Houston Style Magazine vol 28 No 22

May 25, 2017 - May 31, 2017

Houston Style Magazine Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication

Volume 28 | Number 22

Complimentary

Jesse Jackson

Venezuela Needs a Helping Hand, Not a Hammer Blow

Have the Best Summer Yet Words by Jo-Carolyn Goode Photo credit - millionstarhotel.com Follow Us #TeamStyleMag

Twitter @HoustonStyle

ATLF Supports Higher Education

Instagram @StyleMagazine

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Rep. Al Green

Congressman Responds to Racist Threats of Lynching

CeCe Winans

Brings ‘Let Them Fall In Love’ Tour to Houston

Brentwood Partners with Macy’s for Youth 9 Facts About Lupus

N E W S | C O M M E N TA R I E S | S P O R T S | H E A LT H | E N T E R TA I N M E N T

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Volume 29 | Number 22 | May 25, 2017 - May 31, 2017

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NATIONAL WRITERS

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

PHOTOGRAPHERS Vicky Pink vhpink@gmail.com

Eat With Style

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William Ealy Williamealy1906@gmail.com Semetra Samuel semetra@artistikrebelcreative.com Mike Munoz artrepreneur91@gmail.com Robert Franklin editorial@stylemagazine.com

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COMMENTARYBlow Venezuela Needs a Helping Hand, Not a Hammer

By Jesse Jackson, National Writer

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f you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail. The United States has a big hammer: the military, plus the intelligence community’s covert intervention forces. So we are dropping bombs from drones in seven countries.

Donald Trump goes to Saudi Arabia peddling arms and urging military cooperation.

When North Korea acts up, he dispatches an aircraft carrier flotilla as a “show of force.”

When Syria’s government is accused of using chemical weapons, he unleashes a barrage of cruise missiles. Now as Venezuela descends toward chaos, much of the hemisphere fears the U.S. will reach for its covert hammer to help get rid of a regime it doesn’t like.

The people in Venezuela are suffering horribly in the midst of a deepening recession.

A recent study reported that nearly threefourths of the people have lost weight amid a spreading food shortage. In 2016 inflation soared to 800 percent while the economy lost nearly 20 percent of its GDP. More than 40 percent of the population lives in extreme poverty. Violent death is now a daily feature of a country with one of the highest homicide rates in the world. Shortages of food and medicine are growing, hospitals are increasingly dysfunctional, and prisons are scarred by riots and massacres. Violent mass protests and rising state repression threaten to spiral out of control.

POLITICAL

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ep. Al Green confirmed Monday that officials are investigating threats of lynching he’s received since he called for President Donald Trump’s impeachment. “We are hopeful there will be a prosecution,” the Texas Democrat told CNN’s Brooke Baldwin. “Lynching is murder. People make these threats and we need to expose them.”

Green -- who is black -- played recordings at a town hall on Saturday of explicit, racially-charged voicemails he received following his call to impeach Trump. The lawmaker said while it was not an easy decision to share the threats he received, it was a “necessary one.” “You cannot hide hate,” he said on CNN. “You have to confront hate. ... It’s unfortunate many African-Americans have to live knowing they can be threatened with lynching.” Green delivered extended remarks on the floor of the House of Representatives last Wednesday urging his colleagues to begin impeachment proceedings following the revelation that former FBI Director James Comey wrote in a memo that Trump had asked Comey to end his investigation into

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The causes of this are many. Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world. Oil constitutes about 90 percent of Venezuela’s exports and is vital for a country that imports many necessities. When oil prices plummeted in the 1990s, Venezuelans suffered. When oil prices recovered in 2000, the popularly elected populist government of Hugo Chavez used the new resources to reduce poverty and extend health care and education. When oil prices plummeted again, Venezuela descended back into misery.

The country is deeply polarized politically.

The rapacious elite families that ran the country for decades never accepted the Chavez “Bolivarian Revolution,” and organized mass protests and attempted a coup. The impoverished rallied to Chavez, but his successor, Nicholas Maduro, has neither his political skills nor his good fortune on oil prices. In bitterly contested elections, the opposition captured the national assembly in 2016. Maduro has used the Supreme Court to overturn the assembly’s legislation while postponing state elections. Opposition demonstrations have grown larger and more violent.

But before the U.S. reaches for the hammer once more, it should think again. Venezuela is our neighbor. It has a highly literate and urbanized people. Bordering Colombia, it has some of the greatest biodiversity in the world.

Its forests are a global treasure, threatened

by deforestation. In its current miseries, it is an increasing source of the drug traffic from Colombia. We should care about Venezuela’s agonies as a good neighbor. Given our history in the hemisphere, providing assistance to the country’s people is tricky. The U.S. is widely seen as an adversary of the government, eager to destabilize it. U.S. efforts to mobilize the Organization of American States to isolate Venezuela are seen as part of that effort. Ralph Gonsalves, prime minister of St. Vincent and Grenadines, an island nation in the Southern Caribbean, recently wrote to the heads of the 14 Caribbean nations to warn of “insidious developments” by “a small group of powerful nations” to “achieve regime change in Venezuela by using the OAS as a weapon of destruction.” In the bitter struggle between the Venezuelan government and the opposition, the U.S. is viewed as siding with the opposition.

The U.S. should not employ the hammer of military or covert intervention but rather creative diplomacy and humanitarian assistance.

We should be building a multilateral effort to deliver food and medicine to Venezuelans in a time of need. We should join in urging the government to hold the postponed state elections and encourage leaders in the hemisphere to mediate some kind of a negotiated resolution between the parties.

Venezuela under Chavez was part of the

“Latin America Spring,” a reaction to the failure of U.S.- and IMF-dictated economic policies that generated greater inequality and deepening poverty.

Now that spring has faltered -- partly from the Great Recession, the fall in the price of oil, incapacity and bitter political division.

