Beyonce’ is shining a
The power of Bey Beyoncé’s chart success has translated into a spike in streaming numbers for other Black country artists, as public interest in the genre’s roots has been piqued. Fresh into her “Cowboy Carter” era, Beyoncé has broken ground and multiple records on the charts. Music streaming giant Spotify say the album has ofcially crossed the threshold as the most-streamed album of 2024 and smashed records for Amazon music streaming, breaking ground as the most-frst-daystreamed country album from a female artist in streaming history. But we can’t help but applaud our Houston superstar for providing an exponential uptick in streaming for the Black country artists she featured on her project. Songstress Tiera Kennedy experienced a 40,000 (yes 40-thousand) percent increase in catalog listens and 110% uptick in first-time streams. Similarly, both social media country darling Tanner Adell’s and Nashville crooner Reyna Roberts’ frst-time streams each have shot up 125%. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. All hail the Queen.
Lizzo calls it quits?
we can only assume she was venting...but there’s only so much one human can take and we w If she allows the hate to drive her of, it’ll be our loss.
Someone NOT feeling the love is our other Houston superstar, Lizzo, who’s been embroiled in allegations of workplace harassment since August. She recently published an Instagram post suggesting she’s done working. “I’m getting tired of putting up with being dragged by everyone in my life and on the internet,” she wrote. “All I want is to make music and make people happy and help the world be a little better than how I found it. But I’m starting to feel like the world doesn’t want me in it.” Lizzo did not explicitly name the two lawsuits that were brought against her last year by employees on her 2022 tour, but she referred to “lies being told about me for clout & views,” as well as “being the butt of the joke every single time because of how I look” and “my character being picked apart by people who don’t know me and disrespecting my name.” Te singer later clarifed that she’s not going anywhere, so
In the world of collegiate basketball, victories and defeats are commonplace, but the true essence of the sport lies in the relationships forged between teammates, their resilience in the face of adversity, and their unwavering support for one another. Tis sentiment rings true for LSU women’s basketball stars Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson, whose bond transcends the confnes of the court. Following a tough loss against Iowa in the Elite Eight game on April 1, where the LSU team fell short against the formidable Caitlin Clark (hey, we have to give her props), Reese opened up about the challenges she’s faced this season. Te Maryland native, who played a pivotal role in her team’s journey to the NCAA title last year, shared the emotional toll that comes with being thrust into the national spotlight at just 21 years old. Trough tears, she candidly spoke of the scrutiny, the hate, the attacks, and threats she’s endured since her championship win, highlighting the harsh realities of life in the public eye. Reese has faced her fair share of detractors for her competitive play and unapologetic demeanor on the court, and Johnson’s unwavering support serves as a reminder of the power of camaraderie and solidarity in the face of adversity. Together, they defy the stereotypes and misconceptions that ofen plague athletes in the public eye, reminding us that true victory lies in the strength of the relationships we build and the unwavering support we ofer one another, both on and of the court. Bravo, ladies.
On the Web
• OpEd: Why can’t Black women just be?
• Top 5 stressors that negatively impact Black health
• Why Netfix’s animated “Good Times” trailer is sparking controversy and backlash
Te Defender recently reported that crime statistics and the general public’s perception of crime levels didn’t match. In a word, the general public (in Houston and across the country) believes there is way more crime than the national, state and local numbers report.
But the reporting of those numbers, at least on the local level, is coming into question, amid the revelation that 264,000 Houston Police Department (HPD) cases were coded as suspended.
The issue
With more than 264,000 HPD incident reports over the past eight years shelved under the code of “Suspended—lack of personnel,” and now being retroactively investigated, did the omission of roughly 33,000 cases a year on average skew the crime rate counts?
When Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s Independent Review Panel gets underway sometime next week, it is charged with fnding that answer regarding if crime rate numbers, shown to be improving over the years, were afected by the lack of personnel code.
The 264,000 cases include more than 4,000 adult sex crime reports, 109,000 major assault cases and 6,500 homicide cases. Each was suspended under the same “lack of personnel,” according to Houston Police Chief Troy Finner.
More specifically, suspended cases included sexual assault cases and family violence cases.
Whitmire calls out previous administration
“I believe it has manipulated our crime rate,” said Whitmire regarding the suspended cases. “I believe the credibility of the City of Houston about crime was going in the right direction... it’s been revealed that was a spin. Because the credibility of the data collected by HPD and released to the public, for at least the last eight years, is fawed and been misrepresented of the true facts.”
Without naming names, Whitmire accused his predecessor, Sylvester Turner, of deceiving Houstonians, saying that the City “knew we had a criminal justice, crime problem in the City of Houston.”
Whitmire campaigned for his current seat with crime as his number one issue.
“I ran on that. We had no idea how bad it was in terms of data collection and suspension of incidents,” he added.
Still, several social scientists, including Sam Houston State University Criminal Justice Professor, Dr. Jay Coons, believe it’s too early to start afxing blame.
“Anything’s possible at this stage because we’ve got some very, very general fndings, we don’t have any specifcs,” Coons said. “We haven’t broken these quarter million cases down into specifc ofenses.”
Local example of national problem
To Coons’ point, police departments nationally have endured more than their share of controversies regarding the handling of cases and evidence, especially regarding Black defendants. Yvonne “Missy” Woods, a former DNA scientist with the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI), was found to have manipulated data and withheld testing results, according to a current criminal investigation.
