All You Missed at the Civil Rights Conference in Houston if you Weren’t There
By Dione Friends
Online Media Coordinator
Deaths of Trayvon Martin and a beaten Iraqi mother in San Diego are extreme examples of the need for civil rights dialogue in America. We started that much needed dialogue at our day long Civil Right Conference last month. A civil rights coalition made up of civil rights organizations from around the state came together to discuss Civil rights post 9/11, immigrants’ rights, and Criminal Law Reform. Hundreds of concerned Texans gathered for an entire day to listen. The day was topped off with a moving speech from Amy Goodman, host and executive producer of Democracy Now!
Check out our full recap:
Oscar Chacon, Executive Director of the National Alliance of Latin American and Caribbean Communities, kicked off the conference with a civil rights overview.
Understanding Civil Rights Post 9/11
Mustafaa Carroll of CAIR Texas Houston Chapter moderated the Understanding Civil Rights Post 9/11 track.
Corey Saylor from CAIR spoke about islamaphobia and civil rights post 9/11.
Rick Halperin of SMU said, “Free speech in this country stops at the sidewalk of the supreme court” during his presentation on the right to protest and free speech. One Twitter follower wrote: “Rick Halperin of SMU killer speech on US history of oppression and free speech.”
Matt Simpson [Pictured middle] from the ACLU of Texas followed with a great speech about national security and privacy issues post 9/11.
Immigrants’ Rights
Baldo Garza of LULAC moderated the immigrants rights panel.
Krystal Gomez [Pictured far left] from the ACLU of Texas presented on detention and deportation. Brent Wilkes [Pictured middle] from LULAC followed with a talk on immigration reform. Geoff Hoffman [Pictured far right] from the UH Law Center Immigration Clinic ended the discussion with a presentation about local, state, and federal enforcement.
Tribute to Cesar Chavez
Lunch was served during a tribute to César Chávez by Frank Curiel who was once Chávez’s bodyguard and close friend.
Our twitter followers wrote: “Things I didn’t know about Cesar Chavez: he was an environmentalist and vegetarian.”
And “Great perspective on Cesar Chavez life & struggle of farm workers by Frank Curiel.”
Criminal Justice Reform
Watch the Criminal Justice panel. Tarsha Jackson from Texas Families of Incarcerated Youth moderated. Ana Yanez-Correa [Pictured far right] from TCJC presented on over-incarceration. Gislaine Williams [Pictured middle right] from the ACLU of Texas discussed the school-to-prison pipeline and bullying in public schools. Gislaine said, “talking in class shouldn’t be a class c misdemeanor!”
Bob Libal [Pictured middle left] from Grassroots Leadership talked private prisons.
Dave Atwood [Pictured far left] from HPJC and TCADP closed the discussion with a speech about the death penalty in Texas. Dave stated, “The death penalty on its way out. Except in Ohio and Southern states.”
Amy Goodman
The room filled up for the keynote address by Amy Goodman, host and executive producer of Democracy Now!
Amy urged listeners to actively fight for civil rights by quoting Barack Obama, “I don’t disagree with anything you say but you’ll have to make me do it.” If you missed her speech watch it here now.
We addressed the important issues facing our community today. Check out the Houston Chronicle’s article about the civil rights conference.
Special thanks to all the coalition members that made the conference a success:
American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Texas
Black Heritage Society
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) Texas – Houston Chapter
Central American Resource Center (CARECEN)
Houston Interfaith Workers Justice Center
Houston Peace and Justice Center (HPJC)
Houston United – Houston Unido
League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC)
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP)
Shades of White
Texas Criminal Justice Coalition (TCJP)
Texas Families of Incarcerated Youth
Think Peace International Inc.
Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty (TCADP)
KPFT Radio
For more information visit http://civilrightscoalition.wordpress.com/.
April 27th, 2012 at 9:01 am
We can’t let what happened to Johnny be swept under the rug.
3YRS repeatedly battered from same Bullies – No removal from campus to DAEP Texas law TEC Ch 37
No call to parents when he was beaten – Sent back to class with ice-bags then sent home on bus to enrage parents
42 school nurse logs. Dr’s verified bruises – School said never witnessed him bullied or upset
Why? To provide a clean safety data report to keep their jobs.
There is no way schools will ever make true reports and make themselves look negligent.
Why do parents tax dollars pay Texas Education Agency Attorneys to defend the school but NOT THE STUDENTS?
What attorney can parents call for help against the powerful umbrella of sovereign immunity the school is under and teachers union attorneys that protect teachers privacy – no cameras in classrooms alone with our children!
Students as young as 10 have hung themselves in school nurse bathrooms – Montana Lance story in Lewisville TX Jan 2011
How many students are UN-diagnosed with PTSD and we have an epidemic of suicide.
Johnny was screened for Dyslexia but never fully evaluated after we signed 504 consent.
Johnny was diagnosed with PTSD from the trauma experienced from schools failure to protect – supervise – monitor or prudently take steps that were foreseeable. There was no ending remedy intervention.
14 formal parent complaints to school to protect Johnny- all denied.
Parents warned by school not to discuss bully issues with other parents or Johnny’s classmates
School was defensive not compliant or compassionate – Parents accused of harassing school.
School finally purchased an anti-bully prevention program Aug 2011 after Johnny was withdrawn.
Their staff bully training meetings are only once a year.
* CPS report for inappropriate touched called in by parent not school – Johnny’s word against administration – no merit
* OCR report was made by parents dropped by OCR parents would not let them interview johnny on 8/31/11 he just got back from children’s hospital specialist team of psychologist/psychiatrist.
physical therapist and had been sedated
* Kerens Police reports made from 2009 -2011 called incidents students under 10 can only sue parents – not going there when the school should be held accountable for negligent care.
http://coxxranch.com/stop_bullies_84.html