Houston Style Magazine Vol 33 No 18

Houston Style Magazine Magazine April 28, 2022 – MAY 04, 2022

Volume 33 | Number 18

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication, Since 1989

Megan Thee Stallion

Dr. John Warren

America Needs Humanitarian Relief, Too

Ben Jealous

NOMINATED + TOP RAP FEMALE ARTIST BILLBOARD AWARDS

An Extraordinary Life, Linking Past and Present

SUNDAY H MAY 15, 2022

See… Menil Collection Presents Samuel Fosso: African Spirits TAG US: #TeamStyleMag

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Congressman Al Green

Political Leaders Provide Update On The Sunnyside Solar Project

Knoxville, Tennessee

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 Support Black Owned Businesses

Fixed Vaccination Sites – Week of April 28, 2022

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April 28, 2022 - May 04, 2022

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Publisher Francis Page, Jr. fpagejr@stylemagazine.com Associate Publisher Lisa Valadez lisa@stylemagazine.com Managing Editor Jo-Carolyn Goode editorial@stylemagazine.com Social Media Editor/Videographer Reginald Dominique reggiedominique@me.com Sports Editor Brian Barefield

brian_barefield@yahoo.com Food Writer Alex Jack

alexandriajack1991@gmail.com NATIONAL WRITERS

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

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Vicky Pink vhpink@gmail.com William Ealy Williamealy1906@gmail.com Mike Munoz artrepreneur91@gmail.com Robert Franklin editorial@stylemagazine.com

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Houston Style Magazine & www.StyleMagazine.com Phone: (713) 748-6300 • Fax: (713) 748-6320 Mail: P.O. Box 14035, Houston, TX 77221-4035 ©2022 Houston Style Magazine, a Minority Print Media, L.L.C. Company. All Right Reserved. Reproduction in whole or within part without permission is prohibited. Houston Style Magazine has a 2019 Audit by Circulation Verification Council (CVC). Houston Style Magazine is a member of the Texas Publishers Association (TPA), Texas Community Newspaper Association (TCNA), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Independent Free Paper of America (IFPA), Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP) and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP).

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After a two-year hiatus due to the Covid pandemic – The White House Correspondents' Dinner returns next Saturday — and the sitting president is set to attend for the first time since 2016. President Joe Biden will speak at the century-old press gala after former president Donald Trump famously boycotted the event.

– President Joe Biden www.BuildBackBetter.com

PHOTO: AFP/MARTIAL TREZZENI

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COMMENTARY

AMERICA NEEDS HUMANITARIAN RELIEF, TOO

By John Warren, Publisher, The San Diego Voice & Viewpoint

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t is a good thing that America has been a lead nation in both providing humanitarian and military assistance to Ukraine. It is good that we as a nation, Democrat and Republican, have been able to unify on this most important issue facing the world. It is also a good thing that America has been able to give hundreds of millions of doses of the COVID-19 Vaccine to struggling third world countries where people are waiting in lines while Americans refuse vaccinations for all kinds of reasons.

But while all of this is a good thing, let us not forget the looming crisis ahead of us. The fact is that the virus, with its ever increasing mutations, is not over. There are still over 750 people dying daily from this virus even though hospital rates and the daily death rates are down from what they were just months ago. Infection cases are up across the country with some states experiencing higher rates than others and a number of cities like Philadelphia, New York, and Washington, D.C. have had to reinstate their mask mandates.

In the midst of the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis, the new surge in infections across the country, and continued death

rates, the United States Congress refused to pass a 22 billion dollar funding bill to continue testing, vaccinations, and the funding for Covid-19 related supplies before adjourning for the Easter/Spring Recess. Much of the opposition, again, is coming from the (Russian-like) Republican Party not only denying and refusing to support and vote for such funds, but also leaving out much needed continuation dollars for programs to feed the hungry.

This pull back on funds for testing and vaccinations is also impacting those American companies that geared up to produce Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at the height of the pandemic when supplies were no longer available from our foreign sources. Now, with this cutback in federal funds, many of these companies are on the verge of going out of business because America is withdrawing the very funds that allowed hospitals and others to purchase the PPE items they were able to buy until this cutoff.

