Photo: Parkwood Entertainment
Tina Knowles-Lawson, mother of Beyoncé and Solange, who wrote an open letter this week urging the Senate to pass the HEROES Act to make voting more accessible. The letter is also signed by Tamika Palmer, the mother of Breonna Taylor, who was killed by Louisville, Kentucky, police in March.
The letter begins with: "We are mothers of Black sons daughters - some of whom have lost our children - and we have a vision for a new America."
(Houston Chronicle photo)
Jotina Buck just didn't wake up one day and shave off her hair.
It was a gradual process that, in a way, had been formulating since she was a little girl. The second-grade teacher at North Belt Elementary in Humble had always struggled with her hair, which was naturally "kinky" and deemed "bad," in certain societal constructs.
She had her first hair relaxer at age 5 and had been wearing hair extensions and weaves since the first grade.
"All I wanted was to go to school with straight hair, so as an adult investing in hair weaves and spending an absurd amount of money on hair was my validation," she said.
(Houston Chronicle photo)
The little boy held out five fingers as he tried to balance himself.
It was his first time on ice skates. He wobbled back and forth before finding a moment of steadiness.
"I'm 5. I never done this before," he blurted, then smiled widely at me, as if he had mastered a kindergarten life skill, like tying shoes.
"Thanks, lady. This is the best day of my life." Then he wobbled off in a hurry to take to the ice.
The boy was one of 60 area children who attended the #YearOfJoy Holiday Ice Skating Party at the ICE powered by Green Mountain Energy at Discovery Green last December.
My idea was to share the experience of ice skating, a sport I grew up competing in, with children who might never have the opportunity to try it. It also was my first effort to give back in a big way.