The U.S. made itself the adversary of the Latin America Spring from its earliest days.

But we have no model to impose on the rest of the hemisphere, and we should not seek to tilt the scales in the political struggles within the countries.

These are our neighbors. We do have a stake in limiting the violence, in supporting democratic processes and in aiding the people in the midst of economic turmoil. The long history of military and covert intervention into the hemisphere has increasingly isolated the U.S. from its neighbors. Now, in Venezuela, we can begin to find a better way by not intervening on one side or the other but by standing with our neighbors in a time of desperate need.

You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this newspaper or by email at jjackson@rainbowpush.org. Follow him on Twitter @RevJJackson.

Share this story online at www.stylemagazine.com.

Rep. Green Responds to Racist Threats: ‘You have to confront hate’

By David Wright and Saba Hamedy, CNN/StyleMagazine.com former national security adviser Michael Flynn.Capitol Hill police acknowledged they were investigating but declined to comment to CNN on the details of the threats with a spokeswoman saying “we do not comment on ongoing investigations.” During the town hall, held in Houston, Texas, over the weekend, Green shared the audio. Democratic strategist Mustafa Tameez shared video from the event: “You’re not going to impeach anybody, you f*****g n****r,” said one caller. “You’ll be hanging from a tree. I didn’t see anybody calling for the impeachment of your n****r Obama. He was born in Kenya, he’s not even an American. So, f**k you, n****r.”

“We’re actually going to give you a short trial before we hang your n****r ass,” said another. “You can decide for yourself what we are dealing with,” Green told the town hall crowd, saying there was another message he was “not playing at this time.” Green said it is important to combat hate. “We’re going to stay the course,” he said. “If we don’t fight them (those who made threats), hate rules.

And if hate rules, we lose our democracy.”

CNN’s Deirdre Walsh contributed to this report.

May 25 - May 31, 2017 www.stylemagazine.com

Rep. Al Green

LOCAL O

RMHC Awards $50,000 to African American High School Seniors By Kelsey Whittington, Feature Writer

ne of our favorite fast food chains known for its signature clown and catchy jingles has been making a huge impact in our local communities in the lives of youth through education. The Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Houston/Galveston and The McDonald’s Owner/Operators Association of Greater Houston once again honored a bevy of high school seniors with academic scholarships at an award ceremony and scholarship luncheon for the 2017 recipients. For 26 years the Black McDonald’s OwneOperators Association have been providing scholarships for local African American high school seniors to help them attend college. This year 25 students received scholarships in the amount of $2,000 each along with their very own Kindle Fire tablet which will be used by students at universities this fall such as Princeton University, Cornell University, and the University of Texas at Austin.

Before the ceremony began, guests and scholarship recipients were able to mix and mingle and even take pictures with Mr. Ronald McDonald himself. The room was decorated with nice roses as centerpieces, an official Ronald McDonald House Charities

of Greater Houston photo backdrop, and a live DJ to help set the tone for a fun filled experience. “I take this as a very personal experience. I myself am a father of six children, all of whom are college graduates, but because of my economic standards growing up I was very poor and was not afforded the opportunity to attend college. So I take this initiative to make sure all black students have the opportunity to seek a higher education with some funding seriously,“ said Dave Moss, President, Black McDonald’s Owner/Operators Association of Greater Houston.

RMHC that’s what it does. It gives back to the communities which is very important,” said Johnathan Miles. Following the keynote address, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner made a guest appearance to congratulate the recipients and speak about his college experience. He shared why he believes education is so important, especially in the lives of African Americans. “Stay in your lane, decide who you are, and then give it everything you’ve got” were some of the most powerful and inspiring words that Mayor Turner spoke during his speech and that really stuck with the recipients.

A majority of the scholarship recipients Adding to the importance of this scholarly affair that was emceed by Fox 26’s Melinda were first generation college students who Spaulding was Johnathan Miles, General would not be able to attend college without Manager of McDonald’s. Miles, who is also the help of scholarships. To receive the a University of Houston alum, spoke to the scholarship students had to meet a long list recipients about “readiness” and how with of requirements such as have one parent attending college you have to be ready for of African American or Black Caribbean every obstacle that comes your way. He heritage, be a high school senior, and show told students that they need to be mentality a record of academic excellence. “This scholarship means a lot to me, I don’t have ready so that they can persevere no matterT:10.75” what. “I think it’s always important to give many resources so for the judges to see back to the community and its one of those potential in me and give me a chance to things that you should do no matter where attend a four-year college is amazing. I am you come from or where you’re at and with so thankful and I’m thanking God every

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day for this opportunity,” said scholarship recipient Davion Zeno. The Heights High School senior will attend the University of Virginia and has plans on majoring in engineering to become an environmental engineer. The Ronald McDonald House Charities provides many other scholarships besides the African American Achievers scholarships.

The purpose of the different scholarships and programs is to be able to afford minorities in lower income communities the chance to attend a university while providing financial assistance. Every year, RMHC® of Greater Houston/Galveston and MOAGH distribute nearly $200,000 in scholarships to area high school students.

To date, RMHC® has granted more than $48 million in scholarships to students in the United States and more than $3 million to students in the Greater Houston area.

To keep up with upcoming events and programs keep up with the Black McDonald’s Owner/Operators Association at www. bmoahouston.com and follow the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Houston on Instagram at @rmhcghg.

