I am the Executive Director of Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, immigrant rights are human rights Views expressed are my own. he/his/y’all
Articles by Bill Holston
A Hike Through Spring Creek Park
Last Sunday I woke up early like I always do. I stood in the front yard and noted the entire Winter Hexagon: Rigel, Procyon, the Gemini Twins, Capella, Arcturus. I followed the line from the Belt of Orion, pointing to the Dog Star, Sirius. I noted the three planets: Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, and glanced up at the faint cloud of the Pleiades, my favorite constellation, which I could see clearly using binoculars.
Border barriers are threatening Big Bend National Park
Do you have a special place for you and your family? For my family, that place is the Big Bend region and particularly Big Bend National Park. Texas is blessed with two national parks. Guadalupe Mountains National Park contains Texas’ highest peak, Guadalupe Peak. And the fall colors of McKittrick Canyon are spectacular. But Big Bend National Park is my favorite spot on earth. Its remote desert beauty is a balm to my soul.
A Hot Stroll Along the Trinity River
It was a warm 89 degrees when I started driving to hike. I had plenty of cold water, and the trail I was going to walk was 90 percent shaded. Still, I knew it would be hot. First I stopped at Little Lemon Lake. I’d heard there were Roseate Spoonbills there. I parked, grabbed my binoculars, and, sure enough, there was a single Spoonbill standing on the other side of the small lake, which is located at the old boat ramp off of Trinity Forest Way. I scanned the shore and saw four more.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
I got up at the usual time last Saturday. As I drove in the gathering dawn, I started streaming music, drinking Cultivar Coffee from an old mug. The coffee and the tunes together got me energized for the hike. I’ve just discovered some of the rising Black Nashville Country artists and was listening to Joy Oladokun, a Nashville-based Nigerian American singer. The lyrics of her song “I See America” are powerful.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Most mornings, I wake up at about 4:30. My first thoughts are usually some work thing I’m fretting over. If I can’t get back to sleep, I pick up a book. Right now I’m reading The Sword and the Shield, which is about Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. It’s a fascinating book. The premise is that Malcolm was not quite as radical as his reputation and Dr. King was more radical than his reputation.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
That was an odd Fourth of July. First, like many people who are fighting for justice, I found it hard to celebrate our country right now. I thought this video of the direct descendants of Frederick Douglas reading his famous July 5 speech was powerful and closer to my own feelings this year. I did a hike on the Fourth and watched the illegal fireworks shot off all over my Casa View neighborhood. And I grilled some chicken. At HRI we have always run a Fourth of July fundraiser.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Today is my 64th birthday. Like most leaders in our country right now, I haven’t been sleeping well. I wake up at about 3 a.m. thinking about where to source hand sanitizer and how to keep our agency going through both a pandemic and the white nationalist agenda of our government. Fun times. So I was up really early Monday and decided to head right out to hike, hoping to catch the sunrise.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
We are nowhere close to being out of the woods with this pandemic, and our agency is continuing to practice remote work, as well as physical distancing. But while we are not out of the woods, I was in the mood to get into the woods! My primary coping strategy to this stressful time is getting out and hiking. I’m fortunate that the thing I enjoy most is getting out in nature, which is about the easiest thing you can do to physically distance.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
I’m now in the practice of doing a hike every morning before work. To say that this is a stressful time to work for a nonprofit doing immigration legal services is an understatement. The work was already difficult and stressful before the pandemic. The entire power of one of the most powerful governments on earth is aligned against our vulnerable clients.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
I felt like last week I was falling into the rhythm with my sometimes remote schedule. Thursday morning, I drove up to Spring Creek in Garland for a hike before I headed into the office. We are all working remotely unless we need to deliver critical aid to our clients. It was a nice 60 degrees as I headed up Shiloh. I put a travel mug of Cultivar Coffee in my day pack and drove off. I started down the paved trail and then headed across a patch of native prairie.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Like everyone in this city — county, state, country, world — I have been impacted by COVID-19. Our agency, Human Rights Initiative, has been uniquely impacted. Most courts have modified operations, canceled trials, and allowed appearances by phone. Immigration courts have been functioning until the last day or so. So my staff was required to still meet with clients and prepare for trials. Now they have canceled hearings for people who are not detained.
