Houston Style Magazine Vol 32 NO 11 by Houston Style Magazine (HSM)

Houston Style Magazine March 11 – March 17, 2021

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication, Since 1989

Volume 32 | Number 11

H 64th Annual GRAMMY GRAMMY’s’s Sunday On CBS H

2021 WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH

HONORING Houston Women In The Pulpit By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor

Rev. Dr. Lakesha R. Barnett RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER

Pastor Enid S. Henderson RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER

Complimentary

Jesse Jackson

New Wave Of Anti-Asian Racial Voilence Sweeping America

Prophetess Christina Lockett RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER

Congressman Al Green

Delivers Billions For Small Businesses and Fair Housing

Rev. Marilyn Scruggs Fiddmont RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER

Rev. Dr. Barbara E. Williams, PhD, LCSW RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER

Pastor Mia Knight Wright RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER

STAY HOME H WORK SAFE CORONAVIRUS – US NUMBERS: Cases: 29,893,840 Deaths: 542,833

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March 11 – March 17, 2021

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“President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, The moment when the American Rescue Plan passed in the House and help is finally here…”

President – Joe Biden • VP – Kamala Harris

AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN www.BuildBackBetter.gov

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March 11 – March 17, 2021

COMMENTARY

New Wave Of Anti-Asian Racial Violence By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

sian Americans confront wave of racial violence - turning pain into power” A new wave of anti-Asian racial violence is sweeping the country. Sadly, racial violence, bigotry and hatred directed at Asian Americans has scarred their history in this country. Nothing is more dehumanizing. Asian Americans come from many countries and many cultures. They have played a remarkable role in building this country. And yet, the violence erases their humanity, identifies them as the other, and ignores their contributions. I remember in May of 1983, I met with Mrs. Lily Chin and Asian American leaders at San Francisco Chinatown’s Cameron House. A year earlier, her son Vincent was chased down in the streets of Detroit by two unemployed white auto workers, who beat him to death with baseball bats. “It’s because of you mother-(expletive)s we’re out of work!” shouted one of his attackers. They thought Vincent was Japanese. This was the 1980s when U.S. auto plants were shutting down during the Reagan recession, and blame was wrongfully placed on competition from Japanese auto imports, setting off a wave of anti-Japanese/anti-Asian hysteria in the U.S. I was struck then by the way Mrs. Lily Chin courageously stood up and fought against this injustice, and how leaders like Norman Fong, Mabel Teng, and Helen Zia organized marches and resistance in the Asian American communities from San Francisco to Detroit, and from Los Angeles to New York. They rose up to organize against anti-Asian racial violence. They found common ground with African Americans, Latinos, and others, and forged new alliances with people and organizations that have long been targets of racial violence. The fight against racial

violence became a key pillar of my 1984 presidential campaign, and Asian Americans became an integral part of our Rainbow Coalition from its very start. On Feb. 3 in Manhattan, Noel Quintana, 61 years old, was riding the subway when his assaulter slashed his face. Last year, an Asian woman in Brooklyn had acid thrown in her face as she took out the garbage. A Burmese man and his two children were viciously slashed by a knife-wielding attacker while shopping in Midland, Texas. On streets corners, subways, shopping malls, “Asian Americans Have Been Attacked, Spat On, and Cursed Out” (headlined a recent Slate article . Stop AAPI Hate received reports of more than 3,000 incidents of anti-Asian violence in 2020. Many of these acts of terror are directed at the elderly and women. Store owners robbed at gunpoint. It’s reminiscent of the post-9/11 hysteria that targeted Muslims, as well as Sikhs and other South Asians living in the U.S. N.Y. Police report that all but four of the 28 recent hate crimes against Asians involved “an assumption that the victim had the coronavirus.” Last year, N.Y. Police reported a nearly 2,000 percent increase in hate crimes against Asian Americans (NY Times, Feb 12, 2021, https://www.nytimes. com/2021/02/12/us/asian-american-racism.html). For Chinese Americans, Lunar New Year in the month of February is usually a time for firecrackers, lion dances, and celebration in Asian communities. This year, community leaders marked the occasion by confronting this inglorious rise of racial violence. From progressive Asian community activists to Hollywood actors, business leaders and athletes, Asian communities are rising up and confronting this new wave of racial violence.

March 11 – March 17, 2021

The Asian community is standing up. Speaking out. Organizing. Taking action. Demanding justice. Community activists are organizing self-patrols and community escorts for the elderly. They want these anti-Asian attacks to be classified and prosecuted as hate crimes. NBA basketball player Jeremy Lin saidPresident Biden has weighed in, issuing an executive memorandum saying the “inflammatory and xenophobic rhetoric has put Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) persons, families, communities, and businesses at risk.” Special task forces are being organized by local police departments. Local elected leaders taken to the media to call for unity with the Chinese and Asian communities and decry the violence and harassment. Some of the most shameful chapters of our history involve racial prejudice against Asian Americans. In 1882, the Chinese Exclusion Act (later extended to all Asians in 1924) made it illegal for Chinese to immigrate to the U.S. In the Rock Springs Massacre of 1885, white mobs in Wyoming murdered 28 Chinese coal miners and

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burned Chinatown to the ground. World War II witnessed the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans in U.S. concentration camps, even as many of their sons fought loyally in the U.S. Armed Forces. Asian communities are suffering, even as they are summoning the courage of Mrs. Lily Chin, turning their pain into power, determined to stop the violence and never surrender. At Rainbow PUSH, we stand with them, and call on all citizens of conscience to join them in their drive to confront the hatred and stop the violence.

