Unconventional Journalist
By Sam Oser
Advocacy Journalism | All Real Radio
Unconventional JournalistMar 19, 2022
Poop Water Part II: Resident Dealing with Systemic Sewage Failures
Poop Water Part I was all about policy education around sewage infrastructure. Sade, a resident who is dealing with poop water in her home and yard, joined me today to discuss her day-to-day lived experiences.
Poop Water Part I: Policy Education for Water Justice
Policy is key to equitable sewer infrastructure, and Kourtney with Bayou City Water Keeper joins me to discuss Houston's pending water crisis due to poor sewage infrastructure. We discuss Bayou City Water Keeper's lawsuit, the current state of the sewage infrastructure, and the movement to make tangible policy changes to prevent further water privatization and another water crisis.
The Flint Water Crisis has not gone away. They are still in crisis, and it has become so normalized that there are water crises across the United States. Houston residents in poorer, divested parts of the city are already getting sick from poop water. Coalitions of community members in the city are working to fix the issues they live in and create an equitable sewage infrastructure before it completely crumbles.
Reminder: You Can Boycott STAAR
Standardized testing is used as a tool to fire teachers and close schools to move towards the privatization of education. Houston CVPE has put together resources to explain why this movement is important and how you can get started.
Presentation Rehearsal
I'm in my teaching era!
My former professor who now teaches at A&M invited me to speak to his media editing students. My friend at Rice, who oversees their radio station, invited me to speak to his radio reporting students.
I needed to rehearse and here's the audio for my rehearsal. Thanks for being part of this process.
Child Labor is Back
Illegal child labor continues to increase in the United States, with kids as young as 10 years old working at McDonald's. Efforts to weaken child labor laws are also increasing, and not just in the red states.
Here are the articles I referenced in today's report.
Over 100 Kids Were Illegally Employed in Dangerous Meat-Packing Plant Jobs
Child labor investigation spreads to meatpacking, produce companies in 11 states
Over 300 minors found working at 3 McDonald's franchisees: Department of Labor
Fast-food giants overwork teenagers, driving America’s child labor crisis
Housing Policy Win in Galveston
Tyler with Build Galveston joins me to discuss a recent housing policy win in Galveston.
Food Not Bombs: Legal Update & Allegations
Food Not Bombs received their 91st ticket this week for feeding houseless people. They posted about the legal updates.
Recently, Red Rose Media reported about ex-Food Not Bomb volunteers issuing allegations against the group for sexual harassment and overall lack of accountability. There still hasn't been a formal response from Food Not Bombs about these allegations or accountability measures that will be taken.
Upcoming Freeze Prep Tips w/ West Street Recovery
Learn more about community hubs, a long-term plan for keeping you and your neighbors safe, here.
Tomball Community Fridge is asking for donations for their fridge, blankets, jackets, and other warm items. Follow them on Instagram.
Police Tase Person During Houseless Feeding, Threaten Others
Edit: Free Store event is canceled.
"On Wednesday January 3rd, Eight 1st Precinct Constables Of Harris County came to a food sharing service of Food Not Bombs to serve a warrant to a member in attendance. After their arrest, Jerrode Brown better known as JB was upset and called out to the cops to put away their tasers as there was no threat. The police had been pointing their weapons in the faces of civilians who were rightfully upset because the warrant was for Brazoria County and it is not normal procedure for Harris County to carry out this arrest. One officer lost their cool and decided to chase and tackle JB to the ground for expressing their need for safety. During the altercation the officer fractured his wrist and and another officer put a taser to his spine at point blank range and tasered him for 12 seconds even though he was already on the ground. " - more info on JB's fundraiser page.
Police have given Food Not Bombs 86 tickets for feeding the houseless, and continue to escalate.
Cash Assistance for Harris County Residents
You may qualify for $500/month from Harris County! The application period starts on January 8, 2024, at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 11:59 p.m. on January 26, 2024. Apply here.
Free Store
550 McKinney St, Sunday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 pm.
Come bring things to grab, donate, or trade. Learn more here.
Black LGBTQIA+ Migrants are Organizing Across Borders
Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project (BLMP)'s Loyce and Mitchelle join me to discuss their work in Houston to create networks of safety for Black LGBTQIA+ migrants who have forcefully left their homeland.
