Houston Style Magazine Vol 32 No 16 by Houston Style Magazine (HSM)

Houston Style Magazine April 15 – April 21, 2021

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication, Since 1989

Volume 32 | Number 16

H We Run The World! • Friday at 6:30pm H

Complimentary

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Jesse Jackson

George Floyd Justice In Policing Act To Set Standard For Police

DAUNTÉ WRIGHT MURDERED BY + KIM POTTER

Erika Jones

Having The Financial Conversations That Everyone Needs To Have

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STAY HOME H WORK SAFE CORONAVIRUS – US NUMBERS: Cases: 32,159,704 Deaths: 578,223

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Lt. Caron Nazario Was Afraid For His Life

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Viola Davis In The Spotlight With Oprah

Falyn M. Davis

How To Prepare Your Finaces To Buy Your First Home

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Week of April 12, 2021

April 15 – April 21, 2021

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NATIONAL WRITERS

Jesse Jackson jjackson@rainbowpush.org Roland Martin www.rolandmartin.com Judge Greg Mathis www.askjudgemathis.com

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April 15 – April 21, 2021

COMMENTARY

George Floyd Justice In Policing Act Would Set New Standard By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

ven as Derek Chauvin is on trial for the murder of George Floyd, police 10 miles away fatally shot an African American man, Duante Wright, after pulling him over for an alleged traffic violation. That triggered protests that led to confrontations with police, despite Wright’s family pleading for non-violence. The Washington Post reports that 985 people have been shot and killed by police in the past year, with blacks more than two times as likely to be shot and killed than whites. Fundamental reform is long overdue. Now the House of Representatives has passed the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act for the second time. The act, drawn up by Rep. Karen Bass and Judiciary Committee Chair Rep. Jerry Hudson, has been endorsed by leading civil rights and criminal justice groups, pushed by the Congressional Black Caucus, and hailed by George Floyd’s family and attorneys. The Act would set national standards for police behavior. It bans the use of chokeholds of various sorts, like that used to kill George Floyd. It bans no-knock warrants that led to the shooting of Breonna Taylor in Louisville. It restricts the transfer of military weaponry to police forces. Federal assistance would be conditioned on local police forces requiring the use of body and car cameras, as well as anti-discrimination policies and training. It restricts the qualified immunity doctrine that shields police from civil liability. Joe Biden has called on the Senate to pass the measure and promised to sign it into law. These commonsense

reforms should have bipartisan support, but sadly the bill received only one vote from Republicans when it passed the House in February. The reforms are far from complete. The Movement for Black Lives, the collection of 150 civil rights groups that helped organize the unprecedented protest movement across the country after George Floyd’s death praises the creation of federal standards, a ban on chokeholds and restriction of the immunity doctrine but says that the bill goes “nowhere near far enough.” It calls for investments upfront in communities and people, addressing mass incarceration and systemic racism, and making police accountable to communities. The leaders worry that passage of the George Floyd Act would exhaust reform efforts, not simply be the first step toward reform. Surely the M4BL is right: sensible police reforms are necessary but not sufficient. Renewed investment in communities and greater community control over the police are essential. The plague of mass incarceration must be ended. The George Floyd Act, however, need not be in conflict with broader reforms. Conservative Democrats fret that the M4BL slogan – Defund the police – alienates voters. Certainly, most African Americans want protection from crime and violence. They don’t want to get rid of the police, they want to turn them from a threat to an ally. Many police officers agree that we’ve loaded police with too many responsibilities – from dealing with domestic disputes to handling the mentally unstable – be-

April 15 – April 21, 2021

Photograph by Alex Wong/Getty Images

cause social services have been starved in poor communities. Police reforms will never work unless accompanied by and embedded in rebuilding and empowering communities. The movement that mobilized after the horrific killing of George Floyd has begun to spark reforms across the country. I urge the civil rights and criminal justice community to unite to push the Senate to pass the George Floyd Act as a first step, to be accompanied by state and local efforts to transform police and federal resources to invest in communities and create new lines of accountability. The vibrant movement for justice that the M4BL has helped to trigger will not stop there. The unprecedented outpouring of support must continue

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to mobilize, to demand accountability, to protest police violence, and to keep the pressure on for broader reform. The movement can’t let the perfect be enemy of the good, nor allow partial reforms to slake the need for more action, more experimentation, and greater community control.

