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RAPPIN’Tommy Wyatt

TPATEXASPUBLISHERSASSOCIATION

Gregory J. Vincent Named Next Presidentof Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Gregory J. Vincent

AUSTIN, Texas — Gregory L. Vincent, vice president for diversity and community engagement atThe University of Texas at Austin, has been named the next president of Hobart and William Smith Colleges.

UT Austin President Gregory L. Fenves sent the following message to the university community about Dr.Vincent’s departure.

Dear UT Community:I write to inform you that Dr. Gregory Vincent, vice president for diversity and community engagement, will

be leaving The University of Texas to serve as president of his alma mater, Hobart and William Smith Colleges inNew York state, effective July 16.

Though it is very difficult to see such an accomplished leader depart our university, I know that Dr. Vincentwill flourish in his new role and continue to transform the lives of students — just as he has done for so manyyears at UT.

At UT, Dr. Vincent was the first person to serve as vice president for diversity and community engagement.Over the course of his 11 years as VP, he elevated our university’s commitment to inclusion in many ways, byimplementing substantive programs and initiatives, improving our engagement with communities throughoutthe state and serving as a champion for the rights, beliefs and perspectives of all UT students, faculty membersand staff members.

Throughout his tenure, Dr. Vincent developed innovative approaches to recruit and support diverse facultymembers and graduate students. He has strengthened academic support for students of color, students fromeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds and first-generation college students. And last month, with Dr. Vincentleading the effort, UT released the University Diversity and Inclusion Action Plan, which serves as a blueprint forhow we can continue to create a more equitable and inclusive experience for students, faculty members andstaff members of all backgrounds.

One of the most powerful memories I have from our time working together was of walking beside Dr.Vincent on the front steps of the U.S. Supreme Court after the oral arguments in the Fisher v. University of Texascase in 2015. Dr. Vincent was central to UT’s successful effort to uphold the use of race and ethnicity as part ofour admissions process, and we walked out of the court that day, together, proud that we had made the argu-ment in support of the educational benefits of diversity. When the court later ruled in our favor, it was a victoryfor UT and a victory for students across the nation. Dr. Gregory Vincent helped make it possible.

So, before the semester ends, I encourage you to seek out Dr. Vincent and congratulate him on the tremen-dous service he provided to our university, and wish him well on the next phase of his impactful career. Thelegacy of his leadership will continue to shape our university for many years to come.

Sincerely,Gregory L. Fenves

RideAustinResponds toPassage ofUBER-

SupportedStatewide

RidesharingBill HB 100

AUSTIN, TX - “Westarted RideAustin tobring mobility back afterUber abruptly chose toleave Austinites out-of-work and stranded. Whilewe respect the StateLegislature’s ability tooverrule Austin voters -we believe the local Aus-tin community is the bestto set local Austin rules.In any scenario - we be-lieve that RideAustin rep-resents the local commu-nity values and will con-tinue to be embraced bythe local community.”

Andy TrybaRideAustin CEO

Travis County to Participate inNational Prescription Drug

Take Back DayAUSTIN, TX – On Saturday, April 29th from

10:00am to 2:00pm, Travis County Constables willteam up with the Drug Enforcement Administra-tion (DEA) to give the public an opportunity tosafely dispose of expired, unused and unwantedprescription drugs. Residents can simply drop offtheir medicines at any of the four Constable of-fices listed below. This service is free, anonymousand no questions asked.

The National Prescription Drug Take-BackDay provides a safe, convenient, and responsiblemeans of disposing of prescription drugs, whilealso educating the general public about the poten-tial for abuse of medications. The misuse and im-proper disposal of expired and unwanted pre-scription drugs is a growing problem in our coun-try. It’s a problem that is harming children, teensand adults, as well as water supply.

See DROP-OFF LOCATIONS, page 3

Dr. GregoryVincent is

leaving Austin. When the news circulatedthat Dr. Gregory Vincent isleaving Austin, it came as ashock to many in thecommunity who knew him. Aletter was sent out from UTPresident Greg Fenves’ officeto break the news. Accordingto President Fenves, Vincentis heading back to New Yorkwhere he has been named thenext President of Hobart andWilliam Smith Colleges. Vincent is the first personto serve as Vice President forDiversity and CommunityEngagement. He has servedin that capacity for 11 years.And during that time almosteveryone in the communitylearned to know and respecthim. Through his efforts,minority citizens began tobelieve that they did have astake in The University ofTexas. He reached out to allsegments of the community. Vincent showed his supportto many of the organizations inthe community and invitedthem to come to the campusand participate. He would also,make every effort to attendcountless events in the com-munity. The signature event in thecommunity was the AnnualChristmas Affair that is heldeach year at the GW CarverMuseum and Cultural Center inEast Austin. He took theopportunity at these events torecognize outstanding citizensand organizations. He alsoestablished a similar event forthe Hispanic community. One of the crowning eventsthis year was the recognition ofthe first class of Black studentsadmitted to the school asundergraduates in 1956. Thosestudents paved the way forother Blacks to go to theUniversity of Texas at Austin.Those students formed theirown organization and have heldreunion events at the Universityeach year. But, their presencewent mostly unnoticed by therest of the university. The organization, known asthe Precursors, celebrated its60th Anniversary in 2016. And,for the first time, they werewelcomed as true alumni ofUT and had many activities intheir honor. You can bet thatGreg Vincent had a hand in thatrecognition and celebration. Dr. Vincent will take over hisnew role in July, but beforethen, keep your eyes open forsome kind of event that will beheld in his honor. We can onlyhope that his replacement willcontinue work with the DDCE.God Speed, Dr. Vincent.

Powerhouse JacquiCross graced the OneWorld Theatre stage.

See JAZZPage 2

Voters predict Rep.B. O’Rourke will winU.S. Senate seat.

See TEXASPage 6

TSU women's golfteam claimed historicSWAC Championship.

SEE TIGERSPage 7

Page 2 ~ THE VILLAGER/April 28, 2017 THE COMMUNIQUÉ www.theaustinvillager.com

One World Theatre: A Tribute to Great Jazz SingersBy Naomi Richard | VILLAGER

AUSTIN, TX - The Women in Jazz Association, Inc.continued its tribute series on April 23, 2017 with ‘FourWomen: A Tribute to Great Singers.’ Pamela Hart,Jacqui Cross, Akina Adderley and Jacqui Walker per-formed songs made popular by Nina Simone, NancyWilson, Dinah Washington and Peggy Lee. These per-formances were in line with the mission of Women inJazz to keep jazz vocals alive and strong.

