Juneteenth - History in the Making

*** UPDATE: 3rd Annual Acres Homes Juneteenth Parade will be on Saturday, June 22, beginning at 10:00 a.m.  The Parade will start at the Acres Homes Multiservice Center, 6719 W. Montgomery, head north on W. Montgomery, turn left on Dolly Wright and then end at Greater Zion Missionary Baptist Church, 1620 Dolly Wright. The parade route is approximately 1. 4 miles and the majority of the route will be along West Montgomery which will be closed during the duration of the parade. You don’t want to miss it! Come out and join us and e-mail me at: cindy@rogenecalvert.com 

Juneteenth. June 19th. The day that slaves in Texas found out they were freed....two and half years after Pres. Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.

Slow, how news traveled back then. Or maybe deliberately so, considering nowadays a young maverick can bike across the U.S. in a matter of months and a horse and station wagon back then could have delivered the news earlier.

Today, I'm proud to be celebrating the achievements of communities across the U.S. After a long fought battle for civil rights, more public officials are running for office that reflect the diversity of this great nation. I do hope we elect more females into office, especially since they make up over half of the U.S. population!

So walking in last weekend's Juneteenth Parade to Emancipation Park (the first public park in the state of Texas) meant a lot to me.

1. The history of the U.S. is so unique and I'm a proponent of human rights and cross-racial collaborations. As one of the few (i.e. one of three) Asian Americans in the parade, I felt like all communities should recognize and celebrate Juneteenth, the inception of freedom for all Texans.

 

 

 

 

2. Walking in 100 degree heat, cheering "Vote for..." "ROGENE!", and bringing two of my friends to volunteer tested my commitment to this campaign. Drenched in sweat by the end of the 12 block walk, I could only reflect on the whole spectrum of what it means to be working on a political campaign. One day, you're researching organizations, writing memos, and prepping the candidate for interviews. The next, you're in t-shirts and shorts and bringing out the "inner cheerleader" in you. 

 

May Juneteenth inspire you to strive for greatness...with liberty and justice for all.

First Week: Deja Vu

My first week in the campaign office felt like my first week working for an actual City Council Member. It's quite fitting that "Rogene the Candidate" acts a whole lot like "Rogene the City Council Member."

 

 

 

 

While in college I interned in an At-Large, Houston City Council Office and was immediately assigned to 1) look at city maps 2) write memos that research into specific city programs 3) look at the City Budget. On top of that, I also staffed the Council Member on meetings and evening events.

 

Now, it's like déjà vu -- 1) I'm mapping out all of her contacts across the city (thanks Google Maps!) 2) I'm researching different organizations that she'll interview for endorsements 3) I'm getting familiar with the City Budget.

Self-fulfilling prophecy, eh? 

 

But what's more inspiring is that "Rogene the Candidate" is also "Rogene the Community Activist."

  
 

Texas: It's All About the Maps

 Outside of the campaign trail, she continues her work with the community as part of the Texas Asian American Redistricting Initiative. On Wednesday, she and I went to University of Houston to attend a public hearing organized by the Texas House of Representatives Select Committee on Redistricting.

 

 

Governor Rick Perry announced a Special Legislative Session to discuss the maps outlined for the Texas House, Senate, and U.S. Congressional Districts. Check out this article about the controversy of the maps that required the U.S. Department of Justice and the D.C. Courts to intervene per the Voting Rights Act.

The Interim Maps (used as a placeholder for last year's elections...now the Texas Legislature will either approve it permanently or use another map)

 

Rogene testified before the Select Committee on  Redistricting about the need to create more "opportunity districts" based on the changing demographics of our state.

 

I felt like I was witnessing a bit of history, especially since redistricting happens every decade after the Census, and it's still going on in 2013. My professors often mentioned Texas, particularly with the issues of race, partisan politics, and redistricting. Those debates in ethics class can come in handy at a time like this.

 

Public Private Partnerships

I have a feeling Rogene will be adept at this endeavor, especially after finishing her term as President of the Asian Chamber of Commerce. I volunteered to staff the event and watched her mingle with a diverse crowd of entrepreneurs.  

 

 

The luncheon featured a guest speaker from Major League Baseball, discussing opportunities to gain vendor contracts with each individual team, including our own Houston Astros.

 

 

Leading Ladies: past president Rogene Gee Calvert, and current president, Linda Toyota, of the Asian Chamber of Commerce

 

 

 

Ready, Set, Go: Rogene Gee Calvert's Campaign Kick-Off!

Rogene Gee Calvert: Together for 

Houston

A microcosm of the City of Houston. That's how I would describe the crowd gathering for Rogene Gee Calvert's campaign kick-off at the Houston Garden Center for her bid for Houston City Council, At-Large 3. 


After being away from my hometown for grad school, I came back to a reunion of sorts, seeing folks from all of Rogene's communities. 

• As former President of the Asian Chamber of Commerce, she drew in local business owners. 
• As co-founder and former board president of HOPE Clinic, a federally qualified health clinic in Southwest Houston, she drew in the public health crowd. 
• And finally, she spent 10 years working at City Hall. As former Director of Volunteer Initiatives and Personnel under Houston Mayor Bill White, she drew in me. 

I met Rogene when I was in high school and participated in the Mayor's Youth Council. Rogene was the director and led us on hosting our own town hall meetings. Now it's time for her to lead a City Council meeting by claiming a seat at the table. This blog will detail the trials and triumphs of a grad student working on a local political campaign. 

Rogene's family supporting her every step of the way. 

Special thanks to the Women and Public Policy Program at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government for making my summer immersion in local politics possible.