News & Commentary
What a “No” Vote on HERO Would Mean for Houston
On November 3rd, voters will go to the polls to determine the fate of Houston’s Equal Rights Ordinance. If it passes, pregnant women, veterans, the elderly, and a dozen other groups of people will find they can’t be fired, evicted, or turned away from a business because of who they are.
President Obama and Texas Are Colluding to Detain Refugee Children in Private Prisons
The State of Texas has issued an emergency rule that transforms private prisons into “licensed child care facilities.”
By Terri Burke, Executive Director, 2008-2020
Why We'll Always Need Libraries (and Librarians)
In this second installment of our two-part series celebrating Banned Books Week, I sat down with Peter Coyl, a District Manager for the Dallas Public Library.
Librarians (and Captain Underpants) to the Rescue!
To celebrate Banned Books Week, this year I sat down with three librarians to peek behind the curtain and examine the ways by which library books are chosen and challenged; I also wanted to get the inside scoop on what the future of the library looks like. This first installment of the two-part series features two local school librarians in Houston. Much like the superheroes they are, the two preferred to keep their true identities concealed, so I will be referring to them as “Barbara Gordon” and “Judy Dark," which happen to be the librarian alter-egos of the superheroes "Oracle" and "Luna Moth" (our apologies to D.C. Comics and Michael Chabon). Our next installment will feature my conversation with Peter Coyl, District Manager of the Dallas Public Library.
Let’s Assume the Kids (and Ahmed) Are Alright, Not Criminals
Last Sunday night in Irving, Texas, a 14-year-old boy named Ahmed Mohamed got bored. But instead of firing up his X-Box for a few rounds of Counterstrike or checking up on his fantasy football progress, Ahmed decided to build a digital clock from scratch. He likes to tinker.
By Terri Burke, Executive Director, 2008-2020
Street Signs and Tree Stumps: Remembering Sandra Bland
In a Facebook post earlier this month, the Waller County Sheriff’s Office expressed its “condolences to the Sandra Bland family for their loss.” The sentiments would be welcome, were they sincere.
This Isn't the Training Our Police Officers Need
This week the Houston Police Officers’ Union invited controversial psychology professor William Lewinski to conduct training seminars for 140 of its officers. Unfortunately it won’t be the sort of training that will rebuild community trust in law enforcement or save lives. Quite the opposite.
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