Houston Style Magazine vol 31 No. 7

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication

February 13 – February 19, 2020

Volume 30 | Number 7

Complimentary

Jesse Jackson

Why Should Iowa Always Be First In Election Process?

Get the Prostate Checked Survival Rates Depends Upon Access & Screening

Three Secrets To LOVE Words by Demez White

Gayle King Under Fire Follow Us #TeamStyleMag

Instagram @HoustonStyleNews

Twitter @HoustonStyle

Emilio Estefan Helps Power Latinos

Facebook: @HoustonStyleMagazine

Bloomberg Texas Team Gets Fired Up!

King Blames CBS News for Sharing Salacious Video Clip

Supporting The Black Press

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

KIM OGG

HARRIS COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE

George R. Brown Convention Center Saturday, February 15, 2020 9:00AM - 3:00PM 1001 Avenida De Las Americas Houston, TX 77010

Sponsored by -

Free Rides Provided by -

- Resolve your pending cases or old warrants* - Get free legal assistance with expunctions and non-disclosure of criminal records - Join the workforce with 2nd chance friendly employers *Traffic offenses are not eligible

(713) 274-0396 or app.dao.hctx.net 2

February 13 – February 19, 2020

www.stylemagazine.com

04 Publisher Francis Page, Jr. fpagejr@stylemagazine.com Associate Publisher Lisa Valadez lisa@stylemagazine.com

Managing Editor Jo-Carolyn Goode editorial@stylemagazine.com

BLOOMBERG SPENDS $3.5 MILLION WITH BLACK PRESS

Social Media Editor/Videographer Reginald Dominique reggiedominique@me.com

12

Sports Editor Brian Barefield

NATIONAL WRITERS

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

PHOTOGRAPHERS Vicky Pink vhpink@gmail.com William Ealy Williamealy1906@gmail.com

GROTTO: GREAT FOOD & SERVICE

Semetra Samuel semetra@artistikrebelcreative.com

13

Mike Munoz artrepreneur91@gmail.com Robert Franklin editorial@stylemagazine.com

ADVERTISING/SALES

eMAIL: advertising@stylemagazine.com

MINORITY PRINT MEDIA, LLC

d.b.a. Houston Style Magazine & StyleMagazine.com Phone: (713) 748-6300 • Fax: (713) 748-6320 Mail: P.O. Box 14035, Houston, TX 77221-4035 ©2020 Houston Style Magazine, a Minority Print Media, L.L.C. Company. All Right Reserved. Reproduction in whole or within part without permission is prohibited. Houston Style Magazine has a 2019 audit by Circulation Verification Council (CVC). Houston Style Magazine is a member of the Texas Publishers Association (TPA), Texas Community Newspaper Association (TCNA), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Independent Free Paper of America (IFPA), Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP) and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP).

National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc. (NAHP, Inc.), Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Latin Women’s Initiative (LWI), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP)

FRANCHISE: GOLDEN ARCHES IN BLACK AMERICA

www.stylemagazine.com

February 13 – February 19, 2020

3

COMMENTARY

What Do African-Americans Want?

By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

A

s the presidential primaries heat up, African American voters are suddenly in demand. Democratic candidates vie to gain support in what is a key constituency in the Democratic Party. Donald Trump’s re-election campaign says it’s planning a special appeal to Black voters, arguing that if Trump could simply reduce the staggering margins against him, it would have dramatic effect. We know what the candidates want. The obvious question is what do African Americans want?

This isn’t complicated. African Americans still have on average lower incomes and less wealth than whites. We are less able to afford adequate housing, quality health care and a college education. We are more likely to suffer from

gun violence. We still experience the entrenched biases of structural racism from the criminal justice system, the banks, the insurance companies among others. More of us still face obstacles that infringe on our constitutional right to vote, from felony disenfranchisement to race-based gerrymandering and more.

In sum, in large numbers, African Americans think that wages are too damn low, housing and health care too damn expensive, fairness and equal protection too damn rare.

A recent survey of 31,000 African Americans sponsored by the Black Future’s Lab confirmed this reality, and the largescale support for a reform agenda that directly addresses it. By overwhelming margins, African Americans support raising the minimum wage to

$15 an hour. They support making college affordable. Nine in 10 think government should provide quality health care and affordable housing to all. There’s overwhelming support for government to guarantee a job to all who need it, and to address the gap between rich and poor. African Americans support ensuring that the rich and corporations pay their fair share of taxes.

Trump boasts that he has a special appeal to black voters, pointing to the economy with low unemployment and a soaring stock market. But this is a hard sell, to say the least. While the stock market is going through the roof, too many African Americans are falling through the floor. Jobs are available but don’t pay wages that can support a family. And Trump and Republicans block even a vote on the House-passed bill to raise the minimum wage.

