a publication of the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
July/Aug 2016, Vol. 29 Issue 6
San Antonio, Tejas
Inside: Preserving History—San Antonio’s Westside, Todos Somos Orlando, Brackenridge Park update y mas
Todos Somos Orlando
La Voz de Esperanza June 2016 vol. 29 Issue 5 Editor Gloria A. Ramírez Design Elizandro Carrington Contributors Mario Bravo, Meredith Clark, Deena González, Sarah Gould, Donna Guerra, Araceli Herrera, Lydia Otero, Jo ReyesBoitel, Randi Romo, Hunter Sosby La Voz Mail Collective Alicia Arredondo, Sara DeTurk, Pauline Enriquez, Mary Esperiqueta, Araceli Herrera, Heather Gayle Holdridge, Blanca Hurley, Beatriz Llamas, Gloria Lozano,Christian Martínez, Rachel Martínez, Ray McDonald, Lucy & Ray Pérez, María Reed, Blanca Rivera, Blanquita Rodríguez, Bernard Sánchez, Daniel Sánchez, Guadalupe Segura, Roger Singler, Elva Treviño, Helen Villarreal
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6•
Esperanza Director Graciela I. Sánchez Esperanza Staff Imelda Arismendez, Elizandro Carrington, Elisa Pérez, Gianna Rendón, René Saenz, Susana Segura, Amelia Valdez Interns
2
Anastasia Christilles, Elena López, Paz García, Natalie Rodríguez, Hunter Sosby Conjunto de Nepantleras -Esperanza Board of DirectorsRachel Jennings, Amy Kastely, Jan Olsen, Ana Lucía Ramírez, Gloria A. Ramírez, Rudy Rosales, Tiffany Ross, Lilliana Saldaña, Nadine Saliba, Graciela I. Sánchez, Lillian Stevens • We advocate for a wide variety of social, economic & environmental justice issues. • Opinions expressed in La Voz are not necessarily those of the Esperanza Center.
La Voz de Esperanza is a publication of Esperanza Peace & Justice Center 922 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX 78212
210.228.0201 • fax 1.877.327.5902 www.esperanzacenter.org Inquiries/Articles can be sent to:
lavoz@esperanzacenter.org
Articles due by the 8th of each month
Policy Statements
* We ask that articles be visionary, progressive, instructive & thoughtful. Submissions must be literate & critical; not sexist, racist, homophobic, violent, or oppressive & may be edited for length. * All letters in response to Esperanza activities or articles in La Voz will be considered for publication. Letters with intent to slander individuals or groups will not be published.
Sólo le pido a Dios que el dolor no me sea indiferente, que la reseca muerte no me encuentre vacío y solo, sin haber hecho lo suficiente. —León Geico
All I ask of God is that the pain not make me indifferent that a desiccated death not find me empty and alone, without having done enough...
As we approach our 30th anniversary, I question myself: Is the work we do at Esperanza to promote peace and social justice, to respect cultures and the environment, and to empower disenfranchised communities enough? Do we as a peace community, social justice community, environmental justice community do enough? Will we ever achieve our dream—of a world where everyone has civil rights and economic justice, where the environment is cared for, where cultures are honored and communities are safe? The massacre of 49 people at the Pulse LGBTQ night club in Orlando by a “lone gunman” reminds me of so many killings in recent years: On July 22, 2011, Anders Behring Breivik, bombed government buildings in Oslo killing 8 people and took a ferry dressed as a policeman to Utøya island, the site of a camp for Worker’s Youth League where he shot and killed 69 people, mostly youth. He was motivated by a deep-seated hatred of Islam and anti-immigrant sentiments. In 2016 Breivik had converted to Nazism while in prison. The Orlando killer’s motives were homegrown in the U.S. seemingly motivated by extremist Muslim groups including ISIS. However, he targeted a gay club, specifically on a Latino-themed night. The victims have been described as mostly Latinos and all LGBTQ, however that iswrong. The victims were mostly but not all queer and mostly of Caribbean origin — Dominicanos, Cubanos and mostly Puertoriqueños. There were Mexican nationals also but all victims were termed “American citizens”. Some of the victims were black, but not all black Latinos. Finally, the victims are never referred to as “queer people of color” Even in tragedy, our peoples’ identities become erased. When I attended the vigil in San Antonio, I was struck by references to Orlando being “an attack on America”— creating an us (or U.S.) vs. them dichotomy. Earlier, the speaker who uttered these words had declared solidarity with the Muslim community decrying Islamophobia. The LGBTQ community in every tribute wrapped itself in the American flag, albeit the rainbow U.S. flag. It is this nationalism that consciously or unconsciously keeps us in collusion with xenophobic sentiments though we may not think so. We must stretch our minds beyond our own self-xenophobia and as Susan Guerra, a founder of Esperanza who had lived in Norway for nearly 30 years said: The Norwegian word for xenophobia, fremmedfrykt, translates to stranger fear or foreign fear... It is part of our psyche as biological and social beings. This unknown, this strangeness, this foreign is what threatens us as human beings; irrational as it may seem in certain circumstances... Finally, as the Audre Lorde Project states: “ We recognize that terrorism is not imported, it is home grown in a culture that is deeply anti-Black, anti-immigrant and anti-queer. It is of a culture where the Christian Right has attempted to pass over 200 pieces of anti-LGBT legislation across the country...“In order to do justice to the victims of Orlando we have to address these problems at their root causes, not their symptoms. While the daily violences of settler colonialism (the continued occupation of indigenous land), of Christian supremacy, of anti-Black policing, of Islamophobia, of criminalization of gender non conformity, of immigrant detention and deportation are never elevated to the status of national tragedy, we must commit ourselves to abolishing these systems if we want to prevent Orlando from ever happening again.” —Gloria A. Ramirez, editor of La Voz de Esperanza ATTENTION VOZ READERS: If you have a mailing address correction please send it to lavoz@ esperanzacenter.org. If you want to be removed from the La Voz mailing list, for whatever reason, please let us know. La Voz is provided as a courtesy to people on the mailing list of the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. The subscription rate is $35 per year ($100 for institutions). The cost of producing and mailing La Voz has substantially increased and we need your help to keep it afloat. To help, send in your subscriptions, sign up as a monthly donor, or send in a donation to the Esperanza Peace and Justice Center. Thank you. -GAR VOZ VISION STATEMENT: La Voz de Esperanza speaks for many individual, progressive voices who are gente-based, multi-visioned and milagro-bound. We are diverse survivors of materialism, racism, misogyny, homophobia, classism, violence, earth-damage, speciesism and cultural and political oppression. We are recapturing the powers of alliance, activism and healthy conflict in order to achieve interdependent economic/ spiritual healing and fuerza. La Voz is a resource for peace, justice, and human rights, providing a forum for criticism, information, education, humor and other creative works. La Voz provokes bold actions in response to local and global problems, with the knowledge that the many risks we take for the earth, our body, and the dignity of all people will result in profound change for the seven generations to come.
