Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 01949 TPA TEXAS PUBLISHERS www.TheAustinVillager.com ASSOCIATION This paper can be recycled Vol. 44 No. 15 Phone: 512-476-0082 Email: [email protected] September 2, 2016 Beyoncé INSIDE Proves She’s in a Lane of Austin explores international enterprise RAPPIN’ Her Own opportunities. Tommy Wyatt See GABC at MTV Page 3 Happy Trails to you Ms. Phifer!! VMAs On Tuesday evening I by: Mesfin Fekadu attended the retirement AP Music Writer celebration for Bernadette Phifer. She is the current NEW YORK (AP) — Program Manager and Beyonce proved once Curator of the George again she is the contem- 49ers quarterback Washington Carver porary rock star, and she derived backlash Museum. She has held that used the MTV Video Mu- over protest. position for 26 years. sic Awards stage to show- See ANTHEM Phifer has been active in case her skills and out- Page 5 the arts and the Austin shine her peers, from community for over 30 Rihanna to Britney years. She is the first and Spears. only Curator that the center Beyonce won eight has had. In fact, The awards, including video of George Washington Carver the year, and performed Museum, Cultural and five songs from her visual Genealogy Center was the album “Lemonade” in an epic 16-minute concert Residents argue the first African American accountability of neighborhood museum in Sunday that had the audi- Beyonce accepts the award for Video of the Year for “Lemonade” at the police body cams. Texas. ence at Madison Square MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, Aug. See DEMOCRATS Under Phifer’s See RIHANNA, page 2 28, 2016, in New York. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) Page 6 leadership, that center truly represents Black Austin. The museum boasts the East Austin largest and oldest public art collection program in Austin and is home to the Coalition Against Old L. C. Anderson High School collection as well as Substance Abuse the Juneteenth Memorial Monument statues. The museum also houses a (East Austin theater that is named for the late Boyd Vance. Vance C.A.S.A.) was credited with keeping Black theater in the Sponsored by No More/No Más, Inc. forefront in Austin A group of community leaders from the East side While listening to the of Austin, led by a local nonprofit No More / No Más, many speakers who paid Inc. formed a federally sponsored Drug Free Coalition tribute to Phifer, I could aimed at addressing substance abuse among youth, not help but think back to particularly those in grades six to twelve. Under a fed- the first time that I met the eral law, the Drug-Free Communities Support Program, honoree. It was when she communities can establish Drug Free Coalitions to de- DRUG-FREE CRUSADERS - Pictured left to right are ILL. Charles lived in El Paso, Texas velop locally based strategies that help reduce the use, Bowen, Grand Master, Mt. Carmel Grand Lodge; Ed Miller, Austin Youth and I was there with the abuse and sale of illegal drugs, alcohol and even ciga- Leadership & Counseling; Dr. Steve Larson, L.M.F.T., LPC; Dr. Jose Rivera, Texas Coalition of Black rettes. This will be the first such Coalition in Travis Chief Financial Officer, No More, No Mas, Inc.; AV Leclair, Chief of Staff, Democrats. At that time, County. House Representative District 46, Dawnna Dukes; and Chaplain Lea El Paso was one of our See SAY “NO MORE / NO MÁS” TO ABUSE, DRUGS, Walker-Clark, Presient , No More, No Mas, Inc. (Photo coutesy of No More fastest growing chapters page 2 / No Más, Inc.) and one of our more active ones. I was surprised to LOS ANGELES - Relevé Entertainment, in partner- see her in Austin a short ship with Walgreens and the AIDS Healthcare Founda- time later when she moved COURTNEY B. tion, held The Merge Summit in Los Angeles, Califor- here. nia August 25-27, 2016 at The Millennium Biltmore It is hard to believe that VANCE, Hotel. The Merge Summit is a unique event created to she is retiring, although inspire synergy with faith based and entertainment in- she certainly deserves it. dustry leaders to educate, uplift, and encourage attend- She will be hard to SUZANNE de ees to aspire towards their professional and personal replace. She is a goals. Trailblazer for Public PASSE, AND The Merge Summit launched August 25th with a Service in Art and welcoming Opening Gala. This year’s gala honored the Culture. She is proud to outstanding accomplishments of Senior Vice President say that “Every month is MORE ATTEND Trai Byers, who of Prudential Financial- Dorinda Walker, ESSENCE Black History Month at stars as Andre Lyon of Magazine Editor At Large-Mikki Taylor, founder and the Carver!” Fox’s TV drama THE 