57Homelessness Declined By More Than 20% During Pandemic
Innovative Houston & Harris County Partnership Leads To Historic Decrease
A joint city of Houston and Harris County program has made significant progress in addressing homelessness during the pandemic. Independent data recently released by the Coalition for the Homeless (.pdf) showed a 21 percent decrease in homelessness from January 2020 to January 2022.
Youth Encouraged To Apply For Internships Across City
Mayor Sylvester Turner encourages all youth aged 16-24 to apply for paid internships through his signature Hire Houston Youth internship program. While thousands of internships are available across the city, including in the private and non-profit sectors, the deadline for youth to apply for City of Houston positions is Friday, April 8.
GM and Honda Will Codevelop Affordable EVs Targeting the World’s Most Popular Vehicle Segments
General Motors (NYSE: GM) and Honda (NYSE: HMC) today announced plans to expand the two companies’ relationship to a new chapter by codeveloping a series of affordable electric vehicles based on a new global architecture using next-generation Ultium battery technology.
Randy Spelling Talks Aaron Spelling, Sister Tori, Addiction, Religion
Randy Spelling grew up in a 56,000 square foot Holmby Hills mansion dubbed “Spelling Manor,” and listed at the time as the largest home of record in Los Angeles County. The son of Hollywood royalty, the late mega-television producer Aaron Spelling and his wife Candy, and younger brother of 1990s 90210 television star, Tori Spelling, Randy struggled to find his own identity within a matrix of excess.
Fifth Annual National Fried Chicken Festival Presented by Raising Cane’s Returns October 1-2
After Two-Year Hiatus, Festival Celebrating America’s Favorite Food Returns to New Venue on New Orleans Lakefront
The organizers of the fifth annual National Fried Chicken Festival presented by Raising Cane’s Chicken Fingers have announced the return of the event for 2022, taking place October 1-2 at the New Orleans Lakefront.
Betty White’s Beautiful Carmel-by-the-Sea Home
Betty “The Queen of TV” White, with over 80 years in the industry, was the first woman to write, produce and act in a sitcom, Life With Elizabeth. In her lifetime she has won eight Emmys, three Screen Actors’ Guild awards, a Grammy and three American Comedy Awards. Most recently known for her bubble-headed character Rose Nylund on The Golden Girls, and hosting Saturday Night Live, White died on New Year’s Eve at the age of 99.
“PARTY ON THE PLAZA” MUSIC SERIES RETURNS TO AVENIDA HOUSTON
Party on the Plaza, a live music series produced by Houston First Corp. and presented by Champion Energy, will be making its way back to Avenida Houston this Friday, April 8!
Hermann Park Conservancy Breaks Ground On the Commons at Hermann Park
Project will transform 26-acre space into a multi-use destination
On Saturday, April 2, Hermann Park Conservancy (HPC) and the Houston Parks and Recreation Department (HPARD) broke ground on the Commons, a 26-acre space in the Park’s southwest corner on the corner of Fannin and Cambridge Streets. The project, part of HPC’s 20-year master plan, aims to make the Park an even more beneficial place for all Houstonians and to unify communities for years to come.
The Black Academy of Arts and Letters Partners with Dallas ISD for a 12 Week After School Program
After an abrupt pause due to the COVID pandemic, The Black Academy of Arts and Letters (TBAAL) has launched a new After School Program in partnership with five Dallas ISD schools:
The V.O. Burton Foundation Inc Hosts Trinity Garden Give Back Event
Phyllis Burton is the CEO and Founder of the V.O. Burton Foundation Inc. This nonprofit organization was created in honor of her late father Varn O. Burton. He managed over seven apartment complexes in the Trinity Gardens community. During his tenure he relentlessly gave back to the community and was an agent of change. He would visit tenants that transitioned to nursing homes and bring them needed items and a home cooked meal that he prepared himself. The V.O. Burton Foundation Inc is hosting Its first event where it all began.
First Black Family In Texas To Race Quarter Horses Gets Recognition Thanks To A Special Stallion
A neighborhood family is impacting the world forever in the territory of Texas. The Hatley family - the principal Black family in Texas to race quarter ponies - is getting a ton of acknowledgment because of their persistent effort with an exceptional pony.
The Obama Portraits Tour Opens April 3 at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
Featuring the acclaimed portraits by Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald
This Spring the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston will host the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery tour of portraits of President Barack Obama and Mrs. Michelle Obama by artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald. The acclaimed portraits will be on view from April 3 through May 30, 2022.
The Ensemble Theatre celebrates its 45th Anniversary Season with “Single Black Female”
The Ensemble Theatre continues its 45th Anniversary Season with the production of Single Black Female by Lisa B. Thompson. The Theatre welcomes back who was last seen in The Lawsons: A Civil Rights Love Story.
