[2] Houston then moved back to New York City, where she wrote and directed for the street performance troupe, CityKids Repertory Company.
In 1992, Houston was commissioned to write "The International Sweethearts of Rhythm,” a screenplay about an all-women’s 1940's jazz band, inspired by an article the producers read about Rosetta Reitz in The Wall Street Journal.
In 1995, Danny Glover introduced Houston to the Chanticleer Films program, which gave industry professionals their first chance to direct.
[6] Through the program, she directed the short film, Tuesday Morning Ride, starring Ruby Dee and Bill Cobbs.
The film, about an elderly couple questioning the current value of their lives, is based on the 1933 short story, "A Summer Tragedy", by Harlem Renaissance writer, Arna Bontemps.
"[6] Jesse Jackson, pointing out Houston being the only nominee of color, called for a boycott of the Oscars and led a demonstration against Academy Award broadcaster, ABC, to protest the film industry's lack of racial inclusion in hiring and creative opportunities.
As a screenwriter, she has written for Touchstone Pictures, Stephen Herek, and actors Danny Glover, Dustin Hoffman, Charles S. Dutton, Eddie Murphy, Missy Elliot, and Viola Davis.