Houston Style Magazine Vol 26 No 9 by Houston Style Magazine (HSM)

Houston Style Magazine February 26 - March 4, 2015

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication

Volume 26 | Number 9

Complimentary

Jesse Jackson

The Perils of Poisinous Politics

SYLVESTER TURNER WANTS TO BE HOUSTON’S NEXT MAYOR Words by Dawn Paul | Photo by Vicky Pink

Twitter @HoustonStyle

Is Remembered

Rick Ross

Facebook: Houston Style Magazine

To Headline SWAC Basketball Tournament Weekend

2015 Houston Area Urban League Masked Gala

20th Annual Eyes on Houston

Instagram @StyleMagazine

Soledad O’Brien’s Black in America Tour Hits UH

Captain Dwight Bazile

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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February 26 - March 4, 2015

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07 08 10 Sylvester Turner SWAC Kevin Hart

Volume 26 | Number 9 | FEB. 26 - MARCH 4, 2015 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

CIRCULATION

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Benjamin Phagan Distribution Manager

Vicky Pink vhpink@gmail.com 281.857.7635

Willie D. Scott, Jr. Distribution Team

Roswitha Vogler photosbyrovo@gmail.com 832.876.9541 William Ealy Williamealy1906@gmail.com

VIDEOGRAPHY

ADVERTISING/SALES Lewis Miller advertising@stylemagazine.com 713-748-6300

Reginald Dominique – Video/Social Media reggiedominique@me.com 225.802.1593 Dale Lemar - Editing

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Minority Print Media, L.L.C.

dba Houston Style Magazine and Stylemagazine.com Phone: (713) 748-6300 • Fax: (713) 748-6320 Mail: P.O. Box 14035, Houston, TX 77221-4035

©2014 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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COMMENTARY

Jesse Jackson

National Writer

y doubling down on his vile slur on President Obama’s love for his country, ex-New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani created the media frenzy that he craved. He also set up an easy test of decency for Republican presidential contenders: Who has the sense to disavow Giuliani’s poison? Jeb Bush, Rand Paul and Marco Rubio passed the admittedly low bar. Govs. Scott Walker and Bobby Jindal failed ignominiously. Gov. Rick Perry pretzeled his way through it. If Republicans wonder why 95 percent of African-Americans and 70 percent of Latinos will likely end up voting for Democrats in 2016, they should look in the mirror. Virtually every African-American will see this attack on President Obama as racist, something that would not be occur were Obama white. Silence in the face of the attack will be seen as proof that the Republican

POLITICAL By Burt

Levine, Political Writer

tuart Jackson, a home and business owner in Fort Bend ISD for more than 20 years and married father to three FBISD students, has filed to run for Fort Bend School Board Pos. 6 because he believes a district that is one of the most diverse in the country should have better representation and the accountability his engineering and business building background brings. Election Day is May 9th. Early Voting is April 27th. “My experience within the business community and within FBISD is needed to empower parents with more local control by bringing more predictable and fiscally sound policies to the board,” said Jackson, who has served as Vice President of his Missouri City area Municipal Utility District. The Fort Bend business owner has traveled to and negotiated policy in more than 25 countries. “I come from a long time Boy Scouts and US Military family. I’m a second generation Eagle Scout and I earned an engineering degree. My wife and I are actively involved all our children’s three schools across this diverse community; coaching area baseball and football teams, officiating at swimming meets and volunteering on local boards. All our children were born and raised in Fort Bend County and are being educat-

Jesse Jackson: The Perils of a Poisonous Politics race-based politics of division remains in force. In his decision to weaken the Voting Rights Act in Shelby v. Holder, Justice John Roberts wrote that “this country has changed.” Giuliani’s insult ratifies the wisdom of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s ringing dissent, that while progress has been made, Congress surely was right in deciding we still have far to go. Giuliani’s rant echoes the new hysteria that Republicans are trying to stoke: that Obama is “withdrawing” from the world, and thereby weakening America. A parade of horrors -- Russia in Ukraine, ISIS in Syria and Iraq, negotiations over nukes with Iran, terrorist violence in Paris -- is summoned up and blamed on the president. Recently, Obama made the simple and commonsense observation that we are not at war with Islam, but with terrorist extremists who want to hijack the religion for their own ends. His statement was similar to the message repeated frequently by George W. Bush when he was president. Any future president from either party will make similar statements -- both to reflect reality and to keep the fear-mongers from fanning hatred here at home. Yet the president’s comments sparked hysterical comments from across the right-wing noise machine as if common sense were somehow heresy.

This clamor is feeding a mindless war fever. Do we want to have an armed confrontation with Russia over Ukraine? Not really; the macho hawks basically want to fight to the last Ukrainian. Do we want to put troops back into Iraq? Not really, although as President Obama has escalated the U.S. response to ISIS, the armchair hawks have moved to more muscular positions, now even mumbling about “boots on the ground.” We are still fighting in Afghanistan, providing troops and arms and bombs against ISIS, running drone attacks in nearly a dozen countries, dispatching special forces to 120 countries. And somehow this is scorned as withdrawal from the world. Missing in the hysteria and the vile attacks on patriotism is a sensible policy debate -- and a sensible reckoning of how we got to where we are. The reality is that excessive belief in military force has done more than anything to cause this mess. The catastrophic invasion of Iraq is the worst foreign policy debacle since Vietnam. The decision not simply to go after Bin Laden and al-Qaida, but also to wage a counterinsurgency war in Afghanistan and “rebuild” that nation, has led to the longest war in our history, one that shows no sign of ending. The “humanitarian intervention” in Libya has left chaos and violence in its wake. The U.S. invasion of Iraq

turned the country over to Shiite rule, ironically empowering Iran. ISIS comes out of the Sunni reaction to that reality. Meanwhile, we’ve only begun to pay the $3 trillion tab for Bush’s Iraq War, even as our own roads, rail, sewage and water systems grow ever more dangerous for lack of investment. Those who mindlessly call the president weak, impugn his patriotism and accuse him of withdrawing from the world ought to be called to account. Enough with the rhetoric, the posturing and the poison. What is the policy that they want? Let us hear them explain how they will drive a confrontation with Russia in Ukraine, while fighting in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen and elsewhere. The only way Americans will accept this nonsense is if they are scared out of their wits. Sadly, that seems to be the intent of the fear mongers, who need to be challenged before they frighten us into yet another costly debacle. 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. Share this story online at www. stylemagazine.com.