How can we find billions of dollars to support all elements of the Ukraine Humanitarian crisis, but not have money for our own people here at home? Those

President Joe Biden Americans who are still unvaccinated, and mainly by choice, still represent a threat to the rest of us. The government’s distribution of personal testing kits cannot become a substitute for providing the kind of care and supplies that have allowed us to avoid millions of additional deaths because, at the time, we funded the very things we are now threatening to withhold. Let us not forget the saying “Charity starts at home and then

We Need to Stop Complimenting Weight Loss.

Here Is What To Say Instead.

By Kristen Rogers, CNN – StyleMagazine.com Newswire

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f your friend has recently lost weight, you might want to tell her how great she looks. Maybe you also say that you wish you had her body or self-control or you ask her how she did it. Perhaps you've been on the receiving end of such a "compliment" in the past.

Such comments are well meaning but can have unintended negative consequences.

"In that case, we are unintentionally exacerbating or affirming the thin ideal that our society tends to em-

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phasize and idolize," said Alvin Tran, an assistant professor of public health at the University of New Haven in Connecticut, who does research on eating disorders and body image. "We need to be very cautious when we do approach conversations around someone's physical appearance, especially their weight."

This is especially important when talking to people with eating disorders or serious body image issues, since such remarks can worsen their situation.

Compliments about someone's weight

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loss or thinner body perpetuate society's deep-seated diet culture, Tran said, and the idea that thinness is inherently good.

"We do tend to operate (as if) we can somehow look at people and, based on body size, determine whether they're healthy," said Tamara Pryor, a senior fellow and director of research at ED Care,

www.StyleMagazine.com

spreads abroad”.

Mr. President, Members of Congress, America is “home”.

Let's not create another humanitarian crisis here because of party politics. jwarren@sdvoice.info San Diego Voice & Viewpoint Newspaper

www.SDVoice.info

an eating disorder treatment center based in Denver. "We have people in large bodies that are in a state of malnourishment as well as people in extremely low size that are malnourished, and people that are standard size but still very severely compromised by an eating disorder. People can't look at them and tell that."

But if you're pleased or wowed by how someone looks, should you not compliment them at all? What is and isn't OK to say? CNN asked for advice from Pryor and Joann Hendelman, the clinical director of the National Alliance for Eating Disorders.

Read more online at: www.StyleMagazine.com

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4/18/22 5:30 PM

OP-ED: AN EXTRAORDINARY LIFE, LINKING PAST AND PRESENT

OP-Ed By Ben Jealous, President of People For the American Way and Professor of the Practice in the Africana Studies Department at the University of Pennsylvania Special To StyleMagazine.com – Newswire Ben Jealous – OP-ED

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was trained to fight by my grandmother, Mamie Bland Todd. She would often remind me, “Pessimists are right more often, but optimists win more often.”

“In this life you have to decide what’s more important to you.” Then she would add, “As for me, I’ll take winning.”

My favorite optimist died recently at 105.

For our family, she was the last living link to our story of origin in antebellum Southern Virginia. Three of her grandparents were Black and born into slavery. The fourth was white and helped run a plantation.

She and my grandfather made the great migration north to the Up South that is Baltimore. Their love story was the bridge to our family’s life in modern America.

She carried lessons from the old world with her. She learned to fight from her paternal grandfather, Edward David Bland. He was born into slavery in his white uncle’s house. He would defeat one of his white cousins to become one of the last Black Reconstruction statesmen in Virginia.

He was also the Black leader

of a multiracial populist movement made up of former slaves and former Confederate soldiers. His white counterpart was former Confederate General William Mahone. Theirs was a coalition of working men, Black and white. Most of them were farmers with rough hands and dirty fingernails.

Together they built a movement in the early 1880s that created Virginia State University, expanded Virginia Tech, and secured the future of free public education for every child in the commonwealth. Their common enemy was the far right-wing politicians who said Virginia could not afford the universal free public education that had been created during Reconstruction.

Publicly, these wealthy conservatives said the state could not afford both free public education and paying off Civil War debt. Privately, they feared free universal public education would render both poor whites and poor Blacks ungovernable.