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

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March 11 – March 17, 2021

Harris County Files Amicas Brief With Texas Supreme Court Opposing Sovereign Immunity For ERCOT Prolonged Blackouts Caused The Deaths of Nearly 80 Texans By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

oday, the Harris County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) filed an amicus (friend of the court) brief with the Texas Supreme Court opposing the Electricity Reliability Cooperative of Texas’s (ERCOT) argument that it is entitled to governmental immunity (which would bar most people from suing ERCOT). The brief warns were the court to grant the ERCOT immunity, ERCOT could use that ruling to oppose lawsuits by residents in the wake of Winter Storm Uri and the collapse of the energy grid. ERCOT is a private entity that has managed the Texas power grid since the grid’s deregulation in 1999. Despite the fact that it is not a government entity, in a fraud case currently before the Texas Supreme Court, ERCOT argues

that it is protected from suit by governmental immunity. The amicus brief asks the court to reject ERCOT’s argument, and shows the impact immunity could have on future claims brought by Harris County residents for property damage and injury stemming from Winter Storm Uri and ERCOT’s conduct in managing the power grid during that event. Harris County Attorney Christian D. Menefee said, “The County and its residents should have the ability to hold ERCOT accountable in court. While it will take time to fully understand the extent of the damage and loss caused by the power grid failure, the Supreme Court of Texas must not foreclose the possibility that ERCOT should have to compensate those who were harmed

HARRIS COUNTY Announces $550K InThe Grants To Combat Food Insecurity Healthy Food Financing Initiative Will Award 6 Grants in its First Round By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

ealthy, fresh food should be affordable and accessible to everyone. Unfortunately, that is not the case for many Harris County residents. Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, an estimated 738,140 people in Harris County were considered food insecure, and at least 286,000 live in a food desert. As of January 2021, there are 360,000 children in Harris County experiencing food insecurity. “Hundreds of thousands of people in Harris County, many of them children, do not have access to fresh and nutritious food, either because they cannot afford it or they live in one of our county’s many food deserts,” said Harris County Precinct One Commissioner Rodney Ellis. “Particularly at a time when many residents are experiencing hardship, it is a privilege to invest in our residents health and wellbeing, and expand access to healthy food to more communities. Through the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, the County is supporting the work of local organizations helping to meet residents’ basic needs.” Commissioner Ellis first proposed the Harris County Healthy Food Financing Initative to increase the availability of fresh and nutritious food in underserved communities by funding innovative solutions through community partners. The first round of the Healthy Food Financing Initative will provide $550,000 in grants to the HOPE Clinic, Houston Food Bank, Little Red Box, Small Places, Common Market Texas, and Urban Harvest. · The grantee organizations will: o HOPE Clinic: Teach restauran-

teurs to prepare healthy food for their menus www.hopechc.org/ o Houston Food Bank: Increase food pantry capacity and SNAP enrollment www.HoustonFoodBank.org/ o Little Red Box: Make healthy food available for pick-up in the Second Ward www.LittleRedBoxGrocery.com/ o Finca Tres Robles: Host interactive classes and create an outlet for fresh produce with a store and kitchen in the East End www.FincaTresRobles.org/ o Common Market Texas: Provide healthy food at a 25% discount to food retailers www.TheCommonMarket.org/ Locations/Texas o Urban Harvest: Support operations of its mobile market and coordinate healthy food access efforts among community organizations