Trump boasts of his support for Historically Black Colleges and Universities. But college is still priced out of the reach of most, and Trump opposes the call for tuition-free college.

Trump mocks Medicare-for-all and tries to repeal the Affordable Care Act. He calls for slashing funds for Medicare and food stamps. He has rolled back efforts to clean up police forces and to counter police violence toward African Americans. Trump and Republicans seek to make it harder for people of color to vote. They block any progress on limiting gun violence. Their tax cuts benefit the rich and the corporations and have made inequality worse, not better.

But Democrats can’t inherit the black vote. Joe Biden is finding that his support for mass incarceration

legislation costs votes. Pete Buttigieg is discovering that the opposition of black leaders in his own city amid failure to reform the police costs at the national level. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are learning that relationships in the black community have to be built over time, not simply forged by championing bold economic reforms.

What striking about the appeal to African American voters is that, if realized, their agenda would pay dividends to everyone. More whites than blacks would benefit from raising the minimum wage, providing quality health care, and affordable housing and education. Gun violence is a threat to all, not simply a threat to blacks. Equal justice under the law aids not only African Americans, but women, all minorities, the LGBTQ community, and the young.

In 2020, African Americans will vote in large numbers. Trump will spend hundreds of millions seeking to woo them. Democratic leaders should spend energy and time listening to them and championing their cause, which is the cause of a majority of Americans.

to be the front runner in the Black community, especially because of his faithful service as vice president to President Barack Obama. But it is clear that Bloomberg’s strategy is to meet him head on. While Biden has yet to lay out a Black agenda, Bloomberg, on Jan. 19, held a meeting in Tulsa, Oklahoma to lay out his Black economic agenda.

Ron Busby, president/CEO of the U. S. Black Chambers Inc. confirmed that he attended that meeting at the invitation of the Bloomberg cam-

paign.

“It did include an economic agenda for African-Americans. And it was very close to the U. S. Black Chambers’ economic agenda from increasing the number of Black-owned businesses to increasing the number of deposits into Black banks, increase the number of African American homeowners, increase the number of contracts awarded to Black businesses by the federal government - all issues pertaining to improving the economic agenda for Black people.”

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

BLOOMBERG SUPPORTS BLACK PRESS USA WITH $3.5 MILLION DOLLAR BUY

By Hazel Trice Edney and Hamil Harris, Special to Style Newswire

F

ormer New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg has just made Black History. The presidential candidate who has been running his campaign through television ads and private meetings this week spent a historic amount of money with Black newspapers - $3.5 million.

“Of all the presidential candidates in the 2020 election, Mike Bloomberg just made the largest single political ad buy in the history of the NNPA,” said Dr. Ben Chavis, president/CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA) in an interview with the Trice Edney News Wire. “The money has already been distributed and it’s running in our newspapers right now.”

Chavis says the money will be broken down among NNPA member newspapers in states that hold primaries on Super Tuesday and beyond. Super Tuesday states include Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, and Virginia.

“It’s a national ad buy and over 129 of our newspapers will benefit from that,” Chavis said. “What it shows is that the Bloomberg campaign is taking the

4

Black vote seriously and it’s taking the Black Press seriously.”

NNPA, which turns 80 in March, has a membership of more than 200 Black-owned newspapers around the country. A longstanding grievance aired by the organization is that Democratic candidates and the Democratic National Convention has tended to take Black newspapers and the Black voters who read them, for granted.This is despite the fact that African-Americans vote for Democratic presidential candidates 95 percent of the time.

While Chavis was clear that that NNPA does not endorse candidates, dollars spent in Black newspapers and with Black media are often seen as the sign of a candidate who is serious about Black issues.

“NNPA is a 501-C6; so we don’t endorse,” said Chavis. “But our member newspapers, they have the freedom to endorse whatever candidate they feel will best serve Black America. But I’d just like to note for Black history sake since this is Black History Month, that Mike Bloomberg just made Black history.”

Biden has long been thought

February 13 – February 19, 2020

www.stylemagazine.com

MIKE GETS IT.

MIKE GETS IT DONE.

THE ENDURING LEGACY OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CONTINUES TO STAND IN THE WAY OF CREATING WEALTH IN BLACK COMMUNITIES.

MIKE’S GREENWOOD INITIATIVE IS A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL APPROACH TO CREATING GENERATIONAL WEALTH FOR BLACK AMERICANS. IT INCLUDES:

CHILDREN WITH A GOOD EDUCATION ARE MORE LIKELY TO ACHIEVE THE AMERICAN DREAM.

• • •

Creating 1 million new Black homeowners.

Supporting the development of 100,000 new Black-owned businesses.

Investing $70 billion in neighborhoods that need it most.

