June 5, 2019 by mreza
On June 20th, the Austin City Council will vote on an ordinance that will effectively reduce the criminalization of the homeless community in Austin. While the vote is two weeks away, here are five things you can do to spread support: [node:read-more:link]
May 24, 2019 by mreza
We are thrilled to have Sue Gabriel join our team as the Prison Justice League Administer. Welcome to the team, Ms. Sue!
Sue was born and raised in Port Arthur, Texas. She attended Port Arthur College, Southwestern Business University, and received an Associate Degree from Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. [node:read-more:link]
May 16, 2019 by mreza
Grassroots Leadership is pleased to welcome Dulce Guerrero and Arlin Tellez as Immigration interns this summer.
Dulce Guerrero was born in Nayarit, Mexico and came to the United States alongside her family at the age of three. Her family settled in Georgia where she lived 20 years prior to moving to Delaware to pursue higher education. Dulce currently attends Delaware State University where she is majoring in Political Science. [node:read-more:link]
May 6, 2019 by mreza
For immediate release: May 6, 2019
Contact: Maria Reza, mreza@grassrootsleadership.org, 832 322-1255
*PRESS ADVISORY*
TUESDAY, MAY 7 @ 12:30 PM CT
WHAT: Press conference [node:read-more:link]
April 11, 2019 by Bob Libal
Grassroots Leadership has been honored to welcome Maria Reza to our team this spring as our digital organizer and communications coordinator. [node:read-more:link]
December 12, 2018 by Chris Harris
For immediate release: December 12, 2018
Contact: Chris Harris, charris@grassrootsleadership.
Recent pledges from re-elected council members and a trio of recent reports build momentum for repeal of Austin’s anti-homeless ordinances in 2019
WHAT: Press conference
WHO: Austin DSA, Grassroots Leadership, Gathering Ground Theatre, Mobile Loaves & Fishes, Texas Appleseed, Texas Fair Defense Project, The Challenger, Trinity Center, University United Methodist Church
WHEN: Thursday, December 13 at 6pm
WHERE: Austin City Hall, 301 W. 2nd St., Austin, Texas [node:read-more:link]
November 8, 2018 by Cate Graziani
I’m happy to share the news that Jennifer Pumphrey has joined the Grassroots Leadership team as a field organizer in Austin.
Jennifer is starting from a place of deep knowledge about the local community, because she was born and raised in Austin, Texas. Specifically, she grew up on the East Side, and saw first-hand the racial disparities, oppression, and gang violence in the community. This sparked an interest in Jennifer at a very young age in understanding and the need to fix our broken judicial system.
Then, Jennifer experienced that system herself for the first time in her late teens. “It was like adding fuel to the fire,” Jennifer said. [node:read-more:link]
November 8, 2018 by aprice
As TAJ’s membership, vision, and impact grows, so does our team. It’s my pleasure to introduce you to the next two Amos Walker TAJ Fellows, Chantel Pridgon (of the Austin TAJ Chapter), and Sybil Sybille (of the Houston TAJ Chapter). This fellowship, which builds the leadership of formerly incarcerated people and their families, is named in memory of Amos Walker, a beloved TAJ member and community leader from Houston [node:read-more:link]
September 24, 2018 by aprice
It’s no secret that the United States has a mass incarceration problem. But, did you know Texas ranks as one of the top five states contributing to this problem? It is time for Texas and Travis County — a progressive community — to lead by example. Travis County continues to jail folks at an alarming rate for low-level drug possession, in fact these charges have increased by 90 percent in the last five years, while crime has decreased. Has it occurred to anyone that we are doing a disservice in our community by not taking a closer look at the root causes of criminal justice involvement? [node:read-more:link]
August 10, 2018 by Cate Graziani
We are pleased to welcome David Johnson to Grassroots Leadership as our new Criminal Justice Organizer. Through a two-year Peer Policy Fellowship from the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, David will actively support our efforts to promote the effective treatment of mental illness and substance use as an alternative to their criminalization. [node:read-more:link]
