Unconventional Journalist

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.

I have two workshops coming up!

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

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:

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

TEA opens second round of applications for those who would like to apply to be on the board following takeover

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

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:

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

TEA opens second round of applications for those who would like to apply to be on the board following takeover

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

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.

Read more here.