Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 01949 TPA TEXAS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION TheAustinVillager.com This paper can be recycled Vol. 41 No.48 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] April 18, 2014 Ashley Furniture and Albers Grits INSIDE Targeted by Black Newspapers Nationwide Austin’s acclaimed soloist, graces the RAPPIN’ Colonus stage play. See GOSPEL Tommy Wyatt Page 3 It’s Time For Action! Recently I reapplied for the Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) certification. I had Pflugerville residents that certification years ago, lobby for millions in but let it expire because I EDU. bond package. was not getting any busi- (FRESNO, CALIF) Americans will pur- See ELECTION ness from the state. And as – Most Black house- chase over $25 million Page 6 a member of the Texas Pub- holds are familiar with worth of products from lisher Association, we en- the common staple of Continental Mills under couraged all of our mem- ready-made grits and the brand name of bers to get certified. Popular for its grits and corn meal prod- corn meal—especially Albers this year alone. We immediately ucts, the Albers brand grosses $25 million a They also noted that discovered that the sys- the Albers brand, pro- year on Black consumers while rejecting all tem was very flawed and duced by corporation, since Continental Mills brand marketing opportunities with Black Continental Mills, Inc. took over the Albers acted as a deterrent rather newspapers. Don’t let the new I.D. than a help for getting In fact, Kimber Kimber brand from the Nestle & Associates deter- Corporation, they have Villager Correction for Last law afflict your voice! business from state agen- SEE VOTE mined in a study of grossed over $160 mil- cies. While those agencies Week’s Front Page Story Page 7 spend Billions for all kinds “black consumer ad lion in total revenue of services, the most that spending” that African- See MAJOR, page 2 many minority businesses can expect is to be a sub- contractor for a large Austin native Gil firm. That was the prob- lem that certification was Askey worked with trying to overcome. One of the reasons that most of our busi- Motown legends in nesses turned in their cer- tification was because the long musical career state changed the rules after they were approved as a HUB. The biggest Gil Askey change was the require- ment that the business Last week, book author credit was given to turn all of their confiden- DeVon Franklin for a Best-Seller heading to cin- tial information over to DIVERSE LINE-UP OF ema production. In truth, the book HEAVEN IS FOR the state, including, but REAL was written by Lynn Vincent and Todd Burpo. DANCE CLASSES not limited to, bank ac- The Villager apologizes to Vincent and Burpo and OFFERED FOR 2014 count numbers, bank sig- Native Austinite cousin, state Rep. our readers for our stark erratum. Find Details on page 7 nature cards, Birth Cer- Gil Askey, a composer, Dawnna Dukes. Gil tificates, and business bal- arranger and trumpeter Askey was an American ance sheets. That is infor- who spent much of the jazz trumpeter, com- Civil Rights Summit held in Austin mation that most busi- 1960s and ’70s as musi- poser, producer, and nesses would not disclose cal director for many of musical director. Askey The Civil Rights Summit held in Austin Texas, to any outside sources, in- Motown’s biggest acts, was considered to be April 8-10, 2014 marked the 50th anniversary of cluding governmental including the Supremes, “one of the architects of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The Civil Rights Act agencies. the Temptations and the the legendary Motown was spearheaded and signed into law by Presi- But the final straw Four Tops, died sound”. Berry Gordy dent Lyndon Baines Johnson. The law, along with came when I was told that Wednesday at his home the 1965 Voting Rights Act and the Fact Housing my application was in- often called Askey “The Act in 1968, helped establish a legal foundation complete; because I did not in Melbourne, Austra- glue that kept every- provide proof that I was lia. He was 89. thing together”. for fulfilling the promise of equality among all indeed African American. Born March 9, Askey studied Americans. And even though they had 1925, in Austin, Askey music at the Boston The Civil Rights Summit did not only cel- my Birth Certificate and a grew up in East Austin Conservatory of Music ebrate those pivotal laws, but will address the civil photo ID of my Driver’s and attended the origi- and the Harnett School rights issues we face today in America and around License, I needed to get a nal L.C. Anderson High of Music in New York. the world. notarized statement saying School, where he began He performed with Fulfilling a Promise, Realizing a Dream that I was indeed who I a lifelong association many famous musi- Keynote address by Joseph A. Califano, Jr. said I was. with musicians in the cians, some of the big- Special Assistant to President Lyndon Baines But, nonetheless, school’s Yellow Jackets gest jazz legends, in- Johnson and Andrew Young, Former Congress- all of those who qualify marching band. Though cluding Dizzy man and United Nations Ambassador addressed should make an applica- he left town in 1942 at Gillespie, Miles Davis, an inside look at the consequential and complex tion to be HUB certified. age 17, enlisting in the Duke Ellington, and partnership between Lyndon Johnson and Dr. Not being certified gives Army and living in New Count Basie, and even Martin Luther King, Jr. on the issues of civil rights. Jim Brown the state agencies another York, Detroit and Los did a duet with Billie With the social movement of the civil rights, al- “From a standpoint of excuse for not doing busi- Angeles before settling Holiday. He worked as lowed the partnership of LBJ and MLK to convey education and self- ness with you. And it in Australia, Askey re- a musical director for a message that they cared about the American determination, I had an takes away the opportu- turned to Austin fre- many well-known acts, people and pushing through discrimination. example of people who nity to appeal your case; were really good.” quently to visit family including Diana Ross, See YOU HAVE THE POWER, page 2 if you do not agree with Photo credit Melissa and friends, said his See ROSS, page 2 the process. Fontenette-Mitchell.