Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 01949 TPA TEXAS PUBLISHERS www.TheAustinVillager.com ASSOCIATION This paper can be recycled Vol. 45 No. 49 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] April 27, 2018 Wells Fargo Increases Its INSIDE Commitment to Black Homebuyers By Stacy M. Brown | The Washington Informer/NNPA Member RAPPIN’ Guess who’s turning 45? Tommy Wyatt See VILLAGER Page 2 What is CodeNext. We have been hearing a lot about CodeNext lately, but do we know The Overton Group just what this program is? continues family golf legacy. Many believe that it is a See FOUR plan to have Austin Page 3 redeveloped in an organized manner. But here is how the council has described it. “CodeNEXT is the first Wells Fargo officials said they’ve dedicated $15 million for initiatives focused on homebuyer major rewrite of Austin’s education and counseling for Black families. (Pixabay.com) land development code in 30 years. The existing In 2017, Wells Fargo announced a commitment senior vice president and head of retail diverse seg- Democrats seek to to create 250,000 African American homeowners by ments at Wells Fargo Home Mortgage. dominate republican code lacks the tools our legislature. city needs to effectively 2027. “It is really important to understand that, as we In addition to lending $60 billion for home pur- made our intentions public, we did so with some of the See RUNOFF shape and manage chases over that 10-year period, the banking giant has country’s largest and most influential African American Page 6 growth. As we look to the committed to increase the diversity of its sales team, organizations standing by our side,” she said, noting that PFLUGERVILLE future, we need a land particularly African American home mortgage consult- those organizations included the National Association PFLUGERVILLE development code that ants. of Real Estate Brokers (NAREB), the National Urban SEEKSSEEKS INPUTINPUT embodies the values set Further, bank officials said they’ve dedicated $15 League (NUL) and the NAACP. TO out in the City Council- million for initiatives focused on homebuyer education “Their support not only added a measure of ac- TO adopted Imagine Austin and counseling for Black families. countability and a great deal of legitimacy to this com- PROTECTPROTECT Comprehensive Plan.” This commitment is only part of the evidence that mitment, but also the power and scope of their collec- BLACKBLACK The question is what is Wells Fargo has made over the past year to show that tive constituent networks,” Battles said. the difference in the two it values customers of color, said Cerita Battles, the See $5.7 BILLION IN LOANS, page 2 STUDENTSSTUDENTS plans? It appears to many PFLUGERVILLE, TX — that the plan is to make Area research and education sure that the city moves HOT TOPICS QUEEN WENDY WILLIAMS nonprofit MEASURE, in col- Golf club laboration with several com- away from the old master THROWS MAJOR SHADE ON THE munity stakeholders, is con- plan that places African apologizes vening for a community dis- Americans in East LEGENDARY ‘CLARK SISTERS’ cussion on Saturday, May 5th at 4 PM at the Pflugerville Austin, to one that would By Naomi Richard | VILLAGER Contributor guarantee that they will for calling Public Library to seek ways to reduce the number of Black never return to inhabit children who are dispropor- that area again. The cops on tionately charged with as- rapidly rising property sault resulting from in-school values will insure that incidents. This dialog session that will not happen. black comes after a report released But, as with the old by MEASURE earlier this year showed that Black students plan, African Americans women were 3.5 times more likely to are making their new be charged with assault for communities home. One the same infractions as their thing that is different is members counterparts in PFISD that they are having to by The Associated Press schools. Eric Byrd, Chief Opera- settle in many com- YORK, Pa. (AP) — A tions Officer for MEASURE munities and not just one. golf club in Pennsylvania says “The willingness of the However, this will re- has apologized for calling community of Pflugerville to quire building bridges The Clark Sisters accepting the All-Star Gospel Tribute Award during the 2016 police on a group of black engage in this conversation from one community to Essence Music Festival in New Orleans, Louisiana. Photo by Naomi Richard. women after the co- and pursue actionable solu- the other. This will not be owner and his father said tions is a testament to the Daytime talk show Snoop Dog Presents: your game.” they were playing too bravery and innovation of an unusual one, because host Wendy Williams Bible of Love, the new With one of the most slowly and refused re- this amazing