Lone Star State revealed that approximately six of every seven law enforcement agencies searched African American and Latino motorists more than whites, following a traffic stop. The Houston Police Department was more than three times as likely to search black motorists. Although it was one of the first departments in the country and state to adopt data collection, the findings demonstrate that Houston police have lots of work left to do.
Survey respondents may be mulling over the quality of Houston’s public schools, but the city’s black high school graduation rate of 77.5% and black college graduation rate of 18.4% are above the national averages. Houston’s first lady, Andrea White, wife of Mayor Bill White, oversees a foundation that has raised $70 million from wealthy donors and corporations to support Houston’s public schools. —T.R.W.
Main Industries
Energy, petroleum, aerospace, manufacturing, technology, tourism, and conventions
Landmarks
Buffalo Soldiers National Museum; Ensemble Theatre
Annual Events
Juneteenth Celebration, “Independence Day” for Texans of African descent
B.E. Industrial/Service 100 Companies
CAMAC International Inc., Total Premier Services Inc., ChaseCom L.P.
Top Black Officials
Sheila Jackson Lee, U.S. Rep.; Harold L. Hurt, police chief; El Franco Lee, county commissioner
Websites
www.cityofhouston.gov; www.blackhouston.com
“For an artist who likes the freedom to do work on any scale, Houston was a perfect place,” says Rick Lowe. In 1985, Lowe moved from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to Houston because of its reputation for having plenty of space at cheap rental costs where up-and-coming artists could exhibit their work.
Over the years, the 42-year-old artist, who pulls in around $60,000 a year, has completed billboard-size paintings and large sculptures exploring issues such as domestic violence and police brutality. One of Lowe’s heroes was legendary artist John Biggers, who completed several paintings depicting shotgun-style houses that convey images of Southern black poverty. But for Biggers, who had grown up around them, they were supportive environments. Lowe thought it would be an interesting experiment to “see how that would work in real life, to create a real-life John Biggers painting.”
In 1994, Lowe purchased 22 shotgun-style row houses for $122,000, with help from a private foundation, in the heart of Houston’s predominantly black Third Ward. He renovated 10 of them for artists to use as studios and exhibition spaces on a six-month basis. Renovations cost around $80,000, with much of the work done by volunteers. It was a way to unite artists and the communities they served.
“Our stance was that low-income African Americans deserve quality cultural experiences,” Lowe says. He called his site Project Row Houses. In the following years, he renovated the remaining houses, offering several on a yearly basis to single mothers who were in transition.
Project Row Houses has drawn artisans from across the city, the country, and the world—from as far away as Brazil, Taiwan, China, and Nigeria. What the Houston artist likes best about his town is the “sense of optimism that resonates throughout the entire city. People believe in the possibility of things happening here.” —T.R. Witcher
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NASHVILLE, TN
“Music City U.S.A.” is a new entry to the top 10 with low cost of living