TPA TEXAS PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATION This paper can www.TheAustinVillager.com be recycled Vol. 47 No. 28 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] January 31, 2020 9 LOST IN HELICOPTER INSIDE CRASH INCLUDING Turmoil mired the KOBE AND GIGI BRYANT Grammy’s, but the By STEPHANIE DAZIO | Associated Press show went on. RAPPIN’ See BRYANT Tommy Wyatt Page 3 A time to share and celebrate Amazon plans Outstanding warehouse African expansion in Texas. See VOTE Americans in Page 6 our History! The celebration of Black History Month began as “Negro History Week,” which was created in 1926 by Carter Spectrum theatre G. Woodson, a noted presents tribute to African American Dr. Billy Harden. historian, scholar, See HISTORY educator,and publisher. Page 7 It became a month-long H-E-B’s celebration in 1976. The month of February was Big Game chosen to coincide with the birthdays of Frederick commercial Douglass and Abraham announces Lincoln. chance to win a lifetime of groceries When I started thinking about some of the people In this March 2, 2019 photo, Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna watch the first half of an who paved the way for our NCAA college basketball game between Connecticut and Houston in Storrs, Conn. Bryant, the future, I started to 18-time NBA All-Star who won five championships and became one of the greatest basketball remember a youth who players of his generation during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers, died in a helicopter crash Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. Gianna also died in the crash. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill) had a very large impact on (HEB NEWS) - With my life. His name was (AP) – NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his 13-year- loved Kobe — he was like a little brother to me,” the launch of this year’s Emmitt Till, who was old daughter and seven others were killed in a heli- Jordan said in a statement. “We used to talk often, Big Game commercial, lynched in Mississippi in copter crash on a steep hillside in dense morning and I will miss those conversations very much. He H-E-B is going even big- 1955 at the age of 14. He fog in Southern California on Jan. 26, his sudden was a fierce competitor, one of the greats of the ger by giving one person was there visiting relatives death at age 41 touching off an outpouring of grief game and a creative force.” the chance to win a life- and was accused of for a star whose celebrity transcended basketball. NBA players were in tears during pre-game time of groceries. offending a white woman. The chopper went down in Calabasas, about warmups as crowds chanted “Kobe! Kobe!” Tiger The recently- She charged that he 30 miles (48 kilometers) northwest of downtown Woods was unaware of the news during his final named #1 grocery re- whistle at her. Los Angeles. Authorities said that nine people were round at Torrey Pines in San Diego when he started tailer in the nation will I was 18 at the time and aboard the helicopter and presumed dead, after hearing the gallery yell “Do it for Mamba,” refer- roll out a sweepstakes was preparing to graduate earlier putting the death toll at five. Bryant, an all- ring to Bryant by his nickname. that gives participants from high school and time basketball great who spent his entire 20-year People were glued to their phones and TV who download the new making plans to go away career with the Los Angeles Lakers, was among the screens all around the world as news of the crash My H-E-B app an oppor- to college. I was not going victims, a person familiar with the situation told The spread and networks broke into programming with tunity to play a fun mo- to Mississippi, but to deep Associated Press. live coverage. A visibly shaken LeBron James wiped bile game for a chance to East Texas. I had never Bryant’s 13-year-old daughter Gianna also was his eyes with tissues and walked away alone from win the Texas-sized been away from home for killed, a different person familiar with the case said. the Lakers plane that had just landed in Southern grand prize. The sweep- an extended period of Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva California. stakes will kick off with time. Emmitt Tills death would not confirm the identities of the victims Sun- “Man, I don’t even know where to start,” the launch of our Big haunted me for a long day afternoon pending official word from the coro- tweeted Philadelphia 76ers superstar Joel Embiid. Game commercial star- time. ner. “I started playing ball because of KOBE after watch- ring Eva Longoria. The During my senior year “God bless their souls,” Villanueva said at a ing the 2010 finals. I had never watched ball before commercial will air on of college, I was