Pamela Hart led the evening with Nancy Wilsonfavorites like I Could Write a Book, When Did You LeaveHeaven and Grass Is Greener. Hart commented, “I singthe songs my mom listened to while washing dishesand cooking. My mother use to sing these songs aroundthe house.”

Philadelphia native Jacqui Walker followed withhits from Dinah Washington such as The Man I Love,Ain’t Nobody’s Business, If I Do and Fever. Walker lookedespecially chic in a high/low off the shoulder black dresswith heels.

Akina Adderley then took the stage with an unex-pected surprise. To the audience’s delight, Adderley an-nounced a surprise guest. Her dad, legendary keyboardartist Nat Adderley Jr. of New York City, would her ac-company her as she sang! Mr. Adderley spent most ofhis career as music director for Luther Vandross Toursand contributed as a co-songwriter on most ofVandross’s albums.

Akina Adderley paid tribute to the great NinaSimone by singing Plain Gold Ring, Tell Me More andMore and Then Some. In a thoughtful moment Adderleymade a reflection, “When I told my dad I was going tosing Jazz, I knew Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and Sa-rah Vaughn. He said you need to go study Dinah Wash-ington and I did.” Next, she went on to singWashington’s Cry Me A River and Feeling Good. Whatan honor to deliver such a powerful performance whileaccompanied by her dad, a legend in his own right.

Finally, Spectrum Theatre powerhouse Jacqui Crosscame out in a stunning vintage period appropriate gownand wig, bellowing out the music of Dinah Washing-ton. Her trained theatrical voice charmed the audiencewith pieces like All of Me, Our Love is Here To Stay andWhat A Difference a Day Makes.

A great evening was had by all at Austin’s JazzCentral… Better known as One World Theatre.

Please visit http://www.oneworldtheatre.org/to see upcoming performances.

Akina Adderley photo by Naomi Richard

AkinaAdderley

Jacqui Cross photo by Naomi Richard

JacquiCross

St. Peter’s United Methodist Church 4509 Springdale Road Austin, Tx 78723Office 512- 926-1686 Fax 512-929-7281

Christian Web Site-stpetersaustintx.ning.com

stpetersaustintx@att.netTHE PLACE WHERE WE STEP OUT ON FAITH.

COME AND STEP OUT ON FAITH WITH USSunday School 8:45 a.m.

Praise and Worship 10:15 a.m.Wednesday Bible Study 12:00 p.m.

and Praise /Bible Study 6:30 p.m.(to include Children’s Choir Rehersaland

Bible Study with age appropiate Activities)Rev. Jack C. Gause Pastor

Agape Baptist ChurchIn “The Centre” Bldg. F-15 7801 N. Lamar Blvd. (SE Corner of N Lamar and 183)

AGAPE is a chuch for all people. “Where Jesus Christ is Magnified and the love Heexhibited is Exemplified.” Come, receive God’s unconditional lovefor you.

For there is no greater love!

Church ServicesSunday School 9:30 AMSunday Worship 11:00 AM

Mid-Week Service Thursday: Praise,Prayer and Bible Study 7:00 PMCall 454-1547 for Transporation

Website www.agapebcaustintx.comRev. H. Ed Calahan

Pastor

Imani Community ChurchDavis Elementray Auditorium 5214 West Duval Road

Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Worship Service 10:00 A.M.•Power Hour Bible Life Group 6:00 P.M.

Imani Complex & Office,11800 Mustang at Duval Austin, Texas 78727

Visit:imanichurch.comOffice: 512-343-9300Rev. Dr. Jacquelyn Donald-Mims

7801 N. Lamar Blvd,Suite D 102,

Austin, Texas 78752

Worship: Sunday--10:00 am - 12:30 pm

Tuesday Bible Studies--7:30pm - 9:00 pmFriday Prayers--7:30 pm - 9:30 pm

The Church of Pentecost, USA Inc,Austin offers a wide variety of opportuni-ties for children, youth, adults, and olderadults to be involved in worship, spiritualgrowth, education, community outreach,and making a tangible difference to thosein need in our community. You too, canmake a positive difference in our commu-nity through your prayers, your presence,your gifts, your service, and your witness.Tel: 512 302-1270

Leading People to Experience God’s Love, Know Jesus Christ & Grow in His ImageThe Church of Pentecost

Olive Branch Fellowship of Austin / All Faith Chapel4110 Guadalupe St Bldg #639 Austin, TX 78751

Sunday MorningWorship @ 11: am

Romans 5:1 Therefore,having beenjustified by faith, we have peace

with God through our Lord Jesus Christ

This life, therefore, is not righteous-ness, but growth in righteousness; not health,but healing; not being, but becoming; not rest,but exercise. We are not yet what we shall be,but we are growing toward it. The process isnot yet finished, but it is going on. This is notthe end, but it is the road. All does not yetgleam in glory, but all is being purified.

--- Martin Luther

Kenneth Hill, Pastor

1179 San Bernard Street,Austin, TX 78702, 512-478-7023

Sunday Morning Bible Study, 9:00 A.M.Sunday Morning Worship, 10:15 A.M.Visit our website @ www.obcaus.org

Globalizing the Gospel

A Ministry That Ministers

Edward M. Fleming,Sr. Pastor

OLIVET BAPTISTCHURCH

Felix Bamirin, PastorGRACEWAY CHRISTIAN CHURCH

Experience Grace For Life

(By Parmer Lane Baptist Church building, behind Wells Fargo)

Call: 682.472.9073 l Email: gracewayaustin@aol.com lVisit: www.gracewaycca.org

JOIN US This SUNDAY / THURSDAY@ 12424 Scofield Farms Drive, Austin, TX 78758

SUNDAYS 10:30 A.M., THURSDAYS 7:30 P.M.

Mount Sinai Missionary Baptist Church 5900 Cameron Road Austin, Texas 78723-1843

(512) 451-0808 (512) 302-4575 Fax Web Site - www.themount.net

WORSHIP SERVICESSunday Worship - 7:45 a.m. & 11 a.m.Church School - 9:45 a.m.Bible Studies - Mon, 6:30 p.m. & Wed., 12 noonWednesday Night Worship - 7 p.m.

“Ministries For Mankind” Luke 4:18 A.W.. Anthony Mays, Senior Pastor

Ebenezer Baptist Church1010 East 10th Street 512-478-1875 Fax 512-478-1892

WednesdayMidweek Prayer Service 7:00 P.M.Child Development CenterAges 0-5 years (Daily) 512-478-6709

Bus Ministry Call 512-478-1875

Worship Service 8:00 A.M.Sunday School 9:00 A.M.Discipleship Training 10:00 A.M.Worship Service 11:00 A.M.

