Dear Friends,
This is not an usual Fourth of July. We find ourselves in the middle of a global pandemic that is taking its toll on the health, safety and economic security of so many of us. And we're living in a time when America is taking a hard look at the notion of Freedom as we collectively struggle to gain the unrealized freedom for communities of color, women, immigrants and the LGBTQ+ community.
Harris County Precinct One Moving Monument honoring Frederick Douglass
Today, we unveiled the Frederick Douglass Harris County Precinct One Moving Monuments bus. Douglass, who was a 19th century African American orator, abolitionist, author, social reformer, and freed slave, questioned celebrating freedom on the Fourth of July when the institutionalized and government-sanctioned act of owning another human being was still legal in America.
1848 daguerreotype photograph of Frederick Douglass. Courtesy of Onondaga Historical Association.
In his July 5, 1852 speech, "What, to the American Slave, is your Fourth of July?", Douglass reminds us protesting can be a patriotic act and part of meaningful change. He also realized that only dedicated, persistent protests and activism could deliver the nation from the ever-present tyranny of slavery and racism.
VIDEO: Watch a short NPR video of Frederick Douglass' descendants delivering his timeless and historic speech
HERE or cut and paste in your browser http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001KH1Ba-PHzA3s1MeuDH3Xtxqqf-ZoUBJEqn_31addI089rP6TDKJfhRN2TIY2fseaF3tzH0tlLcTdfwQdexIEgolagGhRNkveVGEBngteqxE41unIxAFaD7jv01EVDkXl4iyO9GAEximhOAWezUDgBo5Kjh05FtNyCk-lDafIEE3dWCipiJuWu7Z_FT6EXAh1lpzR4j4hZpjxn6U7w0aKrYMwoVXSG6Lt7qQDKamatczdFI-4OIDE8RKZjXLaCDu-WjI_JHj30UAZSk0Fllx5vOAPDnrrjUzXNgemUOfCc5c=&c=Or0m0RbqKo_ayb3fTMS2_G74tmcPoHtgEcl8vl1m_Xn2USC9hsOQuw==&ch=f5MFmG33PNHMGZTlotxoPvNwF2gJUXJ4VF9jGfTlia5koGvt-bpMfw==
"What, to the American slave, is your Fourth of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days of the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is a constant victim..."
Read his entire speech here.
Today, our community continues to face discrimination and systemic racism on many fronts. Undocumented workers are treated as a burden on our community when in reality undocumented workers in Harris County contribute $742 million in federal taxes and $448 million in local and state taxes. Yet, many live with the constant threat of ICE raids, which may result in deportation and permanent separation from family members. Additionally, families searching for a better life for themselves and their children are detained in cages along the United States' southern border.
Injustices for women, Black Americans, and our LGBTQ+ neighbors also plague our country. Women, who make up half of our work force, are only paid a fraction of their male counterparts. The systemic racism of our criminal justice system continues to tear apart the lives and families of Black Americans, as well as numerous communities of color. And our friends and neighbors who are members of the LGBTQ+ community go to work each day knowing that they could be fired because of who they love.
It is time for our country to do better. Liberty, economic opportunity and freedom must be guaranteed for all.
We know what we need to do; we have the tools to make it happen. Do we have the courage and commitment to make real change?
The road ahead requires us to examine our priorities and seek out, develop, and invest in programs that encourage our communities to thrive.
I am hopeful that this July 4th will begin to usher in a new meaning to Freedom for all communities.
Increasing Mobility for All
This holiday weekend, as most of us practice social distancing, many residents are ditching their car keys and grabbing their bicycles to ride the trails and bike lanes for exercise and fun.
Precinct One is working to provide this option to all of our residents. On Tuesday, Commissioners Court approved a proposal to invest an additional $1 million in the expansion of Houston BCycle and ensure that more communities have access to this healthy and environmentally safe transportation alternative.
Low-income residents who use public transit are currently facing increased public health risks due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Still, many may not have access to a private vehicle or personal bicycle, and BCycle can provide an affordable form of alternative transportation.
Precinct One is also investing to build protected bike lanes in the City of Houston so cyclists can feel safe sharing the road with cars.
In addition to being environmentally friendly, cycling is currently one of the safest forms of transportation and we hope that it is an activity that all residents who want to participate will be able to do soon.
Enjoy your holiday weekend. Wear your masks and stay safe. We're counting on you to help us slow the spread of COVID-19. We will get through this together.
Sincerely,
Rodney Ellis
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