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A Beacon of Light for Young Men

HOUSTON FORWARD TIMES — As an established institution, each school year promises a predictable rhythm with a clear intention for both the students and staff—focus on both individual and collective success, stay driven, and keep growing. Important dates—both academic and extra-curricular—serve as goal posts throughout the year. Athletic tournaments and championships, midterm exams, STAAR and AP testing—but the cycle of the school year in the midst of a global pandemic has proven to be unpredictable and at the whim of forces out of the control of anyone within the perimeter of the school.

Published

4 years ago

August 15, 2022

Forward Times Staff

Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men Celebrates Over 10 Years of Success in Academically Preparing Young Men for the Future

By Jeffrey L. Boney | Houton Forward Times

The new school year is already upon us, and with it comes the task of teachers and administrators preparing to welcome new and returning students to their campuses.

After celebrating over ten (10) years of exemplary growth and accomplishments, the leadership at the Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men (MLCPA) is excited about returning to in-person learning and continuing their trend of being one of the most highly respected 6^th through 12^th grade magnet school campuses in the country.

Originally named the Young Men’s College Preparatory Academy, MLCPA is proudly named after Mickey Leland—former U.S. Congressman and anti-poverty activist who proudly represented the 18th Congressional District before his untimely death in a plane crash.

Leland grew up in Houston’s Fifth Ward community and graduated from Phillis Wheatley High School—the very spot where MLCPA’s new campus now sits.

Located in the Fifth Ward community, MLCPA isn’t the new kid on the block, and not only develops students academically, but also fosters leadership skills and helps them with the ability to make healthy and responsible decisions.

Upon taking on the role as the founding principal, Dameion J. Crook knew exactly what he wanted this school to be for the Fifth Ward community, and beyond. Dr. Crook helped get the school off the ground after serving as the principal of the historic E.O. Smith Education Center before the launch of MLCPA.

Originally from Baton Rouge, LA, and born in New Orleans, LA, Dr. Crook is a lifelong educator. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Biology from Texas Southern University. In 2016, he earned his doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of Houston. This is his 24th year with Houston Independent School District (HISD) and his twelfth year as a principal.

“I am deeply invested in improving the lives of young people in the Houston community,” says Dr. Crook. “Education is the most impactful way to improve our community and our young people.”

Since the founding of MLCPA in 2011, the school has dedicated itself to Dr. Crook’s vision of having a single-gender secondary school that academically prepares young men for college, while building their leadership skills and moral character.

MLCPA proudly boasts that they serve a population that is 74% economically disadvantaged but are able to offer their deserving students a top-notch, rigorous education that is usually only afforded to students who receive a private education.

As stated, Dr. Crook has been at the helm since the school’s founding and is seeking to address the biggest challenge he believes the school is facing in the community they are located in.

MLCPA vs Worthing District Basketball, Coach B Shelton

“We really want more African American kids to attend our school, especially those who live near our school,” Dr. Crook states. “We are challenged with exposing families in the Fifth Ward to our program, mostly because many families assume they can’t attend our school because we are not considered a neighborhood zoned school. That is a myth we want to change.”

There have been many accomplishments at MLCPA and some challenges as well—one of the primary challenges has been dealing with the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic that every school has had to deal with and navigate through.

Dr. Crook states that the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the overall educational landscape at MLCPA and the community in so many ways, but they have remained resilient, while working hard to adjust to the new normal.

If you ask any teacher at MLCPA, they will probably know and tell you exactly where they were on March 12, 2020—the day HISD announced that Spring Break would begin early due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Paul Laforet, MLCPA’s robotics coach, remembers that day, and how it impacted the school.

“The robotics team was in our workshop preparing for our second First Robotics Competition event, Mr. Laforet recalls. “After the announcement over the intercom, I saw them drop their tools to cheer and high-five. What kid wouldn’t be excited to start their Spring Break early? But then, we never returned to school.”

That moment marked the beginning of the global COVID-19 pandemic for MLCPA, and other schools just like them. No one could have predicted that students would not return for in-person learning until the following school year, and even then, most students elected to learn from home, virtually.

Nicole Walker Laforet, MLCPA’s high school English teacher acknowledged that everyone—students, teachers, and staff—all felt lost during those lonely months that they spent in their homes away from school, trying to make sense of our new normal.

“No one was immune to the shock,” says Mrs. Laforet. “We adopted the whole-child philosophy as the cornerstone of our program. We envisioned a boy-friendly learning environment that would foster the healthy development of every young man we served, as well as a principled approach to the competitive spirit. Committing to this approach has set us apart from other all-male schools across the country, bringing our visions to fruition: our school has paid dividends upon dividends for the young men and families we serve.”

