Houston Style Magazine SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 – SEPTEMBER 23, 2026
Houston’s Premiere Weekly Publication, Since 1989
Volume 37 | Number 38
Complimentary
H H H H Hispanic Heritage Month H H H H
Ben Jealous Ben & Jerry's Without The Ben & Jerry's Values
REV AL SHARPTON Joins Commissioner Rodney Ellis VOTER RIGHTS H CIVIC ENGAGEMENT By Francis Page Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
Burt Levine
FBISD Trustee – Shirley Rose Gilliam Gets Ready For Election
Houston City College Selected For Inaugural National Workforce Accelarator
DaCamera Launches Jazz Season With Joshua Redman
Crockett Says Supporting Plummer Benefits Talarico
Hispanic Heritage Month
N E W S | C O M M E N TA R I E S | S P O R T S | H E A LT H | E N T E R TA I N M E N T Supporting Small Owned Businesses
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September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
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Publisher Francis Page, Jr. fpagejr@stylemagazine.com Associate Publisher Lisa Valadez lisa@stylemagazine.com Social Media Editor/Videographer Reginald Dominique reggiedominique@me.com Graphic Design /Layout Editor Cameron C. Lee thisiscam6@gmail.com Political Editor Burt Levine texascampaigns@gmail.com Sports Editor Brian Barefield brian_barefield@yahoo.com Food & Wine Writer Monica Jones alexandriajack1991@gmail.com Entertainment Writer D'Nesha Bell / TotallyRandie Totallyrandie@gmail.com Career Columnist Nikki Miles ailormaderesumes2576@gmail.com NATIONAL WRITERS Ben Jealous info@benjealous.com PHOTOGRAPHERS Vicky Pink vhpink@gmail.com ADVERTISING/SALES advertising@stylemagazine.com Got community news? We want to hear from you! SEND: editorial@stylemagazine.com
MINORITY PRINT MEDIA, LLC, D.B.A. Houston Style Magazine & www.StyleMagazine.com Phone: (713) 748-6300 • Fax: (713) 748-6320 Mail: P.O. Box 14035, Houston, TX 77221-4035 ©2026 Houston Style Magazine, a Minority Print Media, L.L.C. Company. All Right Reserved. Reproduction in whole or within part without permission is prohibited. Houston Style Magazine has a 2021 Audit by Circulation Verification Council (CVC). Houston Style Magazine is a member of the Texas Publishers Association (TPA), Texas Community Newspaper Association (TCNA), National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), Independent Free Paper of America (IFPA), Association of Free Community Papers (AFCP) and Members of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP). National Association of Hispanic Publications, Inc. (NAHP, Inc.), Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce (HHCC), League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Latin Women’s Initiative (LWI), National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), Houston Association of Hispanic Media Professionals (HAHMP), National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ), and Supporters of Greater Houston Partnership(GHP)
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September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
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COMMENTARY
What is the Value of Ben & Jerry's without their Values? Jerry Greenfield quit a year ago this week, saying the company had been silenced. Now he and Ben are asking for our help. By Ben Jealous, National Political Commentator
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or almost as long as I can remember loving ice cream, I have loved Ben & Jerry's for its boldness. Bold flavors. Bold crunch. And most uniquely, for boldly standing up for the values that define America's highest aspirations: freedom, fairness, peace and love. If you feel like it is slipping toward becoming just another soulless corporate product, you are not alone. Prince lost control of his own name because a record company owned it. He fought for years and won it back. Ben and Jerry have their names on every pint, but they say illegal corporate decisions are gutting what those names stand for. What is the value of Ben & Jerry's without the values of Ben and of Jerry? Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield opened Ben & Jerry's in an old Vermont gas station in 1978. Jerry stayed 47 years. Then this time last year Jerry did the unthinkable and walked out, disappointed in where the company's new owners were taking his and Ben's namesake. He did not leave over money. Standing up for justice and our shared humanity, he wrote, has never mattered more than it does right now. And yet Ben & Jerry's had been "silenced, sidelined for fear of upsetting those in power." In 2000, Unilever offered more money than shareholders could refuse. They could not stop the sale. So they got key assurances in writing. The deal created an independent board with the last word on the social mission, the ice cream, and the name. Only those directors could remove one of their own. The parent company could not remove anyone. The lawyers said it would last in perpetuity. That is lawyer talk for forever. Forever lasted twenty-five years. In December 2025 Unilever spun its ice cream brands into a company called Magnum. By New Year's Day, every in-
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dependent director was gone. They had already gone to federal court. They said a Black History Month post was blocked. They said it could not name President Trump on wages, health care, and climate. They said it could not call for a ceasefire in Gaza. They said chief executive David Stever was pushed out for listening to them. Magnum, Ben says, has done this to "a brand that was built to speak." This summer Magnum cut the funding and took the offices of the Ben & Jerry's Foundation, which has backed grassroots justice work since 1985. It has announced it will close this December unless the lawsuit succeeds. Last month a judge threw out most of the directors' claims. Two survive, over money Unilever promised and never paid. Magnum calls that charge nonsensical. It says the brand is thriving and points to three new directors. Those directors, Ben says, "were added illegally." A board can be full of good people and still have no say.
