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Beyoncé Appears at Houston Celebration for Upcoming Knowles-Rowland House for Homeless

ABOVE: On Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, Beyoncé, third from left, attended a kickoff celebration for the forthcoming Knowles-Rowland House in Houston (Photo courtesy of Roscoe Whitworth/Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s Office) Before entertaining her hometown with a pair of sold-out concerts last weekend, one of the world’s biggest pop superstars took part in an event […]
The post Beyoncé Appears at Houston Celebration for Upcoming Knowles-Rowland House for Homeless first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

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ABOVE: On Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, Beyoncé, third from left, attended a kickoff celebration for the forthcoming Knowles-Rowland House in Houston (Photo courtesy of Roscoe Whitworth/Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s Office)

Before entertaining her hometown with a pair of sold-out concerts last weekend, one of the world’s biggest pop superstars took part in an event that illustrates her love for Houston and support for its most underprivileged residents.

Beyoncé, whose Renaissance World Tour made stops Saturday and Sunday at NRG Stadium, was in Midtown last Friday morning to celebrate a forthcoming housing development for the homeless that will bear her name and that of a former bandmate. The Knowles-Rowland House will provide permanent supportive housing to 31 people in a three-story, 21,000-square foot facility to be built on the campus of St. John’s Downtown Church – where the families of Beyoncé and fellow Destiny’s Child singer Kelly Rowland have long been congregants.

The $10.5 million construction project is being led by local nonprofits Bread of Life, which is connected to the church, and Temenos Community Development Corporation.

“That was exciting for all of us,” Monique Williams, the director of partnerships and development for Bread of Life, said of Beyoncé’s presence at the kickoff celebration event. “She’s a busy lady. She’s doing a couple of other things this weekend. For her to pause and just kind of return home and to be in this space with us and to hear again what more will be done and to see her legacy, I think it was wonderful for everyone to be in that space and share that with her.”

Pictured is an artist’s rendering of the Knowles-Rowland House, a housing development for Houston’s homeless that will be constructed on the campus of St. John’s Downtown Church. (Photo courtesy of Bread of Life)

Rowland and Beyoncé, whose last name is Knowles, previously helped fund the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, which opened in 1999 at the same location. It sustained damage during Hurricane Harvey in 2017 and from a fire in 2021, and has since been used for storage, according to Bread of Life.

The building is being repurposed into a housing development that will provide shelter for the homeless and a range of support services, including life and job skills training, transportation assistance and physical, mental and behavioral health support.

Harris County Commissioners Court in July authorized $7.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act funding for the project. The rest of the needed funding is being raised by Bread of Life, which was founded 31 years ago and provides hot meals to Houston’s needy, food and home goods distributions and educational and health-related services, along with operating a radio station.

Williams said the Knowles-Rowland House is expected to open before the end of 2024.

“This project will move Harris County closer to realizing its vision for a vibrant, inclusive region where everyone has the opportunity to thrive and a place to call home,” Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis said in a statement. “Access to safe and affordable housing is a fundamental human right and a need that cannot be addressed without increasing and preserving our affordable housing stock.”

Williams said she could not say whether Beyoncé herself – who earlier this year became the winningest musician in the history of the Grammy Awards – is contributing funding to the housing development that will be named partly after her and her family.

But Williams and Bread of Life are undoubtedly grateful for Beyoncé’s support and what she described as a surprise appearance at Friday’s kickoff celebration. Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles-Lawson, was also in attendance.

“Who ever expects Beyoncé to be anywhere? Everything’s always a surprise,” Williams said. “I think it was wonderful for everybody to be able to really kind of see her commitment to our work.”

Beyoncé, third from right, attends a kickoff celebration for the Knowles-Rowland House on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023 in Houston. (Photo courtesy of Roscoe Whitworth/Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s Office)

The post Beyoncé Appears at Houston Celebration for Upcoming Knowles-Rowland House for Homeless appeared first on Forward Times.

The post Beyoncé Appears at Houston Celebration for Upcoming Knowles-Rowland House for Homeless first appeared on BlackPressUSA.

Forward Times Staff

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Remembering George Floyd

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OP-ED: Oregon Bill Threatens the Future of Black Owned Newspapers and Community Journalism

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

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By Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis, Jr.
President and CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

For decades, The Skanner newspaper in Portland, the Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium have served Portland, Oregon’s Black community and others with a vital purpose: to inform, uplift and empower. But legislation now moving through the Oregon Legislature threatens these community news institutions—and others like them.

