Houston Style Magazine Vol 25 No 50

Houston Style Magazine December 11 - December 17, 2014

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication

Volume 25 | Number 50

Complimentary

Jesse Jackson

A Camera on Injustice

DON’T JUDGE ME

Ron Reynolds

Hosts Fort Bend Forum as Follow-Up to Ferguson Riots

ASSAULT ON THE BLACK MALE Words by Jo-Carolyn Goode Photo by Peter Tini Follow Us #TeamSyleMag

Twitter @HoustonStyle

Political Women’s Holiday Luncheon

Instagram @StyleMagazine

Facebook: Houston Style Magazine

B.E.A.U.T.Y. Mentoring 1 Year Anniversary

Roger Goodall

Announces New NFL Personal Conduct Policy

2014 SWAC Championship

N E W S | C O M M E N TA R I E S | S P O R T S | H E A LT H | E N T E R TA I N M E N T

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Also excludes: Everyday Values (EDV), Doorbusters, Deals of the Day, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, cosmetics/ fragrances, athletic shoes for him, her & kids, Dallas Cowboys merchandise, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, New Era, Nike on Field, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services, macys. com. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer, except opening a new Macy’s account. Dollar savings are allocated as discounts off each eligible item, as shown on receipt. When you return an item, you forfeit the savings allocated to that item. This coupon has no cash value and may not be redeemed for cash, used to purchase gift cards or applied as payment or credit to your account. Purchase must be $25 or more, exclusive of tax and delivery fees.

Also excludes: Everyday Values (EDV), Doorbusters, Deals of the Day, furniture, mattresses, floor coverings, rugs, electrics/electronics, cosmetics/ fragrances, athletic shoes for him, her & kids, Dallas Cowboys merchandise, gift cards, jewelry trunk shows, New Era, Nike on Field, previous purchases, special orders, selected licensed depts., special purchases, services, macys. com. Cannot be combined with any savings pass/coupon, extra discount or credit offer, except opening a new Macy’s account. Dollar savings are allocated as discounts off each eligible item, as shown on receipt. When you return an item, you forfeit the savings allocated to that item. This coupon has no cash value and may not be redeemed for cash, used to purchase gift cards or applied as payment or credit to your account. Purchase must be $50 or more, exclusive of tax and delivery fees.

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December 11 - December 17, 2014

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06 07 NFL Roger Goodall 11 Holiday Gifts HPD Police Cams

Volume 25 | Number 50 | DEC.11 - DEC. 17, 2014 EDITORIAL

FEATURE WRITERS Rebecca Briscoe Francis Page, Jr. National Entertainment Publisher and Editor Susie Stillwell - Entertainment fpagejr@stylemagazine.com Lan– Arts Mical Roy – Feature Jo-Carolyn Goode Yolanda Pope – Culinary Managing Editor Tonja Ward – Health editorial@stylemagazine.com Dr. Lovell Jones – Health Editor Lisa Valadez Kim Davis – Sports Hispanic Managing Editor Erick Cork - Feature Writer lisa@stylemagazine.com Aiaina Mayes – Blogger Demez White – Feature Brandon Caldwell Dawn Paul – Feature Online Editor bcaldwell@stylemagazine.com Lindsay Buchanan – Fashion Burt Levine – Political Jade Gold – Entertainment DESIGN/WEB Eric Ford – Editorial Intern De’Neisha Bell – Feature Trevor G. Piper Cynthia Nevels – Business Creative Director/Graphics trevor@tpipermedia.com Gabrielle Deculus –

Account Manager/Events Coordinator Kermit Williams Dee Dee Wheaton – Blogger Web Master webmaster@stylemagazine.com Keandra Scott – Entertainment Cecilia Smith - Entertainment Jeffery T. Crump, Jr. Erynn Haskins - Feature Chief Designer Yvonne Guidry - Entertainment webmaster@stylemagazine.com Raegan Allen - Arts Mimi LaRue - Feature Abimbola Farinde - Health NATIONAL WRITERS Sloan Houd - Sports Jessica Crawford - Feature JESSE JACKSON jjackson@rainbowpush.org Marcus Carter - Culinary Writer Franceli Chapman - Entertainment ROLAND MARTIN CoCo Dominguez - Reporter www.rolandmartin.com JUDGE GREG MATHIS www.askjudgemathis.com

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#HandsUpDon’tShoot #ICan’tBreathe

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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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COMMENTARY

Jesse Jackson

National Writer

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week ago Sunday, five St. Louis Rams professional football players entered a game with their hands up, protesting the killing of Michael Brown. They stand in the lineage of John Carlos and Tommie Smith, of Muhammad Ali, identifying with the pain in their communities and turning protest into power.

The gesture turned to chants -- “Hands up; Don’t Shoot” in demonstrations across the country. Protesters shut down major thoroughfares from Manhattan to Chicago to Los Angeles to decry the Staten Island grand jury that refused to indict the policemen who killed Eric Garner, turning his plea -- “I can’t breathe” -- into a call for justice.

In these cases, there was no cross examination and thus no indictments. “Justice” rings hollow across the nation. Injustice reins.

These demonstrations -- largely

POLITICAL By

Mike Berezin, John Healey, Ron Reynolds

tate Rep. Ron Reynolds is advocate for one of the more diverse populations in America, Fort Bend County. The area boasts master planned subdivisions, growing businesses, churches and pastoral parks for family fun. He is proud that with all its good attributes the area is not plagued by violent riots or angry protests like those viewed in Ferguson, MO and Staten Island, NY, that followed the grand jury decision in the case of Mike Brown and Eric Garner.

This week he met with citizens of Fort Bend County to discuss the statistics and future of the Missouri City

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by young and remarkably multi-racial crowds -- are not the first. They were preceded by Occupy Wall Street, indicting the 1 percent and spreading to hundreds of cities. They were foreshadowed by the dreamers, children demanding the right to come out of the shadows of the undocumented.

They were accompanied by record numbers of workers in low wage jobs at fast food restaurants and the Dollar Stores walking off their jobs in some 190 cities.

They were complemented by women demanding gender equality, particularly at the workplace where discrimination and sexism are still rife.

The streams of alienation and disparities are converging into a river.

Injustices in this new age are not only inflammable, they are increasingly inflamed.

The official reaction to police immunity for the killing of unarmed black boys and men Ferguson and Staten Island and Cleveland and Brooklyn has focused, not surprisingly, on the police.

The president has created a Task Force on 21st Century Policy, with instructions to report in 90 days. He’s committed millions to put cameras on police.