Follow him on at: Twitter @RevJJackson Share this story online at:

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April 15 – April 21, 2021

Black Males and Police Encounters By Dr. John Warren – San Diego Voice & Viewpoint / www.StyleMagazine.com

hile many of us are reliving the murder of George Floyd through the trial of Derek Chauvin for his murder, we are getting constant reminders that police abuse and murder of Black men and women continues with no lessons learned. Sunday’s “murder” of Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, should never have happened over a traffic stop or any nonviolent police encounter. Add to that the graphic video of the Black/Latino Army officer being abused and pepper sprayed because he questioned why he was being stopped and taken out of his car at gunpoint and hollered at, all of it over a license plate. It appears that since Rodney King’s beating with “nightsticks”, the replacement order of the day is shoot to kill if it’s a Black man or woman. It also appears that in spite of all the marches, demonstrations, media coverage of such shootings as well as wrongful death lawsuits, law enforcement still feel justified in its treatment and murder of Black people. Clearly there is no national sense of change in attitudes, but rather an increase in police hostility. Since the police don’t intend to change their attitude toward us, we must

change our attitude during such police encounters. Black men and women must live through police encounters to fight another day. Clearly, from what we have heard and seen from video of such encounters, survival of such police contact depends on our ability to not ask questions and do as we are told, no matter how wrong and inhumane or offensive the instructions from such officers. We must remember that the idea is to cause escalation of the encounter so that the initial cause of the contact gets replaced with a more serious charge of disobeying a police officer leading up to resisting arrest if one questions the reason for the stop or contact. We must remember that the police are intentionally rude and disrespectful, with the aim at provoking resistance to police directives such as “get on the ground,” which is offensive and unnecessary. We have also seen cases such as Mr. Philando Castile, in Minnesota, who told the police he had a gun and a carry permit, but was still shot while sitting in his car with his fiancée and baby. We must remember that all resistance, questioning of reasons for stops, or any comments other than “Yes” and, or “No” can lead to

Army Officer 2nd LT. #CaronNazario Was Afriad For His Life During Traffic Stop After Being Threatened, Pepper Sprayed and Thrown On The Ground • No Charges Were Filed! By Madeline Holcombe – www.CNN.com / ww.StyleMagazine.com

Dr. John E. Warren – Publisher San Diego Voice & Viewpoint death. Any sudden movements, reaching for or holding a cell phone, which already caused one Black man his life while standing in his own garage, can cause death. Let’s live to fight back, no matter what the insult. Then, we can begin to win.

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www.StyleMagazine.com Court and first reported by the Virginian-Pilot, claims the officers used excessive force during the stop in December. CNN has tried unsuccessfully to reach the officers, Joe Gutierrez and Daniel Crocker, for comment. It’s unclear if they have legal representation. CNN has also reached out to Windsor Police Chief Rodney Riddle and Windsor town leaders for comment. News of the lawsuit comes as demonstrators call for justice in the fatal shooting of Daunte Wright in Minnesota during a traffic stop and amid the trial of Derek Chauvin, a former police officer charged in the death of George Floyd. Arthur said that Nazario had good reason to fear for his life. Guns were drawn when police approached his car, and officers gave him conflicting demands, he said. In body camera footage, Gutierrez is heard telling Nazario he was “fixin’ to ride the lightning, son,” which the lawsuit describes as a “colloquial expression for an execution,” particularly in reference to the electric chair. “You do everything right, you slow down, you submit to the authority of law enforcement, you do the right thing, you wait until a well-lit place to pull over you’re on a dark road -- you don’t want anybody to get hurt -- and then the officers turn around and repay your courtesy with this,” Arthur said.

