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Dominique de Menil's King wish finally comes true at Rothko Chapel

John and Dominique de Menil's original wish was for Barnett Newman's "BrokenObelisk" to be placed in downtown Houston in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King,Jr.
Barnett Newman's "Broken Odelisk" sits in a sparkling reflection pool acrossfrom the Chapel. This duality represents the Chapel's two vocations:contemplation and action.
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, The Rothko Chapel celebrated the life andlegacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with remarks by The Reverend Dr. James A.Forbes, Jr.
Hustlers Brass Band music created a festive ambiance, leading the audience fromthe Chapel to the courtyard in Dr. King's march style.
Photo by Joel Luks

It all started with two reverberant bell tolls of a Tibetan singing bowl. Rich in harmonic overtones, the calling sound seemed to dissipate al niente, although I could not readily identify at what moment it transitioned from physical existence into a distant memory.

Alejandro Chaoul, from the Ligmincha Texas Institute for Meditative & Healing Arts, had the honor and responsibility of starting a very special meditation series at the Rothko Chapel for the one-of-a-kind place's 40th anniversary. He sat on a platform wrapped in a colorful weaved rug and assumed a comfortable lotus pose, his gentle presence allowing all of us present to slowly sink into an unusually quiet state.

I don't think I did very well. At first, I kept on thinking of thoughts to think about, then quickly transitioned into scanning people's shoes. Not judging, just noticing. Playing with visual patterns created by the stone tile flooring, I focused on the massive and monochromatic Rothko panels, noticing rich grays, blacks and hints of aubergine.

I heard myself breathe and found the sound calming. I am not certain what happened to the rest of the time, but before I knew it, three tolls signaled the end of the practice.

In retrospect, the experience of meditating wasn't about succeeding or failing, but rather about being present in the moment and practicing. And this was the first of 40 days .

A few days ago, the Chapel had commemorated Barnett Newman's Broken Obelisk to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. as a tribute to his life and legacy. It was Dominique de Menil's original wish to donate Newman's masterpiece to the city of Houston with one condition: Dedicate the work to Dr. King. But some city officials were not prepared to accept art with attitude.

"Why not? asked Emilee Dawn Whitehurst, Rothko Chapel's executive director. "Why would we not do something like that?"

Why not fulfill de Menil's wish during the Chapel's 40th anniversary festivities? And so it was done.

With remarks by The Reverend Dr. James A. Forbes, Jr. and festive tunes courtesy of the Hustlers Brass Band, the audiences was called to action.

His message? The civil rights movement in the areas of racial equality, economic justice, health care reform and non-violence is in desperate need of a second wind, the kind that a runner experiences once carbohydrates are exhausted in favor of the efficiency of fat burning mode.

In the style of Dr. King, the event finished with a march, lead by the band, and continuing outside. And we celebrated.

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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.”