Dr. Ricky Freeman,Pastor

Sunday Services

DOUBLE

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DINE IN OR ORDER TO GOMon - Friday 11 am - 8 p.m.Saturday - 12 noon - 8 p.m.

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www.theaustinvillager.com THE BULLETIN THE VILLAGER/April 28, 2017 ~ Page 3

We Want YOU!Advertise With

TheVILLAGER

New Lincoln Missionary Baptist Church2215 E. 8th St., Austin, TX 78702

DAVID CHAPEL Missionary Baptist ChurchSUNDAY

Christian Education 9:15a.m. | Worship 10:30 a.m.Nursery Available

WEDNESDAY |Worship 1st Wed. monthly 7:00p.m. | Bible Study 7:30p.m.

Dr. Joseph C. Parker, Jr.Senior Pastor

2211 East Martin Luther King Jr., Blvd.Austin, TX 78702

Office: 512-472-9748 Fax: 512-472-5399Website: www.davidchapel.org Email: info@davidchapel.org

“A Church with a Heart for The Community”

Going to Higher Heights,Trusting God along the way.

Sunday School 9:00amBTU: 10:00am

Morning Worship - 11:00 amChurch Phone (512) 477-2714

Cell Phont (512) 585-0744Email:

newlincolnmbc@att.netwww.newlincolnmbc.org Rev. Darron E. Patterson

Pastor

PRESCRIPTIONDRUG DROP-OFF

LOCATIONSDanny Thomas,

Constable Pct. One4717 Heflin Ln, Ste 127

Austin, TX 78721(512)854-7510

Adan Ballesteros,Constable Pct. Two

10409 Burnet Rd., Ste150 Austin, TX 78758

(512) 854-9697

Stacy Suits,Constable Pct. Three

8656 Hwy 71 W. Ste. 132Austin, Texas 78735

512-854-7245

Carlos Lopez,Constable Pct. Five1003 Guadalupe StAustin, TX 78701

(512) 854-9100

The Drug TakeBack initiative ad-dresses a vital publicsafety and public healthissue. Medicines thatlanguish in home cabi-nets are highly suscep-tible to diversion, mis-use, and abuse. Rates ofprescription drug abusein the U.S. are alarm-ingly high, as are thenumber of accidentalpoisonings and over-doses. Studies show thata majority of abusedprescription drugs areobtained from familyand friends, includingfrom the home medicinecabinet. In addition,Americans are now ad-vised that their usualmethods for disposingof unused medicines—flushing them down thetoilet or throwing themin the trash—both posepotential safety andhealth hazards, to in-clude harming drinkingwater.

The DEA’s ActingAdministrator, ChuckRosenberg stated, “pre-scription drug abuse isa huge problem and thisis a great opportunityfor folks around thecountry to help reducethe threat. Please cleanout your medicine cabi-net and make yourhome safe from drugtheft and abuse.”

It’s NationalTAKE BACK

DAY

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

A Day Where Families CanLearn & Play Together

FOOD - FUN - RESOURCES

JOIN

US!

JOIN

US!

JOIN

US!

JOIN

US!

Youth of TodayHope of Tomorrow

Kappa Alpha PsiFraternity, Inc

Page 4 ~ THE VILLAGER/April 28, 2017 YOUTH BRIGADE www.theaustinvillager.com

The First

Kevin P. Roberts, myuncle, was born in Austin,TX at Bergstrom Air ForceBase. At a young age heknew that he wanted tobecome a pilot. When hewas little he liked playinginstruments l ike thesaxophone, the flute andpiano. After he gradu-ated high school, he at-tended Texas A&M Uni-versity on a scholarship

and graduated with abachelor ’s degree inBusiness Administration.In April 1988, he was cho-sen for the Infantry Banddrum major, becoming thefirst and only African-American drum major inthe history of the Fightin’Texas Aggie Band.

After graduating hewas working for a com-pany training to become apilot. On April 5, 1999 hewas hired to become acommercial airline pilot.However, on April 27, 1999Kevin Phillip Roberts, 32,died in the crash of acargo plane he was flyingto Oklahoma City. In myfamily history, it showsthat he was the first child,the first black drum major,the first pilot and my firstuncle.

Kevin ParishPark Crest M.S.

Financial Literacy Month

April is National Fi-nancial Literacy Month.Credit unions and banksremind us of the impor-tance of financial literacy.They have age-appropri-ate websites where peoplecan learn about financetopics like the importance

Ava RobertsSpring Hill Elementary

of saving, spendingwisely, being a smart con-sumer, good and bad debt,entrepreneurship, and set-ting financial goals! Theyinspire us to learn aboutmoney managementthrough brochures,internet information, andby talking to personalbankers.

I am excited to saythat I am aware of my fi-nancial future! Every yearI go to finance camps, runa girl scout cookie busi-ness, compete in youthsavings contests, andkeep track of my money. Iset financial goals andtrack them. I hope thatyou are in control of yourfinances too.

Poetry Slam Project

Manor New TechHigh School Seniors inEconomics and English IVare participating in an in-tegrated Poetry slamproject. Students who arein Economics are cur-rently reading variouspoems from different au-thors and learning aboutthe different skil lsneeded to properly writepoetry. After analyzingthe poems each studentreads they are required towrite a poem in the same

style as the author aboutcurrent events whether itbe at home or around theworld. Many questionhow this relates to eco-nomics if this is notabout money.

Economics is thestudy of decisions madeand the sacrifices thatcome with those deci-sions. The poems areabout decisions made byan individual or commu-nity that not only affectthe individual but thepeople around them andthe student must thinkabout how their poetryaffects others. In EnglishIV Students are readingHamlet, re-writing Ham-let, and writing poetryabout anything the thinkof. At the end of theproject each student willbe gathered together toperform their one or twoof their original poemsand share their thoughtswith their classmates.

Kayla WinnManor New Technology

2017 NBA Draft

The National Basket-ball Association (NBA)holds a draft every year forincoming college playersto be selected by NBAteams. Some of theleague’s greatest playerslike LeBron James andMichael Jordan have comeout of the NBA draft asearly selections while oth-ers have been late roundsurprises such asDraymond Green andIsaiah Thomas. There havebeen some drafts in whichmultiple selections be-came superstars in theNBA. However, otherdrafts have had disap-pointing results from theselected players. The up-coming 2017 NBA Draft isanticipated to be one ofthe best drafts in leaguehistory due to the numberof talented players thatare available.

