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Megan Thee Graduate: Using Her Education to Give Back to Houston
Having an education can help elevate you to heights unknown and take you places beyond your imagination. Gaining knowledge can be a dream achieved driven by many reasons. You may pursue your education to increase financial wealth, honor a family legacy, and/or support your community. Education has the potential to provide you with endless opportunities. The class of 2021 armed with their education can now take their chance to change the world.
The Year of the Minority Woman
In this era where women are more self-assured, self-aware, and self-loving has resulted in women claiming their place in history. The script of women not having their voice heard has been rewritten with women leading the conversation instead of taking notes from it. Being a part of the discussion has allowed women to change the dialogue, change the world’s view of gender and change the space in which women find themselves. 2019 was a great year for the advancement of women in various areas. Houston Style Magazine takes a look at some of the women that made 2019 the Year of the Minority Woman. What a year for women!
Houston Style Magazine Honors Women Who Did It First
Houston is the place where giants are birth. Walking among us are history makers, trailblazers, and winners. We may not always know their names or what they did.
HBCU Spotlight: Jarvis Christian College, Southwestern Christian College, and Texas College
As we end Historically Black Colleges and Universities Awareness Month, we conclude by taking a look at our last three HBCUs in Texas.
Pellerin Crowned Miss Black Houston 2017
There is a new jewel in Houston’s crown and her name is Symone Pellerin. Crowned this past weekend on the campus of Texas Southern University, Pellerin is the first Miss Black Houston after the pageant took a more than ten year hiatus.
The Legendary Cicely Tyson
"We have to honor this blessed gift that we have. That's what keeps you going. Keeps your mind fluid -- your heart, your whole being," said the Hollywood legend Cicely Tyson five year ago in a Time magazine story. "You can't just stop, because that will be the end of you."
Quality Over Quantity: The Martin Luther King, Jr. Lasting Legacy
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said, “The quality, not the longevity, of one’s life is what is important. “ The quality and legacy one’s leaves on Earth is something that has been at the forefront of my mind since 2018 began. We are only 11 days in 2018 and I have been to three funerals with one pending. During their celebration of life affairs, many spoke of the goodness of the decease’s life and the people he/she touched.
Houston Concerts Are Cancelled in the Wake of the Astroworld Festival Tragedy
Houstonians and Travis Scott fans are still mourning the loss of the ten victims who tragically died at the Astroworld Festival concert. Many performers, as well as concert producers and promoters, are closely examining the ways in which they put on concerts and how to make them safer for concertgoers.
Houston Honors Texas Legend Barbara Jordan with Monumental Artwork
Say the name Barbara Jordan with dignity and respect. As the lady of many firsts including the first African American woman in Congress, she demands it. Honoring her and the legacy she created is monumental in commemorating the history she made, the work she did, and the example her life still serves people of today, There is a U.S. Post Office named in her honor and a building in the business school at Texas Southern University too.
Fashion and Fellowship Bring the Faithful to the 2019 Audrey H. Lawson IMPACT Awards
Church folks are known are stepping high wearing their Sunday’s Best for the Lord on His day. Well, the family and friends of the Wheeler Avenue Inner City Visions Women’s Guild prove that Sunday’s Best can make a Saturday appearance, as well as the fashions, were fierce at the annual the 2019 Audrey H. Lawson IMPACT Awards Luncheon and Fashion Show. For 56 years blessings have poured out of this organization to provide scholarships for college students, help for the homeless, housing for the elderly, and other philanthropic projects following the ideals and heart of visionary founder Audrey H. Lawson.
McGowan Is First African American Valedictorian at St. Thomas High School
Doing something that no one has done before is a task with no blueprint. Although Kellin McGowan did have somewhat of a guide on his quest to become the first African-American valedictorian in the history of St. Thomas High School, his rich family legacy of achievements was all he needed.
Most Stylish Houstonians of 2019
Houstonians are known throughout the world for their generosity and how they help their fellow man in a disaster. Rarely seen are the philanthropic efforts of Houstonians who just see a need and provide a solution. Those that excel professionally while still giving back in extraordinary ways are who we call most stylish.
