Honorable Sylvester Turner

Keynote Address Presenter 

The Honorable Sylvester Turner is a modern day true “friend of the king”. His commitment to the people of Houston, intentional and collaborative work in building a stronger community within the most diverse city in the country has been remarkable to see and we are honored to host him as the keynote speaker for this year’s celebration. Elected in December 2015 and overwhelmingly re-elected in December 2019, Sylvester Turner served two successful terms as the City of Houston's 62nd Mayor. During his two terms, Mayor Turner guided the city through significant challenges facing the nation's fourth-largest city including budget deficits, homelessness, seven federally declared natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey, Winter Storm, the Tax Day Flood, Memorial Day Floods, and more.

Along with being Mayor of the most diverse city in the nation, he worked to grow Houston’s presence nationally and internationally. He served multiple roles as a trustee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors which included being a member of the Audit and Finance Committee. Former Mayor Turner also served as President of the African American Mayors Association. During his time as Mayor, he has received many prestigious awards. In 2023, Mayor Turner was honored with the President's Award at the National Urban League Conference Whitney M. Young, Jr. Awards Gala, the Legacy of Leadership Award in honor of Turner's unwavering support of The Ensemble Theatre, and the President Bush Medal for the Empowerment of People with Disabilities. Before serving as Houston's mayor, Sylvester Turner served 27 years as the Texas House District 139 Representative. During his time as a State Representative, he worked on the House Appropriations Committee for 21 years and served as Speaker Pro Tem for three terms. He was appointed to several Budget Conference Committees to balance the state's budget and served on the Legislative Budget Board.

Major General Barrye L. Price

U.S. Army, Retired
President and CEO
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)

Major General (Retired) Barrye L. Price is a 1985 Distinguished Military Graduate of the University of Houston's College of Business Administration. He earned a Master of Arts Degree in History in 1994 from Texas A&M University and in 1997 he became the first African-American to obtain a doctorate from the Department of History in the 147-year history of Texas A&M University. He also earned a Master of Science Degree in National Security Strategy from the National Defense University in 2004.

Major General Price's previous assignments include: Executive Officer of the 5th Personnel Services Company, Commander of the 5th Replacement Company, Chief of Personnel/Adjutant General Plans and Operations for the 5th Infantry Division, Fort Polk, La.; Regimental Adjutant for the 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment in both Doha, Kuwait, and Fulda, Germany; Assistant Professor of Military History at the United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y.; S3, 3rd Personnel Group, Assistant Chief of Staff, G1, 13th Corps Support Command, Fort Hood, Texas; White House Fellow and Special Assistant to the Director, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Washington, D.C.; Battalion Commander, 4th Personnel Services Battalion, Fort Carson, Colo.; Executive Officer and Military Assistant to the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs (Human Resources) Pentagon, Washington, D.C.; Deputy Assistant Chief of Staff, G1, Army Materiel Command, Fort Belvoir, Va.; Commander, Eastern Sector, United States Military Entrance Processing Command; Director, J1, United Forces-Iraq; the Deputy Commanding General of the United States Army Cadet Command at Fort Knox, KY, the Director of Human Resources Policy Directorate, Army G1 Pentagon, Washington, D.C. and his final active duty assignment was as Deputy Chief of Staff, G-1 Army Forces Command in Fort Bragg, North Carolina.

Major General Price served on the President and First Lady's Task Force on "Raising Responsible and Resourceful Teenagers" in 2000; served on President Clinton's "Mississippi Delta Task Force" which sought to revitalize the 207-county, seven-state region that comprises the Mississippi River flood plain from 1999 through 2000, and he is the author of the 2001 volume: Against All Enemies Foreign and Domestic: A Study of Urban Unrest and Federal Intervention Within the United States. He has also the author of 2020 volume: Homeland Defense: Civil Unrest and Federal Intervention Within the United States of America. In 2023, Major General Price wrote a screenplay and directed a movie titled “Interview with a King.”

Major General Price received many personal honors during his Army career. Those included the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Defense Superior Service Medal, two Legions of Merit, and the Bronze Star Medal. He is also entitled to wear the Army Staff Badge and the Airborne and Air Assault Badges.

Major General Price assumed his duties at CADCA as the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer effective October 1, 2016. He became the President and CEO of CADCA on September 1, 2020.

