H Build Balanced Nutritious Meals H Complimentary H Houston Premiere Weekly Publication H Volume 24 H Number 50 DECEMBER 12 - december 18, 2013
SPOTLIGHTS
Jesse Jackson Talks About The Legacy of Nelson Mandela
Mary Barra
GM’s First Female CEO
Dr. Lovell A. Jones
Benign Neglect & White Privilege
for a Broken Leg 2013 Lexus ES 300h Remembering Madiba H-E-B Feast of Sharing Band-Aid Terri Reviews a
* News * Commentaries * Sports * Health * Entertainment
Book by Damien Brown
PG 2 DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
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04 05 Local Briefs 10 Information Overload Mandela
By Jesse Jackson
Volume 24 • Number 50• DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013 EDITORIAL
editorial@stylemagazine.com FRANCIS PAGE, JR. Publisher and Editor fpagejr@stylemagazine.com 713-927-5444 Jo-carolyn goode Editor-at-Large editorial@stylemagazine.com 713-320-5611 lisa valadez Hispanic Managing Editor lisa@stylemagazine.com 832-228-0764
By Jo Carolyn Goode
Feature Writers lan – Local editorial@stylemagazine.com
Tonja Ward – Health tonjaward@aol.com
Aiaina mayes – Local editorial@stylemagazine.com
Samantha Vallejo – Video Reporter sjvallejo@yahoo.com
CYNTHIA NEVELS – Business cynthian@integrality.us
Mical Roy – Feature 832-647-4687 micalroy@stylemagazine.com
Dr. Lovell Jones – Health Editor editorial@stylemagazine.com
Demez White – Local editorial@stylemagazine.com
JADE GOLD – Entertainment editorial@stylemagazine.com
Gabrielle Deculus – Local editorial@stylemagazine.com
Pamela Crawford – Political editorial@stylemagazine.com
erik granacos – Video Reporter JANAE THOMAS – Entertainment erikmichaelg@gmail.com janaet14@gmail.com
DEE DEE WHEATON – Local momwifeandeverythingelse@gmail.com
dr, latisha rowe – Health Editor editoral@stylemagazine.com
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Kim davis – Sports kim@thekdcompany.com
Lindsay Buchanan – Fashion DE’NEISHA BELL – Local editorial@stylemagazine.com Bell@totallyrandie.com
Heather nelson – Local editorial@stylemagazine.com
Burt Levine – Political burtjlevine@comcast.net
Yolanda Pope – Culinary Yolandapope@stylemagazine.com Rebecca Briscoe National Entertainment briscoerbrs@aol.com 409-504-0569 Susie Stillwell Entertainment Juicy_culture33@yahoo.com
ERIC FORD – Editorial Intern editorial@stylemagazine.com
Tianyi sun – Editorial Intern editorial@stylemagazine.com
National Writers
marilyn moore – Local marilynmooremdg@gmail.com
departments 2 Haute Shots 4 Commentary 5 Local Briefs/Auto 6 Health/Culinary 10 Feature 11 Political 12 Haute Shots 14 Book/Entertainment
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©2013 Houston Style Magazine, a Minority Print Media, L.L.C. Company. All Right Reserved. Reproduction in whole or within part without permission is prohibited. Houston Style Magazine has a 2007 audit by Circulation Verification Council (CVC). Houston Style Magazine is a member of the Texas Publishers Association (TPA), Texas Community Newspaper Association (TCNA), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Independent Free Paper of America (IFPA), Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP) and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP). National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc. (NAHP, Inc.), Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Latin Women’s Initiative (LWI), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP).
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DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
PG 3
jesse Jackson
commentary Mandela Showed the Power of Unearned Suffering and
L
eaders will gather from across the world to pay tribute to Nelson Mandela this week, just as South Africans gather from across the country to say goodbye to “Madiba.” Nelson Mandela had no financial fortune. He led no armies, won no victories on the battlefield. He was, perhaps, at his most powerful when he was not in the presidential office but in a cell at Robben Island. Mandela, like Jesus, Gandhi and Dr. Martin Luther King, met
external prosecution with internal character, indomitable will and stoic sacrifice. Jailed for 27 years, he spent his time learning and teaching, even mastering the language of his oppressors to be able to communicate with them. He showed the power of unearned suffering and untarnished vision. He wouldn’t allow his persecutors to bring him down to their level. He knew that an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth would leave all blind and toothless. Political power can come from the support of voters. Entertainment power comes from the applause of crowds. Economic power comes from money; military power from guns. But those who serve and sacrifice for a cause greater than themselves accrue power from their honor, their example, and their inspiration. Dr. King argued that this
PG 4 DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
Untarnished Vision power is available to all of us. All of us cannot be famous or well known. All of us cannot be great, but all of us can serve. In celebrating Mandela, we focus on his willingness to forgive, but pay too little attention to those who did the persecution or what needed to be forgiven. The same is true of Dr. King. We focus on his willingness to sacrifice, but less on who forced that sacrifice. Against apartheid, Mandela and the African National Congress had few allies in the West. Fixated on the Cold War, America and Britain appreciated the “stability” and anti-communism offered by the apartheid regime. Ronald Reagan adopted “constructive engagement” with apartheid, while dismissing Mandela as a communist and adding the African National Congress to the terrorist list. America turned, but only because Americans, and particularly African-Americans, exposed and opposed the moral disgrace of constructive engagement with apartheid. Dr. King and Nelson Mandela were both arrested in 1962. Each was aware of the other. Each saw their national struggle in an international context. Both were living under apartheid. Both were facing the same economic, political and exploitative alliances. Both were attacked as communists and terrorists. In America, Dr. King rallied a minority that was locked out. In South Africa, Mandela roused the vast majority. The Civil Rights Movement in the U.S. advanced first. We used our new strength to help end apartheid in South Africa. We had the right to vote, to petition and to protest. Harry Belafonte engaged South African artists and musicians to spread the word. TransAfrica and the Free South Africa Movement organized civil disobedience that led to jailings for over a year.
