Texas Southern Founders Day

Texas Southern celebrates first annual Founders Day with political and social commentator Jeff Johnson September 14, 2010

At 10 a.m. students, faculty , and staff gathered in the H& PE arena for the celebration of Founders Day. Separated by the different schools but combined as one university, everyone grew knowledgeable about the history of TSU.

In 1927, segregation was very much alive and African Americans were fighting for their rights to do everything. Work, where to live, where to eat, and even receiving a college level education were only dreams for African Americans.

On September 14, 1927 the Houston Public School Board agreed to fund two junior colleges one for Whites and one for African Americans. “American Dream not yet need be deferred “said Barbara Jordan from the screen displaying the video presentation.

Political and social commentator Jeff Johnson took the stage to articulate to us the legacy of the university. Johnson challenged the students to think about what it was like to be black back in 1927 and what efforts would you have made. He talked about the integrity of the school and students taking initiative to continue invoking the Tiger pride.

“ I am not concerned about if you like what I have to say…. I am wondering how intellectually gangster are you going to be?” said Johnson.

He also talked about being influential in the community and encouraged the students to redefine the letters of TSU and to think about the history of the school. He simply stated that if students were going to have to be just as powerful as those students who came 83 years ago.

T for training S for submit and U to represent unmovable. He then explained the importance of your hands and how you must use them to get what you want.

“What are you going to do with your hands, will you sit on them and ignore the God given talent you have inside of you?... We want to use these hands to life up the founders of TSU” said Johnson.

The Founders Day program ended with the school song sung by the TSU Jazz choir as student and staff headed to the plaza where the celebration continued.

Many gathered in the plaza to enjoy festivities and converse about the first annual Founders’ Day. Even though classes were not cancelled, President Rudley encouraged all professors to

“Jeff Johnson was amazing! I have seen him before on BET but it was long ago. He was very encouraging today and he is very motivating” said Vanya Gamble an Internship Coordinator for the School of Communications.

The plaza was filled with several booths representing the Thurgood Marshall School of Law, School of Business, the School of Science and Technology and many more schools. There were many educational and informational activities.

There was also free food , drinks, and even a scavenger hunt for a scholarship. TSU police department officers were even in attendance to share their safety precautions they are taking to secure the campus.

“I like what President Rudley is doing with the campus and I believe this was a successful first annual Founders Day” said Ashley Bradford a junior at TSU.

FOR COLORED GIRLS

For Colored Girls is a drama filled, tear jerking, truth telling play turned movie told through a series of poems about women considering suicide when the rainbow isn’t enough.

In this movie you find women who stare down the barrel of life’s shot gun, praying and hoping that issues in their lives would just get better and even go away. Abortion, abuse, rape, and complete chaos will have you reaching for tissue and a bible, to cry for those who have lost all hope and pray for those who have no more strength.

Gilda (Phylicia Rashad) , the mother hen of the complex ,keeps tabs on everyone in her apartment building. Including neighbors Crystal (Kimberly Elise), a mother of two with a vet husband who has a temper and a drinking problem and Tangie ( Thandie Newton) , a promiscuous , self loathing bartender who has a troubled little sister and a born-again abusive mother Alice(Whoopi Goldberg).

Tangie has a feisty attitude and is stubborn about helping out her sister in an all too familiar situation. Social worker Kelly ( Kerry Washington) is in charge of looking after Crystals kids, while struggling to start her own family. Juanita (Loretta Devine)is keeping her fingers crossed while taking one last chance at love. Then, there is Yasmine( Anika Noni Rose) , a dance instructor who has a new man in her life who seems too good to be true. Jo ( Janet Jackson) is the epitome of a boss, while in charge of her own magazine but is quite the contrary in trying to figure out her marriage and just what her insecure, secret keeping husband is up to.

Knowing Tyler Perry’s works , For Colored Girls is an outcome of his colorful, mouth dropping , eye opening portrayal of the truth. Perry losses “Madea” for this film and takes Ntozake Shange’s Obie Award winning play to another level by using familiar faces to tell the truth about real life situations and shines light on making it through those tough times.

With an all star cast, Tyler Perry’s For Colored Girls is more than believable. The audience is captured by the real life stories and the real emotions that come from the aftermath of subjects touched on in this movie. The poetry recited was well written and delivered a powerful message to women who are going through these struggles. This movie will touch you directly and indirectly if you know someone going through the triumphs these women face. Of course, tears were expected in this movie, but with secrets, lies, anger, life, and suicide For Colored Girls brings out all emotions.

**A women commits suicide every 90 minutes in the U.S but is estimated that one woman attempts suicide every 78 seconds.**

Down but not out, MY VOTE WILL COUNT!

Tuesday morning November 2, 2010 I proudly exercised my right to vote  at Bethel’s Place in Houston, Texas.

The morning started off great as I left the house at 7:30 a.m. As I coasted down the 610 freeway ,I could hear the radio giving out information on locations for voting. I heard that there was an open voting poll with no line; so I made my way there. I was more than devastated when the precint  judge said that I could vote but it would not count because I was not registered for the area. I thought back and realized I had no idea where to go because I had moved a few times following the elections of 2008.

Back on 610, I was all fired up to vote when suddenly, I received a text message informing me that I could find where I was registered through text message. You could find your precinct by following the instructions and replying back with the word “PLACE”. To further expand my voting poll knowledge I received a link http://pollingplaces.RaiseYourVote.com/pollingplaces/find that was also very useful.

After utilizing all my resources and being turned down from two voting polls, I found my way to Bethel’s Place serving as Precinct 680 at 12525 Fondren . There I was greeted by eager volunteers and was quickly sent on my way to cast my ballot. Smiling ear to ear, I took my exit and released a great sigh of relief.

Exercising your right to vote is very important and if you don’t vote and gain knowledge of politics in your community and the nation, then complaining is not where you should start to help fix issues.  Get registered and become equip with the voting voice!