⚖️🗽🎭 HON. “SIR JEFFREY” CHASE HELPS WATERWELL CELEBRATE 20 YEARS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE EDUCATION THROUGH THEATER!

Jeffrey S. Chase
Hon. Jeffrey S. Chase
Jeffrey S. Chase Blog
Coordinator & Chief Spokesperson, Round Table of Former Immigration Judges

“Sir Jeffrey” writes:

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C15BxTdPD8T/?igsh=eXFtYjY3czY5eDVv

I am featured in the attached “20 Stories for 20 Years” video for Waterwell’s 20th anniversary with Kristin Villanueva, the star of the play and film versions of “The Courtroom.”

Waterwell is the theater company co-founded by the actor Arian Moayed that has been a great advocate on behalf of immigrants.

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Congrats, my friend and Round Table colleague, to you and to Waterwell!👏

Come to think of it, “Sir Jeffrey” is a pretty good moniker for an actor, as well as a leading warrior of the Round Table!🛡️⚔️

And, certainly, Immigration Court is a continuing human drama. Some would say “Repertory Theater of the Absurd!”🎭🤯

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

01-12-24

🦃 HOKIE HERO! — VA TECH HONORS NDPA ALL-STAR TEA IVANOVIC OF IMMIGRANT FOOD! — Industry Leader Spotlight — “Disruptive Food Startup Incorporates Gastronomy and Advocacy”

 

https://www.vt.edu/content/link_vt_edu/en/aluminate/profiles/tea-ivanovic.html

Resources for

INNOVATION AND PARTNERSHIPS

Téa Ivanovic ’14

Tea Ivanovic
Tea Ivanovic
Co-Founder
Immigrant Food
PHOTO: VA Tech

pastedGraphic.png

TÉA IVANOVIC ’14

Co-Founder, Immigrant Food

I’m a co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Immigrant Food, a Washington D.C.-based restaurant startup that ‘marries’ innovative gastronomy with social advocacy. Immigrant Food currently has three locations in the D.C. area, and has received notable recognitions (Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas 2019, Ayuda’s Advocate of Change Award 2022, etc) for its innovative cause-casual model of integrating a social justice component into the business model since inception. I also moonlight as a commentator at Altamar, a well-respected independent international affairs podcast.

Where you’ve been in your career and where you are going…

My professional career includes creating and implementing strategic communications for international policy and politics at a Washington D.C. think tank, and global financial matters at a financial public and media relations firm. I was the first Washington Correspondent for Oslobodjenje, one of the oldest and most prominent news outlets in the Balkans. I was born in Belgium to parents from the former Yugoslavia and recruited to the United States by Virginia Tech’s Division 1 Varsity tennis team. I graduated with a master’s degree from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). In 2022, I was named on the prestigious Forbes 30 Under 30 List, Washington Business Journal’s 25 Women Who Mean Business, FSR’s 40 Restaurant Stars on the Rise, and DC Fray’s 8 Trailblazing Women in Hospitality.

How would you capture the essence of your work in a newspaper headline…

Disruptive Food Startup Incorporates Gastronomy and Advocacy

How Virginia Tech equipped me for the ‘real world’…

The experience of having met people from around the world (and around the U.S.) who were fellow students, and having played tennis on a competitive varsity team dealing with the ups and downs of winning and losing, gave me a taste of the complexities of the real world. I’m so grateful for that.

A key habit, practice, or skill that’s worth the effort…

Waking up early and visualizing your day. Preparation is a huge part of getting things done, and keep going.

Biggest misconception about my job or industry…

I think the hospitality industry often gets a reputation of hard work for minimal pay – and many people almost look down upon servers or line cooks. In fact, the restaurant workers are some of the most resilient, intelligent and dynamic people out there!

My favorite quote…

“If you don’t like something, change it. If you can’t change it, change the way you think about it.” — Mary Engelbreit

My hidden talent…

Remembering people’s birthdays

 

The work project/initiative you’re most excited about…

Immigrant Food is my passion project, and I’m excited to see where we go from having grown to three locations in Washington, D.C. during the pandemic. We opened in November 2019, just mere months before the pandemic hit. Through hard work and dedication we managed to expand, and we are looking to continue growing in the years ahead.

Fondest Virginia Tech memory or tradition…

Jumping at Enter Sandman, duh!

Best part of being a Virginia Tech alum…

The vast alumni network, and always being able to call Blacksburg home!

Words of encouragement to a current Virginia Tech student…

Virginia Tech is a special place. Cherish the experiences, challenge yourself, and expand your network. The moments don’t last forever, but you’ll always look back at the memories you made and the lessons you learned.

A cause I’m most passionate about…

Immigration, of course. It’s the reason I’m here, and it’s the reason America is one of the greatest countries in the world.

Last book I read…

Adultery, Paulo Coelho

If I had a superpower, it would be…

Being invisible. Not because I want to hide – just imagine all the awesome places I could witness!

The most formative experience I’ve had…

Dealing with people who don’t believe in me. You think about the mentors in your life, the advisors and the incredible people who have shaped you. But I’m also grateful to those who have challenged me, who didn’t believe in me, who may have even tried to tear me down. I’m so much stronger because of them. I may not have realized it at the time, but those experiences are some of the most formative of my entire life.

Additional Links

Media Contact:

Lindsey Haugh (540) 231-6959

lhaugh@vt.edu

***********************************

Way to go Tea!  You Are amazing!

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

07-22-23

 

🇺🇸 MAINE VOICES: A “Woke” America Is A Better America, Says Don Bessey Of Old Orchard Beach — Speak Out Against the Agenda Of Hate, Marginalization, & Dehumanization Being Touted By Right-Wing Politicos & Their Followers! — “These people should not be leading our wonderful country.”

Ron DeSantis Dave Grandlund PoliticalCartoons.com Republished under license Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump are “campaigning” on an agenda of racism, hate, and White Supremacist grievance not seen since the late Gov. George Wallace. Yet, mainstream media has largely “normalized” that which would have been unacceptable and unthinkable only a few years ago!
Ron DeSantis
Dave Grandlund
PoliticalCartoons.com
Republished under license
Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump are “campaigning” on an agenda of racism, hate, and White Supremacist grievance not seen since the late Gov. George Wallace. Yet, mainstream media has largely “normalized” that which would have been unacceptable and unthinkable only a few years ago!

https://www.pressherald.com/2023/06/10/maine-voices-woke-should-not-be-a-four-letter-word/

From the Portland Press Herald:

Maine Voices: ‘Woke’ should not be a four-letter word

Being aware of how we have treated and still treat other people in our society is so important to our society’s evolving that it should be honored, not vilified.

It is frustrating to see the continuous redefining of words and terms by the extremist conservative element in our society and government. One of these terms is “woke.” According to Merriam-Webster, the definition is “aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues.” I will add in the qualification as well: “especially issues of ABOUT THE AUTHOR

For my entire life I have strived to embrace this philosophy, trying to listen to and understand other opinions, beliefs and religions, whether they agreed with mine or not, understanding that one cannot fully comprehend a point of view without appreciating the counterpoint. This certainly requires personal evolution and maturity. Being aware of the true history of our country, of how we have treated and still treat other people in our society, is so important to our society’s evolving that it should be honored, not vilified.

The term “woke” has now been unjustly transformed into a negative term. Let that sink in: Attention to important facts and issues, the truth, is something to avoid and discredit. Somehow, this makes sense to a significant number of our political leaders and fellow Americans. It appears that what is most troubling for those who would see “woke” as a vile four-letter word is the qualification above, that it applies to “issues of racial and social justice.”

One of the tag lines for objecting to this thought is that it may cause someone to feel uncomfortable or criticized by being confronted with these historical facts. Personally, I strongly desire to know the truth. I am delighted – admittedly, shocked sometimes – by learning about the history we were never taught, which was suppressed to a large extent for so many years by those who perpetrated many injustices. The historical truth has never made me feel bad about myself. In fact, it is enlightening. It expands my understanding of how and why we have come to this place in our evolution. It shows me how to be better and more empathetic, and it suggests the path forward.

I believe I do understand why this can be so threatening and discomforting to so many. I believe that the truth is like a mirror to them. They see their own racist views, their distrust of anyone they perceive as being “different” as a significant threat. I feel so sad for them, since in my life, through being open to other races, ethnicities, religions and thoughts, I have learned so much and have been blessed with a much more beautiful world, life and friends.

It is extremely troubling to see elected officials, the leaders of our political parties, and fellow Americans embracing and endorsing this philosophy of derision, division and hateful rhetoric that has its roots in the cesspool of white supremacist thought.  They are leading us into the abyss of an authoritarian kakistocracy, or government by the worst of us. We must all, every rational one of us, stand and reject this thinking. We must only, and always, embrace truth, the actual facts. These people should not be leading our wonderful country.