Jackson Rallies for Area Representation and Input at FBISD

ed within the exemplary FBISD school system,” he said his two daughters and a son attend Global Studies Academy at Clements High School, GT Academy at Quail Valley Middle School and Baines Middle School in Sienna. “It’s likely our children will attend three different high schools within FBISD which provides me a great perspective on how we might broaden educational opportunities throughout the district. Through my volunteer efforts I have engineered positive changes within and across this community,” Jackson said. “My motivation is empowering parents through predictable policies and

February 26 - March 4, 2015

more local decision-making. Parents should be able to easily understand all opportunities afforded them within FBISD, how to access these opportunities and how decisions made by the board or administration might impact their child’s educational path,” he said in recognizing decisions made at the board level in a district as economically and ethnically diverse as FBISD. Decisions made may be marginally effective and fiscally unsound at some campuses and therefore he wants to empower local school administrations and teachers to engage parents, taxpayers and students when determining optimal programs for schools. “This district is plurality African American and less than 19 percent white but the board does not reflect that. We need input in and from all areas. Seeking local representation and bottom up government is what made and continues to make Texas the greatest

www.StyleMagazine.com

state in the greatest country on earth,” said Jackson who specializes in software systems for the energy industry. He said he knows the need to plan for the longterm and constantly adjust as changes in the economy dictate. He wants to bring this type of continuous monitoring and refinement to FBISD and knows the result would be more cost-effective planning and less disruptive policy. Jackson’s efforts are policies designed to empower parents and educators to design programs and curriculum that challenges all students within the district to achieve their dreams. “When parents partner with educators to work closely together to effect change the result will always be superior to any alternative offered from above. This policy will result in a more challenging schools system to ultimately lead to a more fiscally sound, responsive and safe learning environment for all our students. As a member of the FBISD Board I’ll openly engage educators, parents, property tax payers, business owners and students in open and honest discussions on all matters related to the betterment of our school district,” he said. Share this story online at www. stylemagazine.com.

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ENTERTAINMENT

Rick Ross Headlines Concert Series at SWAC Basketball Tournament

fficials at the Southwestern Athletic Conference have announced that the weeklong events surrounding the 2015 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament will culminate in a post-championship concert by Rick Ross and Friends on Saturday, March 14. The performance is bookended by concerts from Salt-N-Pepa and 112 on Friday, March 13 and The Forever Charlie Tour Starring Charlie Wilson with special guests Kem and Joe in concert at the Toyota Center on Sunday, March 15. The concert series is just a portion of the nightlife events available during the basketball tournament. Activities begin with the SWAC VIP Welcome Reception on Monday, March 9 and run through SWAC Sunday “Funday” Day Party and the cool-down concert with Charlie Wilson on Sunday, March 15. The 2015 Toyota SWAC Basketball Tournament will feature men’s and women’s teams vying for the conference title with a chance to advance to the NCAA Basketball Championships. All-session booklets, which include admission to all of the tournament games and select ancillary events, are available for just $125. Individual session passes and tickets to the championship night games are also available. They can be purchased online at www. swachoops.org or www.houstontoyotacenter.com, in person at the Toyota Center box office, or over the phone at 1-866-446-8849. See below for a full list of ancillary events during tournament week. The Forever Charlie Tour is not included in the all-session booklet.

Monday, March 9

SWAC VIP Welcome Reception at Lucky Strike Greenstreet, 7-11 p.m. (Invitation Only)*

Tuesday, March 10

SWAC Basketball Fundamentals Clinic at the Toyota Center, 10 a.m. – Noon Tuez “Steak Night” at Social Junky, 4 p.m. – Midnight

Wednesday, March 11

SWAC College Expo at the Toyota Center, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Wednesday Night Live Alumni/Greek Mixer at Prospect Park, 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Saturday, March 14

Postgame Concert with Rick Ross and Friends, immediately following the men’s championship game SWAC and Aristocrat Life Presents the Official SWAC Tournament After-Party at Club Venue, 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. SWAC Super Saturday Happy Hour + Postgame Party at Grooves of Houston, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. The Official SWAC Alumni Championship After-Party at Sugarhill Social Club, 5 p.m. happy hour, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Thursday, March 12

SWAC College Expo at the Toyota Center, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. SWAC “Alumni Live” Thursday at Mosaic Bar & Lounge, 7:30 p.m. – 2 a.m. SWAC “Thursdays at 5th” at 5th Amendment, 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Friday, March 13

Postgame Old School Concert with Salt-N-Pepa and 112, immediately following the 8:30 p.m. game SWAC Alumni Happy Hour and Free Friday’s Tip-off Party at Grooves of Houston, 4 p.m. – 2 a.m. SWAC “March Madness” Official Alumni Kickoff Party at Sugarhill Social Club, 8 p.m. – 2 a.m. SWAC and Aristocrat Life Presents the Official SWAC Kickoff Party, 10 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Rick Ross

February 26 - March 4, 2015

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Sunday, March 15

SWAC Sunday “Funday” Day Party at Social Junky, Noon – 9 p.m. The Cool-Down Concert with The Forever Charlie Tour Starring Charlie Wilson with special guests Kem and Joe, 7 p.m.* *Not included in all-session booklet For more information, visit www.swac.org.

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LOCAL BRIEFS

Kevin Has a “Hart” for Houston

oustonians couldn’t wait to grab tickets to see funny man Kevin Hart when he brings his “What Now? Tour” to Houston this coming August. So much so that the two shows being offered sold out very quickly. Those Kevin Hart who didn’t get tickets were crushed. But hold your head up because Kevin has a “hart” for Houston. The comedian has a third show set for August 16th at the Toyota Center. Tickets for the third show go on sale this Friday, February 27th. Purchase tickets online at houstontoyotacenter.com, livenation.com or by phone at 1-866-4-HOUTIX.

Gov. Greg Abbott Gave 1st State of the State Address in Houston

n the heels of his first State of State address in Austin, the newly sworn-in Texas Gov. Greg Abbott appeared in Houston as part of his State of the State Tour. His first stop was as a special guest at the Greater Houston Gov. Greg Abbott Partnership luncheon at the Westin Galleria where he highlights parts from his State of the State address. He made a second stop to visit some pre-K students at the School at St. George Place. For more information, visit www.governor.

COMMENTARY By Dr. Lovell A. Jones, Health Editor

Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata

Surgical Team Leads Historical Conjoined Twins Surgery

onjoined twins Knatalye Hope and Adeline Faith Mata made history when a team of more than 26 clinicians at Texas Children’s Pavilion for Women worked together to separate the girls who shared a chest wall, lungs, pericardial sac (the lining of the heart), diaphragm, liver, intestines, colon and pelvis. During the complex surgery, the team worked for approximately 23 hours on Knatalye and 26 hours on Adeline with the official separation occurring approximately 18 hours into the surgery. Parents Eric and Elysse were overjoyed when they heard the answer to months of prayers -- their twins had been successfully separated. For more information, visit www.waystogive.texaschildrens.org.

Remembering Captain Dwight Bazile

aptain Dwight Bazile, Station 46 D Shift, passed away at 6:15 p.m. on February 21, 2015, at Memorial Hermann Hospital. Captain Bazile collapsed on a fire scene Thursday, February 19th 2015 and had been fighting for his life at Memorial Herman Heart

High School Seniors, Apply for the LNESC College Scholarship

ponsored by the Exxon Mobil Corporation, the LULAC National Educational Service Centers (LNESC) will award one (1) national scholarship of $20,000 (paid over four years), and twelve (12) $2,000 local scholarships to qualified Latino high school seniors who plan to pursue a degree in engineering at U. S. post-secondary institutions. Applicants must reside within the following cities or surrounding areas:   Miami, FL; Kansas City, MO; Albuquerque NM; Philadelphia, PA; Bayamon, PR; Corpus Christi, TX; Houston, TX; Dallas, TX; El Paso, TX; and San Antonio, TX. For eligibility requirements and application, visit www.lnesc.org.

