Houston Style Magazine Vol 31 No 31

Houston Style Magazine July 30 – August 05, 2020

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication, Since 1989

Volume 31 | Number 31

Joya T. Hayes New Regional Director for AKA’s, Inc.

EVICTIONS: MILLIONS OF FAMILIES IN FINANCIAL TURMOIL!

Complimentary

Jesse Jackson We Don’t Need The President’s ‘Thug Agents’ In Chicago

Dr. Anthony Fauci As U.S. Passes 150,000 COVID-19 Deaths, Dr. Fauci Calls For Reset

STAY HOME H WORK SAFE CORONAVIRUS – US NUMBERS: Cases: 4,603,738 Deaths: 154,591

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Twitter @HoustonStyle

Instagram @HoustonStyleNews

Millions Facing Evictions After CARES ACT Expires

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BLACK IS KING: Beyoncé’s Film On Disney+

Winell Herron H-E-B Launches Summer Of Giving To Benefit Texas’s Food Banks

Rockets Re-Start

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

1. Griggs EC/PK/K (Drive-thru) 801 Regional Park Dr., 77060 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

No appointment required.

8. HCC - Felix Fraga (Drive-thru) 301 N Drennan St, 77003 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

No appointment required.

15. Ibn Sina Wilcrest Clinic (Rapid results) 11226 S Wilcrest Dr, 77099 Until Sept 30 Appt required via 281-495-7462.

2. St John Northwest (Drive-thru) 6696 Antoine Dr, 77091 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Appt required via txcovidtest.org or 844-778-2455.

9. HCC - Southeast (Drive-thru) 6815 Rustic, St., 77087 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

No appointment required.

16. PlazAmericas (Drive-thru) 7500 Bellaire Blvd, 77036 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

No appointment required.

10. Cullen Mid School (Drive-thru) 6900 Scott St., 77021 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

No appointment required.

17. LeRoy Crump Stdm (Drive-thru) 12321 High Star Dr, 77072 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Appt via txcovidtest.org or 844-7782455.

3. UMMC Tidwell (Drive-thru) 510 W Tidwell Rd., 77091 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

No appointment required.

4. Ibn Sina Clinic (Rapid results) 5012 N Shepherd Dr, 77018 Until Sept. 30 Appt required via 832-426-3760.

11. HCC - South (Drive-thru) 1990 Airport Blvd, 77051 July 27-Aug. 1 · 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Appt required via txcovidtest.org or 844-778-2455.

5. Forest Brook Middle (Drive-thru) 7525 Tidwell Rd., 77016 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 3 p.m.

No appointment required.

12. Merfish Teen Center (Walk-up) 9000 S Rice Ave, 77096 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

No appointment required.

6. Delmar Stadium (Drive-thru) 2020 Mangum Rd, 77092 Until further notice · 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. (closed Sundays) Call 832-393-4220 for access code.

13. Butler Stadium (Drive-thru) 13755 S Main St, 77035 Until further notice · 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. (closed Sundays) Call 832-393-4220 for access code.

7. HCC - Northeast (Drive-thru) 555 Community College Dr, 77013 July 27-Aug. 1 · 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Appt required via txcovidtest.org or 844-778-2455.

14. Bethel's Place (Walk-up) 12660 Sandpiper Dr, 77035 July 27-Aug. 1 · 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

No appointment required.

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July 30 – August 05, 2020

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18. Jeanette Hayes Elem (Drive-thru) 21203 Park Timbers Ln, Katy, 77450 July 27-31 · 8 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Appt required via txcovidtest.org or 844-778-2455.

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

NATIONAL WRITERS

Jesse Jackson jjackson@rainbowpush.org

#VOTE

Roland Martin www.rolandmartin.com Judge Greg Mathis www.askjudgemathis.com

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

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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)

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CLOUSER FOR MISSOURI CITY – CITY COUNCIL AT-LARGE POSITION #2

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July 30 – August 05, 2020

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COMMENTARY

We Don’t Need The President’s ‘Thugs’ In Chicago

By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer

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itler had his Brown shirts and Mussolini had his Black shirts, now Donald Trump has his camouflage shirts.” Thus began a statement signed by 15 distinguished interdenominational religious leaders in Chicago that I joined, including ministers, priests, and rabbis.

Comparisons to Hitler are always explosive, but the comparison is apt. “Hitler’s bullyboys,” the statement continues, “operated on the fringes or outside of the law to violently intimidate Germany’s leftists and finally to exterminate Jews. Trump’s bully boys are operating on the fringes or outside the law to violently intimidate America’s progressives and people of color who are exercising their first amendment right to protest racial injustice.”

