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Jewels & Gems: Mamas’ Best Advice

There is ONLY one person who can be credited with carrying each one of us in their womb for almost 9 months, and there is ONLY one person who can be credited with bringing us into this world—that person is our mother. Mothers are jewels! According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a “jewel” is “one that […]
The post Jewels & Gems: Mamas’ Best Advice first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Published

3 years ago

May 10, 2023

Forward Times Staff

Mothers are jewels!

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a “jewel” is “one that is highly esteemed,” meaning they are beyond average and more special than anything.

There is absolutely nothing like having a good mother in your life, but in addition to that, there is absolutely nothing like receiving sound advice from your mother. We call those “gems” and they are quality, high-value words of wisdom that come from someone we cherish and value—our mother.

There is a phrase that each of us has probably heard at least once in our lives, and that phrase is:

Mother Knows Best!

It is kind of hard to refute that statement, especially when we take a moment to reflect on the times our mother shared something with us that we possibly shunned or disagreed with, only to realize that her words of wisdom were the best advice we could have ever received—if, in fact, we would have actually listened to our mother.

Being a mother constitutes more than just birthing a child, although that is an important component. From the womb to birth, a mother serves as the selfless, sacrificial, and loving individual who God has given the unique responsibility of nurturing, providing for, educating, empowering, and protecting their child(ren) as they grow and learn how to navigate in life.

A mother may not be perfect, but their sacrifices and love, coupled with their impartation of their wisdom, knowledge, experience, and learned skills, stay with all of us as we mature.

So, whether your mother is still here on Earth to celebrate this Mother’s Day, or not, it is important that all the knowledge, wisdom, skills, experience, education, lessons, and advice she poured into you is NEVER forgotten.

The Forward Times attended the recent Audrey H. Lawson Impact Awards Luncheon and Fashion Show, where they celebrated 60 years since inception.

Chaney Ledet, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson and Diedra Fontaine, Wheeler Avenue Women’s Guild

This year’s annual event, with a theme of “A Diamond Jubilee: Celebrating Sixty Years of Scholarship, Service and Style,” was presented by Together for Good Ministries and the Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Women’s Guild. The event, which also included a grand fashion show featuring fashions from Dillard’s Post Oak, honored seven individuals and their impact and work in the Greater Houston community, including male honorees for the first time.

Those honorees were: Mayor Sylvester Turner, City of Houston; Dr. Reagan Flowers, HCC Trustee; Attorney Chris Hollins, Esq.; Danielle Keys Bess; Attorney Mary A. Daffin, Esq.; Dr. Aziza Glass; and Angela Veale Joubert.

In honor of Mother’s Day, the Forward Times asked several different people at the event, as well as in the community, to share the best “gems’ that they ever received from their “jewel” of a mother.

We hope you enjoy all of these “gems” and nuggets of wisdom that these “jewels” have imparted to those who continue to be inspired and motivated by them each day and Happy Mother’s Day to all of our subscribers, readers, advertisers, and the community at-large.

BEST ADVICE MAMA GAVE YOU:

Mayor Sylvester Turner, City of Houston

“Son, tomorrow will be better than today.”

“Life is not fair, but you have to learn how to navigate.”

– Ruby Mae Turner, mother

U.S. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, TX-18

“You can do anything Sheila, that you want to do. Do it right, do it with kindness. If you can’t do anything else, just be good.”

– Ivalita Bennett Jackson, mother

Attorney Chris Hollins, Mayor Sylvester Turner and Rev. Alexander E.M. Johnson

Texas State Representative Ron Reynolds

“Always put God first in everything that you do.”

“No matter how many times you fail, never ever quit.”

– Glenda Brown, mother

Councilmember Martha Castex-Tatum, Vice Mayor Pro Tem, City of Houston

“Be kind in all that you do.”

“Never miss an opportunity to be compassionate and ALWAYS be grateful.”

– Earline Castex, mother

Angel Jones, City Manager, City of Missouri City

“Don’t let your circumstances define you.”

– Laura Moment, mother

Attorney Chris Hollins, Esq., Impact Awards Honoree

“Listen more than you talk.”

“Never think you’re better than anybody.”

“Always take the opportunity to learn something.”

– Mary Lee Hollins, grandmother, and member of Wheeler Avenue for over 50 years before her passing.

H-E-B, Presenting Sponsor, presents check

Danielle Keys Bess, Impact Awards Honoree

“When you are presented with an opportunity to help someone…do it, because you never know when someone you love will need help when you’re not around and you will want God to honor your act of charity.”

– Patricia Keys, mother

Jazton Heard – Police Captain, City of Missouri City

“You should only look at women in three ways: As a mother figure, your sister, or your wife.”

