Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter Joined Beyonce for a Deeply Personal Houston Ribbon-Cutting

Beyonce brought her daughters into a moment that clearly meant more to her than most. On October 14, 14-year-old Blue Ivy and 9-year-old Rumi Carter joined their mother in Houston for the opening of the Knowles-Rowland House, a new supportive housing center for people experiencing chronic homelessness.

A building with history

The center sits on the site of St. John's Downtown, the church where Beyonce was raised and baptized. The space itself used to be the Knowles-Rowland Center for Youth, a gym and youth center built in 1999 and funded in part by proceeds from Destiny's Child's very first single. Hurricane Harvey damaged the building in 2017, and a fire followed in 2021. What has emerged from that is 31 units of supportive housing, offering residents case management, mental health counseling, substance abuse treatment, life skills training, and nutrition assistance through a partnership between the church's nonprofit arm, Bread of Life, and Temenos Community Development Corporation.

Beyonce called her daughters up to help cut the ribbon, marking the building's new purpose with the people she trusts most. Speaking at the event, she reflected on how formative the church had been for her. 'I made the choice on my own to be baptized because I felt the spirit here, and I feel the spirit right now, and I'm so grateful for that foundation,' she said. 'And I love you, I love you, and there ain't nothing you can do about it.'

A family tradition, passed down

Kelly Rowland, a longtime member of the same church, also spoke at the opening. Beyonce's mother, Tina Knowles, described sending Beyonce, her sister Solange, and Rowland to volunteer there as children, serving meals after services. She credited that early exposure with shaping who they became. 'It was the best thing I could have done for them,' she said. 'Because of that, I have these beautiful young women that have hearts and empathy, and they give, and they work, and they do things to give back to the community.'

A rare public moment for the girls

Blue Ivy and Rumi's appearance was their first in months. Blue was last seen publicly at the Met Gala in May. Beyonce has been consistent about keeping her children largely out of the spotlight, telling GQ in September 2024 that protecting their normalcy has been a deliberate effort. 'No amount of money is worth my peace,' she said at the time.