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The Right to Choose: Whose Rights Are Really Being Protected?
Having the freedom to choose is one of the undeniable rights that every natural born American has. Because we are all created equally with the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, we all know what it means to be free. However, when one American's right to choose negatively effects another American's inalienable right, who is really in the right and who is wrong? That is the big question when it comes to the new executive order from the office of Gov. Greg Abbott issued this past week.
Is The Covid-‐19 Vaccine Safe For Our 12-‐15 Aged Children?
Every parent wants to do nothing more than to protect his or her child from any kind of danger. They want to be that shield. That superhero that will do whatever it takes to keep their child safe. And when they can't figure out how to do that it leaves them in a state of panic. A little over 14 months ago parents, along with the rest of the world, went into panic mode.
Mental Health Is a Problem for All Not Just Some
Being imbalanced is a problem that everyone has had to deal with at some point in their life more than once and will have to deal with it again. Life is stressful and can cause anyone anxiety. Mental health surveys indicate that 60% of the American population has experienced significant levels of mental and/or emotional unwellness since the onset of the global pandemic. A 2020 Kaiser family study indicated that Texans have had an increase in their levels of anxiety and depression from an average of 37.7% before the pandemic to 40.1% during the pandemic. Difficulties are with individuals owning this as their reality as a threat to their mental health can be an even bigger problem than dealing with stress and anxiety itself.
Houston Style Magazine Honors Mothers Who Serve the Community - Dee Moore
Fat is one of the ugliest words in the English language for the negative connotation it carries as far as Dee Moore is concerned. For the majority of her life she has been a woman with curves. Like most plus size women, she has endured a lot of pain being the butt of jokes and focus of judgmental eyes. Moore got criticism from everywhere but what hurt most was criticism she received from men who were suppose to love her. The constant disrespect greatly damaged her self esteem until one day she had enough. No longer would Moore allow words to damage her self-worth. She would remove the power those words had over her and other women as well.
Houston Style Magazine Honors Mothers Who Serve the Community - Angelee Moody Rhyne
You can adopt a child, a pet, and even a highway. Angelee Moody Rhyne decided to adopt a park. One day she had a meeting with someone at the Marian Park to discuss plans for a Back-to- School. In her mind the park would be an ideal location since at one point she frequented the park regularly. However, that was many years ago. She had no idea the state that she would find the park in today. She was just applauded at how the park had gone down.
Money Talk: The Conversations Everyone Needs to Have
People tend to tiptoe around the subjects of politics, religion, race, estate planning, physical & mental health and finances. But why are so many silent on these very crucial topics. It is not as if not talking about them will diminish their importance or will make the need for the conversations to disappear from our life. In fact, not talking about finances just creates a larger problem. Stop skating around the issue of finances and start the money talk conversations that everyone needs to have during Financial Literacy Month.
Houston Health Officials Pause the Distribution of J&J Vaccine
Apprehension about getting inoculated for COVID-19 has just increased in many individuals after the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused by officials of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Federal Drug Administration (FDA). Research is being done to look into the cause of six women who developed dangerous blood clots with one of them dying after having received the single-dose.
New Chief of Houston Police Department: Troy Finner
When outgoing police chief Art Acevedo announced his exit to run the Miami Police Department, Mayor Sylvester Turner knew he wanted his replacement to be someone who was fully capable to step into the role day one. The city needed someone who would be intentional about reducing crime. He could not have a found a more qualified officer to do that other than Troy R. Finner. After Houston City Council unanimously voted in favor Finner as chief, the official swearing-in could take place.
Don’t Suffer Alone: STOP Domestic Violence
This time last year domestic violence was on the rise in Houston. Increasing by almost 10%, victims were now trapped in an enclosed space 24/7 with their abuser. No help from family and friends was available as all were practicing being socially distance while quarantining. Although staying at home to stay safe was enacted to keep everyone was safe from catching the coronavirus, it gave abusers the opportunity to take total control over their defenseless victim(s). Through various community partnerships with the city of Houston, a message was sent out to let survivors know that they don’t have to suffer in silence.
Houston Style Magazine Honors Women Who Did It First
Houston is the place where giants are birth. Walking among us are history makers, trailblazers, and winners. We may not always know their names or what they did.
Honoring Women Who Inspire
A person can be inspired by anything from anywhere. Inspiration can fuel our actions, thoughts, feelings, and takes us on a journey toward success. The women featured in this week’s cover story inspire little ones growing up but also adults in their various fields of expertise. We can learn from their missteps and act wisely based on their accomplishments. We can get behind causes to motivate the masses due to their influence. Read their stories and see if they have inspired you.
