Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 01949 INSIDE Vol. 44 No. 44 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected]March 24, 2017 www.TheAustinVillager.com This paper can be recycled RAPPIN’ RAPPIN’ RAPPIN’ RAPPIN’ RAPPIN’ Tommy Wyatt Tommy Wyatt Tommy Wyatt Tommy Wyatt Tommy Wyatt TPA TPA TPA TPA TPA TEXAS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION When the Table Turns! Remember when President Barack Obama took office eight years ago, and had to deal with a Republican majority in Congress, who went public saying that they wanted to make sure that his administration “Was not Successful?” And while they worked hard in seeing that he would not be successful, he was still able to succeed in many areas? Well, with the 2016 election under their belts, with a majority membership in both the House and Senate, the Republicans have taken on the task of trying to strike down one of President Obama’s major bills. They are betting everything on trying to insure that they will repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA – better known as ObamaCare). However, they are experiencing a lot of push back from their own members. Obama Care was one of the signature pieces of legislation that the former president was able to pass in the early months of his administration. The ACA has been gaining ground each year of its existence. Currently, there are more people who have health care coverage than any time in our history. It is estimated that the new plan that is being proposed to replace it will cause as many as 24 million Americans to lose their health care coverage during the next four years. The opposition to the new plan seems to be growing daily. It has yet to be put up for a vote in the House of Representatives. Also, there seems to be growing opposition in the Senate. The Republicans know that they will have only one shot at getting the necessary votes to pass the bill. President Donald Trump is blaming the Democrats for the delay in getting his health care bill passed. But, if it is defeated, it will come from within the Republican Party. Citizens from both parties need to be concerned about this bill. Because, if it passes, it will be the Middle and Lower income citizens who will suffer. That is a heavy price to pay for supporting a candidate that they believed had their best interest at heart. Things look a whole lot different, when the table turns. Comey: FBI Probing Trump-Russia Links, Wiretap Claims Bogus by: Eric Tucker and Eileen Sullivan|Associated Press FBI Director James Comey, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, Monday, March 20, 2017, before the House Intelligence Committee hearing on allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta) WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI is investigating whether President Donald Trump’s campaign associates coordinated with Russian officials in an effort to sway the 2016 presidential election, Di- rector James Comey said Monday in an extraordi- nary public confirmation of a probe the president has refused to acknowl- edge, dismissed as fake news and blamed on Democrats. In a bruising five- hour session, the FBI di- rector also knocked down Trump’s claim that his pre- decessor had wiretapped his New York skyscraper, an assertion that has dis- tracted White House offi- cials and frustrated fellow Republicans who ac- knowledge they’ve seen no evidence to support it. The revelation of the investigation of possible collusion with Russians, and the first public confir- mation of the wider probe that began last summer, came in a remarkable hearing by one branch of government examining serious allegations against another branch and the new president’s election campaign. Tight-lipped for the See ACCUSATIONS, page 7 Experts Say Mass Deportation Would Cost U.S. Economy Billions By Barrington Salmon | NNPA Newswire Contributor Andy Shallal, a first-generation Iraqi-American and the owner of Busboys and Poets, said that, as an immigrant, he had to speak up for immigrant rights in the current political climate in the U.S. “Staying on the sidelines in these times is no longer an option,” said Shallal. (Freddie Allen/AMG/NNPA) Immigration and la- bor experts say that mass deportation would cost the federal government nearly $900 billion in lost revenue over 10 years and would immediately re- duce the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) by 1.4 percent. That GDP shortfall would grow by 2.6 per- cent, and reduce the cu- mulative GDP over 10 years by $4.7 trillion. Overall, the U.S. economy would lose $434.4 billion in GDP every year in losses in the construction, manufacturing, and lei- sure and hospitality indus- tries, if unauthorized im- migrants were forced to leave the country. “This would cripple the economy,” said Rita Medina, the immigrant campaign manager for the Center for American Progress Action Fund (CPAF). Medina said that a state law in Alabama forced agricultural work- ers to leave their jobs, which had a negative ef- fect on crop yields and the economy. “It takes a toll on communities. People are moving, because of the fear of [Immigration Cus- toms Enforcement] and taking their children out of school. Small businesses and the housing market will be deeply affected.” Medina continued: “It’s pretty scary. It’s also important to make sure that we’re not causing panic.” Medina said that the updated 287(g) program in See CONSCIENCE, pg 2 SXSW PULLS TOP HOLLYWOOD TALENT & PREMIERES MANY NEW FILMS! By Naomi Richard | VILLAGER Contributor Ariyon Bakare on red carpet for the movie Life. Photo by Naomi Richard AUSTIN, TX - South by Southwest (SXSW) 2017 was one of the best film festivals to date. Film after film debuted during the festival with Directors, Producers, Writers, Cast Members and more at- tending the events. Movie goers were treated to Q&A sessions directly with the project teams immedi- ately following the many of the showings. Imagine watching a new release never seen before, and after watch- ing, being able to ask cast members such as Ryan Gosling or Octavia Spencer or Lee Daniels questions you might have. This is the SXSW experience, an up close and personal experi- ence with the powerbrokers behind new material. Austin’s film commu- nity opened their arms and welcomed si-fi, docu- mentaries, love stories, dramatic adventure, com- edy and more to their many diverse venues. Films premiered in the his- toric and iconic Para- mount Theater. From there the Alamo Houses, AUSTIN, TEXAS - Zach Theatre and Vimeo pro- vided attendees with a re- laxing atmosphere to en- joy top entertainment. Opening the film fes- tival was Song To Song, a modern love story set against the Austin, Texas music scene, two en- tangled couples — strug- gling songwriters Faye and BV, and music mogul Cook and the waitress whom he ensnares — chase success through a rock ‘n’ roll land- scape of seduction and See SMALL TOWN CRIME, page 3 Local burn victim organization provides scholarships for medical students. See KENNEDY Page 6 Judges rule Texas engaged in illegal voter discrimination against Latinos and African Americans. See VERDICT Page 8
When the Table Turns! Remember whenPresident Barack Obamatook office eight years ago,and had to deal with aRepublican majority inCongress, who went publicsaying that they wanted tomake sure that hisadministration “Was notSuccessful?” And whilethey worked hard in seeingthat he would not besuccessful, he was still ableto succeed in many areas? Well, with the 2016election under their belts, witha majority membership inboth the House and Senate,the Republicans have taken onthe task of trying to strikedown one of PresidentObama’s major bills. Theyare betting everything ontrying to insure that they willrepeal the Affordable CareAct (ACA – better known asObamaCare). However, theyare experiencing a lot of pushback from their ownmembers. Obama Care was one ofthe signature pieces oflegislation that the formerpresident was able to pass inthe early months of hisadministration. The ACAhas been gaining groundeach year of its existence.Currently, there are morepeople who have health carecoverage than any time inour history. It is estimatedthat the new plan that isbeing proposed to replace itwill cause as many as 24million Americans to losetheir health care coverageduring the next four years. The opposition to thenew plan seems to begrowing daily. It has yet tobe put up for a vote in theHouse of Representatives.Also, there seems to begrowing opposition in theSenate. The Republicansknow that they will haveonly one shot at getting thenecessary votes to pass thebill. President Donald Trump isblaming the Democrats for thedelay in getting his health carebill passed. But, if it isdefeated, it will come fromwithin the Republican Party. Citizens from both partiesneed to be concerned aboutthis bill. Because, if it passes,it will be the Middle andLower income citizens whowill suffer. That is a heavyprice to pay for supporting acandidate that they believedhad their best interest at heart. Things look a whole lotdifferent, when the table turns.
by: Eric Tucker and Eileen Sullivan|Associated Press
FBI Director James Comey, testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington,Monday, March 20, 2017, before the House Intelligence Committee
hearing on allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 U.S.presidential election. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
WASHINGTON (AP)— The FBI is investigatingwhether PresidentDonald Trump’s campaignassociates coordinatedwith Russian officials in aneffort to sway the 2016presidential election, Di-rector James Comey saidMonday in an extraordi-nary public confirmationof a probe the presidenthas refused to acknowl-edge, dismissed as fakenews and blamed onDemocrats.
