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Amigxs,
This summer has been nonstop with our efforts to push back against the suppressive legislation that has been brought forward in the Texas Legislature’s two special sessions. These efforts have included restrictive voter suppression bills, attacks on Black, Brown, Asian, and Indigenous history, and more.
It has been a long and arduous summer, but the fight is not over. We still need your help in calling, emailing, and making our voices heard, even as this second special session winds down. Those in power are desperately doing all they can to cling onto the power they hold, but together we can stand against those efforts and push back to help build a better future for all of us in this state. Stay tuned for specifics on what you can do to help.
In the meantime, if you want to stay up to date on all things happening within the Jolt Action network, be sure to follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and TikTok (yes, we’re on TikTok!). Juntos en la lucha, Team Jolt.
Thank to all of the inspiring, amazing Latinx folks for applying to Cohort 1 of Levantate Leadership Institute. We’re finishing out Cohort 1 today, and we can’t wait to end this first cohort on a high note. Missed the deadline this time? No worries. You can apply for Levantate Leadership Institute’s Cohort 2 starting on September 6th! Stay tuned for info!
¿Sabias que: According to Demos (2016), 85 percent of Latinos in America support returning to the days when students could pay for college by working part-time, and not take on debt. We would definitely have to agree.
At that time, many students did not need to take out student loans and could pay their semester’s tuition with part-time wages, which then were closer to the cost of a livable wage. As inflation and cost of living began to rise, college tuition rates began gouging by the thousands.
In the academic year of 1976-1977, four year public colleges on average charged $2,577 for an entire year of tuition, room, and board for their students. Compare that to current University of Texas at Austin students, who could pay $14,447 for a single semester including costs of tuition, room and board, books, supplies, and personal expenses. Many part-time workers make less than $20,000 yearly, making many public four-year colleges like University of Texas at Austin utterly unaffordable.
There are many steps that need to be taken to close the gap between Latino and white students in higher education. One of the first steps that must be taken is making public four-year universities more affordable. What do you think about these outrageous prices? Let us know what you think.
Texas Legislature working to make final changes to elections bill (KXAN) – The Texas Legislature on Friday night is working to make final changes to a bill that would change voting laws in the state.
Booming Texas population growth, demographic changes set stage for redistricting battle (Dallas Morning News) – Statewise, Latinos now comprise 39% of the population, almost matching the percentage of non-Hispanic whites.
Rhodes Scholar heading to Oxford after DACA uncertainty(Yahoo News) – The first “Dreamer” to be awarded a prestigious Rhodes Scholarship is finally poised to attend the University of Oxford after years of uncertainty about whether the U.S. would allow him to return home as a DACA recipient.
We all need a break from our screens from time to time. Let’s read. This week, you should check out What’s Mine and Yours by Naima Coster:
From the author of Halsey Street, a sweeping novel of legacy, identity, the American family, and the ways that race affects even our most intimate relationships.
If books aren’t your thing, you can always crank up the tunes instead! This week, enjoy Latino Caliente on Spotify. If podcasts are more your style, we’ve got you covered too! This week, we recommend checking out Latina to Latina – an interview series where host Alicia Menendez talks to remarkable Latinas about making it, faking it, and everything in between. |