asked to news conference. that and that finals was the turning point of my life. Feb. 2 during the second do a favor for one of my News of the charismatic superstar’s death rock- I WANTED TO BE LIKE KOBE. I’m so FREAKING SAD half of the game. friends. He wanted me to eted around the sports and entertainment worlds, right now!!!!” For more informa- go to Mississippy to help with many taking to Twitter to register their shock, Bryant retired in 2016 as the third-leading tion about our Big Game the lady that he was going disbelief and anguish. scorer in NBA history, finishing two decades with commercial, details on to marry drive her back to “There’s no words to express the pain I’m go- the Lakers as a prolific scorer with a sublime all- the sweepstakes, pics Texas. While I rode the ing through,” tweeted Lakers teammate Shaquille around game and a relentless competitive ethic. He and a link to our Big bus going, I was very O’Neal, who won three consecutive NBA titles with held that spot in the league scoring ranks until Sat- Game commercial nervous driving back Bryant. “@kobebryant I love u and u will be missed. urday night, when the Lakers’ LeBron James passed teaser, check out our through the state of … IM SICK RIGHT NOW.” him for third place during a game in Philadelphia, news release at H-E-B Mississippi. Retired NBA great Michael Jordan, to whom Bryant’s hometown. Newsroom: https:// Most of us have people, Bryant was often compared, expressed similar sen- “Continuing to move the game forward newsroom.heb.com/h- living and deceased, who timents. @KingJames,” Bryant wrote in his last tweet. “Much e-bs-big-game-com- have had an affect on our “Words can’t describe the pain I am feeling. I respect my brother.” mercial-announces- lives. February is a good chance-to-win-a-life- time to recognize them. See “KOBE WAS A GIANT”, page 8 time-of-groceries/ Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/January 31, 2020 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com Alpha Kappa Zeta holds its 100 Years of Finer Greg Brown III Founders’ Day Luncheon/Centennial Celebration could become Shaka Smart’s Best Friend John Harris Jr. VILLAGER Sports Columnist (VILLAGER) - Re- member the name Greg (Austin, TX) – The nization. the national spotlight Brown III. Alpha Kappa Zeta Chap- Zeta Phi Beta Soror- with programs designed He’s a senior at ter of Zeta Phi Beta So- ity, Incorporated was to demonstrate concern Vandegrift. Plays basket- rority, Incorporated founded on January 16, for the human condition ball at a high level. Goes hosted its “100 Years of 1920 on the campus of both nationally and in- 6-9 or so. Finer” Founders’ Day Howard University in ternationally. Brown can jump Luncheon/Centennial Washington, D.C. by five The Alpha Kappa out of the gym. I Celebration on January dynamic women who Zeta Chapter, serves the watched him do pre- 11, 2020 on the campus believed that sorority City of Austin, Travis cisely that at least three of Houston-Tillotson elitism and socializing County and unincorpo- times performing acro- University. overshadowed the real rated communities of batic dunks last week The celebratory mission for progressive Travis County and was when Vandegrift de- luncheon program in- organizations and failed founded in February 18, feated district rival cluded musical selec- to address fully the soci- 1940 and held their first Hendrickson. tions, greetings, the Al- etal mores, ills, preju- Chapter meetings on the The following day, pha Kappa Zeta chapter dices, and poverty af- campus of Blackshear Brown attended the president remarks and fecting humanity in gen- Elementary School. Texas-LSU basketball game at the Erwin Cen- an Alpha Kappa Zeta eral and the black com- For more informa- Greg Brown III (Photo: Joe Cook/IT) Chapter historical pre- munity in particular. tion, visit http:// ter. He also attended the sentation to include vari- Since its inception, alphakappazeta.com or Texas-Kansas game the message in a season Jarrett Allen, who was the ous highlights within Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, contact us at previous week. that so far hasn’t been 22nd pick in 2017. Allen is Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated has contin- info@alphakappa That’s big news, very positive. a local product who Incorporated as an orga- ued its steady climb into zeta.com. folks. Trust me. Brown played three years at St. Texas is on Brown’s is watching. Stephen’s after transfer- short list of colleges that Would Brown still ring from Round Rock. Listen Live ))) also includes Kentucky, want to play for Texas Smart could go four-for- The Breakfast Club Auburn, Memphis and if Smart is no longer four this year as junior Jericho Sims is emerging Wyatt Shanklin Michigan - big-time the coach? Perhaps.