Editor’s note: The mass shooting that occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, July 12th at the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando elicited many responses. There is still much to be said, much to be examined and analyzed. The following are a few reactions that were posted on facebook on the day following the massacre.
As I grieve with those saddened by the blatant injustice and homophobia that led to so much death and hurt in Orlando, I am overwhelmed by despair and feel derailed. I also feel that I need assert my queerness more strongly...I looked through some photographs from the 1980s this afternoon and this one is timely. Since the LA Pride Parade took place today (June 12th), here’s a 30 year old photo (1986) of Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos marching, asserting our right to be Brown and Queer and making ourselves visible. —Lydia Otero
A sad day, and on a night that was Latina night in a month of pride; the parade in LA is just lining up & I hope people will remember what that & “Latin night” really mean; dancing is political, music/art are political, because we were outlawed from doing it not so many decades ago. Condolences to the victims & families---Hate crimes are real, mental illness is real, & homophobia is real. In combination, with or without weapons, these are now part of life in the US & globally...Somedays, Many days, Love trumps hate... —Deena J. González
For Orlando something deep within us says we should not be meeting like this some worm curled deep in our brains quivers when we sit too close or dare kiss while standing on the street that poison dart shot into our hearts long ago reminds us we don’t deserve our own lives so we dance to free ourselves of the prison others build around us we dance the music so loud all doubt is shaken loose we laugh together we hold each other we hold each other to say we are free we are love love is free we are free —Jo Reyes-Boitel
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6
I’m still in shock and revulsed by the hate we humans can harvest for a multiplicity of reasons and without reason. Too many people have lost their lives, leaving gaps in our midsts and in our heart. May the creator fill our world with love, peace, and energy to deflect harm based on our perceived differences. Los de Orlando-¡aquí y siempre presentes! ...while the news spins all of the terrorism aspects of a possible ISIS connection don’t get distracted or get it twisted. This year alone, over 200 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in legislatures across the country. And some have passed! These bills were not introduced by Muslims. LGBTQ Americans have been terrorized by good church going God fearing fellow Americans for centuries. We, LGBTQ people, so many of us have already been beaten, raped, jailed and murdered before this. And sadly, more of us will experience this after this terrible act. Terrorism has come from and continues to spew from American pulpits. I imagine that even today on a Sunday morning, some pulpits right here in Arkansas, continue and will continue to inspire and propagate the ideas that breed such awful violence against the very lives of LGBTQ Americans. Gun law reform is necessary but not enough. As long as LGBTQ people are not fully vested as full and equal citizens under the laws of this nation an avenue remains for these so called “legitimate attacks” from religious communities that gives some permission to actively harm through word, law and deed LGBTQ people. —Randi Romo 06.12.16
3
Pre s
ide sts
nt
y tor
COURTS...
San A
BEFORE THE
ing His er v
o n i o ’s We
Sarah Zenaida Gould
Editor’s note: As the Alazan-Apache Courts in San Antonio approach the 80th anniversary of the approval of their funding in 1937, the Westside Presevation Alliance will be sharing the history of this historic housing development and its people in La Voz de Esperanza. The great flood of 1921 and subsequent flooding wiped out homes in the Westside of San Antonio providing a catalyst for The Courts to come into being...
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5•
We invite La Voz readers to submit your stories and memories of living at “Los Courts.” Send your stories and/or photos to lavoz@esperanzacenter.org or call 210.228.0201 to set up interviews for those willing to share their memories.
