Houston Style Magazine Vol 34 No 22

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GETTING UNWANTED GUNS OFF THE STREET; CITY AND COUNTY ANNOUNCE DATE OF NEXT GUN BUYBACK

ByStyleMagazine.com - Newswire

Mayor Sylvester Turner joined Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis and Houston Police Chief Troy Finner today to announce the date of the next gun buyback.

The gun buyback program is part of the Violence Reduction and Crime Prevention section of the Houston Police Department. The City of Houston has committed $1 million to a robust gun buyback initiative to reduce violence and prevent crime by removing illegal or unwanted firearms from the street.

The next gun buyback will be

held from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, June 10, at NRG Park, in the Yellow Main Street Lot, 9051 S Main Street. The location is Gate# 16 off Main Street, the Yellow Main Street Lot main gate. People can bring their unwanted guns and exchange them for a gift card.

$50.00: Non-functioning firearm

$100.00: Shotgun or Rifle (Hunting)

$150.00: Revolver

$150.00: Semi-Auto Handgun

$200.00: Rifle Semi-Auto

The Gun Buyback program is completely anonymous for the public in keeping with our objective of retrieving as many firearms as possible from Greater Houston residents.

lice overtime are pieces of the puzzle that may prevent someone from pulling the trigger in the future or at least think twice before resorting to violence."

The City has held two previous successful gun buybacks. The first gun buyback collected 793 guns, and the second event collected 1252 guns. Harris County Precinct One, the Harris County Sheriff's Office, and the City of Houston collaborated on a third gun buyback at Deussen Park earlier this year. Officials collected 793 firearms.

©2023 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 2019 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 Supporters of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP)

"I know someone will criticize the program – but the truth is gun buybacks work as one tool in a comprehensive initiative to fight gun violence. Homicides, gun violence, and overall violent crime is down across our City, and we want to keep that momentum going," said Mayor Sylvester Turner. "The gun buyback along with the use of shot spotter, doing more to reduce domestic violence and mental health calls and robust technology and po-

"As Mayor Turner alluded to, there have been questions about gun buybacks and whether or not they're effective at improving public safety," said Commissioner Rodney Ellis. "After three wildly successful buyback events, one thing is not up for debate: that this community is ready to be a part of the solution to end gun violence."

Please watch the videos above and below that explain the process for turning in a gun for a gift card.

Striking Hollywood writers are nervous about artificial intelligence — also known as AI — and I’m not feeling so good myself.

When I see all those bright, clever and mostly young talents out on the picket lines, I cannot help but ask myself: Could we columnists be next?

The strike by the Writers Guild of America, their first since their 2007-08 walkout that lasted 100 days, has brought a new fascinating and troubling issue to the forefront: AI.

The promise of AI has long boggled our human minds. Like putting humans on the moon, the idea of artificial intelligence has been dreamed about for ages — sometimes nightmarishly in forms as varied as Mary Shelley’s “Frankenstein” or HAL the computer in Stanley Kubrick’s “2001.”

Now in an age that has seen astounding acceleration in the output of scientific and technological innovations, we suddenly look up and see artificial intelligence is upon us, producing new wonders by the day, as well as new and troubling questions.

We are beginning to bear witness to a new unease at the thought that these innovations might make millions of jobs held by flesh-and-blood humans obsolete.

In other words, could the anti-AI backlash in the WGA indicate a new Luddite phase?

You may recall the original Luddites from your history classes. They were a reaction in the industrial revolution to machines competing with human workers a period of great social and economic change in England in the early 19th century.

CLARENCE PAGE: AGAINST AI, POLITICAL PUNDITRY CAN STILL DO THE WRITE THING

By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

Outraged workers rose up and began to destroy the machines. Fearing the worst, the WGA asked in its latest contract proposal that the entertainment industry agree not to use AI to replace writers. Not surprisingly, the industry declined, agreeing only to “annual meetings to discuss advancements in technology.” That rang alarm bells in writers rooms across the industry.