Meet the Class of 2017: Tomorrow’s Future Leaders of America
After twelve years, 108 months, 3,240 days, are the estimated number of days students attend school before reaching the pinnacle of their educational career, high school graduation. That pivotal time has come for the class of 2017. It’s time for them to turn their tassel and take the brave steps into the next chapter of their lives. Annually, Houston Style Magazine recognizes the Houston ISD’s African American and Hispanic valedictorians to salute them on their accomplishments. Congrats Class of 2017!Meet the Class of 2017: Tomorrow’s Future Leaders of America
“We Got All Four”
“We got all four. We got all four,” was the rally cry that rang out around the world by protestors in Minneapolis, Minnesota as the four former officers involved in the death of George Floyd were finally arrested and charged with his murder. Derek Chauvin, Tou Thao, J. Alexander Kueng and Thomas Lane are all in custody awaiting trial.
Bushwick Bill Dead at 52 Due to Pancreatic Cancer
One incident can change the course of life. Before Bushwick Bill got shot in the eye, he didn’t think he had much to live for. He told us so in the lyrics of his 1992 hit “Ever So Clear.” Claiming the life of that of a misfit and outcast, he often questioned his purpose for living day-to-day. However, music and his personal story changed that for him. He found his purpose and everything became so clear.
Is There A Black Doctor in the House?
Where are all the Black doctors? They are hard to find. On average, about 5.7% of all the doctors in the US are Black according to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Although enrollment of African Americans in medical school is on the rise, 5.7% is still low when considering that there are 66.1% of active physicians with a US Doctor of Medicine degree.Where are all the Black doctors? They are hard to find. On average, about 5.7% of all the doctors in the US are Black according to data from the Association of American Medical Colleges. Although enrollment of African Americans in medical school is on the rise, 5.7% is still low when considering that there are 66.1% of active physicians with a US Doctor of Medicine degree. Looking back at the history of Blacks in medicine, it's easy to see why the numbers are so low. However, new data suggests that more black doctors are needed now than ever, and for some, it could mean the difference between life and death. On average, when put in a crowd of a diverse population with no identifying connections, a person will gravitate toward those of their own race. It's a natural behavior because people are more at ease with who or what they know. Generally, being of the same race is an easy commonality to draw towards. This same kind of thinking works in medicine as well. According to studies, Black Americans who have black doctors have more trust in them, practice preventative care, and ultimately live longer lives. "I think we as blacks relate more to people who look like us. Often, we have unspoken similar backgrounds that bring us to a common place of understanding when we have difficulties in our quests for higher education," said Dr. Creaque Charles, Pharm. D. at an accredited HBCU school of pharmacy. How to Improve Representation of African Americans in Medicine? The answer to that question lies in the problems that Blacks have with medicine. To understand the concerns, one must go way back in history to when enslaved men and women were forcibly brought over on ships to America. Those men and women were treated less than humans and stacked on top of each other like property. On that journey, they had to exist in deplorable conditions that were filled with human fecal matter, urine, and other forms of human waste. This resulted in them becoming gravely ill, and some died. None received medical care. The feeling continued when slave owners subjected their Black female slaves to forced sterilization to stop reproduction. Women were also exploited for their bodies to produce more strong slave labor. These women did not also receive any medical care. When the truth about an unethical experiment with Tuskegee men and Syphilis (dubbed the Tuskegee Study of Untreated Syphilis) came to light in 1972, prejudices grew.vDuring the era of the Civil War, Blacks were "doomed to extinction" by the medical community of the time, which thought the mental, moral, and physical deterioration of Blacks would send them to an early grave. The distrust of the medical community continues to this day as some doctors of other races may have prior biological beliefs about Blacks that can result in doctors thinking Blacks have a high tolerance for pain, so they may undertreat them for pain. Incidents like the above led some Blacks to believe that they receive better treatment than their own because they know the point of view from which they are coming. They understand it. "When people look at me and they can see themselves in me, that commonality serves as the foundation for a bond of trust," said Dr. Robbyn Traylor, chief medical officer of an urgent medical care clinic, who knows that any doctor can be excellent no matter their race. "There is a level of comfort that is understood