US Army officer – 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario feared for his life when two Virginia police officers pointed guns at him during a traffic stop, his attorney said. “He was terrified that if he was going to move his hands below where Officer Gutierrez could have seen them to undo that seatbelt, they would have murdered him,” said Jonathan Arthur, attorney for 2nd Lt. Caron Nazario, who is Black and Latino.

April 15 – April 21, 2021

The Windsor, Virginia, officers pointed guns at, pepper sprayed and pushed Nazario to the ground during the traffic stop last December. During the stop, the police officers believed the Army officer was missing a license plate on his new SUV. Nazario has filed a lawsuit seeking $1 million in compensatory damages, claiming the two officers violated his rights guaranteed under the First and Fourth Amendments. The suit, filed in US District

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Late Sunday evening, Town Manager William Saunders confirmed to CNN that Gutierrez had been fired following an investigation into the incident launched because of the use of force. Crocker is still employed by the police department, Saunders confirmed to CNN.

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April 15 – April 21, 2021

4/5/21 6:58 PM

WE RUN THE WORLD!: Virtual Fundraiser Showcasing Harris County’s Talent, Diversity, Elected Officials & Grassroot Organizations By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

ever have. We need to get non-voting women to register and then get them to the polls. We need to start now to raise the seed money to build a robust voter engagement program that will get low propensity women voters to the polls in 2022.

On Friday, April 16th at 6:30PM,

the Harris County Democratic Party, ROADwomen, and Houston Black American Democrats (H-BAD) are kicking off this effort with a celebration of women.

12403 Brightwood Drive, Montgomery, TX 77356

uffice it to say, it’s been a tough year. Finally, we can see faint lights at the end of the tunnel. Isn’t it time to take a break, a breather, a sabbatical from politics...at least for a moment? No. We simply cannot afford

to do that. The 2022 election is, believe it or not, right around the corner. And, let’s face it, with statewide officials from the Governor on down on the ballot, this is a very important election. In the last few election cycles,

we’ve turned Harris County blue. Texas remains this close. We know what it takes to win. We cannot let any efforts by Republicans in Austin to suppress the vote. Texans, particularly Texas women, need to vote in greater numbers than we

We Run the World will be a virtual celebration of local women from all walks of life. There will be life stories, testimonials, entertainment, and lots of fun. Only one thing is missing: YOU! Here’s what you can do. M o s t i m p o r t a n t l y, b e there. Join the virtual party on Friday, April 16, 2021 from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM. Tickets are only $10 per person.

www.HarrisDemocrats.org/ ticketed-event-2

Derek Chauvin Says He Will Not Testify At Trail and Testimony Ends D

By Eric Levenson and Aaron Cooper www.CNN.com / www.StyleMagazine.com

erek Chauvin invoked his Fifth Amendment right not to testify on Thursday and the defense rested its case as the trial of George Floyd’s death neared its final stages. Closing arguments are set for Monday, after which the jury will be sequestered during deliberations. Chauvin, speaking into a microphone before the jury entered the court, said it was his decision and his decision alone not to testify. Questioning from his attorney Eric Nelson suggested a tense internal debate on the issue. “I have advised you, and (to say that) we have gone back and forth on the matter would be kind of an understatement, wouldn’t it?” Nelson asked. “Yes, it is,” Chauvin said. If he had chosen to testify, prosecutors would have been allowed to cross-examine him. After the defense rested its case, prosecutors called Dr. Martin Tobin, the pulmonologist who testified last week, to take the stand again for a short rebuttal against the defense›s medical expert. The former Minneapolis Police officer’s defense team called seven witnesses in their attempt to acquit Chauvin on charges of murder and manslaughter. A police use-of-force expert testified Tuesday that Chauvin›s restraint of Floyd was «justified,»

