DREAMS OF WHAT AMERICA IS AND
WHAT AMERICA SHOULD BE.
>> JOINING US NOW DOLORES HUERTA
CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST AND LABOR
LEADER AND CO-FOUNDER WITH CESAR
CHAVEZ IN 1962, DOLORES, NOT
MEANING TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT
YOUR AGE ON TV, ITS IMPOLITE,
YOU STARTED THE AGRICULTURE A
T.J. OSHIE
ASSOCIATION SINCE 1960 AND BEEN
WORKING ON THIS SINCE 1955
YOU WERE THERE AT THE FRONTLINES
OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS FIGHTS IN
THE 50s, 60s, 70s AND 90s.
ITS NEVER STOPPED FOR YOU.
>> NO, IT HASNT.
WAY BACK IN THE 50s ACTUALLY IN
CALIFORNIA WE PASSED A LAW THAT
PEOPLE COULD VOTE IN A SPANISH
LANGUAGE AND NOT ONLY THAT GOT
RID OF THE DEPUTY REGISTRARS SO
ANYONE WHO IS A CITIZEN CAN
REGISTER ANOTHER PERSON TO VOTE.
IN CALIFORNIA WE HAVE SOME OF
THE MOST LIBERAL VOTING RIGHTS,
PEOPLE CAN VOTE ONLINE, AND THEY
CAN REGISTER WITH THEIR
CELLPHONES OR COMPUTERS.
WHEN YOU GO TO THE DMV TO GET
YOUR DRIVERS LICENSE YOURE
AUTOMATICALLY REGISTERED.
WEVE HAD MAIL-IN BALLOTS FOR A
LONG, LONG TIME NOW SUEO WE HOPE
THE OTHER STATES CATCH UP WITH
US, ESPECIALLY TEXAS, THEY HAVE
40% POPULATION THATS LATINO AND
IF THEY COULD NOT HAVE THAT
VOTER SUPPRESSION LITERALLY
TEXAS COULD TURN BLUE.
>> YOU AND CESAR CHAVEZ, YOUR
NAMES ARE ASSOCIATED WITH FARM
WORKER, AGRICULTURE LABOR, BUT
IN FACT IN 1960 WHEN YOU
STARTED, ONE OF THE THINGS YOU
DID WAS VOTER REGISTRATION
DRIVES FOR THOSE AGRICULTURE
WORKERS.
>> YES, ABSOLUTELY, YEAH.
WE CAME OUT OF ANOTHER
ORGANIZATION CALLED
COMMUNITY-SERVICE ORGANIZATION
AND THAT WAS OUR ENTIRE FOCUS
WAS TO GET OUT THERE AND GO DOOR
TO DOOR TO REGISTER PEOPLE TO
VOTE AND WITH MY FOUNDATION WE
CONTINUE TO DO THAT EXACTLY.
I MENTION ABOUT TEXAS BEING 40%
LATINO POPULATION, YOU KNOW, IN
THE STATE OF VIRGINIA WHICH HAS
ONLY LESS THAN 8%, WITH THE
LATINO VOTE REALLY HELPED TO
TURN VIRGINIA FROM A RED STATE
TO A BLUE STATE.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DONT KNOW THAT.
>> WHAT DID YOU TELL THESE FOLKS
FROM TEXAS?
BECAUSE IT LOOKS, ON SOME DAYS,
LIKE A LOSING BATTLE.
THEYRE GOING TO GO BACK TO
TEXAS, MANY OF THEM MADE FACE
ARRESTS, THEYRE PREPARED TO BE
ARRESTED, ITS NOT A CRIMINAL
CHARGE BUT THE SERGEANT AT ARMS
CAN ARREST THEM FOR NOT BEING IN
THE HOUSE.
BUT THIS IS NOT GOING TO END
EASILY.
