Prairie View Magazine

MAGAZINE 

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Prairie View 

It’s Not Just a College, It’s a Texas Culture! 

NOVEMBER 2015 FREE blacktexasnews.com 

PVAMU Establishes Kenneth 

Houston Scholarship Fund; and 

Jersey Retirement to Open 

2016 Season 

“Here’s the Ken I Know!” 

By Dewayne Charleston Inside Page 3 

100 Days Pass, and 

The Question Still 

Remains……. 

#whathappenedtosandrabland 

Sandra’s friend, King Ace, 

(Merian Harrell) keeps vigil 

at the Waller County jail while 

belting out a few tunes! 

#sandrabland 

Nails Creek State Park at Lake Somerville 

was the first stop on my quest to visit every 

state park in Texas...and no sooner than I 

left, I got lost! 

By DeWayne Charleston 

Inside Page 6 

Advertise in Prairie View Magazine Call 573-356-9872 for more information 

or email the publisher at publisher@prairieviewmagazine.com 

Austin-Beaumont-Dallas/Ft. Worth-Houston-San Antonio 

Prairie View-Waco-Bryan/College Station-Denton

Page 2 NOVEMBER 2015 blacktexasnews.com 

Welcome to the City of 

Prairie View, Texas 

The City of Prairie View is home to America’s Top Earning Professional Cowboy Cory Soloman, 

New York Times Best Selling Author Cynthia Bond, and Hip Hop Music Producer DJ Premiere 

and many others. 

One of Waller County’s most populous cities, Prairie View host more traveling visitors to the rural 

county than any other city. The Larry Soloman Rodeo, Tour de Pink, PVAMU Ag Field Day, and of 

course Prairie View A&M University’s annual Homecoming events, bring over 50,000 visitors a year 

to the region. 

The city is home to Waller county’s largest employer, and has ten times more housing units than any 

city in the county. 

With a growing number of retail restaurants, convenience stores, and industrial developments, 

Prairie View, Texas, is a city on the move. 

“Come Home to Prairie View” 

Investment Opportunities 

Have Never Been Greater 

Prairie View Economic Development Corporation 4B Corporation Supports Local Businesses 

Call City Hall to Find Out How We May Be Able To Assist You. 936.936.3711

lacktexasnews.com NOVEMBER 2015 Page 3 

The Radical Integrity of Ken Houston 

When I was told by Phyllis Darden-Cardwell, 

the unofficial president 

of Prairie View A&M University, 

that the school was establishing 

the Kenneth Houston Endowed 

Scholarship for Football Student 

Athletes, all kinds of memories 

came back to me. I was 

happy to make the very 

first donation. 

Rarely does one get 

to meet their favorite 

pro athlete, but such 

happened to me back 

in 1980. 

The reader knows 

that I must serve up a 

little background to 

every story I tell. So 

here goes. 

What many people do 

not know about this 

writer is that I actually ran one of 

George W. Bush's first faith based 

programs, during his term as 

Texas governor. 

Yeah I went from working for 

one W governor, liberal 

Texas governor Ann W. 

Richards to a conservative 

W governor, 

George W. Bush. Well I 

didn't actually work for 

the second W, but in 

running the Fellowship 

of Christian athlete's 

drug free program, 

which was sponsored 

and funded by the govs 

office, I sorta did. It 

was such a success that 

when the governor ran 

for POTUS, he touted 

the "One Way 2 Play! 

Drug Free" program, as 

the example of how 

"his" government and 

the church worked together. 

By the time we completed that 

program we had reached over 

20,000 youth in central Texas with 

a message about living drug free. 

In doing so, we invited former NFL 

players to share their stories about 

how they managed to live and 

play, absent the influence of drugs 

and alcohol. 

One day I'm talking to former 

Cleveland browns tight end Oscar 

Roan. Oscar played college basketball 

at UCLA for the legendary 

coach, John Wooden before going 

the NFL ranks…that’s the kind of 

athlete he was! 