Those who continued to fight for justice their entire lives without seeing change give me hope
Editor’s note: The column is part of a series of personal opinion essays about hope. We asked community and faith leaders to answer the question: When life feels dark, what gives you hope? We will publish the essays throughout December. For over 25 years, I’ve provided free legal services to asylum-seekers. It has always been hard. Because of the extreme challenges this year, I’ve needed to think differently about being hopeful.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Driving east on 635, I decided Memphis sound was what I needed. As the sky turned pastel, the Hammond B3 organ of Booker T and the MGs started my day out fine. I love the Memphis Sound, because it reminds me of my youth, listening to AM stations blaring from my small transistor radio deep into the night, as I listened to clear channel stations like KAAY in Little Rock from my home in Alabama.
The Ultimate Guide to Hiking in Dallas
For many years I’ve heard people say there’s no hiking in Dallas. This list is my retort. The hiking trails here share several things in common. They all include hiking on natural surfaces—not just concrete. Most are long enough that you can get some exercise. There are notable natural features. All offer a sense of isolation and peace. All can be reached within 30 minutes from the heart of Dallas. And I’ve hiked and enjoyed every single one, some quite often.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Last week was a great one for me. I was honored by the Dallas Bar Association with the Martin Luther King Jr. Award. In my acceptance speech, I said this about the award: It is particularly gratifying to me to be given an award named in honor of Dr. King. You see, I was born in Mobile, Alabama, in 1956, in the middle of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Now Dr. King is an icon, but when and where I grew up and in my home, he was a pariah.
7 activities that are more productive than arguing about the kids and Native Americans in The Video
I haven't written about the Make America Great Again hat-wearing kids other than to post information on my Facebook page about the Native American man as a veteran. The video of a confrontation in front of the Lincoln Memorial hit social media over the weekend and prompted emotional arguments and quick-takes by some commentators that were soon retracted as more video came to light. I don't know what happened. To be really honest, I don't care. I think these viral things are terribly distracting.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Ben and Carrie were doing the Christmas Bird Count, so I did a solo hike. When I walk alone, I almost always go to Spring Creek Nature Preserve, in Garland. It’s the closest place to hike on natural surface trails. I drove up Shiloh and parked off of Holford. (There are two parking areas. I favor the one on the east side.) The trail starts in the parking area. You can follow the paved trail to Garland Avenue if you like.
Trump's executive order on asylum violates the law
As promised, the president has issued an executive order barring the right to claim asylum in the United States for those crossing the southern border with Mexico other than at a port of entry. Our asylum laws developed in the aftermath of the Holocaust. These legal protections arose from an international commitment not to return people to places where they would be harmed. There has been broad bipartisan support for this commitment for decades.
A Day in Dallas - D Magazine
In Dallas, there aren’t enough rooms where you’ll see a healthy mix of people interacting with different cultures. We’re stuck in our silos, where we’re comfortable. But what makes a city great is its people—them coming together, learning about one another, sharing ideas, collaborating. Photography can be a bridge. For A Day in Dallas, I teamed with D Magazine to give 20 different people disposable Kodak cameras. We asked them to shoot a roll of film over the course of 24 hours.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
I won’t lie. I’ve been pretty stressed. I had a vendor drop by the office unannounced the other day. She asked, “How’s it going?” I said, “These are stressful times.” She replied, “What’s going on?” I said, “Do you read newspapers? Do you have any idea what we do here?” Last week I authored a commentary for the Dallas Morning News on another Trump administration policy change. As usual, I got nasty email.