– Louchell Heard-Davis, mother

Rosalind Renee’ Gary, District Director for State Representative Ron Reynolds

“Always treat others like you want to be treated.”

“The Good Lord will never put anything on you that you cannot bear.”

– Juanita Corinne Ellis, mother

Linda K. Brown

“My mother advised me to treat others as I want to be treated and always give back to help those in need. – Cecil Brown, mother

Women’s Guild President, Dr. Pamela Cormier; Women’s Guild Luncheon Tri-Chairs – Dr. Rose Harper Austin, Kandyace Mayberry, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church Member of the Year and Karen Aubrey

Kelly P. Hodges

“Stop expecting you out of other people.”

– Linda L. Burton, mother

Karen Carter Richards

“Don’t ever start believing your own press.”

“When everybody knows your business, you don’t have none.”

“In business, learn everything from the front door to the back door.”

– Lenora “Doll” Carter, mother

Valecia Weeks

“Never let the right hand know what the left hand is doing.”

“Im’ma go through your behind to get to your mind.”

– Earlene Turner, mother

Sharwin Wiltz-Boney

“Love unconditionally while setting boundaries for discipline that leads to growth.”

“They may not like the discipline in the moment but keep on mothering. They will come back to thank you one day.”

– Geneva Wiltz, mother

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee

Roosevelt Weeks

“Always dress your best. Keep a clean haircut and keep your shoes shined.”

– Emma C. Weeks, mother

Gerald Womack – “Always give back.”

– Stella Marie Jackquet, mother

Layle McKelvey

“Believe in yourself, because you are smart, and you are beautiful.”

“I don’t want you to be insecure about making your way in the world. Be confident to know you can be successful.”

– Artie O’Neill, mother

Rozzy Shorter

“Always love and be true to yourself.”

– Catherine Shorter, mother

Anthony Frazier

“Tony, when you start driving, don’t be running all over town picking people up, running them here and there, and don’t drive around with a bunch of people in your truck.”

– Helen Mae Frazier, mother (This is the clean version)

Rhonda Newhouse, Laolu Davies, Karen Carter Richards, Kelly P. Hodges, and Mary Benton

Rhonda Newhouse

“It ain’t so bad that it couldn’t be worse.”

– Willie Jean Birmingham, mother

Hazel Tyler Ramsey

“Go to school and get an education, so you never have to depend on anyone else to take care of you and your needs/wants.”

– Lucy Shephard, mother

Sandra Green

“Somethings in life, you may need the skills of improvising. Come, sit down, let me show you.”

– Dorthy Pearl Brewer, mother

Jared Gilmore

“Never have more going out than you have coming in.”

– Army Vaughns, mother

Janice Beal, Diedra Fontaine, Dr.. Melanie Bibb, Deirdre Barrett, Vivian Lynn Porche, Licia Green Ellis, Rhonda Newhouse

Cosby Family

Melanie Lawson and Pastor Marcus Cosby

Ron John and Karen Carter Richards

Rev. William Lawson, Councilmember Carolyn Evans Shabazz and Cheryl Lawson

Impact Awards Honoree Dr. Reagan Flowers and Pastor Marcus Cosby

Impact Award Honoree Attorney Chris Hollins, Esq.

Impact Awards Honoree Dr. Aziza Glass

Impact Awards Honoree Angela Veale

The post Jewels & Gems: Mamas’ Best Advice appeared first on Houston Forward Times.

The post Jewels & Gems: Mamas’ Best Advice first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: Jim Crow 2.0 at the Pentagon

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

Published

2 weeks ago

August 3, 2026

bpusa-syndication

Pete Hegseth insists that he is restoring “merit” to the United States military. But after months of dismissals, blocked promotions, and ideological purges, the evidence tells a different story. His campaign against so-called “diversity, equity, and inclusion” has become something far more dangerous: an assault on equal opportunity that falls with particular force on African Americans, while also targeting women, Latinos, gay Americans, and transgender service members.

The latest example is both troubling and infuriating.

Once again, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has reportedly blocked the promotion of an exceptionally qualified woman—Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt. Bauernschmidt is no ordinary officer. She became the Navy’s first woman to command a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, one of the most demanding leadership assignments in the world. Her career reflects decades of exemplary performance, operational excellence, and leadership under extraordinary pressure.

Yet once again, a distinguished military career appears to have been subordinated to an ideological agenda masquerading as “merit.”

I call BS!

The American people are expected to believe that one extraordinary officer after another suddenly fails to meet some undefined standard of excellence. We are expected to ignore impeccable service records while accepting that political appointees alone possess the wisdom to determine who is worthy of advancement.

