Houston Style Magazine Vol 32 No 38

agazine

September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication, Since 1989

Volume 32 | Number 38

Complimentary

Jesse Jackson

No Doubt Global Warming Is A Reality

MASTER P ON RAP FEUDS, CONSCIOUS PARENTING, BLACK SUPERHEROES

Simone Biles

Testifies During A Senate Judiciary Hearing On Capitol Hill

By Allison Kugel

Photo: Jay Snell Photography

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CORONAVIRUS – US NUMBERS: Cases: 42,288,205 Deaths: 682,341 TAG US: #TeamStyleMag

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HMAAC Takes Houstonians On Cultural Trip

Chef Beverley Kellman

Executive Chef Adds Healthier Options For College Diet

Style Haute Shots

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

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September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

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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

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 Semetra Samuel semetra@artistikrebelcreative.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 ©2021 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 Supporters of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP)

President Biden “We have to make changes to slow climate change now.”

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www.BuildBackBetter.com

(Photo: Helen H. Richardson, The Denver Post)

September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

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COMMENTARY

NO DOUBT GLOBAL WARMING IS A REALITY

By Jesse Jackson, National Political Writer R

ecord fires in Oregon and California. Floods in Houston and New York. Deadly winter storms in Texas. Droughts across much of the west. Flash floods in England and Germany.

Blinding dust storms in China. 100-year cyclones devastate Fiji and Indonesia. Deadly droughts across sub-Saharan Africa. Wildfires in Greece and Italy.

The year is not over yet, but in the United States and across the world, the toll in lives and destruction is growing in storms of biblical proportion.

The poorest peoples and the poorest nations are most at risk, but no one is insulated against the impact. The wealthy on Lake Tahoe are evacuated in the face of unprecedented wildfires.

Texan oilmen struggle when record winter storms shut down the electric system. Wall Street bankers are hit with floods sweeping through subways and streets. As the storms increase, food supplies and prices will be hit. Millions will be displaced.

There is no longer any doubt about the reality of global warming, the dangers of it, or the causes of it. Republicans who for years scorned the reality of global warming -- Donald Trump dubbed it a "Chinese hoax" -- now accept that it is real. Corrupted scientists paid by oil companies that argued the crisis wasn't manmade, now quietly reverse their opinions.

Now the only question is, what will we do in the face of what the United Nations warns is literally an existential threat. We can't undo what we have done, but we can alter how bad the future becomes. We can move to sustainable and efficient energy systems, make production and housing and transport more energy efficient, replant forests, invent new ways to generate or save energy, or more.

In its last authoritative report, the UN issued what it called a "code red for humanity." The change must

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take place over the next decade or we will seed calamities too horrible to imagine. Already this year, the town Lytton, British Columbia, in Canada was erased by a hit so extreme -- temperatures reached 121 degrees -- that it literally went up in smoke and was reduced to ashes.

And yet, we keep putting more and more carbon in the atmosphere. Like addicts on drugs, we know we are killing ourselves but can't resist the high. Feeding deadly drug addictions -- from heroin to crack to fentanyl -- are multi-trillion-dollar enterprises, some corporate, some gangs, all criminal.

They have the power not only to slake the thirst of the addicted, but to corrupt the guardians -- the police on the street, the politicians in the suites, the CEOs in the boardrooms.

Can we summon up the awareness, the moral courage, and the popular demand to meet this clear, present, and growing threat to our lives? Over the next few weeks, the Congress will face yet one more skirmish in this struggle between the blind and the aware, the corrupt and the alarmed, the powers that be and the powers that must be.

Democrats in the House and Senate are now working to draft and to pass the core elements of Joe Biden's Build Back Better Plan. Central to that are the first major investments in addressing climate change -- mass transit, electric cars, rebuilding housing, solar and wind energy, an end to fossil fuel subsidies, modernizing the electric grid, creating a civilian climate corps that can enlist the energy of the young to retrofit houses and plant trees and much more.

Republicans no longer deny the existence of the threat and admit that it is manmade in origin. Now they argue that it is too costly to do anything about it. They raise alarms that developing new energy and electric cars and retrofitting homes

September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

Neighborhood near Zarepath in Franklin Township will somehow hurt jobs and the economy, when in fact, the transition to sustainable energy will be a source of new demand, new invention and new jobs and growth. Moreover, the U.S. would surely benefit if it became the leader in the new green technologies that surely will drive growth markets across the world. Plus, with their leaders convinced they will benefit politically if Biden fails, Republicans have lined up unanimously to oppose the Biden plan.

So, making progress on climate demands completely on Democrats. With the Senate split 50-50 between the two parties, and Republicans unanimously opposed, Democrats must vote unanimously so Vice President Harris can break the tie to pass a budget bill that would contain the first major investments in dealing with climate change.

That won't be easy. Despite popular support for reforms, big interests are mobilized against change led by Big Oil, the coal barons, and companies hooked on fossil fuels, the deadly crack of our time. An army of lobbyists has descended on Washington. Deep-pocket donors are calling in their chips. When a politician like Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) says he needs "greater clarity," and won't

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support the Biden plan, particularly its measures designed to accelerate the transition to renewable energy by utility companies, he isn't confused; he is compromised.

The legislative process -- the ugly sausage-making of the Congress -- is confusing, secret, and arcane. It seldom generates headlines or attention. But right now -- in the next few weeks -- this Congress will decide if we take the first steps to address a threat already taking a rising toll in lives and destruction. The interests invested in stopping change are mobilized. The only hope is that we the people rise up to demand the change that is desperately needed.

You can write to the Rev. Jesse Jackson in care of this newspaper or by email: jjackson@rainbowpush.org.

Follow him on Twitter @RevJJackson

For more information visit:

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HBCUs are more than an education They are a legacy. It’s the place you become, where you’re uplifted by past generations. It’s your family’s history and newfound family’s future. It’s your HBCU. That’s why Xfinity recognizes the legacy, community, and importance of HBCUs. And now that gatherings are a little different, it’s time to reconnect to the culture. Just say, “HBCU,” into your Xfinity Voice Remote to experience more HBCU. Visit xfinity.com/blackexperience to learn more.

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September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

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NATIONAL: THE PERIL OF TRUMP KEEPS GROWING NEARLY 8 MONTHS AFTER HE LEFT THE WHITE HOUSE Analysis by Stephen Collinson, www.CNN.com – Newswire

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dd another evidence dump to the growing case that a second Donald Trump presidency would be more extreme and dangerous than the first.

In new examples of the threat the ex-President poses, a bombshell book by Washington Post legend Bob Woodward and his newspaper stablemate and co-author, Robert Costa, laid bare another view into the frightening, unchained few weeks inside Trump's inner circle around the Capitol insurrection.

The problem posed by Trump is now not an aberrant past presidency -- it's the corrosive impact he could have on the nation in the future.

It's not just his previous behavior that was shocking.

