The party of Andrew Jackson has spent a decade running from him. It should keep the two things he got right. I was 14 the first time I raised my hand to volunteer. I was short for my age. I had a bad stutter. The campaign was Jesse Jackson’s, in 1988. They made me a precinct captain anyway.
Thirty years later, I was my state’s Democratic nominee for governor.
So I have been active in this party most of my life. Long enough to love it. Long enough to fight it from the inside. Long enough to know it is named for a man whose plantation I will visit this Juneteenth.
Last week I wrote that I am going down to the Hermitage to help celebrate Black music. It was Andrew Jackson’s plantation, outside Nashville. More than 300 men, women and children were enslaved there. The ground is sacred and it is stained. The man who made it was a proponent, and often an active participant, in nearly every vicious form of racism of his day.
For that reason the party he founded has spent the last decade distancing itself from him. Dinners renamed. I get it. As a former head of the NAACP, I will say it plainly: most of Andrew Jackson’s legacy troubles me deeply.
And yet.
His is the third most-visited presidential plantation in America. Presidents made the trip. In less than fully honest years, they came to pay homage — to the man who founded a party to fight for working people.
He was wrong about almost everything that matters.
And yet, again.
He was right about two things.
Working people deserve a party that will fight for them. And they deserve a party with the courage to take on the financial powers that strip-mine families and would wreck the American dream itself.
RECONCILING JACKSON AND JACKSON
By Ben Jealous, National Political Commentator
Those two convictions are the only true spine this party has ever had. They carried it through Franklin Roosevelt. They carried it through Lyndon Johnson.
Both men had real sins. Roosevelt put Japanese American families behind barbed wire. Johnson sank us into Vietnam. And on those two things — the worker, and the powers arrayed against the worker — they held the line. The country was stronger for it.
Jesse Jackson spent his life on a
single idea. That working people of every color belong in one coalition. He called it the Rainbow Coalition, and the name was the argument.
That is Andrew’s principle, finished. Andrew fought for the working man and drew the circle around white men only. Jesse drew it around all of us. One Jackson started the fight. The other widened it to everyone Andrew left out.
They came for Jesse in 1984, and again in 1988. They came for Bernie Sanders in 2016, and again in 2020. Each
time the offense was the same: a candidate who would not choose between fighting for working people and fighting the powers that prey on them. Like a lot of Democratic economic populists since Johnson’s day, I bear a few of those scars myself. It is never what happens to one candidate that matters. It is the pattern.
The pattern is a class of corporate consultants who hijacked the party of the working man and rented it back to the highest bidder. They poll-tested the conviction out of it. They taught it to fear its own base and court its own predators. They called this strategy. It was a sellout, and it lost.
We climbed the mountain on race — the work of generations, against fierce resistance, much of it our own. I gave my life to it. But somewhere on the way up, we let go of the ground we started from.
Fighting for working people, and standing against the powers that prey on them, was not a plank. It was the cornerstone. Pull the cornerstone, and one day the house comes down. Rip the spine from a body, and it does not wait that long.
So where did the party lose its way? It strayed from the only two things the two Jacksons ever agreed on. That the American worker deserves a champion. That the greediest interests in this country deserve a foe.
That is the reconciliation I am after. Not of the men. The two Jacksons will never sit easy together, and they should not. It is the principles. Keep the two they shared. Finish the work the first one would not.
I will stand on that ground this Juneteenth. Sacred and stained. Named for a man I cannot celebrate, in a party I have not given up on.
Ben Jealous is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and former president and CEO of the NAACP.
Two weeks after Texas’ May 26 primary runoffs, one message is still ringing louder than a church bell on Election Sunday: voters were not simply choosing candidates — they were choosing disruption.
Across Texas and Greater Houston, runoff results revealed a political appetite for younger voices, louder fighters, fresh faces, and candidates willing to challenge the comfortable old order. In race after race, voters looked at long résumés, familiar names, and decades of public service — then politely, and sometimes not so politely, showed them the exit.
