The scars created by hundreds of years of slavery and racially discriminatory government policies are deep and will require real resources and investment in communities that have been harmed.
- Reducing mass incarceration in Texas: Black Texans are disproportionately affected by the criminal legal system, period. In order to create a true justice system, we must examine and reimagine components of the criminal legal system that worsen racial inequities, including reforming probation, ending cash bail through our litigation in Galveston and Dallas, and overhauling drug sentencing. Our advocacy resources, like the Texas Jails Dashboard, further detail the negative impacts of COVID-19 and the economic strain of pretrial incarceration.
- Challenging race-based school discipline: Far too often, Black and Brown students find themselves antagonized by their own schools’ disciplinary policies. Challenging racial discrimination in Texas school districts is key to supporting Black and Indigenous students so that they can learn without the fear of being targeted for being themselves.
- Putting an end to broken policing: Beyond the national headlines created after George Floyd's murder, Texas has had its share of Black victims of police violence and overreach, including Javier Ambler, Jamail Amron, Sandra Bland, Botham Jean, Atatiana Jefferson, Pamela Turner, Patrick Warren Sr. and too many others. One of our priorities during the 87th Texas Legislative Session is pushing for the passage of the George Floyd Act, which provides for sweeping reforms limiting police use of force, including banning chokeholds. In coalition with our partners in Houston and Dallas, we created evidence-based reports “Justice Can’t Wait” and “Dignity for Dallas” demanding comprehensive police reforms. We also uncovered documents revealing law enforcement plans for excessive use of force against Black mourners at the George Floyd burial near Houston.