Bland and Mahone’s multiracial movement also attacked voter suppression, outlawing the poll tax and several other measures meant to make it harder for Blacks and low-income whites to vote.

When they took control of the state legislature, they made Mahone a U.S. Senator. Without forgetting the sins of the past, the men they led each chose to invest in new-found unity rather than renew old hurts and divisions.

What united those men was their commitment to providing a better future for their children. They recognized that what the children of working families – Black and white – needed more than anything was access to a free high-quality education. In short, they needed what the children of plantation owners took for granted.

My grandmother was born in 1916. She was a third-generation NAACP member who rebelled against Jim Crow without hesitation.

As a young teacher, she confronted the white man who was the local superintendent of schools. She convinced him that just like white teachers, Black teachers could not teach without adequate supplies. He rectified the problem at her segregated all-Black school the next day.

Two decades later, she would support my mom when at age 12 she signed on as a named plaintiff in one of the feeder cases to Brown v Board

of Education. When my mom desegregated her local high school at 15, my grandmother was with her every step of the way.

Ultimately, however, my grandmother, like her grandfather, could not escape the moral imperative that children of every color who are struggling need the same protections and supports.

She would go on to found Child Protective Services for the city of Baltimore and lead Maryland’s effort to replicate the program statewide.

Like Bland, she built an army of warriors for social change. In her case, it was an army of social workers, who were mostly women. Among them was a young white woman and future U.S. senator named Barbara Mikulski.

Four years ago, when I was the Democratic nominee for governor of Maryland, I bumped into Sen. Mikulski at a women’s political event. She looked at me and said, “You’re Mamie Todd’s grandson.”

I said, “I am,” and I watched a tear roll down her face.

As I close this week’s column, tears are running down mine.

www.PFAW.org

POLITICS: CRIME STOPPERS OF HOUSTON – TURNS POLITICALLY RED

By StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

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rime Stoppers of Houston, the local branch of a nationwide tip-based crime fighting hotline offering rewards for information, has begun attacking so-called activist judges who they claim are letting “dangerous criminals” out of jail, reports the New York Times. The organization, which has condemned more than a

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dozen elected Democrat judges while praising Republican Tex. Gov. Greg Abbott, has become reliant on state grants backed by Abbott.

Many of the Democratic judges Crime Stoppers is slamming have cut into the organization’s revenue by curbing a common practice requiring many people sentenced to probation to pay a

April 28, 2022 - May 04, 2022

$50 fee that goes to Crime Stoppers. The organization insists it remains nonpartisan and denies that its financial situation influenced its public policies.

“What we’re seeing is an assault against the community” by the judges, Rania Mankarious, the organization’s chief executive, said this year on a national Fox News broadcast.

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The group’s aggressive posture on the issue followed shifts in Houston’s approach to prosecuting low-level crimes and setting bail. The changes helped prompt a political backlash fed in part by the Crime Stoppers campaign and a rising murder rate.

www.Crime-Stoppers.org

LOCAL: CONGRESSMAN AL GREEN JOINS MAYOR SYLVESTER TURNER TO ANNOUNCE UPDATES ON SUNNYSIDE SOLAR PROJECT

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

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his past Friday, April 22, 2022, Congressman Al Green joined Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner to announce upcoming plans on the Sunnyside Solar Farm, which is located in the Ninth Congressional District.

Congressman Green released the following statement: “The Sunnyside Solar Project is not only a revitalization project of a former landfill into the largest urban solar farm in the United States, it is also a rectification of the sins of our past. In the 1930s, the City of Houston approved a 240-acre landfill to be built, consequently creating a host of issues for the residents of Sunnyside, including health disparities and safety hazards,” Congressman Al Green stated. “Today, on Earth Day, the question isn’t whether Sunnyside will survive, the question is, how will Sunnyside thrive? The answer is Sunnyside is positioned to thrive as the solar energy epicenter of urban

America.”