Call it generational change. Call it protest politics. Call it democracy with a little hot sauce. Whatever the label, the 2026 runoff season proved that the old political playbook is being rewritten in real time.
The biggest headline came in the Republican U.S. Senate runoff, where Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton defeated longtime U.S. Sen. John Cornyn. Cornyn, a fixture in Texas politics for decades, represented the steady, senior statesman wing of the GOP. Paxton ran as the boat-rocker — combative, unapologetic, and powered by a base that preferred confrontation over caution. The voters chose the shake-up.
That same energy rolled into Houston’s congressional map. In Congressional District 18, longtime U.S. Rep. Al Green, a respected civil rights voice and veteran public servant, was defeated by U.S. Rep. Christian Menefee, whose campaign leaned into youth,
YOUTH, PROTEST, AND THE PRIMARY RUNOFF REBELLION: TEXAS VOTERS SEND THE ESTABLISHMENT A MESSAGE
By Burt Levine, Political Editor for www.StyleMagazine.com
urgency, and a sharper generational call to action. Menefee’s victory was not just a win; it was a thunderclap from voters demanding new tactics for a new political era.
In Congressional District 7, Alexander Hale defeated Tina Cohen, another example of voters rewarding a younger challenger with a bold pitch. In west Houston’s Congressional District 38, Jon Bonk defeated Shelley DeZavala, continuing the same pattern: less establishment polish, more grassroots punch.
The theme did not stop at Congress. In the Republican runoff for Texas Attorney General, State Sen. Mayes Middleton defeated U.S. Rep. Chip Roy, while Democrat Nathan Johnson won his party’s attorney general runoff over Joe Jaworski. In both contests, voters made clear they were not afraid of reshuffling
Locally, the political tremors were even more personal.
In Harris County, Dr. Letitia Plummer defeated former Houston Mayor Annise Parker in the Democratic runoff for Harris County Judge. Parker brought history, experience, and name recognition. Plummer brought momentum, outsider energy, and a campaign that connected with voters ready for a different kind of county leadership. On the Republican side, Orlando Sanchez defeated Warren Howell, setting up a high-profile November battle for one of the most powerful county offices in America.
In Fort Bend County, Commissioner Dexter McCoy delivered one of the night’s most commanding victories, defeating Judge Rachelle Carter in the Democratic runoff for County
Judge. At just 34, McCoy’s win symbolized the rise of a new Fort Bend — younger, more diverse, more assertive, and unwilling to wait its turn.
In Texas House District 131, Staci Childs defeated Lawrence Allen Jr., son of longtime State Rep. Alma Allen, in a Sunnyside-area contest loaded with legacy, loyalty, and change. In Alief’s House District 149, Dr. Darlene Breaux defeated longtime incumbent Hubert Vo, ending more than two decades of representation and signaling that even trusted incumbents must keep pace with communities that are rapidly evolving.
Even beyond Texas, the mood is unmistakable. In Louisiana, U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy failed to make the Republican Senate runoff, finishing behind Julia Letlow and John Fleming. Across the South, from Houston to Baton Rouge to Atlanta to San Antonio, voters are testing a new political formula: less patience, more purpose.
For democracy, that is not necessarily a crisis. It is a reminder.
Democracy is not a museum piece. It is a living, breathing, sometimes rowdy institution. It does not promise incumbents lifetime leases. It does not guarantee that seniority will beat sincerity. And it certainly does not reward leaders who forget to listen until election night.
the deck.
On Juneteenth 2026, history will not simply be remembered — it will open its doors.
Rising from Chicago’s South Side in historic Jackson Park, the Obama Presidential Center is preparing for its public debut on June 19, 2026, a date that carries the moral weight of freedom, remembrance, and unfinished American promise. For a nation still learning how to live up to its own founding words, the opening of this $850 million civic landmark is more than a ribbon-cutting. It is a democratic invitation — and yes, a mighty stylish one.
