Hodges Communications Group, LLC (HCG) served as consulted for the 60th Anniversary kickoff of the Forward Times, hosted by the Julius and Lenora Carter Scholarship and Youth Foundation (JLCF). The kick-off began with the proclamation presented by the City of Houston, Mayor Sylvester Turner, and Councilmember Martha Castex-Tatum. Following the proclamation presentation, the JLCF hosted a reception in the Legacy Room at Houston’s City Hall. Supporters, friends, and family convened for hors d’oeuvres and cocktails and celebrated the historic Forward Times. For 60 years, Forward Times has been telling stories that impact the black community, unveiling the hidden figures and treasures in the community. Forward Times remains the strongest information vehicle and most trusted voice for African Americans in the city of Houston and throughout the southern region.
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Houston’s Urban Nutcracker
Hodges Communications Group, (HCG) LLC supported the Lab Performing Arts Initiative (LPAI), Incorporated production of Houston’s Urban Nutcracker. The Lab Performing Arts Initiative is a 501(c)3 founded in 2013 and designed to enrich the lives of under-represented young people in the world of dance. HCG supported the organization’s biggest fundraiser, Houston’s Urban Nutcracker. HCG coordinated media relations and LPAI was featured on 2 major networks and in local print media. HCG also coordinated the host committee and assisted the committee with its fundraising efforts. HCG activated sponsorships for donors, coordinated the design of the Playbill and served as the liaison between LPAI and the venue. HCG also served as onsite support for the 3 productions, providing staffing, green room set-up and coordinating onsite contractors/vendors.
Inaugural Aggie Impact Gala
Hodges Communications Group, LLC (HCG) supported the first Aggie Impact Gala. HCG coordinated the host committee and provided onsite logistics at the gala. HCG coordinated volunteers, coordinated vendor set up, managed the registration and the run of the show! The inaugural event hosted over 600 guests.
Fashion and the Arts
…..…Lab Performing Arts Initiative, Inc. Hosts “Happy Hour Friday’s” at MELODRAMA Boutique!
The Lab Performing Arts Initiative, Inc. hosted a fundraiser in support of Houston’s Urban Nutcracker (HUN) at MELODRAMA Boutique’s Happy Hour Friday season finale. Each Friday in July and August from 5:00-8:00 pm, nonprofits, small businesses, and designers showcase their products or services at the boutique. Happy Hour Friday’s are a great opportunity to network and learn about what is happening in the great city of Houston. Nonprofit organizations like Lab Performing Arts Initiative, Inc receive a portion of the proceeds of the sales from the happy hour.
Happy Hour Friday attendees shopped, and networked as they supported Lab Performing Arts Initiative (LPAI), and the 2019 production of Houston’s Urban Nutcracker (HUN). Tracie Greene, Creative Director and visionary behind LPAI and HUN, greeted attendees and promoted the 2019 production. “HUN is a community outreach project that supports scholarships for minority student dancers in the Houston community.” Through the non-profit, LPAI, an organization designed to enrich the lives of young people through the performing arts, monies are raised for scholarships and distributed to deserving students.
The Lab Performing Arts Initiative, Inc, a 501(c)3 organization was founded in 2013 designed to enrich the lives of under-represented young people in the world of dance. Many students have been accepted to some of the most prestigious dance programs in America including, the American Ballet Theater’s Summer Intensive, Alvin Ailey American Dance Center’s Summer Intensive, and the Debbie Allen Dance Academy’s Summer Intensive, just to name a few.
In 2018 HUN was so popular that, after selling-out two performances in 48 hours, LPAI had to add additional performance to meet demand. Houston’s Urban Nutcracker delivers a twist on the original holiday production by showcasing Houston’s diverse ethnic culture and theatrical talent. The mission of this production is to provide a cultural experience through artistic expression that builds confidence, inspires hope, transforms lives, and promotes camaraderie among the citizens of Houston.
Auditions for the 2019 season were held in August and over 180 performers showcased their talents as they vied for a role in the production. Houston’s Urban Nutcracker will take place December 20th and 22nd at the Stafford Center. Tickets will go on sale on October 1, 2019.