She worked with the CBI crime lab for 29 years before being placed on administrative leave last October and retiring a month later.
And as of January 2024, the U.S. still has 90,000 rape kits yet to be tested.
Te city of Chicago is dealing with a very similar reality – cases being cleared simply by the way police code them. In Chicago, however, there have been an epidemic of cases where police purposely told family members one thing, when another was actually the case – i.e. they lied.
“Tere are things that are certain and simply unacceptable to the public, as we’re fnding out,” Coons said. “Clearing the case because we don’t have enough cops is just not something that is publicly unacceptable.”
For now, elected ofcials, HPD and the general public await the fndings of Whitmire’s Independent Review Committee.
Defender News Service
Houston Mayor John Whitmire has made a significant change within the Houston Public Library System, appointing Cynthia Wilson as the new interim executive director in place of the longstanding director, Rhea Lawson. Wilson, a former educator with experience as an elementary school principal and superintendent, will take on the leadership role while continuing her duties as the mayor’s Senior Advisor for Organizational Culture and Education.
Expressing gratitude for Wilson’s acceptance of the interim position, Whitmire emphasized the immediate need for improvements in communication, management, employee morale, and overall operations within the library system.
Te decision follows the closure of the Freed-Montrose Neighborhood Library, which ceased operations due to persistent safety and facility concerns that couldn’t be promptly addressed. Te mayor’s ofce cited issues such as an inoperative elevator, rendering the second foor inaccessible and non-compliant with ADA standards. Plans for a new library facility were also announced alongside the closure.
The Houston Public Library System comprises 44 public service units, including regional libraries, neighborhood and express libraries, research centers, technology centers, and a satellite location at the Children’s Museum Houston.
Wilson steps into her new role after Lawson’s 19-year tenure as executive director of the Houston Public Library System.
The good news: Blacks were the most exonerated group in 2023. The bad news: too many Blacks are still being wrongfully convicted. Seen here is Richard Miles, who in May 1994, found himself heading to prison for murder at 19 years old. In 2009, he was released and fully exonerated in 2012.
In the latest edition of “Is this good news or bad news,” out of 153 exonerations in 2023, roughly 61% of exonerees were Black, according to a new report published by The National Registry of Exonerations.
The good news: Blacks lead in receiving exonerations.
Te bad news: Blacks innocent of the crimes for which they have been convicted are still being incarcerated at insanely high rates.
Top exonerating states
Illinois had the most exonerations (24), followed by Texas (22), and New York (21).
In 2023, individuals who were cleared of wrongdoing collectively “lost” 2,230 years of their lives because those years of freedom had been unjustly taken away. On average, each exoneree endured 14.6 years of wrongful imprisonment, according to the new study.
And though the exonerees can’t go back in time and reclaim what was lost, they are excited to move forward living life outside of prison walls.
In May, 1994, Dallas resident Richard Miles found himself heading to prison for murder at 19 years old, sentenced to 60 years. He was
released in 2009, but wasn’t ofcially declared innocent until three years later. For Miles, though thankful for his eventual freedom, he still feels the pain of those years lost, and more.
“I ofentimes say, ‘May 15, 1994 is the day that Richard Ray Miles, Jr. died.’ I became a number – 728716,” Miles told CNN.
Te Registry noted that wrongfully convicted Black Americans have been compensated with a staggering $4 billion by state and local governments since 1989. Tis compensation has nearly doubled in just fve years since 2019 when exonerees received approximately $2.2 billion. This notable increase mirrors the rising number of exonerations and highlights one of the expenses associated with wrongful convictions, particularly in states like Illinois, New York, and Texas.
Te $4 billion paid to wrongfully convicted Blacks is viewed by some similarly to the money paid by cities whose police and sherif’s departments have been cited for misconduct – as a price the criminal justice system is willing to pay for the right to continue to engage in misconduct.
A 2022 Washington Post investigation found 25 of the nation’s largest
police and sheriff’s departments spent more than $3.2 billion to settle alleged misconduct claims within the past decade, including $1.5 billion in cases involving ofcers who were accused of misconduct more than once.
But police and sherif’s departments aren’t fitting the bill. That money comes from the tax payers, including those who were victims of the misconduct or the wrongful convictions.
According to the report, New York issued the highest amount of restitution to wrongfully convicted individuals, with compensation reaching $1.1 billion. Around 70% of the funds were allocated for damages in civil lawsuits, typically footed by cities and counties. In the Lone Star State, exonerees were granted $192 million, with 86% of it provided as state compensation.
“Tis demonstrates once again a troubling reality in America’s justice system,” said Barbara O’Brien, professor at Michigan State University College of Law and editor of the Registry.
“With 153 exonerations, predominantly afecting people of color, and billions in compensation paid since 1989, the toll of wrongful convictions is undeniable.”
Texans’ enrollment in health coverage under the Afordable Care Act (ACA) has surged to a historic high, marking a signifcant milestone. According to ofcials with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the total enrollment in Texas reached a record-breaking 3.3 million individuals in February of this year, coinciding with the program’s upcoming 14th anniversary.
In 2023, Texas had 2.4 million enrollees, compared to 1.8 million in 2022. Tis notable increase in ACA enrollment in Texas far surpassed the nationwide trend. U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra revealed that approximately 21.4 million people across the country enrolled for coverage under the ACA during the 2024 open enrollment period.