The pattern has become impossible to ignore.

General Charles Q. Brown Jr., only the second African American to serve as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was dismissed despite a career that placed him among the most accomplished military leaders of his generation.

Admiral Lisa Franchetti, the first woman ever to serve as Chief of Naval Operations, was removed despite decades of distinguished command experience.

Reports have documented interventions that blocked or delayed the promotions of Black officers and women selected through the military’s rigorous promotion system.

Now Rear Admiral Amy Bauernschmidt joins the growing list of highly accomplished officers whose careers have been derailed for reasons that have never been persuasively explained.

Where is Congress?

Its silence has become deafening.

Congress has an independent constitutional responsibility to oversee the armed forces. Instead, too many lawmakers have watched silently while one of the nation’s most respected institutions is subjected to ideological litmus tests and political interference.

This is not military reform. It is testosterone-fueled performative masculinity disguised as a philosophy of military excellence.

The irony is impossible to miss. Hegseth repeatedly invokes “merit,” yet his rhetoric begins with the assumption that Black officers, women, and other historically excluded Americans must somehow justify their achievements in ways that white male officers are rarely required to do.

That is not meritocracy. It is prejudice wrapped in patriotic language.

No one is asking that anyone be promoted because of race or gender. Americans simply expect that promotions be based on demonstrated competence, leadership, integrity, and service. The officers being targeted have already proven themselves repeatedly under one of the world’s most demanding evaluation systems.

Their records speak for themselves.

The attack on African American military leadership has been especially pernicious.

For generations, Black Americans fought in segregated units, earned decorations while denied equal treatment, and repeatedly demonstrated loyalty to a nation that often failed to extend them full citizenship. They broke barriers not because standards were lowered but because excellence finally overcame institutional discrimination.

Today’s campaign against “diversity” threatens to revive old assumptions under new slogans.

The implication that Black generals and admirals somehow owe their success to affirmative action rather than extraordinary performance echoes some of the ugliest stereotypes of the Jim Crow era. Yesterday’s segregationists claimed Black Americans were inherently less qualified. Today’s culture warriors simply employ more politically acceptable language while inviting the same suspicion about Black achievement.

That is why Hegseth’s campaign increasingly resembles Jim Crow 2.0.

The targets may now wear stars on their shoulders instead of military patches on segregated uniforms, but the underlying message is hauntingly familiar: Black excellence is presumed suspect, while white excellence is presumed earned.

America’s military became the finest fighting force in history because it opened its doors to talent wherever it could be found. It grew stronger after President Truman desegregated the armed forces. It became stronger when women assumed greater command responsibilities. It became stronger when every qualified American was given the opportunity to serve to the fullest extent of their abilities.

Diversity is not a concession. It is a strategic advantage.

The nation’s adversaries do not fear an American military because it is racially homogeneous. They fear it because it draws upon the talents of more than 340 million Americans whose diverse experiences, perspectives, and abilities make our armed forces unmatched anywhere in the world.

Every politically motivated dismissal of a distinguished officer sends a chilling message throughout the ranks: excellence alone may no longer be enough if you belong to the wrong demographic group.

That weakens morale. It weakens recruitment. It weakens retention.

And ultimately, it weakens national security.

Pete Hegseth has every right to pursue military readiness. He has no right to redefine merit in ways that repeatedly cast suspicion upon the accomplishments of Black officers, women, and others who have devoted their lives to defending this nation.

America deserves better. The men and women who wear the uniform deserve better. The Constitution deserves better.

And unless Congress finds the courage to exercise meaningful oversight, history may well remember this period not as a restoration of military excellence, but as the moment political ideology attempted to resurrect, in modern form, the old poison of exclusion.

Jim Crow did not strengthen America. Jim Crow 2.0 will not strengthen America’s military. It will only diminish it

Wade Henderson
Strategic Advisor
Civil and Human Rights
wade@wadejhenderson.com

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New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial

By Emilie St. John (Contributor) Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction. Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District […]
The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

By Emilie St. John
(Contributor)

Karmelo Anthony will return to court next month in his first step to overturn his murder conviction.

Anthony was found guilty last month in the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison. His new legal team has filed motions seeking the recusal of State District Judge John Roach Jr. from overseeing the appeals process.

Two hearings have been scheduled on the motion for Aug. 9 and 10 in the Collin County Courthouse in McKinney, Texas, according to Fox4 News.

On July 14, Senior Judge Sid L. Harle of the 226th District Court was assigned to preside over the defense’s motion to recuse Collin County Judge John Roach. The assignment took effect immediately and authorized Harle to handle all matters related to the recusal request, the filing read.

