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Dr. George E. Madjitey There are doctors.And then there are pillars. For more than five decades, Dr. George E. Madjitey, MD  has quietly shaped the story of Houston — one birth, one family, one generation at a time. A board certified Obstetrician Gynecologist with over 50 years of medical experience, Dr. Madjitey has dedicated his life to caring for women through some of their most vulnerable and powerful moments. From routine prenatal visits to managing high risk pregnancies, maternal anemia, coagulation disorders, and complex childbirth cases, his work has required not only skill, but steadiness. Graduating from Howard University College of Medicine in 1976, Dr. Madjitey represents the enduring legacy of HBCU excellence in American medicine. Howard has long produced physicians who serve communities often overlooked by mainstream systems, and Dr. Madjitey’s career reflects that mission in action. Throughout his time in Houston, he has been affiliated with leading medical institutions including Texas Children’s Hospital, Memorial Hermann, The Woman’s Hospital of Texas, and St. Joseph Medical Center. His clinical expertise is widely respected. Yet what patients remember most is not just his credentials, but his bedside manner. Families describe him as caring, reassuring, and calm. Many patients have remained under his care for decades. In some cases, he has delivered children for women he himself delivered into the world years earlier. That kind of continuity is rare in modern healthcare. It speaks to trust built over generations. His legacy also carries international historical weight. Dr. Madjitey is the son of Erasmus Ransford Tawiah Madjitey, a groundbreaking leader in African history who became the first African to command a police force in the British Commonwealth and the first Ghanaian Commissioner of Police. Leadership, courage, and service are embedded in his lineage. But Dr. Madjitey’s own history stands firmly on its own. In a country where Black maternal health disparities remain a pressing crisis, physicians like Dr. Madjitey have been essential. His decades of work caring for Black mothers, managing high risk pregnancies, and ensuring safe deliveries represent a quiet form of advocacy — one rooted in competence and compassion. He did not seek headlines.He built trust.He delivered life.He strengthened families. Black history is often told through movements and monuments. But sometimes it is written in hospital rooms, in the first cry of a newborn, and in the steady hands of a physician who has devoted his life to service. Dr. George E. Madjitey is Black History because his impact lives in the generations walking Houston today. This is Black History in motion.

Reginald DesRoches Leadership in higher education shapes not only institutions but entire cities. Dr. Reginald DesRoches represents a new era of leadership where academic excellence, community connection, and representation move together. Dr. DesRoches became the eighth president of Rice University on July 1, 2022, making history as the first Black president, the first immigrant president, and the first engineer to lead the institution. Born in Port au Prince, Haiti, and raised in Queens, New York, his journey reflects both global perspective and American opportunity. Before becoming president, Dr. DesRoches served as Rice’s provost and the William and Stephanie Sick Dean of Engineering. In those roles, he helped expand research funding, launch new academic programs, and strengthen collaboration across Houston, including partnerships with the Texas Medical Center. During the COVID 19 pandemic, he guided Rice’s academic and research enterprise through uncertainty while maintaining institutional momentum and growth. As president, his priorities center on elevating Rice’s national and global distinction while strengthening its connection to Houston. He is committed to impactful research, expanding graduate education, and ensuring that diversity and inclusion remain central to academic excellence. His leadership reflects the belief that universities should not operate apart from their communities but instead serve as engines of opportunity and innovation. Dr. DesRoches is also a globally respected engineer. His research focuses on resilient infrastructure systems and earthquake engineering, particularly how structures perform under extreme conditions. Following the devastating 2010 Haiti earthquake, he led a multidisciplinary team of engineers, architects, planners, and social scientists to study structural damage and recovery strategies. His work has influenced infrastructure resilience and disaster response worldwide. He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, distinctions that recognize both scholarly excellence and national impact. His research, teaching, and leadership demonstrate how engineering can directly improve lives. Beyond titles and honors, Dr. DesRoches represents possibility. His presence at the helm of a major research university signals to students from every background that leadership in academia is not limited by race, nationality, or discipline. Houston is one of the most diverse cities in the world. Having a leader whose story reflects that diversity strengthens the connection between Rice University and the community it serves. Dr. Reginald DesRoches is Black History because he expands what leadership looks like while ensuring education remains a pathway to innovation, equity, and progress. This is Black History in motion.

