The Week in Quotes (Feb. 11 – 17)

Here are some of the week’s most notable quotes.

Middle school teacher Lucero Saldaña, on the need for a Mexican-American Studies course for Texas public schools.

“Most of [our] kids are coming from Mexican origins, as Chicanos or Chicanas. And in order for them to be successful in school [and] in the community, studies show they must learn their history.”

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The editorial board of the Dallas Morning News, on the conservative group Empower Texans sending letters to school district employees asking them to be “whistleblowers” against school boards that try to create a culture of voting.

“Empower Texans’ efforts, on the other hand, reek of teacher intimidation.”

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Karen Ware Jackson, pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church in Greensboro, N.C., on a move by some congregations to support the LGBT community by combining glitter and ash for Ash Wednesday.

“I’m really connected to ashes. But I’m really connected to glitter, too, and I think it’s appropriate to do both.”

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Transgender wrestler Mack Beggs, on the slurs directed at him while competing for his Texas high school.

“People don’t realize that what happened during state, that was really, honestly, nothing. That didn’t stop me from competing. That didn’t stop me from being who I was. It sure as hell didn’t stop me from doing what I wanted to do in the past, and it won’t stop me from what I want to do in the future.”

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Susan Nold, director of the Annette Strauss Institute for Civic Life, on new research that shows Texas’ voter turnout remains abysmal.

“This report highlights the compelling need to work together to support civic engagement across Texas to strengthen our communities and increase citizen involvement in public life. Due in part to our size and in part to our growth, Texas continues to fall behind the bulk of the nation when it comes to measures such as voting and civic involvement.”