BLMP Links — including fundraiser and signing up for newsletters
Mitchelle
Mitchelle (she/her) is an educator turned environmental advocate based in Houston, Texas. She currently works as a Senior Outreach Associate for the Environmental Protection Network (EPN) and partners with communities dealing with environmental racism, including but not limited to those dealing with lead in water, petrochemical facilities, and land restoration. In this position, she has developed profound relationships with communities and has become personally involved in their struggles.
Mitchelle also has been working with TBME (Texas Black Migrant Ecosystem Coalition) over the last year to formulate a space that caters and advocates for black migrant experiences. She hopes the emerging coalition will affect change in a state that is hostile to immigrants and especially black migrants.
Mitchelle is also a poet, and her work has been featured in Atlanta Review, and she has performed at Write About Now Poetry. Her work discusses gender violence, immigration, and Black identity. She sees a strong connection between justice and storytelling. It is her belief that while policies fight for a better future, storytelling ensures we heal from our past.
Loyce
Loyce (she/they) is a Tanzanian-born storyteller, facilitator, and organizer based in Houston, TX. Their work interrogates Black Diasporic histories, and seeks to center how oppressed people build power.
Loyce's writing has been featured on Button Poetry, Write About Now, Badilisha Poetry, Fields Magazine and PBS. They also founded a creative writing and performance initiative for East African youths called Paza Sauti.
Loyce currently serves as the co-lead for the Houston Hub of Black LGBTQIA+ Migrant Project (BLMP). Through this work, Loyce has curated spaces to support Black queer migrants and advocate for Black migrant justice.
Healthcare Workers are Organizing for Palestine
Healthcare workers in Houston are organizing for Palestine.
Bissam and Okarys with Healthcare Workers for Palestine - Houston join me to discuss their movement to send medical supplies and their upcoming rally at Ben Taub Hospital.
There are many petitions you can sign - see here.
Dec. 9, 2023 at 1pm behind Ben Taub Hospital
🗣️CALLING ALL HOUSTON HEALTHCARE WORKERS🗣️: Come rally with us in Hermann Park by Lamar Fleming St. (behind Ben Taub Hospital) next Saturday, December 9th, at 1 PM! We will be featuring guest speakers, educating passersby about the ongoing genocide in Gaza, Palestine, and honoring the lives of healthcare workers that were tragically lost due to Israel’s killings. Bring your flags and keffiyehs and show Houston that healthcare workers here support a ceasefire and the liberation of Palestine! 🇵🇸
Information on parking can be seen in slide 2! Free parking is available at the Sam Houston Monument (Lot A), in front of the Houston Zoo (Lots G and F), across the street (Lot H), and near the Miller Outdoor Theatre (Lots E and D).
Precinct Chairs Resolution to Hold Kim Ogg Accountable
The precinct chairs of the Harris County Democratic Party are putting together a resolution to hold Kim Ogg, Harris County District Attorney, accountable for anti-bail reform and using her office to investigate elected officials who do not agree with her.
Daniel, organizer and Democratic Chair of Precinct 272, joins me to discuss the process.
Call to action:
If you know a precinct chair in Harris County, ask them to sign on the resolution.
If you are not a precinct chair, you can sign this petition to showcase public support to the resolution.
Upcoming Workshops
I have two workshops coming up!
- Advocacy Journalism 101
- How to Hold the Media Accountable
For now, these workshops will be held online. Follow me @samthemullet on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, to see when the dates are posted and to register for them.
Contextualizing 75 Years of Palestinian Colonization
Fouad, an organizer with Palestinian Youth Movement, joins me to bring context around the ongoing violence between Israel and Palestine. We bring it back to the United States by discussing what global settler colonialism looks like. Just like the Black Lives Matter movement, the Palestinian organizers are facing a tremendous amount of surveillance and backlash from the government.
If you decide to go to any protests, like the one today, Oct. 14, 2023, in Houston, at City Hall at 2 p.m., please take safety measures.
Houston Election Prep: What is Prop A?
Greg and Leslie from Houston DSA joined me to discuss what is Prop A and how it could help the Houston City Council be more democratic.
Currently, in the City Of Houston, only the mayor has the power to add items to the weekly City Council meeting agenda. This means that the mayor controls what is discussed and voted on in City Council. Prop A is on the ballot for this upcoming election and aims to change that!
Houston-ISD Firing Dissenters & Mayor Forum on Public Transpo Recap
Larry McKinzie is a long-time community advocate and Houston-ISD teacher who is against the state takeover of the schools. He is currently undergoing the process of being fired from HISD. Recently, two teachers who spoke up to question New the Education System (NES) during a faculty meeting are now under threat of being fired as well. Read more here.