Should similar alarms be rung by us in the opinion-writing punditocracy?

We’ve seen such backlash movements rise up with varying degrees of ferocity on the heels of numerous innovations in a wide variety of industries.

Perhaps now, when not just human muscles but human brains are in a new competition, could it be artists and writers who have their turn as leaders of a backlash?

Since I, too, as a career scribe, have reason to feel competition from the possibility of artificial intelligence competing with whatev -

er intelligence I try to bring to the columnists’ trade, I have delved, however cautiously into the AI world already available on the internet. Curious, I gave an audition to the pioneer AI called ChatGPT with a typical pundit question: “Should I trust Donald Trump?”

Without prompting from me, the chatbot instantly responded with an almost-scolding explainer:

“As an AI language model, I don’t have personal opinions or beliefs,” it said. “Trust is a subjective judgment that varies from person to person. The level of trust you have in Donald Trump, or any individual, depends on your own assessment of their character, actions, and track record.

“It’s important to note,” it went on, “that public figures, including politicians, can be viewed differently by different people. Donald Trump, as the former President of the United States, has both supporters and critics. His policies, statements, and behavior during his

time in office have been a subject of much debate and controversy.

“When evaluating someone’s trustworthiness, it’s often helpful to consider multiple perspectives, examine their actions and statements, and review objective information and facts. This allows you to form a more informed opinion based on your own values and priorities.”

Well, thanks a lot, chatbot, but your on-the-one-hand, on-theother-hand equivocating would be dismissed as hopelessly wishywashy by most readers. Perhaps we should talk about it in the way journalists traditionally do, over your favorite beverage, whatever octane that might be.

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

NATIONAL: HERE’S WHAT’S IN THE DEBT CEILING DEAL

By Tami Luhby, CNN/StyleMagazine.com Newswire

fiscal 2025, after certain adjustments to appropriations were made, according to a White House official. After fiscal 2025, there would be no budget caps.

The House GOP fact sheet says that non-defense discretionary spending would be rolled back to fiscal 2022 levels and topline federal spending would be limited to 1% annual growth for the next six years.

datory programs and $23 billion that’s designated as emergency funding would be shifted.

Some $886 billion would be spent on defense, according to the bill text.

After several weeks of tense negotiations, President Joe Biden and House Republicans have reached an agreement in principle to address the debt limit and cap spending.

The drama is by no means over. Congressional leaders in both parties have to convince enough of their members to vote for the agreement, which contains provisions that lawmakers on each side of the aisle don’t support.

The bill text was released on Sunday evening, and both parties are trying to cast the provisions as favor-

able for their side.

Here’s what we know about the deal, based on the bill text, White House sources and information circulated by House Republicans.

Addresses the debt ceiling: The agreement would suspend the nation’s $31.4 trillion debt limit through January 1, 2025. This removes it as a potential issue in the 2024 presidential election.

Caps non-defense spending: Under the deal, non-defense spending would remain relatively flat in fiscal 2024 and increase by 1% in

The breakdown of non-defense discretionary spending for fiscal 2024, according to a source familiar with the deal, is that the cap would be about $704 billion, of which $121 billion would be for veterans’ medical care and $583 billion would be for other areas.

But the adjustments would bring the resources available for spending outside of veterans’ medical care to $637 billion for the coming fiscal year, compared to $638 billion for the current one.

Under the deal, $11 billion in rescinded unobligated Covid-19 relief funds and $10 billion in money shifted from the Internal Revenue Service would be used to beef up non-defense discretionary spending. Also, $10 billion in funds repurposed from man-

The debt ceiling bill that House Republicans passed last month would return discretionary spending to fiscal 2022 levels and then limit the growth in spending to 1% for a decade. Defense spending would be protected. Protects veterans’ medical care: The deal would maintain full funding for veterans’ health care and would increase support for the PACT Act’s toxic exposure fund by nearly $15 billion for fiscal year 2024, according to a White House source.

The House GOP fact sheet says veterans’ medical care would be fully funded.