September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
Frederick Douglass said it plain. "Power concedes nothing without a demand. It never did and it never will." A contract is only as strong as those who enforce it. I led the NAACP for half a decade. We asked big box chains to hire people coming home from prison. Most said no, worried about image. Walmart said yes. Its leadership said it was simply right. Executives told me the courage had been noticed. It was very good for business. The charge is that Magnum made the other choice. They ignored Jerry's warning, Ben says, and proved his point. Magnum is "on course to destroy the Ben & Jerry's brand." Ben is seventy-five and determined that the company bearing their names stay true to their values. He asks three things of us. He asks us to sign. More than 200,000 have signed at FreeBenAndJerrys.com, asking Magnum to sell to owners who will keep the promise and let it speak.
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He asks us to pledge. Not against Ben & Jerry's. He wants shoppers to skip Magnum's other brands: Breyers, Klondike, Talenti, Yasso. Keep buying the good stuff. Ben and Jerry "plan on eventually owning it." He asks us to organize. Supporters are forming brigades in Vermont. My family and I are Ben & Jerry's people. Its boldness made the bold flavors taste better. Magnum's heavy hand has added a bitterness to our favorite dessert that is hard to swallow. Recently we added our family to the petition and ordered stickers for the refrigerator door. We are always down to help good people get their names back. And when dad needs to eat his feelings, he does not need a corporation giving him indigestion. Ben Jealous is a professor of practice at the University of Pennsylvania and former president and CEO of the NAACP.
FBISD TRUSTEE SHIRLEY ROSE-GILLIAM GETS READY FOR GENERAL ELECTION
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or the Tuesday, November 3, 2026, General Election approaching, much of the political spotlight will naturally shine on statewide and congressional contests. But in Fort Bend County, one race much farther down the ballot will help determine decisions made much closer to home — inside classrooms, campuses and communities. Dr. Shirley Rose-Gilliam, the incumbent Fort Bend ISD Position 4 trustee and current Board Secretary, is seeking re-election in a six-candidate contest. FBISD’s official election listing shows Rose-Gilliam facing Robert Dombrowski, Rob Dominguez, Dan Mathews, Shirisha Mudhireddy and Eric Pursley. Positions 1 and 5 are also on the November ballot. For Rose-Gilliam, public education has been considerably more than a campaign talking point. The longtime Missouri City resident is a 30-year education veteran who spent 25 years serving Fort Bend ISD at Willowridge, Kempner, Elkins, Bush and Marshall high schools and McAuliffe Middle School. Both of her children graduated from FBISD schools, and she and her husband, Kevin, have lived in Fort Bend County since 1986. Her academic résumé includes a Bachelor of Science from the University
By Burt Levine, Political Editor for www.StyleMagazine.com
FBISD Trustee Shirley Rose Gilliam of Houston, a Master of Education from the University of Houston-Victoria and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Texas A&M University. She was a finalist for FBISD Secondary Teacher of the Year and was named FBISD Secondary Principal of the Year while serving at Bush High School.
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She continues working with Houston-area school districts as an educational consultant. Rose-Gilliam has described the influence of education on her own life in deeply personal terms. “I remember how one school and one teacher made a difference in my life by instilling a vision and dream in me.” That philosophy helped shape the motto associated with her educational work: “Believe in the Possibilities!” And the possibilities — as well as the challenges — are considerable. According to the Texas Education Agency’s latest 2025–26 reporting, Fort Bend ISD enrolls 78,062 students. Few Texas districts better illustrate the changing face of metropolitan Houston: students are approximately 28.4% Asian, 28.0% African American, 25.8% Hispanic and 12.9% White, with students of multiple and other racial backgrounds rounding out the enrollment. Nearly half of FBISD students are classified as economically disadvantaged. The district is simultaneously confronting demographic change and declining enrollment. Superintendent Dr. Marc Smith reported in May that an independent demographic study confirmed enrollment declines, making decisions involving facilities, staffing, resources and long-range
planning increasingly important. Those are precisely the kinds of issues that make school-board elections worth watching. FBISD’s seven trustees serve without compensation and are responsible for policy, oversight and support of the district. Members are elected by position to three-year terms. The Position 4 election therefore gives Fort Bend voters an opportunity to examine Rose-Gilliam’s record alongside the backgrounds and priorities of her five challengers. Houston Style Magazine readers democracy only works when voters make that examination — and then participate. Texas voters have until Monday, October 5, 2026, to register for the November election. Early voting runs October 19 through October 30, and Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, when polls are scheduled to be open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. U.S. Senate and statewide races may command the television commercials, but when Fort Bend families reach the school-board section of their ballots, they will be making decisions about leadership that reaches all the way to the classroom door. That makes the bottom of the ballot anything but an afterthought.
