[City Pulse]
[00:00:21]
I'M TRAVIS LEMONS, YOUR HOST HERE TO HIGHLIGHT STORIES ABOUT YOUR CITY, GOVERNMENT AND HOUSTON AT LARGE.
AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO START THE PROGRAM THAN TO CELEBRATE OUR CITY'S BIRTHDAY.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE TEXAS QUOTES IS, I WASN'T BORN IN TEXAS, BUT I GOT HERE AS FAST AS I COULD.
NEW YORK BROTHERS, JOHN KIRBY AND AUGUSTUS ALLEN WERE NEW TO THE LONE STAR STATE IN 1836, BUT THEY STAYED BRAVED, MUD AND MOSQUITOES BUILT THE CITY AND WELL, THE REST IS HISTORY.
THIS IS, UH, CELEBRATING THE 187TH BIRTHDAY OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
WE DO THIS EVERY SINGLE YEAR OVER AT THE HERE SOCIETY.
WE COME TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY TO CELEBRATE HOUSTON'S HISTORY IN THE OLDEST HISTORIC MUNICIPAL PARK THAT WE HAVE IN OUR CITY OF HOUSTON, WHICH GOES BACK TO 1899.
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR JOINING US AND FOR SUPPORTING YOUR KIDS IN THIS GREAT, UH, COMMUNITY SERVICE ORGANIZATION.
THERE ARE PHOTOS ALONG THE WALL TO GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF SOME OF THE WORK THEY DO THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
UH, WHAT A, WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO START THIS BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION.
WE ARE KNOWN BY MANY NAMES AND QUITE FRANKLY, WE HAVE TAKEN OFF.
WE ARE THE LARGEST CITY IN THE UNITED STATES FROM A GEOGRAPHICAL POINT OF VIEW.
WE ARE LOOKING AT THE LEADERS OF TOMORROW.
WE ARE LOOKING AT A FUTURE PRESIDENT.
WE ARE LOOKING AT A FUTURE SENATOR.
WE HAVE THOSE PEOPLE HERE TODAY.
OKAY, THIS IS MY HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY.
INTRODUCING ROLES WHERE YOUTH CAN DEVELOP THEIR LEADERSHIP SKILLS, WHICH IS VITAL FOR A BETTER AND BRIGHTER FUTURE FOR HOUSTON AND OUR COUNTRY.
NOTHING GREAT WAS EVER ACCOMPLISHED WITHOUT THE HELP OF OTHER PEOPLE.
SO WE ARE A CITY THAT IF YOU CAN DREAM IT, YOU CAN BE COMING.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY HOUSTON AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE OF VETERANS AND MILITARY AFFAIRS HAS BEEN DOING GREAT WORK WITH LOCAL ORGANIZATIONS IN PROVIDING OPPORTUNITIES AND SERVICES FOR THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO HAVE SERVED OUR COUNTRY.
THE HOUSTON STAND DOWN IS ONE OF ITS FLAGSHIP EVENTS.
EACH YEAR, 2023 CELEBRATES 30 YEARS FOR THE EVENT.
IF THESE HIGHLIGHTS ARE ANY INDICATION, IT MAY BE THEIR BIGGEST ONE YET.
SO TODAY IS THE 30TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE HOUSTON VETERAN STAND DOWN.
UH, FOR 30 YEARS WE HAVE BEEN HERE IN THE COMMUNITY FOCUSING ON THOSE WHO ARE EITHER UNHOUSED OR THOSE WHO FACING EVICTION OR THOSE WHO JUST NEED SOME RESOURCES TO ASSIST THEM WITH ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE A STABLE AND HAPPY LIFE.
AND YOU HAVE SOME GREAT RESOURCES HERE TO REACH OUT TO ALL VETERANS, THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS, AND OUR MILITARY PERSONNEL.
WE ARE HELPING OUT ALL THE VETERANS WITH WHATEVER THEY NEED.
WHETHER YOU NEED TO GET A HEADSHOT, WHETHER YOU NEED TO GET SOME CLOTHING, WHETHER YOU NEED TO GET SOME STABLE HOUSING, DROP ON BY, WE ARE HERE TO SERVE YOU 'CAUSE WE LOVE YOU.
FIRST, OUR VETERANS THAT ARE HERE IN THE AUDIENCE NOW AND THOSE THAT ARE COMING, PLEASE SEEK OUT THE RESOURCES, TAKE WHAT IS GIVEN AND TAKE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO PROVIDE MORE OPPORTUNITIES FOR YOURSELF.
GIVE US AN OPPORTUNITY TO BOND.
GIVE ME AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE HERE FOR THEM.
