Volume 46 | March 31, 2017

Commemorative Edition Celebrating Black History Month

Volume 46 | March 31, 2017

 

 

 

A mericans  have  recognized  black  history  annually  since 

1926,  first  as  "Negro History Week"  and  later  as  "Black 

History  Month"  and  African  American  History  Month. What you might not know is that black history had barely 

begun to be studied or even documented when the tradition origi‐nated.  

Although blacks have been in America at least as far back as colo‐nial times, it was not until the 20th century that they gained a re‐spectable presence in the history books.  

•We owe the celebration of Black History Month, and more impor‐

tantly, the study of black history, to Dr.  Carter  G. Woodson.  Born to parents who were former slaves, he spent his childhood working in  the  Kentucky  coal  mines  and  enrolled  in  high  school  at  age twenty.  

•He graduated within  two years and  later went on to earn a Ph.D. from Harvard. The scholar was disturbed to  find  in his studies  that history  books  largely  ignored  the  black  American  population‐and when blacks did figure into the picture, it was generally in ways that reflected the inferior social position they were assigned at the time.  

 •Woodson, always one to act on his ambitions, decided to take on the  challenge  of writing  black  Americans  into  the  nation's  history. He established the Association for the Study of Negro Life and His‐tory (now called the Association for the Study of Afro‐American Life and History).  

•In 1915, and a year  later founded the widely respected Journal of Negro History.  

•In 1926, he  launched Negro History Week as an  initiative to bring national  attention  to  the  contributions of black people  throughout 

American  history. Woodson  chose  the  second week  of  February for Negro History Week because it marks the birthdays of two men who  greatly  influenced  the  black  American  population,  Frederick 

Douglas and Abraham Lincoln.

HONORING OUR AUSTIN,TEXAS PIONEERS

IN THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY

Oliver Street Construction Company •

Doyle & Freeman Builders •

Thomas E. Ates, General Contractor •

James City, Home Builder •

Alvin Washington Trucking Company •

Hunt & Yett Construction Co. •

(real estate and general construction)

JHarper Construction Company •

Schuler’s Roofing Company •

Lawrence Electric •

Fowler’s Electric •

Johnson’s Hauling Company •

C.G. Hill Electric Company •

James C. Smith Concrete •

Dotson’s & Johnson Heating & Air Conditioning •

Humphrey’s Landscaping •

James Collins Concrete

B&L Heating & Air Conditioning •

Lee Clemmons’ Plumbing Co. •

Chambers Heating & Air Conditioning •

Fred Jones Landscaping •

Ernest Mooney Plumbing Company •

Tom Wright Landscaping Co.•

Marshall Trucking Company •

Moseley’s Woodcraft, Inc. •

Sneed’s Welding •

Lott Lumber Co. •

Celebrating Black History Month

HONORING OUR HISTORY

Page 4 ABCA NEWSPOINTS

A Tribute to ... African American Construction

Contractors African American Construction Contractors and Suppliers have struggled tirelessly over the dec-ades to overcome systemic barriers that have blocked their full participation and ability to achieve economic parity in the construction mar-ketplace.

In spite of this, African American Contractors have been inventive, creative and resourceful with knocking down these barriers thru advocacy and demands for equal access to opportunities.

Additionally, African American Contractors have provided many meaningful employment opportu-nities, training and mentorships to hundreds of indi-viduals from all ethnic backgrounds in the Austin Metropolitan Area.

To date, African American Contractors have par-ticipated in several City of Austin landmark projects with little or no recognition. These projects includes the —- New Austin City Hall • New Central Library and Related Improvements • Austin Bergstrom In-ternational Airport Terminal Facility • Austin Bergstrom Terminal East Infill • Austin Bergstrom Ter-minal / Apron Expansion and Improvements • Aus-tin Energy Control Center • Water Treatment Plant 4 • Waller Creek Tunnel • Decommissioning of Holly Street Power Plant •  Waller Creek Water Treatment Plant.

The ABCA recognize these achievements for a

“job well done”

and what better way

to celebrate is during

Black History Month 2017    

  

Best Regards and Success, Carol S. Hadnot Program Manager / Consultant, ABCA February 22, 2017

ABCA Award Recipients Sammy Ramirez

City of Austin, Austin Energy

Veronica Briseño & Thomas Owens

City of Austin Small and Minority Business

Resources Dept.

Alvin Washington Alvin Washington Trucking Company

Reginald World Trini Construction and Builders, LLC

Alayne Johnson All Points Inspection Services, Inc.

Patrick Carter Unity Contractor Services, Inc.

Cloteal Davis Haynes Haynes Eaglin Waters, LLC

Calvin Williams ZLynx Enterprise, Inc.

