HCU Athletics welcomed Houston City Councilman Edward Pollard on Wednesday, Feb. 11, evening in honor of Black History Month with the native Houstonian sharing how he became who he is today and hosting a trivia contest in the style of Jeopardy! with HCU student-athletes in attendance.

Councilman Pollard is a proud Houstonian, who attended all HISD schools, including Lovett, Johnston, and Lamar. He continued his education at Morehouse College on a basketball scholarship, was recognized as an NCAA Academic All-American and graduated with a bachelor of arts in political science with honors. After playing basketball overseas, Pollard returned to Houston where he earned his law degree at Thurgood Marshall School of Law at Texas Southern University. He then founded Suits for Success, which is a non-profit organization that mentors young men on expectations in the workforce and give them an essential wardrobe.

Pollard wasn't the only one in his family who has made a difference throughout the community. His grandfather, Rev. T. J. Jemison, was a pioneer in civil rights. In 1953, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the buses were segregated and Jemison organized a bus boycott. With the connection of Martin Luther King Jr., two years later was the boycott of Rosa Parks in Montgomery, Alabama. Dr. Jemsion was overlooked by Dr. Martin's boycott because of how long it took for both boycotts to work. On one hand, Dr. King's took over a year, but on the other hand, Dr. Jemson's only took eight days. Dr. Jemsion then founded the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, alongside Dr. King and a few other civil rights pioneers, which changed history.