• II! r~ "'.>=': ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Vol. 1, No. 3 . March, 1976 50 cents - . e~ ~ o~ p;r.~ Brown earns confirDlation-, ~ "I now nominate Penny and not qualifying for it under City Attorney Jonathan Day ~ Stimley Brown for the position of "state law. clarified the Pressler ruling. He ~- city Civil Service Director," Mann had objected to Brown's said that even if the HPOA Mayor Fred Hofheinz ~id living in Missouri City,lO miles sought permanent relief, it would February 24 immediately- •. from Houston. While a member be 18months to two years before ~ ~ followinga city council debate on of the legislature in 1949,Mann the case against Brown ever went whether the names of depart- had authored a bill - V.C.S. 1269 to court. ment head-designates should be M--inwhich it was required that With Mann satisfied, Homer ~ kept secret until all council prospective department heads Ford seconded the motion. :..-- representatives have had an reside in a city for two years It was 12 noon. Hofheinz opportunity to talk with the before they could be considered gaveled the morning session to a mayor about his particular for top level positions. close but before he could get up ~ choices, "That was meant to keep these from his seat, Judson Robinson - The debate, whichwas initiated fly-by-night operators -- no called for a suspension of the. ~ by council.member Jim West- reflection on Mrs. Brown - from rules to allow debate· on the ~ moreland,' centered on the getting into positions," Mann Brown nomination to continue. ~ allegation that Hofheinz' office explained at the confirmation Louis Macey, the newes t had leaked Brown's name to the session. member of council, quickly media prior to that office A few. hours before Hofheinz jumped into the debate. ~ >- ~ notifying council. put Brown's name in nomination, "Mr. Mayor, I'm going to vote " Hofheinz brushed the debate State District Court Judge against Mrs. Brown for three 11 '1 aside.: Pressler dismissed a suit that good reasons," he said. "First of -, It was 11:44 a.m. when he some police officers had hoped all, she's not qualified. She has no . pfficially presented Brown's would keep Brown out of the civil . personnel experience." name to the council. service department. That, according to some other If confirmed, Brown would be The Houston Police Officers councilrepresentatives, had been the first woman to ever head the Association, which is comprised a concern they shared when civil service department and the of 1500 patrol officers and a Brown's resume was first first Black woman to direct any handful of detectives and presented them. city department. sergeants, had asked Pressler for Brown's background is a legal' :"""-1 Ta}l!l recorders were turned a temDOrar~ restraining order one. She took her J.D. in 1971 11~'1'1--a.lIl. wrrerr+rte SOIlIe-punce-onTCers----naU&l~cnr, •.sn• e-s"IIOt"quauITea~e-nas-no ...:t lW officially presented Brown's would keep Brown out of the civil . personnel experienc~." ~me to the council. service department. That, according to some other • If confirmed, Brown would be The Houston Police Officers councilrepresentatives, had been the first woman to ever head the Association, which is comprised a concern they shared when civil service department and the of 1500 patrol officers and a Brown's resume was first first Black woman to direct any handful of detectives and presented them. city department. sergeants, had asked Pressler for Brown's background is a legal" Tape recorders were turned a temporary restraining order one. She took her J.D. in 1971 on; television camerapersons which would have made it im- from Harvard Law School. She adjusted their lighting; reporters possible for Hofheinz to place had worked with tenants' rights pulled themselves up in their Brown's -name in nomination. groups in Boston, Cambridge and chairs and openedtheir notepads. The HPOA's allegation was that at Texas Southern University. The council chamber was Brown's nomination violated From early 1973 to -September packed with interested spec- V.C.S. 1269M. 1974,she worked closely with the tators, including a rare ap- Pressler denied the injunctive state attorney general in anti- pearance by Mac Hofheinz. relief sought by the association trust, consumer fraud and I After a moment of silence and said, "I don't see where any federal court cases. council representative Frank irreparable harm will be done by PENNY BROWN ~ Mann surprised most observers going ahead with the "One ofthe things that changed legal background was an asset, from $19,500to $30,000two years bymoving for confirmation of the nomination." ~ some of the councilmen's minds one that would put her lack of nomination. Mann's motion for con- about Brown was that it was ago so the mayor couiciget VlnCe_. personnel experience into proper Rachel