The Center honors President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama, America’s first Black President and First Lady, while placing their story inside a much larger American narrative: the power of ordinary people to organize, vote, serve, speak up, and bend history toward justice. In other words, democracy gets its own homecoming.
The timing could not be more poetic. Juneteenth, born in Galveston, Texas, marks the day in 1865 when enslaved African Americans in Texas finally received word of freedom — more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Now, 161 years later, a presidential center dedicated to hope, civic courage, and the promise of change opens on that sacred anniversary. From Galveston to Chicago, from emancipation to engagement, the message is clear: freedom is not a spectator sport.
The 19-acre campus is designed as a destination for families, students, historians, artists, organizers, and future leaders.
A JUNE TEENTH LEGACY RISES:
By Francis Page Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
Visitors will find a world-class museum, public gathering spaces, gardens, a Great Lawn, a playground, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, public art, dining, and areas meant for reflection and connection.
This is not a dusty monument where democracy is stored behind glass. It is a living civic campus where democracy is expected to stretch, sweat, learn, laugh, and get back to work.
Inside the museum, exhibits will explore the lives and legacy of Barack and Michelle Obama across four floors, highlighting the people, movements, policies, and defining moments that shaped their historic journey. The “Yes We Can” exhibit celebrates the diverse coalition of organizers, volunteers, and voters who turned a campaign slogan into a national movement. A full-size replica of President Obama’s Oval Office offers visitors a rare chance to step into the symbolism of the presidency — and perhaps remind a few young Houstonians that the desk is not reserved for anyone’s imagination but their own.
The Center’s grand opening begins with an invite-only ceremony on June 18, which will be livestreamed for the public. The campus and museum open to visitors on June 19, followed by community-centered opening weekend celebrations June 20–21. While museum tickets are timed and required, most of the campus is free and open to the public — a fitting gesture for a project built around participation, access, and shared civic life.
For Houston Style Magazine readers, the connection is personal and powerful. Juneteenth belongs to Texas. Black history belongs to America. Civic participation belongs to all of us. And the story of the Obama Presidential Center speaks directly to communities that know progress is never handed down from a balcony — it is built at kitchen tables, church halls, union meetings, neighborhood schools, small businesses, voter registration drives, and family conversations that start with, “Baby, you can be anything.”
At a time when democracy is being tested by division, disinformation, voter suppression, and cynicism, the Center arrives with a refreshingly bold message: hope still has muscle. It is not soft. It is not naïve. It is disciplined, organized, intergenerational, and ready for the next shift.
The Obama Presidential Center is also expected to become a major cultural and tourism destination, drawing visitors from across the country and around the world to Chicago’s South Side. But its deeper value may be measured not only in attendance numbers, architectural reviews, or the final price tag. Its true measure will be found in the young person who leaves believing public service is possible, the elder who sees their struggle honored, the teacher who brings democracy alive for students, and the voter who remembers that every ballot is a brick in the house of freedom.
On Juneteenth, the nation will witness more than the opening of a presidential center. It will witness a legacy rising — one rooted in Black excellence, American possibility, public service, and the enduring belief that change begins with people who refuse to sit quietly while history is being written.
And if democracy needed a reminder to dress up for the occasion, consider this its formal invitation.
More information, go to: https://www. obamalibrary.gov/
The world is coming to Houston next week, and Harris County Commissioner Rodney Ellis is helping make sure the Bayou City is ready to welcome it with open arms, open roads, and eyes wide open about what major global events require from all of us: planning, patience, and civic teamwork. As FIFA World Cup 2026™ arrives in Houston, the excitement is undeniable. Houston will host seven World Cup matches at Houston Stadium at NRG Stadium, beginning June 14, while the FIFA Fan Festival™ Houston will activate East Downtown on all 34 match days of the tournament.
