Christian Menefee to run for late Congressman Sylvester Turner’s CD-18 Seat
After I heard that Christian Menefee was stepping down as Harris County Legal professional to run for the late Congressman Sylvester Turner’s seat, my first thought was: Who else is operating?
I’ve been questioning who would step as much as fill this function, and whereas I respect Menefee’s management, I can’t assist however hope for extra younger, vibrant candidates to enter the race. We want contemporary faces with new concepts—individuals who perceive the urgency of this second and have the grit to combat for actual change.
Along with Menefee, former Jackson Lee staffer Isaiah Martin and former Metropolis Council member Amanda Edwards, who has twice ran for the 18th Congressional seat, have each introduced their candidacy to exchange Turner.
Texas’ 18th Congressional District has been hit laborious with loss. In lower than a 12 months, we’ve misplaced not one however two sitting members of Congress. Sheila Jackson Lee, who held this seat for practically three a long time, handed away final July. Simply two months into succeeding her, Turner—who had already left an indelible mark as Houston’s mayor—died all of a sudden in March. That’s a heavy blow for the practically 800,000 individuals throughout downtown, Acres Houses, Third Ward, and past who relied on their management.
Turner’s legacy is simple, however legacies shouldn’t simply be preserved—they need to encourage the following wave of management.
Anthony Mackie’s dialogue on masculinity goes viral
After I first heard Captain America star Anthony Mackie’s feedback about elevating his sons to be “actual males,” I braced myself for the backlash. Anytime a Black man talks about masculinity in at the moment’s local weather, individuals get defensive. However actually? I understood precisely the place he was coming from.
In a latest interview on The Pivot podcast, Mackie expressed issues over diminishing conventional male roles and his dedication to elevating his sons as “younger males” who embody respect and duty.
Mackie wasn’t attacking anybody—he was merely talking on what it means to him to be a gift, intentional father. And as somebody who values construction and self-discipline, I respect that. Instructing his sons to say “sure sir, no ma’am,” to open doorways, and to deal with their mom—these aren’t outdated beliefs. That’s instilling pleasure, accountability and duty in younger Black boys in a world that usually tries to strip them of it.
Sure, masculinity has developed, and sure, we should always permit area for individuals to outline it of their methods. Society continuously tells Black males they’re both too smooth or too aggressive—too weak or too threatening. It’s exhausting.
Shedding music Icons: Angie Stone, Dwayne Wiggins, Roberta Flack
The latest deaths of music icons Dwayne Wiggins, Roberta Flack and Angie Stone really feel like shedding items of my very own life’s soundtrack. These aren’t simply artists; they’re the voices that carried us by means of heartbreak, love, pleasure and each difficult feeling in between.
Dwayne Wiggins, with Tony! Toni! Toné!, gave us music that felt like household cookouts, first loves and Sunday rides with the home windows down. His guitar work and manufacturing formed R&B in methods we nonetheless profit from at the moment. It’s laborious to think about that sound with out him.
Roberta Flack gave us R&B, soul and ballads. From The Nearer I Get to You to Killing Me Softly, she’s had the flexibility to strip a tune all the way down to its rawest type and nonetheless make it really feel wealthy and full.
And Angie Stone? She made us really feel soul music in a approach that wasn’t flashy however deeply felt. Songs like No Extra Rain and I Wanna Thank You at all times gave me nostalgic vibes.
We’re watching generational expertise slip away, and it hurts. On this popcorn technology, it’s laborious for younger people to know the magnitude of “old skool” musicians like them.