April 15 – April 21, 2021

and a forensic pathologist testified Wednesday that Floyd›s cause of death was «undetermined,» saying his underlying heart issues were the main causes. “In my opinion, Mr. Floyd had a sudden cardiac arrhythmia, or cardiac arrhythmia, due to his atherosclerosis and hypertensive heart disease ... during his restraint and subdual by the police,” said Dr. David Fowler, a forensic pathologist who retired as Maryland’s chief medical examiner at the end of 2019. Fowler also put forth a novel argument that carbon monoxide from the squad car’s exhaust may have contributed to Floyd’s death -- a theory that he admitted he could not support with any data or test results. Prosecutors told the court on Thursday morning they just became aware the night before of the results of “blood gas readings” that showed Floyd’s carbon monoxide levels were normal. However, Judge Peter Cahill said the test results would not be allowed because they had advance notice that Dr. Fowler would bring up his carbon monoxide theory. He warned that any discussion of the carbon monoxide blood test would lead to a mistrial. “It’s untimely to give the notice (this morning) and would prejudice the defense by the late disclosure, even if it’s not due to bad faith,” Cahill said. In his rebuttal on Thursday, Tobin said that the

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Photograph by Omer Messinger / Sipa / AP

George Floyd

carbon monoxide theory is proven wrong by a different blood test, thereby avoiding the judge’s concerns. That test showed Floyd’s blood oxygen saturation was 98%, meaning his carbon monoxide level could at most be 2% -- which is within the normal range. Several other defense witnesses have testified about Floyd’s drug use, particularly during a prior arrest in May 2019 in which he ingested opioids as police approached him in a vehicle. Together, the witnesses furthered the defense’s three main arguments in the case: that Floyd died due to drug and health problems, that Chauvin’s use of force was ugly but appropriate, and that a hostile crowd of bystanders distracted Chauvin. The prosecution rested its case Tuesday morning after calling 38 witnesses over 11 days. Prosecutors sought to prove that Chauvin used excessive and unreasonable force when he kneeled on Floyd’s neck and back for nine minutes and 29 seconds last May. Their case relied heavily on multiple videos

[ CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ]

“Murder Trial of George Floyd, WEEK THREE” In this image, former Minneapolis police officer’s kneeling on the body and neck of George Floyd and the Prosecutor presented an animated recreaction of the murder.

Defense Attorney – Eric Nelson (left) with former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin when he evokes the Fifth Admendment Right to not testify in the murder case of George Floyd

Dr. Jonathan Rich– Cardiologist

Dr. Martin J. Tobin, MD – Pulminary Specialist – Loyola U. Med. Center

of Chauvin›s actions, analysis by policing experts criticizing Chauvin›s actions, and medical testimony determining Floyd died due to the restraint. Chauvin, 45, has pleaded not guilty to second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter charges.

“Positional asphyxia, as the term is used in court today, is an interesting hypothesis and unsupported by any experimental data,” he testified. He said Floyd’s death should have been classified as “undetermined,” rather than a homicide, because there were so many competing causes. The testimony cut at the prosecution’s argument that Floyd’s primary cause of death was low oxygen due to Chauvin’s restraint of a handcuffed Floyd in the prone position -- known as “positional asphyxia.” Five separate medical experts, including a cardiologist and a pulmonologist, said that Chauvin’s restraint caused Floyd’s death. To get a guilty verdict, prosecutors have to prove that Chauvin’s actions were a “substantial causal factor” in Floyd’s death. In cross-examination, prosecuting attorney Jerry Blackwell sharply questioned Dr. Fowler, repeatedly cutting off the doctor’s attempts to offer

THE DEFENSE’S TWO MAIN EXPERTS Fowler’s analysis focused on every issue except Chauvin’s restraint of Floyd in the prone position. He cited Floyd’s narrowed coronary arteries, known as atherosclerosis, and his enlarged heart due to his high blood pressure, or hypertension. Floyd’s fentanyl and methamphetamine use, a tumor known as a paraganglioma, and the carbon monoxide were other significant conditions that contributed to his death, Fowler said. Meanwhile, he ruled out positional asphyxia as a cause.