Even after mask protocols and vaccines allowed students to return to in-person learning, MLCPA and schools across America continued to grapple with the emotional, mental, and spiritual consequences from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We came back together as new people,” Mrs. Laforet reflects.

To put things into context, the entire incoming 2021 sixth grade class at MLCPA had last been in a normal, pre-pandemic classroom, as fourth graders. The freshman class had spent most of their middle school careers at home or in a virtual classroom.

Mrs. Laforet recalls her shock when discussing this year’s high school awards ceremony with a junior, with the student asking if that was really a thing.

“We have those?” marveled student Joaquin Castaneda.

Due to the safety protocols, typical high school events such as award ceremonies, field trips, and school dances, hadn’t happened in the last few school years—a lifetime for any adolescent boy.

Though there will be many traditional hallmarks lost to the early years of the COVID-19 pandemic, the MLCPA community has been committed to pushing past any obstacles to get back to work, and return to celebrating student accomplishments, no matter what the world’s new normal might look like.

It isn’t just the COVID-19 pandemic that MLCPA is charging against. The school is also seeking to navigate through a national and global community that is heavy with political disunity, pervasive racial inequity, and all the physical and cultural violence that stems from that.

MLCPA’s teachers and staff take their mission of fostering tomorrow’s world innovators and leaders seriously, holding their duty like a radiant torch each day they walk into the school.

MLCPA’s academics maintain a rigorously high bar.

Middle school scholars take exclusively HISD Advanced courses, which prepare them for the AP courses they’ll take in high school. While other schools offer a tiered selection of courses to choose from, juniors at MLCPA, for example, don’t have the option to take an “on-level” English III option. Every student takes AP Language & Composition. Consequently, graduates face the rigors of college and the workforce with agility and grace.

MLCPA has sent graduates to MIT, University of Virginia, UT Austin, A&M, Oklahoma State, Northeastern University, Vanderbilt University—the list could roll on for an entire article in and of itself.

As an established institution, each school year promises a predictable rhythm with a clear intention for both the students and staff—focus on both individual and collective success, stay driven, and keep growing. Important dates—both academic and extra-curricular—serve as goal posts throughout the year. Athletic tournaments and championships, midterm exams, STAAR and AP testing—but the cycle of the school year in the midst of a global pandemic has proven to be unpredictable and at the whim of forces out of the control of anyone within the perimeter of the school.

MLCPA’s Athletics—a program that was only reserved exclusively for the middle school in the beginning, has since exploded, now serving middle through high school.

Over the years, MLCPA athletes have brought home a plethora of awards, including but not limited to cross-country district championships, basketball district championships, and track and field district championships.

Head of MLCPA Athletics Coach Byron Shelton has marveled at the rapid growth and athletic accomplishments at MLCPA.

“In the five years since we’ve added high school athletics to our program, our varsity basketball team has qualified for the UIL state playoffs two years running,” Coach Shelton reflects. “Our track and field team has produced multiple regional qualifiers and our cross-country team has claimed two district championships. Our baseball team has qualified for UIL state playoffs twice, and our soccer team is growing more competitive and is becoming quite the force to be reckoned with.”

As a college-preparatory magnet school, the union between academics and extracurricular activities provides the opportunity to teach students the importance of balance and focus.

“Here at MLCPA we have worked hard to build our athletes up on a foundation of character, commitment, compassion, and growth,” Coach Shelton states. “We look forward to making our school district and community proud for years to come.”

MLCPA’s highly competitive robotics program is also no stranger to success, qualifying for state tournaments yearly and even hosting robotics competitions on campus.

Mr. Laforet, computer science teacher and robotics coach talked about the growth of the program on the MLCPA campus.

“When I stepped in to lead the robotics program several years pre-pandemic, we went into a full rebuild, as I wanted to cultivate a culture of excellence through a program that met the needs of the students while remaining competitive on a regional and state level,” Mr. Laforet states. “We did that. Now, as we emerge from the pandemic, we find ourselves rebuilding again, but with more confidence than ever in our future success. We have a large group of dedicated and passionate students ready to exceed expectations.”

MLCPA also fosters the competitive spirit in countless ways.

Christina Frascino, social studies teacher extraordinaire, who is also known as Mrs. Fresh by students, has dedicated herself to growing MLCPA’s up-and-coming debate team.

“Debate provides a challenging opportunity for students to develop their higher-order thinking and research skills to build a formidable case,” says Ms. Frascino. “But more than that, each student develops confidence in their unique perspectives and voice, taking that powerful energy into debate tournaments. There’s nothing like the moment when a student witnesses the fruits of their labor come to life while competing against other schools from a variety of different backgrounds.”