and that can remain unspoken when brown and Black patients are treated by brown and Black doctors." A CNN article dives further into the issue of why there is not a surge of Black doctors. Those reasons include factors like the race being excluded from medicine, systematic racism, institutional racism, not being exposed to STEM or STEM careers as a child, and a lack of Black doctors as mentors are among the top reasons. History supports this when looking at the first Black person to earn a medical degree. Dr. James McCune Smith had to go all the way to Scotland to receive his degree in 1837 from the University of Glasgow. Dr. Traylor was fortunate as a child to be heavily exposed to the life of a Black doctor as both of her parents worked in the medical field. She was often at their heels as a child while they worked at one of the best trauma centers in the Texas Medical Center. "I was lucky enough to grow up in a community of people who made me believe that I had the intellect and attitude for medicine." Diversity Matters Diversity Matters After Arizona, California, Florida, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, and Washington enacted bans on affirmative action, the diversity of the medical schools in those states dropped by a third. Before Black students were wholeheartedly welcomed at these schools in the 1800s and 1900s, they had a choice of seven medical schools, according to research by the Duke University Medical Center Library and Archives. Now only two remain: Howard University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C., and Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. Black students are more likely to attend black medical schools to seek out those who look like them and have proven that their dreams are achievable. Future Black doctors want to attend schools where they don’t have to feel as if they don’t belong. They want to go to schools where they are encouraged to do well, and those who are instructors and mentors truly believe that THEY can do well. Dr. Tamiya Sam, who is a registered pharmacist and holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree, knows that whether it is medical, pharmacy, dental, or nurse practitioner school, having a Black mentor matters. "The face of pharmacy is increasingly non-Black. I believe if there were more hands on and dedicated Black pharmacists who truly mentored Black pharmacy students, it would have a higher impact on their completion because they would serve as someone who has been there and genuinely wants to help them succeed." Rosa Terrance, DNP, APRN, GNP-C, agrees with Dr. Sam. "Mentorship absolutely matters and is influential in producing more providers of color. At all times, I make sure of two things: 1) I have a mentor who looks like me, and 2) I am acting as a mentor to someone else. There is a degree of comfort and trust that is birthed out of just being present with someone of your likeness in an otherwise underrepresented space." The Next Generation of Doctors African Americans have a responsibility to expose our children to all the world can offer them. African Americans have a responsibility as a race to step up and be mentors for brown and black children in all fields, not just the medical field. To improve race relations, Blacks must educate our non-Black counterparts. A change must come, and it must start now with each of us.
AKAs Takeover the Movies to Support Hidden Figures
It was wall-to-wall pink and green on Sunday, January 8, 2016, at the First Colony 24 theaters as the women of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. took over the theater. The ladies were in mass numbers to support the film Hidden Figures that tells the story of three extraordinary women – Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson - who made NASA history by helping with the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. All three women are members of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.
Lizzo Winning On All Levels
In a race, everyone sets out to be the winner. Although there is only one official winner once the race is done there are many ways to win a race. One can win by beating their previous score or time. One can win because they never gave up. Winning can be as simple as entering the race in the first place. However, you define a win makes you are a winner. R&B rap artist Lizzo is having one winning year racking up awards, accolades, and acclaims everywhere she goes.
HBCUs Spotlight: Texas Southern University and Prairie View A&M University
Today’s African Americans are living out loud the educational dreams of their ancestors. Segregation for far too long denied so many African Americans even the opportunity to learn. And to now be able to attend any college that one wants is just a dream that those back then never could have realized.
Meet the African American and Hispanic Valedictorians of 2018
Before kindergarten, you couldn’t wait to go to school. Finally reaching the enrolling age, your parents set you on your educational start. Mastering your numbers, colors, and ABCs, you advanced through the grade levels to reach the ultimate goal, high school graduation.
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