* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:19] MORNING, MORNING, MORNING. COME ON. WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. I KNOW IT'S KIND OF RAINY AND GLOOMY OUTSIDE, BUT TODAY IS THE DAY TO CELEBRATE SO WE CAN SELL. THAT'S RIGHT. HAND CLAP. WE CAN CELEBRATE. I WAS TELLING ONE OF MY COLLEAGUES LAST NIGHT, I COULDN'T SLEEP. I WOKE UP ABOUT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND WE KNEW THAT THIS HAD BEEN PLANNED FOR QUITE SOME TIME, BUT IT REMINDED ME THE REASON I, I FEEL I COULDN'T SLEEP WAS REMINDED ME AS A KID GETTING READY FOR THE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION, WAKING UP ON SATURDAY MORNING, WASHING MY BIKE TO RIDE IN A PARADE IN BAYTOWN, TEXAS, IS WHERE I GREW UP. SO JUNETEENTH WAS A BIG CELEBRATION FOR US. AND, AND IF ANY RAIN WAS COMING, WE WERE STILL GONNA RIDE THOSE BIKES IN THE PARADE BEHIND THE FIRE TRUCK. SO TODAY WHEN I GOT UP AND I SAW THE RAIN, IT JUST REMINDED ME BEING 12 OR 13, LEMME GO OUTSIDE, CLEAN UP MY TRUCK, DRIVE A TO EP AND TELL 'EM WHAT GREAT CELEBRATION WE'RE GONNA HAVE ON JUNE 19TH. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. MY NAME IS DEPUTY DIRECTOR APPRENTICE COLLINS WITH THE, UH, HOUSTON PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT. IN ABSENCE OF OUR AMAZING LEADER, KENNETH ALLEN, I JUST BRING YOU GREETINGS TODAY TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN AMAZING IN OUR CITY. NOT ONLY OUR CITY, BUT IN OUR NATION. AN EPIC, AN EPIC EVENT JUST TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE. AND BEFORE WE GET STARTED, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR VERY OWN AMAZING LEADER OF THIS GREAT CITY AND SUPPORTER OF THE PARKS AND RECS DEPARTMENT. HANDS DOWN, THE HONORABLE JOHN WHITMEYER. WOW. YOU, YOU ARE FIXING TO START PREACHING. YOU KNOW IT. I CAN RECOGNIZE A PREACHER WHEN I SEE ONE. THAT'S RIGHT. LISTEN, THIS IS AN EXCITING DAY. A DAY LIKE WE NEED MORE OF BRINGING US TOGETHER, THE UNITY FOR A SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF JUNETEENTH. AND WHILE WE WILL HAVE A GREAT TIME, PLENTY OF ENTERTAINMENT AND FOOD, WE NEVER WANT TO FORGET THE REASON OF JUNETEENTH. IT REPRESENTS SOME OF OUR BEST AND WORST DAYS IN AMERICA'S HISTORY. AND WE DEFINITELY NEED THAT RECOGNITION IN TODAY'S POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT WHEN WE HAVE SO MUCH TURMOIL IN MAJOR CITIES ACROSS OUR GREAT NATION, BUT NOT IN HOUSTON. LOOK WHAT WE'RE DOING THIS MORNING. WE'RE CELEBRATING UNITY IN RECOGNITION. PERSONALLY, I'VE SPENT JUNETEENTH IN THE ACRES HOME JUNETEENTH PARADE AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER. SURE. GETS HOT. SO NOW I WILL DIVIDE MY TIME. I WILL DEFINITELY DO THE ACRES HOME JUNETEENTH PARADE, PARTLY OUTTA HONOR FOR MAYOR TURNER WHO STARTED THE EVENT AND MADE IT. IT'S THE SUCCESS THAT IT IS. BUT THEN I WILL SHIFT BASIS TO THIS GREAT CELEBRATION OUTTA RESPECT FOR THE YATES FAMILY. MS. BOSTIC FOR THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, CERTAINLY THE EMANCIPATION TURS RAMON. AND I THINK IN A BRIEF TIME I'VE KNOWN MR. WILSON, YOUR NEW CEO OUTSTANDING SELECTION BRINGS A LOT OF EXPERIENCE AND PASSION TO THE JOB. AND THEN OF COURSE, RICH NANCY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT. AS I SAID, THIS IS SPECIAL. WE NEED DAYS LIKE TODAY. I WILL LEAVE HERE A BETTER MAYOR THAN THE ONE THAT GOT HERE BECAUSE OF THE PASSION AND THE ENERGY HERE TODAY. BUT AS I MENTIONED, LET'S NOT FORGET HOW SIGNIFICANT THE DAY IS IN OUR COUNTRY'S HISTORY. AND WE ARE STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF PEOPLE THAT BROUGHT THIS TO OUR STATE AND NATION AND COMMUNITY ATTENTION. MS. OPAL LEE, OUT OF FORT WORTH, ICONIC FIGURE THAT I GOT TO MEET IN THE STATE SENATE IN HER NINETIES, BUT IT DIDN'T SLOW HER DOWN TO MAKE IT A NATIONAL HOLIDAY. IT WAS A GREAT HONOR TO MEET HER ON THE SENATE FLOOR. MY LAST SESSION IN AUSTIN, [00:05:01] I NEED TO RECOGNIZE LOCALLY, AL EDWARDS AL CERTAINLY MADE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION INTO THE LOCAL RECOGNITION THAT IT IS. SO WE STAND ON THESE INDIVIDUAL'S SHOULDERS AND WE HAVE A DUTY TO GO FORWARD, BRING THIS COMMUNITY TOGETHER, EDUCATE THE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT FAMILIAR WITH THE HISTORY OF JUNETEENTH AND COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. I KNOW YOU'LL DO YOUR PART. YES, SIR. OUTSTANDING CITY COUNCIL MEMBER THAT IS CONSTANTLY HAVING COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. SO THERE'S MANY OTHERS I COULD RECOGNIZE. I WANT TO THANK HOUSTONIANS FOR ALLOWING US THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEAD. I ENJOYED COMING DOWN EMANCIPATION WITH ITS NEW PAVEMENT. IT'S A GREAT START. WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK LEFT TO DO. SO THANK Y'ALL FOR BEING HERE. LET'S CONTINUE WORKING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THOSE WORDS, MAYOR. THANK YOU SO MUCH. UH, THE NEXT GENTLEMAN I'M GONNA BRING UP, UH, I MET MR. MANNING ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO WHEN EMANCIPATION COMMUNITY CENTER WAS THE NOW CULTURAL CENTER WHERE WE USED TO SIT AROUND THE TABLE AND I WAS THE DIVISION MANAGER FOR PARKS AND RECS. AND MONTHLY WE WOULD SIT AROUND THE TABLE AND TALK ABOUT THIS