The Trump administration wants to bypass rules that protect immigrant children
The Trump administration continues to mistreat children in a misguided effort to send a message to their parents. This is wrong, ineffective and unnecessary.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
In beauty I will rest my heart I beauty all will be in balance I beauty all will be restored I read this Navajo prayer this week while reading the Chester Nez book Code Talker, written by the last of the Code Talkers. The Code Talkers were Navajo Marines who confounded Japanese soldiers in the South Pacific during WWII because of a code developed based on the obscure Navajo language. The author recited this prayer as he dealt with the soul crushing rigors of combat on Guadalcanal.
Bill Holston: A Gala at the Dallas Holocaust Museum Reminds Us Why We Should Care
The Dallas Holocaust Museum held its annual awards event. Don Glendenning, a well-respected local attorney was this year’s recipient of the Hope for Humanity award at their dinner on October 30.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Surely you know the drill by now. Our man Bill likes to walk. He likes to write. This installment takes us 25 miles east of Dallas, into 1,800 acres of man-made wetlands. This one’s cool. Jump for the goodies.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Sorry, I know it’s been awhile. I haven’t had much time to write this year. This year was a busy one at Human Rights Initiative of North Texas. I’m sure you were aware of the 68,000 unaccompanied minors from Central America who crossed our border last year. I’m really proud of my staff and the hard work they did to make sure as many of those kids as possible obtained refuge from violence. But I did get some time to hike.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Last weekend, my hiking buddies Ben Sandifer, Scott Hudson, and I decided to go hiking in the Great Trinity Forest. The rains over the last week have thankfully delivered us from drought for the time being. According to the incomparable Robert Wilonsky, “[I]n just five months, the city has topped the total rainfall for all of 2014. Last year, 21.32 inches of rain fell in the area.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Brother Bill Holston has sent us another dispatch. In this short ditty, you can decided for yourself if his solitary walks in the woods are slowly driving him insane. Oh, I’m bein’ followed by a moonshadow, moonshadow, moonshadow Leapin and hoppin’ on a moonshadow, moonshadow, moonshadow — Cat Stevens I had an old stereo in high school Well, it wasn’t old then. It was one of those turntables that you’d stack 5 albums on, and they’d play in succession. Yeah, albums.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Our man Bill Holston has been busy at his new job, which hasn’t left him much time for writing. Spring break clearly got him in the mood to slack, though, and he sends us a dispatch. In this installment he finds that spring has sprung (and, as a bonus, he reveals the name of his favorite musician). Spring is clearly here. I have mixed feelings about Spring. It usually causes me to think about the coming Summer heat. Still, this year, I’m particularly enjoying the Spring.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
It’s been awhile since our man Bill Holston sent us a dispatch from the wilds of Dallas. You missed him, didn’t you? He has still been hiking, but his new(ish) gig as the executive director of Human Rights Initiative of North Texas has kept him too busy to type about his adventures. In this installment, Bill hikes into the Trinity forest to watch the last sunrise of summer and winds up meeting some Burundian refugees looking to buy a goat.
‘Don’t Know Much About History:’ Ken Burns Schools Dallas Bar on His New Documentary on Prohibition
Well, sadly, Sam Cooke was right about most of us. Last night, I saw the brilliant filmmaker, Ken Burns preview his newest documentary at the Belo Mansion, the headquarters of the Dallas Bar Association. The presentation was co-sponsored by the Dallas Bar Association. and the Dallas World Affairs Council. Burns was introduced by local attorney and author, Talmage Boston.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Spring is not my favorite season. It announces the coming hell that is Texas summer. Fall is my favorite season. It announces sweater weather and chiminea fires. That said, spring has its charms. I was ready for some time in the woods. Perhaps you have read that immigrants are under attack in this country. I can tell you that those of us who work fighting to pursue legal remedies for immigrants are busy and stressed. But we are as not as stressed as immigrants. So, do I have time for a walk in the woods?