Expands work requirements: The agreement calls for temporarily broadening of work requirements for certain adults receiving food stamps.

Read more at StyleMagazine.com

Texas Republicans have approved a pair of bills targeting the elections process in Harris County, the state’s largest and home to Houston, with voting rights activists accusing the GOP of plotting a “power grab” in an increasingly Democratic county.

POLITICS: TEXAS REPUBLICANS PASS BILLS TARGETING ELECTIONS ADMINISTRATION IN HOUSTON-AREA COUNTY

By Shania Shelton, CNN/StyleMagazine.com Newswire

tary of state – an Abbott appointee – to “order administrative oversight” of a county elections office if, for instance, a complaint is filed or there’s cause to believe there’s a recurring pattern of problems involving election administration or voter registration. The measure would affect any county that has a population of more than 4 million people – Harris County is the only county in the state that meets that criterion.

election commission, which is Democratic-controlled. The county’s tax assessor-collector and clerk are both Democrats. The measure had passed the state Senate earlier this month. If signed, the law would go into effect on September 1.

The measures, which passed the Republican-controlled state House and Senate, now head to the desk of GOP Gov. Greg Abbott.

On Sunday, lawmakers passed legislation known as SB 1933 that would authorize the office of the Texas secre-

Last week, the state House passed a measure along party lines that would eliminate the position of elections administrator in a county with a population of more than 3.5 million people – which, again, would only apply to Harris County. Under that bill, known as SB 1750, the elections administrator’s duties would be transferred to the county tax assessor-collector and county clerk. The Harris County elections administrator, a position created in 2020, is appointed by the county’s

STATE: TEXAS HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES VOTES TO IMPEACH ATTORNEY GENERAL KEN PAXTON

By Eric Bradner, Zoe Sottile and Andy Rose, CNN/StyleMagazine.com Newswire

The Texas House of Representatives has voted to impeach Attorney General Ken Paxton, an unprecedented move following a legislative probe that faulted the third-term Republican for a yearslong pattern of corruption, including abusing his office’s powers, retaliating against whistleblowers and obstructing justice.

Under state law, Paxton is now temporarily suspended from his duties as attorney general and will await a Senate trial.

The vote was 121-23, with two members voting “present.”

“The evidence is substantial. It is alarming and unnerving,” said GOP Rep. Andrew Murr, chair of the General Investigating Committee, during his closing statement following hours of debate. The committee recommended 20 counts of impeachment against Paxton.

Democrat Rep. Harold Dutton was one of the members voting present. He said the impeachment vote had been rushed. “The process by which we’re getting this done seems to be abbreviated to the point that it just encroaches on due process,” said Dutton.

Paxton denied wrongdoing in a Friday news conference, but focused his statements against the impeachment this week on his record as a key opponent

of President Joe Biden. Paxton’s office has filed dozens of lawsuits against the Biden administration.

The now-suspended attorney general called the impeachment a “politically motivated sham” in a statement just minutes after the vote.

“The ugly spectacle in the Texas House today confirmed the outrageous impeachment plot against me was never meant to be fair or just,” he said.

Paxton said he was never given

a chance to present evidence refuting the findings of an investigation that he abused his office. He has cast House Speaker Dade Phelan, a Republican who presides over a chamber where his party currently holds 85 seats to Democrats’ 64, as a “liberal.” He continued his attack on Phelan saying, “Phelan’s coalition of Democrats and liberal Republicans is now in lockstep with the Biden Administration, the abortion industry, anti-gun zealots, and woke corporations.”

Harris County Attorney Christian Menefee, a Democrat, said last week that the county would sue the state over the two bills, which he called “clearly unconstitutional.”

“(Our) state’s constitution bars lawmakers from passing laws that target one specific city or county, putting their personal vendettas over what’s best for Texans,” Menefee said in a statement. While Republicans have long had a stronghold on Texas, Harris County has leaned more Democratic in recent years.

