Tré Magaine: I AM

I may forget who I am, where I am, what I am, but I cannot forget that I AM

- Neville Goddard

”The Power of Awareness”

CONTENT

Trends: Equity, Ethics and Politics

The Biden-Harris Administration has committed to efforts that focus on equity and has delivered concrete results for communities that have often been underserved by the federal government.

Yasuke: Japan’s Elite Warrior Caste

A warrior, retainer and weapon-bearer to the Japanese daimyō Oda Nobunaga, Yasuke was a man of African origin and one of several Africans to have come with the Portuguese to Japan during the Nanban trade.

FEATURES REGULARS

80 Insights & Reflections

Highlights of animated classics as well as epic films of today,

20

Black Power

The exhibition Gordon Parks: Stokely Carmichael and Black Power opened at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston to great reviews.

36 Agape Love

United Airlines does more than hire, it builds an inclusive culture and cultivates a community of service and caring.

74 Music for Generations: Celebrating Houston Talent

Finally a place for Space City’s talent. Grade A Radio is a station for Houston artist and a global platform they can call home.

More than a DEI initiative

Amid the rise of the “defund the police” protests and global outrage over the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, some residents claim the city is falling short on MPD staffing levels required in its own city charter.

56 Fighting for Justice

Attorneys Collins and Elizondo are committed to real justice for Fifth Ward families plagued with cancer from toxic dumping.

SMALL STUFF

95 Tré Nation

Tré sightings, plus our favorite news from around the world.

98 Quotes + Notes

Quirks, insights and a little humor for thought.

Exclusives!

Download the WISCK AR app in your Apple Store and scan where you see the symbol to experience videos, music and unlock special features only available in the Tré Magazine.

Inclusion in this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the groups listed, nor does this list indicate that these groups have performed, or are presently performing, work for the Tré. This Directory and publication has been compiled from information submitted and/or gathered. The Tré can not guarantee the accuracy of this listed content nor assume any responsibility for transactions that may result from the use of the information contained herein. In no way does inclusion guarantee the quality, competence or fair dealing of any particular service provided by the resources listed.

Secunda Joseph

Utilizing Black abolitionist principtals to transform opportunities for future generations, Joseph is a devoted and conscientious activist-organizer, justice worker and recipient of the 2023 Rothko Chapel Óscar Romero Award,.

Knowledge

Intuitive African Dance and Drum Culture (IADDC) is committed to connect the dots between traditional West African drum and dance rhythms to music and dance throughout the diaspora.

#CulturalKnowledge

Robbie Tolan

Police brutality is not a theoretical talking point. Robbie Tolan is an advocate, athlete and author who is courageously picking up the pieces of his life, even as he fights for justice for all.

The Mothership

Described as your mystic haven on the airwaves and founded by iiiYansa T. Muse, 222.9 THE MOTHERSHIP is an all new radio station with global reach and programming that is live, local, and relevant to the communities it serves.

Times Change

stay connected to today’s music, replay the classics and enjoy exclusive houston talents.

Letter from the Publisher

This lil’ light

Get autographs of the people you see in the Tré. Celebrate their wins and elevate their efforts. We never know how our life may inspire others. Take the time to write your name on the first page of this publication, leaving a heart-felt note of encouragement for future generations.

Regardless of how others label you, your individual story and our collective legacy of daily resilience is worth celebrating.

Sesa Wo Suban

Be it due to partial positives or redacted facts, there are so many ‘First’ that we discovered as we produced this edition of Tré. These incredible individuals are not mentioned in textbooks or bias-free media, yet we honor

and memorialize their legacy in spite of the oversights. As they inspire us, we hope you will be encouraged to boldly share your gifts and inspire others.

Attitude of Gratitude

It is never too late to heal and express appreciation. It takes a village and you don’t have to bear children to uplift them and elevate community. Tré is, at its essence, a gift from (and a tribute to) my father. I thank Mattie Coleman and the Hill family for giving voice to our celebration of the amazing Black Fathers who inspire us and the incredible men who love us unapologetically.

Reflect and Transform

Living might be simple, but it ‘taint easy. Remember, you are not alone. Regardless of the hurdles that may come your way, you are here for a reason and the world is better with your Source Energy. Be kind to yourself, remain true to your Divine Purpose and continue to joyfully let your light shine, let it shine, let it shine.

Stephanie Coleman Dreamer, Daughter...and Coach

Tré is not a magazine; it is a social experiment in our shared journey of discovery and humanity.

of mine...

Dad & Daughter

On the Cover

TEMPTEST WILLIAMS

Temptest Williams’ art speaks to the collectors who desire to own a piece of the cultural fabric that we call contemporary art. Her exclusive creations are therapy telling stories of the ancestors and provide knowledge and hope for those to come. Her work has been shown in the HMAAC (Houston Museum of African American Culture), Hardy and Nance Art Gallery, Primary Art Gallery, and Winston Contemporary Art Gallery. These collections are sought after by realtors and displayed in million dollar homes, upscale jewelry stores and to accompany visual artists such as Houston Metropolitan Dance Company, Statements Dance Company, Social Movement Contemporary Dance, and many more.

Instagram / Facebook

@temptesttheartist and temptesttheartist.com

I AM @THETREMAG

STEPHANIE COLEMAN Publisher and Founder

Marva Butler Ch ief Executive Assistant

EDITORIAL

Ma naging Director, Digital Content Ka maria Monmouth

Di rector of Custom Publishing and Branded Content Da niel El Asberry, CEO for Solel International

Contributing Innovators and Editorial Support J. Shango, Linda Hopson, Traci Cloyd, Ruth Nasrullah, Deborah Jones, Mouton Bazile

FASHION

Ma keup Grace for GG Cosmetics

Senior Stylist and Groomer Ty Tran, CEO for Trill Kutz

Agency Reva lushion Management

Featured Models Sa rah David

Wa rdrobe (Publisher) Melodrama Boutique

Contributing Photographers and Illustrators David Hill, Bohemian Photography, Adobe Creative, Point and Click Studios, Roy Harvey II, Houston Public Library Archives, Library of Congress

CREATIVE

Senior Creative Director Peter Fasth

Creative Director, Photography, Video Brooks for Reign Proof Edutainment, Todd Spoth, John Rogers

Sr. Editor and Engineer, Video/Photography Squirrilla, Melvin Harris, Jack Potts

Production Crew, Video Evelyn Molina, Enrique Rodrigues Jr, JaMarcus Craft, Jimmie, Si mcha Potts, Skylar Picasso

Ma naging Editor, Social Content Ba sel Simon

OPERATIONS

Nat ional VP, Sales and Partnership George Kalergis

Augmented Reality and Tech Director Consultant Anthony Sutton

Production Strategy and Training Consultant Rom an Villarreal, Lumenbrite

Community Engagement Consultant Charity Productions

CFO, Accountant Conusltant Da rrell Groves of DWG CPA PLLC

Fi nancial Planning Consultant Ry an Firth, Mercer Street Consulting Data Scientist, Digital Resources Op en AI

St reaming Media Consultant Grade A Media Advisors, Partners and Special Thanks George Coleman, Jr., Jeannette Weatherall, Nikita McElroy-Hodge, Frank Perez, Duane Bradley, Frank Hayes, Karla Montejo, Catherine White-Swan, Mae Deas, Elsa Lawrence, Jan Huff, June Marsh, Ramblin’ Rick Campbell, Susan Phillips, Maverick

CORPORATE

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Cashapp: $thetremag

George Kelly Coleman Junior

IT SEEMS THAT YOU CAN BE CLOSE BUT YET SO FAR WHEN YOU RESIDE IN THE SAME TOWN, WITHIN REACH WITH A CAR OUR PARENTS KEPT IN TOUCH AND WOULD USUALLY COME ON THE WEEKEND BECAUSE BIG MAMA CORA TAUGHT THEM TO LOOK OUT FOR YOUR KIN WHEN ALL HAD COMPLETED THEIR COLLEGE OR JOB SKILLS FOR A CAREER THEY WOULD JOIN OR MOVE TOGETHER FOR ONE OF THEM TO BE NEAR IT WAS TO LOOK OUT FOR ONE ANOTHER AND KEEP A FAMILY CONNECTION NOT A FACTOR OF FEAR, A LIFESAVER, A BACKUP, ADDITIONAL PROTECTION TOGETHER WE WERE COUSINS, SHARED OUR GREAT AND GRAND MOTHERS WITH THAT COMBINATION OF NELSON-COLEMAN FROM TWO BROTHERS I DID NOT KNOW WHAT I COULD DO OR SAY BECAUSE IT DID NOT SEEM REAL EVERY TIME I THOUGH JUNIOR IS GONE, IT WAS PAINFUL TO FEEL I REMEMBER HIS WISDOM, WHEN I CAME TO HIM FOR A TALK OR SMILE HE ALWAYS MADE SOME TIME AND LISTENED FOR A WHILE AS I THINK OF ALL THE GOOD TIMES WE HAD, I WILL MISS HE SHOWED OUR FAMILY, KNOWLEDGE, STRENGTH AND HOW TO TAKE RISK TEARS FALL FROM MY EYES, JUST SITTING AND THINKING OF HIS LIFE HIS HARD WORK, HIS FAMILY, HIS OFFSPRING AND HIS SHINING LIGHT FROM YOU CUZ MATTIE RENE’ WITH LOVE FOREVER TO OUR JUNIOR GK

Words by Mattie Coleman · Image by David Hill

BLACK POWER The Journey and Resilience of a Student Organizer

In fall 1966 the American photographer and writer Gordon Parks (1912–2006) was contracted by Life magazine to profile 25-year-old Stokely Carmichael, one of the most maligned and misunderstood men in America. On October 16, 2022 the exhibition Gordon Parks: Stokely Carmichael and Black Power opened at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), presenting the five images from Parks’ 1967 Life article, along with nearly 50 additional photographs and contact sheets that have never before been published or exhibited and footage of Carmichael’s speeches and interviews.

Stokely Carmichael, the young and controversial civil-rights leader who, as the newly elected chairman of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, issued the first public call for Black Power in a speech in Mississippi in June 1966, in Greenwood, Mississippi, eliciting national headlines and media backlash.

Kujichagulia

This robust vision for a Black, self-

determined future combined Black unity for social and political advancement, the breaking of psychological barriers to self-love, and self-defense when necessary. Yet, media organizations dissected and defined Black Power for white audiences with various levels of prejudice and fear, and Carmichael was cast as a figure of racial violence—a distortion of his character and his message.

On the road with Carmichael and the SNCC that fall and into the spring

of 1967, Parks took more than 700 photographs as Carmichael addressed Vietnam War protesters outside the U.N. building in New York, with Martin Luther King, Jr.; spoke with supporters in a Los Angeles living room; went door to door in Alabama registering Black citizens to vote; and officiated at his sister’s wedding in the Bronx. In his finely drawn sketch of a charismatic leader and his movement, Parks, then the first Black staff member at Life magazine, reveals his own

advocacy of Black Power and its message of self-determination.

Exhibition Background

Parks met Stokely Carmichael (later, Kwame Ture) in September 1966, as Carmichael’s rallying cry for “Black Power” was grabbing national attention. Parks was a prominent contributor to Life magazine, photographing and writing essays that chronicled, with his characteristic humanity, Benedictine monks and Black Muslims; a Harlem family and a

Gordon Parks, Untitled, 1966, printed 2022, gelatin silver print, courtesy of and © The Gordon Parks Foundation.

Kujichagulia

teenage gang member. Carmichael, then 25 and a recent graduate with a philosophy degree from Howard University, was consistently in the news, whether publishing his own writing in The New York Review of Books or being profiled in Esquire and Look magazines.

Global Citizen

Carmichael (1941–1998) was born in Trinidad; he moved to New York City’s Harlem neighborhood when he was eleven and became a naturalized U.S. citizen two years later. An orator, brilliant student, and a captivating leader, Carmichael found his calling as an activist. While an undergraduate at Howard University, he joined the Freedom Riders on several trips. After graduation, he was a field organizer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), and became national chairman in 1966. Carmichael heralded a new chapter in the civil-rights movement when he called for Black Power. In 1969 he moved to Conakry, Guinea, where, having adopted the name Kwame Ture, he dedicated his work to Pan-Africanism and liberation movements worldwide.