Lovell’s Food For Thought - A Piece Revisited - Retiring From the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

t has been almost two years since I sent out an email to the External Scientific Advisory Board of the Dorothy I. Height Center for Health Equity & Evaluation Research (CHEER), formerly the Center for Research on Minority Health (CRMH) announcing my intent to retire from the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. Many asked what I was going to do with all of my spare time. What some knew was that I was not really retiring, but moving on to my next career. My plans at that time was to join the faculty at the Texas A&M University College Station (TAMU) as a Distinguished Professor with two goals, to built a system-wide health equity institute, one I had envisioned at the University of Houston, and to mentor junior faculty to take over the institute when I truly retired. Unfortunately, during the early part of the summer, it became evident that the leadership of TAMU and I where not on the same path. Ok, then it was on to plan B, focusing on my course and workshop and funded programs. Unfortunately again, when I retired, even when awarded emeritus status, it became evident that there was no place for me at the institution I had spent more than three decade elevating the need to address health disparities as well as laying some of the major foundation to address the issue. So the question that came to mind in August 2013 was whether there was any place for this scholar who still had something to contribute. Then Francis Page, Jr. offered me an opportunity to write for his Newspaper. When he gave me two criteria that should be my guiding principles, little did he realize, one of them is something that has been at

& Vascular Institute. He entered the Houston Fire Department in October of 1977 and has served most of his career from Fire Station 46 in Southeast Houston. He was promoted to Captain in 2008. His wife Pamela Bazile, son Dwight Bazile II, and mother Charlotte Felder survive Captain Captain Bazile Bazile. A Public Memorial Service will be held at 10 a.m. on Friday, February 27th at The Church Without Walls followed by a processional. Keep the family of Captain Bazile in your thoughts and prayers. For more information, visit www.houstontx.gov.

Dr. Lovell A. Jones

the top of my to duty list since elementary school and something I continue to struggle with, even today. This morning, when I was looking for an email address, I came across the email I sent out May 2013. In reading it, I could tell my emotions were at the max. I was conflicted over retiring. I knew that as soon as I made the announcement, people would be preparing a door with lock for me to walk through with the intent

February 26 - March 4, 2015

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of locking it and throwing away the key. I was also concerned about whether the plans I envisioned would be truly accepted by those whose path it was my intent to join. But I made the decision anyway. However, reading the email today, really illustrated the internal feelings. And that when such arises, it something can become my worst enemy for others to use again me. My teachers in my segregated elementary school first realized that at times my mind and hand were disconnected and would always say, “Lovell, read what you write.” I often wonder if it was because I started out left handed and ended up right handed because of an injury to my left hand at a young age, an injury that took months to heal. The teachers would say, you are quite smart and a good speller, but you insert the wrong words into your sentences. I still consistently use “you” where it should be “your” for an example. I wonder if I had not been in a segregated school and have the wonderful attention of black teachers where I would be today. I wonder if some of our problems today are a lack of caring at such a young age. I continue to tell people that we lose somewhere between 80 to 85% of our kids interested in science between the 3rd and 4th grade. Yet, we continue to focus on high school and college to correct this problem. I am not saying that such programs are not needed, but we continue to mine a depleted field and continue to do nothing about enriching it. It begs the question whether or not we really want to do anything about truly addressing the problem. Read the full story online at www.stylemagazine.com.

LOCAL

By Demez White, Feature Writer

The Double Edged Sword of Gentrification

o matter what major US city you live in you can’t help but see the effects of gentrification, which is a really fancy word for giving the hood a makeover that the people in the hood can’t afford. I’m from Houston, Texas and whether it’s Downtown, Houston, 3rd Ward, the Heights or several other areas you can see the transition that’s taking place. How can anyone logically argue with better apartments and homes, better roadways and schools? More trash pickup and enforcement. Neighborhoods that once saw trash piled up for weeks or months don’t

see trash sit outside for a day. Abandoned homes that went uninhabited for years are now nice clean lots that may go for upwards of a half million dollars. The problem is and the question that never gets answered is this, “Why does it take developers and new residents to get these lots and neighborhoods fixed up?” Earlier this month Spike Lee, the famed director, was caught in the middle of the gentrification controversy because his old neighborhood is passing laws diminishing the tradition he grew up with. His father and other residents have to change because of

1/4-Page HISD AD TEMPLATE

HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTICE TO PROPOSERS

the new residents that are moving in. Is that fair? Is that right? This is what we all know about the world. In order for a new group of people to move in, the old groups of people have to move out. Whether it’s Native Americans and Pilgrims or project buildings being replaced with luxury condos. It’s not fair but is progress ever fair? There will be people that live in these communities that are ecstatic about the changes that are taking place. Those are the people that can afford the tax increases, which can afford to fix their homes because of new regulations. Those are the people that are getting these quarter million dollar checks for homes they’ve lived in their entire lives. We use words like gentrification because they sound better than words like displacement or just flat out saying, “We have more money and resources than you so let us buy you out or we’ll find a way to get you out.” Maybe I’m a hypocrite because I love going to Midtown or the Heights for a Saturday afternoon mimosa and taco but that doesn’t mean I don’t see these pretty new streets and buildings and ask myself, “Where are the people that used to be here at now?” Next week there will be a part two to this story where I interview people on both sides of the coin. For more stories by Demez White, visit www. demezw.com

The good health address: CHIPmedicaid.org

ATTENTION All Private Nonprofit Schools in Houston, Texas

If you want good health care for your kids, turn to CHIP/Children’s Medicaid. Your children will be covered for dental, glasses, prescriptions, and doctor visits.

(and surrounding areas)

ACTION REQUIRED: Private non-profit schools with students enrolled who reside within the Houston ISD’s boundaries and/or whose school is located within Houston ISD’s boundaries may be eligible to receive equitable services from certain federal Title programs under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (Section 1120 of Tile I, Part A and Title IX, Part E, Subpart 1 Participation of Children Enrolled in Private Schools).

$50 or less covers all of your children for one year. To see if you qualify, visit CHIPmedicaid.org. It’s the good health address for your family. Apply online or call anytime. CHIPmedicaid.org 2-1-1

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This notice applies to the 2015-2016 school year. You may contact Houston ISD for more details: Title I, Part A and Title II, Part A 713-556-6928 Title I, Part C and Title III, Part A 713-556-6961 Due to program deadlines, please contact our office(s) by Friday, March 6, 2015. mwww.StyleMagazine.com oc.enizagaMelytS.www February 4102 ,62 y26 rau- rMarch beF-024,y2015 raurbeF

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FEATURE

Sylvester Turner Wants to Be Houston’s Next Mayor

By Dawn Paul, Feature Writer

5. The 2017 Super Bowl will be in Houston. If elected Mayor, how will you ensure that local business receive contracts to fuel Houston’s economic growth? The Super Bowl and other major sports events can bring a lot of money into Houston with not only the games but also the associated activities. I will work closely with the Super Bowl executives to ensure that our local businesses know about opportunities and that the vendors with which the Super Bowl does business are encouraged to use local firms. 6. Poor air-quality is a concern for Houstonians. If elected, what will be your plan for effective pollution-reduction for the city of Houston?

