Brownsville, TX Proclaimed A City of ONE

Feb 22nd, 2010 9:51 AM UTC
By Roscoe Mapps

“On the Border, By the Sea” isn’t just a slogan for this historical city in South Texas; it’s their acknowledgment of shared responsibility that accompanies a shared heritage with the global community. On Saturday, I witnessed that expression in action during a press conference celebrating their official proclamation as a city of ONE.

Here’s a brief slide show from the event:

Joining the ranks of 130 other US cities, including Dallas, Brownsville is working to get people involved in efforts that are fighting global poverty, saving lives from disease, putting children in school and increasing opportunity in poor countries around the world. The press conference was followed by a celebration event where local community, faith, business and elected leaders came together to sign a letter to be hand-delivered to their U.S. Congressman, Solomon Ortiz. Along with highlighting their advocacy work, the letter requests an in-person visit with the congressman to discuss ways they can support him as the U.S. keeps its promises to the millennium development goals.

Not surprisingly, that same morning Brownsville welcomed the new Mittie A. Pullam Elementary School into their community. In its mission statement, BISD acknowledges the importance of producing “well-educated graduates who can pursue higher educational opportunities and who will become responsible citizens in a changing global society…”

Lack of access to quality education is preventing millions of people from escaping the cycle of extreme poverty around the world. Most of the 72 million children still out of school are amongst the poorest and hardest to reach. More than half of them are girls. There couldn’t have been a more appropriate time to highlight the crucial role primary education plays in the success of a community, and the responsibility we all have to ensure every child has the opportunity to receive an education. In fact, it was Brownsville’s own Paulina Sosa, ONE member and sophomore at the University of Texas, who returned home to encourage her community to stand up and take action against extreme poverty back in 2009.

It’s exhilarating to witness the growing number of community leaders in the state of Texas who, like Brownsville, advocate for life-saving solutions to end poverty in our lifetime. If the spirit of Brownsville is any indication, we could see neighboring cities throughout South Texas join them in their advocacy efforts. We congratulate your leadership and we look forward to continuing our work with the city “On the Border, By the Sea.”

Pictured left to right: Cris Garza, Rotary Sunrise Member; Ruben O’Bell: Chief of Staff for State Representative Eddie Lucio III; Gustavo Morales, Catholic Diocese Representative; Connie Hensley, Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; Gloria Miranda, UTB-TSC Representative, Dr. Enrique Escobedo, Brownsville Independent School District Board Trustee; Roscoe Mapps, ONE Regional Director; Paulina Sosa, ONE Brownsville Head Coordinator; Edward Camarillo, Brownsville City Commissioner; Ankjaer Jensen, Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors; Sergio Zarate, Community Liaison for State Representative Eddie Lucio III; Rose Gowen, Brownsville City Commissioner; Martin Arambula, Port of Brownsville Commissioner; Luis Cavazos, Past Rotary President; Pastor Brad Burkes, Brownsville City Chaplain; Charlie Cabler, Brownsville City

TAGS: City of ONE, City of ONE, From ONE Members, Texas