Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 01949 This paper can be recycled Vol. 36 No. 39 Website: theaustinvillager.com Email: [email protected] Phone: 512-476-0082 Fax: 512-476-0179 February 27, 2009 BLACK HISTORY MONTH 2009 “The quest for Black citizenship in the Americas” 10th Annual Azie Taylor Morton appointed U. S. Community Treasurer by President Jimmy Carter Heritage Azie Taylor Morton is Work. distinguished as the only Af- Morton spent a short Festival rican American ever to hold time teaching at a state-sup- this weekend the post of Treasurer of the ported school for delinquent RAPPIN’ United States. Appointed by girls after she graduated from Tommy Wyatt at HT President Jimmy Carter on college in 1956. After this, she September 12, 1977, Morton returned to her alma mater to served as the United States’ serve as assistant to the presi- 36th Treasurer until January dent of the college for a short What an exciting 20, 1981. Along with the Sec- time. In 1957 she applied and month this was! retary of the Treasury, the was hired as a staff member Treasurer must sign Federal for the new Texas AFLCIO, a Black History Month 2009 Reserve notes before they can major labor union. She later was a very exciting time for me. become legal tender, thus moved to Washington to While we were trying to concen- Morton’s signature was on serve on President John F. trate on the history of the past, U.S. currency for three years. Kennedy’s Committee on we were involved in the history Her work as U.S. Treasurer Equal Employment Opportu- in the making. was preceded by many years nity, beginning twenty years Barack Obama completed his of public service, and her up- of service in the public sector first month in office on Febru- standing character and giv- that culminated with her ap- ary 20, but you would have ing spirit are well known in pointment in 1977 as Trea- thought that he had been in of- her Texas community. In surer of the United States. As fice a lot longer. During that time, Treasurer, Morton was re- State Rep. Dawnna Dukes spite of an underprivileged he held his first press confer- childhood, Morton’s amazing sponsible for the receipt and Austinites are invited to ence, he received approval of accomplishments along with custody of government funds. join State Representative the Stimulus Package that he her gracious spirit give hope Morton also served on Dawnna Dukes (D-Austin), had proposed, he laid out a plan to those less fortunate. “It isn’t several important foreign af- ProArts Collective, for the country and a few days luck, and it isn’t circum- fairs committees during her AMERIGROUP Community later, spoke to a joint session of stances, and it isn’t being political career. She was a Care and Huston-Tillotson congress and told them and the born a certain way that causes member of the American Del- University for the 10th An- people of America about his a person’s future to become Azie Taylor Morton served as U. S.Ttreasurer egation to Rome for the En- nual African-American Com- proposal. Later this week the what it becomes,” Morton said a cotton field.” Morton was school at the University of thronement of Pope John Paul munity Heritage Festival on president will present to con- in the book Chicken Soup for raised by her maternal grand- Texas, her admission was II, and chair of a People to Saturday, February 28, 2008, gress his budget for the coming the Soul at Work. Her life’s parents, and because there denied on the grounds that People Mission to the Soviet from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on year. work is a strong testimony to was no high school for Afri- she did not have enough un- Union and China. She was the grounds of historic On the home front, we focused her belief that a person can can Americans in Dale, she dergraduate courses. Her ad- also an Election Observer for Huston-Tillotson campus, lo- our attention on the Black His- accomplish anything they set attended high school at a mission was then denied for the Presidential elections in cated at 900 Chicon Street in tory makers who walk among us their mind to. charity-sponsored school for the undergraduate courses Haiti, Senegal, and the Do- East Austin. every day. For the last four Azie Taylor was born black children in Austin she needed based on Texas minican Republic, and a rep- The 2008 African- weeks we have talked about the on February 1, 1936, in Dale, called the Texas Blind, Deaf, University’s policy of not al- resentative to the first Afri- American Community Heri- men and women who have made Texas, to Fleta Hazel Taylor. and Orphan School. She lowing African Americans can/African American Con- tage Festival is a free event milestone contributions to our Morton said in a speech to the graduated there at the age of into its undergraduate pro- ference held in Africa. with activities suitable for all community by their community student body of a small col- 16 with high grades, and en- grams. In spite of this emo- Mission to the Soviet ages. This festival is the pin- service. We could cover only a lege in South Carolina (as rolled at Huston-Tillotson, an tional setback, Azie began a Union and China, chair; First nacle of Austin’s celebrations handful of these citizens, be- quoted in Chicken Soup for the all-black college in Austin, fulfilling and successful forty- African-American Conference of Black History Month and cause the list is too long to cover Soul at Work), “I was born to a where she graduated cum five year career. “Nothing has in Africa, representative; Na- the rich culture African- all of these citizens. mother who was deaf and laude with a Bachelor of Sci- to remain the way it is if that’s tional Democratic Institute, Americans contribute to the We concentrated on some of could not speak. I do not ence degree in commercial not the way a person wants it board member; Citizens Fund, Austin community every the many first that have taken know who my father is or was. education in 1956. Although to be,” Morton was quoted in board of trustees, 1991-2001; day. place in our community since the The first job I ever had was in she applied to graduate Chicken Soup for the Soul at See Morton page 5 late 60’s. While we concentrated on the big Civil Rights Marches Small Personal Item Belt Developer Inherits City Solid Waste Disposal Dept that were going on around the Helps Slum Lords Turn Wentworth country, there were a number of Go-Getting spirit from Civil Rights Grandfather efforts going on in our commu- Street and Gar Creek into “Dumpster nity and communities around Blackberries™, keys, medical City”!! the country. We must remem- supplies, money, credit ber that all politics are local. We cards, wallets and passports make our case for national is- with them without getting in sues by the actions that we take the way can learn more about at home. the SPIbelt™ online at We must remember that who- www.spibelt.com. ever the national leaders is, they As the nation celebrates are only the face of the move- Black History Month, several ment. The real action takes place key names deserve mention. at home. While many are look- For Austin, Texans, that list ing for help from the Obama ad- of notables would be incom- ministration, they would be bet- plete without Volma Overton, ter served by trying to work with Sr. on it. From 1963 until 1983, the local leadership to get the Overton served as President problems solved. For example, of the Austin chapter of the the stimulus money will be dis- National Association for the tributed through the organiza- Advancement of Colored tions that are in place now. People (NAACP). During that There will be no new organiza- tenure, he was vitally influ- tions created to work on our Adrienne Rison-Isom area. ential in desegregating the Contributing Reporter When focusing on current economic and employ- city’s schools. Forty-five years ment problems. Whatever who made this direct deter- later, the Overton name is still mination, Cardenas stated, money is allotted for our com- City Solid Waste Ser- making a revolutionary im- that this was the response, munity will be sent through our vices Assistant Director, pact on the world. The civil and decision of Solid Waste City Council or our County Com- Daniel Cardenas said, “ It Inventor Kim Overton is the Granddaughter of the late Volma rights torch has been passed Director “Willie Roads”, af- missioners Court. Other monies was the determination of the Overton, Sr. down through the genera- ter Cardenas tried to follow will be secured from the state. tions, where Kim Overton, his City, that the best way to deal Austin, TX – February edying the situation. Soon af- up on this action which is an So, it is imperative to start now granddaughter, is now pick- with the trash situation in that 24, 2008 – Effecting change in ter, the SPIbelt™ was born. atrocity to the neighborhood. to communicate with these officials ing up the go-getting entre- area was to place dumpsters to have an input as to how that the world is nothing new for Short for “Small Personal This statement made Febru- preneurial baton. there”. This was the response th Kim Overton.