Join Faith in Texas on the first three Fridays in the month at the Dallas County Jail with our bail fund team. High incarceration rates may have negative consequences on communities due to the loss of persons of working age, greater exposure to infectious illnesses, and the diversion of public resources from health and social services to the criminal justice system. Amid deaths and inspections, the Dallas County Jail has documented staffing shortages of crisis proportions. For more information please contact: Bail Fund Organizer, Mark Walters Jr. @ [email protected] Digital Organizer, Mobeen Mian @[email protected]
Faith in Texas – 2022 Capital Campaign
Faith in Texas – 2022 Capital Campaign Faith in Texas is a nonpartisan, multi-racial, multi-faith grassroots movement of people united in values work- ing together to achieve economic, racial, and social justice for all people. Faith in Texas envisions a world in which economic, racial, and social equity enable everyone to live in complete liberation to pursue our divine purpose and participate fully in the systems and processes that govern our lives. We affirm and root our work in these five universal truths: (1) All humans have inherent worth and deserve to be treated with dignity, care, and respect. (2) The most directly impacted people should be the center and driving force of solutions (3) Organizing should build power that is shared by all (4) Freedom is an inalienable right (5) God is at work to restore justice in our society. We are organizing the power of faith communities to confront the root causes of pain and suffering in our most directly impacted communities across Texas. Our current campaign addresses both short term and immediate community needs as well as long term systemic change. Immediate Goals Push Dallas County to pass a resolution that requires criminal justice stakeholders to build a decarceration plan for the Dallas County Jail. Prevent increases in homelessness and displacement while combatting “Not In My Backyard” (NIMBYism) across North Texas. Long Term Goals Divest/Invest Secure 10% of funds given to Dallas through the American Rescue Plan and divert it to re-entry services such as transitional housing, transitional employment, mental health services, etc. Reduce 25% of Dallas County jail population, which will allow the County to divest from mass incarceration and invest in the community needs of our neighbors who we bail out of jail every month such as housing and jobs. Expansion Creating a model of identifying deep pains and burdens across the state of Texas start ing with listening campaigns and moving into community organizing in faith communi ties. Expanding overall electorate throughout Dallas, Collin, Denton, Smith, Rockwall and Tarrant counties. Including voter registration at key events as well as partnering with Dallas Votes to work on general election strategies. Ongoing Efforts Leadership Development FiTX continues to invest in leadership development and faith formation. We are contin uously seeking out directly impacted individuals to develop into a new generation of leaders and decision makers to establish, protect, and promote community-centered issues, policies and systems.
Clergy, Immigrant Justice Leaders Respond to Uvalde Massacre
Clergy leaders from Faith in Texas and their national organization, Faith in Action, responded to the massacre in Uvalde, Texas, that has so far left 21 people dead, including 19 elementary school students. The Rev. Dr. Jaime Kowlesser and the Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews are available for interviews. Their sentiments are below. The Rev. Dr. Jaime Kowlesser, Executive Director, Faith in Texas “Homegrown terrorism is one of the biggest threats to our humanity. Texas’ elected officials continue to fail us. Our country continues to fail us, especially our children. We cannot depend solely on thoughts and prayers. We need action and legislation that will protect us from gun violence. If we want to support the families in Uvalde, we must implement policies that protect our children. We’ve had Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland, Uvalde, and many more loom over our nation. We must use our authentic faith voices to denounce this inhumane savage behavior as believers. We must do everything to protect the least of these from terrorists. Domestic terrorism revealed itself here in Texas today. This is a reflection of a country that refuses to take a stand. When New Zealand was faced with the same crisis, they immediately banned the purchase of assault rifles.” The Rev. Michael-Ray Mathews, Deputy Director & Chief Faith Officer, Faith in Action “In tragic moments like these, our faith calls us to pray, but it also calls us to act and demand action from our elected officials. We must call on faith leaders and those with true moral courage to stand in sacred solidarity with communities devastated by mass shootings. We are exhausted by these repeated tragedies. Nevertheless, we must continue to engage in the deep spiritual practices and faithful organizing that will lead us toward healing and transformation. Since Columbine in 1999, we’ve offered prayer, but as people of faith, we know that faith without work is dead. It is time to continue the work.” Eliana Fernandez, LA RED Immigration Director, Faith in Action “Yesterday, 21 lives were lost. Children lost their lives on what many would consider a regular day. Parents left their children yesterday morning thinking they would see them that same afternoon. As a parent, my heart is shattered. I am also horrified by the fact that in an 80% Latino community, where many may be undocumented, Border Patrol was at the scene. On a parent’s most vulnerable disheartening day, they not only had to worry about whether their children were alive, but also whether their immigration status would be questioned. A parent should not have to debate whether to show up to find their child after a school shooting or not show up because they may face deportation. And a child should not be scared to go to school. This is sickening. This is wrong.” Alex Gonzalez, LA RED Immigration Campaign Manager, Faith in Action “Our hearts mourn with the families in Uvalde. Our community is certainly praying for them. And we also know we have to take action, because faith without works is dead. We must demand that the people in power, our representatives, take on the moral responsibility to put a stop to these fully preventable killings.” ### For Immediate Release: May 25, 2022 Contact: Heather Cabral, 202-550-6880, [email protected] Mayra Castro, [email protected], 562-841-4377