VISION WITH DORIS ELLIS AND, UH, MR. MCWILLIAMS AND ALL OF THE, THE, THE TURS DISTRICT AND, AND EVERYBODY. AND I WOULD JUST SIT THERE AND I WOULD JUST TAKE MY NOTES. AND WHEN I GET BACK TO THE OFFICE AT THE TIME, JOE TURNER WOULD SAY, DID YOU GOT, YOU GOT SOME NOTES FOR ME? SHARE THOSE NOTES BECAUSE I KNOW THEY MOVING OVER THERE. I KNOW THEY MOVING. AND DORIS WOULD CALL IN AND SHE WOULD WANT A CHRISTMAS TREE PLANTED OUT IN THE, FOR THE KIDS AND SHE WOULD WANT COCOA AND ALL THESE DIFFERENT THINGS. AND 20 YEARS LATER, LOOK WHERE WE ARE. LOOK WHAT WE'RE DOING. SO, MR. MANNING, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING THAT YOU ARE DOING WITH US IN PARTNERSHIP. AS THE, UH, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF THE CONSERVANCY, WE ARE WORKING ON A COLLABORATIVE IMPACT TO REALLY SHOW WHAT WE CAN DO IN THIS COMMUNITY. AND THE PARKS AND RECS DEPARTMENT COULD NOT DO THE THINGS THAT WE DO WITHOUT THE CONSERVANCY COLLECTIVE AND COLLABORATIVE IMPACT. I THINK MAYOR SAYS IT BEST AT TIMES. HE SAID, WE CAN'T DO THIS WORK ALONE. WE NEED PARTNERS WHO FEEL THE SAME WAY. WE FEEL AT THIS TIME, MR. MANNING. YES SIR. WE'RE GONNA ENLIST PRENTICE COLLINS AND GET HIM ON A TOUR. 'CAUSE I MEAN, HE IS, UH, DEFINITELY, UH, BRINGING IT HOME. YOU KNOW, UH, I'M EXCITED TO BE HERE THIS MORNING. I WILL TELL ALL OF YOU THAT, UM, UM, THIS, UM, THIS PROJECT, THIS PLACE IS SO IMPORTANT TO THE CITY AND TO THIS COMMUNITY. UM, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO JUST RECOGNIZE A FEW PEOPLE HERE, UM, BECAUSE WITHOUT THEM, I DON'T THINK WE WOULD BE IN THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN. UM, AND SO FIRST, THE BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE PARKS DEPARTMENT. I MEAN, KENNETH ALLEN, HIS TEAM, UM, THERE HASN'T BEEN A TEXT MESSAGE THAT HAS GONE UNRESPONDED TO WITHIN 20, 30 MINUTES MAX. THAT IS A FACT. UM, AND PEOPLE ALWAYS LIKE TO TALK ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS. AND IN ANY SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE RIGHT ALIGNMENT OF INTEREST. AND I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU FROM THE FOLKS AT THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, THERE'S DEFINITELY THE RIGHT ALIGNMENT OF INTEREST. AND IN ADDITION TO THE PARKS DEPARTMENT, I WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO GSD. YOU KNOW, WE GOT A LOT OF WORK GOING ON OUTSIDE RIGHT NOW. GSD HAS BEEN JOHNNY ON THE SPOT. WE HAVE INSPECTORS OUT HERE WEEKLY. UM, I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU EVERYONE IS ALIGNED IN BRINGING THIS PROJECT HOME. UH, AND SO I JUST WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO ALL OF THEM. THANK Y'ALL. AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, AS, AS IT HAS BEEN NAMED, THIS IS THE, YOU KNOW, HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, DISTRICT D DISTRICT OF DESTINATION. SHOUT OUT TO MY COUNCILWOMAN CAROLYN, EVAN SHABAZZ. UM, SHE HAS BEEN A BIG CHAMPION FOR EMANCIPATION PARK AS WELL. UM, AND BEING A THIRD WARD RESIDENT, UM, THIS IS GROUND ZERO FOR COMMUNITY. UM, AND I GET A LITTLE EMOTIONAL BECAUSE I WAS LISTENING TO APPRENTICE AND I REMEMBER SITTING OVER THERE IN THAT BUILDING, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, MAYOR, YOU, YOU SWATTING, YOU KNOW, STUFF AND, [00:10:01] YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT WHERE YOU SIT AND LOOK AT, HERE WE ARE NOW. LOOK AT THIS. THAT'S RIGHT. YOU KNOW, SO I WANT TO JUST SAY, I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU. AND, YOU KNOW, JUNETEENTH, AS THE MAYOR POINTED OUT, IS SUCH A IMPORTANT TIME. IT'S A TIME OF CELEBRATION, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I THINK IS A TIME OF REFLECTION AND KIND OF A RESET, ESPECIALLY WHAT WE HAVE GOING ON IN THIS COUNTRY RIGHT NOW, POLITICALLY. AND I THINK IT'S THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ALL COME TOGETHER AND REFOCUS AND HAVE THAT, THAT RESET AND USING THIS AS A PLACE OF HEALING AND COMING TOGETHER. UM, THIS YEAR FOR JUNETEENTH, WHAT THE MAYOR DID NOT TELL YOU GUYS IS THAT, UH, HE'S OUR HONORARY CHAIR. SO THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE, THERE'S AN EXPECTATION THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE HIM DOING SOME LINE DANCING AND SOME OTHER THINGS. UH, YOU KNOW, HE TOLD ME, HE SAID, I GOTTA SEE HOW MY KNEE IS FEELING. SO WE GONNA ICE HIM UP THE NIGHT BEFORE WE GONNA ICE HIM UP AND GET HIM READY, . SO, SO, SO WE LOOKING FORWARD TO HIM BEING OUT THERE. BUT THIS YEAR, THE THEME OF JUNETEENTH IS CALLED THE REUNION. AND LET ME UNPACK THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT, JUST OBLIGE ME FOR A SECOND. MOST PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THE HISTORY OF FAMILY REUNIONS. FAMILY REUNIONS ALL STARTED OUT AS A CALL OUT AFTER SLAVERY AND FOLKS BEING SHIPPED OFF TO OTHER PLACES AND BEING SOLD OFF TO OTHER PLANTATIONS OF HOW FOLKS COULD IDENTIFY AND LOCATE THEIR RELATIVES. AS I THINK ABOUT HOW AND WHY EMANCIPATION PARK WAS FOUNDED, IT WASN'T FOUNDED FOR RECREATIONAL PURPOSES. IT WAS FOUNDED TO BE A KEY BUILDING BLOCK TO A COMMUNITY. AND I'M, I'M STANDING HERE WITH THIS HAT AND I'M GONNA PUT IT ON AND, YOU KNOW, IT SAYS 1872 ON, ON IT. AND YOU KNOW, THIS IS 154 YEARS OF DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING. WHERE ELSE CAN YOU SAY, 154 YEARS OF COMMUNITY BUILDING AND COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT. IT'S RIGHT HERE AT EMANCIPATION PARK. SO I WANT TO JUST SHARE WITH YOU GUYS THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THIS THEME CALLED THE REUNION. AND JUST OBLIGE ME FOR A SECOND TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING FROM A PROGRAMMING PERSPECTIVE. EVERYONE LOVES TO COME AND PARTICIPATE AND HANG OUT AND SEE THE CONCERT AND THE SHOW AND ALL. THAT'S FINE. BUT THIS YEAR WE'RE BUILDING OUT A SMALL BUSINESS VENDOR VILLAGE WITH, ALREADY TODAY OVER 80 SMALL BUSINESSES ARE GONNA BE RIGHT OUT HERE. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING IS AWARDING $2,000 SMALL BUSINESS MINI GRANTS TO VENDORS OUT HERE PAIRING THEM, MAYOR WITH THE OFFICE OF BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY FOR A CONSULTATION. SO GIVE IT UP. SO WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS EMBELLISH THE LOCAL BUSINESS COMMUNITY, SUPPORT THEM, BUILD THEM UP BECAUSE SOMEONE IS GONNA HIT AND SAY, I GOT MY START AT EMANCIPATION PARK. RIGHT? RIGHT. AND SO IN ADDITION TO THAT, MAYOR, WE'RE BUILDING OUT A KID ZONE, RIGHT? ONEIKA HAS BEEN KILLING IT. WE GOT EVERYBODY FROM THE HOUSTON ROCKETS. UM, HEB IS BRINGING OUT HEB BUDDY. SO WE GOT A FULLY ACTIVATED KID ZONE THAT'S HAPPENING THIS YEAR, RIGHT? AND SO THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IMPORTANT. AND WE COULD NOT DO THIS WITHOUT A STATE OF THE ART STAGE BEING BUILT. LET ME, LET ME JUST EXPLAIN TO Y'ALL. Y'ALL SEE THE CONSTRUCTION GOING ON. NOTHING LIKE THIS HAS BEEN BUILT IN ANY COMMUNITY IN THIS CITY. THIS IS STATE OF THE ART, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S GOING TO THAT STAGE RIVALS WHAT WE HAVE OUT IN SUGAR LAND AT THE SMART FINANCIAL CENTER. BUT WHAT THIS DOES FROM A PROGRAMMATIC PERSPECTIVE, IT GIVES US THE PROGRAMMING CAPACITY TO COLLABORATE. SO LET ME TALK ABOUT EMANCIPATION PARK, WHY IT WAS FOUNDED, WHAT'S HAPPENING, HOW IT'S BEEN PROGRAMMED. IT WAS ALL ABOUT A KEY BUILDING BLOCK TO BRING A COMMUNITY TOGETHER. WHAT THIS DOES IS GIVES US THE CAPACITY TO DO PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMMING, COLLABORATION, WHETHER IF IT'S WITH THE MFA, HOUSTON GRAND OPERA, THE BALLET, ALL OF THESE PLACES GET TO COME TO THE COMMUNITY AND COLLABORATE AROUND PROGRAMMING. SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE NOTHING [00:15:01] LIKE THIS HAS EVER BEEN DONE. AND WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THAT WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF THE KINDER FOUNDATION. SO GIVE IT UP FOR THE KINDER FOUNDATION. RICH HAS ALWAYS SAID TO ME, RAMON, THINK BIG, THINK TRANSFORMATIONAL. AND I CAN HONESTLY TELL YOU THAT HE'S ALMOST LIKE SHAKESPEARE. HE WINCES, NOT WHEN I COME UP WITH SOME IDEAS, HE'LL SIT, HE'LL LISTEN. BUT HE WANTS TO UNDERSTAND THE PLAN. HOW WILL WE SUSTAIN THIS? HOW WILL WE CONTINUE TO PROGRAM THIS? AND IN ADDITION TO FUNDING THIS STAGE, WE'RE SEEDING AN ENDOWMENT APPRENTICE, WHICH I THINK YOU WILL APPRECIATE. THAT GIVES US THE CAPACITY TO SUSTAIN ALL OF THIS FROM A MAINTENANCE AND UPKEEP PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? TELL ME WHAT ORGANIZATION IN ANY COMMUNITY OF COLOR IS CING AND STARTING AN ENDOWMENT. SO I CAN'T STRESS THE IMPORTANCE OF WHERE WE ARE AND WHAT WE ARE EMBARKING UPON RIGHT NOW. I WILL CLOSE WITH JUST TELLING YOU GUYS, THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SUPPORT AROUND JUNETEENTH. WE GET THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE OUT HERE. WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THIRD WARD, HISTORICALLY BEEN A FOOD DESERT, HISTORICALLY KIND OF BEEN UNDER-RESOURCED. WHEN YOU HAVE PEOPLE LIKE NEL AND HER TEAM AT HEBI LIVE RIGHT DOWN THE STREET, I SWEAR I COMPLAINED FOR YEARS ABOUT A GROCERY STORE. LO AND BEHOLD, HEB STEPPED UP AND BROUGHT A GROCERY STORE TO THE THIRD WARD. AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST A GROCERY STORE, A REALLY NICE ONE. AND THEY HAVE BEEN HERE SINCE DAY ONE. EVEN WHEN THINGS GOT TIGHT POLITICALLY, WHERE PEOPLE WERE MOVING AWAY FROM THINGS THAT HAD HISTORY, CULTURE, ALL OF THAT STUFF IN IT. HE STEADFAST, I CAN'T THANK YOU ENOUGH, ELL. SO I WANT TO CLOSE BY SAYING I GAVE YOU GUYS A LITTLE FLAVOR ON WHAT'S HAPPENING FROM A PROGRAMMING AND ACTIVATION, BUT MAYOR, I SAVED THIS FOR LAST. WHEN YOU HAVE A FAMILY REUNION, ONE OF THE KEY THINGS THAT YOU DO AT A FAMILY REUNION IS YOU PLAY DOMINOES. WE GOT A DOMINO TOURNAMENT AND WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT HAVING THIS DOMINO TOURNAMENT BECAUSE WE HAVE A HALL OF FAME NFL PLAYER WHO MONIKERS HIMSELF AS A PROFESSIONAL DOMINO PLAYER, MR. TEO. SO, SO TEO TO, I FOUND OUT THROUGH A MUTUAL FRIEND, HE'S A DOMINO FANATIC. SO , WE ARE PLAYING DOMINOES. WE GOT A DOMINO TOURNAMENT MAYOR. SO WE GONNA BE LOOKING FOR YOU TO SLAP SOME BONES. I DO THAT BETTER THAN I CAN DANCE. RIGHT ON. I I MAY AGREE WITH THAT. I MAY AGREE WITH THAT DOMINO. SO, SO WE GOT TO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GLAD TO HAVE HIM THANK YOU TO FOR BEING HERE. AND LASTLY, WE GOT, WE GOT COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS. HE'S