’Tis the Season, Third Ward...Where History, Healing, and New Ideas Rise

It’s that time of year again.

And nope, not talking about turkeys, Xmas lights, or holiday rush hour on 610.

I’m talking about that other season. The season when ideas begin to surface. When visions long whispered in journals or tucked deep in the heart finally prepare to step into the light.

The season when a curated group of thinkers, creatives, disruptors, and storytellers get ready to stand on the iconic red dot for TEDx Third Ward.

And what better place for this rising of ideas than right here in the beating heart of Houston’s historic Third Ward?

Everyone has a story. But not everyone has a space that honors the fullness, depth, and sacredness of that story. Third Ward has always been that kind of space, long before TEDx ever arrived.

This neighborhood has held decades of creativity, scholarship, organizing, resilience, and unapologetic brilliance. It is history, art, culture, and community woven into one. One of its brightest cultural anchors, the legendary Eldorado Ballroom, still stands as a testament to that legacy.

The Eldorado wasn’t just a venue; it was a gathering ground for expression. Musicians, speakers, thinkers, and cultural giants filled its halls. Even bell hooks, one of our most influential feminist theorists and truth tellers, moved through this neighborhood’s spaces, reminding us that love, justice, and community form the spiritual structure of any real change. Third Ward holds that truth in its bones.

As the neighborhood evolved, exemplified in renovations like Project Row Houses which transformed once-neglected homes into a living canvas of creativity, community care, and intergenerational healing. And running through the heart of the neighborhood, Emancipation Avenue—formerly Dowling Street—stands as a reclaimed declaration of freedom and self-definition, echoing the strength of those who came before us., so did the offerings that kept its spirit alive.

From Black-owned bookstores that amplified our voice…To vegan soul food restaurants serving nourishment for both body and spirit…To artistic collectives, faith-rooted movements, and grassroots organizers who poured into the community’s growth long before it was considered “up-and-coming.”

Third Ward is a living timeline, honoring its history while continuously adapting, blossoming, resisting, and rising.

And although Third Ward’s history shapes the heart of this event, the TEDx Third Ward stage welcomes voices from far beyond its borders.

This year’s speakers represent a broad spectrum of backgrounds, identities, cultures, and home states, each bringing a unique lens and lived experience to Houston. TEDx has always championed diversity of thought, and this curation reflects that beautifully. The location grounds the event in rich cultural soil, but the ideas shared here reach across communities, industries, and generations.

That’s the true spirit of TEDx: Ideas worth spreading. Stories worth sharing. Perspectives worth elevating.

Under the leadership of curator Durrel, this year’s TEDx Third Ward carries an even deeper mission: To use storytelling as a tool of empowerment. To bring people together through curiosity and shared humanity. To highlight voices that don’t just speak about change, but practice it through community action, innovation, and truth.

Durrel’s heart is rooted in the power of stories. He knows that storytelling isn’t just communication, it’s reclamation. It’s how communities preserve their identity, challenge their limits, and imagine new futures. Through each curated idea, Durrel invites us to remember that our voices matter and that when one of us rises, we make room for others to rise too.

As January 10th approaches, this isn’t just a countdown to an event. It’s a countdown to a cultural moment.

This season, may we open our eyes not just to holiday lights, but to the sparks of possibility rising all around us. May this be a season of story, truth-telling, awakening, and connection. A season where Third Ward doesn’t just host ideas, it elevates them.

Because when Third Ward speaks, the world doesn’t just listen…It leans in, it learns, and it grows.

-Crystalyn Fontenot

P.S if this sparked something in you follow along for more below are the TEDx Third Ward's social handles:

Instagram: @tedx_thirdward

Facebook: @Tedx ThirdWard

X/Twitter: @tedx_thirdward

LinkedIn: @TEDxThirdWard

YouTube: @TedxThirdWard

Ticket Purchase: https://matchouston.org/events/2026/tedx-third-ward