When young men come to MLCPA, they don’t just become a student on campus, they become a part of a thriving and life-long family and community. Graduates remain members of the MLCPA family and legacy.

“Graduates come back to campus all the time during their college vacation periods to visit us,” Mrs. Laforet shares. “I love the look of confidence and pride they have when walking into my classroom and seeing current students in the same chairs they once sat in. Anyone who sits in those blue chairs becomes my son, and to see them years later, thriving and now honoring where they came from, is a feeling absolutely unmatched. It makes everything we do as a staff and community feel that much more crucial and necessary.”

The mission and legacy of the Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy community continues to persevere and prosper despite any obstacles that come their way.

This year, that legacy comes full circle.

Nahome Mekonnen, graduate of MLCPA’s Class of 2016, received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from John Hopkins University, and knew exactly what he wanted to do next.

He wanted to become a teacher at MLCPA, the school who grew his mind and commitment to excellence.

This month, Mekonnen will step into his middle school social studies classroom at MLCPA and carry forth everything he learned, growing each new MLCPA scholar with commitment, passion, and the certainty that each student in his classroom can and will thrive and succeed in the world, no matter what that new world looks like.

MLCPA has been ranked as high as second on The Washington Post’s prestigious annual “America’s Most Challenging High Schools” list, which ranks schools by the number of AP classes they offer and the number of seniors who graduate.

Dr. Crook wants the community to help them continue growing.

“We are looking for community partners to support our campus mission of creating a High performing boy-friendly environment,” states Dr. Crook.

Congratulations, Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men and Dr. Crook on establishing an over 10-year stellar reputation as a beacon for young men with bright minds.

The post A Beacon of Light for Young Men appeared first on Houston Forward Times.

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Black Artists in America, Installation Three Wraps at the Dixon Gallery and Gardens

TRI-STATE DEFENDER — With 50+ paintings, sculptures and assemblages, the exhibit features artists like Varnette Honeywood from Los Angeles, whose pieces appeared in Bill Coby’s private collection (before they were auctioned off) and on “The Cosby Show.” Also included are works by Alonzo Davis, another Los Angeles artist who opened one of the first galleries there where Black Artists could exhibit.

Published

1 week ago

March 24, 2026

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By Candace A. Gray | Tri-State Defender

The tulips gleefully greet those who enter the gates at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens on an almost spring day. More than 650,000 bulbs of various hues are currently on display. And they are truly breathtaking.

Inside the gallery, and equally as breathtaking, is the “Black Artists in America, From the Bicentennial to September 11” exhibit, which runs through Sunday, March 29. This is the third installment of a three-part series that started years ago and illustrates part of the Black experience through visual arts in the 20th century.

“This story picks up where part two left off,’’ said Kevin Sharp, the Linda W. and S. Herbert Rhea director for the Dixon. “This era is when we really start to see the emergence of these important Black artists’ agency and freedom shine through. They start to say and express what they want to, and it was a really beautiful time.”

With 50+ paintings, sculptures and assemblages, the exhibit features artists like Varnette Honeywood from Los Angeles, whose pieces appeared in Bill Coby’s private collection (before they were auctioned off) and on “The Cosby Show.” Also included are works by Alonzo Davis, another Los Angeles artist who opened one of the first galleries there where Black Artists could exhibit.

“Though [Davis] was from LA, he actually lived in Memphis for a decade,” said Sharp. “He was a dean at Memphis College of Art, and later opened the first gallery in New York owned and operated by black curators.”

Another featured artist is former NFL player, Ernie Barnes. His work is distinctive. Where have you seen one of his most popular paintings, Sugar Shack? On the end scene and credits of the hit show “Good Times.” His piece Saturday Night, Durham, North Carolina, 1974 is in this collection.

Memphis native James Little’s “The War Baby: The Triptych” is among more than 50 works featured in “Black Artists in America, From the Bicentennial to September 11” at the Dixon Gallery & Gardens, the final installment of a three-part series highlighting the impact and evolution of Black artists through 2011.

The exhibit features other artists with Memphis ties, including abstract painter James Little, who was raised in a segregated Memphis and attended Memphis Academy of Art (before it was Memphis College of Art). He later moved to New York, became a teacher and an internationally acclaimed fixture in the art world in 2022 when he was named a Whitney Biennial selected artist at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.

Other artists like Romare Bearden, who had a Southern experience but lived up North, were featured in all three installments.

“During this period of time, he was a major figure,” said Sharp. “He wrote one of the first books on the history of African American art during a time when there were more Black academics, art teachers, more Black everything!”