Read more at StyleMagazine.com

The Office of the Attorney General issued its own “comprehensive report” about the allegations following the impeachment vote, saying it “unequivocally refutes incorrect testimony” against Paxton. The office also released a report it commissioned from an outside law firm, although the report from Lewis Brisbois Bisgaard and Smith LLP notes it is based only on information and testimony provided by the attorney general’s office.

Republican Governor Greg Abbott can appoint a provisional replacement while Paxton is temporarily suspended. Paxton would be reinstated if he is acquitted at his Senate trial.

The impeachment vote had its origins in an investigation launched in March by the General Investigating Committee of the Texas House after Paxton had asked the legislature to approve $3.3 million in government funds to settle a lawsuit with four whistleblowers who were fired from his office.

That investigation led the committee – a five-member panel investigating corruption in state government – to approve 20 articles of impeachment Thursday, setting up the vote in the full House.

Read more at StyleMagazine.com

Impeached Texas State Attorney General Ken Paxton

Texas Southern University President Lesia Crumpton-Young has retired from her position just two years after joining the historically Black university in Houston.

In a May 15 letter to the chair of the TSU Board of Regents announcing her decision to leave, Crumpton-Young said she was “called to expand my commitment to transforming lives by

LOCAL: TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT RETIRES AFTER TWO YEARS ON THE JOB

By Kate McGee, Texas Tribune

It’s unclear if she has secured a new position.

In a statement, TSU Board of Regents Chair Albert Myres said the board unanimously agreed to Crumpton-Young’s request to retire. TSU did not respond to additional questions Friday.

helping elevate HBCUs to a broader national stage.”

“My goal is to assist in accelerating this urgent and compelling objective and shape the national success of HBCUs and Higher Education at large. With the successful conclusion of the 2022-2023 Academic Year, it seems the most appropriate time to share this communication with you,” she wrote.

HOUSTON MAYOR’S RACE: THE HOTTEST EVER

By Burt Levine, Political Writer

The board has appointed Regent Mary Evans Sias to manage a transition oversight committee in the meantime. Crumpton-Young came to TSU soon after it was revealed that unqualified students were admitted to the university and given more than $2 million scholarships between 2017 and 2019; meanwhile, other applications weren’t reviewed. The scandal led to the ousting of former president Austin Lane. Ultimately, the board and Lane came to a confidential departure agreement that did not accuse him of wrongdoing. He is now the chancellor of Southern Illinois University.

An external review of admissions irregularities at the time said an anonymous complaint was sent to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board in November 2018, alleging that the university, one of the country’s largest historically Black colleges, “tried to increase enrollment by encouraging staff to admit all candidates, regardless of whether the candidate met the university’s academic admissions criteria.” Around that same time, the TSU law school also faced allegations of bribery and improprieties in its admissions process.

With Memorial Day over, summer is soon here. Hot temperatures are continuing to climb in Houston, and the upcoming Mayor, City Controller, and City Council races are becoming hotter than anything seen before in the money likely raised, spent, and votes sought to lead a city that covers 640 square miles and includes 2.4 million people.

Monday, July 24, is the first business day to file for a place on the November 7 ballot, in which early voting will begin Monday, October 24, and run through Friday, November 3. August 21 in the Mayor’s Office at 5 p.m. is the deadline to file for space on the fall ballot.

Then Speaker Pro-Tem of the Texas Legislature, Rep. Sylvester Turner, finally, after three runs over three decades, won in 2015 his lifetime goal of getting to be the CEO of what is considered the most

powerful big city mayor administration in this country. In January, he will be completing his second of the two terms allowed by law in Houston.

Currently, 16 mayor candidates have designated a campaign treasurer at the Houston City Secretary’s Office, which is the first step required by law before a candidate can run. U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee is the first member of Congress to run for mayor. Since 1994, Jackson Lee has served in Congress. Before that, she was an at large City Council Member and, before that, a municipal judge, having graduated from Yale and Virginia Law School.

