Texas Standard for Nov. 28, 2024: Happy Thanksgiving, Texas

We’re celebrating with a roundup of stories we’re thankful for this year.

By Texas StandardNovember 28, 2024 9:00 am,

Here are the stories on Texas Standard for Thursday, Nov. 28, 2024. Listen on your Texas public radio station, or ask your smart speaker to play Texas Standard.

Nonprofit looks to support Black farmers in Texas

Black farmers make up only 2% of all U.S. farmers. KERA’s Elizabeth Myong reported last month on one Texas nonprofit working to grow that number.

Researchers relocate coral to Texas coast in conservation project

In a bid to protect endangered coral, researchers from Florida’s Nova Southeastern University and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi have relocated 300 coral fragments to Texas. This initiative, known as “Operation Coral Rescue,” is being carried out at the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies.

Keisha Bahr, assistant professor of marine biology at Texas A&M Corpus Christi, shared more on this conservation effort in September.

Have you been to the ‘Honey Island General Store?’

A wistful folk song from the band Little Mazarn now has an equally evocative video.

In January we heard from the student animator behind “Honey Island General Store” and the teacher who inspired her.

A Caddo artist’s return to the Dallas Museum of Art

Back in 2022, the art world was in shock when news came out that somebody allegedly broke into the Dallas Museum of Art and started smashing priceless pieces of work. In total, around $5 million in art was destroyed.

In June, the museum debuted three new pieces from one of the artists who had their work destroyed. The Texas Standard’s Sean Saldana has the story.

Sheng Wang prepares for a comedic homecoming after Netflix success

After his hit Netflix standup special, “Sweet and Juicy,” life has taken a new turn for Sheng Wang. The Houston native has landed on numerous best comedian lists and in September was gearing up for a homecoming of sorts, bringing his celebrated comedy back to where it all began.

Meet Texas (by way of Uganda) musician Jon Muq

“Flying Away” is the debut album by Uganda-born Jon Muq, who calls Austin home. And perhaps not surprisingly, his music is infused by Ugandan and Western sounds – including production from Black Keys guitarist Dan Auerbach.

Muq joined the Standard in February to tell us about his new LP and more.

Texas-based photojournalist honored for coverage of gun violence

The Heising-Simons Foundation’s American Mosaic Photojournalism Prize is a $100,000 grant awarded for excellence, with an emphasis on recognizing freelance journalists. In February, it was awarded to Texas-based visual journalist Tamir Kalifa for his coverage of communities affected by gun violence, including Uvalde.

The Standard reached Kalifa in Israel, where he was covering the Israel-Hamas war.

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