Lowndes County, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia

Although 80% of Lowndes County was Black, by 1965, not one Black resident was registered to vote. That year, Carmichael created the Lowndes County Freedom Organization (LCFO), a political party formed of Black residents with candidates and an agenda drawn from the community. Carmichael was certain, “If we can break Lowndes County, the rest of Alabama will fall into line.” The young leader set a dizzying schedule throughout the end of 1966 and start of 1967, traveling between Lowndes and SNCC events across the nation. Gordon Parks documented his efforts along the way, revealing Carmichael’s adaptability and charisma.

In his profile of Carmichael, Parks aimed to combat the mass media’s one-sided depictions of the civil rights leader by capturing his complex character and emotions. At SNCC headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, Parks documented Carmichael in a moment of weary frustration. A portrait of Malcolm X, photographs of Lowndes County residents, and SNCC pamphlets hang above the modest desk. Carefully composed, Parks’ photo guides viewers to a more holistic understanding of Carmichael. The view of the slumped leader with images above him also recalls scenes of religious pilgrims at an altar, deep in thought and prayer.

I am very pleased that we are able to present Parks’ landmark project for Life magazine, in collaboration with the Gordon Parks Foundation”

Gary Tinterow, Director, MFAH

Carmichael at his desk at SNCC’s Atlanta headquarters, 1966. Printed 2022Gelatin silver print Courtesy of the Gordon Parks Foundation

THE GORDON PARKS FOUNDATION

The Foundation permanently preserves the work of Gordon Parks; makes it available to the public through exhibitions, books, and digital media; and supports artistic and educational activities that advance what Parks described as “the common search for a better life and a better world.”

The Man Beyond the Media Bias

As chair of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Carmichael was the figure most identified with the call for Black Power, and was routinely depicted as a representative of anger and separatism. But Parks’ text and photo essay for Life Magazine, “Whip of Black Power,” conveyed the nuanced range of Carmichael as a person—not only his anger at America’s deeply rooted racism, but his self-effacing humor, his

private moments with family and his own feelings of dismay that the justice he and the movement sought would not be attained in his lifetime – all part of a “truth,” as Parks described, “the kind that comes through looking and listening.”

Third Ward, Texas

Just days after Gordon Parks’ photo-essay “Whip of Black Power” was printed in Life magazine, Stokely Carmichael visited Houston. He delivered speeches

at the University of Houston and at Texas Southern University (TSU). “We will define ourselves as we see fit. We will use the term that will gather momentum for our movement,” Carmichael said, addressing public critiques of Black Power. The speeches were part of a SNCC nationwide campus tour. Yet, Carmichael’s appearance in Houston was auspiciously timed. Spring 1967 was a time of heightened social unrest in the city, and local universities were hubs of civil rights activism.

A Deeper Dive

The accompanying catalogue, Gordon Parks: Stokely Carmichael and Black Power, is the latest installment in a series that highlights Parks’ body of work throughout his career, published by the Gordon Parks Foundation and Steidl. Essays by Lisa Volpe, MFAH associate curator of photography, and Cedric Johnson, professor of African American studies and political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, shed critical new light on the subject. Carmichael’s September 1966 essay in The New York Review of Books, “What We Want,” is reproduced in the book.

Gordon Parks, Untitled, Bronx, New York, 1967, gelatin silver print, courtesy of and © The Gordon Parks Foundation. Mary Charles Carmichael serving her children Lynette and Stokely at Lynette’s wedding dinner in the Bronx, 1966.

Gordon Parks, Untitled, Watts, California, 1967, printed 2022, gelatin silver print, courtesy of and © The Gordon Parks Foundation. Members of the US Organization, including James Doss-Tayari (left), Tommy Jaquette-Mfikiri (behind Carmichael), and Ken Seaton-Msemaji (right), walking with Carmichael to the Watts rally, Los Angeles, 1966.

The Watts Uprising took place in August 1965 in a Black neighborhood of South Central Los Angeles. It began with the arrest of a local man, Marquette Frye, by a highway patrol officer and ended with 4,000 arrests, 1,000 injuries, and 34 deaths. Carmichael spoke to thousands of residents one year later at the Watts rally. In a speech that resonates today, Carmichael declared, “We have to have community alert patrols, not to patrol our neighborhoods, but to patrol the policeman.”

Konstantinastudiedsymbolisminordertohave anotherlanguagewithwhichtocommunicate. Whatbetterlanguagetoreacheveryonepossible thanhieroglyphics?Thecoreprincipleofsymbolism isstoryinpictures.Storypicturesaswellasthevalues embeddedinstoriesmeantbeeasilyshared,without translation,throughthesubconscious.

Butmoreimportantly-thesejewelsarebeautiful, miniatureartifactsofsuchintegrityintheircraftsmanship, materialsandmessages,andtheywillbetreasuredfor generationstocome.IfagenerationsuchasGenZ coverseighttotenyears,wearetalkingaboutlasting hundredsofyears.Thisislongevity.Thisisart.Thisis sustainabilityintangible,small,spatiallyeconomicartifacts thatwillcarrythestoryofourhumanityforwardatourbest andfinest.Theseartifactsaremadebyhumanhand.There arejustafewhumanswhostillhavetheknowledgeand skillstodothiswork.Therearelessthanonehundred designersofKonstantina’scaliberinherindustry,asher awardsshow.

PleasediscovermoreofthestoryofKonstantina,her mission,andjewelsatwww.mahliacollection.com.

A Rising Phoenix

SPEAK UP

A speaker and advocate for the advancement of Black life and black culture, the Sandra Bland/Robbie Tolan Award was created for the Ruth J. Simmons Center for Race & Justice to honor those working on criminal justice reform.

TOLAN has spent the past decade challenging institutional racism as well as fighting for the rights of black victims seeking justice when dealing with police officers and the judicial system. His law-making case, Tolan v. Cotton, has set the precedent in the way judges are allowed to grant police officers qualified immunity. Since its ruling in 2014, Tolan’s case has been cited in and helped thousands of court cases involving police brutality.

YES and AMEN

Tolan is a man of resilience that is committed to a purpose driven life. Tolan states “God saved me for a much greater purpose and to have a greater impact than just playing baseball.” Tolan’s foundation, Project 1231, provides education and aid to victims and families of racial and police injustice. Tolan is dedicated to making sure that victims of police brutality get the support they need.

Producing Overflow

In addition to being an author and script writer (TV and film), Tolan has launched a publishing company for aspiring authors of color looking to share their voice and publish their books. For collaborations, publishing and bookings, Tolan can be reached @Robbie_Tolan on Instagram.

Tolan has been a youth baseball coach since his playing career ended in 2011. He hopes to one day return to his alma mater, Prairie View, as the head baseball coach and increase the awareness and presence of HBCU baseball in the NCAA and develop a new generation of black baseball players.

A professional baseball player and DJ, ROBBIE TOLAN was racially profiled and unjustly shot in his parents’ driveway by ten-year police veteran Jeffrey Cotton in Bellaire, Texas. He survived.

Robbie Tolan is author of No Justice: One White Police Officer, One Black Family, and How One Bullet Ripped Us Apart

MINDSET MATTERS

United States vs. Billie Holiday

Harry Anslinger, the Chief of the US Federal Bureau of Narcotics, in an effort to justify his budget, was known for planting evidence and unjustly targeting practitioners of jazz, which he referred to as Black man’s music. In partnership with the FBI, Anslinger became incensed when Billy Holiday, regarded as the greatest female jazz musician, started performing the song, Strange Fruit, which outraged the establishment because it referred directly to the lynching of African-Americans in the South. Holiday was burdened with unimaginable childhood trauma. Tormented and denied a peaceful death, Billie Holiday was was handcuffed to her deathbed and arrested.

TV, Film and Podcast Guide

Knowledge is power. Take a stand against injustice with the Innocence Project’s wrongful conviction guides. Watch The Innocence Files on Netflix as The Innocence Project unravels missteps and deceit in a series of wrongful convictions, exposing the injustice inflicted on victims and the accused.

Restoration

Many people feel hopeless about the broken prison systems. Prison Fellowship International is dedicated to restoring prisoners’ lives, help their families, and integrate them back into the community—for good! pfi.org

Title 8 (NYCHRL)

The NYC Human Rights Law is a civil rights law that prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. The Law also protects against discriminatory lending practices, retaliation, discriminatory harassment, and bias-based profiling by law enforcement.

Above: Billie Holiday signing papers at the Hall of Justice during her booking on a narcotics charge, 1949. Photo: Bancroft Library

Stop Asian Hate Rally 3/20/2021 Chinatown, Manhattan NYC By Sam Cheng

Resilience

FOR THE PEOPLE BAE

@SECUNDAJOSEPH

A recipient of the 2023 Rothko Chapel Óscar Romero Award, Secunda Joseph is a devoted and conscientious activist-organizer and justice worker based in Houston, TX.

Secunda Joseph firmly promotes organic, community-based approaches to solidarity work and activism, and shirks at those who ignore the capacities of those for whom they advocate. Although her activist-organizer work broadly focuses on humanitarian rights and concerns, she utilizes Black abolitionist principles and concepts to create, build, and work beside vulnerable communities toward more liberating life options for future generations born to inequity.

Smart Media and Organizing

Joseph is a Co-Founder and Director of Smart Media & Organizing with ImagiNoir/BLMHTX, a collective whose aim is to educate, empower and build coalitions that address issues adversely impacting Black lives in the city of Houston. In addition to training consulting, & mutual aid work, Joseph delivers multimedia interventions

and mind/body strategies toward liberatory existence. Inspired by the anti-lynching passion of her ancestor-mentor, Ida B. Wells, she hosts radio and curates online platforms with her collective. Through this work, she highlights Black radical traditions for striving and imagining new worlds in which “we can all breathe,” believing that traditional and gradualist approaches sacrifice the most marginalized. Joseph is also a Kemetic Yoga practitioner and offers intergenerational classes to adults, children, and seniors alike, realizing that her community’s healing work must be essential to her activism.

Great Personal Risk

Since 1986, the Rothko Chapel has given an award to grassroots activists who are working under extraordinary circumstances to advance human rights, often without widespread recognition and at great personal risk. This

award is named in honor of Saint Óscar Romero of San Salvador, who was murdered in March 1980 while conducting Catholic Mass in a local hospital chapel. He is recognized internationally as a martyr and has inspired countless others to advocate for justice even in the face of great economic and political pressure.

Óscar Romero Award

The 2023 Rothko Chapel Óscar Romero Award recognizes individuals and organizations exercising courageous, grassroots, human rights advocacy to further civil rights in the United States. At a time when many urgent, intersecting civil liberties and human rights are under attack and actively losing protections in the US, the Rothko Chapel continues a multi-year effort to further community engagement on the topic of civil rights, following their 2021-22 Symposium “Beyond the Rhetoric: Civil Rights & Our Shared Responsibility.”

BLACK & PEOPLE FREE

“I’m always imagining a world”

-Secunda Joseph

My means

#KemeticYoga

#Enneagram

#Abolition

#Humanitarian

#Talmnboutit

#Love

#Organizing

Resistance

Police recruit drops post George Floyd

Amid global outrage, law enforcement struggles to recruitment since the killing of George Floyd by Derek Chauvin. Among 184 police agencies surveyed in the U.S. and Canada, the nonprofit Police Executive Research Forum found that resignations jumped by 43% from 2019 through 2021, and retirements jumped 24%. In addition to those departures, overall hiring fell by 4%.

The California attorney general’s office concluded, after an independent investigation, that Jackson was neither “manhandled” nor mistreated when he was taken into police custody.

Buy Black

Many Blacks start their businesses out of necessity due to limited employment options. Study finds that Black-owned business represent 26% of all new business start-ups in 2020, an 11% increase from 2019.

