brogdon, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, made the comment Tuesday during debate on whether the state should try to opt out of parts of the health care bill.

He said Congress has no more authority to tell Oklahomans where to buy health insurance than it does to tell them where to buy a fried chicken dinner.

Brogdon says he was not referring to Obama.

Sun Photo: Lonal X. Robinson

Local residents come seeking work at the grand opening of new Farouk Shami manufacturing company in the 5th Ward. These residents are seen completing applications on Feb 28. There was a contunious flow of applicants during the three-hour celebration.

Dorris Ellis
THE HOUSTON SUN

No, he did not win the March primary as Democratic candidate for Texas governor. Yes, he has made a contribution to Houston and Texas by opening businesses that provide jobs for residents of the city. Businessman Farouk Shami was defeated in the March 2 Texas primary, but he is not defeated as a businessman and the men and women who are seeking jobs are eager to fill out an employment application. Shami has opened two manufacturing plants in Houston where he says that he is employing nearly 2000 people. Two days before the primary however, Shami opened a new manufacturing plant and soon to become distribution center off Liberty Road in the 5th Ward. Most of the dignitaries were not seen for the ribbon cutting, the fish-fry and music, but Houstonians seeking jobs made their way to the site of new jobs near their neighborhood.

"I want to do my part to strengthen the economy. I am declaring a war on poverty and I am starting in the poorest areas. We want to open distribution centers in the Third Ward, Sunnyside, and Acres Homes also, "said the very wealthy Shami. He said that he manufactures products for ethnic hair as he happily tells his story of starting his career with $71.

Shami is a Palestinian-American originally from Ramallah, West Bank.  He attended cosmetology school in Arkansas and has worked in hair care development for other companies. He speaks proudly about his invention of the ammonia-free -hair color and his deep brilliance line for highly textured hair, highly colored and relaxed hair that all can be used on the same day without damaging the hair.

The entrepreneur said, "Not much money. I know about that. I started with not much money and therefore, I know that through sales and distribution and hard work, we can create a store where people will come to and it will grow and we do it over-and-over statewide." Touting his product as quality, he said, "There are jobs for many. We have a training program and all will learn product knowledge, use the best technology, and produce the best products." Shami said that when he drove through the Sunnyside and the Barbara Jordan areas of Houston, "I knew that I had to do something.  The African American community needs jobs and I can bring jobs to Houston," he said.

Texas State Representative Senfronia Thompson sees the need for jobs, and attended the opening. "No, this is not in my district. My district is across the freeway, but I know that my constituents need jobs and they will crossover to come to work. Some are in there now," said the senior legislator.

"We are an equal opportunity employer and achievements and qualifications are important, but we hire the people who need jobs and want to work. Line jobs will start at the minimum wage while others will have a highly competitive pay.,” said Jerome Coleman, the newly hired plant manager.  "I will oversee the day-to-day operations," said Coleman, a San Antonio native and former medical supply specialist who served in the Gulf War where he supervised from 20-to-120 soldiers.  He said that we wants the company to be a jewel in the 5th Ward, a place where jobs are few and scarce.

Training director Jennifer Ray said,  "We are gearing up and adding employees as we purchase and bring in machinery for production."

The Houston-based Farouk Systems, currently employs more than 2,000 people, and exports its line of hair and skin care products under the BioSilk, SunGlitz and Cationic Hydration Interlink (CHI) brands to over 50 countries worldwide. With continued advanced research and development, sales and marketing, Farouk said, " Within two years, I want to create 10,00 jobs across the nation."

President Barack Obama signed a jobs bill today and Farouk Systems' should be able to take advantage of the tax break from the legislation which could benefit more Houston residents.  An applicant said, “This is needed.”

By JIM VERTUNO
AP Sports Writer
THE HOUSTON SUN

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ The 100-point streak ended. Houston Yates' second straight Class 4A state championship will stand in the record books forever.  Brandon Peters scored 37 points and Joseph Young knocked down three key 3-pointers in the fourth quarter moments after taking a blow to the face and being taken off the court, leading Yates to a 92-73 win over Lancaster on Saturday in the 4A title game.

Yates trailed 72-71 with four minutes to play before ripping off a 19-0 run in front of a state tournament record crowd of 16,755 at the Frank Erwin Center. Yates won its 58th consecutive game.

The only thing Yates couldn't do was reach 100 for a 16th straight game. Their run of 15 in a row is a national record.

Yates scored 100 points 26 times this season and set a Texas single game scoring record with 170 in a win in January.

Yates (34-0) went into the tournament ranked No. 1 in the country by USA Today and Saturday's final was supposed to be a cakewalk of a coronation.  But Lancaster (35-3) kept up with the Lions' fast-paced offense and stifling press for 31/2 quarters before finally breaking down.

Alex Davis started Yates' game-breaking run and Young took it to a scorching pace with his late barrage of 3-pointers.

Young, who had 24 points and six 3-pointers, was sprawled on the floor for several minutes after getting hit in the face on a missed shot.  He was able to jog to the bench, but moments later had to be helped to the locker room.

He returned a few minutes later to thunderous applause from the Yates fans, then came through with the biggest baskets of the tournament. A 3-pointer from the left wing put Yates up 76-72 and another just seconds later came from the right side.

When Peters made a tough layup and drew a foul, Yates had powered to an 81-72 lead with 2:46 to play.

Peters, who scored 29 in Yates' semifinal victory, had 17 points in the first half and Young had 13. Young's third 3-pointer put Yates up 39-27 with 4:36 to play in the second quarter.

But missing from Yates was the showtime and the high-flying dunks that swamped Lewisville The Colony in the semifinals. Lancaster stunned everyone by taking the lead in the third quarter.

John Bohannon, who had 12 points and 23 rebounds for Lancaster, blocked four shots in the first three minutes of the quarter and his layup gave Lancaster the lead at 52-51.

Lancaster stretched the lead to 57-51 before Yates came storming back. Peters converted a three-point play, then fired a bullet pass to Darius Gardner for a layup.

Young's 3-pointer pulled Yates within 63-61 before Michale Kyser dunked with 21 seconds left to send Lancaster into the fourth with a 65-61 lead.