March 11 – March 17, 2021

“Under its healthy community

by its evident failure to keep our power grid operational. The storm and resulting power outages impacted about 1.4 million Houston-area residents, and nearly 80 Texans died from hypothermia, carbon monoxide poisoning and other storm-related causes. Millions of residents languished for days without power or water, and many suffered personal injuries as well as extensive property damage. These people must be able to seek justice in the courts.” About the Harris County Attorney’s Office Christian D. Menefee serves as the Harris County Attorney, the County’s chief civil lawyer. The Harris initiative, HOPE Clinic established the Bite of HOPE – a teaching kitchen and culinary program whose objective is to change the food environment in Houston, specifically in the neighborhoods that lack adequate healthy food access. As a Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI) awardee, the program will help small food businesses and restaurants create healthier menu and product options by having the healthy culinary coach review the food elaboration process, connecting them to local farms and sourcing outlets, lowering costs, and promoting them within the community,” said Joseph Brozovich, Culinary Program Coordinator & Lead Instructor of a Bite of HOPE. “On behalf of Houston Food Bank, we are so grateful and excited to start working with our partners on HFB’s new Targeted Enhanced Partner Capacity Project,” said Kristen House, Houston Food Bank Partner Capacity Manager. “The project will address the limited access to healthy food and increase nutrition education resources in underserved communities in Precinct 1.” “This would not be possible without the passage of the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, and thank you Commissioner Rodney Ellis for spearheading this effort and all of the Harris County Commissioner’s Court for their support,” said Melanie Pang, Houston Food Bank Director of Advocacy. Samuel Newman, Founder of the Little Red Box Grocery, said “In Texas, and across the United States, rapidly densifying and gentrifying cities are pushing lower-income residents away from basic resources, making it harder for families to access essential necessities including fresh, healthy food. Little Red Box Grocery (LRB) is a socially-conscious private venture that is building a market based and scalable solution to eradicate food deserts. LRB’s mission is to Democratize Access to Good Food. “We are extremely excited and proud to be a part of Harris County’s first Healthy Food Financing Initiative (HFFI),” said Thomas Garcia-Prats,

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Christian D. Menefee – Harris County Attorney County Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting and proactively advocating for the interests of Harris County residents and government through the civil justice system. This Amicus Brief represents Menefee’s commitment to defending the rights of residents, protecting consumers from exploitation and supporting the will of the people through the elevation of local control. Menefee continues to be a voice for the people.

www.HarrisCountyCAO.org

Founder and General Manager of Finca Tres Robles. “Small Places has worked the last seven years through our urban farm, Finca Tres Robles, to grow and provide access to the freshest organic produce to our community with the pandemic only revealing an even greater need.

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March 11 – March 17, 2021

Congressman Al Green Delivers Billions For Small Businesses, Fair Housing & More In America Rescue Plan By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

n this past Wednesday, March 10, 2021, Congressman Al Green released the following statement after the final House passage of the American Rescue Plan: “I am pleased to announce that the American Rescue Plan – which passed the House for a final time today – includes two pieces of legislation I proposed at the request of House Financial Services Committee Chairwoman Maxine Waters. H.R. 1669 reauthorizes and funds at $10 billion the State Small Business Credit Initiative (SSBCI), which will unleash $100 billion in low-cost capital to small businesses. H.R. 1674, cosponsored by Chairwoman Waters, provides grants for emergency fair housing enforcement for the Fair Housing Initiatives Program (FHIP).” Congressman Green, who serves as Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight & Investigations, added, “The impact of this pandemic on small businesses has been devastating, with more than 160,000 closing their doors since April 2020. As Chairwoman Waters has recognized, H.R. 1669 ‘provides $10 billion to support small businesses, including minority-owned businesses that are closing their doors at historic rates.’ Black-owned businesses have been forced to close at more than twice the rate of businesses owned by White Americans, underscoring the exacerbated effects of this pandemic on minorities. The SSBCI lending program was a pivotal component of our national economic recovery from the Great Recession. Reauthorization during this time of

U.S. Congressman – Al Green (D – Houston)

severe financial hardship with emphasis on minorityand women-owned small and very small businesses, is economically the right thing to do.” “The need for fair housing enforcement has increased significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The National Fair Housing Alliance found that – as Asian Americans endure an alarming spike in hate crimes related to the coronavirus – 8% of fair housing organizations have experienced upticks in complaints based on national origin of Asian-Americans or Pacific Islanders,” Chairman Green expressed. “The inclusion of H.R. 1674 in the American Rescue Plan

will provide a much-needed $20 million in grants for emergency fair housing enforcement to help mitigate this upsetting trend.” The Houston-area Congressman continued, “The American Rescue Plan also includes monies for states and municipalities that have been hard hit by the pandemic due to dwindling sales tax revenue. Localities within my congressional district will see nearly $1.7 billion combined in relief funding. That includes $914.12 million for Harris County, $615.44 million for the City of Houston, $157.42 million for Fort Bend County, $7.4 million for the City of Missouri City, and $3.79 million for the City of Stafford – which has also endured a lack of property tax revenue due to a pre-pandemic benefit Stafford residents enjoy. This influx of funding will help these municipalities work to recover from and continue fighting the coronavirus crisis.” In conclusion, Congressman Green stated, “When the deadly novel coronavirus reached the United States more than a year ago, many of us would have never imagined the severe health and economic toll it would take on our nation. However, it has been and continues to be my priority to ensure all my constituents – including those who have suffered from contracting the virus themselves or losing a loved one to it, job loss, inadequate access to health care, hunger, risk of eviction or foreclosure, or business closure – receive the necessary relief to weather and recover from this storm. This is why I voted for the American Rescue Plan and look forward to its enactment. I will continue working with Chairwoman Waters, my colleagues in both chambers, and the Biden Administration to ensure that we meet many of the needs of suffering Americans.”

