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Jo-Carolyn Goode

Stories by Jo-Carolyn

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Houston’s First Hip-Hop Party Bike Tour Gives Third Ward A Well-Deserved Platform

Everyone loves a good party. Planning is needed to make sure everyone has a great time. The key elements to a successful party are people, drinks, snacks, and music. The right music can set the vibe and put everyone in a party frame of mind. However, nowadays, partygoers want all those things and more to have the ultimate party experience. Johnathan Marks is taking partying to the next level with Trills On Wheels, Houston’s first hip-hop party bike tour.

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MLS Forms Historic Partnership with Black-Owned Banks

Soccer is not high on the list of sports that African Americans gravitate towards. Whites dominate the sport followed by those with a Latino background. Even though Major League Soccer (MLS) is considered to be the most diverse professional sport, African Americans participation soccer is still extremely low. Just look at the numbers of African Americans in professional sports. In the National Football League, which has the highest number of African American players with nearly 70%., there are only 5 head coaches and 0 majority owned teams.

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Alopecia Is No Joking Matter

For most women, their hair is their crowning glory. They take meticulously care of it making sure no one strand is out of place. Onlookers need not dare to touch it for fear of the backlash they would be sure to receive. Some women’s identity is even connected to their hair making it their crowning glory.

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The Biden Pick: Representation Matters

It is time for African American Woman on the Supreme Court

President Joe Biden made many promises to Americans on the campaign trail in 2020. One of which was to ensure that appointments he made would reflect the diverse nature of these united states. A more specific nod to diversify was his commitment to nominate an African American woman to the Supreme Court. With the announcement of Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer’s retirement, President Biden is posed to stand by his word and make history while doing so.

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Preserving the Black Church Is a Job for All Americans

Black churches have a long history of being the central focus of the community. More than a religious institution, Black churches are safe spaces where people can come to seek shelter from a storm, fill their empty belly, educate their children, find employment opportunities, and have their mind, body, and soul blessed. The church is a place where one can come broken and be made whole. These institutions represent so much good it is puzzling why so much bad happens to their structure and people.

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Sixty-five Years Later & We Are Still Fighting to Vote

In 1957, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. gave an historic speech to advocate for the voting rights of African Americans in the United States. Calling the denial of African Americans’ right to vote a “tragic betrayal of the highest mandates of our democratic tradition,” Dr. King laid out what would happen if African Americans could vote. Below are excerpts from his “Give Us the Ballot” speech.

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It’s Getting Nasty: How Sickness Is Spreading Across Houston

Today, a simple cough can clear a room. With the rise of positive COVID cases, Houston streets are getting nasty. People have become less concerned about wearing masks and social distancing. Many Houstonians have a false sense of security that the COVID vaccine is the ultimate protection against the coronavirus. Although the vaccine does provide protection against getting the virus, it does not mean a vaccinated individual can’t get COVID. The vaccine can lessen the severity of symptoms. People must continue practicing safety precautions, especially in a population where there are so many unvaccinated individuals.

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Celebrate the New Year with a Plan Before You Drink

Damien House never imagined his 2021 would end with him being alone. His entire family was wiped out in an instant in a fiery car crash when a drunken Daniel Canada carelessly got behind the wheel of a vehicle after drinking. He then smashed his vehicle into the back of House's wife sedan. Canada hit the car so hard that the entire front end of House's wife vehicle was crushed and burst into flames. House's wife and three sons were all killed.

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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.

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CrysTales Taking Chancing to Bring the Funny

How amazing would it be if you could see yourself the way God sees you? This became a repetitious prayer for Crystal Holmes-Montgomery. When she couldn't see herself as God did it made her view narrow and not able to the full picture. For the longest time it seemed God had been sending her a message to add another dimension to herself.

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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.

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Michael Strahan Return to Texas to Lift-Off

What's beyond the big blanket that covers the sky, sprinkled with the stars has always been a great mystery and a sense of wonderment for most Americans. More than 600 people have already gone on an adventure to the stars, and Michael Strahan is about to join that number.

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Reginald DesRoches Named 8th President of Rice University

One hundred and nine years after its founding and 56 years after the first African American graduate, the prestigious Rice University has named its first African American president. How ironic that a university established by a white rich slave owner would now have at the head an African American from one of the poorest countries in our nation. Talk about progress and achieving the American dream.