THEREFORE, I, MIKE KNOX, ON BEHALF OF SYLVESTER TURNER, MAYOR OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON, HEREBY PROCLAIM SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2023 AS HOUSTON VETERAN STAND DOWN DAY, 30TH ANNIVERSARY.
SO ON BEHALF OF MAYOR TURNER, THE CITY OF HOUSTON, WE WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU HAVE DONE FOR THIS COUNTRY.
THANK YOU FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU CONTINUE TO DO.
VETERANS TEND TO BE THE BACKBONE OF OUR COMMUNITY.
WE'RE DOING BIG IN TEXAS AND WE'RE HAPPY TO DO THIS.
THIS IS THE MOST NUMBER OF VETERANS THAT WE'VE HAD.
IF YOU COME TO CITY HOUSTON, THIS COMMUNITY WILL REACH OUT TO YOU TO GETTING BACK TO THE HERITAGE SOCIETY AND THE WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION IT DID FOR HOUSTON.
I WANNA CONTINUE OUR SERIES OF HISTORIC HOUSES THE SOCIETY OPERATES.
LET'S TAKE A TOUR OF THE FOURTH WARD COTTAGE AND SEE HOW A WORKING CLASS FAMILY LIVED IN THE LATE 18 HUNDREDS.
HEY Y'ALL, THIS IS KIAN FROM THE HERITAGE SOCIETY.
I'M HERE TODAY TO SHOW YOU THE, UH, FOURTH WARD COTTAGE FROM 1866.
[00:05:01]
ROW HOUSE AND AS AN EXAMPLE OF WHAT A WORKING CLASS FAMILY WOULD'VE LIVED LIKE TYPICALLY WHEN YOU WENT UP A TAX BRACKET OR YOU GOT A LITTLE MORE MONEY, YOU DIDN'T JUST GO BUY A NEW HOUSE, YOU ADDED TO THE HOUSE THAT YOU ALREADY HAD.SO OFTENTIMES YOU WOULD START WITH A ONE ROOM COTTAGE SUCH AS THIS ONE, AND THEN GRADUALLY YOU WOULD ADD ROOMS AS YOU COULD AFFORD TO.
AND IT'S NOT JUST THE BUILDING ITSELF THAT CHANGES, BUT THE THINGS INSIDE OF IT.
SO YOU'LL SEE ALL OVER THIS HOUSE, THE HISTORY IS WRITTEN LITERALLY IN THE WALLS STARTING OFF THE FAMILY ONLY WALLPAPER THE WHOLE, THE HOME WITH GERMAN NEWSPAPER.
THEN LATER UPGRADING TO PAPER WALLPAPER AND THEN FABRIC BACK WALLPAPER.
SO YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THE FAMILY SOCIOECONOMIC PROGRESSION AS THEY LIVE HERE.
GRADUALLY, THE BOARDS OF THE WALLS GET MORE UNIFORM.
UH, THEY START ADDING MORE MODERN, UH, HARDWARE AS WELL AS LATER GAS AND ELECTRIC OUTLETS AS AS TIME GOES ON.
SO IT'S ALMOST AS IF TIME IS MOVING THROUGH THIS HOUSE.
NOW, RIGHT OVER HERE WE HAVE A DISPLAY.
THIS IS ALL GONNA BE, UH, BUILDING MATERIALS THAT WAS FOUND FROM THE HOUSE.
NOW THESE ARE REALLY AWESOME 'CAUSE THEY'RE DONE IN ORDER OF HOW OLD THEY ARE, AND YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THE VERY START, THE HOUSE WOULD'VE BEEN BUILT USING THESE WOODEN PEGS.
AND THAT WAS TYPICALLY, UH, UTILIZED DURING A CONSTRUCTION METHOD CALLED TONGUE AND GROOVE CONSTRUCTION, WHICH ALLOWED YOU TO BASICALLY BUILD SOMETHING EITHER FURNITURE OR HOMES WITH THE, WITHOUT THE USE OF NAILS.
AND ALSO OVER HERE WE HAVE A LITTLE KIND OF A, A BREAKDOWN.
IF YOU'RE A VERY VISUAL LEARNER LIKE MOST OF US ARE, THIS IS GONNA HELP YOU UNDERSTAND HOW THE HOUSE HAS GROWN OVER THE YEARS.
THE FIRST ROOM THAT WE STEPPED INTO WAS ACTUALLY THIS, WE BELIEVE LOOKED MOSTLY LIKE THIS.
AND THESE BACK TWO ROOMS WERE MOSTLY LIKE THIS BUILDING AND THEY WERE JUST CONNECTED TOGETHER AS TIME WENT ON.
NOW THIS IS WHAT WE CALL A ROW HOUSE.