Don Bessey is an Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War and a resident of Old Orchard Beach.

************************

Well said, Don! Thanks for speaking out so forcefully! 

Don’s views echo several previous postings from Courtside:

Walter Rhein: “When people say they are ‘anti-woke,’ I interrupt them and say ‘You mean ‘anti-black.’ They become enraged and act like they’re the victims (like racists always do).”https://wp.me/p8eeJm-8tJ

*************************

 

As [Villanova University President] Father [Peter M.] Donohue said at yesterday’s celebration,  “‘Woke’ means social justice!” https://wp.me/p8eeJm-8vF

 

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-11-23

😎⚖️🗽 REAL LEADERSHIP SPEAKS: “[T]he promises that nations made after World War II to respect the dignity and rights of those who are fleeing have been eroded and now, on a practical level, forgotten,” says Anna M. Gallagher, Executive Director of Catholic Legal Immigraton Network (“CLINIC”)!

Anna Marie Gallagher, Esquire
Anna Marie Gallagher, Esquire
Executive Director
CLINIC
PHOTO: CLINIC website

pastedGraphic.png

Executive Director Opening Plenary Remarks CLINIC Convening 2023
May 17, 2023

Good afternoon, dear friends. My name is Anna Gallagher and I have the honor of leading CLINIC as executive director. It is such a pleasure to be here with you all as we officially begin our first in-person Convening since 2019.

Looking out at the sea of faces in front of me, I am filled with gratitude to finally be able to come together to engage with one another, to listen, learn and gather strength for the work ahead in support of our immigrant brothers and sisters.

Even just being in your presence I feel a sense of renewed hope and energy. I am so looking forward to the next few days, and I am certain that you will be reignited to take on the important work ahead.

In a moment I will welcome our wonderful panel of Affiliate experts, but right now I want to take a moment to recognize this moment we’re facing and my hopes for this year’s CLINIC Convening.

You all, of all people, know that immigrant communities are facing truly unprecedented challenges – and I do not use that word, unprecedented, lightly.

With the lifting of Title 42, and the camps of men, women and children along the border desperate to find welcome on the other side; the proposed USCIS fee increases which threaten to put immigration benefits out of reach for many; the newly announced delays for foreign-born religious workers and special immigrant juveniles; and, perhaps above all, our warming planet and the outbreaks of violence which force many more people to migrate around the world – these are extremely challenging times for migrants in our country and around the world.

Several months ago, the New York Times featured an op-ed that has stuck with me, entitled, “The Rich World Has a Shockingly High Tolerance for Cruelty.”

It was about how rich nations are more willing than ever to let migrants languish at their borders in sub-human conditions rather than create safe pathways for migration or address the conditions causing people to flee.

It was about how the promises that nations made after World War II to respect the dignity and rights of those who are fleeing have been eroded and now, on a practical level, forgotten.

When I read this article, in my mind I was transported back to the time I spent in North Africa several years ago, working with migrants as a representative of Jesuit Refugee Services.

1

I interviewed migrants who had traveled for 18 months or more to try and find safety in these countries bordering Europe. I got to know some of the migrants, who called me “grandma” – a term of endearment, as my hair was grey.

While I was talking to some of them, they showed me their hands, which were scarred with wounds. When I asked them what happened, they said their hands were repeatedly pierced while climbing barbed wire to get through to safety.

Hearing this, my heart broke – as it has many times over the years.

The idea that we are using barbed wire to keep out our fellow human beings is inconceivable, yet true. Our immigrant brothers and sisters stand at our gates, begging for our aid, and we build barbed wire fences that pierce their hands.

Many wealthy nations are founded on a concept of all human beings being equal in dignity, but we do not act like it.

As we gather in Arizona, I know we are all mindful that these kinds of camps that the op-ed author is speaking of are just several hours away on the border. We also know that immigrant communities’ dignity is denied not only in these camps, but all over the country in the various places we’ve come from.

We must be clear, this is not an “other side of the world problem,” it is our problem. It affects all of us, in our integrity as people of faith and conscience, and as a reflection of our society.

And yet today, as I recall that New York Times op-ed, and the sense of frustration and despair I felt while reading it, I feel a surge of hope.

I want you to look around the room. Look at your neighbor to your left and right. YOU are the hope that fills my heart, and YOU are the hope that reignites me in our work.

As we gather here today, I am in a room full of people who DO act like all human beings are equal. Those who spend their precious time – often too much of their time, working long hours – trying to advance the truth that every person is precious, valuable, and deserving of a safe and dignified life.

That’s why being in your presence gives me such hope. I am reminded that the CLINIC network is full of holy people.

That is why our gathering here together, and throughout this week, is so powerful: we are, to borrow the words of Bishop Seitz of El Paso, working to be a “creative counterexample” to the culture of fear and hostility, to be a network that is slowly creating a new culture of solidarity and hospitality.

At CLINIC, we also are bolstered by our faith that we do not do this hard work alone. The spirit of God is inspiring us and pushing us forward, giving us strength and magnifying our efforts, especially when we are overwhelmed by the need in front of us.

2

Our faith also acts as a mirror for us, forcing us to keep evaluating whether we are truly reflecting the gospel truth of God’s concern for all people.

To maintain this faith, and to maintain the energy to be this creative counterexample, we need one another. Our network is sustained through the support, advice, and solidarity we demonstrate to one another.

Throughout the next few days, we will take the time to step back, to reflect on our work and learn and share new strategies, information, and tips for the very practical day-to-day work of supporting immigrant clients and communities.

We know that this practical work – the forms, the bureaucracy, the nitty-gritty details – changes and saves lives. So how well we can do it matters, which is why we gather to learn and grow.

We also gather to enjoy one another – to laugh, share stories, and reconnect with beloved colleagues and friends.

So I also hope that over the next few days you will have some fun!

Thank you for coming here to CLINIC Convening and for your dedication to this work. I am so honored to be alongside all of you this week, and all days.

Now, I am pleased to introduce our panelists for our opening plenary, Preparing for the Lifting of Title 42: Key Insights from our Network. When we decided on “reunited and reignited” for our theme this year, we knew we wanted to do something different for our opening conversation.

This “Network Fireside Chat” will be an opportunity to highlight the work done by our network throughout the United States. During this conversation, you’ll hear how Affiliates in three distinct geographical regions are rising to meet the needs of our immigrant and refugee brothers and sisters – especially during this increased time of uncertainty.

From the Border region, Joel Enriquez-Cazarez will share about the work of Jewish Family Service of San Diego.

As a transit city, Carolina Rivera will share how Catholic Charities of Dallas assists our immigrant brothers and sisters.

And Yer Vang from Catholic Charities Archdiocese of Dubuque will give an interior city perspective of welcome.

Now please join me in welcoming our keynote panelists to the stage…

3

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Thanks, my friend, for a lifetime of service to due process, fundamental fairness, and social justice, and for speaking out as the “powers that be” and the “powers that wannabe” go into cowardly retreat and hide in fear from the needs and rights of humanity! 

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

05-24-23

 

🤯 WHAT’S THE FISCAL COST OF GARLAND’S UNDERPERFORMING EOIR? — In This Individual Case $56,169.79! — 5th Cir. Awards Attorneys’ Fees For IJ’s Baseless “Adverse Credibility Finding” & “Phantom Affirmance” By BIA!

Clown Parade
A.G. Merrick Garland’s continuing operation of the “EOIR Clown Show,” at taxpayer expense, is costly in more ways than one! “Any reason to deny” proves too much even for the hyper-conservative 5th Circuit! PHOTO: Public Domain

Dan Kowalski reports for LexisNexis Immigration Community: 

https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/19/19-60647-CV1.pdf

https://www.lexisnexis.com/LegalNewsRoom/immigration/b/insidenews/posts/ca5-awards-eaja-fees-nkenglefac-v-garland#

CA5 Awards EAJA Fees: Nkenglefac v. Garland

“On May 18, 2022, this court granted Giscard Nkenglefac’s petition for review of the Board of Immigration Appeals’s (BIA) dismissal of petitioner’s appeal from the immigration judge’s (IJ) denial of his application for relief from removal. See Nkenglefac v. Garland, 34 F.4th 422, 430 (2022). Because the IJ’s adverse credibility determination was not supported by evidence in the record, we determined that the BIA erred in affirming it and remanded the case to the BIA. The petitioner filed a timely application for attorneys’ fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act (EAJA). We find that petitioner is entitled to attorneys’ fees under the EAJA and award $56,169.79.”

