A Mirror and a Portal
From deep within I heard: “not a woman.” The desert stretched out in front of me as I drove. For months, feelings I couldn’t put my finger on simmered. I realize in the rearview mirror that my egg had been … Continued
From the Plantation to the Thicket: Juneteenth, Black Freedom, and ‘Marronage’ in Texas
In Texas, Juneteenth is often described as the day that Union Major General Gordon Granger marched upon the shores of Galveston to announce the Emancipation Proclamation—on June 19th, 1865. But freedom in Texas was achieved both after and before formal … Continued
Betty Simmons, a Texan in Slavery’s Last Years
In 1863, Betty Simmons was about 20 years old, and her 3-year-old son, Charlie, would soon be made to work in the field. In her 1938 interview with the Federal Writers’ Project, Simmons said: “[They take them young].” (These interviews … Continued
In Laredo’s Last Stand Against Trump’s Border Wall, Are City Leaders Making a Deal with the Devil?
Early this year, a delegation of officials from the City of Laredo traveled to Washington, D.C., to meet with federal representatives about the Trump administration’s plans to completely wall off the Texans’ border community from the Rio Grande. The Laredoans … Continued
As World Cup Unfolds, Immigrant Rights Organizers Seek a Reckoning over Dallas’ Relationship with ICE
As thousands of visitors from around the country pour into Dallas for the opening matches of the 2026 World Cup, a group of faith leaders and immigrant rights organizers are addressing the elephant on the field–the city’s relationship with Immigration … Continued