DURING HIS TIME AS MAYOR OF NEW YORK CITY, MIKE:

KEEPING KIDS OUT OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS THE KEY TO A BRIGHT FUTURE.

• •

Increased teacher salaries by 43% and Black

student graduation rates by 53%.

Reduced crime to historic lows by cutting

the murder rate in half and reducing juvenile detention by 36%.

MIKE BLOOMBERG IS THE ONLY DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE WITH A PLAN TO BUILD REAL WEALTH FOR BLACK AMERICA AND A TRACK RECORD FOR GETTING THINGS DONE. For more information visit

M ike ForB l ac k A mer ic a .com

Paid For by Mike Bloomberg 2020

2.5_PrintAd_HoustonStyle_11.625x20.5.indd

1

www.stylemagazine.com

February 13 – February 19, 2020

2/6/20

5

12:10 PM

ENTERTAINMENT BRIEFS After Fire-Storm King Blames CBS

Gayle King Blames her Home Network - CBS News for Sharing Salacious Clip

K

6

woman, as a WNBA (Women’s National Basketball Association) player?”

Leslie then responded, “It’s not complicated for me at all… I just never see — have ever seen him being the kind of person that would be — do something to violate a woman or be aggressive in that way. That’s just not the person that I know.”

Bryant’s untimely death in a helicopter crash last month revived the issue of the 2003 sexual assault, but King claimed that “last thing I would want to do is disparage him (Bryant) at this particular time.”

Meanwhile, CBS said in a statement that King “conducted a thoughtful, wide-ranging interview” with Leslie but the clip that was posted “did not reflect the nature and tone of the full interview.” Their spokesperson added that they “are addressing the internal process that led to this and

February 13 – February 19, 2020

By Special to Houston Style Magazine

Yolanda Adams

Emilio Estefan

emocratic presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg returned to Texas this week to campaign in Houston. Mike delivered remarks at the Harris County Democratic Party’s 2020 Johnson, Rayburn, Richards Dinner 2020. Later, Mike visited the Buffalo Soldiers National Museum where he launched Mike for Black America, a national movement to engage Black Americans on key issues. Four-time Grammy winner Yolanda Adams performed at the Mike For Black America Celebration event. The gospel legend is a proud native of Houston, Texas, where she began her singing career at 16.

She would become a world renowned singer, record producer, actress and more. She sang a stirring rendition of “America the Beautiful” at Super Bowl LIV and has performed at the invitation of five presidents, including Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama.

by exploring the return of the first freed African American slaves to Liberia. The “back to Africa” ideology touted by Civil Rights trailblazer Marcus Garvey is well documented to have had a strong connection to the African country of Liberia. The Liberian resettlement was a provocative Pan African concept aimed mostly at people of African descent in the Western Hemisphere. Point of Return panelists will address this long-standing history between the two countries.

D

Oprah Gal-Pal – Gayle King

ing, who is the host of CBS This Morning, has come under fire from many Twitter users and celebrities including Snoop Dogg, 50 Cent, and Ari Lennox after seeing the clip.

King addressed the issue through a video posted to her social media accounts, defending herself and blaming her home network, CBS News.

“I know that if I had only seen the clip that you saw, I’d be extremely angry with me too,” she said.

“I am mortified, I’m embarrassed and I am very angry. Unbeknownst to me, my network put up a clip from a very wide-ranging interview — totally taken out of context — and when you see it that way, it’s very jarring. It’s jarring to me. I didn’t even know anything about it.”

In the clip, King asked Leslie about Bryant’s sexual assault case which was eventually settled in 2005.

During the interview, she says, “It’s been said that his legacy is complicated because of a sexual assault charge which was dismissed in 2003, 2004.

Is it complicated for you, as a

Gospel Legend Yolanda Adams Joined “Mike For America” Launch

Local Organizations Discuss Return to Africa Movement www.StyleMagazine.com

Houston International Trade Development Council and the Liberian Association of Greater Houston announce Point of Return Liberia: African History and Society Series, a discussion on African American history and its link to Liberia, to take place on Saturday, Feb 29, 2020 from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs (3100 Cleburne St.).

The free event will connect continents

www.stylemagazine.com

Emilio Estefan Takes New Role to Help the Economic Power of Latinos MiamiHerald.com Estefan, 66, is adding his experience as a musical producer and businessman to L’ATTITUDE, a high-profile event that focuses on new economic tendencies and the contributions of Hispanics to the United States’ development and expansion. The series of conferences titled L’ATTITUDE, to be held this year in San Diego Sept. 24-27, brings together presidents and executive directors of major companies and leading art and culture figures who serve as examples to future entrepreneurs while at the same time updating the data available on the participation of Hispanics in the U.S. economy. L’ATTITUDE’s website says Latinos account for a $2.3 trillion chunk of the U.S. gross domestic product. In the last decade, they created 4.3 million new companies and their businesses employ 3 million people. This year, their purchasing power hit $1.7 trillion.