Thomas Jones, Jr. In Houston, economic leadership is more than a title. It is a responsibility. Thomas Jones Jr. has spent decades carrying that responsibility with integrity, discipline, and vision. Thomas Jones Jr. retired in 2022 as a founding partner of McConnellJones, LLP, now the largest African American owned public accounting firm in the United States. What began as a bold vision became a national institution serving corporate, governmental, nonprofit, and individual clients across Houston, Washington DC, Durham, Austin, and Dallas. Through audit, tax, accounting, and management consulting services, the firm has helped shape financial accountability and growth across industries. Building one of the most successful Black owned accounting firms in the country was not simply a business achievement. It was a statement. It proved that Black excellence belongs at the highest levels of finance, compliance, and corporate leadership. In February 2024, Thomas Jones Jr. was appointed by the City of Houston to serve on the Port Commission. The Port of Houston is one of the most critical economic engines in the nation, impacting global trade, jobs, and regional growth. On the Commission, Mr. Jones serves as Chair of the Strategic Sourcing Committee and contributes to the Audit Committee, Community Relations Committee, Pension and Benefits Committee, and the Dredge Task Force. His work directly influences the financial and strategic direction of an institution that affects millions. But his impact extends far beyond boardrooms and balance sheets. He is the Board President and Co founder of the Houston Fund for Social Justice and Economic Equity, an organization committed to addressing systemic disparities and advancing opportunity for underserved communities. He also serves as Interim President of Jazz Houston, supporting arts and culture in the city, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Texas Medical Center Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone No. 26. Education has always been central to his mission. As a founding member and Past Chairman of the Houston Chapter of the Florida A&M University National Alumni Association, he has remained deeply committed to supporting HBCU students. Through the Thomas and K’netha Jones Endowed Scholarship Fund, he and his wife invest annually in students from Houston and Daytona Beach, ensuring the next generation has access to opportunity. His life reflects stability, faith, and long term commitment. He and his wife K’netha have been married for 46 years. Together they raised two children and remain active members of Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church. Whether reading, traveling, golfing, fishing, or hunting, he approaches life with the same steady discipline that defined his professional career. Thomas Jones Jr. represents a generation of leaders who built institutions that will outlive them. He understands that economic strength fuels community strength. He understands that ownership matters. He understands that legacy is intentional. He is not just part of Houston’s history. He is helping shape its future. This is Black History in motion.

Natara Branch Natara Branch is Black History because she represents what happens when excellence meets intention. She has built a career defined by breaking barriers, expanding access, and reshaping systems from the inside out. For 18 years, Natara served at the NFL League Office, where she made history as the first Black woman promoted to Vice President. Starting in an entry-level role, she rose through the ranks by combining strategic insight with bold innovation. At a time when the league’s retail and brand strategies overlooked key audiences, Natara saw opportunity where others saw risk. She helped create the first NFL Shop dedicated specifically to women, challenging outdated assumptions about who sports fans are and what they value. The success of that initiative did more than generate revenue. It proved that inclusion is not charity. It is smart business. Beyond retail innovation, Natara worked to strengthen diversity pipelines within the NFL, advocating for broader representation in executive leadership and ownership circles. Her presence in that role was historic, but her focus was always forward. She understood that true progress requires building structures that outlast individual milestones. Today, Natara brings that same vision to Houston as the Chief Executive Officer of Houston Exponential. In this role, she leads efforts to accelerate the region’s innovation and startup ecosystem with a clear emphasis on inclusive entrepreneurship. Through initiatives like the H-Town Roundup, she connects founders to capital, corporate partners, and strategic resources. She is a vocal advocate for wealth equity and the democratization of capital, particularly for founders who have historically been locked out of investment networks. For Natara, economic empowerment is foundational. She believes that closing the racial wealth gap requires ownership, access, and visibility in high-growth industries. Her leadership is focused not just on startups, but on sustainability, scale, and generational impact. Her influence extends across Houston’s civic landscape. She serves on the board of the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation, which oversees NRG Park, and on the board of the University of Houston’s Bauer College of Business. In every space, she champions strategic growth paired with inclusive opportunity. Natara Branch is Black History because she embodies modern leadership rooted in impact. She has shattered ceilings in professional sports.She is shaping the future of innovation in Houston.She is building pathways so others can rise. Black History is not only about what has been achieved. It is about what is being built right now. And Natara Branch is building a future where excellence and equity move together.