4
des of the 21. In the first deca 19 r be em pt Se k, ee Cr estes along the Alazan [84-456] in San Antonio’s W flood debris for bodi ht a new beginning e ug th so h e n th ug tio ro th lu th wi vo g ed in Re ell ok n Man lo und, sw e Mexica of refugees from th materials could be fo s at c nd gi wh sa tra th ou a wi th n y, ilt he ur bu W nt e y. 20th ce ilt and som ns in the cit bu io ly lat re lid so ily e m or fa m g e in m so stand . Of side. Small houses, d the greatest losses tonio because of long Westside that suffere whom chose San An e od of th y s flo l an wa m rfu it s, , we er 21 po 19 om newc n. The d 9th of many young childre ng on September 8th an di redo o ni La clu to in S. – An to n ts ce Sa en er t sid m hi flood m W. Com fro re Westside re es we us 47 ho y, d cit an e gs th in ss t build oss Station the 51 lives lost acro ss. Though a Red Cr and largely wiped ou ele ge m id ho Br ts et en re St sid re so Pa estside es, and in washed away the El ving thousands of W es, coffee, sandwich lea th k, clo ee Cr ted na an do az e Al th e th victims, appeared. along both sides of the Westside’s flood soon more colonias d aid an g to in et us re St ho te so ua Pa was set up at 921 El any on a path to adeq t enough to put so m no re we ts ten s se ca some
Photos courtesy Courtesy UTSA Special Collections —Institute of Texan Cultures
mily in visits a fa
ide sts
San A
nt
y tor
Pre s
ing His er v
o n i o ’s We
e colonia,
a Westsid
a Cuellar electric] lumbing, urse Agath p n r o h o lt d a [L-1276-C in e h d ally lacke rrhea, and rtment of City depa 936. stside typic m. Tuberculosis, dia fires due to e W e th n so ste se r1 Septembe colonias and corrale the city’s sewage sy tion, as well as hou the Westa n it to he n s a t T s n n o e te ti atem o equa nnec artf flood ab lack of ad o ds, and co a 0s the dep a k 2 c h ro 9 la it 1 d e w e to v d a th e u te in d ia e c g ld ity, p o ic u in s o s d milies. Tw h issues a s, but it w sonal floo other healt ate heating, and sea the safety of local fa replace the colonia to to equ sing units on threats lack of ad g new hou too comm n ll ti a a re re c e d w . side mmende me reality ealth reco ea to beco id e th ment of h r fo er decade take anoth
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5•
[L-2322-G] Demolition of houses near Veracruz and San Jacinto Streets to make way for the Alazan-Apache Courts, September 1939. After much lobbying spearheaded by Father Carmelo Tranchese of Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, funding for public housing in San Antonio was approved in September 1937, just a few months after the creation of the federal United States Housing Authority and the local San Antonio Housing Authority. Thirty acres of colonias were cleared to make way for the Alazan-Apache Courts, which when completed in 1942, housed nearly 5,000 residents.
5
Environmental Injustices in the Air We Breathe By Mario Bravo For years now, San Antonio residents have endured unhealthy levels of ozone in the air we breathe. Yet, the city of San Antonio has narrowly avoided violating the US Environmental Protection Agency’s national ozone standards, designed to protect human health. But San Antonio will soon have to make changes to its approach to air quality.
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6•
In October of last year, the EPA, responding to the findings of recent health studies, lowered the maximum allowable ozone level. On April 8 of this year, San Antonio exceeded that threshold, which means our region is not meeting EPA’s ozone air quality standards.
6
This matters because ground-level ozone can affect our health and often has disproportionate impacts on racial and ethnic minorities. The good news is that there are lots of ways to reduce ozone. Ozone is formed when pollutants called precursors – nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbon monoxide (CO) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) – mix with sunlight. While ozone that exists in the earth’s atmosphere protects us from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays, ground level ozone can cause shortness of breath and aggravate lung diseases like asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. If you have a lung-related health concern, chances are you know when ozone levels are high. Among the major metropolitan areas in Texas, Bexar County has the highest rate of child hospitalizations from asthma attacks. According to the 2014 Texas Asthma Burden Report, pediatric asthma emergency department visits in Texas between 2002 and 2013 were highest for African Americans, followed closely by Hispanics. African-American and Latino communities in San Antonio also pay a huge economic cost as a result of high ozone levels and poor air quality: asthma-related hospitalizations are not only life threatening but often leave families in debt. The Texas Asthma Burden Report found that over $460 million was spent on adult asthma hospitalizations in 2012, with the average cost per adult at over $30,000. And there are other costs, as well. Asth-
matic adults often miss work when they have an attack – many in jobs where if you don’t work, you don’t get paid. In addition, parents of asthmatic children miss work in order to take care of their child, who is missing school. For those who are already struggling financially, the economic burden of poor health due to high ozone levels can contribute to a perpetual cycle of poverty. The disproportionate impact of high ozone-levels on racial and ethnic minorities is also related to how close people live to the sources of ozone. For example, NOx, one of the precursors to ozone, is a byproduct of burning fuels. It is often found in higher concentrations downwind of power plants and factories and near roads where vehicle traffic is high— all places where African-Americans and Latinos often live. According to a 2014 peer-reviewed study published in the Public Library of Science, NOx presents an environmental injustice because exposure to a common form of NOx is unequally distributed. The PLOS study claimed that this exposure was 38% higher for non-white populations than for white populations, and that reducing exposure levels in nonwhite communities to those present in white communities would reduce annual non-white deaths by 7,000 nationwide. While San Antonio residents can and should consider lifestyle changes to help improve our air quality, we also need to make sure that industrial polluters are taking the steps necessary to reduce emissions. It’s also true that on high ozone days, many of the local ozone-forming emissions are coming from outside of the city, including emissions from nearby oil & gas activities in the Eagle Ford shale. City, regional, and state leaders need to develop a comprehensive plan to reduce our region’s ozone and improve public health. They need your input to make sure their plan is a smart one – one that addresses all the emission sources, is fair to everyone, and puts San Antonio on the path to cleaner air and better health. Bio: Mario works on air quality advocacy in the Greater San Antonio and Eagle Ford Shale regions and manages the Neighbors of Oil and Gas workshop series.