Congressman Al Green – who secured $750,000 in federal funding for this project and whose congressional district includes the Sunnyside neighborhood – added, “This collaborative effort with the City of Houston, Sunnyside community, and federal government will repurpose the decommissioned landfill into a safe, sustainable, and minimally invasive solar farm that will generate clean energy and reduce our carbon footprint. It is estimated to produce enough electricity to power approximately 5,000 homes, as well as bring job opportunities and training to local residents and contractors. The Sunnyside Solar Farm is a major step toward renewable energy that will fuel the future and potentially position Sunnyside at the forefront of renewable energy production. It can also create a greener Houston. I salute Mayor Turner for his endless support of this project and thank

community leaders for their advocacy.

I look forward to future collaborations that will position communities such as Sunnyside to not only survive, but also thrive.”

Mayor Sylvester Turner concluded, “The City of Houston extends its sincere gratitude to Congressman Green for his commitment to workforce development in one of our city’s most underserved communities, Sunnyside, by securing $750,000 through the funded community programs in the omnibus spending bill. The EmPowering Solar Jobs program focuses on preparing and accelerating STEM career opportunities for youth and adults living in under-resourced neighborhoods. Specifically, this program will train and place 175 Houstonians from Sunnyside and other Complete Communities neighborhoods by creating an employment pipeline for program graduates by September 2022.”

RAPE IS AN UNDERREPORTED CRIME Don’t be a silent bystander!

Speak out against all sexual violence!

If you or someone you know is experiencing sexual violence, call the Sexual Assault Hotline at

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ART: The Menil Collection Presents Samuel Fosso: African Spirits Fourteen self-portraits depict Fosso portraying intellectuals, political leaders, and prominent figures associated with Black liberation movements

By Kathy Coleman - StyleMagazine.com

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he Menil Collection is pleased to present Samuel Fosso: African Spirits, an exhibition of the fourteen, large-scale gelatin silver prints from Samuel Fosso’s African Spirits series. The show—on view at the Menil from August 5, 2022 through January 15, 2023—is presented in conjunction with the 2022 FotoFest Biennial and African Cosmologies Redux, a new presentation of photography originally curated by Dr. Mark Sealy OBE, Director of Autograph, London, and Professor at University of the Arts London.

In this series of self-portraits, completed in 2008, Fosso portrays himself as Angela Davis, Martin Luther King Jr., Patrice Lumumba, Kwame Nkrumah, Léopold Sédar Senghor, Malcolm X, and other prominent figures from 20th century Black liberation movements. Fosso’s photographs reference iconic images, such as Carl Fischer’s photograph of Muhammad Ali that was published on the cover of Esquire in 1968 and the police mugshot taken of King after his arrest during the 1956 bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama. Fosso’s reinterpretations of these historic photographs pay homage to the figures in the original images and raise questions about individuality, celebrity, the media, and the complicated history of representation.

Paul R. Davis, Curator of Collections at the Menil Collection, said, “The African Spirits series points to Fosso’s artistry at picturing transfor-

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mative moments in the lives of luminary figures. His subjects represent the cultural and spiritual tissue connecting liberation movements in the U.S. and those on the African continent. We are honored to collaborate with FotoFest and host this exhibition of Fosso’s photography at the Menil in conjunction with the biennial’s African Cosmologies Redux project.”

Regarding his exhibition at the Menil, Samuel Fosso said, “I am proud to see the African Spirits series exhibited at the Menil Collection. I have a deep respect for the actions of Dominique and John de Menil, discovered in the Menil’s publication Art and Activism. I made this series so that more people can understand the history of these important figures and to share the thirst for democratization, which is also at the foundation of the Menil’s fabulous collection.”

Born in Cameroon, Samuel Fosso lived in Nigeria until the Nigeria-Biafra War (1967–70), when he and his uncle moved to Bangui, the capital city of the Central African Republic. It was there that Fosso apprenticed with a local studio photographer. In 1975, when he was just thirteen years old, Fosso opened his own commercial portrait studio, Studio Photo National. He routinely finished off unused rolls of film by taking self-portraits that he displayed to promote his studio business or he sent to his family living in Nigeria.

www.Menil.org

AUTO: Ultium Energy Recovery Can Help GM EV'S Charge and Accelerate Faster and Drive Further

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

GM New Silveraldo – EV

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M has developed a patented heat pump that recovers energy from the battery to power heating and propulsion while also helping to conserve range This week, GM announced a feature standard in its Ultium-based EVs that captures and repurposes waste energy from the battery. Through the Ultium Platform’s energy recovery system, this waste energy can increase a vehicle’s range, reduce battery energy needed for heating, increase charging speed and even enable sportier driving.