(Caldwell is not pictured)

Read more at StyleMagazine.com

Texas Southern University's 13th President, Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young

FOREVER IN LOVE WITH TINA TURNER

By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor

What's love got to do with it? Everything when it comes to Tina Turner We love her electrifying music. We love her iconic style. We love her sculpted legs. We love her endless energy. Simply put, we love Tina. And now the world shares in global mourning since the passing of the musical legend at the age of 83.

She died Tina Turner in Küsnacht near Zurich, Switzerland. But she was born Anna Mae Bullock in Nutbush, TN. From modest means, she rose to stardom after getting her "big break" when she and her sister visited Club Manhattan and caught the ear of Ike Turner Sr. The musician and bandleader invited Little Ann, the nickname he eventually gave her, to join his band, Kings of Rhythm. Together, Ike and Tina were unstoppable, with numerous hits and never-before-seen success by any musical group. As much of a success as they were on stage, they were that much of a mess off stage. Ike and Tina, as a romantic couple, were volatile and explosive. Domestic violence cursed their relationship, with Tina feeling the brunt of Ike’s temper. In the end, she

would leave the marriage with only her name and some pocket change.

Stepping out on her own was one of her better decisions. As a solo artist, Turner made one of the greatest comebacks of any artist of all time.

Rising to earn the title "Queen of Rock and Roll," Turner racked up 12 Grammy Awards, sold over 100 million records worldwide, was a Guinness World Record holder for the largest paying

audience, made history as the first artist to have a top 40 hit in seven consecutive decades, got on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and the accolades go on.

Houston audiences were fortunate to see Turner live on many occasions. She first graced the stages of Houston on July 31, 1971, at the thenSam Houston Coliseum. The packed

stadium saw Turner, Ike, and the famous Ikettes. Although the building does not stand anymore, the memories of that concert live on for fans. Her authentic sound would reverberate throughout other venues as she belted out popular hits such as "Simply the Best," "What’s Love Got to Do With It," "Proud Mary," "River Deep, Mountain High," and "We Don’t Need Another Hero."

Houston royal Beyonce even shared the stage with rock legends at the 50th Grammy Awards. Now she has chosen to honor the singer by performing "River Deep – Mountain High" during her current world tour.

Turner’s last performance was in 2008, at the age of 69. Her 50 year career was extraordinary and will forever be embedded in rock and roll history. Health troubles would plague Turner’s later years. In 2016, she was diagnosed with intestinal cancer. Although it was caught in the early stages, she had carcinoma and several malignant polyps.

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REP. SENFRONIA THOMPSON HONORED FOR 50 YEARS OF SERVICE IN STATE HOUSE

By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor

The Texas House of Representatives has been a better place for the past 50 years because of the presence of Representative Senfronia Thompson. First elected in 1972, she has served 26 terms in the Texas House and is the longest-serving woman and longest-serving Black lawmaker in the legislature. The 84-year-old legislator got a big surprise this week when she was honored for her historic career of service during the last session of the House of the 88th Legislature.

All rules of the House were suspended as the clerk read in full HR 2185, which recognized Rep. Thompson’s 50 years of unwavering work for justice, equality, and opportunity for all. Stating that she has always been at the forefront of change, the resolution noted such accomplishments as the exertions to combat human trafficking, the passage of the James Bryd Jr. Hate Crime Act, the Sexual Assault Program Fund, the state ’s first and only alimony law, laws creating drug courts, and legislation providing insurance coverage for anti-can-

cer oral medication, 3D mammograms, HPV and cervical cancer screening, and contraceptives; and giving Texas one of the nation’s toughest prescription drug price transparency laws.

Rep. Thompson is also credited with the passage of allowing Medicaid nursing home residents to keep more of their retirement and social security money for personal use, as well as a bill permitting homeowners over the

age of 65 to make quarterly property tax payments without penalty; she authored the Chief Justice Jack Pope Act, which increased funding for legal aid to low-income Texans with civil cases, as well as the Michael Morton Act, which instituted important criminal justice reforms; among many other measures to defend the vulnerable, she secured passage of legislation banning racial profiling, strengthening protective

orders, shielding unpaid interns from sexual harassment, and increasing sex offender penalties.