The 2017 NBA Drafthas exceptionally talentedplayers who dominated ontheir college teams. Uni-versity of Washington’sMarkelle Fultz is expected

Ira “T.J.” WilliamsCedar Ridge H. S.

to be the number one pickin the 2017 draft due to hisathleticism, offensiveskills, and defensivemindset. However, othertop prospects such asLonzo Ball from UCLA andJosh Jackson from Kansasmay also be picked at thenumber one spot based ontheir performances in thepast college basketballseason.

Teams in the NBAselect players who theybelieve can contribute tothe organization in apositive way. Players likeMichael Jordan and KobeBryant had an immediateimpact on their teams.The 2017 NBA Draft willfeature talented playerswho many NBA teams willtry and build their teamsaround. Some players willthrive in the league whileothers struggle for numer-ous seasons. Teams thathave had many top draftpicks but still can’t seemto make the playoffs arethe Philadelphia 76ers andthe MinnesotaTimberwolves.

The 2017 NBA Draftwill be held on June 22,2017 in Brooklyn, NewYork. This draft could havethe most players to havesuccessful careers in NBAhistory, even compared tothe 1984 draft withMichael Jordan andHakeem Olajuwon and the2003 draft with LebronJames and Dwyane Wade.However, this could alsobe the draft with playerswho don’t live up to expec-tations.

Earth Day

Earth Day was Satur-day, April 22nd. Earth dayis an annual event, a timewhen people raise the is-sue about pollution, hu-man behavior, pollutingfactories and powerplants, raw sewage, toxicdumps, pesticides, free-

Sarah RobertsonAthlos Leadership Acad.

ways, the loss of wilder-ness, and the extinction ofwildlife.

Earth day is a timewhen we can raise publicawareness and everyonecan come together to talkabout the world we live in.Earth Day was first cel-ebrated in 1970 becausein 1969 a massive oil spillin Santa Barbara, Califor-nia. This tragic event in-spired individuals to orga-nize a national "teach-in"that focused on educatingthe public about the envi-ronment. I hope thatpeople can appreciate ourplanet earth and makesome behavioral sacrificesto ensure a healthy planetfor future generations.

Applied Materials

Damon Luckett IIHays High School

Today, I went to a STEMboot camp at Applied Ma-terials. At this 1-day camp,I went to 5 different stationswhere the instructors had alesson plan. They providedbreakfast and lunch. Theyalso had a raffle ticket draw-ing where people had achance to win variousprizes. I didn't win anythingbut I gained knowledge.

The first stations wascalled the blueberry syrupstation. He pretty muchtold us how his fatherwasn't a great cooker buthe was very creative. Hewent in the kitchen andjust put things togetheruntil he made somethinggood. While he watchedhis father cook, he learnedhow to make blueberrysyrup. In his station, wewere asked how we weregoing to make a car better. Our group leader was awoman who came out ofMontgomery, Alabamaand graduated first in herclass and obtained variousdegrees. The group and Idiscussed and presentedthe idea of a car than ranoff of energy to wherethere was no gas neededfor it to run.

In the second station,we helped code a game.The objective of the gamewas to shoot the rockswith the plane. He taughtus different ways tochange the controls in thegame. In our language, weend our sentences with a

period. He taught us thatin coding language, youend a command with asemi-colon.

The third station wasa mechanical engineeringstation. We built a 3D ob-ject and had help to makeit. She taught us that in theapp, we couldn't rotate itunless it was a sphere. Iliked it because you couldcreate anything you drewand make it into an objectthat was beneficial. It waspretty cool because thatwas my first time virtuallysculpting a 3D figure.

The fourth stationwas called Think andZoom. When I got in thestation I thought to my-self, "why is this calledThink and Zoom?". Theleader of the station waslegally blind. He inventeda prototype where you'dput on a headset and ituses your brain concentra-tion to help you see some-thing on your phone. It wasone of the most amazingthings I've ever seen.

Lastly, the 5th stationwas Austin Energy. Thelady talked to us abouthow lightning works andelectron clouds. She gaveus her background on howshe came out of a smallcity in Texas where shegraduated with 30 peoplein her class and went tocollege. We also got toexperiment with generatorthat had electricity flowingthrough it. Her station wasthe most fun.

At the camp, I metand learned with a lot ofnew people. It was a greatexperience and I learned alot from participating inthis event. Applied Mate-rials will have this eventnext year. This is a greatopportunity to get out andlearn from new engineers.This camp is an open-dooropportunity to expand yourmind.

Last Six Weeks

SaNaya WhiteAnn Richards

The last six weeksmay be very exciting stu-dents and maybe adults.For me, it is the moststressful time of the year.It is the most stressful be-cause grades are crashingdown on you constantlypushing you to raise them,project deadlines becomeshorter and shorter, morehomework is assigned,and the STAAR test is re-petitively brought up. Thelast six weeks is the hard-

est for me and the moststressful. It is challengingfor me to focus on classwork and homework doingthis time because I get soworried and stressedabout other things that Ihave to pull myself backinto reality. My friends askme why I am so quite inclass at this time. I'll givethem a reason that is re-ally dumb but I'll still beatmyself up for it. Through-out this last six weeks I dis-covered that there aremany other people be-sides me that struggle aswell at this time includingteachers. I also learnedthat I have great friendsthat will help me through-out the process and willhelp me push on. Most im-portantly, I learned some-thing that I will never for-get. You can't give up onyourself and count onsomeone to always pickyou up. No matter how re-liable they are, sometimesyou have to believe andcount on yourself.

www.theaustinvillager.com THE COURIER THE VILLAGER/April 28, 2017~ Page 5

French Honor Society

The Cedar Ridgechapter of the NationalFrench Honor Society(FHS), or La SociétéHonoraire de Français, hadtheir induction ceremonyon Monday, April 17 at6:30. The ceremony, heldat Cedar Ridge High School(CRHS), was shared withthe National GermanHonor Society. The induc-tion ceremony began withour principle, Mrs. LynetteThomas, giving a speechabout the importance oflearning foreign languagesand sharing a story abouther time living in Germany.Our officers and sponsor,Ms. Catherine Cledelin,then told a brief history of

Cyrena MatingouCedar Ridge H. S.

the honor society, then wereceived candles and linedup at the front of theroom. We repeated anoath in French and Englishand took our seats. Afterthe German portion of theceremony, we enjoyed re-freshments provided byour club and mingled.