Small Town Essentials: Bill Holston on The Little Way of Ruthie Leming
Rod Dreher was a columnist for the Dallas Morning News. He left Dallas to write an online column for the Templeton Foundation. In 2009 his sister Ruthie was diagnosed with stage four breast cancer, and Rod began writing about that experience. His writing about his sister’s death was some of the most moving accounts of death and dying I’ve ever read. In 2011 New York Times columnist David Brooks wrote about Rod’s account of his sister’s death.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
This week, our man Bill Holston goes for a stroll in the Connemara Conservancy. Of Monarchs and Dragonflies By Bill Holston Saturday I headed for a wildflower walk to Connemara Conservancy. Connemara is a special place for me. When I was a student at UTD in the late ’70s, my great friend Scott Hudson lived in a ranch house in Allen. At that time, it was an operating ranch. I loved to drive up there and visit. It was pretty primitive. I recall one winter when the water in the toilet bowl froze solid.
Reasons To Give Thanks
The Thanksgiving holiday for many means time off from work spent at home with loved ones and a large meal to mark the occasion. But commentator William Holston notes some aren’t as thankful for that and more as they could be. I recently prepared a case for trial for a young woman from Eritrea. Sitting around the table were people with family members in prison because of their faith. My client’s brother was a notably positive person. His young daughter was then in prison in Eritrea.
What Does Islamic Music Have to do With Blues, Jazz, and Surf Rock? More Than You Think.
What do Bruce Springsteen, Mahalia Jackson, and John Coltrane all have in common? Well according to Dr. Hussein Rashid of Hofstra University each bear witness to the Islamic Contribution to American Music. This was the title of his lecture at my law school alma mater, Southern Methodist University. The event was sponsored by the Aga Khan Council for Northern Texas. I received my invitation from my friend Hind Jarrah.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Last weekend, Ben, Scott, and I headed down to the Trinity Forest. All of the rains have flooded much of the area, so we were restricted in where we went. We chose Lemmon Lake. Some of you have asked, Where is Lemmon Lake? The best way to access it is the lovely park off of River Oaks. Take Loop 12 off of I-45, exit onto 310, and then turn left on River Oaks. There is a huge parking lot. It’s a beautiful and underutilized public park.
Law Man Marching: A Protest Trek With Bill Holston
I was unable to do my usual hike with Ben Sandifer and crew on Saturday. My wife Jill and I decided to do the Women’s March in Dallas, which was organized by my new state representative Victoria Neave, with the assistance of many other groups. Why did I march? This is what I wrote on my Facebook page: This morning Jill and I march. No, we are not “whining” about an election. President Trump is our president.
Popular Pecha Kucha Event Offers Inspiring Ideas, City Pride
One the absolute highlights of my year last year, was participating in Pecha Kucha Dallas. Pecha Kucha (pronounced pechachka), Japanese for chit chat, is a lecture format that began in 2003 in Japan as a method for designers to use brevity to discuss their work. Now, the format has spread spread to include any innovative idea. The requirement is to talk about something you are knowledgeable about using 20 Power Point slides, timed at 20 seconds per slide.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
In this installment, our man reminds us how history and hiking are intertwined. Then there’s the matter of leading 40 kids from the African American Museum Summer Camp on a hike through the woods. Yesterday was Henry David Thoreau’s Birthday. [Ed: I failed Bill by not getting this post up sooner.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
In this installment of every perambulator’s favorite FrontBurner feature, Brother Bill drinks directly from the Trinity River. Almost. The Eyes of Texas Are Beneath You By Bill Holston I can’t remember when I enjoyed a walk in the woods as much as last weekend. My new hiking buddy Ben and I met at Devon Anderson Park. Ben has written a terrific account of our day. I arrived a bit before the sun was up. There was a glorious red sunrise.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
It’s time for another walk in the woods with our friend Bill Holston. Lace ’em up and jump. In today’s installment, we learn that Dallas used to look much different than it does today. I was thrilled to learn that the final field trip for this year’s North Texas Master Naturalist Program, was going to fall on my 55th birthday. I couldn’t think of anything that I’d rather do more than walk in a prairie on a hot Spring Day.