Before California's Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom survived Tuesday's recall election, according to a CNN projection, the ex-President was opening a new front in his "Big Lie" that now effectively claims that anytime a Republican loses it is a product of massive fraud. It's a falsehood that could tarnish American democratic elections for years to come but is eagerly accepted by millions of Trump voters. And the former President's behavior over the weekend -- using September 11 commemorations to slam his successor, President Joe Biden -- looked rather like an attempt to launch himself back onto the national stage at a moment when the former commander in chief, who was thrown off social media for inciting violence, could claim an easy spotlight.

As Trump teases another run at the White House, his behavior and new accounts of his wild final days in office are becoming too outlandish to ignore, given that he's already the

Donald Trump prohibitive favorite for the Republican nomination. Before that, he's the tip of the spear of the GOP bid to retake the House in midterm elections next year. The price for entry for any party candidate is fealty to the flagrant lie sold to millions that Trump is still the rightful President. And he's undoubtedly the dominant force in Republican politics -- even if his ever more radical conduct may make his appeal in a national election more doubtful.

At least in an election that is free and fair.

The disclosures in Woodward and Costa's "Peril"

are among the most serious and alarming yet. If they are borne out, they would not just be a case of a President tearing at the structures of US democracy -- as he did with the US Capitol insurrection on January 6, designed to disrupt Biden's certification as the winner of November's election. But they also would represent a sign that the nation's most senior military officer believed Trump was a grave danger to the world in the fevered days when he was trying to cling to power.

The duo reported in the book, obtained by CNN's Jamie Gangel, that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Mark Milley took steps to interrupt any order Trump might give for military action because he thought the ex-President had deteriorated mentally after January 6. If true, the new details raise grave doubts about the former President's fitness for a second term with the nation's nuclear football, which contains the codes that could launch Armageddon, at his side.

And Milley was far from alone in his concerns. Thethen head of the CIA, Gina Haspel, feared an out-of-control Trump was on the path to a right-wing coup or might lash out at Iran. And in another staggering move, the reporters say Milley also had back-channel contacts with his Chinese counterpart, who was alarmed that even Beijing could be in Trump's sights.

For more information visit:

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POLITICAL: 5 TAKEAWAYS AFTER GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM PREVAILS IN CALIFORNIA RECALL

By Eric Bradner and Dan Merica, www.CNN.com – Newswire

C

alifornia Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a decisive answer to the question of whether voterswould penalize those who enacted strict policies aimed at slowing the coronavirus pandemic, triumphing over an effort to recall him Tuesday.

Newsom faced the first recall election in California in 18 years. At one point, weeks before the election, he appeared to be in serious enough jeopardy that Democrats decided to dispatch President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to campaign for him.

Republicans sought a replay of 2003, when actor Arnold Schwarzenegger attracted support across ideological lines and voters decided to boot then-Gov. Gray Davis. This time, though, the party's leading candidate, talk radio host Larry Elder, stuck much closer to conservative orthodoxy -- making it difficult to attract the sort of broad bipartisan support that it takes for a GOP candidate to win in deep-blue California.

And his long history of incendiary comments -- combined with the odd recall system that virtually guaranteed Elder would become governor if Newsom was recalled -- to energize those who had largely tuned the election

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out and might not have cast their ballots.

Here are five takeaways from California's recall election: Strict pandemic policy gets a big win Newsom's aggressive actions to slow the spread of the coronavirus -- the same restrictions that helped spur the recall election -- got a significant boost on Tuesday night, proving to Democrats across the country that strict pandemic policy can be good politics.

Newsom nodded to this in his election night remarks to reporters, stating that while people voted "no," that vote meant they said, "yes to science, yes to vaccines ... yes to ending this pandemic."

This, more than any lesson coming out of California, is the most likely to permeate other elections later this year and in 2022 -- helping back up Democrats who have pushed strict coronavirus measures to curb the ongoing spread of the Delta variant in the face of a small but vocal opposition.

Newsom staked his campaign on his stringent Covid measures, using them to attack Elder as lax on the pandemic, contrasting himself

September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom with Republican governors in Texas and Florida and running fully alongside the new vaccine requirements that Biden announced just days before Election Day. "We saw the Delta surge as a real inflection moment in this campaign," said Sean Clegg, Newsom's top strategist. "What Delta brought into clear, clear focus was what the stakes are in this election when one party has basically become an anti-science, anti-vaccine, anti-public health party."

A 2022 Newsom vs. Elder race?

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In the same breath that he acknowledged Newsom's defeat of the recall on stage Tuesday night, Elder hinted at another run next year, in California's normally scheduled governor's race.

"We may have lost the battle, but we are going to win the war," Elder said.

That might be a headache for California Republicans.

www.CNN.com

GLOBAL: MCKAYLA MARONEY: FBI MADE "ENTIRELY FALSE CLAIMS ABOUT WHAT I SAID"

By Tierney Sneed, www.CNN.com – Newswire

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lympic gymnasts McKayla Maroney and Simone Biles ripped the FBI and the Justice Department in Senate testimony Wednesday for how FBI agents mishandled abuse allegations brought against Larry Nassar and then made false statements in the fallout from the botched investigation.

"They allowed a child molester to go free for more than a year and this inaction directly allowed Nassar's abuse to continue," Maroney told the Senate Judiciary Committee after recounting the vivid details she provided the agent interviewing her about Nassar's abuse.

"What is the point of reporting abuse if our own FBI agents are going to take it upon themselves to bury that report in a drawer?" she added.

Maroney, Biles, Maggie Nichols and Aly Raisman were assaulted by Nassar, the former USA Gymnastics team doctor who is now serving a several-decade prison sentence.

"It truly feels like the FBI turned a blind eye to us and went out of its way to help protect," USA Gymnastics and the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, Biles testified while holding back tears.

"A message needs to be sent: If you allow a predator to harm children, the consequences will be swift and severe. Enough is enough," she said.

Raisman called for more investigation into how the Nassar probe was mishandled and said that the FBI pressured her to accept Nassar's plea deal.

"The agent diminished the significance of my abuse. It made me feel my criminal case wasn't worth pursuing," Raisman said.

Allegations into Nassar were first brought to the agency in July 2015. Several violations of protocols led to months of delay, as captured in a scathing Justice Department inspector general report released in July.

Simone Biles While the federal investigation languished, Nassar abused scores of victims, the inspector general report said.

FBI officials "failed to respond to the Nassar allegations with the utmost seriousness and urgency that they deserved and required, made numerous and fundamental errors when they did respond to them, and violated multiple FBI policies," the report stated.

Maroney identified herself as gymnast described -- but not named -- in the report who spoke to the FBI about her allegations in September 2015. The agent who took her interview violated key FBI procedures and made false statements in a summary the agent wrote of the

interview more than a year later, according to the inspector general's report.

