Texas Tidbits: Politics, Power, And The Fight For Justice In The Lone Star State
The good, the bad, and the infuriating in Texas politics.
Welcome to my new series, “Texas Tidbits,” a collection of quick snapshots of the most interesting, outrageous, and important political stories unfolding across the Lone Star State. Each edition will feature several short but significant stories highlighting the issues shaping Texas today.
Gainesville’s Legacy Of Hate: From Confederate Idolatry To Tragic Loss
In 2020, amid the George Floyd protests happening around the country, the Black community in one little town in North Texas decided to protest the Confederate statue in their town. There are these Confederate rocks still standing all over Texas, but the one in Gainesville is particularly egregious for two reasons.
First, the inscription on the statue is very plainly an ode to white supremacy. It says, “Oh, home of the tears, but let her bear this blazoned to the end of time; no nation rose so white and fair, none fell so pure of crime.” Secondly, Gainesville is the location of the largest mass hanging in American history. They called it the Great Hanging at Gainesville. It’s where 42 suspected Unionists were murdered in October 1862.
In 2020, when a handful of young people from the community held a peaceful protest, they were met by dozens of armed, white militia members who carried weapons, pointed weapons at the protesters, and threatened the lives of many of them.
Gainesville - July, 2020:
This played out in many ways over several terrifying months. Community members were threatened, had the streets in front of their homes vandalized, and became fearful of their own neighbors. But they continued protesting, eventually even serving jail time because of it. The ACLU got involved, and the case was petitioned at the Supreme Court.
There are plenty of other incidents I could direct you to of overt white supremacy in Gainesville over the last 20 years.
That’s why the recent heartbreaking tragedy in Gainesville, rooted in hate and racism, is sadly not shocking, but that makes it no less devastating.
Eleven-year-old Jocelynn Rojo Carranza died on February 8, 2025, five days after her mother found her unresponsive at their home in Gainesville. This young girl died by suicide after she was bullied about her family’s immigration status.
There’s been a lot of blame on Trump and Republicans for causing this division in America and spreading hate and xenophobia. They’re culpable. Absolutely. And it should be known that the culture of Gainesville has long been a culture of white supremacy.
Hate persists over generations, especially in small towns where cultural attitudes are deeply ingrained. These children echoed the beliefs they grew up hearing, beliefs shaped by the same individuals who, just four and a half years ago, responded with hostility when their Black neighbors spoke out against a public monument that glorifies white supremacy.
🙏🏻 RIP little Jocelynn.
Censorship In Cowtown: The Fight To Reclaim Fort Worth’s Seized Art
Last month, Lone Star Left highlighted a situation unfolding at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth after complaints of “pornography and exploitation” regarding artwork from the 1980s series by Sally Mann, the Fort Worth Police seized the artwork.
See:
Now, the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, the National Coalition Against Censorship, and the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas are joining forces to demand the return of the artwork.
You can see their full press release here.
I will continue to monitor this case. In a time of rising fascism, book burning, and the government seizing art, it may become a critical First Amendment case. What happens next will determine whether Texas cements itself further as a battleground for censorship and authoritarian overreach. The outcome of this case could set a dangerous precedent, signaling that art, and by extension, free expression can be erased at the whim of ideological extremists.
Elon Musk’s Corporate Takeover Of Brownsville: Exploitation Disguised As Innovation
Elon Musk came to South Texas promising jobs, economic growth, and a new era of space exploration. Instead, Brownsville experienced environmental devastation, closed beaches, dangerous rocket explosions, and the slow but deliberate takeover of a once-thriving community.
A new short documentary by More Perfect Union exposes the truth about how Musk and SpaceX have exploited one of the poorest areas in the country. They have bought off politicians, displaced residents, polluted public land, and treated Boca Chica as their personal testing ground. With the FAA bending over backward to accommodate them, Musk has expanded SpaceX’s reach to the point where he now wants to incorporate his own town, Starbase, turning an entire area into a company town under his control.
The consequences are clear. Brownsville residents have lost access to Boca Chica Beach, a vital public space. Wildlife habitats have been destroyed. Workers face unsafe conditions. Rockets explode with alarming frequency, sending debris into the ocean and even forcing flight diversions. Yet, Musk and his supporters continue to push the myth that this is progress.
As Musk becomes increasingly vocal about his disdain for regulations and government oversight, his actions in South Texas offer a chilling preview of billionaire-driven governance. Watch the documentary to see for yourself.
In 2023, Lone Star Left published a guest post by an activist in Brownsville exposing the mess that Elon was making in Boca Chica Beach. Two years later, the situation has only got worse. See:
Erasing History: The Fight Against Texas HB 2548
Earlier this month, Representative Cody Harris (R-HD08) filed HB2548, a bill that would dramatically restrict the discussion of race, gender, and systemic oppression in Texas public universities. The legislation bans institutions from requiring courses on critical race theory, whiteness, systemic racism, intersectionality, gender identity, and social justice.
