San Antonio Fire Chief Charles Hood marched in plain clothes with #BlackLivesMatter protestors, along with his sons. "I'm marching because I've been witnessing the injustices of people of color all of my life, and I think it's important that people look through the lens of a minority, particularly a black man, who are living in fear of their lives," Hood explained to Texas Public Radio's Joey Palacios, who spotted Hood  and interviewed him during a Facebook Live broadcast June 3, 2020.

The Dean of the Harvard Chan School of Public Health promised to convene a national conversation about racism in public health at the conclusion of a livestreamed broadcast interview with San Antonio Councilwoman Ana Sandoval. Dean Michelle A. Williams made the pledge after Sandoval conveyed a question from Dr. Lyssa Ochoa, a San Antonio vascular surgeon, who asked: "How can other healthcare professionals work with you to acknowledge racism in public health?  How do we come together and work for a common  goal?"

Black Lives Matter is more than just a buzzword for the decade. It has been the focus for African-American activists for more than 50 years.   The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), formed in the 1960s, was one of the most important organizations of the local Civil Rights Movement. On Friday, Nov. 18, leaders of SNCC and the Black Power Party held a poetry reading at the Little Carver Theater.  

Another event is being planned as part of the SNCC Legacy Project. The first event was “The Black Lives Poetry Reading” program. The event was a huge success as the veterans of the local SNCC chapter and veterans of the Langston Hughes Afro-American theatre came together to support our youth in their effort to fight against bigotry, injustice, and police abuse through the medium of poetry.

A historic project is underway across the country, and in San Antonio, as veterans of the Student National Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) meet to organize projects and programs that seek to educate the nation. The project in San Antonio will attempt to reach out to young activists in the Black Lives Matter Movement in the form of two events; a poetry reading and a workshop designed to train people on what to do when stopped by the police.

It seems like every day there is a new trending hashtag for the death of a black man, woman, or child under the auspices of law enforcement. With each hashtag I feel a little less human. With each hashtag, another individual is immortalized -- another victim of modern-day lynching.

More than 100 San Antonio residents gathered at the Muslim Children Education and Civic Center to watch and reflect on videos of the police-involved shootings of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile (replay video of the conversation below).

In response to the recent police-involved shootings, more than 100 people gathered at the Circle School, an institution that teaches peace, to discuss ways to respond to police brutality and achieve equality for historically marginalized minority groups.

Catch up and get ahead with the Edge for the week of January 11. Train to Crystal City

When civil rights leader and social activist Julian Bond died recently, the New York Times referred to him as a “persistent opponent of the stubborn remnants of white supremacy.” President Barack Obama called Bond a friend and a hero. "Justice and equality was the mission that spanned his life,” Obama said. While Julian Bond was a legendary figure beginning in the 1960s, some young people may have no idea who he is or how his life relates to the #blacklivesmatters movement.