AND A ROW HOUSE IS VERY SIMILAR TO A SHOTGUN HOUSE.
YOU CAN'T OPEN THE FRONT DOOR AND THE BACK DOOR AND BE ABLE TO SHOOT A SHOTGUN STRAIGHT THROUGH IT LIKE A SHOTGUN HOUSE.
BUT IT FALLS A SIMILAR LAYOUT IN THAT YOUR FIRST ROOM IS YOUR LIVING ROOM, YOUR MIDDLE ROOM IS YOUR BEDROOM.
AND THEN THIS LAST ROOM IS GONNA BE YOUR KITCHEN.
NOW OVER HERE WE HAVE A LOT OF PICTURES AND INFORMATION ABOUT THE NEIGHBORHOOD THAT THIS HOUSE ORIGINALLY STOOD IN, WHICH IS THE HISTORIC FRIEDMAN'S TOWN HERE IN FOURTH WARD.
UM, THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS WAS OFTEN CALLED THE HARLEM OF THE SOUTH.
UM, IT WAS BOOMING WITH BLACK BUSINESS, ENTERTAINMENT, EDUCATION, UM, AND THIS AREA WAS THRIVING REALLY AND TRULY AND PROBABLY ONE OF THE MY FAVORITE PANELS IN THE ENTIRE MUSEUM IS THIS ONE RIGHT HERE BECAUSE IT SHOWS YOU HOW MUCH IT'S CHANGED OVER TIME.
YOU HAVE A PICTURE HERE OF THE COTTAGE WE ARE STANDING IN ON ITS ORIGINAL LOCATION VERSUS WHAT THAT SAME EXACT ADDRESS LOOKS LIKE TODAY.
TRANSPORTATION IS EVOLVING IN HOUSTON THANKS TO THE NON-PROFIT EVOLVE HOUSTON PART OF A NATIONAL COALITION.
IT IS SEEING A GROWTH IN EV ACCESSIBILITY IN H TOWN EVOLVE'S.
PRESIDENT CASEY BROWN GAVE ME A RIDE ON EARTH DAY.
NOW THE COMPANY HAS AWARDED E MOBILITY MICRO GRANTS FOR COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS JOINING THE CHARGE TO REDUCE GAS EMISSIONS.
THIS IS EARTH DAY HTX FESTIVAL AND WE'RE DOING SOMETHING DIFFERENT.
THIS IS TRAVIS LEMONS AND CHEVON HERNDON AND WE ARE IN THE BACK OF AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE AS PART OF EVOLV HOUSTON.
ELECTRIC VEHICLES COMPRISE ABOUT 8% OF ALL VEHICLES SOLD IN THE UNITED STATES.
AND THAT MIGHT SEEM LIKE A SMALL NUMBER, BUT IT'S MORE THAN DOUBLE IN LESS THAN TWO YEARS.
UH, HERE IN HOUSTON, OUR GOAL IS TO ENSURE THAT AT LEAST 50% OF ALL NEW VEHICLES SOLD IN 2030 ALL ELECTRIC VEHICLES, ALL WHILE ENSURING THAT EVERY HOUSTONIAN BENEFITS FROM THE TRANSITION REGARDLESS OF THEIR ZIP CODE.
EQUITY IS AT THE CORNER AT THE CORE OF OUR EFFORTS AND WE ARE DEDICATED TO SUPPORTING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO CLEAN AND SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION SOLUTIONS.
THIS IS A REALLY IMPORTANT PROJECT.
IT'S ONE OF 13 PROJECTS THAT WE ORIGINALLY FUNDED THROUGH OUR E MOBILITY MICRO GRANT INITIATIVE.
THIS ONE'S EXCITING BECAUSE IT OFFERS RIDES AT NO COST TO INDIVIDUALS IN THIRD WARD.
IT MEANS A GREAT DEAL TO PEOPLE IN THAT AREA AND I WOULD LOVE TO EXPAND IT TO OTHER AREAS, BUT CERTAINLY THIS IS A PILOT AND I'M JUST PHENOMENALLY ENCOURAGED BECAUSE OVER 2000 RIDERS SINCE JUNE 19TH, THIS IS AN ASSET TO OUR SENIORS AND OUR STUDENTS.
UM, THIS OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM TO MAYBE RIDE FROM THEIR, UH, HIGH SCHOOL TO NEIGHBORING JOBS WHERE THEY DON'T HAVE TRANSPORTATION.
YOU ARE SUCH AN EXCELLENT DRIVER, CASEY.
I MAY JUST WANNA STAY IN HERE THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON.
WE HAVE SEEN GROWING PUBLIC DEMAND FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES.
