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April 2015
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Awaken
Your Color Consciousness
“If you don’t see color, you don’t see me” is what I would say to my Masters Social Work University of Houston intern throughout her initial field placement at my firm last year. “If you can’t see that I am a rich mahogany, with a pinch of bronze, and an undertone of sweet reddish copper, you don’t see me. I don’t know who you see, but it can’t be me. I am an African American woman.” It was my way of awakening her color consciousness and making it “okay” to see me as an African American. I told her that I saw her as a white woman. “It is all okay,” is what I would say.
I realized a couple of years ago that my belief in “color blindness” was no longer an acceptable belief for me. I needed to truly embrace my “color consciousness” in order to be free. When I was a young girl in the mid-eighties, I was inspired by the Civil Rights movement of the 1960’s. Although 20 years earlier, the nonviolent protests of people of color proved to pave the way for my sense of safety and security. However, what emerged as the great resolve to racial tension was this concept called “color blindness”. I bought into this idea as a young girl. I used to feel so proud to say that I was color blind. “I don’t see color. I see everyone all the same. We are all human beings.” It made me feel so righteous, holy and in line with all the good and just people of the world. Even more importantly, I felt safe and secure when acquaintances of different races would say these words to me. It was a relief to know that I was safe as a little black girl in a country that once treated people of my racial/ethnic descent as inferior and inhuman.
It has become increasing apparent to me that “color blindness” was an illusion. It is not until a person confronts and overcomes what lurks in their color conscious mind can they embrace another’s humanity. Disproportionality in our government institutions is the consequence of us all living in the illusion of color blindness. It is my beliefs that until we awaken our color consciousness; openly dialogue about the good, the bad, and the ugly of what we discover; learn to feel safe talking about our perceptions, beliefs, and experiences through color conscious lenses can we reach pass our suppressed prejudice to connect to another’s soul. The privilege of color “blindness” is earned through the constant exercise of awakening one’s color consciousness. It’s okay to see the skin that I am in because if you can’t see it then you will never see the real me.
I am so thankful for the hard work and dedication of my Masters Social Work University of Houston intern, Rhonda Arias. She embraced color consciousness and helped launched C.A.S.E. into another dimension. I grew in the process.
Vanesia R. Johnson, Chairperson
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“JUSTICE FOR JADA” Reaches the Capitol
The Office of State Representative Ryan Guillen invited Jada to testify in front of the House Committee of Criminal Jurisprudence on Wednesday, March 11. “Justice for Jada” advocates are in support of bill, HB 101 which prohibits posting of nonconsensual pornography in cyberspace. This bill will pave the way for more Texas legislation against cyber-bullying and cyber-crimes.
For more information about the bill please click here. |
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Elkins High School Senior Eligible for National Pageant
Citizens Advocating for Social Equity (CASE) is proud to announce that Ehweavworia “Aria” Enaohwo competed in the 2015 Miss Teen Houston Preliminary Pageant held in February 2015 and met eligibility to compete in the 2015 national pageant competition to be held in Orlando, Florida in December 2015. Aria Enaohwo is an active student member of CASE. She was recommended by CASE leaders to the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBC) to compete for the CBC Spouses Heineken USA Performing Arts Scholarship.
We would like to acknowledge the amazing character, discipline, talents, academic accomplishments and spirit for justice of this rising young star and student of Fort Bend Independent School District. In the fall, Aria will be attending college at The American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA) in New York where she was accepted because of her exceptional talents in singing, dancing, and acting.
When asked about why she joined CASE, Aria responded: |
| “I’m involved in CASE because they speak for people who don’t have a voice and they fight for their wellbeing. Minorities are targeted and face unfair and excessive punishment every day and they don’t even know it. That’s why there is a need for CASE. They help people who have been mistreated.” |
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Inspiring Music
Listen to Aria Enaohwo sing Skyfall by Adele. Lonnie “Beatsmith” Johnson with International Music Production sponsored this fine work. |
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 “Think Cultural Health” Texana
CASE Compliance Committee provided The Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Contracts Manager Stephanie Yeargan and Texana Compliance Manager/ Rights Protection Officer Lori Marcus a link to A Patient-Centered Guide for Implementing Language Access Services, which is an e-resource from the Office of Minority Health’s Think Cultural Health website. CASE aims to provide helpful tools and information that will help Texana meet the communication needs of patients from the Asian American community in Fort Bend County.
CASE Blog article: “Local Advocates Demand Texana Increase Access to Asian Americans” |
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A Neighborhood of Unsung Heroes
On the afternoon of Friday, February 13, 2015, a 9-year-old African American boy who is hearing impaired was struck by his neighbor’s moving vehicle while riding his bicycle. Residents of the Eaglewood Subdivision immediately responded and rendered aid and support to the young boy and his family at the scene. Fort Bend County Emergency Medical Services (EMS) including police, fire, ambulance, and life flight responded.