She and others criticized the Justice Department for its decisions, according to the IG report, to not prosecute the agent as well as an FBI supervisor who was also accused of mishandling the probe and then later making false statements about it.

"After telling my entire story of abuse to the FBI in the summer of 2015, not only did the FBI not report my abuse, but when they eventually documented the report 17 months later, they made entirely false claims about what I said," Maroney recalled.

Later in the hearing, Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz noted that the false information could have jeopardized the criminal case brought against Nassar.

"The Department of Justice refused to prosecute these individuals. Why?" Maroney said, while calling out Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco for her absence at the hearing Wednesday. "It is the Department of Justice's job to hold them accountable. I am tired of waiting for people to do the right thing, because my abuse was enough and we deserve justice."

Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin noted at the start of the hearing how athletic institutions had failed to protect the athletes from abuse.

"It shocks the conscience when those failures come from law enforcement itself," Durbin said.

For more information visit:

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September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

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COMCAST RECOGNIZE HOUSTON’S FINEST DURING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH H Eight Houstonians 'That Make A Difference' In The Community H By www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

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be celebrated through rich video tributes throughout Hispanic Heritage Month on Comcast social channels. Comcast will also donate $1,000 to the nonprofit organization of each honoree's choice.

Judges for the awards were Juan Alanis, Latino Influencer; Andy Canales, Executive Director, Latinos for Education; Tony Canales, President and General Manager, KTMD – Telemundo Houston; Adrian Garcia, Harris County Commissioner, District 2; KP George, Fort Bend County Judge; Dr. Adriana Tamez, President and CEO, Tejano Center for Community Concerns; Tammi Wallace, Co-Founder and President & CEO, Greater Houston LGBT Chamber of Commerce.

n celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Comcast will recognize eight community volunteers as part of our sixth annual Hispanic Hero Awards.

The Hispanic Hero Awards presented by Comcast recognizes individuals who have driven significant positive change in their communities and, at the same time, celebrate the diversity of the city. This year's honorees are truly Houston's finest and have made a difference for so many.

2021 Hispanic Hero Awards Honorees and Nominating Organizations Frances Casteñeda Dyess Houston East End Chamber of Commerce and YMCA of Greater Houston

Elia Chino

FLAS, Inc., Fundación Latinoamericana De Acción Social, Inc.

Sonia Corrales

Houston Area Women's Center

James Guzman

“The Hispanic Hero Awards allows us to recognize a group of individuals who have driven significant positive change in their communities and, at the same time, celebrate the diversity of this great city. We are inspired by the accomplishments and passion of each of these honorees and honored to be able to shine a light on all they do to make a

Salvation Army of Greater Houston

difference to so many.”

Ricardo Nazario

– Ralph Martinez, Senior Vice President Comcast Houston

Crime Stoppers of Houston

Marisol Salazar

Small Steps Nurturing Center

Juliet Stipeche

www.Houston.Comcast.com

Houston Gulf Coast Bldg. and Const.

Trades Council

for more information.

Honorees were nominated by organizations throughout the city and will

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September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

About Comcast Corporation Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and technology company with three primary businesses: Comcast Cable, NBCUniversal, and Sky. Comcast Cable is one of the United States’ largest video, highspeed internet, and phone providers to residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and security and automation services to residential customers under the Xfinity brand. NBCUniversal is global and operates news, entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, television production operations, television station groups, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and Resorts. Sky is one of Europe’s leading media and entertainment companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content through its pay television services. It also provides communications services, including residential high-speed internet, phone, and wireless services.

Sky operates the Sky News broadcast network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original content, and has exclusive content rights.

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September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

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MASTER P PARENTING,

By Allison Kugel. www.StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

Master P and Denise Boutte (top right) in a scene from #Unknown, Master P (bottom right) looking at body – Jay Snell Photography

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itting among carved mahogany wood paneled accents and with displayed awards gathered from an unrivaled multi-hyphenate career, Master P began our conversation by allowing me to take the floor. Not surprisingly, he is a master delegator with a brilliant sense of when to shoot the ball and when to pass it. One of the greatest minds to emerge from the 1990s hip hop pantheon, Percy “Master P” Miller transcended a childhood of poverty in New Orleans’ Calliope Projects, to become a beacon of generational wealth, divested business interests, and ownership in an industry once notorious for exploiting its artists. From music, movies and real estate, to the food and automotive industries, his portfolio continues to grow.

A true gentleman who prefers to remain above the fray of controversy and relishes sharing the spotlight with those around him, Master P’s example and mentorship has guided artists from Snoop Dogg, Lil’ Wayne, and 2 Chainz, to his eldest son, rapper, actor and entrepreneur, Romeo Miller. Master P understood the power of ownership long before Instagram and the age of celebrity branding. Romeo Miller credits his father’s example as the driving force in his own life. He tells me, “Growing up watching one of the best and most powerful businessmen to ever do it guided me to be the man I am today.

And according to Romeo, his father’s lessons went well beyond material success. “The biggest lesson I learned from him was to simply be a good person.

Owning a business and brand doesn’t matter if you aren’t giving back.”

Master P’s latest project is the upcoming film, #Unknown, a creative collaboration with his son and co-executive producer, Romeo Miller; and the film’s producer, writer and director, LazRael Li-

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son. Lison describes the film as, “a mystery thriller that gets pretty intense, and great for this Halloween season.”

Master P plays the mayor of a town in a string of alleged unsolved murders, as a local novelist abandons his second book to attempt to solve the mystery of these crimes; his own life unraveling in the process.

When it comes to directing the man who is used to calling the shots, LazRael Lison sings his praises, recalling, “Master P went over and beyond,” adding, “it’s always so cool when you can see the Executive Producer also be a student. As a businessman, P wears so many hats and that requires flexibility. As a director I’m always flexible in a sense that I can write it on paper, but when you give a soul to that character, it’s all you. Watching P bring [this role] to life, when people see him, they’ll think, ‘Wow, I really enjoyed that!’”

Allison Kugel: You started off as a basketball player. Was music your Plan B? Master P: I was good at music, but I didn’t know I was that good until I actually got into it when I got [injured]. You might think you’re going in one direction, but God will put you in another direction.

When I got hurt playing basketball in college, I felt like I had failed everybody in my family. I was supposed to go to the pros, and I’m thinking I’m on my way and I’m about to take care of my family and get them out of the ghetto. But then I got hurt. I always tell people, let your failures take you to the next level and let your failures make you great. I remember my grandfather saying, “Look son, don’t sit around here and just keep worrying about what happened. You gotta go make something else happen.” I had to find something else that I loved, and God opened up a

September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

bigger door. Most of my friends that played basketball at the time I played didn’t make that much money in the NBA, and what I was able to do [with music] was just unheard of. And I could have easily just been in the music business, but I went to college and educated myself. Without the right education, I don’t think my mindset would have been the way it is today, and the way I was thinking about business.

