The Public Affairs Podcast

This September join the fight against childhood cancer by participating in the St. Jude Walk/Run Houston on September 30, 2023 at Houston Sports Park locally sponsored by KBR and Chair King Backyard Store. This family-friendly event raises funds to support the lifesaving mission of St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital: Finding cures. Saving children. We talk to Pastor H. Giraud, MBA Sr. Liaison a...

The Negro Motorist Green Book , a new exhibition developed by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service (SITES) in collaboration with award-winning author, photographer and cultural documentarian, Candacy Taylor will be on display in Holocaust Museum Houston’s Josef and Edith Mincberg Gallery Sept. 1 through Nov. 26, 2023.  The Green Book  provided critical, life-saving information...

Media Personality, speaker, and entrepreneur, Sky Houston shares an inspirational, strategic and glimmering life-system for finally closing the gap between reality and where you want to be, in the new release, "Don't Waste Another Year."  On Thursday, September 21st, 2023, is the pre-release party, for pre-orders and digital journals, at Rockhouse Southern Kitchen.   Back on the program is the fou...

Harris County District Clerk Marilyn Burgess is here to talk about the passage of a bill by the Texas Legislature that will provide the first jury pay increase in our state since 2005. Governor Greg Abbott signed the bill and it will go into effect on September 1. Jury pay will increase from the current $6 to $20 on the first day of jury service, and from $40 to $58 on subsequent days. The Houston...

Since their founding in 2017, The Sanders Hand non-profit organization has been committed to decreasing those statistics, by providing at-risk youth ages 12-25 with financial education and skills and resources to achieve financial independence. To date, they have given away more than $20,000 in scholarships to students of the program, graduating over 72 students from leadership camps, and increasi...

Marcus Baskerville, the Director of Brewing at Weathered Souls Brewing Co as well as a Founding Board member of the recently launched  National Black Brewers Association . This past July marks the second year of the Black is Beautiful Beer  campaign, uniting breweries across the US in support of diversity and equality within the brewing industry. Given that less than 1 percent of breweries are Bla...

Our first conversation is with Natasha Wilson, founder and CEO of COHAP OUTREACH CORPORATION, a prominent nonprofit organization dedicated to uplifting and empowering disadvantaged communities. The organization is sponsoring a back-to-school drive bash at "Sweetwater Point Apartments," to provide essential school supplies for children in need. Then we speak with Google Technology Expert, Sarah Arm...

Vickee Gray, founder and President/CEO of THRIVE Inc., tells us how students may get involved, how people can support, and stories of THRIVE scholars, who are now attending HBCUs, and the high school students who are currently benefiting from the program. THRIVE is everything and all things HBCU! THRIVE is student driven and HBCU focused as is right here in Houston ready to serve more students. Th...

The Power Networking Conference kicks off August 2nd, 2023.  We talk to the founder, Dr. George C. Fraser about the 3 day event.  As well as, Carmen Herreara and the founder & CEO of 2Excel Real Estate, LaRick Calhoun.  The PNC kicks off with the Real Estate Biz Expo on Wednesday, August 2nd at the Hilton of Americas and runs through Saturday, August 5th.    The founders of We Were Once Them,...

LOOK: How to Pay Attention in a Distracted World, Christian Madsbjerg, a philosopher and entrepreneur, reveals that actual vision has little to do with “seeing,” explaining these concepts through vignettes of great observers such as philosopher Maurice Merleau-Ponty, physicist Franz Boas, and journalist Gillian Tett.  LOOK is much more than a detailed examination of observation and perception; it’...

The Tony Award-winning Best Musical 1776 is coming to the Hobby Center July 20th - 22nd, being presented by Theatre Under The Stars.  We talk to Liz Mikel, who plays ‘Benjamin Franklin, about this multiracial cast of female, transgender, and nonbinary actors who portrays the fiery founders of this country, putting history in the hands of the humans who were left out the first time around—and the r...

Phi Beta SIgma will host its 2023 Conclave or International Convention in Houston, Texas during the week of July 11 - 16, 2023.  This will be the organization's first international convention in Houston since 1973 - fifty (50) years.  Our guests are the Phi Beta Sigma Inc. International President Chris V. Rey, J.D. and Donald R. Naylor, Jr., President, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., Eta Rho Sigm...

Back on the program is the founder of Jus'Free.com, Dominque Leonard. We talk about his incarceration and program, JusFree.com. He's brought along Janell Compton, a mother who's son has benefitted from the program. Jus’Free creates a parole packet plan that they present to the parole board on the inmate and family's behalf. Dr. Candice Matthews, Texas Coalition Of Black Democrats Statewide and Har...