Sylvester Turner

olitics is always a topic of conversation in Houston and there’s much talk right now about the upcoming Houston mayoral race. With Houston being one of the largest cities in the United States, whoever the next mayor of our city is has a big task at hand. The big question now is, “Who is running?” There have been many rumors about potential mayoral candidates, but this morning Texas State Representative Sylvester Turner made it official and announced his run for mayor of Houston. For over two decades Turner has served District 139, fighting for middle class families in his district. Now he has his sites set on being the next mayor, creating opportunities for the entire city and implementing a plan of action providing Houstonians with skills that will make them employable. Repairing streets, law enforcement and the city’s minority hiring goals are some of the concerns of Houstonians and Turner will be talking solutions during his campaign. While Houston is a great place of opportunity, there are those hard working citizens that still need help getting ahead. Turner’s message is clear, that while Houston is a city of opportunity, it works better when it works for all of us. Follow Sylvester Turner on Twitter at @SylvesterTurner or visit www. sylvesterturner.com. Houston mayoral candidate Sylvester Turner spoke to Houston Style about his campaign and platform. 1. You are no stranger to politics and campaigning. What will be your approach to this run for Houston mayor? I have been meeting with Houstonians for over a year, listening to their issues, discussing solutions to problems and one thing I have learned is that we are all in this together. Houston is a great city and we are lucky to live here but our city will only work if everyone does his or her part. I will be asking voters to share their vision of what Houston is and what it can be. I will be holding mini-town hall meetings across the city to open conversations about problems in each community, so we can work collaboratively. I want to know what Houstonians want, because Houston works best when it works for all of us. 2. What major issue do you see in the city of Houston that have not been addressed and what is your plan of action to tackle that issue?

While Houston has been blessed with a strong economy over the past few years, not everyone has shared in that blessing. We have too many young people who do not have jobs for lack of skills and lack of financial ability to attend a four-year college. That’s why I intend to launch the Road to the Future initiative, to give young Houstonians a combination of vocational and life skills they need to become employable and onthe-job training repairing Houston’s streets and roads. I will bring together community colleges, businesses, labor unions and non-profit organizations to create a combination of classroom instruction and structured summer jobs, after-school jobs, after-high-school jobs and bridge jobs – real jobs with real skills that will help make the promise of Houston real for every Houstonian. 3. Streets (potholes, etc.) are a major concern for Houstonians. If elected, how will you address this issue for Houston citizens? My Road to the Future initiative will provide young people with jobs repairing Houston’s streets and roads as they learn skills needed to be employable. This is a solution that works to solve two problems at once— helping young people find jobs and providing the workers to fill the many potholes that plague Houston drivers. I will also institute a quick-fix program for pothole repair, implement a top-to-bottom performance audit of the city’s Public Works department and make sure that the money Houstonians are paying each month for streets and drainage is being used for its intended purpose. 4. Nearly $2 million was received to purchase body cameras for officers. If elected, how will you work with law enforcement officials to help improve relations between police and the community? I will make our city safer by stepping up community-based policing and improving relations between HPD and communities of color. The body cameras are a step in the right direction but we need to ensure that the police understand the concerns of the community and take steps to remedy any problems immediately. We need a dialogue between the police and community—open and frequent. When we’re talking to each other, it’s easier to understand each other’s concerns.

February 26 - March 4, 2015

www.StyleMagazine.com

Air pollution is a serious problem and one that is not confined to Houston. Working closely with our regional partners is key - on this issue and so many others. Aggressively advocating for smart regulations by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) is also important, and I will leverage my relationships in Austin to help Houston improve our air quality. I have fought in Austin to protect funding to fight air pollution and keep it from being diverted to other uses. I support the city’s efforts to lead by example, and will continue them - from utilizing hybrid vehicles in our fleet to increasing our use of wind and other renewable energy. 7. If elected, what is your plan for Houston to hold businesses hired by the city accountable when it comes to minority hiring goals? We must address economic inequality and provide more opportunities for Houston’s working people to get ahead. The city’s Office of Business Opportunities does an admirable job of working with our minority businesses and we need to continue that. We need to nurture local entrepreneurs and help them get started with their own businesses. We need to continue to ensure that companies hired by the city are meeting their minority hiring goals and we should review those goals on a regular basis to make sure that they are appropriate. 8. Tell the voters anything else that you want them to know about you and your experience and how it qualifies you to be the next mayor of Houston? I know first-hand that in the shadows of Houston’s growth and prosperity, there are too many communities still operating on the margins. Growing up in Houston’s Acres Homes community, I went from sharing one room with eight brothers and sisters to Harvard Law School, founding my own business and then becoming a champion in the state legislature for Houston’s middle class families. As a small business owner, I have provided good jobs, affordable health care and a secure future for my employees for 31 years. As your state representative, I stopped utility companies from unfairly raising gas and electricity rates, worked to make health care more affordable for children and families and led the fight to restore billions of dollars in cuts public schools. I am bringing together a broad coalition of Democrats and Republicans, business leaders, unions and community groups to make sure that our city of opportunity works for all of us. Find out more information about Sylvester Turner by visiting www.sylvesterturner.com

BOOK REVIEW

Terri Schichenmeyer, Literary Writer

Y By

Work Simply

ou really hate turning people down. You hate it, but there’s just no other way: you’re too busy to chair an event, spearhead projects, lead a meeting, organize parties. You’re operating on warp speed, barely able to manage what’s already on your schedule. Does it seem like you rarely have five minutes a day for yourself? Like good sleep is an acquaintance you haven’t seen in ages? Then you need what’s inside “Work Simply” by Carson Tate. After hitting a metaphoric wall a year after the birth of her daughter, entrepreneur, go-getter, and executive trainer Carson Tate took one look at the name of her business (Working Simply) and saw the irony. “Suddenly,” she says, “I realized how much I had to learn along with my clients.” She wasn’t alone: one-third of Americans say they work more than the traditional 40-hour week. Working couples spend an average of twelve minutes a day communicating with one another. We’re overswamped, and Tate has ideas for taming that. The first steps toward working smarter are in understanding how you perceive control of your productivity – is it internal or external? - and vanquishing guilt over “the shoulds.” It’s easy to determine to the former; utilizing a “P.O.W.E.R. No” could help with the latter. Next, Tate offers a quick, easy quiz to analyze your productivity style. Are you a planner, prioritizer, arranger, or a visualizer? Knowing where you stand will tell you where your strengths and weaknesses lie in organizational skills, which helps you work more efficiently, alone and with others. Then, change your attitude about time. No,

