Texas Legislative Black Caucus | Texas Legislative Black Caucus

Chairman Turner- School Safety Is Everyone’s Problem

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By State Rep. Sylvester Turner

Courtesy of Houston Chronicle

May 9, 2012

Two female students were captured recently on cellphone video fighting in the stairwell of a Fort Bend ISD high school in front of dozens of students who had shown up ahead of time to watch. Just a few hours before, the mother of one of these girls told an assistant principal that her daughter would be beaten. The principal said he would take care of the threat, but did not. One girl put a lock in a sock and beat the other girl, as she had threatened to do, sending her to the hospital for treatment.

From what I observed on the video, no one intervened – not a teacher, not an administrator and not one of the many students who showed up for this entertainment. While this horrific video has captured the community’s and the media’s attention, it is just the latest in a series of violence, bullying and intimidation affecting our children at their schools.

In January of this year, a student fight in the cafeteria at Andy Dekaney High School in Spring ISD escalated into a melee involving dozens of students. Also in January, a North Forest High School student brought a gun onto campus and shot and wounded another student.

Last year, a 6-year-old brought a loaded gun to his class at Ross Elementary. He and two other students were injured when the gun fell out of his pocket and discharged. Just a few days ago, a 14-year-old student was shot by a Pasadena ISD officer when he confronted the student in an apparent burglary.

Two dozen Houston ISD school bus drivers recently called for more discipline of rowdy students. The drivers say the students carry weapons, fight each other and even attack the drivers themselves. This past week a South Houston High School student was accused of filming another student in the bathroom. He planned to post the video on Facebook.

Rep. Turner Leads African American Leaders in Condemning School Violence

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State Representative Sylvester Turner Thursday led African American community leaders in a news conference condemning the violence plaguing local schools.

The news conference, held at the School of Public Affairs at Texas Southern University, brought together federal, state and city elected officials, school board members, ministers, representatives of law enforcement and more to say that the safety of our children is everyone’s responsibility.

A recent incident, captured by a student’s cell phone, showed one girl beating another at Thurgood Marshall High School in the Fort Bend ISD while dozens of students watched. This incident occurred even though the mother of the beaten student had warned a school official that her daughter had been threatened.

TLBC Mourns Passing of Texas Pioneer, Dr. Zeb Poindexter

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It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I relay the passing of a true pioneer in Texas, Dr. Zeb Poindexter Jr. As the first African American graduate of the University of Texas Health Science Center Dental Branch in 1956, Dr. Poindexter forged a path for untold numbers here in Texas. He stands as an inspiration and beacon of light for many members of the TLBC, especially those who were friends with him and those from the Houston area.

In Memory of Dr. Zeb Poindexter, Jr.

Dr. Zeb Ferdinand Poindexter, Jr. entered into eternal rest on April 28, 2012 at the age of 83. He was born in Fort Worth, Texas on April 5, 1929.

Dr. Poindexter attended Terrell High School in 1945, Wiley College in 1949 and graduated from Texas Southern University in 1952 with a degree in Endocrinology. Following this he served as a Second Lieutenant in the Air Force Reserves and left active duty with the rank of Captain. He was the first African American graduate of the University of Texas Health Science Center Dental Branch in 1956.

Dr. Poindexter went on to become the first general dentist to operate a clinic of its type in Houston, Texas. Located in the municipality known at that time as the Chocolate Bayou, his facility was designed by John S. Chase Sr. and still stands today as a landmark for the Sunnyside neighborhood. This achievement was followed by a series of firsts that include his becoming the first Black member admitted to the Houston District Dental Society, the first Black faculty member at the University of Texas Dental Branch and the first African-American appointed by UT to recruit all minorities.

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AUSTIN, Texas — In connection with the African and African Diaspora Studies Department, The University of Texas at Austin has appointed King Davis founding director of the Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis.

Davis, professor and Robert Lee Sutherland Chair in Mental Health and Social Policy in the School of Social Work and former executive director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, served as interim director of the institute in 2010 and 2011, and will begin his new role effective immediately. Davis joined The University of Texas at Austin in 2000 after serving as commissioner of the Virginia Department of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse and as a faculty member at Virginia Commonwealth University.

“The investment by The University of Texas in this new institute reflects the personal commitment of President Powers and his administration,” Davis said. “I am delighted to have the opportunity to help shape the mission and vision of the institute and its initial research projects.” The institute’s initial focus will be on the state of Texas.

“Despite our iconic rural image, more than 80 percent of Texans live in cities. Texas needs better urban policy, and we can’t improve that without good data on the populations that make up our cities, especially populations of color,” said President Bill Powers. “King Davis is the perfect leader for this important new effort. His academic and professional background — and the enormous respect he commands from his colleagues — bodes well for the institute’s future.”

Developed in 2010 through collaborative efforts of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus, the African and African Diaspora Studies Department and the College of Liberal Arts, the institute’s mission is to conduct and promote the production of policy-relevant research with the aim of enhancing the lives of African-Americans and other communities of color.

“I applaud the selection of Dr. Davis to lead this vitally important institute,” said Rep. Sylvester Turner, chair of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. “His expertise and dedication will bring the institute to the forefront of positive change in the African American community in Texas.”

TLBC Joins Texas Black Expo 2012 in Houston

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Texas Legislative Black Caucus to Host Black Elected Officials Luncheon and Co-Present Texas Small Business Eco-Enterprise Summit at Texas Black Expo 2012

Texas Legislative Black Caucus

HOUSTON (February 23, 2012) – The 9^th annual Texas Black Expo is rapidly approaching, and corporations, small businesses, and a myriad of community organizations from across the state are in high anticipation of this historic event. Scheduled to take place June 15^th – 17^th at Houston’s George R. Brown Convention Center, this annual event is the largest African American tradeshow in the state of Texas. Corporate partners include HEB, America’s Natural Gas Alliance, Lilly, Nationwide, Comcast, and The Greater Houston Convention & Visitors Bureau, among others. In addition, Texas Black Expo is proud to welcome the Texas Legislative Black Caucus (TLBC) to its list of community partners.

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