This Men’s Health Month, AAMA – the Association for the Advancement of Mexican Americans – is reminding men from all walks of life to take the opportunity to access the resources they need to take care of or improve their health. So often for our dads, brothers, husbands, and uncles, their own personal health comes last – even if they depend on being healthy to provide for their families. We are j...

The 2023 National Urban League Conference, returning to Houston after 24 years, will attract thousands of the nation’s most forward-thinking community and business leaders for four days of world-class speakers, informative workshops, dynamic entertainment, and networking events.  To tell us all we need to know about the conference we talk to HAUL President and CEO Judson Robinson, III, and HAUL Di...

The Houston Informer Foundation is proud to announce the unveiling of a captivating new summer exhibit, "Steppin' Back in Time: Family Representation," in commemoration of Juneteenth. Taking place from June 9 to June 20, 2023 at Emancipation Park in the Cultural Center, located at 3018 Emancipation, Houston, TX 77004. We talk to Publisher Lorenza Butler Jr., Publisher Mykel Collins, and Houston Ci...

Athletes in Acting Awards (AIAA), mission is to commit to helping enrich entertainment relating to sports; promote excellence in performance and production projects of professional athletes, sports journalists and sports franchise owners; expand their fan base and endorsement opportunities in the international advertising, media, and performing arts industries.  We talk to the founder, native Galv...

 The African American Marketing Association (AAMA) is hosting the Marketing For The Culture Summit  on May 31 - June 2, 2023. This year's theme is  Knocking Doors Down focusing on collaboration. During the summit, we will discuss Chat GPT, Facebook ads, content, e-commerce, and all the things you need to grow your brand.  We talk to the President of AAMA, Michelle Ngome.  See omnystudio.com/listen...

May is National Stroke Awareness Month, an observance that highlights the importance of knowing the signs and symptoms of a stroke (F-A-S-T).  Frederick Goodall, CEO and Founder of Mocha Man Style, shares his story of having a stroke and how to change your way of eating and living.  The 2nd Annual Mocha Man Style Men's Health Fair & Expo is Saturday, June 10th, 2023 at The Gite Gallery from 2-...

Texas Black Expo celebrates 20th anniversary during its 2023 Summer Celebration, May 18 - 21, 2023 featuring Earvin "Magic Johnson. Summer Celebration is the largest African American consumer tradeshow and festival in the south.  We talk to Jerome Love, CEO & Founder of TBE, Onaje Barnes: Host of Game Day Real Estate Panel, and Dr. Shantay Grays: Vice Chancellor of HCC. Dr. George C. Fraser is...

The Houston Equity Fund is a Houston nonprofit led by Mayor Turner and 14 civic leaders in the Houston community, dedicated to accelerating transformative change by supporting under-resourced small businesses and nonprofits in Houston communities of color. HEF will be announcing the Open For Business Grant, Round 2 of $8M in May, via a Mayoral press conference. We talk to the Executive Director, D...

Choose to DO, Inc. is a nonprofit founded March 8, 2016. Our mission is to build confidence and esteem for black youth 12-17 years old to embrace healthy mental development by introducing them to applicable skills and resources that foster socioemotional well-being. We talk to the Founder and CEO of Choose to DO, Inc., Dozie Oheri about how the initiative started.    After seven years of being the...

On a Saturday, April 29, 2023, 50,000 volunteers will gather in the morning at hundreds of Serve Centers across Houston to distribute aid and services to those in need. Following the historic morning of service, every volunteer will gather at The Toyota Center to celebrate the power of what love can do. We talk to one of the collaborators, Jedidiah Thurner, with Love Has No Limits about 1 Day Hous...

Judson Robinson, CEO of the Houston Area Urban League, talks to KG Smooth about the Texas Education Agency taking over Houston Independent School District. We also talk about the state of education and what really needs to be done.   Kyra Hardwick is the Executive Director of Imagine Excellence Inc. The primary focus of our program is to build character, create community service opportunities, exp...

Since November 2020, the Hoodies4Healing foundation has served over 30,000 homeless men, women, and children in Houston, TX.  Today was speak with the founder of  HOODIES FOR HEALING, Rosmary Tucker, and the woman with many titles, Dr. Candice Matthews. They tell their story and talk about the Easter dinner for 300 homeless men women and children Sunday Easter day.  You can find them every Sunday...