WITHOUT THE MAJORITY OF THE
TEXAS HOUSE IT MAY NOT END IN
THEIR FAVOR SO WHAT DOES SOMEONE
LIKE YOU WITH LITERALLY DECADES
OF VOTER REGISTRATION AND CIVIL
RIGHTS WORK HAVE TO SAY TO THEM
TO KEEP THEIR FIGHT GOING
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL I WANT TO
THANK THEM AND TELL THEM THAT
ALL OF THE NATION IS GRATEFUL
FOR THEIR SACRIFICE, FOR THEM
LEAVING THEIR HOMES AND CHILDREN
BEHIND KNOWING THEY WILL BE
PERSECUTED POSSIBLY ARRESTED
BECAUSE OF THIS COURAGEOUS
ACTION THEYRE TAKING, THEYRE
FIGHTING FOR THE VOTING RIGHTS
OF EVERYBODY, ALL OF THE PEOPLE
IN THOSE STATES, ALL OF THE
REPUBLICAN LEGISLATURES ARE
PASSING LAW TO SUPPRESS THE
VOTE.
THEY HAVE JOINED THE MARCH OF
CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS LIKE
REVEREND DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING
AND JOHN LEWIS BY THE ACTION
THEYRE TAKING.
I HOPE ALL OF THE PEOPLE IN
TEXAS PLEASE SEE WHAT THE
REPRESENTATIVES ARE DOING, DO
THE WORK, THEYRE GONE RIGHT NOW
IN WASHINGTON, D.C. BUT ALL OF
YOU DOWN THERE IN TEXAS PLEASE
DO THE WORK AND GO OUT AND TELL
EVERYBODY, GOT OF THEYVE GOT TO
SUPPORT, WEVE GOT TO FIGHT.
REALLY ABRAHAM LINCOLN SAID THE
BALLOT HAS MORE POWER THAN THE
BULLET.
THE BALLOT HAS MORE POWER THAN
THE BULLET.
WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR OUR VOTING
RIGHTS BECAUSE THE SOUL OF
AMERICA IS OUR DEMOCRACY AND WE
ALL HAVE TO STAND UP THERE AND
FIGHT, BECAUSE IF NOT WE WILL
NOT KEEP OUR DEMOCRACY IF WE
DONT ENGAGE, AND FIGHT FOR IT.
>> THEY DECIDE TO GO TO D.C. NOT
OKLAHOMA SO THEY CAN HAVE IMPACT
ON AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS WITH
FEDERAL LEGISLATE URIJAHS DO YOU THINK
THINKE URIJAHS DO YOU
THIN
FEDERAL LEGISLATURES.
DO YOU THINK THEIR MESSAGE IS
GOING TO RESONATE WITH THE
DEMOCRATIC SENATORS WHO ARE
STANDING IN THE WAY OF MOVING
OFF THIS FILIBUSTER SO THEY CAN
ENTRENCH THE PROTECTIONS FOR
VOTING RIGHTS THAT WE NEED IN
THIS COUNTRY?
>> WELL, WE HOPE THEY WILL.
WE HOPE THE SACRIFICE THEYRE
MAKING AND SO MANY OTHERS THAT
THIS WILL REACH THEIR HEART AND
CONSCIENCENESS, AND REALIZE
THEYRE FIGHTING FOR ALL OF US.
WE HAVE TO FIGHT TO KEEP OUR
NATION A DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY, IF
WE DONT FIGHT WERE GOING TO
LOSE IT AND WE ARE AT A CRITICAL
POINT RIGHT NOW IN OUR NATION
WHERE THERE ARE SOME THAT DONT
CARE, THEY WANT POWER, THEYRE
GREEDY, THEY DONT CARE ABOUT
THE WORKING PEOPLE OR LABOR
UNIONS, PEOPLE OF COLOR, WOMEN,
SO WE GOT TO STAND UP THERE AND
WE ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO
COMMIT.
WE HAVE THESE WONDERFUL TEXAS
DEMOCRATS PAVING THE WAY AND