Portland, Oregon, provides the model. Trump dispatched untrained, unidentified, camouflage wearing, military uniformed, no name tagged bullyboys who are literally kidnapping protesters, stuffing them in unidentified vans, taking them to unknown locations without charges - and against the wishes of local law enforcement officers the mayor of Portland and the governor of Portland.

Trump has announced that he will send similar teams to Chicago, New York, Detroit, Atlanta, Baltimore and other “liberal Democrat-run cities,” to use his phrase. The excuse is to defend federal property. The reality is that this is a cynical re-election ploy. As Portland shows, Trump’s gambit will spark a large, hostile reaction which he hopes to use to scare suburban voters into supporting this law and disorder president.

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Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has warned Trump not to try this in Chicago. “[N]o troops, no agents that are coming in outside of our knowledge, notification, and control that are violating people’s constitutional rights.”

Lightfoot told CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday during an appearance on “State of the Union.” “We can’t just allow anyone to come into Chicago, play police in our streets, in our neighborhoods, when they don’t know the first thing about our city. That’s a recipe for disaster. And that’s what you’re seeing playing out in Portland on a nightly basis.

We support her resistance - and the opposition expressed by the Pentagon, members of Congress, former U.S. military officials, historians and constitutional scholars - to Trump’s effrontery.

We don’t need the president’s thugs in Chicago, but we would like real federal assistance. While overall crime has decreased compared to last year, violent crime - particularly murders and shootings - has soared.

Chicago has no gun shop and no gun range. The guns come from outside of Chicago, generally across the border from Indiana. We need common sense regulations on guns to stop the pipeline into Chicago. Trump could help because it is Republicans and the gun lobby that stands in the way.

Real federal assistance wouldn’t be dispatching bully boys to terrorize citizens exercising their first amendment rights. It would help with jobs and training for the young. It would help with rent and mortgage forgiveness during the pandemic lockdown when people

July 30 – August 05, 2020

‘Hitler’s BullyBoys’ Portland, Oregon

can’t work. If Trump and Senate Republicans don’t act immediately, literally millions will be on the verge of eviction.

We need real investment in our schools so the savage inequality with suburban schools can be reduced. We need health care to be a right, not a privilege, and at the very least for the federal government to cover all medical expenses related to COVID-19.

In a pandemic, we all have a stake in ensuring that the sick can afford to get the treatment they need.

Our sons and daughters volunteer to serve in the military. When Putin puts a bounty on the heads of our soldiers, we need Trump to defend them, not to ignore the attack.

Trump scorns real assistance to the cities. He scorns meeting with our elected leaders before announcing that he plans to dispatch his private thugs to our city. And he disgraces our democracy with this cynical and dangerous

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campaign ploy.

Black Lives Matter Chicago and other organizations are going to court to get an injunction to prohibit Trump’s agents from “interfering in or otherwise policing lawful and peaceful assemblies and protests” in Chicago. The religious leaders who issued the statement pledged that if Trump dispatched bully boys to Chicago without the permission of the mayor, they would be met with a “massive, disciplined, nonviolent ... march of resistance.” We will not let the president trample our constitution, suppress our rights, and terrorize our citizens with impunity.

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

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July 30 – August 05, 2020

APPROVAL

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Statement From T.E.A. Commissioner – Mike Morath on School Funding For 2020-21 Academic Year

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ver the past month, TEA announced a funding waiver framework that fully funds schools for remote instruction for the entire year for any family that requests remote instruction.

To generate funding for remote instruction, school systems must also provide daily on-campus instruction for families that want to come on campus, with several critical exceptions designed to maximize the health of students, teachers, and staff: • As part of an 8-week back to school transition period, school systems can

offer a solely remote instructional setting, subject to some requirements; • For up to 5 days if a school building is closed due to a confirmed COVID-19 case on campus, at any point during the school year, schools will be funded for providing remote-only instruction; • Even beyond this 5-day exception, any day a school building is closed as part of a legally authorized closure order, schools will be funded for providing remote-only instruction; • High schools can offer an alternating on-campus/remote instructional experience in order to reduce the number

of students in campus buildings at one time.

“Yesterday, the Texas Attorney General issued guidance that indicated that blanket school building closures ordered by local public health authorities for preventative purposes are not lawful.

School systems planning on starting the year with 100 percent remote instruction will still be fully funded in accordance with TEA’s previously announced 8-week back to school transition funding waiver. Lawful building closure orders will continue to enable a school system to be funded when providing remote-only instruction. Also, it’s important to note that the school start date remains at the discretion of local school boards.