Call: 1-888-424-4943 Explore your options at: wellsfargo.com/yournewhome

Information is accurate as of date of printing and is subject to change without notice. Wells Fargo Home Mortgage is a division of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. © 2017 Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. All rights reserved. NMLSR ID 399801

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LOCAL & STATE BRIEFS Black Lives Matter

Black Lives Matter March Draws More Than 100 to Downtown Houston [Chron.com]

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houts of “Black Lives Matter!” echoed

down

Houston

streets

during a spirited solidarity march

Chef Omar Jose Pereney

Latin American Chef Sues Houston Restaurant [Eater Houston]

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hef Omar Jose Pereney was the young force behind Peska Seafood Culture. He helped bring

ending outside City Hall. Houston Chron- Mexican import Peska to Houston acicle reports that the gathering aimed to cording to Eater Houston. Pereney quit promote solidarity, support human rights Peska in February of this year, when the and target police brutality. The gathering restaurant rebranded itself into a Texalso served as a campaign announcement Mex spot. Now the Chef is suing the event for Ashton Woods who plans to run restaurant because they won’t let him for Houston City Council in 2019. During out of his noncompete contract and they the march, Woods was critical of the city’s won’t give him his likeness back. Lawnew ordinances targeting the homeless.

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Alamo

Alamo Dubbed ‘Worst Tourist Trap’ in Texas [MySanAntonio.com]

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usiness Insider pulled together a state-by-state guide of attractions to avoid and named the Alamo as

one of the country’s “worst tourist traps.”

The article suggests that the attractions on their list are not “legendary landmarks that everyone should see.” Apparently, the writers don’t know about the thousands of men, on both the Texas and Mexico sides, died during the 13-day Battle of the Alamo in 1836, making the landmark an everlasting symbol of resistance during the fight for independence.

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yers representing Peska believes the suit

Twitter @HoustonStyle

Security

Trevor Ariza

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Security Increased for U2, John Legend Concerts in Houston [KHOU]

HOU reports after an attack in Manchester killed 22, security heightened in The Woodlands.

Fans past through entrances with staff waving metal detecting wands and searching bags. They also tried to quiet thoughts about what happened overseas. Management at the venue responded to this concerns in ways customers may or may not have seen, through officers on horses at every gate and circling the block made their presence known. Harris County Judge Ed Emmett confirmed there extra security would be on hand for the U2 concert as well.

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CPS

Lawsuit Accuses CPS of Discriminating Against Black Children [Chron.Com]

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Education

Texas House Passes Bill to Extend STAAR Reprieve Until 2021 [MyStatesman.com]

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May 25 - May 31, 2017 www.stylemagazine.com

ouston Rockets Trevor Ariza has become the latest victim of a string of Los Angeles

celebrity robberies. He was taken for at least $50K in jewelry according to TMZ. The baller called the police after noticing force signs of entry to his San Fernando Valley home. Law enforcement has created a task force to find robbers and put undercover officers in the area in hopes of catching the guys in the act.

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tandardized tests may soon not stand in the way of Texas high school wanting to graduate. Recently, the Texas House voted to extend an alternative program for students who fail the mandatory tests for high school graduation. Under the program, students will be judged on the passage of classes and fulfillment of other requirements as long as the deciding committee gives unanimous consent. The program is thought to help those with barriers to learning and has been extended until brought federal activists to the federal 2021. The bill will now go back to the Senate for a vote. courts this week. he Houston Chronicle reports that a federal civil rights suit has been filed in Houston against Child Protective Services of discriminating against African American children, saying they are likelier to be separate d from their parents and extended families than white children. The suit, which took legs in Arizona after a woman, was denied custody of her nephew.

The boy later approved for adoption by a white family in Houston. The suit

Rockets’ Trevor Ariza’s House Burglarized, $50K Of Jewelry Missing [TMZ]

Jolt Founder and Executive Director

Latinas Behind ‘Jolt’ Use Culture to Build Latinx Political Power in Texas [Latina]

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ome of the harshest, anti-immigrant legislation in the country has past in Texas due to a lap of Latinx voters tapping into their political power. That’s why Jolt is so necessary. Jolt is cultivating a new generation of civically engaged Latinxs. The Austin-based nonprofit, which launched just after Donald Trump’s election win, is organizing the community through entertaining cultural activities, education, voter registration and mobilization. Founded by part-mexicana Cristina Tzintzun, the group has trained hundreds of volunteers and started a chapter at the University of Texas at Austin. She is hoping SB4, law that bars sanctuary cities, will mobilize Texas Latinxs.

BUSINESS BRIEFS Rodney Ellis

Keeping the Doors of Opportunity Open for Black Businesses in Houston [Black Enterprise]

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ne of the elements that has helped make Houston a center of opportunity for people of color is the African American politicians representing the area on local, state, and national levels.

One of the African American politicians who has seen the dramatic political shifts on the local, state, and county levels has been Rodney Ellis, the former state senator who is now Harris County Commissioner representing Precinct 1, which is primarily the city of Houston. Ellis says that African American politicians must use their muscle to ensure that doors of opportunity remain open in a conservative state.

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Target

Target Data Breach Leads to Record Settlement With 47 States [Houston Business Journal]

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he Houston Business Journal reports Target Corp. has reached an $18.5 million settlement with 47 states, including Texas, and the District of Columbia related to its massive customer data breach in 2013. The data breach affected more than 41 million customer payment card accounts, along with contact information for more than 60 million customers.

Texas will receive about $1.1 million of that total settlement figure, the Houston Chronicle reports. About 5 million of the total 41 million affected accounts were in Texas, per the Chronicle.

Houston Community College

Uber/Lyft

Women Empowerment

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HCC Launching New Coding School for Apple Apps [Chron.com] ouston Community College is keeping up with the times with a new coding school for Apple

Apps. Called iOS Coding and Design School, students at the school will learn how to develop applications for the iOS operating system. According to Chron. com, short-term boot camps and programs for degree credits start in June. HCC is among the first educational intuitions to this Apple design course. These schools build on Apple’s educational programs for K-12 classrooms.