Travis Torrence Travis Torrence is Black History because he represents what happens when legacy, excellence, and advocacy converge at the highest levels of leadership. In Houston, a city shaped by energy, diversity, and global industry, Travis stands at the helm of one of the most powerful legal roles in corporate America. As the U.S. Head of Legal for Shell USA, Inc., he leads a team of more than 150 attorneys and made history as the first Black person to hold this position. In a profession and an industry where representation at the executive level has historically been limited, his leadership marks both progress and possibility. But his story carries even deeper meaning. Travis is the great great grandson of enslaved people who labored on plantations in Louisiana, just miles from facilities he now helps oversee as a top executive. The arc of that journey is not accidental. It is the result of resilience, education, discipline, and the sacrifices of generations who believed in a future they might never see. His presence in that role is not just professional success. It is historical continuity and transformation. Yet Travis’s impact extends far beyond corporate boardrooms. He is a dedicated philanthropist, civic leader, and cultural curator who invests intentionally in Houston’s social and artistic fabric. In 2022, he served as Grand Marshal of Houston’s LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration, highlighting the vital contributions of Black queer leaders within both the Civil Rights and LGBTQ+ movements. He also served as President of the National LGBTQ+ Bar Foundation, advocating for equity and representation within the legal profession. His leadership is intersectional and intentional. He understands that Black history includes every dimension of identity, and he works to ensure that no part of the community is left behind. Philanthropy is also central to his legacy. Travis has chaired major fundraisers including the World AIDS Day Luncheon, the Victory Fund Champagne Brunch, and the Montrose Center’s Out For Good Gala. He supports organizations such as the Alley Theatre and Urban Souls Dance Company, helping preserve and amplify Black artistic expression in Houston. His career proves that leadership is not confined to one lane. It can exist in corporate law and community organizing, in philanthropy and cultural celebration, in boardrooms and on Pride stages. Travis Torrence is Black History because he builds bridges between past and present, between identity and influence, between power and purpose. Black history is not only about who broke chains. It is also about who now breaks ceilings. And in Houston, Travis Torrence continues to do both.

Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson is Black History because she has dedicated her life to preserving it, protecting it, and expanding access to it. For nearly two decades, she served as Executive Director of the Houston Public Library from 2005 to 2024, leading one of the largest public library systems in the United States. Under her leadership, Houston’s libraries evolved into more than spaces for books. They became community anchors. Workforce hubs. Technology access points. Cultural preservation centers. Safe spaces for learning, growth, and opportunity. But Dr. Lawson’s impact reaches far beyond administration. One of her most historic contributions is the transformation of the Gregory School in Houston’s Freedmen’s Town into the African American History Research Center. The Gregory School was the first public school for African Americans in Houston. By overseeing its preservation and reimagining it as a research and cultural institution, Dr. Lawson ensured that the stories, genealogies, documents, and lived experiences of Black Houstonians would not be erased. In a city experiencing rapid development and gentrification, that preservation work is revolutionary. For her commitment to safeguarding Houston’s diverse history, Dr. Lawson was honored with the Heritage Champion Award in February 2026. The recognition affirmed what the community already knew: her leadership leaves a lasting imprint on the cultural identity of this city. Representation also defines her legacy. When Dr. Lawson took the helm of the Houston Public Library in 2005, she became one of the few Black women leading a major metropolitan library system in the country. In a profession that has historically lacked diversity at the executive level, her presence broke barriers and opened doors for future leaders in library science and public service. Her vision consistently centered equity. Dr. Lawson championed initiatives that addressed digital access gaps, literacy disparities, workforce development, and community engagement in underserved neighborhoods. She understood that access to information is power, and that libraries are foundational to economic mobility and civic participation. Her advocacy has also extended into public health and social equity. By supporting initiatives such as the THRIVE Maternal Health Tour, she helped connect families to vital health resources while acknowledging the historical mistrust many Black communities carry toward medical institutions. She recognized that literacy, health, and equity are interconnected. At every stage of her career, Dr. Lawson has pushed institutions to evolve. She has challenged systems to meet the real needs of 21st century communities. She has modeled what it looks like to lead with both strategic excellence and cultural responsibility. Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson is Black History because she protects legacy while building infrastructure for the future. She preserved Freedmen’s Town. She redefined public libraries. She expanded access to knowledge. She safeguarded stories that must never be lost. Black History is not only written in textbooks. It is preserved in archives. It is protected in community institutions. It is carried forward by leaders who understand the weight of memory. And Dr. Rhea Brown Lawson has carried that responsibility with distinction.

