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It's official: Sylvester Turner is sworn in as Houston's 62nd mayor

Sylvester Turner sworn in as mayor of Houston

Sylvester Turner became Houston's 62nd Mayor Saturday in a brief ceremony at City Hall.

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Although Sylvester Turner won't be publicly sworn in as Houston's 62nd mayor until Monday, the former state representative took the oath of office Saturday in a brief private ceremony at City Hall, with his daughter at his side and his hand on a well-worn Bible that he used during his time in the Texas Legislature.

U.S. District Judge Al Bennett administered the oath to Turner and City Controller Chris Brown, in front of a small group of family and friends.

Turner chose the private ceremony to meet requirements of the Houston City Charter, which mandates a transfer of power on January 2, and avoid overtime costs that would have been accumulated if police and other city employees were on duty during a holiday weekend for a public inauguration.

“This was a decision based on financial concerns,” Turner said in a statement. “We always have to be mindful of the bottom line.”

Turner's predecessor, former Mayor Annise Parker, chose a similar route when she was sworn in during a private ceremony in January 2010 before a public inauguration two days later. Parker, who has been in city government for the last 18 years as council member, controller and mayor, has accepted a two-month teaching fellowship at Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government, beginning February 1.

The public inaugural for Turner, Brown and Houston City Council will take place at 9:30 am (January 4) at Jones Hall. A pre-inaugural celebration is planned for 4:30 - 6:30 pm Sunday (January 3) at Market Square Park. The free event is open to the public and will feature live music, food trucks and a fireworks finale.

Turner’s resigned as State Representative for District 139 on January 1. He had served in the State Legislature for 26 years before he was elected Houston's mayor in a close run-off last month.

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Thanks, Queen Bey

Pop icon Beyoncé donates $100,000 to University of Houston Law School

Photo by Erza Shaw Getty Images

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Pop megastar Beyoncé Knowles-Carter has donated $100,000 to the University of Houston Law Center Criminal Justice Clinic through her BeyGOOD Foundation. The gift will allow the clinic to hire fill-time faculty to head it, benefiting the students who study there.

“I am delighted that the BeyGOOD Foundation has made this very generous gift to the UH Law Center,” said Leonard Baynes, dean of the UH Law Center. “Not only will this funding help establish a full-time criminal justice clinic that provides pro bono legal services in our community, but it will also supercharge our already excellent criminal law and justice programming.”

The clinic is one of nine at UHLC. It helps students learn to navigate the criminal justice system, especially on behalf of clients that are underserved by skilled attorneys. People of color are affected disproportionately by a lack of good, ethical representation.

Beyoncé, the most decorated artist in Grammy history and easily the biggest musical star native to Houston, has a long history of advocating for criminal justice reform. She was a staunch supporter of the police reform following the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile, asking law enforcement to “stop killing us” in a web post. In 2020, she penned an open letter to the Kentucky attorney general asking for justice in the death of Breonna Taylor.

Through her BeyGOOD Foundation, established in 2013, Beyoncé has focused mostly on expanding the prospects of Black-owned business and offering education opportunities to students. Forwarding the cause of legal representation in Texas while also helping out marginalized communities compliments her other philanthropic work.

“At UH Law, we envision a legal profession where ‘everyone has the opportunity to prosper,’ as BeyGOOD envisions, and we will achieve this vision by providing access to strong and effective legal representation in criminal proceedings,” Baynes said. “And together, through this gift, the BeyGOOD Foundation and UHLC will shepherd the next generation of criminal justice attorneys in the city of Houston, the state of Texas and the nation.”