Twin pilots Jamil and Jalal Paul received Community Hero Awards. (Sierra Rozen/COURIER HTX)
As attendees settled into their seats at Houston City Hall, excitement buzzed through the air. Politicians, a Grammy-award winning gospel singer, and an NFL coach were among the crowd, gathered to celebrate Black excellence as the nation marks 100 years of Black History Month.
The Feb. 19 Black History Month Celebration, hosted by Houston City Controller Chris Hollins, honored seven Black Houstonians who have left a lasting impact on the city and the communities they call home.
“To those who would take us back, those that are attacking our institutions and our communities, that we’re not going back,” Houston Mayor John Whitmire said at the event. “Black History Month gives us an opportunity to recognize those that allowed us our opportunity.”
The honorees were:
- Yolanda Adams, a four-time Grammy award winning gospel artist born and raised in Houston. Adams has sold 10 million albums worldwide, and is the first gospel artist to receive an American Music Award. Adams received the Community Legend Award. “I have been so blessed to have legends before me … people who invested in me and did what we’re doing now for young people: giving them a chance to have their own voices,” Adams said while receiving her award.
- Jamil and Jalal Paul, twin brothers who both work as Houston-based pilots for United Airlines, received Community Hero Awards. The Pauls have made headlines for their work in the predominantly white aviation industry (according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, less than 4% of commercial pilots in the US are Black).
- Dr. Reginald DesRoches, the first Black and immigrant president of Rice University. During his tenure, DesRoches has deepened the university’s access to innovation and community partnership. DesRoches received the Community Trailblazer Award. “This recognition is not mine alone,” he said. “I stand on the shoulders of many … who have shaped my path and opened doors, often under far more difficult circumstances than my own.”
- Houston Texans Head Coach DeMeco Ryans and his wife Jamila Ryans, who founded the Ryans Family Foundation, received the Community Champion Award. The nonprofit foundation helps bring together organizations, leaders, and resources to uplift local families. Some of their work includes raising money for single mothers.
The late Sylvestor Turner, who served as Houston mayor from 2016-2024, was posthumously awarded the Legacy Award for his public service, transformative leadership, and commitment to the city.
“History must be shared so that future generations know what’s possible,” Hollins said. “And since we’re in Texas, it’s worth mentioning that that includes putting our history in our student’s history books.”
A rewrite of Texas social studies curriculum is currently in the works, with lawmakers at odds on what to include, particularly with the portrayal of slavery, civil rights, and Indigenous people. Curriculum is determined by the State Board of Education, made up of 10 Republicans and five Democrats. While the new curriculum hasn’t been released, the changes are set to put a greater emphasis on Texas history and less on world history, a move critics say will erase history of certain cultural groups.
“For 100 years, the international passing down of Black history has reminded us, and this country, that progress is never accidental.”
