Civil Rights and Wrongs

Civil Rights and Wrongs for May 31, 2022

Final episode this Tuesday, live from the studio.  Not exactly sure what we will be discussing, we’ll just wing it.

Just reading Gus Bova’s latest piece in the Texas Observer.  Wish I were that articulate.  It’s been an honor to have him on the show several times.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for May 24, 2022

On Tuesday we’ll have an encore presentation.  Sam Woolley first joined us in February, 2020 to discuss the internet and democracy.  He is a faculty member in the UT School of Journalism, where he is also a Program Director in the UT Center for Media Engagement.  In addition, Sam is affiliated with the Program for Democracy and the Internet at Stanford University.  Even before the 2016 presidential election, Sam was researching computational propaganda – that is, the use of social media to manipulate public opinion.  He discusses the ways in which political groups in the United States and abroad have leveraged tools such as bots and trending algorithms, as well as tactics of disinformation and trolling in efforts to control information flows online. We also hear from Jim Harrington, retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project.  And Michelle Manning-Scott, Associate Producer of the show, is with us, too.

Toward the end of the show, Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle, reports on vandalism that recently occurred at Pecan Gardens.  The property in far Northwest Austin was previously a Candlewood Suites hotel, but was purchased last year by the City of Austin, to provide income-restricted supportive housing for single adults 55 and over, and living with disabilities.  Unfortunately, the city had not been providing on-site security during the conversion, leaving the building vulnerable.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for May 17, 2022

This week we hear from Stephen Vladeck, the Charles Alan Wright Chair in Federal Courts at the UT Law School.  He is a nationally recognized expert on the federal courts, constitutional law, national security law, and military justice – and he is no stranger to this program. Professor Vladeck has argued numerous cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, the Texas Supreme Court, and other federal civilian and military courts.  He is CNN’s lead Supreme Court analyst, can often be heard on NPR and occasionally read in the New York Times.  Steve will share his perspective on the recent notorious leak of the preliminary opinion in the Supreme Court case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health.  He also explains how the “shadow docket” is increasingly being used to circumvent normal judicial deliberations.  Finally, we’ll get a preview of other significant cases to watch during the next several weeks.   Jim Harrington, retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project, also weighs in on these and other matters.  And Michelle Manning-Scott, Associate Producer of the show, joins us as well.

Later in the show, Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle, reports the results of the May 7^th election.  He notes the citizen-led initiative to ban arrests and citations for possession of less than 4 ounces of marijuana.  The ballot proposition also prohibits the use of no-knock warrants, which have too often led to property destruction and loss of life.

A quick editorial note: May 31^st will be the final episode of Civil Rights and Wrongs. 

Civil RIghts and Wrongs for May 10, 2022

This Tuesday we’ll have a special edition of the show.  In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month, we will listen to excerpts from a new podcast called “Asian in Austin.”  The hosts are Sandra Pham and Minh Vu, who identify as Vietnamese Americans.  Their stories are two of the many that they plan to feature in coming months.  Sandra and Minh share touching, deeply personal accounts of their own experiences growing up in Texas as children of immigrant parents, and offer perceptive insights into their own experiences as Asian Americans.

Later we’ll hear from Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle.  Austin reports on a pilot program approved by City Council this past Thursday that will provide a guaranteed income to 85 qualifying households for a 12-month period.  Unlike most other government assistance programs, cash received under this program will be unrestricted.  In addition, we hear about how the Austin Firefighters Association succeeded in keeping arbitration as an option in upcoming wage negotiations.

A quick editorial note: May 31^st will be the final episode of Civil Rights and Wrongs. 

Civil Rights and Wrongs for May 3, 2022

This week we’ll listen to an encore presentation that first aired on December 7.  Our guests are Sophie Novack, an editor and reporter who often covers public health, and Michael Barajas, a writer and frequent guest who covers civil rights issues, especially incarceration.  Last fall Sophie and Mike concluded a months-long inquiry for an article in the Texas Observer titled, “Locked Up and Left to Die.”  Sophie and Michael reviewed more than 400 cases of jail deaths investigated by the Texas Rangers.  They note that, “state police regularly document jail conditions that can lead to preventable deaths, such as jail staff ignoring people with deteriorating health, taking hours to respond to emergencies, violently restraining detainees in the middle of mental health crises, denying treatment for chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease, providing Tylenol for liver failure, and mocking people who are moaning in pain.”  Michelle Manning-Scott, Associate Producer, joins us as well.  Furthermore, we just learned that Sophie and Michael have won the John Bartlow Martin Award for Public Interest Magazine Journalism from the Northwestern University School of Journalism for their investigative reporting in this matter.

And in a new segment, we’ll hear from Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle.  On Saturday, May 7^th Austin voters will decide whether to codify the current APD policy of not arresting people for low-level marijuana offenses.  In addition, the same proposition includes a ban on no-knock warrants.  A progressive group called Ground Game has promoted this citizen-led initiative for almost a year, ultimately succeeding in getting these issues on the ballot.     