Our FHS club startedin March and the induc-tion ceremony was ourfirst event. To be a mem-ber, you must have com-pleted four semesters ofFrench and maintained anaverage higher than 90%.Candidates must also havean average of 80% orhigher in all their otherclasses. This is my first yearin the club and I am ex-cited to further my knowl-edge of French cultureoutside of my class. Ourclub plans to do variousservice projects andFrench related activitiesthroughout next schoolyear. I am currently in mythird year of French andI have loved learningabout the culture andlanguage of otherfrancophone, countrieswith French as their offi-cial language, countries.J’adore ça!

I Made the Dance Team

Finally, after a lot ofhard work I MADE THEDANCE TEAM!! Last weekI had to go through a weekof after school practices.After practicing all week,on Friday of that we hadto show the three judgessome of the dance moveswe could do as well as ashort routine that we prac-ticed all week. The routinewe learned and performedfor the judges was fromthe song, “How far I’ll go”from the movie “Moana”.

The week following

Malakhi WashingtonCovington Academy

tryouts everyone waited inexpectation wondering ifthey made the danceteam. We were told theweek of the tryouts thatthey were going to postthe names of the studentsthat made the team on thedoor of the dance class. Iwent to see what nameswere posted on Mondayafter school, and to mysurprise my name was onthe list. I was so happy andproud of myself becausewhen the school yearstarted I told myself that Iwanted to be on the danceteam and that I would dowhatever I had to do tomake the team. I practiceddaily leading up to tryoutsand even took extra danceclasses at a dance studioclose to my house. I thinkthat by me making thedance team, it just showedme that I can do anythingI put my mind to. I lookforward to being on thedance team next year.

Growth vs. Fixed Mindset

The type of mindsetyou have may make orbreak your entire life. Ifyou have a growthmindset then you would

be able to adapt and en-joy life more than some-one with a fixed mindset.A fixed mindset is sayingyou can only do so muchand limiting yourself. Ihave trouble with writingfictional stories the most,but I think I have a growthmindset because I havestarted writing more so Ican improve.If you have afixed mindset you may notbe able to accomplish asmany things because youdon’t believe you can.That's why having agrowth mindset is impor-tant so that you can seething differently!

Kennedy GeorgePflugerville Cele M. S.

Book Fair

Joshua MooreKIPP Austin Academy

On April 20, 2017my class went to a bookfair. At the book fair youcould buy things like mark-ers and books. At thisbook fair there were manydifferent types of books.

My favorite bookis Diary of a Wimpy Kid.That day, I received twoDiary of a Wimpy Kidbooks. One of the booksis called Hard Luck and theother one is called DoubleDown.

FRC World Championships

Quinn LangfordCedar Ridge H. S.

FIRST Robotics sched-uled two world champion-ships in 2017, the first onein Houston and the secondone in St. Louis. The Hous-ton competition was heldfrom April 19th to April22nd, and the St. Louiscompetition will be heldthe weekend after that.Because there are twochampionships this yearinstead of just one like allprevious years, Europe,half of Canada, and mostof Asia were assigned totravel to St. Louis. How-ever, there were stillteams from all over, in-cluding, Turkey, Israel,Chile, Nigeria, the Baha-mas, and many more. It isan amazing opportunity to

talk to teams from all overthe globe and eat the foodthey hand out. My robot-ics group,

FIRST Robotics Team2881, the Lady Cans, wasinvited to compete inHouston because we wonChairman’s, a prestigiousaward given out to a teamwho embodies the mes-sage of FIRST and is a rolemodel to other teams, ata regional competition. Itwas the second year in arow that we got invited tothe world championships,having been invited theprevious year because wewon the Engineering Inspi-ration award twice at twoseparate regionals. Duringthe competition, I wasable to attend many infor-mative conferences, col-lect a lot of souvenirsgiven out by other teams,and volunteer as a studentambassador. My favoritepart of the experience waswhen a woman stoppedme and a fellow teammateand asked about our team.We told her how wespread science, technol-ogy, engineering, andmath to young girls in Cen-tral Texas. She said wewere so inspiring to her,and that made my week.

It’s a lot of fun talkingto grandparents about thepast. Last week was the30th anniversary of theKealing Magnet School.Kealing was the Austin Af-rican-American Juniorhigh school. After it wasclosed down and thenburned down, a newbuilding was erected onthe site.

My aunts and uncleswent to the magnet schoolwhen Mrs. Cash was theprincipal. When my grand-parents get to talkingabout the original Junior

Grandparentshigh school certain thingalways came up. They al-ways talk about a teachername Mrs. Martin. Sheowned a drive in restau-rant. They said you couldpark your car and orderfood. Mrs. Martin woulddiscipline you by makingyou lay across her lap.Then you received a fewlicks from her famouspaddle board.

The other teacherwas Ms. Conley. She is saidto have this thing aboutgerms. She used plenty ofalcohol to wipe down ev-erything. At Old Kealingthe paddle was the meansto keep kids in line. I wastold it was never done toinflict much pain. It wasmeant to remind youmight have to pay for yourbad actions. They neverwanted you to quit school.

They had knicknamesfor many of the teachers.They told me everyonehad a teacher they hatedand loved. One thing theyall agreed on was that itwas like a large family.

Tyler AllenBarbara Jordan Elem.

Montrae NelsonFour Points M. S.

Mars

Hello, do you knowanything about the planetMars? Mars is the fourthplanet from the sun andthe second-smallestplanet in the solar systemafter Mercury. In 1659,Christain Huydens a dutchastronomer drew Mars

with the observations hemade using a telescope hedesigned himself.

He also discovered astrange feature on theplanet called the "SyrisMajor". On November28,1964 the "Mariner 4"was launched successfullyon a weight month voyageto the red planet. Mars isfound at the front of theastroid belt separating theinner and outer planets.

Lastly, Mars can eas-ily be seen from the earthwith the naked eye with itsreddish coloring. its mag-nitude reaches 2.91 whichis only surpassed by Jupi-ter, Venus the Moon andthe Sun. Thank you forreading.

Jalen MooreKIPP Austin Collegiate

Summer Programs (Update)

A couple of articlesago, I mentioned that I hadapplied to the programsQuestBridge and LEDA,and was anticipating a re-sponse by late April... Thattime has now come, and Ihave received notice fromboth programs.