The Latino Health Paradox Goes Beyond U.S. Borders

L

www.USNews.com

atin Americans are less likely to die prematurely than non-Hispanic whites in the U.S. – whether they live in the country or not, a new study suggests. Researchers have long theorized that a longer life expectancy among Latinos in the U.S. – despite often facing socioeconomic disadvantages – could be driven in part by a “healthy immigrant effect,” meaning healthier people may be more likely to immigrate to the U.S. than those in poorer health. But the new study, published Wednesday in JAMA Network Open, suggests “there may be a broader Latin American paradox” that extends far beyond U.S. borders.

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health analyzed some 22 million deaths among people 20 to 64 years old between 2001 and 2015 in the U.S., Argentina, Belize, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Ecuador, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru and Uruguay.

Black News Channel Debuts As An Option to CNN, Foe News, MSNBC www.AJC.com

T

he Black News Channel, an aroundthe-clock national news network with nearly exclusive African American anchors and executive leadership began broadcasting Monday in select markets across the United States.

TV viewers now have an option to CNN, Fox News and MSNBC. BNC is the first 24-hour news network “by black people, for black people, dedicated to the unique perspective of African American communities,” according to a statement on the company’s website.

BNC, co-founded by former Republican Congressman J.C. Watts of Oklahoma, is initially only expected to reach 33 million households in markets with sizable African American populations such as New York, Los Angeles and Atlanta, according to The Hill. The channel is available on Charter/Spectrum, Xfinity X-1 and Dish networks, and will later be added to Sling and Roku, reports said.

Houston Affordable Housing Projects Compete For $150 Million In State Funding

T

HoustonPublicNews.com

he City of Houston is expected to recommend a slate of affordable housing projects that could receive $150 million in state tax credits — and potentially another $350 million in federal disaster recovery funding. Houston City Council will likely vote on which projects to support in the competitive process to secure 9% housing tax credits awarded by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs.

Of the 23 projects they’re expected to recommend, six are being presented as priority recommendations located in areas targeted by the city for revitalization. The city is currently building less than one-third of the affordable developments it needs, and has a desperate need for affordable housing, said city housing director Tom McCasland. The amount of 9% housing tax credits coming into the city has increased in each of the last four years, McCasland added.

Texas Lawmakers Are Drafting a Hair Discrimination Bill ABCNews.Go.com

The Texas Legislative Black Caucus has announced it’s working on a bill that would ban discrimination based on hair textures and styles commonly associated with race following the suspension of a black high school student near Houston.

State lawmakers, accompanied by black officials and advocates, introduced the CROWN Act at a press conference the Texas Tribune reported. CROWN stands for Create a Respectful and Open World for Natural Hair, and the measure would protect against “unjust grooming policies that have a disparate impact on black children, women, and men” in workplaces and public schools, CROWN Coalition advocate Adjoa Asamoah said. The coalition is a national alliance of organizations working to end hair discrimination. The bill is a show of support for students like Deandre Arnold, who was suspended from Hill High School in Mont Belvieu and won’t be able to attend graduation unless he cuts his dreadlocks.

If I could do one thing, I’d tell the world she counts.

Communities are as rich and diverse as their needs. That’s why completing the 2020 Census matters. It’s a safe and confidential step toward having an impact on how public funds flow through our communities. That could mean more resources in your area for special needs.

It’s within your control.

Learn more at:

2020CENSUS.GOV Paid for by U.S. Census Bureau.

2019_Census_Braile_Newspaper_HalfPage_SizeA_9_75x6.indd 1

www.stylemagazine.com

7 PM February 13 – February 19, 2020 1/15/20 4:11

FEATURE

Three Secrets To L.O.V.E.

By Demez White, Houston Style Feature Writer

“

Turn off the lights. Light a candle, doom doom doom doom doom, tonight; I’m going to make love to you.” If you didn’t sing along to those words as you were reading them you’re probably too young for this article.

Let me tell you before you keep going that I am a man that believes in love, romance, passion, desire, longing, all those things that guys write books about and sing songs about. I think the worse thing you can do is be too cool to love.

As a matter of fact, love is the exact opposite of cool. Cool is sunglasses and not caring about anything because you’ll be good regardless. Love is handing your sunglasses to your man or woman because they need them more than you and spending the rest of the time squinting your eyes trying to avoid the sun.

Love is sacrifice and a little insecurity because you’re always looking

8

for their approval. Love is a formula for which there is no universal answer.

We can have four tests with four different questions and we all get the right answer or we all fail, that’s the beauty of love. Below are my secrets to love and hopefully you see some of these qualities in the one you love or the one you’re hoping to love.