Pre s
ide sts
nt
y tor
A Glimpse into Catholic Social Action and Community
San A
The Westside of San Antonio, 1930s-1950s:
ing His er v
o n i o ’s We
By Donna Morales Guerra Father Tranchese and community, before the AlazanApache Courts were built, distributing food at no cost to community, circa 1936
On the Westside of the San Antonio of the 1930s-1950s, residents struggled against the insistent, toxic grip of pov-
“In cooperation with the late Rev. Carmen Tranchese, S.J. —known as the Father of the Federal Housing Program in San Antonio —and at his request, our Sisters opened a much needed social center— the Guadalupe Community Center—in the heart of a large Mexican population on the West Side of San Antonio. The depression and its immediate aftermath had played havoc in the lives of these desperately poor Mexicans. Father Tranchese, who had succeeded in having a large area of the most disreptuable slums cleared and replaced by the Federal Housing units, appealed to Rev. Mother for Sisters to help him with drastically needed social work in his parish.” — Vita, Sr. Mary Victory Lewis
erty—the kind that makes people sick, hungry, and robs them of dignity. The depression years devastated the entire country. Conditions of poverty, though not as widespread or severe, linger still in the Westside of San Antonio, with the evidence of ongoing structural impoverishment, racism, and discrimination. The poverty in the Westside was brought to the nation’s attention when in the 1960s preceding Hemisfair 1968, Charles Kuralt and the CBS television network included it in the 1968 television documentary report entitled “Hunger in America.” This photo essay provides a glimpse of the part played in the 1930s-50s by Catholic social action, which improved conditions, and provided hope for the community.
Father Carmelo Antonio Tranchese, S.J. (1880-1956, born in Italy), served from 1932-1953 as Jesuit parish priest at Our Lady of Guadalupe Church, 1321 El Paso Street, in the heart of the Mexican colonias. Father Carmelo—or as he was known, “El Padrecito”—and the Jesuits exemplified Catholic social action. Tranchese was beloved for his efforts to affirm the dignity of the Mexicanos of his parish and of the entire community; his support for the expressive traditions of Mexicano culture; his spiritual nourishment; and for his sociopolitical activity that was responsible in great part for building the Alazan-Apache Courts and establishing the Guadalupe Community Center. Indeed, he was an immigrant in the aid of many immigrants.
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6
“Father Tranchese has set up a grocery depot for starving Mexican families, whose wages were suddenly cut off when the pecan shelling industry refused to raise wages to meet the minimum set by the Wages and Hours bill. Evolved by the priest, supported by Catholic Charity throughout the city, and operated on a no-cost basis, this food depot is undoubtedly saving from starvation many of the poor families living in this ‘West side’ slum area, in which the new Mexican housing site is planned. Father Tranchese is a member of the San Antonio Housing Board and an ardent and enthusiastic worker for the USHA [United States Housing Act].” — from back of photo
Father Carmelo Tranchese, SJ at church rectory, 1941
7
ide sts
Pre s San A
nt
y tor
ing His er v
o n i o ’s We
Alberto Juárez and Kino Rodríguez, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, basketball, 1941
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6•
Sr. Mary Victory Lewis, CCVI (1887-1968), at the Guadalupe Community Center with children at mealtime, 1942. She was Director of the GCC for 14 years.
8
“Someday I hope to be able to write about the many...enriching experiences that occurred during my 14 years at Guadalupe Community Center. During these years I received the title of “the fighting Sister for the West Side poor”...as in a number of instances these poor people were gravely exploited. As I worked for the poor I saw much anguish and suffering in their lives, yet, I was happy in being able to bring to them some· solace and aid. When I entered the Sisters of Charity in 1911, I had hoped to be assigned to just such work.” — Vita, Sr. Mary Victory Lewis Our Lady of Guadalupe chorus musicians. Standing : Lucy Celestino, Prof. Manuel López, Trini Herrera; Seated: Damiana López, Father Nicolas Femenia, SJ, Magdalena Dominguez Garza; Seated on step: Josefina Rivas
Gathering of Our Lady of Guadalupe School graduates Mary Ramírez, Alicia Garza, Janice Celestino, Carlota Bazán, Mr. Enriquez, 1941
The Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word (CCVI, San Antonio) had been teaching at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish school since 1912. In 1942, Father Tranchese spearheaded the creation of the Guadalupe Community Center (GCC), and requested that one of the congregation’s sisters, Sr. Mary Victory Lewis, CCVI (1887-1968) be appointed as its first Director. Sr. Mary Victory was one of the first registered dietitians in Texas, with multiple higher education degrees in nursing and extensive work in nursing education. She also possessed a zeal for public health, so that her many skills and qualities made her a favorable choice for Director of the GCC.
Chavela Rendón and Angelita Zapata, Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish, baseball, 1941
ide sts
San A
nt
y tor
Pre s
ing His er v
o n i o ’s We
Health clinic, GCC, December 1950
Guadalupe Community Center, new building, circa 1954
When economic conditions improved we closed the lunch room and centered our attention on clinic service, recreational work; arts and crafts, sewing and English classes and an all day nursery school for children whose mothers had found employment. We made every effort to help these people to help themselves--which is the quintessence of good social work.” -- Vita, Sr. Mary Victory Lewis
The GCC in 2016, actively operated by Catholic Charities
The men and women religious congregations of the Jesuit priests of the Society of Jesus and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word, along with other local congregations, have been vital to the efforts for social justice on the West side. Their mandate has been to manifest the love and care, spiritual and temporal, of Jesus Christ among the most vulnerable, as well as to provide means for community self-empowerment. The AlazanApache Courts housing project and the Guadalupe Community Center on 1801 W. Durango Street are two locations created with these intentions.