Resilience

Whoopi Goldberg speaks truth to power as she boldly tells of a mother’s unwavering courage and the ongoing fight to seek justice by sharing Emmett Till’s chilling story to the world in ‘Till’; the 14-year child who was abducted, tortured and lynched in Mississippi in 1955.

“They Don’t Really Care About Us”

Despite issuing a statement that claims against him were “predicated on a big lie”, global musical icon Michael Jackson was arrested in 2003. A verdict of not guilty on all charges was issued in 2005 and in 2010, the British journalist Charles Thomson described the trial as “one of the most shameful episodes in journalistic history.” Thomson said the media coverage was “out of control ... The sheer amount of propaganda, bias, distortion, and misinformation is almost beyond comprehension.”

Former officer Derek Chauvin, who pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck while Floyd was handcuffed behind his back, was convicted of murder.

Jacskson shared pictures of bruises and injuries stating the police had mistreated him and complained of a dislocated shoulder during an interview with 60 Minutes.

Angela Yvonne Davis is a prominent political activist, scholar, and author. She emerged as the leader of Communist Party USA in the 1960s and had close ties to the Black Panther Party. Pictured lifting her fist in the air as she arrives to court in San Rafael, Davis has advocated for the abolishment of prisons and the prison-industrial complex.

On his first day in office, President Biden signed Executive Order 13985, Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the federal government.

CURRENT POLITICAL TRENDS

whitehouse.gov/equity

The President’s Order emphasized the enormous human costs of systemic racism, persistent poverty, and other disparities, and directed the Federal Government to advance an ambitious whole-of-government equity agenda that matches the scale of the challenges we face as a country and the opportunities we have to build a more perfect union.

Over 90 federal agencies across the federal government, including all Cabinet-level agencies as well as over 50 independent agencies, mobilized quickly and effectively to implement the Executive Order.

Equity Over ‘Equality’

Advancing equity is not a one-year project – it is a generational commitment that will require sustained leadership and partnership with all communities.

Taking Action

In year one of the Biden-Harris Administration, efforts that focus on equity have delivered concrete results for communities that have often been underserved by the federal government. Because of the Administration’s commitment to putting equity at the heart of its work, the Administration has taken ambitious steps. Here are a few:

Public Safety & Criminal Justice Reform

- Signed an Executive Order to improve safety and criminal justice for Native Americans, and address the crisis of missing/murdered indigenous people.

- Began implementing the President’s order to end the Justice Department’s use of private prisons, moving more than 4,000 people out of privatelyoperated detention facilities to date.

Defended Right to Vote & Civil Rights

- Took all-of-government action to promote voting access and to further the ability of all eligible Americans to participate in democracy.

- Called for Congress to pass comprehensive voting reform, including essential steps to restore the Voting Rights Act, even if it takes ending the Senate filibuster to get it done.

Education Excellence & Equality

- Implemented first-of-its-kind maintenance of equity requirement to ensure that high-poverty school districts and schools are protected from funding cuts.

- Signed Executive Orders advancing educational equity, excellence, and economic opportunity for Black, Hispanic, and Native students.

Narrowing Wealth Gaps

Narrowing wealth gaps through federal contracting and procurement. As the largest buyer in the world, the federal government will address racial and gender wealth gaps by leveraging the power of federal procurement to drive greater investment in minority-owned and women-owned small businesses.

AGAPE LOVE

As the Black History Diversity Committee Coordinator for United Airlines, White works with fellow Black History Committee Members to celebrate legacy while highlighting our culture and further recognizing the role of Black, Indigenous and People of Color.

Yvette Alston White believes in helping others! She wears a lot of hats at United Airlines: Customer Service Representative, Premium Services Representative and her role as the ‘Black History Diversity Committee Coordinator’ for United Airlines provides her with the opportunity to not only help others, but to celebrate them as well.

First of its kind

As she communicated to The Tré, “I take pride in our initiatives. One being our successful 2022 Juneteenth celebration a historic flight lead by BEACON, United’s Black Business Resource Group (BRG). The organization is the first of its kind at United dedicated to a specific race/ethnicity. That flight was a memorable experience, not just for the students but for me as well”

For many students the trip was their very first flight. “I was thrilled and beyond proud to be part of this United Airlines effort to celebrate Black history with its origins in Texas.” Students from a variety of backgrounds, races and ethnicities were on this inaugural United flight to Galveston, Texas. History on flight was read by Majic 102 DJ Smooth. In the air, during the flight, they learned about the city’s rich history as the first city in Texas to abolish slavery in 1865, freeing one of the last groups of slaves in the United States.

Working together for positive change

“As the Black History Diversity Committee Coordinator for United Airlines in Houston at George Bush Intercontinental Airport, I assisted with the planning of our Black History Diversity Program which was established in Houston in 2014. Working with fellow Black History Committee Members, Supervisor, Stanley

Photos by Kendrick Lewis

Yvette Alston White is outgoing.

She prays we all live life to the fullest and have fun while doing it.

Evans, Team Leaders, Brenda Douglas, Rose Lopes-Harris, CSR Crainna Berry and CSR Juanita Williams-Burton we are proud to celebrate the lives and legacy of those who came before us, while highlighting our culture and further recognizing the role of Black, Indigenous and People of Color.”

Black Lives Matter

United Airlines has a well-deserved reputation for striving to deliver our best service to every customer. We start by going the extra mile with our team to make sure we support one another and that we’re aware of events both domestically and internationally that can impact members of the United family. One example is a beautiful memorial service we conducted for the late George Floyd. “We held a moment of silence and took a knee in his honor. United also made “Black Lives Matter” pins available with the proceeds benefitting the local Chicago nonprofit, known as M3, which stands for ‘My Block, My Hood, My City. It’s an organization that helps underserved young people in the Chicago area by providing them with new experiences and exposing them to possibilities outside their communities.

A career in aviation for women

United Airlines’ Commitment to Diversity is wide-ranging and looks to have a long-term and far-reaching impact. “United Aviate Academy” opened in 2021 and continues to work towards diversifying the flight deck. The first class, 80% of whom were women or people of color, completed a rigorous year-long training program that prepares them for an amazing career in aviation and prepared them to deliver United’s high standard of professionalism and deep commitment to delivering a safe, caring dependable and efficient travel experiences.

Helping students reach their full potential

We also have a recruiting initiative called ‘Year Up’. It provides talented young professionals with their first corporate internship experience with United. United employees can host a student learner and help ensure the student gains the skills, experiences and support needed to reach their fullest potential.

We are proud to celebrate the lives and legacy of those who came before us, while highlighting our culture and further recognizing the role of Black, Indigenous and People of Color.”

- Yvette Alston White

United’s fleet is growing. As part of the airline’s aim to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 100 per cent by 2050, United has invested in electric aircraft. With Denver-based aerospace company, Boom, they have the world’s first purchase agreement for net-zero carbon supersonic aircraft. Boom’s ‘Overture’ aircraft will cut travel times in half and operate on up to 100% sustainable aviation fuel. In addition, United Invests Another $15 Million in Electric Flying Taxi Market with Eve. The companies intend to work on future projects, including studies on the development, use and application of Eve’s aircraft and the urban air mobility (UAM) ecosystem.

AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE

Recently United has committed an additional $15 million in flying taxis – or eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing vehicle) – that have the potential to revolutionize the commuter experience in cities around the world. “United has made early investments in several cuttingedge technologies at all levels of the supply chain, staking out our position as a leader in aviation sustainability and innovation,” said Michael Leskinen, President of United Airlines Ventures. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers.

An attitude of gratitude

Yvette generously shared her personal philosophy with The Tré. “I do all that I can to help others, at work and in my daily life; with my smile, my attitude and being friendly to everyone I meet. I also help others through volunteerism and generous donations.” Some of the organizations she supports include Purple Heart, Wreaths Across American and Girl Scouts. Yvette told The Tré she also enjoys giving back to

the local community as a River Bend HOA Board Member and a food bank volunteer with Mount Teman AME Church (Elizabeth, NJ).

Faith by my works

Working on the Black History Program each year, participating in the Juneteenth Celebration supported by BEACON and all the other projects I participate in would not be possible for me without the love, support and encouragement I

receive from my best friend and husband Bruce of 25 years, my two sons Brandon and Bryan, my parents Thomas & Violamae Alston (Violamae passed 12/01/2021), and my Mother-in-Law Shirley A. White. All their love and continued support helps me to continue to grow and encourages me to stay strong! Yvette wants the world to know, “I am a child of God and would love for everyone to love one another, live life to the fullest and have fun while doing it!

Aviate Academy

Want a career in aviation? United has developed Aviate Academy as part of their commitment to retain and increase the diversity of their overall workforce. Chief DEI Officer Jessica Muench states “We opened the United Aviate Academy with a class comprised of 80% women and people of color to help ensure diversity within United’s future pilot workforce.” You can learn more at unitedaviate.com.

OneTen Partnership

United has joined over 60 companies and their CEOs committed to increasing the hiring of Black talent into jobs that do not require a fouryear college degree while improving the hiring, retention, upskilling and advancement practices to support diverse talent.

Leadership Training

United has partnered with McKinsey Black Leadership Academy on two new programs, Black Executive Leadership and Black Management Accelerator, to support internal talent and the progression of Black/African American leaders at United.

A lifelong advocate for gender and racial equality, Willa Beatrice Brown (January 22, 1906 – July 18, 1992) was an American aviator, lobbyist, teacher, and civil rights activist. She was the first African American woman to earn a pilot’s license in the U.S., the first African American woman to run for the U.S. Congress, first African American officer (lieutenant) in the Civil Air Patrol, and first woman in the U.S. to have both a pilot’s license and an aircraft mechanic’s license.

Aviation Pioneers

Pilot and aircraft mechanic Umberto Ricco revitalized an aviation and aircraft mechanics training program from the 1950s for free at Dunbar Vocational High School in Chicago.

The Chief of the U.S. Army Air Corps in the 1930s made it clear he thought Black people didn’t have what it took to be pilots: “there [are] no black units in the Army Air Corps and none [are] contemplated.” Policy supported his personal opinions, but fortunately, the Black people he rejected did not agree.

POLICY

In 1941, the War Department overturned race excluding policies and forced the newly formed Army Air Forces to accept blacks for the first time.

Planting Seeds

In the 1930s, most schools that trained pilots and aircraft mechanics were closed to African Americans. Passionate about aviation, committed to equitable opportunities and not to

be denied, Cornelius Coffey with his wife Willa Brown and John Robinson created the Coffey School of Aeronautics which had thousands of students. They also founded the National Airmen Association to promote the idea of African Americans being trained as fighter pilots in World War II.

School Choice

A new generation of young aviators takes rise as Umberto Ricco revitalizes Coffey’s curriculum and travels the country with his mobile museum educating people about the connection between aviation and Black pilots in Chicago.

Umberto Ricco donates his time, knowledge, tools, and vintage airplane collection to educate a new generation of aviation students.

Brown relentlessly petitioned the government to admit Black pilots into the Air Force, and over 200 of her students eventually became Tuskegee Airmen!

Flying High

Become A Pilot

New Zealand Aviation Aotearoa Ltd. is a high quality, internationally recognized institution that understands the reality of flight training and provides the necessary tools and high standards that you expect in the aviation industry. Sign up and support their efforts at nzaa.net.nz

A New Frontier

Mae Carol Jemison is an engineer, physician, and former NASA astronaut. She became the first black woman to travel into space when she served as a mission specialist aboard the Space Shuttle Endeavour. Jemison was selected to serve for the STS-47 mission, during which she orbited the Earth for nearly eight days on September 12–20, 1992.

Officer, Aviator, Role Model

General Frank E. Petersen, the first black Marine aviator, flew more than 350 combat missions in Korea and Vietnam. In his 1998 autobiography, “Into the Tiger’s Jaw: America’s First Black Marine Aviator,” Petersen wrote at length about the opposition he encountered along his way up the ranks. Petersen was the senior ranking aviator in both the Marines and the Navy and held the honorary titles of Silver Hawk and Grey Eagle.