Twitter @HoustonStyle

exas governor Greg Abbott will sign in the next few days a bill that would shield ride-hailing firms Uber and Lyft from bruising battles over fingerprint background checks that led them to leave some of the state’s most important markets. Lawmakers approved the legislation known as House Bill 100 that sets up statewide regulations for the companies. It clears the way for Lyft Inc to reenter Houston, where Uber Technologies Inc currently dominates, and for both to reenter Austin, Corpus Christi and Galveston. More than 40 states have set up statewide regulatory systems for ride-hailing companies that can be used to override local regulations in most places, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

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Midtown Property

Property Where Beyonce’s Career Launched Sold to BMW Dealer [Chron.com]

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Texas Lawmakers Clear Way for Uber, Lyft Return to Major Cities [Reuters]

he Houston Chronicle reports the Houston property housing the studio where Houston-born superstars Beyoncé and her sister Solange once recorded has been sold to a realty group associated with car dealer chain Group 1 Automotive. The sale of the property, a full city block in Midtown, also includes an event space as well as a historic estate where the singers’ father, Mathew Knowles, housed his music entertainment empire for 15 years. The deal was quietly finalized late last year, and Group 1 officials could not be reached Tuesday to answer questions about their plans for the site.

Texas Ranks High Nationally for Women-owned Businesses [KTRK]

reat news for women in business in Texas! Recent studies indicate women-owned businesses are the most successful in Texas. Austin, Houston, San Antonio and Dallas are among the highest U.S. metropolitan areas for these types of businesses according to KTRK. In the last nine years since the 2007 recession, the number of women-owned companies rose five times as fast as the total number of businesses. Although women play a major role in the U.S. labor force, the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2014 survey showed that Texas-based, women-owned firms with employees made up about onefifth of the state total and slightly more than 5 percent of annual payrolls.

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Walmart

Randalls

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Walmart Announces Guaranteed Pay for Military Workers [CNN]

almart wants to make sure its employees who take time off to serve in the military never have to take a pay cut. The company announced a new pay policy for all fulltime and part-time workers who leave for voluntary or involuntary military assignments. Walmart’s pledge is to cover the difference in pay any time an employee’s military salary is less than what he or she makes working at the store. So even when a worker is on a military assignment, they’re now guaranteed to earn at least as much as they would working as a civilian at Walmart.

Randall’s Expected to Lay Off 310 People Across Houston Area [KPRC] andall’s Co. is expected to lay off about 310 people across the Houston area,

the Texas Workforce Commission confirmed. Randall’s Houston Distribution Center will lay off 199 people and Randall’s Houston Division will layoff 134 people, according to the Texas Workforce Commission Warn Act.

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LOCAL Lovell’s Food For Thought A

Suggestions & Life Expectancy

By Dr. Lovell Jones, Health Writer

fter writing more than 100 op ed pieces, I find that I am now repeating myself. I am reminded of a passage from Famous Amos about knowing that a hole exists, but continuing to fall into the hole no matter what path one takes. To me Health Inequities falls in this category. Having spent the better part of my life addressing this issue, it is truly disappointing that, although the issue is more visible today than when I started this journey, in some aspects the situation is worse than when I started. I continue to quote Vince Lombardi, with a slight change, “the difference between success & failure in addressing health inequities is not the lack of knowledge, it is the lack of will.

I would add, it is also the lack of value and time. If something is free, a free workshop or a free seminar, people with line up to attend or if it is put on by a major organization, the same. Even if the results have been not changes. This gets to the issue of value and how we value things. If it is white, it must be right and valued. If not, then it is to be questioned.

The only thing I have noticed is an increasing in number is more research center dealing with health inequities, more than there were 10 to 20 years ago. I once commented a major meeting on health disparities that there were more people not of color than of color at the meeting. This not to say all of them were there just because of the money now in health disparities, but I firmly believe that who you are, your life experience, determine the solution you come up with. Given this, It remains to be seen if all of this attention will result in are reduction in health inequities.

As I tell people, I have been at this too long, for I know who were there and not there at the beginning. I also know who were there when there was no money and who are there now that there is money.

Again, there is a great deal of knowledge being generate, but is there a will and resources to put it to good use.

I have often been asked advice about who to work with in various fields, and my responses have always been, if that people you are intending to work with

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cares as much about your success and they do about their success, you have found the right mentor. The same can be said about addressing health inequities. If the person who is addressing the subject is as passionate about finding a solution as they are about publishing the next paper or getting the next grant, then maybe a solution is on the horizon.

I once said that we are entering the era of the “Health Disparities Pimps.” I believe that we are still in that era, with no end in sight, other than when the money runs out.

They come in all genders, ethnic backgrounds, political persuasions, and social economic backgrounds. However, you should never, as there say, judge a book by it cover. Some of my most ardent supports have been those you have never thought would have supported efforts to address health inequities; maybe not for the right reason, but supporter nonetheless.

When I mentioned to a good friend that I was give up my full time academic position, he suggested the following.

“Lovell, I would like you to consider what would be the result if you were to ask your colleagues, peers, mentees, etc., what do they think is the biggest contribution you could/should make to the “cause” at this point in your life, and what would be their thoughts on how? When I told, him I had not thought about that, his response was “remember you are a researcher... expand your scope of inquiry to stay relevant.”

These people know you and your contributions. It would be interesting to see what their suggestions will be.

This friend also sent me one’s life span in hours. Here is what it said. Imagine that you can live to a hundred, starting off with 876,000 hours. However, we sleep about 1/3 of our life, so that give us 578,160 hours. I am approaching 70, so if I live to be 100 that gives me a maximum of 174,448. But given the average life span of an African American male in Texas is 74.39, I have about 5 years or 43,000 or only 25% of the maximum. However, one report states that Black men are least likely to live past 70 and on average die just before that age. Given the fact that I have had two stroke and heart surgery, you might want to keep that in mind when

May 25 - May 31, 2017 www.stylemagazine.com

Dr. Lovell A. Jones

ENTERTAINMENT CeCe Winans Returns to Gospel T

With New Solo Album ‘Let Them Fall In Love’

By Destany Rainey, Feature Writer

en time Grammy award winning gospel artist CeCe Winans has returned to her gospel music roots with a new solo album titled ‘Let Them Fall In Love.’ The album, which debuted in February, is now on the Billboard top 200, and includes Apple music listener favorite, “Never Have to Be Alone. The vision for the album was inspired by my son, Alvin III,” Winans said in an exclusive interview with Houston Style Magazine.