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Kyle Rittenhouse's homicide trial for Kenosha shootings opens with jury selection

Kyle Rittenhouse, the armed Illinois teenager who killed two people and wounded another during unrest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, last summer, went on trial Monday on homicide charges in a case that will test the distinction between self-defense and vigilante killings.

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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.

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AKA Alpha Kappa Omega Chapter Donates Over $12,000 for Mammograms for Underserved Communities

One in every ten million women worldwide will be affected by breast cancer. It is one of the most common cancers with the highest number of deaths. Although causian women account for the most new cases per year, their rate of death is lower than that of African American and Hispanic women. With more research breast cancer death rates have decreased overall but still remain higher for African American and Hispanic women. The ladies of the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.®

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Celebrate the Richness of Hispanic Heritage

America would not be the country it is today without the contributions of Hispanic Americans. Every year from September 15 to October 15 we remember the achievements of Hispanic Americans and how they have made America the country that it is. The influential touches of their rich culture can be seen all over Houston and around the world. A greater grasp of the culture can be gained when visiting the Institute of Hispanic Culture of Houston (IHCH). Houston Style got a chance to speak with the president and chairman of the board Mayte Sera Weitzman to learn more about the culture and the institute.

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The Battles Is On: Stop COP Pitting Our Leaders Against Each Other

The Republicans already hold political power and they want to keep it that way by any means necessary. The first draft of redrawn district maps stacks everything in their favor despite the surge in the minority population in Texas, overlapping of districts, and Texas gaining two new seats. The Republicans are doing all sorts of things in their attempt to keep the power in their hands. If they are successful, they would retain political power for the next decade.

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Blck Market Gives Black Business Owners A Place of Their Own

A true sign that something is valuable is if everyone is chasing it. That could not be truer for the all mighty dollar. Everyone wants some mean green especially the black community. With money comes power. The power to build your community up, shape the lives of those who live there, and set everyone on a path for success. Every opportunity to catch that dollar must be seized.

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Chef Beverley Kellman Is Serving Up Food Good to the PVAMU Students' Soul

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

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Million Dollar Contract Increase COVID Vaccination Cancel By Harris County Court After Controversy

A contract to help increase COVID-19 vaccination has been canceled by Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo over controversy brought on by Republican commissioners.

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Laying Down the Law

666 New State Laws Approved at the 87th Texas Legislature

September 1st marks a new day in the state capitol with the passage of new state laws approved at the 87th Texas Legislature. State legislators have been busy orchestrating changes to such issues as gun control, abortion, medical marijuana, buying sex, alcohol, vaccinations, and a myriad of other subjects with the new bills.

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Judge Hidalgo Defends the $11 Million Contract for Targeted Community Vaccine

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo is facing heat over an $11 million contract to help certain communities get COVID vaccinated.

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The Reset of TSU with Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young

"What is the transformative thing that I am going to do today?" is the question that Texas Southern University President Dr. Lesia L. Crumpton-Young asks herself at the start of each day. It's a question that causes her to act intentionally for a defined purpose. This is how she will approach each day of the presidency of Texas Southern University.

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Remembering Yolanda Pope: Houston Style's Resident Foodie

Writers are usually the ones who are never at a lost for words. However, this writer is finding it hard to use words to adequately describe Yolanda Pope. Her personality was welcoming. She didn't mind sharing her knowledge. The entire staff knew food, especially good food, was her weakness. Yolanda has had her last dish as she passed away peacefully in her sleep on August 16, 2021.

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New Superintendent Has Big Plans to Yield Result Big Results

There is always a sense of anxiety in the air at the start of the new school year. Students are flooding the halls trying to navigate their way to classes. Counselors are sorting out class schedules. Teachers are trying to learn the names of the young pupils they will inspire this year. Principals are making sure the entire ship is running smoothly. Everyone has their individual tasks. Not this year.

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Keeping the Dollar Black: Meet Abreetta Bonner of Bree Nicole & Co.

A new entrepreneur has to have vision in sights unseen, a strong belief in self to achieve success, and a whole lot of faith to keep pushing during the ups and downs. Abreetta Bonner had all of these characteristics when she launched her luxury lifestyle brand business, Bree Nicole & Co., in the middle of a pandemic.

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There Is More to Life Than Gymnastics

Simone Biles puts her mental health first

Four years ago, her name dominated headlines across the globe. News feeds on the television, radio, and all over the Internet boasted about her idiosyncratic skill level to complete stunts that no other gymnast could do while defying gravity in the process. The world stood in amazement at the young 4 foot 10 inch woman who appears tiny in stature with power beyond belief. She can take the most difficult routines and effortlessly execute them with flawless precision. As she garnered win after win, earning 5 Olympic gold medals and a myriad of world championship titles she became the greatest, most dominant, most decorated American gymnast of all time.

