Understanding our heroes: Houston’s college hosts conference to serve needs of veteran community

Heroic, brave, angry, and scared. Those are some words that come to mind when we think about our nation’s veterans and their transition from the front lines back into civilian life.

Houston Community College (HCC) helps thousands of veterans and their dependents reestablish themselves into society through education and partnering with veteran servicing organizations that offer support to these military men and women.

The HCC Office of Veterans Affairs/Counseling & Disability Support Services and the Center for Deployment Psychology (CDP) recently presented the UC4 (University Counseling Center Core Competency) Conference at the HCC administration building.

“Their role is to provide critical training, education, services, research, and data on how, in the higher education environment, to reintegrate veterans successfully and provide them with support services to keep them through degree completion,” said Dr. Cephas Archie, who facilitated the day-long training session.

HCC is one of six higher education institutions from around the country chosen to host the event, which brought out representatives from local universities including Texas Southern University (TSU), Sam Houston State University (SHSU), Rice University, Prairie View A&M University, and University of Houston-Downtown (UH-D) along with various veterans’ organizations from across the Greater Houston Area. HCC staff and faculty, who work closely with veteran students on a daily basis, also attended the conference.

“It’s an institutional effort to start off with the first responders. This is the population that interacts and engages with veterans and should be aware of the cultural and psychological developmental needs,” said Archie.

The conference focused on:

Culture and experience of service members and veterans on campus
The deployment cycle and impact on students
Reintegration on campus
Outreach strategies and group exercise
Overview of treatments for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) on campus

Leon Grissett, Sr., director of the HCC Office of Veterans Affairs & Student Support Services, is a retired Army veteran who believes this is a unique way to give everyone a view into a veteran’s world.

“Many of my colleagues do not know what these young men and women experienced during deployment,” said Grissett. “They are learning how to reach out to our veterans, embrace them, and help them develop better skills as students.”

The HCC Office of Veterans Affairs & Student Support Services plans to have more training sessions in the future. To learn about the HCC veteran community and programs offered on the HCC campuses, visit hccs.edu/veterans.

Houston Communication College offers new opportunities at citywide college fair

HOUSTON [August 3, 2016] – Tamika Key went to the Catch Your Success One Stop College Fair with one mission in mind: to get her niece registered for college, but a new opportunity opened up for her. Houston Community College (HCC) advisors informed Key of a little explored field for women. Key, a graduate of the HCC Certified Nurse Aid program (CNA), decided to sign up for the Welding Technology program.

“We don’t have a lot of women welders, so now it’s time for something different,” she said. “I want to be able to buy a house and not worry about finances. My new career as a welder will make that dream a reality.”

Changing lives through education is the ultimate goal of the event, which took place at the Northeast Multi-Service Center. This was the first of a series of one stop college fairs that are free, bilingual, and open to the public. Representatives from higher education institutions, workforce organizations, and support services offer vital information about college admissions, financial aid, transportation options, resume building, and career opportunities.

The Catch Your Success One Stop College Fairs are an initiative of Houston Health Department My Brother’s Keeper (MBK), a local and national effort designed to improve life outcomes for young men of color and their communities. HCC is part of the MBK Milestone 4, which is to make sure all Americans complete post-secondary education or training needed for successful careers.

“We wanted to partner with all of these resources and have it at a multi-service center in the community; because for many, college events can be intimidating,” said Dr. Melissa Gonzalez, HCC chief of staff. “If we have it in their neighborhoods they are more likely to attend.”

The Catch Your Success One Stop College Fairs are an initiative of Houston Health Department My Brother’s Keeper (MBK), a local and national effort designed to improve life outcomes for young men of color and their communities. HCC is part of the MBK Milestone 4, which is to make sure all Americans complete post-secondary education or training needed for successful careers.

“If we really want people to be college ready and make college accessible we are going to come to where the people are,” said Kristi Rangel, public health education chief, MBK-Houston Movement.

For Tamika Key, this was all about timing and this fall, she will be among the thousands of HCC students starting new chapters in their lives.

The next Catch Your Success One Stop College Fair is Saturday, September 24 at the Kashmere Multi-Service Center, 4802 Lockwood, Houston, TX 77026. Contact Kesha P. McNeil, 713.254.2831 for more information.