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Randall Robinson, Roger Wilkins, Mary Berry, Rev. Walter Fauntroy and Eleanor Holmes Norton inspired thousands to join the protests. Rep Barbara Lee, Ronald Dellums and Maxine Waters pushed the fight for sanctions in the Congress. Poet Maya Angelou was a close friend and strong supporter of Mandela’s work. The union movement -- led by Bill Lucy and the Coalition for Black Trade Unions, by the American Federation of State, Country and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and by the AFLCIO -- mobilized to demand change. In 1984 and 1988, my presidential campaigns called for sanctions on South Africa as a rogue nation. At the Democratic conventions, I called our kinship with South Africa a moral disgrace, forcing Democrats finally to speak clearly. As legislators began to get arrested in front of the South African embassy, colleges and pension funds began to disinvest. Businesses felt the heat. Finally, Congress overturned a Reagan veto and imposed sanctions. And the apartheid regime realized that the future was largely in the hands and heart of Nelson Mandela. Nelson Mandela and Dr. King are no longer here to lead, but their example and their vision continue to show the way. Now in the U.S. and in South Africa, apartheid has been defeated, but racial exclusion is supplanted by economic disparity. We are free but not equal. There is a growing gulf in income, opportunity, education, health care and access to capital. Nelson Mandela and Dr. King led us a long way, but we have miles to go before we rest. You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this newspaper or by email at jjackson@rainbowpush.org. Follow him on Twitter @RevJJackson.
Local Briefs Houston CPA Goody Bag Stuffer Provides Holiday Cheer for 7,100 Area Head Start Students
Joshua Moreno, South Texas Dental; Elyse Turla, Houston CPA Society; Venetia Peacock, Harris County Department of Education Head Start; Jessica Dean, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston; and Jesse Regalado, South Texas Dental.
Society, Southern Dental and the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Houston-Galveston. At Harris County Department of Education, 1,100 students benefit from the donations. The Houston CPA Society has 7,200 members who represent 13 area counties surrounding Houston. Funds for the goody bags come from the CPA Helping Schools Committee Grant combined with donations from members. For more information, call (713) 672-9343, www.hcde-texas.org.
Mayor Parker Announces New Art Scholarship for Houston Area Juniors and Seniors
S
anta packed healthy options for 7,100 Head Start students throughout Harris County as the 43rd Annual Santa Houston CPA Goody Bag Stuffing Campaign provided early holiday packages Dec. 6. Families of 3to 5-year-old students in Head Start receive a bag filled with an apple, healthy snacks, books and a dental kit. Partners in the program are the Houston CPA
auto
By Jo-Carolyn Goode Editor-At-Large
O
n cold days, especially like the ones we have had, all I want to do is wrap up in a blanket, grab a cup of hot tea, and enjoy the warmth. So I can really appreciate a vehicle that can help me do the same thing. This past week I shook off the winter chill inside the 2013 Lexus 9040A ES 300h sedan. The sixth generation Lexus 9040A ES 300h gets a bit of a makeover for 2013. Longer by one inch, the exterior frame that sits on 17-inch alloy wheels has been lengthen, which has provided more interior space. Other slight changes include the rear design that has concealed the once exposed exhaust and rear spoiler. Features like fog lamps and running lights seemed to be more inline with the design of the vehicle giving an overall cleaner, smoother look. I like the exterior but I LOVED the interior. I highly recommend the color combination of deep sea mica and parchment NuLuxe bamboo. Right away it grabbed me and took the vehicle to a
recognize achievement and excellence in the visual arts among high school students and foster the arts as a means to strengthen relationships among students, communities and institutions of higher education. Sponsored by the Department of Neighborhoods Office of Education Initiatives and Houston Arts Partners, the Mayor’s Art Scholarship will be awarded through an art competition focusing on the life and culture of Houston neighborhoods. All juniors and seniors in Houston area school districts are eligible to apply. Scholarship applicants will be guided by their art educators as they prepare their entries for submission by the deadline of February 15, 2014. For more information, visit www.houstontx. gov/education.
New Women Professional Team Comes to Houston
H
Mayor Annise Parker
ouston Mayor Annise Parker announced a new competitive art scholarship designed to
N
cer League comes to the city. Under the same ownership umbrella as the Houston Dynamos, the women’s team will also play at BBVA Compass Stadium. Tickets to watch the women went up immediately after the announcements on Thursday. Sales should do well since Dynamos tested the interest of fans by asking them to pay $25 as a deposit on a season-ticket package for the NWSL. Over 1,000 fans responded by putting their money down.
