Houston Style Magazine Vol 33 No 51

COMMENTARY ROBERT C. KOEHLER: DAMN THOSE MARXISTS!

By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

You know their game, right? They want to spew truth and real history at our kids. No doubt they’re also in favor of dropping charges against Julian Assange, who (as all real Americans know) deserves 175 years in prison for exposing — with the help of the New York Times, The Guardian. Le Monde, Der Spiegel and El Pais — embarrassing realities about U.S. foreign policy.

How do I know the Marxists are behind this? The Heritage Foundation tells me so. In their dismantling of good old Critical Race Theory, they explain that it’s "an academic discipline founded by law professors who used Marxist analysis to conclude that racial dominance by whites created ‘systemic racism.’"

It gets worse: "Critical race theorists have been dominant in colleges and universities for years, but their impact on public policy was limited until recently. The precepts of CRT have now burst outside the universities, affecting K-12 schools, workplaces, state and federal governments, and even the military."

Be afraid. Be very afraid. Or not.Pardon me as I struggle to free myself from the sarcasm the Heritage Foundation and its ilk have let loose in me, thanks to their public splattering of simplistic lies, their harrumph at academic awareness of actual historical reality, their craven cradling of ignorance and stupidity for the purpose of keeping the Good Old Lies alive. God bless the Founding Fathers, who bequeathed us the greatest country the world has ever seen, no questions asked. Anything bad that has ever happened in this country was because of lone-nut individuals. Legally, structurally, politically, America has stood only for what is good. You might say this present-day

collective lie is the third phase of American racism and indicative of our national evolution. Phase 1, of course, was slavery itself, along with Native American genocide. This was not a matter of us vs. them because, to the conquerors and their sycophants, there was only "us." Everyone else was simply in the way.

Then we had — remember? — the Civil War. Slavery was abolished, forcing "us" (the actual Americans) to acknowledge two sides to the matter. Now there was also a "them" and, in the name of equality, they were going to try with all their might to steal some of "our" privileges. And thus began Phase 2, the Jim Crow era, which was both legally (whites-only bathrooms and such) and trans-legally (burning crosses, lynchings) ensconced.

In the wake of the civil rights movement — a primarily nonviolent awakening of human consciousness and a dismantling of legal apartheid — proud white America was forced into a moral corner. Racism has been declared morally wrong, even morally evil, forcing "us" to try ever more desperately to maintain "our" privileged dominance. Welcome to Phase 3 of American racism, which still holds a good bit of power but basically has no idea what it stands for or who the enemy actually is. It’s doing its best, both internationally and domestically, to establish the enemies du jour: Muslims are terrorists. Immigrants are rapists.

War keeps us safe and our bombs are smart. Here at home, police violence against non-whites is fervidly protected against Democrats who want to defund the police. And in the past year or so, a new enemy has begun taking shape: the academicians who have invented and now promote, beyond the college campuses, Critical Race Theory, which makes children uncomfortable.

That’s the current political rallying cry: Don’t make the children uncomfortable! Don’t go around telling the truth. It’s Marxist, for God’s sake. While lynching can no longer be justified, remembering it and talking about it in the classroom is still something that can be condemned, even made illegal (or sort of illegal), in the process turning the civil rights movement on its head, e.g.:

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill into law banning woke blather — you know history — from being taught and discussed in public schools, "based on the fundamental truth that all individuals are equal before the law and have inalienable rights." Yeah, civil rights, man!

In the words of the governor himself: "No one should be instructed to feel as if they are not equal or shamed because of their race. In Florida, we will not let the far-left woke agenda take over our schools and workplaces. There is no place for indoctrination or discrimination in Florida."

How eerily fascinating:

The protectors of America’s racist history, and to the extent possible, racism itself, have put themselves in the victim seat. In their view, apparently, somebody is always the loser. My message to them is to go back to kindergarten, but bring with you a copy of the extraordinary book of photographs, compiled by James Allen and published in 2000, called "Without Sanctuary." Many of the photos in the book are actually postcards. Virtually every photo shows one or more black human beings lynched — hanging from tree branches, bridges, barns — the corpses often surrounded by smiling (white) onlookers, including children.