So, Oscar, I asked, who's the 

hardest hitting defensive back to 

ever play the game? Oscar, thinks 

for about a split second and names 

some really greats, Mel Blount, 

Donnie Shell, Ronnie Lott, Jack 

Tatum. And then 

he says, with a 

look that spoke 

first, "without a 

doubt, it was 

Ken Houston...I 

dreaded playing 

the guy! 

I know right, 

as a kid I 

dreaded the Dallas 

Cowboys 

playing the 

Washington pigskin 

football 

team, and not because of how hard 

Ken Houston would hit Drew Pearson, 

Bullet Bob Hayes, and Billy Joe 

Dupree coming across the middle, 

but more importantly because he 

was my idol and 

played collegiately 

at Prairie 

View. 

The year after 

Houston retired, 

my homeboy 

William 

Hawkins took 

my best friend, 

James 

Poindexter and 

I, to Ken Houston's 

home. 

Yeah I know, 

that would be 

like my son going 

to Shaq's 

house. We sat 

by the pool until 

1am talking to Ken and his good 

friend NFL wide receiver, Danny 

Buggs. 

Unfortunately, neither of them 

wanted to talk about football, but 

rather they seemed to be obsessed 

with how James and I, would 

model our life. Say what! 

In a few months, my friend and 

soon-to-be roommate were heading 

to college; not to learn anything, 

not to get a degree, not to 

better ourselves, but to get away 

from Prairie View. Yep that was 

pretty much our direction and 

goal, at least for the short term. 

And then Ken tells us these words, 

"when you guys get to college, it 

will be the best years of your life!" 

Of course, that was something 

we'd already planned. 

He then adds, "save yourself for 

marriage!" "No, no, no, Ken...don't 

do this to 

us! You 

don't understand, 

this is not 

what we 

want to 

hear from 

our idol 

football 

player!!!" 

And it got 

worse, "in fact, when you go to 

dances, don't even slow dance 

with the girls, because one thing 

will lead to another." 

"Okay, that's enough. Come on 

Poin, TIME TO GO! We can get that 

message in 

Church." 

This “hardest 

hitting defensive 

back” in the pros, 

and future NFL 

Hall of Famer 

choose to ruin the 

greatest night of 

my life, talking 

about living a 

good moral and 

Christian life. And 

so for the next five 

years of my life, 

I'd be ‘slow dancing’ 

with some 

beautiful girl…and seeing Ken 

Houston in her hair, while Ken 

seemingly whispered in my ear, 

“DON’T DO THIS”! 

And, well, he was pretty much 

prophetic! 

Fast forward twenty years, I decide 

to look up Ken and invite him 

to speak at one of my youth rallies 

in Austin. It was as easy to reach 

him then, as it had been going to 

his home as a teenager. 

So Ken and I are standing on the 

sidelines of a Friday night football 

game at Austin's Westlake high 

school, In the middle of us talking 

about his playing days at Prairie 

View, the announcer interrupts his 

play by play and says, "Ladies and 

gentlemen, we have as a special 

visitor with us tonight, NFL great 

by DeWayne Charleston 

and Hall of Famer, Kenny Houston...say 

hello to Mr. Houston!" 

Ken takes a few steps on the 

field, turns around and waves to 

the crowd as though he's done it a 

million times. He then heads back 

to me and fixes a serious look on 

his face. 

"You 

know 

DeWayne, 

I've had 

some really 

good years. 

I played 

almost 15 

years in the 

NFL; was in 

the pro 

bowl most of them; made a lot of 

money; met a lot of people; and 

been a lot of places, but never have 

I had so much fun as when I was at 

Prairie view. I love that place!" 

True story. 

The next day, 

we're sitting in a car 

and talking, and 

we're talking about 

alcohol and beer 

commercials, and of 

how so many athletes 

made some 

really good money 

off of them. I asked, 

so why haven't you 

done one (beer commercial)? 

Ken responds, 

“Once I did commit 

to doing a commercial. 

In fact, I caught 

a flight to New York, and I felt bad 

the whole way going there. When I 

got there, I knew I couldn’t go 

through with it. I said to myself, 

‘Ken, your whole life you’ve talk 

about not doing drugs, about living 

clean, and now look what you’re 

about to do’.” 

I’m in silence. 

He adds, “I began to cry. I had to 

tell them, I couldn’t do it. I came on 

home and I’m glad I did!” 