[Hats off to Homero Lopez, Jr. and paralegal Emma Morley!]

Homers Lopez, Jr.
Homero Lopez, Jr.
Director & Co-Founder
Immigration Services & Legal Advocacy
New Orleans, LA
PHOTO: ISLA website
Emma Morley
Emma Morley
Paralegal
Immigration Services & Legal Advocacy
New Orleans, LA
PHOTO: ISLA website

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Wouldn’t it be cheaper and better for everyone if Garland finally “cleaned house” at EOIR, appointed and retained only well-qualified expert judges at both the trial and appellate level, replaced incompetent administrators, and ended the toxic — and costly — “any reason to deny culture” at EOIR? 

When the DOJ is being “pasted” on wrongful decisions denying asylum by the 5th Circuit, everyone but Garland knows that “the EOIR Clown Show has got to go!”🤡

Make no mistake about it! Garland’s failure to reform EOIR into a due-process-focused expert tribunal willing to stand up for the legal rights of asylum seekers and to require “best practices” with respect to access to representation at the border and elsewhere is a major contributing factor to the Biden Administration’s deadly humanitarian disaster and abrogation of the rule of law for asylum seekers at the Southern Border. It didn’t have to be this way!

Why is this “preventable disaster” happening under a Dem Administration that ran on an (apparently false) pledge to restore due process and the rule of law for asylum seekers and other migrants? How can we stop it and prevent it from happening again in the future?

I daresay that many humanitarian experts warned the Biden Administration that without fundamental positive changes, better, courageous, expert, inspirational leadership, and long-overdue administrative reforms at DOJ, DHS, and the White House, disasters would unfold across the board. That’s exactly what has happened! It’s also infecting the entire legal system and inhibiting social justice in America.

But , unless and until social justice advocates come up with a better political approach to the disturbing lack of integrity and values in both political parties when it comes to immigration, they will continue to be vilified and attacked by the GOP and “consistently kicked to the side of the road” by Dems!

I wish I knew the answer! I don’t! But, I do know that human rights and social justice disasters will continue to unfold unless and until social justice advocates figure out how to get some “political clout” behind their intellectual power and store of (largely ignored) great ideas! 

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

03-29-23

🗽⚖️🇺🇸🌟🏆 AYUDA’S PAULA FITZGERALD GETS GEORGETOWN U’s “JOHN THOMPSON, JR. I HAVE A DREAM AWARD” IN STIRRING KENNEDY CENTER MLK CELEBRATION FEATURING LESLIE ODOM, JR. (“HAMILTON”) & LET FREEDOM RING CHOIR! — Watch It Here On YouTube!

Paula Fitzgerald
Paula Fitzgerald
Executive Director
AYUDA

 

“The power of AYUDA is hope!”

— Paula Fitzgerald, Executive Director, AYUDA

PROGRAM NOTES ADAPTED FROM http://NEWORKSPRODUCTIONS.COM:

Nolan Williams, Jr.Composer & Director, Let Freedom Ring Choir PHOTO: NEWorks.com
Nolan Williams, Jr.
Composer & Director, Let Freedom Ring Choir
PHOTO: NEWorks.com

The Let Freedom Ring Celebration is an annual celebration of the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., jointly presented by The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and Georgetown University. Following a two-year hiatus prompted by the COVID pandemic, ‘Let Freedom Ring’ returns this weekend to the Kennedy Center Concert Hall with a stellar program headlined by Tony and Grammy winner Leslie Odom, Jr. and music produced by NEWorks Productions CEO, Nolan Williams, Jr.

The program will feature Odom performing a range of selections from the American songbook, Williams leading the Let Freedom Ring Celebration Choir and NEWorks Band, and the presentation of the 21st annual John Thompson Jr. Legacy of a Dream Award to Paula Fitzgerald, executive director of Ayuda.

Other program participants include: Naomi Eluojierior, Georgetown University student; Marc Bamuthi Joseph, VP & Artistic Director of Social Impact, The Kennedy Center; [Cheri Carter, Vice President,] Boeing (LFR Title Sponsor); and John J. DeGioia, President, Georgetown University.

Williams will present two original works as part of the program, performed by the Let Freedom Ring Celebration Choir and Band, Georgetown University student poets Cameren Evans, Isaiah Hodges, and Lucy Lawlor, and community soloists Roy Patten, Jr. and Laura Van Duzer.

The program [opened] with the world premiere of Williams’ “We’re Marching On!,” a work commissioned by Georgetown University. The piece draws inspiration from a 1965 speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and features spoken word delivered by Evans, Hodges and Lawlor.

Williams’ second musical contribution is the social-justice-themed ballad, “We are the ones to heal our land.” Commissioned last year by Choral Arts Society and Washington Performing Arts, this work has been adapted for this occasion and will feature Patten and Van Duzer.

(Scroll below to access Williams’s song lyrics.)

The program [closed] with a stirring rendition of Dick Holler’s 1968 classic “Abraham, Martin and John.” The song pays tribute to the memory of Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, and Robert F. Kennedy, all American icons of social change who were tragically assassinated.

[Odom then brought the audience to its feet one final time with a totally awesome and inspiring encore rendition of “Ave Maria,” to piano accompaniment, in recognition of the “Christ energy” of Dr. King: A characteristic that, to paraphrase Odom’s words, “transcends individual religious beliefs or non-beliefs!”]

[I loved that in his musical selections Odom took pains to showcase the talents of, and share the spotlight with, each member of his amazing band. That shows just the type of teamwork, awareness, humility, and appreciation of those who made and make you what your are that Dr. King preached. It also reminded me of my experiences with Paula, AYUDA, and Georgetown Law (which I’ve also found to be a great team effort.)]

[Here’s an excerpt from the lyrics of Williams’s“We’re Marching On:”]

LET FREEDOM RING
Georgetown University Student Poets Cameren Evans, Lucy Lawlor, and Isiah Hodges, perform “We Keep Marching On” at the Let Freedom Ring Concert, Kennedy Center, Jan. 16, 2023
PHOTO: YouTube

“We’re Marching On!”

Music and Lyrics by Nolan Williams, Jr.

Spoken Word by Lucy Lawlor, Cameren Evans, Nolan Williams, Jr. & Isaiah Hodges

Commissioned by Georgetown University for Let Freedom Ring 2023.

Copyright secured, NEW-J Publishing. All rights reserved.

 

PROLOGUE

Sometimes I find myself running,

my feet burnt and charred from the fire behind me,

my memories all caught up in coal combustion.

All I have is a body full of smoke.

I remember learning my red, white, and blues,

my Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue

inside an underfunded public school.

A gleeful American history lesson

that always came with a fog.

[During the concert, the stage was enveloped in machine-generated (I assume) smoke and fog to emphasize (I assume) the often ambiguous position and perspective of African Americans and other minorities in relation to the “standard — often whitewashed — version” of the “American Dream.” Does that “Dream” really look the same if your family members were denied educational, political, and economic rights, or the entire “pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness” because of their skin color? I doubt it.]

Sometimes the American dream sounds a lot like pitchforks and screams.

Haunting screams from Rosewood, Ocoee, Ponce,

all forgotten pieces of our history.

Reminding us there’s still work left to do—

that’s why we keep marching.

THE HOOK

We’re marching on

‘cause we must keep marching on.

We’re marching on

‘cause the truth is marching on.

. . . .

BRIDGE 

Opposition forces

sense their voice is

quelled the more we persevere.

That’s why their raging more

And waging war

on this the last frontier

of their inhumanity,

superiority,

inequality.

That’s why we keep marchin’

. . . .

[And, here are excerpts from Williams’s “We are the ones to heal our land:”:]

“We are the ones to heal our land.”

Music and Lyrics by Nolan Williams, Jr.

Commissioned by Choral Arts Society and Washington Performing Arts.

Adapted for Let Freedom Ring 2023.

Copyright secured, NEW-J Publishing. All rights reserved.

ABOUT THE SONG…

“For most of my life, I have been deeply inspired by the scriptural verse, 2 Chronicles 7:14. If the text does not readily come to mind, here it is for your immediate reference:

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (King James Version)

These words have long embodied for me the profound hope that God will eventually make right the many wrongs that trouble our land.

In recent years, however, I have found myself challenged by the application of this verse. Too often, it is interpreted in a way that absolves us of the responsibility of being active agents of our own healing. Too often, it justifies a passive process of waiting on God (above) to move as if we have no power within to bring about the change we seek.

With this new song, I offer a reimagining of the 2 Chronicles text to provoke and awaken our consciousness and to call us as a community to renewed action. And I do so with verses that explore four forms of justice disparities: earth, social, environmental, and economic.