There was a mayoral forum on public transportation as well that I was able to attend. The second half of the report is my recap of the forum hosted by Link Houston, Air Alliance, Bike Houston, Citizens Transportation Coalition, APA TX, and Blueprint Houston.
Transitioning Back Into It
Stepping back into my voice and the soundboard was a little rough, but by the second half of the episode it was breezy. This episode is a reflection of my break and what I have planned next. Here are two pieces of community shout-outs you should know about!
Link Houston is hosting a Mayoral Forum on Transportation, Sat. Sept. 23, from 10am - noon. Join them at the Architecture Center Houston at 902 Commerce St.
An emergency support rally is being called for to support HISD teacher and advocate, Larry McKinzie, as he is under threat of being fired under pressure of this new appointed board of managers. He is a long-time community advocate and is against the takeover. This rally will be Mon. Sept 18, at 7pm at 2428 Southmore Blvd.
Interview: Enclave Documentary w/ Bocafloja
Bocafloja is an interdisciplinary artist of afro-indigenous descent based in Atlanta, GA. Bocafloja’s mediums of creation include documentary filmmaking, music, literature and photography. His body of work addresses topics such as the Global South, decoloniality, critical race theory and the African Diaspora in Latin America.
Bocafloja joins me and Bryan Parras, life-long community organizer from Houston's ship channel, to discuss Bocafloja's documentary, Enclave, and his work over the years. We also discuss systemic issues and what drives us to be in the movement.
Enclave is a visual cartography of the ocean and its preservation. A documentary that explores the historical and geopolitical factors involved in the extensive extraction of natural resources and its impact in social life. A critical dialogue on environmental racism through narratives in first person, music, orality, dance and storytelling. A portrait of Latinamerica's complexity in regards history, economy, identity and culture.
Filmed in Panama, Enclave becomes one of the few film projects who center the experience and contributions of racialized communities within a typically white controlled dialogue. Here is the trailer to his latest video.
Community Speaks Up at Board of Managers HISD Meeting
The state has officially taken over Houston-ISD, and community members are still making their voices heard during the board meetings held by the appointed board of managers.
Actions:
- Sign the petition - bit.ly/nostatetakeover
- Follow @houstoncvpe for updates and information on how to get involved
Need to get caught up on the issue?
Texas Education Agency will take control of Houston ISD in June
Timeline: How the TEA takeover of Houston ISD unfolded
Houston ISD Takeover is a Trojan Horse for Privatization
Texas Supreme Court clears way for state’s education agency to take over Houston ISD
Here are articles/interviews even further back for context
· INTERVIEW - Movement to End Standardized Tests in Texas
· INTERVIEW - Both Parties Are Dismantling Public Education, University of St. Thomas Professor Explains How
· ARTICLE - Recap of Arrests at Houston’s School Board Meeting
· ARTICLE - Houston Chronicle Acts as Propaganda in Regards to School Privatization
· ARTICLE - Walmart’s Efforts to Privatize Education Evident in Houston
· ARTICLE - Texas Laws Forces School Districts Into Privatization & Holds Democracy Hostage
State Takeover of Houston-ISD is this Week
The state takeover of public education is a ruse for privatization. New Orleans no longer has public schools, all privatized, and Houston is headed down the same path. This takeover removes democratically elected board members for the school district and appoints a board of managers. Learn more about how they are choosing the board of managers here. Even though the takeover is this week, there has been no announcement on who these board managers are or who the new superintendent will be. Ruth and Kourtney with @houstoncvpe join me for the update.
Actions:
- Sign the petition - bit.ly/nostatetakeover
- Join the protest on June 8
Need to get caught up on the issue?