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As An Essential Service Provider – H-E-B Customer Mask Use Will Remain A Priority Supporting Seniors During Aftermath Of The Winter Ice Storms By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

t H-E-B, our top priority is protecting the health and safety of our Partners, customers and the communities we serve. While statewide policy has changed, our store protocol has not. Mask use at our stores will remain. Our signs requiring mask use will remain posted at entrances and we will continue to make announce-

March 11 – March 17, 2021

ments in store. We will continue to expect shoppers to wear masks while in our stores. Additionally, we will still require all our Partners and vendors to wear masks while at work. H-E-B has always been a strong proponent and advocate of mask use even before mandates and orders were passed. The CDC, state and local health officials strongly advise the use of masks or facial coverings in public spaces as a proven way to prevent the spread of Covid-19. To help keep Texans healthy, we’ve had several safety protocols in place since the early days of the pandemic, and until all Texans including our Partners have access to the Covid-19 vaccine, we will continue these efforts. Throughout the pandemic, we are thankful that we’ve seen strong compliance with mask wearing at our stores. But we need the help of all Texans to ensure compliance continues. For those customers without masks – we will give them one. The ending of mask ordinances puts real pressure on retailers to enforce an emotional topic for many. We ask for kindness and understanding from our customers in our expectation of them to wear masks in our stores. Also, we understand some customers cannot wear a mask due to medical exceptions. We request all

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Thank You For Practicing Social Distancing customers adhere to the Covid-19 protocols we have in place while shopping. Safety protocols we’ve had in place throughout the pandemic include:

· · · · ·

WEARING MASKS PROPER HAND WASHING PLEXIGLASS PARTITIONS SANITIZATION SOCIAL DISTANCING

As Texans helping Texans, let’s continue to protect each other while in our stores. Let’s keep wearing masks, to protect yourself, our fellow Texans, and our dedicated Partners who are committed to helping our communities throughout this pandemic and every other crisis this state may face.

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Meeting 1 - March 2, 2020: 10 am-11:30 am https://www.eventbrite.com/e/h-e-b-quest-for-texasbest-informational-meeting-1-of-3-registration-139570090899 Meeting 2 - March 10, 2020: 1 pm-2:30 pm https://www.eventbrite.com/e/h-e-b-quest-for-texasbest-informational-meeting-2-of-3-registration-139571946449 Meeting 3 - March 11, 2020: 10 am-11:30 am https://www.eventbrite.com/e/h-e-b-quest-for-texasbest-informational-meeting-3-of-3-registration-139572981545

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March 11 – March 17, 2021

Houston Style Magazine

HONORING Houston Women In the Pulpit W By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor – www.StyleMagazine.com

omen in the pulpit are always a controversial topic in some religious circles. Basing their belief of 1 Timothy 2:12 where Paul writes to Timothy in a letter saying, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority

over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.” Many Bible scholars have interpreted that to mean that men should be the rulers of the church and women should be submissive. However, there are also those who note the many ways that God uses

women in the Bible to act as teachers as in Acts 18:26 when Priscilla and Aquila provided further instruction to Apollos. It is a debate that could go on and on. Despite the arguments around the subject, there are women who have not

Rev. Dr. Lakesha R. Barnett RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER Minister of Young Adults and Prayer Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church

Pastor Enid S. Henderson RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER Executive Pastor Jones Memorial United Methodist Church

Prophetess Christina Lockett RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER Ordained Minister Holy Trinity Church

eing her authentic self has always been the path that Rev. Dr. Lakesha R. Barnett has followed. This has made her an all out advocate of what she believes in, how she views herself, and how she has chosen to navigate in the world. In 1998, Barnett received the call to preach. But before answering the call Barnett took a real examination of herself and her relationship with God to make sure this is what He wanted her to do. Barnett walked into her purpose and was ordained as a minister on February 14, 2001. She became the first female assistant pastor at New Faith Church and went on to become the Minister of Young Adults and Prayer at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. In this role, Barnett has transformed the ministry from insightful videos and initiatives to create programming to really grow the faith of young adults. This has been one of her greatest joys to witness. In addition, Barnett has been appointed by the senior pastor, Rev. Dr. Marcus D. Cosby, for many special programs. Through preaching and praying Barnett’s ministry has even allowed her to be an evangelist outside of Houston and its boarders to preach in Mexico, Jamaica, India, Anguilla and Ghana. Her motto is “The world is my pulpit.” Having been on the cusp of welcoming women of the cloth, Barnett tries to empower and offer support of other female preachers and launched HER Call Ministries, a non-profit organization that is a network for women in ministry. Barnett is also an author. She has two books, The Intensified Life: Experience God and Live to Tell About It and Work Infusion.