SO WE ARE, WE HAVE RAISED THE BAR FOR OURSELVES AND ARE CONFIDENT THAT WE CAN HIT 50%, THE 50% MARK BY 2030.
[00:10:03]
ALRIGHT, WE NEED TO GET THROUGH THESE FINAL TWO STORIES QUICK.I'M HUNGRY AND CASEY'S WAITING OUTSIDE TO GIMME A RIDE TO BURGERS.
NOTHING BEATS THE PAGEANTRY OF SEEING A MARCHING BAND PERFORM WITH POISE AND PRECISION.
SOME OF THE NATION'S BEST BANDS CAME TO NRG TO BATTLE IT OUT.
GRAB A BATON AND LET'S HAVE SOME FUN GRAB.
THIS IS A WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO COME DOWN TO PARTICIPATE IN THE NATIONAL BATTLE OF THE BANDS.
IT'S AN EXCITING TIME TO BE AT A-H-B-C-U.
THIS IS A EXHIBITION FOR THE TOP FANS IN THE COUNTRY.
I THINK MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT BATTLE OF THE BANDS IS IT'S IN THE TITLE.
THE FACT, WHEN YOU TELL A BAND THAT IT'S ABOUT TO BE A BATTLE, YOU GET TO SEE WHAT EVERYBODY'S BEST IS.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, LET ME THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR SHOWING UP.
WELL, YOU SEE OVER HERE, NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, FOR A BATTLE, IT'S REALLY A, A FAMILY SITTING NEXT TO A BAND KNOWING THEY'RE YOUR RIVAL.
AND LIKE YOU JUST PUTTING YOUR FACE IN THE HORN AND LIKE YOU KNOWING THEY HEAR YOU AND YOU JUST DON'T SAY NOTHING AFTER YOU'RE DONE.
YOU KNOW, YOU'RE JUST STRAIGHT SILENCE.
IT'S THE BASIC FUNDAMENTAL THINGS OF HUMANITY THAT BRING US TOGETHER IS, IS EDUCATION.
IS IS MUSIC, ITS EMOTION, ITS CULTURE.
THAT'S A DAY, THAT'S AN EXPERIENCE.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE NEVER FORGET IN THEIR LIFE.
AND TONIGHT, BEFORE IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, THERE SHOULD BE ABOUT 40 TO 50,000 PEOPLE RIGHT HERE IN NRG.
ENJOY THE BATTLE OF THE BANDS.
FINALLY, IT IS A TIME FOR REFLECTION AND NEW BEGINNINGS, AT LEAST FOR 2020 THREE'S.
GRADUATING CLASS PRAIRIE REVIEW A AND M, THE THIRD LARGEST HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGE AND UNIVERSITY IN THE UNITED STATES HAD THE MAYOR OF THE NATION'S FOURTH LARGEST CITY DELIVER THE COMMENCEMENT.
HIS IMPASSIONED SPEECH IS SURE TO ENRICH, EXCITE, AND ENCOURAGE CLASS OF 2023.
AND I AM SO EXCITED TO GREET YOU THIS MORNING AS CANDIDATES FOR GRADUATION FROM THE ILLUSTRIOUS PRAIRIE VIEW A AND M UNIVERSITY.
DON'T TELL ME WHAT GOD CANNOT DO.
THIS IS A BIG DAY FOR US, HONESTLY.
AND UM, WE ABOUT TO GRADUATE
AND SO AS YOU SIT HERE, YOU ARE NOT JUST GRADUATING FOR YOURSELF, YOU ARE GRADUATING FOR OTHERS WHO DIDN'T HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY, BUT MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR YOU TO BE HERE THIS MORNING.
I INSTILLED IN MY CHILDREN, UM, THE IMPORTANCE OF EDUCATION.
IT'S ANOTHER MILESTONE, ANOTHER CHAPTER IN THE BOOK TO HELP INCREASE MY FUTURE JOURNEY.
GO FORTH AND LET YOUR PANTHER PRIDE SHINE BRIGHT IN ALL THAT YOU DO.
PV YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO BE A INSPIRATION TO MY SIBLINGS, THAT YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU CAN, THAT YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO.
I'M PROUD OF EVERYBODY WHO'S GRADUATING TODAY.
LORD, I SAY THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE AT PRAIRIE VIEW ON THIS DAY FOR CLASS OF 2023.
AND IF YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING ELSE, YOU'VE ALREADY DONE MORE THAN ENOUGH.
THAT WILL DO IT FOR ME IN CITY PULSE.
I'M TRAVIS LEMONS ABOUT TO SLIDE INTO AN ELECTRIC RIDE.
UNTIL NEXT TIME, DO BETTER AND BE KIND.