Desire Her

I can’t underestimate how important this is. You have to desire the woman you’re with. Too often we let women become moms, wives, co-workers, daughters, maids, Uber drivers for broke best friends but we forget to remind them that they’re desired. I’m not talking about sex, seven minutes at 5:45 am in the morning before the alarm goes off or ten minutes after a date night is going to happen, she knows that, you know that. I’m talking about looking

February 13 – February 19, 2020

at her and her knowing that she’s still a woman, your woman. Don’t let her lose her identity, she might hear it from guys she works with or strangers in the street but she wants to hear it from the man she’s given her all too.

Know Her Love Language

I’ll be transparent here and tell you that I thought this was corny when I first heard it. What’s a love language? Women like food, gifts and you not cheating or lying, isn’t it that simple. But turns out it’s not, women need to feel their own individual plan of love. You can’t be romantic or caring on your terms and then get mad at her when she’s not ecstatic. You buy her a nice watch and take her to a five star restaurant and she’s sitting there upset because all she wanted was for you to

www.stylemagazine.com

rub her back and ask her about her day.

Once you find out how to love her, loving her becomes easy because you’re now speaking her language.

Do Things Together and As A Family

We get busy in this life; between work, family and everything in between sometimes you forget that making memories is important. Don’t get so caught up in trying to make money or be Superman that you forget to make time for your family. Women, the good ones at least, get turned on by men that are responsible. You being there for your family and for her, if there are no children involved, is quality time that’s always needed.

Here’s hoping you and your special someone have a loving and romantic Valentine’s Day.

www.stylemagazine.com

February 13 – February 19, 2020

9

HEALTH

Black Men’s Prostate Cancer Rates: Survival Depends Upon Access & Screening

By Houston Style Newswire

F

ebruary is Black History Month and while typically a time to celebrate the achievements of African Americans around the world, Men’s Health Network (MHN) is taking the opportunity to spotlight a recent study

highlighting the deeply concerning disparity between black men’s prostate health and that of other men nationwide. Specifically, African American men have the highest prostate cancer morbidity and mortality rates than any other racial or ethnic group in the U.S. And, while these statistics are certainly alarming, there is some good news to share from this recent study.

The study, published in the American Cancer Society (ACS) Journal, confirmed what many already knew – that screening and access to the medical system encourages better health outcomes for prostate cancer for African American men. Men’s Health Network (MHN) would add to that the fact that improvements in screening also promote higher survivability rates. Together, these tools - screening and access - can go a long way towards combating cancer and fostering real advances in cancer care overall.

The ACS Journal study found that men diagnosed with prostate cancer

in the Veterans Administration (VA) health system did not “appear to present with more advanced disease or experience worse outcomes compared with Non-White Hispanic (NWH) men”.

The ACS Journal study indicated this finding is in contrast to national trends, suggesting that “access to care is an important determinant of racial equity.”

Given that February is Black History Month, with its focus on those African Americans that have contributed so much to the world, it seems fitting to include a quote from Harry Belafonte who was treated for prostate cancer. Mr. Belafonte was quoted in Everyday Health as saying, “The prostate is something that attacks that central part of the male body that men are very preoccupied with. Somehow, any disorder there means your life is over, you can’t be a man anymore, you are now something less,” however, he continued, “If you’re going to have [prostate cancer], you’re going to have it. It’s what you do about it that makes the differ-

ence — how you conduct your life.”

MHN agrees with Mr. Belafonte about action being vital to the successful treatment and overall good health outcomes related to prostate cancer.

Taking action to get screened for this cancer is an important first step toward ensuring better overall survival rates.

And, access to health care is also a factor in recovery and survivability. Together – screening and access – are powerful tools to combat prostate cancer.

For more information about

prostate cancer – and other issues affecting men’s health - please visit the Prostate Health Guide at www.

ProstateHealthGuide.com and celebrate Prostate Cancer Awareness Month www.ProstateCancerAwarenessMonth.com in September.

Remember to Get It Checked. www.GetItChecked.com

NCT 127 MARCH 10

GWEN STEFANI MARCH 17 KHALID MARCH 18

FOR

TEXAS-SIZED ENTERTAINMENT

LIZZO MARCH 13 MARSHMELLO MARCH 20

MARCH 3 – 22, 2020 at NRG STADIUM

Buy Tickets Today! rodeohouston.com

10

February 13 – February 19, 2020

www.stylemagazine.com

CHANCE THE RAPPER MARCH 6

SPORTS

Rockets Head Into ALL-STAR Break with Positive Mindset

By Brian Barefield, Sports Writer

W

hen starting a new job, there is always a 90-day probation period that let employers evaluate employees and see if they are the right fit for the job. They look at everything from attendance to the ability to get along with co-workers. Not one thing is left out when an employer is determining permanent employment.

