Leaders Publish Mandate for Dallas

Lee Alcorn and Reverend L. Charles Stovall presented the mandate to reporters on January 4, 2002

            Reporters gathered in the Flag Room on the 6^th Floor of Dallas City Hall at 11 AM on Friday, January 4, to hear African American leaders present their “Mandate for Mayoral Candidates.” The Coalition of African American organizations and citizens did not make an endorsement in the Mayor’s race, but the spokespersons said that candidates Domingo Garcia and Laura Miller had signed on with “very little disagreement.” The other candidate, insurance executive Tom Dunning had refused to sign and, according to civil rights leader Lee Alcorn, said that it was “offensive” that he had been asked to sign.

            Here is a short summary of the points on the mandate:

1.      Support the Dallas Police and keep Chief Bolton

2.      Strengthen the Living Wage ordinance

3.      Reduce alcohol-related businesses in the South Dallas/Fair Park area

4.      Support Red Bird airport while protecting the residents of the area

5.      Challenge the use of confiscated drug funds for treatment and rehabilitation

6.      Emphasize the health needs of low and moderate income residents

7.      Revitalize the City Youth Commission and expand youth recreational activities

8.      Direct CDBG and other housing funds to low and moderate-income housing

9.      Emphasize infrastructure development and building incentives in Southern Dallas

10.  Increase the contracts to African American entrepreneurs

11.  Create an entrepreneurial equity fund to assist African American owned businesses

12.  Redevelop Martin Luther King Boulevard

13.  Reconsider design for the Trinity River Corridor and negotiate a fair “buyout” for Cadillac Heights

14.  Increase African American representation in decision making positions

15.  Promote and develop housing to prevent flight to the suburbs and to stabilize neighborhoods

 

The coalition representatives listed included the Coalition for the Advancement of Civil Rights, Dallas SCLC, Lee Alcorn, Jay Dunn, Dianne Ragsdale, Reverend L. Charles Stovall, Eva Minor-Jones, and many others.

 

Reverend Stovall’s statement included, “We feel that the mayoral race must be elevated above that of being no more than a popularity contest to a serious consideration of who will deliver on behalf of the constituents of this city. We have laid aside our political differences and candidate preferences to say that whoever is elected Mayor on January 19^th must take this mandate as a major part of the city’s agenda.”

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            What Does M.L. King Mean?

Every year, in the city where Dr. Martin Luther King was shunned when alive, there are big celebrations of his life and continuing significance for all of us. There is general agreement that Dr. King especially stood for humanity toward all, peace, and organizing.

 

Humanity toward all was exemplified in Dr. King’s fights for civil rights.

 

Peace was shown by the methods that he used. Like Ghandhi and Frank Little before him, Dr. King chose nonviolent struggle to win gains for people. King’s stand against the war in Vietnam showed that he was willing to fight for nonviolent change even when many of his own followers were afraid to stand with him.

 

Dr. King organized people to win their gains. He was working with a union drive for a decent contract for sanitation workers in Memphis when he was murdered. He spoke at unions often and made it quite clear that he stood with them.

 

The question that we in Dallas need to look at is this:

Are we celebrating Dr King’s true meaning in January? Can we do more?

 

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that. Hate multiplies hate, violence multiplies violence, and toughness multiplies toughness in a descending spiral of destruction.... The chain reaction of evil--hate begetting hate, wars producing more wars--must be broken, or we shall be plunged into the dark abyss of annihilation."

--Martin Luther King, Jr., Strength To Love, 1963

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JwJ & LCLAA Find Support

A number of leaders have signed our open letter. It will be faxed to the City Council and to all area newspersons on August 14:

Open Letter

 

To: Dallas City Council

1500 Marilla

Dallas, Texas 75201

 

Please rescind your decision to celebrate the birthday of Cesar Chavez (March 31) on Labor Day in September.

 

Working people and civil rights activists were caught unaware by your vote on May 23^rd, and are in agreement with the Chavez family’s June 13 letter asking you to rescind. Please act before Labor Day to avoid any further confusion, then begin deliberations toward declaring a genuine Cesar Chavez Holiday for March 31.

 

Spanish Version (by Paul Kerr):

 

Carta Abierta

 

Al: Consejo Municipal

1500 Marilla

Dallas, Texas 75201

 

HACE EL FAVOR DE RESCINDIR SU DECISION DE CELEBRAR EL CUMPLEAÑOS DE CESAR CHAVEZ (31 MAYO) EN EL DIA DE LABOR EN SEPTIEMBRE.

 

OBREROS Y ACTIVISTAS DE DERECHOS CIVILES NO COMPRENDEN SU VOTO DEL 23 DE MAYO, Y ESTAMOS DE ACUERDO CON LA CARTA DE LA FAMILIA CHAVEZ DEL 13 DE JUNIO, LA CUAL PIDE LA RESCISION.

 

HACE EL FAVOR DE RESCINDIRLO ANTES DEL DIA DE LABOR PARA EVITAR MAS CONFUSION, Y COMIENZEN USTEDES DELIBERACIONES HACIA LA DECLARACION DE UN DIA DE CELEBRACION EN EL VERDADERO CUMPLEAÑOS DE CESAR CHAVEZ, EL 31 DE MARZO.