Honoring Houston Women in the Pulpit
Women in the pulpit are always a controversial topic in some religious circles. Basing their belief of 1 Timothy 2:12 where Paul writes to Timothy in a letter saying, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.”
Houston Style Magazine Honoring the Influence of Women Educators
Education has always been of the utmost importance for generations of African Americans. It is something that once obtained can never be taken from. It is the passport to a successful life. Many Americans can thank a woman for having such an influence. There once was a time when it was against the law for African Americans to read and write. Yet, instill, brave souls risked life itself to learn and to teach others like them. For many people, their first teacher was probably their mother.
Houston Strong: Our Stories
Houston Style Magazine's Staff tell how they survive the Texas winter freeze
In our lifetime we continue to see the unexpected. We have seen the first Black President of the United States – Barack Obama, the first Black Vice President of the United States – Kamala Harris, a global pandemic – COVID-19, and now the worst winter storm in Texas’ history – Uri.
Black History Moment: Davis Helped to Open the Door for Blacks in the Military
Benjamin Oliver Davis, Sr. may not be a familiar name, however, his accomplishments sure are as they opened the door for Black leadership in the military. At 21 years old, Davis entered the army during the Spanish American War as a temporary first lieutenant of the 8th United States Volunteer Infantry. He became the first African American General Officer in the Regular Army and in the U.S. Armed Forces.
H-E-B Partners With Local Couple To Expand Their Entrepreneurial Dreams
Hope is something that is sought when desperation sets in. The source of that anguish can be from all sorts of things. For Kim and L. J. Williams their sense of despair was from a health scare. During a time in their lives when they were the happiness celebrating the birth of their second child, they got hit with the news that Kim was prediabetic.
Greater Houston Partnership’s New Hire to Address Racial Inequities
Houstonians love their city. The diversity, weather, nightlife, shopping experiences, and the medical center are just reasons why some who live here couldn’t image living any place else. The folks at the Greater Houston Partnership understand that better than most since part of their job is to brag about Houston every day. Since 1840, the GHP’s purpose has been to make Houston the best place to live, work, and build a business. With the addition of LaTanya Flix, as the new Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, they have one more person added to their team.
H-E-B On Being the Change Against Racial Injustices
As a company, H-E-B stands on the belief that each and every person counts. Wouldn’t that be beautiful if it were true? Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. preached about it. Congresswoman Shirley Chisom lobbied for it. Congressman John Lewis fought for it. President Barack Obama believed in it. Vice President Kamala Harris broke barriers for it. Over the years we have constantly chipped away at America’s problem with systemic racism. Yet, instill, the problem persists. If we take what divides us to unit us, together we could bring about real change. We could be the change we want to see.
The Legendary Cicely Tyson
"We have to honor this blessed gift that we have. That's what keeps you going. Keeps your mind fluid -- your heart, your whole being," said the Hollywood legend Cicely Tyson five year ago in a Time magazine story. "You can't just stop, because that will be the end of you."
President Joe Biden Takes Executive Action On Day One – With The Stroke Of His Pen
Every president has their own agenda with their pressing issues in rank order. Each one comes to the office ready to get to work immediately but they do take time to enjoy the spoils of their inauguration participating in parades, attending countless balls, and taking in every unbelievable moment as it sinks in that they are the leader of the free world. However, Joe Biden didn’t have that luxury. He had the misfortune to have to fix everything that Donald Trump destroyed immediately while also executing his own agenda to make America better. Never before has a president come into office with so many problems and so much pressure to do what is right in government and what is right by the citizens of the country. Good thing is this is something Biden knew when he declared his candidacy and its something that he has prepared for taking executive action on his first day in office.
Joe Biden’s Inaugural “We Are One” Event Celebrates The Resilience Of Black Culture And Heroism
There are at least three times in the Holy Bible where it speaks to a divide house – Matthew 12:25, Mark 3:25, and Luke 11:17. If a house is not equal, it is not stable or solid. At the first sign of trouble, the house will crack. It cannot weather any storm. This is why a house must be unified. There is strength in numbers and most definitely strength in stability. This is the America President Joe Biden is trying to restore.
What Would ‘King’ Do In A Global COVID-19 Pandemic?
“This is our country; this is our house,” one riot- er told a reporter while storming the US Capitol last week in support of President Donald Trump. its shingle covering.”
Houston Pastor Caldwell Sentenced for 6 Years for Wire Fraud
Church people trust their faith and they trust their faith leader. A Houston area pastor, Kirbyjon Caldwell, has abused that trust and now it has landed him behind bars. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Caldwell to serve 72 months and 1 year of supervised release. In addition, Caldwell had to pay restitution to the tune of $3,588,500 and a fine of $125,000.
