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Houstonians turn out for final viewing of civil rights pioneer, Rev. William Lawson

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5 months ago

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Even before the doors opened at 9 a.m. on Thursday morning, working Houstonians stood in line to pay their final respects to a giant among men, Reverend William Lawson.

A tall man with a mellow voice and clear conviction and understanding of the Gospel. Lawson lays in state at the church he founded 64 years ago in his apartment, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church in the Third Ward.

Many of the people paying a visit related close, personal reflections of their pastor. Among them, Beverly Smith spoke with reverence for Lawson: “He’s taught us a lot and what he has done and what he has contributed will last for generations to come.”

Another parishioner, Tonya Ivory-Mays related a personal memory of the kindness of Lawson in her time of need.

“When I was in the hospital and I had had my son prematurely and I was very ill, and he came to pray for me,” Ivory-Mays said. “His preaching and his teaching was always understandable.”

Kimberly Ann Wright Jones shared a special connection to Reverend Lawson: “He’s my Godfather, yes, it’s been 60 years of love, care and kindness.”

“And teaching me everything I know,” Jones said. “Just to go in here and know that the legacy lives within me—very surreal.”

Doctor Ruth Ollison, the Pastor of Beulah Land Community Church near Wheeler, related a special story about Lawson: “He was one of the first to receive and accept female pastors and ministers in the ministry. Just so accepting, so supportive, he is a giant. There are many women who are in ministry [at Wheeler].”

Terronica Wilson began coming to the church when being courted by her future husband, whose family are long-time members. She was married at Wheeler, with Pastor Lawson delivering the prayer during their ceremony.

“And we know that he has done a lot, not only for our church, for the community, for the city, for the state…the nation and the world so we are truly grateful for everybody’s support.”

Known as Houston’s Pastor, Lawson took up the mantle of peaceful organizing and protest in the name of bringing civil rights to the racially divided city of Houston in the 1960s.

A trusted friend and confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Lawson hosted King during visits to Houston and was offered the chance to join King in Atlanta as a leader in the national civil rights movement.

Lawson chose to remain in Houston and continue serving the flock of his church. Since then, the reverend had been a fixture in all things related to civil rights in the region.

Even after retiring from Wheeler Avenue in 2004, Lawson spoke at the funeral of George Floyd and addressed a rally for the Houston native in 2020 at the age of 91. Lawson passed May 14th at the age of 95.

Culled from the Houston Public Media

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“You don’t win a championship by accident” – Hakeem Olajuwon

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4 weeks ago

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September 8, 2024

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How he responded to critics who diminished Houston’s back-to-back titles in the ’90s

Hakeem Olajuwon’s Houston Rockets winning back-to-back titles in 1994 and 1995 is a great milestone that forged “The Dream’s” name as a legend of the sport. However, many downplay the Rockets’ achievement, noting that they only won those chips because Michael Jordan was out during those years. Naturally, Hakeem himself doesn’t see it that way.

No accidents; pure excellence

The center legend clapped back at these claims by breaking down his team’s achievements during those years.

“You don’t win a championship by accident,” Olajuwon said , per Chron. “We had the best record in the league. Some people try to say, ‘Oh, [Michael] Jordan was out those two years; that’s why you won.’ That really doesn’t matter to us; we don’t have to prove anything.”

Hakeem’s claims are only partly true. In the 1993-94 season, the Rockets etched a 58-24 record for second place in the West. The Seattle SuperSonics, meanwhile, were the best team in the league but were upset in the first round by the Atlanta Hawks.

The following year, Houston had a 47-35 record and finished sixth in the West. This made their back-to-back title runs more impressive and showed how different playoff basketball is. The 1994–95 Rockets are, to date, the lowest-seeded team in league history to win an NBA championship.

MJ gave Hakeem and Co. respect

Even during the Chicago Bulls ‘ first and second three-peats, the Rockets were not necessarily contenders all the time, but they were still a pretty good team. It was always a hot duel whenever the two squads faced off in the regular season. Sometimes, the Bulls won, and sometimes, the Rockets snatched the victory.

“Even when Chicago was winning championships, and we had a more average team,” Olajuwon continued. “We were beating Chicago. We were good against Chicago. That is something we can always refer back to. We never played in the playoffs, but we played in the regular season.”

“He gave us all the respect, and that’s what’s important to me,” the legendary big man said of Jordan. “We were the champion. It’s not an easy task to win, and we got it done.”

It would’ve been a treat if Houston had faced Chicago in the NBA Finals. Some critics believe the Rockets would’ve annihilated the Bulls, given that they had no matchup for Hakeem, the only guy MJ feared .

Whatever the case may be, we should never doubt Houston’s back-to-back titles. It wasn’t their fault that Jordan was away during those years. When their ticket to the NBA Finals came, the Rockets’ took the opportunity and etched their names in NBA history. No one can take that away from them.

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Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy speaks about the African-American Memorial Event

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2 months ago

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August 21, 2024

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Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy met with Professor Jamien Graves from the School of Communications at Texas Southern University to discuss the upcoming groundbreaking ceremony for the African-American Memorial. The ceremony is set to take place on Saturday, August 24 at Bates Allen Park in Kendleton, Texas.

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Over 54,000 Voters Suspended from Voting in Fort Bend County

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2 months ago

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August 16, 2024

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As the upcoming elections draw near, it has been revealed that a staggering number of over 54,000 voters are currently on the suspension list in Fort Bend County. County officials have reported that there are approximately 54,343 names on this list.

The inclusion of these voters on the suspension list may have been prompted by various reasons, such as address issues resulting from individuals relocating and failing to update their information. For example, every two years, the county sends out new voter registration certificates. If a certificate is returned by the post office due to an incorrect address, the voter is placed on the suspension list.

Additionally, on an annual basis, the county conducts a database comparison with the National Change of Address registry. If a voter is found to be registered in another county or state, they are added to the suspension list in Fort Bend County.

Individuals on the suspension list will remain there for two federal elections before being removed. Voters have until October 7th to update their information before the November election.

Any online changes to names and/or addresses must be submitted at least 30 days before an election. To make these changes online, please visit https://txapps.texas.gov/tolapp/sos/SOSACManager.

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