Walk with CultureMap

Strength in numbers: More than 25,000 set to take on America's No. 1 killer inthe Heart Walk

More than 25,000 Houstonians will walk through downtown Saturday morning to bring awareness to America's No. 1 killer: Heart disease.

The American Heart Association aims to inform the public, to ignite change and to inspire hope in sufferers and survivors with the annual Houston Heart Walk.

Cardiovascular disease takes more than 2,300 lives each day, striking an unexpectedly varied demographic: The young, like Houston Press music editor Chris Gray (who is recovering quickly from his heart attack last week), the healthy and the obese.

Newborn babies, middle-age smokers, high-profile politicians, teenagers and toddlers are all at risk for cardiovascular problems.

Newborn babies, middle-age smokers, high-profile politicians, teenagers and toddlers are all at risk for cardiovascular problems and strokes. Some cases are preventable with exercise, a moderated diet and regular wellness check-ups.

Start taking steps toward a healthier lifestyle by signing up for the 5-mile, non-competitive walk, which will be followed by health screenings and interactive learning opportunities. The weather is nice and it's free to walk (but participants receive a T-shirt — and self-satisfaction for contributing to a worthy cause — if they raise $100 or more).

The event starts at Sam Houston Park, and kickoff is at 9 a.m. Sign up as an individual, make your own team, or walk with the CultureMap squad to support the cause.

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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.”