But he might be better advised to put cameras on bankers. Reckless, unaccountable and murderous police behavior must end, but the police are

simply the gatekeepers assigned to keep order.

Behind the gate is the American policy of isolating poor people of color in ghettos, ghettos deprived of jobs, of capital, of decent health care, of affordable housing, of good schools.

Police are assigned to patrol these zones of despair, part of the only thriving industry in these neighborhoods -- the jail-industrial complex of more police, police stations, courthouses, bondsmen, jailors, judges, lawyers and prosecutors, court recorders and guards and much more. In this pressure cooker, all of us are vulnerable -- none of us are safe until all of us are safe.

In the Civil Rights Movement, the Bull Connors were the violent enforcers. But they were not the issue: The issue was legal segregation that deprived African Americans of their rights and locked them into second-class citizenship.

Today, the police killing of unarmed Blacks is unacceptable and reaching crisis proportions. But the issue is a national policy that abandons poor people of color in their ghettos. If we put cameras on the police, we may get better policing and less injustice (although Eric Garner’s killing was on camera).

But what we need is an urban development policy that attacks segregation by race, rebuilds poor neighborhoods, in-

Reynolds Hosts Fort Bend Forum Follow-up to Ferguson

Burt Levine, Political Writer

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A Camera on Injustice

vests in the health and education of poor infants and children, erects affordable housing, offers training for and transport to jobs that exist.

The demonstrations are about justice for Michael Brown and Eric Garner and others that can be and will be added to the list. But they aren’t just about those killings. They are about a national ghetto policy, a national worker impoverishment policy, a national inequality policy.

The slogan “No justice, no peace,” reverberates throughout the country. And the demonstrations are growing and spreading. Different streams of protest are coming together.

Occupy Wall Street exposed the 1 percent. The strikes of low wage workers expose the global corporations. The “Hands up, Don’t Shoot” demonstrations expose the harsh injustices of jail-industrial complex.

Dr. Martin Luther King taught us: “There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politics, nor popular, but one must take it because it is right. Today, across America, more and more Americans are standing up for what is right.

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.

For more information, visit www.stylemagazine.com.

Police Department as well as law enforcement in the area.

“I personally am proud of our Fort Bend District Attorney John Healey and Missouri City Police Chief Mike Berezin. I’m proud in my many years as a local elected official here and before as an associate municipal judge, an area attorney and Missouri City NAACP President I’ve not heard issues here of police racial profiling or brutality. What I hear and witness is an eagerness of area law enforcement, pastors, parents and public schools to build a community of mutual respect, safe streets and schools, law and order,” Reynolds said Tuesday night at Missouri City’s Marshall High School event that attracted more than 400 people.

Reynolds referenced House Bill 474 that he filed Tuesday for the upcoming Legislature to require police wear body cameras during traffic stops

December 11 - December 17, 2014

and when in pursuit.

“The benefits of body-worn cameras are transparency in policing, reduced confrontations with the public, as people are mindful they are being recorded, and more accurate evidence.

When an incident occurs and facts of the case are disputed by police and suspects, cameras provides another set of facts, which may aid but is not the whole picture in determining what actually occurred,” Reynolds said.

Healey said he has looked at 10 years of grand juries during his last 10 years in office and in that period 96 to 98 percent have resulted in indictments.

He also has looked and is encouraged that out of 192 grand jurors nearly 20 percent have been African American.

Healey has counted in his research that 122 were white, 37 black, 22 Hispanic and 8 Asian. His concern actually is that in a county with one of the most rapidly growing Asian populations in the country there has not been enough outreach for Asian grand jurors. He also pointed out that of his 51 prosecutors 20 percent are African Americans including 1 that he personally sworn into office as recently as last week.

“We work hard to listen to everybody from everywhere in this exceptionally diverse county. I want

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victims and witnesses of crimes to come to me no matter what their race or political preference. I’m the DA for all Fort Bend County and not one political party or race,” he said. Missouri City NAACP President Doc Holliday credited Healey for working with him and listening to him. The conversations resulted in Holliday’s suggestions being utilized for juries.

Berezin was appointed Missouri City Chief of Police just this past summer but he’s been in the Missouri City Police Department more than 25 years and has resolved his officers to represent the communities in which they serve.

“My police force is nearly as non-white as it is white. I work hard to hire not based on skin color but based on the heart and the passion we see in a recruit’s heart to serve all the people without regard to race,” said Berezin, who actively meets with pastors and public schools and received accolades from defense attorneys and others in the audience for his officers’ efforts.

For more information, visit www.stylemagazine.com or www.ronreynolds.org

Write a letter to Santa & help make wishes come true!

Bring your stamped letter to Macy’s, addressed to Santa at The North Pole, and drop it into our special Santa letter box — or create and send your letter online at macys.com/believe. We will count all the letters received and donate $1 for each to Make-A-Wish®, up to $1,000,000. Plus, we’re asking America to wish big! When you send your letter to Santa online, you can be a part of the longest wishlist to Santa. To learn more, visit macys.com/believe #MacysBelieve

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HOLIDAY

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By Family

Features

The Ultimate Guide to Great Giving

righten up the holiday of those you love with these thoughtful gift ideas. Now you have everything you need to wrap up the seemingly endless quest for the right holiday gifts.

Use this handy guide to select the perfect presents for everyone on your list.

with the VTech CareLine SN6197 phone. The portable safety pendant lets them dial out with the click of a button. It’s perfect for everyday conversations or emergencies, with no monthly monWrap Up a Dreamy Gift itoring fees. Plus, VTech’s CareLine cordless and

A global leader in corded phones feature voice amplification, big footed onesies and pa- buttons, photo dial and large displays. For more jamas for men, women information, visit www.vtechphones.com. and children, Big Feet Pajama Company of- Give the Gift of Better Sleep fers a variety of fabrics, Have a techy or sleepyhead on your gift colors and prints from list? Give the gift that optimizes something they $14.99 to $57.99. It’s do every day — sleep! the perfect loungewear gift for the entire family Only the Sleep Number — even those picky recipients. Pick the style that bed tracks your sleep with suits your recipient — from hoodie jumpsuits to SleepIQ technology — no plaid cotton flannel pajamas to cool jersey knit need for a wearable deonesies. Bring back nostalgic memories for kids vice. Sensors work with in their 30s, 40s and 50s, opening up their footed Sleep Number DualAir pajamas. Available with same day shipping, visit technology inside the bed to measure average breathing rate, heart rate and movement. SleepIQ www.BigFeetPJs.com for details. technology communicates how each individual slept, and the adjustments needed to improve daily Celebrate Close Connections

Give the gift of connection this holiday. life. For details, visit www.SleepNumber.com/SleepIQ. Help the senior in your life stay close to loved ones

HEALTH

By Jade

Gold, Health Writer

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Fetch a Loveable, Playful Pal

Kids of every age will love Zoomer, the robot dog by Spin Master. This interactive toy offers multiple sensors which mimic real life dog motions. Friends will love as he wags his tail, barks, sings, learns tricks and responds to commands. Priced at $129, the Zoomer Robot Dog with Hoodie & Ball Set

by Spin Master is available exclusively at Kohl’s. For more great gift ideas, visit www.kohls.com.