In a bruising five-hour session, the FBI di-rector also knocked downTrump’s claim that his pre-decessor had wiretappedhis New York skyscraper,an assertion that has dis-tracted White House offi-cials and frustrated fellowRepublicans who ac-knowledge they’ve seenno evidence to support it.
The revelation of theinvestigation of possible
collusion with Russians,and the first public confir-mation of the wider probethat began last summer,came in a remarkable
hearing by one branch ofgovernment examiningserious allegations againstanother branch and thenew president’s election
campaign.Tight-lipped for the
See ACCUSATIONS,page 7
Experts Say Mass DeportationWould Cost U.S. Economy Billions
By Barrington Salmon | NNPA Newswire Contributor
Andy Shallal, a first-generation Iraqi-American and the owner ofBusboys and Poets, said that, as an immigrant, he had to speak up forimmigrant rights in the current political climate in the U.S. “Staying onthe sidelines in these times is no longer an option,” said Shallal. (FreddieAllen/AMG/NNPA)
Immigration and la-bor experts say that massdeportation would costthe federal governmentnearly $900 billion in lostrevenue over 10 years andwould immediately re-duce the nation’s grossdomestic product (GDP)by 1.4 percent.
That GDP shortfallwould grow by 2.6 per-cent, and reduce the cu-mulative GDP over 10years by $4.7 trillion.Overall, the U.S. economywould lose $434.4 billionin GDP every year in
losses in the construction,manufacturing, and lei-sure and hospitality indus-tries, if unauthorized im-migrants were forced toleave the country.
“This would cripplethe economy,” said RitaMedina, the immigrantcampaign manager for theCenter for AmericanProgress Action Fund(CPAF). Medina said that astate law in Alabamaforced agricultural work-ers to leave their jobs,which had a negative ef-fect on crop yields and the
economy. “It takes a toll oncommunities. People aremoving, because of thefear of [Immigration Cus-toms Enforcement] andtaking their children out ofschool. Small businessesand the housing marketwill be deeply affected.”
Medina continued:“It’s pretty scary. It’s alsoimportant to make surethat we’re not causingpanic.”
Medina said that theupdated 287(g) program in
See CONSCIENCE, pg 2
SXSW PULLS TOPHOLLYWOOD
TALENT &PREMIERES MANY
NEW FILMS!By Naomi Richard | VILLAGER Contributor
Ariyon Bakare on redcarpet for the movie
Life. Photo by NaomiRichard
AUSTIN, TX - Southby Southwest (SXSW) 2017was one of the best filmfestivals to date. Film afterfilm debuted during thefestival with Directors,Producers, Writers, CastMembers and more at-tending the events. Moviegoers were treated to Q&Asessions directly with theproject teams immedi-ately following the manyof the showings.
Imagine watching anew release never seenbefore, and after watch-ing, being able to ask castmembers such as RyanGosling or Octavia Spenceror Lee Daniels questionsyou might have. This is theSXSW experience, an upclose and personal experi-ence with thepowerbrokers behind newmaterial.
Austin’s film commu-nity opened their armsand welcomed si-fi, docu-mentaries, love stories,dramatic adventure, com-edy and more to theirmany diverse venues.Films premiered in the his-toric and iconic Para-mount Theater. Fromthere the Alamo Houses,
AUSTIN, TEXAS - ZachTheatre and Vimeo pro-vided attendees with a re-laxing atmosphere to en-joy top entertainment.
Opening the film fes-tival was Song To Song, amodern love story setagainst the Austin, Texasmusic scene, two en-tangled couples — strug-gling songwriters Faye andBV, and music mogul Cookand the waitress whom heensnares — chase successthrough a rock ‘n’ roll land-scape of seduction and
SeeSMALL TOWN CRIME,page 3
Local burn victimorganization
providesscholarships for
medical students.See KENNEDY
Page 6
Judges ruleTexas engaged in
illegal voterdiscriminationagainst Latinos
and AfricanAmericans.
See VERDICTPage 8
Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 24, 2017 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com
President Trump’smemo on undocumentedimmigration, which depu-tizes state and local lawenforcement officers toact as ICE agents, is basi-cally like the original pro-gram on steroids.
“With some of thepolicies, you can’t say arethey’re unconstitutional,because they’ve been inplace for a while,” Medinaexplained. “I’m sure thereare those in legal circleswho are looking at optionsand ways to counter ad-ministration policy.”
According to the Na-tional Restaurant Associa-tion and Restaurants Oppor-tunities Centers United, es-timated 1 in 4 restaurantworkers is foreign-born. Im-migrants comprise a signifi-cant majority of farm work-ers and many of them areundocumented.
During protests overPresident Donald Trump’simmigration policies, hun-dreds of immigrants andtheir families marched tothe White House, instead
People of good conscience being compelled to standup to forces of regression and oppression continued from page 1
This photo was taken during an immigrantrights march for amnesty in downtown Los An-geles, California on May Day in 2006. (JonathanMcIntosh/Wikimedia Commons)
of going to work, shuttingdown more than 100 arearestaurants in the Wash-ington, D.C. metro area, toshow what a day withoutimmigrants in theworkforce would look like.Demonstrations tookplace in cities around thecountry. In the district, pro-testors sought assurancesfrom city officials that theywould refuse requestsfrom ICE to arrest and holdundocumented immi-grants, demanded a halt tounchecked police violencecommitted against immi-grants and asked for afund to pay for a sanctu-ary program in the district.
For Andy Shallal,owner of Busboys and Po-ets, standing in solidaritywith the protesters was ano-brainer. He closed hissix locations, gave hisemployees a paid day offand also gave them theoption of coming into therestaurants to partake inother activities on thatday.
“As an immigrant
myself, I have to speakup,” he said. “Staying onthe sidelines in thesetimes is no longer an op-tion. We need true immi-gration reform that con-siders the human aspect ofimmigration— not justbuilding walls, hiringagents, and expandingprisons.”
Shallal, a first-gen-eration Iraqi-Americanwho is married to an Ira-nian immigrant, said thathis restaurants serveabout 4,000 to 5,000people every day.
Shallal says, “All ofus come from differentparts. There are alwayspeople seeking sanctuary,refugees fleeing war andconflict. If you build a 20-foot wall, they’ll find a 21-foot ladder.
Shallal, who oncehosted former PresidentBarack Obama, said thatthe Trump Administration’srhetoric has produced ahostile and dangerous en-vironment.
