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COMMENTARY: My American Story

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — In a society that often erases African American narratives, my family has insisted on remembering, on speaking our truth, on ensuring that future generations know they come from greatness. In a moment where the telling of Black history is facing a very real, very direct threat in this country, proudly sharing our stories is an act of both resistance and necessity. Our history must be preserved.

Published

5 months ago

August 19, 2025

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Part of Public Welfare Foundation’s Legacies Rooted in Resistance and Resilience Series

By Tonia Wellons

My name is Tonia Wellons, and I am the daughter of Rendell and Carol Wellons, the granddaughter of Ruth and James Lane, the great-granddaughter of St. Paul and Julia Wellons, the great-great-granddaughter of Hack and Maria Holloman, and the third great-granddaughter of Jason and Maria Holloman.

This lineage, which was spoken aloud at our 71^st family reunion this month and has been spoken aloud at every family reunion for seventy years, carries the weight of our collective memory and the power of our shared triumph.

When I trace my roots back through eight generations to Temperance Brown, born around 1805 in Ivor, Virginia, I am not just recounting names and dates—I am honoring a legacy of resilience, faith, and unwavering commitment to family and community that defines who I am today.

In a society that often erases African American narratives, my family has insisted on remembering, on speaking our truth, on ensuring that future generations know they come from greatness. In a moment where the telling of Black history is facing a very real, very direct threat in this country, proudly sharing our stories is an act of both resistance and necessity. Our history must be preserved.

Temperance Brown was born into bondage, yet she became the foundation upon which our family’s American story was built. Her daughter, Maria Brown, later known as Martha, married Jason Holloman, and together they exemplified the courage and defiance that would become our family’s hallmark. When Jason, described in our oral history as “a proud and courageous man who refused to be beaten by his master,” was sold away to Alabama, never to be seen again, Maria faced the unimaginable—raising three sons alone while enslaved. The year was around 1830, just one year before Nat Turner’s rebellion would shake the very foundations of Virginia’s plantation system.

What happened next reveals the extraordinary character that runs through our bloodline. After the Civil War ended, Maria’s three sons—Hack Hanson, James Henry, and Julius—did something revolutionary: they purchased the very plantation where they had once lived as slaves. “Overhome ,” as it was known, became more than just land; it became a symbol of transformation, a place where the formerly enslaved became landowners, where the oppressed became community leaders.

The values that sustained our family through these trials were rooted in faith, community, and an unshakeable belief in justice. Hack and James Henry, according to our family historians, were “very outspoken and stood up for the rights of others.” They weren’t politicians, but they stayed informed about political activities, riding their “jumper”—a one-seat buggy—to Courtland whenever issues demanded their attention. As the first Black landowners in Southampton County and among the first Black voters in the county, they understood that their freedom was meaningless unless they actively participated in shaping their community’s future.

The tradition of family gatherings – first during Thanksgiving and beginning over 70 years ago on the 4^th Saturday in July wasn’t just about family fellowship; it was about preserving our story, ensuring that each generation understood where we came from and what we had overcome. In those gatherings, family members shared “reminiscences of the old slavery days” and stories of hardship, but also of triumph. These weren’t just memories—they were lessons in resilience, blueprints for survival, and testimonials to the power of faith and family unity.

This legacy of activism and community leadership flows directly through my veins. The same courage that enabled Jason to resist his master, that drove Maria to raise three sons alone, that inspired Hack and James Henry to become community leaders, lives on in my own commitment to justice and service. When I engage in community work today, I carry forward their understanding that personal success is incomplete without collective progress. Their example teaches me that true freedom requires not just the absence of chains, but the presence of opportunity, dignity, and voice for all.

Faith was the cornerstone that held our family together through centuries of struggle. The strict moral teachings of our ancestors, their emphasis on respect and faith, created a foundation strong enough to withstand the storms of slavery, Jim Crow, and beyond. This spiritual grounding didn’t make them passive; instead, it empowered them to act with purpose and conviction. Today, my faith continues to guide my work, providing both the moral compass and the inner strength needed to confront injustice wherever I find it.