Becerra emphasized the substantial growth, citing an almost 80% increase from the end of the previous administration’s term. Among the enrollees, fve million were new to the marketplace, while 16 million renewed their coverage.
However, amidst these positive developments, there are renewed eforts by Republicans to dismantle the ACA. Former President Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee, has reiterated his intention to repeal the program if he wins against President Joe Biden in the upcoming election. Trump previously attempted but failed to repeal the ACA during his prior term.
Additionally, the House Republican Study Committee, including most of the Texas Republican House delegation, has proposed a budget for the next fscal year that aims to fully defund the ACA. Houston-area GOP Congressmen Brian Babin, Dan Crenshaw, Morgan Luttrell, Michael McCaul, and Troy Nehls are among the proponents of this budget.
Te budget proposal criticizes the ACA, claiming it has not delivered on its promises regarding plan retention, afordability, quality of care, or availability of doctors. It advocates for the full repeal of the ACA’s tax increases, labeling them as detrimental to the healthcare system.
Black Restaurant Week is back in Houston, and this year, the festival will focus on promoting Black-owned businesses and Black professionals in the business! Te idea is to put businesses without the funds for expensive marketing strategies in the limelight. How cool is that?
Black Restaurant Week is underway now and runs through Sunday, April 14.
This will be the week’s 9th campaign, where Houstonians can discover Black-owned restaurants, food trucks and dessert destinations across Houston, Beaumont and other surrounding metro areas. The selection of restaurants features a diverse palate — with flavors from African-American, African and Caribbean cuisines.
“Most businesses do not have marketing/PR/advertising dollars to promote their business; thus, Black Restaurant Week, LLC. was developed to shine a light
on minority businesses, aiding them in building community awareness to increase their bottom line,” Black Restaurant Week said in a statement.
Black Restaurant Week is an experimental marketing agency founded in 2016 by three friends — founder and managing partner Warren Luckett, managing partner of operations Falayn Ferrell
and managing partner of marketing Derek Robinson. Teir goal was to celebrate the diferent types of food within the Black community. Te organization, in collaboration with corporations and community partners, organizes culinary events and marketing campaigns to shed light on businesses struggling with funds.
Since its inception, the organization has supported more than 3,000 restauranteurs, bartenders,
chefs, caterers and food trucks. Tey have expanded to 11 other markets across North America.
Per the Independent Restaurant Coalition, 500,000 restaurants and bars are faced with uncertainty because of lost revenue and increased debt. Moreover, 1.1 million minority-owned businesses face a variety of challenges and disparities when it comes to acquiring funding.
“COVID-19 changed the landscape since 2020,” Luckett said. “Now, the price of food is soaring. From being overlooked for revitalization funds to infation, most Black-owned culinary businesses cannot aford advertisements/PR/ marketing to build awareness and attract customers.”
Observing these challenges to such businesses, the nonprofit arm of Black Restaurant Week, Feed the Soul Foundation, started a cohort program to fnancially and professionally support marginalized restaurant entrepreneurs.
Reggae Hut
Juliet
The Fry Guys
Legendary Vibes, LLC
This Little Cake of Mine Dessert Bar, LLC
Waters Edge
Winery & Bistro
The Sweet Swirl
Chef Tarrance
Michael
Culinary Cognition Catering, LLC
FRNDS Restaurant & Lounge
Pur Noire Urban Wineries
B’s Wine Bar
Fry Daddy’s
Chasin’ The Taste
Chef Baker’s Place 2LLC
The Smoke
Black Girl
Tamales: Mango
Deli and Cafe
Park Place @
The Boardwalk
Steakhouse & Grille
Taste of Nigeria
Krab Kingz
Antoine
Gottis Restaurant & Bar
Ray’s Real Pit BBQ
Shack
Cajun Street
The LaRoux Table
Peppaz HTX
Wing Quarter
Daiquiris & Creole Kitchen
Comfort Foodies
LA Burgers and Daiquiris
Houston This is It
Soul Food
Cool Runnings
Jamaican Grill
Ms. Myrtle’s
Bakery Shoppe
Twisted Grilled Cheese
According to the 2023 Homeless Count & Survey, the number of homeless persons in Houston and surrounding areas sits at about 3,300. Tis number may feel low to those who frequently drive along Bayou City streets, feeder roads, and other areas where large numbers of the unhoused congregate.
And for good reason.
Tat number is dwarfed when considering that in 2021, more than 21,000 people in Harris, Fort Bend, and Montgomery counties accessed some type of homeless service. And when those who sought homelessness prevention and other services (i.e. clothing or food assistance) are added, the number jumps to more than 52,000 people.
And homelessness isn’t just a condition that happens to “other” people. With over 16% of Harris County residents living in poverty (a 2021 number that doesn’t include those teetering on the brink of poverty), homelessness for many could be just one missed check, one serious medical emergency, or one lost job away.
Last year, 42% of unsheltered people were homeless for the frst time — up from 40% in 2022. And Black people made up 55% of people living in the Greater Houston area experiencing homelessness even though they comprised only 20% of the area’s population.
So, with Blacks enduring an outsized percentage of this reality, who are local Blacks working on the front lines to combat this crisis?
Dr. Rudy Rasmus
Founded in 1992 by the Rasmuses, Bread of Life, Inc. began by serving hot meals to Houston’s homeless, quickly expanding to ofer a broad range of services and support. In partnership with Beyoncé’s BeyGOOD and Tina Knowles-Lawson, they’ve conducted anti-hunger initiatives and disaster relief eforts. Nearly three decades later, Bread of Life continues to aid underserved communities in Houston through programs in homelessness, health, hunger relief, and their community radio station KMAZ Te Amazing 102.5 FM.