As you read these lyrics and listen to the world premiere performance of this song, meditate deeply upon the meaning and application of these words.”

-Nolan Williams, Jr.

LET FREEDOM RING
Community soloists Roy Patten, Jr. and Laura Van Duzer belt out a heartfelt version of “We are the ones to heal our land” at the Let Freedom Ring concert at the Kennedy Center, Jan. 16, 2023.
PHOTO: YouTube

. . . .

VERSE 3 

The haves get more while the rest of us survive,

doing our best to make ends meet.

And chances to advance are not the same

for the lost, the least, and all those in between.

When will the just cry, “Enough?”

When will the righteous more demand?

At such a time as this,

We need the brave to take a stand.

REFRAIN

So, we pray to us,

call ourselves by name,

humbly asking if we’ve had enough of our own pain.

Here, now, face to face,

will we turn from our own wicked ways?

Hear us now, we are the ones to heal our land.

BRIDGE

We’ve no right to pray to God then wait with no resolve

to accept the charge we have to act and get involved,

knowing God is calling us to right the wrong we’ve caused,

knowing God is calling us to right the wrong we’ve caused!

. . . .

VAMP

If not us, who?

If not now, when?

Calling me, you:

It’s time to heal our land.

It’s time to heal our land.

 

John Thompson
John Thompson
1941 – 2020
Hall of Fame Basketball Coach, Broadcaster, Mentor
Photo from Wikipedia/Sports Illustrated

Watch the video of the full performance and the award presentation to Paula by Georgetown University President John G. DeGioia here. It’s a wonderful award to a terrific person and true American hero who embodies the values and determination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and John Thompson, Jr., to fight to finally make equal justice in America a reality and to make our world a better place!

Former Georgetown and Princeton Head Basketball Coach John Thompson III and the Thompson Family attended and were recognized for their continuing contributions to social justice in America and for making this great event possible. Cathy and I were honored and thrilled to be in the audience.

I was especially moved by Paula’s highlighting the successful efforts of AYUDA and other community groups to welcome and care for migrants to DC who were bussed here as part of a nativist political stunt by some governors. Certainly, it illustrates who “gets” Dr. King’s spirit, dreams, and messages of hope and who is arrogantly, and cynically, paying his memory and values “lip service,” at best!

The “video short” on the social justice impact of John Thompson & Paula (including my “Paula anecdote”) begins at 42:20:

https://youtu.be/Ru8aww7Gxag

Leslie Odom, Jr.
Leslie Odom, Jr.
“Aaron Burr in Hamilton”
PHOTO: Pete Souza, Official White House Photo, July 2015, Public Realm

🇺🇸Congrats, Paula, my friend, and Due Process Forever!

PWS

01-17-23

⚖️👏😎👍🏼 CELEBRATING INSPIRING TEEN LEADERS — “[A]sk yourself how you can help. We’re in this together, after all.”

https://www-teenvogue-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.teenvogue.com/gallery/21-under-21-2022/amp

From Teen Vogue: 

So far, the 2020s have proven to be a time of great change, and the past year has been no exception. In 2022, we endured a third year of the COVID-19 pandemic, saw girls and young women fight for gender equality in Iran, watched as Russia escalated its invasion in Ukraine, protested after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, and continued to fight for racial equality and social justice of all kinds.

Amid the hardship, however, has been immense hope — driven particularly by young people. Gen-Z turned out in droves to vote in the midterm elections, hampering the “red wave” predicted by the GOP; young LGBTQ people have fought back against homophobic rules in their cities and states; and groups like the ever-powerful Gen-Z for Change have made waves across activist spaces.

To honor their work and the lasting change young people have made this year, Teen Vogue presents our annual 21 Under 21, a list of changemakers, influencers, activists, and artists who have made a substantial impact in both their communities and the world.

But as we celebrate these young people, we also understand that we shouldn’t have to — young people are too often upheld as the ones who will save the world, but it’s a job that shouldn’t necessarily rest on their shoulders. In our recent cover marking 10 years since the tragedy at Sandy Hook, March for Our Lives co-founder Delaney Tarr wrote about the gun violence crisis in America: “[The youth activist industrial] complex puts the focus on…the individual vs. the system, the youth vs. everyone who should bear responsibility for this crisis. And at what cost?”

So, as you read about and celebrate these extraordinary young people who are, no doubt, doing their part to save the world, ask yourself how you can help. We’re in this together, after all.

Here are Teen Vogue’s 21 Under 21 2022:

. . . .

*********************

Read all about these talented, courageous, inspiring young people at the above link.

Hannah Cartwright
Hannah Cartwright
Executive Director & Immigration Attorney
Mariposa Legal Foundation
Indianapolis, IN
PHOTO: Mariposa Legal Foundation

Many thanks to the amazing Hannah Cartwright (“Hannah from Indiana”) for sharing this! Hannah is an “outstanding alum” of the Arlington Immigration Court Internship Program and a former EOIR Judicial Law Clerk, selected under the AG’s Honors Program! She’s a “charter member” of the NDPA, and has degrees from Catholic University in both law and social work. 

Hannah currently is Executive Director & Immigration Attorney at the Mariposa Legal Foundation in Indianapolis, IN, a program of COMMON Foundation. Look forward to seeing you on the Immigration Bench in the future, Hannah! Your “practical scholarship,” proven leadership, and real life experience assisting individuals caught up in the morass of today’s immigration bureaucracy are exactly what EOIR needs right now to fulfill the one-time vision of “through teamwork and innovation, being the world’s best administrative tribunals, guaranteeing fairness and due process for all!” ⚖️🗽

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever, & Best Wishes to All!

PWS🎄😎

12-25-22

😎🌮🍱🍝🍜 ANOTHER “FOOD DRIVEN” IMMIGRANT SUCCESS STORY!

La Cocina, a San Francisco-based nonprofit group, is helping low-income women and immigrants start their own food businesses. The 130 chef-owners receive support, including access to an industrial kitchen, to craft a recipe for a better life.

Oct. 20, 2022

Jay Gray reports for NBC Nightly News in this video:

https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/san-francisco-nonprofit-helping-chefs-in-need-to-build-their-own-businesses-151187013820

*********************

I loved the shot of 1950’s-style “boring American food!” As a “child of the 50’s,” so true! Also, reaffirms the “food-based approach” to promoting social justice!

Heck, I remember from my days at the BIA that the best way to get folks to show up for a meeting or event and be in a good mood to participate was to “put out the food.” I used to bring bagels to BIA en banc conferences. It often helped “lighten the mood,” even if it didn’t garner me enough votes to win very many of my “en banc legal battles!”

Some things that stand out:

  • Teamwork, skill, and cooperation;
  • The power of immigrant women;
  • Diversity and variety improving American food;
  • Investment in “human capital;”
  • Self-sufficiency;
  • Jobs and education for others;
  • Teaching and training for success.

I think there are “messages” here about the benefits of immigrants and how many of those arriving at our borders could be successfully integrated into, energize, and expand opportunities in communities in need throughout America.

For example, almost everyone agrees that there is a shortage of affordable, livable, attractive housing that is adversely affecting communities around the U.S. Why not invest in the hard work, creativity, skills, and initiative of arriving migrants to help address these problems and make life better for everyone? Expand the economy, expand the tax base, raise wages, solve problems, revitalize “hurting” communities! Decent jobs with a future and homes in the community might also help address the opioid and other substance abuse problems in many areas.

Rather than squandering money and resources on “sure to ultimately fail” “deterrence” strategies and counterproductive restrictions, detentions, and deportations, why not think about ways to 1) recognize the realities of human migration; and 2) harness and direct the undeniable power of that migration for everyone’s benefit?

Leaders of both parties seem “willfully blind” to the realities and benefits of migration in the 21st century. Could public-private partnerships be part of the answer? There must be some more “humane pragmatists” out here who are interested in actually solving problems, building on diversity, and doing things for the common good.

One promising initiative, brought to my attention by my long-time friend and former colleague Lori Scialabba, Specialist Executive at Deloitte Consulting, LLP, is Deloitte US’s recently announced “$1.5 Billion Social Impact Investment to Foster a More Equitable Society.” Read about it here: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/deloitte-us-announces-1-5-billion-social-impact-investment-to-foster-a-more-equitable-society-301633710.html.

Lori L. Scialabba
Lori L. Scialabba
Specialist Executive
Deloitte Consulting LLP
PHOTO: Deloitte

(Historical Footnote: I helped recruit Lori for the Honors Program when I was the Deputy General Counsel of the “Legacy INS.” Later, we were both BIA Members. Lori was one of my Vice Chairs — along with Mary Maguire Dunne — and eventually succeeded me as Chair before going on to a distinguished career as a Senior Executive at USCIS and then Deloitte.)