Well, it only took the Houston Rockets seven games to determine that playing “Small Ball” was the direction they were going for the rest of the year.

The Rockets head into the all-star break with a 34-20 record, which has them atop of the Southwest division over the Dallas Mavericks.

Houston has amassed a 5-2 record since former center Clint Capela was injured and eventually traded for forward, Robert Covington. That trade also created more space in the paint for guard Russell Westbrook, who is having an amazing season since coming to the Rockets via trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder for Chris Paul.

Over the past aforementioned seven games, Westbrook is averaging 34.0 points and 6.0 assists a game. He has been even more dangerous since the Capela trade by averaging 38.7 points and 8.0 rebounds.

His presence on the floor has caused havoc for defenders who find themselves switched out on to him with open space. It usually doesn’t end well for them as he is shooting over 46% from the field on mid-range jump shots and layups.

Former Boston Celtics forward, Antoine Walker, is impressed by what he has seen from Westbrook this first half of the season, especially in the small ball lineup.

“The person that benefits the most from this is Russell Westbrook,” said Walker on his guest appearance on Fox Sports 1 show First Things First.

“He’s getting back to the Russ we saw in OKC. He’s averaging 5 more points than he did last year, he’s shooting better from the field, and I love the fact that his FT shooting is back up.”

Not to be left out of the conversation is his backcourt mate, James Harden. Although he went through a small stretch where he was not shooting the ball well from beyond the arc, Harden has found his old rhythm in these last seven games and it was on full display on the Rockets final game of the first half of the season.

In a nationally televised game against an Eastern Conference powerhouse in the Boston Celtics, the left-handed assassin who leads the NBA in most points scored with 1800 put on a show for all that was watching.

Harden finished the game with 42 points and was 7-for-16 from the three-point line. He also chipped in eight rebounds, seven assists and a blocked shot.

Head coach Mike D’Antoni loves what he has seen from his team in the last two weeks and contributes the open lanes to the success Westbrook and Harden are having on the offensive end.

“Both of them are great drivers and finishers,” D’Antoni said in his post-game press conference after the win over the Celtics. “The open shots should trickle down to other players like Covington, Ben McLemore, and P.J. Tucker.”

The Rockets will resume play on February 20th against the Golden State Warriors.

County Attorney Vince Ryan

Representing the People of Harris County

www.stylemagazine.com

Environmental Protection Neighborhood Protection Consumer Protection

www.VoteVinceRyan.org POL. ADV. PAID BY VINCE RYAN CAMPAIGN

February 13 – February 19, 2020

11

EAT WITH STYLE

Consistency and Great Service Makes Grotto a Winner

By Yolanda Pope, Culinary Writer

A

lot of people boast about their favorite places for dining, and we all have proclaimed that “our” place has the best of whatever dish is the specialty. In my experience, there are many venues that can be considered the absolute best at what they serve on the plates. This is true because of two main factors: 1) consistency and 2) great service.

Since 2012, I have made several visits to Grotto, specifically the 4715 Westheimer location, and every visit was exceptional. My favorite time to visit is during the opening hours of 11:00 a.m. and 2 p.m. The brunch options are plentiful; the Frozen Peach Bellini is one of the most flavorful, well-balanced, and refreshing cocktails that I’ve tasted. It’s tangy, sweet, cold, and subtly aromatic which pairs well with the food. They also serve Mimosas, Bloody Mary’s, and an Aperol Pear Spritz.

For our brunch meal we decided

12

February 13 – February 19, 2020

on the Grotto Benedict and the Smoked Salmon. The Benedict consists of: Poached Eggs, Prosciutto Crisp served on a Pesto Crostini with Italian Hollandaise & Rosemary Roasted Potatoes.

The Smoked Salmon is served with Red Potato Salad, Asparagus, Capers, and Truffle Bread.

The eggs were perfectly seasoned, the yolks were just the way we wanted, not too runny, but not hard. The sauce, herbs, and potatoes were full of flavor, without one flavor overpowering another. The salmon was thinly sliced, with a savory bite at the end.

However, the star of this plate was the potato salad, my guest and I grunted through every forkful of this tasty dish, which of course paired perfectly with the crispy asparagus and capers.

I’ve visited during dinner hours, and on days when the Executive Chef Ricky Cruz isn’t there. Our dinner and service is remarkable during those times

www.stylemagazine.com

as well. We are always greeted with a smile, someone always asks us if we need anything and we always get our favorite server Rafael.

Check out what a Yelp Reviewer wrote: “Came here for my company’s holiday dinner and I was skeptical because sometimes the super fancy places can be a slight let down, well this was not the case. Premium wine options for pairing of select meats such as veal, steak, or chicken. If you want a private dining experience for a large group, Grotto can surely accommodate.”