Allison Kugel: Everybody I asked about you said the same thing, that you were never owned by a record label; you’ve always owned your own music. Was that also part of the plan?

Master P: It happened with my grandfather. He was in the war, and when he came back home, they were supposed to give him ten thousand dollars to buy a house, and they never gave it to him.

He always said, “Grandson, you need to start your own business. Start your own army.” That’s where No Limit (the name of Miller’s record label and production company) came from. My grandfather instilled that in me; “You’re not going to make it in their system. We have to create our own.” I always went against the grain. I knew I couldn’t just work for a paycheck, because I was living in the projects with sixteen people in a three-bedroom apartment. I had so many people and so many mouths to feed, and I couldn’t do that with a regular paycheck. I had to own it, and I’ve always kept that mentality, to where, when you look at African Americans and Latinos, we don’t own anything. My mindset was to change that narrative, to be able to own my own masters, to be able to build other executives. That’s where education and knowledge come in. We search and seek and pray for money, but we don’t search and seek and pray for knowledge and information. That’s what’s going to get us to our destiny.

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Allison Kugel: Yes! I love that you said that.

I pray every night with my son, and we never ask for things. We say, “Thank You,” and we pray for wisdom, knowledge clarity, health, and so on. Gratitude is what attracts things to you.

Master P: When you bless others, blessings will come. My most important job is to be a servant. It’s not about being a boss. It’s about being a servant and being able to serve my community, to serve underprivileged kids, being able to serve the elderly, and being able to educate the next generation.

Allison Kugel: Early on in your music career, you were Tupac Shakur’s opening act. What was that like?

Maser P: It was crazy, because everyone was there to see Tupac. They didn’t care about me (laugh). I was happy to have just one person [in the crowd] jump up. One guy was just going crazy for me in the audience. And being on the road with Tupac, I said, “I’m going to turn that one fan into millions.” To then be able to sell 100 million records is just incredible. Knowing that if you believe in something… and you don’t have to be the best, because I wasn’t the best at first. I had to get into the studio and work hard. I was living on the West Coast, and I had this Southern slur in how I talked, so I had to become better. They say the best way to do that is to stay in the gym, which was the studio.

I wasn’t afraid to outwork everybody. I outworked those guys. While Tupac and all those guys were partying, playing, and just having fun on the road, I was in the studio working. I said, “While they sleep, I’m going to be working.”

Allison Kugel: What did Tupac think of your music?

Master P: At first, he didn’t understand it.

Then they started seeing as we are getting into some of the southern markets, how people were gravitating to my music. They started listening and saying, “This is alright.” In the end, Tupac really started liking my music, and that was a blessing, because he was the biggest star in the world of hip hop at the time. To have him jamming to my music, I knew I was on my way.

Allison Kugel: Considering history and what happened to him and Biggie, what are your thoughts on the feuds going on now, like with Kanye West and Drake. Kanye posted Drake’s home address on social media, and Drake’s fans vandalized Kanye’s childhood home. Things start becoming public and crossing the lines of safety.

Master P: I don’t think people realize they have all of these fans that might even be crazy and take things into their own hands. We have to watch what we do. There’s a lot of selfish people out in the world, and there are a lot of snakes in this world. I think when you are at this level and you are making this type of money, even with some of these young artists that were losing their lives in hip hop, which is sad, we have to be thankful and take this as a blessing and grow. I think it’s the people around them. You have to have people giving you better advice, and you have to hold yourself accountable. I’ve always had self-accountability.

And start thinking about what you say or what you do, and how it effects and hurts other people, and how you wouldn’t want that to be happening to you and your family. A lot of this is self-hate. I would rather sit in the sewer and eat cheese with rats than sit at a nice restaurant and drink champagne and eat lobster and steak with a snake, and I think that’s what a lot of us are doing. When you get to that level of the game like some of these artists, why lose what you have? Once you get killed or go to jail there’s no turning back.

Allison Kugel: If you could travel back in time and alter any famous historical event, where would you go and what would you attempt to change?

Master P: The Martin Luther King shooting. I feel he left too soon. I feel like that guy was on to something incredible. I have so much respect for him, and sometimes I imagine what would have happened if somebody had told him not to go to that hotel. He didn’t have that much security with him, and it just didn’t seem right. I feel like we just had so much more to learn from him.

This guy was nonviolent, and he wanted to bring people together: blacks, whites, Asians, Latinos…

I’ve never seen a person like that. I’m not saying he was perfect, because nobody is perfect, but it’s what he stood for when he brought people together.

It’s the reason why we are able to have our freedom today and be able to work with each other, and not be judged by color. I think that is what I would want to be a part of.

Allison Kugel: Wow! Master P: He was a dreamer, so being able to have somebody dream like that is incredible.

Allison Kugel: What do you think you came into this life as Percy Robert Miller to learn, and what do you think you came here to teach?

Master P: I came into this world to be a student of the world. I’m constantly learning every

day and getting better, and I also realize I came into this world to be a father to my kids. When I use the word “father,” it’s different from being a daddy. I have a lifetime commitment to my kids, and as a single dad you have to stay focused on your kids.

My kids mean everything to me.

Allison Kugel: How many kids do you have?

Master P: Altogether, I have nine.

Allison Kugel: No way (laugh)! Damn, okay!

Master P: I don’t drink or smoke so (laugh)…

Allison Kugel: (Laughs) That’s a much better hobby. That’s funny. What is your philosophy for raising happy, well-adjusted kids?

Master P: You have to deal with [each kid] as their own individual. Some kids you have to scream at, some kids you have to talk to softly, and some kids, you have to take them to the side and nourish them. I think basketball prepared me to be a father. When you are on the court with certain people, it’s all these different personalities and it’s the same way with raising kids. Some kids want a lot of your attention, and some kids want to go off and do their own thing, so you have to know that and be prepared to sacrifice. My life is not about me anymore. I’ll do anything for them, and I think a lot of parents are not prepared for that. They still want to go off and live their best life, but if you have kids, you don’t get a chance to do that anymore.

Allison Kugel: One hundred percent. What’s something you have yet to master?

Master P: I have yet to master technology. It just keeps changing. Every time you think, “I got this,” something else new is coming out, which is a good thing. We are growing and constantly getting better. In a couple of years, we are supposed to be flying in automobiles. It doesn’t even seem right, but you know it’s going to happen.

Allison Kugel: I read in Black Enterprise that you’re backing the launch of a new car called Trion SuperCars (trionsupercars.com).

Master P: I didn’t create the car. It is actually a guy that has been working on building this car for a while, and I was able to get behind the project. It’s great to have a guy who’s been working with so many other car companies (including Tesla) create this supercar, and me being a part of helping him market and promote that. That’s what it’s all about for me, to be able to help people like that and bring their dreams to life, so it’s a blessing.

Allison Kugel: What makes it a supercar?