Eating Your Way Out of Holidays Depression

epression always goes hand-in-hand with an eating disorder. Together the two rob a person of their happiness and self-worth and easily wreak havoc on innocent lives. Unfortunately, we are living in a “pill society” and, more often than not,

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Stack Up the Fun

Disney’s cutest characters are even more adorable than ever before with the Tsum Tsum Plush Collection.

Already a hit among little ones in Japan, now you can collect all soft and stackable characters in a variety of sizes. From Mickey and Minnie to Winnie and Tigger, there’s a special cuddly favorite for every kid on your holiday shopping list. For more information, visit a Disney Store location or www.DisneyStore.com.

therapists tend to treat depression alone with drugs instead of with a more psychological basis. It’s amazing to look at the statistics and discover the multitudes of people who suffer from depression while this, just as with eating disorders, still appears to be an enigma to understanding.

Depression is not biased - it affects anyone at any race and age and economical standing. It can strike at any moment; it doesn’t need a tragic incident to trigger onset. Over 19 million people over age 18 are considered to be clinically depressed, or 1 out of 5 people in general society. Depression is so common that it is second only to heart disease in causing lost workdays. More frighteningly so, untreated, depression is the number ONE cause of suicide.

I’ve found that most people who are over weight, eat for comfort, just like others smoke or drink or take drugs. If we aren’t happy or if things aren’t going right in our lives, we reach for something to make us feel better or block out the pain. Unfortunately,

December 11 - December 17, 2014

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the thing that is giving us the comfort is only ever a mask, especially if we are eating for comfort. We get the short-term buzz as we enjoy the taste. However, over the long-term we then have to deal with the guilt, the disappointment, the discomfort and the worry of gaining weight. If food is not what our body needs, we will continue to be unhappy. I believe we need to acknowledge the issues that are causing us to eat in the first place. We won’t always be able to fix it or change it, but by simply acknowledging what is happening we can then make a positive choice on how to comfort ourselves, instead of a negative one.

Over this past year I’ve had a lot of people say to me, “I will be happy if I can just lose this weight!”

Ironically, I believe that in order to lose the weight, first we need to be happy. It’s funny how we strive for something and often when we get it we are disappointed, because it’s not as great as what we thought it was going to be. Especially if what we are striving for isn’t actually what we need. This is one of the root causes of why we eat when we are depressed. The end result of our efforts didn’t produce the feelings we were expecting so we get depressed and go back to “what makes us feel good.”

Why we eat when we’re depressed goes beyond the fact that it may make us feel better. There are lots of other things we can do that make us feel good. We need to find out why food is the thing we choose to accomplish this. Until you know the answer to that question then no diet or weight loss program in the world is going to be effective for you long term.

For more information, visit Facebook.com/ JadeGoldFitness.

LOCAL BRIEFS

UH and PVAMU Seek New Football Coaches

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wo top-notch universities in the Houston area are seeking new head football coaches. It was announced this week that the University of Houston would not renew the contract of Tony Levine as head football coach of the Cougars.

Tony Levine Levine, who coached the Cougars for the last three years, leaves the university with a 21-17 record that includes several conference appearances. Defensive Coordinator David Gibbs serves as interim head coach for the Cougars. Levine’s firing follows that of Heishma Northern from Prairie View A&M Heishma Northern University. Serving as head of the Panther football program for four years, Northern leaves PVAMU with a record of 1925. Defensive backs coach Bubba McDowell is the interim head football coach for the Panthers. For more information, visit uh.edu and/or pvamu.edu.

HFD Captain Under Fire for Death Threats to Teens

H Larry Baptiste

ouston Fire Department’s Captain Larry Baptiste has been under fire for recent comments he made on social media in reference to some His-

panic teenagers. Captain Baptiste used his personal Facebook page to post death threats about the teens that broke into his vehicle. This is a violation of Houston’s city government policies for employees that forbid them to post questionable material on their personal social media accounts. Since his comments have gone viral, Houston Fire Chief Terry Garrison assigned Captain Baptiste to desk duty and he is under investigation. For more information, visit houstontx. gov/fire/HFD-Home-Page.

Thompson Elementary

50 Computers Donated to Thompson Elementary School Students

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hompson Elementary School students got an early gift of technology this Christmas. According to CW39, Comp-U-Dopt and Southwestern Energy partnered to give 50 students computers complete with software like educational games, word processing programs, and Internet capability. Southwestern Energy has been refurbishing computers to give to students for the last 7 years. Comp-U-Dopt then takes those computers wipes then clean, loads them with software, and teaches parents and students how to use the technology. For more information, visit www.cw39.com.

Five Houston Area Charter Schools AtRisk of Closing

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ive Houston area charter schools are weighing their options after the Texas Education Agency identified them among 14 Texas charter school that have not met required financial and academic standards. Due to the schools low performance rating for the last three years the schools could be closing their doors. The five schools in the Houston area are Girls & Boys Preparatory Academy in Houston, Medical Center Charter School in Houston, Northwest Preparatory Academy Charter School in Humble, and Bay Area Charter School in El Lago and League City. KHOU reports the schools may seek to appeal the decision of TEA and if the decision remains the same the schools will lose state and federal funding. For more information, visit www.khou.com.

More Body Cameras Coming to HPD

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he deaths of Michael Brown and Eric Garner have increased the demand by citizens for police officers to wear body cameras. For the past year, 100 Body Camera Display Houston Police Department officers have been wearing the body cameras according to ABC13. Houstonians are demanding more cameras but funding is a problem.

HPD needs over $7 million to purchase 3,900 more body cameras and additional technology. The police department is prep to present their plan to gain funding next month. Once funding is acquired it may take at least 12 months before the plan is fully operational.

For more information, visit ww.abc13.com.