March 11 – March 17, 2021

aving a glass that is half full means that you have only partially hydrated yourself. This concept is what has been the best advice that Pastor Enid S. Henderson has received on her journey as a minister. Her friend told her, “You can’t pour out if you are empty.” Since a good shepherd is supposed to feed their flock how does a shepherd do that if they are empty themselves. Henderson constantly embraces the Word of God so that she is never empty and always ready to be a teacher of God’s Word. Pastor Henderson always saw her role in the church as a worker bee until she began reevaluating her life and answered the call God was pushing her towards. She stepped up her service in the church and allowed God to use her as He saw fit. Pastor Henderson describes the experience as God bringing her from the shoreline to the deep end of the water. Today, after submitting herself to the will of God she is the Executive Pastor of “The Higher Way Church” Jones Memorial United Methodist Church. She loves, serves, teaches, reaches, and prays to God and His people. This spiritual journey has had Pastor Henderson experiencing mixed feelings as a minister. Unfortunately, Pastor Henderson has not always been welcomed to the pulpit by her male counterparts. Often she is looked at as an assistant rather than an equal. This has caused her to always be overly prepared, bold, confident, and really know who she is and whose she is. This also makes her grateful to her friends who stand up for her, other women in the ministry, and for her church who openly encourages women to use their gifts in the church.

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aving hope that there is something better can easily fuel a life. Just the thought of hope can shape dreams, push one in a positive direction, and bring light into dark situations. Hope is what wakes up Christina Lockett each day and puts her feet on solid ground. Hope, for Christina, is tied to her faith. Hoping in the Lord is all Lockett has known her entire life. Growing up as the daughter of a preacher, she stayed in the church and followed in her father’s footsteps to be a minister. Starting out as a Sunday School teacher, Lockett gradually made her way to the pulpit after seeing herself in her dreams preaching the Gospel. She feels extremely fortunate to have been welcomed into so many spaces to preach unlike some of her female counterparts. It is all fueled from her positive mindset coupled with positive words that equal a positive outcome to form her message of hope. More than a slogan, “A Message of Hope,” is a belief that you can overcome any obstacle with God. Lockett wants to restore hope in those that have lost it and birth it in those who never had it. She began to expand her ministry beyond the pulpit with her first book, “Love Lost, My Story: A Message of Hope” that chronicles her personal trials to her new life filled with hope. Lockett followed that book with a supplemental addendum, “My Story, Healing Journal: It Starts With Me.” Now “A Message of Hope” has evolved to more books, an award winning radio show, and a magazine.

Houston Style Magazine

HONORING Houston Women In the Pulpit

allowed their voice to be silenced. Subsequently, there are also men who know the value that women preachers can bring to the pulpit. Therefore, they encourage and give them the platform to trust their own

Rev. Marilyn Scruggs Fiddmont RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER Ordained Minister The Good Shepherd Christian Church

ost preachers can tell you when they received the call to preach. However, Rev. Marilyn S. Fiddmont can’t answer that question. For her, it seems that she has always had the call to preach. When you grow as a preacher’s child and he is constantly saying to his brew of seven children, “One of you will be a preacher and it might not be one of my sons.” Well, daddy was right. His preacher child turned out to be one of his daughters. If that wasn’t enough of an indication that Rev. Fiddmont should be a minister, her marriage might have been the other sign. She married into a family of preachers. Her husband, father-in-law, and several brothers-in-law are all preachers. And then there was another sign, her job. For 17 years, Rev. Fiddmont worked in the Coastal Plains Area Office, a judicatory office of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). They say God works in three’s and Rev. Fiddmont had her three signs. She officially answered the call to preach in 1995 to the delight of many. With no role model that looks liked her Rev. Fiddmont create her role in the ministry. Using the example of her father and her personal experience in the church Rev. Fiddmont would go on to grow in the faith to become the Vice President of the Southwest Zone and Northeastern Region. She also has pastoral responsibilities with The Good Shepherd Christian Church. Now with more than 25 years of official ministry, Rev. Fiddmont knows that all gifts from God come to an individual to benefit His people. One of her greatest joys as a minister is the opportunity to help someone be born again through the act of baptism. “It is a reaffirmation of what I have believed as an individual, and what we believe together,” said Rev. Fiddmont.

voice and reverberate the message that use their voice accordingly. Meet some of God wants them to deliver to His people. the women of the pulpit who glorify God, During Women’s History Month, we hon- the most-high! or the women of the cloth who know that God created men and women equally to

Rev. Dr. Barbara E. Williams, PhD, LCSW RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER Minister of Christian Counseling Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church

eing a minister of God’s Word was like a destiny just waiting to be fulfilled by Rev. Dr. Barbara E. Williams, PhD, LCSW. In her teen years she was already a sought-out speaker for teen youth conferences, as she was a Methodist Youth Lay speaker. She denied her calling for years despite others constantly telling her that was her future. She did, however, attend Ministers’ training for several summers before she accepted the call to preach in her forties. As a female accepting such a call from God has to be done in a space where one feels welcomed and loved. Rev. William’s couldn’t have selected a better place than Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church with Rev. William A. Lawson as her guide. Rev. Lawson believed that if God called a woman to preach who was he to stand in God’s way. Rev. Lawson offered Rev. Williams support and all the help she needed. She has been a member at Wheeler Avenue for years and for the past 28 years she has served in the church with her current role being the Minister of Counseling providing counseling for individuals, families, and group therapy to congregants who express a need to help deal with the challenges of life. Rev. Williams said her greatest joy is to see when people really learn to allow God to be in control of their lives and to witness them submit. It is similar advice that she has received and believes in as a minister: 1. Seek God’s face before making any decision, 2. Form an intimate relationship with God, 3. Study the Word and to always Trust God and 4. Lean and depend on God.