He said more but, that’s all I remember. 

Every since that weekend, I have 

respected him all the greater, and 

have always thought that if Prairie 

View ever built a new stadium, 

they should call it Ken Houston 

Field. 

We should be so proud!


Margaritas 

Big Screens 

Patio 

Live Music 

Go Panthers! 

Hours: 11 to 11 Ph. 936.857.0025 Order on-line at toasttab.com/wingarita 

Happy Hour Drink Specials 5-8pm 

Located at the entrance to Prairie View A&M University on University Drive at the flags!


Black High School Football Exhibit on 

Display at Prairie View Cultural Center 

An exhibit focusing on football 

programs at Texas’ black 

high schools before integration 

has opened at the Prairie 

View A&M Cultural Center 

Gallery and will be available 

for viewing through Nov. 9. 

The exhibit features memorabilia 

courtesy of the Prairie 

View Interscholastic League 

Coaches Association 

(pvilca.org), 

which is 

working to 

preserve and 

commemorate 

the history 

of the 


Interscholastic 

League 

which governed 

athletic, 

academic, and 

music competitions 

for the 

state’s black high 

schools during 

segregation. The 

PVIL was organized 

in 1920 by 

Prairie View officials 

and existed 

until 1970 when 

its merger with 

the University 

Interscholastic 

League was completed. 

“We’re proud to display this 

wonderful history which has, 

in many ways, been largely 

overlooked,” said Michael 

Hurd, director for Prairie 

View’s Texas Institute for the 

Preservation of History and 

Culture (pvamu.edu/tiphc) 

and a PVIL alumnus himself, 

from Houston’s Evan E. Worthing 

High School. “The PVIL 

schools, which peaked at 

about 500 statewide, produced 

some incredible students, 

many of who were also 

extraordinary athletes such as 

the players and coaches presented 

in this exhibit.” 

The exhibit, “Remembering 

the Past With Pride,” includes 

vintage images, trophies, news 

clips, uniforms and equipment. 

Despite being woefully 

underfunded and lacking 

other basic resources, PVIL 

schools featured passionate 

rivalries, legendary coaches, 

and dozens of college All- 

Americans – most through 

historically black colleges 

such as Prairie View and 

Texas Southern University. 

The UIL opened in 1910 at 

the University of Texas to govern 

competitions for “any 

white public school” in the 

state. It would be another 10 

years before African American 

students in Texas would have 

the same guidance afforded 

them by the Texas Interscholastic 

League of Colored 

Schools, which would mirror 

the UIL’s operations and produce 

some of the finest football 

talent in the nation. 

The TILCS became the 

“Prairie View Interscholastic 

League” and its football honor 

roll reads like a Who’s Who of 

national prep, college, and 

professional gridiron greats, 

from Dallas Lincoln and PV’s 

Charlie “Choo-Choo” Brackins, 

the first black quarterback 

drafted to the NFL (1955 – 

16th round, Green Bay Packers) 

to Houston Washington’s 

Eldridge Dickey, who was 

drafted ahead of Alabama’s 

Ken “Snake” Stabler by the 

Oakland Raiders in 1968, becoming 

the first black quarterback 

drafted in the NFL’s first 

round. 

The schools also produced 

five Pro Football Hall of Fame 

members, including “Mean” 

Joe Greene (Temple Dunbar), 

Dick “Night Train” Lane 

(Austin Anderson) and PV 

great Ken Houston (Lufkin 

Dunbar). Also, the Yates- 

Wheatley rivalry in Houston 

started in 1927, and 

eight years later began 

an annual Thanksgiving 

Day game that 

drew standing room 

only crowds and for 

many years was the 

top draw in the nation 

for a high school football 

game. 

The late Andrew 

“Pat” Patterson, of Jack 

Yates High School, one 

of the top high school 

coaches in the country 

from the 1940s 

to the 1960s 

said of the PVIL, 

“It was a necessity. 

The whites 

had their organization 

and 

without one of 

our own, I don’t 

know if our 

boys would 

have had the 

same opportunities.” 