Civil Rights and Wrongs for April 26, 2022

This Tuesday we speak with Jordyn Middlebrooks, Kristen Herring and Annie Fierro, members of the Austin Hub of the Sunrise Movement.  Sunrise is a youth movement to stop climate change and create millions of good jobs in the process. It is building an army of young people to make climate change an urgent priority across America, to end the corrupting influence of fossil fuel executives on politics, and to elect leaders who stand up for the health and well-being of all people.   Michelle Manning-Scott, Associate Producer of the show, is also with us.

We also speak with Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle.  He tells us about a “right to return” policy which can provide affordable housing to people who have been displaced by gentrification.   Land is held by the city (or a non-profit organization) in a community trust.  The house is sold to qualified buyers, but the land remains in the trust.  We also get an update on efforts to unionize employees of Integral Care, the Travis County public mental health care agency.  Management appears to be weakening the operational framework that establishes the structure and power of the union.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for April 19, 2022

This week Michelle Manning-Scott, Associate Producer of the program, considers changes coming to Austin's historic Neill-Cochran House Museum.  The museum is steward to one of Austin’s oldest historic residences, and includes the city’s only remaining intact slave quarters building.  Guests Rowena Dasch, Executive Director of the museum and Tara Dudley, Assistant Professor in the School of Architecture at the University of Texas at Austin, talk about their collaborative project "Reckoning with the Past: The Untold Story of Race in Austin" that will reintroduce the slave quarters to the public through interpretation, restoration, and new programming on April 23 & 24.  Regular host, Bob Dailey, and Jim Harrington, retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project, also join the discussion.

Later in the episode, once again we’ll hear from Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle.  We’ll learn about wage negotiations between the City of Austin and the Austin EMS Association, the union that represents employees of Austin – Travis County Emergency Medical Services.  The city’s recent counteroffer which would raise hourly pay by 39 cents (for new hires) has been described as “heartbreaking.”  We’ll also hear about the future of the “Batcave” – that is, the former location of the Austin American-Statesman on South Congress at Lady Bird Lake.  A massive office-retail-housing development is being planned for the site.  How many units of affordable housing will be included?

Civil Rights and Wrongs for April 12, 2022

This Tuesday we have an encore presentation from last September, when we spoke with Gus Bova, Staff Writer for the Texas Observer.  At that time, Gus had authored two engaging stories.  First, “The Final Frontera” – byline: “Elon Musk wants to go to Mars.  Money, regulations and public beaches are no object.”  It’s SpaceX vs. Boca Chica.   Second, “Life and Death in a Texas Homeless Camp” – byline: “As the unhoused population grows, cities like Austin turn to legalized camps.”  Abbott’s Camp, Camp RATT, the Esperanza Community – no matter what the name, the environment is bleak, but the residents are human.  We’re also joined by Jim Harrington, retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project.  And Michelle Manning-Scott, associate producer, is with us, too.

Later in the episode, we’ll have a new report from Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle.  He updates us on City Council’s decision to allow construction of a jet fuel farm at the edge of the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport.  How does the city balance accelerated population growth with plans for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in 20 years?  We also learn about efforts by employees of Integral Care to unionize.  Integral Care is the largest mental health care provider in Travis County.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for April 5, 2022

The term Critical Race Theory (CRT) is often heard in the news these days, especially in right wing media, even though few really understand its meaning.  This Tuesday we present an encore of a show that first aired on August 17, 2021.  We discuss CRT and historical revisionism with David DeMatthews, Associate Professor of Educational Leadership and Policy at UT Austin.  Last July he wrote an opinion piece for the Austin American-Statesman titled, “SB3 Seeks to Rewrite History. That Should Concern All Texans.”  We’ll hear about efforts of the Texas Legislature to regulate the teaching of Social Studies in Texas schools through HB3979 and SB3 – both of which are now law in the State of Texas.  We also have regular guest Jim Harrington, retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project.  And Michelle Manning-Scott, associate producer of this program, joins us as well.

In a new segment later in the program, we speak with Brant Bingamon about two recent articles he wrote for the Austin Chronicle.  The first deals with a recent suicide at the Travis County Jail, which exposes the porous boundary where mental illness meets criminal justice.  The second reveals that racial profiling is still plainly evident in the latest statistics from APD for traffic stops, arrests and use of force.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for March 29, 2022

In a new episode this week, we speak with Nicole Golden, Interim Executive Director of Texas Gun Sense.  Texas Gun Sense advocates for common sense, evidence-based policies to reduce gun injuries and deaths.  While the organization recognizes the right to own guns, it also believes that laws could be strengthened to include more sensible policies that would better protect the general public – the antithesis of HB 1927 which was passed a year ago.  We are also joined by Jim Harrington, retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project.  And Michelle Manning-Scott, Associate Producer of the show, is also with us.

Later in the show, we hear from Austin Sanders, Staff Writer at the Austin Chronicle.  Austin describes what led to the recent “indefinite suspension” (read: firing) of an APD officer.  The story may restore a modicum of confidence in the system of police oversight and accountability.  We also hear about frustrated efforts to relocate the Downtown Austin Community Court (read: NIMBY).