The preservation of our family history through oral tradition speaks to another core value: the understanding that our stories matter. For seventy-one years, we have gathered in Ivor, Virginia – the place where I was born and raised – to honor our past and strengthen our bonds. This commitment to storytelling and memory-keeping influences how I approach my own work—with the understanding that representation matters, that voices need to be heard, and that history must be preserved.

What makes our family story particularly powerful is not just that we survived slavery, but how we transformed that experience into strength, leadership, and service. From Temperance Brown’s quiet endurance to Hack and James Henry’s bold land ownership, from their roles as community leaders to their commitment to voting rights, our family has consistently chosen engagement over withdrawal, hope over despair, action over resignation.

Today, as I continue their legacy, I understand that my American story is both deeply personal and universally significant. It represents the broader American experience of trauma and triumph, of roots that run deep in American soil watered by both tears and determination. The values of activism, community work, faith, and family that sustained my ancestors through slavery and its aftermath continue to guide my steps today.

Standing on the shoulders of eight generations, I carry forward not just their DNA, but their dreams, their courage, and their unwavering belief that this country, for all its flaws, is our home. We helped build it, we fought for it, and we continue to perfect it. That is my American story—one of transformation, resilience, and the unbreakable bonds of family that have sustained us for over two centuries.

Tonia Wellons is the President & CEO of the Greater Washington Community Foundation, the largest public foundation in the region with over $500 million in assets and $70 million in annual grants.

This is the second essay in the Public Welfare Foundation’s Legacies Rooted in Resistance and Resilience Series.

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OP-ED: The Dream Cannot be Realized Without Financial Freedom

NNPA NEWSWIRE — Dr. King spent the final chapter of his life pushing the country to face economic injustice. The day before he was tragically assassinated, Dr. King stood with sanitation workers in Memphis to call for economic equality. He helped launch the Poor People’s Campaign because he knew freedom hollowed out by poverty is not freedom at all. Dr. King kept pushing America to match its promises with practical pathways.

Published

1 week ago

January 19, 2026

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By Ben Crump

We honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. each January with speeches, service projects, and by reciting powerful quotes we know by heart.

But too many Black families will spend much of MLK Day the same way they spend most Mondays.

With the gas tank hovering near empty, hoping the car can go until the next paycheck arrives. With a prescription waiting at the pharmacy counter because they cannot afford the cost.

With a paycheck that has to stretch further than what seems possible.

Dr. King understood that true dignity means being able to afford and build a good life. In one of his clearest reminders, he asked what it means to “eat at an integrated lunch counter” if you cannot “buy a hamburger and a cup of coffee.”

That question still carries weight for many. Personal freedom will not be achieved without financial freedom.

Dr. King spent the final chapter of his life pushing the country to face economic injustice. The day before he was tragically assassinated, Dr. King stood with sanitation workers in Memphis to call for economic equality. He helped launch the Poor People’s Campaign because he knew freedom hollowed out by poverty is not freedom at all. Dr. King kept pushing America to match its promises with practical pathways.

That is the part of his legacy we should sit with this MLK Day.

This work has never been more important or needed. The cost of groceries, rent, and childcare have become an increased burden. And many families go from stable to scrambling with just one unexpected expense.

These realities are on display in a recent national survey commissioned by DreamFi, echoing what so many families already feel so deeply. More than one in four respondents told us they used check-cashing services in the past year. This finding makes it clear that too many households still need simpler and more accessible options for moving money.

The survey also shows how unexpected expenses impact families. Only 41% of Black respondents said they could cover a $1,000 emergency, compared with 56% of white respondents. When a tire blows out, when a child gets sick, when hours get cut, the question is not theoretical. The question is immediate and the impact is real.

We must shine a light on this struggle and work to equip families with tools to build better futures. We must recognize Dr. King’s wisdom and acknowledge that financial stability is a civil rights issue, because financial instability limits the ability to have choices.

The survey also found hope that can guide how we move forward.

Black families are not turning away from the idea of building stability. In fact, they are reaching for it. In the survey, 79% of Black respondents said they sought out financial education in the past six months. Ours is a community hungry for tools and a fair shot at creating a better tomorrow.

So, what does it mean to honor Dr. King right now?

