Are You Registered?

If you intend to vote in November’s general election and have not yet registered to vote, don’t miss out on your opportunity! Today, October 5, is the final day to register, but we at the Harris County Law Library have got you covered with a list of resources that can help you get that done.

Harris County Tax Assessor - If you are a Harris County resident, visit the website of the Harris County Tax Assessor. There, you will find information about eligibility requirements, ways to confirm your registration status, and ways to obtain a voter registration application.

VoteTexas.gov - Texas residents can confirm their voter registration status and learn how to register to vote, if they haven’t already done so on the VoteTexas.gov website from the Texas Secretary of State.

Vote411.org - The League of Women Voters Education Fund has created Vote411.org, a website that provides personalized voting information and voting information by state. It even has checklists for first-time voters.

Don't miss out on the chance to exercise your right to vote in the November 3rd election. Take part in democracy because #votingmatters. Register today!

I Have a Dream

Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. — Martin Luther King, Jr., March on Washington, August 28, 1963

The organizations linked below feature information and resources about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his life, and his legacy. Today, on the anniversary of Dr. King’s famous I Have a Dream Speech, 100,000 demonstrators are expected to gather at the footsteps of the Lincoln Memorial for the 2020 National Action Network Commitment March. View the live stream of the event here.

Americans With Disabilities Act at 30

Image by pixabay.com/users/renma-3345397/

Legend has it that a radical group of young disabled activists, known as the Rolling Quads, took to the streets of Berkeley, California, in the early 1970s to create, alongside their attendants, cut curb access for wheelchairs. They smashed existing curbs with sledgehammers and poured concrete ramps to create DIY cutaways on heavily traveled street corners in and around the UC Berkeley campus. Like all good legends, the details of the story are part fact and part fiction -- the myth of midnight commandos wielding hammers and concrete is probably a bit exaggerated -- but the folklore surrounding this spirited group of determined activists only helps solidify their reputation today as pioneers in the civil rights movement for people with disabilities.

Catalysts like the Rolling Quads (which included Ed Roberts and Hale Zukas) and many other disability rights advocates fought for legislation throughout the 1960s and 1970s that would protect the interests of people with disabilities in achieving equality, opportunity, justice, and inclusion. The efforts of these determined individuals led ultimately to the passage on the Americans with Disabilities Act on July 26, 1990.

Sunday marks the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Act, and in recognition of the occasion, the Harris County Law Library is providing a list of recommended resources that explore the history of disability rights in this country, the impact of the ADA during its first 30 years, and the ongoing role it plays in ensuring equal access for all people. Additional links of interest are included at the end.  

HISTORY

• Timeline of the Americans with Disabilities Act – ADA National Network

• The Americans with Disabilities Act: A Brief Overview — Job Accommodation Network

• The History of the Americans with Disabilities Act: A Movement Perspective – Disability Rights and Education Defense Fund

• Why I wrote the Americans with Disabilities Act by Robert L. Burgdorf Jr. -- Washington Post

FUTURE

• The ADA at 30: Beyond the Law’s Promise – New York Times

  • This series explores how the Americans With Disabilities Act has shaped modern life for people with disabilities in the 30 years since it was passed.

• ADA: The Next 30 Years of Disability Rights – Ford Foundation

VOICES

• Demystifying Disability – Call Your Girlfriend (Podcast)

  • Two writers who also both have physical disabilities describe the planning and preparation in their daily lives and provide resources for people without disabilities who want to learn more and grow as allies and friends.

• After 30 Years, How Has The ADA Helped You? – NPR

  • Morning Edition wants to collect stories from people within the disability community about how the legislation has impacted their lives — however generally or specifically. Stories could be used on air or online.

After the Moratorium: National Eviction Resources and Data

Image by https://pixabay.com/users/Clker-Free-Vector-Images-3736/

A provision of the CARES Act which has, so far, protected millions of people from losing their housing, is set to expire on July 25, 2020. Potentially, many residents of Harris County (and the rest of the nation) could be facing eviction. In response to the need for reliable information about housing instability, we’ve posted a number of helpful resources in this blog. In May, we wrote about the eviction moratoria issued at the federal and state levels, and in June, we provided links to information and self-help tools from Texas Law Help and Lone Star Legal Aid for those at risk of losing their homes. Now we are offering a bird’s eye view of eviction across our country, providing links to resources that present both national and state-by-state data.

• As Protections Expire, Millions Of Americans Face Threats Of Eviction – NPR Morning Edition, July 21, 2020 (Audio)

  • 6-minute nutshell interview with Matt Desmond, author of Evicted and founder of the Princeton Eviction Lab

• STOUT interactive eviction tool -- Developed by Stout Risius Ross, LLC (STOUT) with input from National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel (NCCRC)

  • Provides access to data on estimated number of tenants experiencing rental shortfalls along with data showing tenant confidence levels in their ability to pay next month’s rent.       

• COVID-19 Housing Policy Scorecard – Princeton Eviction Lab

  • See the list of additional COVID-19 housing resources and tools built by other organizations

• COVID-19 Protections for Homeless Populations -- National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty

  • See compiled list of COVID-19 Resources on Housing Alternatives

• Eviction Moratorium Maps – Regional Housing Legal Services (RHLS)

  • Presents a graphic visualization of moratoria in effect in each state, at each phase of eviction

• Federal Eviction Moratoriums — National Low Income Housing Coalition

  • Searchable database and map allow some renters to identify if their home is covered by the CARES Act eviction moratoriums

• Just Shelter

  • Identifies organizations that preserve affordable housing, prevent eviction, and reduce family homelessness; Presents personal eviction stories

• The Scarlet E: Unmasking America’s Eviction Crisis – On the Media (Audio)

  • A four-part series on the “eviction epidemic” in this country; Hosted by Brooke Gladstone

21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge ©

During this time of social unrest and cultural awakening, many people — historians, social scientists, celebrities, and other high-profile figures — are recommending collections of books, films, essays, podcasts, websites, and more that explore the lived experiences of Black Americans. These carefully curated lists examine racial tensions in this country, both past and present.

While these recommended resources are helpful and informative, they are best understood in context. To provide this frame of reference, the ABA Section of Labor and Employment Law has issued a challenge, The 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge. Diversity expert Eddie Moore, Jr. formulated the idea for this Challenge “to advance deeper understandings of the intersections of race, power, privilege, supremacy and oppression.” It consists of 21 assignments that examine elements of Black history, identity and culture, and the Black community’s experience of racism in America. It is designed to “assist each of us to become more aware, compassionate, constructive, engaged people in the quest for racial equity.”

The Challenge officially began on June 17, 2020, but the syllabus is posted on the ABA website and openly accessible to the public at any time. Anyone who is interested is encouraged to explore. If you wish to be recognized for participating in the challenge, please send a message to the LEL Section office. Your name will added to a roster of colleagues also taking part.