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Break Free for Some Hot Fun in the Summertime

15 Fun Things to Do in the City

Break out this summer and have some well-deserved fun in the city! With relaxed restrictions in our city, Houstonians have now been given the green light to go outside to play. Get reacquainted with the fresh flowing air, the sight of people going here and there, and not feeling boxed in. As you unleash yourselves don't forget to do it in the safest and most respectable way. If you have not been vaccinated please do well by your fellow man by wearing your mask. All should still practice social distancing. Now is the time to get ready to go oooouuuuttttssssiiiidddeeee!!!!!!! And just to help you out we at Houston Style Magazine have a created a list of 15 things to do in and around the city.

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Black & Proud: I Want the World to Know

Violet, blue, green, yellow, orange, and red are the colors of the rainbow. All the colors are different in nature but beautifully coexist in a cohesive harmony without clashing with each other to make a wonderful masterpiece. There is no rhyme or reason to how they complement each other, they just do. No wonder why the LGBTQ community took these colors to represent who they are. The colors are bright, bold, and blissful just like the community of LGBTQ people.

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Boyce Family Values

Nothing brings more excitement to people than the news of a couple having a baby. Between all the congratulations, gifts, and advice the couple stands in the middle of it all in complete fear with questions swirling in their head. Are they ready for a baby? Do they have everything they need? Will they do a good job? Their shoulders are heavy because molding and shaping the life of another human being is a huge responsibility.

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Minority 2021 HISD Valedictorians Rising to the Top

Texas is losing one out of every five students before their graduation day according to an attrition study by the Intercultural Development Research Association. Black and Hispanic students are twice as likely in comparison to white students to drop out of high school before completing the 12th grade.

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A Reason to Fight for the Right to Vote

We should not still be fighting for something that is granted to all Americans by the U. S. Constitution. Every person with breath in their body has a voice that deserves to be heard. They should not have to be on guard to protect this most precious right. America is a melting pot of different cultures, races, beliefs, and so many things that make each person unique.

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Kristen Clarke: Civil Rights New Heroine

If ever one's life was predestined to make a change in the world, it is that of Kristen Clarke. Before she even graduated high school, she challenged the universe to envision "a world with more justice, greater equity, and equal access." She is now in the best position to evoke clarity to that vision. The history maker just became the first African American woman to lead the Department of Justice's Civil Rights Division as Assistant General Attorney since its formation in 1957.

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The Right to Choose: Whose Rights Are Really Being Protected?

Having the freedom to choose is one of the undeniable rights that every natural born American has. Because we are all created equally with the rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, we all know what it means to be free. However, when one American's right to choose negatively effects another American's inalienable right, who is really in the right and who is wrong? That is the big question when it comes to the new executive order from the office of Gov. Greg Abbott issued this past week.

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Is The Covid-‐19 Vaccine Safe For Our 12-‐15 Aged Children?

Every parent wants to do nothing more than to protect his or her child from any kind of danger. They want to be that shield. That superhero that will do whatever it takes to keep their child safe. And when they can't figure out how to do that it leaves them in a state of panic. A little over 14 months ago parents, along with the rest of the world, went into panic mode.

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Mental Health Is a Problem for All Not Just Some

Being imbalanced is a problem that everyone has had to deal with at some point in their life more than once and will have to deal with it again. Life is stressful and can cause anyone anxiety. Mental health surveys indicate that 60% of the American population has experienced significant levels of mental and/or emotional unwellness since the onset of the global pandemic. A 2020 Kaiser family study indicated that Texans have had an increase in their levels of anxiety and depression from an average of 37.7% before the pandemic to 40.1% during the pandemic. Difficulties are with individuals owning this as their reality as a threat to their mental health can be an even bigger problem than dealing with stress and anxiety itself.

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Houston Style Magazine Honors Mothers Who Serve the Community - Dee Moore

Fat is one of the ugliest words in the English language for the negative connotation it carries as far as Dee Moore is concerned. For the majority of her life she has been a woman with curves. Like most plus size women, she has endured a lot of pain being the butt of jokes and focus of judgmental eyes. Moore got criticism from everywhere but what hurt most was criticism she received from men who were suppose to love her. The constant disrespect greatly damaged her self esteem until one day she had enough. No longer would Moore allow words to damage her self-worth. She would remove the power those words had over her and other women as well.

