Educator. Organizer. Engineer. Yalie. Blogger. Detroiter. Black. Imagining and creating a better world. He/Him
Joined June 2012
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
We lack spaces for people without money period
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
For sure. When I grew up in Houston, we had AstroWorld and my neighborhood did teen nights at the rec center. America has systematically eliminated places for teens to hang out even while we complain they are glued to their smartphones.
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I also spent a lot of time at a rec center in Detroit while growing up.
How do y'all think a rec center would be received in Houston in 2026? Do we have some and i just don't know?
I spent my whole youth mostly at the recreation center. It was $1 for a year pass to cover the cost of making the ID. They had pool tables, my summers from 9am to 9pm were there. There's options.
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
If the only places young people can exist are their homes, schools, or somewhere they’re expected to spend money, they’re going to find alternatives.
And with the viral connectivity of social media, these teen takeovers are just going to continue at exponential levels…
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
We eliminated third spaces and then are surprised when the target demographic does… whatever they want.
We closed gathering spots, restricted access, and designed public spaces around consumption rather than community—and now we’re shocked when teenagers create their own.
Regarding the teen takeover in downtown Houston last night I'd like to offer a question: what spaces do we have for teens to hang out without spending money?
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I don't like the way they're calling these children "juveniles"
Jun 14
BREAKING | Houston police responded to a reported "teen takeover" at Discovery Green Saturday night. Officers were sent to disperse crowds. KHOU 11 has a crew headed to the scene. khou.com/article/news/local/…
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Regarding the teen takeover in downtown Houston last night I'd like to offer a question: what spaces do we have for teens to hang out without spending money?
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
Jun 10
Featured from @josephineklee, co-published @ProPublica: Some experts believe the ultimate objective of any Texas district takeover is to disenfranchise communities.
“It all begins at the school board level to then completely disempower the community.” texasobserver.org/mike-miles…
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Jun 11
Curious about this point and I'd like to know more about who's 1) taking the tests and 2) leaving the district.
.@HoustonISD high school STAAR takeaways:
- YOY improvement in every exam except history
- HISD exceeds state passing averages in biology
- Some NES schools see double-digit gains in passing rates
- HISD English I results see largest YOY gains, but still trail statewide averages
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Jun 8
Your reminder that HPD is very blatant about their prodigal spending. #HouBudget
Council member: Did you factor the pay raises into your overtime?
HPD: No. We just put some low numbers down to make the budget look good but we'll come back for more money later.
Opinion | Whitmire's focus on fiscal responsibility doesn't seem to apply to the Houston Police Department. houstonchronicle.com/opinion…
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
A bookstore can become a home. CLASS Bookstore is helping fuel Houston’s Black literary renaissance. Tag your favorite reader. What community spaces shaped you?
defendernetwork.com/people/d…
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
Some dishes carry deep history.
Juneteenth red foods connect celebration, memory, and African tradition in powerful ways. It’s more than a plate—it’s a story. What food tradition means the most in your family?
defendernetwork.com/culture/…
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Jun 4
Have we talked about the city's budget survey results? I think this is the first time it asked about where to spend less. I don't think this means people don't care about safety, it means we want to invest in other community safety outcomes. #HouBudget
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
Online sign-ups to speak at City Hall are now open!
Houstonians can now register to speak before City Council using the new online form, in addition to calling, emailing, or coming in person to the City Secretary’s Office. Grateful to my colleagues on Council for supporting our ordinance and expanding participation for working residents.
Register to speak here: houstontx.gov/citysec/regist…
Share this post to spread the word!
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
my @HoustoniaMag wrap up for May is here!! I cover new CM Joe Panzarella, budget saison, world cup stuff, apartment inspection reform. this piece is perfect for ppl who want to know what's going on but are short on time and attention spans and and and
houstoniamag.com/news-and-ci…
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Jun 2
Love to see a community safety initiative with tangible benefits!
Crews began work this week on phase 1 of a $7.5 million solar-powered lights project spanning four miles and linking Third Ward neighborhoods, Texas Southern University and East Downtown to city destinations. bit.ly/4uH7j1L
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Jun 2
Does anyone remember the Guaranteed Income pilot that the city did through this organization? What ever happened with that?
Money helped, but trust mattered.
Houston Equity Fund’s legacy shows real investment takes more than grants. What support helps small businesses thrive most?
@RoninArtHouse
@DoshiHouse
@TheAmandaSapp
defendernetwork.com/news/loc…
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
May 28
May 28
What's the hardest part about being an adult?
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Jaison Oliver retweeted
For context, this is what a hogtie looks like. In one of the cases, the boy was left face down in the backseat of the police car for roughly 20 minutes in this position
One of the most severe cases in our investigation: A 10-year-old with disabilities who was hogtied three separate times by an officer. Twice when he left campus and once when he kicked the principal.
@eliz_sander and I covered in-depth: houstonchronicle.com/news/ho…
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