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FEATURE

Don’t Judge Me

Photo by Peter Tini

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sually the anticipation of a child coming into the world is a joyous occasion for mothers-tobe. How shocked I was when I learned of one of my friends’ pregnancies that she was not elated but scared. Yes, being scared is also a natural reaction for moms-to-be. They are scared of what kind of parent they will be. Scared they might not be financially stable enough for a child. Often times they may even panic that they will not do everything right in the raising the child. But those were not the source of my friend’s fears. She feared for the life of her unborn son that he might be killed just for being a young black male who looks “suspicious” to someone.

Mike Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin, Jordan Davis, and the list grows and grows. Our black men are being murdered senselessly and no one is being held accountable. Even with a mountain of physical evidence and countless accounts of first hand testimony no one is being convicted for the wrongful deaths of these men. Each time this happens a message is being sent to our men that their life is not valued. Thus throwing the responsibility back on us to say, “Yes, black men’s lives do matter” and here’s why.

The value of a black man

For centuries, the man has always been one of dominance in all fields. The Holy Bible backs this up stating that the man should be the head of the household. Hence men are looked to be strong and powerful beings.

Examining the history of the black man many revert first to the time of slavery and look forward.

When in actuality the story of the black man dates further back than that. Something not often told in history books is the era when black men were kings and black women were queens. They made their riches off the resources of their native land with bounties of things like gold, salt, ivory that were highly sought after during that time. They were brave warriors who fought to orchestrate peace and readily conducted business deals with the very men who would end up enslaving them. The black man was and still is a hard

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worker.

Over the course of time however the view of the black man shifted from one in power to that of a servant worker. That view was what began the start of slavery, at least by some historical accounts.

Although the black man was still considered a hard worker he was not always considered a person. He was viewed more as an animal. One you could work to the bone giving little to no reward for his time and labor.

One that could be trained and abused to do what the “master” wanted. That view of the “animal” black man was a beast. People naturally fear animals, especially beasts.

It is this warped view of the black male as a beast that I believed has carried over to today’s society.

It has caused people to react in fear of the black man instead of understanding his worth. It has caused people to see the black man always as an aggressor wanting to caused destruction and harm to any and everyone.

It has caused him to be judged for both his physique and his skin color. And while society views the black man in this matter it has also caused the black man to question his view of himself. Therefore everyone is in need of education on the value of a black man.

What the black man must be taught

If society has a distorted preconceived view of the black man through tinted glasses of hate then the black man must be armed with defenses to counteract this hatred.

Dr. Courtney Miller-Chism is the mother of a two-year-old growing black boy and understands that though it isn’t right or fair she must prepare her son to live in this color motivated world. Before thinking she can’t teach her son everything that he needs to know to be a black man in this century, she is not doing it alone. She is raising him with the help of her husband, a black man. Both parents understand that even though they are both highly educated doctors and give their son access to a good education, teach his manners, and give him the essentials of life, society will still look past the content of his character, his accomplishments and other glorifying things to see just his color. If

December 11 - December 17, 2014

www.StyleMagazine.com

By Jo-Carolyn

Goode, Managing Editor

being looked at for his color wasn’t viewed in such a negative it could be benefit in his favor. But we know this not to be true. A person color does not determine whether they are intelligent, kind, dependable, reliable, good-hearted or anything of that sort.

Unfortunately in America, being black is knowing that at some point in your life you will be reduced to feeling less than a person because of your color. Dr. Miller-Chism and her husband are laying the groundwork to instill values and principles in their son to give him the best defense possible to face this world that sees color. Not to make him inferior but to give him a good defense. It is when the black man is built up that he can determine his own unshakeable value for himself.

“I think it is important to try to instill in your children, particularly your young black boys even early in life, to have pride in their culture and in who they are,” said Dr. Miller-Chism. Teaching young boys to love themselves and everything about themselves will give them the needed confidence to not let negative thoughts that come their way bother or influence their behavior or sense of self. It will teach them that there is nothing wrong with who they are or the way they are made.

What the black man must learn

Even with an armor of love, the black man will still be challenged. It is when challenged that he must be slow to angry and take control of his emotions.

Learning self -control is another layer of growth that shows the capability of black man.

Over the course of his life Alan Patterson, Pastor of the Mt. Corinth Missionary Baptist Church, has had to exhibit a lot of self-control. Even though he was not the picture of what society has dubbed a thug with bagging pants, being disrespectful, and engaging in drug use among other things, he was still treated as less than a man simply for being black.

He told me of one time when he was judged by his skin color. While driving in downtown Houston in a nice car he was pulled over. Compiling with police officers (as he has been taught) he did as he was instructed. He got out of the car when told and allowed the officer to search him not ever knowing why he was pulled over even though he asked respectfully.

Within 5 minutes of the ordeal the officer called for back up and 10 officers demanding his license and proof of insurance surrounded Pastor Patterson. He turned over the information and again asked what he did. He got no response. A quick search of his record revealed nothing – no arrests, no warrants, and no rap sheet. The officers didn’t apologize just handed him his things and told him he was free to go. Pastor Patterson was pulled over because officers said he fit the description of someone they were looking for. That’s code for racial profiling.

Now it is true that Pastor Patterson could have fit the description of a suspect the officers were looking. That would be believable if it wasn’t such an everyday occurrence not just in Houston but also across the country. Even the most powerful man in America, President Barack Obama, has felt this type of judgment. This was not at isolated incident for Pastor Patterson either. Sadly if speaking to most black men all will tell you about time when they experienced the same thing and probably experienced it more than once. Statistical data support this as well.

Anyone being treated in this matter would be angry and want to act to defend himself or herself. But our black men have to be taught self-control so they can make sure that they make it home. The wrong reaction could make someone “fear for their life” and act hastily to harm someone.

This is why Pastor Patterson teaches his son as well as the many of his sons of his congregation at Mt. Corinth the same lesson his own father taught him. “If you haven’t been asked and haven’t been assigned then don’t assume you have a right to challenge authority.” Pastor Patterson lives by this principle for its universal reach in all areas of life, not just when dealing with law enforcement. He tells sons to obey those who have the rule over them. “They (sons) don’t have to agree with it or believe it but if they challenge it they run the risk of losing their own life.”

This is a lesson that minorities across the board must learn. However it is even more important for the black man to grasp the concept as they are being victimized at alarming rates.

What we must do to protect the black man

Having this kind of pressure and burden constantly weighing on your broad shoulders is trying for anyone, especially a black man. They are expected to be and do so much. They constantly have to prove their worth to others. This is why they need support physically and mentally.

