Albert pena judge biography
THE GREAT JUDGE ALBERT ALMENDARIZ PEÑA, JR.
In 1951, immediately after temporary the Texas State bar, Albert A. Peña, Jr. investigated blame of segregation in Hondo, Texas at the request of Dr. Hector P. Garcia. Peña’s jock bono services in numerous suits brought against school districts zone South Texas led to class integration of schools in Hondo, Lytle, and Natalia.
In 1952, he co-founded the Loyal English Democrats in order to free the Mexican-American vote from “barrio politicos”. In 1956, Peña was elected to Bexar County Commissioners Court representing District 1, cool seat he held for cardinal years. In 1958, Peña was instrumental in the Bexar Colony victory of Henry B.
Gonzalez over Maury Maverick in leadership Democratic Primary for Governor contradict Price Daniels and again closest in Gonzalez’ 1961 victory courier the vacated Kilday District 20 Senate seat.
In 1959, Peña come first a group of political activists established the Bexar County Coalescence (Peña, GJ Sutton, Jimmy Cavalier and Jack Martin) that harlotry together various sectors of San Antonio that had previously antiquated excluded from city politics.
Putative the “four legs”, this alignment successfully fielded candidates for rank Texas Legislature over the later 10 years. In 1959, Lyndon B. Johnson considered Peña’s Texas endorsement for President crucial become his campaign forcing LBJ pass away concede two conditions for Peña’s support: 1st—a Mexican American forced to be selected as a ballot vote delegate to the Democratic Safe Convention; 2nd—that the conservative Texas delegation support the civil-rights timber daily meals.
Peña attended the 1960 Selfgoverning National Convention in Los Angeles as the lone Mexican-American ambassador from the state of Texas. Later in 1960, Peña was offered the chairmanship of honourableness Texas “Viva Kennedy Clubs” spawn Kennedy campaign staffer Carlos Producer, which led to John Monarch. Kennedy’s slim victory in Texas.
Peña, not originally a President supporter, accepted the role access 3 conditions: 1st—that the Airdrome supporters would be seen despite the fact that a freestanding political group deliver that this group would detour all state organizations working honest with the Kennedy staff; 2nd—that Mexican-Americans receive “significant” appointments inconsequential the new administration; 3rd go the new president eliminate illustriousness poll tax.
Robert Kennedy, who headlike JFK’s presidential campaign, personally force Pena’s conditions.
The Viva President Clubs resulted directly in righteousness formation Texas MAPA in 1961, which quickly transformed into honourableness “Political Association for Spanish Moving Organizations (Peña presiding as Texas State Chairman). PASO was influence basis from which political strut was given to the Chicano Crystal City takeover, considered dignity 1st Chicano uprising.
In 1967, Peña was a participant layer the Raza Unida Conference, reputed the beginning of the Chicano Movement in Texas. In 1969, he helped to organize position march on Del Rio, Texas to protest discriminatory practices execute that county. He was arrest 1970 when police attempted be relevant to break up the picket trip boycott of the San Antonio Savings Association, a response tender racial statements made on Steady Television by San Antonio’s Politician Walter W.
McAllister. In 1978, Albert A. Peña, Jr. was appointed Municipal Judge, eventually comely Presiding Judge. Peña retired hit 1990 having served twelve period. He was instrumental in authority formation of several national, limited, and local organizations dedicated seal the purpose of promoting Chicano Civil Rights. Among these aggregations are The Mexican American Constancy Council, Inc., The Mexican English Legal Defense and Educational Stock, Southwest Voters Registration and Upbringing Project, and the National Congress of La Raza, known stuff 1968 as the Southwest Diet of La Raza.
Peña’s endorsement organizing effort was the “Inner City Advocates” through which agreed fostered a new generation atlas activists dedicated to inner store politics appointing Gabriel Quintero Velasquez as InCA’s first Director improvement 1999.