September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
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3 Things We Learned From the First Two Episodes of HBO’s ‘JAŸ-Z in 8’ Docuseries By Reginald Dominique for www.StyleMagazine.com
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hirty years after Reasonable Doubt introduced Shawn “JAŸ-Z” Carter to the world—and 25 years after The Blueprint cemented his place among hip-hop’s elite—Hov is doing something increasingly rare: slowing down long enough to explain himself. Houston Style Magazine – ‘Keeps It Real’ as First Seen in VIBE Magazine HBO’s eight-part JAŸ-Z IN 8, directed by legendary producer Rick Rubin, premieres Friday, September 18, with its first two chapters airing back-to-back on HBO and streaming simultaneously on HBO Max. Two new episodes arrive each Friday through October 9. The series uses classics including “Can’t Knock the Hustle,” “Brooklyn’s Finest,” “Meet the Parents” and “What More Can I Say” as doorways into Carter’s childhood, creativity and evolution. The timing could hardly be better. JAŸ-Z has spent 2026 celebrating three decades of Reasonable Doubt, and just this week the documentary received a star-powered premiere at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. For longtime listeners, the first two episodes feel less like a documentary and more like being invited into the studio after everybody else went home. Here are three things that stood out. 1. JAŸ-Z Never Really Wanted to Be Famous Imagine creating one of hip-hop’s defining debut albums—and thinking that would be your exit. JAŸ-Z explains that his original plan was essentially to record Reasonable Doubt,
ahead.
Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter and Rick Rubin establish Roc-A-Fella Records and move behind the curtain as an executive. Stardom was not the dream. The revelation reframes his entire career. The man who would become a stadium-filling performer, billionaire entrepreneur and cultural institution considered himself naturally introverted and uncomfortable with interviews, videos and celebrity obligations. That may also explain part of his mystique. Hov rarely appeared desperate for attention. The music did the talking. And three decades later, it is still talking loudly. 2. He Understood Early That Every Rap Battle Wasn’t His Battle One of the most revealing moments
concerns “Brooklyn’s Finest,” JAŸ-Z’s legendary collaboration with The Notorious B.I.G. During the height of East CoastWest Coast tensions, Biggie reportedly recorded an additional provocative reference aimed toward California. JAŸ-Z asked him to remove it. That decision looks even more significant through history’s rearview mirror. Rather than inserting himself into an increasingly dangerous rivalry, Carter recognized a line between competition and conflict. Hip-hop has always celebrated lyrical warfare, but wisdom sometimes means knowing which fight not to join. It is a fascinating reminder that even young Hov was thinking several moves
3. The Secret Sauce Is Controlled Imperfection JAŸ-Z’s famous ability to compose lyrics mentally without writing them down is already rap folklore. JAŸ-Z IN 8 goes deeper. He describes a “free play” studio process in which he would enter the booth, let the track roll and unload melodies, phrases, concepts and rhymes until something connected. Music—especially strings—could steer him toward darker, more introspective storytelling. That instinct extends to performing. JAŸ-Z admits he does not like becoming too rehearsed. A little uncertainty keeps him alert, present and emotionally inside the song rather than simply reciting it. The documentary also finds him reconsidering decisions surrounding The Black Album—from its retirement narrative to sequencing and single choices. That willingness to critique even celebrated work may be the biggest lesson of all. Greatness, apparently, does not mean believing you got everything right. For hip-hop fans who grew up studying every bar, JAŸ-Z IN 8 offers something better than nostalgia. It gives context. And when Hov finally starts explaining the hustle, you listen. HBO confirms the first two episodes premiere Friday, September 18 at 8 p.m. ET/7 p.m. CT, with two episodes each Friday through October 9.