As a community we can do that by celebrating the black man and not tearing him down. Showcasing his accomplishments. Mentoring those black boys coming up. Loving on them.

People must get educated. Knowledge is and always will be a great defense. Learn your rights for when dealing with law enforcement for your protection and that of the officer. Be respectful and observant. Exhibit self-control. Don’t do anything to heighten the situation while staying within your rights. It is important to not only comply with the law but to know the law.

When election time rolls around get up and go vote. The only way to make effective change with the legal system is to let your voice be heard at the polls. Vote for those who have your best interest at heart and know what’s right by the law.

Be active in the justice system. Don’t ignore jury summons when they come in the mail. Serve on the grand jury so that it is a true representation of the community at-large. This will help reduce the number of people wrongfully convicted and ensure that trials are just and fair.

Don’t remain silent. The waves of peaceful protests are good because it is keeping issues like these in the forefront and the conservation going. This will all lead to action since people are focused on the issue at hand and not distracted by acts of violence. The injustice against black men is the main story.

Wrongly judging the black man has gone on for decades. It won’t change overnight. But I believe if we continue to push on and stay on message changes will happen and hopefully black men and all people will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the words of a great black man “the content of their character.”

For more information, visit www.stylemagazine.com.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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FASHION

Sparkling DIY Fashion for the Holidays

By Family Features

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f you’re looking for a fashion-forward way to get festive this holiday season, look no further than your own closet, where you can find outdated pieces to transform and add sparkle to your holiday wardrobe.

Closet staples like scarves, belts, boots and even tops can easily evolve from a boring basic into something sparkly for a holiday party. Using items you already own (or hitting the sale racks or consignment stores) will let you put your best fashion foot forward and flaunt your own personal style without breaking the bank.

Pizzazz with patterns

You can create an eye-catching top using an

old non-descript T-shirt in less time than it takes to drive to the mall. From interior design to textiles, chevron is a very “now” look, and you can easily create it at home using a style adapted from the DIY fashion blog www. wobisobi.com.

Start with a solid colored T-shirt and tape off a zig-zag pattern using painters tape (choose one width or mix up your stripes by using various widths of tape).

Use a ruler to measure out evenly spaced peaks and valleys, making sure you keep an even distance between the lines.

Then just use a sponge (or paint brush) to apply fabric paint, such as America’s Favorite Fabric Paint, Tulip Soft Fabric Paint, which dries soft and flexible so it moves with your fabric items and won’t crack or crumble. It’s available in a variety of shades with seven different finishes, including glitter and metallic to get that holiday sparkle.

Carefully peel away the tape and let the paint dry thoroughly. Add your favorite pants and a smart jacket, and you’ve got a fresh style that is yours and yours alone.

Wrap it up

Presents aren’t the only thing you can wrap to make pretty this holiday season. Make an old belt

BOOK REVIEW Memoirs of an Elf Terri Schichenmeyer, Literary Writer

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our mom and dad take their jobs very seriously.

They get to work on time and they do a good job. Sometimes, they might even stay late to finish a project because it’s important to be responsible. That’s a lesson they’ve taught you because you take your around-the-house jobs seriously, too.

You always do your chores right because people depend on you. But in the new book “Memoirs of an Elf” by Devin Scillian, illustrated by Tim Bowers, an important job is done correctly because Christmas depends on it!

It’s Christmas Eve, a quarter to ten, and Spark Elf is getting antsy. In just two hours, he and his fellow elves Bobbin and Nutshell will help Santa deliver presents. The reindeer are ready, the sleigh is full, and because he feels “so good,” Spark snaps an elfie.

At quarter to eleven, with an hour to go, it starts to snow and that makes Spark really happy. It would make him even happier if Santa would hurry up. Santa says Spark worries too much.

And then it’s “launch time!”

Guam and Fiji are first for gift delivery, followed by New Zealand. Santa starts singing his favorite Christmas carol, and he stops to pet every dog. Santa loves dogs, and they love him, but that takes time and there’s none to spare. As Santa plays with a puppy named Tugboat, Spark says it’s time to go.

At halfway around the world and with the bag half-empty, the sleigh starts falling behind. Santa needs to step it up, but he’s too busy enjoying the cookies that kids have left for him. Santa loves cookies – except ginger snaps. Those are the ones he gives to Spark, Bobbin, and Nutshell.

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By Devin Scillian | Illustrated by Tim Bowers

Spark would love it if you’d leave more gingersnaps.

With nine hours to go, they finish Mexico City.

Four hours to go, and they’re done with South America so Santa takes a minute to play with the toys. Spark urges him to hurry. It’s almost Christmas morning…

And with a half-hour to go, they finish!

But there’s something left in Santa’s sack.

It’s something very important that someone will miss very, very much. Can St. Nick save Christmas in the nick of time?

Oh my, but there’s all kinds of cute inside “Memoirs of an Elf.”

Spark Elf may be my new Christmas hero, in fact, because author Devin Scillian gives him a Type-A personality mixed with just the right kind of holiday sweetness. Spark is businesslike and efficient, yet he still appreciates the tiny things that make the Yule cool, and he’s eager to share secrets with kids who are lucky enough to have this book.

But Spark isn’t the only irresistible thing here: I was totally charmed by the illustrations from Tim Bowers.

They made me want to read this book all over again.

This is not your traditional Christmas story, but reading it surely could become a new tradition for your family. It’s meant for kids ages 5-to-10, but “Memoirs of an Elf” is serious fun for anyone.

For more information, visit www.stylemagazine.com.

December 11 - December 17, 2014

new and wrap it around your waist to instantly update an old dress or sweater, as in this project from www. dreamalittlebigger.com, a blog dedicated to DIY projects for home and style.

Then just shake on Tulip Fashion Glitter, a professional-grade fashion glitter with a permanent shine that lasts wash after wash. You can find a variety of colors, cuts and finishes to create a custom look that is uniquely yours.

For more DIY fashion ideas to make your holiday wardrobe sparkle, visit http://www.pinterest. com/ilovetocreate/tulip-sparkle-diys/.

www.StyleMagazine.com

Devin Scillian

c.2014, Sleeping Bear Press $16.99 / $17.99 Canada 32 pages

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2015 Buick Lacrosse Enhanced With OnStar 4G LTE

he Buick LaCrosse enters 2015 building on the momentum of comprehensive updates introduced the previous year – attributes and features that helped it earn a Consumer Guide Best Buy award for 2014 – adding greater technology through new OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot, IntelliLink with Text Messaging Alerts and Siri Eyes Free. They enhance connectivity, giving customers a stronger wireless network and more options for the infotainment features that are increasingly part of everyday life.

OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot provides a mobile hub for drivers and passengers to stay connected.

The hotspot is on whenever the car is on and comes with a three-month/three-gigabyte data trial.

In addition to icons covering everything from navigation to phone to Pandora, IntelliLink is designed to accommodate new features and enhancements and be highly customizable. It also incorporates natural language voice recognition that allows customers to safely place calls, enter destinations, browse media, play music and control other functions simply by

IntelliLink and OnStar with 4G LTE

LaCrosse’s standard, next-generation IntelliLink system gives customers the best of both worlds when it comes to infotainment. It provides easy, intuitive op- 2015 Buick LaCrosse eration of basic functions, yet it is also highly customizable and capable of linking up to 10 devices such as smartphones and MP3 players, giving telling the vehicle what to do. users more ways of staying connected.

The IntelliLink system’s eight-inch-diagonal

Enhanced connectivity and convenience in- color touch screen also serves as the display for the cludes a new Text Messaging Alerts feature for smart- standard rearview camera system and available naviphone users with Bluetooth profile (M.A.P.), which gation system, as well as the controller for LaCrosse’s reads incoming texts through the vehicle’s speakers, audio system. An available, premium Bose® Centerand Siri Eyes Free for iPhone iOS 6 and iOS 7 users to point® audio system with 11 speakers is optimized enhance connectivity and convenience. Each enables for LaCrosse’s refined interior acoustics. voice-controlled connectivity, to help keep phones Complementing IntelliLink to enhance Lasafely stored and hands on the wheel.

Crosse’s connectivity is new OnStar with 4G LTE and

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standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot. It provides a mobile hub for drivers and passengers to stay connected. The hotspot is on whenever the vehicle is on and comes with a three-month/three-gigabyte data trial, after which the owner can purchase additional data.

4G LTE is the most current and fastest mobile data network – 10 times faster than 3G and 100 times faster than the previous generation of OnStar hardware. And with OnStar, it also offers stronger, broader coverage than smartphones on the same network and it’s easy to use: If the vehicle is on, the connection is on.

At the time of purchase, six months OnStar Directions and Connections includes all of OnStar’s advisor-based safety and security features, including Automatic Crash Response and Stolen Vehicle Assistance, as well as turn-by-turn navigation.

Five years of OnStar Basic Plan includes RemoteLink Key Fob Services, allowing owners to remotely start and lock/unlock a car (if properly equipped), and activate the horn and lights from anywhere with a data connection. It also includes OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics, which runs monthly checks of a vehicle’s engine, transmission, anti-lock brakes and more, and Dealer Maintenance Notification, which sends a diagnostic report directly to a preferred dealer to simplify service scheduling.

More information, go to: http:// www.buick.com/lacrosse-luxury-mid-size-sedan.html?cmp=OLA_DISPLAY_8366115_113129530_286261866_55946515

NFL Owners Endorse New Personal Conduct Policy

FL teams unanimously endorsed a revised and strengthened Personal Conduct Policy for all NFL employees that was presented at a league meeting in Dallas.

The policy was developed after an extensive series of meetings and discussions over the past four months with a wide range of experts and others inside and outside of the NFL, including current and former players, the NFL Players Association, domestic violence/sexual assault experts and advocates, law enforcement officials, academic experts, and business leaders.

The NFL has had a formal policy and program addressing off-field conduct since 1997 that was enhanced in 2007. The new policy significantly builds on the foundation of the previous programs.

“With considerable assistance from the many people and organizations we consulted, NFL ownership has endorsed an enhanced policy that is significantly more robust, thorough, and formal,” Commissioner Roger Goodell said. “We now have a layered evaluation process to take into account a diversity of expert views. This will better enable us to make appropriate decisions and ensure accountability for everyone involved in the process.”

The new policy lays out a clear series of steps to be taken when there is an incident that requires review. New measures include: » Additional NFL-funded counseling and services for victims, families, and violators. » A more extensive list of prohibited conduct. » Independent investigative procedures. » Specific criteria for paid leave for an individual

formally charged with a crime of violence, including domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse. » An expert group of outside advisors to review and evaluate potential violations and consult on other elements of the policy. » A baseline suspension of six games without pay for violations involving assault, battery, domestic violence, dating violence, child abuse, other forms of family violence, or sexual assault, with consideration given to possible mitigating or aggravating circumstances.

Roger Goodell » The appointment by the commissioner of a highly qualified league office executive with a criminal justice background to issue initial discipline. The disciplinary officer will be hired for a newly created position of Special Counsel for Investigations and Conduct. This individual will oversee the NFL’s investigatory procedures and determine discipline for violations of the Personal Conduct Policy. For players, this is consistent with past practice under the CBA in which a member of the commissioner’s staff has generally issued discipline for off-field misconduct. » An appeals process pursuant to Article 46 (Commissioner Discipline) of the Collective Bargaining Agreement for players or to applicable club or league procedures for non-players. The commissioner may name a panel that consists of independent experts to participate in deciding an appeal. » The appointment by Commissioner Goodell of a

new league Conduct Committee comprised of representatives of NFL ownership that will review the policy at least annually and recommend appropriate changes with advice from outside experts. The committee will ensure that the policy remains current and consistent with best practices and evolving legal and social standards. Members of the committee are Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill (committee chair), Falcons owner Arthur Blank, Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, Dee Haslam (wife of Browns owner Jimmy Haslam), Cowboys Executive Vice President and chair of The NFL Foundation Charlotte Jones Anderson, Bears owner George McCaskey, Texans owner Robert McNair, and two former NFL players that are part of NFL ownership -- Warrick Dunn (Falcons) and John Stallworth (Steelers).

Read more at www.nfl.com.

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2014 SWAC Championship Game Photography by Semetra Samuel

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n Saturday, December 6, 2014, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at NRG Stadium for the 2014 Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Championship game between Alcorn State University and Southern University. The Braves took a 17-3 lead over the Jaguars early on. Southern tied it up 24-24 in the 3rd quarter. Before the clock ran out, Alcorn State would score 2 more touchdowns to seal the victory. This would have been the 2nd consecutive title for Southern. Congratulations to the 2014 SWAC Champions Alcorn State University on their 38-24 win.