2016 MERGE senior pastor of Living Word Christian Center (LWCC)- So, as Roy Rogers and “EMPIRE” was Dr. Bill Winston and Emmy Award Nominated Actor- Dale Evans would say at featured on The Merge Courtney B. Vance. This evening was hosted by come- the end of their movies, SUMMIT Summit panel dian, actress, author, and television personality– Sherri “Happy Trails to You” discussing Faith, Love Naomi Richard | The Austin Villager Newspaper Shepherd. Entertainment was provided by Jonathan Ms. Phifer in your and Success. retirement. See THE MERGE SUMMIT, page 5 Photo by Naomi Richard Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/September 2, 2016 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com SAY “NO MORE / NO MÁS” Rihanna Receives the Michael Jackson TO VIOLENCE, ABUSE, DRUGS AND Video Vanguard Award OTHER NEGATIVE FORCES IN THE COMMUNITY. Attending the inaugural meeting of East Austin C.A.S.A. are (L) AV Leclair, Chief of Staff, Dawnna Dukes, DIstrict 46 House Representative and (R) Chaplain Lea Walker-Clark, President, No More, No Mas, Inc. CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Drake, left, presents the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award to Lea Walker Clark, an According to the literature, cigarettes that are sold Rihanna at the MTV Video Music Awards at Madison Square Garden ordained Chaplain and these temptations include individually outside of the on Sunday, Aug. 28, 2016, in New York. professional counselor, is early experimentation with pack, the sale of and mis- (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP) President of No More / No marijuana and even heroin, use of prescription drugs, CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Más and the architect be- use of K2 or synthetic mari- the sale and abuse of K2, hind this new entity: the juana, use of illegal and of- the synthetic marijuana Garden in awe. It was reminiscent of “She’s someone I’ve East Austin Coalition ten easily obtainable phar- product made from herbs, She sang live, danced the 2014 VMAs, when been in love with since I Against Substance Abuse maceutical drugs. spices and sprayed with heavily and worked the Beyonce also performed was 22 years old,” Drake (East Austin C.A.S.A.). The At its meeting, held the chemical TCH, the ac- crowd as she ran through for 16 minutes and ac- said as Rihanna blushed purpose of No More / No on August 26 at the Christi tive ingredient in mari- “Pray You Catch Me,” cepted the Michael Jack- and the audience cheered Más is to say “no more / Center in East Austin, the juana.” And, “of course,” “Hold Up,” “Sorry,” “Don’t son Video Vanguard loudly. “She’s one of my no más” to violence, Coalition brought over 30 she noted, “there is the Hurt Yourself” and “For- award. This year it was best friends in the world. abuse, drugs and other community leaders to- ever-present sale, distribu- mation,” which won the awarded to Rihanna, who All of my adult life I’ve negative forces in the com- gether “to develop a com- tion and abuse of heroin.” top prize over Adele, split up her performances looked up to her even munity. “That is why we munity centered compre- The Coalition will be Drake, Justin Bieber and throughout the night, sing- though she’s younger than decided to form a drug hensive plan for drug, al- filing an application in Kanye West. ing hits such as “Work,” me.” free coalition. We have cohol and tobacco preven- March, 2017 and, if suc- “First of all, I’d like to “We Found Love” and Rihanna, 28, thanked had enough with drugs and tion” according to draft cessful, will receive a grant thank my beautiful daugh- “Love on the Brain.” her family, friends and its effects and with this bylaws considered at the from federal Center for ter and my incredible hus- But the biggest mo- hometown of Saint Coalition we will gather meeting. Substance Abuse Preven- band for all of their sup- ment for Rihanna came Michael, Barbados, for the strength of the com- The agenda for the tion in the amount of port,” said Beyonce, who when Drake — in a tuxedo helping her succeed in her munity to say in unison: first meeting included the $125,000 per year for five walked the carpet with — presented the award to 11-year-career. NO MORE / NO MAS.” Ex- setting of preliminary pri- years. As summarized by daughter Blue Ivy and the his former girlfriend. He “My success started plaining further, she said orities based upon the re- Ms. Walker Clark, “when mothers of Trayvon Martin, said he met Rihanna in as my dream, but now my that “we wanted to do alities of drug, alcohol and we get this grant, we will Michael Brown and Eric 2005 on the set of her first success is not my own.