During an era of social divisiveness, 

the PVIL member 

schools, though mostly illequipped, 

accepted the task of 

preparing black children for 

citizenship in a social environment 

that neither welcomed 

nor encouraged them. 

Yet, when they closed shop 

in 1970 because of the onset 

of integration, the PVIL could 

look back on a wealth of success 

stories, athletic and otherwise, 

and evidence of that is 

on display at the gallery.


The Buffalo Soldiers kick off their 20th Anniversary 

with a weekend at Lake Mineral Wells State 

Park. Enjoy hiking, camping, and great family 

fun. Call (512) 389-8903 to register. 

I’ve traveled a bit. 

I’ve danced on the white sands of Cancun to a Mariachi 

band, and listened to rhythmic drumbeats and international 

jazz in Capetown, South Africa. And really 

cool, was that fact that I hung out with the Texas group, 

Israel and New Breed; and Smokey Norful, in Johannesburg, 

as they performed gospel on the homeland. 

In the central Africa country of Zambia, I visited 

churches, orphanages and even a Lepers colony, where I 

was always serenaded with the beautiful voices of the 

most heart-warming and welcoming people on the 

planet. 

I’ve gone to a New Year’s eve celebration in far east 

Germany, that for some reason the entire country refers 

to as “Sylvester”! Nevertheless, everyone in this city of 

Chemnitz, less than an hour’s drive from the Czechoslovakian 

border, prefers to bring in the new year with old 

school Motown hits. And that was right up my alley, 

given it took me almost forty years to finally know all 

the words (okay most of them). But you shoulda’ seen 

me dancing! 

One of the most peaceful mornings I ever had, was 

being awakened by the sacred sounds of Muslim chants 

and prayers, amplified with loud speakers in this magnificent 

ancient city of Istanbul, Turkey. 

I don’t remember much about what I heard in Amsterdam; 

only what I saw and smelled…so I will just move 

on to the next country. But I will say, that next to Capetown, 

South Africa, it has the most beautiful landscape 

of any location I’ve ever visited. 

I arrived in Paris, France by train one early morning. 

My first thought upon seeing its streets was, “are the 

street sweepers on strike”? It looked like, I suspect 

Bourbon Street looks, right after a Mardi Grad parade. 

Paris is a continuous party. It ’is’ truly a melting pot of 

ethnic cultures. And the music in its bakery’s, bars, and 

bistros make you feel like Nina Simone and her quartet 

are sitting right next to you. Fabulous place! 

Traveling is fun, time consuming, ‘and’ because 

“time” is money, traveling is also expensive. But it is 

also very therapeutic. And since I cannot afford to visit 

any more countries, anytime soon, I figured, “why not 

showcase “a whole other country”, Texas”! 

Having been to those others countries, I gotta admit, 

Texas seems to be as diverse culturally as they come, 

even if it is, a politically “red” state. 

Think about it. We produced Willie Nelson, Nora 

Jones and the Geto Boys. Selena, Janis Joplin, Beyonce, 

Blind ‘Lemon” Jefferson, Joe Sample, Joe Tex, Clint 

Black and the Harlem era, Prairie View Women’s Jazz 

ensemble, all hail from this “whole other country”! 

And Texas aint stopping…check out Travis Scott, and 

the newest kid on the block, Leon Bridges. Bridges was 

‘waiting tables’ just last year. I’m bout to see him at the 

House of Blues in Houston, next week. 

Now back to my main point. How can I “afford” to see 

Texas and prove that it “is” a whole other country. This 

is my plan…follow me on this. 

Every month, I will travel to, and camp out in one of 

its state parks. Besides reporting on the urban festivals 

and so ons….I will explore the natural beauty of the 

state of Texas. Can it rival Table Top Mountain in South 

Is Texas Really 

As Prairie View Magazine’s publisher, I’ll visit 48 state parks in the next two years...if I can just find my way to the first one! 

Africa or the canals of Amsterdam? Can its tourist spots 

compare to the Victoria Waterfalls in Zambia, or the 

beaches of Cancun? Okay, I’ll go ahead and concede the 

latter. 

And what of its countryside? Can it compare to the 

absolute beauty of Germany? David did beat Goliath…I 

Okay, I got lost, and so I decided to follow the directions...and it led me straight to this stalled train! 