Rudy Rasmus was a self-described
non-believer who didn’t really do the church thing for a long time, but was inspired by the words of one particular televangelist, Robert Schuler. “During his intro he would always say one thing that always resonated with me – ‘Find a need and fll it.’
looking around for something that was convenient for me, I looked immediately to the people who were right in front of me. And that was a very robust homeless community. And we just served that community right where we were, with everything we had.”
the three H’s: homelessness, healthcare access and hunger.
“Te way we impact homelessness is by providing a continuum of care and concern for people either through actual placement in a unit that we have built, either through the case management process by identifying and helping people to transition into and by educating people with a skill or a trade that can give them economic capacity,” said Rasmus.
Regarding the second “H” (health), Rasmus says BOL “focuses on closing the gap between the service providers and those folk who are the most underserved, and helping to navigate the real complex matrix of services for that very underserved community.” Tey not only provide community health workers in strategic places in the community’s health infrastructure, they also train people to become certifed community health workers which is a new feld emerging in healthcare.
And BOL has been addressing that third “H” (hunger and food insecurity) for a long time, starting with the serving of a hot meal, 500 a day for about 20 years.
provide housing opportunities for the houseless, and more.
Te Rasmuses, however, are not the only Blacks giving time, energy and service to Houston’s unhoused.
Toni Benson-Atkinson, Coalition for the Homeless (CFH)
have impacted many within the church and Houston’s 5th Ward Community.
Phill ran a transitional living facility out in Fifth Ward for HIV-positive men with drug addictions, but outgrew the space. He approached the City for support and was awarded $1.4 million to build ACSP.
Demetria Qualls, Hearts of Rescue Qualls is the founder and executive director of Hearts of Rescue, a nonproft organization that ofers mobile showers to members of the unhoused homeless community. Qualls, an associate minister at the Luke Humble, along with being a mother, wife and IT director, started the organization in 2009 providing necessities (food, clothing, etc.) to shelters until she received a divine message during the COVID-19 pandemic to “clean God’s people.” Trough partnerships with the Church Project (Woodlands), which loans HOR their two-shower unit trailer, and Bammel Church of Christ’s Manna Food Pantry (2700 Cypress Creek Parkway, Houston TX 77068), HOR ministers to the homeless in the FM 1960 and Kurkendal area by providing opportunities to shower and receive a word, along with a meal and self-care items. READ
there, Lydia’s Place Apartments, named afer my auntie.
Dr.
And I would say, pointing to the television, ‘Yeah! Tat’s what Christians need to be doing, fnding a need and flling it instead of all this other stuf.’ So, when given an opportunity to serve the community, instead of
Inspired by his mentor, a national legend in homeless ministry, San Francisco’s Reverend Cecil Williams, Rasmus and wife Juanita have become national leaders in this space, as well, with Bread of Life, Inc. (BOL) focusing on
In 2023 alone BOL, through the generosity of its donors, donated $3.5 million to families in need, delivered $30.1 million in products and supplies to needy families (freeing up limited funds for them to purchase food), and provided over 44,000 individuals with food and supplies. And that’s not counting the fve housing developments created (the most recent being the Rasmus Temenos Place Apartments) to
CFH is considered the leader of the homeless response system for Harris, Ft. Bend and Montgomery counties. Founded in 1982 and incorporated as a nonprofit in 1988, CFH acts as a catalyst, uniting partners and maximizing resources to move people experiencing homelessness into permanent housing with supportive services. Benson-Atkinson, CFH’s director of Outreach and Coordinated Access, works with the organization’s Rapid Rehousing program, and brings 10+ years of experience in various felds of social service, adding to her impact in this area.
Stanley Phill, A Caring Safe Place
Phill, founder and senior pastor of A Safe Place Church, is also the founder and executive director of A Caring Safe Place, Inc. (ACSP), a transitional living facility for men.
Phill’s passion, love and commitment to people
“At the time, I wasn’t a developer, but I took it on and I got a contracting company and we built that facility on time, under budget with no change orders in the heart of Fifh Ward under my watch. And from that moment it struck a chord in me, because we were in the Fifth Ward Enhanced Enterprise Zone and in that area there’s pockets of poverty. Te numbers were high. Te rates of recidivism and all of those things were high. I built that facility, and now people come from all over the country. We house them there. It’s frst-class, state-of-the-art transitional living facility in the heart of Fifh Ward. From that, we’ve built a 15-unit apartment complex about a mile from
I’ve always had a desire to build, to take nothing and make it something.”
STANLEY PHILL
Study afer study confrms it: as the coronavirus pandemic disrupted daily life in the U.S., gun violence surged nationwide, but disproportionately afected Black communities. Alarmed by increases in majority-Black cities like Detroit, Washington, D.C., and Milwaukee, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared gun homicides a public health crisis.
But data in a new report has found that the tide of pandemic-era gun violence also swept in a disturbing number of school-age Black boys and girls, creating an educational crisis.
Since 2019, gun homicides among Black youths have more than doubled, and Black children are six times more likely than their white peers to die from gunfre, according to the February report by KFF, a health policy nonproft. Te report also found that Black boys and girls made up nearly half of all young people killed by frearms in the U.S., even though they make up just 14% of the youth population.