Lekesha Barnett

Q&A Moderator

Rev. Dr. Lekesha Barnett Attuquayefio is a servant-leader, author, international speaker, social media entrepreneur and spiritual advisor called to diverse contexts with broad experience in non-profit organizations. With her innovative guidance of The Prinking Group, LLC, she develops strategies for HER Call Ministries (501c3 organization), Essentials Intensified Consulting and Agape Dance Trio. Her passion for empowering women, supporting the productivity of young adults and multi-cultural collaborations for community good has resulted in local and international partnerships. As a creative, culturally competent visionary, she has worked with leaders in the USA, Jamaica, India, Ghana, and Anguilla. Growing up in Houston's Hiram Clarke area formed her love for the Spanish language and inspired her studies in Costa Rica, Puerto Rico and two visits to Cuba. Lekesha is known for building vibrant ministries at Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church where she has served as a senior-staff member for nearly 12 years. She is also presently a founding board member of Burden Bearers Project, a 501c3 organization supporting minority single fathers.

Dr. Lekesha B., as she is known on her YouTube channel entitled Intensified Life TV, shares educational content and inspirational interviews to a growing audience of followers. Lekesha is the author of two books, The Intensified Life and Word Infusion. She is a graduate of the University of Houston (BAPsychology), Regent University (MA-Counseling, MA-Practical Theology) and Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University (Doctor of Ministry). In her spare time Lekesha enjoys Latin dance, painting, modeling, and traveling with her husband Re.

Jonathan Lajas

Poet, Dancer, Drummer

A Creative, Educator, Public Speaker, Writer, Poet, Dancer, Emcee, DJ and Mentor, Mr. Lajas is one with many talents. His energetic personality captivates audiences of all ages and levels. With over fifteen years teaching and twenty years performing on stage, Mr. Lajas is the epitome of EduTainment. His work has taken him overseas to work on Curriculum Development in Africa as he empowers educators in the U.S. to reach their children by teaching them of their ancestral historical greatness. Lajas founded the True African Performance Dance Company, a rights of passage dance program in Albany, New York which offers African & Caribbean Percussion, Tap Dance, African, Latin, Hip Hop and other dance styles, Theater and Poetry, while teaching the history of the African and African-American experience through the Performing Arts. Lajas has spoken and performed domestically and internationally, most recently performing as Featured Poet at Afro-Tech's Poetry Me, Please showcase in Austin, Texas. Most notably he performed Afro-Caribbean Percussion and Tap Danced at the Zanzibar International Film Festival and this summer he was featured as a Spoken Word artist and Guest DJ/Emcee at the Jamestown Coffee Poetry Lounge and Alley Bar, the premier creative and social spaces in Accra, Ghana. Still relatively new to the Houston area, Lajas is looking to network and build community with organizations, schools and businesses that embrace and use the arts to educate and celebrate African and Caribbean history and culture.

Learn more about Jonathan's Poetry and Tap at Afro-Tech and African Drumming and Poetry.

HTown Orchestra

Live Musical Performer

Founded with the purpose of celebrating diversity and fostering understanding through the universal language of music, "H-Town Orchestra" is dedicated to weaving together the rich tapestry of black classical and contemporary compositions. Each musician in this ensemble brings their own unique background and experiences, contributing to a harmonious blend that transcends boundaries and captivates audiences.

Members:

• Andre Pleasant - @Andre Pleasant N (Facebook), @andrepleasantn (Instagram)

• Jason Ashley - @jason.ashley.543 (Instagram), @Jason Ashley (Facebook)

• Jonathan Griffin - @Jonathan Griffin Jr. (Facebook), @jonathan_g_jr (Instagram)

• Carlo Mauricio - @Carlo Mauricio (Facebook), @carlomauricio (Instagram)

• Kareem Goode - @Kareem Goode (Facebook), @kareem.goode (Instagram)

Check out their Facebook and Instagram.

Co-Interviewer: Rocky Wood

Rocky Wood is a senior at the University of Houston studying journalism and creative work. Throughout their time at UH, Rocky has become passionate about the value of storytelling and the role it plays in strengthening a community. They have had the opportunity to interview individuals as part of UH Center for Public History's project, "100 Years of Stories: Documenting a Century at the University of Houston." Aside from classes, Rocky is currently President of the Association of Latinx/ Hispanic Advocates and Allies and is an editor for the Coog Radio blog. Through leading ALHAA, they have gotten to connect with and learn from fellow community- driven students and organizers. Some of their favorite things to do are visiting museums, watching movies and collecting CDs and vinyls.