Of over 12,000 appli-cants, only 3,736 studentswere accepted to theQuestBridge College PrepScholars Program, and ofover the few thousandLEDA applicants, only 100were accepted into theprogram. I was fortunateenough to be among bothof those accepted stu-dents! Unfortunately,however, I am not able toparticipate in both pro-grams, so I am forced tomake a decision betweenthe two.

I'm grateful for bothopportunities, and while itposes a challenging deci-sion, I ultimately believethat I will attain my goalsthrough either program.

STATE WIDETRUANCY AND

DROPOUTPREVENTION

CONFERENCE INAUSTIN

Travis County JP Pct. 1 Co-Hosts TATDP2017 Spring Conference at Region 13 ESC

The Texas Association for Truancy and Drop-

out Prevention (TATDP) Spring Conference will beheld May 4-5, 2017 at the Region 13 EducationService Center located at 5701 Springdale Road.

Judge Yvonne M. Williams, Justice of thePeace at Precinct 1 says,” We are excited to co-host this conference, as I and other members ofthe Travis County Uniform Truancy Policy TaskForce prepare our recommendations to reduce tru-ancy in our community.” The New Family CodeChapter 65 and Section 10 of House Bill 2398 fromthe 84th Regular Legislative Session, was imple-mented in September of 2015 and required theappointment of above Task Force. This is also thelegislation that decriminalized truancy.

Decriminalization was received with mixedemotions and widespread confusion in many sec-tors.

Implementation of the legislation was and con-tinues to be cumbersome and some counties havejust given up. The attendees at this conference rep-resenting over 100 school districts and youth serv-

ing entities will be given the opportunity to provide,from their personal experience, and observations,recommendations for changing policies and improv-ing the methods we use to address chronic absen-teeism.

“Education has long been seen as the meansto prosperity, but that only happens if students at-tend school regularly” This quote from a 2015 na-tional campaign to promote attendance awarenessis shown to be even more important today, basedon data being collected by the

E3 Alliance. This data will be presented at theconference along with many other relevant andthought provoking sessions: Restorative Practices,Trauma Informed, Effective Parent/Child andSchool Engagement, Mental and Behavioral HealthServices, Learning Support Services.

An interactive session between members fromTravis County’s Uniform Truancy Policy Task Forceand the astute group of practitioners in attendance;could produce the definitive dialog and sound rec-ommendations our governor and legislators requireto make the changes necessary to reverse thisnegative trend.

Page 6 ~ THE VILLAGER/April 28, 2017 DIASPORA www.theaustinvillager.com

AfricanDiaspora

AssociationHosts

“African andCaribbean

Day”

On April 23, 2017, theAfrican and Caribbean Dayevent was held in CentralTexas. Moreover, thisevent was meant to bringto communities togetherin order to showcase bothcultures and identities.

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist

Some of the organizers ofthis event were Henry

Ansah, Sam Osemene,Robyn Waunita Wright

and Andrew Blair. Accord-ing to Sam Osemene, “This

event was just the begin-ning and it is meant to con-tinue.”

Not only was it a cul-tural day but, also an op-portunity to give musi-cians and artists in thesecommunities an opportu-nity to showcase their tal-ent. In other words, it alsoserved as a talent show.There were numerous art-ists present includingRamsey Fils. Moreover,Ramsey Fils is an up andcoming Congolese Ameri-can artist who calls CentralTexas his home. RamseyFils who is an RB and rapartist also performed atthe event. Finally, thisevent cause everyone toappreciate the African and

Caribbean communities inCentral Texas.

Over the years. therehas been a growing Afri-can community in CentralTexas. Moreover. the Afri-can Diaspora are movingto Central Texas due togood job opportunity;educational opportunities;and good quality of life. Asthe tech industry grows inCentral Texas, it has pro-vided numerous job op-portunity that pays a goodwage. In addition, univer-sities like the University ofTexas at Austin; AustinCommunity College andHuston Tillotson univer-sity are magnets that hasattracted African to Cen-tral Texas.

Pictured left to right: Henry, Robyn, Sam, and Andrew Blair.Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

Congressman Beto O’Rourke Returns to Texas

Friday, April 21, 2017,Congressman BetoO’Rourke made a cam-paign stop to WilliamsonCounty. In WilliamsonCounty, he was greeted bythe leadership of theWilliamson County Demo-cratic Party and also by theelected Democratic Partyofficials in WilliamsonCounty. In addition, Con-gressman Beto O’Rourkewas greeted by AndyBrown, the former Chair ofthe Travis County Demo-cratic Party. Not only washe greeted by the leadersin the party, but also by acrowd. According to theorganizers, over 400

by Tsoke(Chuch) Adjavon |Villager Columnist

people came to Congress-man O’Rourke’s campaignstop.

During this campaignstop, he “fired” up thebase. CongressmanO’Rourke discussed thecurrent state of affairs un-der the Trump administra-tion which seeks to undoall the gains from the pastadministration. In addi-tion, he mentioned someof the reasons why he isrunning for office. For in-stance, he is running foroffice because of some ofthese issues such as termlimits, ending gerryman-dering, bringing back ac-countability and also end-ing dark money into poli-tics. According to Con-gressman O’Rourke, ac-countability is based on

the fact that “Leadersshould be active in theircommunities and account-able to their constituents.”

According to certainpolls, CongressmanO’Rourke is tied with TedCruz in the US Senatematch up. According tosome political experts,Trump’s negative pollnumbers will also dragdown Ted Cruz. Conse-quently, Ted Cruz fate isdirectly tied to the failuresof the Trump Administra-tion. Furthermore, otherpolitical experts havementioned that the pos-sible matchup betweenCongressman O’Rourkeand Senator Cruz might bea “toss up,” which meansCongressman O’Rourkehas a chance to win.

Pictured left to right: Andy Brown and Congressman Beto O’Rourke.Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

“Celebrate Me Togo”

Saturday April 22, 2017, the Carver Museum in connection with the TogoleseAmerican Association of Central Texas held the “Celebrate Me Togo”. Moreover, the“Celebrate Me Togo” was a celebration of the Togolese Independence. Not only didthe Carver Museum host the event but, also helped the TAACT with the planning ofthe various activities. According to the organizers, “The event exceeded their ex-pectation of attendees and activities.”

Pictured left to right: Mr. Dossa, Kem Green, Fallys, Festus.Photo by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon

by Tsoke (Chuch) Adjavon | Villager Columnist

Apply at HRMiddle Fiskville Rd.