Moreover, the report found that most of the deaths were classifed as homicides — not suicides or accidental shootings.
“In general, children of color are more ofen exposed to gun violence than their White peers,” regardless of income, according to the report. But “children living in areas with a high concentration of poverty are more likely to experience frearm-related deaths, and poverty disproportionately afects children of color.”
Nirmita Panchal, the report’s author, says the data on the pandemic-era surge shows Black children are even more exposed than their white peers to deadly gun violence — and that exposure can have long-term psychological efects that can hamstring their education.
“Tere have been some (studies) that show that gun violence can also impact their school performance,” Panchal says. “Just witnessing neighborhood violence, domestic violence, mass shootings — that exposure can have negative mental health outcomes” such as “increased absenteeism, difculties concentrating,” and other behavior issues.
Te report examined gun violence and homicides involving children and adolescents from 2019, the year before the pandemic emerged, to 2022, when the federal government declared the pandemic had ended. Te goal: to determine if patterns had changed, whether there were demographic variants, and if there are any policies in place to address the issue.
What Panchal and her team found was astonishing: From 2019 to 2022, gunfire
deaths among children ages 17 and younger increased by nearly 50%, becoming the leading cause of death for young people in the U.S. In 2022 alone, some seven children a day were shot and killed, according to the report.
“During this period, frearm death rates gradually rose until 2017, then slowed through 2019, before sharply rising with the onset of the pandemic and holding steady in 2022,” according to the report. From 2019 to 2022, the frearm death rate among children and adolescents increased by 46% (from 2.4 to 3.5 per 100,000).”
At the same time, gun assaults “accounted for two out of three frearm deaths among children and adolescents in 2022,” according to the report. “Leading up to the pandemic,
gun assaults made up about half of all child and adolescent frearm deaths. However, from 2019 to 2022, the share of these frearm deaths attributed to gun assaults grew from 54% to 66%.”
Perhaps the most alarming data point, however, involved Black young people.
Since the pandemic began, “frearm death rates have sharply increased among Black and Hispanic children and adolescents” and doubled among Black youths during those three years, according to the report. “In 2022, the rate of frearm deaths among Black youth was 12.2 per 100,000 — substantially higher
than any other racial and ethnic group and six times higher than White youth.”
Even excluding homicides, Black children were disproportionately afected by gun violence, according to the report.
“Black and male children and adolescents were more likely to experience nonfatal frearm injuries than their peers,” according to the report. Since then, however, “disparity among Black youth firearm injuries and exposures has been exacerbated since the pandemic began.”
While homicides get attention, Panchal says, “I think one of the things we’re highlighting here is, in addition to these youth deaths, there are also many more youth who go on to survive these gunshot wounds.”
At the same time, those survivors “may face additional obstacles with both their physical and mental health” that their families and teachers must deal with, Panchal says. “A shooting doesn’t just afect the youth who may be at the center of that gun violence exposure. It also afects the well being of their family and, perhaps, their community.”
While the data are alarming, Panchal points to diferent steps taken to help children exposed to gun violence, including the federal Safer Communities Act. Besides tightening gun laws, the legislation set aside millions of dollars for anti-violence intervention programs, afer-school programs and accessible, school-based mental health programs. Te report also points to other federal initiatives, including programs aimed to boost Black youth mental health in response to sharply rising suicide rates.
Still, the report ends on a cautionary note about what could happen if gun violence isn’t brought under control.
“Gun violence can lead to increased mental health and substance use concerns,” according to the report. “Te recent increase in child and adolescent frearm injuries and deaths come at a time when concerns about youth mental health have grown, but access to and utilization of mental health care may have worsened.”
Ashley Lazarre is a Houston-based storyteller and content creator who is an indomitable force in the fight for global justice and Black women’s empowerment. Born in Haiti, this powerhouse brings a whole new groove to the intersection of activism, academia, and style. Ashley isn’t just breaking barriers; she’s rewriting the rulebook with a whole lot of slay!
As a Ph.D. candidate at the University of Massachusetts Boston studying Global Inclusion & Social Development, she hopes to build a career that “empowers vulnerable groups to overcome collective trauma through storytelling” and contribute to post-disaster management by collaborating with governments and international NGOs.
Ashley’s story is a blend of brains, beauty, and boldness. Tired of the same old social justice jargon, she discovered the gamechanger—online platforms that pulse with real stories. So, what did she do? She took control of her own narrative and has garnered more than 16,000 followers on Instagram and thousands more on TikTok.
The Defender spoke with Lazarre to learn about her work as a content creator.
DEFENDER: How did your interest in the arts,particularly fashion and storytelling, start?
ASHLEY LAZARRE: I’m from Haiti. And my mom although I didn’t grow up with her, I always remember her being the most dressed in the room. Whenev er she went somewhere, people were al ways so amazed by her fashion. She also had a clothing store with my name called Ashley Boutique. Although I was young then, I knew nothing about fashion, but she always dressed me nicely. And I think that kind of stuck with me. When I moved to the US, I felt like, although I didn’t know how to speak English, people could always identify me based on what
“For the first time I feel like I could be myself because Houston is a Black city.”
ASHLEY LAZARRE
of activism. I love how she showed up and encouraged people to wear prosthetic legs in a fashionable way. And it was really using her platform to speak about disability rights and Black women. I felt like a student in the background watching her, slowly disconnecting from the traditional way of social justice. And I was leaning more towards the new way of things she was doing, or other women are doing online, using that platform and their voice. She’s always been the model that brought me to my current path.