EV batteries, power electronics and other propulsion components

produce heat. The Ultium Platform can recover and store this waste heat from the Ultium propulsion system. Further, it can also capture and use humidity from both inside and outside the vehicle, including body heat from passengers. The Ultium Platform can then deploy energy stored through the recovery process to heat the cabin more quickly in cold weather than comparable systems found in vehicles with an internal combustion engine.

Ultium’s energy recovery capabilities reduce the need to power heating and other functions from energy stored in the battery, which provides GM’s EVs with as much as 10% more range1, potentially allowing more power and range than vehicles with similarly sized

batteries without energy recovery capabilities. With its active heating capabilities, Ultium vehicles can also potentially charge more efficiently by warming up the batteries before charging2.

Ultium’s energy recovery even enables GMC HUMMER EV’s available Watts to Freedom feature. Energy recovery precools the propulsion system to help the all-electric supertruck accelerate from 0-60 mph in approximately 3 seconds3.

“Having a ground-up EV architecture gives us the freedom to build in standard features like Ultium’s energy recovery capabilities,” said Doug Parks, GM executive vice president, Global Product Development, Purchasing and

GM New Silveraldo – EV Supply Chain. “This helps us squeeze more efficiency, performance and overall customer benefit out of our EVs.” Covered by 11 patents and four publications, the development of Ultium energy recovery traces its inception back to GM’s first EV, the EV1, in the late 1990s, when GM engineers first developed an EV heat pump. Ultium energy recovery is available on all current Ultium vehicles and planned for future Ultium vehicles.

www.GM.com www.Chevrolet.com

HISD Offering $10,000 Recruitment Stipends To Teachers w/ Track Record of Improving Student Achievement Hiring Event Will Staff 24 Schools Targeted for Transformation

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he Houston Independent School District is recruiting top-performing teachers to participate in its new RISE (Redesign, Innovate, Support, and Empower) program.

RISE will transform the most persistently struggling HISD campuses. RISE recruiting events will staff 13 elementary schools, nine middle schools, and two high schools.

Successful candidates will receive recruitment and retention stipends of up to $10,000 to staff the 24 RISE campuses.

Qualified teachers will have at least one year of experience, demonstrate a track record of improving student achievement and demonstrate a commitment to improving student outcomes.

Teachers who attend the RISE recruitment events must bring copies of their resumes, student achievement data, and latest evaluation.

WHO:

HISD Human Resources

WHEN: Wed., April 27th • 6 – 7 p.m.

WHERE: Hattie Mae White Edu. Center 4400 West 18th St., 77092

www.HoustonISD.org

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LOCAL: TSU To Celebrate LOCAL: SISTERS NETWORK Partnerships, Transformation, INC. 12TH ANNUAL "STOP THE and President's Investiture SILENCE WALK" – A SUCCESS At Largest Fundraiser

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By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

SU to celebrate partnerships, transformation, and President’s investiture at largest fundraiser event What: Texas Southern University will host the inaugural President’s Tiger Ball – “Supporting Scholarships and Transformation at TSU.” This black-tie affair is the University’s largest fundraising event.

Hundreds of TSU students excel in their areas of study, but without the necessary funding they would not have the opportunity to pursue a college education. This evening of entertainment, inspiration, and fundraising will benefit TSU student scholarships and University programs.

There will be a “Parade of Partners” to celebrate all of the partnerships that have been established and maintained. The ball is also a celebration of the investiture of President Lesia L. Crumpton-Young, which is happening earlier in the day.

During the ball, there will be a raffle drawing for a new luxury SUV.

Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young, TSU President with Jo-Carolyn Goode and Francis Page, Jr., Houston Style Magazine Who: Dr. Lesia Crumpton-Young, TSU President; Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, Rep. Al Green, Mayor Sylvester Turner, reps from corporate, community, & alumni sponsors.

When: Saturday, April 30, 2022 (reception begins at 6 p.m., program begins at 7 p.m.)