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Pastor Mia Knight Wright RELIGIOUS HISTORY MAKER Co-Pastor The Fountain of Praise

efore she enters a room you already know her name. Mia K Wright was ministering before she knew it. As the wife of Pastor Remus Wright, she was just worshipping her God while supporting her husband and church. She began to feel nudges from God when she started working on organizing the church’s expansion plans. Pastor Wright had a successful career in pharmaceutical sales, yet God was pushing her towards vocational ministry and she didn’t know what to do. Finally, she slowed down long enough to pray to God and wait for His answer. God said, “Preach my Word.” At first, Pastor Wright thought, God couldn’t be talking to her. Women preachers are not widely accepted in the world. “Maybe I heard the message wrong,” she thought. But oh no, Pastor Wright heard the message just fine. Finally accepting the call to preach the Gospel, Pastor Wright began ministering drawing souls to Christ, changing lives, and walking in her purpose. Now she is the co-Pastor of The Fontaine of Praise (her husband is the other co-Pastor) and Director of Ministry. She is over the development and organization of 250 leaders and 75 ministries. In her years of ministry, one of the number one lessons she has learned is to not argue with God but just to love, trust, and follow Him. Adhering to that Pastor Wright has become an in-demand conference speaker, pulpit orator, and motivational speaker with an annual Metamorphosis conference and book “Unthinkable” all for the glory of God. Might I also add she does this while balancing a family of four. She won’t stop because she can’t. She is fueled by the joy of “seeing people receive messages that help them to live better lives.”

March 11 – March 17, 2021

Backstage At The 63rd GRAMMY’s: DaBaby Describes His Reaction To Being Nominated For 4 GRAMMYs The 2021 GRAMMY Awards show performer lineup will also include performances from Black Pumas, Cardi B, Brandi Carlile, DaBaby, Doja Cat, Mickey Guyton, Haim, Brittany Howard, Miranda Lambert, Lil Baby, Chris Martin, John Mayer, Post Malone and more… By MORGAN ENOS Special For www.StyleMagazine.com

Beyoncé

DaBaby

DaBaby is up for Record Of The Year, Best Rap Performance, Best Melodic Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 2021 GRAMMY Awards Show

aBaby was nominated for two GRAMMYs at

Rap Performance, Best Rap Song (“Rockstar(opens in

the 2020 GRAMMY Awards show; now, for the

a new tab)”) and Best Rap Performance (“BOP(opens

2021 GRAMMY Awards show, he›s doubled

in a new tab)”).

his luck.

Check out the complete list of nominees at

“It definitely felt twice [as] impactful as last

link below, watch DaBaby give his final thoughts

year,” the rapper says in the latest episode of Backstage

before the ceremony below and don’t forget to tune

At The 63rd GRAMMYs. “I made a bold statement

into the 2021 GRAMMY Awards show this Sunday,

when I was nominated for them last year. I said, ‘I’m

March 14 to watch DaBaby perform—and find out if

going to be at the GRAMMYs and will be nominated

he will win!

every year of my career as a mainstream artist.’

They don’t call her “Houston’ queen for

“It’s definitely a repayment for the work that

nothing. With 79 nominations and 24 Grammy wins,

I put in over the past year,” he continues, noting that

Beyoncé is the most-nominated female artist in

the COVID-19 pandemic has been a presence in our

GRAMMY history.

lives throughout. However, because DaBaby put his nose to the grindstone while the world ground to a halt, “It’s

Dua Lipa

Jack Harlow

Backstage At The 63rd GRAMMYs: Dua Lipa Gives Her Final Thoughts Before Music’s Biggest Night

definitely showing me that the work I put in was absolutely worth it.” Now, for the 63rd GRAMMY Awards,

www.Grammy.com/Grammys/news/2021-gram-

he’s nominated for Record Of The Year, Best Melodic

mys-complete-nominees-list

March 11 – March 17, 2021

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BENEFITS OF

GETTING THE COVID-19 VACCINE Discover the benefits of getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The CDC dives into what is currently known and why it’s important to get vaccinated.

COVID-19 vaccination will help keep you from getting COVID-19 • All COVID-19 vaccines currently available in the United States have been shown to be highly effective at preventing COVID-19. • Based on what we know about vaccines for other diseases and early data from clinical trials, experts believe that getting a COVID-19 vaccine may also help keep you from getting seriously ill even if you do get COVID-19. • Getting vaccinated yourself may also protect people around you, particularly people at increased risk for severe illness from COVID-19. • Experts continue to conduct more studies about the effect of COVID-19 vaccination on severity of illness from COVID-19, as well as its ability to keep people from spreading the virus that causes COVID-19.

