Texas is treasure trove of minority talent, home to athletes and entrepreneurs with names as big as the Lone Star State. I can’t let the month of June slip by without honoring three heroes who have touched the hearts of people locally and around the world.
This is a Juneteenth shout out — if your unfamiliar with the history of Juneteenth and how sacred it is to many African Americans, you’re probably not from Texas. Check out this link to learn more.
Iconic Minority Talent — George Foreman
George Foreman is an example of greatness as a human being, boxer, businessman, and father.
Everyone knows George, the two-time world heavyweight champion and an Olympic gold medalist. But what he cherishes most is his role as “Dad.”
My interview with him for Houston Lifestyles & Homes was a Father’s Day piece titled “A Chat With One of Houston’s Most Famous Dads.” It was an incredibly special conversation because it was so heartfelt. George was, and is, a hands-on father who has high expectations for his children and lovingly instilled a value system.
As the article subtitle says: The father of 10, former boxing champ George Foreman pulls no punches with his advice on being a successful parent. He is an iconic personality, mentor and role model to many, including me, but also a superstar in the business world.
Yes, I own a George Foreman Grill — one purchase among a million of grills he has sold. What a highly successful entrepreneur George is, with a great website filled with all varieties of grills and recipes.
Minority Talent in Sports — Robert Griffen III
I wrote a piece for Lifestyles & Homes magazine featuring Robert Griffen III, titled 
A Baylor University Sports Retrospective.
Robert Griffen III, known affectionately as RG3, is a quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens as of 2018. My article circles back to the early days when he played college football at Baylor and won the 2011 Heisman Trophy.
RG3 played for the Washington Redskins and won the 2012 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award. He was named to the 2013 Pro Bowl, went on to play for the Cleveland Browns before signing with the Ravens.
That might seem like a lot of moving for a young man, but perhaps not, considering he was born in Okinawa, Japan to parents who were both U.S. Army sergeants.
Alex Kinion — Body Builder Extraordinaire
All I can say is WOW about Alex Kinion. He began pumping iron in 1972, right after high school. As a sergeant in the U.S. Air Force, he met Arnold Schwarzenegger. It was 1975 and the actor was promoting his movie, Pumping Iron. “I looked at him and said, ‘Man, I want to be like that.’ And a couple of years later, I met him again as he was promoting his book The Education of a Bodybuilder. He shook my hand and told me fitness was his number one priority, and that if I kept pumping iron, I’d become a champion.”
Indeed, Alex became a renowned bodybuilder — Mr. Virginia, Mr. Atlantic, Mr. Northeast America, and Mr. Hercules. As his sixties approached, he took third place at the Ronnie Coleman Classic, second place at the Texas Shredder and the Branch Warren Classic, and then first place at the 2012 Dorian Yates Classic.
He also earned third place at the “Super Bowl” of bodybuilding competitions: The 2012 Texas State Houston Pro Bodybuilding Classic Masters Over 55 Class. And then, in an astounding feat in November, he won the Best in Texas 2012 Masters Mr. Texas Championship. Read the article here.
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