She said the music industry has changed a lot since she last released an album, so her son, Alvin III produced the album, which blends the traditional gospel sound with music that will appeal to a more diverse audience. After nearly 10 years gone, the gospel singer is going on tour to promote her album. Winans said she never planned on being gone for such a long period of time, but is happy to return. “I didn’t mean for this much time to go by. About six years ago, my husband and I started a church called Nashville Life Church, and so we’ve been really busy with that. I had

to wait until I found the space to focus,” Winans said. “I’m ten years older, ten years commented the Gospel Hall of Famer wiser, so I’ve got to pace myself to do all that Winans said she and her husband Alvin I’ve been called to do,” she added. had no idea their Bible study group would grow into a church of their own.

Winans’ second tour stop will be in Sugar Land on June 1st, not long after her recent “The church is going well. It’s non-stop. visit to Houston for the Women Who Win We have a church full of millennials; it’s Conference at New Light Church back in a diverse church. It started with a Bible April. study and it kept going. Both of us knew in our hearts that this was God’s plan for us.”

“I love New Light Church. I love Bishop Now that Nashville Life Church is thriving, Hilliard. Pastor Bridget is a good friend and Winans is ready to start her tour on May mentor of mine; she’s a blessing. I sang, but 31st in New Orleans. “I’m getting ready. sometimes we forget the power of praise and It’s been a long time since I’ve toured. worship, and how blessed we are to have that I’m excited. We’re going to have fun. I’m sisterhood, period. It was an awesome time.” looking forward to doing the new music.”

Houston Style asked Winans how she has Houston Style asked Winans how she is managed to remain so graceful throughout preparing for the high physical demand of her years in the music industry. her tour after such a long break.

“I think the secret is having a positive “I’ve been working out with my trainer. outlook and being happy and focusing on When I’m on tour I’m really disciplined. my relationship with God, nobody else’s, but I don’t even talk much off the stage to mine. Good success to me is having peace save my voice for the next performance, “ and having trust in the Lord. When you see

things from His perspective you’re able to not take things personally. When you focus on Him, you’re going to reap the joys. The gifts that money can’t buy, the gifts that being on the charts can’t buy,” she said.

“Your success is in your relationship. It’s really simple making sure that your faith is in God and being anchored in the word of God. That’s really my life story. I win through worship.”

CeCe Winans’ “Let Them Fall In Love” is available for purchase online and in stores.

Connect with CeCe socially: Twitter and Instagram @cecewinans - Facebook. com/Official.CeCe.Winans – Youtube.com/ OfficialCeCeWinans For tickets and details about The Fall In Love Tour Presented by Medi-Share visit www.cecewinans.com and be in the place at Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, TX on June 1st.

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FEATURE HBRW: Serving Up Black Businesses as the Main Dish

Have the Best Summer Yet

By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor

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oming are the days when the sun kisses our faces, our cares are tossed to the wind, and our calendar is filled with as much or as little activity as we want. That is the beauty of summer. And the best way to have one unforgettable summer is by connecting to what your body and soul have been craving all year. Whether that be traveling God’s beautiful landscape, camping under the stars, expanding your mind or just kicking back with a great read – do you. Houston Style Magazine offers just a few suggestions to dive into this summer for you to connect with you and have the best summer yet.

of construction sites to messages at the bottom they have always enjoyed them. Instructors are of hotel pools. nice and knowledgeable. Students are friendly and want to learn. These elements create a great, Camping stimulating learning environment.

Google kids camps and a plethora will pop up for academics, sports, the arts, and sleepaways but are Kick Back with a Good Book (Or Movie) you hip to the growing number of camps there are Curling up with a good book is always a must do for adults. Turn back the clock and be a kid again activity for the summer. With so many great books at adult camp. Disconnect from technology and hitting the shelves this summer it is going to hard to choose which one to read first. connect to nature in a different way.

Several adult camps are located in Texas. Camp No Counselors is an escape to happiness with nostalgic like camp atmosphere in Austin. Camp Travel Grounded is a playground for your mind. Camp If you feel the need to get away from it all check- Our Way is just up the road in San Antonio. The out Travel and Leisure’s 50 Best Places to Travel best part about adult camps is there is no curfew, in 2017 list. Venture a few miles away or many spiked drinks, and amazing parties. Camp stays moons over to some of the most unbelievable des- can be as short as three days for under $400. tinations that are both domestic and international.

North America dominates a good portion of the Learn a New Skill list so many of the destinations can be experienced Picking up a class during the summer can help in an extended weekend. Allow your senses and you take up a new hobby or expand your skill set interests to dictate where you will go. at your job. Learning something new is always fun. A great place to start looking is at Leisure One of our top picks of places to go is Honolulu, Learning Houston. The classes are often small Hawaii. It is becoming more visually exciting as and have a good student-to-teacher ratio to learn the art scene is really growing and making the at your own pace. Usually, classes run for a few city more beautiful. In, 2017, the city will host its weeks and are priced reasonably. first Biennial and attract artists from all around.

Art is being showcased everywhere to the walls I have known people who have taken classes and 10 10

May 25 - May 31, 2017 www.stylemagazine.com

One topping our list is from Angela J. Davis entitled “Policing the Black Man.” The Black Lives Matter conversation is still at the forefront of our conversations and this book sheds light on some of the greatest tragedies of our time to the black man. It breaks down racial profiling, policing and the justice system.

Personally, I can’t wait for the release of the biopic on rapper Tupac Shakur set to release next month.