AT LARGE, BUT LOOK WHERE HE IS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. HE KNOWS WHERE TO BE. YEP. HE KNOWS WHERE TO BE. AND, AND, AND, AND, AND COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS, WE'RE COORDINATING SOMETHING RIGHT NOW AT EMANCIPATION PARK WITH MINISTERS TO COME AND DO PRAYER BREAKFASTS. SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT WHY IN HIGH EMANCIPATION PARK GOT FOUND, GETTING BACK TO THE COORDINATING OF WHAT EMANCIPATION PARK IS, AND COUNCIL MEMBER WILLIE DAVIS IS BRINGING THAT TO US. SO I'VE TALKED LONG ENOUGH, WE'RE GONNA HEAR FROM TEO IN A MINUTE 'CAUSE I WANT HIM TO TELL Y'ALL ABOUT THE DOMINO TOURNAMENT. BUT I WANT BRING UP MY CEO MR. COREY WILSON, WHO UNDERSTANDS THE ASSIGNMENT. HE KNOWS WHAT'S HAPPENING. HE GETS THE HISTORY. AND I'M EXCITED THAT HE'S HERE. THIS IS NOT HIS FIRST TRIP TO HOUSTON. HE WAS HERE PRACTICING LAW YEARS AGO, BUT HE'S EXCITED TO BE BACK. OUR NEW CEO AT EMANCIPATION PARK CONSERVANCY. MR. COREY WILSON. THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. GOOD MORNING, EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING. UM, I WAS JUST THINKING AS, AS THE CHAIRMAN, UM, STOLE ALL OF MY THUNDER IN TERMS OF, UH, RECOGNITION AND WHAT WE'RE DOING ON JUNETEENTH. UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS THINKING ABOUT HOW I, HOW I GOT HERE. AND, YOU KNOW, IN NOVEMBER OF 2024, POLITICAL WIND SHIFTED EVERYWHERE ACROSS THE COUNTRY, INCLUDING WHERE I WAS WORKING [00:20:01] AS THE SUPERINTENDENT OF, UH, EAST BATON ROUGE PARISH'S PARK SYSTEM. AND BY MARCH OF 25, UM, YOU KNOW, I WAS INFORMED THAT, THAT THE BOARD, WHICH HAD CHANGED WHAT WAS GOING IN A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. AND SO AT THAT TIME, IN MARCH OF 25, I MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT I WAS NOT GONNA RENEW MY CONTRACT. AND, UH, AND YOU COULD GO ONLINE AND LOOK AT THAT, UH, AT THAT SPEECH WHERE I TALKED ABOUT, UM, MY APPRECIATION FOR THE WORK THAT WE HAD ACCOMPLISHED. UM, BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WAS, WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO NEXT? AND MY RESPONSE TO THAT WAS, I'M NOT SURE, BUT I TRUST THAT GOD'S PLAN IS BETTER THAN ANY PLAN I COULD COME UP WITH. AND SO THAT HAD PLAYED OUT ALL OF MY LIFE IN TERMS OF MY ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND THINGS I'VE ACHIEVED. UH, GOD HAS ALWAYS PUT ME IN THE RIGHT PLACE. AND WHEN I STARTED HERE ON JANUARY 28TH, UM, THAT WAS JUST ANOTHER PIECE OF EVIDENCE OF, OF, OF, OF TRUSTING IN GOD AND, AND HOW HE WOULD PUT YOU IN PLACES. AND SO, SINCE DAY ONE HERE, IT'S BEEN MORE THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED. UM, THIS PLACE IS MORE THAN JUST A PARK, AS I'M SURE YOU KNOW, IT'S A LIVING PIECE OF HISTORY. AND I'M PROUD TO BE JUST A PART OF IT. AND I DO HAVE SOME WORDS THAT I WANNA SHARE THAT THE CHAIRMAN DIDN'T MENTION. AND SO IF YOU OBLIGE ME FOR A SECOND, UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THIS PLACE, YOU KNOW, IT'S ROOTED IN RESILIENCE, CULTURE, AND COMMUNITY. UM, AND OUR RESPONSIBILITY AT THE CONSERVANCY MYSELF, ALONG WITH MY MIGHTY TEAM, MS. JOHNSON AND MS. DILLARD, SITTING UP FRONT, ALONG WITH OUR BOARD LED BY CHAIRMAN MANNING, OUR RESPONSIBILITY IS TO HONOR THAT LEGACY WHILE MAKING SURE THAT THE PARK CONTINUES TO THRIVE FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. UM, AND THAT MISSION COMES TO LIFE EVERY YEAR AT JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION, WHERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE, I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE RSVP'D ALREADY, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A BIG NUMBER, , UM, FOR A DAY OF FREE MUSIC, UM, CULTURE AS WELL AS COMMUNITY. AND AS THE CHAIRMAN MENTIONED, THIS YEAR IS VERY SPECIAL BECAUSE IT'LL BE THE FIRST YEAR THAT WE GET TO CELEBRATE ON A BRAND NEW STATE OF THE ART STAGE, UH, GENEROUSLY FUNDED BY THE KINDER FOUNDATION. THANK YOU NANCY AND RICH. AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO OPEN THAT STAGE UP THAN WITH A CELEBRATION ROOTED IN JOY AND CULTURE THIS YEAR? LINEUP INCLUDES HOUSTON ZONE GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST ROBERT GLASPER, THE HOUSTON LEGEND, MR. MR. SCARFACE , SOUTHERN SOUL FAVORITE KING GEORGE. AND YOU KNOW THAT VIRAL SONG BOOTS ON THE GROUND WITH YOUR FAN? WELL, WE HAVE THAT VIRAL ARTIST JOINING US AS WELL, 8 0 3 FRESH, WE'LL KICK THINGS OFF WITH THE JUNETEENTH CHOIR FEATURING BRIAN COURTNEY WILSON. BUT TODAY IS JUST MORE THAN ENTERTAINMENT AS THE CHAIRMAN SHARED. UH, IT'S A MEANING. IT'S WITH WE'RE BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER TO REFLECT ON THE MEANING OF JUNETEENTH AND CELEBRATE THAT SPIRIT CREATIVITY AND STRENGTH. UH, THIS YEAR'S THEME, THE REUNION SPEAKS DIRECTLY TO THAT SPIRIT. YOU KNOW, THEY WOULDN'T BE A, A REUNION UNLESS THE UNION WAS BROKEN APART AS MR. CHAIRMAN SHARED. UM, WE WOULDN'T BE TALKING ABOUT EQUITY UNLESS THERE WAS INEQUITY, YOU KNOW, AND THE PARK SYSTEM, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT ACCESSIBILITY BECAUSE WE KNOW AT TIMES PARKS WERE INACCESSIBLE. THIS PARK HERE SERVES AS THE ONLY PARK AFRICAN AMERICANS COULD ATTEND FOR A LONG STRETCH OF TIME DURING THE JIM CROW ERA. AND