2023 Civics Edition
August 1, 2023
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A View From the Ground
News and information about politics, government, civic participation and engagement from URL Media's network of Black and Brown publishers.
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📚 Texas colleges notice changes one month after governor bans DEI offices: Texas Governor Greg Abbott recently signed a bill into law banning diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) offices and programs at state-funded colleges and universities, with many people working in education across Texas already noticing a change. Prism reports the law prohibits DEI offices from hiring based on race, promoting policies not approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, or conducting activities based on race, color, ethnicity, gender, or sexual orientation. Institutions found violating the law risk losing school funding. Hear from educators and students who fear the law will continue to affect their experience in the upcoming semester and beyond.
🗣️ What will speaking Spanish look like for the next generation of Latinos in America?: Approximately 496 million native Spanish speakers live around the world — making it the second most spoken language after Chinese Mandarin — according to a 2022 report by the Cervantes Institute. But with the Pew Research Center suggesting that Latino youth don't feel it's necessary to speak Spanish at home, La Noticia raises the question of whether Spanish is actually disappearing among Latino youth in America. Read more here.
🧑🏼⚖️ Will justice prevail for Tulsa Race Massacre survivors?: The Oklahoma Eagle reports that survivors of the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre are preparing to appeal a recent decision by Judge Caroline Wall. Filed in 2020, the lawsuit claims that the massacre's impact continues to affect Tulsa and is an "ongoing public nuisance" for the remaining survivors: Viola Fletcher, Lessie Benningfield Randle, and Hughes Van Ellis Sr. “We feel very strongly that the law is clearly on our side,” said Damario Solomon-Simmons, the Tulsa attorney who is leading the defense on behalf of the plaintiffs, in an interview with the Eagle. The dismissal of this case has broader implications for marginalized communities seeking reparations throughout the country. Here's what you need to know.More: How one family told the story of the Tulsa Race Massacre
🏠 Disabled people of color continue to fight for accessible housing: Social entrepreneur Micaela Connery wants to address housing disparities for people with disabilities, particularly Black and Latino individuals, who are more likely to have disabilities than the general population and struggle to find accessible and affordable housing. As Prism points out, the number of Black disabled people is three times greater than the general non-disabled population. With an eye toward housing equity, Connery co-founded The Kelsey Civic Center in San Francisco, a mixed-income housing complex using universal design principles to create apartments with different features for people with different needs. The center will open in 2025, with 112 apartments designed for people with and without disabilities. Read more here.
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