“My wife is nervousabout going home to seeher family during the Ira-nian New Year. It still feelslike we’re outsiders,” saidShallal. “I don’t knowwhat’s going to happenwith the administration.The new executive ordermakes this much harder.It’s very xenophobic andit’s offensive.”
Veteran trade union-
ist Dwight Kirk agreed withShallal, echoing hisfriend’s position thatpeople of good consciencewere being compelled tostand up to the forces ofregression and oppressionseeking to rollback morethan half a century of so-cial, political and eco-nomic gains.
“It’s very, very inspir-ing to see what’s happen-ing. The struggle over im-migration flows out of the‘Fight for $15’ movement,where immigrants andother workers are em-ployed and being under-paid,” Kirk explained.“These struggles havebeen generated over thepast two years and flownaturally into immigrantrights. Around the country,labor unions are support-ing these efforts.”
Kirk said that the de-tention and deportation ofundocumented immi-grants would “definitelybe a hit to people’s pock-ets and lower-incomepeople would pay more forproducts.
“This will lower thestandard of living in theU.S. I think we’re going tosee a gut check,” said Kirk.“I anticipate restrictionson the workforce and re-duction in the standard ofliving. Even under‘Reaganomics,’ therewasn’t this scale of pull-back.”
St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281
COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH USSunday School 8:45 a.m.
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and Praise /Bible Study 6:30 p.m.(to include Children’s Choir Rehersaland
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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
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
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betrayal. Cast membersRooney Mara, Ryan Gosling,Michael Fassbender wereamong those in attendance.While the story seemed tojump around and lacked aconsistent story line, it was anexcellent tribute to the City ofAustin. Many views of ourlandscape including down-town, So-Co, Lake Travis,Town Lake and more.
Another fan favoritewas Small Town Crime; afilm written and directedby Eshom Nelms and IanNelms. Executive Produc-ers included Mehrdad Elieand Oscar Award WinningActress Octavia Spencer. Inthe story, an alcoholic ex-cop (Hawkes) finds thebody of a young womanand, through an act of self-redemption, becomes de-termined to find the killer.Hawkes unwittingly putshis family in danger andgets caught up with sev-eral dark characters alongthe way. The film is come-dic, suspenseful and in-tense. Good casting with astory delivering many sur-prises and it will hold yourattention until the veryend.
The Baby Driverdrew a crowd thatwrapped around the
SXSW fan favorite film “Small Town Crime”features Octavia Spencer and John Hawkes
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
John Hawkes and Octavia Spencer on red carpet for Small Time Crime.Photo by Naomi Richard
downtown area for severalblocks! Principal castmembers included AnselElgort, Kevin Spacey, LilyJames, Jon Bernthal, EizaGonzález, Jon Hamm andJamie Foxx. A talented,young getaway driver(Ansel Elgort) relies on thebeat of his personalsoundtrack to be the bestin the game. When hemeets the girl of hisdreams (Lily James), Babysees a chance to ditch his
criminal life and make aclean getaway. But afterbeing coerced into work-ing for a crime boss (KevinSpacey), he must face themusic when a doomedheist threatens his life,love and freedom.
Closing out SXSWFilm 2017 was the worldpremiere of Life, openingin theaters March 24 withheart throbs JakeGyllenhaal, RebeccaFerguson, Ryan Reynolds,
Hiroyuki Sanada, AriyonBakare and OlgaDihovichnaya. The film isdirected by DanielEspinosa, written by RhettReese & Paul Wernick andproduced by David Ellison,Dana Goldberg, BonnieCurtis, and Julie Lynn.
Columbia Picturesand Skydance’s Life is aterrifying sci-fi thrillerabout a team of scientistsaboard the InternationalSpace Station whose mis-sion of discovery turns toone of primal fear whenthey find a rapidly evolv-ing life form that causedextinction on Mars, andnow threatens the crewand all life on Earth.
SXSW attendeeswere also treated to manypanel discussions includ-ing an intimate conversa-tion with Lee Daniels whocovered everything fromhow he got started, to howhis grandmother inspiredhim to working with Oprahon The Butler to his cur-rent hit series Empire onthe FOX Network.
There was somethingfor everyone during SXSWFilm. Whether you are inthe industry, trying to getinto the industry or youjust love the cinema, thisis a festival you want tomake an annual tradition.Kudos to the head of SXSWFilm, Janet Pierson andher staff for an A-List FilmFestival experience!
Ryan Reynolds, Daniel Espinosa and Jake Gyllenhaal on red carpetfor the movie Life. Photo by Naomi Richard.
THE GREATERAUSTIN
CAREER FAIRThursday, March 30, 2017
11:00am to 2:00pmNorris Conference Center
2525 W Anderson LnAustin, TX 78757
Youth of TodayHope of Tomorrow
Kappa Alpha PsiFraternity, Inc
Page 4 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 24, 2017 YOUTH BRIGADE www.theaustinvillager.com
Out of the Hood and into Great Expectation
SaNaya WhiteAnn Richards
The seventh gradestudents of Ann Richardsare creating and con-structing a book of essays,also called an anthology.Each student was as-signed to write a essay ona topic of their choice. Itook that freedom to finda topic that I was strongand passionate about. I fi-nally came up with some-thing, and it was titled Outof the Hood and into GreatExpectations. Here is myessay that I turned in forthe book collection.
The definition ofhome is, “The place whereone lives permanently, es-pecially as a member of afamily or household.”That’s an interesting defi-nition, and an interestingstatement for a youngchild to understand be-cause she was different.That child believed for along time that being differ-ent because of her neigh-borhood was a bad thing.As she grew older, hereyes finally opened to theworld and community shelived in, and that child, wasme.
My story may be dif-ferent from many others.It would, because of thenumber of places I havelived in, where the werelocated, and the obstaclein between. I knew that Iwas different, and it waschallenging. I was raisedbetween two homes, mygrandparent’s, and myfather ’s. My mom andgrandparent’s neighbor-hood was peaceful, smallprofanity, and was a goodinfluence to me. On theother hand, my dad’s neigh-borhood used a lot of pro-fanity, smoked cigarettes,and normally their lightswere off because of unpaidbills. Whenever I sniff theair, and sniff the faint smellof smoke, it immediatelyreminds me of my dad’s.Whenever I sniff the air, andsniff the faint smell of homecooked fresh potatoes,green beans, spinach, andchicken, I immediately visitmy grandparent’s house inmy mind. My mom's neigh-borhood supported me inthe process of shaping meinto the leader I am now.To become a better personmy neighbors did things
that may be ordinary tosome, but to me, theywere extraordinary andthey affected my life in apositive way. Most timesmy neighborhood taughtme a lesson. A time I re-member, was on Easter.On that day the neighborsnext to my mom's househad invited my cousinsand I to their yard for anEaster party/ cascaronesbattle. As we stepped ontotheir yard with the shynessof a kid, we didn't say muchuntil my head was filled withcolorful confetti that slid offwhen I tilted my head slowlytowards my hand to look atthe egg placed in it. Afterthat moment, the battlewas on. That momenttaught me that you shouldalways be kind to those, nomatter how they appear tothe human eye. The secondmemory I have is my birth-day. I saw the kids from upthe street sitting on the curb.I used what I learned fromEaster and invited them tomy party. They came overand we had a really funtime. Also, because of this,we learned that our parentswere friends in high school,and we became goodfriends ever since. Fromthis, I learned that friendscan come from anywhere.My last moment that I re-member is all thefundraisers I have ever done.If I got a fundraiser myneighborhood would be thefirst place I would take it to.They would always supportme if they were able to.From this one, I learned thatthose who have may give.These three things helpedme to grow as a betterperson, and helped melearn and discover how Iwould like to be in the fu-ture.