The film comes out on what would have been his 46th birthday to chronicle his life from his early days to his early death. Maybe we will finally get the truth behind the murder of this legend.

No matter what you decide to indulge in this summer it will be great as long as you do something that allows you to escape your ordinary. Be sure to share your adventures with us using the tag #HSMBestSummerYet.

Top 5 Festivals of the Summer in Houston Free Press Summer Festival 2017 June 3-4, 2017 Eleanor Tinsley Park 500 Allen Parkway Houston, TX

The Houston Juneteenth Emancipation Celebration honors freedom from slavery in Texas with a concert series. The celebration showcases performers whose style of playing represents an element of African American musical tradition, which encompasses such genres as jazz, blues and funk.

The annual Houston Caribbean Festival is a celebration of all things Caribbean over the course of six summer days. The festival boasts the best in international reggae and soca music, authentic Caribbean dishes, island libations, traditional costumed dance performances and modern day dance parties.

Houston Pride Week

Freedom Over Texas 2017

June 24, 2017 Around City Hall in Downtown Houston, TX

The annual event is a celebration of indie music and art with eight different stages hosting 160+ live performances from buzz worthy emerging acts and legendary virtuosos. Other attractions Houston Pride Week celebrates the ideal of include awe-inspiring fireworks displays, fun overall equality and acceptance. The week-long paint slides, provocative art installations, music celebration hosts a variety of national and local demonstration and more. performers and features a massive parade through downtown.

Houston Juneteenth Emancipation Celebration

Houston Caribbean Festival July 4-9, 2017 Tom Bass Park 3452 Fellows Road Houston, TX

June 17-18, 2017 Emancipation Park 3018 Dowling Street Houston, TX

July 4, 2017 Eleanor Tinsley Park 500 Allen Parkway Houston, TX

Freedom Over Texas is Houston’s signature Fourth of July Celebration and features multiple entertainment stages with acts for all ages. This annual Independence Day party draws talent from all over the US, culminating in a performance from a national recording artist. The climax is a spectacular fireworks display. And always check out Houston’s many parks, museums and recreational spots throughout the city. Have a great summer. #HSMBestSummerYet *Source: www.everfest.com

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Houston Spotlight: The Al Rucker Foundation By: Cecilia Smith, Feature Writer

ometimes when the cards are stacked against you, you have to reshuffle the deck. For entrepreneur Al Rucker, shifting his cards has meant constantly evolving; becoming one of Houston’s most prominent entrepreneurs his chief goal.

The ride hasn’t always been smooth: a childhood that included time in foster care and fending for oneself when he chose a way out. It’s a journey that Rucker recounts as if it occurred yesterday. “Growing up in a single parent home, I watched my mother try to take care of six kids and I watched the things she went through as a single mother,” he said. “When she could not afford an apartment with all seven of us, we had to go live in shelters and stuff like that.”

Determined to break the vicious cycle of poverty, he soon discovered the importance of education, earning a degree from Florida State University. From there he dived into the workforce, earning his stripes at a fast food restaurant before eventually launching a real estate company - and later - Midtown Bail Bonds.

He hasn’t stopped there, launching Dolce Ultra Lounge and “The Al Rucker Show” which arrived in 2015. The show is now syndicated in over 22 markets and broadcasts from Rucker’s Houston base.

It’s a transition that Rucker notes as purposeful, giving him the skills to succeed elsewhere. “Working at a fast food restaurant gave me the management tools to go out and get a better job,” he said. “For a number of years I was a Finance Director, then I got tired of working those long hours, so I wanted to do something for myself.”

He added, “I was young and had a family, so I had to immediately go to work. My wife and I started a real estate company and when the market took a turn I started doing bail bonds.”

Now he’s creating opportunities for others. With the introduction of the Al Rucker Foundation, Rucker is establishing an effort to provide financial and mentoring opportunities for Houston area youth. It’s a mission Rucker says was essential, his way

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of giving back.

“As I got older I basically took the initiative to help because I know how it is to grow up with little,” he said. “To wake up and have no Thanksgiving dinner to eat. No Christmas toys. I want to do everything I can to give back to the community.”

In addition to pairing students with mentors, the foundation also provides financial assistance to those looking to attend trade schools or HBCUs. Though he explained aid is also available for those not attending an HBCU depending upon need.

One of the foundation’s initial initiatives is the Modern Gents Mentorship Day. In partnership with Arms Wide Open Adoption Services, the Foundation will be hosting a Modern Gents Mentorship Day where 25 mentors that include Radio One’s Mad Hatta and Jim “Jimbo” Kovacik along with Texas State Representatives Jarvis Johnson and Ron Reynolds.

Many more will be partnered with mentees from Arms Wide Open for a fun-filled day at the BH Ranch & Entertainment Center (14149 Player St). Activities are to include football, fishing, horseback riding and more.

For now he’s focused on helping as many as possible, using his own success to create a platform for those looking to walk the same path. For Rucker, it’s all about providing an opportunity, especially for those that need it the most.

“I definitely believe young men, especially in the inner city, there are so many distractions that can deter you from your goals and plans,” Rucker says of his philosophy.

“Because of my circumstances, I just made sure that I stayed focused. Anything worth working for is going to pay off.”

Adding, “Don’t get distracted, put those blinders on. It’s like you’re running a race, you just want to get to the finish line.”

For more about Al Rucker and the Al Rucker Foundation, visit www.alruckerfoundation.com

May 25 - May 31, 2017 www.stylemagazine.com

Al Rucker

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honoring

Troi and Kelley Taylor

Ms. Cheryl Creuzot

Ms. Sallie Sargent

Taylor Construction Management

Marguerite Ross Barnett

Marguerite Ross Barnett

Gerald Hines Corporate Award

Leadership Award

Leadership Award

The Houston Astros

Phillips 66 Black Employee Network

Mr. Ray B. Shackelford

Heritage Award

Quentin Mease Community Service Award

Empowerment Award

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EAT WITH STYLE Houston Private Chef W

Delivers onByHealthy & Delicious Food Yolanda Pope, Culinary Writer

hen one is challenged to make healthier meal choices, but also lives in a city where comfort food is plentiful, the variety of dining venues are endless, plus you want to eat something that tastes good no matter what; how do you find the happy medium?