FASHION By Eric

Ford, Feature Writer

ark and Estel literally rocked Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. That’s what happens when a fashion designer and musician partner together to make magic. From beginning to end, the Mark and Estel show was banging as they showed how artistic fashion coupled with

c.2014, Penguin Portfolio $26.95 / $31.00 Canada 286 pages

Son Jung Wan’s Changing of the Seasons

ouston Style Magazine got a view into the fashion eyes of Son Jung Wan while attending Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week. And we left wanting to see more and more. The South Korea designer caught the attention of the crowd immediately as pieces started to fly down the whimsical runway. Her designers were a nice fusion of Asian and Western cultures that hinted to past fashion of yesteryear. Models sashayed down the runway wearing various fabrics in unique color schemes of vibrant purples and oranges to shimmery golds and silvers. Coats, dresses, and faux furs dominated the catwalk in colors reminiscent of the changing seasons. For more information, visit SonJungWan.com. Mark and Estel Rock It Out

it can’t be “managed.” Yes, time is money, but it’s different. You wouldn’t give away money; why give away time? Keeping your productivity style in mind, learn how to minimize interruptions. Take a “brain dump” to eliminate “popcorn brain.” See how building a “master TASK list” can help you focus. Learn to delegate and pace yourself. Put Tate’s “Agility Circle” in place for email and paper crush. Pay attention to your workspace – and if you’re the boss, eliminate open-space office concepts. “Leverage” your co-workers’ productivity styles. Finally, remember that there’s much more to life than work; identify it and “claim it.” It may seem, at first blush, that “Work Simply” is quite commonsensical. That’d be true – but not entirely. I found plenty here that gave me things to think about. I’d already guessed my own “productivity style,” as author Carson Tate calls it; I’m a prioritizerplanner, for those who wonder. That’s nothing new but Tate puts that info to work by explaining strengths and weaknesses and by offering specific (but still broad) ideas to maximize my work, even more than I’m already doing. There’s plenty of practical reading inside these covers, in other words, and “Work Simply” gives you a different way of seeing it. Keep in mind that you might find overgeneralizations here that may seem well off-base, which is natural, though the help here is mostly sound. So if you need to work better, grab “Work Simply”… and get busy. Share this story online at www.stylemagazine. com.

by Carson Tate

creative music could create a “Stairway to the Stars.” How many fashion lines do you know that have a sound track? Well, this one does. “Stairway to the Stars” is just one of the songs that compliments this imaginative line that features colors of black, white, maroon, khaki, and light blue. Fabulous ready-to-go pieces swept the crowd as each stood and demanded attention of its own. From fitted gowns to plaid pants suits in unique cuts, Mark and Estel exhibited how to bring out your inner rock star. Die-hards fashionistas salivated over every intriguing piece. And the finale completely took the crowd out of their seats. Mark and Estel performed an original piece to express words of inspiration to their followers that “Fashion is your own… We are Fashion Rock Stars!” For more information, visit markandestel.us.com

with dresses that featured symmetrical lines with distinctive cuts. The pieces consisted of a modern 1920 theme for a glamorous night out in the city in color hues from all over the rainbow. Fit and flare and straight and sleek designs dazzled the crowd as models strutted down the “U” shaped runway. For more information, visit www.bcbgmaxazriagroup.com/herve-leger.

Herve Leger by Max Azria Sticks to Tradition

erve Leger by Max Azria, the designer of BCBC, stayed true to form with their signature hugged fit dresses to show off every curve of a woman, the bandage style dress. The 2015 Fall/Winter collection was filled

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CULINARY Bell, Feature Writer

Carnival Cruise Ships: A Foodie’s Playground

I By

am a Gold Member Carnival Cruiser, which really isn’t saying much seeing how you could be considered one if you took four 7-day cruises. However, I take pride in being a gold member as a 5-time cruiser with only 6 more cruises to go before I am upgraded to platinum. Why am I telling you this outside of cheesy bragging rights? Well, because I’m basically saying I am no novice cruiser. I know the food, drinks, activities, and how concerts are set up. Oh and did I mention the food? Well, at least I thought I knew. The Carnival crew is always striving to update and upgrade. When they opened their gates to the Carnival Freedom this weekend in its new home port of Galveston, TX to celebrate over 1,000 Military families for their #CelebrateFreedom campaign they introduced me to their new culinary editions. If you know me you know I am the “Burger Queen.” I have a fascination with burgers. While deciding what to grab for lunch I spied GUY’S BURGER

JOINT! For the unfamiliar or non-foodies, this is totally a big deal. Guy Fieri is an American restaurateur, author, game show host, and television personality currently working for Food Network. In 2011, around the time I stop cruising (big mistake, right?), he partnered with cruise industry leader Carnival Cruise lines to create Guy’s Burger Joint to feature his signature burger creations fleet-wide. Guy’s Burger Joint offers fresh made-to-order burgers and fresh cut fries to cruisers all over the world. I ordered a traditional cheeseburger fresh off the grill and topped it with smoked bacon, sautéed mushrooms, grilled onions, dill pickles, ripe red tomatoes, and crisp lettuce. The seasoned fries and strawberry margarita from the ship’s Blue Iguana Tequila Bar became the perfect compliment to my scrumptious burger. Speaking of the Blue Iguana Tequila Bar it is perfectly paired with the Blue Iguana Cantina, also on Carnival’s Freedom, which features freshly made tacos and burritos stuffed specially for your enjoyment. Their chicken tacos are to die by themselves and with the addition of their unique salsa varieties at their salsa bar you will swear that you are in Mexico. What if burgers aren’t your thing? What if you don’t want your taste buds to travel to Mexico? Have no fear as we have merely scratched the surface of what I call “A Foodies Playground.” Chef’s Choice allows you to experience cuisines from all around the world: leek soup from France, Jamaican jerk chicken, Manhattan clam chowder, and even Southern fried chicken! If that didn’t wet your appetite you can always stop by the Fish N’ Chips station where you can enjoy Cajun-barbecued octopus, ceviche, and cider battered fish fillets served hot! Although I didn’t personally try the Fish N’ Chips this go around it looked extremely good. If you don’t have time for a full meal and you want to grab a snack and go the Pizza Pirate, which is open 24 hours, is the best stop for you! The smell of gourmet pizza and traditional pepperoni will lead you right to it. I enjoyed a slice of

pepperoni, which was super delicious, but had nothing on the slice of prosciutto topped with fresh arugula that I devoured. Can you believe this was all before I went to the formal dinner? On a Carnival Freedom you may have a seated formal dinner in the evening if you choose. If not you can stay on the Lido deck all day and eat. But for those who love to dress for dinner and sit down to be served, the formal dining room caters to that desire. Being a somewhat professional cruiser I already had an idea of what I wanted to dine on. But in all things you should keep an open mind and be ready to eat outside the box. Celebrate Freedom introduced me to something I had

never had before - strawberry bisque. The strawberry bisque is a cold soup poured over a small gelatin circle speckled with mint. The bisque had the flavor of melted strawberries & cream ice cream. It definitely put me in a happy place. I also had the fried alligator, for those who love to take chances, as a starter. For my main course I had the option to get lobster & shrimp, steak or salmon. Of course, I opted for the tender lobster and shrimp. Although I wasn’t very impressed with the dessert, I did enjoy the molten chocolate cake with a side of buttered pecan ice cream. Leaving dinner I happened to still be craving something sweet when I spotted the Alchemy Bar. The Bar of Mixologist had bartenders dressed as chemists creating customized

February 26 - March 4, 2015

drinks to suit each individual. I opted for a strong yet sweet twist on Baileys with shaved chocolate on top. It was exactly what I was looking for. After attending a comedy show I revisited the Alchemy Bar for another sweet treat. This time, “Chemist Corinna” as I liked to call her, created “The Perfect Storm.” She lit cinnamon on fire as she sprinkled it in the strong strawberry and rum concoction. I can’t explain how good the drink was. It was literally perfect! Are you sleepy yet? I definitely was after all of that food and there were still places I didn’t get a chance to explore such as the Red Frog Pub. Once I rolled myself into my balcony room and into my comfy bed I slept like a baby. But not for long since I got up early to enjoy breakfast. I, again, chose to dine in and enjoyed everything from waffles, buttermilk pancakes, and smoked salmon on a cream cheese bagel. Of course, I had to take a peak at what the Lido deck had to offer. A plethora of cereal, fresh fruit, eggs Benedict, waffles, pancakes, meats (sausage, ham, bacon), potatoes, eggs, and so much more served buffet style. If you aren’t a breakfast eater there lies a Startbuck-esq coffee shop just for you. So there you have it, summed up in 3 words: Cruise with Carnival. You will not be disappointed.