Tolu Opeloye Tolu Opeloye is Black History because he is actively shaping the economic and social future of Houston through leadership, ownership, and service. In a city known for its diversity, scale, and opportunity, Tolu stands at the intersection of business growth and community responsibility. As Board Chair of the Greater Houston Black Chamber, the oldest African American business enterprise in Texas founded in 1935, he leads one of the most influential institutions dedicated to Black economic advancement in the state. His leadership at the Chamber is about more than networking. It is about closing the wealth gap. It is about helping Black owned businesses access capital, secure contracts, strengthen operations, and build generational sustainability. Under his guidance, the Chamber continues to position Black entrepreneurs not just to participate in the economy, but to compete and lead within it. But Tolu’s impact does not stop at economic empowerment. As co owner and CEO of Med Shop Plus, a licensed medical supplies company in Houston, he addresses another historic inequity: access to healthcare resources in underserved communities. By providing affordable medical supplies in neighborhoods often overlooked by larger systems, Med Shop Plus serves as both a business and a bridge. It is a direct investment in health equity. In addition to his entrepreneurial work, Tolu serves as an Account Executive with Amazon Health Services, bringing national scale insight into healthcare innovation. His experience across private enterprise and corporate leadership allows him to move fluidly between systems, advocating for solutions that benefit communities on the ground. His commitment to the next generation is equally intentional. As Chairman of the Board for the Urban Enrichment Institute, formerly the Fifth Ward Enrichment Program, Tolu invests in mentorship and development for young men in some of Houston’s most challenged zip codes. By pouring into youth leadership and character formation, he is helping to rewrite the narrative for what success looks like in communities that have historically been underserved. He also serves on the board of the Education Foundation of Harris County and is actively involved in Jack and Jill of America, Inc., where he serves as Father’s Auxiliary Chair for the Cypress West Houston Chapter. These roles reflect his belief that leadership is not compartmentalized. It flows from business into family, from policy into practice. His excellence has not gone unnoticed. Tolu was named to Forbes’ The Next 1000 list in 2021, recognizing rising entrepreneurs redefining the American dream. He was also honored by the Houston Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 leader in 2019, affirming his influence within one of the nation’s most competitive markets. Yet what defines Tolu most is not recognition. It is responsibility. He understands that economic empowerment, healthcare access, and youth development are not separate conversations. They are connected. When businesses thrive, families stabilize. When healthcare is accessible, communities strengthen. When young leaders are mentored, futures expand. Tolu Opeloye is Black History because he is building structures that outlive him. He is leading institutions that empower others. He is demonstrating that excellence and equity can coexist in boardrooms, classrooms, and neighborhoods alike. Black History is not only written in protest. It is written in policy. It is written in ownership. It is written in sustained impact. And Tolu Opeloye is writing that history every day in Houston.