Another reviewer wrote: “Our server Rafael was very charismatic, attentive and very sweet.

Find the Grotto nearest you: https:// www.grottorestaurants.com/cuisine.asp Thanks for reading, and keep following Team Style Magazine on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

BOOK REVIEWS

“FRANCHISE: The Golden Arches in Black America”

Y

our hand is in the bag again.

Those French fries you bought aren’t going to make it home, that’s for sure. You should’ve bought a double order; your burger won’t taste the same without them alongside. Sometimes, a craving hits and that kind of food saves the day; in the new book “Franchise”

by Marcia Chatelain, that kind of food once changed neighborhoods.

What did you have for lunch today?

If you’re like a third of your fellow Americans, you ate lunch or some other meal at a fast-food restaurant. It wasn’t always so: a century ago, cooked ground beef was a food for the lower- and working-classes, not for the masses. Eventually, though, the taste of a burger and fries won over just about everyone – and then came McDonald’s which, says Chatelain, “has affected the ways Americans eat, play, and work.”

The restaurant also affected the Civil Rights movement – and vice versa.

In 1961, after Ray Kroc assumed control

By Marcia Chatelain • Review By Terri Schlichenmeyer

of the chain he created, he began flying around the country in search of places to further expand his McDonald’s restaurants. There were already two in the Chicago area and they were profitable.

Though both stores were then owned by white men, one store was run by a Black manager; that was fine with Kroc, as long as the place was profitable.

The idea of a restaurant that served everyone, regardless of race, intrigued African American southerners who were living under Jim Crow laws.

When McDonald’s moved to their areas, segregation was in effect but the Civil Rights movement was coming, along with protests and sit-ins. Kroc tended not to get involved, preferring that franchisees deal with situations on their own.

By spring of 1968, that was no longer tenable. White-owned restaurants were an “irritation” in Black neighborhoods and after Dr. King was assassinated, resentment boiled over. Kroc decided that it was best to find black franchisees to assume ownership of such

restaurants in those areas. So by the end of that year, Herman Petty of Chicago proudly opened the first Black-owned McDonald’s location…

With a sub-title of “The Golden Arches in Black America” on the cover of this book, one might think that it would include something about nutrition. It does – but not much, and not until the end. Instead, author Marcia Chatelain uses “Franchise” to focus mostly on a history of the chain itself and its business relationship with the Black community.

It’s a sixty-year account that’s tasty, but there’s not always a happy story to go along with the Happy Meal, which Chatelain explains, starting at mid-century. It’s a tale of unknowns who are usually unsung, and some that are total surprises; Chatelain also examines oft-told Civil Rights stories as they relate to the McDonald’s chain, showing history from a different spot at the table.

This is not your run-of-the-mill business book, nor is it an everyday

www.stylemagazine.com

history read. It’s actually a little of both, and worth a look. If you’re seeking something to learn and enjoy, “Franchise” has it in the bag.

Share this story online at: www.stylemagazine.com.

February 13 – February 19, 2020

13

2020

GREATER HOUSTON BLACK CHAMBER 85TH MEETING HCC - 5601 WEST LOOP SOUTH

GHBCC 85TH ANNUAL MEETING

T

Photography by Vicky Pink

2020

he Future of Black America Symposium hosted a two-panel discussions. The first panel will focus on Protecting Voting Rights and feature guest such as Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, and former Agriculture Secretary Mike Espy and former New Jersey Secretary of State Regina Thomas, The second panel will feature guest such as Lt Governor Mandela Barnes (D-WI) and Lt. Governor Sheila Oliver (D-NJ), Commissioner Rodney Ellis and the symposium focused on business growth and entrepreneurialism, STEM education and blue stem workforce development. For more information, go to: www.ghbcc.com

BLOOMBERG TEXAS MEETS WITH LOCAL MEDIA

LE COLONIAL • 4444 WESTHIEMER RD

BLOOMBERG: MAYOR NUTTER VISITS DFW

O

Photography by Francis Page, Jr.

n Monday, February 10, 2020 members of the established Houston Media were invited to mix and mingle for a off-the-record conversations with the Mike Bloomberg 2020 | Texas Communications Team leading into Super Tuesday. Noted Attendees were: Sunny Jiles, Debra Jackson, Cheronda Harrell, Emilian White, Kim Gagne, Miya Shay and Francis Page Jr. Members of the Bloomberg Texas team in attendance were: Elizabeth Lewis | Communications Director, Victoria Yu | Deputy Communications Director, Linda K. Brown | African American Constituency Media Director, Viri Maldonado | Latino Constituency Media, Mike Webb | LGBTQ+ Outreach

14

February 13 – February 19, 2020

www.stylemagazine.com

2020

EEOCC VISIONS 2020 LUNCHEON DOUBLE-TREE HOUSTON HOBBY HOTEL

EECOC 2020 VISIONS LUNCHEON

H

Photography by VICKY PINK

arris County Judge Lina Hidalgo was the keynote speaker the East End Chamber of Commerce’s Visions 2020 Luncheon. She shared the “State of the County” report and opportunities for business, education and com-

munity. Some in attendance were Board Chair Eloy Cortez, Tahlia Cavazos, Frances Castaneda Dyess, State Rep. Mary Ann Perez, Claudia Guirre, Council Member Robert

2020

Gallegos, Brenda Boral, and Denise De La Garza.

