With one week until Senate Majority Leader Schumer’s deadline to pass filibuster reform for voting rights, Texas Organizing Project (TOP) Co-Executive Director Michelle Tremillo released the following statement: 

“Senate Democrats next week have the power and responsibility to protect voting rights – to counter voting restrictions shamelessly put in place by right-wing politicians across the country to dilute the electoral strength of Black and Latino voters. Millions of Americans are counting on Senate Majority Leader Schumer and his caucus to deliver a meaningful breakthrough in the fight to preserve our fundamental right to vote. 

“Last year, Texas House Democrats righteously used parliamentary procedures to their advantage to prevent Governor Abbott’s voter suppression bill from becoming law – even travelling to Washington to urge Congress to take action – but their efforts were not enough to stop the discriminatory legislation from being enacted. It is now up to our federal leaders to step up and prevent further erosion of access to the ballot box.

“It is critical Senate Democrats stick to the January 17 deadline that the Senate Majority Leader has set. As we have seen in Texas and across the country, as more and more restrictions are placed on who can vote and how, time is running out. We need strong protections for voting rights, and we need them now. No more delays.”

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Texas Organizing Project organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris and Bexar 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 10, 2022.

The following statement is from Michelle Tremillo, Co-Executive Director of Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in response to the one-year mark of white supremacist supporters of former President Trump storming the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to subvert the results of a national election:

“A year ago today, millions across the world watched in disbelief as a deadly insurrection transpired on the grounds and in the halls of our nation’s Capitol.

“No matter how much Republicans try to downplay what took place, the facts are indisputable: former President Donald Trump on January 6 of last year incited a white nationalist attack on Congress as he and his allies sought to reverse the will of voters and dismantle democracy itself in our country.

“Unless all involved in this attempted far-right overthrow of our government are held accountable for their heinous acts, this will undoubtedly happen again. The need for House and Senate Democrats to enshrine voting rights and prevent the sabotaging of our democratic processes has never been greater. Free and fair elections in our country will cease as we know it if no legislation is passed protecting them.”

Tearyne Almendariz, a TOP board member, added:

“For weeks after the 2020 general election, Trump and his enablers peddled racist lies scapegoating Black and Latino voters, spreading completely unfounded claims of voter fraud in communities of color, laying the groundwork for this direct assault.

“It is disgusting, though in no way surprising, to see right-wing media and politicians minimize the sinister display of white supremacy we witnessed.

“The mounting evidence of preparation and coordination of this attack only underscores the urgency for our elected leaders in Washington to do everything in their power to stop this demagoguery from silencing the voices and threatening the lives of people of color across the country. This includes passing the Freedom to Vote Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act in full without any further delay.”

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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, 2022.

Champion for Racial Justice & Civil Rights, Merritt Will Bring Transformational Change to Black & Latino Communities  

Today, Texas Organizing Project (TOP) PAC is proud to announce the endorsement of Lee Merritt for Attorney General. Merritt, “The People’s Lawyer,” has centered his career around being a social justice torch-bearer, carrying on the legacy of the Civil Rights movement, both inside and outside the courtroom. He’s dedicated his career to fighting for justice on behalf of Black Americans killed by police, including Atatiana Jefferson, Botham Jean, Jordan Edwards, and George Floyd, as well as victims of corruption, corporate discrimination, and hate crimes. If elected, Merritt would bring this commitment to racial justice and civil rights to the office of the attorney general.

Far-right Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton has proven himself unfit for leadership time and time again. During his tenure, Paxton has abused the power of his office, using his role to service wealthy donors and a radical right-wing agenda. A Trump acolyte, who participated in the January 6th insurrection, Paxton has been under indictment for securities fraud for the last six years. Paxton has failed Texas. We believe with the right leader at the helm, the attorney general’s office could be a source of real meaningful change, particularly for communities of color who for so long have been failed by our state’s justice system. 

“This race represents a historic opportunity to elect a person from our social justice movement and the first statewide progressive Black candidate in Texas,” said Brianna Brown, TOP Co-Executive Director. “Electing Lee Merrit would lead to transformational change, particularly for Black and Latino communities. Texas needs a massive overhaul of its justice system and of the attorney general’s office, which has been corrupted by the right-wing for decades.”

“Last cycle, TOP PAC engaged 1.4 million infrequent and new voters of color. We also launched the only progressive door knocking canvass operation in the state. Our program turned out over 544,000 unlikely voters of color through early vote,” said Eric Mata, TOP President of the Board of Directors. “We intend to bring this same energy and do even greater amounts of outreach for the upcoming 2022 cycle at the statewide level. We’re fired up and ready to elect Lee Merritt the next attorney general of Texas.”

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Texas Organizing Project PAC runs the largest, independent Get-out-the-Vote political field programs in Texas, focusing on expanding the electorate of color, with an emphasis on turning out Black and Latino voters. To date, TOP PAC has mobilized hundreds of thousands of voters across the state with the aim of building a reflective democracy–one that looks like us and shares our values.

This press release was sent out December 17, 2021.

The following statement is from Michelle Tremillo, Co-Executive Director of the Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in response to the U.S. Department of Justice today announcing the filing of a lawsuit against the State of Texas over redistricting maps approved by the state legislature earlier this year:

“We thank the U.S. Department of Justice for suing against Texas Republicans’ discriminatory redistricting efforts that aim to shut Black, Latino, and Asian voters out of the political process for years to come.