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6
“Rev. Mother came to our rescue by having built on to the old two-story residence a roughly constructed dining room that was used for 14 years for an all purpose room--lunch room, club and recreation room, dance hall, class room and nursery school activities. For two years three hundred children, who were most needy, came from the nearby public schools for a· substantial hot meal.
9 GCC newsletter, December 1950
nt
ide sts
Pre s San A
Children sitting on a porch, Alazan-Apache Courts, 1941
y tor
ing His er v
o n i o ’s We
In the corrales (small shacks with dirt floors, arranged close together, with no plumbing or potable water), the abysmal living conditions lent themselves to the spread of filth and disease. The Courts were created to demolish the corrales.
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6•
“Of the three hundred deaths seventy-eight deaths from tuberculosis in 1934, sixtynine percent were Mexicans. This situation comprised San Antonio’s major health problem in 1887; it comprises San Antonio’s major health problem today. It is the illegitimate progeny of... greed on the part of the corral owners, ignorance on the part of the corral denizens, indifference on the part of the general public. How long must this blot remain? When will an enlightened and outraged public opinion rise up and demand relief?” —“A Century of Medicine in San Antonio: The Story of Medicine in Bexar County, Texas,” by Dr. Patrick Ireland Nixon, 1936
10
The Courts had their own newsletter, created by the residents. Here are several excerpts from the July 1945 issue, that illustrate the kinds of information shared. Disease control, city programs, and almost always news from the Guadalupe Community Center and Our Lady of Guadalupe Parish activities. There are also social pages, where the comings and goings of the residents are mentioned, usually with some humor. There is advertising for neighborhood businesses at the end of each issue. The newsletter is an important glimpse into the community life of the Westside.
This photo essay uses materials found in several archival repositories—Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word Congregational Archives, San Antonio; New Orleans Province Archives, Society of Jesus [as indicated]; and the City of San Antonio Municipal Archives [Courts newsletter]—to provide a glimpse into the community life of the times at San Antonio’s Westside.
I’m A Black Female College Professor in Texas. Should I Get a Gun? I have serious concerns about campus carry.
by Meredith Clark using guns for self defense. I’m mindful of Marissa Alexander, a black woman who fired a warning shot in her own garage to ward off an attack from her abusive exhusband. That shot – which injured no one – earned her a 20-year jail sentence in Florida, a state that allows people to “stand their ground” when they cannot escape imminent threat. The lesson I took from her case? Black women do not enjoy the same privilege of self defense as others. While I remain ambivalent about guns, I fear that gun violence on campus isn’t a matter of what if. It’s a matter of when. Earlier this semester, I thought that day had come. I’d stepped out of my office for a moment, and when I returned, a student I’d never seen before was perched in one of my chairs. She was a waif with lavender hair and headphones shaped like cat’s ears looped around her neck. “Dr. Clark?” she said. Her eyes struck me immediately. I can’t recall their color, but I remember the jolt of panic I felt when I noticed that her pupils were huge. Dilated. At 8 in the morning. “I’ve read about your work, and I wanted to ask you some questions,” she said. She wanted to talk about “what the black community wants,” and the protests linked to Black Lives Matter. I felt the familiar heart palpitations I’d had during my days as a newspaper columnist, when readers from God-knows-where would call and offer their critiques sweetly enough, only to devolve into screaming and swearing, threatening to stop me from writing about all that “black shit.” Any time a stranger — from any background — seeks to engage me about my positions of black existence, I am on guard and prepared to defend myself. I invited her to sit down. She was hard to follow. At one point she asked me about racial inequalities then offered her thoughts before I could answer her question. I began to worry that this young, erratic woman might become violent, and I scanned the room to see what I could grab to defend myself. A picture frame? My computer monitor? Then I felt silly. I was twice her size, but fear of what could happen kept me on edge. As I sat, cornered in my own office, I realized that I’d never been so glad to be unarmed. If I were, I’d have had one hand on my gun.