Dangerous Exodus: Kids Leave Central America For North Texas -- And They Need Legal Help
All week, NPR has reported on life along the U.S.-Mexico border. In his commentary, William Holston focuses on one particular group of immigrants growing in number in North Texas. What’s the most dangerous activity you experienced as a child? Most of us rarely faced anything worse than a swimming pool. But children in Central America face danger in their lives every day, and that has resulted in an exodus of kids to the United States. Many come to North Texas.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Ben Sandifer and I were overdue for a hike. I’d had work and family commitments that prevented much exploration of late. So, when I wrote Ben last week and suggested an urban adventure, I was thrilled when he responded with an enthusiastic, “You bet!” Because of all the rains, we decided to meet at River Oaks Park and head over to Lemmon Lake to see if it was full.
Ending The Silence About Rape
Commentator William Holston faces numerous issues in his work at the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, but he says the issue of sexual assault requires immediate worldwide attention. Some topics just make us uncomfortable to talk about. Rape is one of them. Too often this silence contributes to a sense of shame to survivors. That needs to change. One out of every six American women has been the victim of a rape or attempted rape in her lifetime.
Law Man Walking: Nature Treks With Bill Holston
Another in a series of urban wilderness adventures with our man Bill Holston. In this installment, he reveals the spirituality of duct tape. I’m not a patient person. My good friend Jeff tells me that I’m the least patient person he knows. He’s a federal judge, so he’s got some experience to gauge this. So, one of the benefits of spending time in the out of doors and trying to learn about nature is that it requires time and patience to see things.
Refugees In Dallas, Finding a Voice Through Poetry
Poetry is our underappreciated art form. Jorge Luis Borges once said, “Truly fine poetry must be read aloud. A good poem does not allow itself to be read in a low voice or silently. If we can read it silently, it is not a valid poem: a poem demands pronunciation. Poetry always remembers that it was an oral art before it was a written art. It remembers that it was first song.” I once had the opportunity to read my favorite poem at an event in Houston hosted by Robert Pinsky, America’s Poet Laureate.
Why Human Rights Should Be Part Of Immigration Reform
A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators – the so-called “Gang of Eight" – today is expected unveil a proposal for immigration reform. The proposal has been in negotiations for weeks. But commentator William Holston feels something’s been missing from the discourse on this issue. Mary was subjected to female genital mutilation in her Central African country in Guinea. This is a brutal assault administered to young girls according to tribal culture.
Shakespeare Might Be Wrong About Killing All The Lawyers -- Why Free Legal Help Matters
Their services usually come at a cost. But commentator and attorney William Holston says National Pro Bono week (Oct. 20-26) reminds us lawyers also put in many hours on a volunteer basis. The first lawyer I knew in Dallas to do pro bono work was Judge Merrill Hartman. In 1982, Judge Hartman began showing up at a low-income daycare center to dispense free legal services, such as helping mothers collect child support.
Holston, Mansour: Don’t lose asylum-seekers in immigration overhaul
U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and his colleagues on the Senate Judiciary Committee have scheduled the Senate’s first immigration reform hearing of 2013. This hearing is an important opportunity for Cornyn to make his priorities clear as the push for immigration reform moves forward. We encourage him to make the most of it, and here’s how. Asylum-seekers are some of our nation’s most deserving immigrants, yet they are usually an afterthought when immigration reform is discussed.
Commentary: Leaders Vs. Bosses
Commentator William Holston recently turned 59 years old. During that time, he’s married, raised children and practiced law. Now, as head of the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Holston wants to focus on another goal: becoming a great leader. There is a huge difference between being a leader and being a boss. A graphic on my wall illustrates this well. There are two images. In the one labeled “boss,” a person sits in an elevated platform pointing directions while others pull forward.
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