| A. Latham Staples | |
|---|---|
A. Latham Staples |
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| Born | April 16, 1977 Fort Worth, Texas, United States |
| Other names | A. Latham Staples |
| Alma mater | Baylor University |
| Political movement | Civil Rights Movement |
| Religion | Methodist |
A. Latham Staples (born 1977) is an American civil rights activist and community leader in San Diego, California.[1][2] He's the founder, and current President & CEO of the Empowering Spirits Foundation, Inc. (ESF), a national LGBT civil rights organization in the United States.[1][2][3][4][5]
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Staples grew up in Fort Worth, Texas where he attended school at Fort Worth Academy, a private school his parents helped found. He spent his Summers in Albany, Texas, his grandparent's hometown, to perform annually in the Fort Griffin Fandangle, the oldest outdoor musical in the state of Texas.[1] His undergraduate studies took Staples to Waco, Texas where he attended Baylor University, a Baptist-affiliated private university.[1][6] Staples graduated in 1999 as part of the first class of the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, a division of the Honor's College, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Political Science.[1][6] It was at Baylor that Staples became heavily involved in public service. He served as assistant to Lester Gibson, McLennan County Precinct 2 Commissioner, and joined and served in various officer roles in Alpha Phi Omega (APO), a national service fraternity.[1][7] Through APO Staples spent many of his weekends building homes for Habitat for Humanity or volunteering at a local children's learning center.[1] Staples also coordinated with the American Red Cross the largest blood drive in central Texas' history.[1][8][9] In addition, Staples was elected to Baylor Student Congress in various roles throughout his collegiate years, including Arts & Sciences Representative and Senior Class Representative.[1][9][10]
Before moving to San Diego, Staples's diverse background included working as Corporate Sales Manager at Dell, Inc. in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Vice President of PR and Marketing of Red Ridge Entertainment, Inc. in Nashville, Tennessee; and as a reporter in Waco, Texas.[1][6]
Staples has worked on various political campaigns, including those of Texas congresswoman Kay Granger, Texas Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison, former presidential nominee Al Gore, and most recently served as political adviser to California 50th district Democratic candidate Tracy Emblem.[1] Staples has also served on Lori Saldana's, former member of the California State Assembly from the 76th Assembly district, Hate Free San Diego Commission, and currently serves on the San Diego LGBT Community Center Public Policy Action Committee and the Center for Leadership Committee.[1]
Staples created ESF in 2008 in response to the LGBT community's response to the passage of Proposition 8.[1][4][11]
"The day after [the passage of Prop.8] various gay rights organizations attacked Christians, the Mormon Church and minority groups. In my mind this intolerance only amplified the hate, it didn't create change," said Staples, in a feature article about ESF.[1][4]
Staples said he was laughed at when he suggested to one of the gay rights organizations that they should foster dialogue with those opposed to gay rights, instead of attacking them. Four days later Staples founded ESF, a pacifist LGBT civil rights organization.[1][4]
Instead of changing the laws, Staples strives to change the hearts and minds of the voters through ESF that are generally ignored by other existing LGBT organizations. ESF’s programs are designed to encourage dialogue between the LGBT community and its non-LGBT neighbors while promoting open, non-disenfranchising communication.[1][4][11][11][12]
Staples' pacifist attitude, and desire to reach out to those with opposing viewpoints in order to influence change can be seen in a letter he penned regarding a race relations controversy while he attended Baylor in 1999.[10]
"In the past few weeks we have been bombarded with various news articles and editorials regarding the recent surge in tension concerning racial relations at Baylor. Much of this has focused on punishing the NoZe brotherhood and criticizing the administration for its seeming lack of response to the situation.
As a participant of last week's Racial Legacies Dialogue on Race, and a member of student congress, I can firmly say that the administration is very much concerned about this problem and addressing the issues and finding solutions to the problems at hand.
Adrian Despres, speaker at last week's Resurrection Week services, stressed that we tend to focus on the differences and problems of others. However, he continued to say that real change must begin within ourselves. I believe that we as a community are all at fault for the recent strain. The problem isn't just with others of a different race but with differences in people as a whole.
We, myself included, tend to associate with those that we are most comfortable with, mainly due to our upbringing; whether it is those of the same economic status, race, religious beliefs, etc. However, we must step beyond these boundaries. It is only through interaction with others, whether it is through dialogue, mixers, sporting activities or other various forms, that we can truly understand each other. Each of us must take a step."[10]
Echoing Green, an angel investor in social entrepreneurial organizations, named Staples a 2010 Fellow June 22, 2010, and committed to funding ESF for two years. Staples was the only grantee selected from the category of "Civil & Human Rights."[13][14]
“We found both the mission and the approach of Mr. Staples and his organization to be refreshing and timely,” said Cheryl L. Dorsey, Echoing Green President. “It takes courage and grace to work alongside someone who fundamentally disagrees with you. Through ESF’s community service programs they are engaging in work everyone can agree on and be passionate about. Mr. Staples and his organization are creating a common ground, a new tool in creating social justice.”[13]