“TEA continues to monitor the public health situation very closely, working in collaboration with school

As U.S. Passes 150,000 Cornovirus Deaths, Experts At John Hopkins Call For Reset In National Response

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systems, and remains prepared to adjust or adapt its waiver framework as necessary to ensure we keep students, teachers, and staff safe.” www.tea.texas.gov

By Jason Hanna, Madeline Holcombe and Shelby Lin Erdman, www.CNN.com / www.StyleMagazine.com

he United States on Wednesday surpassed 150,000 recorded Covid-19 deaths -- a milestone that comes as the country’s number of daily coronavirus deaths is the highest it›s been since the spring.

The first death in the US was reported on February 29. The country reached 50,000 deaths 54 days later on April 23 and 34 days later on May 27 crossed 100,000 deaths. It has taken 63 days to add another 50,000 to reach the 150,000 mark.

The country’s coronavirus death toll was 150,090 as of Wednesday afternoon -- more than a fifth of the world›s 662,000-plus recorded deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.

“I think the fact that we as a country have not been able to get our arms around this, have not prioritized preventing those deaths is all that much more maddening. And so, for me it’s frustration, it’s sadness. And a resolve to try to figure out how we prevent the next 150,000,” Dr. Ashish Jha, director

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Mike Morath – Texas Education Commissioner

of the Harvard Global Health Institute, told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer.

“I think we can but we’re really going to have to work for it,” he added.

Some states are seeing their highest death tolls. California on Wednesday reported 197 Covid-related deaths in a single day, according to state Department of Public Health. That total far outpaces the previous high of 159, recorded just last week.

Florida reported a record 216 deaths on Wednesday.

Nationwide, the seven-day moving average of daily deaths rose above 1,000 on Tuesday -- the first time since June 2.

And in 29 states, average number of daily deaths were at least 10% higher over the previous week, according to Johns Hopkins data.

Disease trends in the US are mixed: Deaths are increasing and hospitalizations are at or near their peak levels, though new, daily reported in-

July 30 – August 05, 2020

fections are declining slightly.

But health experts have warned the death rate likely would rise as it is now, as a lagging consequence of a large spike in cases weeks earlier especially in the South and West.

Infectious disease experts say the country is at a critical juncture, as debates about how and whether to reopen schools for in-person learning rumble on.

Case rates rose as businesses reopened and distancing rules relaxed in late spring, and those wanting more normalcy soon should get more disciplined now by wearing masks, limiting outdoor dining and social gatherings, and closing bars, Dr. Anthony Fauci said.

“It’s not going to spontaneously come down,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said Tuesday in a call with several governors about the pandemic .US Should Reset, Johns Hopkins Experts Say

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Dr. Anthony Fauci The United States needs to restart its response with policy actions at the federal, state and local levels to get control of the pandemic, scholars at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security said in a report.

“Unlike many countries in the world, the United States is not currently on course to get control of this epidemic,” the report says. “It is time to reset.”

The report also gives recommendations about personal protective equipment, epidemiological data, funding research agendas, contact tracing, identifying best practices for improving public health response and developing policies and practices to protect group institutions. www.StyleMagazine.com

PVAMU Professor Releases FREE “HBCU’s Info” APP Created Under New Apple/HBCU C2 Partnership By www.StyleMagazine.com Newswire

website, phone number, year founded, enrollment, room and board costs, tuition and fees, student-to-faculty ratio, median starting salary of alumni, and physical locations on the map,” said Yang, who also said he is glad to be part of the HBCU C2 program that will benefit PVAMU’s academic programs, students, and the community.

·

Store

More details about HBCUs Info: Available for free in the App

Can run on all iOS devices (iPhone and iPad with iOS v13.0 or above) · Has three tabs – “HBCUs Map,” “HBCUs List,” and “About HBCUs” 1.

HBCUs Map – Users can search, sort, and mark HBCUs by various parameters (i.e., ranking, enrollment) on a map.

2.

HBCUs List – Users can search ·

I

n less than ten days since Apple announced Prairie View A&M University as one of its new eleven HBCU Hubs for Coding & Creativity, Professor Yonggao Yang, Ph.D., department head of Computer Science in the Roy G. Perry College of Engineering, has created a free app called “HBCUs Info.”

Last week, Dr. Yang participated in the Apple HBCU C2 coding workshop for faculty members that

focused on coding and creativity, and iOS app development. He designed, implemented, and tested the app, which is a reservoir for all things historically black colleges and universities. Apple approved it.

“It has all the U.S. 107 HBCUs information, including [each] institution’s name, type (public/private), 2-year or 4-year institution, rankings, 4-year graduation rate, state, address,

Dr. Yonggao Yang, Ph.D. and generate a list of search results in a table view.