Rep. Thompson has done all of this because she knows the law, has the experience, and knows how to work with others to get it done. Rising to become dean, she is notorious for her ability to work across the aisle with all parties.

With a storied career such as Rep. Thompson's, there should be no surprise at the number of honors and awards she has deservingly earned. Some include her induction into the Texas Women’s Hall of Fame, being named one of the Top Ten Best Legislators by Texas Monthly, and being the sole recipient of the Rosa Parks Award from the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. Ms. T was clearly moved and humbled as she spoke from the Speaker’s lectern after the reading of the resolution and several glowing remarks by colleagues. Read more at StyleMagazine.com

Tina Turner

Senfronia Thompson

SPORTS: CYNTHIA COOPER: A TRUE HOUSTON SPORTS LEGEND

By Brian Barefield, Sports Editor

It is not easy to become an icon in the city of Houston, especially in the sports world. The fans are very strict about whom they give the title "Houston Sports Legend."

That moniker is reserved for the likes of individuals such as former Houston Rockets center Hakeem Olajuwon, who led his team to two NBA championships, and Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, who has been very instrumental in bringing two World Series titles to the fourth largest city in North America.

Yet, there is another name that falls right in line with the aforementioned athletes who earned the title as well. She is responsible for the four consecutive WNBA Championship banners inside the Toyota Center, which is home to the Houston Rockets.

She is so legendary throughout the city of Houston that people rarely call her by her full name; they just yell out, "Coop!"

But long before former Houston Comets player Cynthia Cooper-Dyke was winning WNBA championships

and multiple Finals MVPs, she was perfecting her skills at the University of Southern California in rigorous practices against players such as 1995 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame inductee Cheryl Miller and Pam and Paula McGee.

"I didn’t start at USC; I came off the bench, so I had to practice against Cheryl Miller every single day," said Cooper-Dyke via Zoom. "Those practices were tough. To try to get to the rim against Cheryl and the McGee twins, I had to step my game up a little bit." Her contributions would help

USC win two NCAA championships. Those playing days, along with helping lead Locke High School in Los Angeles to their first and only state championship, were recognized by the Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020 as they enshrined Cooper-Dyke into their inaugural 2020 class of inductees. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, individuals were unable to attend in person, so the ceremony was postponed. This month, the inductees were finally able to have an official induction cer-

emony, at which Cooper-Dyke was in attendance.

"I am incredibly honored," she said about being recognized for her accomplishments on and off the court. "There is a lot of talent that comes out of California. That puts me in good company. I grew up in Los Angeles, and to have success with the amount of talent that comes out of that city and really state, I feel very fortunate. To be recognized for my accomplishments by the Southern California Basketball Hall of Fame is just an amazing honor."

After spending a decade playing professional basketball overseas, Cooper-Dyke finally got to showcase her talent with the Houston Comets in the newly formed WNBA in 1997. This challenge would be more difficult for her than the practices at USC against Miller since she was turning 34 in her rookie season, and her teammate Sheryl Swoopes would miss a significant amount of time due to her pregnancy.

Read more at

Cynthia Cooper-Dyke is the first WNBA player to be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame

Disney's live-action movie “The Little Mermaid” brought in $117.5 million at the US box office in the fifth-best opening for Memorial Day weekend in history, according to Box Office Mojo.

The remake of the 1989 Disney animated classic stars Halle Bailey as Ariel. Bailey’s adaptation of the titular character was widely praised by critics, although the movie as a whole got a decidedly mixed reaction. On review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, just 67% of critics gave the movie a favorable review.

IN $117 MILLION AT THE US BOX OFFICE ON OPENING WEEKEND

By David Goldman, CNN/StyleMagazine.com Newswire

es before, including its 1997 remake of “Cinderella” with Brandy, a Black actress.

Audiences were far more pleased with the film, with 95% giving it a thumbs up on Rotten Tomatoes. But IMDB, which also tracks audience reviews, said it had to adjust some of its ratings overseas after it found the movie was a victim of review-bombing.