I guarantee, Ron, et al, this book will tear at your soul. But with the help of a good teacher, the message conveyed by the book is not shame. You will be looking at the pictures from a context that is beyond the hell and horror that was present at the time; that is beyond the ignorance of the era, when some people were dehumanized, declared disposable. Inhale this reality! Inhale the wrongness, the awfulness of it — and know this is not all of who we are. This is what happens when ignorance prevails, allowing us to dehumanize — and then kill — others. It’s called racism. It’s called war. And this is what it looks like in the raw: separated from the justification of the moment.

History demands that we see it for what it is — and grow up. It’s called evolution, and we are evolving, all of us together. We will have no future until we can face our past.

You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this Newspaper or by email at: jjackson@rainbowpush.org

Houston Independent School District is partnering with PNC Bank and Houston Dynamo Football Club to invest in and prioritize early literacy. The early childhood education library project is aimed at improving access to early childhood literacy.

“We are excited to continue our investments in early childhood literacy programs by establishing vital partnerships with community pillars like PNC Bank and the Houston Dynamo” said Superintendent Millard House II. “This is the first year HISD is requiring a librarian at every campus as a part of our five-year strategic plan to promote strong educational achievements, academic success and an overall better

HISD EARLY CHILDHOOD CENTERS RECEIVE INVESTMENT TO

EXPAND LITERACY PROGRAMS

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

educational experience.”

The program will invest nearly $130,000 in library refreshes, reading nooks, librarian training scholarships and programming events. Several HISD campuses will receive upgrades to their library spaces in the form of beautification projects, new furniture, reading kits, new technology, books in various languages and much more. Select campuses will be announced at a later date along with a ribbon cutting celebration.

“Our libraries are safe spaces in which students can explore, dream, and hope. Our dedicated staff and diverse resources can help them image their future careers, see wonders of the world, and dream of what they want to achieve in their lives” said HISD Director of Library Services Len Bryan. “We are thankful to our partners for investing in our students.”

Students will also learn about financial literacy through PNC Grow Up Great® workshops to prepare for real-world financial situations. PNC Grow up Great is a $500 million initiative focused on early education. In addition, PNC Bank volunteers will continue to support HISD schools with various sessions and events for parents and students to engage in reading activities together.

HCC PROFESSOR HOLDING 4TH ANNUAL DRIVE-BY TOY DRIVE TO HONOR SLAIN SON

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

The pain of losing her youngest son, Chase Simon, to gun violence on a Third Ward street four years ago hasn’t eased at all for HCC English professor Syble Davis. But this year, like the last three, Davis is again putting her sorrow into action. She is continuing the Drive-By Toy Drive she and her family began in 2019 to honor her son, and to help bring joy and happiness to deserving children in the Third Ward area. “They (police) don’t know who killed my son,” says Davis, who has been teaching English at HCC for more than 30 years. “They went cold during the pandemic.”

On the afternoon of June 7, 2019, Simon was shot and left bleeding on a Third Ward sidewalk. A delivery driver saw him and got him to a hospital. Simon showed initial signs of improvement, but because the bullet tore a main artery in his leg it was proving difficult to heal, Davis says. Simon died 17 days

later from his injuries. He was just 24 years old. Davis started a foundation to help other families affected by gun violence. The Chase “The Wizard” Simon Foundation is the umbrella under which Davis has collected toys for infants through 12 years old. This year, Davis is asking for gift cards for preteens because “the older kids don’t want toys,” Davis explains. The toys are being collected now through December 17. They will be distributed through S.H.A.P.E. Community Center and other area organizations.

“Chase loved toys and seeing children happy,” says Davis. “This is our way to honoring him. He was a talented basketball player (nicknamed “The Wizard”), artist and humanitarian.” Toys and gift donations may be delivered to 3335 Rosedale, or made by calling Davis directly at 832.489.4470.

