The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP):
“Republican leaders are targeting a Black woman legislator, Rep. Nicole Collier, because she refuses to play along with their discriminatory power grab. Forcing her to accept a police escort to leave the chamber is about intimidation, surveillance, and silencing — and Black communities across Texas know exactly what that looks like.
“These redistricting maps were designed to strip Black and Latino voters of their political voice. Now Republicans are using the same heavy-handed tactics, recycled from segregationists’ playbook, against a Black elected official who dared to resist. Black leaders shouldn’t be treated like political prisoners. Police escorts for elected officials = surveillance and intimidation. #FreeRepCollier
“TOP stands with Rep. Collier. We refuse to accept attacks on Black communities, their leaders, and their right to fair representation. We will keep organizing until every Texan has a real voice in our democracy. #ProtectBlackVoices”
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About Texas Organizing Project:
Texas Organizing Project (TOP) 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.