Master P: What he is creating and the technology, and that he knows about building cars. What makes it a “supercar” is that it’s able to compete with all the other supercars out there and has just as much technology.

(In a recent statement, Miller dubs Trion SuperCar “the first black-owned supercar manufacturer in America.” He credits the soon-tobe-launched car company with “adding diversity to the automotive industry, which will offer a highend line of models and a line of affordable luxury vehicles.” Miller calls the fledgling automotive company, “history in the making.”)

Allison Kugel: When will Trion SuperCars hit the market?

Master P: I think in two years. I can’t wait until it’s done!

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list?

Allison Kugel: What is still on your bucket

Master P: Being able to put together a superhero movie that is owned by us, and not

by Hollywood. When you look at Black Panther, that movie made more than a billion dollars, but it wasn’t owned by us. It looked like us. I want to change that narrative. That is a real bucket list item of mine.

Allison Kugel: You don’t think the success of Black Panther made big budget, studio backed movies with an all-black cast that much more marketable and in-demand?

Master P: See, but think about this, right… after the movie was over, we went back home, and nobody really benefited. Chadwick Boseman, his salary was $500,000, and he ended up making maybe two or three million dollars from a billion-dollar movie. Robert Downey Jr. makes $70 million when he does Iron Man, and [Black Panther] was way bigger. I’m just saying, to be able to put money back into our culture and into our community off of our own work, I think that is a game changer.

Allison Kugel: Your hand is in so many different things these days, and your movie #Unknown will be released next month. What is it about acting that appeals to you?

Master P: When you get to a certain level, you want to bring projects to life. For me, it is almost like being two different people. I can go be a businessman on this side and come back and utilize my acting skills and my fanbase, and just feeding them. It’s connecting to the audience and letting people see me in different ways. In this movie I play the mayor, and it’s a suspense thriller. It’s about being able to let people see me in different ways.

In my next movies, I want to go beyond what you think you would see me doing in a movie. I’m even thinking about, like how Arnold Schwarzenegger played his role in Kindergarten Cop. I want to do a movie like that, set in an elementary school, playing a teacher or a principal. It’s fun to be able to portray other people and to bring a character to life.

Allison Kugel: Tell me about the plot of this movie.

Master P: #Unknown is a suspense thriller, but it’s also about a relationship and about trust and faith in somebody. The main character, his girl doesn’t believe him about what is going on with all these murders that happened years ago in this town. The movie has a great plot to it, but at the same time, throughout the story your mind is constantly trying to figure out what’s true, and did this happen, and when did it happen? I think it’s also about a couple trying to figure out if they can trust each other. Is this guy who he says he is?

This film asks the question: in life, do you really believe in the person you are with?

Allison Kugel: And do you ever really know somebody?

Master P: Exactly, that’s what it is.

That’s the unknown.

Allison Kugel: You’re used to being the boss, and on a movie set, when you are playing a character and you are working with someone like filmmaker LazRael Lison, who produced, wrote, and directed this film,

are you good at taking direction from someone else?

Master P: It’s all about being a team player. When you are making a film, you have to know that we are working together to bring something to life, so it is never about me. I learned that from playing sports, there is no “I” in team. We had a great group of people, and everybody was professional, and everybody did their job. When I get on a movie set it is not about me being a boss or an executive producer. If I’m an actor, I have to play my role and you have to let the director play his role, and everybody else in the cast has to play their role if we are going to win. To be a good teacher, you have to be a good student. I’m constantly learning how to get better. I know I’m on my way to doing some great things and bringing some great projects to life, because I want to keep getting better and you have to put in the work. Even when you look at somebody like a Samuel Jackson, he didn’t get stronger in his game until he was older. This is about growing for me. I don’t compare this to my music or my business or anything else I’ve done. I take acting seriously, because I want to constantly keep growing and getting better.

Allison Kugel: So many films are now being released, simultaneously, in theatres and on streaming services, because of this pandemic. It’s re-shaping the entire movie industry. What are your thoughts?

Master P: I think it’s great, because people are able to enjoy these movies and get a chance to see it when they want to see it. Streaming is so important, and we are focusing on that. You’ll be able to go to Amazon Prime to see this movie, #Unknown, and it’s incredible. It’s the new way, and a lot of people want to be safe during this pandemic, so this is a great way to put movies out now.

Allison Kugel: Do you think a movie release can be as exciting of an event, and be profitable, when the majority of people elect to watch it at home instead of in the theatre?

Master P: We’re going to have to adapt to the times. People have a choice. Some people still want to go to theatres and see films, but some people are more comfortable at home right now.

This is about safety, right now. A lot of these movies are not going to make the money they normally would make, but when you look at the streaming right now, those numbers are about to start going up, so it’s just a new way. #Unknown, starring Master P, Judd Nelson, Tom Sizemore, Denise Boutte, and Hal Ozsan; and produced, written, and directed by LazRael Lison, premieres October 1st, exclusively on Amazon Prime. Follow Master P on Instagram @masterp and follow filmmaker LazRael Lison @lazrael_lison. Watch the trailer for #Unknown.

Listen to the full conversation with Master P and filmmaker, LazRael Lison, on the Allison Interviews Podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Follow Allison Kugel on Instagram @theallisonkugel and at allisoninterviews.com

To listen to the full conversation visit:

www.AllisonInterviews.com

September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

11

LOCAL: HOUSTON NATIVE SERVES AT NAVAL AIR STATION JACKSONVILLE

By Lt. Jill Brown, Navy Office of Community Outreach – Newswire

A

Houston, Texas, native serves at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville located in Jacksonville, Florida.

Chief Petty Officer Elicio Catalan joined the Navy 18 years ago. Today, Catalan serves as an air traffic controller.

“I wanted to do something bigger,” said Catalan. “I was the first one in my family to join the Navy. I had a tough background and needed to get out and find something that had meaning.”

Growing up in Houston, Catalan attended Tomball High School and graduated in 2002.

Today, Catalan finds the values in Houston similar to those needed to succeed in the military.

“I learned that no matter how low you may feel in that moment, there’s always better things,” said Catalan. “I don’t take anything for granted. I came from nothing, and the Navy enables us to learn and master a skill.”

These lessons have helped Catalan while serving at NAS Jacksonville.

On Oct. 15, 1940, NAS Jacksonville was officially commissioned, and became the first part of the Jacksonville Navy complex that would also include NAS Cecil Field and Naval Station Mayport.

According to Navy officials, the mission of NAS Jacksonville is to enable warfighter readiness focused directly on support of operational units aboard the base and throughout the fleet.

NAS Jacksonville consists of more than 100 tenant commands and is one of the largest em-

Prepare for power outages with a Generac home standby generator

ployers in the area. It contributes to the growth and prosperity of Northeast Florida with an economic impact of more than $2 billion annually.

Serving in the Navy means Catalan is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“We are here for defense and protection,” said Catalan. “That’s the purpose of ships deploying to keep our country protected.”

