Community

City of Houston begins new MLK tradition

DEFENDER NEWS NETWORK — As the country pauses to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the City of Houston will begin a new tradition to honor his life and legacy.

Published

5 years ago

January 21, 2019

Oakland Post

By Defender News Network

As the country pauses to remember Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the City of Houston will begin a new tradition to honor his life and legacy.

Mayor Sylvester Turner announced that this year, the city will partner with the Black Heritage Society to promote the 41st annual Original MLK Day Parade. Turner said the parade will be a tribute to Houston’s strength and diversity and unite people of different faiths and cultures from across the community.

“From the start of my administration, I have been honest about my desire for our city to have only one MLK Day parade,” Turner said. “As the nation’s fourth largest city, Houston should be known for celebrating the best and biggest MLK Day parade.

“Dr. King once said, ‘The time is always right to do the right thing.’ So, in the spirit of Dr. King’s work to unite everyone, I met with representatives of the Black Heritage Society and the MLK Parade Foundation and expressed my hope to combine the groups into one grand, meaningful parade.

“I am proud to say that the Black Heritage Society and its founder, Ovide Duncantell, agreed with me and we decided to move forward in the best interest of all Houstonians,” Turner said. “In case you did not already know, the Black Heritage Society organized the very first MLK Day parade in the country and maintains an official IPM license from the King Center in Atlanta.”

Turner noted that in 1978, Dr. King’s father even traveled to Houston to give his blessing to Duncantell’s efforts to preserve his son’s work.

Duncantell, a well-known local civil rights activist, died last October at age 82. In addition to originating the parade, he was a driving force behind the renaming of South Park Blvd. to MLK Blvd. He also promoted the MLK Memorial Statue and Plaza.

“During the parade, we will remember his lifelong contributions,” Turner said. “There will be a float dedicated in his memory and representatives from various organizations will ride on it.

“…As your mayor, I ask you to stand with me and let’s make the 2019 parade the best parade in the country and the beginning of a new tradition,” he said. “Considering the cynicism and divisiveness across the country, we should show the nation that our city is a place of peace, unity and cooperation.”

Original MLK Day Parade

Monday, Jan. 21, 10 a.m.

Hermann Square, 900 Smith St.

Visit www.blackheritagesociety.org

This article originally appeared in the Defender News Network.

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Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of April 24 – 30, 2024

Published

5 days ago

April 26, 2024

Oakland Post

To enlarge your view of this issue, use the slider, magnifying glass icon or full page icon in the lower right corner of the browser window.

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Alameda County

DA Pamela Price Stands by Mom Who Lost Son to Gun Violence in Oakland

Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones

Publisher’s note: Last week, The Post published a photo showing Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price with Carol Jones, whose son, Patrick DeMarco Scott, was gunned down by an unknown assailant in 2018. The photo was too small for readers to see where the women were and what they were doing. Here we show Price and Jones as they complete a walk in memory of Scott. For more information and to contribute, please contact Carol Jones at 510-978-5517 at morefoundation.help@gmail.com. Courtesy photo.

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City Government

Vallejo Welcomes Interim City Manager Beverli Marshall

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10. Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Published

1 week ago

April 22, 2024

Oakland Post

Beverli Marshall began her first day with the City on April 10. ICMA image.

Special to The Post

At Tuesday night’s Council meeting, the Vallejo City Council appointed Beverli Marshall as the interim city manager. Her tenure in the City Manager’s Office began today, Wednesday, April 10.

Mayor Robert McConnell praised Marshall’s extensive background, noting her “wide breadth of experience in many areas that will assist the City and its citizens in understanding the complexity of the many issues that must be solved” in Vallejo.

Current City Manager Michael Malone, whose official departure is slated for April 18, expressed his well wishes. “I wish the City of Vallejo and Interim City Manager Marshall all the best in moving forward on the progress we’ve made to improve service to residents.” Malone expressed his hope that the staff and Council will work closely with ICM Marshall to “ensure success and prosperity for the City.”

According to the Vallejo Sun, Malone stepped into the role of interim city manager in 2021 and became permanent in 2022. Previously, Malone served as the city’s water director and decided to retire from city service e at the end of his contract which is April 18.

“I hope the excellent work of City staff will continue for years to come in Vallejo,” he said. “However, recent developments have led me to this decision to announce my retirement.”

When Malone was appointed, Vallejo was awash in scandals involving the housing division and the police department. A third of the city’s jobs went unfilled during most of his tenure, making for a rocky road for getting things done, the Vallejo Sun reported.

At last night’s council meeting, McConnell explained the selection process, highlighting the council’s confidence in achieving positive outcomes through a collaborative effort, and said this afternoon, “The Council is confident that by working closely together, positive results will be obtained.”

While the search for a permanent city manager is ongoing, an announcement is expected in the coming months.

On behalf of the City Council, Mayor McConnell extended gratitude to the staff, citizen groups, and recruitment firm.

“The Council wishes to thank the staff, the citizens’ group, and the recruitment firm for their diligent work and careful consideration for the selection of what is possibly the most important decision a Council can make on behalf of the betterment of our City,” McConnell said.

The Vallejo Sun contributed to this report.