DEFENDER: How was the journey ofprofessionally showing up as yourauthentic self?
I was wearing. I was always the girl who was maybe quiet but would always show up. My style would speak before I did. I was a bit shy, but based on how I dressed, you would say that this girl was the most confident in the room.
It was also school and social media, Instagram specifically, that played a role.
I remember I’ve always known that I wanted to do global work. I’ve always known that I wanted to work with some kind of international organization. Then, I got into my PhD program, which basically focuses on that. It focused on international
organizations like the UN, USAID and their work in developing countries. At the time, I said I’m from Haiti. I see what the UN is doing back home, and it’s none of the stuff you guys are saying in these books. At the time, I think Instagram was fairly fresh. Then there was a Haitian blogger called Mama Cax, who was really famous. I really started to lean towards her form
LAZARRE: I started to feel a deep disconnection with Boston during the pandemic. And I think at the time, too, I was a bit depressed. I’ve lived in Boston for 14 years and still don’t feel like it’s home. And I feel like that really bothered me, that a place that I’ve spent, you know, the other half of my life in other than Haiti, and I still can’t call Boston home. Like, I would go to school, and I’ll feel like I have to, I have to, you know, I have to put on a mask, you know, I’ll, like, for example, if I wanted to wear jeans and a T-shirt and, you know, some nice boots, I would have to opt-out for something more traditional because I’m among other, you know, you know, future doctoral students who have that kind of mentality.
The people around me didn’t have an open mind where, you know, I could show up how I truly wanted to be. Yes. I think I came to visit Texas while I was studying for my Ph.D. exam in Austin. And while I was there, I just kind of felt unrestricted. I don’t know how to explain it. I just felt for the first time I could be myself. For the first time, I felt like I could be myself because Houston is a Black city. Yeah. And I feel in Boston, although there is a majority of Blacks there, it just, it wasn’t the same.I’ve always felt like, because I knew I was this smart girl, I had to tone down my fashion in Boston so that people didn’t misinterpret who I was. Once I moved to Texas, I felt these boundaries no longer existed.
Learn about Ashley’s upcoming creative endeavors
Panthers’ Ryann Payne named to HBCU All-American team
Prairie View A&M guard
Ryann Payne has added to her list of accomplishments this season after being named to the BOXTOROW HBCU All-American First Team. Payne, a 5-7 guard, who played at TCU and LSU before arriving at PV, averaged 16.8 points per game, totaling 402 points overall. This season, her only one with the Panthers, Payne also dished out 59 assists (2.5 apg). She was selected as the Southwestern Athletic Conference Newcomer of the Year and SWAC First Team after leading PVAMU to a spot in the conference tournament.
UH sprinter Shaun Maswanganyi shines at Texas Relays
The men’s 4x200-meter relay of senior Devonte Burnett, junior Trey East III, freshman Cayden Broadnax and senior Shaun Maswanganyi
finished in first place with a time of 1:21.55, where they now hold the fastest time in the world. Maswanganyi also competed in the 100-meter final, claiming first place with a time of 10.09 (2.1 m/s). This ties the senior sprinter with two others at No.1 in the nation. Maswanganyi is the first Cougar to win the event at Texas Relays since former University of Houston Track and Field Head Coach Leroy Burrell did so in 1986.
The Texas Southern golf program officially unveiled its state-of-the-art golf simulator room inside the H&PE Arena in front of national leadership from the PGA, LPGA and USGA. Texas
Southern University is one of 10 HBCUs selected for the HBCU Golf Consortium initiative, a pilot program under the leadership of Make Golf Your Thing focusing on the business of golf, research and agronomy, and career pathways. The simulator, which is housed in one of the former racquetball rooms on the south end of the building, allows the TSU golf teams to simulate course conditions indoors along with providing student-athletes another avenue to gain valuable repetitions regardless of the weather in addition to providing a place where they can congregate throughout the day.
The clanging of the bottles and the annoying voice and cadence are becoming more clear.
The only thing is instead of actor David Patrick Kelly in the 1970s hit film, “The Warriors,” it’s the normally reserve Tari Eason acting as the menace.
“Warriors come out to plaaaaay.”
Not even a month ago, it might have seemed ridiculous that the Rockets would be calling out the four-time World champion Golden State Warriors. But that is exactly what is happening as the Rockets attempt to run down the aging Warriors for the 10th and final Western Conference playoff spot during this final month of the NBA regular season.
An improbable March run, that saw the up-and-coming Rockets put together an 11-game winning streak and post a 13-2 record in March, has made the impossible seem possible.
The Rockets and Warriors are in a downto-wire race for the final play-in spot with Thursday night’s showdown between the two sure to have all types of implications. Only three games separate the two - really four games because the Warriors will own the head-to-head tiebreaker.
The Rockets put themselves in a tougher spot by losing at home to Dallas to snap their 11-game winning streak, streak and then suffered a 113-106 loss at Minnesota. The Warriors, meanwhile, have defeated San Antonio and Dallas on the road to strengthen their hold on the 10th final playoff spot.
It’s meaningful Rockets basketball with six games left in April, which hasn’t been the case in Houston in a while.