Where: George R. Brown Convention Center, Ballroom B. Garage parking.

www.TSU.edu

By StyleMagazine.com Newswire

or the 12th year, Sisters Network® Inc.(SNI) hosted the Stop the Silence National African American Breast Cancer 5K Walk/ Run. The first and only national Black Breast Cancer walk/run attracted more than 7,500 participants to raise awareness about breast cancer. The Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated was awarded first place for the largest team raising more than $12,000. to help the SNI's breast cancer assistance program.

Some in attendance were SNI founder Karen Jackson, Mayor Sylvester Turner, Karen Jackson, Founder Sisters Network, Inc. Kandi Eastman, Congresswoman Shei- with Sylvester Turner, Mayor of Houston at la Jackson Lee, Congressman Al Green, 2022 Breast Cancer 5K Walk/Run KG Smooth, Caleen Allen, Crystal African American women have a 31% Hadnott, and Cherise Story. breast cancer mortality rate—the highFunds raised by participants support est of any U.S. racial or ethnic group.

Sisters Network® Inc. Breast Cancer (Breast Cancer Prevention Partners) Black women are 42% more likely to Assistance Program. die of breast cancer (Breast Cancer Why do we need to support Black Prevention Partners) Breast Cancer survivors?

Breast Cancer is the most fatal health issue for Black women. www.SistersNetworkInc.org

LOCAL: NSWCPD’S ROBERT PETTIS WINS BEYA MODERN-DAY TECHNOLOGY LEADER

Robert Pettius

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obert Pettis, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) branch manager for the Machinery Technology Research & Development Branch, can now add Black Engineer of the Year Awards (BEYA) Modern-Day Technology Leader to his list of career awards.

According to the BEYA website, the Modern-Day Technology Leader Award is a part of the BEYA STEM Outstanding Achievement Award (OAA) Category. The OAAs are granted to individuals in the workforce. These nomination applications are reviewed and recommended for an award by a panel of leaders from industry, government, and academia.

Pettis, who has worked at NSWCPD for 22 years, prior to his current position was a technical lead for the SUB 073 Deputy Program Manager Special Projects. His responsibilities include serving as the technical liaison between the SUB 073 Special Projects and the Submarine Stealth Integration

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Program Office in support of Advanced Signature trical Engineering from Temple University in 2000 Management (ASM) program area and the Systems and joined NSWCPD shortly thereafter as a junior Working Group Chair for the ASM Assistant Program electrical engineer. He made a significant impact Manager (APM). that advanced the state of the art in medium voltage The Hershey, Pa. native was surprised when electric plant technology, making it safer to perform he found out he won, but realizes the overarching engineering testing and studies. His subsequent accommeaning of the award. plishments continuously led to greater responsibilities “This award is a source of pride, but more and sustained superior contributions. importantly, it means a sense of responsibility to According to his BEYA nomination form, maintain and improve my performance, as well share some of Pettis’ numerous career achievements include: my experience with the Command, my co-workers, sponsors, and the Navy,” Pettis said.

• In 2017, Pettis developed and fielded novel electric It is not surprising that the 13-year Army and power system architectures that embodied a holistic, Army National Guard veteran gleans his motivation systems approach that significantly enhanced system from the service of military members. performance and reliability and that are being “The Warfighter motivates me,” Pettis said. “I adapted for use on future U.S. Navy platforms and respect the women and men who defend us daily, and back-fitted on existing platforms.

I like to think that in some way, if I do the best work, I am capable of, the work we do will keep them safe • After attending a technology presentation, Pettis and allow them to win on the battlefield.” developed technology assessment strategies to “I was very proud of Mr. Pettis,” said Depart- support advanced electrical systems initiatives for ment head, SSTM Machinery Research, Logistics & future submarine platforms. He generated test Ship Integrity Department Dawn Ware, “I consider matrices to identify fielded system interoperability NSWCPD extremely lucky that Mr. Pettis has chosen and compatibility test and evaluation requirements NSWCPD as his employer. He is a strategic thinker and is currently collaborating with the technical and works to position our organization for success.” community and Fleet to coordinate test events. Pettis’ “Mr. Pettis is an extremely dedicated employ- strategies have and will continue to provide a more ee who consistently thinks outside the box to find the reliable, safer environment for submariners. most innovative and technically rigorous solutions to be ready for tomorrow’s issues,” Ware added.

