On Saturday, December 14th, 2024, Rahsaan King (RBS 2013) held a ribbon-cutting event for the Settegast Revitalization Initiative, the non-profit organization he founded to lead community redevelopment in his hometown of Houston, TX.
In 2017, Hurricane Harvey devastated an event center in the Settegast neighborhood that once was a vibrant community hub. The city condemned the space, which hosted weddings, funerals, galas, and even Rahsaan’s high school graduation. It has remained vacant ever since.
The Settegast Revitalization Initiative has acquired the property to build essential services for one of Houston’s most underserved communities. Plans for the site include a healthcare clinic, K-12 school, library, grocery store, cafe, food pantry, and affordable housing units.
With the support of his family and church, Rahsaan began the acquisition process in 2022 following the passing of his grandmother. Among the first people he enlisted to support the initiative were five fellow Ron Brown Scholars: Leslie Turner (RBS 2013), Ollie Howie (RBS 2013), Lora Strum (RBS 2013), Michael Reid (RBS 2014), Ray Pryor (RBS 2015), and Dr. Carmelle Norice (RBS 1997). These Scholars serve as executive team members, board members, consultants, and vendors for the initiative.
In the past year, Rahsaan and his team have distributed free food and toys throughout the community and enrolled residents in Medicaid to ensure access to healthcare services once the clinic opens.
New Role as Chief of Staff to Texas State Representative
In addition to his leadership at the Settegast Revitalization Initiative, Rahsaan was recently appointed as the Chief of Staff to Texas State Representative Harold Dutton, II of District 142—the district he grew up in, lives in, and where the Settegast project is based. In this role, Rahsaan will introduce 184 bills during the upcoming legislative session, focusing on energy, healthcare, and education policy while managing capitol staff.
The Ron Brown Scholar Alumni Association is rallying support to raise $150,000 for the Settegast Revitalization Initiative by January 15th. A matching donor commitment will help complete the first floor of the new building, set to open in Spring 2025.
“My dream is that within the next decade, we will have one or multiple Ron Brown Scholars selected from this community because of the opportunities we’re able to create here.” – Rahsaan King (RBS ‘13)
Learn more about the Settegast Revitalization Initiative at www.settegast.org or by contacting Rahsaan King at r.king@settegast.org.