3.

Do You Know? – Randomly displays fast facts, like which HBCU is the oldest.

For more information, contact Yonggao Yang, Ph.D., PVAMU professor and department head, at 936-2619884 or yoyang@pvamu.edu. wwwPVAMU.edu www.StyleMagazine.com

Supreme Court Justice

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

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July 30 – August 05, 2020

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EVICT

Millions of Americans Are Facing Eviction After A Federal Protection Granted By The CARES Act That Expired Last Friday, July 24th

Millions Of Families

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By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing E

he COVID-19 global pandemic is scary enough with just trying to stay healthy. Adding stress to that problem for many Americans is the lost of

income as a result of layoffs and furloughs since many businesses had to close their doors. Lack of money on

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he CARES Act was a bill passed by the U.S. government in March to help provide financial help to Americans affected by the coronavirus.

One part of the bill included an ‘eviction moratorium,’ which protected tenants, who live on federally backed property or low-income housing and couldn’t pay rent, from being evicted.

As the number of COVID-19 cases in Houston continues to increase, many residents in the area are in this predicament.

“On top of a public health crisis, I’m afraid that we’re heading into a homelessness crisis in Houston,” said Jon-Ross Trevino with Lone Star Legal Aid. As the managing attorney for the Housing and Consumer Unit, he says on top of losing work from the COVID-19 pandemic, the most vulnerable Americans could also lose their homes.

On July 25, the day after this federal protection for tenants ended, Lone Star Legal Aid received 1,358 applications for eviction help – a 36% increase from the number of applications received on the same date of last year.

“Almost every single applicant has had some kind of decrease in their income because of COVID,” said Trevino. “People have lost family members due to COVID, and they’re still being evicted.”

He also said they’ve been busy all summer long after a state moratorium to protect all Texas renters, low-income or not, expired on May 25.

The day after the Texas protection ended, Lone Star Legal Aid saw a 24% increase in eviction applications from the number received on the same date last year.

“The saddest thing is we’re in the middle of this health crisis, and we have landlords shutting off their utilities on their tenants, forcing them out into the public,” added Trevino.

Almost 40% of people in Houston and about one third in Los Angeles and New York say they don’t have money to pay the rent or mortgage.

In Harris, Galveston and Fort Bend counties, each precinct’s Justice of the Peace enforces eviction proceedings. Most said they have been accepting eviction filings, processing them and granting the evictions.

One court, Harris Co. Pct. 1 Place 2 Judge David Patronella, told ABC13 he is halting all evictions for purely non-payment through Aug. 7.

Trevino said tenants who receive a notice to vacate do have 30 days to fight the eviction and seek rental help.

“The eviction is so fast, they can get their notice to vacate, and three weeks later the trial is done, and a constable is at their door,” he said.

He urges renters to reach out to Lone Star Legal Aid and to avoid fighting eviction alone.

Lone Star Legal Aid has created an online application process if you need help with your eviction. www.Home.Treasury.gov/Policy-Issues/CARES

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July 30 – August 05, 2020

an already low-income family is compounded stress making the first of the month one of the scariest days ever.

In March of this year, the Coronavirus Aid,

Relief, and Economic Security Act, otherwise known as the CARES Act, bill was passed to give families economic help who were affected financially as a result of the fallout of COVID-19. A portion of the $2.2 trillion economic stimulus package had a federal eviction moratorium that gave protection to families living in federally backed or subsidized housing from being evicted. For landlords that meant they could not file any legal action against said tenants for nonpayment of rent or add more charges. That protection for tenants expired on July 24th.

August 1st will be a scary day for many

American families as they try to decipher how they will pay their rent. Will they forgo paying the water and electricity bills? Will they reduced their budget

for food or not get their prescriptions? Will they try

the path for landlords and housing authorities to head

to stay with family and friends increasing the risk of

to court to file claims against tenants who are behind on

getting COVID-19 for themselves and loved ones?

their rental agreements. Tenants are filling the courts

THE DECISION WON’T BE EASY.