H-E-B Named Grocery Store Of Year 2020
Regional Grocery Takes Top Spot For Its’ COVID-19 Response
When it comes to grocery stores, Texans can agree that H-E-B is the best. Yes, they have a wide variety of food and other things. Yes, they make meal prep easy for cooks and non-cooks with their ready-made meals and cooking demos. But what keeps people coming back time and time again to shop at H-E-B is the way they treat customers and how that care follows to help communities.
Chaos at the Capitol
Wednesday, January 6, 2021, will go down as one of the darkest days in American History. A sitting U.S. President incited people for months with lies about how the election was stole from him and was unfair igniting the angry in people to the point that they became craze. That craze became insanity. And they did the unthinkable with the permission of these words:
What to Watch in 2021
Leave all the events of 2020 in 2020. Don’t look back. Just look forward and push toward to the future of 2021. This is the year where we all will transform in one way or another. Our world will also change with us. This is why we must keep our eyes on the ones leading change. Take a look at a few things and people to keep a lookout for in 2021.
#CAP Dow Promise Virtual Summit Gives Students a Head Start On College Admissions
Dow knows how to keeps its promises. In 2000, they took their original promise and expanded it to make a broaden stance of their support to the community with an initiative called The Dow Promise Program. The annual competitive grant program allows organizations to obtain a grant up to $10,000 for use for a sustainable project with longevity in the community. Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter was a proud recipient of a $5,000 grant that they used to host the #CAP Dow Promise Virtual Summit.
Kwanzaa: A Celebration to Bring Families Together
The year that will forever be etched in the history of Los Angeles, California is 1965 when a normal traffic stop took an unexpected turn. In the wake of the unforeseen circumstances violence would loom over the city for six days leaving 34 dead and over $40 million in damages. How could any positive be birth from such a tragedy? But it did. This is the story of how Kwanzaa came to be.
New Study Indicates COVID-19 Rates 4x Higher Than Reported in Houston
COVID-19 cases seem to be four times higher than reported according to a new study from the Houston Health Department. Through a partnership with Baylor College of Medicine and Rice University, volunteers’ blood from Houston area households was subject to random viral testing for COVID-19 antibodies.
Prairie View A&M University Receives the Largest Donation in Its 144-Year History
Prairie View A&M University will be able to produce a lot more productive people thanks to a $50 million donation from billionaire philanthropist MacKenzie Scott.
Sandra Lindsay, First Person in U.S. to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine
When Sandra Lindsay volunteered to be vaccinated for COVID-19 she had one goal in mind – to lead by example. Lindsay, Director of Critical Nursing at Long Island Jewish Medical Center, had heard all the skepticism of others leery about taking the vaccine. She also was well aware of the history of unjust, racist treatment of African Americans with medical experimentation.
Three Charged with Election Fraud for the 2020 Democratic Primary
Election news is making headlines once again but this time the news is not coming from Washington but from right in our own backyard.
Lloyd Austin’s Historic Nomination Adds To President-Elect Joe Biden’s Diverse Cabinet
Keeping true to his word of creating a cabinet that is reflective of America, President-elect Joe Biden has named retired Army general Lloyd Austin as his nominee as the Secretary of Defense. Lloyd’s confirmation would break barriers as he would be the first Black Secretary of Defense.
City of Houston and Comcast Launches Internet Voucher Program and Lift Zones With U.S. CARES ACT Funding
Having Internet access has always been critical in the areas of education, business, and every aspect of life. The pandemic has created an even bigger need for connectivity and pointed out the many who were left behind due to a lack of services. Numerous programs exist to try to alleviate this problem. However, there are still some who have been overlooked. Houston Mayor Turner has a “not in my city stance” and has once again collaborated with Comcast to give families their must needed lifeline to get and stay connected.
Pope Francis Suggests Building Bonds of Reciprocity for Solidarity
A common phrase that I have heard since the pandemic started is the need for something better to be birth from it. Whether that is a new skill, career opportunity, cleaner environment, the desired outcome was always to be better or something to be made better. Pope Francis wrote an op-ed for the New York Times with this same air of the world and its residents being better coming out of this pandemic. His thoughts were that people would be better by being more connected to each other on a personal level and being less selfish to be more empathic to one’s pain. This could make kinder people and a kinder, more understanding world.
Houston ISD Board Blocks Lathan From Top Spot
No surprises were made by the way the Houston ISD School Board voted 6-3 to decline interim superintendent Dr. Grenita Lathan the permanent job to run the largest district in Texas.