Well, Fresh Cuisine offers healthy, fresh, and delicious meals that are prepared daily by owner, Dedrick Donnell. Almost every item in each serving is plant based, except for the meat of course, and every bite is packed with flavor. Additionally, the portions are ample and rather filling, which had this writer quite surprised. I sampled and enjoyed the Chipotle’ Chicken with Cauliflower Dressing and Lemon Pepper Green Beans. Then, my taste buds were “wowed” with the Seasoned Ground Turkey and Quinoa Pasta.

First of all, I was in disbelief that someone actually made pasta out of quinoa, and secondly that the texture was perfect which paired well with the protein.

Donnell, originally from Jennings, Louisiana, is a home-trained chef, who discovered at an early age that he had a natural talent for creating his own versions of every day American Cuisine. Moreover, this talented cook realized that food was really his

passion after having a few careers; such as serving several years in the US Navy and The United States Postal Service.

Here’s what others have written about Donnell’s food, “How can you take something so horrible and turn it into a flavor party for my mouth, I don’t know and I’m ok with that. Excellent creations!”

Another reviewer wrote, “Where the food is outstanding and the variety is great. If you keep on eatin’ it, you’ll lose the weight.

If you thought My Fit Food was on point; then Fresh Cuisine will surely keep you lean.” The chef summed up his passion for cooking in a few words; “I FREAKING LOVE FOOD! The thing is, I love it even more when it’s good for me & also delicious. Due to contrary beliefs, “healthy” foods do not have to be boring & cardboard tasting. Hence, Fresh Cuisine!”

Currently, you can find Chef Donnell and Chef Dedrick Donnell his food at Phat Body’s Gym located at 445 Murphy Road, Stafford, Texas. Also, you ealth isparities ducation, wareness, esearch & raining can reach him at: (281) 660-4451, to place HDEART CONSORTIUM an order in advance, customize your meals, 15th Annual and, of course, to compliment the cook. If Disparities in Health in America: Working Toward Social Justice Summer Workshop in Houston, TX you’re on Facebook, check out the photos of some of Donnell’s creations by followJune 19-24, 2017 ing: @eatfreshcuisine and on Instagram @ VENUE eatfreshcuisine.

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PROGRAM CHAIR LOVELL A. JONES, PH.D., FHDR PROGRAM CO-CHAIRS E. LISAKO J. MCKYER, PH.D., MPH, FAAHB HEATHER HONORE GOLTZ, PH.D., LMSW BRIDGETT GORMAN, PH.D.

Workshop Goal: Provide a comprehensive understanding of health disparities, to investigate approaches to enhancing health equity, and to provide participants with a broad base of knowledge related to a biopsychosocial approach in addressing health disparities in a minority and the medically underserved populations

To Register, and for Housing, Travel Scholarships Information

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Arrangements for academic Credit can be provided to Health Disparities, Education, Awareness, Research and Training (HDEART) Consortium member students (Texas A&M University, Rice, TSU, UH, UHD, PVAMU, UT Southwestern Medical Center, UT Austin, UTMB Galveston, Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, University of Houston, UHD, UTHSC-Houston, Baylor College of Medicine, University of Florida, University of Miami, Morehouse School of Medicine and more (see website for full list of member institutions) who register for a “Special Topic Elective” at their respective institution and obtain approval from their departmental faculty advisor. Upon completion of the full six day Summer Workshop, a “Certificate of Attendance” will be given to each student and upon satisfying of individual institutional requirements, 3:0 academic semester credit units or equivalent will be awarded.

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May 25 - May 31, 2017 www.stylemagazine.com

HEALTH

It’s difficult to diagnose.

Research is ongoing.1

Because lupus has such a wide range of symptoms, many of which mimic other diseases, it is an incredibly difficult disease to diagnose. It takes around six years for the average lupus patient to receive their diagnosis.

Research into treating and preventing lupus is ongoing. Right now, researchers are studying new medications, new ways to prevent the disease from developing and attempting to identify biomarkers to aid faster diagnosis.

There is no known cause.

Although scientists are unable to determine the exact cause of lupus, it’s commonly understood to be a mixture of environmental and genetic factors. Exposure to ultraviolet light and silica have been linked to the disease as well as having Epstein-Barr virus.

No two patients are the same.

9 Important Facts About Lupus You May Not Know

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Because lupus can attack any part of the body, each lupus patient will experience the disease in a different way. This means that there is no one correct way to treat the disease, every patient will need their own personalized approach to treatment.

Lupus News Today is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website.

[By Wendy Henderson, Lupus New Today]

upus is a chronic disease that many people have heard of but actually, know very little about (except maybe that Selena Gomez has it). We’ve compiled a list of nine important facts to know about lupus, with help from prevention.com.

It’s an autoimmune disease.

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that affects around 1.5 million people in the U.S. The immune system works to protect our bodies from infections and viruses.

However, in lupus patients, the immune system actually attacks them instead of protecting them.

There are five types of lupus.

There are five different forms of the disease. The most common type is systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) which makes up 70 percent of cases. The symptoms of lupus are wide-ranging as the disease can affect any part of the body, including the major organs.

Women are more likely to get lupus.

Lupus is primarily a woman’s disease, as females account for approximately 90 percent of sufferers. It usually strikes young women, particularly those in their childbearing ages.

But when men get lupus, they suffer more severe symptoms.