The difficulty ofchoosing my path led meto my future. Once again,I was different from manyothers. I had a mom whoworked night shifts, so Iwould get dropped off atmy grandparent’s at night.I had a single family be-cause I spent a lot of timewith my dad until he left,took my step-brother, andnever came back. Beforehe left, it was difficult forme to choose my rolemodel, but I'm positivethat I chose the correctone. Both neighborhoodsthat I grew up in taught mesomething positive. One,we don't use profanity andtwo, spend time withthose you love while youcan. I realized that smallthings can play a big roleof influencing you to be acertain person. Somethingsmall like my neighbor-hood, influenced me intobecoming the leader I amnow.
School or Military Training
Tyler AllenBarbara Jordan Elem.
Spring break hascome and gone. I reallywill miss it. Although thatmeans that summer isgrowing near. Everyone isgearing up for the“STAAR” testing. Somesay we spend all yearstudying for test. Otherssay we don’t. I say we do.I was told that school pre-pares you for the adultworkplace. It is supposeto also help one dealwith the world aroundthem. Yet I don’t thinkthere are enough jobs foreveryone. There are a lot
of people out of work.Many are not qualifiedfor most jobs. The unem-ployment rate variesacross the country. Eachyear millions graduatefrom high schools acrossthe country.
After high schoolextra training is neededthat high schools did notprovide. Many graduateseither can’t afford to goto these schools or can-not pass entry test. I wastold the military, espe-cially in the Navy. Theytake care of everything.No one is employed orcan just sit around and donothing.
Each soldier will re-ceive the same basictraining so they can dosomething. Others getextensive training in spe-cific fields. Commis-sioned officers aretrained in more leader-ship roles. There is nounemployment in themilitary. I don’t think thatwill work for everydaypeople but somethingsimilar might work.
Spring Break
This Spring Break, Iwent to SXSW. SXSW is anannual conglomerate offilm, interactive media, andmusic festivals and confer-ences that take place inmid-March in Austin, Texas.Every year, we go to SXSW.Most of the time, we onlygo for the music. This time,we went for music andtechnology.
The first visit, we wentto a tech building. When wewent inside, there was a lotof diversity. The productsthat were being advertisedwere Japanese. I talked tosome of the people fromJapan and Learned thatthese people have inventedsomething.
One of the people in-vented a washer and a dryerin one. It was a prototypebut it was cool just to seeit. The weird thing about thisinvention was that it couldonly do one article of cloth-ing. Also, it's a overnightprocess. The only thing theinventor told me that wasbeneficial about her inven-tion was that the article ofclothing would last longer.
Another thing I seenwas a TV. The guy inventeda TV that looked like a pic-
Damon Luckett IIHays High School
ture frame. It was cool be-cause it came in differentsizes. It also had a remotethat was like a CPU mouseand a volume knob. It alsowas bluetooth so it wouldn'tneed wires.
I also seen an inven-tion called food softer. Theprototype was designed tomake food for the elderlysofter. I thought that wascool because it helps withthe elderly. Its also benefi-cial to babies as well. I thinkit could help babies too be-cause it could be better tofeed babies softer food be-cause of their undevelopedteeth.
On the music side ofSXSW, I went to a local per-formance. When I got there,there were a lot of artisthanging around and a stagewith a girl singing on it. Inoticed that a lot of thepeople there were going toperform. It was a nice spot.
When I got there, Iwas asked to host the eventuntil I had to leave. I agreed.I made new friends withsome of the artists that Iintroduced to the stage. Ev-eryone was in a good moodand everyone was having agood time. I liked that.
My friends performedthere as well and they did agreat job. Having shows likethis and having venues toshow inventions givepeople the space and op-portunity to express them-selves. Also, it's very impor-tant to have someone toexpress yourself too. I likegoing to SXSW because Ilearn and have fun overtimeI go. SXSW is definitelyworth visiting next year.
Ava RobertsSpring Hill Elementary
I’m Cooking
You may rememberthat I became a juniorchef in January of 2016.I cooked for a competi-tion and found out that Ienjoyed doing it. So I keptwatching cooking showsand trying recipes frombooks and the internet.One of my favorite reci-pes is Parmesan &Romano Chicken Pasta.The recipe can be easilychanged to have onlychicken, or shrimp, orvegetables, or combina-tions of meat and veg-etables. Here’s the pastarecipe for chicken.
Ingredients (ServesFour People)
1 pound of boneless,skinless chicken breastscut into 1-inch pieces
1/3 cup olive oil1 teaspoon olive oil1 cup grated
Parmesan & Romanocheese
4 cloves minced gar-
lic1 tablespoon brown
sugar1/2 tablespoon soy
sauce1/2 teaspoon red pep-
per flakes8 ounces Penne pasta1 green onion sliced
thinSalt and pepper InstructionsIn a medium bowl,
combine 1/3 cup olive oil,minced garlic, brownsugar, soy sauce and redpepper flakes. Whisk in 1/2 cup Parmesan & Romanocheese. Add the dicedchicken to the marinadeand stir to coat it. Coverthe bowl with saranwrap(or pour into Ziplocbag) and sit it in refrigera-tor for at least 30 minutes.
In a large pot of boil-ing water, cook pasta perthe directions on the pack-age and drain well. Tossthe cooked pasta with 1teaspoon olive oil.
Heat a large skilletover medium high heat.Add the chicken plus themarinade. Cook and stirthe chicken for 10-12minutes(until all pink isgone). Stir in the pasta andgently stir to combine. Sea-son with salt and pepper.Mix in the remainingcheese and green onionsinto the dish.
Serve immediately.
@TheVillagerATX
My Experience At ACC
Alyssa James WinnManor High School
Two weeks agoManor Early College fresh-man students went to ACCElgin. This was the firsttime 9th graders have got-ten a chance to go to ACC.While we were there wemet the people who makeour schedules. The manwho helps make the EarlyCollege schedules told usthat if you're into agricul-ture ACC Elgin is theschool to go to and thatthey are building an areawhere there students can
work on agriculture. We gotour picture taken for ourACC IDs. It made my friendsand I proud. We ate lunchin the lounge with manyACC students. “The loungeis your studying time” saida random student.
After lunch we wentto the library and welearned that we need ourACC IDs for everythingwithout it we can't do any-thing on campus and thedifference of a college li-brary and a high school li-brary. College librarieshave magazines, newspa-pers, and a research librar-ian to help you find gotopic for your research pa-pers but at a high schoollibrary you don't get allthose resources. At theend of the day we met ourACC advisor Steven whohelps you maintain yourgrades and gives you ad-vice. After that experienceI now know what it's liketo be a student at a col-lege campus.
www.theaustinvillager.com THE COURIER THE VILLAGER/March 24, 2017~ Page 5
Sarah RobertsonAthlos Leadership
Acad.
Spring Break
This past week wasspring break. Springbreak for me is when I getto take a break fromschool before all the ma-jor tests. On Monday andTuesday I really didn’t domuch except for stay athome and clean myroom. It allowed me time
sort my clothes and catchup on rest.