I finally made it...Nails Creek Unit? Unit? I’m looking for the park..not a prison! 

Even on a rainy, overcast afternoon, the Lake Somerville was spectacular! 

will let you know! 

The Nails Creek Unit (not a prison) at Lake Somerville 

is a one hour and fifteen minute drive from Houston, 

if unlike me, you follow the map. On my way to 

Lake Somerville I got lost and turned what should have 

been a 

Patience...has never been my virtue. Would somebody 

please give this train a boost? 

one hour drive, into a three-hour tour…like 

only the Skipper from Gilligan’s Island 

could do! 

The country equivalent to missing your 

city freeway exit, is driving a 36 foot motorhome 

and being totally lost on a narrow 

country road, without a map or GPS signal. 

You can’t pull over on a soft shoulder, you 

can’t back up in someone’s driveway (they 

only come every other mile anyway). Nor 

can you can’t stop in the middle of the 

road. I tried that, and the only other vehicle 

that traveled that road all day, decides 

‘then’ was the time. 

Continued next page 

A fish cleaning table fit for a real 

fisherman...that would not be me.


A Whole Other Country? 

Nails Creek St. Park at Lake Somerville has got to be the cleanest park in Texas..Stop 1 of 95...OMG, Well I’ll visit most of them! 

Oka, Okay, it was raining...and there was a burn ban...and... 

These bathrooms were cleaner than the stalls at Buccee’s, with showers to boot! 

If you have the courage to bring some Brownies or Cub Scouts, the group meeting facilities are great! 

Between Brenham, Burton, and Lyons, Texas, I finally 

discovered they keep those humungous, car washed, 

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo animals. This 

country side is simply beautiful. 

The park ranger helped me get back on track, when I 

arrived at the wrong camping site. A site that my printed 

directions clearly stated was closed due to bad weather. 

Yeah, yeah I know, it wouldn’t have hurt to read, what I 

hastily took the time to print. I hate details. 

Ranger Bill warned me that if I took the short cut, I 

would surely tear up my rig. He said locals, have for a 

hundred years, called the route that could save me an 

hour’s drive, “Hemorrhoid Road”. Tempting…but I was 

by myself and I had no-one to challenge my manly stubbornness. 

So ‘against’ my typically poor judgement, I 

decided to take the longer route, and I’m proud to report 

that both my RV and ass, are still in great shape! 

The park office was closed by the time I arrived and so 

they allowed me to park on the honor system. The RV 

comes in handy…. Powerful storms forced me to cook 

inside. I’d forgotten my coals and lighter fluid, anyway! 

The spaces between each RV site were perfect, unlike 

those in typical RV parks, where you feel like you’re 

going through a MacDonald’s drive thru. 

I was placed in the equestrian section of the park. 

Spontaneous, better be glad I no longer have my farm, 

cause somebody’s kid-broke horse would have been 

sold to me as soon as I returned home. I mean really, 

When cooking while camping? Rule # 1...cook everything, in the same 

pot or pan, at the same time! 

Cedar Creek, Bent Tree, I’m looking for Nails Creek….lost again! 

Biking, Equestrian, and Hiking trails...covered with the foot 

prints of grown men who refused to ask for directions. 

they have iron horse stalls on the 

site, for free! To think, I could just 

spend a few hundred dollars on a 

horse and let it travel with me. 

Reason, says, that that horse traveling 

with me is going to cost a 

whole lot more than a few hundred 

dollars, before Logic will be 

forced to say, I should count my losses and get rid of the 

horse. 

Nails Creek Park has got to be the quietest park in the 

state. Alas, I have found the peace and quiet I have desired 

for quite some time. Yes, that private cove where I 

can cook and eat a ribeye steak without having to share! 

I paired those tender and juicy, medium rare steaks with 

a couple of small corn on-the-cobs - all cooked on the 

propane stove with some off-brand steak sauce. A bottle 

of water and a glass of Zinfandel…it wasn’t Heaven, but 

I’d say it was the first stop on the way! 