Pettis earned his Bachelor of Science in Elecwww.NAVY.org

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Pack Your Bags, We're Going To Knowville, Tennessee!

By Reginald Dominique – www.StyleMagazine.com

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ften described as a hidden gem, as you descend upon the sweeping beauty of mountains and witness where art meets adventure and culture meets cuisine, you will undoubtably know that you are in for a great Tennessean treat when you arrive to Knoxville, Tennessee.

Knoxville has been a playground for arts and entertainment for hundreds of years. A big city with tons of fun, yet still considered a small town at heart, Knoxville has kept evolving throughout the years and in return that keep travelers and locals wanting more and more.

Located near the cross junctions of several major highways, the city is just a day’s drive from more than half of the United States. McGhee Tyson Airport (TYS) offers more than 20 direct flights and Knoxville is just a short drive from the Nashville International Airport.

When you mention Knoxville, there are several things that can follow, but make sure you lead with the World’s Fair Host! That’s right, you had to be there in 1982 when more than 11 million people arrived to Knoxville to experience the hospitality of East Tennessee and cultures from around the world. After 40 years, it’s still hard to believe that it happened, but the 1982 World’s Fair, formally known as the Knoxville International Energy Exposition, ran May 1 through October 31 under the theme “Energy Turns Our World”.

Only a few American cities have hosted official world’s fairs; however, Knoxville was one of the smallest cities that successful hosted the mega attraction and

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April 28, 2022 - May 04, 2022

would become recognized as the last successful World’s Fair held in America. Although many of structures are gone from the exposition, there are two still standing on site today; the amphitheater and the Sunsphere.

Serving as an iconic feature of the Knoxville skyline, the Sunsphere is a one-of-a-kind structure that stands 26 stories tall. Each pane of glass is made with

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Weekend Getaways 24-karat gold, giving the sphere its rich gold reflective color. Fun Fact: each pane cost around $1,000 each at the time of construction.

The newly renovated 4th floor Observation Deck is open and available for visitors to explore. An elevator will lead you straight to the top and upon entry, you will see more World’s Fair memorabilia, merchandise, interactive displays and of course, the 360-degree view of Knoxville and the Great Smokey Mountains.

Today, Knoxville still draws visitors from the Knoxville International Energy Exposition with history, music, food, culture and festivals that reflect many of the countries represented there years ago.

Located adjacent across the street from the Sunsphere is a flagship property in downtown Knoxville, The Tennessean Hotel. Ironically known as the only four Diamond hotel in Knoxville, The Tennessean

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sets the bar high when it comes to a luxurious stay. But The Tennessean itself embodies a lot of old Knoxville hidden history behind its new world appeal. Located on the historic grounds of the World’s Fair, this beautifully crafted boutique hotel was then an office building.

Years later, it was transformed to its glorious, chic façade today.

Paying attention to detail is The Tennessean’s first and main priority. The hotel staff is prepared at all times to go over and beyond to accommodate their guest needs. The property features 82 luxurious guest rooms and a gracious front desk staff to serve you around the clock, allowing the property to offer personal luxury guest-by-guest needs. When walking, you may notice the plush carpets beneath your feet that depict the Tennessee River, the logo portrays the state flower, and the room finishing’s have been designed with pride

by Tennessee craftsmen. Whether you’re enjoying a handcrafted cocktail at the Drawing Room or a Butler Service (upon request), The Tennessean invites you to relax in luxury as you receive a uniquely East Tennessean experience.

www.VisitKnoxville.com www.GuideStar.org www.Marriott.com www.TNVacation.com www.StyleMagazine.com

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H Houston Area HAUTE SHOTS – We LUV Our City H The Inaugural “Planting Seeds for the Future” Garden Party was Fabulous and Raise over $80K at the Chinese Community Center of Houston

ROSLYN BAZZELLE and INNER ME Crew

Evening in the Park @hermannpark

Award Winning Social Media Specialist – Reginald Dominique FIGHTING FOR WORKERS – In The Texas Gulf Coast

Proud Parents – @jazzy.nikole Love State Champion with the Shadow Creek Sapphire's We Are Texas – Semien Stables

Stop The Silence Walk founder – Karen Jackson working 2022 Sisters Network Breast Cancer 5K Walk/Run in downtown Houston.