Lieutenant Colonel Frank E. Petersen, Jr. climbs into his phantom jet for a combat mission in Vietnam in 1968.

NASA Image and Video Library (file)

Hidden Figures

Ahmet Ali from Izmir

Ahmet Ali Çelikten (born İzmirli Alioğlu Ahmed; 1883–1969), was an Ottoman-born Turkish aviator regarded as the first black pilot in history and one of the first black males to become a fighter pilot, receiving his “wings” in 1914.

Research Psychologist

Dr. Patricia S. Cowings, an aerospace psychophysiologist, is celebrated for helping find cures for astronaut’s motion sickness and her studies in the physiology of astronauts in outer space. She was the first American woman to be trained as a scientist astronaut by NASA.

A Brave New World

Lebohang Lebogo is a medical technician with the South African National Blood Service and South Africa’s first generation of drone pilots, whose mission is to save lives delivering bloods to farflung places where conventional transport is often a challenge, particularly when it comes to emergency.

Voo Negro

Based in Brazil, Kenia Aquino is founder of “Voo negro” (Black Flight). The project works to give a voice to in-flight racism and wants to gives Black flight crews visibility.

Black Pilots

Black Pilots of America, Inc. (BPA, Inc) is a non-profit flying organization established in 1997 and committed to training youth to participate and advance in various types of employment within the field of aviation.

Dr. Patricia Cowings, a research psychologist in the Biomedical Division of Ames Research Center. National Air and Space Museum Archives, Smithsonian Institution

Created by British, Ghanaian Savile Row fashion designer and tailor Ozwald Boateng OBE, British Airways has unveiled a new uniform for the first time in nearly 20 years in order to take the airline into its next chapter.

Investing in Customers

Boateng has been developing the collection since 2018 with painstaking care to help ensure the garments suitability and create an iconic collection that will stand the test of time.

Designing The Experience

Alex Cruz, British Airways’ Chairman and Chief Executive, said: “Our uniforms have been an iconic symbol of our brand throughout our 100-year history and our partnership with Ozwald will take us forward to the next chapter in our journey.”

Value and Teamwork

The collection was tested to ensure they’re water resistant, durable and fit for extreme weather conditions. It features a tailored three-piece suit, a modern jumpsuit as well as a tunic and hijab option. Ground handlers even received touch-screen

Bespoke

technology fabric in their gloves so they can use their devices in cold climates without having to take them off.

A Timeless Legacy for Generation

Ozwald Boateng OBE, British, Ghanaian changemaker, fashion designer and master tailor, said: “Designing this uniform was a vast and painstaking undertaking and it went far be-yond clothes. It was about creating an energetic shift internally. One of my main objectives was to create something that spoke to, and for, the airline’s colleagues. Something that in-spired and empowered them, encouraged them to conduct their roles with pride and most importantly to ensure that they felt seen and heard. Although the airline has a strong heritage, it was imperative to support in creating a fresh narrative of change and transcend-ence, while remaining timeliness.” britishairways.com.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

Experts Predict Aquatic Highways, Air Taxis And Space Hotels For Life In 50 Years Time

FIVE TRAVEL TRENDS

The Future in Focus

Six of Britain’s leading academics and futurists come together for the first time to create a mind-blowing version of the future in 50 years’ time. Self-cleaning homes, body implants that monitor our health and air taxis are the top expert predictions that Brits would most like to see become a reality in the future

Innovation

Life in Orbit City

Created by Hanna-Barbera Productions, showcasing Googie architecture and originally aired in 1962, the Jetsons are a Space Age family residing in a future century with flying cars, elaborate robotic contraptions, holograms, and whimsical inventions.

Aston Martin Flying Car

Aston Martin unveils a futuristic personal aircraft concept it has dubbed “a sports car for the skies.” The three-seater hybrid-electric vehicle could help one day to revolutionize travel, ideally taking travelers from London to Birmingham in 30 minutes.

Lockheed SuperSonic Technology

Commissioned by NASA, Lockheed Martin collaborates to solve one of the persistent challenges of supersonic flight– the sonic boom. The Lockheed Martin X-59 QueSST (“Quiet SuperSonic Technology”) is an American experimental supersonic aircraft being developed at Skunk Works.

The First Mile is Free

Colorado Air and Space Port will serve as America’s hub for commercial space transportation, research, and development. Horizontal launch facilities are developing globally and have the potential to become the foundation for a global suborbital transportation network.

Aquatic Superhighways

The Samsung KX50: The Future in Focus report was authored by leading academics and futurists. Highlights include a subsonic tube transport system which will be created as a sealed tube system that is travelled using pods.

ON MISSION

The mission of the Houston Housing Authority is to improve lives by providing quality, affordable housing options and promoting education and economic self-sufficiency.

The Houston Housing Authority provides affordable homes and services to more than 60,000 low-income Houstonians, including over 17,000 families housed through the Housing Choice Voucher Program and another 5,700 living in 25 public housing and tax credit developments around the city.

HHA also administers the nation’s third largest voucher program exclusively serving homeless veterans.

In 2017, Hurricane Harvey ripped through Louisiana and Texas, leaving a vast swath of destruction in its wake. As with any natural disaster, it was most unforgiving to people living in low-income neighborhoods.

Northern observes, ”When you can’t pay your rent, you lose out. Without savings or disposable income, many community members in need found it difficult to secure a place to stay.”

Fortunately, the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) reallocated federal resources toward disaster relief. The Houston Housing Authority deployed housing specialists to assist families left without a roof over their heads. Northern states, “The process was long and arduous, but slowly, we helped families recover.”

MORE THAN A HOUSE

David A. Northern, Sr., knows the importance of having a safe place to call home. As the new President and CEO of the Houston Housing Authority (HHA), he is focused on unifying resources and helping Houstonians recover from the economic challenges of the pandemic as well as mitigating the compounding risk caused by natural disasters such as floods, wildfires and freezes.

populations have a high risk of experiencing significant recovery disparities, money does not prevent one from being negatively impacted by natural disasters or being displaced from your home due to unforeseen events.

A Safe Place To Call Home

The need for safety and security against threats is both real and primal. As many Houstonians and citizens around the world are adjusting to the ‘new normal,’ the desire for a safe place to reset and rebuild is essential. Although vulnerable

Northern is President and CEO of the Houston Housing Authority and although he has an incredible title, he is driven by the belief that his job is about service. With the economic challenges of the pandemic, the rise of income loss due to underemployment, divorce or spousal death as well as concurrent natural disasters, many residents have found themselves navigating new territory. Northern is aware of the challenges and is simultaneously addressing the long-term goals of the institution and focusing on the immediate needs of the individual. He is committed to ensuring the

Photos of David Northern by Bohemian Photography

David

A. Northern, Sr. encourages residents to trust the process.

Interview

HHA provides an array of services to help people. These services are not just about transitioning from homelessness or increasing housing choices for lowincome families but, ideally, it is about helping people to become self-sufficient.

Personal Restoration & Fulfillment

Northern states, “As President and CEO, my job is to ensure our agency provides an array of services to help people transition from homelessness to self-sufficiency. We’ve designed our housing and service options to be as flexible as possible, so all who are eligible for our programs will be served. In addition to providing the tools needed to regain stability, I work with my senior executive team members to ensure our case management staff provides ongoing, intensive support to help each individual achieve their own personal restoration and fulfillment.”

Northern is a ‘man of the people.’ He states, “Being visible and having presence in and around our communities is extremely important to me. I am especially interested in enhancing collective impact by serving the missions of partner organizations that are meeting the needs of our communities.” Northern says providing housing is just one component — the HHA also works to provide exceptional services that help people achieve financial security and well-being. HHA works to simplify the process, making it easier to get help.

Family Self-Sufficiency

The HHA Family Self-Sufficiency (FSS) Program offers employment and other case management services designed to promote economic self-sufficiency for families currently participating in the Housing Choice Voucher and Public Housing Programs. FSS participants develop specific financial goals, through individual training, a services plan and they work with an FSS coordinator to identify activities and services to help achieve these long-term goals over a five-year period.

#trusttheprocess

Northern recently incorporated the hashtag #trusttheprocess. He recognizes the value of the journey and providing the community with an opportunity to take that voyage along with the help of the HHA as it builds

In addition to providing the tools needed to regain stability, I work with my senior executive team members to ensure our case management staff provides ongoing, intensive support to help each individual achieve their own personal restoration and fulfillment.

HHA also works to provide exceptional services that also help people achieve financial security and well-being.

BY THE NUMBERS

Moving to Work Plan – According to HUD, Moving to Work (MTW) is a demonstration program for public housing authorities (PHAs) that provides them the opportunity to design and test innovative, locally designed strategies that use federal dollars more efficiently, help residents find employment and become self-sufficient, and increase housing choices for low-income families. The Houston Housing Authority is looking to fully implement the program by early Spring 2023.

Long-term Goals

Northern is acutely aware of the inequities in wealth and services between wealthy and low-income communities. Northern told The Tré “It became painfully evident as families were negatively impacted by the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and the 2021 freeze. Many who lived in low-income neighborhoods found it difficult to recover, especially

since many were hourly workers who lost their jobs in the process. When you can’t pay your rent, you lose out. Without savings or disposable income, many community members in need found it difficult to secure a place to stay. Undoubtedly, our work gives people hope.”

A Fundamental Human Right

Northern believes a key part of the mission is creating more affordable housing. “There’s never enough housing. It is imperative that we nurture and develop relationships with landlords and developers to

The Houston Housinng Authority is also committed to providing additional support to lowincome, elderly, and disabled residents. Contact HHA if you need assistance obtaining childcare, health care, finishing school, or learning a trade.

encourage the growth and expansion of new, affordable housing communities to ensure our most vulnerable have a safe place to live. “What I believe to be true is that shelter is a fundamental human right. It is essential to personal dignity, health, and well-being. It provides protection from violence and oppression. The right to shelter should not be based on wealth, status, gender, or race. Simply put, everyone should have access to safe and secure housing to live in peace and privacy.”

A Better Tomorrow

Northern describes himself as a servant leader. “What matters most to me is ensuring the people around me - family, friends, and colleagues - are provided with the care and commitment they deserve. Consequently, I have always felt most comfortable in the affordable housing industry. Knowing that my work positively impacts people’s lives is quite a blessing. I hope that my work continues to give people the confidence and motivation to build for a better tomorrow.”

To see if you qualify, go to housingforhouston.com and access the “Apply for Housing” application portal. HHA provides access to an array of helpful programs and resources in and around Houston.

Website: www.housingforhouston.com

Telephone: (713) 260-0500

Facebook: Houston Housing Authority

Twitter: @Housing4Houston

LinkedIn: Houston Housing Authority

Instagram: @HoustonHousingAuthority

Special Housing Resources: housingforhouston.com/contact-us/

a coalition of doers and believers who want to help improve the human condition.

Matters

Houston ISD school closures are looming due to budget deficits and declining enrollment and a possible fiscal shortcoming of over $200 million. Is now the time to finally do right by Jack Yates and build a true opportunity for equity?

School segregation and undereducation lies at the epicenter of America’s racial inequity and also feeds into housing segregation, which is a major source of the racial wealth gap.

FACTS

In 1956, approximately 100 members of Congress signed the “Southern Manifesto” opposing the Supreme Court’s Brown vs Board of Education decision.

Academic Anchor

In 1968, following a judge’s order to integrate, HISD adopted stringent guidelines and of the 22 black first graders who applied only 12 were accepted in the white schools. HISD implemented buses and magnet schools, which decimated local feeder patterns and community. Zone schools were seemingly under-resourced. HISD

implemented its Voluntary Interdistrict Education Plan (VIEP) in 1980 to lure non-BIPOC students back from neighboring districts to elite magnet schools and neighborhood students of any ethnicity were led to bus for equitable resources. Although in 1981 the court declared HISD a “unitary” school district, meaning all vestiges of a dual, segregated school system had been eliminated, recent data shows notable inequity in experience based on race.