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Houston Style Magazine Honors Mothers Who Serve the Community - Angelee Moody Rhyne

You can adopt a child, a pet, and even a highway. Angelee Moody Rhyne decided to adopt a park. One day she had a meeting with someone at the Marian Park to discuss plans for a Back-to- School. In her mind the park would be an ideal location since at one point she frequented the park regularly. However, that was many years ago. She had no idea the state that she would find the park in today. She was just applauded at how the park had gone down.

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Money Talk: The Conversations Everyone Needs to Have

People tend to tiptoe around the subjects of politics, religion, race, estate planning, physical & mental health and finances. But why are so many silent on these very crucial topics. It is not as if not talking about them will diminish their importance or will make the need for the conversations to disappear from our life. In fact, not talking about finances just creates a larger problem. Stop skating around the issue of finances and start the money talk conversations that everyone needs to have during Financial Literacy Month.

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Houston Health Officials Pause the Distribution of J&J Vaccine

Apprehension about getting inoculated for COVID-19 has just increased in many individuals after the administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine was paused by officials of the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Federal Drug Administration (FDA). Research is being done to look into the cause of six women who developed dangerous blood clots with one of them dying after having received the single-dose.

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New Chief of Houston Police Department: Troy Finner

When outgoing police chief Art Acevedo announced his exit to run the Miami Police Department, Mayor Sylvester Turner knew he wanted his replacement to be someone who was fully capable to step into the role day one. The city needed someone who would be intentional about reducing crime. He could not have a found a more qualified officer to do that other than Troy R. Finner. After Houston City Council unanimously voted in favor Finner as chief, the official swearing-in could take place.

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Don’t Suffer Alone: STOP Domestic Violence

This time last year domestic violence was on the rise in Houston. Increasing by almost 10%, victims were now trapped in an enclosed space 24/7 with their abuser. No help from family and friends was available as all were practicing being socially distance while quarantining. Although staying at home to stay safe was enacted to keep everyone was safe from catching the coronavirus, it gave abusers the opportunity to take total control over their defenseless victim(s). Through various community partnerships with the city of Houston, a message was sent out to let survivors know that they don’t have to suffer in silence.

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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.

Honoring Women Who Inspire

A person can be inspired by anything from anywhere. Inspiration can fuel our actions, thoughts, feelings, and takes us on a journey toward success. The women featured in this week’s cover story inspire little ones growing up but also adults in their various fields of expertise. We can learn from their missteps and act wisely based on their accomplishments. We can get behind causes to motivate the masses due to their influence. Read their stories and see if they have inspired you.

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Honoring Houston Women in the Pulpit

Women in the pulpit are always a controversial topic in some religious circles. Basing their belief of 1 Timothy 2:12 where Paul writes to Timothy in a letter saying, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.”

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Houston Style Magazine Honoring the Influence of Women Educators

Education has always been of the utmost importance for generations of African Americans. It is something that once obtained can never be taken from. It is the passport to a successful life. Many Americans can thank a woman for having such an influence. There once was a time when it was against the law for African Americans to read and write. Yet, instill, brave souls risked life itself to learn and to teach others like them. For many people, their first teacher was probably their mother.

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Houston Strong: Our Stories

Houston Style Magazine's Staff tell how they survive the Texas winter freeze

In our lifetime we continue to see the unexpected. We have seen the first Black President of the United States – Barack Obama, the first Black Vice President of the United States – Kamala Harris, a global pandemic – COVID-19, and now the worst winter storm in Texas’ history – Uri.

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Black History Moment: Davis Helped to Open the Door for Blacks in the Military

Benjamin Oliver Davis, Sr. may not be a familiar name, however, his accomplishments sure are as they opened the door for Black leadership in the military. At 21 years old, Davis entered the army during the Spanish American War as a temporary first lieutenant of the 8th United States Volunteer Infantry. He became the first African American General Officer in the Regular Army and in the U.S. Armed Forces.

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H-E-B Partners With Local Couple To Expand Their Entrepreneurial Dreams

Hope is something that is sought when desperation sets in. The source of that anguish can be from all sorts of things. For Kim and L. J. Williams their sense of despair was from a health scare. During a time in their lives when they were the happiness celebrating the birth of their second child, they got hit with the news that Kim was prediabetic.