Texas Education Agency will take control of Houston ISD in June
Timeline: How the TEA takeover of Houston ISD unfolded
Houston ISD Takeover is a Trojan Horse for Privatization
Texas Supreme Court clears way for state’s education agency to take over Houston ISD
Here are articles/interviews even further back for context
· INTERVIEW - Movement to End Standardized Tests in Texas
· INTERVIEW - Both Parties Are Dismantling Public Education, University of St. Thomas Professor Explains How
· ARTICLE - Recap of Arrests at Houston’s School Board Meeting
· ARTICLE - Houston Chronicle Acts as Propaganda in Regards to School Privatization
· ARTICLE - Walmart’s Efforts to Privatize Education Evident in Houston
· ARTICLE - Texas Laws Forces School Districts Into Privatization & Holds Democracy Hostage
Deer Park Residents Barely Show Up for Themselves at ITC Permit Hearing
Intercontinental Terminals Company (ITC), the organization responsible for the major chemical fire in Deer Park in 2019, is currently seeking to renew its operating permit under Title V as determined by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). Environmental organizations showed up to pushback on May 4, 2022, at the Deer Park High School’s North Campus. Organizations Air Alliance Houston, Fenceline Watch, Caring for Pasadena Communities with Lonestar Legal Aid, and Channelview Health and Improvement Coalition showed up and gave powerful comments during the hearing. Some residents from surrounding cities like Baytown, Galena Park, and Pasadena, showed up, and even fewer Deer Park residents.
There were three Deer Park residents that showed up to speak on the permit. Two residents were against the operating permit renewal, citing health reasons, as one mother spoke up about how the fire exacerbated her child’s side effects from cancer and another mother spoke up about her experience with her family evacuating.
Rice University’s Baker Institute Plans to Platform Israeli War Criminals
Anna and Fouad with Rice Students for Justice Palestine and Palestinian Youth Movement, respectively, join me to discuss how Rice University plans to platform Israeli war criminals at the upcoming event, Israel at 75. They are asking community members to show up and protest the event, and to also sign their petition.
"The “Israel at 75” conference, which marks the 75th anniversary of Israel’s colonization of Palestine, glorifies al-Nakba, or The Catastrophe, in which 400 Palestinian towns and villages were destroyed and over 1,000,000 Palestinians forcibly displaced from their homeland in order to create the state of Israel. For over 75 years, the Palestinian people have resisted the most barbaric forms of Israel’s violence — from daily home demolitions, to mass arrest of Palestinian youth, to illegal military blockades that deny Palestinians freedom of movement on their own land." - Info from the petition
For more education about Palestinians resisting Israel, please watch Abby Martin's The Empire Files. To learn more about how the movement in Palestine connects to the oppression in the United States, please read Angela Davis' Freedom is a Constant Struggle.
State Takeover of Houston ISD Update w/ Houston CVPE
There is a national movement to privatize public education, and in Texas, the threat is in our backyard. Privatizing schools will prioritize profit over kids and education. Ruth from Houston CVPE joins me to discuss this threat further, and to discuss community movement to fight back.
Learn how to opt out of STAAR testing.
Read Houston CVPE's blog on busting common myths.
Historical context to get you caught up on the issue:
- INTERVIEW - Movement to End Standardized Tests in Texas
- INTERVIEW - Both Parties Are Dismantling Public Education, University of St. Thomas Professor Explains How
- ARTICLE - Recap of Arrests at Houston’s School Board Meeting
- ARTICLE - Houston Chronicle Acts as Propaganda in Regards to School Privatization
- ARTICLE - Walmart’s Efforts to Privatize Education Evident in Houston
- ARTICLE - Texas Laws Forces School Districts Into Privatization & Holds Democracy Hostage
Movement to Hold Harris County Jail Accountable w/ Jailhouse Justice
Brandon from Jailhouse Justice joins me to discuss the movement against the inhuman treatment and racist abuse of those who are incarcerated at Harris County Jail. Since last January, there have been 31 deaths in the jail, making it the most deaths in a jail across the United States.
Follow Jailhouse Justice on Instagram.
Journalist Rejects Bribery While Investigating County Jail Deaths
How Can Neighbors Help Each Other During a Disaster?
With climate change getting worse and the government barely in sight to help, it's important that neighbors know they can band together.
Residents, Doris and David, in the Northeast Action Collective speak on how they have organized their neighborhoods to help when the government won't.
#StopCopCity Connection to Houston
Read the article here.
Review the interactive map here.
The police training facility in Atlanta is set to destroy 381 acres of the Weelaunee Forest, and Blackhall Studios plans to destroy another 40 acres for a sound stage. Cop City will be the largest police training facility in the United States and is slated to include a mock city where police will train with firearms, tear gas, helicopters, and explosive devices to repress protest and mass unrest, much as they did during the 2020 George Floyd protests.
There are ties to donors and Atlanta Police Foundation board members in Houston that are helping fund this facility.