George Perry Floyd, Jr. was an African-American man killed during an arrest after a store clerk alleged he had passed a counterfeit $20 bill in Minneapolis. Derek Chauvin, 1 of 4 former police officers who arrived on the scene, knelt on Floyd’s neck for a period initially reported to be 8 minutes and 46 seconds. Updated to: 9 mins and 29 seconds. www.StyleMagazine.com

longer answers. Fowler was unable to identify the point at which Floyd suffered his “sudden” cardiac arrest, and he said he did not notice that Floyd’s voice grew thicker and quieter as time went on. He also said he agreed that Floyd should have been given immediate medical attention on scene. The doctor’s analysis contradicted much of what the prosecution’s experts said last week. Hennepin County Medical Examiner Dr. Andrew Baker, who conducted Floyd’s autopsy, testified last week that the police restraint was the primary cause of death, and he listed Floyd’s heart disease and fentanyl use as other significant conditions. He described the paraganglioma as an “incidental” tumor that didn›t have anything to do with his death. None of the doctors mentioned carbon monoxide as having any role. Dr. Jonathan Rich, a cardiologist who testified for the prosecution on Monday, said Floyd’s heart showed no evidence of injury at all. On Tuesday, a use-of-force expert said Chauvin was justified in kneeling on Floyd for over nine minutes and did not use deadly force. “I felt that Derek Chauvin was justified and was acting with objective reasonableness, following Minneapolis Police Department policy and current standards of law enforcement in his interactions with Mr. Floyd,” said Barry Brodd, a former police officer. Much of Brodd’s testimony starkly contradicted the prosecution’s policing experts and Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo, who said Chauvin’s actions were “in no way, shape or form” within department policy, training, ethics or values. On cross-examination, Brodd conceded that a reasonable officer in Chauvin’s position would have known that Floyd had eventually stopped breathing, had no pulse and was not resisting. Chauvin did not change his position from on top of Floyd despite that knowledge, Brodd testified.

www.CNN.com www.StyleMagazine.com April 15 – April 21, 2021

BREAKING: BROOKLYN OFFICER KIM POTTER CHARGED WITH 2ND DEGREE MANSLAUGHTER By Jason Hanna, Brad Parks and Madeline Holcombe – www.CNN.com – www.StyleMagazine.com

DAUNTE WRIGHT Murdered By Former 26-year Brooklyn Center Police Officer – KIM POTTER H Brooklyn Center Police Officer Kimberly Potter will be charged with second-degree manslaughter by the Washington County Attorney’s Office H If convicted, she faces up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine H Potter, 48, shot and killed Daunte Wright, 20, Sunday during a traffic stop H The white cop worked for the department for 26-years but allegedly confused her gun for a taser H Wright’s family say they cannot believe her actions were accidental H Both Potter and the police chief resigned from the force Tuesday H Shooting unfolded 10 miles from the courthouse where Derek Chauvin is being tried for George Floyd’s murder and has sparked renewed protests in the city H Potter is being represented by Earl Gray - who also represents Thomas Lane, one of the three other cops charged over Floyd’s death

police officer who authorities say shot and killed a Black man in a Minneapolis suburb after a traffic stop has been arrested and charged with second-degree manslaughter in the case, authorities said Wednesday. Brooklyn Center police Officer Kim Potter is charged in Sunday›s shooting death of 20-year-old Daunte Wright, Washington County Attorney Pete Orput said. Potter was arrested late Wednesday morning by agents with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, and will be booked into the Hennepin County Jail, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension said. In Minnesota, second-degree manslaughter applies when authorities allege a person causes someone›s death by «culpable negligence whereby the person creates an unreasonable risk, and consciously takes chances of causing death or great bodily harm to another.»