With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.

According to Chief of Naval Operations Chief Petty Officer Elicio Catalan (Photo by Mass Communication Specialist Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts 2nd Class Patricia Rodriguez) on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.

“For 245 years, in both calm and rough “Making chief is a huge milestone for an ed for me and my family. The Navy has pushed me waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the enlisted person,” said Catalan. “It’s an elite group to and allowed me to grow, mature and gain wisdom, homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend be deemed good enough to be a part of.” and every day we get to pass that along to others.” our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and inAs Catalan and other sailors continue to vestments we make this decade will set the maritime train, they take pride in serving their country in the Date: • Advertisement #32 • Advertisement Date: AdvertisementDate: #32 09/13/2021Date: 09/13/2021 • #31 Adve balance of power09/13/2021 for the rest of this century.

We09/13/2021 can United States• Navy.

Learn more at accept nothing less than success.”

“The Navy means everything to me, and There are many accomplishments that I learned a very valuable skill,” added Catalan. “My come with military service, and Catalan is most whole life has been the Navy. The Navy has providproud of being selected to chief petty officer.

Houston Style Magazine Houston Style Magazine

1/8-Page AD TEMPLATE – PROOF #2 1/8-Page AD TEMPLATE – PROO www.Navy.mil

HOUSTON INDEPENDENT HOUSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTICE SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTICE TO PROPOSERS TO PROPOSERS

The Houston Independent School DisThe Houston Independent School District is soliciting Request ProposalsRequest for Proposals trictfor is soliciting (RFP) via the District’s electronic (RFP) via thebidDistrict’s electronic bidding portal. ding portal. may login to view specificaProposers may login toProposers view specificaand submit tions and submit theirtions responses at the their responses at the following link https://houstonisd.ionfollowing link https://houstonisd.ionREQUEST A FREE QUOTE! until 10:00 a.m. wave.net/Login.aspx wave.net/Login.aspx until 10:00 a.m.

(CST) (CST) Tuesday, October 19, Tuesday, 2021, forOctober 19, 2021, for the following solicitation: the following solicitation: • Insulation RFP 22-08-08 Insulation • RFP 22-08-08 Fabricated Phenolic,Fabricated Foam GlassPhenolic, Foam Glass Products and Supplies and Related Productsand andRelated Supplies Pre-proposal conference via Microsoft Pre-proposal conference via Microsoft Teams will be29,held on September 29, Teams will be held on September 7-Year Extended Warranty* 2021, Information at 10:00 a.m. (CST). Information 2021, at 10:00 a.m. (CST).

A $695 Value! regarding dates, times, regarding and a linkdates, to jointimes, and a link to join Offer valid February 15 - June 6, 2021 the meeting the meeting can be located withincan the be located within the electronic bidding portalelectronic under thebidding “Event portal under the “Event Details” tab specific to this solicitation.

Details” tab specific to this solicitation.

Special Financing Available Theright District reserves the right to reject The District reserves the to reject Subject to Credit Approval any or all proposals, or, to accept the any or all proposals, or, to accept the *To qualify, consumers must request a quote, purchase, install proposal and activate that the is most proposal that istomost advantageous to advantageous generator with a participating dealer. Call for a full list of terms and conditions. the District. the District.

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September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

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HOUSTON INDEPENDENT HOUSTON INDEPE SCHOOL DISTRICT NOTICE SCHOOL DISTRICT TO PROPOSERS TO PROPOSER

The Houston Independent School Independe The Houston District is solicitingDistrict Request for is soliciting R Proposals (RFP) Proposals via the Dis(RFP) via trict’s electronic bidding portal. trict’s electronic biddi may login to v Proposers may login Proposers to view specifications and submit cations and submit their responses at their r the following link https:/ the following link https://houstonisd. ionwave.net/Login.aspx u ionwave.net/Login.aspx until 11:00 a.m.October (CST) 14, Thursday, O a.m. (CST) Thursday, 2021, for the 2021, for the following solicitation:following • Armored RFP 22-07-14 Ar • RFP 22-07-14 Car Services Services Pre-proposal conferences Pre-proposal conferences via Microsoft Teams will soft Teams will be held in conjunctionbe held in with thisregardRFP. Informat with this RFP. Information dates, times, ing dates, times, and aing link to join the and a link canelecbe located wit meeting can be locatedmeeting within the tronic bidding portal under tronic bidding portal under the “Event tab specific to this Details” tab specific toDetails” this solicitation.

Theright District reserves the ri The District reserves the to reject all proposals, or, to any or all proposals, any or, tooraccept the proposal that is most adva proposal that is most advantageous to the District. the District.

The Comcast RISE Investment Fund provides monetary grants to help small businesses owned by people of color (POC) grow as they navigate the challenges of the pandemic.

The Investment Fund is the latest extension of Comcast RISE (Representation, Investment, Strength, and Empowerment), the multi-year, multi-faceted initiative launched in 2020 to provide POC-owned, small businesses the opportunity to apply for marketing and technology services from Comcast Business and Effectv, the advertising sales division of Comcast Cable.

Comcast RISE is part of a larger $100 million Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative that Comcast launched this summer. In June 2020, Comcast NBCUniversal announced the development of a comprehensive, multi-year plan to allocate $75 million in cash and $25 million in media over the next three years to fight injustice and inequality against any race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation or ability.

G R A N T D ET A I L S 600 grants totaling $6 million will be distributed as follows:

• 100 small businesses in each city • Each business will receive a $10,000 monetary grant • Application period is October 1-14, 2021

G R A N T EL I G I B I L I T Y Businesses must: • Be established business operations for 3 or more years

• Have one to 25 employees • Be in the following geographic locations to be eligible:

• Grants willl be announced at the end of November 2021 and awarded in December 2021

Houston, TX (Harris and Fort Bend Counties);

• Applications will be available online at

Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott, and Washington Counties);

www.ComcastRISE.com.

Miami, FL (Miami-Dade and Broward Counties);

Oakland, CA (City of Oakland); Seattle, WA (King and Pierce Counties); Washington, D.C. (Wards 1-8) IF A BUSINESS IS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE COMCAST RISE INVESTMENT FUND, APPLICATIONS ARE OPEN FOR MARKETING AND TECHNOLOGY SERVICES.

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September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

13

CULTURE: HOUSTON MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE HOST AN UNFORGETTABLE CULTURAL TRIP

By Kathleen Coleman, www.StyleMagazine.com – Newswire

H

HMAAC Tour in front of the National Gallery of Art Washington, D.C. (Photo: John Guess and Kathleen Colman)

ouston Museum of African American Culture hosted a wellplanned cultural trip to Washington D.C. and Richmond, Virginia.

First, travelers experienced a Houston cultural correlation to the U. S. at the Virginia Museum of Fine Art (VMFA) to view "The Dirty South” curated by

Valerie Oliver Cassel, senior curator at the VMFA, who hosted a tour of the exhibit for the museum travelers.