Powerful performance Powerful Response

THE GONG RESOUNDS , the curtain opens, and a heavenly scene is right before your eyes. Shen Yun presents a majestic vision lled with goodness and hope. Experience a moment so uplifting, you’ll wish you could stop time. Stunning beauty and positive energy are only two of Shen Yun’s hallmarks. Powerful, purifying, enlightening, heart-warming, a source of hope— these are words viewers use to describe their experience. There is just something different about Shen Yun, something that resonates on a deeper level and lasts long after the performance.

“It makes you dream of a heavenly world. It’s something that really restores you, regenerates you.”

—Filippa Giordano, famous Italian-Mexican singer

IMPROVEMENTS TO EQUITY IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON CIVIC ART PROGRAM SHAPE NEW INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC ART

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

The Mayor's Office of Cultural Affairs (MOCA) has released its third annual demographic review of the City of Houston’s 809-artwork Civic Art Collection in conjunction with MOCA’s Fiscal Year 2022 Annual Report. The 2022 Equity Review shows key improvements in art collecting practices for the city and improved diversity among the creators of newly acquired and commissioned artworks.

Released for the first time in 2020, MOCA’s annual review is designed to help advance the City's cultural equity goals and includes statistics on race/ethnicity and gender of artists whose artwork is included in the Civic Art Collection. This year’s review also highlights improvements to the selection processes.

“When my team at MOCA is -

sued the first Equity Review, they made commitments to enact immediate and long-term changes to the Civic Art Program and to focus on improvements to the artist selection process,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “After learning of their initial findings, I gave my full support to MOCA to make program-wide improvements to the City’s artwork collecting processes. Now, two years later, we’re seeing the impact clear values of equity and careful program stewardship can have on improving how we invest in Houston’s artists and serve Houston communities through art.”

Recent selection processes have benefitted from immediate changes made to commissioning practices and have resulted in increased investment in artworks created by women artists and

more diversity among artists creating new works for the Civic Art Collection overall. “MOCA’s work to pursue greater diversity within the Civic Art Collection has largely focused on the artist selection and panelist processes,” said Necole Irvin, MOCA Director. “We know that our work is just starting as the vision for equity is broader and multi-faceted, embracing greater diversity among artistic mediums represented, subject matter, and even the communities which engage with artists and artworks as they are developed.”

Working closely with contract partner Houston Arts Alliance (HAA), MOCA has focused a great deal on understanding applicants and how opportunities reach artists, on improving criteria for engaging panelists for artist selection processes and the information shared with them, and on ensuring Houston communities are represented on each selection panel by those recommended by City Council Members. “The results of two years of improved standards and practices for the Civic Art Program are promising. We’ve worked to establish a

community-centric vision for the Civic Art Program and a preference for collecting artworks that speak to, engage with, and respond to the communities they will reside in and represent,” said Theresa Escobedo, who manages the Civic Art Program. “Our program supports the City’s overall investment in Houston neighborhoods, and because equity is a keystone of Mayor Turner’s administration, many of our current art commissions are being developed for communities of color which have historically been underserved. Our work toward equity obligates us to be sensitive to those histories and nuanced identities, as well as to the artists creating the artworks in our collection.” In a time of unprecedented activity for the program, MOCA maintains its commitment to survey the Civic Art Collection and report on program progress and policy improvements annually. Read more at

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF FLU VACCINATION?

By Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Flu vaccination can keep you from getting sick with flu. Flu vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and flu-related doctor’s visits each year. For example, during 2019-2020, the last flu season prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, flu vaccination prevented an estimated 7.5 million influenza illnesses, 3.7 million influenza-associated medical visits, 105,000 influenza-associated hospitalizations, and 6,300 influenza-associated deaths.

During seasons when flu vaccine viruses are similar to circulating flu viruses, flu vaccine has been shown to reduce the risk of having to go to the doctor with flu by 40% to 60%.

Flu vaccination has been shown in several studies to reduce severity of illness in people who get vaccinated but still get sick.

A 2021 study showed that among adults hospitalized with flu, vaccinated patients had a 26% lower risk of intensive care unit (ICU) admission and a 31% lower risk of death from flu compared with those who were unvaccinated.