It stormed all night, and I slept wonderfully. Read a 

little, watched a little television, and when finally I got 

over the fact that I had no internet or cell phone signal, I 

remembered my main reason for 

camping…to get away from post 

1995 technology. I unplugged even 

my nite lite, and enjoyed the sounds 

of Lake Somerville. 

For my breakfast which was really 

lunch (Nice huh), I had breakfast 

taco with vegetarian breakfast sausage, 

a single egg, scrambled in 

olive oil, spiced diced tomatoes on a 

flour tortilla with picante sauce. 

Really healthy and good. Coffee 

was made in a traditional electric 

brewing pot, but next time I vow to 

use the nice French coffee press, 

that I scored at my favorite thrift 

store. It took me two years to find it! 

And so I took a walk down to the 

lake. On the way, I passed the game 

wardens home, which is right on the 

lake. Lucky guy. Seems like a job 

everyone would want. You’re an 

actual cop, with no robbers or crime 

to fight…AND you live on the lake. 

Everyone is so friendly at the lake. 

The camp manager in the front office 

who was dressed for Halloween, 

the game warden(s) who 

stopped to speak each time they saw 

me, and especially the fellow campers. 

Conversation is so easy, presumably 

because we who camp, have all 

realized that after decades of stressing 

about life, simply getting away 

from it all for two or three days can 

make a world of a difference. And at 

a fraction of the cost of doing the 

things we do next to our urban and 

suburban homes and workplaces. 

Except, of course, if you get lost 

while driving in a vehicle that gets less than 8 MPG, and 

getting lost cost you a extra hundred-seventeen miles. 

Tent camping is right on the lake. No-one was camping 

on this weekend, but I am told that various Boy 

Scout troops usually claim the best spots. That reminded 

me of the first and only time our scout troop went camping…..on 

second thought, nevermind! 

Where to next? Somewhere in the Texas Hill Country. 

Dang it...where’s my map?

Page 8 NOVEMBER 2015 blacktexasnews.com


PVMag Chats with Jazz Bar Owner 

Tell us about your new venture! 

The Jazz Bar is a 4,000 sq foot facility 

with operations as a full service sports 

bar. You ‘have to’ try the Jazz Burger! 

It’s a two beef, two cheese, over the top 

loaded burger, that is just as the name 

suggests JAZZED BURGER. 

We have amazing drinks. Try the GOD- 

ZILLA! This best selling drink is specially 

mixed with both imported and 

domestic liquor, and perfectly mixed for 

a smooth Jazz drink. 

Get a FREE BIRTHDAY CAKE and FREE 

APPITIZERS for you and your 15 friends 

and a private area to enjoy your birthday 

at the Jazz Bar. 

The Jazz Bar is designed to be a sports 

bar with seven LED large Screen TV and 

three large and we mean large projection 

screen to watch football, basketball, 

other sports and events – we scribe to 

Dish Network Sports channels so that 

you can enjoy watching sports, drinking 

beer, wine or mixed drinks and enjoying 

our great selection of burgers, chicken 

sandwich, snacks and more with your 

friends. 

If you are planning a wedding, anniversary 

reunion or other events – you 

can book the Banquet Halls. We have 

two banquet halls each with 3,000 sq 

feet, which can hold up to one-hundred 

guests. You have access to the Jazz Bar 

for a full selection of drinks and food 

menu. All you need to do is come in 

book your event and enjoy your gathering. 

The halls boast a private VIP dressing 

room, a bar, and a service kitchen 

area. Our calendar is getting full, because 

we are a brand new facility, come 

in and scheduled birthday parties, bridal 

showers, and bachelor parties at the 

bar, and banquet halls. 

We have ample parking on the lot, 

with security camera and surveillance 

monitored service for security and 

safety. Visit us today to enjoy the Jazz 

Sports Bar with your friends and book 

events at the Jazz Banquet Halls! 

How did the business get started? 

As a resident of Prairie View and with 

the amazing growth of Prairie View 

A&M University, it made sense to create 

a business that would cater to the local 

community of Prairie View and to the 

students and faculty of Prairie View 

A&M University. 