Speaking of Black educators, Sharp said the head curator behind this tri-part series and Dixon’s partner in the arts is Earnestine Jenkins, Ph.D., an art history professor at the University of Memphis, who also earned a Master of Arts degree from Memphis State University (now UofM). “We began working with Dr. Jenkins in 2018,” he said.

Sharp explained that it takes a team of curators, registrars, counterparts at other museums, and more, about three years to assemble an exhibit like this. It came together quite seamlessly, he added. Each room conjured up more jaw-dropping “wows” than the one before it. Each piece worked with the others to tell the story of Black people and their collective experience during this time period.

One of the last artists about whom Sharp shared information was Bettye Saar, who will turn 100 years old this year. She’s been working in Los Angeles for 80 years and is finally getting her due. Her medium is collages or assemblages, and an incredible work of hers is on display. She’s married to an artist and has two daughters, also artists.

The exhibit catalogue bears some of these artists’ stories, among other scholarly information.

The exhibit, presented by the Joe Orgill Family Fund for Exhibitions, is culturally and colorfully rich. It is a must see and admission to the Dixon is free.

Visit https://www.dixon.org/ to learn more.

Fun Facts: An original James Little design lives in the flooring of the basketball court at Tom Lee Park, and he makes and mixes his own paint colors.

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Grief, Advocacy, and Education: A Counselor Reflects on Black Maternal Health

SAN DIEGO VOICE & VIEWPOINT — Last month healthcare leaders, birth workers, and community members gathered to honor the legacy of Charleston native Dr. Janell Green Smith, a nurse-midwife and doctor of nursing practice who died in January from childbirth complications. She had participated in more than 300 births and specialized in helping Black women give birth safely.

Published

1 week ago

March 24, 2026

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By Jennifer Porter Gore | Word-In-Black | San Diego Voice and Viewpoint

In 2024, the number of U.S. mothers who died as a result of pregnancy or childbirth dropped compared to 2023. But while slightly fewer Black mothers died that year, they still had three times the mortality rate of white women.

South Carolina’s rates of maternal deaths outpaced even the national rates. In fact, the state’s overall rate of maternal deaths between 2019 and 2023 was higher than all but eight states and the District of Columbia.

Last month healthcare leaders, birth workers, and community members gathered to honor the legacy of Charleston native Dr. Janell Green Smith, a nurse-midwife and doctor of nursing practice who died in January from childbirth complications. She had participated in more than 300 births and specialized in helping Black women give birth safely.

Her death shocked the community and her colleagues who are determined to address concerns about Black maternal health. The event also covered the importance of protecting mental health during grief and of men’s role in solving the maternal health crisis.

As both a therapist and a father, Lawrence Lovell, a licensed professional counselor and founder of Breakthrough Solutions, discussed ways the event’s attendees could process their grief over Green Smith’s death. He also shared ways male partners can advocate for women’s maternal health during pregnancy and childbirth.

Lovell spoke not just as a therapist but also as a father whose own family had briefly crossed paths with Green Smith. The event, he said, emerged organically from a moment of collective mourning.

Despite the grief, “it was still, like, a really beautiful event, a much-needed event, and it almost felt like we were all giving each other a collective family hug,” says Lovell.

His connection to Green Smith, Lovell says, was brief but meaningful during his wife’s pregnancy with their second child. Green Smith was practicing at the same birthing center where they had their child. She began practicing in Greenville a short time later.Even that short connection carried significance for Lovell, given the small number of Black maternal health professionals.

Lovell did not initially plan to become a mental health practitioner; he chose the career path after graduating from college, when someone suggested he consider psychology. His interest deepened when he noticed how few Black men work in mental health.

“Being Black man and playing football in college, there weren’t a lot of people that look like me talking about mental health,” says Lovell. “[I wanted] to give people that look like me an opportunity to work with someone that looks like them.”

Working with Expectant and New Parents

Lovell often counsels couples preparing for parenthood by, helping partners understand what a successful pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum recovery look like. That often means helping women manage postpartum depression.

As a man, Lovell says, it’s “humbling” that a woman “just trusts me enough to work with me through their pregnancy or their postpartum recovery.”

In his work, Lovell has noticed how few men understand pregnancy before they experience it with their partner. Because early pregnancy symptoms are often invisible, he says, men may underestimate how much support a mom-to-be actually needs.

“Sometimes they may not realize they don’t know much about pregnancy and what to expect in those three trimesters,” Lovell says. “I tell a lot of the men that just because you can’t see [she’s pregnant] doesn’t mean that she won’t appreciate your intense support in that first trimester.”