Make sure you loose about 10 lbs because you are sure to gain that while on board. Take my warning and pace yourself and enjoy! For more information, visit www.stylemagazine.com or www.carnival.com. Photography by Jo-Carolyn Goode and Carnival Cruise PR

www.StyleMagazine.com

HEALTH

Courtesy of Family Features

Preventive Care Key to Fighting Skin Cancer • In between visits to the dermatologist, perform thorough self-checks by examining your skin all over on a regular basis. • Avoid damaging sun rays and protect your skin by seeking the shade during high sun hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.); avoiding sunburns; and covering your skin with clothing and hats. • Do not use tanning booths! • Understand sunscreen, and use a broad spectrum (UVA/UVB) sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher every day. For extended outdoor activity, use a water-resistant, broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher. Apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to your entire body 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.

re you at risk for skin cancer? Do you know the signs? According to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. That means odds are quite high that at least one in your circle of friends will face this dangerous disease. As the season for bare skin approaches, are you aware of the risks and preventative measures necessary to avoid sun exposure? Approximately 58 million Americans are affected by actinic keratosis (AKs), the most common form of pre-cancerous skin damage known casually as “pre-cancers,” according to a report published by The Society for Investigative Dermatology and The American Academy of Dermatology Association. An estimated 10 percent of AKs will become squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common form of skin cancer, within two years. AKs are rough-textured, dry, scaly patches on the skin that are caused by excessive exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light such as sunlight. They occur most often on areas such as the face, scalp and ears. They can range in color from skin-toned to reddishbrown. They can be as small as a pinhead or larger than a quarter. AKs predominately affect people over 50, and slightly more men than women. Individuals who are most likely affected by AKs include those who have risk factors including: fair skin; blond or red hair; blue, green or grey eyes; a history of kidney disease or weakened immune system; daily, long-term exposure to the sun; multiple severe sunburns early in life; and older age. Fortunately, skin cancer can be avoided with treatment, yet many patients fail to seek treatment. What they may not realize is that there are actually many treatment options available, such as cryotherapy (freezing); topical medication; and photodynamic therapy. Additional treatment options include curettage, chemical peel, dermabrasion, surgical incision and lasers. To reduce your risk of skin cancer you can take some precautions:

catch the disease early so that it can be treated. Just as you schedule an annual physical or other routine checkups as part of your regular health routine, a recurring appointment with a dermatologist can significantly alter your chances of developing skin cancer.

Do yourself a favor and get checked before the summer season to ensure you are properly caring for and protecting your skin from the sun’s damaging rays. The skin is the largest organ of the human body. Make the call to your dermatologist today. For more information, including additional details about AKs and how to identify the signs of skin damage, visit www.spotsignsofAK.com. Photo courtesy of Getty Images

• Regular skin evaluations by a dermatologist can

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ENTERTAINMENT O The Scars: Breaking Down The Whitest Oscars of 2015

By Susie Stillwell, Entertainment Writer

he Oscar nominations, the outrage is still piling up. Inspiring the loudest outcries of disapproval are the remarkably homogeneous acting nominees. Not a single acting nod went to a performer of color. One more time: The 2015 Academy Awards did not recognize a single actor of color. No female directors or screenwriters or cinematographers, either. This would be a problem even in a year in which the pickings were slim. An all-white acting slate does little to address the Academy’s increasing irrelevance among moviegoers. Ignoring the work of women and people of color is bad for business. But it is particularly appalling this year, when there are obvious contenders of color for all major categories — people not just in good movies, but in great movies, and in Oscar-bait-y movies at that — and not one was recognized. Why does this keep happening? Why does it feel like, for every one step forward (12 Years a Slave won three Oscars last year) the Academy takes five steps back? It would be a mistake to chalk the whole thing up to overt, intentional racism. But a list of nominees like this year’s is the result of a specific kind of thinking, one that rewards comfort over daring, the old over the new. If the Academy is aiming to be a bastion of tradition and excellence, it is going to look to the past: what are the movies that have stood the test of time? Keep in mind; the overall membership of the Academy is still 93 percent white and 76 percent male. What kind of people, what kind of narratives, what kind of experiences, will that group of people gravitate toward? What are the stories they want to be told about themselves?

BLACK HISTORY

By definition, looking to the past will mean looking to a time when women and people of color were systematically excluded from the film industry. And by definition, members of the Academy (like all humans) feel safer being told stories they already know, stories that confirm the vision they have of themselves as inherently good, triumphant people. That’s why World War II movies get nominated so often. That’s why it’s easier to celebrate 12 Years a Slave, a movie about what feels like America’s ancient past and on a subject about which we can all agree — slavery = bad — than it is to acknowledge the tremendous feat of filmmaking that is this year’s Selma, a movie about America’s all-too-recent past that includes scenes of bloodshed at peaceful protests that look just like footage from Ferguson. Take, for example, the worst nominee of the bunch: The Imitation Game, which landed eight nominations, including Best Picture. The Imitation Game is classic Oscar-bait: a biopic set in World War II about a misunderstood intellectual powerhouse. Alan Turing built one of the world’s first computers; a machine of his design cracked a Nazi code that was believed to be unbreakable. Some historians estimate that the code breaking operation Turing oversaw shortened the war on the Western front by as many as two to four years. But after the war, Turing was charged with “gross indecency” for having a sexual relationship with a man; homosexuality was illegal in the United Kingdom at the time. He died of cyanide poisoning and is widely believed to have killed himself using a poisoned apple — something that would have been a beautiful, moving thing to include in the movie but, inexplicably, is absent from The Imitation Game —

after undergoing chemical castration via mandatory hormone treatment for a year, the punishment he chose over imprisonment. The gist of the movie, The Imitation Game, is: “You know what’s great? Computers! You know what’s really bad? Nazis! Let’s focus on what we can agree on: we’re all super-happy that we have computers now, and also, it’s so cool that we don’t have Nazis anymore. Britain was bad, but Hitler was worse, and good triumphed over evil. You know, for the most part.” Read the full story online at www.stylemagazine.com.