Celebrating 30+ Years of Community Work w/ Mama PK
Perri McCary's (Mama PK's) artistic practice spans over the last 30 years focusing on using storytelling, mentorship, and activism to promote peace and challenge systemic oppression. This special interview highlights her work in the community.
I met Mama PK at KPFT, and during my time there she taught me the importance of intergenerational friendships and collaboration. Her work as a writer has influenced my work as an advocacy journalist to this day.
Why Do Journalists Use "Allegedly" When There's Evidence?
Lewis Raven Wallace (he/they/ze) joins me to discuss why journalists use “allegedly” in the face of video evidence.
Lewis is the Abolition Journalism Fellow at Interrupting Criminalization, and author of The View from Somewhere: Undoing the Myth of Journalistic Objectivity.
Non-Profit Founder Beaten & Arrested by Harris County Police During Traffic Stop
Chivas Watson, founder of WorkingGroup512, alleges that he was beaten and arrested by Harris County Police during a traffic stop. The police officer filed a criminal complaint against Chivas, claiming Chivas sought controversy while the police officer's back was turned. However, there is video evidence that shows otherwise. Chivas is asking the community for help by signing a petition and donating to his legal fees.
Trigger Warning (2:20 - 34:00): During the first part of the interview, Chivas details his experience from being arrested, to being searched, and his time in jail and the process of being in court. This first part includes police brutality as he recounts his story. If you do not wish to be triggered, please forward to the 34:00 minute mark to hear the rest of the interview.
I have reached out to Harris County Constable Precinct 4 for comment. When they provide the comment, this summary section will be updated to include it.
Recap of 2022 & Thoughts for Next Year
This reflection episode is mostly music. I recap community movement I covered this this year and my goals for next year.
Update on the Railroad Union's Potential Strike
There was quite a bit going on the Railroad workers' front this week. This segment focuses on the latest update, along with some history on why Congress is allowed to break the strike (spoilers: they gave themselves power to do so in the 1920s).
Links for you:
- Why Congress is intervening in a labor dispute between railway companies and freight workers
- Railroad Workers United Press Release: Democrats, Then Republicans Smite Rail Labor
- What Would It Take For Rail Workers To Win?
- Timeline of Railroad Labor Negotiations
Actions:
- Support their fundraising campaign
- Talk about this movement with friends and family
- Get prepared with community for if they do strike—buy dry goods, canned food, and be in community
- Don't take corporate media seriously when they shift blame to workers away from the ruling class. Talk about it.
Community Rumblings in Pasadena
I report on the movements that fight back, yes, but that also includes making community aware of each other. In this report, three interviews with Pasadena community members are featured. Out of Line HTX hosted a Vanessa Guillen documentary viewing at the Texas Chiropractic College, and Agustin, Maria, and Emely interviewed with me before we watched it.
To stay updated with Pasadena movement, follow South Houston Pasadena Barrio Coalition on Facebook or Instagram.
You can also learn more about BACODA's Pasadena Community Coalition here, and follow them on Facebook or Instagram.
If you are interested in the education movement in Pasadena, follow Educators for PISD on Facebook or Instagram.
Movement for a Community Safety Budget in Harris County
Gabriela from Texas Jail Project joins me to recap the movement for a community safety budget in Harris County.
Organizers across coalitions have been working since April to create a Community Safety Budget in response to Harris County's budget hearings. Every year, the Harris County Commissioner's Court has budget hearings to allocate tax dollars across the county, and it was that time of year. We reviewed wins including language accessibility to budget materials -- budget information was only printed in English -- and we reviewed losses including cuts to key community programs and no new revenue budget.
You can review the community budget information here: bit.ly/HARRISBUDGET2023
Upcoming events -
- Tuesday, Nov 1
Pasadena's Dia de Los Muertos to pay homage to victims of the Uvalde massacre and all Texas mass shootings and further honor them by taking action and demanding a minimum age requirement for assault rifle purchases. - Thursday, Nov 3
Community input is needed for long-range transportation plans for Galveston/Brazoria County - Saturday, Nov 5
Learn more about environmental justice at the Clear Lake Presbyterian Church from Texas Health and Environmental Alliance
Hou Starbucks Strike & Wind Turbines Coming to the Gulf Coast
Music is curated by All Real Radio.
You can also read the article:
Houston’s Starbucks Union Goes on Unfair Labor Practice Strike
Movement to Unionize Climate Jobs Before the Jobs Exist in Gulf Coast
Quick Update on Labor Movement + Upcoming Actions
Today was a quick recap of this week's labor movement news and upcoming events.