The expiration of the CARES Act has opened

as well trying to hold on to their rental properties a little longer. Although families were granted protection from being evicted, their monthly rent balance still

Most families will not even have the benefit of

accumulated. This means some families are looking

emergency rental/mortgage assistance programs and

at having to pay months of overdue rent.

other resources as these entities have exhausted their

available funds. Houston City Council approved $15

possible passage of another stimulus package. This

million for rental assistance that granted renters with

week the Republican-led Senate passed the $1 trillion

$1,056 for rent expenses that when released expired in

Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and

less than two hours. Harris County had a program that

Schools, or HEALS, Act. This legislation would pro-

distributed $30 million to low-income families and that

vide $3.3 billion in housing assistance, a drastic

money has been distributed. More money came and it

decrease from the $200 billion that the HEROES

was gone just as fast. There is not enough funding to

Act provided. Also, being reduced is the amount of

meet the demand and need for hurting families. Mak-

unemployment benefits from $600 a month to $200.

ing matters even grimmer for affected families is the

The bill does give eligible families a second $1,200

end of the $600 a month in unemployment benefits.

stimulus check. More money can be grabbed for in-

Families don’t know where to turn since many of them

dividuals with dependents since the bill does not but

have also run through their entire savings too.

an age cap on adult children. There is funding for the

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Giving families a glimmer of hope is the

TIONS:

COMMISSIONERS COURT TAKES ACTION TO HELP THOSE FACING EVICTIONS

CARES Act Eviction Protections And Additional Unemployment Assistance Payments are Set to End By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

In Financial Turmoil

Editor – www.StyleMagazine.com

S

ince federal eviction protections ended last Saturday, Harris County Commissioners Court took action to help those facing evictions in the coming months. After hearing testimony from members of the Housing Stability Task Force and advocates for tenants’ rights, the court approved measures to provide relief to residents.

Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses.

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However, the bill does not extend the federal moratorium on evictions.

The HEALS Act is now being reviewed by the

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Democratic-led House, who will likely try to increase funding of the bill in party negotiations since they introduced the $3 trillion Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions, or HEROES,

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Act in May. That bill included $100 billion for rental assistance and $75 billion for homeowner assistance.

For now families are encouraged to open the

lines of communications with their landlords. Maybe a renter can’t afford to pay the entire balance but a portion of it. Or maybe other options can be discussed between the two.

Families should not give up hope as many

are working on their behalf to find solutions to the

•

•

problem. www.Home.Treasury.gov/Policy-Issues/CARES www.StyleMagazine.com

Following a discussion initiated by Commissioner Rodney Ellis, the Harris County Commissioners Court approved the following actions to help relieve struggling renters: · Increasing funding for the Emergency Rental Assistance Fund by $10M for a total of $25M. The fund, approved last month, also will increase the amount of assistance from the initial $1,000 to $1,200 for each qualified renter. · Providing an additional $25M in direct assistance to residents, which would be on top of the $30M distributed last month. Recipients can use the money for housing, electricity, food, childcare and other essential needs. The $30 million last month was funded through the county’s emergency fund, while the latest allotment will come from the CARES Act. · Allocating $750,000 of CARES Act funds for legal services and other support for tenants facing eviction. · Working with the Housing Stability Task Force to develop programs that will help keep people in their homes during and beyond this pandemic.

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“Adequate housing is a fundamental right that we should work to guarantee for everyone. Removing families from their homes is always harmful, but

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doing so during a pandemic, when we should all be practicing social distancing, puts our entire community at danger,” said Commissioner Ellis.

Housing instability has long been an issue in Harris County, but with CARES Act Eviction protections as well as supplemental unemployment assistance payments ending, advocates warn that there could be a wave of evictions coming. Since the state eviction moratorium lifted in May, almost 5,000 eviction cases have already been filed.

“We cannot leave people with nowhere to shelter, especially during a pandemic,” said Commissioner Ellis. “I brought together our leading housing experts and advocates who are working on this issue to hear some proposals for what we can do to make a dent in this crisis, which is hitting our entire county, but particularly hitting low-income communities of color.”

In Texas, an estimated 1 million renters are at risk of eviction, and people of color are being hit the hardest. Also, 54% of Latinx and 37% of Black Texans have no confidence in their ability to pay next month’s rent, compared to 22% of white Texans. Studies also show that eviction can have significant long-term effects. For example, the chances of a worker losing their job is an estimated 11-22% higher for people who have been forced out of their home, compared to those who have not.

Housing instability is a widespread problem that will require local, state and national solutions, and Commissioner Ellis is looking forward to hearing ideas and proposals on how the County will work to relieve those impacted by this crisis in Harris County. www.HarrisCountyTX.gov www.HCP1.net

July 30 – August 05, 2020

9

Joya T. Hayes Takes Office As South Central Regional Director For Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. A

By Jo-Carolyn Goode, Managing Editor www.StyleMagazine.com

lpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® has always been an organization that of times of crisis, the members respond by stepping up, serving, and continuing the business at hand. The global pandemic of COVID-19 might have delayed their efforts but did not stop them. Treading in uncharted waters, the sorority used its virtual platforms to hold the first virtual election where Joya T. Hayes was declared the South Central Regional Director and installed into office at the 69th international convention of the 112-year-old organization. Hayes now leads 10,000+ members in more than 120 undergraduate and graduate chapters in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Texas in the second largest region of the sorority.