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“Can’t Knock the Hustle,” “Brooklyn’s Finest,” “Meet the Parents” and “What More Can I Say” …Doorways into Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter’s Childhood, Creativity and Evolution
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September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
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JASMINE CROCKETT SAYS SUPPORTING LETITIA PLUMMER WILL BENEFIT JAMES TALARICO By Francis Page Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
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emocracy has always worked best when voters understand that the biggest name on the ballot is not the only name that matters. U.S. Rep. Jasmine Crockett is now putting that principle into action by supporting Dr. Letitia Plummer, the Democratic nominee for Harris County judge—and political experts say the alliance could also benefit Democratic U.S. Senate nominee James Talarico. According to the Houston Chronicle, Crockett has pledged to use her political influence to elevate Democratic candidates in less-publicized down-ballot contests. Plummer is among a newly announced group of Black women running for county judge whom Crockett plans to support during the November campaign. That endorsement matters because Harris County is not merely another blue dot on the Texas political map. It is one of the state’s largest concentrations of Democratic voters and home to a diverse electorate capable of influencing races far beyond county government. When Harris County turns out, Texas takes notice—and sometimes grabs a calculator. Crockett has said she does not intend to campaign directly for Talarico, her former Democratic Senate primary opponent. Yet politics occasionally produces an interesting plot twist: helping Plummer attract Black voters, women, young adults
Dr. Letitia Plummer
Jasmine Crockett
and previously disengaged residents could strengthen the entire Democratic ticket, including Talarico’s campaign against Republican Ken Paxton. Michael Adams, a political scientist at Texas Southern University, described the strategy as “reverse political coattails.” Rather than depending solely upon a statewide candidate to pull local candi-
dates across the finish line, a compelling county candidate can generate enthusiasm from the community upward. That is where Plummer’s candidacy becomes especially significant. A dentist, businesswoman and former Houston City Council member, Plummer represents the kind of public-service journey familiar to many Houston families:
professional accomplishment combined with neighborhood-level advocacy. Her campaign speaks to residents concerned about public safety, county finances, healthcare, infrastructure, government transparency and the everyday question voters ask most often: Is anybody at the table listening to us? Crockett brings something equally valuable—an unmistakable ability to command attention. During her Senate primary campaign, she built enthusiasm through church visits, neighborhood gatherings, community conversations and appearances in places where traditional statewide campaigns do not always venture. Her political style is direct, energetic and rarely mistaken for a lullaby. University of Houston political science lecturer Nancy Sims told the Chronicle that Crockett’s impact will depend on translating endorsements into genuine grassroots activity. Photographs, mailers and social-media graphics can introduce the partnership, but sustained appearances in churches, clubs, civic organizations and neighborhoods will be needed to convert excitement into votes.
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September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
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COMMISSIONERS PRESTAGE AND MCCOY CALL OUT ALLEGED CORRUPTION DURING CRITICAL COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING By Lisa Valadez for www.StyleMagazine.com
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ort Bend County’s months-long courthouse showdown reached another defining moment Thursday as Commissioners Grady Prestage and Dexter L. McCoy returned to Commissioners Court for a consequential tax-rate vote — but not before joining state lawmakers at a morning press conference questioning Daniel Wong’s continued leadership and demanding greater transparency and accountability in county government. The return mattered. Texas law required at least four commissioners to be present for the tax-rate action, and Thursday’s motion ultimately passed 4-0. ABC13 reported that county officials warned failure to approve a rate could jeopardize millions of dollars supporting employee compensation, roads, parks and other services. But getting four votes into one courtroom did not end the larger argument over who belongs in the county judge’s chair. Wong was temporarily appointed county judge in April following the suspension of K.P. George. After the civil proceeding connected to Wong’s appointment was nonsuited June 17, County Attorney Bridgette Smith-Lawson concluded that Wong’s temporary authority had ended. Wong disagreed, maintaining that his appointment continues until a lawful successor qualifies. The disagreement subsequently moved into court. Importantly, that legal dispute remains unresolved on its ultimate merits. During an August proceeding, Judge Edward Krenek indicated Wong could continue
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Grady Prestage, Borris Miles, Ron Reynolds and Dexter McCoy functioning as county judge while the quo warranto litigation proceeds; the hearing did not constitute a final determination that Wong ultimately has the lawful right to the office. Fort Bend County’s official website currently lists Wong as county judge. That distinction has not quieted McCoy and Prestage. The commissioners argue that decisions made under Wong’s leadership have moved beyond a disagreement over one office and into questions about the independence of county institutions. Their criticism intensified after an August 27
September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
Commissioners Court meeting in which Wong and Republican Commissioners Vincent Morales and Andy Meyers voted 3-0 to fund five associate judges for FY2027, ending funding for three additional positions after December 31, and to establish a separate civil legal department under Commissioners Court. Critics — including judges and County Attorney Smith-Lawson — warned those actions could create heavier court dockets, delays in family-law matters and diminished independence for the elected County Attorney’s Office. Supporters of
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the restructuring argued during the public meeting that Commissioners Court needed independent non-litigation legal advice and tighter fiscal accountability. The associate-judge controversy may still evolve: reports this week indicate Wong and representatives of Fort Bend’s judges were discussing a possible agreement to restore the three positions subject to performance measures. For McCoy, the broader pattern amounts to what he has repeatedly described as a “hostile takeover” of county government — language he has used publicly while campaigning on transparency and preservation of county services. Thursday therefore became more than another partisan courthouse collision. It offered Fort Bend residents a front-row civics lesson: democratic government depends not merely on winning votes, but on clearly defined authority, independent institutions, transparent budgeting and public officials willing to have their decisions examined. Those stakes are particularly significant in a county approaching the one-million-resident mark. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated Fort Bend’s population at 975,191 in 2025, up 18.3 percent from its 2020 estimates base. In a county growing that quickly, political drama may grab the microphone — but functioning courts, accountable spending and public confidence must ultimately command the room.
