Beyoncé Proves She's in a Lane of Her Own at MTV Vmas

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. 15 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] September 2, 2016 Beyoncé INSIDE Proves She’s in a Lane of Austin explores international enterprise RAPPIN’ Her Own opportunities. Tommy Wyatt See GABC at MTV Page 3 Happy Trails to you Ms. Phifer!! VMAs On Tuesday evening I by: Mesfin Fekadu attended the retirement AP Music Writer celebration for Bernadette Phifer. She is the current NEW YORK (AP) — Program Manager and Beyonce proved once Curator of the George again she is the contem- 49ers quarterback Washington Carver porary rock star, and she derived backlash Museum. She has held that used the MTV Video Mu- over protest. position for 26 years. sic Awards stage to show- See ANTHEM Phifer has been active in case her skills and out- Page 5 the arts and the Austin shine her peers, from community for over 30 Rihanna to Britney years. She is the first and Spears. only Curator that the center Beyonce won eight has had. In fact, The awards, including video of George Washington Carver the year, and performed Museum, Cultural and five songs from her visual Genealogy Center was the album “Lemonade” in an epic 16-minute concert Residents argue the first African American accountability of neighborhood museum in Sunday that had the audi- Beyonce accepts the award for Video of the Year for “Lemonade” at the police body cams. Texas. ence at Madison Square MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. See DEMOCRATS Under Phifer’s See RIHANNA, page 2 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Page 6 leadership, that center truly represents Black Austin. The museum boasts the East Austin largest and oldest public art collection program in Austin and is home to the Coalition Against Old L. C. Anderson High School collection as well as Substance Abuse the Juneteenth Memorial Monument statues. The museum also houses a (East Austin theater that is named for the late Boyd Vance. Vance C.A.S.A.) was credited with keeping Black theater in the Sponsored by No More/No Más, Inc. forefront in Austin A group of community leaders from the East side While listening to the of Austin, led by a local nonprofit No More / No Más, many speakers who paid Inc. formed a federally sponsored Drug Free Coalition tribute to Phifer, I could aimed at addressing substance abuse among youth, not help but think back to particularly those in grades six to twelve. Under a fed- the first time that I met the eral law, the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, honoree. It was when she communities can establish Drug Free Coalitions to de- DRUG-FREE CRUSADERS - Pictured left to right are ILL. Charles lived in El Paso, Texas velop locally based strategies that help reduce the use, Bowen, Grand Master, Mt. Carmel Grand Lodge; Ed Miller, Austin Youth and I was there with the abuse and sale of illegal drugs, alcohol and even ciga- Leadership & Counseling; Dr. Steve Larson, L.M.F.T., LPC; Dr. Jose Rivera, Texas Coalition of Black rettes. This will be the first such Coalition in Travis Chief Financial Officer, No More, No Mas, Inc.; AV Leclair, Chief of Staff, Democrats. At that time, County. House Representative District 46, Dawnna Dukes; and Chaplain Lea El Paso was one of our See SAY “NO MORE / NO MÁS” TO ABUSE, DRUGS, Walker-Clark, Presient , No More, No Mas, Inc. (Photo coutesy of No More fastest growing chapters page 2 / No Más, Inc.) and one of our more active ones. I was surprised to LOS ANGELES - Relevé Entertainment, in partner- see her in Austin a short ship with Walgreens and the AIDS Healthcare Founda- time later when she moved COURTNEY B. tion, held The Merge Summit in Los Angeles, Califor- here. nia August 25-27, 2016 at The Millennium Biltmore It is hard to believe that VANCE, Hotel. The Merge Summit is a unique event created to she is retiring, although inspire synergy with faith based and entertainment in- she certainly deserves it. dustry leaders to educate, uplift, and encourage attend- She will be hard to SUZANNE de ees to aspire towards their professional and personal replace. She is a goals. Trailblazer for Public PASSE, AND The Merge Summit launched August 25th with a Service in Art and welcoming Opening Gala. This year’s gala honored the Culture. She is proud to outstanding accomplishments of Senior Vice President say that “Every month is MORE ATTEND Trai Byers, who of Prudential Financial- Dorinda Walker, ESSENCE Black History Month at stars as Andre Lyon of Magazine Editor At Large-Mikki Taylor, founder and the Carver!” Fox’s TV drama THE 2016 MERGE senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center (LWCC)- So, as Roy Rogers and “EMPIRE” was Dr. Bill Winston and Emmy Award Nominated Actor- Dale Evans would say at featured on The Merge Courtney B. Vance. This evening was hosted by come- the end of their movies, SUMMIT Summit panel dian, actress, author, and television personality– Sherri “Happy Trails to You” discussing Faith, Love Naomi Richard | The Austin Villager Newspaper Shepherd. Entertainment was provided by Jonathan Ms. Phifer in your and Success. retirement. See THE MERGE SUMMIT, page 5 Photo by Naomi Richard.

Load more