Starbucks Union - Houston
- First unionized Starbucks in Houston!
- Union leader was fired from Starbucks after almost 9 years
- Donate to his relief fund
Fort Bend County Houston Environmental Organization hosts workshop - “Crossroads: Gerrymandering and Environmental Justice”
- Wednesday, September 28 at 6PM
- Learn some background and hear updates on local actions you can take
- Westmoor Club at Aliana
11333 Westmoor Dr., Richmond, TX 77407 - Posted by CEER on Instagram
Gulf Coast Community Town Hall on Offshore Wind
- Saturday, October 1 at 9 am
- Workshop at 9 am, speakers at 11 am, and celebration at 12 pm. Live music and refreshments provided. Entry is free
- The Gulf of Mexico is going to be the next offshore wind powerhouse, and, if done right, this industry has the potential to create THOUSANDS of family-sustaining union careers while cleaning up our environment
- RSVP
Harris County Tax Budget Action
- Review the Community Safety Budget proposed by organizers
- Review talking points
- Sign up to speak for Tuesday, Sept 27, at 10 am
- Speak virtually by registering by 8 am Tuesday, Sept 27
- Submit written comment via email to CommissionersCourt@hctx.net by 4 pm, Tuesday, Sept 27
- Commissioner's agenda
- Hearing for the tax rate and hospital budget
- Call your Precinct Commissioner and County Judge Hidalgo
Community Action: Counter-protest Hate Groups in Katy
Here’s the skinny:
- Fascists intend to protest and disrupt a Drag Bingo event at the First Christian Church of Katy, TX
- Explicitly Neo-Nazi groups such as the Aryan Freedom Network are planning to attend
- There is a counter-protest planned, so the Drag community is not alone
Here’s the action and links:
Attend the counter-protest
- Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022
- 3pm - 7pm
- First Christian Church
22101 Morton Ranch Rd
Katy, TX - BE SAFE
PLEASE cover your tattoos and faces, anything identifiable
Bring water, stay hydrated
Get involved with the community:
Community Action: Northside Houston Air Monitoring Program
Here’s the skinny:
- Corporations and vehicles pollute neighborhoods without accountability
- The government is not transparent about tracking pollution
- There is an Air Monitoring Network, to set up monitors and gather data on pollution
Here’s the action and links:
There will be a meeting to review data and create an action plan. If you live in Northside Houston, you should attend.
- Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022
- 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
- Location:
Avenue CDC
3517 Irvington Blvd, Houston, TX 77009 - The meeting will be available on Zoom, but you need to register to attend to receive the link
- Register to attend, whether in person or on Zoom
Get involved with the community:
Community Action: ITC Deer Park
Here’s the skinny:
- ITC Deer Park is up for a permit renewal.
- ITC fires in 2019 caused a huge black plume over Harris County. This disaster is still under investigation by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board.
- This facility is up for a renewal of their Federal Operating Permit (FOP) which would allow them to continue to operate for 5 years. ITC may receive their permit without public opposition.
Here’s the action and links:
You have until Friday, September 23 to request a public meeting and submit comments from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ).
- Review public comment guidance
- Submit a public comment
No. O1061, Application No. 28256
Get involved with the community:
Air Alliance Houston is organizing around this permit.
Communities Can Now Easily Combat Air Polluters with AirMail
With plenty of music curated by All Real Radio between topics, here's what I covered:
- The potential railroad strike, report by More Perfect Union
- 8th Starbucks union in Texas
- Progress on a Starbucks in Houston organizing for a union
- The free AirMail tool created by Air Alliance Houston and January Advisors to combat corporate pollution, read the article here
Actions
- Review data collected by air monitoring network in Northside Houston (see action)
- Stand in solidarity with a Drag Event in Katy against white supremacist hate groups who plan to protest (see action)
Community Action: Harris County Community Safety Budget
Here’s the skinny:
- Organizers have created a Community Safety Budget that focuses on education, health, and safety of Harris County residents.
The Community Safety Agenda is a proactive and life-affirming vision for how Harris County can keep its residents safe. The Agenda’s budget proposals bring together advocates from varied spaces— health, housing, and immigration justice to education, criminal-legal policy change, and climate justice—to craft a shared platform that spans these issue areas. The goal is to reshape the narrative regarding what really keeps communities safe while building new bridges to advance shared policy goals. - Harris County’s Commissioners Court is getting ready to review budgets for Fiscal Year 2023 at 10 a.m. on September 13, 2022. The new budgets will be effective for the fiscal year beginning October 1, 2022 through September 30, 2023.