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September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
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Harris County Clerk’s Office Puts Voting Equipment to the Test Ahead of the Tuesday, November 3rd General Elections By Francis Page, Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
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ong before Harris County voters walk into a Vote Center and make their selections this fall, election workers are putting the machinery of democracy through a dress rehearsal of its own. The Harris County Clerk’s Office began Logic and Accuracy testing on Tuesday, September 15, ahead of the November 3, 2026 General and Special Elections. The testing is designed to verify that electronic voting equipment properly displays ballots, records voter selections and accurately tabulates predetermined test results. Texas law requires logic and accuracy testing before electronic voting systems are used in an election. The scale is unmistakably Harris County-sized. Local reporting from the Election Headquarters on September 16 said officials expect to test more than 10,000 pieces of voting equipment before they are distributed to more than 600 voting locations. Workers use preset test ballots with known outcomes, allowing election personnel to compare what the machines record against what the results are supposed to be. It is technical work, but its purpose is easy to understand: test before voters arrive. Harris County Clerk Teneshia Hudspeth, whose office resumed responsibility for administering county elections in 2023, has described L&A testing as an important com-
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TENESHIA HUDSPETH - Harris County Clerk & Chief Election Officer ponent of election transparency and accuracy. Representatives associated with both major political parties participate in or observe portions of the testing process, providing another layer of review. The Clerk’s official website lists the 2026 Logic and Accuracy testing announcement
September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
among its current election communications. The testing also comes at an important point on the election calendar. Federal, state and local contests will appear on ballots for the November election, and Harris County voters will soon be able to review their individual ballot in-
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formation through the county’s election website. Early voting begins Monday, October 19, and runs through Friday, October 30. Harris County Vote Centers will generally operate from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., except Sunday, October 25, when hours are noon to 7 p.m. Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, with Vote Centers open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. For voters eligible to vote by mail, applications must be received—not merely postmarked—by Friday, October 23. Texas eligibility includes voters who are 65 or older, meet the statutory sickness or disability standard, will be outside their county during the applicable voting period, expect to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day, or meet certain confinement requirements. Texas also identifies seven primary acceptable forms of photo identification for in-person voting. Voters who cannot reasonably obtain one may have additional options using supporting identification and a Reasonable Impediment Declaration. For Harris County voters, the smartest equipment in the building still has one job: correctly record the choices made by the people standing in front of it. For sample ballots, Vote Center information, voting-by-mail guidance and election updates, visit: HarrisVotes.com and follow on Social @HarrisVotes
LEGACY COMMUNITY HEALTH TAKES PHARMACY BEYOND THE COUNTER WITH ‘PHARMACY WITHOUT BORDERS’
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neighborhood pharmacy can be much more than the place where prescriptions are picked up. At Legacy Community Health, pharmacists are becoming educators, advocates and accessible health partners — helping Houston-area families better understand their medications, manage chronic conditions and protect their health. At the center of that work is Pharmacy Without Borders, Legacy Pharmacy’s approach to expanding access, improving health outcomes and bringing pharmacy services closer to the communities that need them. Just as important for Houston Style Magazine readers: Legacy Pharmacy is a community pharmacy that serves everyone — not only Legacy medical patients. Community members can use Legacy Pharmacy regardless of where they receive their healthcare. Patients may transfer prescriptions from other pharmacies or medical providers, receive immunizations and access pharmacy-support programs without first becoming a Legacy medical patient. That open-door philosophy is helping redefine what the neighborhood pharmacist can mean to a community. “At Legacy, pharmacy is more than dispensing medication. We are committed to expanding access to innovative pharmacy services that improve health outcomes and create healthier communities,” said La Vonia Cannon,
By Francis Page Jr., for www.StyleMagazine.com
Senior Vice President of Pharmacy & Financial Support at Legacy Community Health. Legacy pharmacists provide medication counseling and management, chronic-disease support, immunizations, medication reconciliation and patient education. Clinical pharmacy programs also support patients managing diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol and weight concerns. That commitment recently earned statewide recognition. Legacy Pharmacy received the 2026 Texas Pharmacy Association Excellence in Patient Outcomes Award, recognizing pharmacy programs that demonstrate excellence in improving patient outcomes through innovative, patient-centered care. The honor reflects Legacy’s focus on medication management, education, care coordination and expanding pharmacy access. Ready for Flu Season Legacy Pharmacy also provides immunizations, including seasonal flu shots, offering
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individuals and families another convenient way to protect themselves during flu season. Community pharmacies can play an important preventive-health role by making vaccinations easier to access. Legacy pharmacists also help patients understand recommended vaccines and preventive-care options for themselves and their families. Pharmacy Without Borders For Cannon, expanding pharmacy care goes directly to Legacy’s broader mission. “We are redefining what’s possible by expanding access to pharmacy services and bringing care closer to the communities that depend on us. Pharmacy Without Borders is our commitment to ensuring that geography, access, and affordability are no longer barriers to better health.” Legacy also offers conveniences designed to remove practical barriers. Pharmacy services include free prescription delivery up to 70 miles, statewide prescription shipping,