For Commissioner Ellis, whose Precinct One office has long emphasized mobility, public space, equity, infrastructure, parks, and safe community access, this moment is bigger than soccer. It is about ensuring that Houston’s global spotlight also benefits neighborhoods, families, workers, small businesses, and young people who deserve to feel included in the celebration. Precinct One’s public mission centers on improving quality of life, advancing opportunity, and supporting safe, reliable mobility for pedestrians, cyclists, bus riders, and drivers alike.
And yes, Houston — the traffic is coming too.
Transportation officials have
COMMISSIONER RODNEY ELLIS URGES HOUSTON TO PLAN AHEAD AS WORLD CUP BRINGS THE WORLD — AND TRAFFIC — TO OUR DOORSTEP
By Francis Page Jr. for
warned that World Cup-related congestion could be significant, especially around NRG Stadium, Downtown, EaDo, Loop 610, I-45, U.S. 59, airport corridors, and major gathering areas. Traffic around major sporting events can increase by 20% to 40% in nearby areas, according to regional transportation planning cited in local reporting. That means residents should treat World Cup season like a civic champion-
ship: everybody has a position to play.
Commissioner Ellis’ broader vision of mobility and neighborhood investment fits squarely into this moment. His office has supported infrastructure transparency through the Build Together initiative, which highlights active and completed public works projects across Precinct One, including multimodal, park, and street improvements. For Fiscal Year 2025, the platform notes 117 public works projects advancing across Precinct One, including 79 multimodal projects and 36 park projects.
The World Cup legacy also extends to Houston’s next generation. Through the Grow the Game Legacy Initiative, Commissioner Ellis has championed investments in community soccer access, including support for improvements at Alabonson Park and Blue Ridge Park. As Ellis stated through that initiative, the goal is to give children from all backgrounds access to world-class fields while connecting local communities to the world’s most popular sport.
Now, as fans prepare to cheer, chant, celebrate, and commute, the message is simple: plan ahead.
METRO is encouraging fans to ride transit to World Cup events, including the METRORail Red Line to Houston Stadium at NRG Stadium. The Red Line will
serve Stadium Park/Astrodome Station, with listed World Cup operations from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m., trains every 6 to 12 minutes, and a fare of $1.25. METRO will also run extra service from June 7 through July 11. For Fan Festival visitors, East Downtown will be alive with music, food, culture, match viewing, and Houston’s unmistakable international swagger. But the area will also experience road closures and restrictions near streets including Hutchins, Polk, Walker, and Emancipation, with some closures tied to event hours and others extending through the broader festival period. Houston Style Magazine encourages readers to build a personal “commuter game plan.” Check Houston TranStar before traveling. Download METRO information. Consider carpooling. Leave earlier. Work remotely when possible. Support local restaurants and small businesses. Be patient with visitors. And remember: showing Houston is not just hosting the World Cup. Houston is hosting the world — and with smart planning, hometown pride, and leadership rooted in community, we are ready to show the world how Harris County rolls.
Commisioner Rodney Ellis
In Houston, soccer is never just a game. It is a family gathering, a business opportunity, a cultural parade, and sometimes, depending on the score, a full-volume neighborhood sermon. Now, Houston Dynamo FC and the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce are expanding a partnership that celebrates all of the above—with style, strategy, and serious economic purpose.
The expanded alliance builds on years of successful collaboration between the Dynamo and HHCC, entering a new chapter designed to unite Greater Houston around the global game while helping local businesses step confidently into the spotlight. With Houston preparing for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, this partnership arrives like a perfect pass into open space.
At the center of the collaboration is the Houston Dynamo Soccer Celebration, presented by Kroger, a series of events at Shell Energy Stadium designed to showcase Houston’s rich cultural diversity and growing soccer energy. The celebration includes Mexico National Team live viewings and international friendlies featuring Houston Dynamo FC against Club Olimpia Deportivo on Saturday, July 11, 2026 and Colombian powerhouse América de Cali on July 15.
