AISD Trustee Lays It on the Line About LBJ/ LASA
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Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 01949 TPA TEXAS PUBLISHERS www.TheAustinVillager.com ASSOCIATION This paper can be recycled Vol. 44 No. 40 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] February 24, 2017 BLACK HISTORY MONTH: INSIDE The Crisis in Black Education Lakers Shake-Up: Magic is in AISD Charge after GM Kupchak Fired Trustee Education advocate RAPPIN’ remains an active Tommy Wyatt force in Central Texas. Tommy Wyatt Lays It See DELCO Another Eastside Page 2 Landmark under attack. on the The Austin Independent School District Board of Directors (AISD) is now Line considering demolishing a historical building on the Young talent eastside, The Old L. C. about showcased at Anderson school building. star search event There is an effort by members See NCNW of the community to save the LBJ/ Page 3 structure for his historical nature. The last time that AISD considered demolishing the LASA building at 900 Thompson Street, the decision was made to place a campus of Austin Community College on the site. The college operated there until FILE – In a Tuesday, Aug. 23, 2016 file photo, former Los Angeles it was relocated to Webberville Lakers star Magic Johnson speaks at a groundbreaking ceremony for a Road just a couple of blocks stadium which will be home to the Los Angeles Football Club in Los An- KAZI spotlights local away. geles. The Los Angeles Lakers fired general manager Mitch Kupchak on novelist gem. The building was then Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017, and put Magic Johnson in charge of basketball See GROOVEY converted to the Alternative operations in a major shake-up of the struggling franchise’s front office. Page 6 Learning Center for students (AP Photo/Nick Ut, File) who are removed from the Austin Villager th classrooms for behavioral by: Greg Beacham operations. Jeanie Buss promoted the Covers 58 Annual problems. It is a place to work AP Sports Writer Jim Buss retains his Hall of Fame point guard with students as teachers try to Edmund T. Gordon, Grammy Week ownership stake in the to have the final say on help them get back to their Magic Johnson is District 1 By Naomi Richard leading the Los Angeles team, but Jeanie Buss has basketball decisions. regular class rooms. The AISD Board of Now, the AISD Board wants Lakers again after a major final say under the struc- Johnson is the Lakers’ new Trustees held a public to move the students to an shake-up of the struggling ture set up by their late president of basketball undisclosed location to make franchise’s front office. father, Jerry Buss. She operations, reporting di- hearing on Monday, room for a new school building Lakers owner Jeanie used it to chart a new rectly to Jeanie Buss, al- Feb. 13, related to the that would house another Buss fired general man- course for the Lakers, who though the team also update of the district’s program, Language Arts and ager Mitch Kupchak on are mired in the worst plans to hire a new general facility master plan. A Science Academy (LASA), Tuesday and put Johnson four-year stretch in the 16- manager. number of people spoke that is currently housed at LBJ in charge of basketball time NBA champion “I took these actions against various school High School. The community operations. Jeanie Buss franchise’s glorious his- today to achieve one goal: closures, but the board fears that if this is done, the Everyone associated with seemed most vexed by community will lose another also removed her brother, tory. Jim, from his job as the Just 19 days after the Lakers will now be the proposal to move the high school. There would not LASA magnet school be enough students at LBJ to Lakers’ executive vice Johnson returned to the away from its shared keep the school operating. president of basketball Lakers in an executive role, See BUSS, page 6 The 59th Annual However, the proposal is still campus with LBJ High, to a new campus, likely Grammy Awards included being considered by the district. AUSTIN SPURS TO HOST BLACK HISTORY MONTH performances by Beyoncé, The community is mobilizing to be built on the site of Adele, Chance the Rap- against the move. CELEBRATION ON FEBRUARY 24 the current Alternative The last time that the Black Learning Center, the per, Gary Clark, Jr, Alicia Community had this fight, they Team to Partner With 100 Black Men of Greater Austin old Anderson High in Keys, Bruno Mars, Carrie were trying to save Kealing in Pregame Event East Austin, which Underwood, The Junior High School. The Trustee Ted Gordon re- Weeknd, Sturgill community asked that the school fers to as “Black Ander- Simpson, John Legend, be declared Historic. Somehow son.” Toward the end of Keith Urban and many while the discussion was going the meeting – just after more. The show also hon- on, the building was destroyed by ored two-time GRAMMY® fire. That building had to be midnight – Gordon summed up with an elo- winner George Michael demolished, but the courts ruled and seven-time GRAMMY that the school had to be replaced quent and poignant winner Prince with two in the community. Also, many of speech about the diffi- the bricks from the old building cult decision the board unforgettable tribute seg- AUSTIN, TX - The Austin Spurs, presented by SWBC, will host their annual Black ments. Current GRAMMY were to be incorporated in to the History Month game on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7:30 p.m. vs. the Northern Arizona Suns will face: new building. Kealing was saved. nominee Demi Lovato at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park. “If ... the trustees It is interesting to note that decide that LASA is go- with previous GRAMMY the district has never come up During Black History Month, the NBA D-League, its players, and teams cel- nominees Andra Day, Tori ebrate black history and culture and their important impact on society and basket- ing to go there – and I with a plan to tear down the Old guess there are reasons Kelly, and Little Big Town Austin High School building, ball. Additionally, players wear special Black History Month warmup shirts through- for doing so – I think that gave collaborative perfor- but continues to find ways to out the month of February. mances celebrating the use the building. It currently This year, Austin will celebrate the monumental impact Black educators have everybody has to ... be cognizant of what that music of the Bee Gees and operates as a campus for Austin had on both the education system and the lives of students. The Spurs are proud to the 40th anniversary of Community College. The new means. You know one of hostCentral Texas educators at the game, as well as honor those attending during a Saturday Night Fever. Austin High is located on West halftime ceremony. the things that is most Ceasar Chavez. The new painful to black folks in Taking place at the Prior to the game, the team is partnering with 100 Black Men of Greater Aus- STAPLES Center in Los An- Anderson High is located on tin to host a Leadership Together community conversation between local area lead- Austin is the fact that Mesa Drive. geles, the 59th Annual ers and youth to discuss social issues and ways to strengthen the community. Lead- we’re getting erased. African Americans are again GRAMMY Awards was See in a fight to hold on to their ership Together is a tool that NBA, NBA D-League and WNBA teams and players See RED CARPET heritage/legacy. It is, again, a have created to use their voice and platform to help raise awareness about social GENTRIFICATION, fight that needs to be won. issues in their communities. page 2 ROLL OUT, page 7.