Tio Fallen Tio Fallen is Black History because he embodies a powerful truth: you do not have to choose between precision and passion. You can be technical and creative. You can build infrastructure and build culture. You can engineer systems and still move with soul. A Houston based mechanical engineer and co founder of Three Keys Coffee, Tio’s life is a masterclass in integration. His journey bridges engineering, music, entrepreneurship, sustainability, and family. And at every intersection, he chooses excellence. Engineering Excellence Tio earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Florida A&M University and later completed his master’s at the University of Michigan. He began his career with BP before taking on leadership roles with BHP and Woodside, contributing to complex offshore and subsea projects across multiple regions. Today, he serves as a Project Lead in the energy sector, operating at the intersection of technical engineering, project management, and people leadership. His work has included major subsea and topsides projects that require precision, accountability, and strategic execution. He is a licensed Professional Engineer, a designation that represents years of rigorous study, testing, and real world application. In industries where Black engineers remain underrepresented, Tio’s presence alone expands possibility. But his story does not stop there. Jazz, Curiosity, and Coffee Long before coffee, there was music. Tio played trumpet from the age of eight through college, including as a member of the Florida A&M University Marching Band. Jazz shaped how he thinks about rhythm, balance, improvisation, and craft. That musical foundation would later influence his entrepreneurial journey in unexpected ways. What began as late night caffeine during study sessions evolved into curiosity about origin stories, farmers, and flavor profiles. By 2017, Tio was sourcing beans directly from producers and roasting coffee at home. His engineering mindset merged with his creative instincts, blending technical precision with artistry. In 2019, he and his wife Kenzel officially launched Three Keys Coffee in Houston. The name is a nod to the three valves of a trumpet, symbolizing harmony, craft, and expression. Three Keys Coffee quickly gained national recognition. In 2022, it was named Best Coffee Roaster in Texas by Food and Wine Magazine. Tio placed in the Top 10 at the US Roaster Championship Finals in both 2023 and 2024. He is also a licensed Q Arabica Grader, a credential that reflects elite level expertise in coffee evaluation. Their roastery operates on solar power and incorporates sustainable practices such as recycling coffee chaff as fertilizer. Every blend is thoughtfully curated, often paired with jazz playlists that invite customers to experience coffee as culture. Faith, Family, and Discipline Tio often references faith and the Mamba Mentality as anchors in his life. For him, success is simple. Be better today than you were yesterday. Be better tomorrow than you are today. He and Kenzel are parents to three sons. Family is not an afterthought in his story. It is the center. Whether leading engineering teams, roasting beans, coaching his children, or traveling the world, Tio’s commitment to growth extends beyond career metrics. His life demonstrates that excellence is not compartmentalized. It is holistic. Why Tio Fallen Is Black History Black History is not only written in politics or protest. It is written in boardrooms, laboratories, classrooms, kitchens, and roasteries. Tio Fallen represents a generation of Black leaders who refuse to be boxed in. He expands representation in engineering, champions sustainability in business, and weaves culture into commerce. He shows young Black boys that you can love jazz and science, faith and entrepreneurship, family and ambition all at once. He builds pipelines in the Gulf. He builds flavor profiles in Houston. He builds legacy at home. Tio Fallen is Black History because he engineers excellence in every arena he enters. And he does it with soul.