Former NFL star Antonio Armstrong and wife allegedly killed by teen son

Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Antonio Armstrong and his wife, Dawn, were fatally shot in their Houston home early Friday, July 29, multiple outlets report. The couple’s 16-year-old son was taken into custody.

According to the Houston Chronicle, Dawn was found lifeless in the couple’s bedroom. Meanwhile, the Texas A&M Aggies alum was taken to Memorial Hermann Hospital in critical condition, where he died several hours later.

Shortly after the shooting, which took place at the Armstong’s residence in Palmetto at Mapleridge in the Bellaire area, their teenage son (who also made the 911 call) was apprehended and charged with capital murder.

“There was nothing left out, there was no neglect or anything, nothing that could even possibly justify the situation,” Dawn’s cousin, Vaun Lee, told KTRK. “This makes no sense. No sense.”

Two other children were in the home at the time of the shooting but neither was harmed..

“This was an outstanding family. The male of the family was an absolute hardworking breadwinner. He was an associate pastor in the area church. He’s a great guy,” Houston police homicide investigator Jimmy Dodson told KPRC2. “The mother was apparently a great mother, according to family members. Like I said, it was kind of the all-American family.”

Investigators said it was Antonio Jr. (right)who called 911 to report the shooting, and after searching the home they found a smoking gun with a note beside it that read, “I’ve been watching you.” Investigators also said there were no signs of forced entry or a struggle and nothing in the house was disturbed. 16-year-old Antonio Armstrong Jr. was arrested on the spot and he will likely be charged as an adult, investigators said. A motive for the shooting is currently unknown, and people who knew the Armstrongs, who owned three fitness centers in the Houston Area, have no idea why their son would commit such a violent crime. — Former Miami Dolphins linebacker Antonio Armstrong, his wife, Dawn, and son, Antonio Jr. Investigators said it was Antonio Jr. (right) who called 911 to report the shooting, and after searching the home they found a smoking gun with a note beside it that read, “I’ve been watching you.” Investigators also said there were no signs of forced entry or a struggle and nothing in the house was disturbed. 16-year-old Antonio Armstrong Jr. was arrested on the spot and he will likely be charged as an adult, investigators said. A motive for the shooting is currently unknown, and people who knew the Armstrongs, who owned three fitness centers in the Houston Area, have no idea why their son would commit such a violent crime.

According to the investigators the parents likely didn’t even see the attack coming, as there was no sign of forced entry into the home or struggle in the bedroom where his mother was discovered unresponsive.

“Antonio was a special young man. He was an All-American and an outstanding player, but he was an even better person. He was such a positive influence on his teammates. He always had a great big smile and was a joy to coach,” A&M head coach R.C. Slocum said in a statement on Twitter.

Family friend Scott Binkley also expressed shock and sadness over the Armstrongs’ deaths, describing the pair as pillars of the community. “Fantastic people. I have no idea why this would be happening to them,” Binkley told KPRC2. “He was one of A&M’s top 25 athletes, served the Lord, worked in the community, did nothing but help people constantly. We are just shocked at what happened.”

Houston Community College and DREME Foundation host STEM camp

HOUSTON [July 25, 2016] – Houston Community College (HCC) recently hosted the Dr. Ronald E. McNair Education Foundation (DREME) Summer Camp and STEM-OVATION Awards Ceremony and Science Fair at the Northeast campus. For the past three years, HCC has been an educational partner and host facility that has enabled more than 300 middle and high school students to experience collegiate level labs and information.

This year’s program consisted of five days of educational workshops and classroom activities for approximately 40 high school students. Camp participants took part in various STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) activities utilizing state-of-the-art labs and explore careers training offered in the HCC Global Energy Center of Excellence. They also learned about drone technology and career readiness education. The partnership with the DREME Foundation has helped increase enrollment at HCC.

“HCC is definitely an option for the students and we want them to know that it’s available and what resources HCC can provide,” said Kelcey White, DREME Foundation co-camp coordinator.

The closing awards ceremony gave parents, sponsors, and participants an opportunity to learn more about HCC programs and the legacy of Dr. Ronald E. McNair, a physicist and NASA astronaut who died during the launch of the Space Shuttle Challenger.

