Compassion

A child and her parents immigrated to a small border town in the United States from Mexico. As the eldest daughter, she dropped out of school and worked as a migrant laborer in the fields, to help her family get by.  She eventually raised her own family, taught herself English, and began to work on behalf of her farmworker community.  First, she became a paralegal, assisting farmworkers to receive fair wages and fighting for sanitary living conditions. Then she became a community leader, serving on the local school board, eventually being elected Mayor of her town, and then running a successful business.  She is a pillar of her community, the person people turn to when they need help or advice.  She aids her community through public service, volunteering at her church, and working to get out the vote, so that citizens can use their voices to try to move their community forward.  She cares for her community through her service and her leadership. She is a force of nature.

I met her in 2020 when she was charged with a new crime for delivering four ballots lawfully voted by community members to the polling place, and I agreed to represent her.  The state had recently criminalized this behavior, which had long been a common part of helping neighbors vote in this largely Spanish-speaking border town with no mailboxes and few polling places.  Although one court struck down the law, after a bitter legal fight it was eventually upheld by the Supreme Court. 

I stood beside this beloved grandmother as she pled guilty.  The gallery of the courtroom was packed with her family, including her grandchildren and many community members she helped along the way.  When the prosecutor asked the court to sentence her to a year in prison, I stood for her to argue against such a severe penalty and told the court of her exemplary life of service and community dedication.  Other members of her community spoke to the court on her behalf and filled the courtroom to support her.  I held her hand as the judge sentenced her to spend thirty days in jail.  I steadied her as we walked out of the courtroom together.  And I greeted her with a warm hug when we met at her sisters for lunch after she’d served her time. Her resilience continues to inspire me.

Sometimes standing with someone is the only thing within your power. 

This is Anne’s story. What is your Story?