to leave Foley's aDd join firmation came with a condition. pointed out to them that city balance." Five days prior to the official He made it "subject to a court employees were suing the city the city. Now, the salary is -$33,000a year. I think we oughtto r- nomination, Mann had severely decision on the state law or a .every .. day for something," "Secondly, I think the salary is criticized Brown as being too determination on the legality of Robinson said, the day prior to . too high," Macey continued. "I take the salary back to $19,500 inexperienced' for the. position this fr0!ll the legal department." confirmation "and that Brown's know that the salary was taken since Mrs. Brown is only making I Continued on page 14 Mural overparked? ---- - "We, the Chicano-Northside Department planned to take Community and all the un- down the mural and put it in a dersigned, demand that the community center. mural entitled "Inqualidad para- Yolanda Castellon, one of the la Mujer Mexicana Americana" artists, says that she, her sister,' which is situated at MoodyPark, Sylvia, and ConsuelaTorres were 3725Fulton, be allowed to remain commissioned by the City's permanently at the site where it Parks and Recreation Depart- now stands and that efforts be ment to paint a 3-panelmural last made to preserve it as an -summer with the understanding example of the cultural and it would remain permanently in historical contributions of the parks as an example of Chicana Women." women's art. '-'That is clearly a misun- derstanding," says George These words appear on a Lanier, Director of the City of petition circulated by the artists Houston's Parks and Recreation of the Moody Park mural-and Department. "I agreed to allowa members of La Mujeres Unidas, mural in the parks project with a Chicana women's rights group. the understanding it would be a Nearly 5,000 signatures have temporary aFrangement. The - been collected during the month Chicana artists Sylvia Castellon, Torres in front of their mural Mexicana Americana." A poem ~ - Yolanda Castellon, and Consuela "Inqualidad para la Mujer by Rosita Morales appears on the of February after it was learned mural. the City's Parks and Recreation Continued on page 12' • ~ so MutH F~ DRESS CODES IN THE ('OURTROOM.. • DRUI Are mruieoes ours? PRO ...r eouns divid Just as the great catch-all phrase "all men are created equal" is alcoh meant to apply to "all women, too," so the spirit of "the airwaves probl belong to the people" is meant to include you Black, me Brown, and write you woman. -;A Houst Unfortunately, this is another myth taken for fact. Dorse Blacks, Browns and women were not around Broadcast Boulevard 25years ago when the great decision was made to make television an LANI entertainment medium rather than the powerful educational tool it RAIL could have been. In spite of the civil rights movement for minorities There and women which has interevened during that period, we are still raisi~ excluded from the decisions that shape the attitudes that 200million Dente peopleholdofus, womenand minorities, in this society. Inn, :l: recep We are still expected to accept pass!yely an image of ourselves a.m. I conceived, written, and directed by white male management at net- 445-02 work and local levels ------bird-brained Lucy, who dominated the vertiSt image ofwoman in television sincethe 50's and scatter-brained Edith, Comni her 1970's counterpart. Blacks and Browns ask for meaningful Suza representation to counteract the negative stereotypes of "shuckin' and jivin' and lazy'; and they get Sanford and Sonsand Chicoand the Man. Hew We watch the evening news and we see ourselves among the ac- Harr~ cident and crime reports either as victims '(df women) or criminals (if Cauc~ minority males). We have extensive monitoring studies to prove this ~dct the l point. Marcl Hcwl At a recent press conference in Houston a spokesperson for the the ' Black Communicators Association said "It is our feeling that the stitut .•..- electronic media shape the consciousness of this country. The works media ..... are brainwashing Americans into believing false im- orga pressions about Blacks and other minorities struggling for self-respect -, Follo and dignity in this country." r will rally The BCAis preparing to take a suit into federal court on its way to the the Supreme Court that will be as encompassing as Brown vs The ane Board of Education of Topeka. fund runn .1 Their goal is "to return the airwaves to the public, to get a H redefinition of the original communications act and to use television -'-~ on a and radio primarily as vehicles of education rather than vehicles of For entertainment. " to the editor Duer, The BCA is preparing to take a suit into federal court on its way to the Supreme Court that will be as encompassing as Brown vs The • Board of Education of Topeka.