“That’s probably the most important thing. You would obviously like to be solidified in the spot or something like that,” first-year coach Ime Udoka said after his team celebrated after defeating the Thunder in overtime to extend their winning streak to 10 on March 27. “In January or February their season had been over in the past, but to still be playing for something, winning 10 in a row and playing against high-quality teams, that’s the reaction you are going to get.”
The names and the young core of Jalen Green, Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson, Cam Whitmore and Eason haven’t changed.
But the intensity, understanding and maturity have certainly changed since the AllStar break.
All of a sudden, a team that looked like it was headed back into the NBA Draft Lottery in January is looking like a team that can win some games in the playoffs this season.
Much of the turnaround rests with Green, who is showing himself to be the young and dynamic star after being subject to countless trade rumors prior to February’s trade deadline. Green averaged 29.8 points during the Rockets’ 10-game winning streak, which included two 40-plus points games and two 37-point games.
But it hasn’t been Green alone.
Collectively, the team is playing some of the best defense in the league and the offense has been elite as well, even without talented Alperen Sengun (ankle sprain) in the lineup.
“We’re playing more aggressive, we’re playing together and I feel like everyone has one goal and are narrowing in on that one goal,” veteran Dillon Brooks told the Defender. “Now everyone is on the same page and aggressive, confident rate of play, you get that good result.”
At times, it’s hard to believe this is the same team that ended February with a record of 25-34. But clearly there has been more of a buy-in to Udoka’s style of play, and the results
have been beyond impressive.
Some may not remember, but the Boston Celtics slumped early and then turned it around during their first and only season under Udoka a couple of years ago. That Celtics team ended up in the NBA Finals against the Warriors.
“I feel like we are bought into winning games, regardless of who is scoring, who is in foul trouble, who is out,” Brooks said of the reason for the Rockets turnaround. “We are just trying to figure out how to win games to get our goal.”
That goal is obviously making the postseason, which the Rockets haven’t made since the 2019-2020 season. Surprisingly, Udoka insists the playoffs have not been discussed in the locker room as a team.
“Everybody sees the standings,” he said. “We know where we are, but it’s not something we’ve talked about since we’ve been winning and playing better since the AllStar Break. What we’ve been focusing on is maintaining that standard and playing a consistent level of basketball.
“We know we need some help as far as that. Everybody looks at it, of course. We know. The players know and they have discussed it in the media but it’s not something we’ve talked about. We just want to continue to stack wins together and put the pressure on the other teams.”
For the fourth consecutive year, the Wheatley Wildcats’ 4x100-meter relay team has advanced to the 4A area meet. Te team, consisting of four football players, has formed bonds reminiscent of four brothers, uniting them in their pursuit.
“It’s all love. Tey’re my brothers, all of them. Our bond is strong like a family. We win together, we lose together. Whatever we do, we put it on the track,” said anchor leg, Jacory Bonner.
Wheatley’s current 4x100-meter relay team includes Demetrius Evans, Joseph Andrews Jr., Nazier Elder and Jacory Bonner. Teir best recorded time this year stands at 42.8 seconds. With two members returning from last year’s top-eight fnishing team at the 4A regionals, they’re determined to surpass their previous achievements.
“We have a great group of guys. We know that in the area round you have a lot of
top-tier talent and there is more speed and strength on the track, but we’re working to be able to compete with that,” said Wheatley head track coach Lionel Kinsey III.
Senior Demetrius Evans runs the frst leg of the relay and serves as team captain. He previously ran with the Dragons during his 10th grade year hoping to get more experience and take his track career more seriously.
“Tat was my frst year being on varsity. I saw that it was more to track than just running in school,” said Evans.
Tis led Evans to ask his coach to place their 4A team in 6A meet competitions.
“Running in 6A meets as a 4A school helped us not only learn what it took to win, but what it felt like to lose and stay humble when races don’t go our way,” said Evans.
Joseph Andrews Jr., a junior, runs the second leg. He got his start at 9 years old with Track Houston but stopped running when he got to the 6th grade.
“During quarantine, I got slower. Realizing I needed to increase my speed for football, I started looking for ways to improve my speed. Ten the thought came to me, ‘I might as well get back into running track,’” said Andrews.
“When I strategically structure our relay team, I try to keep our strongest man within the second and third leg because the second leg is always the longest stretch without a curve,” said Coach Kinsey.
Junior, Nazier Elder, runs the third leg. Nazier is new to this year’s 4x100-meter relay team. Tis is only his second year running track and his frst year running on varsity, but he is showing signs of domination.
“I have never run summer track and last year was my frst year ever running track. As a unit, we have great chemistry. We all grew up together, we all cool, all good vibes,” said Elder.
“Nazier is a hard worker and an excellent starter to keep the race going from the second
leg to the anchor leg,” said Coach Kinsey. Jacory Bonner, a junior, anchors the 4x100-meter relay team. He went from just being the mascot and not liking sports, to just trying something new, to now being a part of a team advancing to the 4A area meet.
“One day I was late to class and running in the hallway. Coach saw me running in the halls and invited me and my friend to track practice. I fgured we’d go just to see what they were doing, and while there I raced everybody and I beat them. Next thing I know I was on the varsity track team,” said Bonner.
Te Wheatley Wildcats’ 4x100-meter relay team will have to sharpen their handofs to continue dropping a faster time to advance.
“We focus on handofs three to four times a week,” said Coach Kinsey. “We focus on breakdowns, zones and various drills because we know handofs along with speed are very important if we want to continue to the next meet. We don’t want the stick to slow down.”