And, of course, we can and should build upon the extraordinary success of “our own” DMV immigrant entrepreneur Tea Ivanovic and her team over at Immigrant Food. Tea exemplifies the “power of food” and its fundamental connection to immigration, diversity, economic vitality, and social justice! I highlighted Tea’s success in a recent “Courtside” profile: https://immigrationcourtside.com/2022/09/10/🇺🇸🗽👍🏼-immigrant-nation-teas-truth-wisdom-americans-views-on-immigrants-and-immigration-are-overwhelmingly-positive/.

Tea Ivanovic
Tea Ivanovic
Director of Communications & Outreach
Immigrant Food
PHOTO: Immigrant Food

Congrats to the folks at La Cocina and to NBC News for featuring this great, thought-provoking, story!

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

10-21-22

🇺🇸🗽👍🏼 IMMIGRANT NATION: TEÃ’S TRUTH & WISDOM: “Americans’ views on immigrants and immigration are overwhelmingly positive. However some get swayed by some of the myths and misinformation that’s out there! One way that you can fight against this intolerance is to educate yourself on the topic!” — The Ever-Amazing Téa Ivanovic of Immigrant Foods is “Courtside’s Latest NDPA Hero 🦸‍♀️ Of The Day.”🎖😎🗽

Immigrant Food
The essence of life, food has been a unifying force throughout history. Téa Ivanovic and Immigrant Food are using it to welcome and unify America for social justice!
PHOTO: IF website

From the September Edition of Immigrant Food:

Editor’s Note – September

Dear Reader,

With November’s midterm elections just around the corner, immigration will (again) become a hot national topic. Is immigration really as controversial as America’s politicians want us to believe? In this month’s issue, we explore the question: “Do Americans Support Immigrants?”.

Official immigrants account for 14 percent (40 million people) of the US population, making them an integral part of American society. Immigrants have always been part of the American identity, contributing to the economy, creating employment, and molding America’s unique culture. After all, unless you’re native American, you or your family came from somewhere.

This month, we speak to Nazanin Ash, CEO of Welcome.US, an incredible new national initiative built to inspire, mobilize, and empower Americans from all corners to welcome and support those seeking refuge. We also spoke with people on the street to understand how real Americans think and feel about welcoming immigrants.

Hope you gain new insights,

Téa

Here’s the link to Téa’s latest great video, “Téa’s Coffee presents:  Are Americans Welcoming Immigrants?”

https://youtu.be/HCX5yIniTT4

******************

Get to know “Courtside’s NDPA Hero of the Day, Téa Ivanovic!”

Tea Ivanovic
Téa Ivanovic
Co-Founder, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Financial Officer, Director of Communications, “Chief Cook & Bottle Washer”
Immigrant Food
PHOTO: Immigrant Food

An immigrant herself, social justice dynamo Téa Ivanovic came roaring out of Virginia Tech only eight years ago and hasn’t looked back! No time for anything but moving forward and taking on new challenges! 

The former Hokie D-1 tennis player is busy leading, innovating, and using her amazingly broad liberal arts skill set to serve our DMV area and make America better! 

She’s a successful businesswoman, media presence, organizer, advocate, historian, ethicist, humanitarian, innovator, journalist, educator, practical scholar, foodie, sportswoman, financial manager, and all around cheerleader for the immigrant community of which she is a part! As you might expect, her omnipresent passion for life and community is tempered by a sense of humor, perspective, and self-awareness.

Tellingly, the themes for the Immigrant Food website and for their logo run heavily to “burnt orange and maroon” undoubtedly a product of her “Hokie heritage.”

Immigrant Food
“Hokie Nation” might get a certain nostalgic feeling when they visit the Immigrant Food website!

Téa’s a promotional icon for another one of my “crusades” — recognizing and nurturing the enduring value of liberal arts education in America.

That’s NOT the BS, “whitewashed” (in more ways than one) version of education promoted and foisted upon us by the far right and its highly motivated yet badly misguided acolytes, but rather the “real deal.” Honesty about our past, knowledge, applied scholarship, versatility, flexibility, communication, reasoning, debating, critical dialogue, problem solving, business acumen, financial skills, multiculturalism, language skills, agriculture (Tech is Virginia’s “land grant” college), moral courage, sports, scientific and environmental truth, leadership, compassion, creativity, artistry, humane values in action — Téa’s got all of this going on!  Folks, she’s the “complete package” – a one-woman “Liberal Artists’ Dream Team.”

Let’s start with first impressions. Clearly a powerful intellect — summa cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa, ACC All-Academic — Téa radiates energy, competence, creativity, personality, kindness, infectious enthusiasm, good humor. Some of it undoubtedly stems from her Hokie varsity tennis days where she also honed her competitiveness, sportsmanship, and performance skills. But, as I’m sure she did on the tennis court, Téa plays hard, to win, but respects the rules of the game.

Tea Tennis
A formidable presence on and off the court, Téa never achieved the athletic recognition of her Serbian almost namesake, Ana Inanovic, a former World #1. But, Téa is “World Class” in her own right. Somewhere, a whole bunch of Ivanovics must be really proud of their social justice prodigy!
PHOTO: coretennis.net

How dynamic, talented, and committed is Téa? Here’s the “lede” on her “official Immigrant Foods bio:”

Téa started as the hyper-talented head of communications for Immigrant Food, but as the pandemic took its toll, it became clear that she had to become Jack of all Trades. So she took on management.  And then took on operations.  And then took on financial responsibility.  So, she became the COO.

In other words, Téa awoke one day and decided “the best way I can help my organization and my team is by taking on the additional responsibility of Chief Operating Officer.” So she did it! No waffling or second thoughts about whether someone less than a decade out of college could pull off this stressful, yet rewarding, “high wire act!”

Tightrope
Walking a tightrope requires skill and courage. Téa’s never afraid of new challenges!
PHOTO: Creative Commons

Somewhere along the trip from Blacksburg to DC, Téa picked up a M.A. at Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). Born in Belgium, the daughter of former Yugoslavians, she’s fluent in English, Flemish, and Serbian. Téa describes herself as “an immigrant squared” (quite different from a “square immigrant,” which she certainly isn’t).

The first Washington correspondent for Bosnia and Herzogevina’s leading newspaper, Téa has worked at think tanks, written for various online publications, and been a researcher and fellow. She’s lived a lifetime, accomplished great things, undertaken new challenges, and helped lead the charge to blow away the myths and achieve social and legal justice for migrants and everyone else in America. Hers is a life already laser focused on her larger community, making the world better, and helping others!

Folks, Téa’s 30th birthday is still on the horizon! Her “full due process potential” is breathtaking, inspiring, encouraging, and reassuring (particularly for those of us “on the bell lap” of life’s journey, concerned for American’s future)!

Téa is confident, not arrogant or imperious. She’s just as comfortable interviewing some of the “movers and shakers” of the DC area about profound national issues as she is connecting with a recent immigrant working in a bistro about their American experience. And, despite her obvious love of the kitchen, I’m sure the immigrant Food books aren’t “cooked” with Téa as COO!

Immigrant Food
Mutual Support: Meet Immigrant Food’s Leadership: L-R, Mile Montezuma, Chef; Peter Schecter, Co- Founder; Enrique Limardo, Co-Founder & Executive Chef; Téa Ivanovic, Co-Founder & COO
PHOTO: IF website

You can keep up with Téa and her talented band of social justice/good food brothers and sisters by subscribing to Immigrant Food (“IF”) here:  https://immigrantfood.com/. 

Like “Courtside,” it’s free — making it one of the best bargains in a town not necessarily known for them! 

In addition to connecting you with some great local immigrant cuisine, IF also highlights local events and ways to connect with immigrants in the community.

Immigrant Food
Getting down to business, the food is tasty and tastefully presented!
PHOTOS: IF website

Immigrant Food

For example, each week, the “IF Team” shows you five ways to engage with the immigrant community. It might be through a donation, volunteering, or educating yourself about immigrant issues (Téa’s above video is a terrific example). 

There are so many ways you can make a difference! This week’s “Engagement Menu,” features volunteering, donating, and educational opportunities, like supporting the Afghan Adjustment Act! Something good is always “cooking in the kitchen” at IF! Téa Calls it “gastroadvocacy!” What a great concept!