On Wednesday, myfriend Wendy and I wentshopping at the Domainmall and walked aroundfor a little bit. After wewent bowling at theMillennium Youth com-plex center and we hadfun. On Friday, we wereable to hang out again andgo see the movie Beautyand the Beast. I enjoyedwatching the new movieof an old Disney Fairy taleBeauty and the Beast be-cause it is a great story butthere were tons of blackactors in the movie.
Spring Break waspretty fun and productivebut I can’t wait for sum-mer break.
Neptune
Montrae NelsonFour Points M. S.
Hello, This week atour school is Solar Systemweek and we are studyingthe different planets andhow they work. Neptuneis the eight and furthestknown plane form the sunin the solar system, Its thefourth largest planet by
diameter and the the mostdense planet.
It takes about 164earth years for Neptune toorbit the sun just becauseof the size of the planetand its distance form thesun. When first discoveredin 1846 the planet wascalled "Le Verrier" andyears later it was changedto Neptune.
Lastly, Neptune's at-mosphere is made up ofhydrogen and helium butmostly "ices" and Neptuneand Uranus are known as"ice giants". Because of theits distance form the sunits outer atmosphere isone of the coldest planetsin the solar system. Thankyou for reading.
Red Jackets in Hawaii
Tiana GardnerAustin High School
The Red Jackets, Aus-tin High School danceteam, had left for Hawaii.Along with enjoying luauand snorkeling, they willalso be preforming on theUS Missouri at the Pearl
Harbor. One of the redjackets, Landry Jenkins,great grandfather was anavy caption and workedat Pearl Harbor a long timeago, for a significantamount of time. The USMissouri was he finalbattle ship to be com-pleted by he united states.It is now stationed in theheart of Pearl Harbor andserves as a memorial. Be-cause it is open to the pub-lic and visitors of Hawaii iswhat made it possible forthe Red Jackets to preformon it. The performancewas loved by many andand hope they hope to re-turn next year.
My Spring Break
Kevin ParishPark Crest M.S.
I had a great springbreak. I spent time withtime with my friends andfamily. During that time Igot a 24 Hour Fitnessmembership so I can liftweights and play basket-
ball. When I was playingbasketball I had a goodperformance. I went tosee the King Kong: SkullIsland movie with my goodfriends. It was an ok moviefor me but I liked the 2005King Kong movie better.After the movie we wentto go eat at IHOP. Then,the next day after that, Iwent to IHOP for brunchwith my mom and dad. Asyou can see I really likethat place. It’s time for meto get back to school andpass the school year withall A’s and B’s. I hope ev-eryone had a great springbreak.
Stephen Curry vs. Kyrie Irving
Ira “T.J.” WilliamsCedar Ridge H. S.
Two of the mostskilled and dominant pointguards in the National Bas-ketball Association (NBA)are Stephen Curry of theGolden State Warriors andKyrie Irving of the Cleve-land Cavaliers. Thoughmany people argue aboutwho is better, only one ofthem is the best when itcomes to being a truepoint guard. Based on as-sists per game, their effecton their team, and theircareer achievements,Stephen Curry is a moredominant point guardthan Kyrie Irving.
Stephen Curry iswhat most people call a“sharpshooter.” He livesand dies by the 3-pointline and takes long dis-tance shots on a regularbasis. However, aside frombeing a great scorer, Curryalso does a great job of in-cluding his teammates inthe offense. Stephen Curryis averaging 6.3 assists pergame this season which isimportant for a pointguard because they arethe ones running the of-fense. Kyrie Irving is con-sidered one of the morecrafty point guards in theNBA, and he is one of thebest finishers at the rimthat the league has everhad. His body control andhandle with the ball allowhim to make nearly impos-sible shots close to thebasket. However, for apoint guard, Irving doesn’tpass the ball as much as heshould. While averaging5.9 assists per game this
season, Irving is only listedat #19 on the 2017 AssistsLeaders Lists. Even thoughKyrie is exceptional atmaking game winningplays in important mo-ments-for example hittingthe game winning shot the2016 NBA Finals, he doesnot yet have the skills tobe a true point guard inthe league.
Stephen Curry is alsothe most important playeron the Golden State War-riors team. Without him,the team wouldn’t haveenough scorers or a good“floor general.” As themost senior member ofthe Warriors, Curry had tostep into the leadershiprole early in his career.Kyrie Irving is a key factorfor his team, however, thetrue team leader is LeBronJames. Since he is rela-tively young in the league,LeBron doesn’t think hewill be an effective leaderfor the team. Until LeBronbecomes too old to be ef-fective and Irving steps uphis game, Irving may notbe able to take on theleadership role for theCavaliers.
In Stephen Curry’seight year career, he hasbeen given many presti-gious awards. Curry hasbeen selected for the NBAAll-Star Game four times inhis career. He has beennamed the league’s MostValuable Player two yearsin a row. Curry and theGolden State Warriors alsowon the 2015 NBA Finals.Irving has been a deco-rated player but does nothave the same individualawards that Curry hasearned.
Based on the infor-mation given about eachplayer’s assists per game,their values as a leader,and the awards thatthey’ve received, it is ob-vious that Curry is themore dominant pointguard. Stephen Curry hasmore of the qualities of atrue point guard than KyrieIrving.
Averill ToppsStephen F. Austin H.S.
Hello everybody, to-day I want to talk aboutwhat genocide is and howthey occur because in myGeography Class we arelearning about Europe andits history.
Genocide is the delib-erate killing of a largegroup of people. Particu-larly ethnic specific groupsfor little to no reason. Thecauses for genocide are acombination of circum-stances that propel a per-son/people to attack andkill large groups of people.In this essay I will talkabout 3 instances of geno-cides that occurred in his-tory. These three areHolodomor, and TheBosnian Genocide.
Holodomor (which is
Ukrainian for death byforced starvation) is a veryfamous genocide.Holodomor occurred inSoviet Ukrainian becauseof Joseph Stalin. Stalin or-dered his soldiers to takeaway all of the grain in or-der to make him richer. Heblamed the farmers forwhy his country wasn'tthat rich. He killed about10 million people in 1932-1933(4 million from directstarvation and 6 millionfrom birth defects).
The Bosnian Geno-cide is a famous genocidebut did not claim nearlyhas many lives as the othertwo genocides. TheBosnian Genocide oc-curred in Zepa becauseBosnian Serb forces. TheBosnian Serb forces hadorders to kill MuslimsBosniaks and BosnianCroats. They used the ex-cuse that they had to be"cleansed". The BosnianSerbs killed around100,000 people in total. Itended in 1955 after theleader of the Bosnian Serbforces was charged andimprisoned for 40 years.
That's all for thisweek, Until Next Time. GoAustin High Maroons!
Genocide
Fun Run Arena
Joshua MooreKIPP Austin Academy
Fun Run Arena fea-tures a new game modewith the most intense funrun gameplay ever. The
arena hosts eliminationgames for 8 players whereyou compete for amazingrewards and ultimateglory. While you are run-ning, you have to use yourpowerups wisely, for onlythe last three will win.
Play this online run-ning game and prove thatyou are the best. Racingother players is incrediblysatisfying when you es-cape obstacles and sabo-tage the other players.There are many weaponsthat you can get. Don'tforget that you can alwayscustomize your character.
