The following statement is from Dr. Doshie Piper, Board Co-President of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), born and raised in Houston, in reaction to the sudden passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner:

“As a champion for Houstonians for decades, the staff and members of Texas Organizing Project are saddened to hear of the passing of Congressman Sylvester Turner.

“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, friends, and all impacted by his more than 35 years of public service to Houston and our state as a whole.”

Michelle Tremillo, TOP Co-Executive Director added:

“From the Texas House, to City Hall, to the halls of Congress, Sylvester Turner fought day in and day out for the fundamental rights of all of his constituents and fellow Texans.

“The Congressman’s advocacy for voting rights, affordable housing, healthcare access, and climate justice has positively transformed our Houston communities, and his legacy will be felt by future generations.”

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About 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.

The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Texas Organizing Project (TOP) Co-Executive Director on the organization celebrating the foundational role of women, especially Black and Latina women, this Women’s History Month:

“Women inspire, women lead, and women manifest. We have been the backbone of every movement for societal progress over the course of history.

“Founded and led by women, TOP every day lifts up the legacies of freedom-fighting women, especially Black and Latina women, whose vision and commitment to justice move us closer to our North Star of full liberation — women like Jovita Ida and Fannie Lou Hamer.

“We’re here to reimagine what is possible, transform the world, win a better future for ourselves and our loved ones, and we’re not stopping.”

Mary Guzman, TOP Education Fund board member, added:

“No amount of petty, backwards policy will hold us back from our collective desire as women to pour into our families, our communities, and lead our best lives.

“Each and every one of us — regardless of the color of skin, the language we speak, or where we call home —  has the power to be a catalyst for groundbreaking change, and it is our organizing that empowers new generations of women to contribute in powerful ways and fully realize their dreams.”

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About 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.

The following is a statement from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), on BlackTOP’s observance of Black History Month this year:

“Fearless innovators and change-makers. It’s who we inherently are as Black Americans, and no executive order or policy change will ever strip us of that fact. This Black History Month, we once again affirm how Black communities have been the cornerstone of our nation’s rise, and how our excellence continues to drive its prosperity. 

“With the twice-impeached White House occupant ridiculously claiming that DEI is a threat to our country, it’s more important than ever that we set the record straight and call out this bigotry by centering Black voices and recognizing our vast contributions to this country — a country our ancestors built.”

“BlackTOP’s work is rooted in building Black and Latino power by carving out an unapologetic Black lane that grounds us in our history — merging our imaginations with strategy to manifest our dreams.”

“No matter the powers we are up against, organizing will always be our vehicle for change, with collective liberation forever being our primary objective.

Synnachia McQueen, TOP County Leadership Team member in Houston, added:

“We will not allow the “victors” of the past or present try to rewrite OUR history and omit the contributions of OUR communities. 

“This Black History Month, we honor our ancestors, acknowledge the present, and continue our tireless work toward creating a future where race, age, gender, and class are no longer barriers to justice and our ability to thrive.

“Building a Texas and United States where freedom and prosperity are accessible to all is up to us — and through solidarity we will achieve it.”

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About BlackTOP

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.

The following is a statement from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), on the juxtaposition of this year’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday:

“Texas Organizing Project today and every day channels the spirit of freedom-fighters like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. – an indomitable, justice-seeking giant we proudly stand on the shoulders of.

“We must constantly build dikes of courage to hold back the flood of fear,” he stated – words that apply to the tenuous environment our movement finds itself in today, as millions in this country committed to a vision where all can thrive – no matter our age, race, faith, or gender – grapple with uncertainty and search for new ways to drive change for the common good.

“As TOP’s organizing evolves and takes new shape, our values remain constant. Our North Star is collective liberation. This is how we will lead, continue to positively impact lives, and win.”

Dr. Doshie Piper, TOP board co-president, added:

“No incoming administration of self-serving billionaires will control our well-being and dictate how we choose to lead our lives.

“To honor Dr. King’s legacy entails countering an agenda of division with an audacious and tangible manifesto of hope.