April 15 – April 21, 2021

Someone convicted of this charge would face a sentence of up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $20,000. CNN has sought comment from Potter’s attorney, Earl Gray. Wright’s death Sunday in Brooklyn Center, which then-Police Chief Tim Gannon said appeared to be the result of Potter mistaking her gun for her Taser as Wright resisted arrest, has roiled a metropolitan area scarred by other police-involved deaths and reignited national conversations about policing and the use of force. Developments in the investigation have unfolded daily, including the release of body camera footage and Gannon’s statement that the shooting appeared accidental on Monday, and the resignations of Potter and Gannon on Tuesday. Protests, some violent, have taken place each night in and around Brooklyn Center. Wright’s family had called for charges against the officer. Demonstrations Tuesday began peacefully, but chaos erupted around the Brooklyn Center police station by evening. Officers used pepper spray and fired flash bombs at protesters, who hurled water bottles and other projectiles at officers in riot gear. The unified law enforcement command in Brooklyn Center made “upwards of 60 arrests” Tuesday night, many of which were for “riot and other criminal behaviors,” Chief of the Minnesota State Patrol Matt Langer said. Though Potter has submitted a resignation letter, Mayor Mike Elliott said Tuesday he has not accepted it, adding “we’re doing our internal process to make sure that we are being accountable to the steps that we need to take.” Earlier, he told CBS he thought Potter should be fired. Orput is the prosecutor in Washington County, near Hennepin County, where Brooklyn Center is. The case was given to Washington County prosecutors to avoid the appearance of conflict of interest in Hennepin County, officials have said. Sunday’s killing of Wright is at least the third high-profile death of a Black man during a police encounter in the Minneapolis area in the past five years, after the shooting of Philando Castile in Falcon Heights in 2016 and the death of George Floyd last year. Minneapolis police also were under scrutiny when an officer was convicted of third-degree murder and manslaughter for the 2017 fatal shooting of Justine Ruszczyk, a White woman. The trial of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer accused of killing Floyd, is taking place just 10 miles from Brooklyn Center. Gray, Potter’s attorney, also is the attorney for Thomas Lane, one of four officers involved in Floyd’s death, and one of the defense attorneys for Jeronimo Yanez, the former police officer who was found not guilty in Castile›s death.

What Happened In Traffic Stop That Ended Wright’s Life

Wright was with his girlfriend Sunday afternoon, driving to the house of his older brother, Damik Bryant. Officers pulled him over in Brooklyn Center

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KIM POTTER – Former 26-year Brooklyn Center Police Officer Who Murdered DANTE WRIGHT for an expired tag and learned he had an outstanding warrant, police said. It was not clear what the warrant was for. Wright gave officers his name before calling his mother, Bryant said. His mother, Katie Wright, told reporters that Daunte Wright called her, and she heard a police officer ask him to put down his phone and get out of the car. Daunte told her he’d explain why he was pulled over after he exited, she said. She eventually heard police ask him to hang up, and then scuffling, before the call ended, she said. Body camera footage released Monday shows Wright standing outside his vehicle with his arms behind his back and an officer directly behind him, trying to handcuff him. An officer tells Wright “don’t,” before Wright twists away and gets back into the driver’s seat of the car. The officer whose camera footage was released is heard warning the man she’s going to use her Taser on him, before repeatedly shouting, “Taser! Taser! Taser!” Then, the officer is heard screaming, “Holy sh*t! I just shot him.” The car’s door closes, and Wright drives away. The car crashed several blocks away, police said. Police and medical personnel attempted life-saving measures following the crash, but Wright died at the scene, Gannon said. Gannon said the portion of body-worn camera footage released Monday led him to believe the shooting was accidental and that the officer›s actions before the shooting were consistent with the department›s training on Tasers. CNN’s Carma Hassan, Adrienne Broaddus, Amir Vera, Keith Allen, Hollie Silverman, Peter Nickeas, Jessica Schneider, Jessica Jordan, Christina Carrega, Shawn Nottingham and contributed to this report.

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who can get a covid vaccine now how many people have gotten the covid vaccine is the covid vaccine safe how to sign up for the covid vaccine Covid Vaccine how many are fully vaccinated for covid are the covid vaccines safe what is the covid vaccine rollout plan when can I get the covid vaccine

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April 15 – April 21, 2021

MONEY TALK: The Conversations Everyone Needs To Have

Protect yourself and your loved ones.

Get vaccinated against COVID-19.