SO WE'RE GONNA BE COMING TOGETHER, FAMILY CULTURE, HISTORY, SHARED EXPERIENCE THROUGHOUT THE DAY. GUESTS WILL ENJOY LIVE MUSIC, LOCAL VENDORS, FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS OPPORTUNITIES TO CONNECT WITH COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. AND SO WITH THAT, WE ARE HONORED TO HAVE THE MAYOR JOHN WHITMEYER, SERVE AS OUR HONORARY CHAIR OF THIS YEAR'S CELEBRATION, REFLECTING THE STRONG PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE CONSERVANCY AS WELL AS THE CITY OF HOUSTON, AS STEWARDS OF ONE OF CITY OF ONE OF THE CITY'S MOST HISTORIC AND BELOVED PARKS, [00:25:02] TO HAVE A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN CITY GOVERNMENT, NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, A PRIVATE FOR-PROFIT ORGANIZATION, FUNDRAISING, FOUNDATION FOUNDATIONS. IT'S A, IT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WE ALL WORK TOGETHER, THE THINGS THAT WE CAN ACHIEVE. AND SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE JOINING US, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT IT BEING A REUNION AND AT EVERY FAMILY REUNION, THEIR T-SHIRTS. AND SO WE CAN'T BUY T-SHIRTS FOR 10,000 PEOPLE, BUT WE ARE ASKING EVERYONE TO WEAR WHITE AS A FORM OF UNITY AND A BEAUTIFUL SYMBOL OF THAT UNITY ACROSS THE PARK. AND SO, EARLIER I MENTIONED THAT EVERYTHING WAS FREE, BUT AS YOU GUYS KNOW, NOTHING IS FREE . AND SO I JUST WANT TO TAKE ANOTHER MINUTE TO RECOGNIZE OUR, OUR, OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS, TITLE SPONSOR, HEB, WHO HAS SUPPORTED THIS EVENT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS, AS WELL AS THE KINDER FOUNDATION, WHO NOT ONLY HELPED FUND THE STAGE, BUT IS A BIG, UH, CONTRIBUTOR TO THIS YEAR'S JUNETEENTH EVENT AS WELL, A LONG WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON, ALL OF OUR SUPPORTERS. WE HAVE SO MANY SPONSORS, UM, WHOSE GENEROSITY ALLOWS THIS CELEBRATION TO REMAIN FREE AND ACCESSIBLE TO THE COMMUNITY. WE LOOK FORWARD TO WELCOMING HOUSTON AS WELL AS THE REST OF THE WORLD TO EMANCIPATION PARK FOR PROMISES TO BE A POWERFUL AND UNFORGETTABLE JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, COREY. YOU KNOW, UM, RIGHT NOW I WANT TO BRING UP RICH KINDER. HE DID NOT WANT TO SPEAK, YOU KNOW, UM, I HAD TO SEND HIM A NOTE IN THE 11TH HOUR AND, AND, AND SAY, COME ON MAN, YOU KNOW, I NEED YOU. YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE HAVE A EXCELLENT CADENCE, I THINK, FOR WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING OVER THE YEARS. AND I JUST ALWAYS LIKE TO HEAR HIS REMARKS BECAUSE HE'S SUCH A, UM, CEREBRAL GUY AT TIMES. UM, AND HE GIVES YOU A GREAT PERSPECTIVE ON THE IMPORTANCE AND THE LEVEL OF INVESTMENT IN THIS SPACE THAT IS EMANCIPATION PARK. SO WITH THAT, COME ON UP, RICHIE. ALL. WELL, RAMON'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT? I REALLY DIDN'T WANNA SAY ANYTHING. AND, UH, HE KEEPS BUGGING ME. YOU KNOW, IF RAMON, IF YOU DON'T DO WHAT HE SAYS, HE JUST KEEPS ON EMAILING YOU, KEEPS ON TEXTING YOU TILL FINALLY YOU GIVE IN, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT I'LL BE VERY BRIEF, YOU KNOW, THIS IS A GREAT EVENT. UH, OBVIOUSLY JUNE 10TH, A GREAT HISTORICAL RESIDENCE FOR THE, NOT JUST THE THIRD WARD, BUT FOR ALL OF HOUSTON, THIS PARK THE SAME WAY, NOT ONLY THE HEART OF THIRD WARD, BUT I THINK GIVEN ITS HISTORY, THERE'S NO NO MORE IMPORTANT PUBLIC PARK IN HOUSTON OR IN THE STATE OF TEXAS THAN WHERE WE'RE STANDING RIGHT NOW. AND, AND THIS IS WHY, UH, NANCY AND I AND THE KINDER FOUNDATION HAVE BEEN, UH, SPONSORS AND, AND TRIED TO HELP WITH THIS PARK OVER THE LAST REALLY 15 YEARS OR SO, AND THIS NEW CAMPAIGN THAT WE'VE JUST STARTED, WHICH IS RESULTING IN THIS BRAND NEW STATE OF THE ART STAGE THAT GONNA BE UNVEILED. I HOPE RAMON ON JUNETEENTH, ON JUNETEENTH, IS YOU LOOK OUT THERE AND WELL, HOW MANY DAYS WE HAVE? WELL, ANYWAY, WELL, WE PRAY FOR NO MORE RAIN, LET'S PUT IT THAT WAY. UH, BUT WE'RE REALLY ENTHUSED ABOUT THIS, AND I THINK IT'LL BE A GREAT JUNETEENTH AND THE ABILITY, WE'VE SAT OUT HERE AND WATCH JAZZY SUNDAYS AND, AND REALLY SEVERAL THOUSAND PEOPLE OUT HERE, BUT WE'VE HAD REALLY AN INADEQUATE STAGE. WE HAVEN'T HAD THE RIGHT KIND OF SOUND SYSTEM. AND WHEN THIS IS IN PLACE, I THINK IT'S GONNA MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE AND IT'S GONNA MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR YEARS TO COME. SO, UH, NANCY AND I AND KINDER FOUNDATION ARE JUST, UH, PROUD TO BE PART OF THIS. AND I'M ONE SINGLE OUT GUY, TED, WHO'S GOES OVER HERE EVERY COUPLE OF WEEKS, UH, AND, UH, HE COMES BACK AND HE SAYS, WELL, THE STEEL'S UP. UH, BUT, UH, OR WELL, RAMON SAYS, THE STEEL'S ABOUT UP, YOU KNOW? SO ANYWAY, UH, BUT WE'RE DELIGHTED TO BE PART OF THIS, PROUD TO, TO BE A PARTICIPANT IN THE NEXT STAGE OF DEVELOPMENT OF THIS VERY SPECIAL PARK. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO JUNETEENTH. WE'LL BE HERE, AND, UH, HOPEFULLY IT'LL BE A GREAT DAY. THANK YOU. [00:30:02] THANK YOU, RICH. NEXT I WANNA BRING UP, UM, WEELL, UH, FROM HEB AND BEFORE SHE COMES UP, UM, I WILL TELL YOU GUYS THAT, UH, SO WEELL, UM, SHE'S ORIGINALLY FROM AUSTIN. AND, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HISTORY AND THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS LOVED THE WAY WANE AND DOUG, YOU KNOW, DO ALL OVER MY KIDS. AND SHE'S SUCH A, UM, A GOOD PERSON AND UNDERSTANDS THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY AND WHAT THIS PLACE REPRESENTS. AND, YOU KNOW, SHE'S NOT TRANSACTIONAL. SO LET ME, LET ME UNPACK THAT FOR JUST A SECOND. SO, WHEN PEOPLE THINK ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS AND THEY THINK ABOUT SPONSORSHIPS AND SUPPORTING DIFFERENT EVENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS, SHE'S ALWAYS THINKING ABOUT HOW ARE WE IMPROVING? HOW IS THIS LOOKED AT THROUGH AN INVESTMENT LENS? AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT ABOUT HER BECAUSE IT'S NOT ABOUT DRIVING TRAFFIC TO HEB, ALTHOUGH WE WANT EVERYBODY TO SHOP AT HEB. AND SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT ELL IN FRONT OF EVERYONE, BECAUSE I REALLY, REALLY DO APPRECIATE YOU, AND I'M ALWAYS LISTENING TO EVERYTHING THAT YOU SAY. AND SO WITH THAT, Y'ALL GIVE IT UP FOR ELL HERRON FROM HEB. WELL, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. AND, UH, THANKS RAMON FOR THAT, UH, THOSE COMMENTS. AND IT REALLY IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS VERY INSPIRATIONAL. WE THINK ABOUT WHERE OUR COUNTRY IS TODAY. WE THINK ABOUT THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JUNETEENTH. WE ALSO THINK ABOUT THE INCREDIBLE ROLE THAT EMANCIPATION PARK PLAYS IN THAT HISTORY. MAYOR, YOU MENTIONED JACK YATES, THINKING ABOUT FOUR INDIVIDUALS WHO WERE FREED FROM, RECENTLY FREED FROM SLAVERY THAT INVESTED $800 IN THIS 10 ACRE PARK. I WONDER WHAT THE VALUE OF THAT $800 WAS BACK THEN. I MEAN, THAT WAS A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT. AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT FAMILY REUNIONS AND BEING ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER, RAMON, THANKS FOR REMINDING US WHAT THIS IS TRULY ALL ABOUT. AND I'LL JUST SAY THIS, EMANCIPATION PARK AND THE CONSERVANCY IS TRULY A HOUSTON TREASURE. NOT ONLY FOR ITS HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT CONTINUES TO BE A SIGNIFICANT CULTURAL ICON FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND, UH, RICH AND NANCY KINDER, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER YOU GUYS ARE, IF WE CAN, WHEN, WHEN I SEE YOUR NAMES AND YOUR ENGAGEMENT AND THINGS, I KNOW WE'RE IN THE RIGHT PLACE. I KNOW THE COMMITMENTS YOU'VE HAD OVER MANY YEARS TO CONTINUING TO GROW AND DEVELOP THIS PARK. UM, IT REALLY, TRULY IS A TESTIMONY, THE REASON WE'RE ALL HERE, THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PARK TO THE HOPE AND STRENGTH OF A FEW INDIVIDUALS WHOSE LEGACY STILL LIVES ON TODAY OVER 150 YEARS LATER. AND RAMON, HEB, AND MYSELF AND DOUG, WE'RE ALL INCREDIBLY PROUD OF YOU, THE LEADERSHIP YOU'VE PROVIDED, UH, FOR THE CONSERVANCY, THE PASSION, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL JOKING ABOUT. YOU HEARD RICH KINDER SAY, WELL, WHEN YOU, WHEN RAMON CALLS AND ASKS YOU FOR SOMETHING, YOU WIND UP DOING IT. BUT I KNOW THAT YOUR HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE ALWAYS COMMITTED TO MAKING THINGS EVEN BETTER THAN THEY WERE THE YEAR BEFORE. SO I JUST WANNA GIVE RAMON A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR THE ROLE THAT HE'S PLAYED. YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROUD OF OUR LONGTIME, UH, SUPPORT OF THE PARK, AND WE'RE HONORED TO BE THE PRESENTING SPONSOR OF THE, UH, JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION THIS YEAR. AND JUNETEENTH, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO ALL COME TOGETHER AND CELEBRATE HOW FAR WE'VE COME. BUT EVEN MORE IMPORTANTLY, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT WE STILL HAVE TO DO TOGETHER. AND AS WE STRIVE TO INSPIRE, EMPOWER OUR COMMUNITIES, AND ULTIMATELY BUILD A BETTER FUTURE FOR ALL, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE ABOUT AT HEB, WE'RE ABOUT BEING A CONTRIBUTOR TO THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. WE'RE ABOUT HELPING MAKE A DIFFERENCE. AND I TELL MY TEAM, I WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, BOTH STEPHANIE AND MARLI, I HAVE A GREAT TEAM OF FOLKS HERE IN HOUSTON THAT ARE REALLY COMMITTED TO NOT ONLY WRITING CHECKS, WHICH WE KNOW IS IMPORTANT, BUT ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES AND INVESTING AND TRULY WORKING TO BE A MEANINGFUL PARTNER FOR THE LONG TERM. UM, BUT IT ALSO TIES IN WITH HEB AND OUR COMMITMENT TO EMPOWERING DIVERSE VOICES AND TO STRENGTHENING COMMUNITIES THROUGHOUT OUR COMPANY AND IN THE COMMUNITIES WE SERVE. SO YEARS AGO, WE STARTED OUR BE THE CHANGE INITIATIVE, PROBABLY ABOUT SIX YEARS [00:35:01] AGO NOW, AND IT REALLY REINFORCES THAT COMMITMENT AND THAT MESSAGE. AND I WAS ALWAYS REMINDED OF GANDHI'S QUOTE, BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD. AND THAT'S REALLY, UH, WHAT WE TRY TO DO EACH AND EVERY DAY. UM, AT HEB. AND AS PROUD AS WE ARE OF JUNETEENTH AND THE CELEBRATION HERE AT EMANCIPATION PARK, WE'RE ALSO SUPPORTING CELEBRATIONS ACROSS THE STATE OF TEXAS, SO ABOUT 40 THAT WE'LL HAVE PARTNERS ACTIVELY INVOLVED ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES AND ENGAGED IN MAKING A DIFFERENCE. SO THAT'S HOW WE LIKE TO SHOW UP. UM, AND THINGS HAVE CHANGED OVER THE LAST, LAST FEW