Additionally, IF has partnered with five amazing immigrant justice NGOs in the DMV area: AsylumWorks, AYUDA, CAIR Coalition, APALRC, and CARECEN. Imagine having the expertise, kinetic energy, and social justice firepower of giants like Paula Fitzgerald (AYUDA), Joan Hodges Wu (AsylumWorks), Adina Appelbaum (CAIR Coalition, one of my “best ever” Georgetown Law “Refugee Law & Policy” alums), Laura Trask (AYUDA), Téa, and other immigrants’ rights advocates from these venerable organizations on your side. Truly, a “Social Justice Dream Team.”

As my Georgetown Law students know, I’m always “preaching”  about the “big five life values” — fairness, scholarship, timeliness, respect, and teamwork. Téa, and her equally spectacular colleagues at IF embody all of those. They inspire, energize, and show us how the “new generation” of the NDPA can make an immediate impact in the never-ending battle for social justice in America and help forge a better world.

Thinking like Téa.  Earlier this week, I highlighted the work of Beth Baker and United We Eat in Missoula, Montana.  Beth is another innovative thinker and doer creating “win-wins” for America! https://immigrationcourtside.com/2022/09/08/courtside-food%f0%9f%a5%99%f0%9f%8d%b1%f0%9f%a5%98%f0%9f%8c%ae%f0%9f%8d%9d-does-the-road-to-national-unity-go-through-our-stomachs-immigrant-kitchen-brings-missoula-montana-together/

Maybe it’s time to take “gastroadvocacy” to the next level: a nationwide network — call it the “Social Justice Food Network” (“SJFN”).

Get a YouTube channel! Create an app! Folks can hook up their mobile phones and “eat their way from coast to coast” while promoting unity and equal justice for all!

As somebody who still loves the “American road trip,” the idea of hitting the next roadside eatery where we can get good food (some vegan entrees, please), meet great immigrants, and chat with local folks about social justice is hyper-appealing! Outdoor seating and/or carryout for those of us traveling with our dogs would also be a huge plus!

Duncan
Duncan, pictured here on the outdoor patio are the Whale’s Tales Pub in Boothbay Harbor, loves road trips and outdoor seating!

Téa, thanks again from all your NDPA colleagues and friends for all you do! I hope that this “mini-profile” will inspire others to get to know you, either online or in person, and join your fight for a better America — one where the unfulfilled promise of “equal justice for all” will finally become a reality!

One thing’s for certain. Téa’s time on the front lines of the fight for social justice is just getting started. I can’t wait to find out what she has up her sleeve next! Whatever it is, I know that it will be creative, energetic, and dedicated to helping others.

There is no mountain that Téa and her team can’t climb. I’m just grateful that she and others like her have chosen to “throw in their lot” with the NDPA! Hats off to you, Téa, and other immigrants, past, present, and future, who “make” our nation!

Immigrant Food
The Team @ Immigrant Food serves up social justice and good grub!
PHOTO: IF website

If, indeed, “we are what we eat,” I encourage everyone to order up an extra big helping of social justice at Immigrant Food!

To close this circle, I started out to write a profile of my friend and NDPA colleague, Téa. By the time I finished, I had connected all kinds of dots from my own life (e.g., my dad was a physician at the student health center at Tech before Téa was born, and remained an avid Hokie fan till the end), my relationships with other NDPA colleagues, former students, NGOs that played a role in my life on and off the bench, public service, “gonzo journalism,” vegan eating, road trips, dogs, the future fight for social justice, and “the heart and soul of America.” That’s what makes the enlightened leadership of folks like Téa so special and generates optimism for a better, more just and unified, America for the future.

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

09-09-22

 

⚖️🗽SOCIAL JUSTICE SUNDAY @ COURTSIDE WITH PROF/REV CRAIG MOUSIN OF DEPAUL LAW — 1) Restore The Refugee Act Of 1980 To Functionality; 2) Let Young People Read — Enforce the 1st Amendment Against Far-Right Book Burners!🔥📚👩‍🚒

Craig Mousin

pastedGraphic.png

  • cmousin@depaul.edu
  • Ombudsperson
  • Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, Grace School of Applied Diplomacy

Craig Mousin has been the University Ombudsperson at DePaul since 2001. He received a BS from Johns Hopkins University, a JD from the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, and an M Div from Chicago Theological Seminary. He joined the College of Law faculty in 1990, and served as the Executive Director of the Center for Church/State Studies until 2001, Acting Director until 2003, and co-director from 2004–2007. Mousin co-founded and continues to participate in the Center’s Interfaith Family Mediation Program. He has taught in DePaul’s School of Continuing and Professional Studies, the Religious Studies Department, the Grace School of Applied Diplomacy, and the Peace, Justice and Conflict Studies program. He has also taught as an adjunct faculty member at the University of Illinois College of Law and Chicago Theological Seminary .

Prior to DePaul, he began practicing labor law at Seyfarth, Shaw, Fairweather & Geraldson in 1978. In 1984, Mousin founded and directed the Midwest Immigrant Rights Center, a provider of legal assistance to refugees which has since become the National Immigrant Justice Center. He also directed legal services for Travelers & Immigrants Aid between 1986 and 1990. The United Church of Christ ordained him in 1989. At that time, Wellington Avenue U.C.C. called him as an Associate Pastor. He was a founding co-pastor of the DePaul Ecumenica l Gathering (1996-2001). Mousin serves as a Life Trustee of the Chicago Theological Seminary. In addition, he is a member of the Leadership Council of the National Immigrant Justice Center, a member of the Leadership Council of the Marjorie Kovler Center for Survivors of Torture, a former President and member of the Board of the Eco-Justice Collaborative, and a former President and Board member of the Immigration Project of downstate Illinois. Mousin is a current member of the ABA Dispute Resolution Section Ombuds Committee. 

Craig writes:

Comment: Paul,

You might be interested in a short interview I did with Chicago FOX news on World Refugee Day. I tied the celebration in with the honoring of Juneteenth. See:

https://nam10.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fox32chicago.com%2Fvideo%2F1083587&data=05%7C01%7CCMOUSIN%40depaul.edu%7C657c113c57fc4b47977008da54895361%7C750d3a3f1f464da28a647605e75ea2f9%7C0%7C0%7C637915246031565627%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=R4WzOvpSp5k92DO8NgWD2IQjGyHBoEyq7krkBY82ESY%3D&reserved=0

Also, I do not know if you subscribe to my podcast, Lawful Assembly, but my last post tied together censorship of books in public schools with anti-immigrant sentiments. You can listen at:

https://lawfulassembly.buzzsprout.com/1744949/10803534-episode-27-stop-the-burning

All the best,

Craig

***********************

Thanks, Craig, for all you do. 

Today’s WashPost Outlook Section contained a highly relevant article by author Dave Eggers about how far-right zealots — many with no real stake in our public schools — have taken over at local levels and apply extreme censorship — even to books and concepts that have been successfully and routinely taught for years. https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2022/06/24/dave-eggers-book-bans-south-dakota/

In this case, it’s driving experienced teachers who believe in truth, freedom, and individual rights to flee in droves. So, what we’re really seeing is a shocking “dumbing down” of American education, libraries, and public discourse driven by far right fear-mongers seeking to impose their lack of values and intolerance on others.

We have seen this week how far-right activist extremists, from the Supremes to local politicians and school boards, have elevated guns that kill while gutting the individual rights to free speech, equal protection,  and fundamental fairness guaranteed by the 1st, 5th, and 14th Amendments. 

Justice Clarence Thomas is certainly a horrible jurist. But, in this instance he might be the only honest GOP appointee on the Supremes. 

When Thomas says that immigrants’ human rights, gay rights, right to conception, marriage rights and most other meaningful individual rights guaranteed by the Constitution are on the chopping block, progressives had better believe him. Remember how “leaving things to the states” worked out for African Americans and other minorities attempting to exercise their fundamental rights, even after the Civil War and the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments. And, remember all those paeons to precedent and “not to worry” about Roe statements under oath from GOP Supremes’ candidates before they actually took their seats on the Court and started scheming to undo abortion rights for political, not legal, reasons!

“Social Justice Warriors” like Craig have been fighting the good fight for decades. But, at this point, it’s going to depend on the NDPA and other young progressive groups to take on the extremist right at the ballot box and to take back their individual rights — really all of our individual rights.

Otherwise, they will find themselves as a disempowered counterculture, hiding out and trying to keep ahead of Ray Bradbury’s firemen in Fahrenheit 451!

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-26-22

📚🙏🏽⚖️ EDUCATION/RELIGION/SOCIAL JUSTICE — FROM LAWRENCE UNIVERSITY REUNION 2022 — AN INVOCATION FOR OUR TIMES — REV. SCOTT W. ALEXANDER (LU ’71) — “And let us refuse to abrogate what we learn here – that truth matters…that all people have inherent worth and dignity…and that together (with wisdom and goodwill) we can build a social order of decency, inclusion, justice and hope.”

