Liveblogging the Texas Legislative Black Caucus 2011 African American Legislative Summit

Monday, Feb. 28, 2011
9:00 AM - Opening Remarks on the Floor of the House Chamber

Words of greeting from numerous members of the Texas Legislative Black Caucus. The high point came in the form of an energetic address from Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who exhorted those in attendance to channel their energies into advocacy on behalf of the disadvantaged.

11:00 AM - Legislative Initiatives Panel Discussion

Representatives Harold Dutton (D-Houston), Sylvester Turner (D-Houston) and Yvonne Davis (D-Dallas) conducted a wide-ranging discussion of a variety of issues of interest to African-Americans in Texas. Of particular concern was the state budget crisis. A note of emergency was sounded due to the fact that the steepest budget cuts that are being proposed by Republicans are in the areas of public education, higher education, and Medicaid. There were exhortations from all who took the microphone that the state Rainy Day Fund, of about $9 billion, be drawn down to help close the deficit. The point was repeatedly made that closing tax loopholes, reconsidering tax breaks and abatements for well-heeled companies--i.e. "spreading the pain around," in the words of Rep. Dutton--should be part of the budget discussion but hasn't been. Citizens were repeatedly urged to pressure their representatives, even if they were of the opposing party.


2:00 PM - Redistricting Workshop

The session was titled "Redistricting: Ensuring Fairness and Opportunity In Representation." Rep. Marc Veasy (D-Ft. Worth) moderated. The panelists included Dr. Karen Callahan, a statistician at Texas Southern University, and Dr. Steve Murdock of Rice University. Dr. Callahan presented a history of the evolution of the statistical models used to analyze the impact of redistricting on voting behavior, asserting that the current "ecological impact" model gives the most true-to-life picture of the effects of redistricting. Dr. Murdock presented an overview of the legal landscape, forcefully arguing that proposed district maps that emphasize race rather than so-called "communities of interest" will be vulnerable to legal challenges in light of past court decisions.

Dr. Michael Adams presented a number of slides which purported to paint a picture of demographic trends in Texas. Among the slides were a number which vividly depicted the growth of the Latino population in Texas and throughout the nation, and its political consequences. There was considerable discussion of the effect of the exodus of Blacks from urban cores to inner ring suburbs, with more than one speaker suggesting that Blacks will have to form coalitions with Latinos in order to protect the "communities of interest" that redistricting stands to threaten.

4:00 PM - Black Elected Officials Meeting

Sen. Rodney Ellis (D-Houston) opened the meeting by stressing the need for Black elected officials to know each other. Rep. Ruth McClendon (S-San Antonio) pronounced on the need for Black elected officials to be activists in their own right. Sen. Royce West (D-Dallas) calls attention to the lack of preparation for redistricting on the part of African-American officials. "I say to you that elections have consequences, and having 101 Republicans in the House is an example of those consequences," said West.

"Our side is not making a lot of noise," said Sen. Ellis when the discussion swung briefly back to the budget. "Our crowd is not making noise on this budget, and we need to do that." Ellis then segues into an extensive discussion about the fundamentals of drawing district maps and obtaining quality legal counsel for Black office holders. Urges current officeholders to consider the electability of future Black office seekers in light of changing demographics.

A key theme was the need for Black elected officials to band together in order to coordinate strategies, share ideas, and pool resources.

Tuesday, Mar. 1, 2011
11:00 AM - Black Press: Dead or Alive?

The opening remarks by CNN commentator Roland Martin directly address the question of the continuing relevance of the Black press in the digital age. For Martin, the reticence of Black newspapers to adopt the latest digital technologies in order to stay relevant is inexcusable. He gives a number of examples of techniques that Black newspapers can use to bolster their web presence and boost readership.

Mollie F. Belt, Publisher/CEO of the Dallas Examiner, defends the continued relevance of the Black press on the grounds that Black news outlets serve a necessary function as a check on the weaknesses and excesses of the mainstream media when it comes to issues of importance to African-Americans. Ms. Belt used the particular example of a recent incident involving Dallas County Commissioner John Wiley Price as demonstrating the continuing need for a vibrant Black press to serve as a counterweight to mainstream reportage on African-Americans.

Sonny M. Jiles of the Houston Defender defends the overall record of the Black press while conceding the need for more to be done.

Karen Carter Richards, CEO of Houston Forward Times, ranks the Black press alongside the Black church as a community bulwark. "Nobody is going to speak to the needs of our communities the way we're going to speak to them," Richards said. She argued for the continued importance of hard copy newspapers while reinforcing Martin's point about the need for Black papers to move into the digital age.

Akwasi Evans, Publisher of NOKOA, makes some trenchant remarks about the need for African-Americans to insist that advertising be bought in Black newspapers by those promoting major events. "Y'all need us, and we need you, and the only way the African-American press will survive is if Black people support it."

The Q&A with the audience largely focuses on specific issues, such as HIV/AIDS and police brutality, and the gap between all of the issues within the Black community that need press coverage and the limited resources of Black newspapers. Another issue raised was the need for Black papers to ingratiate themselves with Black elected officials and the potential journalistic conflicts of interest this may create. One of the audience members leveled criticism at Black papers, notably the Dallas Examiner, for treating Black elected officials with kid gloves, a charge that Mollie Belt denies.This exchange also provided an opportunity for two Black elected officials present, including Rep. Barbara Mallory Caraway, to weigh in on the issue.