American Soccer Star Alex Morgan
o doubt the men of the Houston Dynamos have made soccer big in Houston but can women do the same? We will soon find out as Houston the National Women’s Soc-
Shake Off the Cold in the Lexus 9040A ES 300h
new level of luxury. It also made Lexus more environmentally conscience as bamboo is a renewable resource. In addition, the use of NuLuxe material will allow better durability of the seats as it more resistant to stains and holds up to wear and tear. I know this next line will make those who live in places like Chicago laugh but I really think it should be required that vehicles have heated seats and steering wheels. I never wanted to leave the comfort of my vehicle because I was all toasty. The 2013 Lexus 9040A ES 300h so spoiled me! And it didn’t stop there. My test vehicle also had ultra comfortable 10-way powered seats with memory settings, premium audio system with 6-disc changer, Bluetooth technology, and dual climate control. Unfortunately, in my case, it also had a moonroof that I never got to use. Darn cold weather. As one would imagine with the Lexus brand technology was through the
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roof. The normal stuff that you would expect like Bluetooth, LCD screen, navigation system, and USB ports were all there. But could you imagine a rear window defogger…with a timer? Really Lexus? Just as big as technology was the safety of the Lexus 9040A ES 300h. Air bags…check. Vehicle stability control…check. Anti-lock braking system…check. This is a Lexus so you know there is more. Correct you are. Helping drivers be more conscience about how they drive is the lane departure alert, blind spot monitoring, and cross traffic alert. If you move out of your lane, come to close to the car in front of you, or another vehicle crosses while you are backing up a beep sounds and/or a light flashes. Before starting the engine, make a decision as to whether you want to drive in Eco, Sport, or Normal mode. Eco gives the best fuel efficiency, sport gives the most power, and normal puts
the driver in control. Since my test vehicle was a hybrid, there was the addition of the EV mode that allows the vehicle to ride up to 20mph on electric power. Making the Lexus 9040A ES 300h stand out even more is the EPA estimate of 40mpg city and 39mpg highway. You read that right. That is not a typo. What I have given you is just a peek at the Lexus experience. Base priced at $38,850, you can shake off the cold too. I beg you to not walk but run to your Lexus dealer to find out more about the Lexus 9040A ES 300h. Find out more information at www.lexus.com.
DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
Lexus 9040A ES 300h
PG 5
Health
By Dr. Lovell A. Jones Health Editor
B
FOOD FOR THOUGHT: Benign Neglect & White Privilege
enign neglect, or ignoring an
know, we can build all the fences along the
these issues separately, developing pro-
often
situation
border and hire all the border agencies, we
grams, declaring victory and then moving
rather than dealing with it, is an
can deport all the undocumented individu-
on to something else, especially in terms of
attitude that continues to plague efforts to
als and it will still happen: we will become
educational programs. Or they have placed
truly deal with an issue that I consider a
more ethnically diverse than at any other
a few minorities in visible positions with
threat to the future of this nation. Couple
time in our history, and we will see the day
little to no real influence on the above is-
this lack of dealing with what plagues
when our country is governed more by eth-
sues. Therefore, most efforts have been
America with politics, racism and racial-
nic minorities than by whites. The question
neither culturally competent nor culturally
undesirable
ism, and you face a system that has been
remains, what are we going to do so that
relevant. And people wonder why efforts
truly unresponsive to the educational, re-
Benign Neglect
this is done peacefully to the benefit of all?
have not been successful in addressing the
search, and health care needs of minorities
have, why are the numbers of underrep-
To me, that continues to be the most press-
issue of health disparities. I continue to say,
and the poor. We can deny that such exist,
resented in true leadership positions not
ing concern. Some seem to believe that, if
who you are and your life’s experiences
but we are only dooming ourselves to an
reaching equity? Why are we still talking
we ignore it, it will go away. Well, people
do have a direct bearing on how effective
end we both will not like.
about economic gaps and educational gaps
of America, It is not going away. At some
your programs are. So as the saying goes,
and health gaps?
point we must acknowledge that three
“If you always do what you have always
still exists and is the underpinning of the
It is all a matter of numbers. By
broad issues are tied at the hip -- HEATH,
done....You’ll always get what you always
current efforts to put pressure on current
the year 2050 or earlier, the United States
EDUCATION & ECONOMICS -- and
got!”
laws leading to a diminished need to ad-
of America will become a majority minori-
that they must be more equitably distrib-
dress the problem of underrepresentation.
ty country. How many times does this need
uted if our nation is to thrive and such a
stylemagazine.com
We are thought to be now entering a “post
to be said, because current actions are like
transition takes place in an orderly fashion.
racial era”. But the question I ask, if we
those in power will remain in power? You
By Family Feature
culinary
Eating Nutritiously From Your Freezer
ew would argue about the importance of eating a nutritious, balanced diet. Unfortunately, not everyone knows how to do it. In fact, more than half of Americans surveyed by Nestlé and Harris Interactive said they are unaware of MyPlate, the dietary guidelines from the USDA that make up a nutritious diet. What’s more, consumers only come close to meeting dietary guidelines a mere seven days out of 365 in a year, according to the NPD Group’s National Eating Trends® database. This confusion, along with the idea that a balanced diet shouldn’t feel like a chore, led Nestlé to create the Balance Your Plate program. It offers easy solutions to help you create deliciously balanced, perfectly portioned meals that include the foods you love while meeting MyPlate guidelines. Building balanced, nutritious meals has never been simpler with the help of MyPlate (choosemyplate.gov),
and the Balance Your Plate program (meals.com/balance) which helps you quickly assemble high-quality balanced meals using frozen prepared entrees as the center of the plate. Frozen prepared entrées are a great way to get a jump start on creating a balanced meal and allow you to still enjoy many of the foods you already love like pizza and lasagna. With the Balance Your Plate program, all of the math has been done so you can follow the simple menus to enjoy a tasty meal that fits easily into the MyPlate guidelines. At meals.com/balance, you’ll find two weeks of nutritious, balanced menus that meet MyPlate recommendations. Each day includes one to two frozen prepared meals and provides around 2,000 calories. It also suggests menu modifications for a 1,500 or 1,800 daily calorie diet – all while meeting the dietary guideline recommendations: Breakfast • Breakfast burrito made with: 1,6-inch
Unfortunately, white privilege
F
PG 6 DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
Read the full piece online at www.