Located on bluffs above the mighty and historic Fox River in Appleton, Wisconsin, on the ancestral homelands of the Menominee and Ho-Chunk people, Lawrence University was founded in 1847 as the second coeducational college in America and the first in Wisconsin! Today, approximately 1,500 Lawrentians attend one of America’s leading liberal arts colleges!

INVOCATION

Reunion convocation Lawrence University Saturday, June18 –11AM
Rev. Scott W. Alexander – Class of 1971

Dear Spirit of life and love – that holy-yet- fragile presence which animates and informs this troubled world of ours, and constantly tries to lure us toward goodness, compassion and truth — be with us this hour as we remember and recommit to the highest principles and purposes of this institution.

The Motto of Lawrence University – this treasured institution that helped shape our lives and give meaning to our work in this world – is”VERITASESTLUX[Veritas-est-lucks]”-

Latin (of course) for “Truth Is light.1

Simple, right?…The light of Truth will show us the way to our best human selves, and a rational, just and humane world.

Maybe…but in these complicated times, truth itself (and all the intellectual. scientific and moral standards that underpin it) are dangerously up for grabs.

Sadly, our culture is now on the tragic cusp of becoming a rudderless “POST-TRUTH SOCIETY”…where everything Lawrence University stands for– truth, reason, critical thinking, discernment and progress — are no longer self-evident, or the dominant modes of thinking and discourse. This time we live in is polluted by rampant disinformation, gaslighting, conspiracy theories, sinister deceptions, and outright lies. In such a dangerous environment, this University becomes “counter-culture” when it insists on clear and rigorous intellectual and moral standards…and a reliance of facts and data — rather than revisionist history or one’s “personal” truths.

Let us then, on this day and all days to follow, defend and honor the values and commitments upon which this University stands. And let us refuse to abrogate what we learn here – that truth matters…that all people have inherent worth and dignity…and that together (with wisdom and goodwill) we can build a social order of decency, inclusion, justice and hope.

Amen

 

*************************

Rev. Alexander also received the George B. Walter ’36 Service to Society Award. Afterward, he was kind enough to share the “delivery copy” of his Invocation with me for publication here.

Here’s his bio from the Lawrence University Alumni Office:

Scott Alexander ’71

Head shot of Scott Alexander '71
Scott Alexander ’71

Alexander, of Vero Beach, Florida, has been an ordained minister with Unitarian Universalist congregations and has served in numerous UU leadership roles over the past four-plus decades. He travels widely, speaking, preaching, and offering in-depth workshops on a variety of UU and faith-related subjects. He has authored or edited five books as part of his UU ministry, covering topics ranging from affirming LGBTQ inclusion to AIDS resources to everyday spiritual practices.

A student-athlete while at Lawrence, Alexander continues to enjoy endurance events. The former marathoner has now completed four coast-to-coast charity bike rides that have raised more than $150,000.

Along the lines of Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address, “Rev. Scott” shows that you can say a lot without speaking a lot! That’s one of the many, many benefits of a liberal arts education and a reason for promoting diversity and expansion of availability within the liberal arts educational “model.”

Folks at the reunion had excelled and given back to society in a mind-bogglingly wide range of fields — from farming to art, business, medicine, biophysics, law, religion, entertainment, healing, craft brewing, real estate, library science, journalism, philosophy, aviation, military service, religion, pet services, language learning, writing, working with vets, law enforcement, music, hospitality, civil service, child care, elder care, social work, philanthropy, deaf services, performing arts, administration, economics, international understanding, finance, environmental protection, and almost everything in between.

One of my classmates had been through 22 different jobs in 50 years since we graduated and contributed, learned, and grew in every one of them! Talk about flexibility and being prepared to find meaning in anything life throws your way! Another earned my “vote for God” through her consistently positive view of life, intellectual creativity, and ability to combine them in a never-ending quest for spiritual healing of those, like vets and abused populations, suffering from severe trauma!

I had lunch with two stars of the “new generation” who — 15 years out — were inspiring a diverse groups of younger Americans — including Native Americans — as teachers in secondary and higher education. One was a former student of my son-in-law (now a Professor at Beloit College), showing how interconnected we all are!

In the words of Rev. Scott, we all worked to promote a “society of decency, inclusion, justice and hope.” I wish I could say the job is done. But, obviously it isn’t. Despite our efforts, there has been disheartening backsliding and regression in the fight for truth over lies, justice over bias, and humanity over hate!

We “50+ Reunionists” are fighters and “applied idealists.” We will never stop battling for our values!

But, we are also imperfect humans and realists. We must accept our human mortality and rely on the upcoming generation (“the NDPA”) to complete the job we inevitably will leave as a “work in progress.” Ultimately, whether truth, light, and human dignity; or lies, vile myths, hate, and intentional dehumanization, triumph will be up to them and their vision of the world in which they will live and leave to future generations!

The forces of darkness and illiberality alluded to by Rev. Scott are present, energized, and determined to thwart justice and human progress. Triumphing over them and “lighting the world with truth” will take constant, concerted, inspired, and never-ending energy and effort!

I am a proud LU ’70 graduate. My wife Cathy (Piehl) Schmidt is LU ’69. Our daughter Anna Patchin Schmidt is LU ’06.

 🇺🇸🗽⚖️ Due Process Forever!

PWS

06-22-22

But, wait, there’s more!

Lawrence University Class of 1970: Five generations out and still going strong! — From one turbulent time in America to another!

 

Rev. John Fease (LU ‘70), one of Appleton’s most passionate advocates for social justice, talking with retired librarian Walter Stitt (LU ‘70), John Kaufman (LU ‘67), and LU Athletic Hall of Famer, former coach, and well-known pottery artist Rich Agnes (LU ‘67). I dubbed Rev. Fease “Appleton’s Mr. Condom” for his leadership and tireless work on behalf of Planned Parenthood!
LU Alums gather for the “Parade of the Classes.”
Class of ‘70 buddies for life (l-r) Dr. Sue Mahle, Mary Freeman Borgh, Martha Esch Schott, Class Secretary Extraordinaire Phyllis Russ Pengelly, and Emeritus LU Trustee Jeff “Ralph” Riester share some good times, past and present.
Generations confabbing at Brat Picnics are a Lawrence tradition (mine, of course, was totally “plant based”). Carolyn Grieco (LU ‘08) is bringing truth and light to new generations as a Spanish teacher in Antioch, Illinois! You can actually see “the light of Lawrence” shining above us through the campus tree canopy! Lawrence currently is leading the way among institutions of higher learning in sustainable energy and renewable resources!

📖🗽 BOOKS ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE:  Introducing “Aaliyah The Brave” By NDPA Superstar Rekha Sharma-Crawford, Esquire!

Aaliyah The Brave
Aaliyah The Brave

 

Available Now In English & Spanish!

 

English: Barnes & Noble and Amazon & Spanish: Barnes & Noble and Amazon

A portion of the proceeds will be going to The Clinic at SCAL, the National Immigration Project, and National Immigration Litigation Alliance

Alliance

I’m scared! What happens now?”

When immigration officials come to Aaliyah’s home and take her father, she and her family find themselves coping with a variety of emotions. As they prepare themselves for the legal proceedings in Immigration Court, Aaliyah realizes how brave she is, and the family realizes how important communication about what is happening helps to empower her.

Designed as a resource for parents, teachers, social workers, advocates, and lawyers, Aaliyah The Brave helps readers understand the impact immigration enforcement can have on children and what emotions children may feel in the aftermath.

Reviews

“Rekha’s book makes a much-needed contribution in relating, in a first-personal way, the destructive impact immigration enforcement has on children’s lives. It will hopefully help create more space for kids to verbalize and make sense of their own experiences with the confusing and oppressive system that is such a big part of their families’ journeys.”

Sirine Shebaya

Executive Director, National Immigration Project of the National Lawyers Guild

“Aaliyah the Brave is a story of resilience and an amazing tool for any adult that wants to start a difficult conversation with their child but does not know how. Immigration and family separation is a reality that we can no longer ignore. The book’s author does an incredible job at teaching the public about the process while encouraging open communication and emotional validation within the family unit.”

Dr. Marina G. Villani Capó

Bilingual Clinical Psychologist at a children’s hospital, Miami, FL

“Aaliyah The Brave is a much-needed and inspiring story for children impacted by the harsh reality of our immigration laws. Parents, attorneys, adjudicators, and all adults involved in our immigration system can help children like Aaliyah process their feelings when faced with separation from a loved one. Sharma-Crawford’s story is a thoughtful, accurate portrayal of what many families face, and demonstrates that even the youngest members of the family can benefit from honest and compassionate communication through uncertain times.”

