The 88th Texas Legislature began today... Now meet the Speakers for Jan. 21st in Austin!
Dear Texas UUs and our justice-seeking friends,
Today was a powerful day at the Texas Capitol. The Texas UU Justice Ministry joined our partner, Texas Impact, in a service of public witness on day one of the 88th Texas Legislature. We prayed together and proclaimed our commitment to justice and holding elected leaders accountable to the needs of the people.
Rep. Donna Howard, member of TXUUJM congregation First UU Austin and longtime friend of our organization, grounded the gathering in the UU principles of inherent worth of dignity, interconnectedness, democracy, and compassion. “Every discussion, every decision about the use of our institutional resources or power is a reflection of what we value. ” — Rep. Donna Howard, D-Austin
Watch the livestream here.
We will hear more from Rep. Howard at the "Texas UU Justice Ministry: 10 Years & Growing!" event in Austin on Saturday, Jan. 21. Click here to register today and be sure we'll have a t-shirt in your size in time for the big event. (Shirt orders go in this week!)
We are also working on details for our livestream and virtual options, childcare, and programs for youth. The whole family is welcome at this gathering that will ground us for activism at the Legislature and throughout the year ahead.
Please read on to meet some of the wonderful speakers and special guests we'll be hearing from on Jan. 21. Get registered and get a carpool of folks together! More details to come, so keep an eye on your email.
Your TXUUJM community is so excited to see you!
Bending Texas Toward Justice TOGETHER,
Rev. Erin Walter txuujm@gmail.com |
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Adri Perez (they/them) is a life-long El Pasoan, educator, organizer, danzante, and UTEP graduate, with over 8 years of civic engagement, reproductive justice, LGBTQIA+ community organizing, and policy justice experience in Texas. Prior to joining Texas Freedom Network as Organizing Director in 2022, Adri led the LGBTQIA+ work at the ACLU of Texas where they advocated for the civil rights and dignity of all trans people, trans kids, and all those who love them through policy and organizing.
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Joshua Houston (he/him) is the Advocacy Director for Texas Impact. A policy generalist, Josh has specific expertise in the policy areas of electric and water utilities, consumer finance, criminal justice, and child welfare policy; as well as election, First Amendment, civil rights, administrative, and nonprofit law. Before coming to Texas Impact in 2010, Josh has worked on staff in the Texas House of Representatives.
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Informed by the arts, prayer, meditation, and the healing practices of Laughter Yoga, and Afro Flow Yoga, Simone Monique Barnes (she/her) is an interdisciplinary artist, writer, educator, and lay minister. She works for a faith-based non-profit supporting elementary school age children and their families in East Austin, teaches Laughter Yoga, a body-mind practice that began more than twenty-five years ago in Mumbai, India, knowing that a smile is the shortest distance between two people, and that joy practices sustain us in hard times. Simone was born and raised in New York City, and has called Austin, Texas, home for over ten years.
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Elle Cross (she/her) is the Right to Justice coordinator for Mano Amiga. A Texas State University graduate, she dug into immigration/criminalization work after a graduate research project on asylum processes during COVID-19, and subsequently working at an asylum for minors in San Antonio. Realizing the egregious failure of policy to protect people, Elle was so grateful to join the Mano Amiga team to fight for justice.
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Guided by Unitarian Universalist principles, TXUUJM educates & organizes member congregations, and partners with sympathetic organizations in order to advocate effectively for public policies that:
- Uphold the worth and dignity of every person;
- Further justice, equity, and compassion in human relations;
- Ensure the use of the democratic process;
- Protect religious freedom; and,
- Promote respect for the interdependent web of all existence.
- Accountably dismantle racism and other oppressions in ourselves and our institutions.
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