A 2018 study showed that among adults hospitalized with flu, vaccinated patients were 59% less likely to be admitted to the ICU than those who had not been vaccinated. Among adults in the ICU with flu, vaccinated patients on average spent four fewer days in the hospital than those who were not vaccinated.

Flu vaccination can reduce the risk of flu-associated hospitalization.

Flu vaccine prevents tens of thousands of hospitalizations each year. For example, during 2019-2020 flu vaccination prevented an estimated 105,000 flu-related hospitalizations.

A 2018 study showed that from 2012 to 2015, flu vaccination among adults reduced the risk of being admitted to an ICU with flu by 82%.

A 2017 study found that during 2009-2016, flu vaccines reduced the risk of flu-associated hospitalization among older adults by about 40% on average.

A 2014 study showed that flu vaccination reduced children’s risk of flu-related pediatric intensive care unit

(PICU) admission by 74% during flu seasons from 2010-2012 Flu vaccination is an important preventive tool for people with certain chronic health conditions.

Flu vaccination has been associated with lower rates of some cardiac events among people with heart disease, especially among those who have had a cardiac event in the past year.

Flu vaccination can reduce the risk of a flu-related worsening of chronic lung disease (for example, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) requiring hospitalization).

Among people with diabetes and chronic lung disease,flu vaccination has been shown in separate studies to be associated with reduced hospitalizations from a worsening of their chronic condition.

Flu vaccination during pregnancy helps protect pregnant people from flu during and after pregnancy and helps protect their infants from flu in their first few months of life.

A 2013 study showed that during the 2010–2011 and 2011–2012 flu seasons vaccination reduced the risk of flu-associated acute respiratory infection in pregnant people by about onehalf.

A 2018 study showed that getting a flu shot reduced a pregnant person’s risk of being hospitalized with flu by an average of 40% from 2010-2016.

A number of studies have shown that in addition to helping to protect pregnant people from flu, a flu vaccine given during pregnancy helps protect the baby from flu for several months after birth, when babies are too young to be vaccinated.

Flu vaccine can be lifesaving in children.

A 2022 study showed that flu vaccination reduced children’s risk of severe life-threatening influenza by 75%.

A 2020 study found that during the 2018-2019 flu season, flu vaccination reduced flu-related hospitalization by 41% and flu-related emergency department visits by half among children (aged 6 months to 17 years old).

A 2017 study was the first of its

kind to show that flu vaccination can significantly reduce children’s risk of dying from flu.

Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, including those who are more vulnerable to serious flu illness, like babies and young children, older people, and people with certain chronic health conditions. Despite the many benefits offered by flu vaccination, only about half of Americans get an annual flu vaccine. During an average flu season, flu can cause millions of illnesses, hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and tens of thousands of deaths. Many more people could be protected from flu if more people got vaccinated.

Extraordinary coverage for an Extraordinary state

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Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, a Division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association Blue365 is a discount program only for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas members. This is NOT insurance. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas does not guarantee or make any claims or recommendations about the program’s services or products. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas reserves the right to stop or change this program at any time without notice. The relationship between the Blue365 vendors and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is that of independent contractors.

Hearing services are provided by American Hearing Benefits, BeltoneTM, HearUSA and TruHearing®. Vision services are provided by ContactsDirect®, Croakies, Davis VisionSM, EyeMed Vision Care, Glasses.com, Jonathan Paul Fitovers and LasikPlus®

In honor of the November 11 theatrical debut of Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Disney is hosting community screenings of the film across the country and awarding $1 million in grants to nonprofits providing Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) and arts education to young people from historically underrepresented communities. Recipient organizations include Girls Who Code, Ghetto Film School, The Hidden Genius Project, and DonorsChoose in the U.S., Chicas en Tecnología in Argentina, and Destination Imagination in Asia Pacific. Through this support, Disney aims to empower youth to pursue careers in the arts, media, and technology.