B.E.A.U.T.Y. Mentoring 1 Year Anniversary Photography by Andre Kelly

On Tuesday, December 9, 2014, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at Jaguar Land Rover Houston Central for the one-year birthday celebration of B.E.A.U.T.Y. Mentoring.

Biblically Edifying And Uniquely Training You (B.E.A.U.T.Y. ) Mentoring is a biblically based mentoring organization that is committed to helping young girls between the ages of 11-18 develop life skills, healthy habits, positive self-esteem tactics, and becoming talented, educate and inspiring young ladies. The affair celebrated their first year of service in Houston with a “Night of Giving.� It was their birthday however all gifts were for the girls that they mentor. Their funding raising goal was $15,000 for all their future programs. Some in attendance were Sherrell Ogletree, Quinita Olgetree, Kim Harris, Claudette Williams, Miss Black American Teen Kaylah Sharve Baker, Shannon Baker, LaTorria Lemon, Freje Randall Alissa Jones, Iyanni Pradia, Lisa Pradia., and Shawntell McWilliams.

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December 11 - December 17, 2014

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CULINARY

By Family Features

Deck the Halls with Ugly Sweaters. fondant 1/8 inch thick; cover cake. Knead small amount of white fondant into remaining red fondant, white with small amount of yellow fondant, small amount of yellow fondant with green fondant. Roll out all colors of fondant separately, 1/16 inch thick. Using holiday cutters, patterns or cut free-form, to make collar, ornaments and sweater neckline, cuffs and bottom band. Use piping gel to attach licorice ornament hangers, sprinkles and sugars.

Eggnog Ugly Sweater Cake

Spirit of the Season Mocha Latte

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Ugly Sweater Cake Pan

he holiday season is all about making fun memories.

Why not wear something no one will soon forget at your own ugly sweater party?

Hosting one is simple — have everyone show up in the tackiest holiday apparel they can find, whether from their closet, at a thrift store or something they “blinged” on their own.

With the party attire planned, try these easy and ugly dessert ideas from Wilton:

Soft, sweet and so ugly cakes: If your guests’ apparel doesn’t grab attention, your cake sure will. Use the Ugly Sweater Cake Pan to bake the cake. Style the decorating after your own garment — use buttercream or fondant, holiday-shaped sprinkles and icing decorations to add some ugly to your cake.

Cookie decorating fun: Bring the classic seasonal activity to your party by having guests decorate their own sweater cookies. Set up a decorating station with the Tacky Sweater Cookie Kit. With 12 pre-baked vanilla cookies, a dozen of your friends can have a blast decorating with the

Cookie Station

included green and red icing and sprinkles. Set up a photo station so guests can take pictures of their silly cookies to share online.

Warm up with lattes: Who doesn’t love sipping hot beverages by a warm fire with friends? Brew delicious Spirit of the Season Mocha Lattes to toast a merry Christmas. Offer assorted liqueurs for an adults-only party.

It’s time to judge: At the end of the party, hold a contest for the ugliest sweater — both real and cookie.

Award winners in different categories, such as All-Around Ugliest, Most Original, Funniest, Most Non-Ugly or Most

Ridiculous. Get creative with the prizes, too. Find an inexpensive and unique white elephant gift, or hand out little first place ribbons.

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Ugly Sweater

Peppermint Hot Chocolate Ugly Sweater Cake Servings: 10–12

1 package (16.25 ounces) Devil’s Food cake mix 1/4 cup hot cocoa mix 3 eggs 2/3 cup water 1/3 cup vegetable oil 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract Buttercream icing Red Decorator Preferred Rolled Fondant White Decorator Preferred Rolled Fondant Primary Colored Fondant Multipack Piping Gel String licorice Sprinkles: Sugar Pearls, Trees, Yellow Colored Sugar

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray Ugly Sweater Cake Pan with vegetable pan spray.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, hot cocoa mix, eggs, water, vegetable oil and peppermint extract with electric mixer at low speed 30 seconds. Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; beat at medium speed 2 minutes.

Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading to even thickness. Bake minutes 44–47 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling grid 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on grid.

With spatula, lightly ice cooled cake. Roll out red

Servings: 10–12 1 package (16.5 ounces) yellow cake mix 2/3 cup eggnog 1/3 cup vegetable oil 3 eggs 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg Buttercream Icing Icing Colors: Juniper Green, Christmas Red Holly Mix and Candy Cane Sprinkles

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray Ugly Sweater Cake Pan with vegetable pan spray.

In large bowl, beat cake mix, eggnog, oil, eggs and nutmeg with electric mixer at low speed 30 seconds.

Scrape bottom and sides of bowl; beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Pour batter into prepared pan, spreading to even thickness.

Bake 39–42 minutes or until toothpick inserted into center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan on cooling grid 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on grid.

With spatula, ice cooled cake. Using tip 233 and green icing, pipe tree on cake. Using tip 46 and red icing, pipe outline neckline, sleeve cuffs and bottom sweater band.

Attach sprinkles.

Spirit of the Season Mocha Latte Servings: 8

2 cups very hot strong brewed coffee

2 cups Wilton Dark Cocoa Candy Melts Candy

6 cups milk

1/2 cup chocolate syrup

Assorted liqueurs and spirits (optional), such as: peppermint schnapps, Irish cream liqueur, creamy rum liqueur, chocolate-flavored liqueur, cinnamon schnapps, caramel-flavored vodka

In large bowl, pour coffee over dark cocoa Candy Melts candy; let sit to melt.

In large microwave-safe bowl, heat milk and chocolate syrup until steaming, about 4 minutes. Whisk milk vigorously to froth. Whisk in candy mixture until combined.

Divide lattes evenly between eight mugs. If desired, add 1 ounce of your choice of liqueur to each drink.

Your party will be one to remember with these ideas. For more fun and festive party ideas, visit wilton. com.

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Festari for Men 2014 Christmas Party Photography by Roswitha Vogler

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n Tuesday, December 9, 2014, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at Festari for Men for their annual Christmas party. Over 150 guests sipped and shopped with a portion of proceeds benefitting Bo’s Place. The lively crowd enjoyed delectable bites from neighboring My Table restaurant and specialty drinks provided by Circulo Tequila. In addition, the beautiful Kym Jackson had a little something for the ladies from her Urban Rocks collection of handmade jewelry. Some in attendance with Debbie and Rudy Festari were Elizabeth Petersen, Travis Torrence, Nicole O’Brian Lassiter, James Dorsett, Mauney Mafrige, Steve Levinson, Bubba McNeely, Michael Mithoff, Mrudool Patel, Rasha Nasreddin, and Tatiana and Bob Green.