After going through a campaign process that required candidates to exercise flexibility, Hayes was grateful when she was officially named the winner of the election.

“It caused me, and all the candidates I believe, to really reevaluate what matters most, and to reevaluate what brought us into the sorority in the first place, and made us reprioritize our thoughts and our beliefs,” Hayes said about participating in the historic election. “So for me when I heard that I had won I was just grateful because I knew that it was just a true blessing to

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not have only been the one who won but to be in a space where I could be there and make that happen under such unfortunate circumstances.”

During this tumultuous time in the world, where the issues of the day are the pandemic and racism, Hayes plans to focus on what makes the membership thrive in the name of service and sisterhood, that is community. Under the administrative brand, “We Are South Central,” Hayes will galvanize members to focus on the social justice issues that are critical to the communities in which members live and serve.

“If we are going to lead with service, we have to recognize that the first community with which we must service is our own,” said Hayes. She intends to have members support their black children and families in the inequity issues that make all thrive in the workplace. Her priorities are getting the region focused on sustainability, connectivity, and being committed to the community’s social issues making it “not a better day, but a new day” in how members pivot to meet the needs of the community and the organization to move forward. In that new day with the new branding “We Are South Central,” Hayes wants members to recognize that their power is not in the individual talents of the membership but in the collective power of the entire body.

July 30 – August 05, 2020

With a strong background in human resources, Hayes is more than equipped and ready to take on the challenges of this new role. Human resources is an industry where being able to relate to human beings and all aspects that make up an individual in a systematic way is crucial, and it comes second nature to Hayes. The cum laude graduate of Huston-Tillotson University also has a Master’s degree from Texas State University with concentrations in communications and public administration, respectively. Currently, she is the Director of the Human Resources Department and Director of Civil Service for the City of Austin, Texas, where she deals with all things related to human resources, training, and organizational development. In other words, she works with people a lot.

Hayes was not born in Houston, but she has some deep roots embedded in the city. She is a product of Houston ISD schools having attended Ridgemont and Parker Elementary, Johnston Junior High (now Meyerland Performing and Visual Arts Middle School), and graduated from Lamar High School. Her mother even taught in Houston ISD for an extended period. She is a proud third-generation United Methodist preacher’s kid.

Rising to this level in the organization is worthy of praise, but

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JOYA T. HAYES – Regional Director, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. accolades are not what Hayes seeks.

She simply wants more opportunities to serve to make a greater impact on more people. This commitment of service stems from the teachings by her parents, Debra and Robert “Bobby” Hayes, who also taught her to believe in God and the value of education.

“The Hayes family really teaches me how to be extraordinary in everyday spaces,” commented Hayes.

She will need that stable foundation as she begins this role. A member of her stellar team is Houston Style Magazine’s own Jo-Carolyn Goode, who is the Social Media/Graphic Design Team Lead under the region’s communications team.

Hayes officially began her term as the 26th woman to hold the office of South Central Regional Director of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated® on July 15, 2020. www.AKA1908.org www.StyleMagazine.com

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July 30 – August 05, 2020

11

H-E-B Launches Summer Of Giving Initiative To Benefit Texas Food Banks H-E-B Set To Raise Up To $2 Million For Feeding Texas, A Donation Equal To 20 Million Meals By www.StyleMagazine.com Newswire

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July 30 – August 05, 2020

n the spirit of Texans helping Texans, H-E-B has launched the Summer of Giving, a new charitable initiative that, with the help of customers, looks to raise up to $2 million to benefit Feeding Texas and its network of food banks across the state. The fundraising effort, which would equal 20 million meals, is another way the San Antonio-based retailer is continuing its ongoing charge as a partner in the fight against hunger.

For H-E-B’s Summer of Giving initiative, the company will automatically donate a portion of proceeds from every customer transaction that includes at least one H-E-B Brand item. From July 29 through Sept. 8, H-E-B will contribute to the effort from transactions made in store, online, via the My H-E-B mobile app and through Favor Delivery.

It also includes transactions made at H-E-B, Central Market, Joe V’s and Mi Tienda locations.

“Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, the burden on households has grown significantly with more and more families struggling to put food on the table,” said Winell Herron, H-E-B Group vice President of Public Affairs, Diversity and Environmental Affairs. “The H-E-B Summer of Giving initiative is another way we want to show our continued commitment to support food banks and other organizations working to help provide nutritious food to our most vulnerable communities.”