At a press conference earlier this week, a coalition of civil rights leaders, educators, and students, including representatives from the Austin Justice Coalition, the Next Generation Action Network, and the ACLU of Texas, condemned the bill as an effort to whitewash history and suppress marginalized voices. “This bill is about erasure,” said one student speaker. “It’s about erasing histories and lived experiences of people who have been on the sidelines, people who have been marginalized by systems in this country.”
Religious leaders, including Unitarian Universalist minister Eric Hepburn, also called out the bill’s implications, warning that suppressing historical truth does not protect children. It only ensures ignorance. “No one can be protected from the truth,” he said. “Spiritual maturity is recognizing our fundamental equality, and this bill is a step in the wrong direction.”
Opposition groups are mobilizing. With Texas already at the center of national debates over DEI, book bans, and state control over education, HB 2548 is just one more attack on academic freedom.
Better Late Than Never: Texas Democrats Finally Invest In Organizing
This week, the Texas Democratic Party announced the appointment of Katy Schmader as the new Organizing Director. This move shows the Party’s commitment to building year-round organizing infrastructure across the state. In this role, Schmader will lead efforts to strengthen grassroots engagement, support county parties, and mobilize voters in every corner of Texas.
Again, better late than never. The TDP will soon be under new leadership, and this is the exact type of action they should take. Plus, they already have put out several calls to action:
Sign up for weekly organizing actions 👉🏻 txdem.co/twostep
Join a legislative advocacy phone bank 👉🏻 txdem.co/phonebank
Attend a Work It Wednesday phone bank 👉🏻 txdem.co/workit
Greg Abbott Goes Bananas: Talarico Challenges Him To A Debate
Over the last few weeks, Governor Greg Abbott has been confronting Democrats on Twitter regarding school vouchers. Mostly, Abbott is just trolling. He even called Dr. Mary González (D-HD75) a “fake doctor” (she has a doctoral degree in Curriculum and Instruction-Cultural Studies in Education). Then, he had the audacity to call James Talarico (D-HD52) a “scam artist.”
Talarico wasn’t playing games and responded to Abbott, “You act so tough on Twitter. Let’s debate school vouchers in person.”
Abbott has yet to respond. However, thousands of Democrats across Texas are praying he will. Talarico would mop the floor with him. It would be glorious.
A rumor has been circulating now that Talarico intends to run for Governor. I don’t know if it’s true, but an epic takedown of Abbott over vouchers would be a real career booster for Talarico. We’ll have to wait and see.
Texans Push Back On Abbott’s Voucher Scam: The Resistance Is Getting Louder
Governor Greg Abbott held a rally in San Antonio this week to promote his private school voucher scheme, but he wasn’t the only one making noise. Over 200 public school teachers, parents, and education advocates showed up in force to protest, making it clear that Texans are not buying his plan to divert public funds to private schools.
The protestors gathered at all four corners of the San Antonio Christian Academy and sent a loud and unmistakable message: Texas public schools need investment, not abandonment. Speaker Dustin Burrows and House Public Education Chairman Brad Buckley, both key players in the voucher fight, were also there as Abbott’s guests to witness the opposition firsthand.
Why doesn’t Abbott ever hold these rallies at a public school? If he genuinely cared about Texas students, he’d advocate for fully funded, high-quality public education, not a program designed to benefit a select few while leaving the majority behind. But then again, it’s not the majority who’s funding him. 🤷🏻♀️
Some stories you need to see:
ProPublica: Texas Banned Abortion. Then Sepsis Rates Soared.
Texas Observer: ICE Prosecutor in Dallas Runs White Supremacist X Account
Texas politics never sleeps, nor does the fight for justice, equity, and accountability. Whether they’re resisting censorship, resisting whitewashing in education, exposing billionaire exploitation, or standing up for public schools, Texans are making their voices heard. The stakes are high, and the next few months will be critical. Stay informed, stay engaged, and, as always, keep fighting the good fight.
March 14: The last day Legislators can file bills.
June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.
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This article was intense; only because it was full of information. Information that I could not get anywhere else. I wished more people would read your articles so that get the true picture of what is really happening. I didn’t realize that the child who killed her self was living in a huge White supremacist area of Texas. 😢
🙏🏻 RIP little Jocelynn. 😭
A few people have told me the KKK is a live and well in that area.
Latino’s and other minorities should move out. It upsets me when I see racist eating at my favorite Tex-Mex restaurants. They shouldn’t eat our food if they don’t like us. 🤬
We need a special election so people could vote on vouchers. I believe the vouchers would lose by a landslide.
I would like to see the new leader of the Texas Democrats yell it from the roof tops that Tim Dunn and other billionaires are behind the the republican party.