Jalen MooreKIPP Austin Collegiate
QuestBridge
A few weeks ago, Iwas recently informedabout an opportunitycalled QuestBridge. Thisprogram gives high-achieving, low-income stu-dents a head start in thecollege application pro-cess, and grants a substan-tially beneficial credentialto all of its participants.
For Juniors,QuestBridge invites all stu-dents to attend a national
conference at a highly se-lective school of theirchoice. Additionally, JuniorQuestBridge scholars havethe opportunity to attenda summer program at oneof the nation's top collegesfree of charge.
Even better, SeniorQuestBridge scholarsmatch to one ofQuestBridge's collegepartners including :Stanford University,Princeton University andthe University of Pennsyl-vania. If they are acceptedto the university, they willreceive a full 4 year schol-arship!
My application forthis program is due in afew days, and I am nowadding the final touches tomy application, and hope-fully I will become aQuestBridge scholar bythe end of this school year.
SCHOLARSHIPOPPORTUNITYThe family of the late Kevin “DJ Flexx”
Fletcher of KAZI Austin (88.7 F.M.) is offering a$1,000 scholarship to a deserving student in thegreater Austin area. The scholarship is a waythat the family wants to “give back” to the com-munity that supported them during the loss of theirloved one. If you know a high school student whoplans to attend college, university, community col-lege, trade school or military after graduation,please get an application and encourage them toapply. The minimum required GPA is 2.50 andthe deadline is May 1, 2017. There will also be agarage sale to add to the funds for the scholar-
ship. Please come out and support the fundraiseron Saturday, April 1, 2017 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at1405 Coral Cay Lane in Plugerville. For moreinformation or to request an application, [email protected]
Kevin “DJ Flexx” Fletcher
SAVETHE
DATEDeadline isMay 1, 2017
Page 6 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 24, 2017 DIASPORA www.theaustinvillager.com
AUSTIN, TEXAS - Byron January’s Productions presents The StylisticsRevue featuring Van Fields on Saturday, March 25 at The Millennium Enter-tainment Complex, 1156 Hargrave St, Austin, TX. The doors open at 7, showstarts at 8 pm. Drinks are BYOB. Set ups and food will be available.
You don’t want to miss this old school show with real music and real lyrics.Be there. For more information, contact Byron January at 512-656-6256.
Stylistics Revue FeaturingVan Fields March 25
TheKennedyIkennaObilom
On March 18, theKennedy Ikenna Obilomfoundation held their an-nual fundraiser eventwhich was meant toachieve numerous ob-jectives within the com-munity. The foundationwas first started in 2012,in memory that Kennedywas a “burn victim” andpassed away due to theburns he sustained. Al-though the event washeld in memory of Mr.Obilom, it was more acelebration of this youngman life. During theevent there was shortspeech of regarding themany accomplishmentof the foundation sinceits creation.
The first of the ob-jective of the fundraiserwas meant to provide
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist
The Vanguard Project Travelsto the African Continent
Vanguard ProjectFounder, Ms. KeminicaGreen. Photo by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon
Over the pastmonths, Ms.KeminicaGreen has been informingthe community about theVanguard Project. More-over, the vanguard Projectwhich was founded by MsGreen seeks to bridge thegap between AfricanAmericans and Africans.According to Ms. Green,the Vanguard Project is a“non -profit organizationthat is designed to teachthe importance of cel-ebrating the breadth anddepth of African and Afri-can American traditions,practices and experiences,as well as, tackling the so-cial justice issues withinthe Black community to-day.
Not only does theVanguard project seek tobuild a bridge between
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist
these two communitiesthrough cultural exchangebut also through educa-tion. According to Ms.Green “this will be donethrough education of his-tory and culture, connect-ing and building bridges
with the African commu-nity, community and glo-bal service projects and arite of passage trip to aWest African country in-volved in the slave trade.”
Finally, this project isembodies of the spirit ofMs. Green. Ms. Green hasworked tirelessly in Cen-tral Texas to get too knowthe African community ofCentral Texas. Accordingto Ms. Green, “Growing upin a multi-cultural environ-ment has always allowedme the freedom of pursu-ing deeper understandingof different cultures,ethnicity and narratives.My upbringing in the BayArea (San Francisco/Oak-land) nurtured and fos-tered a safe space to ex-plore, inquire and em-brace different peoplegroups and their culture,sparking an even deeperlove for my own historyand culture.”
funds for the UnitedStates Army BrookMedical Center depart-ment that oversee burntvictims. It was theBrook Medical Centerthat tried to help Mr.Obilom. Secondly, itmeant to provide schol-arship for medical stu-dents who are interestedin helping with “burnt vic-tim.”’ This scholarshipwill ensure that somemedical student willhave the desire to learnmore about the issues ofburns.
Moreover, theevent was well at-
tended by those in thecommunity. It was wellattended by the familyand friends of the fam-ily of the burnt victim.After holding thefundraising aspect, the“dance floor” was opento the guest. One ofthe attendee men-tioned that “it was im-portant to support thisfoundation because thefoundation is doing a lotof great things in thecommunity. Themoney that raises goesdirectly to research thatwill improve the treat-ment of burnt victim.”
Pictured left to righ: Lisa, Mr. and Mrs. Obilom.Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjaovn
Exceptional Hair CareBusiness Takes the Lead
by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist
The month of Marchhas been designated asthe “Women’s Month.”
During this month, variousgroups celebrate and re-flect on how women haveimpacted our various com-munities. It also a time tocelebrate the achieve-
ment of women in thevarious field. One of thewomen who embody the“spirit of this month” isMs. Jane Nduaguba. Ms.Nduaguba is a trailblazer
who is redefining of whatit means to be successfulBlack Woman. In the Cen-tral Texas area, she hasbuilt a strong braidingcompany called NonyeHair Braiding.
Not only is she adaughter, mom, sister butshe is also an entrepre-neur who has built astrong business here inCentral Texas. Accordingto Ms. Nduaguba, she“started her business
about 10 years ago.”Moreover, she started herbusiness Hair braiding
company at a period andtime, in which, there washardly in braiding salon inthe city. In other words,she was one of the first tolaunch a braiding salon inthe Austin Area. Over theyears, she has seen someups and down; however,she has experienced moregood days.
Moreover, NonyeBraiding is located at 1921Cedar Bend Dr, Austin TX78758.
Jane Nduaguba
EMPLOYMENT | PROPOSALS | PUBLIC INFORMATIONFOR SALE | FOR RENT | BIDS | MISCELLANEOUS
www.theaustinvillager.com CLASSIFIEDS THE VILLAGER/March 24, 2017 ~ Page 7
Are you interested in doing businesswith the City of Austin?
For information on the City of Austin’s Minority/Women-Owned Procurement Program please contact theSmall & Minority Business Resources at 512-974-7600 orvisit www.austintexas.gov/smbr.
Housing Authority of the City of Austin
Established in 1937
PUBLIC NOTICECLOSING OF PROPERTY-SPECIFIC PUBLIC HOUSING WAITING LISTS
Due to high demand for public and affordable housing in the Austin community, the HousingAuthority of the City of Austin (HACA) has received a high volume of applications for placementon the public housing waiting list at HACA properties. Due to estimated wait times greater than36 months, HACA will be closing the following property-specific public housing waiting listseffective April 20th, 2017 at 5:00 pm CST:
• Chalmers Courts• Rosewood Courts• Santa Rita Courts• Northloop Apartments• Gaston Place Apartments• Salina Apartments
New applications for these waiting lists will not be accepted while the lists are closed. If youare interested in applying for one of the above mentioned waiting lists before they are closed,please visit www.hacaapply.org.