The Struggle Continues

The Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan, a HISD magnet middle school, now occupies the original Yates campus. In an effort to build true equity and healing, community groups propose a more inclusive usage of 2610 Elgin street. Advocates affirm that visionary leaders and progressive principals such as James D. Ryan, William S. Holland and Michael McKenzie have met great resistance when working to uplift historic Negro academic institutions and most notably HISD schools in Third Ward, TX.

The Baylor College of Medicine Academy at Ryan, a HISD magnet middle school, now occupies the original Yates campus. In an effort to build true equity and healing, community groups advocate for a more inclusive usage of 2610 Elgin street.

EFFORT A Determined To Make A Difference

Myra Caldwell is an Executive Vice President, Chief Diversity Officer at Cadence Bank. In her role, she champions diversity, equity and inclusion and leads a program that will be used for positive momentum, education and change.

Based in Houston, Myra has over 35 years of bank experience and is a Certified Diversity Executive, through the Society for Diversity Institute for Diversity Certification. She is also a Certified Treasury Professional and a received her Bank Operations Certification from The American Institute of Banking and her Six Sigma Green Belt training from Villanova University. She is a Fall 2020 graduate of the Center for Houston’s Future.

Determined & Dedicated

A Chief Diversity Officer’s position is always evolving. Fortunately, Caldwell brings over 30 years of banking experience in operations, treasury management and product strategy and transfers those skills into executing a Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategy at Cadence. “I collaborate with different lines of business, actively build relationships with different community organizations, and ensure

our budget is being used efficiently to create momentum, education and change and to advance equity,” states Caldwell.

Moving Forward

Caldwell works closely with executive leadership as well as the DEI Council to nurture a safe place to have the conversations that will move the needle forward internally and, through training and other efforts, help to ensure Cadence Bank is a community partner and a great place to work for everyone.

People matter. Their hopes, dreams, aspirations, voices. Each of us can contribute to making the world a better place, no matter who we are.”

- Myra Caldwell

Education: TSU

In partnership with TSU’s Jesse H. Jones School of Business Future Bankers Leadership Program (FBLP), which launched in Fall 2021, scholarships are available to business students based on merit and financial need. The program sponsors three summer interns and focuses on providing students with the necessary financial and business skills to succeed in the banking industry.

Initiatives That Promote Prosperity In The Tré.

In any business, it’s all about relationships. Caldwell states “We have the opportunity to create programs that build awareness and drive change through open dialogue.” Cadence Bank is expanding its services and footprint in the Houston / Third-Ward area. Through partnerships with various organizations, and by working with others across the company, Cadence is striving to create better equity outcomes for the communities they serve and to advocate for change. Some current initiatives include:

Housing: OST/South Union

Another partnership is with Agape Development which opened new homes for lower-income residents in the OST/South Union area. Each of the 88 homes will be available for purchase by local community members. In addition to bringing new affordable housing options to the greater Third Ward, the ministry also provides job training opportunities to members of the community.

Financial Services: Third Ward

Cadence operates a full-service branch in Palm Center that provides residential and commercial loans as well as retail and business banking services designed to meet the financial needs of the community. Services include guidance and support on affordable home loans, quick decision small business loans, and a certified checking product to expand access to safe and affordable financial products and services.

FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE

Attorneys Wayne Collins and Roy Elizondo, III both have Texan ancestry going back hundreds of years. Collins was raised in Deer Park, Texas while Elizondo grew up in the Texas Hill Country. Collins graduated from the University of Houston in 1993 while Elizondo graduated from Yale University in 1998. Both attorneys received their law degrees from South Texas College of Law Houston before setting out to become trial attorneys who represent the powerless against the powerful.

$177 Million Verdict

LEARN MORE

If you have questions or want to arrange a free consultation, call the law firm at 281-712-1197 or message them online at collinselizondo.com.

While working as a law clerk for legendary attorney, John O’Quinn, Elizondo won his first jury trial as a second-year law student in 2002. In that same year, Collins obtained a $177 million verdict (the largest verdict in Virginia history) representing plaintiffs in a securities fraud case. Elizondo went on to become the managing attorney for two of the largest and highly respected plaintiff firms in Texas while Collins became the managing attorney for boutique firms specializing in environmental law and toxic torts.

A Legacy of Results

With a combined 50 years of legal expertise between them, Collins and Elizondo have been joint-venturing catastrophic injury and death cases as well as commercial business disputes on behalf of Texas families against major corporations since 2005. At Collins Elizondo, PLLC, the entire team shares a heightened sense of accountability and desire for the best possible result because every case has a face with a soul and story behind it. The firm mission is to maximize case values

through methodical, aggressive trial preparation while building a legacy in the Texas legal community.

Results and Peace of Mind

The firm currently represents Fifth Ward families plagued with cancer from toxic dumping and direct descendants of ex-slaves whose mineral rights have been denied against Fortune 150 companies. Collins Elizondo is headquartered at 2032 Buffalo Terrace, Houston, Texas 77019, minutes from the Harris County and Federal courthouses.

With a combined 50 years of legal expertise between them, attorneys Collins and Elizondo are committed to real justice for Fifth Ward families plagued with cancer from toxic dumping.

Collins & Elizondo Law Firm understands serious and catastrophic injuries can impact every aspect of your life. They also understand that legal issues do not fit in a box. While their website provides general information, it does not constitute legal advice. The best way to get guidance on your specific legal issue is to contact a lawyer.

Influential

The 1.9.6.4. Club

Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. (TLOD) was chartered in the state of Texas on September 8, 1964 as a non-profit educational, humanitarian organization. As “shapers of change,” members of Top Ladies of Distinction, Inc. have, through each administration, continued their efforts toward “Serving Youth and Adults.” The purpose of the 1.9.6.4. Club is to support the legacy of TLOD by raising money and investing in programs and projects that empower Top Teens of American to become outstanding leaders of tomorrow. tlodinc.org

Dr. Sarah David

Dr. Sarah David is the Chief Connection Officer™ for influencing meaningful strategic partnerships, opportunities, and resources to grow profitable personal, solo, and global brands.

Influential Brand Partnerships

An influential, empathic, trusted advisor among leaders, CEOs, entrepreneurs, business owners, and professionals, Dr. David curates and leads global business community relationships online and offline that last a lifetime.

For over 20 years Sarah has influenced and inspired leaders and high achievers looking to create brands they love.

Dr. Sarah David is Founder of NICE Media and NICE - National Institute for Career Empowerment™. She is also the community builder for NIA – Network in Action Empowerment Group. For more information connect on LinkedIn® at www.linkedin.com/in/ drsarahdavid subject line “TRE”.

American Black Film Festival

As “the world’s largest community of Black film and TV enthusiasts,” the American Black Film Festival is an annual event dedicated to empowering Black talent and showcasing film and television content by and about people of African descent. Dedicated to the belief that diverse artists deserve the same opportunities as their mainstream counterparts, ABFF Founder Jeff Friday conceived the festival in 1997 as a vehicle to strengthen the Black entertainment community by fostering resource sharing, education and artistic collaboration.

Insight provided by Lady Meghan McBride

Luxuriant Realty Group

At Luxuriant Realty Group your prosperity through real estate is our #1 priority.

Broaderick “Charlie” Brown Jr., the CEO of Luxuriant Real Estate Experiences (LRG), is helping people reach their goals by guiding them along the path to homeownership. “We connect you to the resources you need and provide you with investment opportunities so you can achieve your dreams,” states Charlie.

Dedicated Professionals

Something that is luxuriant is characterized as abundant in growth. Luxuriant Real Estate Experiences specializes in helping individuals find the perfect property to cultivate their success. Their team of professionals are dedicated to helping buyers make the most of their real estate investments and ensuring prosperity.

A Stable Home for Generations

Charlie believes that having a stable home is important for children of all ages, but especially for primary school students. A stable home is essential for children’s physical and emotional well-being because it provides a safe and secure environment for children to learn and grow into adults that not only survive, but thrive.

Broaderick “Charlie” Brown Jr. not only inspires a purposeful movement, but actively participates in it.

Umoja

LRG advisors help create that stability by providing the RIGHT resources, information, and connections so you can make the BEST, most informed decisions.

Commitment From Credit to Close

Broaderick understands that “once you conquer the path TO Real Estate Ownership, you begin your path OF Real Estate Ownership” which is why as your “Realtor for Life” whether you need credit enhancement, investment funding, or a trusted source to fix your A/C, he prides himself on being one call away.

This approach to helping current and future owners buy, sell, invest in, and/or maintain their properties, ensures each #LuxLodger has support

no matter where they are in their Real Estate journey.

Finding Prosperity in a Pandemic

LRG embraces the belief that service to others is the best way to serve yourself. Charlie says “My commitment to your dream allowed me to actualize my own dream of creating a successful one-stop shop for those that are dedicated to obtaining luxuriance through Real Estate.” When asked about the affect the pandemic had on him and his business he stated “Don’t get me wrong, COVID threw some hay-makers, but I got my lick back, not just for me, but for the black community. All across the world people that never would have intentionally crossed paths, joined forces against our common enemy [COVID] for the greater good.”

Witnessing this, for Charlie, really brought into perspective how much our “delay in healing mentally, emotionally, and financially, is a direct reflection of our lack of emphasis on togetherness.”

When discussing collective responsibility, Charlie states “I strongly believe that even though we didn’t initiate separation, we play a stronger part than some may accept in SUSTAINING it.” Charlie continues, “ ...if we embrace the power of a ‘village’ that’s invested in the same positive goal(s), not only will we bloom where we were planted, we will flourish in record speed.”

Luxuriant Experience

Luxuriant Realty Group is helping people achieve their dreams of home ownership! They

host free workshops every quarter, and are ramping up to host one every month. They offer quality insights to help buyers make informed decisions, and they can be followed on Instagram @luxuriantrealtygroup for dates and information on the Luxuriant Experience.

Profound Solutions

Are you a mature aspiring or emerging business professional looking to take your credit and/

Luxuriant Realty Group believes a stable home helps students to develop valuable life skills, learn how to make healthy choices, and form healthy relationships with others.

or business to the next level? Profound Solutions is a Luxuriant Realty Group initiative that offers credit enhancement and funding options to help business professionals grow abundantly. By keeping these services in-house LRG reduces unnecessary access to your sensitive information, further solidifying their commitment to giving every #LuxLodger a seamless experience and peace of mind before, during, and after your time together has come to a close. You can connect

with Profound Solutions now to get the tools you need to achieve your goals! Schedule a call https:// profoundconsultingsolutionsllc.com/schedule-acall-page

Generational Wealth

For those who are looking for a way to build legacy and generational success, Family of Wealth is here to help! They provide mentorship and guidance to help you invest your time, money and energy into a fulfilling cause. The goal is for everyone to become a part of this collective and reach success together.

Text “Luxuriant” to 409-908-4853 to start your journey to a better future!

Something for Everyone

Broaderick “Charlie” Brown Jr. can be reached via email at b@luxuriantrealtygrouptx.com or feel free to call 832-938-5278.

www.LuxuriantRealtyGroupTx.com

@luxuriantrealtygroup

#LuxuriantRealtyGroup #LuxLodger

Luxuriant Realty Group wants to help you find the perfect property to make your dreams come true!

It’s not what you ARE that holds you back, it’s what you think you are NOT that holds you back.

Denis Waitley

Sponsored by Pepsodent Toothpaste, Campbell’s Soup; Rinso; Rexall Drugs, Amos N Andy was a show of the 1950’s. It consisted of three main characters, the kingfish, always coming up with a scheme to get rich or get out of trouble.

The concept of looking, sounding or acting black was born out of the minstrel shows of the 1920’s. Initially performed by white actors with blackened faces minstral shows started in the 1830’s and became famous in the U.S. from 1840-1880.

Keepin’ it Real

TALENTED 10TH

Although initially prohibited from performing in them, minstrel shows as entertainment became the only type of theatrical performance that Black men could do to make a “decent living” and support their families after the Civil War.