Then, at a visit to the National Gallery of Art (NGA) in Washington, D.C, the group was provided with an NGA tour through the efforts of NGA curator Kanitra Fletcher and Mercedes Der-

ricott. The tour allowed the group to see the work of several great artists.

HMAAC is committed to individuals experiencing art, history, and culture in all areas of the U. S. This Art and Culture trip was an example of that and included an HMAAC raffle ticket winner who had an all-expenses trip paid for by an HMAAC Board member.

Curated by Valerie Cassel Oliver, VMFA's Sydney, and Frances Lewis, Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art, the groundbreaking exhibition explores the legacies of traditional southern aesthetics in contemporary culture. It features multiple generations of artists working in a variety of genres. Among those featured in the exhibition are Thornton Dial, Allison Janae Hamilton, Arthur Jafa, Jason Moran, Sister Gertrude Morgan, Kara Walker, William Edmondson, and many others. Inherent to this discourse is the rise of southern hip-hop.

Thus, the exhibition's visual and sonic culture presentation looks to contemporary southern hip-hop as a portal into the roots and aesthetic legacies that have long been acknowledged as

"Southern" in culture, philosophical thought, and expression.

Houstonians Earlie Hudnall, Robert Hodge, El Franco Lee and Jason Moran are a part of the exhibition "The Dirty South," which will travel to cities in the U.S, including Houston at the Contemporary Art Museum Houston. These artists show different genres of music, photography, and mixed media art. A delight to view their works included with Kara Walker and Thornton Dial.

A visit to the National Gallery is a must in D.C. as a reminder of our countries artistic past. Included in the trip were free time and visits by friends such as Dr. Regenia Perry from Richmond, Virginia. In addition, beautiful meals were had at Art and Soul restaurant and lunch on the Virginia Museum of Art Campus.

Next time, please join HMAAC for an informative and quaint field trip

Learn more at

www.HMAAC.org

SPORTS: AYESHA AND STEPHEN CURRY HAVE A NEW BUS THAT’S FEEDING & TEACHING CHILDREN IN OAKLAND

By Curtis Bunn, www.NBCNews.com – Newswire

The Currys' foundation, Eat. Learn. Play., has converted a school bus (Photo Courtesy of www.EatLearnPlay)

T

he bus is loud — in color and sound.

That’s the way NBA star Stephen Curry and his entrepreneur wife, Ayesha Curry, prefer it. They want the kids to see it coming.

Yet, it would be difficult to miss what

14

the Currys call the Eat. Learn. Play. Bus, a hot pink, pale blue and yellowish gold mobile unit that rolls out for the first time Wednesday blaring music at an elementary school in Oakland, California.

September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

This multifaceted converted school bus is designed to do much more than the ice cream truck from a bygone era: feed, teach, energize and engage Black children and other youths of color in Oakland’s stressed communities. In Alameda County, nearly 42 percent of children are eligible for free or reduced price lunch, according to one report. Also, according to aCoach.org, Black children in Oakland are four times more likely to be reading multiple years below their grade level than white students.

“This idea came basically from me wanting to find a way to eradicate food deserts within the Oakland area,” Ayesha Curry said.

“At first, the idea was around, ‘How can we find locations where people can come and pick up fresh produce and other things for their families?’ Logistically, especially with Covid, that idea started to seem far-fetched.”

But Eat. Learn. Play Foundation President and CEO Chris Helfrich tossed out the thought of a bus, and the Currys and their team ran with the notion as if pursuing a loose

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ball. One idea spurred another, and before long the concept was solidified: a bus that would fulfill the foundation’s three pillars of healthy eating, fun learning and active playing. Cruising Kitchens, a custom food truck builder, was solicited to convert the bus, and Oakland mural artists Illuminaries created the visuals on the bus that include Ayesha Curry cooking, Stephen Curry shooting a basketball, local landmarks like the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge and more.

It is quite a vehicle, and not just because of its look. One side functions as a food truck or mobile pantry to provide complimentary hot food and fresh produce to children and families. The other side is a library, the couple’s attempt to address Oakland’s troubling literacy rate.

Learn more at

www.EatLearnPlay.org/bus

11-YEAR OLD BALLERINA INSPIRED BY MISTY COPELAND

By Angeline Jane Bernabe, www.goodmorningamerica.com

Charlotte Nebres, 11, plays Marie in New York City Ballet's "George Balanchine's The Nutcracker,"—Photo: Heather Sten/The New York Times

F

our years ago, Misty Copeland became the first African American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in the American Ballet Theatre’s 75-year history.

Now, an 11-year-old girl is also breaking barriers as the star of the New York City Ballet’s holiday production of George Balanchine’s "The Nutcracker."

In a story first reported by The New York Times, Charlotte Nebres, a student at the School of American Ballet, danced her way into ballet history as New York City Ballet’s first black Marie, the young heroine of a show that dates back to 1954.

The annual production also includes a diverse cast of other young leads this season, including Tanner Quirk, Marie’s Prince in the ballet, who is half-Chinese; Sophia Thomopoulos, the ballet’s second casting of Marie, who is half-Korean and half-Greek; and Kai Misra-Stone, Sophia’s Prince, who is half-South Asian.

"It’s pretty amazing to be not only representing S.A.B., but also representing all of our cultures," Nebres told "The New York Times." "There might be a little boy or girl in the audience seeing that and saying, 'Hey, I can do that too.'"

Charlotte, who was just 6 years old when Copeland became the first female African American principal at American Ballet Theater, recalled being inspired when she saw Copeland perform for the first time.

"I saw her perform and she was just

so inspiring and so beautiful," she told The New York Times. "When I saw someone who looked like me on stage, I thought, 'That’s amazing.' She was representing me and all the people like me."

Charlotte, whose mother’s family is from Trinidad while her father’s side of the family is from the Philippines, is becoming a trailblazer herself with the role of Marie.

For Charlotte’s mother, Danielle Nebres, the experience for her daughter is a meaningful one, because she was also a dancer growing up.

Nebres, who described Charlotte as quiet and artistic, said, "You don’t know what people are seeing in your child, and they are definitely seeing something in her."

Although Charlotte is making waves being cast as Marie, the 11-year-old is just enjoying the moment and doing what she loves most: dancing.

"It just feels like when I dance, I feel free and I feel empowered. I feel like I can do anything when I dance," she told the Times.

"It makes me happy, and I'm going to do what makes me happy. You don’t need to think about anything else."