- Members of Commissioners Court will meet in the Courtroom of the Commissioners Court of Harris County, Texas, on the ninth floor of the Harris County Administration Building, 1001 Preston Street, Houston, Texas. This meeting is also being held virtually to advance the public health goal of limiting face-to-face meetings and thus slow the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). See the announcement.
Here’s the action and links:
Review the Harris County Community Safety Budget and sign up to speak at the Commissioner’s Court in support of this budget for the new fiscal year.
Get involved with the community:
Here are the organizers who worked on this budget and supports it:
- Texas Civil Rights Project
- Texas Jail Project
- Civil Rights Corps
- Restoring Justice
- Woori Juntos
- Tahirih Justice Center
- MOVE Texas
- Grassroots Leadership
- Community Safety Coalition
Back from Break
This report is focused on reflection and is mostly music curated by All Real Radio.
Climate Movement: Upcoming TCEQ Sunset Review & How to Get Involved
Every 12 years, there's a sunset review on the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). This is the time for all Texans to come together and voice their concerns around environmental racism and address the harm corporate polluters do in in their neighborhoods. The sunset review is set to be in person in Austin, Texas, with the Texas Sunset Advisory Committee for review and a public hearing on June 22, 2022. If you cannot attend in person, you can fill out the public input form, and submit your comment online before June 27, 2022.
This review is important for all Texans to participate and submit public comment, but for this interview we spoke primarily on communities affected by concrete batch plants. Here's who joined me today:
- Shirley Ronquillo - East Aldine resident, community organizer and co-founder of the Houston Department of Transformation
- Erick Garcia - Community liaison/concerned resident of Lindale farms
- Leticia Gutierrez - Government Relations and Community Outreach Director, Air Alliance Houston
Here are the links we talked about during the interview:
- Maps and data of pollution in Harris County
- To go to Austin, email Leticia (leticia@airalliancehouston.org) or Genesis (genesis@airalliancehouston.org)
- Take Action #ForOurCommunities
Updates: Cops Don't Have to Protect You, Justice for Jalen, City Won't Invest in Flood Prevention Again & More
We covered a wide range of topics today and concluded with an action item.
National News
- Anti-Trans Bomb Threats Shuts Down School in Wisconsin
- Deregulating Nursing Home Safety to Protect Donors in Florida
Texas
- First Starbucks Unionizes in Texas
- Uvalde Thread - info from copaganda journalist, Alec Karakatsanis I thought you should know about
- Police Have No Duty to Protect You
Houston/Harris County
- Justice for Jalen thread from Houston Abolitionist Collective
- 10 protesters sue Houston, Acevedo for ‘false arrests’ after George Floyd’s murder
- Houston City Council fails to deliver equitable drainage for flood prevention, AGAIN. More info from West Street Recovery and Northeast Action Collective.
- Join climate orgs, Houston Youth Climate Strike and Extinction Rebellion Houston, to protest a liquified natural gas terminal from being built and doing more polluting on Wednesday, June 8
Updates: Wynn Alan Bruce, Biden v TX, Starbucks Organizing in Texas & More
Here's today's line up for you.
National
- Climate activist, Wynn Alan Bruce, died after setting himself on fire in front of the US Supreme Court to bring attention to the urgency of the climate crisis.
- Biden v TX case on the Trump's admin Remain in Mexico policy will essentially determine whether a president can undo a former administration's failed policies. Follow Justice Action Center for more eduction. Here is why folks are fighting to get rid of the Remain in Mexico policy.
Texas
- Starbucks Workers unite! Workers in Austin and Denton are digitally gathering on May 2 at 7pm to learn more about the movement. If you're a Starbucks worker and aren't in these cities, you can still join to learn. Let's get aaaall of Texas unionized! Register here: bit.ly/tx-swu
Harris County
- Sunday, May 1 @ 1 pm - May Day Celebration at Mason Park
- Sunday, May 1 @ 4pm - Online meeting with West Street Recovery to review how the Title VI case is going and our plans to submit a budget amendment to the City of Houston. The zoom link is @ bit.ly/wsrspring2022
- Wednesday, May 4 @ 6pm - Online meeting with Metro Houston for the Inner Katy Project. Register here: ridemetro.org/innerkaty
- Volunteer Rebuild Days - West Street Recovery is hosting multiple chances to help Harvey survivors rebuild their homes that are still unlivable after four years. Register here: bit.ly/wsrvol1
Update on Union Movement & Local Actions
From unions to police surveillance, we covered a range of topics today.