medication labels in more than 120 languages and assistance with insurance, medication costs and copay-support programs. And Legacy’s pharmacy footprint is still growing. A new pharmacy is planned for the Legacy Pasadena Southmore Clinic and is anticipated to open before the end of 2026, although an exact opening date has not been announced. Legacy is also planning a pharmacy at its new Legacy Acres Homes Clinic, currently anticipated to open in early 2027. “Pharmacy Without Borders means meeting patients where they are and reimagining how pharmacy services can improve health outcomes and transform communities,” Cannon said. Three Houston Legacy Pharmacy Locations
Legacy Pharmacy – Lyons 3811 Lyons Ave., Houston, TX 77020 • Call: (713) 366-7400
Legacy Pharmacy – Montrose 1415 California St., Houston, TX 77006 • Call: (713) 665-8800
Legacy Pharmacy – Sharpstown 6441 High Star Dr., Suite 100, Houston, TX 77074 • Call: (713) 814-3499
More Information at:
www.LegacyCommunity Health.org
September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
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TEXAS DEMOCRATS COUNTER GOP MIDTERM CONVENTION WITH DALLAS EVENTS, VOTER OUTREACH By Francis Page, Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
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s Republicans gathered in Dallas last week for the party's first-ever midterm convention, Texas Democrats held a series of events across North Texas focused on voting access, the economy, health care, public education and voter registration. The Republican National Committee held its inaugural midterm convention Sept. 9-10 at the American Airlines Center and featured President Donald Trump and other Republican leaders. Texas Democrats organized counterprogramming that included a formal news conference featuring Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker and other Democratic officials and candidates. Pritzker raised concerns about voting access and pointed to Tarrant County, where commissioners recently approved a reduction of 92 polling locations. Tarrant County commissioners voted 3-2 to approve 224 Election Day polling locations for the November election, 92 fewer than the 316 locations used during the 2022 midterms. The county also reduced early voting locations from 50 to 47. The three Republican commissioners supported the plan, while the two Democratic commissioners opposed it. Pritzker also criticized changes being pursued by the Trump administration involving mail-in voting and the U.S. Postal Service. Those concerns come as the administration faces legal challenges over new proposed requirements for mail ballots. President Trump issued an executive order directing the Postal Service to establish new procedures involving mail-in and absentee ballots. Federal judges have since blocked implementation of the rules while the legal challenges proceed.
Democrats Focus on Economic Concerns Texas Rep. Gene Wu, the Democratic minority leader in the Texas House, also criticized the Republican gathering, describing the first-ever midterm convention as unusual and questioning the decision to hold a large political event while many Americans are dealing with economic pressures. Wu contrasted the convention's high-profile celebrations filled with “champagne and caviar” with the financial challenges facing families struggling to afford food and other basic necessities. Houston City Controller Chris Hollins similarly focused on the economic concerns facing Texans and Americans, citing the cost of basic necessities and concerns about public education.
The Democratic speakers argued that the political debate should focus on issues such as affordability, education, health care and economic security. The Democratic National Committee described the Dallas press conference as an effort to highlight what party leaders characterized as the economic pressures facing working families and to present an alternative agenda focused on lowering costs and improving affordability. Voter Registration Effort at UTA Not too far away from the convention site, former U.S. Rep. Beto O'Rourke was at the University of Texas at Arlington with his Powered by People organization, working with students on voter registration and voter eligibil-
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September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
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ity. Students lined up to meet with O'Rourke. The effort included checking voter registration status and helping eligible students whose registrations were listed as being on suspense take steps to return their registration to active status. O'Rourke described the voter-registration effort as a form of counterprogramming to the Republican convention, emphasizing direct outreach to young voters rather than participation in the convention’s celebration of a “cult leader”. Democratic Candidates Present Alternative Message Vikki Goodwin, the Democratic nominee for lieutenant governor, was also among the Democratic candidates participating in the Dallas events. Goodwin said Republicans were holding the first-ever midterm convention while Texas families continue to face everyday challenges. She said her campaign is focused on listening to working families and addressing their concerns. The Texas Democratic Party's formal Dallas event also included statewide Democratic nominees Nathan Johnson for attorney general, Sara Eckhardt for comptroller, Clayton Tucker for agricultural commissioner and Jon Rosenthal for railroad commissioner. The Democratic Party's Dallas activities provided a direct contrast to the Republican convention taking place nearby, with Democratic officials and candidates emphasizing voter participation, economic concerns and issues affecting working families. The competing events came as the 2026 election enters its final weeks, with both parties working to mobilize voters ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
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HOUSTON CITY COLLEGE Selected for Inaugural 'National Workforce Futures Accelerator’
