Two Latino publications decline Tarrant County honor after commissioners drop 817 Podcast

Two Latino publications in Tarrant County turned down a Hispanic Heritage Month honor from the county commissioners court on Tuesday after commissioners voted to drop a third group, the 817 Podcast, from the resolution.

Commissioner Alisa Simmons had asked the court to recognize Hola Texas, Northside Community Magazine and the 817 Podcast, also called 817 Pod. The Fort Worth podcast is hosted by activist EJ Carrion and former Fort Worth City Council member Ann Zadeh.

Carrion speaks regularly at commissioners court and Fort Worth City Council meetings. He was arrested a week after the court's August meeting, after cursing during his time at the public comment microphone, and was charged with disrupting a meeting, a Class B misdemeanor, and hindering proceedings by disorderly conduct, a Class A misdemeanor.

Commissioner Matt Krause said he was reluctant to include the podcast while that case is pending and proposed amending the resolution to leave it out. "I think it would be unwise for us to pass a resolution honoring somebody who has an active criminal trespass charge against them for this court," Krause said.

County Judge Tim O'Hare agreed, and said the court itself is not prosecuting Carrion; that decision rests with law enforcement.

Simmons argued that the podcast is a team of community members, journalists, researchers and producers, and that the debate had become about one person. "This is not about EJ Carrion, this is about Hispanic Heritage Month," she said. "The commissioners are making this personal and I'm not sure why."

Commissioner Roderick Miles Jr. sided with Simmons, calling the podcast an important community voice.

On a 3-2 party-line vote, the court approved a revised resolution honoring only Hola Texas and Northside Community Magazine. Representatives of both outlets then said they would not accept it.

"As much as we appreciate Commissioner Simmons for this honor, we feel that it wouldn't be right for us to accept this honor if one of our own fellow media members were excluded," Alberto Govea of Hola Texas told the court.

Nydia Cardenas, a member of the 817 Pod team who is a candidate for the Precinct 4 commissioner seat, said she accepted the decision and described the group as more than a podcast. "This has become an organization of people who are showing up to the comment, not being paid to do it, are organizing their community, giving back, running for office," she said.

Source: KERA News.

Sources

kera.org