“We’re looking forward to bringing a new group of young and professional performers to the stage for our second season,” says Traci Greene, president and founder of Lab Performing Arts Initiative, Inc and Creative Director of Houston’s Urban Nutcracker. “The goal is to be inclusive while delivering an excellent performance once again this season,” explains Greene.
Preparations for the 2019 season have begun. LPAI will host several fundraisers. Supporters will help bring an expertly choreographed show, featuring both professional dancers and youth dancers from ages five-years-old and beyond, to the stage. Contributions will allow LPAI to elevate a diverse group of talented children and allow them to dream a little bigger.
For more information on Houston’s Urban Nutcracker and to become a sponsor, please visit www.houstonurbannutcracker.org.
Ford Fund Hosted Texas Premier “Our Voices: Our Stories – The Tuskegee Airmen” Documentary at Space Center Houston
- “Our Voices: Our Stories – The Tuskegee Airmen” documentary screening and reception held Monday, May 6 at Space Center Houston
- CNN’s weekend anchor Fredricka Whitfield served as mistress of ceremonies for the event
- Legendary Tuskegee Airmen featured in the film were part of the 332nd Fighter Group known as the Red Tails; Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson and Top Gun Lt. Col. Harry T. Stewart Jr. attended the event
HOUSTON, May 7, 2019 – The Houston community came out to celebrate Ford Motor Company Fund, Texas premiere of “Our Voices: Our Stories – The Tuskegee Airmen” – a new documentary that focuses on the stellar military careers of Tuskegee Airmen Lt. Col. Alexander Jefferson and Lt. Col. Harry T. Stewart Jr. The screening of the documentary took place on Monday, May 6 at Space Center Houston, with both Jefferson and Stewart in attendance. Serving as mistress of ceremonies for the event is CNN’s weekend anchor Fredricka Whitfield, whose father served as a member of the Tuskegee Airmen. A special proclamation in honor of the airmen was presented by the office of Mayor Sylvester Turner by Steven Hall, Director of Veterans Affairs.
“Heroes are often humble and frequently shy away from telling their own story, so it is up to all of us who value their contributions to make sure they are heard,” said Pamela Alexander, director of community development, Ford Motor Company Fund. “Ford Fund was proud to showcase these military heroes in our new “Our Voices: Our Stories” documentary series to help ensure that their legacies are shared – through their perspective and in their own voice.”
The evening’s festivities began with a special reception in the Space Center Starship Gallery followed by a screening of the documentary in the Space Center Theatre. A panel discussion featuring Jefferson and Stewart will immediately follow the film.
“This documentary is about two riveting first person accounts of what life was like as combat pilots in the 332nd Fighter Group during WWII and is a lesson in perseverance and bravery for all ages, said Brian R. Smith, Ph.D., president, Tuskegee Airman National Museum. “Many thanks to the Ford Fund and Jesse Nesser for their support of the Museum’s mission.”
Ford Fund is launching its new “Our Voices: Our Stories” documentary series to highlight the inspirational stories of African Americans who have accomplished things no one thought possible – achievements that shaped our country’s history or are laying a foundation for its future. The documentaries will be screened at community events and used for educational purposes at schools, universities, cultural institutions and museums nationwide. A teaser of The Tuskegee Airmen documentary – the first episode of the new series – can be viewed here.
“Our Voices: Our Stories – The Tuskegee Airmen”
Jefferson is a retired U.S. Air Force officer, famous as one of the Tuskegee Airmen, who were deployed to Italy with the 301st Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group. He served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, participating in many successful missions protecting bombers and strafing enemy targets on the ground. Tuskegee Airmen pilots, like Jefferson, soon became well known for their tenacity and skill as escorts, eventually being requested by bomber crews. His book “Red Tail Captured, Red Tail Free: Memoirs of a Tuskegee Airman and POW” is a personal memoir of those who served America in World War II and after.
Stewart was also a U.S. Air Force officer in the 301st Fighter Squadron of the 332nd Fighter Group where he flew 43 missions in combat and amassed an outstanding record. He is widely acclaimed for being one of only four Tuskegee Airmen with three aerial victories in one day, amazingly taking down three German Focke-Wulf 190s on April 1, 1945, where he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for the effort. Stewart was also a part of the team from the 332nd Fighter Group that won the first-ever Air Force fighter gunnery competition in 1949 – a grueling 10-day event held at what is now Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada for all military fighter groups. Despite flying obsolete single-engine
P-47 aircraft for the event, they led from the start and won in the conventional aircraft division.