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ouston has never been shy about building the future. From energy and medicine to aerospace, artificial intelligence and advanced manufacturing, this city likes its innovation supersized. Now, Houston City College is bringing that same ambition directly into the classroom. Houston City College has been selected for the inaugural Workforce Futures Accelerator, a three-year national initiative led by the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) with support from Google.org. HCC joins a select cohort of 15 community colleges from across the country working to rethink how students gain something employers consistently ask for: real-world experience before graduation. That last part matters. Traditional education can teach students what they need to know. The Workforce Futures Accelerator is designed to give them opportunities to demonstrate what they can actually do. Through the initiative, HCC will identify two workforce programs where virtual, employer-sponsored projects can be incorporated directly into coursework. Students will tackle genuine business challenges, develop portfolios, make professional connections and gain career experience without necessarily having to
By Francis Page Jr. for www.StyleMagazine.com
squeeze a traditional internship around jobs, childcare, transportation and other responsibilities. For community-college students, that flexibility can be a game changer. “Participation by HCC will strengthen how we provide students with career-connected learning experiences that complement their classroom education and align with the needs of employers,” said HCC Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D., emphasizing the College’s focus on “future forward” strategies. And “future forward” is increasingly becoming HCC’s calling card. The Accelerator complements a rapidly expanding HCC workforce ecosystem. The College recently received a $103,000 investment from NRG Energy to expand apprenticeship pathways in instru-
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mentation and controls for the Texas energy workforce. HCC also has strengthened its partnership with Space Center Houston, connecting students to opportunities involving artificial intelligence, robotics, aerospace and emerging technologies. HCC now serves more than 100,000 students annually, giving initiatives like these potential impact at true Houston scale. Google.org Helps Bring Employers Into the Classroom The Google.org-supported Accelerator tackles a persistent workforce-development paradox: employers want experienced workers, but students often need employers to give them an opportunity before they can gain that experience. Consider that résumé riddle officially challenged. ACCT is partnering with Riipen,
an experiential-learning platform connecting students and educators with employer projects, while Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Center for Project-Based Learning will help participating faculty incorporate project-based learning strategies into workforce curricula. That combination gives the initiative importance far beyond one classroom or one graduating class. Lessons developed by participating colleges are expected to help create publicly available tools, templates and implementation practices that other community colleges can eventually use. HCC Board of Trustees Chair Eva Loredo called Houston City College a leader in creating opportunities for the region and welcomed the partnership with ACCT and Google.org. HCC Trustee Pretta VanDible Stallworth, Ph.D., chair-elect of the ACCT Board of Directors, similarly connected the initiative to HCC’s mission of providing affordable education, workforce training and pathways toward economic security.
Read More at: www.HCCS.edu
September 17, 2026 – September 23, 2026
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Houston’s Paul Cornish Comes Home Swinging as DACAMERA Launches Jazz Season with Joshua Redman By Reginald Dominique for www.StyleMagazine.com
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ouston, has never been shy about producing musicians who leave home, conquer bigger stages and eventually return carrying a little more musical thunder in their luggage. On Saturday, October 17, 2026, DACAMERA opens its 2026–27 Jazz Series with saxophone giant Joshua Redman at the Cullen Theater inside Wortham Theater Center. But Houston audiences have an especially good reason to lean forward when the lights come down: seated at the piano will be Paul Cornish, the Houston-born, Kinder HSPVA-trained pianist whose rapidly rising career now places him squarely in Blue Note Records’ next generation of jazz innovators. Cornish joins Redman, bassist Philip Norris and drummer Nazir Ebo in the working quartet introduced on Redman’s latest Blue Note album, Words Fall Short. Released in June 2025, the recording grew organically from months of touring together and features eight Redman originals shaped by improvisation, conversation and the kind of musical trust that cannot be manufactured in rehearsal. Redman knows something about longevity. The Recording Academy lists him with 10 Grammy nominations, and DACAMERA audiences already know him from previous Houston appearances, including projects with his Still Dreaming Quartet, 3×3 Trio and his where are we ensemble. Translation: this is not a first date between Redman and Houston. It is a continuing musical relationship. Yet Cornish gives this return en-
Joshua Redman, Paul Cornish, Philip Norris, and Nazir Ebo gagement its unmistakable H-Town splash. Born and raised in Houston, Cornish studied at HSPVA before earning a full fellowship at UCLA’s Herbie Hancock Institute of Jazz. He became a finalist in both the 2023 American Pianists Awards and the Herbie Hancock International Jazz Piano Competition and has performed with artists ranging from Redman and Terrace Martin to HAIM and Louis Cole. His story also extends one of Houston jazz’s proudest traditions. Blue Note places Cornish in the same HSPVA lineage that includes Jason Moran, Robert Glasper, Kendrick Scott, Chris Dave, Walter
Smith III and James Francies. His own Blue Note debut, You’re Exaggerating! arrived in 2025, confirming what Houston jazz lovers already suspected: another hometown pianist has joined the international conversation. Houston Style Magazine readers, before the 8 p.m. concert, DACAMERA plans to turn downtown into something of a sophisticated jazz crawl with its Fall Jazz Kickoff Party at 6:30 p.m. at Lynn Wyatt Square, directly across from the Wortham. Cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, live music and jazzy attire set the mood before guests walk across the street for the main event. Lynn
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“A composer-performer who isn’t content to merely rest on laurels, but instead seeks out fresh quartet voices and harmonic dialogues.”
