Spring Break madness
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo closed earlier than planned recently after guests began fleeing amid fights in the carnival area. Videos spread across social media almost instantly, and just like that, one of the most beloved traditions in our city became a headline for all the wrong reasons.
The fights at the Rodeo carnival grounds are nothing new. Unaccompanied teens, crowded midways, and minimal security have always been a recipe for tension. But if RodeoHouston doesn’t get serious about enforcement, age restrictions, increased security presence, and chaperone policies for minors, families will stop showing up. And it’s supposed to be a fun and family-oriented event. Houston is already watching what Miami has become under heavy Spring Break restrictions. While carnival chaos made headlines, I’d rather focus on all the good that the Spring Break madness is bringing to Black businesses. Black-owned venues like Sekai Night and Day in EaDo had lines wrapped around the block.
Sekai is known for its premier 26,000-square-foot, indoor-outdoor, upscale nightclub and dayclub and massive dance floor and swimming pool. I don’t know if I have the patience to stand in a long line for hours in heat, so I have to give props to businesses that are doing their best to keep people entertained during this time.
Sinners makes history
Sinners entered the 98th Academy Awards with a record-breaking 16 nominations, and the film delivered where it counted most. Ryan Coogler took home Best Original Screenplay, his first Oscar, while Michael B. Jordan won Best Actor for playing twins Smoke and Stack in the vampire thriller. With that win, Jordan became just the sixth Black man to claim Best Actor, joining a legacy that includes Sidney Poitier, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whitaker, and Will Smith.
Autumn Durald Arkapaw became the first woman, as well as the first Black person and first Filipina, to win Best Cinematography. With her win, a woman has now claimed every single non-gendered Oscar category. Ludwig Göransson also took home Best Original Score, and the film’s live performance of “I Lied to You,” led by Miles Caton and Raphael Saadiq, was nothing short of a full juke joint revival on the stage. This team stayed authentically themselves from day one. No compromises, and no code-switching. They were more than worthy.
Gas prices are hitting your wallets hard
Pull up to any gas station in Houston right now and brace yourself.
Since the start of the war with Iran, gas prices across the United States have surged nearly 74 cents a gallon, pushing the national average to just under $3.72, the highest since October 2023. Gas has now climbed above $3 a gallon in every single state, driven by the ongoing disruption to the Strait of Hormuz caused by the conflict.
For those of us in a car-dependent city like Houston, there is no opting out. You need gas to get to work, to drop the kids off, to chase a gig. And speaking of gigs, drivers for Uber and Lyft are already doing the math differently, skipping shorter, low-paying trips in favor of longer fares that actually make the fuel costs worth it. That’s a double-edged sword for everyone.
Twenty dollars used to mean something at the pump, at least for me. Now it gets me a little above half tank. And economists are warning this is just the beginning — with oil prices elevated, the cost to transport goods is rising too, meaning groceries, household items, and more are all poised to follow. In times like these, I ask myself about which recession-proof industries I should invest in. Because somebody is always getting paid, no matter what, and if I’m spending all this money, I’d better get a return somehow.
On the Web
The Second Yes: Black women rewrite the rules of remarriage
We’d best prepare now for the coming Black ICE storm
Houstonians rethink Spring Break amid rising costs