Kamala Harris: Visualizing a Future Never Once Imagined
Barriers are meant to block someone or something from occurring. Just as they are meant to deter, barriers also can serve as motivation for someone to do what has never be done before. For years women have encounter roadblocks in the climb up the political ladder. Despite what was in their way they kept pressing forward, pushing the mark, never losing their focus. Never underestimate a woman who has ever been doubted. She will just smile in your face and say ‘Watch me work.’
Chris Hollins: Defender of the Right to Vote
Proper preparation warrants productive possibilities. When Chris Hollins assumed the office of Harris County Clerk, after a 3-2 party vote of the Harris County Commissioners Court, he had three priorities in mind. His goal was to ensure that every resident of Harris County, regardless of party, race, creed, religion, or area of town in which they live, could vote in a safe, peaceful and convenient manner. Having shattered all previous Harris County voting turnout records, Hollins has blown even his own mind with Election 2020.
How Young and Black Voters Can Flip Election 2020
Voting has always been the greatest power any American can ever hold. Unfortunately, it is also one of the greatest power that is least used, especially by Black and young voters.
Why the GOP Wants to Steal Your Vote?
Trick or treat is the time old tradition where children put on costumes and knock on doors in hopes of getting a treat of candy and not a trick. For the last four years, Americans have been in a sort of a game of Halloween minus the costumes. Donald Trump has been supplying all the tricks of lies, policy changes, and false claims but no treats!
Be Fearless and Fierce in the Face of Breast Cancer
Angela Wright shares her story as a breast cancer survivor
We all know that life can throw some twists and turns then there are a few times life throws a curve that almost takes our breath away.
Don’t Be Discouraged – Vote
For months now we have heard how this would not be an ordinary election. Beyond the candidates and the issues, the hot topic has been how we would vote and be safe at the same time. All across the nation, there have been court hearings, lawsuits, protests, and marches with people interpreting laws to favor their side to either take away or add more voting restrictions all to discourage minorities from voting.
What to Expect at the Polls
With predictions of this election having extremely high voter turnout Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins and his office are making sure everything is in order before election day. The goal is to make sure that every voter can have the accessibility, safety, and convenience to vote their way.
All of Trump Men: Positive for COVID-19
“Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life,” said President Donald Truth as he left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. After contracting COVID and having had a 72-hour hospital stay this is what he had to say. Not the slightness bit of humbleness or gratefulness was in his words.
Are You Registered to Vote?
My vote won’t count. I missed the deadline. The process is too hard. What are these statements? Excuses used by Americans as reasons why they don’t vote. And there are more than that with regards to black and brown people faced with lack of transportation, voter IDs laws, distrust of the system, and a lack of education of the process. However, I am of the belief that for every excuse there is a solution to resolve it. Stop thinking you won’t be heard.
Are You Registered to Vote?
My vote won’t count. I missed the deadline. The process is too hard. What are these statements? Excuses used by Americans as reasons why they don’t vote. And there are more than that with regards to black and brown people faced with lack of transportation, voter IDs laws, distrust of the system, and a lack of education of the process. However, I am of the belief that for every excuse there is a solution to resolve it.
Notorious RBG: Protector of the Right to Be Treated Equally
Hours after learning of the death of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg President Donald Trump said, “She led an amazing life. What else can you say?" There is a lot more that can be said because of the long-standing legacy she forged as a warrior for justice.
Latinos Power Up to Vote
The U.S. Census Bureau predicts that in the next six months Latinos will no longer be the minority but the majority. A static that excites the members of Jolt, the largest Latino progressive organization in Texas, since with greater numbers comes greater power. However, legislators are not utilizing Latinos' political power. Latinos across the country are expected to support different agendas, show up at the ballot box, and check this and that box but no one is really listening to what they want. No one is taking the time to invest in the community but expects the community to invest in them. Antonio Arellano, Interim Executive Director of Jolt, thinks it is time out for that. If any political party wants to capture Latinos they must first invite them to the party.
Protecting the Safety and Rights of Voters
A safe, secure, efficient, accessible, and fair voting process for every registered voter has always been the goal of Chris Hollins since he was appointed as Harris County Clerk. His office is committed to inclusivity because he believes the “right to vote is fundamental to what it means to be free and have a voice in our democracy.” With that in mind, Hollins has proposed mailing applications to vote by mail to all registered voters that are 65 years old and up regardless if they requested the application or not. Republicans have a big problem with that and have filed two lawsuits to put a stop to it.
Vote: It Is Up to All of Us
These are critical times in which we find ourselves. Besides living during this global pandemic, race relations are boiling over, immigrations issues continue to rip families apart, healthcare is not available for all, and issue after issue keeps mounting with more frustrations and less of viable solutions. America is in deep turmoil.