6th Floor, Austin, TX 78752Job Line (512 223-5621hhtp://www./austincc.ed

EEOC/AA/M/F/D/V

EMPLOYMENT | PROPOSALS | PUBLIC INFORMATIONFOR SALE | FOR RENT | BIDS | MISCELLANEOUS

www.theaustinvillager.com CLASSIFIEDS THE VILLAGER/April 28, 2017 ~ Page 7

Are you interested in doing businesswith the City of Austin?

We are here for you!City of Austin

Purchasing OfficeVendor Registration

512-974-2018VendorReg@austintexas.gov

www.austintexas.gov/department/purchasing

For information on the City of Austin’s Minority/Women-Owned Procurement Program please contact theSmall & Minority Business Resources at 512-974-7600 orvisit www.austintexas.gov/smbr.

NOTICE TO CREDITORSNotice is hereby given that original Letters Testamentary for the Estate ofMyrlene Ann Diekhoff, Deceased, were issued on April 13, 2017, in CauseNo. 17-0229-CP4, pending in the County Court at Law No. FOUR,WILLIAMSON County, Texas, to: Gary James Diekhoff.All persons having claims against this Estate which is currently beingadministered are required to present them to the undersigned within the timeand in the manner prescribed by law. c/o: Kara JonesAttorney at Law13785 Research Blvd., Suite 125Austin, Texas 78750

DATED the 19th day of April, 2017.

Kara JonesAttorney for Gary James Diekhoff

State Bar No.: 2406492413785 Research Blvd., Suite 125

Austin, Texas 78750Telephone: (512) 238-3012Facsimile: (512) 852-6745

E-mail: kara@borchersjoneslaw.com

NOTICE TO CREDITORSNotice is hereby given that original Letters of Administration for the Estateof John Tyrrell Hinson III, Deceased, were issued on April 13, 2017, inCause No. 16-0735-CP4, pending in the County Court at Law No. FOUR,Williamson County, Texas, to: Tracy Hinson.All persons having claims against this Estate which is currently beingadministered are required to present them to the undersigned within thetime and in the manner prescribed by law.c/o: Kara JonesAttorney at Law13785 Research Blvd., Suite 125Austin, Texas 78750

DATED the 19th day of April, 2017.Kara Jones

Attorney for Tracy HinsonState Bar No.: 24064924

13785 Research Blvd., Suite 125Austin, Texas 78750

Telephone: (512) 238-3012Facsimile: (512) 852-6745

E-mail: kara@borchersjoneslaw.com

New Jobs for theWeek of 04/23/2017

Assistant, Senior AdministrativeRound Rock Campus

Job# 1704036Department Chair, Earth and

Environmental SciencesNorthridge Campus

Job# 174029Clerk, Duplication/Mailroom

Rio Grande CampusJob# 1704024

Manager, PurchasingService CenterJob# 1704023

Supervisor, College PrepProgram-Part-Time (75%)

Location is as assignedJob# 1704020

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALSDPR Construction will receive subcontractor propos-als for the finish-out of approximately 48,000 SF of of-fice space at levels 17 and 18 of the UT System Admin-istration Replacement Office Building at 210 West 7thStreet, Austin, Texas 78701. Proposals will be acceptedon or before May 1, 2017 at 2:00 PM CST for the fol-lowing trades: cranes, scaffolding, traffic barricades andsignage, final cleaning, demolition, structural cast-in-place concrete, miscellaneous steel, handrails and rail-ings, ornamental metal, millwork, roofing, firestopping,caulking and sealants, doors / frames / hardware, fold-ing fire doors, glass and glazing, polished plaster, fram-ing and drywall, tile, acoustical ceilings, wood floor-ing, carpet and resilient flooring, acoustical wall andceiling systems, painting and wallcovering,markerboards, signage, fire extinguishers and cabinets,demountable partitions, window treatments, fire protec-tion, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, communications, firealarm, security system, audio visual system, sound mask-ing.For additional information, or to obtain project docu-ments, please contact Lori Gildart at lorig@dpr.com or512-345-7699.Subcontractors are encouraged to attend the pre-sub-mittal conference on Wednesday, April 19, 2017 at 4:00PM at 210 West 7th Street, Gate #1 (Corner of 7th Streetand Lavaca. Work boots, reflective vest, hard hat, andsafety glasses are required.)DPR Construction is an EEO Employer and all HUBand M/WBE Subcontractors and Material Vendors arestrongly encouraged to submit proposals for this project.

Austin Community CollegeDistrict is soliciting bids to provideMerchandise, Apparel and OtherPromotional Items.

Request for Proposals(RFP) No. 200-17012RW

All proposals must be submitted toACC Purchasing by no later thanMay 25, 2017 at 2:00 p.m.,CDT.RFP packages are available on theACC Purchasing website at http://www. austincc.edu/offices/purch-asing/advertised-solicitations or inthe ACC Purchasing Office, withadvance notice (512)223-1044,between the hours of 9am and 4pmCDT, Monday through Friday.All proposals must be sealed andreturned to the ACC PurchasingOffice, ACC Service Center, 9101Tuscany Way, Austin, Texas 78754,by the date and time indicatedabove. Electronically transmittedproposals will NOT be acceptedunless otherwise stated in thedocuments

Sylvia Moy, MotownSongwriter and Producer,

Dies at Age 78

In this June 15, 2006, file photo, songwriterSylvia Moy arrives for the 2006 Songwriters Hallof Fame induction ceremony in New York. (APPhoto/Stephen Chernin, File)

DETROIT (AP) —Motown songwriter SylviaMoy, the storied recordingstudio’s first female pro-ducer who penned or col-laborated on several hits,including Stevie Wonder’s“My Cherie Amour” andMarvin Gaye’s “It TakesTwo,” has died in suburbanDetroit. She was 78.

Moy died Saturday ata hospital in Dearbornfrom complications frompneumonia, her brother,Melvin Moy, told The As-sociated Press on Thurs-day.

Sylvia Moy startedher career as a singer, butshe knew she had the abil-ity to write songs and pro-duce at the hit-makingDetroit recording studio —something her brothersaid was atypical at thetime.

“We’re talking aboutthe 1960s,” he said. “Rac-ism and sexism — that waswhat was going on in the’60s, and certain disci-plines relative to the mu-sic business were taboofor women.”

Motown founderBerry Gordy gave Moy herfirst shot, but with a catch:She had to come up withsomething for a youngStevie Wonder.

“He was in pubertyand his voice hadchanged,” Melvin Moysaid. “Other producers

couldn’t find somethingthat fit.”

But Sylvia Moy foundsomething. She and Won-der worked on differentchord progressions untilthey found a vibe theyboth thought could be de-veloped.

