HOUSTON – The Houston Endowment awarded Prairie View A&M University with a $1.5 million grant to help increase the hiring of qualified teachers of color, according to a release. The foundation invested the grant into PVAMU’s Whitlowe R. Green College of Education to support the university’s educator preparation program. Its goal is not only to increase more qualified teachers of color but also to help prepare those educators for long-term success. The grant is part of the $20 million in funds Houston Endowment awarded to several Houston-area organizations that are committed to making racial equity and social justice in Houston a reality. “The grant will help enhance the quality and distinctiveness of programs and services to best prepare students for careers as accomplished educational professionals.”

To help achieve a transformation of the Buffalo Bayou Park’s east sector, local nonprofit Houston Endowment has granted $10 million to Buffalo Bayou Partnership (BBP) for the project to take place over the next 20 years. The grant dedicated towards the Buffalo Bayou East Master Plan will fund the addition of new bayou parks and trails, dynamic recreational and cultural destinations, as well as bikeways and “green fingers” into surrounding neighborhoods, according to a news release. In addition to extending the western network of Buffalo Bayou parks, trails and open space, the master plan will also create a connection between the Fifth Ward and Greater East End neighborhoods to the bayou and to each other, the release said. “The grant from Houston Endowment is another exciting step forward in the creation of a more equitable city for all Houstonians,” Turner said. “We are grateful to both Buffalo Bayou Partnership and Houston Endowment not only for their inclusive vision of a better Houston, but their commitment to making it a reality.”

HOUSTON Four local partners came together to help struggling Houstonians pay their rent amid the coronavirus pandemic and resulting economic slowdown. Houston Endowment, the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund, the Kinder Foundation, and the Houston Texans owner and co-founder Janice McNair contributed $5 million for the city of Houstons second rental relief package. The federal government, through the CARES Act, contributed 75% of the $20 million rental program, announced Wednesday by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner. So many are struggling to provide for their families during the COVID-19 pandemic, said McNair in a press release. Im thankful to Mayor Turner for providing programs focused on assisting our neighbors.Heres a breakdown of the money contributed by the partners:

HOUSTON Mayor Sylvester Turner announced the citys plans to relocate two Confederate statues, the Dowling and Spirit of Confederacy, in commemoration of Juneteenth. The Spirit of the Confederacy will be moved from San Houston Park in downtown Houston to the Houston Museum of African American Culture in the Museum District with grant money from the Houston Endowment. Turner hopes that the relocation of the statues will prevent vandalism and provide better historical context for the statues than public parks. The task force had recommended that the statues be removed from public property and not be destroyed after submitting their findings. See a full list of artwork in Houston that are connected to the Confederacy, the Civil War or slavery here.