Lets Be Frank  

While some celebrities in the entertainment industry are creating buzz because of impromptu bad behavior, one celebrity is making a concerted effort to move beyond the headlines by demonstrating a commitment to serving the community and by providing a positive example. Houston's premiere spoken word artist Se7en (pronounced “seven”) is a poet whose actions speak louder than words.

Having opened for John Legend, Erykah Badu, Lyfe and Anthony Hamilton, in addition to providing intermission entertainment for Oprah Winfrey's presentation of The Color Purple, he has performed for an unprecedented 10 years in Houston at the Shadow Bar's Poetry Lounge on 213 Milam St, helping him to build a large local fan base. He toured nationally as the poet in the theatrical hit Cheaters featuring Brian McKnight, James Avery and Syleena Johnson.

This Superman of poetry and prose has a Clark Kent alter-ego as civilian Varien Howard, a school counselor at Westfield High in Spring Independent School District with a dual undergraduate degree in psychology and social work and a master's degree in counseling. But the impact Se7en is making does not end in the classroom. This soulful Shakespeare also served the community by promoting AIDS awareness and education. He used the art of spoken word as a performance tool to deliver a thought-provoking piece about AIDS for the Amerigroup Hip Hop for HIV Concert 2008. Se7en also participated previously in World AIDS Day, and the NAACP Total HIV Wellness Symposium.