YEARS, BUT ONE THING THAT HASN'T CHANGED FOR US AT HEB IS OUR COMMITMENT TO BEING THERE FOR COMMUNITIES, ALL COMMUNITIES, FOR SERVING ALL TEXANS, AND FOR CONTINUING THOSE INCREDIBLE PARTNERSHIPS THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED OVER MANY YEARS. SO I KNOW THAT I NEED TO BRUSH UP A LITTLE BIT ON MY DOMINO GAME. I SEE, UH, TO HERE, UM, NOT THE BEST DOMINOES PLAYER, BUT I'M GONNA WORK ON IT. I'M GONNA WORK ON IT. UM, I ALSO HEAR, UH, ABOUT THIS, UH, BOOTS ON THE GROUND, AND THAT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE SONGS, EVEN THOUGH MAYOR, I HAVE NOT FI FIGURED OUT THAT DANCE YET. BUT I'M GONNA GET THERE. WE'RE GONNA GET THERE TOGETHER. UM, BUT REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THE FAMILY REUNION THEME AND ALL THE WORK THAT'S BEING DONE HERE. IT'S GONNA BE A GREAT CELEBRATION FOR JUNETEENTH, BUT I'M ALSO INCREDIBLY, INCREDIBLY PROUD RAMON OF YOU AND COREY, AND THE WORK THAT YOU DO LEADING THIS FACILITY, 365 DAYS A YEAR. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT AS WELL. WE'LL SEE EVERYBODY NEXT MONTH FORWARD TO IT. THANK YOU. SO RIGHT NOW, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M OLD FOOTBALL GUY. WE GONNA CALL THE AUDIBLE. AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I WANNA, I WANNA BRING UP TEO AND JUST LET Y'ALL HEAR A LITTLE BIT FROM TEO. AND THEN IMMEDIATELY AFTER TOTO, WE WANT TO HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. BUT RIGHT NOW Y'ALL GIVE IT UP. HALL OF FAMER, TERRELL OWENS. GOOD MORNING EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING. UH, THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. UH, I AM EXCITED, UH, FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY, UM, THANKS TO EVERYONE, UM, THAT HAS ALLOWED ME TO BE A PART OF JUNETEENTH EMAN EMANCIPATION PARK. UM, AS YOU GUYS WERE SPEAKING, UM, THE WORST RESET, REFLECTION, UM, REUNION THAT OBVIOUSLY RESONATED WITH ME. ANOTHER R WORD RESONATED WITH ME, UM, WITH ME BEING INVOLVED IN THE COMMUNITY HERE, UH, MY DAUGHTER, UH, JUST GRAD, GRADUATED FROM, UH, PRAIRIE VIEW, UH, A COUPLE OF WEEKENDS AGO. SO THANK YOU. SO, UH, SO I'VE ALWAYS, UH, TRIED TO AGAIN, INVOLVE MYSELF IN WHATEVER COMMUNITY, UH, THAT I'VE BEEN IN. AND THEN I KNOW WITH ME BEING WHO I AM, BEING A HALL OF FAMER, UM, THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF MY CAREER, MY GRANDMAMA ALWAYS TOLD ME, UH, TO WHOM MUCH IS GIVEN, MUCH IS REQUIRED. AMEN. AND SO, OBVIOUSLY, LIKE I SAID, UM, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A SELF-PROCLAIMED, UH, DOMINO PLAYER, BUT I, I CAN PLAY PRETTY, PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD. UM, THERE'S A NUMBER OF PEOPLE THROUGHOUT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE, THE TIMES THAT I PLAYED DOMINO'S, EVEN SOME PEOPLE THAT LIVE HERE, UM, THAT HAVE COME OVER TO MY HOUSE. AND WE'VE HAD SOME SPIRITED GAMES, UM, OF DOMINO'S. AND SO I'VE, UH, SINCE EVERYBODY HAS SEEN THE FLYERS GO OUT, UM, AND I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THE RSVPS YOU MENTIONED, UH, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE, OBVIOUSLY WITH THE, THE NUMBER OF GUESTS AND REALLY CELEBRITIES THAT ARE HERE, UH, IN THE HOUSTON AREA THAT ARE, THAT ARE GOING TO BE ITCHING TO, TO BE A PART OF THIS. SO, I, I, AGAIN, I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH OF HOW EXCITED I AM AND THANKFUL THAT YOU GUYS HAVE INFUSED ME INTO THIS, UH, INTO THIS GREAT CELEBRATION THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE HERE. SO, UM, I'M HOPING THIS NOT THE FIRST AND NOT THE LAST, UM, BUT I'M, LOOK, LOOK, DEFINITELY LOOKING FORWARD TO DO, UH, MANY MORE THINGS, UH, HERE AT EMANCIPATION PARK. SO, UH, I'LL KEEP THIS BRIEF, BUT, UH, THANK YOU GUYS SO, SO, SO MUCH, UH, FOR HAVING ME. WOW, WOW. UH, JUST A FEW MORE MINUTES. UH, AFTER COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS SPEAKS, I'LL COME BACK AND I WILL CLOSE YOU, BUT LET'S GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE FOR OUR SPONSORS, KINDER, HEB AND MR TO, UM, IN THE LAST 19 MONTHS, I'VE BEEN TO MORE COMMUNITY TOWN HALL MEETINGS THAN I CAN COUNT ON ONE HAND. WHEN YOU GET A CALL FROM COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, YOU, YOU JUST START MOVING FAST. YOU JUST, IT'S PEOPLE AT THE, AT THE, AT THE OFFICE WAS TELLING ME, HE WAS LIKE, PRENTICE, YOU KNOW, YOU WORK FOR PARKS, RIGHT? YOU DON'T WORK FOR COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. I WAS LIKE, NO, WE WORK FOR COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS FROM THE SOUTHEAST TO THE SOUTHWEST OR THE NORTHWEST. WE'VE BEEN AT ALL OF THE TOWN HALL MEETINGS TO SUPPORT COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, THERE'S NO OTHER PERSON [00:40:01] THAT LOVES PEOPLE MORE THAN COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. WHEN HE WALKS INTO A ROOM, YOU JUST GET EXCITED ABOUT WHAT HE'S GONNA TALK ABOUT AND WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO. IN THE ABSENCE OF OUR AMAZING COUNCIL MEMBER OF DISTRICT D COUNCIL, MEMBER SHABAZZ WE HAVE TODAY THAT'S JOINING US TO, JUST TO SHARE THAT LOVE AND THAT BIG HUG, WELCOME COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS. GOOD MORNING ALL. UM, LET ME BEGIN BY SAYING THAT I'M SO HONORED