Human Rights Takes Center Stage in Houston

Last week, CWA’s Human Rights Committee, led by Director of Human Rights, Education and Health & Safety Angie Wells, hosted a four-day conference in Houston, Texas. Over 500 CWA members from across the country took part in workshops, solidarity actions, and other activities. From its spectacular opening with “Dragon Dancers” to the closing “Activist Mall,” the conference was a celebration of cultural diversity and inclusion.

The agenda featured several workshops and panel discussions, including “Ageism, Accessibility, and Pensions,” “Addressing Systemic Racism as a Workplace Health and Safety Issue,” and “How to Not Work Until You Die.”

As Chair of the CWA Executive Board Diversity Committee, IUE-CWA Sector President Carl Kennebrew helped open the conference, welcoming attendees to Houston. He focused his speech on the work still needed to create an anti-racist America—one that works for all its residents.

The Minority Caucus paid honor to several guests, including CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam and CWA President Claude Cummings Jr., whom they presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Long-time friend and ally Congressman Al Green (D-Texas) presented Cummings and Salaam with an American flag from atop the Capitol building, an honor he now shares with civil rights leaders such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks. 

Cummings shared his appreciation for the award saying, “I believed it was my job to serve the people. People didn’t work for me, I worked for them. I’ve tried to do that in every position that I have been in and I think that’s why I’ve been elected. So, for those of you who are running for positions just remember that you have a duty to work hard for those who elect you.”

 
CWA President Claude Cummings Jr. accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award, presented by (left to right) CWA Local 3204 President Emeritus Walter D. Andrews, CWA Local 3204 President Ed Barlow, CWA National Minority Caucus President Maurice Washington, Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos, CWA District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt, and CWA District 9 Vice President Frank Arce.

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Congressman Colin Allred (D-Texas) gave a powerful speech, laying out his plan to send current Texas Senator Ted Cruz on a “permanent vacation” from office. Allred proudly held up his union card to show his solidarity with the labor movement. CWA has endorsed Allred ahead of this year’s election.

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A poignant moment in the festivities came when members of the Minority Leadership Institute (MLI) gathered to formally rename the MLI in honor of civil rights and labor activist Dennis Serrette, who was a founding member of CWA’s Black Caucus and the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists. The ceremony was attended by his wife, Judge Cathy Hollenberg Serrette, and his son, Dennis Serrette Jr., who expressed their appreciation for how CWA has chosen to honor Serrette’s legacy.

 
Graduates of the newly renamed Dennis Serrette Minority Leadership Institute posed alongside Serrette’s wife, Judge Cathy Hollenberg Serrette, and his son, Dennis Serrette Jr.

CWA members and guests also heard from CWA Secretary-Treasurer Ameenah Salaam, District 3 Vice President Richard Honeycutt, District 4 Vice President Linda L. Hinton, District 6 Vice President Derrick Osobase, District 9 Vice President Frank Arce, Telecommunications and Technologies Vice President Lisa Bolton, IUE-CWA Industrial Division President Carl Kennebrew, AFA-CWA International Vice President Keturah Johnson, Western Region At-Large Executive Board Member Keith Gibbs, and Chief of Staff Sylvia J. Ramos.

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This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.