JOSHUA REDMAN QUARTET
DACAMERA JAZZ
Wyatt Square sits at 600 Louisiana Street, making the evening conveniently parkonce-and-swing-twice. Concert tickets are currently listed at $60.50–$101, with the Joshua Redman Quartet beginning at 8 p.m. For Houston, Saturday, October 17 will be more than a jazz concert. It will be a reminder that our city does not simply welcome world-class jazz. Houston helps make it.
— The Jazz Word
Saturday, October 17 | 8:00 PM CULLEN THEATER, WORTHAM THEATER CENTER
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Latina Artists Bring ART and OPPORTUNITY Back To Houston Neighborhoods By Lisa Valadez for www.StyleMagazine.com
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n Houston, Hispanic Heritage Month is not simply a celebration marked on the calendar — it is a living, breathing expression of culture, history and community. For the second week during Hispanic Heritage Month, Houston Style Magazine Associate Publisher – Lisa Valadez is spotlighting the artists, organizations, traditions and cultural voices helping shape Houston’s vibrant Hispanic and Latino identity. During Hispanic Heritage Month, the work of two Latina artists is highlighting how neighborhood-rooted art can create access, belonging and a stronger sense of place across Houston. Claudia Cepeda Ortega and Roni Cabrera grew up in Houston-area neighborhoods where arts opportunities could feel far away. Their experiences shaped their understanding of what it means when creativity, representation and opportunity seem more accessible some-
where else. Today, both artists are working to change that experience for the next generation. Through community design, Spanish-language theater, public art and a mobile art studio, Cepeda and Cabrera are creating opportunities for Houstonians to experience and shape art in their own neighborhoods while seeing their histories, families and cultures reflected in Houston’s creative life. Their work reflects a broader movement supported by Houston in Color, which strengthens artists and cultural organizations preserving and advancing Houston’s diverse cultural traditions. From Wanting to Leave to Reimagining Home Cepeda was born in Mexico and moved with her family to the Cloverleaf/Galena Park area in 1992. Growing up, she remembers her community as having limited resources and opportunities for youth. She also grew up with the idea that success might eventually mean leaving for a better neighborhood. That perspective changed over time. While studying architecture at the University of Houston, Cepeda discovered community design and began exploring how creativity could strengthen neighborhood identity and pride. Through Spanish-language theater with Grupo de Teatro Somos Todos, Cepeda has performed in productions addressing issues affecting Latino families. Following one performance about domestic violence, a teenager told her she had seen her own life reflected onstage
and sought information about available support. The experience reinforced the importance of representation and the ways people can connect with art when they recognize themselves and their experiences within it. That idea also shaped CRATE Houston, the collaborative Cepeda helped form in 2020. Its first project took her to Eastex Jensen, where residents across generations shared stories about the neighborhood’s history and hopes for its future. For Cepeda, community members are an essential part of telling the stories that shape their neighborhoods. Bringing Art to Eastex Jensen Cabrera grew up in Eastex Jensen, an experience that now informs her work through Art in the Heart. Her focus is on removing barriers that can prevent families from participating in the arts. Those barriers can include transportation, cost, language and simply not feeling that an arts space was created with them in mind. That led Cabrera to consider how arts organizations could bring creative opportunities directly into neighborhoods rather than requiring families to travel to them. The result was the Art Bus, a mobile arts space designed to provide free creative experiences directly in Houston communities. For more than a year, Art in the Heart has been working toward a renovated version of the Art Bus to better serve Eastex Jensen, District H, Precinct 2 and other communities across Houston. Ten years ago, the new bus was
shaped with community input. Cabrera and the Art in the Heart team held listening sessions with neighborhood residents, officials and people who benefited from the original Art Bus to understand what they wanted from a mobile arts space. The result is designed not simply to bring art into a neighborhood, but to reflect the people it serves. Children, parents, grandparents and neighbors are encouraged to create together. The community-based listening process earned Art in the Heart a national $100,000 recognition. Art in the Heart will unveil the new Art Bus during a Grand Reveal on September 19 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Art House, 3405 Turner Dr., Houston, TX 77093. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at 11 a.m. During Hispanic Heritage Month, the work of Cepeda and Cabrera also offers a local connection to the ways heritage is carried through language, family memory, neighborhood stories, visual traditions and the spaces people create together. For both artists, the goal extends beyond bringing more art into Houston neighborhoods. It is about helping children growing up in places such as Cloverleaf, Galena Park and Eastex Jensen see creativity, belonging and possibility within the communities they already call home. For Houston Style Magazine readers, Hispanic Heritage Month is an opportunity not only to celebrate culture, but to experience the artists, traditions and community voices helping shape the city throughout the year. Read more at
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