Union updates:
Bring it back home.
Melissa Lucio:
- Before April 18, send letters asking for clemency for Melissa Lucio
- Call Cameron County DA Luis Saenz and urge him to withdraw Melissa's execution date. 956-300-3881.
- Contact Texas Governor Greg Abbott and urge him to pardon Melissa, or at least commute her sentence and get her out of death row. His main switchboard number is 512-463-2000.
Stop Freeway Expansions in Texas:
- Join a collective of organizations in Austin, April 20, to demand equity in transportation. Here's the sign up: https://forms.gle/qjeGVXht2CYbBFTd7
#StopShotSpotter:
This petition represents the demands of undersigned Houston community members for the City of Houston and Harris County to:
- Cancel their contracts with private surveillance company ShotSpotter;
- Stop the prosecution of criminal cases that use ShotSpotter alerts as evidence;
- Reinvest the $3.5 million fund intended for ShotSpotter into community supports for gun violence prevention like direct cash assistance, housing and rent support, educational supports that can help address the root causes of gun violence; and
- Accelerate implementation of non-violent crisis response programs to ensure that people facing crises or harm can receive unarmed, non-policing emergency assistance.
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality's Upcoming Sunset Review:
- Register for workshops ahead of the People's Hearing: bit.ly/CEERPH
- Attend the People's Hearing on April 30
First Black-Founded Home Care Services Cooperative in Texas
Community Care Cooperative is a state-licensed cooperative business that enables neighbors to help neighbors live their best lives by providing personal care and home care services to seniors and disabled people. This is the first Black-founded home care services cooperative in Texas, the second home care cooperative in Texas, and exists as 1 of 14 home care cooperatives in the nation.
Assata Richards, director of Sankofa Research Institute, member of We are the Ones Cooperative Incubator, and founding collective member, interviews with me to discuss it further.
Elder Edition: Ms. Sandra & Mr. Walter from Fifth Ward
Heads up! The first couple of minutes is a little bit of a rough start as I was fixing up the levels on the board.
This is the first in a monthly series of interviewing Elders from different communities.
Secunda Joseph from All Real Radio's Sunday's line up, Imagine A World, co-hosts with me as we interview Ms. Sandra and Mr. Walters about Fifth Ward. We talk about the history of divestment from communities and outline parallels of what happened then, and what is happening now.
As gentrification sweeps Harris County, it is important to capture the knowledge available to us. The goal of this series is to record the happenings and history through the Elders and submit it to library archives, so that when the kids are ready to listen, they have access to their community's history.
Pasadena-ISD's First Townhall on Student Discipline
Texas Civil Rights Project (TCRP) did a recent investigation into Pasadena Independent School District for metrics on suspensions, referral to alternative schools, physical restraints on campus, and police response to student misbehavior. PISD police department arrested more students than other larger districts including Dallas, Fort Worth, and Austin. And while Black students only make up 7.5 percent of the student body, they made up 19.4 percent of the total arrests made. We discuss the first townhall between parents, teachers, and the school district hosted by TCRP.
After a music break, we looked at Houston Abolitionist Collective's newest newsletter: https://mailchi.mp/d342be4edebf/hac-mar-2022. This newsletter contains information on sources for Trans & Queer Help, upcoming police union contract, the campaign to remove police surveillance technology, and more.
Sign up to receive the newsletter here: bit.ly/HACnewsletter
Ukraine's Government, GLO Investigation, & Upcoming Pasadena-ISD Townhall
Today we covered the history of the socialist/communist roots of International Women's Day, the history of how the US-backed coup in Ukraine gave rise to nazis, and we brought it back home with a big movement win with the Texas General Land Office investigation.
Ukraine's nazis:
- How and why the U.S. Government Perpetrated the 2014 Coup in Ukraine
- How the U.S. Has Empowered and Armed Neo-Nazis in Ukraine
- Nazi war criminals became high ranking commanders in NATO after WW2
Big win for the Northeast Action Collective, Harvey Forgotten Survivor Caucus, and Texas Housers:
Info for Pasadena-ISD townhall, see here.