Oral History Interview with Patricia Gonzales, July 29, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Patricia Gonzales, July 29, 2016

Patricia "Pat" Gonzales was born in 1967 in Houston in the Gulfgate area. She moved to the toxic Manchester neighborhood, a predominately Latina/o area of town next to the oil refineries, after she graduated from high school. Gonzales became active in the environmental justice movement due to the health issues she acquired while living next to the refineries. She later worked for the Texas Organizing Project to address the lack of infrastructure in the Northern Pasadena area. Gonzales discusses the risk of explosions in Pasadena, attending EPA conferences and addressing environmental racism, how the Anglo power structure functions in Pasadena, and how both African Americans and Latinas/os are neglected. She also talks about the recent voting rights violations in Pasadena and how the city capitulates to the interests of the oil industry.
Date: July 29, 2016
Creator: Enriquez, Sandra; Rodriguez, Samantha & Gonzales, Patricia
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Bryan Parras. captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Bryan Parras.

Bryan Parras was born in 1977 in the East End, a Mexican-American enclave in Houston, TX. His parents, Jesusa Moreno and Juan Parras, played influential roles in his political consciousness. He talks about discrimination and how he has became involved in Nuestra Palabra: Latino Writers Having Their Say as well as the immigrant rights movement. Parras also discusses how the creation of Cesar E. Chavez High School right near the oil refineries in Houston sparked his involvement in the environmental justice movement. He provides an in-depth discussion of how the environmental justice movement has taken him all over the world, particularly in Canada and South American, and how through his organization, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services, he has forged relations with indigenous communities as well as African-American communities.
Date: June 24, 2016
Creator: Enriquez, Sandra; Rodriguez, Samantha & Parras, Bryan
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Carl and Gloria White, July 7, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Carl and Gloria White, July 7, 2016

Mr. Carl White was born in Conroe and Mrs. Gloria White was born in Willis, Texas in 1957 respectively. After attending segregated schools, both Whites ultimately graduated from desegregated schools. Both Whites experienced workplace discrimination in their careers in a local factory and at the postal office. Mr. White also served as a reserve police officer in Conroe while his father served as one of the first Black police officers in Conroe. Mr. White described being targeted by police in Conroe and other issues with the local criminal justice system. Both Whites were also involved in the efforts to free Clarence Brandley which included marches and other demonstrations. Also, the Whites discussed issues with discrimination in the school system.
Date: July 7, 2016
Creator: May, Meredith; Howard, Jasmin; White, Carl & White, Gloria
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Jay Gibson, July 12, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Jay Gibson, July 12, 2016

Jay Gibson was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania while his father attending medical school. The family moved to Kermit, Texas, where Gibson’s father began his practice. Gibson later moved to Austin, Texas when his parents divorced, but attended high school in Kermit during his final years of high school. Gibson attending the University of Texas at Austin, where he graduated in 1972, and then attending law school at Southern Methodist University, graduating in 1975. Gibson moved to Odessa, Texas to practice law and was elected into the Texas House of Representatives in 1978 out of Odessa. He served three term ending in 1984 in which he helped secure additional funding for Texas A&M Prairie View and Texas Southern University. As a State Representative, Gibson was also instrumental in having Martin Luther King being made into a state holiday. Governor Ann Richards later appointed Gibson as a District Judge.
Date: July 12, 2016
Creator: Wisely, Karen; Zapata, Joel & Gibson, Jay
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with S'ydney Benemon, June 23, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with S'ydney Benemon, June 23, 2016

Ms. Benemon was born and raised in Lufkin, Texas. She attended segregated schools in Lufkin until the schools integrated in 1970, her senior year. Ms. Benemon went on to work for the Lufkin State School for decades before retiring in 2016. During her interview, Ms. Benemon provided information about the community of North Lufkin when she was growing up. Ms. Benemon also described businesses and people that were prominent in the North Lufkin community. Further, Ms. Benemon described the many conflicts that occurred during the first year of integration, such as an incident when armed white parents came to Lufkin High school in efforts to confront Black students. In response, some Black students staged a walkout/march. Ms. Benemon also discussed ongoing issues, including infrastructure, that the predominately Black community in Lufkin still face.
Date: June 23, 2016
Creator: Benemon, S'ydney & Howard, Jasmin
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Fred Aguilar, July 12 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Fred Aguilar, July 12 2016

Fred Aguilar was born in 1950 in a small barrio located in the affluent Alamo Heights neighborhood of San Antonio. His father's determination along with his his mother's dedication to volunterism provided him the fortitude to not only survive the discrimintation he witnessed in his youth, but to also become an community activist in both Houston and Baytown. After the Jose Campos Torres case sparked Aguilar's participation in the Houston Chicana/o Movement, he would move to Baytown where he became involved in the West Baytown Civic Assocation, the United Concerned Citizens of Baytown, gang prevention, and the co-founding of the Promise Center. He talks about how the Jose Campos Torres case outraged the Houston Chicana/o community, how he tackled gang graffiti and worked with youth on mural projects through the West Baytown Civic Association, how African Americans and Mexican Americans in Baytown came together to address police brutality after the brutal death of Luis Alfonso Torres, and how the Promise Center is committed to serving the community through child, youth, and adult programming. Aguilar also speaks about the importance of gang prevention endeavors, particularly in the area of art and culture.
Date: July 12, 2016
Creator: Aguilar, Fred; Enriquez, Sandra & Rodriguez, Samantha
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Arturo Gonzales, July 12, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Arturo Gonzales, July 12, 2016

Arturo spoke about growing up in Crystal City. Him working the fields during his earlier years. He speaks a lot about local Crystal City politics. The initial push for representation envisaged by Los Cinco. Some about local Crystal City folks who were drafted for Vietnam. During this period--late 1960s, Arturo went to Wisconsin to work and live. He talked about the Crystal City walkouts--hearing about them in Wisconsin then moving back--and the demands that the students made. Finally, he talks a lot about Raza Unida internal politics, especially his side of the split. He was with the Barrio club/anti-Gutierrez faction and running Gutierrez out of Crystal City.
Date: July 12, 2016
Creator: Arionus, Steve & Gonzales, Arturo
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Elwyn Lee, June 22, 2016 captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Elwyn Lee, June 22, 2016

Elwin Lee was born in Virgina and was raised in Third Ward, a historic African American neighborhood in Houston, TX. He talks about segregation in Houston, the vibrancy of Third Ward, and the Texas Southern University "riot." Lee also discusses how he went to Yale Law School and returned to Houston to become the first African American tenured at the University of Houston Law School. After serving as the director of African American Studies for a couple of years and reviving the program, Lee built upon the student and community relationships he developed at the time to serve as the Vice President of Student Affairs. He discusses how he is currently involved in efforts to bridge the university and Third Ward by figuring out how the school can assist education, health, and economic empowerment.
Date: June 22, 2016
Creator: Enriquez, Sandra; Rodriguez, Samantha & Lee, Elwyn
System: The Portal to Texas History
Oral History Interview with Hilton Kelley on June 20, 2016. captions transcript

Oral History Interview with Hilton Kelley on June 20, 2016.

Mr. Hilton discussed his personal history in Corpus Christi, the justice system's breakdown in black communities, and his lifetime of political activism, especially on environmental matters.
Date: June 20, 2016
Creator: Grevious, Danielle & Kelley, Hilton
System: The Portal to Texas History