• Getting COVID-19 may offer some natural protection, known as immunity. Current evidence suggests that reinfection with the virus that causes COVID-19 is uncommon in the 90 days after initial infection. However, experts don’t know for sure how long this protection lasts, and the risk of severe illness and death from COVID-19 far outweighs any benefits of natural immunity. COVID-19 vaccination will help protect you by creating an antibody (immune system) response without having to experience sickness. • Both natural immunity and immunity produced by a vaccine are important parts of COVID-19 disease that experts are trying to learn more about, and the CDC will keep the public informed as new evidence becomes available.

COVID-19 vaccination will be an important tool to help stop the pandemic • Wearing masks and social distancing help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough. Vaccines will work with your immune system so it will be ready to fight the virus if you are exposed.

COVID-19 vaccination is a safer way to help build protection • COVID-19 can have serious, life-threatening complications, and there is no way to know how COVID-19 will affect you. And if you get sick, you could spread the disease to friends, family, and others around you.

• The combination of getting vaccinated and following CDC’s recommendations to protect yourself and others will offer the best protection from COVID-19.

• Clinical trials of all vaccines must first show they are safe and effective before any vaccine can be authorized or approved for use, including COVID-19 vaccines. The known and potential benefits of a COVID-19 vaccine must outweigh the known and potential risks of the vaccine for use under what is known as an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA).

• Stopping a pandemic requires using all the tools we have available. As experts learn more about how COVID-19 vaccination may help reduce spread of the disease in communities, CDC will continue to update the recommendations to protect communities using the latest science.

Source: CDC

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March 11 – March 17, 2021

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HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT The Houston Independent School District located in the Hattie Mae White Educational Support Center at 4400 West 18th Street Houston, Texas 77092 will accept proposals, until the stated date and time deadlines, in the Board Services Office, Level C1 • Project 21-01-04 – RFP / Hazardous Waste and Surplus Chemical Disposal – with a deadline of 10:00 AM on Wednesday, April 14, 2021. The Pre-Proposal Conference for this project will be via Microsoft Teams on Wednesday, March 24, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. CST. The solicitation for bids is available on the HISD web-site at: www.houstonisd.org. To access, go to Directory, Purchasing Services, Solicitation of Bids. The District reserves the right to reject any or all proposals, or, to accept the proposal that is most advantageous to the District.

Your Vote Is Powerful. REGISTER!

March 11 – March 17, 2021

FROM LEFT: Lee Vela, Commissioner Rodney Ellis, Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria, Bishop James Dixon, Angelica Razo, Delilah Agho-Otoghile, and Marla Lopez

ur democracy works best when everyone participates. Building on the record-breaking turnout from the November 2020 election, Commissioner Rodney Ellis, NAACP President Bishop James Dixon, VoteSimple and Mi Familia Vota are announcing their push to increase voter registration through a coordinated billboard campaign. Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria was also in attendance. With the April 1st deadline less than a month away to register for the May elections, Clear Channel Outdoor donated nine billboards in Harris County with the message: “Your Vote is Powerful. Register!” in English as well as in Spanish. “Harris County made great progress with our record-breaking turnout in the November 2020 election, but there is still work left to do,” said Commissioner Ellis, the campaign’s spokesman. “Unfortunately, in the year 2021 we are still seeing laws to restrict voting rights that look straight out of the Jim Crow Era. Voting rights is a civil right and a racial justice issue. We must fight back against these anti-voting efforts and ensure that everyone has access to the ballot.” If you come to our office, my staff is there to register you. We are there every step of the way, not to put up roadblocks, but to help you access your right to freedom and democracy, and your right to vote,” said Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria. “I am very grateful to have partners like this who are stepping up as well…to remind people that your right to vote is a daily right, not an annual right.” “There is no greater power that one citizen can have than that right to vote,” said NAACP Houston President Bishop James Dixon. “The national NAACP and all of our chapters -- 2,000 plus -- are committed to this one uni-

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fying message: That every American citizen should have the right to vote and should be able to do it without being oppressed or suppressed.” “VoteSimple is thrilled to partner with Commissioner Rodney Ellis’ office and likeminded community nonprofit organizations to register Harris County residents to vote,” said Delilah Agho-Otoghile, Co-Founder and President of VoteSimple. “Currently, only 83% of eligible voters in Harris County are registered to vote while other Texas counties such as Fort Bend and Travis County are closer to 97%. In just 2 months before the November 2020 election, VoteSimple registered over 6,300 Texans to vote using cost-effective and innovative social media tactics to reach newly eligible young voters of color and LGBTQ Texans. Register to vote and learn more about VoteSimple at www.VoteSimple.org” “We must make voting accessible to our Latinx community,” said Angelica Razo, Mi Familia Vota’s Texas State Director. “We’re excited to promote voter registration and participation in Spanish to boost engagement in our community.” Lee Vela, Vice President of Public Affairs at Clear Channel Outdoor, said the company donated the $30,000 billboard spaces that will reach thousands of Houston drivers. “These important messages that will be displayed on our roadways are so important to remind people to register and vote,” Vela said. “We support this nonpartisan, cooperative effort to get people registered to vote and to the polls.” The voter registration campaign consists of four large freeway boards and five poster panels placed in neighborhoods.