Erica Lee Carter Erica Lee Carter is Black History because she represents continuity, courage, and a new chapter of public service rooted in legacy and leadership. In November 2024, following the passing of her mother, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, Erica stepped into history. She was elected to complete her mother’s term in the 118th Congress, becoming the first Black daughter in United States history to directly succeed her mother in the U.S. House of Representatives. From November 5, 2024 to January 3, 2025, she served Texas’ 18th Congressional District during a period marked by both mourning and transition. Her brief congressional tenure was not symbolic. It was steady, intentional, and grounded in public responsibility. After completing the term, she chose not to seek reelection, instead returning her focus to local governance and long term institutional impact. In February 2026, Erica Lee Carter was appointed Harris County Administrator, becoming the first African American to hold the position. In this executive role, she leads the Office of County Administration, overseeing day to day operations and long term strategic planning for the county’s largest departments. Harris County is the third largest county in the United States, and the position plays a critical role in coordinating policy, managing budgets, and strengthening governance across more than 70 boards and commissions. Her appointment marked a milestone in professional management and executive leadership within one of the nation’s most complex local governments. Erica’s preparation for this moment began long before Congress. She previously served as a trustee for the Harris County Department of Education from 2013 to 2019. She worked as a policy advisor in Harris County Precinct 1 under Commissioner Rodney Ellis, developing proposals centered on economic equity and voting rights. She also served as Executive Director of the Harris County Justice Administration Department, gaining hands on experience in justice system operations and cross departmental coordination. A graduate of Duke University’s Terry Sanford School of Public Policy, Erica brings both academic training and lived understanding of public service to her work. Her focus, as she has stated, is on elevating governance, collaboration, and communication across departments so that government functions more effectively for the people it serves. Erica Lee Carter is not defined solely by the legacy she carries. She is defined by the systems she helps strengthen. Black History is not only about those who open doors.It is also about those who walk through them and build new rooms. Erica Lee Carter is building them.

William Johnson Jr. William Johnson Jr. is Black History because he built access in an industry where none existed. A Navy veteran and Houston based underwater robotic engineer, William is the Founder and Owner of W Johnson Consulting, the first and only Black owned ROV Operations Company in the United States. In a field dominated by legacy companies and limited representation, he saw the gap and chose to close it. With more than 25 years of experience in underwater robotics, William developed his expertise in high stakes subsea environments, working on offshore rigs, conducting inspections, and managing complex robotic systems beneath the ocean’s surface. His work requires precision, technical mastery, and the ability to operate in some of the most demanding conditions in the world. But for William, technical excellence was never enough. Throughout his career, he recognized the glaring lack of Black representation in underwater technology, engineering, and oil and gas operations. Instead of simply acknowledging the problem, he created a pathway forward. W Johnson Consulting was founded not only to provide elite ROV operations, but to open doors for others to enter the field. That vision led to the creation of the Blue Workforce Academy, a hands on training and mentorship initiative designed to equip future ROV pilots with real world skills. Students learn how to operate and maintain advanced systems such as the VideoRay Defender Pro 5 ROV, gaining exposure to subsea robotics, troubleshooting, and offshore readiness. William’s innovative teaching style even incorporates gaming controllers to simulate mission control, making complex engineering concepts accessible and practical. His mission is clear. Ownership creates leverage. Training creates opportunity. Representation creates legacy. By partnering with institutions like Prairie View A&M University and engaging young people across Houston, William is building a talent pipeline into high paying technical careers that most never knew were possible. He is not only training operators. He is expanding economic mobility. William’s journey from military service to corporate high tech roles to entrepreneurship reflects discipline, vision, and courage. He transitioned from serving his country in uniform to serving his community through access, mentorship, and economic empowerment. In an industry operating miles below sea level, William Johnson Jr. is elevating what is possible above it. Black History is not only about breaking barriers. It is about building institutions that outlive you. And William Johnson Jr. is building one mission at a time.

