With Father’s Day fast approaching, the Defender family wanted to take a moment to celebrate Black men, fathers or not, who are providing dynamic leadership for our communities.
Across Houston, Black men share their unique gifts and passions, showcasing excellence and dedication in education, healthcare, the arts, business and more. With their mission-centered drive and commitment to social uplift, these brothers are proving “the devil is a lie,” crushing demeaning stereotypes while lifting others as they climb.
From setting the arts world on fire to providing a powerful presence in healthcare, these changemakers prove what our communities have known for generations—real Black men stand on business and on the shoulders of our ancestors.
Here are some of Houston’s game-changing brothers deserving of celebration.
Robert Hodge
Award-winning multi-platform artist
Born in Houston and raised in Third Ward, Hodge knew he was destined to become an artist since kindergarten. Hodge’s journey took him from the High School for the Performing and Visual Arts to the illustrious Pratt Institute in New York, followed by the Atlanta College of Art.
Hodge has allowed his H-Town light to shine globally via national and international exhibitions at the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, as well as exhibitions in London, Paris, and Nairobi, Kenya, to name a few.
Despite numerous awards, Hodge remains grounded.
“My artist statement is about honoring ancestors, people, places and things that shifted America through Black culture,” said Hodge. “Black Americans not only physically built this country, but also through innovation and creative energy, we built the whole system here in America, from the blues music to heart surgery. I honor our culture through art.
Dallas S. Jones
Entrepreneur, politico, activist
To say Dallas S. Jones is a mission-driven entrepreneur and forward-thinking political activist is an understatement. As president and CEO of ELITE Change, Inc. and Saint Pope Media, and Managing Principal of Jones Group International, LLC, Jones has garnered recognition for his impact as a change agent.
Jones’s strategic work on a groundbreaking campaign featuring 19 Black women running for judicial seats played a pivotal role in helping shift Harris County from red/purple to blue for the first time in over 30 years.
The NAACP named Jones one of the 40 power leaders under 40. Jones’s work has been featured in the New York Times and Ebony and Essence magazines.
When asked about advice he’d share with young brothers, Jones said: “Make sure you do something with what you’ve been given. We all have talents. We all have gifts. Figure out what yours is, nurture it and watch it grow. Then watch others benefit from the fruit of your tree.”
Joe Carmouche
Musician extraordinaire and educator
Fifth Ward and Trinity Gardens product Joe Carmouche grew from listening to jazz records played at home by his father to becoming a globally respected jazz guitarist himself, just like one of his father’s favorite artists – Wes Montgomery.
Carmouche is one of the key figures responsible for putting Houston’s live music scene on the map. But Carmouche not only wows people with his musical brilliance on stage and in the studio; he’s also a longtime educator. He served as a musical instructor at MacGregor Elementary for 12 years and is entering his fifth year at St. John’s College Prep.
But out of all the accolades Carmouche has received as an artist and educator, his most cherished one is way closer to home.
“The proudest moment of my life was the birth of my daughter and seeing her develop into a fine young woman, a woman of God, educated, good, hardworking and dedicated,” Carmouche said.
Dr. Miles Simms
Physician
Dr. Miles Simms, a graduate of the Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM), is currently working to complete his residency in Psychiatry at MSM in Atlanta, GA. But he proudly carries his Houston roots with him on every patient visit.
Interestingly, medicine wasn’t something Simms saw for himself when he left Houston bound for Morehouse as a college freshman. He simply hadn’t seen a lot of Black doctors.
But now, he’s on a mission to break mental health stigmas and create spaces for mental wellness in Black communities, while displaying the power of representation.
“It was behind the strength of other Black men and other Black people that encouraged me to make a decision I never saw for myself,” said Simms. “So, the legacy I want to continue is reaching back and encouraging more young students, Black, Brown, white, whatever, to really push the limits of their dreams and their goals, and not be bottlenecked by what society tells us you can be.”
Raul Orlando Edwards
Cultural Activist
Raúl Orlando Edwards has been featured by both local and national media (NBC Nightly News), for his work in Houston’s Afro-Latinx art scene. An immigrant of Panamanian-Jamaican heritage, since arriving in the U.S. in 1992, Edwards has developed into a creative visionary actively engaged in producing, consulting and presenting innovative programs in multiple performing arts, community/social events and cuisine.
But Edwards might best be known for his impact in the world of dance. Founder of the Foundation for Latin American Arts, a non-profit that hosts an annual music festival and events, Edwards also founded Strictly Street Salsa, Houston’s first salsa studio.
Edwards gleefully embraces his role as cultural ambassador.
“The challenge I’ve placed on myself is to become a bridge between the U.S. Black and Afro-Latinx communities,” shared Edwards. “My new vision is to create programs where these communities can come together in understanding that we have more in common than that which separates us.”
Devin Adams
Educational leader
Though Devin Adams is an award-winning principal of Houston’s Fleming Middle School, he and his family are headed to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Adams, winner of the Campus Teacher of the Year, 1st year Principal of the Year and Prairie View A&M University Top 40 under 40 honor, is one of only 20 people nationally accepted into Harvard University’s highly competitive Doctor of Education Leadership program.
But this down-to-earth brother, who took Fleming from an F to a B rating, is not about to get the big head. He’s too busy setting and working towards enormous goals, including calling his shot to eventually become the U.S. Secretary of Education.
Until then, Adams pushes his Fifth Ward students, who may not see a future for themselves outside of their immediate surroundings, to dream big, as well.
“I tell my kids all the time that there is more; there’s a whole world out there. There’s more for you out there,” Adams said. “That’s not to say that where you are currently, you have to leave. But you should have the opportunity to go out into the world.
If you know a Black man making an impact in Houston, nominate him for next month’s spotlight at aswad@DefenderNetwork.com.