“It also means not cowering in the face of adversity, as we roll up our sleeves to fight the damaging policies and ideology of a cruel, right-wing extremist agenda”. 

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About 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.

The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), on the fourth anniversary of Donald Trump fomenting deadly violence at our nation’s Capitol:

“No court decision or amount of gaslighting will erase what is undeniable fact – that on January 6, 2021, Donald Trump incited white nationalist violence at the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“Four years after this deadly attack, it remains an infuriating national travesty of accountability and justice that this twice-impeached grifter has yet to feel the full legal weight of his actions that day, and thanks to his ultra-conservative Supreme Court, he likely never will.

“It is disgusting, though in no way shocking, to see today’s Republican Party – which Trump controls in the palm of his hand – continue to downplay the horrific display of white supremacy we witnessed.

“January 6, 2021, wasn’t the start of Trump’s dangerous attacks on our democracy, and it won’t be the last.

“Now back in the Oval Office, there is no doubt Trump will wield every bit of his power to dismantle democratic processes for his own benefit, while weaponizing the rule of law to attack any communities who he and his MAGA loyalists deem as threats to their divisive agenda – particularly Black and Latino communities.

“TOP’s commitment to building real political power in Texas remains steadfast. Donald Trump’s return to power only strengthens our resolve to fight even harder for the Black and Latino Texans who fuel our state.

“Regardless of race, income, gender, preferred language, or ZIP Code, all who call our country home deserve representation from elected leaders who will fight to fulfill the promise of our democracy, not destroy it.”

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About 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.

The following is a statement from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), on the community organizing group’s observance of Indigenous Peoples’ Day this year:

“The contributions made by Indigenous peoples the world over are vast, invaluable, and forever woven into the fabric of our society.

“Audacious in every which way, Indigenous communities for centuries have withstood the destructive force of racial capitalism and white supremacy.

“Their unshakeable resistance against the genocidal tool of colonization serves as a stark reminder why our movement’s fight for the liberation of us all – no matter the color of our skin, the language we speak, or where we call home – is as vital as it is non-negotiable. 

“We know full well that Indigenous rights are human rights, and that our efforts to advance racial and economic justice for Black and Latino Texans will always be intertwined. It’s one reason why TOP now shares land acknowledgments in our organizing spaces.

“Each and every day, we are building solidarity across communities of color in our state, as TOP seeks to dismantle the systemic racism that for too long has held back Black, Latino, and Indigenous people, and instead manifest a #TXForAll vision rooted in freedom and justice.”  

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About 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.

The following is a statement from Michelle Tremillo, Texas Organizing Project (TOP) Co-Executive Director, on the organization’s observance of National Hispanic Heritage Month this year:

“We can’t stand idly by at a time when morally bankrupt politicians are spewing vitriol and lies about migrants, particularly our Haitian Afro-Latino brothers and sisters, who are the latest target of Republican racist conspiracies intended to divide us. We show solidarity, speak out, and electorally send a strong message at the ballot box.

“Honoring National Hispanic Heritage Month means acknowledging the full humanity of ALL who make up and elevate our Latino communities — no matter the color of our skin, the language we speak, or what country we call home. It also means recognizing the growing cultural and political impact we Latinos are having in Texas and across the United States.

“TOP vehemently rejects this bigotry being spread against migrants and is responding by ramping up our organizing rooted in racial and economic justice, while mobilizing Black and Latino Texas voters to participate in what will be one of the most consequential elections of our lifetime.”

Andrea Osorio, TOP Education Fund Board Member, added:

“As a mother and proud Latina in Texas, I see firsthand the contributions our communities make, as working Latino families like mine are key to fueling the economic engine of our state. Yet, year after year, our increasingly-authoritarian state Republican leaders seek to diminish and divide us through hateful words and policy.

“Texans are worth more. And I am one of millions of Latinos in this state who is ready to build a future where housing is more affordable, healthcare is more accessible, public education is better supported, and our judicial system is more humane.

“At TOP, we choose to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month by remaining committed to manifesting an inclusive vision that gets us closer to our collective liberation.”

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About 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.