Houston Newsmakers: Buffalo supermarket murders spur calls for end to extremists’ hate

Also: First of its kind, the woman-owned, woman-run bank opens in Houston; Local group calls on living donors to help save lives

Ten Black people were shot and killed by what police say was a planned racist attack. (KPRC)

Civil Rights push for change to end racist attacks

“I wake up Black every day,” said Bishop James Dixon II, Pastor of the Community of Faith Church and President of the Houston NAACP. “Those people woke up Black and went shopping. The only thing they did wrong in the mind of that extremist and people like him, is that they woke up Black and went shopping while Black.”

Just some of the reactions to this week’s murder of ten Black people in Buffalo New York while grocery shopping. Pastor Dixon is one of several civil rights leaders who are guests on this week’s Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall.

Dena Marks is the Senior Associate Director of the Anti-Defamation League Southwest and says hate crimes are rising in America for many reasons. She says we can’t lose sight of the role our divisive politics is playing.

“People are being elected who not only fuel this hate but spread this hate,” she said. “We have to learn to be critical thinkers. We have to learn to judge and understand what the truth is and certainly we have to take action.”

The action proposed by Houston Area Urban League President and CEO Judson Robinson is to collaborate for answers.

“We’ve got to have discussions. We’ve got the ADL working with the NAACP and the Urban League,” she said. “Our young people are coming together and getting to know each other and understanding each other’s history and backgrounds and building relationships now so that 10 and 20 years down the road, we won’t have these types of problems.”

See the full discussion on this week’s Houston and Newsmakers EXTRA where our conversation continued. VIEW HOUSTON NEWSMAKERS EXTRA HERE.

First of its kind, woman-owned, woman-run bank opens in Houston

It has never been done before!

A bank that is owned primarily by women and run by women. It’s called Agility Bank and it opens its doors Monday, May 23rd in Houston as the first of its kind bank in the United States.

Lauren Sparks is the Founder, President, and CEO and says Agility will be agile with a big digital ability to interact with and support customers like never before.

“You can do just about anything online with us,” she said. “You can even click a button and have a face time-like conversation with your banker.”

They also will focus on supporting women and small business owners with the knowledge that research shows women-owned companies perform almost 65% better than all-male founding teams. They are also touting an ability to process and approve small business loans within three hours!

See the details on this week’s Houston Newsmakers.

Calling on living donors to help save lives

Mark Biscone had never met Matt Aklan before he agreed to donate one of his kidneys.

“I came upon a post from one of my sister’s friends,” he said. “It said I’m getting to a dire state. I need a kidney and if you’re willing to get tested please reach out. And I said sure I’ll get tested. What are the chances? And then we were a match.”

He happens to be the Board Chair of The Living Bank, an organization that came into being to help eliminate the shortage of organs for transplant.

Kelly Perdue is the President and CEO of The Living Bank.

“There are over 107-thousand people on the waiting list,” she said. “Four out of five are waiting on a kidney. That’s 86% that could be saved through a living kidney donation.”

Find out the relative ease of donating and how you can help on this week’s program.

More information about this weeks’ Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall


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