Students presented their drone projects and were recognized for their work. After the ceremony, the Northeast campus served as the backdrop for the DREME science fair, which not only focused on STEM learning, but also challenged the students’ mental and physical abilities. Attendees engaged in interactive activities that ranged from conductive energy to aerospace technologies.

The HCC Global Energy Center of Excellence trains and educates technically-skilled and safety conscious workers for energy and related industries in Houston and surrounding regions. For more information on programs and course offerings, call 713.718.8300 or visit hccs.edu/energy.

Appeals court strikes down Texas voter ID law

Reuters (AUSTIN, Texas). A Texas law requiring voters to show a government-issued form of photo identification before casting a ballot is discriminatory and violates the U.S. Voting Rights Act, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Wednesday.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, in a close decision among a special 15-judge panel, also sent the case back to a district court to examine claims by the plaintiffs that the law had a discriminatory purpose.

The New Orleans-based Fifth Circuit, which has a reputation as one of the most conservative federal appeals courts, asked the district court for a short-term fix to be used in Texas in the November general election.

“We acknowledge the charged nature of accusations of racism, particularly against a legislative body, but we must also face the sad truth that racism continues to exist in our modern American society despite years of laws designed to eradicate it,” the court said.

U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch applauded the ruling and said in a statement, “This decision affirms our position that Texas’s highly restrictive voter ID law abridges the right to vote on account of race or color and orders appropriate relief before yet another election passes.”

Critics of the law said it and similar statutes that have been passed in Republican-governed states were intended to make it harder for minorities such as African-Americans and Hispanics, who tend to support Democrats, to vote. Backers of these laws have said they are necessary to prevent voter fraud.

The court ruled 9-6 that the Texas law had a discriminatory effect. The judges were divided differently on other parts of the ruling.

“We acknowledge the charged nature of accusations of racism, particularly against a legislative body, but we must also face the sad truth that racism continues to exist in our modern American society despite years of laws designed to eradicate it,” the court said.

Challengers of the Texas law have said that up to 600,000 people would be unable to vote if the law was fully in effect.

The law passed in Republican-dominated Texas was one of the strictest voter ID laws in the United States.

A federal judge in Wisconsin on Tuesday softened that state’s law, saying people without a photo ID should be able to vote in November if they agree to sign an affidavit explaining why they could not obtain identification.

A federal appeals court is expected to rule soon on a similar law in North Carolina. A district court judge upheld the measure in April.

“Preventing voter fraud is essential to accurately reflecting the will of Texas voters during elections, and it is unfortunate that this common-sense law, providing protections against fraud, was not upheld in its entirety,” Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, said in a statement.

City of Houston Launches Loaned Executive Program

CenterPoint Energy will be the first local company to participate in the City of Houston’s new Loaned Executive Program (LEP). The LEP provides the City senior level private sector expertise at no cost to the City. CenterPoint will loan Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications Floyd LeBlanc. LeBlanc will be assigned to the Houston Department of Public Works and Engineering to serve as the City’s Community Planning and Emergency Preparedness Advisor.

“I want to thank CenterPoint for stepping up to the plate to help us get this program started,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “The City will benefit from the unique perspective and skills of a seasoned professional without the added cost of a salary or fees that usually accompany a consulting arrangement. Floyd will help us implement more effective and efficient processes for utility work. The City, CenterPoint and Houstonians will all benefit.”

The City, CenterPoint and many others share a common right of way in delivering services to our community. By placing executives from both the City and CenterPoint more closely together, they will be able to create longer-term solutions that allow for safer and more efficient uses of public spaces. LeBlanc is expected to assist with the development of processes that improve customer service for business and residential PWE customers and work to improve public/private coordination for work in public rights of way.

“We are pleased to collaborate with Mayor Turner and partner with his leadership team to promote the long-term vitality of this City because we all benefit by working together,” said Scott Prochazka, chief executive officer of CenterPoint Energy. “With more than 30 years of leadership, operational and crisis communications experience, Floyd offers a unique and valuable perspective. He will focus on policy analysis, program implementation and emergency preparedness.”

In his most recent role with CenterPoint, LeBlanc was responsible for corporate communications including internal communications to the company’s 7,400 employees, media relations and financial communications. He was also responsible for community relations efforts, which includes corporate philanthropy, educational outreach and the company’s employee volunteer program as well as Houston area local relations.

