NYRA is headed to one of the largest music festivals in the country, SXSW, next week in order to promote our efforts to end corporal punishment in the United States. For the week, we’ll be partnering with The Hitting Stops Here!, People Opposed to Paddling Students and Marc Ecko’s new organization – Unlimited Justice.
NYRA Director of Operations, Dave Moss and board member, Usiel Phoenix will be in Austin all week promoting the organization and raising awareness of the fact that as far as legal child abuse goes – Texas leads the pack.
NYRA is no stranger to the issue of corporal punishment – a flagrant youth rights violation. Other than the corporal punishment that currently occurs in public schools in 20 states there are no instances where it is legal to for state actors to hit someone. It’s not legal for prison guards to strike prisoners, it’s not legal for drill instructors to strike new recruits and it shouldn’t be legal for teachers to strike students – but it is.
Artists of all stripes support our endeavor. During the week we’ll be rocking out with Brooklyn-based Black Taxi and we’ll be talking about the upcoming film “The Program Documentary” about the abusive behavior modification industry.
If you’re going to be 
at SXSW make sure to stop by the Unlimited Justice booth in the exhibition hall for some free stuff and join us at the steps of the Texas State House on March 15th at 12:15 for a rally in support of HB 916 – a bill to ban corporal punishment. If you want to get involved with us please shoot an email to NYRA @ SXSW coordinator Dave Moss – dmoss@youthrights.org