“The Little Mermaid” remake has been the subject of controversy in right-wing media and on some social platforms — with users posting racist tropes — because Disney cast Ariel with a black actress. The trailer for the film made its debut earlier this year,

setting off a debate about whether Ariel should be Black or White.

Rob Marshall, the film’s director, called critics’ complaints about casting a Black actor “small-minded,” in an interview with Vanity Fair. Many have argued that casting a Black actress in the role helps Black children feel represented in popular culture. Disney first introduced a Black princess in 2009, with Tiana in “The Princess and the Frog.” But Disney has recast characters originally portrayed as White with actors of different rac-

Despite the controversy, the movie was among the most successful films ever to debut on Memorial Day, Box Office Mojo reported. Last year’s “Top Gun Maverick” tops that list with $160 million at the US box office over the long holiday weekend. “The Little Mermaid” was also bested by 2007’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End” ($140 million), 2008’s “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” ($127 million) and 2006’s “X-Men: The Last Stand” ($123 million).

Disney’s live-action remake of “Aladdin” also debuted on Memorial Day weekend in 2019. That came in a hair lower than “The Little Mermaid” with an opening weekend haul of $116.8 million.

Including international ticket sales, “The Little Mermaid” brought in $185.8 million over the weekend. CNN. com

H Beyoncé World Tour In Paris France - Family Affair

In a truly iconic moment, the incomparable Beyoncé, flanked by her musical dynasty, took center stage at the majestic Stade de France, France’s eminent national stadium situated just a stone’s throw north of the captivating city of Paris in the serene commune of Saint-Denis. This sprawling

colosseum, boasting a staggering seating capacity of 80,698, solidifies its reputation as the illustrious sixth-largest stadium throughout all of Europe.

On the momentous eve of Friday, May 26, 2023, the dazzling songstress, accompanied by her esteemed family in-

cluding the legendary Tina Lawson and Mathew Knowles, the ingenious Jay Z, and the enchanting Blue Ivy, graced the world with an unforgettable performance as part of her spellbinding Renaissance World Tour and Bey-Good activities.

Brimming with anticipation, Beyoncé commanded the stage with unwavering grace and unleashed a magnificent symphony of soul-stirring melodies, trans-

porting the audience into a realm where her latest musical triumph, the resounding album Renaissance, held sway. This splendid opus, a harmonious fusion of pop, disco, and funk, emerged triumphantly in the sonic landscape of July 2022, ensnaring the hearts of millions, and cementing its legacy as an unparalleled success in the annals of musical artistry.

BeyGOOD Foundation

An unexplained rise in colorectal cancer rates among younger adults is leading more people – including physicians – to get screened for the disease early, sometimes far ahead of the recommended age of 45 for those at average risk.

Scientists racing to find clues toward understanding why cases of colorectal cancer are climbing among younger people. Some suspect factors driving this increase are environmental, while others wonder if they are dietary.

One new study, to be presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology in June, suggests that a young adult’s microbiome – the collection of microbes, such as bacteria, fungi and viruses that naturally live in human bodies – may play a role.

The research has not yet been peer-reviewed or published in a medical journal, but an abstract posted online describes how researchers analyzed data on 36 colorectal cancer patients who were diagnosed before the age of 45 and 27 patients who were diagnosed after the age of 65. The researchers found “significant differences” in the bacterial and fungal species detected in

HEALTH: AS COLORECTAL CANCER RISES AMONG YOUNGER ADULTS, SOME SEEK COLONOSCOPIES EARLIER

By Jacqueline Howard and Kyla Russell, CNN/StyleMagazine.com Newswire

symptoms can include a change in bowel habits, blood in the stool, abdominal pain and unexpected weight loss.

Arminio had blood in her stool and constipation. She immediately talked to her doctor about a colonoscopy, although she worried that she might meet some resistance because she was 33.