Ralph Anthony Wright RAW Trucking

Page 5 ABCA NEWSPOINTS

Alayne Johnson,

General Manager of

Allpoints Inspection

Services, Inc. is an

ABCA 2017 Next

Generation

Contractor and

newly elected

president of the

ABCA

City of Austin, Small and Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Staff Representa‐tives: Harold Tolbert Business Development Counselor; Stella Richerson Kinley, Sr. Business Development  Counselor; Veronica Briseño, Director; Edward Campos, Assistant Director; and  Thomas Owens, Resource Division Manager  

Sammy Ramirez,  City of Austin,  Austin Energy Recipient of  

ABCA’s  Advocacy Award 

Page 6 ABCA NEWSPOINTS

On February 22, 2017, in the spirit of Dr. Carter G. Woodson  the  father of Black History Month, the Austin Area Black  Contractors  Association  cele‐brated  by  honoring  and  recognizing several of their members and City of Austin staff members involved in the advancement  of  minority  and women business enterprises.  

Page 7 ABCA NEWSPOINTS

HONORING ABCA’S NEXT GENERATION CONTRACTORS

Recipients received a Congratulatoy Plaque and a

Certificate of Appreciation from the City of Austin Mayor’s Office

Cloteal Davis Haynes Haynes Eaglin Waters, LLC

Reginald World Trini Builders and Construction, LLC

Patrick Carter & LaShae Lenzy Unity Contractor Services, Inc.

Alvin Washington Washington Trucking Company

Calvin Williams Zlynx Enterperise Inc.

Anthony Wright RAW Trucking

Page 8 ABCA NEWSPOINTS

Hale Hawkins, Austex Tree Services Avery Williamson, Avery Lawncare & Landscaping

Debra Dibble, Director of AISD HUB Program Veronica Briseño, Director, City of Austin SMBR

Heath Williamson and son Shadiq Williamson; Mrs. Vera Williams; and Sophia Williams

Seated Right: Muriel Kruse, Univesity of Texas, Project Management and Construc-tion Services; Debra Dibble, AISD HUB Program; Veronica Briseño, City of Austin SMBR; Edward Campos, City of Austin SMBR; Thomas Owens, City of Austin SMBR; Sherry Cruz, Forst Bank; Amelie Gonzales, Austin Energy; Linda Moore, Re-tired SMBR — Seated Left: Reginald World, Trini Construction Builder; Juan Oyervides, USHCA; Cloteal Davis, HEW; Rolando Fernandez, City of Austin, Interim Director, Capital Contracting Officer

Page 9 ABCA NEWSPOINTS

Heath Williams and son

Shadiq Williamson; Mr. James Harper, one of the ABCA Founding Mem-

bers; Theresa Smith, Smitco Concrete; Mrs. Vera

Williams and Sophia Wil-liams were there to partici-

pate in the celebration.

Alvin and Barbra Williams Alvin Washington Trucking Company

Hale Hawkins, Austex Tree Services Theresa Smith, Smitco Concrete

Juan Oyervides, United States Hispanic

Contractors Association Cloteal Davis Haynes and

Arika Haynes Haynes Eaglin Waters,

GC/Consulting Sammy Ramirez, Austin

Energy, Harold Tolbert, SMBR

Page 10 ABCA NEWSPOINTS

Standing: Sammy Ramirez, Sherry Cruz, Amelie Gon-zalez . Seated: Hale Haw-kins; Austex Tree Services; Avery Lawncare and Land-scaping; Alvin Washington and Barbra Washington, Alvin Washington Trucking Company.

Juan Oyervides, United States Hispanic Contractors Association Cloteal Davis Haynes and Arika Haynes Haynes Eaglin Waters, GC/Consulting; Sammie Ramirez, Austin En-ergy, Harold Tolbert, SMBR; Muriel Kruse, UTPMCS; Debra Dibble, AISD; Ed Campos, SMBR; Thomas Owens, SMBR; and Linda Moore

Page 11 ABCA NEWSPOINTS

a publication of the Austin Area Black Contractors Association, Inc.

Black History Month 2017

Commemorative Edition | March 31, 2017 Volume 46

website: www.abca.tx..com 512-467-6894, office | 512-467-9808, fax

E-mail: brc-pro@att.net Publisher:

Business Resource Consultants, Program Manager / Consultant for the

Austin Area Black Contractors Association

Muriel ● Edward ● Debra ● Veronica

Patrick Carter and Sammy Ramirez

Linda Moore and Harold Tolbert Juan Oyervides, USHCA

The Black History Celebration is an annual event sponsored by the

Austin Area Black Contractors Association. The event was held on February 22, 2017 at

Pappadeaux’s Fine Dining Room. Business Resource Consultants

served as the Event Planner.

Author: JULIET E. K. WALKER is professor of history at the Uni-versity of Texas, Austin, and the founder and director of the Center for Black Business History, Entrepreneurship, and Technology. She is author of Free Frank: A Black Pioneer on the Antebellum Frontier and editor of Encyclopedia of African American Business History.