Civil Rights and Wrongs

Civil Rights and Wrongs for February 2, 2021

This Tuesday we kick off Black History Month. Michelle Manning-Scott interviews Ashley Farmer, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Departments of History and African and African Diaspora Studies at the University of Texas at Austin.  Dr. Farmer is a historian of black women's history, intellectual history, and radical politics. Our regular guest Jim Harrington, retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project, also joins us.  Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle, provides an update on City Council deliberations regarding homeless issues as they revisit camping regulations and the purchase of two more motels.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for January 26, 2021

This Tuesday we speak with Chanté Davis, Annie Fierro and Emma Galbraith from the Sunrise Movement, which is a youth-led climate action organization with more than 400 hubs in the US.  Members of Sunrise lead various activities, from school strikes drawing attention to the United States’ lack of climate policy, to phone-banking and canvassing for candidates who promise to support the Green New Deal.  Our regular guest Jim Harrington, retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project, will also join us.  And Michelle Manning-Scott, Associate Producer, will be with us, too.  Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle, will provide updates on several controversies in which the Austin Police Department is currently embroiled, including officer indictments, friction with City Council, and a recent fatal shooting by officers that is still under investigation.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for January 19, 2021

It’s January and it’s an odd-numbered year, which means that the Texas Legislature is back in session.  This is number 87, but it promises to be unlike any other.  Mike Clark-Madison is our guest this week.  He has been covering “The Lege” for years, currently as the News Editor for the Austin Chronicle.  We’ll explore several major issues, plus a few interesting minor ones, too.  KOOP’s Michelle Manning-Scott, associate producer, will also join us.  (Copyrighted music, "Texas, Our Texas" removed for copyright reasons.)

Civil Rights and Wrongs for Janurary 12, 2021

This week we talk with Michael Barajas, Staff Writer for the Texas Observer.  Michael covers civil rights issues for the publication and has been investigating conditions for those incarcerated in Texas prisons and jails, as well as the strain on their families.  We also discuss two more reports from the City of Austin that examine the toxic culture inside of the Austin Police Department, focusing on the Training Academy.  Our regular guest Jim Harrington joins us as usual.  Jim is the retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project.  KOOP’s Michelle Manning-Scott, associate producer, will also be with us.  And Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle, provides additional perspective on the reports dealing with APD.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for January 5, 2021

Our guest this week is Elsa Reyes, Latina activist and Board Chair of the organization Jolt Action which promotes civic engagement in the Texas Latino community.  Elsa produces her own podcast called the Latinx Identity Project.  She is also a consultant in corporate finance and accounting.  Our regular guest Jim Harrington joins us as well.  Jim is the retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project.  KOOP’s Michelle Manning-Scott, associate producer, will also be with us.  And Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle, updates us on the city’s efforts to provide housing and support services for homeless individuals through “ProLodges.”

Civil Rights and Wrongs for December 29, 2020

This week on Civil Rights and Wrongs we’re presenting excerpts from four of the best episodes from 2020.  From May 12, Chas Moore and Chris Harris talk about the killing of Michael Ramos by the Austin Police Department, and the larger issue of public safety.  From August 11, Chito Vela, Josue Lucas and Kelvin Lopez-Garcia discuss the federal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.  Josue and Kelvin are themselves DACA recipients.  From August 4, Michelle interviews Peniel Joseph, founder of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at UT.  And from July 7, Stephen Vladeck reviews some of the key rulings from the 2019-2020 session of the US Supreme Court.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for December 22, 2020

We’re taking a break from our usual talk format this week and sharing some fine music.  Some of the tunes have been featured previously, others express themes that are often discussed on the show.  And we’ll chat with our regulars: Michelle Manning-Scott, Associate Producer; Jim Harrington, retired founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project; and Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle.

Due to copyright restrictions, the music has been removed from the audio file here.  Here is a list of what was broadcast on KOOP:

"Eyes on the Prize," Mavis Staples

"The Times They Are A-Changin," Bob Dylan

"James Crow," Mobley

"El Derecho de Vivir en Paz," Victor Jara

"Strange Fruit," Nina Simone

"Lift Every Voice," Alicia Keys

"A Change Is Gonna Come," Sam Cooke

"ICE El Hielo," La Santa Cecilia

"Is This the World We Created?" Queen

"I Believe in Father Christmas," Emerson, Lake and Palmer

Civil Rights and Wrongs for December 15, 2020

Our guests are from the Texas Jail Project.  TJP calls attention to how conditions in the local county jails are often unsafe, inhumane and detrimental to mental and physical health, damaging inmates, their families and entire communities.  Krish Gundu is the Executive Director and was one of the founders in 2006.  She has also spent much of her career as an advocate for environmental health and justice.  Diana Claitor was another founder of the Texas Jail Project, recently accepting the position of communications director for the organization.  We’ll also have our regular commentator Jim Harrington, founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project (retired).  Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle, discusses the runoff race for the City Council District 6 position, and provides an update on city efforts to provide shelter for homeless individuals.  Michelle Manning-Scott, our associate producer, joins us as well.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for December 8, 2020

Our guests are both faculty members in the UT Law School.  Steven Collis is the founding faculty director of the Bech-Loughlin First Amendment Center, and also directs the newly established Texas Law & Religion Clinic.  Douglas Laycock is perhaps the nation’s leading authority on the law of remedies and on the law of religious liberty.  He has testified many times before Congress and has argued numerous cases in the courts, including the US Supreme Court.  We’ll cover a variety of issues including court rulings related to the pandemic, vaccination refusal, religious exemptions, and the outlook for religious liberty as we head into the Biden administration.  We’ll also have our regular commentator Jim Harrington, founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project (retired).  And Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle, provides an update from City Hall.  After six months the APD Chief has finally taken disciplinary action against several officers for actions during street protests dating back to May.  Michelle Manning-Scott, our associate producer, joins us as well.

Civil Rights and Wrongs for December 1, 2020

Dr. Maggie Rivas-Rodriguez joins us to talk about the Voces Oral History Center at the University of Texas at Austin, the leading Latino oral history archive in the United States dedicated to documenting, preserving and sharing the experiences and histories of everyday Latinos living in the United States.  Dr. Rivas-Rodriguez is a former professional journalist and currently a member of the faculty in the School of Journalism at UT.  She is also the founder and director of the Voces Center.  Two clips from the archives of the Voces Center –  one from its World War II collection and one from the Voces of a Pandemic collection – will be shared on the program.  We’ll also have our regular commentator Jim Harrington, founder of the Texas Civil Rights Project (retired).  Michelle Manning-Scott hosts the show, along with regular host Bob Dailey.