We wanted to bring a full service 

sports bar and banquet hall facility to 

our community. I found myself driving 

hours into Houston, Katy, Spring and 

other areas – when it made sense for me 

to enjoy my time with my friends and 

family in Prairie View. I want to invite 

my friends and family living in Prairie 

View, Waller, Hempstead to visit us at 

the Jazz Bar so we can enjoy time together 

and continue to support each out 

in our own community. 

How did the politics and social environment 

affect the business? 

We have consistently worked with our 

elected and appointed officials, and our 

community to get recommendations and 

suggestions on what to build, how to 

build it and ensure that we listened to 

many of the community leads and public 

to bring together Jazz Bar and Banquet 

Halls. We are very sensitive to listen to 

our community and have feedback cards 

to get input from our visitors. We welcome 

and invite every person in our 

community to visit us and see the environment 

we designed everyone to enjoy. 

Why did you choose Prairie View to 

open our business? 

We wanted to build something that 

would help our community come together 

for sports, events, friends and 

family to visit and enjoy a local sports 

bar. We felt that with the continued 

grown and expansion plans of the A&M 

University, we should see an influx of 

people moving into Prairie View. Over 

time, if we follow the same expansion 

growth in other college towns, Prairie 

View will have a similar growth projection. 

Come and visit us to see how you 

can help bring business to Prairie View, 

versus going out of town. 

What are some of the biggest issues 

for running this type of business? 

Our biggest challenge is to let people 

know that we are local and that we are 

open for business. Our location is on 

the corner of University and Business 

290 and our facility has a very large 

parking lot in front setting our 3 blue 

home like 4,000 sq ft Jazz Bar and two 

3,000 sq ft banquet halls further back 

from the street view. We want to invite 

the community in for FREE BRUNCH on 

Sunday after church (see website for 

details) to visit us and see how we are 

catering to the locals in our community. 

We hope that most people, after visiting 

with us, will tell their friends and 

family, who will also visit us for various 

sports and other events. We also have 

LADIES NIGHT every Friday. 

Do you like to sing? Bring your friends 

out to vote for you on Thursday night... 

its Karaoke Night! Or simply dance the 

night away with your friends and family 

on Saturdays with amazing music playing 

with a great area to dance. Please 

visit us and spread the word, we are 

here to serve you!! 

Jazz Bar & Banquet Halls is a joint 

venture with a variety of owners with 

one of the principle partners – Jude 

Daniels. The grand opening of Jazz 

Bar was on October 24, 2015. Currently, 

Jazz Bar and Banquet Halls is 

licensed by TABC for mixed drinks, 

wine and beer. 

Jude Daniels is the current General 

Manager of the facility and we welcome 

the community and A&M University 

students and faculty to visit 

us. We cater to the community as a 

sports bar and event venue, allowing 

promotions for public, private and 

non-profit events.


A Proud Supporter of 


A&M University 

Located at 

10456 Huffmeister Road at 

U.S. Hwy 290 

(Northwest Freeway) 

Houston’s Newest Residence Inn, Welcomes 

Prairie View A&M University 

Family and Friends 

Houston Northwest/Cypress 

10456 Huffmeister Road Houston, Texas 77065 

T 281.295.1777 F 281.295.1778


BPA of Greater Dallas Host Michel Eric Dyson 

The Black Police Association of 

Greater Dallas is hosting their 

40th Anniversary Gala cochaired 

by Senator Royce West 

and Toni Brinker Pickens, Founder 

and CEO of Operation Blue 

Shield, at the Hyatt Regency- 

Reunion Tower in Dallas, Texas, 

November 7th, 2015. VIP Reception 

for dignitaries and special 

guests will be held at 6:30 p.m. 

with Dinner and Gala to follow 

at 7:30 p.m. 

“ We will be commemorating 

four decades of commitment to 

our members and community, 

and respectfully pay homage to 

our founding members and former 

presidents of our esteemed 

organization,” according to 

Cletus Judge, the Black Police 

Association President. 


Greater Dallas will be honoring 

founding members of the organization 

as well as awarding community 

leaders who have made 

special contributions to the success 

of the organization over the 

past 40 years. The association is 

also proud to announce keynote 

speaker Michael Eric Dyson, 

named by Ebony as one of the 

hundred most influential black 

Americans, Georgetown Professor, 

author, New York 

Times Contributing Opinion 

Writer and MSNBC Political Analyst. 