The H-E-B Hunger Relief Program works all year to raise awareness and battle hunger in Texas and Mexico. Last year, the program donated 32 million pounds of food to families in need, which come to approximately 25 million meals. And since 1982, the year the program was founded, H-E-B has donated more than 1 billion pounds of

www.StyleMagazine.com

food to 5,500 non-profit organizations.

Since March, H-E-B has increased its support to Texas food banks during this crisis, donating more than 300 truckloads of food, which equals 7.5 million pounds of food or 6.2 million meals. At the onset of the crisis, H-E-B gifted nearly $2 million to 18 food banks affiliated with Feeding Texas and organizations, such as Meals on Wheels, that are dedicated to mobilized home feeding services for seniors and low-income families.

As the pandemic continues to take its toll on our communities, food insecurity in Texas has grown to impact 1 in 4 families in Texas. Prior to this unprecedented crisis, it’s estimated that 1 in 7 Texans, or more than 4 million Texans, struggled with the threat of hunger each year.

“Hunger has more than doubled in Texas as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and H-E-B’s generous gift of up to 20 million meals will help food banks across the state feed an unprecedented number of community members in need.” said Feeding Texas CEO Celia Cole, “We are so grateful for the Summer of Giving partnership with H-E-B and their continued commitment to help close the hunger gap in Texas.”

Since 1992, the H-E-B Brand and its family of products, has grown to include more than 20,000 items, many of which are made in Texas by Texans.

Made to deliver uncompromising quality at an affordable price, H-E-B Brand items include familiar favorites such as Café Ole, Creamy Creations, Swoon ice cream, Meal Simple, KODI, Mootopia Milk, Central Market, Select Ingredients and Hill Country Fare. www.HEB.com

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– July 22, JulyJuly 30 16 – August 05, 2020 2020

11 13

7/6/20 3:41 PM

What Many Africans Are Hoping To See In Beyoncé’s BLACK IS KING World Streaming Premiere on Disney +, on Friday, July 31st.

Opinion By Moky Makura – www.CNN.com / www.StyleMagazine.com

I

n March 2018, a month after the film “Black Panther” was released, the fictional country Wakanda was the fourth most-mentioned African country on Twitter -- after Egypt, South Africa and Kenya -- according to a 2019 study by the University of Southern California. The fact that Africa›s fourth most-talked about country doesn›t exist confirms just how powerful pop culture is in shaping our understanding of the world around us.

So when Beyoncé Knowles-Carter -- one of the most influential living artists on the planet -- released a teaser trailer for her new visual album “Black is King” in late June, featuring (as she described in an Instagram post about the project) “Black history and African tradition,” some Africans didn’t like it.

With its imagery of face and body paintings, feathers and animal fur, in celebrating our African traditions “Black is King,” perhaps a little naively, missed the pulse of how many young, urban Africans -- both on the continent and the diaspora -- want to see themselves. They want to be presented in a more contemporary way, as global citizens representing a dynamic continent.

Beyoncé picked the right story -- but may have given it the wrong framing.

In the film, she pays homage to what she called on Instagram “the breadth and beauty of black ancestry” and she is right that this is very much intertwined with the story, the history and the culture of this continent. And the trailer is certainly breathtaking, with exquisite cinematography, a haunting soundtrack, lavish visuals and beautifully laid-out sets - nothing less than we have come to expect from Queen Bey. In mid-July, an additional trailer was released, but it did not quell the response to Beyonce’s use of imagery or authority to try to tell Africa’s story.

But why, some might reason-

14

ably ask, do chalk markings on black faces, naked male torsos and a preponderance of animal pelts provoke uncomfortable reactions from some Africans, when that is very much a part of our history and in some cases our existing cultures?

Answering that question has its innate challenges, especially if the short trailers simply omitted some context for the imagery that we’ll get with the full album, but here I go...

The trap that Beyoncé’s trailers fell into is the stereotypical (albeit visually compelling) story of a primitive continent that hasn’t advanced much, which frustratingly still dominates too many Western perceptions. While the “Black is King” trailer captures the less harmful, more romantic aspects of the story, the other side of that same coin is the more harmful Afro-pessimistic view, which is prevalent in popular culture and media coverage. This view tends towards the “poverty is rife, violence is prevalent and disease is endemic” vision of Africa.

Although a global icon, Beyoncé’s primary audience is in America, which according to a 2019 study on Africa in the US media conducted by the University of Southern California, is a country that knows, hears and sees very little about Africa. Perhaps this is why Beyoncé’s efforts should be viewed as an opportunity to inform, educate and shape how this audience in particular sees the continent.

