2022 La Petite Maison
Newberry Cares | Newberry Architecture
2022 School Supply Drive
2022 Kids Meals
2022 CPR Training
2021 Toys for Tots
2021 School Supply Drive
Silence is Not an Option: A Message from Founder Ken Newberry
On the morning of May 26, I casually walked into the kitchen at home and my partner told me that I needed to watch the news. “Another Black man has been killed by police officers,” he said, and then proceeded to show me the video of the murder of George Floyd. I stood there watching the horrifying images, and as I did, I became overwhelmed with emotion. I sat down in the kind of disbelief that can only come from knowing I was witnessing an innocent man’s life being taken by extreme and brutal force. I felt helplessness, anger and extreme sadness. But more than that, I was gripped by an overwhelming shame.
When my partner first told me what had happened, my immediate thought was, “I wonder what he was doing to get himself killed?” My reaction almost made me physically ill. And then I recalled that this had been my default response to so many other unnecessary deaths. In that moment, I questioned my character. What kind of person am I? What have I been doing?
At the beginning of 2020, I, like so many others, was looking forward to a great year and decade. I had plans for positive and exciting changes in my business and personal life. Although I knew it would be filled with a lot of hard work followed by much reward including my retirement, I knew it was coming and I anticipated its arrival with great optimism.
Then the pandemic became reality, and I found my plans turned upside down. I prioritized with the Principals of the firm to make decisions on how to proceed with business and take care of our team and clients. That became the new focus, and we had it under control. I was all set with a new plan of action.
Newberry Architecture is a small firm, and our team is a culturally diverse group of men and women of different races, sexual orientations and religions. After the senseless killing of George Floyd, we all agreed that we had an obligation to take a stand against racism. They gave me their unanimous support to write this piece as the founder of the firm.
With that, I am speaking from my heart and a place of love for my fellow humans – and for all of humankind.
Considering George Floyd’s tragic death and my initial reaction to it, I was in total conflict. Certainly, I am not a racist. How could I be? My partner is Dominican and Lebanese. I helped build an orphanage and school in Kenya. My best friend Horace was a Black man. Horace and I did everything together for over 10 years before kidney failure took him. We had many discussions about racism, and I experienced and witnessed firsthand the racist actions taken against us as friends and against him as an individual.
But it’s not quite that easy, is it? Did I experience racism with my best friend or did I simply observe it? How could I have such conflicting thoughts and actions? Is this part of systemic racism? I have so many questions and so much to learn.
What I do know is this: We have a problem with racism and the marginalization and oppression of people in our country and around the world. We all know children are not born racist. Racism is learned, and we will not stop it until we address systemic racism. It is time for a change. I am going to start with a self-audit so I can be part of this change.
I look at myself and realize that I have only stood up against racism within my own family. Otherwise, I have mostly remained silent. I have cut people out of my life that were racist, but I never did anything to change their hearts or to show them the pain they were causing. I took the easy path without conflict and never really made a difference. I have not stood up enough or done enough to fight racism. I have experienced prejudices against me my entire life, but I have never experienced racism. I have only observed it. I am a white man who for the most part stayed silent behind – and protected by – the color of my skin. I thought I was doing enough, but I wasn’t. I was actually asleep.
I am awake now and alive with a new awareness. I realize that my plans and ambitions for 2020 and the new decade were too small and self-centered. This is so much bigger than I could have ever imagined, and it is certainly bigger than me. I am hopeful the world is about to change. I am again reminded that I am just a grain of sand in God’s big plan. I understand there is immense anger, pain and suffering across our country and around the world. Racism and Covid-19 are part of a global pandemic that has polarized and divided us in ways we have not seen in a long time.
I trust God must have a plan to bring us back together. History has proven that change always comes after a tragedy. I will be part of the change by supporting and participating in peaceful protest. I will educate myself and others. And most of all, I will no longer remain silent.
Martin Luther King Jr. said, “The time is always right to do what is right.”
It’s time. Great changes are on the horizon, and I trust we will all find unity through acceptance, compassion and love to become active participants in driving those changes, both as individuals and as a society. Racism must end. The team at Newberry Architecture is ready to do whatever we can, however we must, to eliminate racism.
– Ken Newberry
Newberry Cares + MFI School Supply Drive
Each year families wrap up their summers and prep for the new school year. While many parents are clearing the aisles of target with carts full of school supplies, other families are not as fortunate. We decided to join forces with Marie Flanigan Interiors to collect supplies for a local school in need.
The staff at Benbrook Elementary are an amazing group of inspirational educators! They are leading our youth to a successful future and we are beyond EXCITED to assist in their determination and drive for a hopeful tomorrow. We would like to thank all of our friends who supported us!
photos by Keith Huckabay Photography
Newberry Cares + Gallant Gives – Blood Drive
When our Team went on the hunt for our next Newberry Cares event, Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center stole our hearts with their amazing passion for providing a safe supply of blood to the community. We partnered with our neighbors, Gallant Builders , to host a blood drive in Portwest parking lot. Katie Nippress, our coordinator at Gulf Coast, was a huge help in planning the event- she truly loves what she does! The world needs more Katie Nippress in it!
After an afternoon of donations from the Newberry office, the Gallant team, our amazing vendors and family members… we contributed 25 pints of blood and over $300 in cash to Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. It is a very small gesture to the massive 1,000 pints of blood they need daily to meet the community’s need. We hope you will take a moment to visit their website and maybe schedule time to donate!
Newberry Cares – Dec My Room
As a design firm, we are constantly designing spaces for individuals- so when we were approached by Dec My Room to assist in decorating rooms for long-term stay patients at Texas Children’s Hospital… we were thrilled to help! This was our first year to partner with Dec My Room and WOW, this organization is beyond amazing! If you are not familiar with them, check them out here!
We were assigned three rooms to decorate. The Newberry Cares Team carefully curated each room to the patient’s specific likes and taste. We had a blast installing all the fun décor and hope our small gesture will leave a joyful and positive impact on the patients and families we had the honor of servicing.
Newberry Cares – The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston
Last December, The Newberry Cares Team was honored to participate in the We Care event- which fosters children from The Boys and Girls Club of Greater Houston. Everyone enjoys the festive time between Thanksgiving and Christmas; however, we often take for granted the opportunity to be able to participate in holiday crafts. Newberry Architecture gathered together, with our local peers, and created a safe environment where these children can celebrate the season by creating personally crafted gifts for their loved ones or even for themselves, and have a few hours of holiday cheer! Check out the scrumptious hot coco ornament our team helped the kids put together.
Newberry Cares – Toy Drive
While every child deserves to feel the joy of receiving a new toy on Christmas morning, so many disadvantaged families do not have the opportunity to provide gifts for their children. Partnering with Toys for Tots was an amazing opportunity for the Newberry Cares Team to collect new, unwrapped toys for the organization. Within two weeks, our team was able to meet our goal of filling the Toys for Tots box! Thank you to the Toys for Tots organization and Marine Corps for creating the opportunity for the Newberry Cares Team, and our generous donors, to give back to our local community of children!