One For All E-Newsletter: September 24, 2021 Edition

Dear Friends,

Diversity. It’s what makes Harris County culturally rich. It’s also reflected in every aspect of our daily lives: the food we eat, our public servants, our stories, our art and our athletes. It’s no secret Harris County’s Hispanic community has been an integral part of our county’s success and will be an even larger part of our future. During Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 to October 15), we’re highlighting, celebrating and honoring the contributions of some of our outstanding Hispanic heroes, including chef Hugo Ortega, poet Gwendolyn Zepeda, public servant Isabel Longoria, artist Gonzo247, and athlete Óscar Boniek García.

This month also marks when some of the nation’s most restrictive voter suppression laws took effect in Texas. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, Texas joined almost 20 other states in enacting laws that will make it harder for Americans to vote. Without a doubt, voters of color and those with disabilities will face more barriers to casting their votes. Overnight early voting hours and drive-thru voting, which were very popular in Harris County, are now things of the past. They are just two of several suppression tactics that are included in SB1.

These new laws, designed to make it harder for you to vote, have made it critical that the federal government takes action now to protect the right to vote for all Americans. Join me in urging Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Right Advancement Act and the Freedom to Vote Act, a transformative democracy reform bill that builds on the For the People Act and brings us closer to passing critical voting rights provisions.

As Americans, we believe that for Democracy to work for all of us, it must include us all. This Tuesday, September 28, is National Voter Registration Day. A day where across nation people celebrate Democracy by getting themselves and their communities registered to vote. You can watch my message on this important day here.

Speaking of democracy, an often overlooked but incredibly important part of our democracy is occurring now on all levels of government. Redistricting, which happens every 10 years based on census data, is the process of redrawing political boundaries to reflect growth patterns and population shifts. How these boundaries are drawn make huge differences in election outcomes. You can make your voice heard in this process. Watch for another email that will give you all the details about the public meetings and links to register to speak. You can find information about Harris County’s Redistricting Plan on the Harris County Attorney’s website.

This month also marked when one of the nation’s most restrictive abortion bills became law in Texas. Additionally, the state enacted even more restrictions on a person's right to choose a few days ago. In 1973, the U.S. Supreme court ruled (Roe v. Wade) that all people have the constitutional right to choose. According to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland, who sued Texas over the new ban on abortions after six weeks, the state law is “a scheme to nullify the Constitution of the United States.” Attorney General Garland makes a valid point. This law takes medical decisions out of the hands of medical experts and puts them in hands of lawmakers with no medical training. Furthermore, we must trust the reproductive autonomy of all people. We cannot stand back while there are bans on a legal medical procedure that is between a patient and doctor.

As we face these obstacles to realizing equity, justice and fairness for all, it is good to remember that together we can overcome these barriers. We have the power of democracy on our side.

Please stay safe, wear your mask, and encourage your friends and family to get vaccinated.

Sincerely,

Helping to Bridge the Digital Divide: Free WiFi Hotspots

Everyone deserves access to online learning, job opportunities, and information that improves their quality of life. Harris County and Precinct One are committed to expanding WiFi access to residents by building two public WiFi networks at our parks and community centers. At this time, WiFi access is in the process of being added to twelve Precinct One parks and is currently available at all of our Community Centers.

Find a full list of Harris County WiFi hotspots and learn how to access the network here: https://broadband.harriscountytx.gov/Wi-Fi-Locations or call 832-927-9434

Hispanic Heritage events with MFAH

Precinct One and the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, are presenting two engaging virtual programs to learn about Latinx art and artists and their contributions to the world of art.

Precinct Uno y el Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, celebran el mes de la Hispanidad por medio de interesantes presentaciones virtuales para conocer de artistas y arte Latino que han hecho impacto en el mundo del arte.

Latin American Art and Artists
Wednesday, October 6th @ 12:30 pm
Presented by Wendy Adler
Arte Latino Contemporáneo (Contemporary Latinx Art)
Thursday, October 14th @ 12:30 pm
Presented by Yvette Heno

Download the event flyer

New SPARK Park in Sheldon I.S.D.

As the school year began in August, Royalwood Elementary students discovered a new SPARK park on their campus. This park, which is designed to provide healthy outdoor activities for youth, was possible through a partnership with SPARK School Park Program and a $10,000 investment by Precinct One. This project is part of Precinct One's ongoing commitment to provide families with easy access to parks, and is one of five new SPARK parks built in the past year.