For Houston’s soccer fans, that is a summer lineup with rhythm, pride, and
HOUSTON DYNAMO FC AND HOUSTON HISPANIC CHAMBER OF COMMERCE SCORE BIG FOR BUSINESS,
CULTURE, AND
By Francis Page Jr., for www.StyleMagazine.com
plenty of goal-worthy excitement.
Jessica O’Neill, President of Business Operations for Houston Dynamo FC, described the expansion as more than a sports partnership. She praised the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and the visionary leadership of Dr. Laura Murillo, emphasizing that the relationship has always been rooted in community impact.
“Soccer’s true power lies in how it reflects and honors our local communities,” O’Neill said. “This partnership has always been about more than just sports—it’s about lifting up local businesses and bringing Houstonians together.”
That message lands powerfully in Houston, where diversity is not a slogan—it
is the city’s operating system.
Dr. Laura Murillo, President and CEO of the Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, also framed the partnership as a timely opportunity to connect culture, commerce, and global visibility. As Houston prepares to welcome the world in 2026, Murillo said the collaboration will help unite top CEOs, entrepreneurs, and community leaders to drive economic growth, strengthen international partnerships, and showcase Houston as a premier global destination.
Murillo’s leadership gives this partnership added weight. A native Houstonian and daughter of Mexican immigrants, she has spent nearly two decades helping transform the HHCC into one of the nation’s most influential business organizations. Her honors include recognition as a Houston Business Journal “Most Admired CEO,” being named among Latino Leaders Magazine’s “Most Influential Women in America,” and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award. She is also the bestselling author of “Lead in Life: People, Passion, and Persistence.”
In many ways, that title captures the spirit of this partnership.
The expanded alliance will provide hospitality, visibility, and amplification for HHCC member businesses, with select Chamber members integrated into Soccer Celebration events. That means entrepre-
neurs will not simply be cheering from the stands; they will be part of the action, building relationships, expanding brand awareness, and connecting with new audiences.
For Houston’s Hispanic-owned businesses, this is more than a marketing moment. It is a chance to turn global soccer excitement into local economic momentum. From restaurants and construction firms to professional services, media, finance, technology, and logistics, Hispanic entrepreneurs are central to Houston’s growth story.
By linking HHCC’s business network with Houston Dynamo FC’s community platform, this partnership creates a winning formula: sports plus culture plus opportunity.
As the world’s game grows louder in Houston, this collaboration reminds us that the best victories are shared. Fans will cheer. Businesses will connect. Communities will rise. And Houston, once again, will show the world how to turn a match into a movement.
That is not just a goal.
That is Houston-style victory.
More information, go to: https:// www.houstonhispanicchamber.com/ www.StyleMagazine.com
In Houston, men will change the oil before the engine light blinks, season the brisket before sunrise, and know exactly when kickoff starts. But ask when they last had a physical, checked their blood pressure, or talked honestly with a doctor, and suddenly the conversation gets quieter than a church pew after the benediction.
Legacy Community Health is meeting that silence with compassion, truth, and a message every man needs to hear: small changes can make a big difference in men’s health.
For many men, especially those balancing work, family, faith, finances, and community responsibilities, healthcare often gets pushed to the bottom of the list. The thinking is familiar: “I’m fine.” “I’ll go later.” “It will pass.” But delayed care can turn small, manageable issues into serious medical challenges.
“Fear and pride are among the top reasons that men avoid scheduling a physician visit,” said Dr. Vandana Shrikanth, Adult Medicine Physician at Legacy Community Health.
That pride may feel like strength, but prevention is the stronger choice. Annual check-ups, blood pressure screenings, cholesterol checks, diabetes testing, cancer screenings, and honest conversations about stress, sleep, nutrition, and sexual health
SMALL CHANGES, BIG DIFFERENCE: LEGACY COMMUNITY
HEALTH URGES HOUSTON MEN TO MAKE PREVENTION A PRIORITY
By Francis Page Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
can help identify risks before they become emergencies.