It means we get practical.

It means we expand access to clear, trustworthy financial education that respects people’s time and speaks to real solutions. It means we support savings pathways that help families prepare for emergencies before emergencies arrive. It means we encourage options that make routine transactions easier and less costly, so a family is not paying extra simply to manage their own money.

Most of all, it means we stop treating financial instability as normal. Because normal is not the same as acceptable.

Dr. King asked America to make its promises real. The best way to honor him now is to provide opportunities for everyone to achieve Dr. King’s dream.

Ben Crump is a nationally renowned civil rights attorney and founder of Ben Crump Law. Known as “Black America’s attorney general,” he has represented families in some of the most high-profile civil rights cases of our time, including those of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Tyre Nichols, and Ahmaud Arbery. He is also co-founder of DreamFi, a financial empowerment platform focused on helping everyday people build stability through practical resources.

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Four Stolen Futures: Will H-E-B Do The Right Thing?

BLACKPRESSUSA – An 18-wheeler carrying H-E-B merchandise struck a disabled car on US 87 near Dalhart, resulting in the deaths of four young Texas women. Dashcam footage shows their hazard lights flashing before impact. As H-E-B points to subsidiary distance, families wait for accountability.

Published

1 week ago

January 18, 2026

Oakland Post

By TotallyRandie
Social Media Correspondent, BlackPressUSA

Eighty thousand pounds of steel doesn’t just collide—it obliterates. While corporate lawyers hide behind the sterile jargon of liability and subsidiaries, four Houston families are left haunted by viral footage of a tragedy that should never have happened. On November 5, 2025, a stretch of US 87 became a crime scene of corporate negligence, claiming four vibrant Texan futures in a heartbeat.

The dashcam footage is a nightmare in real-time. A black Nissan Altima, hazards blinking in a desperate plea for space, crawls along the right lane near Dalhart. The four young women inside did exactly what we are taught to do during an emergency: slowed down and put on hazards. They were then met by an 18-wheeler hauling H-E-B merchandise. The truck plowed into them at full speed—no brakes, no swerve, no mercy.

The lives of Breanna Brantley, Taylor White, Myunique Johnson, and Lakeisha Brown were not just lost; they were stolen. To understand the gravity of this loss, you have to realize these women were just starting their lives.

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Taylor White (27): A wanderlust traveler and the “glue” for her younger siblings; she was their primary mother figure.
Myunique Johnson (20): Affectionately known as Mimi. Her life was just starting to bloom
Lakeisha Brown (19): A basketball standout set for Blinn College this spring—the beacon of hope meant to rewrite her family’s financial history.

In Texas, political math often attempts to cap the value of a human life, but the $250,000 ceiling suggested by current tort reform is an insult to these families. Breanna, Taylor, Myunique, and Lakeisha were more than just Black women; they were daughters, sisters, and athletes whose lives were abruptly taken away. They deserved milestones—graduations, weddings, and the simple right to grow old—not to be reduced to an apology for a “tragic loss.”

While the dashcam footage suggests an open-and-shut case, Attorney Rodney Jones of Rodney Jones Law Group P.C. revealed in our exclusive interview that reality is far more tangled. The road to justice could be a long, drawn-out process depending on how HEB decides to handle the case.

“This is a senseless accident that could have easily been prevented,” Jones says. “They had the right to possess that lane, and that truck driver had the responsibility to pay attention”. H-E-B is a Texas institution, but its response has triggered deep public outcry. While issuing an apology, the company quickly distanced itself, claiming the carrier wasn’t a “direct” H-E-B truck—despite hauling H-E-B products and being operated by Parkway, a known H-E-B subsidiary.

The driver, Guadalupe Villarreal, reportedly has a history of speeding and prior rear-end accidents. Jones is firm: “I’m looking strictly at his ability to be behind that 18-wheeler. This is a simple matter of a grossly negligent driver and the companies that put him on the road being held accountable.”

“H-E-B can’t bring them back, but they can make sure this never happens again,” Jones argues. “There is no price for a life, but there must be a price for negligence. It’s time for H-E-B to stop pointing fingers and start vetting their drivers properly to protect the public.”