“From its historic casting to advanced technology to culturally relevant storytelling, Black Panther: Wakanda Forever is one of the greatest and most anticipated movies ever,” said Jennifer Cohen, executive vice president, Corporate Social Responsibility for The Walt Disney Company. “When young people watch this film, we want them to walk away believing that their futures are

boundless and being inspired to pursue their passions, grow their skills, and share their unique talents with the world.”

Driving Access Through Community Screenings: In celebration of these organizations’ transformational work and as part of the Company’s efforts to inspire young people through increased access to impactful storytelling, Disney hosted advanced community screenings of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in several U.S. cities for its nonprofit collaborators serving the next generation of storytellers, innovators, and leaders.

Teens and young adults supported by these organizations attended exclusive screening events in Los Angeles, New York, Oakland, and Atlanta (with an upcoming screening in Orlando) that included a red carpet, photo ops, and a special video message from the cast.

The Dora Milaje, the all-female special forces of Wakanda, even made a surprise appearance at the Los Angeles event. Additionally, as part of its collaboration with Marvel Studios’ Black Panther: Wakanda Forever, Target hosted over

130 community screenings of the film for local nonprofits in 10 markets (with upcoming screenings in Orlando and Miami) in collaboration with AMC Theatres. In total, nearly 25,000 young people got to experience the film before its wide release.

Creating Opportunities for Future Storytellers: These efforts are part of Disney Future Storytellers, an initiative intended to empower the next generation of diverse creators and innovators. Through educational programs, scholarships, mentoring, and technical skill-building, Disney is increasing access to careers in the media, entertainment, technology, and hospitality industries for teens and young adults from historically underrepresented

communities, including by: Serving as one of the lead sponsors of Propel Center , a first-of-its-kind education hub for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Through this collaboration, Disney is working with HBCU faculty and industry leaders to create curricula that prepare students for careers in technology and entertainment.

Launching the Disney Storytellers Fund at Howard University, which provides stipends over a five-year period for student projects focused on storytelling across a variety of media.

Supporting ChickTech’s 20222023 High School program, a year-long series of technology workshops, mentoring, and internship connections for 8th-12th grade students.

DISNEY AWARDS $1 MILLION IN GRANTS TO SUPPORT YOUTH IN STEM AND THE ARTS IN HONOR OF MARVEL STUDIOS’ “BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER”

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

The Astros Foundation is excited to host the first annual HBCU Classic, a round-robin collegiate baseball tournament highlighting Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and their baseball programs on opening weekend of college baseball, Feb. 17-19, 2023and also announce a partnership with the Cactus Jack Foundation as the title sponsor of the event.

The Cactus Jack HBCU Classic will be held at Minute Maid Park and will be a highlight of Division I college baseball's 2023 opening weekend. The six schools participating in the inaugural event include Texas Southern University (Houston, Texas), Prairie View A&M (Prairie View, Texas), Southern University and A&M College (Baton Rouge, La.), Grambling State University (Grambling, La.), Jackson State University (Jackson, Miss.), Mississippi Valley State University (Itta Bena, Miss.). A highlight of the tournament will be traditional HBCU in-state rivalry games between Texas Southern

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

and Prairie View A&M, Southern University and Grambling State, Jackson State and Mississippi Valley State on Saturday, Feb. 18.

The Cactus Jack HBCU Classic week includes a variety of events, highlighted by a college fair featuring over 100 colleges and universities hosted by the Astros Youth Academy at Minute Maid Park.

The partnership with the Cactus Jack Foundation for the tournament supports their longstanding commitment to raising money and providing scholarship opportunities for students to attend HBCUs. It is a cause that is important to Travis Scott given his family’s longtime legacy studying, working and supporting HBCUs: his mother Wanda attended Grambling University, his father Jacques went to Prairie View A&M, where his brother Josh currently studies and his sister Jordan graduated from Howard University last year. His grandfather, Waymon Webster, was an alumnus and dean

of Prairie View A&M graduate school and is the namesake for the Waymon Webster Scholarships given out by the Cactus Jack Foundation, which helps HBCU students who are experiencing last-minute financial adversity graduate on time with their class.

