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Historian Fights to Clear the Names of Black Soldiers Who Rioted in Houston 100 Years Ago
Hurricane Harvey put Houston back in the headlines, but a hundred years ago the city made news for a very different reason. Black soldiers at Fort Logan had gone on a rampage, prompting the largest murder trial in U.S. history. Now, a Virginia man is trying to clear their names.
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Pharrell Williams Will Co-own Roli's Modular Instrument Business
There's no question that Pharrell Williams has had at least some fondness for technology (his Daft Punk collabs and gold-tinged smartphones were big clues), but now he's taking that appreciation to Will.I.Am levels.
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District Attorney Drops Felony Indictments Against Representative Dawnna Dukes
A Texas prosecutor was once fond of saying there are crimes and there are sins, and you can only prosecute the crimes. On Monday, State Representative Dawnna Dukes’s lies and misuse of office were downgraded from potential felonies to mere transgressions.
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Actor Columbus Short Released From Prison After Serving 34 Days For Beating Wife
Columbus Short, a former Scandal actor, has been released from jail after serving only 34 days of his one-year sentence for beating his wife. The LA County Sheriff’s Department didn’t give a reason for the early release. Short, who was charged with physically abusing his wife Aida Abramyan, has pleaded no contest November last year.
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Federal Appeals Court’s Ruling Upholds Most Of Texas’ ‘Sanctuary Cities’ Law
A panel of three U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals judges ruled that most of the state’s immigration enforcement legislation, Senate Bill 4, can remain in effect while the case plays out, handing a victory to Gov. Greg Abbott and Republican supporters of the legislation.
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The Honey Pot Founder On Racist Trolls After Target Ad: ‘It’s all good’
A black business owner whose company was flooded with racist reviews after being featured in a Target ad said she's grateful for the controversy and the growth it offered her company. Beatrice Dixon, who started The Honey Pot Company in 2012,told Essence on Tuesday that she's not upset after dozens of racist reviews were posted about her feminine hygiene products.
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Rice Says Group Under “Self-Quarantine” Amid COVID-19 Concerns
A group of people at Rice University have been advised to self-quarantine after a staff member may have been inadvertently exposed to the novel coronavirus overseas, the university said Sunday. In what the school called an “abundance of caution,” 17 people were asked to self-quarantine after coming into direct contact with tbe research staffer, who while traveling abroad may have been exposed to the virus also known as COVID-19.
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Hublot Big Bang
Hublot first released the Big Bang in 2005. Since then, this model has come to embody Swiss watchmaking in the third millennium. In 2018, the first connected version of the Big Bang made its debut. And now, Hublot unveils the Big Bang e. The new incarnation of the brand's Art of Fusion ethos: a fusion between tradition and innovation, cutting edge materials and the latest digital technology.
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Get Ready for Summer with Urban Skin Rx
Urban Skin Rx, clinical skincare for the African American community, has launched some new products just in time for the summer.
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Grant for PeopleFund Helps Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19
Regions Foundation Announces Grant for PeopleFund to Help Small Businesses Affected by COVID-19
The Regions Foundation, a nonprofit initiative of Regions Bank that supports community investments, announced a $100,000 grant for PeopleFund, a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that is helping small businesses affected by the coronavirus.
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Governor Abbott Temporarily Allows For Appearance Before Notary Public Via Videoconference For Real-Estate Instruments
Governor Greg Abbott has suspended a statute concerning appearance before a notary public to acknowledge real-estate instruments such as mortgages. This suspension temporarily allows for appearance before a notary public via videoconference when executing such documents, avoiding the need for in-person contact during the COVID-19 pandemic. The conditions that will apply whenever this suspension is invoked can be found here.
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The Father of Juneteenth, Al Edwards, Has Died at 83
Mayor Sylvester announced earlier today that former state rep. Al Edwards died at the age of 83.
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Dallas Gets First Black Sheriff
Dallas County commissioners appointed c to be interim sheriff, making her the county's first black sheriff. Brown, 52, a Democrat who is running for the office, was Sheriff Lupe Valdez's third-in-command and recommended choice for successor. Valdez technically will remain sheriff until Brown is sworn in Jan. 1.
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Lee Thinks Houston Airplane Incident Was Racial
Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas) said she thinks the reaction of a passenger who accused United Airlines of giving away her first-class seat to the Democratic lawmaker was race-related. Jackson Lee released a statement on Twitter after a woman claimed the airline gave away her seat to the congresswoman on her flight from Houston to Washington.
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Biney is First Black Woman On US Olympic Speedskating Team
This month, Ghana-born teen Maame Biney qualified for the U.S. Olympic Team after finishing first in the women's 500-meter trial in Kearns, Utah. At age 17, she is the youngest speedskater on the U.S.
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Atlantic Coffee Solutions Set to Close Its Doors in Houston's East End
From the Metro Rail to townhouses and new businesses, the East End has experienced a lot of growth but one thing that didn't seem to change over the decades was the aroma of roasting coffee coming from the iconic plant on Harrisburg.
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Cuba Officially Announces Two Black Women as New Vice-presidents
Cuba is being hailed as becoming more progressive as the country takes leaps toward diversity and moves away from its white dominated legacy. Cuba now has more Black leadership with two Black women vice-presidents in Inés María Chapman and Beatriz Jhonson.
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Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke Stands Up for NFL Players Who Take a Knee During National Anthem
Rep. Beto O'Rourke, the Democratic nominee running in the 2018 Texas Senate race against Republican Ted Cruz, has taken a stance in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
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Carranza: Houston ISD 'didn't have the stomach' for Big Reform
The Houston Chronicle reports that former Houston ISD superintendent Richard Carranza is not mincing words. In an interview published this week about his disappointment in HISD's failure to pass major reforms he championed during his 18-month tenure, he suggested the district lacked the appetite for changes that would boost outcomes for lower-income and minority students.
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Chicago Mayoral Candidate Hands Out 300K at Church; Gov. Upset
Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner said he didn’t know a candidate for Chicago mayor planned to hand out $200,000 to churchgoers at a service where the governor also spoke, a scene that prompted opponents to accuse the Republican of trying to buy votes for his own re-election.