Most have played at addressing
corn tortilla, 1 egg, scrambled 2 tablespoons shredded cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup no salt added canned black beans, 2 tablespoons chopped tomatoes • 1 cup cantaloupe cubes • 1 cup coffee Lunch • 1 LEAN CUISINE® Asian Style Chicken Salad Additions™ with: 3 cups romaine lettuce, 1/2 ounce slivered almonds (1,800 calorie diet: replace 1/2 ounce slivered almonds with 1/4 ounce almonds; 1,500 calorie diet: replace 1/2 ounce slivered almonds with 1/4 ounce almonds) • 2 ounces whole grain roll with 2 teaspoons soft margarine • 1 cup pineapple orange juice* (1,500 calorie diet: replace juice with water) Dinner • 1/6 DIGIORNO® Rising Crust Pizza – Pepperoni • 1/2 cup baby carrots with 2 tablespoons hummus • 1 cup canned peaches, in juice (1,500
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calorie diet: replace 1 cup peaches with 1/2 cup peaches) • 1 cup low-fat milk Snack • 1 cup low-fat chocolate milk (1,500 calorie diet: replace 1 cup low-fat chocolate milk with 1 cup fat-free chocolate milk) • 4 graham cracker squares (1,800 calorie diet: replace 4 graham cracker squares with 2 squares; 1,500 calorie diet: replace 4 graham cracker squares with 2 squares) For more Daily Meal Plan suggestions and nutrition information, check out meals.com/balance.
Build nutritious meals
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DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
PG 7
H
Nelson Mandela Remembered
e was small in stature. He didn’t have a wealth of money. Yet, he had power and influenced that changed the world. Nelson Mandela is one who left an irreplaceable imprint on the world. Personal: Birth date: July 18, 1918 Death date: December 5, 2013 Birth place: Mvezo, Transkei, South Africa. Birth name: Rolihlahla Dalibhunga Mandela Marriages: Graca (Machel) Mandela (July 18, 1998-December 5, 2013, his death); “Winnie” (Madikizela) Mandela (1958-1996, divorce); Evelyn (Ntoko) Mandela (1944-1958, divorce) Children: with Winnie Mandela: Zindzi, 1960 and Zenani, 1959; with Evelyn Mandela: Makaziwe, 1953; Makgatho, 1950-January 6, 2005; Makaziwe, 1947-1948; Thembekile, 1946-1969 Education: University of South Africa, law degree, 1942 Other Facts: He was given the name Nelson by a school teacher. He was sometimes called Madiba, his traditional clan name. Mandela was called both “the world’s most famous political prisoner” and “South Africa’s Great Black Hope.” 1944 - Joins the African National Congress and helps found the ANC Youth League. 1951 - Becomes president of the ANC Youth League. 1952 - Opens the first black law partnership in South Africa with friend Oliver Tambo. 1952 - Leads the newly launched [ANC] Campaign for the Defiance of Unjust Laws, a program of nonviolent mass resistance. July 1952 - Mandela is charged with violating the Suppression of Communism Act.
1918-2013
June 1961 - Mandela begins organizing the armed struggle against apartheid Umkhonto we Sizwe (Spear of the Nations). He travels in Africa and Europe studying guerrilla warfare. August 5, 1962 - Is arrested on charges of inciting workers to strike and leaving the country without valid travel documents. Mandela represents himself at trial. November 7, 1962 - Is sentenced to prison, five years hard labor. June 12, 1964 - Is sentenced to life in prison for four counts of sabotage. Convicted and sentenced with Mandela are Walter Sisulu, Ahmed Kathrada, Govan Mbeki, Denis Goldberg and others. 1980 - The Johannesburg Sunday Post leads a campaign to free Mandela. A petition demanding his and other ANC prisoners’ release is printed in the newspaper. July 5, 1989 - Meets with President P.W. Botha. August 15, 1989 - Botha resigns as president and head of the National Party. F.W. de Klerk replaces him and begins dismantling apartheid. December 13, 1989 - Mandela and de Klerk meet for the first time. February 11, 1990 - Mandela is released from prison after more than 27 years. 1990 - Embarks on a world tour, visiting Margaret Thatcher, the U.S. Congress, and U.S. President George H.W. Bush. July 1991 - Mandela is elected president of the ANC. 1993 - Mandela and de Klerk share the Nobel Peace Prize. April 29, 1994 - Elected the first black president of the Republic of South Africa in the first open elec-
PG 8 DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
tion in the country’s history. 1999 - Establishes the Nelson Mandela Foundation. January 19, 2000 - Addresses the United Nations Security Council, appealing for help in ending the brutal civil war between ethnic Hutus and Tutsis in Burundi. July 25, 2001 - Announces that he has prostate cancer and is undergoing treatment. December 1, 2003 - Mandela participates in the signing of the Geneva Accords for peace in the Middle East. January 7, 2005 - Announces that his son, Makgatho, has died of AIDS and that the disease should be given publicity so that people will stop viewing it as extraordinary. July 18, 2009 - The Nelson Mandela Foundation creates Mandela Day to be held every year on his birthday. The purpose of the day is to bring awareness to community service. November 11, 2009 - The United Nations declares July 18th Nelson Mandela International Day. June 11, 2010 - Mandela makes his first World Cup appearance before kickoff of the final match. March 2012 - The Nelson Mandela Digital Archive Project is launched. Google gives a $1.25 million grant to help preserve and digitize thousands of archival documents including items donated by Mandela himself. December 5, 2013 - Nelson Mandela dies at his home in the Johannesburg suburb of Houghton. South African President Jacob Zuma orders all flags in the nation to be flown at half-staff through the state funeral
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DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
PG 9
Feature
By Jo Carolyn Goode Editor-At-Large
Information Overload acts of violence at the Sandy Hook lease of the calls just cuts further into shootings then released them to law the wounds that families are already enforcement only. How is listening trying to heal. to people in disbelief and sheer ter-
ror beneficial to all of America? We
American appetite gets too greedy
Another instance when the
are all painfully aware of the truly is after national security operations. sick people that are among that are One of those highly profiled cases capable of committing such acts. We
was that of the killing of Osama bin
already know what happen that day. Laden by Navy SEALs of the U. S. We and mostly certain the families of Naval Special Warfare Development
A
Group. Since that time when America
Sandy Hook should not be reminded.