For the second consecutive year in 2022 and in conjunction with Travis Scott’s Project H.E.A.L. initiative, the Waymon Webster Scholarship Fund granted $1,000,000 in scholarships to 100 graduating HBCU seniors.

“As part of our ongoing commitment to growing the game of baseball and softball for youth and the next generation of players, we are thrilled to partner with these exceptional schools to highlight their baseball programs and give their athletes a chance to compete at Minute Maid Park,” states Paula Harris, Senior Vice President Community Affairs and Executive Director, Astros Foundation. “We are grateful to have the Cactus Jack Foundation support our initiative as they continue to lean in on giving

back to HBCU students and programming. We look forward to kicking off college baseball season with this inaugural tournament.”

Tickets for the tournament are on sale now. Visit Astros.com/hbcuclassic for more information.

Texas Southern University Fall class of 2022

Congratulations to the Fall 2022 Tiger Nation graduates! During the commencement, speaker Mayor Turner announced that the city of Hoston is contributing $1 million to the formation of the university's Center for Transformative Health. In addition, the university's aviation program will become the primary educational leader at the new Houston Spaceport at Ellington Airport - which entails a new facility that will include a 30,000 square foot hanger to house 15 new TSU training aircraft and much more.

The Houston Texans, ConocoPhillips, Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages and Ashley awarded $400,000 through the Inspire Change Grant Fund to 15 local nonprofits and educational programs working to make a difference in the Houston community. The recipients were celebrated at reception at NRG Stadium today with Texans President Greg Grissom, Vice President of the Texans Foundation Hannah McNair, Texans players and Texans Legends.

The Texans and their partners announced the creation of the Inspire Change Grant Fund in 2021 to aid programs, seed projects, and create

HOUSTON TEXANS AND PARTNERS AWARD

$400,000

TO 15 LOCAL

NONPROFITS

By StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

ents include: $50,000 awarded to Project Row Houses, $40,000 awarded to Bread of Life, $40,000 awarded to Bo’s Place, $40,000 awarded to Santa Maria Hostel, $30,000 awarded to Casa de Esperanza de los Ninos, Inc., $25,000 awarded to the She is a CEO Foundation, $25,000 awarded to 100 Black Men of Metropolitan Houston, $25,000 awarded to Bridgehaven Children’s Advocacy Center, $25,000 awarded to Angel Reach, $25,000 awarded to Black Girls Do Engineer, $20,000 awarded to After Military Service aka Camp Shield, $20,000 awarded to Second Servings, $15,000 awarded to The Periwinkle Foundation, $10,000 awarded to Young Women’s Preparatory Network, and $10,000 to CoolxDad.

The NFL introduced the Inspire Change initiative in 2019 to create a positive impact in local communities and support programs that reduce barriers to opportunity. To learn more about the Houston Texans Inspire Change initiative, visit www.houstontexans.com.

partnerships that support social justice and racial equity efforts. Last year, the Inspire Change Grant Fund awarded $400,000 in grants. In this second year of the fund, more than 300 unique grant applications were submitted. An advisory committee comprised of partners, community leaders and Texans representatives, including Hannah McNair and Texans Legend Wade Smith, reviewed all submissions and selected 14 organizations which received the funds. Texans players selected the 15th organization which supports family growth and empowerment.

“We know it takes all of us to

inspire change, and we’re honored to support these incredible leaders as they work to create opportunities across our community,” said McNair. “Each organization’s commitment to Houston is unique and special, and we’re proud to help them continue to make a positive impact on the next generation.”

The grant recipients represent a wide range of social justice initiatives, including homelessness, education, mental health, mentoring, at-risk youth and supporting youth in foster care. Groups had the opportunity to apply for grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000. The 2022 Inspire Change Grant recipi-

Amanda Edwards Empowers Youth Through the PossibiliTEA Event

The event took place on December 10, 2022 at Tea with Judge V located inside the King David Hotel. Inspired by her campaign theme, “creating a Houston where everyone has an opportunity to thrive,” the afternoon tea event served as an opportunity for Edwards to learn about the issues that are important to Houton's youth and to empower them to amplify their voices to create change for their generation.

Introducing