 

Signatories so far: Gerardo Contreras (North Texas Labor Council for Latin American Advancement—LCLAA); Chuck Stanley (UAW 848 President), Requasha M Crutcher (UAW Local 848 Civil Rights Committee Chairperson); Walter Hinojosa (Legislative Director for Texas AFL-CIO); Mike Zepeda (President of Texas LCLAA); Gene Freeland (Financial Secretary-Treasurer for Dallas AFL-CIO); Rebekka Kelly (President of Dallas AFL-CIO); Toni Hernandez-Serna (Texas Field Organizer for National AFL-CIO); Paul Vasquez (Texas State Field Director for National AFL-CIO); Ron Spurlock (Texas Regional Representative for United Auto Workers Community Action Program—UAW-CAP); Gene Lantz (North Texas Jobs with Justice).

The organizations are only listed for identification purposes. Everybody we have asked has singed. Please add your signature and send to JwJ, Box 225822, Dallas TX 75222; or scan it and e-mail.

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Honor Cesar Chavez on His Birthday!

A hopeful group of supporters gathered around Councilman Steve Salazar

before  the City Council Meeting May 23

On March 30, 2001, Dallas Deputy Mayor Pro Tem Steve Salazar announced an initiative to win a paid holiday for the birthday of civil rights leader and labor legend Cesar Chavez. On the same day, Tarrant County workers and California State Workers were celebrating the first year of their own paid holiday.

 

Dallas Went Wrong

But something went wrong. Salazar lost his re-election bid. But he called on area supporters of a Cesar Chavez birthday holiday to support his motion in the city council during May, 2001. Julie Chavez-Rodriguez, granddaughter of Cesar, also came. All of us were excited as we went into the council meeting, but we were dumbfounded when we came out. Salazar’s motion was not for a city holiday on March 31, but that we celebrate Cesar Chavez on Labor Day in September! The mayor announced that Salazar had asked that discussion be very limited; consequently, none of the supporters were able to state publicly that we did not want to see Cesar Chavez shunted aside and thrust onto Labor Day, a holiday which we won a century ago!

 

Brother Gene Freeland told the Star Telegram reporter, “We got nothing!” But the other newspaper and the television reporters continued as if a great victory had been won for Cesar.

 

Chavez Family Opposes Dallas Decision

At the June meeting of the Central Labor Council, Brother Freeland distributed copies of a letter from the Cesar E Chavez Foundation to Mr. Salazar. In it, the Executive Director said, “I respectfully request, on behalf of the Chavez family and the Cesar E Chavez Foundation, that the City Council rescind its designation of Labor Day as Chavez Day, and instead revisit the issue of honoring Cesar on his birthday, March 31.”

 

He also says, “Everyone that the Foundation has talked with, including Mrs. Chavez and her family, feels strongly that renaming Labor Day as Chavez Day is not a productive or appropriate way to honor Cesar. My conversations with representatives of labor and community groups in Dallas confirm that this sentiment is widely held.

 

‘Specifically, it would not be a fitting tribute to Cesar’s vast and ecumenical legacy to solely honor him as a labor leader—and not as one of the foremost civil rights leaders in American history. Cesar was a civil rights, Latino, farm worker, and labor leader; a religious and spiritual figure; a community servant and social entrepreneur; a crusader for nonviolent social change; and an environmentalist and consumer advocate. In short, he was much more than a labor leader; he was a true American hero.

 

‘Moreover, Labor Day honors all of labor, not just one particular leader or individual. It is important that Dallas continue to recognize Labor Day, paying tribute to all the men and women that work to make your community and this country great. The Chavez family and the Foundation believe strongly that it would be inappropriate to single Cesar out on Labor Day.”

 

The letter was discussed at the Dallas Central Labor Council meeting. Brother Freeland said that leaders in the Latino community feel as we do, that the Dallas City Council has done an injustice to the memory of Cesar Chavez.

 

Let’s Take Action!

The question before us now is, what do we do? Labor Day is not that far away, and the Dallas City Council’s decision is going to cause considerable confusion. Please send your ideas on how to move forward on getting a paid holiday for workers on March 31, the birthday of Cesar Chavez.

--Gene Lantz

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Please copy the petition below and send signatures to: Jobs with Justice, PO Box 225822, Dallas TX 75222

 

SIGNATURE PETITION

FOR CESAR CHAVEZ DAY TO BE RECOGNIZED AS A FULL HOLIDAY

 

NAME (Nombre)                                           ADDRESS (Direccion)                                  PHONE (Telefono)

 

_____________________________ __________________________________ _________________________

 

_____________________________ __________________________________ _________________________

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Join the NAACP for $30/year: http://www.naacp.org

Join Lee Alcorn’s new organization for $25/year: Coalition for the Advancement of Civil Rights

Join Labor Council for Latin American Advancement for $15/year to Gerardo Contreras, c/o UAW 848, 2218 E Main, Grand Prairie, TX 75050