“Men often delay seeking medical care, whether due to busy schedules, cultural expectations, or the belief that symptoms will resolve on their own,” said Dr. Rocco Richards, Adult Medicine Physician at Legacy Community Health.
The problem is that many health conditions do not announce themselves loudly. High blood pressure can quietly damage the heart, kidneys, and brain. High cholesterol can build danger in the arteries without obvious warning. By the time symptoms appear, the path to recovery may be
much harder.
Diabetes is another clear example. It is common among men, particularly in communities already facing higher health risks, and it can affect the body for years before a man feels “sick.” Elevated blood sugar gradually damages vital systems, increasing the risk of heart disease, vision problems, nerve damage, and kidney failure.
The encouraging news is that diabetes is manageable, especially when caught early. Just like keeping the car running or getting the grill just right, it comes down to small, consistent habits. Cutting back on sugary drinks, staying active, managing
portions, and following a care plan can make a meaningful difference. With regular check-ups and the right support, men can take control of their health and protect what matters most.
“Conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol can go unnoticed for years — but by the time symptoms appear, the opportunity for easier treatment may already be gone,” Dr. Richards said.
Legacy Community Health’s message is not about fear. It is about opportunity. A check-up gives men a baseline, a roadmap, and a relationship with a healthcare provider who can help guide long-term wellness.
“Regular check-ups are vital, not just for catching problems early, but for building a baseline of health that can guide better long-term decisions,” Dr. Richards said.
Early action saves lives, protects families, and preserves futures. It also reduces the burden of chronic illness, especially in communities where access, culture, cost, and hesitation can keep men from getting timely care.
Alice Chen
Jun Lu & Shern-Min Chow
Bobby Stanton, Alice Chen, Zen Zheng & Linda Toyota
Steve, Linda, Matthew, GiGi & Fan
Photos By Linda Toyota
Houston's aviation future just gained a little more altitude — and a lot more horsepower.
Texas Southern University’s fast-rising aviation program has welcomed a brand-new 2026 Diamond DA42 twin-engine aircraft, a major milestone that further positions the historic HBCU as one of the nation’s most exciting places to train the next generation of pilots. The delivery marks another proud moment for TSU Aviation, which has been steadily building momentum through new aircraft, new partnerships, and a new home at the Houston Spaceport.
For students, this is not simply another airplane. It is a classroom in the sky — one equipped with modern technology, twin-engine performance, and the advanced systems needed to prepare future aviators for the real-world demands of commercial, corporate, cargo, and aerospace flight.
Dr. Terence Fontaine, Executive Director of Aviation at TSU, called the moment one of the program’s “pinnacle” achievements, noting that while the university has previously had twin-engine training capability, the new Diamond DA42 represents a major technological leap from its older 1980 Seneca II.
TEXAS SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY TAKES FLIGHT AGAIN WITH NEW TWIN-ENGINE DIAMOND DA42
By Francis Page, Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
And in aviation, a leap like this matters.
Multi-engine training is often the final major step before aspiring pilots earn the Airline Transport Pilot certificate, the credential that opens doors to careers with major airlines. By adding the DA42, TSU is giving its students access to training that is both industry-aligned and future-focused — the kind of experience that helps turn dreams into flight plans.
future aerospace engineering instruction.
The university also recently added a fleet of 12 Cirrus SR20 aircraft, strengthening its ability to train students on modern, safety-focused equipment. Together, the SR20 fleet and the new DA42 give TSU one of the most impressive collegiate aviation training platforms in the region.
The climb does not stop there. TSU Aviation has also entered elite pilot pathway partnerships, including programs with Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines, helping students connect classroom excellence with career opportunity.