Ford Fund is a major sponsor of the Tuskegee Airmen and the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum, which will soon make its permanent home inside the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History in Detroit and present the “Our Voices: Our Stories” documentary for visitors to learn about the heroic efforts of America’s first black military pilots.
Ford’s longstanding support of the African American community dates back to the early 1900s when it was the first automaker to pay employees of all races the same wage. Today, the Ford Fund continues to build on that legacy with numerous initiatives that celebrate and empower African Americans. Two signature programs include Ford First Gen, a program that provides first generation college students support to help them stay in school, and Ford Freedom Unsung, which celebrates individuals who have made significant contributions in their communities while inspiring others to also have a positive impact.
For more information on Ford Fund’s support of the African American community, visit http://fgb.life .
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About Ford Motor Company Fund
As the philanthropic arm of Ford Motor Company, Ford Fund’s mission is to strengthen communities and help make people’s lives better. Working with dealers and nonprofit partners in 63 countries, Ford Fund provides access to opportunities and resources that help people reach their full potential. Since 1949, Ford Fund has invested more than $2 billion in programs that support education, promote safe driving, enrich community life and encourage employee volunteering. For more information, visit www.fordfund.org or join us at @FordFund on Facebook and Twitter.
About the Tuskegee Airmen National Historical Museum
The National Museum of the Tuskegee Airmen represents the culmination of the efforts of many individuals. It provides a place not only to record the contributions of Americans to the defense of our Nation during a period in our history when they were not thought of as the equal of other citizens, but a place where all of the youth of American may come to acquire inspiration, counseling, and assistance in achieving excellence in their own educational and career pursuits.
Contact: Kelly Hodges Dana Harvey
Ntouch Communications Group (Houston) Ntouch Communications Group
(832) 865-4722 (248) 320-1734
kelly@hodgescommunicationsgroup.com danaharvey@gmail.com
Jazz Houston hosted “Big Band Holidays” featuring the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and Wynton Marsalis
The Grammy-Winning Trumpeter Returned with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra
(Houston, December 5, 2018) The Houston holiday season kicked off with a yuletide swing this year. Jazz Houston presented The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) with Wynton Marsalis for “Big Band Holidays,” on Saturday, December 1, 2018 at the Cullen Performance Hall at the University of Houston. Over 1200 guests were entertained by the sounds of holiday jazz!
“Houston loves Jazz Music, and came out to swing in the holidays”, says Vincent Gardner, artistic director for Jazz Houston and a member of the JLCO. “The Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis played with soul and precision, featured inventive new arrangements and masterful performances of holiday classics. I was happy to perform with them for our hometown crowd, and Jazz Houston looks forward to the next opportunity to host the JLCO in Houston,” says Gardner.
The jazzy Christmas show delivered big band sounds with a mixture of sacred and secular songs that put audiences in the mood for the season. Special guest vocalists Veronica Swift and Vuyo Sotashe added to the sound with vibrant new versions of “Merry Christmas Baby,” and “White Christmas.”
“This was a fresh new addition to Houston’s holiday concert offerings, and the 1200-plus attendees that came to swing with the Jazz At Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis loved every note”, says Belinda Munro-Gardner, Jazz Houston board secretary and operations director. “The Orchestra never fails to deliver, being full of outstanding soloists and arrangers. Jazz is alive and well in H-Town, and Jazz Houston will continue to present the best Jazz programming and education for our great city,” says Munro-Gardner.
The proceeds from this show will support programs that Jazz Houston conducts throughout the year. Last spring Jazz Houston’s education programs included presenting more than 30 after-school Jazz education seminars held in District K library locations, and the Young People’s Concert entitled “Who is Ella Fitzgerald?”. The interactive show was performed at Westbury High School and introduced and educated teens on the celebrated jazz artist and her music.
For more information or to book the Jazz Houston Orchestra for your upcoming event visit www.jazzhouston.org or call 832-384-8618. About Jazz Houston: Jazz Houston is a 501 c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to the cultivation of jazz music globally through Performance, Education, and Community Outreach, and honors the Houstonians and Texans who have and continue to be major contributors to Jazz through the celebration of their legacies and the performance of