took down our number one threat, we
It is not as if Sandy Hook was
have learned a lot of details as to how
the first school shooting in America.
the operation was executed, what
Sadly, the Sandy Hook school shoot-
President Obama knew, and so much
ing follows a long line of school vio- more. When you think about, why did
Information Overload
mericans have this insa-
comes to extremely sensitive items
tiable appetite for infor-
like national security or 911 calls in
mation. This causes the
horrific crisis situations.
media to scramble to try to be the
first to market with said information.
dom of Information Act, the Sandy
However, unlike in most instances,
Hook Elementary School shooting
when there is a need and supply is
massacre 911 calls were released
received, the sensation for informa-
last week. Bridgeport Superior Court
tion never decreases but increases.
Judge Eliot Prescott ruled that the
Adding to this domino effect is the
calls should no longer be kept sealed
passage of laws for people’s right to
under the law. Citing things like the
know. But have you ever stopped
calls would be released at some point
to think that maybe, just maybe, we
and that first responders would be
don’t need to know everything?
vindicated and supported for their ac-
tions on that fateful day.
I am not saying to totally cut
those lost or affected in any way by
Under Connecticut’s Free-
us off but I am saying that better judg-
ment needs to be taken when dissem-
vance technology that we have that
inating information to Americans.
the calls would eventually be re-
Ask this question, “Will the release
leased but you don’t have to aid in
of this information benefit Americans
that process. Secondly, if listening to
in anyway?” If the answer is no, then
the calls will help law enforcement
don’t release the information when it
improve on how they responded to
Yes, it is true with the ad-
PG 10 DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
lence. It is because of that history that
we need to know all those details? Re-
Sandy Hook had some of the security
ally? All Americans needed to know
measures that they had in place. This
was that bin Laden was dead. It is the
same history has caused police agen-
release of details from such missions
cies and education systems through-
like that, that make more vulnerable
out the country to change security
to threats. Our secrets are not just re-
measures and the way they respond.
leased to friends of America but to
Some may have changed because of our enemies as well. They learn our hearing 911 calls but it is my belief
way of thinking and attack and use
that the fact that people are turn-
that to fuel stronger attacks.
ing what once were safe havens into
bloody graveyards is largely respon-
doesn’t mean we need to know. In
Just because we can know,
sible. All of those statements still my estimates this is how technology don’t equate to why Americans who
has hurt us instead of helped. The
are not in law enforcement or educa-
more we are given the more we want.
tion administers need to hear the rec-
When looking at the bigger picture
ollections of that day through the 911
has America’s appetite for informa-
calls.
tion been helpful or just been infor-
I applaud those media outlets
who put compassion for people over ratings and dollars by taking the bold stand to not air the 911 calls. The re-
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mation overload?
Political By Burt Levine Political Writer
Harris County 2014 Primary Ballots Officially Set by Monday’s Deadline In doing so Stockman, who was just
John
to Gov. Perry Michael Schofield and
elected last year to the new CD-36
Whitmire, Texas’ longest sitting state
sign maker Michael Franks hoping to
in Clear Lake, Pasadena, Baytown,
senator and Harris County’s lone An-
face Democrat Luis Lopez in the re-
east Harris County and many other
glo Democrat legislator faces African
gion’s strongest Republican rock but
counties, opens up his current seat in
American attorney Damian LaCroix
increasingly Hispanic district.
which eight candidates filed.
hoping to face Republican Ron Hale
for the decidedly Democrat district
opposed in her doggedly Democrat
Members Ted Poe, John Culberson,
SD-15 next fall.
north Pasadena area district and faces
Michael McCaul and Pete Olson are
Democrat Rita Lucido filed
M
perennial politician Republican Gil-
unopposed in the Republican Pri-
to take on popular second term Sena-
bert Pena in the fall. Democrat Carol
onday, December 9 at
mary as are Al Green, Sheila Jackson
tor Republican Joan Huffman who
Alvardao will face March 4th Susan
6 pm marked the filing
Lee and Gene Green in the Demo-
first faces Derek Anthony in the Re-
Delgado who continues to run in leg-
deadline for anyone
cratic Primary. In the Democratic Pri-
publican Primary in the rigidly Re-
islative races mostly on fame generat-
wanting to run for a 2014 partisan
mary James Cargas and Lisa Squires
publican SD-17.
ed from being the late Senator Mario
political position throughout Texas.
are squaring off for the nomination to
Gallego’s mistress.