city.” that has been the history crossed the line for major faith-based album from extensive resumes in the quests to leave the course. The school-to-prison of the Black community, members of the Gospel Snoop Dogg, hit Number business, Williams’ com- “I felt we were dis- pipeline refers to the na- tional trend of criminalizing, when they have to leave music industry. On April 1 on Billboard’s Top Gos- ments came as a shock to criminated against,” one developed communities, 18, Williams seemed to pel Albums chart (dated many. Industry giants ran rather than educating, our of the women, Myneca nation’s children. The pipe- they just make another doubt the legacy of the March 31). to defend the Clark Sisters Ojo, told the York Daily Clark Sisters. During her On the show Will- on social media. Kirk line encompasses the grow- one. The minority com- Record. “It was a horrific ing use of zero-tolerance dis- “Hot Topics” section, iams made the following Franklin tweeted, “I would munities will have to experience.” cipline, school-based arrests, while commenting on comments to her audi- be nothing without the produce their own Sandra Thompson disciplinary alternative Snoop Dogg’s recent suc- ence, “If I were the Clark CLARK SISTERS. I’m not CodeNext. They will and four friends met up schools, and secured deten- cess on the gospel charts, Sisters, would I be mad even in the same category. have to follow the Saturday to play a round of tion to marginalize youth and she wondered if the that Snoop got No. 1? You I’m just now getting to golf at the Grandview Golf deny them access to educa- recommendations of multi-Grammy Award® know the Clark Sisters, where they started.” tion. Booker T. Washington winning Clark Sisters from they’ve been doing gospel Franklin’s sentiments See ISSUE DIDN’T For more information, “put down your buckets Detroit, Michigan were forever. Have they gotten WARRANT please send an email to See Y’ALL MAD, pg 3 where you are.” upset by it. a No. 1? Oh well, step up CHARGES, page 5 [email protected]. Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/April 27, 2018 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com Over 23K African-American Families Helped Through $5.7B in Home Loan Originations CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 NAREB and affiliates mortgage market, Battles (HBCUs),” Battles said. important pieces to this for events. said. “We know that we of NUL currently are en- said. “And, the future holds puzzle is to begin building a Comparably, can’t just depend on the gaged in homebuyer educa- The bank also dedi- great promise as we have pipeline of new, young, en- HomeFree-USA’s Center coming workforce of the tion and counseling to help cated more than $1.8 mil- several improvements ergetic, bright minds who for Financial Advancement future. We also do our African Americans prepare lion in grants to support that have been put in might not normally consider Symposium is just begin- best to add seasoned vet- for homeownership while homebuyer education and place for 2018 including mortgage lending as a ca- ning a program that Wells erans to our sales force. the NAACP’s Economic De- counseling for African doubling the amount of reer choice,” Battles said. Fargo is supporting that And this is really founda- velopment arm assists con- American audiences, ex- money dedicated to “We hope to achieve this works with similar intent. tional; we leverage our re- stituents with financial pre- ceeding its first-year goal. NeighborhoodLIFT.” through partnerships with “In fact, I recently had lationships with realtors, paredness, which is a key Battles said the ma- Battles said that organizations that can help an opportunity to speak at builders and nonprofits to component to being ready jority of support from Wells Fargo also plans to get the word out to young their first event at Fisk ensure that folks who are to purchase a home, she that work comes prima- pilot new pricing models African Americans as they University, a historically already in the market said. rily from three areas of for home mortgages under grow and shape their Black university located in know that Wells Fargo is “And, our commit- the Wells Fargo Housing $175,000 and to launch a thoughts and plans about Nashville, Tennessee,” not only a viable option, ment aligns very well with Foundation, including the national housing counsel- the future.” Battles said, noting that but also has a program NAREB’s ‘2 million in 5 National Housing Grant ing program that the com- For instance, Wells she was counted among going that focuses on Af- years’ initiative which is Program, the pany can share across the Fargo is partnering with the 10 Black women ex- rican American borrowers aimed at creating 2 million Homeownership Counsel- entire mortgage industry.