Education about pregnancy and postpartum recovery, he says, can change how men support their partners.

Teaching Advocacy in the Delivery Room

Another major focus of Lovell’s counseling is preparing men to advocate for mothers during labor.

“Helping men understand what pregnancy looks like: what delivery is going to look like, and what are the realistic expectations that I should have of myself in postpartum,” he says.

Lovell encourages partners to be honest about their expectations for what will happen during delivery. He helps them prepare for the big day by discussing the birth plan and knowing how to quickly recognize problems. Clear communication, he says, prevents misunderstandings.

He regularly trains men to ask their partners detailed questions about their expectations during and after pregnancy. Advocacy in medical settings can be especially important and requires attention to details the mother may not be able to address.

“It’s always important to fine-tune things and truly understand what helps your partner feel most supported,” Lovell says. “Instead of guessing, you should ask.”

Lovell recalls a moment during the birth of his first child when he had to take that role.

During the delivery, “I felt like something wasn’t as sanitary as I’d like it to be,” he says. “I asked, ‘Hey, can you switch those out? Can you change your gloves?’”

Lovell has a succinct but powerful message he regularly shares with clients’ families, and he shared it with attendees at last month’s event.

“Just to believe women,” he says. “I’ve worked with different couples, and sometimes I’m not really sure that there’s enough empathy from the men.”

That includes how women express pain.

“If a woman says, ‘my pain is at a nine,’ just because how you would express yourself at a nine is different than how she’s expressing herself at [that level] doesn’t mean you shouldn’t believe her,” he says.

Empathy, he says, can change outcomes far beyond the delivery room.

“We’ve got to believe women when they’re talking about their experiences and their feelings and their pain,” he says. “I think there’s a lot that we can prevent if we empathize better.”

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Future of Florida’s Black History Museum in Limbo

JACKSONVILLE FREE PRESS — A proposal sponsored by Tom Leek, a Republican from Ormond Beach, has now passed the Senate in back-to-back legislative sessions. But the House version, filed by Kiyan Michael, a Jacksonville Republican, did not receive final approval in either year, effectively stalling the effort.

Published

1 week ago

March 24, 2026

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Jacksonville Free Press

Plans to establish a long-awaited Black history museum in Florida are once again on hold after legislation needed to advance the project failed to clear the state House for a second consecutive year, despite repeated approval in the Senate.

A proposal sponsored by Tom Leek, a Republican from Ormond Beach, has now passed the Senate in back-to-back legislative sessions. But the House version, filed by Kiyan Michael, a Jacksonville Republican, did not receive final approval in either year, effectively stalling the effort.

Under Florida law, identical or similar bills must pass both chambers before heading to the governor’s desk. Without House approval, the legislation has been unable to move forward, leaving the project in limbo. Long journey, contested location.

The proposed museum, formally known as the Florida Museum of Black History, has been years in the making, with lawmakers and community leaders framing it as a long-overdue institution to preserve and showcase the state’s African American heritage .A central point of contention has been the museum’s location. St. Augustine — widely recognized as the nation’s oldest city and a site deeply tied to both slavery and early Black history — emerged as the leading contender. Supporters argue the city’s historical significance makes it a natural home for the museum. However, competing interests and regional considerations have fueled debate, slowing consensus among lawmakers.

While the Senate-backed measure has consistently advanced, the lack of alignment in the House has underscored ongoing divisions about how and where the project should take shape.

The holdup in the Florida House appears to be less about opposition to the museum itself and more about a combination of procedural bottlenecks, unresolved structural issues, and lingering disagreements over how the project should be formalized and governed.

Despite the legislative setbacks, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has publicly voiced support for the museum. Speaking last month during the unveiling of a statue of abolitionist Frederick Douglass in St. Augustine, DeSantis said the project would move forward “one way or another,” signaling an intent to see the museum built regardless of legislative hurdles.

The anticipated museum has already cleared several hurdles. St. Johns County signed an agreement last year with Florida Memorial University to use the land that once housed its campus last year’s legislative session netted $1 million in funding for St. Johns County to work on planning and design for the museum. However, its anticipated that a million $3 million is needed.

Still, without statutory approval to finalize key components — including governance, funding mechanisms and site selection — the project remains largely conceptual.
With the House bill failing again, the timeline for the museum’s development is unclear. Lawmakers could revisit the proposal in the next legislative session, but any further delays risk pushing the project back several more years. Advocates warn that continued inaction could stall momentum for a museum many see as critical to telling a fuller, more accurate story of Florida’s past. For now, the effort remains paused — caught between political support at the top and legislative gridlock within the Capitol.