Tuesday, March 4 is the Democratic
face Republican favorite John Cul-
Davis is retiring. John Gay, who ran
and Republican Party Primaries with
berson in CD-7 and US Army Col.
as a Republican against Congress-
un-opposed in his richly Republican
early voting starting February 18 for
Sean Seibert, returning from Afghan-
man Ron Paul four years ago, filed
Memorial Villages based district but
a US Senate seat, all 36 Texas US
istan, looks forward next fall to fac-
as a Democrat for the race his local
in the fall will face Laura Nicol, Dem-
Rep. seats, many state senate seat and
ing Jackson Lee again in the general
state rep. race. In the fall he will face
ocrat Obama Delegate Alison Ruff
all 150 Texas Reps. plus many other
election in CD-18.
State Republican Executive Com-
hopes to challenge Sarah Davis for
state wide, county wide, district and
Democrat Jim Davis signed
mittee Members Sheryl Berg or Den-
State Rep. following Davis’ March
precinct positions. Run-offs are May
up for the solidly Republican SD-7
nis Paul, Brent Perry who ran once
4 being primaried by Bonnie Parker.
27.
Senate seat Dan Patrick is giving up
for Congress against Democrat Ken
Democrat Moiz Abbas is taking on
Stunning Texas political pun-
to run for Lt. Gov. In the Republican
Bentsen or Chuck Maricle who last
Republican Gary Elkins and Repub-
dits was Congressman Steve Stock-
Primary looking forward to facing
year ran for County Commissioner
lican Morad Fikki, a US Marine now
man’s 5:45 pm filing for the Repub-
Davis are former Harris County Tax
against El Franco Lee, lawyer Bris-
serving as a Navy Reserve Officer,
lican Primary to challenge second
Assessor Collector Paul Bettencourt
coe Cain, third time candidate Mary
is salivating for his Sharpstown race
term incumbent senior US Senator
and insurance businessman James
Huls or Jeff Larson.
ahead against incumbent Democrat
John Cornyn along with six others.
Wilson.
State Rep. Gen Wu.
Texas Primary
Houston
area
Congress
Democrat
Senator
Clear Lake’s State Rep. John
GOP Reps. Patricia Harless,
Democrat Mary Perez is un-
Republican Jim Murphy is
Dan Huberty, Wayne Smith and Al-
len Fletcher are unopposed in their
Garnett Coleman are unopposed all
primary and general elections as are
year while Heights-area Democrat
Democrats Alma Allen, Sylvester
Jessica Farrar faces Young Repub-
Turner, Armando Walle, Senfronia
licans activist Chris Carmona and
Thompson, Harrold Dutton and Ana
Democrat Hubert Vo faces either the
Hernandez.
winner of the Republican Primary:
Katy Republican Rep. Bill
Houston City Council Member Al
Callegari is retiring with Republicans
Hoang or Alief School Board Trustee
Ann Hodge, Texas Army National
Nghi Ho.
Democrats Borris Miles and
Guard Lt. Col. Justin Perryman, aide
WWW.STYLEMAGAZINE.COM
DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
PG 11
THIS WEEK:
Houston, TX
THIS WEEK:
Houston, TX
Crossroads Community Partnership for Youth, Inc. 45th Annual Luncheon
O
Photography By Vicky Pink
n Monday, December 9, 2013, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at the Junior League of Houston for the 45th Annual Luncheon for Crossroads Community Partnership for Youth, Inc. Under the theme “ The Magic Continues,� Crossroads celebrated their work of fostering positive relationships with youth and the community to prevent their involvement with the juvenile justice system. Helping them efforts is Judge Ed Emmett, which they honored during the evening for his continued support. Some in attendance were Shawn Green, Judge Glenn Devlin, Dr. Stephen P. Wende, Rhonda Sands, Beverly Malazzo, Jackie Autman, Lori Hood, Dr. Kenneth Holden, J. Anthony Referente, Bernadette Drayden, Raghu Iyer, Gene McCubbin, Honorable Stephen E. Newhouse, Ann Wright, and Mary Jane Smith.
The Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc. Crystal Gala
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Photography By Vicky Pink
n Saturday, December 7, 2013, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at One Allen Center as The Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc. held their Crystal Anniversary Gala. Christmas is the time of year where everyone is in the giving spirit. The ladies of The Twelve Days of Christmas, Inc. keep that feeling going year round by providing services for families in need during the Christmas season and beyond. The gala was celebration of their efforts thus far. Some in attendance were Andrea Hollingsworth, Wayne Luckett, Merle Yarborough, Judson Robinson III, Crystal Hadnott, Shannon Buggs, Zelma Lee, Dr. Latisha Rowe, Dr. Kyler Knight, Dr. Rossi Gomez, Donald & Gayla Gardner, Sherise Curd, L. & Dr. Sherri Onyiego, and Damon & Tanya Easter
PG 12 DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
WWW.STYLEMAGAZINE.COM
THIS WEEK:
Houston, TX
THIS WEEK:
Houston, TX
Houston Medical Forum Scholarship Brunch
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Photography Vicky Pink
n Sunday, December 8, 2013, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at the Hilton Galleria for the Houston Medical Forum Scholarship Brunch. Many gathered in the name of education. Guests opened up their pockets to raise funds for medical student scholarships to help decrease the high cost of attending medical school. Dr. Edith Irby Jones was honored with the Lifetime Award and Dr. James Phillips was named Physician of the Year. Dr. Marketa Wills chaired the affair. Some in attendance were Dr. President, Dr. Edward Mazique & Judith Mazique, Dr. Lois Peters Vann, Dr. Kidada Gilbert-Lewis, Dr. Kathy Flanagan, Dr. Luckett Johnson & Marcia Johnson, Dr. Levi Perry & Eula Perry, Dr. Garfield Johnson, and Dr. Kevin Smith.