TO BE STANDING HERE, UH, CERTAINLY WITH MY MAYOR. I MEAN OUR MAYOR, WHO WE LOVE SO VERY, VERY MUCH. AND, UH, I, I WANNA MAKE SOME VERY BRIEF REMARKS. AND BECAUSE OF THE, THE HONOR AND CERTAINLY IN THE ABSENCE OF, OF, UH, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CALVIN SHABAZZ, WHO REPRESENTS THIS COMMUNITY AS A DISTRICT, UH, WHICH I LIVE IN, UH, AND, AND SERVE IN, BECAUSE I SERVE ALL OF HOUSTON. MATTER OF FACT, ON MY WAY HERE TODAY, I WAS ALL THE WAY IN THE SOUTHWEST MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. I HAD TO SPEAK TO THEM THIS MORNING, UH, AND I HAD A TOWN HALL MEETING THERE ON MONDAY NIGHT, AND THEY WANTED ME AGAIN TO BE THERE THIS MORNING. AND I WAS TRYING TO RUSH OVER HERE. BUT, BUT LET ME JUST SAY I WANT TO THANK HEB FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. UH, AND CERTAINLY I'M SO CLOSE THAT I WALKED TO THE STORE. UH, I'M, I LIVE RIGHT BEHIND HEB. AND SO MY FAMILY AND I, WE GET A CHANCE TO EVERY NOW AND THEN JUST TO WALK THERE AND, UH, AND TO, TO MR. AND MRS. UH, KINDER, UH, RICH NANCY. SO GOOD TO SEE YOU. I GO AROUND THIS CITY QUITE A BIT AND WHEREVER I GO, I ALWAYS SEE THE KINDER AND THEIR FOUNDATION. THEY DO SO MUCH FOR OUR CITY AND, AND WE SO APPRECIATE THEM. JUST A GREAT, GREAT, UH, UH, FOUNDATION THAT HELPS OUR CITY. AND TO MY GOOD FRIEND, UH, DAMON. NOW HE WENT TO SCHOOL WITH MY SON. HE WENT TO SCHOOL RAMON WITH MY SON. AND SO WE GO BACK INTO OUR WORK, BROTHER WILSON, LET ME TELL YOU, I AM THE ONE, AS WE TALK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF THIS COMMUNITY, I'M THE PRODUCT OF THIS COMMUNITY. UM, JUST GO TO SHOW YOU, MANY OF YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER THIS, BUT I COME FROM A FAMILY OF 11 AND EVERY SUMMER, MAYOR, WHENEVER WE HAD, WE DIDN'T HAVE A POOL. MOST PEOPLE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD DIDN'T HAVE A POOL IN THEIR BACKYARD, RIGHT? SO WE HAD TO COME TO MASS SPACE PARK, THIS IS WHERE WE CAME. BUT THE ONLY WAY TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO GET TO THE POOL TO SWIM, WHICH IS WHERE, THIS IS WHERE I FIRST LEARNED HOW TO SWIM. OF COURSE IT DIDN'T LOOK LIKE THIS, BUT THIS IS WHERE I LEARNED HOW TO SWIM. BUT HERE'S THE DEAL. THE BIG THING FOR ME WAS WE HAD TO TELL MY MOTHER WE WANTED TO GO TO THE POOL. SO IN ORDER TO GO TO THE POOL, OF COURSE WE WERE LOW INCOME. YOU KNOW, I DON'T SAY POOR 'CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I, I GREW UP BELIEVING THAT WHAT WE HAD WAS WHAT WE HAD. AND IT WAS A MENTAL THING THAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE DOING PRETTY GOOD, LOW INCOME. SO WE HAD TO GO TO MOM TO GET TO THE ORDER TO GO TO THE POOL. SO SHE SAID, OKAY, UH, WELL TELL YOU WHAT YOU DO. GO BACK THERE. BRING ME THE JEANS THAT YOU WORE DURING THE SCHOOL YEAR. SO GUESS WHAT? WE HAD TO TAKE THE WORST JEANS SHE'LL GO THROUGH EVERY PAIR OF JEANS SAID THIS. NO, PUT THAT ONE BACK. YOU GONNA WEAR THAT AGAIN? PUT THAT BACK. YOU GONNA WEAR THAT AGAIN? OKAY, YOU CAN TAKE THAT ONE. SO THEN WHAT DID SHE DO? WE WOULD CUT THE JEANS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE HAD TO HAVE FOR OUR SWIMMING TRUNKS. AND WE WOULD WALK. AND I LIVED IN THE PART OF THIRD WARD, TEXAS WHERE WE WERE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE GULF FREEWAY WHERE OAK FARMS AND RC COLA AND BUFF STADIUM AND ALL THAT WAS OVER THERE. THAT WAS MY HOOD. AND WE WOULD WALK FROM THERE TO THE PARK, TO THIS PARK, TO THE EMANCIPATION PARK. 'CAUSE THAT WAS THE SWIMMING POOL. THAT WAS THE PLACE IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO TODAY WE THINK ABOUT THE HISTORY OF IT. HERE I AM A KID THAT WAS GROW UP, BORN ON SCOTT STREET IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD, AND NOW I STAND AS A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER IN THE GREATEST CITY IN AMERICA, IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, UNDER ONE OF THE GREATEST MAYORS IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON. AND I COULD NEVER BE SO PROUD. JUNETEENTH MEANT A LOT TO US AS I TAKE MY SEAT, BECAUSE THAT WAS A PLACE OUT THE SOUTH MAIN CALLED PLAYLAND PARK. SOME OF YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER THAT I'M DATING MYSELF, BUT IT'S OKAY. PLAYLAND PARK. AND THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER WAS, AS A BLACK AMERICAN, WE GOT A CHANCE TO GO TO PLAYLAND PARK, OPEN UP TO US ONE TIME A YEAR. IT WAS JUNETEENTH. IT WAS JUNETEENTH. SO FOR A PERSON, NOT ONLY THAT, KNOW IT AND TEACH IT TO MY KIDS. I REMEMBER IT FOR MORE WAYS THAN WHAT PEOPLE CAN IMAGINE. SO TO THESE GREAT GUYS, I'M SO HONORED. AND WE GONNA BRING THOSE [00:45:01] PREACHERS IN HERE. AND WE GOING TO HAVE A PRAYER BREAKFAST RIGHT HERE IN CELEBRATION OF OUR JUNETEENTH. GOD BLESS YOU ALL. THANK YOU SO MUCH. IN CLOSING, WE'VE HAD REFLECTION, WE'VE HAD HISTORY, WE'VE HAD CULTURE, AS MY GRANDMOTHER USED TO SAY. PLEASE DON'T MISS AN OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE, TO EXPAND YOUR EXPECTATIONS. WE'RE GONNA LOOK FORWARD TO JUNETEENTH AS AN OPPORTUNITY THAT WILL EXPAND THE EXPECTATIONS OF THOSE WHO ARE VISITING US FOR THE FIRST TIME, REUNION, REFLECTION AND CULTURE, EMANCIPATION PARK, CONSERVATIVE JUNETEENTH. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.