By Jo-Carolyn Goode – Managing Editor / www.StyleMagazine.com

eople tend to tiptoe around the subjects of politics, religion, race, estate planning, physical & mental health and finances. But why are so many silent on these very crucial topics. It is not as if not talking about them will diminish their importance or will make the need for the conversations to disappear from our life. In fact, not talking about finances just creates a larger problem. Stop skating around the issue of finances and start the money talk conversations that everyone needs to have during Financial Literacy Month. “Stop being afraid to talk about it (finances). Like if we are willing to talk about everything else under the sun then we should be able to talk about our finances and what we want to do with them,” said Erika Jones, Assistant Vice President of Community Development Officer for Frost Bank. “It’s such a negative push because of all the “bad things” but there are so many good things that come with it as well.” Let’s begin sifting through the bad and good by pulling up a seat at the table to talk about money.

Starting the Conversation

Financial literacy is a major problem around the globe that has been compounded by the pandemic. Many were already living above their means when the health crisis hit and a year later people are completely tapped out with empty bank accounts, no money saved, and no source for additional resources. If there was ever a time in history when a financial education was desperately needed its now. Data indicates that worldwide there are over three billion people who are financial literate. This means people don’t have the basic understanding or the importance of budgeting, saving, and investing. A financial education on all levels is needed as finances is a subject that one should never closed the book on. With April being Financial Literacy Month, there is no time like the present to get smart about your money. “The fundamentals come down to how do you use what you have and how you mange the money that you are given,” said Jones. “I think part of the problem is people feel like they don’t have enough (money) and they end up making choices that puts them in a bigger hole because they think that they are trying to have the perception of having money or have the perception of being able to obtain certain things, materialistic things that they really can’t afford. So it is really about figuring out what you can afford, how can you manage the money you have been given and how can you save a little bit on the side so that you wont end up in these holes or situations.”

April 15 – April 21, 2021

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Erika Jones – VP of Community Development for Frost Bank

Start your money conversation by asking yourself key questions to create a number of lists. First, jot down all the ways you spend your money. List all your bills, what you spend on food and entertainment, medical co-pays and don’t forget church tithes and charitable donations. Next note all of your income coming into your household. If your expenses outweigh your income, you have a major problem. Making a list of your income and expenses allows you to see where you need to make cuts to avoid financial pitfalls. If you can’t figure this out on your own, don’t be afraid to ask for help with managing your money. Once this skill is understood move on to step two to learn about saving. The final step will be to learn about investing to allow your money to work for you.

Spender -VS- Saver – Which one are you?

No one has to be taught how to spend money. We all have that down pat. Shift the conversation to how to save, and one could hear a pin drop. In most Black and Hispanic communities’ savings is like a bad word. In these communities, individuals like to do as my mom would say, “robbing Peter to pay Paul.” They need more discipline to control their frivolous spending. A conversation needs to be had on how to save money and the benefits of saving it. Spenders need to learn how to save money by not giving in to all of their financial draining desires. While savers need to learn how to spend a little to enjoy life or how to make the right investments for their money to go further. “Saving a little can go a long way,” said Jones. “Saving is all about people learning how to manage what they have and then they will get more and will know what to do with more.”

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Viola Davis Premieres On OWN: Friday, April 16 • 9PM By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

Viola Davis

Oprah Winfrey

WN announced today “OWN Spotlight: Viola Davis” to air Friday, April 16 at 10 pm ET/ PT on OWN. Continuing conversations surrounding issues impacting Black lives, Oprah talks to Oscar, Emmy and Tony Award-Winning actress Viola Davis about her role as fearless blues singer Ma Rainey in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom,” available on Netflix now. In the film, tensions and temperatures rise at a Chicago music studio in 1927 when fiery blues singer Ma Rainey joins her band for a recording session. Oprah talks to Viola Davis, the most nominated Black actress in Oscar history, about her new film “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” In yet another critically acclaimed performance which led to an Oscar nomination for Best Actress, Davis inhabits “the Mother of the Blues” in an adaptation of an August Wilson play. Davis reveals what Ma›s struggle says about today›s America and what it taught her about harnessing her own powers as a Black woman. She also shares her thoughts on working with the late Chadwick Boseman on his final film. “OWN Spotlight: Viola Davis” will be available on the WatchOWN app, in addition to being available on discovery+ starting Saturday April 17 through the end of the month, as well as on the “Super Soul” podcast line-up starting April 19. “OWN Spotlight: Viola Davis” is produced by OWN. The executive producers are Oprah Winfrey and Tara Montgomery. Advance clips available with embed codes:

https://youtu.be/FhA6yJdmDoQ

CLIP: Viola Davis Says She Still Struggles With “Impostor Syndrome”