The following property-specific waiting lists will remain open until further notice andapplications will continue to be accepted for:
• Booker T Washington – one, two, three, and four bedroom sizes• Lakeside (designated elderly/disabled) – efficiency, one and two bedroom sizes• Meadowbrook – two, three and four bedroom sizes
For information on other local housing resources in the Austin area, please visit the HACAwebsite at http://www.hacanet.org/resources/
HACA will regularly review the status of each property’s waiting list and monitor estimatedwait times. Public notice will be provided at least 30 days in advance of re-opening anywaiting lists.
The Housing Authority of the City of Austin does not discriminate on the basis of race, sex, color, religion,marital status, familial status, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, ancestry, or sexual orientation inthe access to, admission into, or employment in, housing programs or activities. The position below hasbeen designated to coordinate compliance with the nondiscrimination requirements contained in theDepartment of Housing and Urban Development’s regulations implementing Section 504.
Position: Pilar Sanchez, Vice President of Housing and Community Development
Address: 1124 S. IH 35, Austin, TX 78704
Telephone: (512) 477-4488; TTY (800) 735-2989, o 7-1-1
Musician NeededHoly Cross Catholic Churchseeks music director. Mustread music and playcontemporary and tradi-tionalgospel music. ContactBarbara Scott (512-922-1202 & text; barbara_scott@ sbcglobal.net) orRon Collins ( 5 1 2 - 5 6 9 -4 4 2 4) & text;ron.collins20@ yahoo. com).
Integral Care is currently solicit-ing proposals through a Request forProposals (RFP) process for Tem-porary Nurse Staffing Services.RFPs may be sent electronically, bycontacting Brody Ballard [email protected] be-ginning March 10, 2017. The dead-line to submit a proposal under theRFP is 4 p.m. CST on April 7, 2017.Historically Underutilized Busi-nesses, including Minority-OwnedBusinesses and Women-OwnedBusinesses, are encouraged to ap-ply.
Microsoft Corporation currentlyhas the following opening inAustin, TX: Partner BusinessEvangelist: Research marketconditions in regional area andgather information to determinesales of Windows Azure. RequiresDomestic and International travelup to 25%. Telecommuting per-m i t t e d . h t t p s : / / j o b s -microsoft.icims.com/jobs/7530/jobMultiple job openings are availablefor each of these categories. Toview detail- ed job descriptions andminimum requirements, and toapply, visit the website addresslisted. EOE.
most part, Comey re-fused to offer details onthe scope, targets ortimeline for the FBI inves-tigation, which couldshadow the White Housefor months, if not years.The director would not saywhether the probe hasturned up evidence thatTrump associates mayhave schemed with Rus-sians during a campaignmarked by email hackingthat investigators believewas aimed at helping theRepublican defeat Demo-crat Hillary Clinton.
“I can promise you,”the FBI director vowed,“we will follow the factswherever they lead.”
Comey for the firsttime put himself publiclyat odds with the presidentby contradicting a series ofrecent tweets from Trumpthat asserted his phoneshad been ordered tappedby President BarackObama during the cam-paign.
“With respect to thepresident’s tweets about
Trump takes to Twitter; Accuses Democrats of making upallegations about his campaign associates continued from page 1
alleged wiretapping di-rected at him by the prioradministration, I have noinformation that supportsthose tweets, and we havelooked carefully inside theFBI,” Comey said. Thesame was true, he added,of the Justice Department.
His confirmation ofthe Russia-links investiga-tion was striking given theFBI’s historic reluctance todiscuss its work. But Comeysaid the intense public inter-est in the matter — and per-mission from the JusticeDepartment — made it ap-propriate to do so.
Comey said the collu-sion inquiry began last Julyas part of a broader probeinto Russian meddling inAmerican politics, mean-ing Trump was electedpresident as associates re-mained under investiga-tion for possible connec-tions to Russia.
Clinton allies onMonday contrastedComey’s silence during thecampaign with publiccomments he made last
year when closing out aninvestigation into Clinton’semail practices and then,shortly before ElectionDay, announcing that theprobe would be revivedfollowing the discovery ofadditional emails. ManyDemocrats blame Comey’spublic updates with stok-ing worries about Clinton’strustworthiness and turn-ing voters against her.
Comey acknowl-edged that “some folksmay want to make com-parisons to past instances”where he and other offi-cials were more open, buthe said those were aboutconcluded investigations.
In the current case,it’s not clear how long itwill take for the FBI to de-cide if a crime was com-mitted, but counterintelli-gence investigations areknown for being compli-
cated and time-intensive— and for frequently con-cluding without charges.Comey would not committo a timetable.
Regardless of theoutcome, the investigationis unquestionably an un-welcome distraction for anadministration that hasstruggled to move pastquestions about ties toRussia. The White Housetried anew Monday to dis-tance itself from twoformer senior members ofTrump’s team, PaulManafort and MichaelFlynn, who have been un-der scrutiny for foreigncontacts.
“The faster you canget to the bottom of this,the better it’s going to befor all Americans,” Rep.Devin Nunes, the Califor-nia Republican who chairsthe committee, toldComey.
The hearing quicklydivided along partisanlines, Democrats pressingfor details on the status ofthe FBI’s investigationwhile Republicans focusedon news coverage andpossible improper disclo-sures of classified informa-tion developed through
surveillance.Comey is the latest
government official to re-ject Trump’s claims, madewithout any evidence, thatObama had wiretappedTrump Tower, his cam-paign headquarters. Rep.Nunes rejected them ear-lier in the hearing.
Comey testified alongwith National SecurityAgency Director MichaelRogers, who also disputedallegations that British in-telligence services couldhave been involved in suchwiretapping. The WhiteHouse last week pointedto a report of British in-volvement in an attemptto bolster the president’sclaim. The move only an-gered an ally.
Trump took to Twit-ter before Monday’s hear-ing began, accusing Demo-crats of making up allega-tions about his campaignassociates. He said Con-gress and the FBI shouldbe going after media leaksand maybe even Clintoninstead.
“The real story thatCongress, the FBI and oth-ers should be looking intois the leaking of Classifiedinformation. Must findleaker now!” Trumptweeted early Monday asnews coverage on the Rus-sia allegations dominatedthe morning’s cable news.
The president contin-ued to tweet throughoutthe hearing, creating anunusual public conversa-tion between the em-battled president and hisFBI director.
After Trump tweetedthat the FBI and NSA hadtold Congress that Russiadid not influence the elec-toral process, Comey dis-
puted that description.The FBI has offered noopinion and has no viewand no information on thepotential impact on theelection because that’snot something the bureauhas looked at, he said.
The president alsoclaimed that Comey hadsaid there was no evi-dence of collusion be-tween his aides and Rus-sia, though Comey madeno such thing.
Trump also sug-gested, without evidence,that Clinton’s campaignwas in contact with Russiaand had possibly thwarteda federal investigation.U.S. intelligence officialshave not publicly raisedthe possibility of contactsbetween the Clintons andMoscow. Officials havesaid they believe Moscowhad hacked into Demo-crats’ computers in a bid tohelp Trump’s election bid.
