City Council Proclamations
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Who are Ernesto and Ruby Calderon and why is the City honoring them?
Good morning. I'm Mayor Pro Tem Chito Vela here to honor some very special people, Ernie and Ruby Calderon. I've done a lot of proclamations for all kinds of organizations and different very well deserving individuals. This one is very special because I knew Ernie and Ruby personally. Not only did I know them personally, they were very good friends of my parents. My father got hired for the Model Cities program, I believe, back in the LBJ days and was moved to Waco. He took the job and went to Waco where Ernie and Ruby lived. And my mom and dad got to know Ernie and Ruby in Waco. They had a great time. They made them feel so welcome and they became really, really great friends. And they stayed lifelong friends.
A lot of what brought them together was the Chicano movement, was Chicano culture. And back in the days, the 70s especially, was the Raza Unida Party activism. They would talk and laugh. Ruby and Ernie were at my wedding. Just really, really good people. And it's not just the personal context. Very positive people. Always seeking to uplift the community. Always seeking to do good. Always being creative. Always being supportive. Always caring. just a joy and bringing joy into people's lives. I don't think I ever heard an angry word from Ruby or Ernie. It was always just so positive. And in politics, sometimes, you know, we see that negativity. You know, we see where people want to bring things down. They never displayed that.
Always positive, always wanting to build, always wanting to create, always wanting to support. Sadly, both Ernie and Ruby passed away recently, so this is going to be a posthumous honoring of them and declaration of their day. But really special people have lived in and around Austin. Ernie, if I remember correctly, was taught at Wattis Lincoln University when Wattis Lincoln, when we had the Chicano University back in the days, and he and Ruby called the Austin area their home for decades and were just intimately involved in so much of the Raza Roundtable group. I could go on and on, but I know we've got a bunch of other events going on. I want to just turn it over to their daughter, Diana Pena, to also say a few words.
Thank you so much, Tito. And I really appreciate this honor just on behalf of the family. And, you know, just given the history that you had with my parents as well as your parents, this makes it all the more special. So thank you so much for this. And just want to thank the families that are here, both representing both sides of the family of my mother and my father. I've got my father's sisters that are here. I've got a lot of cousins and, you know, as well as friends. Just thank you all for being here. This makes it all the more special. And, you know, of course to my family, my son and my daughter and my husband and Of course, my brothers, I love you all very much. Just really quickly, my parents, as Chito mentioned, they were very resolute in their efforts with the movement and were always focused and they never wavered despite all the obstacles that were put in their way.
And there were many of them. And so I think that is something, you know, today that we can take with us in terms of just staying focused and resolute and keeping going and keeping the fight going no matter what happens and no matter what occurs. So, again, thank you so much for this. And just on behalf of everyone and especially the families that are here, we really appreciate this honor.
It's my pleasure, and they really were two of the most Chicano Chicanos I know. And let me go ahead and get a beautiful picture of them, that son is holding, and just a beautiful, beautiful, creative, colorful Ruby, always so full of life, dressed like just wow, and just always, I mean, dancing, and just, again, so much joy, so much joy. So this is a proclamation honoring Ernie and Ruby Calderon. Be it known that whereas Ernesto Calderon and Ruby Trevino Calderon devoted their lives to advancing civil rights, expanding educational opportunity, and uplifting the Chicano community across Texas,
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Agenda
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