Mayor Sylvester Turner, Fitness Business Leader Crystal Hadnott and U.S. Congressman Al Green – supporting the 2022 Sisters Network Breast Cancer 5K Walk/ Run in our beautiful downtown Houston.

LUV These 2 – Living Life To Fulliest

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White House Director of Social Media Platforms

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LOCAL MUSIC: MEGAN THEE STALLION UNLEASHES “PLAN “PLAN B” B” DURING OPENING WEEKEND OF COACHELLA

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his week, 3x GRAMMY® Award-winning superstar, entrepreneur and philanthropist Megan Thee Stallion released her eagerly awaited new single “Plan B” ahead of her upcoming set at the second weekend of Coachella.

The Houston native initially teased the track during a dazzling performance at Coachella’s opening weekend in front of hundreds of thousands of fans. The hype around the snippet, which samples Jodeci’s “Freek’n You (Remix)” with Wu-Tang Clan, quickly

Houston's Own "Megan Pete," AKA 'Megan Thee Stallion' Set To Perform On The 2022 Billboard Music Awards and Is Also Nominated For Top Rap Female Artist of 2021 spread online as fans quickly clamored for Megan to drop the full-length single.

The release of “Plan B” comes on the heels of a scorching stretch for Megan, who teamed up with Dua Lipa to unleash their powerful collaboration “Sweetest Pie” in March and is now Top 10 at pop radio. She delivered a

dynamic performance of “Sweetest Pie” at the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Awards, where she was also honored with the Trailblazer Award.

Megan followed her iHeartRadio Music Awards appearance with a special rendition of “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” at the 2022 Oscars that

also included Encanto cast, Luis Fonsi and Becky G. To kickoff her 2022 Hot Girl Summer, Megan will perform at the Billboard Music Awards at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, May 15, where she is also nominated for Top Rap Female Artist.

She came away victorious in the same category in 2021.

Listen to “Plan B” here: https:// megantheestallion.ffm.to/planb

Visit. . .

www.MeganTheeStallion.com

MYRA JOLIVET Myra Jolivet was a kid with an overactive imagination, and it has carved the path of her life journey. She imagined herself as many things and became them.

Secrets, Spells and Snake Eyes

Title: Secrets, Spells and Snake Eyes Series: Sarah Doucette Jean-Louis Mysteries #2 Published by: Pushed Times Publishing Release Date: May 18, 2017 Pages: 168 ISBN13: 978-0990803218 Buy the Book: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, IndieBound

Back home from a Godforsaken Louisiana family reunion, Sarah Doucette Jean-Louis jumps heart first into a murder investigation with her hot and sexy former attorney, Manuel.

It’s a new life for the Oakland family therapist post-scandal. Manuel’s client is charged with murder and he wants Sarah to use her gift of visions to help his investigator find the real killer. In her unique and humorous style, Sarah brings her head-spinning psychic intuition, large vodka bottles and a few other surprises to the case. Yadira Lopez’s stepson is the accused, but Sarah feels there’s something spine chilling and eerie about Yadira. Sarah props up her visions with help from some unbelievable sources. And if the case weren’t complicated and odd enough, Sarah’s life long nemesis, cousin Stacy, shows up in California. Her year will be mysterious and murderous with a touch of crazy! Life remains a contrast of contemporary northern California and old-world Louisiana Creole traditions for Sarah. She is a trained family therapist with volatile relationships. Her background of science and logic is defiled by persistent visions into the future. And while it is Creole tradition for a woman to marry, Sarah has had many loves but no husband. In Secrets, Spells and Snake Eyes, Sarah’s second journey, she learns to handle her mystical second sight and prepares to fall in love—again. We laugh and feel a bit tipsy from all of the action and the Sunday martini brunches with her girlfriends. Laissez les bon temp rouler, mon cher!

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Change Happens!

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