Project Row Houses Selects Artists to be Featured in Round 53: The Curious Case of Critical Race..Theory
Project Row Houses (PRH) fifty-third Artist Round: The Curious Case of Critical Race – Theory? Curated by Danielle Burns-Wilson, it will open Saturday, March 12, 2022. Round 53 will remain on view Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 5 pm through June 5, 2022.
Lizzo Launches Her Own Shapewear: "Yitty"!
Lizzo is launching her own shapewear line with Fabletics and we are so here for it.
Local Houston HIV Advocacy Organization, the Normal Anomaly Initiative, to Receive Donations From Lil Nas X “Baby Registry”
The Normal Anomaly Initiative, Inc., a Houston-based nonprofit dedicated to assisting Black, queer+ people with overcoming barriers and ending stigmas and problematic narratives, today announced that rapper Lil Nas X’s Montero baby registry raised nearly $500,000 for grantees of Gilead Sciences, Inc.’s COMPASS Initiative® COMPASS grantees, organizations on the frontlines working to address the growing HIV epidemic in the Southern U.S.
Hometown Hero Bun B Will Serve as the 35th Annual Art Car Parade Grand Marshal
Fresh off his H-town Takeover, Bun B Will Lend Some Formidable Star Power to the 35th Annual Art Car Parade When 250 Mobile Masterpieces Come Roaring Back into Downtown Houston on April 9
The 35th Annual Houston Art Car Parade Weekend presented by Team Gillman (April 7-10) announced Bun B as the grand marshal of the 2022 parade, slated to roll through downtown on Saturday, April 9. Bun B follows in the footsteps of luminaries such as Cheech Marin, Dan Aykroyd, J.J. Watt, The Art Guys, Annise Parker, Kinky Friedman, Lynn Wyatt and George Clinton, to name a few.
Bowling Falls In Semifinals Of SWAC Championship
TSU bowling's 2021-22 season came to a tough end in the semifinals of the SWAC Tournament on Saturday.
Congressman Al Green Joins President Biden at White House for Signing of the Emmett Till Antilynching Act
On Tuesday, March 29, 2022, Congressman Al Green released the following statement: History, despite its wrenching pain, cannot be unlived, but if faced with courage, need not be lived again. – Maya Angelou
Sunday Best: Celebrating Opening Day of the Obama Portraits Tour
The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, invites Houstonians to celebrate at the Museum: celebrate your families; celebrate your communities; celebrate creativity, wellness, passion, and fashion; celebrate opening day in Houston of the official tour of the portraits of former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, by artists Kehinde Wiley and Amy Sherald (April 3–May 30, 2022). Put on your “Sunday Best” and join us for a fun, free, enriching afternoon festival at the Museum.
Council Member Edward Pollard Partners with METRO to Launch Innovative Jobs Resource
Council Member Edward Pollard will hold a press conference to announce the launch of DistrictJJobs.com, a website that offers tools to job seekers to find employment with local companies. The press conference will be held Thursday, March 31, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. in the parking lot at 3201 Hillcroft St., Houston, TX 77057. METRO President and CEO Thomas C. Lambert will also be in attendance.
Women's History Month Highlight: Meet Telicia Fogle-Simon, Founder of Choice Nation Academy
Meet Telicia Fogle-Simon, a dedicated mother, educator and founder of Choice Nation Academy, a growing education center.
HBCU College Day and Career Fair Expo at Texas Southern University
EMMY & NAACP IMAGE AWARD WINNER Rushion McDonald in partnership with the U.S. Army ROTC and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community - will host the HBCU College Day and Career Fair Expo at Texas Southern University. Taking place on Saturday, April 2, 2022, in Houston, TX, 10 AM – 4 PM at University Plaza, the HBCU College Day and Career Expo is FREE.
Harris County DA's Office: Gang member sentenced to life in prison for killing woman over AR-15
A Houston gang member was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted of murder for shooting a 19-year-old woman during a dispute over an assault rifle in 2019, Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg announced Saturday.
Family Physician and CEO of Green Harvest Health Dr. Bridget Williams Releases new book Courage in Cannabis
Though controversial and often vilified, cannabis has changed the lives of many people with its medicinal properties and its entrepreneurial promises. In her book, Dr. Bridget Williams has brought together eighteen diverse individuals affected by cannabis to discuss how it changed their lives for the better. The stories reveal the fights that its heroes had to go through in their journeys to using cannabis and getting it accepted legally.
