Oct 13, 2016 Feature 0 comment

GHBC Honors “The Son of Sunnyside”

First elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2006, Borris L. Miles has fought tirelessly for social justice and the rights of Houstonians, especially those of the historic Southside.  Since his tenure in the Texas House, Miles championed legislation to ensure college admission to children of firefighters and law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty, challenged a conservative agenda to mandate western civilization for Texas public universities, fought against the Voter ID bill, and worked, alongside his colleagues, to defeat HB 400–a bill which would have eliminated class size restrictions and eroded the employment rights of teachers.

In the Texas House, Miles is admired for his tenacity, hard-work, and principles.  Equally, his constituents acknowledged his continuous efforts to fight for them daily, a key reason why the precinct chairs of Senate District 13 elected him, the lifelong Houstonian from Sunnyside, to serve as their next Senator.

Never forgetting the community that gave him his start, “The Son of Sunnyside” was an entrepreneur, community activist, and family man before ever becoming Representative or Senator-elect Miles.  To illustrate, he collaborated with 97.9 The Box to create the Hip Hop 4 HIV program–now a national program held annually across the nation; volunteered with organizations like the Urban League, United Negro College Fund, and the Houston Sickle Cell Association to raise awareness about issues in the African-American community; and created the Texstars Foundation which has provided scholarships to over 100 African-American males from the greater Houston area.

Miles, a lifetime member of the Houston Black Chamber, has given a voice to the voiceless and worked to ensure that economic equality and social justice are delivered to Houston, his constituents, and all Texans alike.  For his tireless efforts in ensuring that the American dream is provided to all, the Greater Houston Black Chamber of Commerce is proud to announce this year’s Mickey Leland Entrepreneurial Public Leadership Award, Senator-elect Borris L. Miles.