Freeman Gosden (‘Amos’) and Charles Correll (‘Andy’) were white actors familiar with minstrel traditions and created a wildly popular radio series in the 1920’s based on vocal caricature of “a couple of colored characters” that fascinated radio listeners throughout the Midwest and spread across the USA. Many argue that some of today’s popular media, TV, radio and ‘Black personalities’ are extensions of the foundation established by Amos ‘n’ Andy.

HOW DO YOU ACT BLACK?

became the first syndicated radio program in the US. Adapted to TV in 1951, the series used black actors who were instructed to keep their speech patterns close to those of Gosden and Correll.

Historian James N. Gregory writes that the show “became the subject of heated conflict” and the debate over media stereotypes remains an ongoing issue.

The shows included three characters: “Jim Crow” (carefree slave), “Mr. Tambo” (happy musician), and “Zip Coon” (free black man trying to ‘put on airs’ to rise above his position).

Talking Black

Amos ‘n’ Andy began on March 19, 1928 as an American radio sitcom about “a couple of colored characters” and

Minstrelsy is a type of entertainment developed in the US that features songs, dances, and cliché comic routines with typecast depictions of blacks.

True to You

Historical Fiction

Cleopatra is a 1963 film that stars Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. It chronicles Cleopatra, the young queen of Egypt. It is reported that director Mamoulian offered the title role to Dorothy Dandridge who turned down the role and replied, “You won’t have the guts to go through with this...” alluding to the racial turmoil and segregation of the time.

Sunless Tanning / Injections

The estimated cost of treating the skin cancers attributable to indoor tanning is $343.1 million a year, leading to a total economic loss of $127.3 billion over the lifetime of those affected. The global market for sunless tanners, estimated at $1.4 Billion in 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of $1.8 Billion by 2026.

Whitening

Some Bollywood Actors have opted for skin fairness treatment. The global skin lightening products market size was valued at USD 9.96 billion in 2021.

Culture

Rita Moreno, in an interview with AP revealed that her skin was actually darkened to play her Puerto Rican character, Anita, in the 1961 classic West Side Story.

Left: Dorothy Jean Dandridge is the first AfricanAmerican film star to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress.

Left: Supermodel Iman starred in Michael Jacksons’ 1991 music video for the hit single “Remember the Time.”

KPFT.ORG

Ms. Queen Diva Bling Boutique

Independent Consultant paparazziaccessories.com/489184

Jacqueline M. Joseph 337-945-1648

THE FAMILY OF WEALTH

LEARN MORE

To register, collaborate or learn more, connect via instagram

@thefamilyofwealth

#fow

#fowevents

#thefamilyofwealth

Linda Mukes, president of The Family of Wealth (TFOW) and a respected leader in her community, believes that the key to financial success is understanding how to use credit wisely. She believes that with the right approach, credit can be a powerful tool for building wealth. Linda encourages everyone to take the time to learn about credit and how to use it to their advantage.

Dreamer and a Doer

TFOW provides wealth building

strategies that help entrepreneurs have a higher rate of success in developing multiple streams of income. Through their financial literacy platform entrepreneurs are encouraged to develop the mindset, tools of financial leverage and knowledge of various industries. After completion of the program entrepreneurs are better positioned to generate income in areas such as event space rentals, Turo, Air BnB, trucking, trusts, real estate and more.

Credit Matters

Mukes is a successful entrepreneur who helps people build their businesses and shows them how to use personal and business credit to reach their goals. “I help people build businesses by showing them how to utilize the power of personal and business credit to accomplish their goals.” states Mukes. TFOW also offers free training to the public to teach them valuable entrepreneurship principles.

Linda Mukes is a servant leader who believes the single most important thing that people should know is that credit is the most powerful tool to building wealth.

Mukes knows that meeting new people and making connections is important, and puts herself in different rooms to find people who are more successful than herself in order to help clients and expand resources.

The Family of Wealth program teaches students how to make smart financial decisions, so that their families can build a secure financial future. Students learn skills that will help them invest early and reach their money goals.

Knowledge is Freedom

TFOW reminds participants “You don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great.”

The Family of Wealth program teaches students how to make smart financial decisions, so that their families can build a secure financial future. With help from TFOW, kids can break the cycle of financial hardship and become the first in their family to become millionaires. TFOW students are learning valuable skills that will help them invest early and reach their money goals.

Don’t be ashamed

TFOW was able to pivot successfully from using the information that they teach others, but they saw the devastating impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the community. Consequently, they have grown even more committed to using their knowledge and skills to help others affected by such traumatic events find success in their unique situation.

It is Okay to Ask for Help

The Family of Wealth is excited to announce their new initiatives to help young people learn about financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and workforce training. Their Financial Literacy program will help children aged 15-18 learn the foundations of budgeting, money, and financial opportunities. To get started, they are partnering with schools. They also have an Entrepreneurship Conference, which will provide new industry tips, funding, and support for niche industries. This program is for those 18 and older, and includes 1 to 3 day conferences and masterminds.

Finally, their Workforce Training program will help the community with resume writing and interview preparation, as well as job fairs. This program is for those 17 and older and includes free workshops. “We are thrilled to empower young people to succeed in finance and business!” states Mukes.

To register, collaborate or learn more, connect via instagram @thefamilyofwealth #fow #fowevents #thefamilyofwealth

Pocket Full Of Stones

Houston’s Premier Crystal Shop ™

Divine

4916 Main St. Houston Texas 77002 www.pocketfullofstones1.com

@pocketfullofstones1 713 429 3649

Joy Woodson, crystal purveyor, Reiki master, crystal therapist, root cause practitioner, and founder of Pocket Full of Stones™ Crystal Shop, provides alternative homeopathic healing to the community and beyond. Whether you're shopping for fine gems, luxury home decor, or crystals for good vibes, it can be found here. She has traveled to the motherland several times to ethically sourced natural authentic fine gems with the highest quality. Pocket Full of Stones™ is nestled in the heart of old 3rd ward, now known as the museum district. "My goal is to provide people natural alternatives of healing from physical, mental, and emotional trauma through my knowledge of the ancient healing practices of crystals and stones."

THE QUIET REBEL

Tracie Jae is a person who helps create spaces where all the humans who occupy them can feel safe and seen.

With the grounding phrase, ”LOVE, first, always.” Tracie Jae is the Lead Rebel for The Quiet Rebel, LLC. Her organization and mission helps make space for people to see others by first seeing themselves.

#QuietRebel #feedthehappy #LOVEfirstAlways #HUMANCenteredEquity

www.quietrebellife.com

“Our shared humanity is directly connected to our ability to honor each other’s lived experience,” states Tracie Jae. The Quiet Rebel, LLC makes the abstract idea of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) tangible and accessible.

Intentional

LOVE first, always!

Tracie Jae’s work in the world is creating incremental and organic shifts to the status quo through a framework called HUMAN Centered Equity. The Quiet Rebel, LLC works with individuals and organizations to increase their equity footprint.

What Can I Do? Challenge

What Can I Do? Challenge is a 5x5 bingo styled game which walks willing individuals through HUMAN Centered Equity Core Elements. It is available as a free download from quietrebellife.com.

100 Voices

Available as 6 Industry-specific events (Healthcare, Faith Groups, Education, Government, Real Estate/Construction and Legal) , 100 Voices Guided Conversations on Race and Culture is an opportunity to share your lived experience while learning about the experiences of people outside your regular community. Additional information is available at 100voicesconvo.com.

Beyond Bias

Beyond Bias is a 1.5 hour interactive workshop designed to introduce participants to the HUMAN Centered Equity framework. The workshop is offered in group settings and is available to organizations of any size.

1 2 3

We Can All Be Better

Sign-up at the quietrebellife.com Follow all social media platforms on the linktree, and stay tuned! There is so much more coming up! facebook.com/ alwaystraciejae | Twitter @QuietRebelLLC | IG @quietrebel.life

Game Changer

GRADE A

Grade A Radio Broadcasting & Marketing Services offers a wide array of specialized services

Studio Rental

Ad Placement On Grade A Radio

Radio Interviews

Article Writeup

Social Media Advertsing

Live Broadcasting Services

RAGS Rakman

Jason Moran

South Park Mexican Archie Bell & The Drells

Beyonce Reginald Quinerly

Willie D

Yolanda Adams

The Sufferers

Conrad Johnson Paul Wall Barbara Mandrell

GRADE A RADIO

Houston’s Best Talent Finally Has a Place to Call Home.

GRADE A RADIO is a podcast and radio show production company that provides its clients with a trusted location for their broadcasts. With over 10 years of experience in the industry, GRADE A RADIO has been able to provide reliable services to their clients, including great sound engineering and custom content packages.

Listed by WalletHub as one of the most ethnically diverse large cities in America and boasting nearly 12,500 restaurants and food related establishments across the metropolitan area, Houston is a city that’s growing daily. According to figures from the Greater Houston Restaurant Association, these entities support roughly 300,000 people that are employed in the restaurant and hospitality sector.

H-Town Magic

From international icons such as Beyonce, ZZ Top, Tobe Nwigwe, Lyle Lovett, Uncle Tino, Chamillionaire, Travis Scott, RAGS and Robert Ellis to music legends such as Archie Bell, Obzesion DJ Screw, Clint Black, UGK, Lighting Hopkins and Barbara Mandrell there is a seemingly endless list of celebrities that were born,

raised and have been nurtured into success right here in Houston!

A Place to Call Home

Although celebrated globally, Houston’s music and entertainment scene is finally getting the recognition it deserves locally thanks to a mix of high-profile articles in the media, critical acclaim, word of mouth and the visionary platform for talent. “The rest of the world has always celebrated our talents, but artist have always had to leave to be noticed, now we have created a place where you can unite talented people from all over Houston to celebrate our music and finally have a place to call home,” said Squrilla Montana, founder of Grade A Media.

Robert Glasper

Keshi Tommy Hammond ZZ Top

@tommyhammondoldbrowneyes

Interview

A Growing Marketplace

Grade A Radio began broadcasting as Houston Street Kings. Houston is the most diverse city in the nation, but it is also the most segregated with an record number of disconnected and gated communities of every type. Grade A Media is a showcase for what Houstonians have in common and a unifying space for cultures as well as age groups, showcasing talk radio and music from a wide array of genres and spanning generations.

An unmatched format

The format of Grade A Radio consists of a community radio model of content, including music and talk formats, enabling individuals, groups, and communities to tell their own stories, to share experiences and, in a media-rich world, to become creators and contributors of media. Contributors will encompass public, educational, and governmental constituencies from the City of Houston and neighboring towns. Grade A Radio programming is in accordance with the first Amendment, existing law and FCC Regulations.

Grade A Media was founded and established in 2008 by Derrick (Squrilla Montana) Williams. The Name describes the type of quality and service the company provided. The Name describes the type of quality and service the company provided. Their core services and company objectives are to brand, design, and advertise.

A Mission Driven Platform

Grade A Radio’s mission is to operate a licensed radio station in Houston that provides a media platform to present diverse local, entertaining, informative and educational programming, and to enable community participation in all aspects of the station. Grade A Radio will focus its programming specifically on Houston and neighboring Greater Houston communities.

Advertising and Market Reach

Over recent decades, Houston’s population has a consistently strong growth rate, adding around 41,000 people each year to the overall population. Houston is the biggest city by population in the state of Texas with population over 2.4 million. Also known as “Space

Is con rerit lab ium que millige ndiorias evelecearum eum ipidio. Nonet autem.

LICENSEE OF ASCAP

Headquartered in NYC, ASCAP is a performing rights organization that was founded in 1914 by Victor Herbert. ASCAP has the world’s largest musical repertory and represents almost half of all composers and music publishers in the United States. One of the greatest advantages of the ASCAP license is that copyright holders are paid royalties when their works are used.

City,” it also ranks the fourth most populated city in US after New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago. Grade A Radio is committed to help businesses reach this growing demographic and musical performers expand their reach through their platform.