CHEVRON HOUSTON MARATHON ARAMCO HALF MARATHON DOWNTOWN • HOUSTON, TEXAS

ACHE SOUTHEAST TEXAS’ 1ST QUARTER SESSION

A

Photography by VICKY PINK

ll were invited to attend the 1st Quarter Educational Session for the ACHE-SouthEast Texas Chapter. Under the 2020 educational theme, “Inspiring and Connecting Healthcare Leaders into the New Decade,” Ted Shaw of Texas Hospital Association led a panel that included Tim Ottinger of Catholic Health Initiatives of Texas; Freddy Warner of Memorial Hermann Health System; and Meghan Weller of HCA Texas as they discussed, “Current Events in Healthcare What You Need to Know?”

www.stylemagazine.com

February 13 – February 19, 2020

15

®

Get up to

$

DEALS. RECIPES. COUPONS. MORE.

save more than

BUY

6

$

in

FREE

items!

with in-store coupons

10

52 in

Nabisco belVita Breakfast Biscuits, 8.8 oz.

assorted varieties

with in-store coupons

BUY

VERSION

VERSION

GET FREE!

Stouffer’s Large Family Size Meal

with in-store coupon

SAVE

H-E-B® Select Ingredients products are made without hundreds of synthetic ingredients.

For more UP TOinformation visit heb.com/select

$

52.5 - 61.3 oz. assorted varieties

Cinnamon Toast Crunch Churros 11.9 oz., or Lucky Charms Frosted Flakes Cereal 13.8 oz.

e fr e! get 4

5 items!

FREE

H-E-B The Big Chip The Nutty Blonde or The Mon Chéri heb.com/select Cookie, 10.6 oz.

2.98!

BUY

H-E-B® Select Ingredients products are made without hundreds of synthetic ingredients.

For more information visit heb.com/select

GET FREE!

heb.com/select

H-E-B® Select Ingredien products are made without hundreds of synthetic ingredient For more information visit heb.com/select

with in-store coupon

SAVE

items

$

UP TO

1.78!

Sunny D

64 oz., tangy original or smooth

H-E-B Wavy Potato Chips

11 oz. assorted varieties

BUY

GET FREE!

with in-store coupons

with in-store coupon

SAVE UP TO

• Nesté Toll House Refrigerated Cookie Dough

98¢!

H-E-B Soft Drink

2 L btl. assorted varieties

16 - 16.5 oz., assorted varieties • H-E-B Green Beans, 12 oz.

• Ozarka Sparkling Water

H-E-B Premium Bacon

1 L btl., assorted varieties

24 oz. assorted varieties

• Cook Prep Eat Nylon Turner, red or pink

BUY

GET FREE! with in-store coupon

SAVE UP TO

2.99!

$

H-E-B Breakfast Sausage

16 oz. assorted varieties

CASH YOUR TAX REFUND CHECK OR CARD! FEES AS LOW AS $

3!

Subject to approval. For tax refunds issued on prepaid account cards, cashing fee may be in addition to any fees imposed by the financial institution issuing your card.

May be subject to issuer terms and conditions, including withdrawal limits. Entry of PIN required for transaction. Not available at all locations. ©2012 HEB,12-0595

H-E-B Queso Fresco 16 oz.

BUY

GET FREE! with in-store coupon

SAVE

Prices Good Wednesday, February 12 Thru Tuesday, February 18, 2020 At Your Neighborhood H-E-B Stores.

Some items may not be available in all stores. Items not valid at Central Market. Due to the popularity of our Extra Low Prices Every Day, we reserve the right to limit quantities. Limit Rights Reserved.

We Accept Lone Star Card, WIC And Manufacturers’ Coupons. ©2020 HEB, 19-2311 visit www.heb.com

16

February 13 – February 19, 2020

$ H-E-B GIFT CARDS

are reloadable in-store for use in-store or for online purchases.

www.stylemagazine.com

UP TO

1.79!

Mi TiendaTM

by H-E-B Refried Pinto Beans, 17.6 oz.

assorted varieties

H-E-B® Select In products are without hund synthetic ing For more infor visit heb.com