Dalia Castillo-Granados

Immigration Attorney and Advocate

“Aaliyah the Brave is an intimate narrative on the delicate nature of legal status in America. The story offers a simple yet thought-provoking conversation starter to build empathy for the children facing these issues and the community around them.”

Jee Hae Lee

Teacher, NYC Department of Education

“The story of a little girl who finds great courage in the face of unspeakable hardship, AALIYAH THE BRAVE is a go-to resource for parents, lawyers, and teachers helping children process the pain of family separation and immigration enforcement.”

Valarie Kaur

Civil rights leader and author of SEE NO STRANGER: A MEMOIR AND MANIFESTO OF REVOLUTIONARY LOVE

ABOUT REKHA SHARMA-CRAWFORD, ESQUIRE:

Rekha Aharma-Crawford
Rekha Sharma-Crawford ESQUIRE
Partner and Co-Founder Sharma-Crawford Law
Kansas City, KS

Rekha Sharma-Crawford is a nationally recognized, award-winning, attorney and advocate for immigrant families and children. She represents clients across the United States but calls Kansas City home. More information about her practice can be found at Sharma-Crawford.com

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My friend Rekha Sharma-Crawford is an award winning human rights attorney (“a fiery advocate”), educator, author, and parent. I recently had the pleasure of working with Rekha, my Round Table colleagues Judges Lory D. Rosenberg and Sue Roy, and a cast of outstanding instructors at the Sharma-Crawford Clinic Immigration Trial College (a/k/a “The Litigation Boot Camp”) in Kansas City, KS, April 28-30, 2022.

At a time when there is far, far too much talk about intentional cruelty, exclusion, dehumanization, and rejection of the “most vulnerable” (and often the bravest) among us, this book is a welcome and refreshing change!

🇺🇸 Due Process Forever!

PWS

05-30-22

⚖️🗽NDPA: PAULINA VERA AMONG HEADLINERS AT GW LAW “SOCIAL IMPACT SHOWCASE”

  May 12th Showcase Flyer_No reception.png

 

 

2_Immigration Lawyers Saving lives and Reuniting Families.png

 

Registration link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/immigration-lawyers-saving-lives-and-reuniting-families-registration-317886315527

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Congrats to all concerned!

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

05-08-22

 

 

🏀SPORTS/SOCIAL JUSTICE🗽 — He’s Won More Games Than Any Other, Including 5 NBA Championships, & Coached Some Of The All-Time Greats — But Some Of Gregg Popovich’s Greatest Achievements Go Beyond The Court — His Consistent Outspoken Advocacy For Social Justice & An End To Racism In America!

Etan Thomas
Etan Thomas
Etan Thomas played in the NBA from 2000 through 2011. He is a published poet, activist and motivational speaker
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich
NBA Head Coach
San Antonio Spurs, 1996 ——

 

 

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2022/mar/12/gregg-popovich-legacy-ally-activism-injustice-racism?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Etan Thomas in The Guardian:

. . . .

In 2017, Popovich spoke at length at Spurs media day about systemic racism and politics, saying the country under Trump had become “an embarrassment to the world”: “Obviously, race is the elephant in the room and we all understand that. Unless it is talked about constantly, it’s not going to get better. Why do we have to talk about that?’ Well, because it’s uncomfortable. There has to be an uncomfortable element in the discourse for anything to change.

“The disgusting tenure and tone and all the comments … have been xenophobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic. I live in a country where half the people ignored that to elect someone.”

Asked to reflect on the life of Dr Martin Luther King Jr and race relations in the country, part of Popovich’s answer focused on the country’s leadership.

“It seems like a lot of roll back in that regard, especially as we look at the race situation in our country. Everybody wants to forget about it but it should be there, front and center, constantly,” Popovich said.

“Race is still the unanswered dilemma that everyone continues to ignore. Dr. King did not ignore it, and it’s a big fear now that we have a group in power that is very willing to ignore it. It’s not just with their words, but their actions prove it, and that is scary.”

Now. Coach Popovich wasn’t the first and definitely won’t be the last in sports to verbally spank the former US president or call out the blatant and the prevailing racism and bigotry that is currently running rampant not only throughout the Republican Party but America as a whole, yet he’s certainly one of the most important and unique for a number of reasons:

1) Coach Popovich is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and works in a military town.

2) The aforementioned standard that he and the Spurs organization has set would appear to be in direct opposition to his public chastisement of the America.

3) Coach Popovich was making these statements in the ultra-red state of Texas, arguably the most conservative of the conservative states based on the state legislature and the congressional delegation, one that has voted Republican in 10 straight presidential elections and saw 52.6% of voters punch for Trump.

. . . .

Coach Popovich said that it’s up to white people to call out racism no matter what the consequences and didn’t even really receive any backlash for his comments, not even in an ultra-conservative place like Texas. And that’s what makes him unique and special. Yes, Popovich’s coaching milestone is historic and worthy of celebration, but his activism off the court will endure longer as the standard for all white people who truly want to be allies in this fight against racism and white supremacy.

*********************

Read the full article at the link.

Many congrats to Coach Popovich on his coaching milestone! He did it all with one team, the San Antonio Spurs, making him the longest-tenured Head Coach not only in the NBA but in contemporary American sports!

😎 Due Process Forever!

PWS

03-14-22

🇺🇸🗽⚖️NDPA VIRTUAL OPPORTUNITY: Meet Rising Superstar 🌟  & Social Justice Advocate Denea Joseph, Current Ousley Social Justice Resident @ Beloit College — Friday, Sept. 17 @ 7:00 PM CDT — FREE Virtual Link Here!

Of interest? You can join virtually.

———- Forwarded message ———

From: Atiera Lauren Coleman <colemana@beloit.edu>

Date: Wed, Sep 8, 2021 at 3:10 PM

Subject: [EVENT] Ousley Residency: All Black Lives Matter: Black Immigrants and the Immigrants’ Rights Movement

To: <facstaff@lists.beloit.edu>

Ousley Residency Keynote Speaker

Denea Joseph

Friday, September 17, 7:00 PM – In-person & Virtual – (Add to Google Calendar)

BTYB – Student Success, Equity, and Community and the Weissberg Program in Human Rights & Social Justice

The Office of Student Success, Equity & Community Ousley Scholar In Residency honors the legacy of Grace Ousley, the first black woman to graduate from Beloit College. It is a junior scholar/activist/organizer/intellectual committed to the theory and practice of social justice. They should embody the “academic hustler” who fights for “social justice” in all aspects of their work. Support for the residency comes from the Weissberg Program in Human Rights and Social Justice and the Office of Student Success. Equity & Community.

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Event Details

Date: Friday, September 17, 2021

Time: 7:00 PM -8:30 PM

How to attend

In-person – Weissberg Auditorium – Powerhouse

Virtual – Join Zoom Meeting  https://beloit.zoom.us/j/81172664933

 

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This promises to be a great program! And, the Ousley Residence Program is a fantastic contribution to educating and inspiring new generations of Americans about the many challenges still facing us in achieving social justice in our nation.

The abrogation of due process and dehumanization of people of color has, outrageously, become part of the dysfunctional U.S. Immigration Court System. The last Administration specifically encouraged and promoted this ugly, anti-democracy, phenomenon and then used it to spearhead an all-out assault on racial justice, gender equality, LGBTQ rights, religious tolerance, economic progress, voter rights, and humane progressive values throughout American society.

Unfortunately, many progressives have been slow to “connect the dots” and insist that meaningful social justice change start with fixing the racial and gender bias problems in our Immigration Courts, tribunals that are under the complete control of the Biden Administration!

For example, current Attorney General Merrick Garland rather incredibly claims to be standing up for women’s rights in Texas and defending voting rights for minorities while continuing to run misogynistic, regressive “Star Chambers” at EOIR, staffed with many judges hand-selected by Jeff Sessions and Billy Barr, and tossing vulnerable women refugees of color back across our Southern Border into harm’s way without any “process” at all, let alone “Due Process of Law.” Garland also continues to enable human rights abuses in the “New American Gulag” of DHS civil detention! We can see this process of dehumanization of the “other” before the law, called “Dred Scottification” by many of us, spreading throughout our legal system and being endorsed and “normalized” all the way up to the Supremes.

From the summary in the announcement above, it appears that Denea, based on her own inspiring life and achievements as a “Dreamer,” will help us to “connect the dots” between racial justice, immigrant justice, and equal justice for all. Immigrants’ Rights = Human Rights = Everyone’s Rights!

🇺🇸Due Process Forever!

PWS

09-09-21