The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Executive Director of the Texas Organizing Project (TOP), emphasizing the heightened significance of this year’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

“Honoring Dr. King’s life means acknowledging his full unapologetic self, not as some timid peacemaker who always “played by the rules” as today’s conservatives would have us believe, but as a revolutionary leader who organized communities, rallied the masses, challenged the status quo, drove change, and transformed society through his philosophy of nonviolence.

“As our nation slides into authoritarianism under this administration, Dr. King’s teachings and vision have never been more needed. He knew full well that changing hearts and minds required more than simply building bonds with one another, but constructing whole bridges rooted in unshakeable solidarity. This is work TOP has proudly committed itself to for now over 15 years.

Larry Smith, Dallas TOP member, added:

“Channeling Dr. King’s immense resolve, TOP remains steadfast in our fight for justice – to deliver meaningful and lasting change for Black and Latino Texans. This fearlessness and desire to have an impact doesn’t come out of a vacuum; it comes from the ingenuity and sacrifice of our ancestors, as we build off their legacy which provided us with the very freedoms and rights we find ourselves now defending from the grips of white nationalists.

“If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward,” Dr. King famously said, hitting on the importance of us staying in this fight for our collective liberation, no matter what daunting obstacles come our way. This tenacious mindset is what will win us a Texas for all – a state where each and every person has the means to thrive, regardless of their age, race, faith, or gender.”

###

The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in response to the five-year mark of President Donald Trump inciting his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol, attempting to overturn a national election and overthrow the federal government:

“No amount of gaslighting will ever hide the fact that five years ago Donald Trump and MAGA plotted a coup to overturn the will of voters after he lost the 2020 presidential election.

“Millions across the country that day witnessed on televisions and smartphone screens mobs violently try to dismantle our democracy – the very democracy that Trump is now chipping away at through cruel policies targeting entire communities and our nation’s most marginalized.

“Trump is as unhinged and power-hungry as ever. He and his administration threaten the wellbeing of our country and the freedom of all who call it home. 

“TOP knows that Texas is ground zero in the fight to defend democracy. In our state alone, more than 100 Texans were directly involved in this attack on January 6, the state with the second most insurrectionists. From our governor to our senators, representatives, and local officials, far too many Texas Republicans to this day remain complicit with the white nationalist violence that transpired.

“No matter your age, race, gender, faith, nationality, or income, we unapologetically organize for a vision where every person can prosper and is guaranteed the dignity they deserve, as well as a future where those who try to trample our rights are actually held accountable.

“While Trump and MAGA seek to pit people against one another, TOP is working to build bridges, foster community, and advance justice. And no insurrectionists will stop us.”

###

Decision hands GOP 30 of 38 congressional seats & shows the ongoing dismantling of the Voting Rights Act

Statement from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of the Texas Organizing Project: “The Supreme Court’s ruling to allow Texas Republicans to use this gerrymandered congressional map is an insult to Black and Latino Texans whose voting power has already been systematically targeted and diminished. Let’s be clear about what this ruling means: a map engineered to give Republicans control of 30 of Texas’ 38 congressional seats — up from the 25 they currently hold — will now shape our elections while a legal battle over racial discrimination drags on.

“This ruling hands Governor Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton another win in their decade-long mission to entrench minority rule in Texas. From defending racially discriminatory maps, to fighting federal oversight of voting rights, Abbott and Paxton have abused every bit of state power to weaken the political voice of Black and Latino Texans.

“For years, Texas lawmakers have manipulated district lines to silence Black and Latino voters, even as these communities drive nearly all of the state’s population growth.

“This is what the erosion of the Voting Rights Act looks like. When federal courts refuse to stop racial discrimination that is staring them in the face, they’re telling Black and Latino Texans that their voices and their votes don’t matter. TOP rejects that premise, full stop. And we’re not backing down.

“TOP will continue organizing in every corner of this state because no partisan map, no matter how rigged, can erase the power of communities fighting for a Texas that works for all of us — regardless of age, race, faith, gender, or income.”

###

The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP) in reaction to a federal three-judge panel blocking the new congressional district map passed by the Texas Legislature this summer:

“This judge panel saw the gerrymandered map for what it truly is: A racist Trump takeover to strip Black and Latino Texans of their political power.

“It cannot be overstated how a sitting president called on Greg Abbott to carry out this ridiculous mid-decade redistricting, and how our governor cowardly complied.

“Politicians shouldn’t pick which voters to heed and which to silence. We the people elect our officials in this country. 

“It’s up to us – community members, leaders, and voters – to take power back into our own hands to ensure that our elections allow the will of the people to prevail. 

“No matter the next court ruling, we will unapologetically keep fighting for fair representation, for our voices to be fully heard, and for a Texas that represents and works for ALL its people – regardless of age, race, faith, gender, or income.”

###