Rick Lowe Rick Lowe is Black History because he transformed art from an object into a civic strategy. Born in Russell County, Alabama and now based in Houston, Texas, Rick Lowe is an artist, educator, and community organizer whose work bridges visual art and social transformation. Formally trained in the visual arts, Lowe has spent more than thirty years working both inside and outside traditional art institutions, participating in major exhibitions while simultaneously developing community based projects that reshape neighborhoods and policy conversations. In 1993, he founded Project Row Houses in Houston’s historically Black Third Ward. What began as the revitalization of 22 abandoned shotgun houses became one of the most influential models of social practice art in the country. Today, Project Row Houses spans six blocks and integrates artist residencies, affordable housing, youth programs, and support services for young mothers. Lowe describes his work as “social sculpture,” a concept inspired by Joseph Beuys, which views society itself as something that can be shaped creatively. Under his leadership, art became a tool for preserving cultural heritage, stabilizing neighborhoods, and strengthening civic life. His influence extends far beyond Houston. In 1996, he developed the Watts House Project in Los Angeles. After Hurricane Katrina, he spearheaded Transforma Projects in New Orleans to engage artists in rebuilding the city. He collaborated on projects in Seattle, Charleston, Delray Beach, Dallas, and internationally in South Korea and Italy. His “Small Business Big Change” initiative in Anyang, Korea and Trans.lation: Vickery Meadow for the Nasher Sculpture Center further demonstrate his commitment to linking creativity with economic and community development. Rick Lowe’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at institutions including the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, Museum of Contemporary Arts Los Angeles, Venice Architecture Biennale, Gwangju Biennale, Documenta 14, Museum of Fine Arts Houston, and many others. His contributions have earned widespread recognition. He received the Heinz Award in Arts and Humanities, the Creative Time Annenberg Prize for Art and Social Change, and the MacArthur Fellowship in 2014. In 2013, President Barack Obama appointed him to the National Council on the Arts. He has served as a Loeb Fellow at Harvard University, a Mel King Fellow at MIT, and a distinguished visitor at Stanford. He currently serves as a professor of art at the University of Houston. Beyond exhibitions and accolades, Lowe has deeply invested in Houston’s civic life. He has served on the Municipal Arts Commission, SHAPE Community Center, the Menil Foundation board, and numerous national arts boards. His leadership continues to influence how cities think about equity, housing, and cultural preservation. Rick Lowe is Black History because he expanded the definition of art. He showed that creativity can repair what policy neglects. He proved that culture can be infrastructure. Black History is not only written in museums. It is written in neighborhoods restored through vision and action. And Rick Lowe has been writing that history in Houston for more than three decades.

Dieter Cantu Dieter Cantu is Black History because he transformed lived experience into lasting reform. Born in Chicago and now impacting communities from Illinois to Texas, Dieter is a community organizer, social entrepreneur, and nationally recognized advocate for juvenile justice reform. As a formerly incarcerated youth, he experienced firsthand the disparities within the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Instead of allowing those systems to define his future, he committed his life to reshaping them. Dieter is the co-founder of the BEAR Initiative, a Chicago-based nonprofit that began with grassroots peace walks in 2020 and evolved into a powerful youth empowerment and violence prevention movement. In early 2025, he helped launch the community-led ceasefire initiative 40 Days, 40 Nights, collaborating with community leaders to interrupt cycles of violence and promote unity in neighborhoods most impacted. His work centers on one core belief: youth closest to the problem are closest to the solution. In Texas, Dieter founded Cantu’s Books to Incarcerated Youth Project, an initiative delivering books and building library spaces in juvenile facilities to increase literacy, emotional wellness, and access to opportunity. The program has expanded across multiple states, reaching thousands of young people. For Dieter, literacy is not just about reading. It is about restoration, confidence, and breaking cycles of recidivism. He has served as a Violence Interrupter and Supervisor with Cure Violence, mediating gang conflicts and advocating for at-risk youth. His expertise has extended to policy reform, including service on President Barack Obama’s 21st Century Police Task Force, where he introduced practical recommendations rooted in lived experience. Dieter is also the co-founder of Juvenile Rights, a consultancy composed entirely of formerly incarcerated individuals who mentor youth in detention and provide policy analysis and advocacy for systemic reform. Through cross-sector collaboration, trauma-informed care, and evidence-based practices, he works to ensure that reform is not symbolic but structural. Currently, Dieter serves as an Adjunct Instructor with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, empowering incarcerated individuals through education. He is also a Salzburg Global Fellow, contributing to international conversations on rethinking youth safety and justice systems. His leadership has earned national recognition, including the 2022 Reebok Human Rights Award. October 23 is recognized as Dieter Cantu Day in Houston, and February 13 carries the same recognition in San Antonio, honoring his profound community impact. Dieter Cantu’s story is not one of redemption alone. It is one of reconstruction. He is rebuilding systems from the inside out, ensuring that young people have access to mentorship, literacy, dignity, and second chances. Black History is not only written in textbooks. It is written in reform. It is written in restoration. It is written in the lives of young people who now see possibility instead of prison. And Dieter Cantu is writing that history every day.