The Death of Black History: Reviving It for the Next Generation

By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor

very year when Black History Month rolls around African Americans across the country seem to strut instead of walk. We hold our heads up just a little higher. Pride literally beams from our face as we reflect on the accomplishments of those of today. Although many of us know that we experience many of the luxurious we have today because of the blood, sweat and tears of our ancestors that connection between the struggle of one generation to next is having a disconnect with today’s youth. As a child growing up I knew about the usual popular list of names that pop up during this time like Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks. But I also knew about not so talked about names like Emmett Till and Claudette Colvin. I knew about the Montgomery Bus Boycott and the bombing at 16th Street Baptist Church. Now granted I probably knew more Black History than the average child and that had a lot to do with the Black owned private school that I attended that stressed that all students know our history of whence we came. I get that. But if children are not in an environment conducive of that type of learning then where should they get their knowledge? Ding, ding, ding…its from us. Let me be the first one to say that I am guilty of not doing my part in teaching the next generation but I didn’t realize how bad it was until I actually started talking with the many children I volunteer with and they didn’t know the basics. And while I am on the kids not knowing the basics many adults could brush up on their historical facts as well. It is our obligation as African Americans so the correct stories can continue to past own. Both those stories that are widely known and those stories unique to our own family tree.

books to ensure our history lives on. Teach children to appreciate their present When Barack Obama became the first African American president African American adults rejoice while some youth were thinking, “What’s the big deal?” The thought of a Black man holding the most powerful office in the world wasn’t an idea that was so far fetched in their minds. If we teach them about our past I believe it will make them have a greater appreciation and understanding of their present and even strive for greater accomplishments in their own lives. Teach children to pay it forward Teach children what’s not in the history books There is saying that if you don’t want black people to know about something put it in a book. Now that is not saying we don’t like education but it is saying that we don’t like to read. And with the advancement of technology and the influx of the media that is becoming more and more true for today’s children. Their minds are being consumed with junk and not with the information that could literally shape their future. Not to diminish in any way the contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks but our children need to know that they were not the only two people who have helped shaped Black America. They need to know about the names not listed in the history

February 26 - March 4, 2015

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The great poet Maya Angelou once said, “When you learn, teach.” It seems like a natural pairing but many of learn but forget the second part of teaching. We take for granted that people know certain things. Don’t! Teach your children. Teach your peers. Teach your elders. One can never truly learn enough. And if someone teaches you something you already know, consider it a reinforcement. The education of Black History should not stop in February. Don’t let Black History die. Give it life with this generation and allow it to continue to grow in the ones that follow for years to come. Share this story online at www.stylemagazine. com.

The Changing Face of Houston’s African American Community

Photography by Vicky Pink

n Thursday, February 19, 2015, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at the Clayton Library Center for Genealogical Research as the Houston Public Library presented “The Changing Face of Houston’s African American Community: Findings from 33 Years of Houston Surveys. ” The civic engagement program was held in celebration of African American History Month. Dr. Stephen Klineberg, Founding Director of Rice University’s Kinder Institute for Urban Research discussed the implications of three central survey findings with panelists Dr. Rod Paige, Bob Harvey, Judson Robinson III, Cindy George, Bishop James Dixon, John Wilburn, Director, David Medina, and Dr. Michon Benson.

KBR AD – 2.5C X 8” Page AD

ADVERTISEMENT FOR BIDS CONSTRUCTION MANAGER-AT-RISK Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men

HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT (HISD)

KBR Building Group as Construction Manager-at-Risk for HISD, in accordance with Texas Government Code 2269, will receive bids or proposals from all qualified subcontractors for the Site Demolition, Earthwork and Site Utilities for The New Construction of Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men.

KBR Building Group as Construction Manager-at-Risk for HISD, in accordance with Texas Government Code 2269, will receive bids or proposals from all qualified subcontractors for the Cast in Place Concrete, Structural Steel, Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Elevators, and Fire Sprinkler for The New Construction of Mickey Leland College Preparatory Academy for Young Men.

A PRE-PROPOSAL CONFERENCE WILL BE HELD AT 10:00 AM ON MARCH 3, 2015 at HISD Construction Department, 3200 Center Street, Houston, TX 77007 with a site visit immediately following at 1700 Gregg Street, Houston, TX 77020. This meeting is not mandatory; however, it is highly recommended.

BIDS OR PROPOSALS ARE DUE MARCH 12, 2015 AT 2:00PM, and bids or proposals should be emailed to: Stephen.Herring@KBR.com, faxed to 713-753-4799, or mailed/delivered to: 601 Jefferson Suite 2772G Houston, Texas 77002. LATE BIDS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

BIDS OR PROPOSALS ARE DUE MARCH 19, 2015 AT 2:00PM, and bids or proposals should be emailed to Stephen.Herring@KBR.com, faxed to 713-753-4799, or mailed/delivered to the 601 Jefferson St. Suite 2772G. Late bids will not be accepted.

M/WBE documents as described below will be received until the date and time set for receiving bids. There will be no public opening of bids or proposals. All bids or proposals shall be available after award of contract, or the 7th day after final selection of bids or proposals, whichever is later. After receipt of bids or proposals, KBR Building Group, will conduct its evaluation of the subcontractor bids or proposals in relation to the project requirements and will select the bid(s) or proposal(s) that offers the best value to HISD.

KBR Building Group is committed to meeting the M/WBE goals set for this project. M/WBE forms, schedules and statements, as required by the package documents, shall accompany each bid or proposal that is submitted. Bids or proposals submitted without all required information, and in the order and manner specified, may result in the bid or proposal being considered non-responsive.

HISD, the Owner, reserves the right to waive any informality and/or to reject any, or all bids, or proposals.

Email questions to: Stephen.Herring@KBR.COM or call him at: 713-753-7302 for additional information on this project.

Drawings and specifications are available in the KBR Building Group office located at: 601 Jefferson Suite 2772 Houston, Texas 77002.

Drawings and specifications are available in the KBR Building Group office located at: 601 Jefferson, Suite 2772, Houston, Texas 77002.

DRAWINGS AND SPECIFICATIONS MAY ALSO BE REVIEWED AT:

McGraw Hill Construction/Dodge, www.construction.com Virtual Builders Exchange, 3910 Kirby, #131, Houston, TX 77098, (832) 613-0201

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20th Annual Eye on Houston: High School Documentary Photography Photography by Vicky Pink

On Sunday, February 22, 2015, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston for the 20th Annual Eye on Houston: High School Documentary Photography. The annual photography exhibition that offers a unique view of Houston through the eyes of its students from three Houston-area high schools: Jack Yates High School, Bellaire High School, and César E. Chávez High School. Fifty-four photographs by junior and senior students chronicle Houston’s Third Ward and East End as well as the incorporated city of Bellaire. The exhibition will remain on view now through Sunday, May 10, 2015.

Harry E. Johnson, Sr. Visits Yates High School Photography by Vicky Pink

n Monday, February 23, 2015, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at Jack Yates High School as Harry E. Johnson, Sr., President and CEO of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Foundation was the featured Black History Month speaker at the school. Johnson held the students’ attention has he detailed the accounts of building the MLK Memorial and its significance in history. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee also addressed students. Others in attendance were Erica Lee Carter, Tammie Campbell, Carl Davis, Titus Bryant, and Dr. Carol Evans Shabazz.