Grade A Radio Station

Grade A Radio is a online radio broadcasting station in Houston, Texas, streaming radio. It is owned by Grade A Media Productions, LLC and

is dedicated to celebrating Houston and bringing the best new artist globally together with local talent. The website offers an array of option from interview registration, music submission, story submission and even an option to upload and share your upcoming event.

Stay Connected, Download the App

Grade A Media Radio App was created to bring the true sounds, news, topics worldwide! Listeners now have the convenience of a one-click, fast option

link to the newest radio station vibing through the streets. Visit your Apple Store or Google Play Store. Not only can you listen, but join the Grade A Radio community to get your music played on-air! You never know, you may even collect royalty payments!

Kenny Rogers

Pimp C

The Houston Chinese Traditional Music Group

Solange Knowles Joe Sample

Esteban Gabriel Renee Olstead

Cora Coleman

Do you want to .

• live life truer to yourself?

• be more fulfilled in your relationships and your work?

• create your day rather than letting it run you?

• find peace regardless of the circumstances surrounding you?

How we create

With a caring advocate coaching you, you’ll find the answers within. Together, we’ll take these five steps to achieving your best life.

We often have desires floating in our heads for months or years without pursuing them.

Imagine the joy of being fully awake to life and having the understanding for your life’s purpose and how to bring it alive.

With life planning and coaching, you get clear on your vision for all areas of your life and you have the support you need to take authentic action forward.

NEVER Stop Dancing!

Rhythm

SIGN UP!

Do you want to learn more?

Register today for classes at intuitiveafricandanceanddrumculture. com or call 713-303-3935. Follow us on online via LinkedIn and intuitiveculturalhealing.com @intuitiveafricandance

Tracie is the Director of Intuitive African Dance and Drum Culture which was created to connect the dots between traditional West African drum and dance rhythms to music and dance throughout the diaspora. “This is not taught in the history books,“ states Tracie. “Helping people understand how these meanings can be applied in present day is what we do best.”

Let’s Get Culturally Fit!

Tracie is a person who has an unquenchable thirst for cultural knowledge as it relates to and is displayed through dance and drum. “The traditional drum and dance

rhythms of the countries of West Africa are centuries old, steeped in meaning and are the foundation of many music and dance genres across the world,” states Tracie.

Music as Healing

Creating safe and healthy community is essential for our well-being and IADDC chose to pivot towards the positive and initiated pop-up classes in outdoor spaces to keep people connected at the height the COVID-19 pandemic.

Healthy Fun for Everyone

People are happy when they dance.

Dancing to drums and learning the meaning of traditional West African drum and dance rhythms not only provides a mental, physical and spiritual release, but it also provides a cultural connection for those who have been cut off from their roots.

Signature Initiatives

Community classes are open to everyone regardless of experience. Instructional classes are available for professional dance and drum artists. In addition, performance opportunities are available to those trained in dance and drum. C all 713-303-3935 today to register for classes.

Intuitive African Dance and Drum Culture (IADDC) is committed to improving and cultivating the art and spirit of West African dance, drum and culture and its transitions through education and performance.

Intuitive provides “edutainment” services, via classes and performances, which focuses on the rich cultural history of West African drum and dance rhythms.

IADDC presents a dynamic and energetic fusion of traditional West African Dance and Culture and its transitions manifested in this country and throughout the Diaspora. Based in Houston, Texas, Intuitive has performed and provided workshop instruction since 2007.

Reflections

Entergalactic

The Woman King

In the late eighteenth century, the Kingdom of Dahomey flourished as one of Africa’s most powerful states. Yet as European merchants encroach, seeking riches at the expense of its people, warrior Nanisca takes a stand to uphold her peoples’ freedom. Inspired by true events.

Colored American

From 1900 to 1909, during a period of intensifying racial violence and Black disenfranchisement, the Colored American Magazine promoted literature, protested injustice, and contested bias representations of Black culture and history. coloredamerican.org

James Brown

Directed by David Leaf, the film is a testimony to the power of music in general and the power of James Brown’s music in particular. The film is a tribute to the Godfather of Soul and the role he would come to play in working for civil rights.

Created by Kid Cudi and Kenya Barris, the animated series is available on Netflix. Featuring the voices of Kid Cudi, Jessica Williams and Timothée Chalamet, the innovative and beautifully illustrated story follows ambitious artist Jabari’s attempts to balance success and love when he moves into his dream Manhattan apartment and falls for his next-door neighbor.

Bridgett Floyd President, The George Floyd Memorial Foundation

In 2020, the murder of George Floyd Jr. changed the world and Bridgett Floyd’s life forever. While the world protested, donated, and wrote letters in response, George’s sister, Bridgett was left with an unspeakable pain. But then she and other Floyd family members turned that pain into a higher purpose. Today, she makes sure love and George’s legacy live on through the George Floyd Memorial Foundation and its mission to fight for racial justice.

Insights

Fat Albert & the Cosby Kids

Featuring educational lessons in each episode, the show dealt with issues commonly faced by children, ranging from first loves and personal hygiene to more serious themes including racism, STD’s, abuse and death. The gang typically plays a song, summarizing the show’s lesson.

Big Brother Almighty

Directed by Spike Lee, School Daze explores several issues within the BlackAmerican community such as colorism, elitism, classism, political activism, hazing, groupthink, female self-esteem, social mobility, and hair texture bias— all against the backdrop of an historically black college.

Antiracist Baby

Dr. Ibram X. Kendi’s children’s book, which already has been featured in Netflix’s preschool series Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices, will be adapted into a series of musical animated shorts that will focus on the nine steps to being antiracist.

James Baldwin

I Am Not Your Negro is a radical narration about race in America that tracks the lives and assassinations of Baldwin’s friends Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and Medgar Evers.

Ava DuVernay

Founded in 2011 by filmmaker Ava DuVernay, ARRAY is a Peabody award-winning arts and social impact collective dedicated to narrative change. arraynow.com

YASUKE Self-Made

Almost 500 years ago, a man named Yasuke was the first foreignborn man to become a samurai, Japan’s elite warrior caste.

Yasuke was a man of African origin and one of several Africans to have come with the Portuguese to Japan during the Nanban trade. Described as robust, black as a bull, and of fine character, he was skilled to become a retainer and weapon-bearer to the Japanese daimyō Oda Nobunaga.

A Global Citizen

In 1579, Yasuke arrived in Japan with the Italian Jesuit missionary Alessandro Valignano. Yasuke, who likely could speak Japanese, was likely from Mozambique. According to Fujita Midori, the first African people to reached Japan in 1546 were Africans from Mozambique as shipmates with Portuguese captain Jorge Álvares.

In June 1582, Nobunaga was attacked and forced to commit seppuku in Honnō-ji by the army of Akechi Mitsuhide. Yasuke was there at the time and immediately after Nobunaga’s death, Yasuke went to join Nobunaga’s heir Oda Nobutada, who was trying to rally the Oda forces at Nijō Castle. Yasuke fought alongside the Nobutada forces but was eventually captured. When Yasuke was presented to Akechi, the warlord allegedly said that the black man should not be killed, but taken to the Christian church in Kyoto, the Nanbanji. The fate of Yasuke is uncertain as there is no further written information about him after this event.

Visionary

#I AM BLESSED

RAGS Rahkmon has unveiled a new luxury line and he is here to take the fusion of sustainable fashion, cryptocurrency and music into its next chapter!

Anative Houstonian and global talent, RAGS is a visionary artist, designer and entrepreneur who is committed to his craft and to his community. His brand new shoe, “RAGS I AM BLESSED” is an innovation unlike any other. It comes with a NFT and a percentage of the “I AM BLESSED” single streams, allowing consumers to make residual income simply by wearing the shoe.

Music, Puma and Legacy

Plus, for every pair sold, he’s looking to give one away. The goal is to help 1,350 youth a year learn financial education and the importance of marketing. RAGS’ smart strategy is set to bridge the financial literacy gap in lower income neighborhoods and generate

generational wealth. He has chosen to independently create custom shoes based on a desire to amplify and celebrate the Puma brand. RAGS states “Puma has always been at the forefront of racial justice and brand alignment with meaningful change, even before the George Floyd and DEI trends.” He chose Puma because of Jesse Owens, who in the face of Nazi beliefs, not only beat Hitler on his own turf at the 1936 Olympic Games, but did so in a pair of German-made shoes. Owens’ stunning triumph and Puma’s boldness is the inspiration for this project, and it’s a great way to honor him and other unsung heroes. RAGS continues, “It is my hope that through this work the legacy of famous torchbearers such as Jesse Owens, John Carlos, Tommie Smith and the array of unsung heroes will live on for generations.”

Get ready to make a difference and put on “The Smartest Shoe Ever”!

Visionary

The Future of NFT’s

NFTs are an emerging new way for musicians and artists to share their creativity with the world! With more than 20 million NFTs for sale, it’s an exciting space to explore. NFTs offer a unique digital experience where people can use multiple forms of art to make something special. It’s an amazing opportunity for creative minds!

Puma teamed up with Tommie Smith, a former Olympic champion, to help charities that support universal equality and human rights. Tommie Smith famously raised his fist over 50 years ago to draw attention to important issues. Now, Puma is raising money for charities working on social justice issues. The money will help people all over the world. weartesters.com/puma-thirdsalute-raise-awareness-universal-equality/

Aspirations and Vision

RAGS is a talented artist, radio host, and entrepreneur from Houston with roots in New York. He has worked with famous artists like Scarface and is highly respected in the music industry. In addition to his music career, RAGS is also committed to giving back to his community. He is hoping for an opportunity to team up with Puma to give away 1,350 shoes each year to children in America and abroad, starting with Ghana and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa where over 20 million kids go without shoes every year.

WE AIM HIGH Puma is committed to using more sustainable materials such as recycled polyester, as well as ensuring its suppliers develop more sustainable materials and products.

We are trying to achieve greatness through innovation as well as creativity.”

Adam Petrick Chief Brand Officer

DAPPER DAN INSPIRED CLASSICS

Credited with introducing high fashion to the hip hop world, Dapper Dan, whose clients include Eric B. & Rakim, Salt-N-Pepa, LL Cool J, and Jay-Z is listed in Time’s 100 Most Influential People of 2020. As he celebrates his inspirational meeting of the legendary designer and haberdasher from Harlem, New York, R.A.G.S. creates a unique, one-of-kind design, turning your classic Puma shoes into a work of art.

Generational Wealth

RAGS is excited to announce the launch of their exclusive new luxury collection! The collection is designed with the spirit of resilience and hope in mind. Each shoe from the collection is crafted with the highest quality and attention to detail, making it an investment that is designed to increase in value over time. The collection is also connected to NFT technology and musical streaming. This means that each time someone purchases a pair of shoes, a portion of the profits are given back to the community, either directly or through a charity or organization. This is all to reinforce the importance

of marketing, entrepreneurship and creating residual income. The shoes also feature custom embellishments, and in the future, they may even include semi-precious stones, moissanite and labgrown diamonds. This innovative fusion of music, luxury and technology can help bridge the gap in financial literacy in lower income neighborhoods and create more wealth for future generations. RAGS is proud to offer this one-of-a-kind collection that can not only last a lifetime but will also benefit the community in a meaningful way. With their unique design and quality materials, these shoes are sure to make a statement!

A Better Planet for the Future

In addition to offering an entrepreneurial experience for their owners by providing an opportunity to leverage music for streaming and long term revenue, the special limited edition shoe collection called “RAGS I AM BLESSED” are made with sustainability and quality in mind. RAGS is hoping to work with Jay-Z on the “I AM BLESSED” remix to give back and spread awareness. RAGS encourages his fans to “Pre-order your exclusive shoes now, live your passions daily, care for each other and help make generational wealth a reality for many years to come!”

How to Support the Vision

• Buy exclusive custom smart shoes

• Visit DiamondMind – your go-to source for oneof-a-kind luxury goods designed by RAGS at Diamondmindtechent.com

• Unlock special features using the augmented reality consumer (download Wisck App).