Mostyn Law & 1800TruckWreck Award $15,000 to Heartbeat of the Campus Winnera
Local high school, college students honored for their achievements at special reception
Mostyn Law’s HeartBEAT of the Campus Awards has recognized fifteen Houston-area students for their successes on campus and in the community, providing each with a $1,000 check in support of their further studies.
We’re Not Letting Anybody Steal Our Joy
A congressional meeting room might be the last place people would expect to find joy.
Big Climb Houston is back!
On Saturday April 2, media and the public are invited to attend the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Big Climb Houston in the fight to cure blood cancers. Participants of the Big Climb will challenge themselves to climb 50 flights of stairs to the top of Three Allen Center and raise critical funds in support of blood cancer research and patient support. Planet Fitness, the innovative fitness franchise with a major presence in Houston, will be local sponsor of the event for the 5th year.
Statement by Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona on the President’s Fiscal Year 2023 Budget
Budget Reinforces Administration’s Commitment to Reversing Years of Underinvestment in Federal Education Programs to Ensure the Success and Wellbeing of our Nation’s Students
St. Luke’s United Methodist Church presents Ukraine benefit concert featuring Christina Wells and Ken Medema on Sunday, Apr. 3
Proceeds go to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) for Ukrainian citizens and refugees impacted by the war
Meet Lia Park in her Korean Mythological Adventure by Austin author
Dive into the world of Korean mythology with debut author and fellow Texan, Jenna Yoon, in her new middle grade fantasy series, LIA PARK AND THE MISSING JEWEL (On Sale 5/3/22). Perfect for AAPI Month, this is a fun and escapist read where readers will see two strong Asian lead characters as the heroes of their own story.
Urban South Brewery Launches New Beer to Benefit Humanitarian Efforts in Ukraine
100% of proceeds from “Double Spilled: Slava Ukraini” beer sales to be donated to the International Rescue Committee
In solidarity with the families and refugees of Ukraine, Urban South Brewery has launched a new beer to raise funds for humanitarian efforts and emergency response in Ukraine. Double Spilled: Slava Ukraini will be available at both Urban South’s New Orleans and Houston taprooms and 100% of the proceeds from beer sales will be donated to the International Rescue Committee.
GRAMMY-Winning Recording Artist John Legend To Receive Global Impact Award At Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective
The Recording Academy® announced today 12-time GRAMMY®-winning artist John Legend will be honored during Recording Academy Honors Presented By The Black Music Collective taking place in-person during GRAMMY Week. Legend will be receiving the first-ever Recording Academy Global Impact Award for his personal and professional achievements in the music industry.
All-New Concept – Wild – is Revolutionizing Hemp Integration Through New Multi-Dimensional Lounge
Bali-inspired coffee lounge serving natural cannabis derivatives, lattes, tacos, pastries and more now open in The Heights
Wild – a brand new, category-defining, multi-dimensional concept featuring a coffee shop, cocktail bar and first-class dispensary – is now helping the Houston community find their flow through its all-new Bali-inspired lounge!
HUD's Action Plan To Advance Property Appraisal And Valuation Equity
"Researchers have observed a market value gap between majority-Black and majority-white neighborhoods for decades. On average, homes in majority-Black neighborhoods are valued at less than half of those in neighborhoods with few or no Black residents. Statistical analyses show that accounting for neighborhood and property characteristics and amenities—such as the age of the property or its proximity to public transportation—does not explain the entire disparity. Recent research has identified appraisals as one of the drivers of the gap."
Olaplex Partners with Social Impact Commerce Platform ShoppingGives To Enable Philanthropic Giving
At launch, Olaplex is leveraging ShoppingGives' technology to power Women's History Month giving initiatives
ShoppingGives, the eCommerce platform that creates purposeful and profitable relationships between brands and nonprofits, today announced at Shoptalk its partnership with OLAPLEX (TICKER: OLPX), one of the largest independent hair care brands in the world with over 100 worldwide patents. OLAPLEX has launched ShoppingGives' donation integrations in its online store beginning with a focus on nonprofits empowering women in honor of Women's History Month. By partnering with ShoppingGives, OLAPLEX is able to directly engage its customers in this philanthropic campaign and future ones, with the flexibility to feature any of 1.8 million nonprofits as recipients of a portion of its sales proceeds.
Environmental Justice Leader Mustafa Ali to Review Justice40 Initiative with White House Advisor Gina McCarthy at Second Annual BIPOC Climate Justice Dialogue
Environmental justice leader, Mustafa Santiago Ali, will discuss the progress made on the implementation of the Biden-Harris Administration’s Justice40 initiative with White House Advisor Gina McCarthy during the Second Annual BIPOC Climate Justice Dialogue. Hosted by the HBCU Green Fund and other environmental groups, the two-day virtual event is open to the public and will take place April 7 – 8, 2022. To register visit: https://bit.ly/35aiE3N.