While only a small percentage of lupus patients are male, they tend to experience more severe symptoms and are more likely to suffer kidney complications, neurological diseases and inflammation of organs such as the heart and liver.

Women of color are more likely to get lupus.

Lupus tends to strike women of color more than Caucasian women. African-American, Native American, Asian and Latinas are more than three times more likely to develop the disease.

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BOOKS “The Cook Up: A Crack Rock Memoir”

Book Review by Terri Schlichenmeyer

May 25-28 8:15 p.m.

Dancin’ In The Street…

Motown & More Revue When it comes to entertainment, Miller Outdoor Theatre is a real breath of fresh air.

PRODUCED BY BACEMENT FOUNDATION FOR THE ARTS

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EVERY PERFORMANCE IS FREE.

D. Watkins

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verything has a price. You say you’ll never sell your granddad’s watch, your dream car, or that collectible you coveted because it’s priceless – until it’s not, because everything is for sale. But in “The Cook-Up” by D. Watkins, it may cost your entire life.

Around the country, headlines scream about a heroin epidemic every day. It’s shocking, but what many (white) people don’t know is that, as Watkins says, “if you’re black and poor, the heroin epidemic has been around.”

He should know. For a time, he sold drugs on the streets of Baltimore, where the average life ends so early that “We go through midlife crises at fifteen…”

He was much younger than that when he saw his first shooting; much younger when he understood that drugs were as easy to get as oxygen. He idolized his big brother then; Bip was larger-than-life, a dealer who doted on Watkins and urged him to stay in school. He wanted Bip to be proud of him, so when his brother was murdered just blocks from home, Watkins tried to stay in college but his heart wasn’t in it. Instead, he created his own business with the contents of a safe Bip left him: miscellaneous items, a brick-and-a-half of raw cocaine, guns, and thousands in cash.

With help from a childhood friend, Watkins cooked the cocaine into rocks to sell and as his clientele list grew, so did the number of workers he needed to stay one step ahead. His level of responsibility grew, too; Watkins made sure that folks in

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May 25 - May 31, 2017 www.stylemagazine.com

his neighborhood were fed, clothed, and safe. That took money, but there was plenty of it. For months, Watkins and his boys had whatever wanted, the “fiends” had their highs, and cops looked the other way.

Things were good until suddenly, Watkins looked around and into the future: he’d met a girl, and he needed to come up with an “exit strategy” for himself and one of his boys.

The problem was, he said, “dudes don’t know when to leave the block alone.”

The first thing you need to know about “The Cook Up” is found on its cover: Watkins himself is in shadow, on the bleakest of stoops, near a doorway covered in plywood. An inexplicable feeling of electricity, then, screams that what you’re about to read is going to be raw, and it’s right.

With a fascinating tone that sometimes seems impassioned, almost matter-of-fact, author D. Watkins writes about childhoods spent in poverty – his, and that of his friends – and the things it led them to do to survive. Read further, however, and you’ll see that his quiet voice almost quivers with righteous anger and anguish as Watkins’ story progresses to an ending that feels happy and perfect and depressing, all at the same time.

It should go without saying that this isn’t a book for Grandma, unless she can handle profanity and violence. If you can handle it, you’ll find that “The Cook Up,” now in paperback, is worth the price of time.

Share this story online at www.stylemagazine.com.

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2017

MAGGIANO’S LITTLE ITALY HOUSTON, TX

ATLF Annual Scholarship Dinner Photography by Vicky Pink he Achievement Through Leadership Foundation (ATLF) showed their committed to supporting the personal evolution of youth in the Greater Houston area at their annual scholarship dinner. The non-profit organization celebrated 14 Houston-area high school seniors and university undergraduates in their pursuit of higher education with scholarships. Dr. Yvette Pearson Weatherton of Rice University provided the keynote address. Others in attendance with ATLF board chairman Fredric Navarre were Annette Moore, Kimberly Joseph, Cindy George, Georgia Provost, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, State Rep. Ron Reynolds, Maya Smith, Markayla Eakins, Colen James, Marcus Bell, Genesis Smothers, Natasha Malone, and the other 2017 scholarship recipients.

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Congressman Al Green Town Hall on Impeachment Photography by Vicky Pink ongressman Al Green hosted a Town Hall Meeting to continue the discussion on his call for the Impeachment of President Trump. Congressman Green addressed the troubling amount of hateful and threatening messages he’s received since calling for the President’s Impeachment. Congressman Green believes, “you must expose hate to eliminate hate.” State Rep. Ron Reynolds and Judson Robinson were in attendance.

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May 25 - May 31, 2017 www.stylemagazine.com

FOUNTAIN LIFE CENTER HOUSTON, TX

2017

COMMITTEE MEMBER’S HOME HOUSTON, TX

4th Global Seven Awards Kick Off Reception Photography by Vicky Pink he Houston International Trade Development Council will present the 4th Global Seven Awards. They seek to promote sustainable education and workforce development that each drive global wealth and job creation which directly impacts the global economy as they celebrate 1 Global Impact honoree, 7 Houston area international small & medium enterprises and 7 international Houston Community College graduating students who make the city a unique player on the world stage. A reception, hosted by Sheri Khatami and Denise Adjei, was held to kick off the excitement surrounding the awards.

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HILTON AMERICAS HOTEL HOUSTON,TEXAS

Brentwood’s 35th Fashion Show & Luncheon Photography by Vicky Pink nnually, the Brentwood Community Foundation in partnership with Macy’s co-producing one of the most anticipated fashion shows in Houston. The primary fundraising event supports the scholarship and grant program of the foundation. To date the foundation has awarded over $1.75 million to students to continue their education. Some in attendance with Macy’s Vice President of Diversity & Inclusion Kristyn Page were Patti Rollins, Sharon Owens, Cherise Story, Tiffany Reeder, Mari Ervin, Sheri Cole, and Charlyn Kyles.

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