• Stream the latest hit song at Diamondmindtechent.com or via the Discostream app. (Since 30 seconds is officially considered a stream, go to sleep with the song on repeat to support this great effort. It is okay to turn it down to the lowest level of volume so that it does not disturb you).

• Look for updates on TikTok and instagram @ragsraps.

Environmental Impact

Headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany and founded in 1948 by Rudolf Dassler, PUMA, is a German multinational corporation that designs and manufactures athletic and casual footwear, apparel and accessories. PUMA is the third largest sportswear manufacturer in the world and follows a philosophy the brand describes as being “forever faster.”

Daniel Cruz and Rags discuss technology, innovation and share Tré at the Puma flagship store in New York City.

From the Fenty creeper (Rihanna) to the Liberty sneakers, and even teaming up with Vogue magazine, Puma’s impact on the evolution of sneaker culture is undeniable.

SEHAH Youth and Fitness Center has been serving Houston-area youth for the past 30 years.

FOR THE CULTURE

30 YEARS STRONG

Cultural Immersion and International Travel

SEHAH is committed to international educational and cultural exchange. Since its founding, SEHAH has coordinated its own study abroad program in the form of 2-weeks of international travel and cultural immersion. We have taken youth to Brazil, Mexico, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Senegal, South Africa, and other parts of the world. It is our belief that the world is a classroom, and we want our children to learn, first-hand, about the cultural diversity of the world. You can support our international travel in many ways. We encourage partnerships with schools, colleges, and universities, both in the United States and abroad. We also encourage you to sponsor a youth. Of course, donations are also encouraged and greatly appreciated. oursehah.org

Founded in 1992 by M. Baba Shango, SEHAH offers a wide-variety of educational and cultural programs, from daily homeschooling to weekly and summerlong fitness and enrichment camps.

M. Baba Shango

Baba Shango, the Founding Director, used self-defense, martial arts, and general fitness to help build self-esteem, and he used lessons from African American and Mexican American history and culture to nurture self-pride in the youth and families he served. A native of Galveston, Texas and longtime resident of Houston, M. Baba Shango passed away in 2017, but his legacy and the work of SEHAH continues through his son, Sundiata Shango.

Giving Back

SEHAH is currently seeking support in the form of volunteer services, donations, sponsorships, and partnerships. SEHAH is invested in our youth. We ask for your investment. The brief list below summarizes our main programs and activities. Get involved!

Homeschooling

SEHAH offers daily homeschooling, which includes academics, health and nutrition, physical education, and cultural enrichment. Support SEHAH’s homeschool by enrolling your children, volunteering your time, offering classes, or donating educational and enrichment supplies. You can also sponsor a current student!

History and Heritage Tours

As part of the homeschooling activities, SEHAH takes local and out of town field trips to visit cultural and historical sites. Most recently, students traveled to Tulsa, Oklahoma to learn about the history of Black Wall Street. Visit oursehah.org to see the full itinerary of tours scheduled for 2023. Support SEHAH’s history and heritage Tours by sponsoring a student, or simply donate funds to help with travel and lodging expenses.

Self-defense and Martial Arts

SEHAH emphasizes respect and discipline and offers youth self-defense and martial arts classes and workshops on-site—afterschool, weekends, and summer camps. They are also available for classes, workshops, and demonstrations at your school, religious institutions, and other venues. Support SEHAH by enrolling your child, sponsoring a child, or establishing partnerships with your school or organization.

Summer Camp

One of the hallmarks of SEHAH is the 8-week summer program. Much like the homeschooling program, their summer program combines academics, health and nutrition, physical education, and cultural enrichment. SEHAH also offers vocational classes and workshops, including carpentry, bicycle repair, landscaping, gardening, and sewing. Support SEHAH’s summer camp by volunteering time, teaching a class, sponsoring a youth, or by making a donation.

Supernatural

COSMIC PHENOMENON 222.9 THE MOTHERSHIP

Indulge yourself into a mystic music world of timeless and indie tunes of many genres, meditations, garnished with original poetry, enriching talk, and wisdom to center and align your universe! Described as your mystic haven on the airwaves and founded by iiiYansa T. Muse, 222.9 THE MOTHERSHIP is an all new radio station with global reach and programming that is live, local, and relevant to the communities it serves.

Sacred Moonbeams

The Internet has provided new audio competition for radio and technology has changed the way radio stations program content. Be the format, FM/AM radio, 8-track tape, CDs, cassettes, satellite, streaming, podcast and now internet, radio has a bright future. For iiiYansa, the radio journey began in 2004 at KPVU FM 91.3 during her undergraduate studies at PVAMU. She’d go on to tenure at KTSU and 90.1 Pacifica while working as an intuitive counselor.

Mustard Seed Faith

222.9 The Mothership is a station where anyone

in the world can tune in and get their spirits fed. “I built all I have on faith....and that unwavering faith has attracted all I needed thus far,” states iiiJansa who helps others through the divinatory arts of astrology, numerology, tarot, meridilogun, plant medicine, dream interpretations,visual artworks, rhapsodomancy, sacred healing stone jewelry, and music healing through the all encompassing radio station.

Surviving and Thriving

So many people and small/start-up businesses had to pivot due to the COVID-19 pandemic which was a huge part of what inspired the formation of 222.9 The Mothership. The pandemic actually tripled the station’s growth (and iiiYansa’s workload) due to so many people having to stay home and reflect. At its core, the station was created to be a place where people can tune in and get something good!

Galaxy of Sound

As an Iyalosa (Orisa Priestess) Creative Lightworker, iiiYansa selectively provides readings, spiritual teachings and manifesting

works to help others discover, and stay on their highest destiny according to their specific design. Upon reflection, she states “I guess what sets me apart is that there are many portals of divinity coming from one woman.”

A Space for Independent Musicians

Good music feeds the soul and 222.9 The Mothership is a positive space anyone can access anytime, anywhere, to channel positive energy in the midst of trying times. It aims to preserve the genius of melinated music, while opening a stream to play independent musicians 222.9 The Mothership Radio is the ideal online radio station for people who believe in sound healing through music, and those wanting to learn about the mysteries enough to hear them in regular rotation.

“The sky is big enough for us all to be stars!” is iiiYansa’s moto and she encourages everyone to download the app or listen online at poeticallymused.org/mothership and find the ultimate jam session for the cosmos!

iiiYansa T. Muse is a cosmic phenomenon who is putting a huge dent in changing the world for the highest good. Period.

BEAM UP AND DOWNLOAD THE APP

Please follow all social media platforms on the linktree, and stay tuned! There is so much more coming up!

www.linktr.ee/poetiiicallymused

#beamup #mothership #priestesslife

“ Early detection gave us time to adapt together, as a family.”

If you’re noticing changes, it could be Alzheimer’s. Talk about visiting a doctor together.

ALZ.org/TimeToTalk

If you’re noticing changes, it could be Alzheimer’s. Talk about visiting a doctor together.

ALZ.org/TimeToTalk

Open Journal #OJ

Great interviews on KPFT 90.1 FM!!! Listen to the archives at kpft.org. @kpftoj

40 Acre Conference

Panelist RAGS talks of the innovation opportunities in retail and tech and shares Tré. Learn more and see upcoming events at 40acreconference.org.

Good News Review

In 2020, amid the pandemic and a nation scorched with the heat of friction among its citizens, my daughters and I were reading books. Inspired by one book’s main character, my daughter asked me to start a school newspaper. “Yes! We’ll call it Good News!” I responded. Now, two years later, our school newspaper, Good News Review, is real. Fourth- and fifth-grade student journalists learn to write and share their voices, passions, and ingenuity with their schoolmates and Roberts Elementary community.

- Fran-Victoria Stephens

See the latest issue and support their efforts issuu.com/goodnewsreviewschoolnewspaper

https://youtu.be/_REakViOsK8

Street MBA ‘Ol Skool Wisdom’

Johnathan Crumbley of GGC Group talks business, entreprenuership and wisdom with Tré on NowMediaTV. Learn more at ggcgroupcorp.com

Tré’s a Charm: 222.9 The Mothership

It feels so great to feature other lions in “the pride.” In this interview, we go back in time, and bring it full circle. 222.9 The Mothership celebrates Stephanie Coleman, founder and publisher of Tre’ Magazine, a magazine dedicated to the “The Tre,” and the abundant wealth of people within! We discuss divine assignment and the ancestral legacies of Esther King and Zin. Beam up for this double dose of lioness energy! #LeoSeason poeticallymused.org/mothership

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tj98tPM6G3c

Politics Done Right

National Black United Front

iiiYansa J. Muse shares her positive vibes, elevates community and unites 222.9 The Mothership, Tré Magazine, SHAPE Community Center (Deloyd Parker) and The National Black United Front.

Politics Done Right founder Egberto Willies has a candid conversation with the publisher & founder of Tre Magazine. Stephanie Coleman discussed her venture into publishing with a positive message to encourage others to chase their dreams. https://politicsdoneright.com/tag/stephanie-coleman/

Students, Board Members, Partners and Families of the Historic Cuney Homes Apartments.

Annual Giveback

The I AM Blessed Annual Giveback, founded by RAGS, Diamond Mind Technology and sponsored by Collins & Elizondo Law Firm was a huge success and united families, celebrities and communities. Hosted at various locations throught the city, the event was recorded by Grade A Media and included toy giveaways, holiday festivities and prizes. Several student even won RAGS’ exclusive custom designed ‘I AM Blessed’ Puma shoes! diamondmindtechent.com

Celebrity Sightings!!!

Tré magazine had the wonderful opportunity to connect with Global Brand Ambassador, Influencer, celebrated model, and author, Dr. Sarah David. An icon and powerful networker, she is The Doctor that Connects™ and has been featured with celebrities such as Gary Vaynerchuk (Gary Vee), Morgan DeBaun, Joe Theismann, Dr. Ruth Simmons, Deborah Duncan, and more...

Prayers and Recovery

Tré magazine sends heartfelt condolences and support to photographer Jack Potts and painter/artist Maya Imani Watson, both of whom lost their art studios to separate fires. To learn more, donate and support, please visit bohemianphotography.com/fire and mayaimaniwatson.com/beauty-for-ashes.

RAGS, Tré Magazine and Worldwide Logistic Services

“Up, you mighty race, accomplish what you will.”

- MARCUS GARVEY

The Essence of Survival

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the fastest lion or it will be killed.

Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows that it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve to death.

Manifesting the things SPIRIT is pushing you to do is effortless and easy.

Vanessa Monroe

Always say YES to the present moment.

Your destiny is chosen by God. Your future is certain, whether you arrive there is up to you.

Myles Monroe

Do you... listen? hear? reflect?

As far as I am concerned, I am in the knowledge that death can never extinguish the torch which I have lit in Ghana and Africa. Long after I am dead and gone, the light will continue to burn and be borne aloft, giving light and guidance to all people.

Don’t dream your life, live your dream.

“Once you’ve had your life burn down, it takes time to be a Phoenix.”

– Sharon Stone

“Without Tony Allen, there would have been no Afrobeat.”

Fela Kuti

MANIFEST THE DIVINITY WITHIN YOU AND EVERYTHING WILL HARMONIOUSLY ARRANGE AROUND IT.

Swami Vivkananda

@Rhonda_Byme_TheSecret1

Don’t beg, don’t stress, don’t be desperate, just relax. When you relax, it will come to you. Make your wants want you.

We must create and Institutionalize our own curriculm in order to achieve freedom and overcome knowledge welfare.

Everything is practice. - Pele

DiFranco

God help you if you are a phoenix and you dare to rise up from the ash, a thousand eyes will smolder with jealousy while you are just flying past.

“Take care of each other”

DUANE

BRADLEY

It doesn’t matter wheather you are a lion or a gazelle: WHEN THE SUN COMES UP, YOU HAD BETTER BE RUNNING!!! GOD

Ani

Don’t Chase

— Kwame Nkrumah

Eckhart Tolle, The Power of Now