Joanne Pierre-Louis dreamed of pursuing higher education and building a successful career, but like many young Americans, she faced the daunting reality of student loan debt. Armed with ambition and determination, she embarked on a journey to tackle her fnancial burden head-on, determined to free herself from debt.
For Pierre-Louis,38, the road to fnancial freedom was paved with dis cipline and sacrifce. Afer graduating from Ohio State University with over $100,000 in student loan debt in 2011, she knew that paying off her loans would require a strategic approach and unwavering discipline. Over 13 years, Pierre-Louis diligently chipped away at her debt, making consistent payments and prioritizing her fnancial goals.
“I graduated with a degree in sociol ogy, but I didn’t know what I wanted to do afer I graduated with it. I got a job in fnance working as a mortgage loan ofcer for JP Morgan in Dallas for a $45,000 salary,” she said. “I had to pay rent, insurance, buy food, and soon realized that this salary was nothing, especially when my student loan payment was $800 [a month].”
Repayment challenges
Her journey was not without its chal lenges. Pierre-Louis faced setbacks and obstacles along the way, navigating a job layof, packing her bags, and moving back home with her family to fgure out how to tackle the debt. She considered herself privileged to live at home and save on signifcant expenses, which helped her make large payments over time.
still having a life, traveling, and enjoying my hobbies,” she said. “Also, being a Black single woman making six fgures with a bachelor’s degree, I have no interest in getting a master’s. But I encourage people in college to research the return on investment on their degrees.”
I encourage people in college to research the return on investment on their degrees”
JOANNE PIERRE-LOUIS
rate and payment.”
He has made progress. He owes about $30,000 on his debt and predicts it will take him nine more years to become debt-free.
“Any extra money I get, I throw it at the loan. Monetary gifs and tax returns, too,” he said. “I’m at the point where I can safely budge around these things.”
As a married man with hopes of growing his family, conversations about money with his spouse are a top priority for him. Tey discussed their relationship with money, management, and career advancement goals.
“My federal loans were about $5,000; the rest were private. Tere were no refnance options, and interest rates were at 8.9% and growing every day, so I had to pay them, even during COVID,” she said. “I eventually hired a career coach to fnd ways to make more money, and I got an almost $40,000 pay increase. Over time, I eventually cracked six figures, but I had to be disciplined enough to pretend I was making $50,000 or living way below my means to pay of debt.
She took on a full-time job, a part-time job at Macy’s, and her makeup service as a side business. She aggressively paid between $1800-$2,400 a month, not including other expenses. Now, she is $10,000 away from being debt-free.
“I plan to pull $5,000 for my retirement and $5,000 from my savings, and I’ll be done in April. Mind you, I did this while
Many Black millennials have taken proactive steps to tackle their student loan debt and achieve fnancial stability in recent years. From budgeting and saving to strategic debt repayment strategies, these individuals leverage their resources and ingenuity to overcome fnancial obstacles and build brighter futures.
Joanne PierreLouis is $10,000 short from paying of over $100,000 of student loans debt.
Credit: Joanne PierreLouis
school educator Daniel Kemper, have private loan payments, which aren’t eligible for income-based repayment plans.
Borrowers collectively shoulder $128 billion in private student loans, which make up 7.3% of the $1.76 trillion student loan market. Private loans are rarely forgiven. Tat only happens when you are permanently disabled or dead.
During President Joe Biden’s recent State of the Union address, he noted that four million people received federal student loan forgiveness since he took ofce and is working on a new plan that could expand relief even more. Unfortunately, many people, like elementary
Kemper graduated from New York University in 2009 as a theatre major with $75,000 in student loan debt. He wanted to be an actor, but he soon realized how difcult achieving that goal would be. He didn’t have any jobs lined up, and even though his parents supported his dream, they couldn’t help him financially. So he applied to multiple temp jobs and stomped the pavements, handing resume copies to employers.
“I worked about three part-time jobs.
I was under a graduate repayment program paying $350, but as soon as it ended, it blew up to $800 a month, and I just didn’t have it,” he said. “I ended up consolidating my loans to give me a lower interest
“Transparency is key. We broke down the numbers, how much we needed to start a family, and learned what we could do diferently,” he said. “I’ve been teaching for more than 10 years as a placeholder for when I could fnally quit my job to get into entertainment, and my wife advised me to treat my position like a career and take on more responsibilities and ask for more pay. It was the best decision.”
Here are the action steps to consider when paying of student debt:
Pay more than the minimum due
Interest and fees make up most of the minimum payment for student loans. Tat implies that the principal—the total amount you borrowed—will only receive a small portion of your funds. Furthermore, interest and fees will accrue over an extended period if the principal is unpaid. Without signifcantly reducing your actual debt, you can end up paying hundreds of dollars in interest over time.
Keep expenses as low as possible
Continue living on a budget, even if you have an increase in income. Lifestyle infation can have signifcant impacts on your fnances and expenses over time. It might lead you to prioritize immediate gratifcation over long-term fnancial security. If you lose income, such as from a layof, you might fnd yourself without savings to fall back on.
Getting a second job to supplement your income can help if you’re having trouble paying of debt or want to pay of your balances more quickly.
Change the payment schedule from automatic monthly to automatic biweekly. Paying every two weeks results in 13 payments annually as opposed to 12. Tis makes it easier to pay down your student loan burden quickly without realizing it.