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • June 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 5•
When I return to the University of North Texas for the fall semester, I’ll have no way of knowing who is carrying a firearm. As of August 1, students, faculty, and staff with concealed weapon permits may carry guns on public university campuses, under a law approved last year. I’m a black female professor working in a Texas town with a prominent Confederate memorial. I teach journalism courses that spark debate about race, gender, and nationality. I have serious reservations about campus carry. Proponents of the new law claim that if more people are armed at institutions of higher learning, we will all be safer. Days after he signed the bill, Governor Greg Abbott declared that wouldbe shooters in Texas would now understand that “somebody is going to be watching them and have the ability to do something about it” if they open fire on a college campus. But I don’t feel safer. The idea of working in an environment where anyone may have a gun makes me feel perpetually under threat. I’m afraid of accidents, mostly, but also of misplaced anger and emotional distress. I’m afraid that situations that occur every day on college campuses, like a classroom debate or an office visit about grades, will escalate into a deadly shooting. My mother wants me to quit. Friends send me job ads in other states. A few high-profile academics — including a University of Texas dean and a professor emeritus — have already made a public show of leaving. But the job market makes it hard for me to consider leaving my first tenure-track position. Even now, while guns are still technically banned from campus, they often show up in campus crime reports. It would be naive to think those incidents won’t increase when more permit holders can legally bring their guns to campus. To be absolutely clear: I am not anti-gun. I have never touched a firearm, though I’ve long been interested in obtaining a license to own and carry one. I live alone, and I’m often on the road. Having a tool that would allow me an extra measure of protection is attractive. I’ve also considered carrying a gun as matter of liberation — the kind preached by black militants like Malcolm X and Fred Hampton, who advocated for gun ownership as a means of protecting black bodies like mine from all types of threats. But I’m unsettled by the notion of entire university communities being motivated by fear to take up arms. I also wonder how people will react to black students, staff, and faculty who choose to arm themselves. It’s clear not everyone is so keen on black folks
11
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6•
12
On Dignified Care
Un Cuidado Digno
by Araceli Herrera, Domesticas Unidas
por Araceli Herrera
We face a great challenge with Baby Boomers these days. Every 7 seconds one turns 65, increasing the demand for caregivers, specifically for elders. This demand is now at a crisis level in the U.S. When I go to community events, I introduce myself, saying I am a domestic worker that organizes domestic workers. After the event someone may approach me saying: I am looking for someone to take care of my mother (or father). She can do everything, but cannot be left alone. I can offer them a roof and food, if they agree to be a companion only. ...or someone may say something else like: I am looking for someone that can cook good meals, clean the house and care for my parent. In turn, I can offer her a home to live in with no bills to pay as long as she can look after my mom (or dad) and be a companion to her (or him). People need to be educated regarding the care of elders in the home. They ignore the fact that caring for someone is work and can even be dangerous or harmful to the caregiver. I talk to people explaining that someone that cares for any family member in your home should be compensated according to the law. Just as people demand certain requirements from the caregiver, so does the caregiver deserve a just and dignified compensation. It is this compensation that allows caregivers to make their living. Three basic steps to keep in mind in hiring a caregiver for your elderly parent are: 1.) a fair and just salary, 2.) Clear expectations from both parties, the employer and the caregiver and 3.) Paid time off. For more information contact domesticasunidas12@ gmail.com or call 210.310.6071 or visit http://bit.ly/ homecareguide2 to read federal guidelines that regulate direct care workers working with elders in their homes.
En éste momento ya estamos frente al gran problema de los baby boomers. Cada siete segundos alguien en éste país cumple 65 años. Esto ha causado una crisis por falta de cuidadores de la tercer edad. Asisto a toda clase de eventos comunitarias,y me presentó ante las personas como trabajadora doméstica organizaando las trabajadoras. Cuándo termino mi presentación, casi siempre se me acercan personas pidiendo que les consiga alguien que pueda cuidar su mamá o papá que son de la tercer edad, por ejemplo: Yo ando buscando alguien que me cuide a mi mamá (o papá). Usted conocee alguien? Le ofrezco techo y comida. Ahi lo tendra todo. Nomas como compañía.. Es qué mi mamá (o papá) ya no se puede quedarse sola/o. o algo como: No conoce usted una señora que sea muy honrada, trabajadora, que limpié muy bien y que sea muy buena cocinera. Para que cuide a mi papá (o mamá). Ahí va a tener techo y comida. No paga biles, se ahorra la renta. Mi papá hace todo. Mas en las noches—porque se levanta seguido al baño y no quiero que se me vaya caer. La gente no se ha educado acerca de este tema, y no se dan cuenta que cuidar a una persona de la tercer edad es un trabajó muy abnegado, difícil y en ocasiones hasta peligroso. Les explicó a las personas que éste trabajó debe ser remunerado como corresponde a la ley. Que así como la familia pide algunos requisitos para la proveedora de cuidado tambien ella merece un salario justo, trato dignó. Una cuidadora es una trabajadora y vive de su salario y debe ser tratada con dignidad y respeto. Existen tres pasos basicos que los empleadores deben tomar para asegurar que su cuidadora debe recibir mientras este a su servicio: 1.) Un salario justo 2.) Expectativas claras (de ambas partes) y 3.) Tiempo libre pagado Para mas información pongase en contacto con domesticasunidas12@gmail o llamen 210.310.6071 o vea http://bit.ly/homecareguide para detalles en español sobre los directrices federales gobernando el trabajo de cuidadoras de personas de la tercera edad en sus hogares.
Brackenridge Park Master Planning by Hunter Sosby
Editor’s note: In the June issue of La Voz, a preliminary plea was issued to the community of San Antonio about the Master Plan for Brackenridge Park and its surroundings. Visit esperanza@esperanzacenter.org to view the article, Brackenridge Park: Traditions Endangered? Currently, the city is hosting a series of meetings for the public to give feedback. See the full report at http://therivardreport.com/wp-content/ uploads/2016/04/2016.02.29-initial-draft.pdf
Make your voices heard at these last two public meetings on Brackenridge Park’s future! This is not just about our Park it is about how the City of San Antonio does business and who the city works for.