www.HarrisVotes.com

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March 11 – March 17, 2021

2021

MARCH IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH www.StyleMagazine.com

H 2021 Social Media Haute Shots + NAACP Officers Installation Program H

NAACP New President – James Dixon with Texas Rep. Ron Reynolds Bishop James Dixon and Rodney Ellis

Community Support Statements

James Dixon and Vanessa Gilmore

Sheila Jackson Lee greets President Joe Biden in Houston, Texas with a friendly ‘elbow bump’ of southern hospitality.

A Meaningful Life

First Lady Jill & Sheila Jackson Lee Bishop James Dixon w/Chief Acevedo, Mayor Turner and Ron Reynolds Mayor Turner, Gov and President

March 11 – March 17, 2021

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2021

MARCH IS WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH www.StyleMagazine.com

H 2021 Social Media Haute Shots + Around Town H

Tracy Morgan Is Playing Louis Armstrong In ‘Self-Financed’ Biopic

Michelle Obama Receives Covid Shot

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Healing America – Booking Signing

Martha Castex-Tatum – Vice Mayor Pro-Tem – 2021 State Of The District On March 30, 2021

2021 Public Official Of The Year JUSTICE FOR GEORGE: Sheila Jackson Lee welcomes Benjamin Crump

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– Martin Luther King, Jr.

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March 11 – March 17, 2021

2021

FEBRUARY IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH

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March 11 – March 17, 2021

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Texas Department Of Criminal Justice To Resume In-Person Visitation By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

eginning Monday, March 15, 2021, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice will resume in-person visitation at all units statewide. Visitors on official visitation lists may begin registering for Face 2 Face in-person visitation times starting Wednesday, March 10, 2021, at 8:00 a.m. by calling the unit of assignment of the inmate they would like to visit. In coming days, the call-in scheduling system will be replaced by an on-line visit booking system. Visits will be different than in the past. Initially, eligible inmates will be allowed two in-person visits per month. To allow for social distancing, visits will consist of one adult visitor. Visits will be one hour in length. Video visits will not count against the number of in-person visits each month. Visits will need to be scheduled in advance, but visitation times will be expanded to Monday, Wednesday, Friday from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., Saturday and Sunday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Families will be encouraged to call the day before the visit to verify if the visit is still scheduled and to arrive at least one hour in advance of their scheduled visit time. Inmates on medical isolation or restriction are prohibited from in-person visitation. No contact will be allowed during visits. Barriers will be in place. No items can be exchanged. The entire visit seating area and phones will be sanitized routinely with a 10% bleach solution or vital oxide. Prior to entry into the facility, visitors will be required to complete a 15-minute rapid COVID-19 test conducted by the agency. They will remain in their vehicles until the test is complete and individuals testing negative will be allowed to proceed into the facility. Visitors must wear appropriate face covering as they approach the highway gate check point. Should they not have one, a mask will be provided. Hand sanitizer will also be available to visitors. Staff assigned to visitation areas will be required to wear N95 masks

and gloves. Sanitation stations will be available in visitation areas. On March 13, 2020, the TDCJ suspended visitation after a disaster declaration was issued by Governor Greg Abbott. The decision, while difficult, was necessary to limit the introduction of COVID-19 into correctional facilities. Through an aggressive testing campaign and strong mitigation efforts, the agency has seen a significant reduction of coronavirus cases in the inmate population and is prepared to begin allowing limited visitation. Understanding the importance of communication with loved ones, the agency expanded access to the offender telephone system, introduced video visitation which will remain, and implemented other creative opportunities to keep incarcerated individuals and their families connected during the pandemic. The TDCJ believes it can safely resume limited face-to-face visits and access to volunteers with appropriate safety measures in place.

www.TDCJ.Texas.Gov/

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March 11 – March 17, 2021

HONORING

WOMEN’S HISTORY Month H-E-B celebrates the trailblazers of the past and the women of today for your leadership, courage, strength, influence and impact. You inspire us.

Yvonne P.

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Britany S.

Joe V’s Smart Shop Manager A 12-year Partner, Britany says actively engaging in change means leading by example, “To be the change, I must stand up for what I believe in, despite differing opinions. Handle yourself with integrity and develop trust among all people—all ages, races and cultures, that’s the way to create change,” she said.

As a mother of two biracial children, celebrating diversity and being inclusive is central to the way Yvonne lives each day. In order to create change, Yvonne believes it is her utmost responsibility to live as she teaches at home. “I encourage my children to celebrate differences and similarities with friends and classmates. I inspire them to be open with their thoughts and feelings while being mindful and empathetic to others,” she said.

Learn more at heb.com/bethechange

March 11 – March 17, 2021