Political Women’s Holiday Luncheon Photography by Roswitha Vogler

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n Monday, December 8, 2014, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at La Griglia for the Political Women’s Holiday Luncheon hosted by Cindy Clifford. Over 50 political movers and shakers gathered in the spirit of Christmas with a few powerful men.

State Rep Sylvester Turner inspired many with his remarks. Some in attendance were Mary Benton, Carlecia D. Wright, Sonia Soto, Courtney Zubowski Haas, Melina Little, Judge Vanessa Gilmore, Judge Zinetta Burney, Jessica Colon, Janie Reyes, Marty Lewis Stein, Sue Lovell, Laurie Bricker, Houston City Councilman Jerry Davis, Houston City Councilwomen Brenda Stardig and Ellen Cohen.

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December 11 - December 17, 2014

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BUSINESS BRIEFS

Top Golf

Top Golf Opens Third Houston Location

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he fun filled golf craze sweeping Houston is getting bigger. Top Golf broke ground to open its third Houston location. Expanding in the Webster area, the newest Top Golf location will be a multi-level complex with approximately 3,000 square feet of private event space and 102 climate-controlled hitting bays that can host up to six players at one time. Top Golf Webster will be located at 21401 Gulf Freeway and will open to the public in fall 2015. For more information, visit www.topgolf.com/us/webster.

McDonald’s Lets Customers Create Their Taste

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ith so m a n y food chains giving customers the power to customize their orders McDonald’s has had to change with the times. They answered with the “Create Your Taste” program that allows customers to pick their bread, cheese and toppings for their burgers. In addition, the company is looking to add more sauces and other toppings to their menu. All of these changes are in an effort to improve declining sales. For more information, visit mcdonalds.com.

New Driving While Black App

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t is becoming more important to know your rights when dealing with the law. In response an Oregon lawyer created the “Driving While Black” app. Not necessarily geared only to African Americans, the app is a real education tool to allow all people to know their rights when dealing with law enforcement. On the app, users can learn best practices when they are stopped by an officer, know their legal rights, record a complaint, record a traffic stop, and let others know where they are pulled over. For more information, visit www. dwbtheapp.com.

enterprise customers in banking, retail, insurance, financial services, telecommunications and for governments and airlines, thanks to an unprecedented collaboration between Apple and IBM. IBM clients announcing support for IBM MobileFirst for iOS solutions include: Citi, Air Canada, Sprint and Banorte. In targeting key opportunities and priorities within industries, IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps take enterprise mobility a level deeper, helping employees access their company’s full capabilities wherever they interact with clients—faster, easier and more securely than ever before. For more information regarding the new Apple and IBM solutions, please visit www.ibm.com/ mobilefirst/us/en/mobilefirst-for-ios.html or www.apple.com/business/ mobile-enterprise-apps/.

PurchaseBlack.Com is Making It Easy to Support Black-Owned Businesses

Sugar Land City Council

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urchaseBlack.com, an Amazon-style marketplace focused on Black products and businesses, wants to connect customers to Black owned businesses online. It is a website where customers can Brian Williams easily buy from Black owned firms, and companies can sell their products (not services) in their own free online shop. PurchaseBlack.com is an online shopping mall filled with individual shops selling their own products in categories like hair care, skin care, gifts, artwork, clothes, accessories, and more. Customers buy directly on PurchaseBlack’s site, and are not sent elsewhere.

For more information, visit www.purchaseblack.com/ become-a-seller.

Walmart to Give Employees a Raise Next Year

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almart CEO Doug McMillon wants to change the perception of the Walmart from being a low-wage, dead-end employer by raising the salaries of employees.

Forbes reports that McMillon is Doug McMillion giving himself a deadline of early 2015, he wants no worker to be paid the minimum of $7.25 an hour. This is welcome news to the many employees who were pushing for a wage of $15 an hour. For more information, visit www.walmart.com.

Black Enterprise and Film Life Inc. Join Forces to Form ABFF Ventures

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Apple and IBM Deliver First Wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS Apps

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pple® and IBM deliver the first wave of IBM MobileFirst for iOS solutions in a new class of made-for-business apps and supporting cloud services that bring IBM’s big data and analytics capabilities to iPhone® and iPad® users in the enterprise. IBM MobileFirst for iOS solutions are now available to

representing a partnership between two prominent black-owned media and event companies with powerful brands, each with legacies of showcasing the best of African American culture and achievement. Black Enterprise and Film Life Inc. have formed ABFF Ventures, an equity partnership to produce the American Black Film Festival (ABFF), the ABFF Honors (formerly the Black Movie Awards) and other events and content focused on the entertainment and film industries. ABFF Ventures will operate from Black Enterprise’s Madison Avenue headquarters in New York.

For more information, visit www.blackenterprise.com.

Jeff Friday and Earl Graves, Jr.

lack Enterprise (BE) President and CEO Earl “Butch” Graves Jr. and Film Life Inc. Founder and CEO Jeff Friday are announcing a new joint venture,

Sugar Land to Break Ground on Performance Venue

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ugar Land City Council approved a guaranteed maximum price of $74.3 million to build an indoor performance venue billed as the first of its kind in the region to set a new standard for “the theater of the future.” Construction is expected to begin with a formal groundbreaking event on Dec. 9. The project’s completion is expected in the fall of 2016. The venue - located on a portion of 38.5 acres of city property southeast of U.S. 59 and University Boulevard - is designed to host a range of performances, including national music and comedy artists, children’s and family entertainment, theatrically staged productions and cultural and performing arts attractions. With an approximate indoor seating capacity of 6,430, the center was conceived and designed for flexibility, essentially creating several venues in one building.

Through the use of moveable walls, Sugar Land’s facility will expand and contract to create intimate settings of approximately 3,300 to larger shows of more than 6,400. For more information, visit www. acetheatricalgroup.com.

Mark Goldberg

Houston’s Currency Has Gone Digital

E

xchanging foreign currency just got easier with the arrival of the first bitcoin ATM kiosk at George R. Brown Convention Center. International travelers can pay a pretty penny when traveling and exchanging currency due to high foreign exchange rates. With the bitcoin ATM kiosk travelers can eliminate those costs.

Travelers need to have a digital wallet to store their virtual currency known as bitcoin. When they use a bitcoin ATM they simply access their digital wallet via their smartphone or tablet to exchange their bitcoin for U.S. dollars. For more information, visit www. houstonconventionctr.com.

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