Jackson State University to Host 2022 Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni Enrichment Institute
Jackson State University (JSU) is proud to announce its selection as an Alumni Enrichment Institute Partner for the 2022 Alumni Enrichment Institutes, a new opportunity for 2021 Mandela Washington Fellowship Alumni to travel to the United States in summer 2022 to collaborate with U.S. counterparts and each other and to continue building the professional and leadership skills they developed during their virtual 2021 Leadership Institutes. Beginning in late July, JSU will host 25 of Africa’s bright, emerging leaders for a two-week Alumni Enrichment Institute, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State.
Eastbound Memorial Drive Tunnels Now Open to One-Way Vehicular Traffic
Eastbound traffic directed to new alignment of Memorial Drive; Westbound tunnels to open in April
Today, Memorial Park Conservancy along with project partners the City of Houston Parks and Recreation Department, Kinder Foundation, and Uptown Houston celebrated the opening of the eastbound Land Bridge tunnels to one-way vehicular traffic.
William H. Kuntz Jr., Former TDLR Executive Director, Passed Away on Sunday
William H. Kuntz, Jr., former executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, passed away Sunday after a long illness.
Governor Greg Abbott Endorses Caroline Harris For House District 52
Today, Governor Greg Abbott announced his endorsement of Caroline Harris for House District 52.
Former At-Large City Council Member Amanda K. Edwards Announces Candidacy for Mayor of the City of Houston
Former At-Large City Council Member Amanda K. Edwards has announced her candidacy for Mayor of the City of Houston. This is an open seat race to succeed Mayor Sylvester Turner, who is term-limited and cannot run again. The Edwards campaign is poised to make history; it is no coincidence that the campaign announcement is occurring during Women’s History Month. If elected, Amanda would become Houston’s first African American female mayor.
Beto Will Destroy Texas Energy Industry
“Anti-energy industry candidate Beto O’Rourke’s support for the Green New Deal and curtailing oil and gas drilling would DESTROY the Texas energy industry, killing hundreds of thousands of jobs in the process.” – Mark Miner, Communications Director
Governor Greg Abbott Endorses Patrick Gurski For House District 23
Governor Greg Abbott today announced his endorsement of Patrick Gurski for House District 23. Mr. Gurski has served in the National Guard, and in the Galveston County District Attorney’s Office.
Joint Statement From NFL Clubs On Commitment To Increasing Diversity Among Ownership
Following a discussion among the 32 NFL clubs, the membership adopted today the below statement and resolution that outlines its commitment to increasing diversity among ownership.
Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans Day of Service
Today, the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans (AAMA) will host a special Day of Service in honor of legacy civic leaders Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta. Students and staff from AAMA’s two George I. Sanchez Charter Schools will volunteer at both Houston campuses to update on-site murals, stain a back fence, pick up trash on the property, mulch and trim bushes, among various other beautification projects. The one-day service event is intended to honor the memory and legacy of Chavez and Huerta ahead of this year’s Cesar Chavez Day on March 31, 2022 and Dolores Huerta Day on April 10, 2022. AAMA is a leading Latino-serving nonprofit organization in the city of Houston with over 50 years of service across the state of Texas.
EMMY® & NAACP Image Award-Winner Rushion McDonald, U.S. Army ROTC, and Thurgood Marshall College Fund Hosts HBCU College Day at Texas Southern University
EMMY® and NAACP Image Award-winning TV/Film/Radio Producer and 3815 Media, Inc. founder Rushion McDonald - in partnership with the U.S. Army ROTC and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF), the largest organization exclusively representing the Black College Community - will host the HBCU College Day and Career Fair Expo at Texas Southern University.
Cynthia Bailey Says Fibroids Left Her in a ‘Dark Place’
It’s been a decade since former “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Cynthia Bailey got treatment for her fibroids, but she still remembers how they impacted so many aspects of her life, both mentally and physically, causing her to feel like a “disaster”.
Mayor Sylvester Turner Releases 2 Year Update For Resilient Houston And The Climate Action Plan
To celebrate the two-year anniversaries of both the Resilient Houston strategy (released February 2020) and Climate Action Plan (released April 2020), the City of Houston has released a two-year, combined update and a new digital interface to track progress on ongoing initiatives.
Mayor And City Council Unanimously Approve Meet-And-Confer Agreement With Houston Police Officers' Union
Today, Mayor Sylvester Turner and City Council members unanimously approved a contract with the Houston Police Officers' Union (HPOU).