The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of the Texas Organizing Project, in reaction to bodycam footage made public Friday of five Black Memphis police officers violently beating Tyre Nichols on the streets of his neighborhood, ultimately leading to his death: 

“These gruesome, sinister acts captured on video and released to the public once again confirm to Black people across the country what we already know to be true: that law enforcement dehumanizes us.

“The sheer brutality inflicted on Tyre Nichols further shows how the violent legacy of white supremacy is still at the foundation of policing institutions in the United States today, no matter the race or ethnicity of officers. As report after report continues to show, Black people are still killed by police at a higher rate than other groups.

“One does not have to subject themself to watching trauma-inducing footage of Black death to fully understand the magnitude of the atrocity committed by Memphis police.

“Only yards away from the safety of his home, it was a reprehensible abuse of power of the badge that ended Tyre’s life. There is no justification whatsoever for the inhumanity unleashed on him.

“With raised fists, our hearts are with the Nichols family during this emotionally jarring time. We demand these officers be held to nothing short of full accountability for their vile actions. Eliminating police brutality is only possible through a complete, community-driven overhaul and reimagining of policing itself ― a fight TOP continues to be fully committed to.”

Synnachia McQueen, a TOP Right2Justice campaign member in Harris County, added: 

“Pepper-sprayed, tased, and horrifically beaten, Tyre Nichol’s murder is indicative of a legal system that for centuries has devalued and dehumanized Black lives at each turn.

“Every person ― regardless of where they come from, what they look like, or where they live ― is deserving of having their basic rights respected and dignity upheld.

“To be clear, a beloved son and father is no longer with us because five Memphis police officers ruthlessly violated Tyre’s rights and dignity AND because their actions are rooted in the history of white supremacy in this country. The officers and the system must be held to account.”

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Texas Organizing Project organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.

This statement was sent out January 28, 2023.

The following statement is from Michelle Tremillo, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in response to the two-year mark of former President Donald Trump inciting white supremacist supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn a national election and overthrow the federal government:

“Our nation’s democracy is still as fragile as ever now two years after the white nationalist violence that transpired at our nation’s Capitol on January 6, 2021.

“The findings of the House Select Committee on January 6 over the course of the last year were invaluable, as they exposed just how entrenched and complicit Donald Trump and far-right figures were in an elaborate plot to cling to power by reversing an entire presidential election.

“A handful of these same far-right 2020 election deniers and insurrectionist sympathizers are still wielding power as government officials and are dead set on dismantling democratic processes, weaponizing the rule of law to attack Black and Latino communities, and stifling opposition to their extremist agenda.

“We are seeing them in action right now in the halls of Congress, as they seek to extract as many concessions as they can in the House speaker’s race, with one of their main goals being to gaslight Americans about what took place on January 6, and to seek vengeance on those who spoke up to tell the truth.

“No matter our age, race, or political leanings, all in our country deserve representation from elected leaders who want to preserve our democracy, not destroy it. TOP will not stand idly by as far-right politicians try to minimize the clear-cut white supremacy we as a nation witnessed on January 6.

“We also will never forget our state’s GOP elected officials who purposely cast doubt on the legitimacy of the 2020 election results.”

Ken Paxton (Texas Attorney General)Ted Cruz (U.S. Senator)Keith Self (Texas’ 3rd Congressional District)Pat Fallon (Texas’ 4th Congressional District)Lance Gooden (Texas’ 5th Congressional District)Morgan Luttrell (Texas’ 8th Congressional District)August Pfluger (Texas’ 11th Congressional District)Ronny Jackson (Texas’ 13th Congressional District)Randy Weber (Texas’ 14th Congressional District)Monica De La Cruz (Texas’ 15th Congressional District)

Pete Sessions (Texas’ 17th Congressional District)Jodey C. Arrington (Texas’ 19th Congressional District)Troy E. Nehls (Texas’ 22nd Congressional District)Beth Van Duyne (Texas’ 24th Congressional District)Roger Wiliams (Texas’ 25th Congressional District)Michael C. Burgess (Texas’ 26th Congressional District)Michael Cloud (Texas’ 27th Congressional District)John Carter (Texas’ 31st Congressional District)Brian Babin (Texas’ 36th Congressional District)

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Texas Organizing Project organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris, Bexar, and Fort Bend counties with the goal of transforming Texas into a state where working people of color have the power and representation they deserve. For more information, visit organizetexas.org.

This statement was sent out January 6, 2023.

The following statement is from Terrance “TK” Koontz of BlackTOP, in response to WNBA star and activist Brittney Griner being freed from a Russian penal colony and returned home to the U.S.

“The scale of our work as organizers is freedom. Just like Harriet, Fannie Lou, and Dr. King before us, Brittany coming home is plotted on that freedom scale. After being unjustly locked up and dehumanized for months, a daughter of our state is on her way back to her home. It’s not lost on us how the intersection of her identities as a Black, queer woman makes it impossible for some to see the value for her life.

“BlackTOP stands in solidarity with Black people all across the country who called attention to this and organized around the disgusting treatment of Brittney at the hands of Russian authorities, and we commend the Biden administration for following through on securing her release.”

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BlackTOP was built on the premise that the future of Texas rests in organizing Black folks across the state and getting US to the polls. With offices in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, BlackTOP launched canvassing programs across multiple Texas counties to talk to, organize, and mobilize Black voters ahead of the 2022 election. For more information, visit blacktoptexas.org.

This statement was sent out December 8, 2022.