As President and CEO of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (NNPA), which represents more than 255 Black-owned media outlets across the United States—including historic publications like The Skanner, Portland Observer, and the Portland Medium—l believe that some Oregon lawmakers would do more harm than good for local journalism and community-owned publications they are hoping to protect.

Oregon Senate Bill 686 would require large digital platforms such as Google and Meta to pay for linking to news content. The goal is to bring desperately needed support to local newsrooms. However, the approach, while well-intentioned, puts smaller, community-based publications at a future severe financial risk.

We need to ask – will these payments paid by tech companies benefit the journalists and outlets that need them most? Nearly half of Oregon’s media outlets are now owned by national conglomerates with no lasting investment in local communities. According to an OPB analysis, Oregon has lost more than 90 news jobs (and counting) in the past five years. These were reporters, editors, and photographers covering school boards, investigating corruption, and telling community stories, until their jobs were cut by out-of-state corporations.

Legislation that sends money to these national conglomerate owners—without the right safeguards to protect independent and community-based outlets—rewards the forces that caused this inequitable crisis in the first place. A just and inclusive policy must guarantee that support flows to the front lines of local journalism and not to the boardrooms of large national media corporations.

The Black Press exists to fill in the gaps left by larger newsrooms. Our reporters are trusted messengers. Our outlets serve as forums for civic engagement, accountability and cultural pride. We also increasingly rely on our digital platforms to reach our audiences, especially younger generations—where they are.

We are fervently asking Oregon lawmakers to take a step back and engage in meaningful dialogue with those most affected: community publishers, small and independent outlets and the readers we serve. The Skanner, The Portland Observer, and The Portland Medium do not have national corporate parents or large investors. And they, like many smaller, community-trusted outlets, rely on traffic from search engines and social media to boost advertising revenue, drive subscriptions, and raise awareness.

Let’s work together to build a better future for Black-owned newspapers and community journalism that is fair, local,l and representative of all Oregonians.

Dr. Benjamin F. Chavis Jr., President & CEO, National Newspaper Publishers Association

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Hate and Chaos Rise in Trump’s America

BLACKPRESSUSA NEWSWIRE — Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains.

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By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

The Southern Poverty Law Center has identified 1,371 hate and antigovernment extremist groups operating across the United States in 2024. In its latest Year in Hate & Extremism report, the SPLC reveals how these groups are embedding themselves in politics and policymaking while targeting marginalized communities through intimidation, disinformation, and violence. “Extremists at all levels of government are using cruelty, chaos, and constant attacks on communities and our democracy to make us feel powerless,” said SPLC President Margaret Huang. The report outlines how hard-right groups aggressively targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives throughout 2024. Figures on the far right falsely framed DEI as a threat to white Americans, with some branding it a form of “white genocide.” After the collapse of Baltimore’s Francis Scott Key Bridge, a former Utah legislator blamed the incident on DEI, posting “DEI = DIE.”

Tactics ranged from local policy manipulation to threats of violence. The SPLC documented bomb threats at 60 polling places in Georgia, traced to Russian email domains. Similar threats hit Jewish institutions and Planet Fitness locations after far-right social media accounts attacked them for trans-inclusive policies. Telegram, which SPLC describes as a hub for hate groups, helped extremists cross-recruit between neo-Nazi, QAnon, and white nationalist spaces. The platform’s lax moderation allowed groups like the Terrorgram Collective—designated terrorists by the U.S. State Department—to thrive. Militia movements were also reorganized, with 50 groups documented in 2024. Many, calling themselves “minutemen,” trained in paramilitary tactics while lobbying local governments for official recognition. These groups shared personnel and ideology with white nationalist organizations.

The manosphere continued to radicalize boys and young men. The Fresh & Fit podcast, now listed as a hate group, promoted misogyny while mocking and attacking Black women. Manosphere influencers used social media algorithms to drive youth toward male-supremacy content. Turning Point USA played a key role in pushing white nationalist rhetoric into mainstream politics. Its leader Charlie Kirk claimed native-born Americans are being replaced by immigrants, while the group advised on Project 2025 and organized Trump campaign events. “We know that these groups build their power by threatening violence, capturing political parties and government, and infesting the mainstream discourse with conspiracy theories,” said Rachel Carroll Rivas, interim director of the SPLC’s Intelligence Project. “By exposing the players, tactics, and code words of the hard right, we hope to dismantle their mythology and inspire people to fight back.”

Click here for the full report or visit http://www.splcenter.org/resources/guides/year-hate-extremism-2024.

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