Final Brackenridge Park Master Plan Public Meetings Phil Hardberger Urban Ecology Center 8400 NW Military Highway Thursday July 7, 2016 6:00pm - 8:00 pm
Ramirez Community Center “Arnold’s Park” 1101 Gillette Blvd. Wednesday, July 13, 2016 6:00pm - 8:00pm
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6
I recently attended the first of six community meetings around the new Brackenridge Park draft Master Plan. Many community members were present to voice their opinion on the recently released document. The attendance at this first meeting was great (from my estimates, at least 80 people were present, and the parking lot at Lion’s Field was completely full). You could tell there was an energy in the room focused on making change. Xavier Urruita, Director of Parks and Recreation, and Brackenridge Park Conservancy Executive Director, Lynn Bobbitt, gave opening remarks along with District 1 Councilman Roberto Trevino before the floor opened up for public comment. Mr. Urruita summarized for the crowd the five main points of the Master Plan, including the plan to reduce vehicular traffic in the park. I was truly impressed by the number of people expressing concerns about the closure of roads and limiting of mobility in the park. Not only does limiting driving in the park bring up accessibility concerns, but it also ends the longstanding tradition of driving through Brack—I’ve heard multiple stories, including one at this meeting, of people enjoying drives through the park on special occasions. The more stories we can bring to the table at these meetings, the more power our voices will have. The Draft Master Plan also mentions removing current parking inside the park and replacing it with parking garages along the
perimeter of the park along with a potential people mover to shuttle visitors to the park and surrounding attractions (like the DoSeum and Witte museum). Access to Brack won’t be the same if we are forced to park on the outside in the number of potential parking garages that the plan mentions. Another main concern of community members was these potential public-private partnerships for new parking garages: Would this mean we would have to pay to park in these new structures? Such a change would greatly affect so many people that use the park. The crowd cheered every time someone brought up the fact that these changes will serve to keep people out of the park, regardless of what the planners say is the true intention. Our message seemed to be heard at this first meeting, but we can’t stop there if we expect to see change reflected in the final plan. Without our voice at these meetings, the developers and planners can continue to implement their vision of Brackenridge Park, not ours. Show up to make sure that Brack stays a park that is accessible to everyone; make sure you have a say on what happens to this land that belongs to all of us. The attendees at this first meeting seemed to be mostly from Brack’s surrounding neighborhoods, but the final two meetings are a great opportunity to show that people from all around our city care about the future of Brack. We don’t want the future of our park to be decided by people that don’t use it. As a college student that lives very close to the park, I don’t want to see any sort of privatization or costs associated with going or parking. As one man brought up regarding privatization, “this is how we lost Hemisfair!”. I encourage everyone to go out to one of the remaining meetings to voice your concerns and show your support for Brackenridge’s history and future.
13
* community meetings *
Amnesty International #127 Call Arthur @ 210.213.5919. Bexar Co. Green Party meets 1st Sun. Call Antonio @ 210.542.9271 or Rachell @ 210.542.9278 or bexarcountygreens@gmail.com Celebration Circle meets Sun., 11am @ Say Si, 1518 S. Alamo. Meditatn Wed. 7:30pm @ Friends Mtg House, 7052 Vandiver. 210.533.6767 |www. celebrationcircle.org DIGNITY SA mass, 5:30 pm, Sun. @ St. Paul’s Episcopal Church,1018 E. Grayson St. Call 210.340.2230 Adult Wellness Support Group of PRIDE Center meets 4th Mon., 7-9 pm @ Lions Field, 2809 Broadway. Call 210.213.5919. Energía Mía: Call 512.838.3351.
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6•
Progressive Movement in San Antonio
PFLAG, meets 1st Thurs. @ 7pm, University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell Ave. Call 210.848.7407. Parents of Murdered Children, meets 2nd Mondays at Balcones Hts Community Ctr, 107 Glenarm See www.pomcsanantonio.org. Rape Crisis Ctr 7500 US Hwy 90W. Hotline: 210.349.7273 | 210.521.7273 Email: sgabriel@rapecrisis.com The Religious Society of Friends meets Sun. 10am at The Friends Meeting House, 7052 N. Vandiver. 210.945.8456. S.A. Gender Association meets 1st & 3rd Thursday, 6-9pm @ 611 E. Myrtle, Metropolitan Cmty Church.
Habitat for Humanity meets 1st Tues. for volunteer training, 6pm, Habitat Office, 311 Probandt.
The SA AIDS Fdn 818 E. Grayson St. offers free Syphilis & HIV testing, 210.225.4715 | www.txsaaf.org.
LULAC Council #22198, Orgullo de SA, meets 3rd Tues. @ 6:45pm at Papouli’s, 255 E. Basse Rd. To join e-mail: info@lulac22198.org
SAWomenWillMarch www. sawomenwillmarch.org 830.488.7493
Pax Christi, SA meets monthly on Saturdays. Call 210.460.8448
Be Part of a
People’s Power Coalition meets last Thursdays. Call 210.878.6751
Fuerza Unida, 710 New Laredo Hwy. www.lafuerzaunida.org | 210.927.2294
NOW SA Chapter meets 3rd Weds. Check FB/satx.now | 210.802.9068 | nowsaareachapter@gmail.com
14
Overeaters Anonymous meets MWF in Spanish & daily in English: www. oasanantonio.org | 210.492.5400.
SGI-USA LGBT Buddhists meet 2nd Sat. at 10am @ 7142 San Pedro Ave., Ste 117. Call 210.653.7755. Shambhala Buddhist Meditation Tues. 7pm & Sun. 9:30am 257 E. Hildebrand Ave. Call 210.222.9303.
Proyecto Hospitalidad Liturgy meets Thurs. 7pm, 325 Courtland.
S.N.A.P. (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests). Contact Barbara at 210.725.8329.
SA Women Will March: www.sa womenwillmarch.org|210 262.0654
Voice for Animals: 210.737.3138 or www.voiceforanimals.org for info
Metropolitan Community Church services & Sunday school @10:30am, 611 East Myrtle. Call 210.472.3597
SA’s LGBTQA Youth meets Tues., 6:30pm at Univ. Presby. Church, 300 Bushnell Ave.www.fiesta-youth.org
¡Todos Somos Esperanza! Start your monthly donations now! Esperanza works to bring awareness and action on issues relevant to our communities. With our vision for social, environmental, economic and gender justice, Esperanza centers the voices and experiences of the poor & working class, women, queer people and people of color. We hold pláticas and workshops; organize political actions; present exhibits and performances and document and preserve our cultural histories. We consistently challenge City Council and the corporate powers of the city on issues of development, low-wage jobs, gentrification, clean energy and more. It takes all of usCampos to keep the Esperanza going. What would it take for YOU to become a monthly donor? Call or come by the Esperanza to learn how.