The panel’s rankingDemocrat, Rep. AdamSchiff of California, out-lined a chronology that hesaid suggested frequentand troubling contacts be-tween Trump associatesand Russian intermediar-ies.
“Is it possible that allof these events and re-ports are completely unre-lated and nothing morethan an entirely unhappycoincidence?” he askedrhetorically. “Yes, it is pos-sible. But it is also possible,maybe more than pos-sible, that they are not co-incidental, not discon-nected and not unre-lated.” [Associated PressWriters Deb Riechmann,Julie Pace Josh Ledermanin Washington contributedto this report.]
Putin
Obama
Trump
Page 8 ~ THE VILLAGER/March 24, 2017 THE DISPATCH www.theaustinvillager.com
THE MANN’S WORLD FAMILYTOUR KICKS OFF IN AUSTIN
Tamela Mann sings at Grant African Meth-odist Episcopal Worship Center in Austin as thefirst stop on the Mann’s World Family Tour.(Photo by KaSaundra Demps)
AUSTIN, TX - Davidand Tamela Mann recentlybegan their Mann’s WorldFamily Tour in Austin. Theyare most widely known fortheir starring roles in TylerPerry’s Meet the Brownsand Madea franchises,and BET’s It’s a Mann’sWorld. They performed toa sold-out crowd of 1,500at Grant African Method-ist Episcopal Worship Cen-ter in north Austin. Peoplehad to be turned awayfrom on-site ticket pur-chases due to the capacitycrowd.
The Manns kicked offthe tour in a spectacularway. Tamela not only sang,she testified, praised, wor-shipped and took the crowdalong with her. She wasovercome with gratitude,crying softly as she ex-plained that she had been abackup singer for years andthough she wanted to be asolo artist it just did not hap-pen. People discouragedher but God had planted avision in her and here onher first world tour, it wasfinally happening.
“You don’t knowwhat this means,” Tamelasaid. “I’m grateful, sograteful. I thank God. Youdon’t know how much Iappreciate you being here;to realize you spent yourhard-earned money tocome see me. That meansa lot to me. People told methe tour wouldn’t work.They told me not to cometo Austin, that youwouldn’t show, but look atyou.” Tears flowed and thecrowd responded withlove, clapping and cheer-ing for her.
She repaid the loveby singing with all hermight. Her performanceincluded songs from heralbums and songs fromthe Black Church. Sheended with her Grammy®winning “God Provides”and her record-breaking“Take Me to The King.”
People were shout-ing and singing. At the end,it was a quarter to 11 p.m.,despite the advertisedshow time of 7 – 9 p.m.She left everything thatwas inside of her rightthere on that stage.People texted friends andfamily in Houston to tellthem to buy tickets and go
to the performance in thatcity the next day. Trustedsources in Houston say hershow there was just asGod-given powerful.
In addition to theheadlining concert byTamela, her husbandDavid presented his com-edy show. For many in theaudience, David was thesurprise of the evening.His comedy is much moresophisticated and power-ful than the roles he playsin movies and on televi-sion. He is a social com-mentator in the searingtruth vein of early RichardPryor, George Carlin andWhoopi Goldberg, with-out the cussing.
David stated his mes-sages plain in a singular sen-tence. For example, “Wehave spoiled our children,wanting them to have morethan we had growing up,”he said. Then, he humor-ously recalled his upbring-ing, reflecting many AfricanAmerican traditions thathad the audience testifyingwith shouts of “That’sright!” and “Amen.” be-tween their laughter andhoots.
Their son DJ Mann(David Mann, Jr.) openedthe evening mixing snip-pets of old and new musicthat kept the crowd on itsfeet dancing and singingalong. He played some-thing for everyone, Gospel
and Rhythm and Blues,from Tye Tribett’s “Work ItOut,” to Mary J. Blige’s “JustFine.” Then he switched,saying, “You older folks,hang on. I’ve got somethingfor you, too.” And he didwith Staple Singers’ “I’ll TakeYou There,” HezekiahWalker’s “Souled Out,”“Clean Inside,” 99 and Half”and John P. Kee’s “I Believe.”He ended with the SisterSledge’s “We Are Family.”The entire audience was upon its feet.
Then, the Mann’sdaughter Tia took the helm,singing familiar Gospeltunes in her own jazz style.She included Kirk Franklinsongs which Tia’s mothersang years ago, as part of hissinging group, God’s Prop-erty. The audience loved it,especially her rendition of“Melodies from Heaven”and “Brighter Day.”
The Mann’s WorldFamily Tour was promotedby Kingdom Promotions.At the event, companyPresident/CEO NehemiahWeaver said, “The Mannswanted to do this tour. Wepulled it together in only27 days. We chose Austinas our first stop eventhough people warned usagainst it. They said Aus-tin is strange. Peoplewon’t come, and yet, hereyou are. You did it, Austin!You gave us a great startand we thank you.”
Austin, TX – On theheels of the State’s VoterIdentification decision, abi-partisan three-judgepanel, in a 2-1 decision,has ruled that Texas en-gaged in discriminationagainst Latinos and Afri-can-Americans. The ma-jority opinion, joined byone Republican and writ-ten by a DemocraticJudge, addresses dis-crimination in many ar-eas around the State.
The Court expresslyheld that at least five dis-tricts in the plan resultedfrom some form of illegaldiscrimination. It held thatCongressional District 23,extending from BexarCounty through WestTexas; Congressional Dis-trict 27, including portionsof Nueces County; andCongressional District 35,extending from BexarCounty to Travis County,were all illegally drawn.
In Congressional Dis-trict 23, the Court ex-pressly rejected the State’stheory that the only nec-essary requirement to cre-ate an opportunity district(one wherein a minority
candidate of choice canwin) was to ensure thatthe affected minority hada majority of the citizenvoting-age population inthe area. The Courtnoted that as the historyof the case law hasshown, minorities havesuffered many differentforms of electoral dis-crimination, as such thetest is much more com-plex. The maintenance ofan opportunity to elector an ability to elect tocomply with Section 2and Section 5 of the Vot-ing Rights Act were alsoimportant factors.
In regards to Con-gressional District 23, theCourt noted that therewere enough minority vot-ers in Nueces County andthe vicinity to draw a seatthat would elect minoritycandidates of choice with-out affecting another suchdistrict.
The Court furthernoted that CongressionalDistrict 35 was drawn withthe intent of not onlyeliminating CongressmanLloyd Doggett, but takinghis seat and using it to re-
place an existing Hispanicopportunity seat. It heldthat there was an unnec-essary predominance onrace in the drawing of thisdistrict. The discrimina-tion was primarily an over-reach to garner Hispanicsto place in the district, butthe court noted that theAfrican-American commu-nity in Austin was also un-necessarily split.
Significantly, theCourt made several otherdecisions. It accepted theargument of the NAACPthat non-census data thatwas credible could be usedto determine more accu-rate numbers for use in aparticular redistrictingprocess. Also, most nota-bly, the Court held that itis appropriate to join Afri-can-Americans andLatinos together wherethey have shown theproper affinity, such as theDallas-Fort WorthMetroplex.
The Court failed tofind that an additional mi-nority opportunity seatwas required in either theMetroplex or HarrisCounty.
WHAT REDISTRICTING VERDICTMEANS FOR AFRICAN AMERICANS