LeBlanc will remain an employee of CenterPoint, which will continue to pay his compensation and benefits, including health insurance, salary and incentive pay. The agreement is for one year with the option of extending for an additional year.

“The Laws Do Not Protect Black People” – Roy Douglas Malonson

Malonson... “We elect people who write the laws for themselves, and against us. So if we want to do something; if we have to change this unjust structure, we need to vote and vote every last one of them out of office.” — Malonson… “We elect people who write the laws for themselves, and against us. So if we want to do something; if we have to change this unjust structure, we need to vote and vote every last one of them out of office.”

Anthony Obi Ogbo – International Guardian, Houston – TX

Renowned Houston activist and publisher of the African-American News&Issues Roy Douglas Malonson has called on the African Americans to use their vote as the last tool in overcoming a system he believes still unfavorable to the minorities. “You must make that difference now. Go out and vote” Malonson urged.

Malonson was reacting to the recent bloody feud between the community and the law enforcement over the shooting deaths of two black men within days by police officers, and the following sniper ambush kills 5 officers, injures 7 in Dallas following peaceful protest.

A Minnesota officer fatally shot a 32-year-old man, Philando Castile in Falcon Heights, a St. Paul suburb. A day earlier, 37-year-old Alton Sterling was equally shot and killed during a confrontation with two police officers outside a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, convenience store where he was selling discs of music and movies. A cellphone video of Sterling’s shooting posted online by a community activist set off heated protests. In total retaliation, however, individuals angered by these killings turned their triggers against police officers leading to the terrible incident believed to be the deadliest day in the history of the Dallas Police Department.

“There’s a lot of good white people that died for our right and freedom. The sad part of everything that we fought for, is that everybody is taking advantage of it except us.”

“I normally don’t come forward on too many things but what’s been happening in this country is really nothing new. Folks wearing blue uniforms killing black folks, it’s nothing new. When I came it was the Klu Klux Klan, and then there was hanging and lynching and everything else. It’s nothing new. This country has a strong history of racism. It’s just something about the black man that they just cannot deal with. Especially here in Texas,” Malonson wrote in an editorial.

According to Malonson, “There were five cops killed in Dallas, and in Houston in 1917, there were nine or 10 cops killed which disrespected the black soldiers fighting for the white man’s freedom. Of course, it’s not our freedom. We just celebrated the white man’s holiday, the 4th of July. It’s not a black man’s holiday – it’s the white man’s holiday. We don’t have no freedom, we got a black man in the white house that is disrespected in everything. We have the Attorney General, but he’s got to uphold the laws that is unfair and unjust to us.”

Community members attend a vigil for Alton Sterling, who was shot dead by police.

On Thursday night, President Obama addressed a these shootings at an hour-long ABC News broadcast. On Tuesday in Dallas the President gave a speech calling for unity at the memorial for five slain police officers. Two days later, Thursday, Obama was back in Washington D.C. where he hosted a town hall meeting to address race relations in the country. The President opened with an overarching statement, “The question is how do we channel what I believe are good spirits and good feelings and a sense of common humanity, who do we channel that into our institutions and how our police are structured and trained and how the community is working with them so that these things don’t happen with the kind of frequency that they do.”

Malonson cited a dysfunctional system still pervaded with unjustness often perpetrated by elected representatives. “We elect people who write the laws for themselves, and against us. So if we want to do something; if we have to change this unjust structure, we need to vote and vote every last one of them out of office,” Malonson declared.

Malonson quickly noted that race alone might not be the issue, stating, “ I don’t care if they are black, because, there can be “blacknecks” as well as “rednecks.” We just needs to vote them out. Black man redneck can be more dangerous than a whiteneck, and you must always remember that.”

“There are a lot of good white people marching with us now” he noted. Malonson continued, “There’s a lot of good white people that died for our right and freedom. The sad part of everything that we fought for, is that everybody is taking advantage of it except us. You know this is bad, so if you want to make a difference, you may march, but march to the registration centers; march to the polls and vote.”

The video released on Thursday still leaves relatives and advocates with the question whether Braziel pointed his pistol at the officers before they shot him dead.

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