H-E-B 8th Annual Feast of Sharing
O
Photography By Roswitha Vogler
n Wednesday, December 11, 2013, Houston Style Magazine was on hand as H-E-B kicked off their 8th Annual Feast of Sharing with Kids’ Meals. H-E-B partnered with eight community organizations throughout the greater Houston area to sponsor more than 6,400 meals for those who need it most. H-E-B Partners served lunch to more than 400 preschoolers and their families who participate in Kids’ Meals and are living in poverty. The children enjoyed crafts, games and a visit from Santa Claus and H-E-Buddy. Some in attendance were H-E-B President Scott McClelland and H-E-B Public Affairs Director Cyndy Garza Roberts.
WWW.STYLEMAGAZINE.COM
DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
PG 13
Terri Schichenmeyer
“Band-Aid for a Broken Leg” by Damien Brown
Y
ou sure had lots of choices. Plan A or Plan B? This one or that? It was a big decision and you made it with as much information as you could find. Now you hope you’ve gotten the healthcare coverage that works best for you and your family. But what if there was no option, or that healthcare was days away, dispensed in a tent with little technology? In the book “Band-Aid for a Broken Leg” by Damien Brown, you’ll read about one doctor’s experiences, literally in the field.
Growing up in relative affluence, Damien Brown only had the barest notion of hardship until he was in his 20s. By then, he’d lived on several different continents, had seen the affects of misery and poverty, and had decided that he “wanted to help. Or at least try, in some capacity.” So, following graduation from med school in Australia, he signed on with Médecins Sans Frontiéres (MSF) and was sent to Mavinga, Angola, on Africa’s southwest side. It would be his home for six months. Dubbed The Edge of the World by Portuguese colonists, Mavinga was little more than a collection of dusty buildings and tents surrounded by land mines. Brown’s job was to relieve the doctor whose stint was up but, never having been in charge of a hospital before, he was terrified.
Entertainment By Susie Stillwell Entertainment Writer
O
ne Village Entertainment, an entity of RLJ Entertainment, announces the DVD release of the captivating documentary DARK GIRLS, directed by Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry. DARK GIRLS, featured on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, the powerful documentary earned the networks highest rated documentary to date with one million viewers tuning in and joining the conversation online. Has anything really changed since the days of American slavery when dark-skinned Blacks were made to suffer even greater indignities than their lighter skinned counterparts? Ask today’s dark Black woman. Dual documentary Directors/ Producers D. Channsin Berry (Urban Winter Entertainment) and Bill Duke (Duke Media) took their cameras into everyday America in search of pointed, unfiltered and penetrating interviews with Black women of the darkest hues for their emotional expose’, “Dark Girls”. It explores the roots of classism, racism and the lack of self-esteem within a segment of cultures that span from America to the most remote corners of
It didn’t go well at first. Brown didn’t speak Portuguese, and the language barrier gave his staff extra reason to complain about Novo Doctor. The illnesses he saw were things he’d only ever read about before. Patient treatment was hampered by lack of x-rays, oxygen machines, and modern testing; and a near-primitive surgery suite with hand-operated equipment. Improvisation was common, sanitariness was often an issue and, between adrenaline-rush emergencies, there was incredible boredom. Six months. That’s all Brown signed on for and he counted the days – until he suddenly realized that things were better. His colleagues had become friends and his time in Mavinga was up too soon. From there, he “slid finally into Melbourne” and a hospital with modern equipment.
But the difference was “a glaring, uncomfortable reminder of the disparities…” and Brown missed Africa. “By mid-year,” he says, “I’m trawling the aid-worker websites…” You might think for a minute that “Band-Aid for a Broken Leg” would be like those commercials you see on TV, filled with misery meant to touch your heart. And you’d be wrong. Oh, there’s hearttouching here, yes. Author Damien Brown doesn’t miss a chance to share the mind-boggling things he saw, but we’re also privy to the goodness, too. That makes this book a nice balance between suffering that will make you very thankful for what you’ve got, and grace and forbearance that will make you smile. This is the kind of book
that will open your conscience – and maybe your wallet. It’s jaw-dropping and humorous, both. And if you’d love a story about a life you may never lead in a place you may never visit, “Band-Aid for a Broken Leg” is a good choice.