In the trailers, Beyonce appears to have done more than the US school system and media to advance discussion and awareness about Africa in the US and across the world. The mission behind the album is powerful, her influ-

July 30 – August 05, 2020

ence is far-reaching, and her intentions are good.

She summed it up when she wrote on Instagram after the release of the first trailer: “I believe that when Black people tell our own stories, we can shift the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books.”

And she is so right about telling our own stories. But we still need to be careful which framing we give them.

We can tell ourselves it doesn’t matter what “they” think. The truth is that it does matter -- because Western news and popular culture still largely dominate what Africans and the world consume and consequently shape what we all believe. Furthermore, studies have shown that narratives about Africa in Africa tend to mimic Western narratives about Africa, because often the sources for these stories come from outside the continent. The irony is that often Africans are learning about themselves and each other from western sources.

Beyonce’s artistic interpretation of the continent showed us that even with the best intentions, we could inadvertently be feeding the narrative monster we should be trying to stifle.

Stories matter, but what matters even more is how we tell them and

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how we ensure we tell a multiplicity of stories about the continent. Stories that deliberately feed contextualized, nuanced narratives reflective of this modern, innovative, continent that knows its history and is proud of its culture.

So as we wait with great expectation for Beyoncé’s celebration of black history and culture to drop fully on July 31, we have to hope the final product with her promise of “a modern twist and a universal message” will represent us as Africans in our plurality.

EDITORS NOTE: Moky Makura is the executive director of Africa No Filter, a pan-African collaborative which amplifies African voices and challenges stereotypical narratives about and within the continent. Follow her on Twitter @ mokymakura. The opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author. www.DisneyPlusOriginals.Disney.com www.AfricaNoFilter.org

www.StyleMagazine.com

ROCKETS RE-START: Houston Opens Up Against Dallas Mavericks – As 2019-20 Season Resumes During COVID-19 Times, Teams Pratice Social Distance With Empty Arena’s

T

By Brian Barefield, Sports Editor www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

he Houston Rockets will continue their pursuit of an NBA Finals Championship on Friday against the Dallas Mavericks as the 2019-20 season starts back up after nearly four months off due to the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. Houston will play eight games at ESPN Disney before the playoffs start and every game counts for the Rockets since they are in a playoff seeding battle with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz.

Houston currently sits in the number six spot with an identical record as the Thunder who owns the head-tohead tiebreaker with the Rockets and currently holds the number five seed in the Western Conference. They also sit one-game out of fourth place behind the Utah Jazz.

“We will work through the eight games and see what we got, but we basically know what we want to do,” said head coach Mike D’Antoni on the restart schedule.

The Rockets struggled going into their last couple of games before

the shutdown losing games to opponents such as the New York Knicks, Charlotte Hornets, and Orlando Magic.

Those teams fail in comparison to the amount of talent that Houston possess and should have been easy wins for a team that some have predicted could win it all. Losses like that have come back to haunt the team in the past couple of seasons when it comes to playoff seedings.

One issue the Rockets were having during that stretch was chemistry and communications issues implementing a new “Small Ball” lineup where they play with no center on the court to gain an advantage on the offensive end.

They also were trying to get acclimated to three new players on the roster that were still learning the system in Robert Covington, Jeff Green, and Demarre Carroll.

Coach D’Antoni talked at great length during his press conference on how Covington and Green used the time away from the court to study film and learn the Rockets system so that they

could be better contributors in the game. Add that with a healthy Eric Gordon and P.J Tucker, both came back in excellent shape and the Rockets will be ready to make an NBA Finals push.

All of the aforementioned details and nuances have two key components in making everything work and that is the play of guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Harden who leads the NBA in scoring at 34.4 points a game, put himself through a rigorous training program during the break to have himself ready for a quick restart schedule that contains teams looking to gain a better advantage in playoff seedings themselves.

“In the regular season games and playoffs, the intensity is going to be much higher, so I want to build that right now and get that going,” Harden said after a preseason scrimmage game in Orlando.

Houston had a bit of a scare right before the team reported to ESPN Dis-

ney. Former NBA MVP Russell Westbrook was diagnosed with COVID-19 and could not travel with the team.

Westbrook announced his condition via social media so that all the rumors surrounding his diagnosis could cease.

He took the necessary precautions and passed all league protocols before being able to join the team.

Now that the Rockets are back fully healthy, they will look to make a strong push at Western Conference powerhouses such as the Los Angeles Lakers and Clippers. It will be a true test to see if the small ball lineup and a barrage of hoisted three-pointers can be the blueprint for future Rockets success. www.HoustonRockets.com www.StyleMagazine.com

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