¡Esperanza vive! ¡La lucha sigue, sigue! FOR INFO: Call 210.228.0201 or email: esperanza@esperanzacenter.org
Start your 2016 tax-deductible donations to Esperanza today! I would like to donate $________ each month by automatic bank withdrawal. Contact me to sign up.
I would like to send $________ each ___ month ___ quarter ___ six-months
Enclosed is a donation of ___ $1000 ___ $500 ___ $250 ___ $100
___ $50
___ $15
___ 10
___ $25
through the mail. Name _____________________________________________________________________________________
La Voz Subscription ___ $35 Individuals
Address ___________________________________________________________________________________
___ $100 Institutions
City, State, Zip ______________________________________________________________________________
___ other $ _______________
Phone ____________________________Email_____________________________________________________ For more information, call 210-228-0201 Make checks payable to the Esperanza Peace & Justice Center. Send to 922 San Pedro, SA TX 78212. Donations to the Esperanza are tax deductible.
I would like to volunteer Please use my donation for the Rinconcito de Esperanza
Notas Y Más July/August 2016
Brief news items on upcoming community events. Send items for Notas y Más to: lavoz@esperanzacenter.org or mail to: 922 San Pedro, San Antonio, TX 78212. The deadline is the 10th of each month.
The Women of Ill Repute: REFUTE! return after 15 years to the Guadalupe Theater at 8 pm on July 23rd. Written and performed by Victoria Garcia Zapata-Klein, Amalia Ortiz, Maria Ibarra, Andi Garcia-Linn, & Lisa Cortez Walden to raise funds for the Rape Crisis Center. Tickets $12-$15. See: www. Macondo at The Guadalupe Cultural guadalupeculturalarts.org/women-of-illArts Center presents Festival of Readings, a series of free readings with selected reputerefute/ Macondistas on Thursday, July 14th thru Saturday, July 16th. For more see: http:// “History Mystery Summer Camp” at www.guadalupeculturalarts.org/macondo- the UTSA Institute of Texan Cultures will put campers ages 8-12 on the case festival-of-readings-2/ of a mystery lost in time collaborating The Gemini Ink Writers Conference, The with museum experts to analyze fragState of the Book takes place on July 21-24 ments of history. The final session for 25 campers, ages 11 and 12, will be on at El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel. Celebrate the state of the book with nationally July 25th to 29th from 9 am to 2 pm daily. Bring a sack lunch. Fee is $160 recognized writers in workshops, panels, roundtables, small press fairs, readings, and per child. See http://TexanCultures.com/ after parties. For details see: geminiink.org/ SummerCamp Pride Bigger Than Texas Festival: Got Pride. Got Love. takes place on July 2nd at Crockett Park, 1300 N. Main Ave. from 11am-7pm. The Pride Parade starts at 9 pm. Cost is a $10 donation. See: www.pridesanantonio.org/lgbtq-festival
The 2016 MALCS Summer Institute will be hosted by the University of Wyoming in Laramie, August 3-6. The 2016 theme is “Deconstructing the Equality State: Remnants of Colonialism, Trauma, and Invisibility” showcasing new historical research on the centrality of multiple identities and experiences in Chicana, Latina, Afro-Latina, Native American and Indigenous women. To register see http:// institute.malcs.org/2016/registration/ The Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center and ARTS San Antonio celebrate their 25th anniversaries co-hosting a performance by Grammy award-winner Lila Downs and traditional Folklorico dancers from The Guadalupe Dance Co. on Friday, August 26th @ 7:30 pm at the Lila Cockrell Theatre in the Henry B. Gonzales Convention Center. Tickets are $19-$79. http://www.artssa.org
TORY MATTERS S I H R OU Edna Campos Gravenhorst, escritora, …
If you have a story, photos or info on Market Square for this historic book contact escritora@att.net or call 812.774.5556. She will be in SA June 29-July 5. Thx!
2016 Peace Market November 25th and 26th @ Esperanza, 922 San Pedro. Applications available: August 1st. Submission Deadline: September 16th. www.esperanzacenter.org Artist: Perla Sánchez
Curanderiando
with storyteller Carolina
Quiroga-Stultz
In the past, Curanderismo was an art and a camino. Healing involved listening to words of nature, passing them down as stories that became traditions. This storytelling/ dance performance remembers our indigenous heritage through stories told to keep the community healthy.
August 6th • 7 pm @ Esperanza
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6
is gathering stories and photos for a book on San Antonio’s historic Market Square that will also be published in Spanish. She seeks to preserve the history of the working-class who often are not able to document their own daily lives.
15
LA VOZ de ESPERANZA • July/Aug 2016 Vol. 29 Issue 6•
Noche Azul Summer Series
Esperanza Peace & Justice Center
922 San Pedro San Antonio TX 78212 210.228.0201 • www.esperanzacenter.org
Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID San Antonio, TX Permit #332
Haven’t opened La Voz in a while? Prefer to read it online? Wrong address? TO CANCEL A SUBSCRIPTION EMAIL lavoz@esperanzacenter.org CALL: 210.228.0201
Artwork: Mary Agnes Rodríguez