CLIP: Viola Davis on Chadwick Boseman’s Legacy https://youtu.be/Guee_lVi6ws CLIP: What Viola Davis learned from Ma Rainey https://youtu.be/yAl90gJ_0w8 About “OWN Spotlight” “OWN Spotlight” presentations tackle issues and concerns facing Black lives. The programs feature candid and in-depth conversations that create real dialogue to inspire systematic change. Previous programs include a conversation with singer/actress Andra Day; a special presentation on Ava DuVernay’s short film “August 28;” an inspirational special celebrating Black Fatherhood and the special bonds they have with their children “They Call Me Dad;” a two-night special “Where Do We Go From Here?” that simulcast across the Discovery family of networks featuring Oprah and Black thought leaders discussing the current state of racism America; “Oprah and 100 Black Fathers” sharing the urgency of having “the talk” with their children and the dreams they have for the future of their families; “COVID-19: The Deadly Impact on Black America” that investigated the disproportionate impact of the coronavirus pandemic on Black communities; “Oprah At Home with Lupita Nyong’o and Cynthia Erivo,” which examined colorism in Hollywood; “Oprah and Alicia Keys – The Interview” discussing Alicia Keys’ new memoir “More Myself;”

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April 15 – April 21, 2021

2021

APRIL IS DIVERSITY AWARNESS MONTH

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April 15 – April 21, 2021

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H RIP - Earl Simmons – a.k.a. DMX + Around Town H Who Was DMX?

Earl Simmons, known by his stage name DMX, was an American rapper, songwriter, and actor. He began rapping in the early 1990s and released his debut album It’s Dark and Hell Is Hot in 1998, to both critical acclaim and commercial success, selling 251,000 copies within its first week of release. Wikipedia

RIP DMX – ‘Ruff Ryders’ Anthem’ Is DMX Biggest Song

Born: December 18, 1970 In Mount Vernon, NY Died: April 9, 2021, White Plains, NY Hospital Height: 5’ 11”

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The Open House: With Realtor Falyn Davis

How To Prepare Finances To Buy Your First Home

By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

elcome back to The Open House. Are you tired of renting? Do you want to own your own place, but don’t know where to start? Well, this week’s topic is for you: How To Prepare To Buy Your First Home. When I bought my first home, I didn’t know what the process looked like. Between the pre-approval, finding the right home, all the fees and closing costs…I was a bit overwhelmed. Truth be told, buying a home can be very intimidating. But, it does not have to be. With the right preparation and the right agent, you can have a smooth home buying process. Speaking of preparation, here are some home buying tips that will be helpful for you.

factors in how much money the bank will approve you for. So make sure you work towards paying off any outstanding balances.

Tip #1: Build Your Credit Score Your credit score matters when buying a home, especially if you are using the bank for a loan. The higher your score, the better your interest rates and terms will be. Your debt to income ratio will be one of the biggest determining

Tip #2: Budget and Save It’s important to know how much money you have coming in and going out so you can know realistically how much house you can afford. Take some time and track your spending - you will see where you’re overspending

FOR RENT: 6000 Reims Rd., UNIT 4406, Houston, TX 77036 and where you can save money each month. Doing this will help you prepare for your down payment, closing costs, furniture and other miscellaneous things that come with buying a home. Remember, discipline is important - so maybe you don’t need to go out to eat this week, save your money...you got food at the house! Tip #3: Work With A Great Agent This is one of the biggest deci-

sions of your life and you want someone you trust guiding you through this process step-by-step. If you are looking for a trusted agent who is committed to providing you the best experience possible, contact me - I will help you navigate this process, connect you with your perfect home, and share my expertise with patience and ease!

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