February 26 - March 4, 2015

www.StyleMagazine.com

Houston Area Urban League GUILD 17th Annual Masked Ball

Photography by Vicky Pink

n Saturday, February 21, 2015, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at the Palms Event Center for the Houston Area Urban League GUILD 17th Annual Masked Ball. The signature fundraising event of the volunteer auxiliary of HAUL was an evening of dinner and dancing with musical entertainment typical of a Mardi Gras Ball provided by KTSU DJ Terry Franks. H-E-B and Frenchyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s were official corporate sponsors of the affair. Some in attendance were Judson Robinson III, James Harris, Eric Goodie, and Joan Green.

21st Salute to Positive Influential Males Photography by Vicky Pink

n Friday, February 13, 2015, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at the Justice of the Peace â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Precinct 7 Chambers for the 21st Annual Salute to Positive Influential Males program. Twenty were honored as positive influential males. Dr. Edith Irby Jones and Former Judge Bill Littlejohn served as the keynote speakers. All proceeds from the affair benefitted Hanging Tough. Some in attendance Florida Cooper, Dr. Elmo Johnson, Beverly Ward, Erma Palmer, Hichael Harris, Judge Zinetta Burney, Anna James, Justice Jim Sharp, State Rep. Ron Reynolds, Minister Theresa Dews, Fran Gentry, Charles Savage, Helen George, Robert Prather, and Robert Gallegos.

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Soledad O’Brien’s ‘Black in America’ Tour Photography by Vicky Pink

n Tuesday, February 24, 2014, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at the University of Houston as Soledad O’Brien’s ‘Black in America’ Tour stopped in Houston. O’Brien moderated a panel discussion at UH with economist, author and political commentator Julianne Malveaux; Antonio French, 21st Ward alderman in St. Louis, Mo.; a surprise guest via Skype; and Leonard M. Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center who has a national reputation as a communications law scholar with specializations in business, media and diversity issues. The Center for Diversity and Inclusion selected O’ Brien as a part of its inaugural Spring Speaker Series because she covers topics that are timely and that educate others on important social justice issues.

Sylvester Turner for Mayor of Houston Photography by Vicky Pink

n Friday, February 20, 2015, Houston Style Magazine was on hand at the office of State Rep. Sylvester Turner as he made a major announcement. State Rep. Turner officially announced his candidacy to run for Mayor of the City of Houston. State Rep. Turner laid out his plan to make Houston the best city in the country at his press conference. Make plans to attend his campaign kick off on March 28th at Minute Maid Park at 11am. Pledge your support for State Rep. Turner online at www.sylvesterturner.com.

February 26 - March 4, 2015

www.StyleMagazine.com

BUSINESS BRIEFS Humana and Weight Watchers Join Forces to Help Houston Employers Tackle Obesity

umana Inc. and We i g h t Wa t c h e r s International, Inc. have teamed up to help Houston-area employers attack the problem of obesity. All Humana members in qualified employer-sponsored health plans now have free and discounted access to Weight Watchers through an integrated wellness program built into their health plan. The first-of-its-kind program closely integrates Weight Watchers into Humana’s many medical and wellness programs, actively connecting members who want to lose weight to the program at no cost for six months, and at a significant discount thereafter. For more information, visit www.humana.com.

limb aboard METRORail Feb. 26-28, March 3-22 for just $1.25 one way or rest your heels with round-trip shuttle service to NRG Park from the Maxey Rd., Monroe, North Shepherd or West Loop Park & Rides! Just park & pay (cash only) at the Fannin South Park & Ride, and the round-trip fare to NRG Park is covered by your parking fee! A round-trip is $4 at Maxey Rd., Monroe & West Loop and $6.50 at North Shepherd. Methods of payment accepted are cash, METRO Q® Fare Card and METRO Day Pass. For more information, visit www.ridemetro.org.

Consumer has the power to influence brands, programming and culture. Also using their dollar for influence is the Hispanic community in the beauty industry. Hispanic consumers led the way in 2014 when it came to beauty products. Cosmetic purchases were up 7.4% according to Nielsen, while non-Hispanic consumers fell 1.2%, declining 3.6% from the previous year. For more information, visit www.nielsen.com.

PHA is Ready for Increased Demand

T Rev. Al Sharpton

Comcast, TWC, Sharpton and Others Sued for $20 Billion in Racial Discrimination Suit

ational Association of African-American Owned Media filed a lawsuit against Comcast and Time Warner Cable for alleged racial discrimination. Also included in the lawsuit are NAACP, National Urban League and the Rev. Al Sharpton. The lawsuit claims that in exchange for donations for Sharpton’s National Action Network he help give the perception that Comcast and TWC were promoting diversity when they were not. The suit also claims that NAACP and National Urban League also helped to pull the veil over diversity for the Comcast and TWC. For more information, visit www.stylemagazine.com.

Coca-Cola Suspends Operations at Mexico Plant

n response to a recent increase in violence against its workers and trucks, Coca-Cola has suspended operations in Chilpancingo, its largest bottling plant in Mexico. The attacks, protest and unrest in the area follow the disappearance of 43 students in the area. A spokesperson for Coca-Cola said the move was to “guarantee the safety of our personnel.” Ten employees were recently injured in an attempt attack to destroy Coca-Cola’s offices in Chilpancingo. For more information, visit www.us.coca-cola.com.

METRO Makes Ride to Rodeo Easy

Wal-Mart Gives Workers a Raise

al-Mart has been criticized for years about the low wages it has paid its employees. The multi billion dollar is changing that image with the announcement that employees will now get a well-deserved raise. The increase in wages will have average full time workers making $13 an hour while part-time employees will make $10 an hour. Other changes at Wal-Mart include the way employees’ shifts are schedule and examining ways for advancement in the company. For more information, visit www.walmart.com.

he Port of Houston Authority is ready to provide cost-efficient and consistent solutions to cargo owners and logistics companies, Executive Director Roger Guenther said today in his monthly report to the Port Commission. Emphasizing the Port Authority’s readiness to capture increased container cargo demand through the region, Guenther cited four new wharf cranes destined for the Barbours Cut Container Terminal, which departed this week from Korea and are expected to arrive at the terminal in early May. At the meeting, the Port Commission also approved the purchase of nine new rubber tired gantry cranes for the Bayport terminal. For more information, visit www. portofhouston.com.

Apple Diversifies Emojis

inally, Apple reveals emojis that reflect all the shades of America. The new beta of OS X includes emojis of various skin tones. With a simply click and hold on any emoji that looks like a person, one can change their skin tone. Same-sex couples are another new emoji to show people more reflective of today’s America. An official release date for the new emojis that also include county flags and family group has not yet been release but is projected to be in mid-March of this year. For more information, visit www.apple.com.

Nielsen Reports on African-American and Hispanic Spending

ccording to a recent Nielsen study, African American buying power and media consumption has become the “new” Black Power. With $1.1 million in buying power, and 14 more hours watching television than any other group, the African American Conscious

Alaska Becomes Third State to Legalize Marijuana

ffective February 24th Alaska became the third state to legalize marijuana. Alaska voters approved the measure to allow adults 21 and up to possess up to 1oz of weed and be able to grow up to six marijuana plants. Marijuana still can’t be used in public or while driving. Marijuana is a schedule 1 narcotic. For more information, visit www.cnn.com.

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