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September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

15

FOOD: CHEF BEVERLEY KELLMAN IS SERVING UP FOOD GOOD TO THE PVAMU STUDENTS' SOUL

By Jo-Carolyn Goode, www.StyleMagazine.com

P

Award-winning Chef Beverley Kellman (Photo: Food Network)

rairie View A&M University (PVAMU) students may not know how lucky they are to eat dishes prepared by the award-winning Chef Beverley Kellman. The 2017 Brazos County Chef of the Year and 2019 American Culinary Federation Texas Chef Association Pastry Chef of the Year is highly respected in the culinary field with a resume that reads like a seasoned chef, even though her years are far more youthful. The former Food Network "Cutthroat Kitchen" contestant has cooked everywhere from the greatest place on earth, the Disneyland Hotel at Disneyland, California, to now serving it up on the hill as Sodexo Executive Chef at Prairie View A&M Dining Services.

Houston Style Magazine sat down with Chef Kellman to talk about her culinary journey and how she has evolved the college student's palette to include more than just French fries with everything.

Meet Chef Beverley Kellman Coming from Barbados to Texas, Beverley Kellman didn't start out in the culinary field. In fact, she had a lengthy career in the corporate world, quite a different background. She has double B.S. degrees in Finance and Real Estate and double MBAs in Leadership & Management and Marketing. She believes in doing things in twos.

For many years, she was an International Flight Attendant for United Airlines and worked in California with the local county government.

Although she was good at her job, she still had an ever-nagging pull to pursue her passion of cooking.

The opportunity to do so came to her from the love of her children; they were scared for their mom to return to the friendly skies after the tragedy of September 11th. With their concern in mind, Kellman changed careers and quickly enrolled herself in the Riverside Community College Culinary Academy in California, studied hard, and graduated with honors.

She gave herself a deadline of five years to become the best of the best as a certified chef. She beat her deadline by one year.

"It's been a nice journey, a lot of hard work,"

16

said Kellman. "But definitely a lot of fun."

Coming to PVAMU "Any good chef is a really good cook," said Kellman. Both are needed to serve the over 8,000 students with their very different backgrounds and unique diets. Chef Kellman and her team come to work every day with the goal that every time anyone walks into the dining hall they can find something to eat, especially their number one client - PVAMU students.

In previous semesters before COVID-19, Chef Kellman wanted to tantalize the tastes of both the domestic and international students by offering different menu items through specialty theme nights like Soul food night, Chinese night, Mexican night, BBQ night, etc. One week they did International Week to showcase foods from Africa, South America, North America, Korea, and more. On Thursdays, a different food bar is featured, a potato bar, pasta bar, salad bar, and more. These bars are filled with kale, spinach, romaine lettuce, fettuccine pasta, angel hair pasta, various sauces beyond marinara, sour cream, bacon, and so many other offerings.

As new foods are introduced, two menu items never change. Mondays' menu must include fried chicken and Fridays' menu must have fried fish. (As a PV grad, I can attest to how long Fried Fish Fridays have been a staple for PVAMU Panthers.) However, now the menu is healthier and fancier with the option of baked fish and sides of cabbage, black-eyed peas, and mac-n-cheese.

Even the ordinary breakfast menu has been revamped with expanded food offerings to create a personalize breakfast that is as healthy, or not, as the students want. The basic omelet may be cooked-toorder with eggs, egg whites, or tofu. Students can make their breakfast plate colorful with the addition of fresh fruits like strawberries, blueberries, honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon.

"When I get in my car and turn my car on or lay in my bed, they (students) are paying my bills for me so they have to be treated respectfully with kindness and understanding, " said Chef Kellman, who has such

September 16, 2021 - September 22, 2021

a rapport with students that they can stop her at any time in the dining hall to make food requests and she gets it for them. She thinks students deserve quality food that they enjoy since the money they are paying for college goes towards more than education. It covers their food too. She said students get loans so when they are paying them back that accumulated interest is for food too. “No one wants to pay interest, especially interest on something they didn't enjoy.”

Beyond the students, Chef Kellman is called to cook for President Ruth Simmons. Anytime she gets that call, she knows that President Simmons favors salmon. A usual favorite is salmon with a nice sauce complimented by baby carrots and asparagus. When Texas Southern University President Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young visits PVAMU, Chef Kellman knows meat is off the menu and seafood is on. Dr. Crumpton-Young is a pescatarian.

Cooking That Gives Back When not in the Panthers' purple and gold kitchen, Chef Kellman is in community kitchens throughout the Houston area tapping the interest of high school children, introducing them to the culinary arts. Also, she cares for the community by performing food demonstrations at various hospital events to promote nutritional health.

Chef Kellman has embodied the way of the Panther by being a productive citizen. The students, faculty, and staff at Prairie View A&M University are fortunate to have such a wonderful all-around person ensuring that their bellies are more than full and their bodies are nourished as well. Good food is good health.

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LOCAL: MAYOR TURNER ANNOUNCES SECOND ROUND $1 MILLION COMCAST RISE INVESTMENT FUND By www.StyleMagazine.com - Newswire

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Mayor Turner recognized Comcast Houston with a proclamation presented to Toni Beck, Vice President of External Affairs for Comcast Houston.

Cyndy Garza Roberts, Director of Community Impact, Comcast Houston gave remarks.

ayor Sylvester Turner, the Comcast Corporation, and several community leaders gathered at City Hall today to announce the Comcast RISE Investment Fund, which will award $5 million dollars of grants to hundreds of Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC)-owned, small businesses in five cities nationwide, including $1 million in Houston. "The City of Houston knows the pandemic has created challenges for many small businesses, especially minority-owned businesses, and we continue to do everything we can to help them survive until things get better,” said Mayor Sylvester Turner. “The Comcast RISE Investment Fund will ensure that 100 small businesses that exist today continue to exist tomorrow.

I highly encourage BIPOC-owned small businesses that are in most financial need to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity.”

The Comcast RISE Investment Fund is focused on small businesses who have been in business for three or more years with 1-25 employees. Businesses must be in the following geographic locations to be eligible: Houston, TX (Harris and Fort Bend Counties).

To help drive outreach about the program and provide additional support, training and mentorship, Comcast has also awarded more than $2 million to nearly 20 community-based organizations in the five cities, including Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, Greater Houston Black Chamber, Asian Chamber of Commerce, Greater Houston LGBT, Houston East End Chamber and Cámara de Empresarios in Houston, as well as the Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), Operation Hope, Ureeka, U.S. Black Chambers, U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, National Asian American Chamber of Commerce.

“Small businesses have always played an integral role in Houston’s growth and future,” said Ralph Martinez, senior vice president for Comcast’s Houston region. “In the midst of the pandemic, these entrepreneurs provided many of the services and resources that have kept our communities up and running.”

“Unfortunately, many small businesses in Houston were not able to withstand the many months of suppressed revenues. While we remain optimistic about our economic recovery, public-private partnerships will play a vital role in minimizing the disruptions that so many small businesses, specifically minority-owned business, are facing,” said Vice Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum who chairs the City of Houston’s Economic Development Committee.

Learn more at

www.Houston.Comcast.com wwwHoustonTX.gov

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