“Then she worked onthe lyrics and the melo-dies, and bam! It was ahit,” her brother said.

That hit was “Uptight(Everything’s Alright),”which peaked at No. 3 onthe Billboard Hot 100chart in 1966, after its re-lease in late 1965.

Inducted into theSongwriters Hall of Famein 2006, Moy was

Motown’s first female pro-ducer and “pioneeredsome really, really uniquethings for women,” saidMotown arranger andmusician Paul Riser.

Riser said she was agreat song and lyric writer,a classical vocalist, sangopera and taught othervocalists. She later movedfrom songwriting into pro-ducing and arranging, andeventually opened herown recording studio inDetroit.

In addition to herbrother, Sylvia Moy is sur-vived by another brotherand five sisters. Her fu-neral will be held thisweekend in Detroit.

by: Corey Williams|Associated Press

SylviaMoy

Texas Southern Lady Tigers Golf winsfirst SWAC Title in school history

Lady Tigers are 2017 SWAC Women’s Golf ChampionsALEXANDRIA, La. –

The Texas Southernwomen's golf teamclaimed their first SWACWomen's Golf Champion-ship in program history byshooting a 307-329-636 towrap up play on Tuesdayat the Links on the Bayouin Alexandria, La.

The Lady Tigers brokeup a four-year title run byAlabama State, who hadalso taken the SWACWomen's Golf Champion-ship in five of the previoussix seasons.

Jackson State fin-ished as runners up with a349-338-687 followed byPrairie View A&M in thirdplace (369-351-720) andAlcorn State in fourth(378-370-748).

Texas Southern's Am-ber Kuykendall shot even-under-par 71-73-144 topace the Lady Tigers.

TSU teammate JalynJoseph was awarded theSWAC Women's GolfFreshman of the Yearaward after firing a 75-84-159.

Amber Kuykendalland Joseph were eachnamed to the All-Confer-ence First Team.

Texas Southernhead coach Hank Stewartwas named the SWACWomen's Golf Coach ofthe Year after guiding theLady T igers to their

championship.By claiming the 2017

SWAC Title the Lady Tigershave qualified for the NCAAChampionships as they willcompete May 8-10 in theRegionals held in Lubbock,Texas.

The 2017 SWACWomen’s Golf All-Confer-ence Team included FirstTeamers Amber Kuykendalland Jalyn Joseph with Sec-ond Teamers DestaniBurbank and Hillary Wash-ington.

Page 8 ~ THE VILLAGER/April 28, 2017 THE DISPATCH www.theaustinvillager.com

‘Showtime at theApollo’ to be

Weekly Fox SeriesNext Season

by: The Associated Peess

NEW YORK (AP) —The Fox network says ithas picked up “Showtimeat the Apollo” as a one-hour weekly series set todebut next season. Theshow will feature as itshost Steve Harvey, whopresided over two“Apollo” specials earlierthis season.

Performers on thosespecials included John Leg-end, Ja Rule, Doug E. Fresh,

Chaka Khan and Flo Rida.Along with more

guest stars, the upcomingseries will feature ele-ments from the Apollo’slegendary Amateur Night,the live talent competitionnow in its 82nd year.

The Apollo Theaterlaunched the careers oflegendary artists includingJames Brown, Stevie Won-der, Lauryn Hill and TheJackson Five.

In this April 26, 2015 file photo, Steve Harveypresents an award at the 42nd annual DaytimeEmmy Awards in Burbank, Calif. (Photo by ChrisPizzello/Invision/AP, File)

Florida Republican Senator Artiles,Who Used Racial Slur, Resigns

by: Brendan Farrington|Associated Press

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.(AP) — A Florida statesenator who used a racialslur and vulgar language ina conversation with twoAfrican-American col-leagues resigned Friday,saying the incident is caus-ing a distraction to the leg-islative process.

Republican Sen.Frank Artiles submitted aresignation letter to Re-publican Senate PresidentJoe Negron and issued aseparate statement.”Iclearly made commentsthat were hurtful, unac-ceptable and inappropri-ate. The American peopleand Floridians want theirleaders to be accountableand responsible, and byresigning my elected officeI believe I am demonstrat-ing those qualities theydesire and deserve,”Artiles said in the state-ment released by a publi-cist.

Negron said the res-ignation was the rightthing to do, and hedropped an investigationinto the incident.

“All of us are account-able for our actions andour comments, so I thinkit’s an appropriate resigna-tion,” Negron said.

The Florida Legisla-tive Black Caucus filed acomplaint about the inci-dent on Wednesday and

asked that Artiles be re-moved from office.

The matter beganMonday night during a pri-vate conversation withSens. Audrey Gibson andPerry Thurston at the Gov-ernors Club, a members-only establishment nearthe Capitol. Artiles usedvulgarities in talking withGibson, including one par-ticularly offensive towomen. Sen. PerryThurston intervened andArtiles, a Cuban-Americanfrom the Miami area, useda variation of the “n-word”and used a vulgarity to de-scribe Negron, accordingto the complaint filedWednesday by Thurston.

Artiles, a Cuban-American from the Miami

area, apologized for thecomments on the Senatefloor on Wednesday, butDemocrats said thatwasn’t enough.

Democratic SenateLeader Oscar Braynon,who is African-American,issued a statement sayingArtiles did the right thingby resigning.

“I take no pleasure inthese unfortunate events.But I urge that we learnfrom them,” Braynon said.“In our communities, ourstate, and our country,there should be a messageof hope, of tolerance, ofunity. We cannot affordthe high cost words of di-visiveness and crueltyleave in their wake.”

Artiles won his seat in

November in a districtthat’s politically competi-tive. He previously servedin the state House from2010 to 2016. His resigna-tion now gives Democratsa chance to gain a seat inthe chamber, though Re-publicans still have a 24-15majority even with his res-ignation.

“While I take full re-sponsibility for using lan-guage that was vulgar andinappropriate, my familyhas fallen victim to a po-litical process that can dis-tort the truth for the solepurpose of political gain,”Artiles said.

Gov. Rick Scott willhave to set a date for aspecial election to replacehim.

In this March 9, 2012, file photo, Republican state senator Frank Artiles,R-Miami, is asking a questions about a pip insurance bill during house ses-sion in Tallahassee, Fla. Artiles, a Republican state senator, apologized pub-licly for using racial slurs and obscene insults in a private after-hours conver-sation with African-American colleagues. (AP Photo/Steve Cannon, File)