While the public demands criminal charges, Jones notes that the legal wheel turns slowly. However, in the civil arena, H-E-B’s silence is deafening; the company has yet to contact the families directly.

“We desire a speedy resolution so we don’t have to drag this out,” Jones concluded. “H-E-B is a beloved chain here in Texas. Hopefully, they come to the table to resolve this fast. I feel like the longer they make these families wait for closure, the more it should cost.”

The ball is in H-E-B’s court. Will they live up to the Texas-strong values they advertise, or will they let a legal loophole define their legacy?

Bell @TotallyRandie
Multimedia Correspondent & Digital Creator
BlackPressUsa.Com/TotallyRandie.com /Stylemagazine.com

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Travis Scott Teaches Us How to Give Forward

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE It’s not just about the gift under the tree in December; it’s about the skills, the confidence, and the opportunities provided in the months leading up to it.

Published

2 weeks ago

January 16, 2026

Oakland Post

By TotallyRandie

The fourth quarter of the year is often dubbed “giving season,” and for good reason. As October fades into November, the cultural zeitgeist shifts toward gratitude and the spirit of the holidays. For most, this means making a yearly donation to a local food bank or participating in a toy drive for the less fortunate. But for Houston’s own Travis Scott, “giving season” isn’t a seasonal trend—it’s a sophisticated, year-round blueprint for community empowerment.

Since launching the Cactus Jack Foundation in November 2020 alongside his sister, Jordan Webster, Scott has moved beyond the traditional celebrity check-writing model. While the world watches his every move on global stages, his foundation has been quietly and consistently pouring into the soil that raised him. Whether it’s supporting SWAC baseball athletes or funding the Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund for HBCU students, the mission is clear: provide the resources for the next generation to not just survive, but to lead.

From the Streets to the Stars

This past fall, the foundation took its most ambitious leap yet. In October 2025, Cactus Jack partnered with Space Center Houston—the official visitor center of NASA Johnson Space Center—to launch a first-of-its-kind STEM incubator.

The program was specifically designed for students within the Houston Independent School District (HISD), many of whom come from underserved communities where a career in aerospace often feels like a light-year away. For eight weeks, these middle schoolers weren’t just reading about science; they were living it.

Through a mix of virtual workshops and hands-on sessions at the Cact.Us Design Center and TXRX Labs, students were paired with actual NASA engineers. They weren’t tasked with busywork; they were challenged to solve real-world problems of space habitation, including:

Lunar Water Filtration: Designing systems to purify water on the moon.
Space Habitats: Creating structures designed for food preservation in extreme environments.
Robotics: Developing rovers capable of navigating uneven lunar terrain.

The Power of Being Present

The program culminated in a private showcase at Space Center Houston this past December. Standing alongside retired NASA astronaut and Chief Science Officer Megan McArthur, Scott watched as HISD students presented high-fidelity prototypes. In that room, the disparity usually associated with these neighborhoods vanished, replaced by the technical language of CAD modeling and systems thinking.

But the work didn’t stop at the laboratory. The 6th Annual “Winter Wonderland Toy Drive” at Texas Southern University took place the very next day, showcasing the foundation’s dual-threat approach to philanthropy. While the STEM program looked toward the future, the toy drive took care of the present, putting smiles on the faces of thousands of Houston families with toys, groceries, and essential goods.

“Opportunities like this are being offered to help enrich our students’ lives and inspire them to pursue careers in fields where they can not only thrive but also bring back solutions to their communities.” — Travis Scott

More Than a Headline

Critics and social media skeptics often tweet that “Travis Scott is everywhere but Houston.” The data and the faces of the students at Space Center Houston suggest otherwise. While his music may be a global export, his legacy is being built brick by brick (and circuit by circuit) in HISD classrooms.

By bridging the gap between hip-hop culture and NASA’s high-tech corridors, the Cactus Jack Foundation is teaching us a vital lesson in giving forward. It’s not just about the gift under the tree in December; it’s about the skills, the confidence, and the “out of this world” opportunities provided in the months leading up to it.

Travis Scott may be a global icon, but in Houston, he’s becoming something much more important: a catalyst for the next generation of innovators.