This new arrival follows an already historic season for TSU Aviation. In April, the university celebrated the opening of its new aviation facility at Houston Spaceport, developed in partnership with the City of Houston and Houston Airports. The facility includes a 20,000-square-foot hangar, 4,500 square feet of classroom and office space, and supports TSU’s expanding aviation and
For Houston, this is more than a university headline. It is a workforce development story, an economic mobility story, and a representation story. In an industry where diversity has long lagged behind opportunity, Texas Southern University is building a runway for students who deserve not just a seat on the plane — but a place in the cockpit.
At Houston Style Magazine, we proudly salute TSU for continuing to prove that when investment meets vision, history takes flight. From the Third Ward to the Houston Spaceport, the message is clear: TSU Aviation is not waiting for the future. It is training it.
Erica Lee Carter - Featured Speaker
Nekketta Archie & Erica Lee Carter
Dalia Sherif & Sandra Teran
LaKeitha Jones & Ron Reynolds
LaKeitha Jones & Selena Garcia
Photos By Mark McDonald, Jr.
Andre Davinson & Bridget Johnson
On ninth annual Sin Muros: A Latinx Theater Festival will return to Houston this summer, bringing together playwrights, performers, artists and community members for four days celebrating Latinx stories and culture at The Gordy theater complex.
Hosted by Stages, the 2026 festival will take place June 11 through June 14 and will feature staged readings, workshops, live performances, poetry, dance and community events highlighting voices from across Texas' Latinx communities.
Festival organizers say Sin Muros was created to support both emerging and established Latinx playwrights by providing opportunities to hear their work performed live, collaborate with actors and directors, and continue developing new plays for future productions.
Over the years, the festival has become an important launching pad for new theatrical works. Stages recently reached a milestone when That Drive Thru Monterey by Matthew Paul Olmos became the first play developed through Sin Muros to receive a full mainstage production during the organization's 2025-2026 season.
This year's festival will showcase three featured staged readings. Caravan by Sumaya Zeidat follows a Mexican American teenager navigating family expectations and questions of identity. A Plausible History of
STAGES ANNOUNCES 2026 SIN MUROS LATINX THEATER FESTIVAL
By Lisa Valadez for www.StyleMagazine.com
the story of an
a
Who Now Knows Everything by Kathleen Culebro examines memory, grief and chaos in a village after a woman returns from death.
Programming begins Thursday evening with the annual El Estreno Puente Prize Reception, which honors individuals who have made lasting contributions to Houston's Latinx arts community. Honorees receive custom awards created by artist Joseph Blanchard. The reception will be followed by a staged reading of Caravan and poetry performances curated by Tintero Projects featuring poets Yeiry Guevara,
Salazar and Cynthia Plascencia.
Additional readings and discussions will continue throughout the weekend, including presentations of Dolores, Who Now Knows Everything and A Plausible History of Xicotencatl II, accompanied by poetry readings from Tintero Projects and Houston Youth Poet Laureate Kaviya Dhir.
Beyond theater, festival attendees can participate in workshops focused on both artistic and professional development. Saturday's programming includes a Financial Literacy in the Arts workshop led by CPA Kathy Ploch, while Sunday's playwriting workshop, "Building Worlds from Familiar Images and Places," will be led by playwright Jaymes Sanchez and
encourage participants to draw from their lived experiences to develop new stories.
The festival will also feature an arts market, local vendors, post-show discussions, live music and community partner performances. Dance showcases throughout the weekend will include appearances by Pilot Dance Project with Reposo and Salsa Congress closing out the festival during Sunday's closing ceremony.
Founded in 1978, Stages is one of Houston's largest nonprofit performing arts organizations, producing more than 400 performances annually at The Gordy.
Tickets for Sin Muros are now on sale. For tickets and more information, visit www. stageshouston.com.
Xicotencatl II by Jaymes Sanchez explores
Indigenous leader whose legacy becomes connected to