Immediately in the aftermath of the horrible accident, Eaglewood Home Owner’s Association (HOA) board engaged with Fort Bend County to identify road and environmental accommodations for the family that would prevent future accidents. We are happy to declare that the young boy is currently safe and secure recovering from his injuries. It is anticipated that he will make a full recovery! CASE seeks to acknowledge neighborhood heroes who are making a difference in the everyday lives of people. |
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“An Introduction to Courageous Conversations”
Mia Williams and Sharibeth Niehaus, Equity Specialists with the Center for the Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities (CEDD) of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (THHSC), held training in partnership with CASE on February 26, 2015 at United Way Stafford, TX. The topic was “An Introduction to Courageous Conversations”. The training primarily promoted bold and healthy dialogue about the cause and impact of racial/ethnic disproportionality and health disparities occurring in social systems of government and the theoretical framework endorsed by CASE and CEDD to collaboratively address these issues. Representatives from NAACP Missouri City and Vicinity, State Congressman Al Green, Fort Bend County Behavioral Health, Fort Bend Independent School District, and Access Health were in attendance. |
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“From School Zoning to Discipline: Inequity in Our Community”
April 9, 2015
6:30 – 8:30 pm
University Branch Library
Sugar Land, TX
This forum will allow Fort Bend county parents, students, and the community at large to engage directly with its community leaders about recent changes in school zoning, the Houston Chronicle articles on Texas truancy laws and FBISD disciplinary practices and other inequity areas of interest. |
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Restorative Justice Collaborative of Houston to host 2nd Annual Conference
April 25, 2015
8:00 am – 3:30 pm
Farish Hall, College of Education
University of Houston
“Young People in the Shadows: Restorative Justice in Schools and Communities” is the theme of this year’s conference. Vanesia R. Johnson, CASE Founder/Chairperson, will be among the presenters to discuss how CASE employs data driven strategies to inform and hold institutions accountable on the local level. |
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“Healthy Minds Healthy Families” Conference
Harris County Department of Education (HCDE) Area 1 Head Start and HOGG Foundation of Mental Health will be hosting the “Healthy Minds, Healthy Families” Conference on May 1, 2015. The goal of this year’s conference is to provide training to educators and parents of children with challenging behaviors and to increase the awareness of mental health issues in the community. Vanesia R. Johnson, CASE Founder/Chairperson and Mia Williams, Equity Specialist with the Center for the Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities (CEDD), will jointly present and share their personal stories about the importance of effectively advocating for their children with special needs as early as Head Start and throughout their primary and secondary student careers. |
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The Launch of CASE Calls
CASE leadership would like to hear from you! We are preparing our 2016-2018 Strategic Plan and would like all interested persons to participate in CASE Calls to inform our planning process. With your help, CASE can ACHIEVE our mission and vision.
To participate:
Dial 1-(832) 551-5100 and enter the passcode 310171 followed by # key.
If conference is not in session, system will put you on hold until the moderator arrives.
Social Action
April 8, 2015 | 7:00 PM
Fundraising
May 13, 2015 | 7:00 PM
Public Relations
June 10, 2015 | 7:00 PM
Compliance
July 8, 2015 | 7:00 PM
Recruitment & Retention
August 12, 2015 | 7:00 PM |
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CASE On Patrol
By Regina Gardner, GCSW |
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| Regina Gardner, University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) student snaps picture of Sharon Harris & Roderick Martin,Fort Bend Independent School District (FBISD) Social Workers presenting as panelist at the “Real Deal: Transitioning from Student to Professional” meeting held March 2, 2015. |
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| Regina Gardner, GCSW student with Steve Hayes of “Coach You Right” Services presented as a panelist at the “Real Deal: Transitioning from Student to Professional” meeting held March 2, 2015. |
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| (From right to left) Grady Prestige (Fort Bend County Commissioner), Jerry Wyatt (Missouri City Council Member), and a member of the Thomas Taylor family are present at the Black History Celebration & Kick-off which highlighted the dedication of the new Thomas Taylor Parkway in Missouri City. |
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| (restored photo of Thomas Taylor)
Thomas Taylor, an African-American man was voted in as Fort Bend County Commissioner after the Civil War. The time period immediately after the Civil War is called the “Reconstruction” period. It was during this time that blacks gained the right to vote and developed a very strong voting block that controlled Fort Bend County politics for approximately 20 years according to “The Jay Birds of Fort Bend County”, a book published in 1979. Mr. Taylor was elected as County Commissioner from Kendleton, Texas, a black colony. He was later run out of town by a group of racists who wanted to rid the county of “undesirables”. Taylor later settled in Wharton County where he lived as a successful rancher. |
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| Regina Gardner, GCSW student with Dustin Rynders of Disability Rights Texas, a non-profit law firm & advocacy agency for people with disabilities in Texas. Mr. Rynders presented at the Mental Health America (MHA) School Behavioral Health Initiative. |
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