A 93-year tradition

Holiday lights: Houston's 63-foot Christmas tree to be energy efficient — andMotown blessed

The annual Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting Ceremony will include livemusic, fireworks, family activities and more.
Dennis Edwards and The Temptations Review have been secured as the specialperformance for the event.

Mayor Annise Parker revealed the noted Motown headliner that will regale the crowd at Houston's annual Holiday Celebration and Tree Lighting Ceremony downtown on Nov. 30.

Former member of The Temptations and seven-time Grammy Award winner Dennis Edwards has been selected to perform with his group, The Temptations Review, to play favorites like "My Girl," "Papa was a Rolling Stone" and "Just My Imagination."

Other musical performances include the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts, the Biohazard Brass Band and the MacArthur Jammin' Generals Drumline, plus a fireworks presentation (courtesy of Southwest Airlines) timed to the Hallelujah Chorus from "Handel's Messiah," featuring The Ernest Walker Band and singers from the Abundant Life Cathedral, the Gospel Music Heritage choirs and more.

Former member of The Temptations and seven-time Grammy Award winner Dennis Edwards has been selected to perform with his group, The Temptations Review.

The 63-foot white fir holiday tree, presented by Reliant Energy, will be illuminated by Sugar Plum Fairies from the Houston Ballet, and will glow throughout the holiday season with energy efficient LED lights.

"I invite my fellow Houstonians to join me at City Hall to continue this 93-year tradition of beginning the holiday season with friends and family and ignite our famous skyline with music, lights and fireworks," Parker said in a statement.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a new unwrapped toy to be gifted to a child in need through the Salvation Army Greater Houston Area, and to wear their most festive attire for Santa photo ops.

The event will take place at Houston's City Hall at 6 p.m. on Nov. 30.

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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.”