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African-American Minnesota Legislator Keith Ellison Slated
to Become First Muslim Elected to Congress
Former Texas Governor Ann Richards Dies at 73
One Year On, Katrina Evacuees in Houston Face Unemployment,
Lack of Health Care and Dwindling FEMA Assistance
Singapore Bars Activists From Entering Country During IMF-World
Bank Meetings
African-American Minnesota Legislator Keith Ellison
Slated to Become First Muslim Elected to Congress
We speak with Keith Ellison, the African-American state
legislator in Minnesota who is slated to become the first
Muslim elected to Congress. Ellison won Tuesday's primary
defeating three rivals to become the Democratic nominee. He
is favored to win election in November in the heavily Democratic
fifth district. [includes rush
transcript]
In Minnesota, an African-American state legislator who won
Tuesday's Democratic primary is slated to become the first
Muslim elected to Congress. Keith Ellison defeated three rivals
to become the Democratic nominee for the seat of retiring
Congressmember Martin Olav Sabo. He will face Republican business
consultant Alan Fine in November and is favored to win the
heavily Democratic fifth district.
Ellison was raised Catholic in Detroit and converted to Islam
as a 19 year-old student at Wayne State University before
moving to Minnesota for law school. Lebanese-American pollster
John Zogby hailed Ellison's primary win saying, "American
Muslims are now a political constituency not just simply a
growing group."
- Keith Ellison, Minnesota state legislator and Democratic
nominee for Congress in the state's fifth district.
Former Texas Governor Ann Richards Dies at 73
Former Texas Governor Ann Richards died Wednesday night
after a six-month battle with cancer. She was 73 years old.
Under the banner of promoting a "New Texas," Richards
appointed more women and more minorities to state posts than
any of her predecessors. We play an address by Richards speaking
in 2004 and speak about her life with veteran Texas lawyer
Sissy Farenthold. [includes rush
transcript]
Former Texas Governor Ann Richards died Wednesday night
after a six-month battle with cancer. She was 73 years old.
A longtime Democrat, Richards served as Texas governor for
one term before losing her reelection bid to George W. Bush.
Her family says she was most proud of two actions that likely
cost her re-election. Richards vetoed a bill that would have
allow people to carry concealed handguns and another many
feared would have allowed the destruction a major underground
water system that now serves nearly two million people in
south central Texas.
During her keynote address to the 1988 Democratic National
Convention, she famously said of then-Vice President George
HW Bush, "Poor George, he can't help it. He was born
with a silver foot in his mouth." Under the banner of
promoting a "New Texas," Richards appointed more
women and more minorities to state posts than any of her predecessors.
One of her last projects, the Ann Richards School for Young
Women Leaders is scheduled to open in Austin next year. Shortly
before leaving office in 1995, Richards said: "I did
not want my tombstone to read, "She kept a really clean
house." I think I'd like them to remember me by saying,
"She opened government to everyone.""
At the 50th anniversary of the Texas Observer in December
2004, Ann Richards was one of the keynote speakers. We play
an excerpt of her address.
- Ann Richards, speaking at the 50th anniversary of the
Texas Observer on December 4, 2004.
For more on Ann Richards we speak with veteran Texas lawyer
Sissy Farenthold.
- Sissy Farenthold, Veteran Texas lawyer and political
figure. Served 2 terms in the Texas legislature. Co-founder
of the National Women's Political
Caucus, a grassroots organization dedicated to increasing
women's participation in the political process.
One Year On, Katrina Evacuees in Houston Face Unemployment,
Lack of Health Care and Dwindling FEMA Assistance
Over one hundred twenty thousand Katrina evacuees still
live in Houston, Texas. A recent study shows ninety-eight
percent are African American, three quarters earn less than
$15,000 per year, almost half have no health insurance, and
less than twenty percent are employed. Many could soon lose
assistance from FEMA. Two organizers tell us how the community
is responding. [includes rush
transcript - partial]
Democracy Now! is broadcasting from Houston, Texas where
the effects of Hurricane Katrina are still being felt. Over
one hundred twenty thousand Katrina evacuees still live in
Houston.
Researchers at Rice University recently conducted a survey
of over one thousand Katrina evacuees living in Houston. Ninety-eight
percent of the respondents were African American. Nearly three
quarters of the respondents indicated they earn less than
$15,000 per year. Almost half have no health insurance.
Unemployment is a major problem. Of the respondents less
than twenty percent are employed. Many could also soon lose
assistance from FEMA. Organizers are sending out phone messages
this week to warn evacuees that they could soon lose their
aid. We speak with two guests here in Houston:
- Carolyn Schexnayder, former New Orleans resident who
evacuated to Houston six days after Hurricane Katrina hit.
Her first days in Houston were spent in the Astrodome.
- Broderick Bagert, senior organizer with the Metropolitan
Organization, a Houston-based community organization
of churches, schools, unions and other groups. The Metropolitan
Organization is affiliated with the Industrial Areas Foundation,
a grass-roots network founded by Saul Alinsky.
Singapore Bars Activists From Entering Country During
IMF-World Bank Meetings
Singapore has barred twenty-eight activists from entering
the country during the annual International Monetary Fund
- World Bank meetings which began on Wednesday. In addition
Singapore has cracked down on all protests this week - demonstrations
have been banned throughout the country except for one area
measuring twenty-six by twenty-six feet. We speak to Focus
on the Global South's Walden Bellow -- one of the 28 activists
banned from Singapore - and Jubilee South's Lidy Nacpil.
The government of Singapore has barred twenty-eight activists
from entering the country during the annual International
Monetary Fund - World Bank meetings which began on Wednesday.
In addition Singapore has cracked down on all protests this
week -- demonstrations have been banned throughout the country
except for one area measuring twenty-six by twenty-six feet.
Police have also barred access to a network of roads around
the convention center where the meetings are being held. Singapore's
crackdown on protests has been widely criticized. This is
Wilson Fortaleza of the Freedom From Debt Coalition:
Officials in Indonesia have also barred protests connected
to the IMF/World Bank meeting. The group Jubilee South had
planned to hold a demonstration on Batam Island, which is
less than an hour by boat from Singapore.
We go to Indonesia to speak with two guests:
For a copy of today’s program, call 1 (800) 881 2359.
Our website is www.democracynow.org.
Our email address is mail@democracynow.org.
Democracy Now! is produced by Mike Burke, Sharif Abdel Kouddous,
Ana Nogueira, Elizabeth Press, Jeremy Scahill and Parvez Sharma.
Mike Di Filippo is our engineer.
Thanks also to Uri Galed, Angela Alston, Orlando Richards,
Simba Russeau, Johnny Sender, Rich Kim, Joe Murgio, John Randolph,
Chris Zucker, Karen Ranucci, Denis Moynihan, Eric Rweyemamu,
Jenny Filipazzo and Isis Phillips.
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