Since 1975, 

the Black 

Police Association 

of 

Greater Dallas 

has 

worked to 

improve the 

working 

environment 

of law 

enforcement 

officers 

within 

the police 

and to enhance 

racial 

harmony 

and quality 

of service to 

all sections of the community. 

You can find the association carrying 

out its mission by volunteering 

to feed the homeless, 

providing thousands of dollars 

in scholarships to deserving students, 

hosting holiday toy giveaways, 

feeding needy families 

during holidays, mentoring children 

and young adults, hosting 

community events and being 

both advocates and activist for 

social and economic justice. The 

Black Police Association of 

Greater Dallas hopes to continue 

to bridge any 

gaps that remain 

between the police 

and the community 

striving 

forward for the 

next 40 years. 

“ The BPA was 

founded and 

forged in the basic 

principles of 

fairness and 

equality. At a 

time when the 

disparate treatment 

of people of 

color and women 

was the open 

norm at the Dallas 

Police Department; 

our founders who 

were mocked and warned to not 

organize, pressed forward despite 

opposition and birthed the 

organization of which we are 

now the benefactors,” says 

Cletus Judge, “ On this celebratory 

night we will be celebrating 

our theme “ Building Bridges, 

Enabling Opportunities.” The 

ticket price for the Gala is $75 or 

$750 for a table of ten. Purchase 

tickets at http:// 

bpa40.eventbrite.com. 

For more information on the 

Black Police Association of 

Greater Dallas, please 

visit www.BPADallas.org 

About the Black Police Association 

of Greater Dallas 


Greater Dallas, POA consists of 650 

sworn officers/deputies, whom 

have taken an oath to maintain law 

and order for Dallas citizens, and 

represent the finest element of the 

community. You can be assured that 

each and every day, the BPA is 

working diligently to build a safe 

and prosperous environment for 

everyone; especially Dallas children. 

The Black Police Association 

of Greater Dallas is proud of the 

various communities, regional, state 

and national charities who benefit 

from their support and involvement. 


Greater Dallas has proudly served 

the community of Dallas for the last 

Forty years. They are committed to 

not only the safety of our citizens 

and business but to providing charitable 

contributions to those in our 

community who need our help the 

most. 

PVAMU Alum Listens to KPVU Football Broadcast and Brags about it from Maui 

“I’m listening from Maui. Give me a shout out!” Fransoir Fontenot Spectacular pics from Fran’s iPhone 

Send your vacation pics to dewayne@PrairieViewMagazine.com


Celebrating PV 

We will miss Dr. Elizabeth Noel, former 

Dean of the College of Agriculture and 

Human Sciences. 

Dr. Noel conducted numerous seminars, 

workshops and presentations at national 

and international conferences. Dr. Noel 

retired from the University on August 31, 

2015. 

Dr. Noel is the mother of Dr. Rosena 

(Dena) Noel-Barrs, Professional Advisor, 

University College and the cousin of Dr. 

Danny R. Kelley, Dean of PVAMU’s 

Brailsford College of Arts and Sciences. 

Attorney and Clergy, Valda Jordan leads 

congregants and friends in “Not One More, 

Prayer, Prophecy, Proclamation, Prophecy, 

and Advocacy. At the Hope A.M.E. Church 

on Sandra Bland Parkway (Formerly University 

Drive) on Sat. Nov. 7th at 9:30a.m. 

The 1957 Dunbar Basketball Team went 32-0 the season they won the Prairie 

View Interscholastic League State Championship. The team was coached by 

Lubbock ISD Athletic Hall of Honor recipient Ernest P. Mallory. They were the 

first and only team in Dunbar history to have an undefeated season in basketball. 

The team was the shortest in Dunbar’s history, with only one player over 6 

feet tall. The team played a fast paced offensive style with full court pressing 

defense, which caused many turnovers. In the State Championship game, the 

team defeated Navasota in the first round, tournament favorite Lufkin in the 

second round, and Baytown Carver to win the title.

Prairie View Magazine

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