EPISODE 18 - Help a mother out | Social justice activist Cluren Williams talks Sandra Bland | Art as activism | Jail is no place to be pregnant

We made a Mother's Day episode without even meaning to! This week we're keepin' pregnant women out of jail, creating art for moms and kids awaiting their asylum hearings, advocating for medical cannabis for more Texans, and trying to protect black and brown lives from an unfair criminal justice system. Good thing we didn't wear mascara today.

PRESENTING SPONSOR:

Today’s episode of The Rabble is brought to you by… ROUSER! Did you know that you can hire us to throw events? Maybe you are a candidate who wants a kick-ass campaign launch party, or maybe you are an organization that wants to reach new volunteers or raise money but you’re tired of throwing the same old fancy silverware kind of fundraiser (not that there’s anything wrong with those! I love me a crudite! But maybe you want to try something new). Well, we can help. This past Sunday we threw a book launch party for political photographer Casey Chapman-Ross, who said it was beyond everything she’d hoped for. We turned out a couple hundred people to The Butterfly Bar here in Austin, where we moderated a panel of fierce female activists, played a trivia game about where famous Texan rabble-rousers got their start, and heard from pint-sized lemonade stand activists. Also, there was facepainting! And beer! Email shout@rousertx.com to inquire about hiring us to do YOUR next event.

THIS WEEK’S GUEST:

Cluren Williams, community activist and advocate for social justice and affordable housing:

https://www.instagram.com/kkmgjinxd_moneybag/

https://twitter.com/ClureWilliams

SH*T TO DO:

Do it for MAMMA (Mothers Advocating for Medical Marijuana)! Debbie Tolany is asking that we call and respectfully ask Dan Patrick to allow House Bill 1365 to a vote in the Texas Senate. **We must do this before Monday the 13th.**

Call Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick: 512-463-5342

Say that Texans are needlessly suffering without access to medical cannabis and urge him to let House Bill 1365 go to a vote in the Texas Senate so that the will of the people can be carried forward.

House Bill 1365 would add Alzheimer’s, Crohn’s disease, muscular dystrophy, post-traumatic stress disorder, autism and many of other illnesses to an existing state program that currently applies only to people with intractable epilepsy. (Check out episode 10 of The Rabble for more details: https://www.rousertx.com/the-rabble-pod/2019/3/21/in-the-weeds-on-marijuana-love-letter-to-texas-lets-stop-paying-for-baby-jails-we-fangirl-pod-save-the-people)

Here is Debbie's heartbreaking open letter to Dan Patrick:

https://www.hellomynameisdebbie.com/danpatrickthisisforyou/dan-patrick-this-is-for-you

More info:

https://www.texastribune.org/2019/05/06/medical-cannabis-access-Texas-expand-bills/

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LINKS WE MENTIONED:

https://ethw.org/Discovering_the_Buckyball

Julian Castro and Elizabeth Warren are showing each other love on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/ewarren/status/1125063495781888007

Zero Tolerance Anniversary:

https://www.apnews.com/e1edf463458746d9a6cc666fb4a2b4c6

Mirian’s story:

https://www.aclu.org/blog/immigrants-rights/ice-and-border-patrol-abuses/ice-separates-18-month-old-mother-months

Check out Kristen’s murals:

https://www.instagram.com/thegreengunn/

Watch video from the Trust Respect Access coalition’s “Abortion Out Loud” rally:

https://www.facebook.com/events/587961448280241/

Texas lawmakers want to send fewer moms to prison: https://www.npr.org/2019/05/07/720636379/texas-lawmakers-want-to-send-fewer-moms-to-prison

Firsthand account of woman who gave birth by herself in Florida jail: https://www.local10.com/news/florida/broward/-it-was-horrifying-says-woman-who-gave-birth-in-broward-jail

CNN report on Wellpath and their poor treatment of women in prisons: https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/07/health/jail-births-wellpath-ccs-invs/index.html

Using your privilege video example: https://youtu.be/vQR_O5xXNYk

More on the Travis County Commissioners vote on establishing a public defenders office: http://grassrootsleadership.org/releases/2019/05/travis-county-commissioners-vote-public-defender-office-excludes-community-voices

Why doesn’t Texas’s most liberal city have a public defender? Via Texas Observer: https://www.texasobserver.org/why-doesnt-texas-most-liberal-county-have-a-public-defender/

The Push For A Public Defenders Office In Travis County Signals Problems With The System: https://www.texasstandard.org/stories/the-push-for-a-public-defenders-office-in-travis-county-signals-problems-with-the-system/

Gerald Daugherty had a good ad for County Commissioner but he IS NOT GOOD DO NOT VOTE FOR HIM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzjRwNUQDRU

Here is who has already announced in the Democratic primary race for Gerald Daugherty’s seat:

Sheri Soltes: http://sherifortexas.com/

Ann Howard: https://twitter.com/annhowardtx?lang=en

Valinda Bolton: https://www.facebook.com/ValindaBoltonforTravisCC3/

Ashley’s Pulitzer-worthy Instagram story on the public defenders office hearing in the Travis County Commissioner’s court (srsly so good): https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/17843021008443318/

http://grassrootsleadership.org/

https://www.fairdefense.org/

Texas' Annual Roundup of the Working Poor:

https://www.aclu.org/blog/smart-justice/texas-annual-roundup-working-poor

New cellphone video shows what Sandra Bland saw during arrest by Texas trooper:

https://www.wfaa.com/video/news/new-cellphone-video-shows-what-sandra-bland-saw-during-arrest-by-texas-trooper/287-e0e92653-8bcc-4697-aa0b-d94de1d3b458?jwsource=cl%3Fjwsource%3Dcl&fbclid=IwAR0H1I2yhFHA7FAQFB5WjNbSeOSiI59lQkL6PjuT5sIt22LYVAH_QZtoIj0

The Death of Sandra Bland: Is There Anything Left to Investigate?

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/08/us/sandra-bland-texas-death.html

Jail rape sparks call for Waller County sheriff's resignation

http://www.fox26houston.com/news/demands-for-waller-county-sheriff-glenn-smith-to-step-down

Democrat Cedric Watson had hoped to become Waller County's first black sheriff, but he lost by a wide margin to incumbent Glenn Smith, a Republican.

https://www.texastribune.org/2016/11/09/waller-county-sheriffs-race/