c.2013, Allen & Unwin $25.95 / $28.50 Canada 345 pages
Duke’s Dark Girls
the globe. Women share their personal stories, touching on deeply ingrained beliefs and attitudes of society, while allowing generations to heal as they learn to love themselves for who they are. Yvonne Hampton is 69 years old, and lives clear across the country from her older brother, Bill. But she can still rely on him to look out for her -- just as he did when she was growing up. “The way our parents raised us, we stood up for ourselves, and my brother always protected me,” Hampton said. Even though Bill stuck up for his little sister as they came of age in Poughkeepsie, New York, he couldn’t always protect himself, or her, from the cruel words of playmates that viewed their dark skin as offensive. “We were made fun of, called ‘Little Black Sambo’ -- that was our introduction to kindergarten,” she said. “You were made to feel ‘less than’ because your skin was darker, and (that) being dark brown or black was ugly.” Hampton’s experiences as a “dark girl” were an inspiration for Bill Duke’s documentary that explores the sometimes painful, undercover story of colorism -- discrimination based on skin
PG 14 DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
tone -- inside and outside the black community. Now a respected actor and filmmaker, Duke used his industry clout to bring attention to the issue. When it premiered on the OWN channel earlier this year, the film stirred spirited conversation about black beauty, just as it did at screenings around North America. “DARK GIRLS is a phenomenal documentary that opens the door on that light skinned/dark skinned thang,” Oprah tweeted in June. After the trailer hit the Web in 2011, the filmmakers soon learned that the issue did not only resonate among darker-hued American women. “I started getting e-mails from women in Poland, and I was thinking to myself, I don’t know any black women in Warsaw, or Poland or other places around there,” Berry said. “And I kept getting correspondences from women’s groups in the Netherlands asking us to talk about this, and screen the movie. And it was deep.” Co-directors Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry shared Juicy Culture what they learned making the film and
WWW.STYLEMAGAZINE.COM
how the conversation began. Susie Stillwell/Juicy Culture: How did two male directors become interested in making a film about “Dark Girls”? Duke: I saw the things that my sister went through -- she’s dark skinned -- with boys not considering her attractive in her youth and the pain that it caused her. You have to explain to people the damage that it does to a young woman, and to see it and experience it is something that you don’t forget: her crying in her room alone, her trying to lighten her skin, her feeling ugly, me having to beat up young boys because they said she was ugly, that type of thing. Read the full interview online at www.stylemagazine.com.
Bill Duke and D. Channsin Berry
National Mary Barra: GM’s First Female CEO By Aaron Smith CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire
1.3 Million Set to Lose Jobless Benefits By Jennifer Liberto CNN/Stylemagazine.com Newswire
T
Marry Barra, GM’s New CEO
G
eneral Motors promoted insider Mary Barra to serve as the new chief executive officer, the first female head of a major U.S. automaker. Barra, an executive vice president and 33-year GM veteran, will succeed current CEO Dan Akerson on January 15, the company said. Barra will become GM’s fifth CEO in less than five years. Since August, Barra has served as executive vice president of global product development and global purchasing and supply chain, according to her company bio. For more than two years before that, she was an executive VP focusing on international design, engineering, program management and quality. Barra started at GM when she was 18 as part of a cooperative education program. As the incoming CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Barra joins the ranks of 21 other female chief executives. For more information, visit www.cnn.com.
I
t’s not looking good for 1.3 million long-term unemployed workers, who were overlooked by a budget deal reached by key lawmakers. Federal unemployment benefits will expire on Dec. 28. And with the House scheduled to leave town for the year on Friday, it’s looking increasingly unlikely that Congress will agree to extend the recessionera program that fills the gap when state unemployment insurance runs out for workers who can’t find a job. Extending benefits is a priority for Democrats and President Obama, but most Republicans have been cool to the idea. In a statement on the budget deal on Tuesday, Obama said Congress has “more to do.” The White House Council of Economic Advisers and Department of Labor issued a joint report last week touting how jobless benefits buoy the economy, while keeping 2.5 million workers out of poverty each year. For more information, visit See what’s hot on www.cnn.com. StyleMagazine.com
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EPA Honors Texas Company for Designing Greener Chemicals
WWW.STYLEMAGAZINE.COM
he U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is recognizing Life Technologies in Austin, TX, for winning the 2013 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Award. Life Technologies developed a more efficient, less wasteful way to manufacture key chemicals used to perform genetic testing. “Companies, such as Life Technologies, demonstrate that using green chemicals can lower greenhouse has emissions and toxicity while also significantly lowering operating cost,” said EPA Regional Administrator Ron Curry. “The process created by Life Technologies will prevent 1.5 million pounds of hazardous waste a year.” More information: http://www2.epa.gov/ green-chemistry
Average Unemployment Insurance Tax Rates Decrease for Texas Employers
T
he Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) announced the average Unemployment Insurance (UI) tax rate for all employers will be 1.66 percent for Calendar Year (CY) 2014, down from 1.82 percent in CY 2013. The average tax rate for experience-rated employers is 1.54 percent for CY 2014, and is down from 1.71 percent in CY
2013. The standard minimum UI tax rate paid by Texas employers in CY 2014 will be 0.51 percent, which is down from 0.54 percent in CY 2013. These employer-paid UI taxes replenish the Texas Unemployment Compensation Trust Fund, which provides temporary income for Texas workers who lose their jobs through no fault of their own. Lower employer UI tax rates reflect the continued economic expansion in Texas. The minimum tax rate is paid by 262,808 employers, which represents 64.7 percent of experience-rated employers. For details on TWC and the programs it offers in coordination with its network of local workforce development boards, call 512-463-8942 or visit www.texasworkforce.org
Uruguay Makes History By Legalizing Marijuana By John Collins Special to CNN CNN/Stylemagazine.com
A
fter 50 years, a seismic shift is taking place in the international drug policy debate, both at the level of individual countries and also at the U.N. On December 10, Uruguay’s Senate passed a law making it the first country in the world to legally regulate marijuana. This is hugely significant as it is the first time a country has officially broken with the international prohibitionist approach. In so doing, Uruguay will establish a legal recreational cannabis market by regulating production through to sale. This goes far beyond decriminalization or de facto toleration as witnessed in the Netherlands and a few other states. For more information, visit www.cnn.com.
DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
PG 15
PG 16 DECEMBER 12 - DECEMBER 18, 2013
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