COPS/Metro and West/Southwest IAF celebrated their Jubilee 50th Anniversary Convention, uniting 2,000 leaders from over 43 San Antonio institutions and leaders from sister organizations across 23 cities in the U.S. and Europe.
They were joined by academic, religious, business, and political allies, including Founding Organizer Ernesto Cortes, Archbishop Gustavo García Siller, Bishop Mark Seitz (El Paso), Bishop Sue Briner (ELCA), Bishop Joel Martinez (UMC), Congressman Joaquin Castro, State Senator Jose Menendez and 13 city, county, and state representatives.
Leaders lifted up COPS/Metro’s signature victories throughout its history:
- Securing funding that built major urban infrastructure
- Transforming neighborhoods by bringing parks, libraries, a grocery store, and more to under-resourced areas
- Passing HB 72, a landmark education reform bill
- Creating Project Quest workforce development program
- Establishing Palo Alto College on the South Side of San Antonio
- Establishing St Phillips College on the East Side of San Antonio
- Developing the San Antonio Education Partnership for scholarship assistance
- Securing living wages for city and county employees
- Safeguarding statewide public resources through Chapter 313
- Providing a model of broad-based organizing and participatory politics for the creation of 33 West/Southwest IAF organizations
Leaders pledged to take specific action to defend public money for public good, protect immigrant families, and work to improve public safety. They also recommitted to shaping the next 50 years as a powerful, multi-generational organization.
The San Antonio Express-News credited COPS/Metro for
"(making) San Antonio a better community and (reminding) us that democracy can work when an engaged citizenry demands that democracy work."
Reflecting on the convention and the work of COPS/Metro, Archbishop Gustavo García Siller said “Working together, we can accomplish better things for the people, to help people no matter what….
Those who are more impoverished are the ones that benefit from COPS/Metro
and we are pushing for the city leaders to come with awareness that there is still a big disparity between poor and rich and that we need to lift up the poor…The lord loves the poor, not to stay poor but to be enriched with the riches of Christ because God loves us.”
Pausing From the Arena Debate to Praise COPS/Metro on 50 Years of Service, San Antonio Express-News [pdf]
COPS/Metro celebrates 50 years of advocacy, unveils new decade-long strategy, KSAT 12 [video]