She was ready to be her own advocate, she said, and to fight for a colonoscopy. To her surprise, Arminio’s doctor agreed that she needed one.

“I was really lucky,” she said. “My doctor, after asking me a myriad of questions, was like, ‘We’re going to get you a colonoscopy,’ and I was like, ‘Thank you.’ “

the microbiomes of the younger patients versus the older patients, which they wrote, warrants “larger, prospective studies to elucidate the role the intratumoral microbiome plays” in developing cancer.

As the search for answers continues, some younger adults in the United States have sought colorectal cancer screenings at a time when the disease is on the rise for their age group. But there is also concern that this trend could lead

to the overuse of colonoscopies.

‘I was really lucky’

As the email marketing coordinator for the Colorectal Cancer Alliance, Francesca Arminio, based in Washington, DC, knew the effects this disease was having on people around her age.

Last year, when she started having symptoms that are common in people with colorectal cancer, she began tracking her experience. Such

During her 30- to 45-minute procedure, the medical team found three polyps, one of which was concerning and classified as “aggressive,” Arminio said, adding that it could have developed into cancer within the next few years. The polyps were removed, and she recovered quickly.

Arminio plans to get a colonoscopy every three years. Read

Dr. Dionne Ibekie, who's always struggled with gastrointestinal issues, had a colonoscopy at 35

MING SMITH: CATCHING THE LIGHT

Kathleen Coleman, Arts Editor

Art is Bond is delighted to present “Catching the Light,” a solo exhibition by Ming Smith opened May 26, 2023, and is on view through Saturday July 8, 2023.

The Contemporary Arts Museum Houston is also presenting her first career survey exhibition “Ming Smith: Feeling the Future,” curated by James Bartlett from May 25 - October 1, 2023.

With a gentle but decisive eye and a deep love for the spirits of the figures and spaces she captures, Ming Smith holds in her hands a truly unique world. A pioneer in her field, Smith has been telling stories for decades through her dynamic and considerate photographs; they follow her life as she modeled, danced, and explored through the Midwest and east coast, and they follow all the lives she touched along the way.

Following in her father’s footsteps and beginning a lifelong passion, photography found Smith at a very young age—as early as Kindergarten. Born in Detroit, Michigan, she grew up in Columbus, Ohio, and her midwestern photographs emanate nostalgia and the softness of family and home.

After studying microbiology and getting her degree from Howard

University, Smith moved to New York in the early 1970s and found her creative community. Smith was the first woman member of the Kamoinge Workshop, a collective of influential Black photographers in the 60s and 70s who worked to capture and celebrate Black life in the city.

Her innovative work has inspired many aspiring artists from the beginning of her career to the present day, impacting not only individuals but the scope of photography overall. Ming Smith is indeed art history—as Thelma Golden, Director and Chief Curator of The Studio Museum in Harlem, puts it, Smith “lives deep in our history,” and is “central to how we think about photography in the 20th century and as we move into the 21st.”

As the first Black woman pho-

tographer to be acquired by the Museum of Modern Art in New York after simply dropping off her portfolio in the 70s, Smith’s journey came full circle at the beginning of 2023 with a featured solo exhibition curated by Oluremi Onabanjo. Recently lauded with International Center for Photography’s

(ICP) Lifetime Achievement Award, and with an upcoming exhibition at the Guggenheim, Smith is finally seeing the profound recognition her phenomenal and extensive career deserves. She has been included in exhibitions internationally, including “Pictures by Women” at MoMA, “Soul of a Nation” at Tate Modern and the Brooklyn Museum, and “Working Together” at Whitney Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum. Smith is also featured in the collection of the Tate Modern, Whitney Museum of Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Detroit Institute of Arts, in addition to many more.

Read more at StyleMagazine.com

Ming Smith, Two Boys, vintage print, 19XX

Ming Smith, African Burial Ground, Sacred Space, pigment print, 1991

DesRoches

Loren Blanchard President University of Houston-Downtown President Rice University

Stephen Silas Lovie Smith Head Coach Houston Rockets Head Coach Houston Texans