The Collin County District Attorney’s Office continues to defend its handling of the case by issuing a statement to NBC 5 DFW.

“The defendant’s new lawyers have filed a motion containing several inaccurate characterizations of the trial proceedings. The entire prosecution team and I conducted this trial ethically and in full compliance with the Court’s rulings and any agreements with defense counsel. We look forward to addressing these claims thoroughly in a Court of law in the coming weeks. The jury heard extensive evidence over the course of the trial and returned a unanimous verdict. We remain confident in that verdict and the fairness of the proceedings.”

Anthony’s new legal team, made up of appellate, civil rights, and criminal defense attorneys, was retained following Anthony’s conviction.

“Our responsibility is to determine whether a legal error occurred and to ensure that every issue supported by the record is fully and vigorously presented on appeal,” the team said in a statement.

“We recognize the profound loss suffered by one young man’s family and the uncertainty facing another, and we extend our respect to everyone whose lives have been forever changed by these events,” the release reads.

Anthony was charged with the stabbing death of Austin Metcalf during a track meet in Frisco, Texas, April 2, 2025. Anthony has long maintained it was an act of self-defense.

The attorneys are representing Anthony pro bono. The nearly 200-page notice of appeal seeks a new trial because his Sixth Amendment right to a public trial was violated.

“The cumulative and practical effect of these provisions was to exclude members of the public from proceedings at every stage,” the filing reads.

The filing also focused on an alleged “handshake deal” that kept Anthony from taking the stand in his defense.

The defense filing said the agreement was that the jury would not hear that Metcalf and his twin brother had been accused of racism and bullying in the past. In exchange, they also would not see Anthony’s cellphone records or his school disciplinary record, according to court documents reported by the Dallas Morning News.

Anthony’s former defense attorney, Mike Howard, said the defense relied heavily on that deal. The team chose not to ask certain questions of witnesses or call on a separate expert witness based on that agreement. It also abandoned plans to introduce testimony and evidence about the allegations against Metcalf and his brother.

Appellate attorney Russell Wilson is now handling post-trial proceedings and Anthony’s appeal. He recently sat down for an interview, stating, “The court committed multiple errors during the June murder trial, preventing him from receiving a fair trial.”

“You know, we file motions that we expect to prevail on, but we understand that there’s two sides to every story. And at the end of the day, it’ll be a judge that has to make these decisions, but we feel confident in the positions that we’re taking,” Wilson said during an interview with WFAA. “There were substantial issues that we thought a reviewing court needed to look at. We thought these were constitutional irregularities, and we could have them addressed now. And so, we put them into a motion for a new trial.”

Bree West, a former Dallas County Assistant District Attorney, found it startling that so little time was given to Anthony’s team for such a serious “life or death” situation.

“I do think that it’s really challenging that potentially a court decided that you have 10 minutes to make that level of decision when it has the potential of being life-altering,” said West during an interview with Fox 4 News.

Judge Harle is no stranger to high-profile cases, having presided over the prosecution of a police officer charged in connection with the 2022 mass shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

Anthony was convicted on June 9 of the murder of Austin Metcalf and sentenced to 35 years in prison.

The post New Judge Could Decide if Karmelo Anthony Gets a New Trial appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

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COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump!

WESTSIDE GAZETTE — The author criticizes Donald Trump’s rhetoric, noting his use of terms like “Dumbocrats” and “Communist” to describe Democrats and democracy. The column asserts that Trump’s current strategy involves creating doubt about midterm elections due to a lack of Republican agenda.
The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.

Published

2 weeks ago

July 31, 2026

Oakland Post

Frankly Speaking

Wow! Wow! Wow! The swamp drainers have truly stepped down to new levels of stupidity. You remember Weapons of Mass Destruction? We now have Weapons of Mass Distraction. Trump has introduced Dumbocrats and Communists into the conversation about Democrats and Democracy.

Trump lies so much, and his current strategy is to set up doubt about midterm elections because he and Republicans have no agenda!

He has no “Trump “ card, but Iran has a strait! He called it a skirmish; it’s now a War. He said five days; now it’s five months. He said few casualties; now it’s 18 deaths. He knew nothing about Project 2025 but hired its architects! Trump lies about the lies and often forgets these little inventions called cameras and phones

We see and hear and then see and hear the inconsistencies.

I didn’t like 45 and dislike 47 even more!

The post LSMFT! Lord Save Me From Trump! appeared first on The Westside Gazette.

Based on reporting by Westside Gazette.

The post COMMENTARY: LSMFT! Lord Save Me from Trump! appeared first on BlackPressUSA.