“Governor Abbott and the Texas GOP purposely drew redistricting maps this past special session that weakened the voting power of our state’s growing communities of color, and they did so to cling to statewide political control. This already shameless partisan power grab is even more egregious when you factor in that 95% of the growth in Texas over the past decade has come from people of color.

“Lawsuits alone will not stop Texas Republicans’ extreme gerrymandering and overall assault on our voting rights. That’s why we once more demand our Democratic-controlled House, Senate, and White House to abandon the filibuster and put the future wellbeing of our democracy first by swiftly passing the For The People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

“Each day that passes without this legislation in place is a win for Abbott’s radical right-wing agenda, and a loss for fair representation in our state for Black and Latino Texans.”

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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 December 6, 2021.

The following statement is from Michelle Tremillo, Co-Executive Director of the Texas Organizing Project (TOP), in response to the U.S. Department of Justice today announcing the filing of a lawsuit against the State of Texas over redistricting maps approved by the state legislature earlier this year:

“We thank the U.S. Department of Justice for suing against Texas Republicans’ discriminatory redistricting efforts that aim to shut Black, Latino, and Asian voters out of the political process for years to come.

“Governor Abbott and the Texas GOP purposely drew redistricting maps this past special session that weakened the voting power of our state’s growing communities of color, and they did so to cling to statewide political control. This already shameless partisan power grab is even more egregious when you factor in that 95% of the growth in Texas over the past decade has come from people of color.

“Lawsuits alone will not stop Texas Republicans’ extreme gerrymandering and overall assault on our voting rights. That’s why we once more demand our Democratic-controlled House, Senate, and White House to abandon the filibuster and put the future wellbeing of our democracy first by swiftly passing the For The People Act and John Lewis Voting Rights Act.

“Each day that passes without this legislation in place is a win for Abbott’s radical right-wing agenda, and a loss for fair representation in our state for Black and Latino Texans.”

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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 December 6, 2021.

The following statement is from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of the Texas Organizing Project, in reaction to a jury finding Gregory McMichael, Travis McMichael, and William Bryan guilty in the murder of Ahmaud Arbery:

“The right and only acceptable verdict was reached today, however it will not bring back yet another young Black life violently cut short. Our hearts are with the Arbery family during this emotional and cathartic time.

“Once again, having to hold our breaths in anticipation for whether three men who hunted down a Black man in a modern-day lynching will be found guilty for their actions shows us who our legal system was built to protect, and who it is stacked against.

“Jurors saw for themselves how this sheer act of evil transpired. They witnessed white men acting as vigilantes nefariously distort ‘law’ to end the life of a Black man in broad daylight on that rural road in Georgia, simply for being Black. White supremacy murdered Ahmaud Arbery.

“While we are glad to see this accountability, true justice still evades us here, as it is far too often out of reach for families of color – especially Black families. This of course isn’t by chance. Our nation’s legal system was constructed not to serve Black people, but to punish and dehumanize us.

“A complete overhaul of this system is needed if this country ever expects to eliminate the racism built into the system itself. It’s imperative we support the racial justice work being done on the ground to transform and reimagine this system, in particular by groups such as Just Georgia. We encourage those hungry for making this change in Ahmaud’s memory to support their work by contributing at just-georgia.org.”

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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 November 24, 2021.

The following statement is from David Villalobos, Statewide Right2Justice Coordinator of the Texas Organizing Project, in reaction to a jury finding Kyle Rittenhouse not guilty on all counts:

“This verdict emboldens white nationalist vigilantism and violence, signaling to militant right-wing extremists that policing and killing in communities of color across the country has little to no consequence under the law. This is white supremacy at work.

“A racist double standard is on full display here: a Black or Latino young man strapped with an AR-15 provoking and engaging in violence in neighborhood streets would have been forcefully confronted by law enforcement and likely fatally shot on the spot, not welcomed and allowed to claim ‘self-defense’ as Kyle Rittenhouse was. 

“If Rittenhouse were Black or Latino, had committed these offenses, and was put on trial for the same charges, he would not only be convicted, he would be looking at a far different outcome, serving time behind bars.”

Tamara Neal, a TOP Right2Justice campaign member, added:

“A far-right militia member equipped with a semi-automatic weapon travelled to a community that is not his own with the sole intent of instigating conflict, resulting in two people being murdered and a third injured in the streets of Kenosha.

“By giving a pass to this clear-cut white nationalist vigilantism, our nation’s justice system is showing us that it did not fail, it disturbingly worked as designed — to protect white supremacy. 

“This consequential moment further highlights how critical it is that we channel our energy and resources to people working on the ground in communities of color to counter this hate and achieve the racial justice we deserve — organizations such as BLOC (Black Leaders Organizing for Communities) in Wisconsin. There are many ways to engage in our collective fight for racial justice. One way is to donate to BLOC’s organizing efforts at blocbybloc.org.”

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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 November 19, 2021.

TOP Calls on County Commissioners Court to Extend Map Deadlines to Allow for Greater Community Input  

Fort Bend County, like other counties across Texas, is currently in the process of redistricting. Redistricting is an opportunity that Texans have every 10 years to represent recent demographic changes in the county at the precinct level, according to new data from the census. Redistricting at the Fort Bend County level should accurately reflect the demographics of the community, and to ensure that happens, the Texas Organizing Project (TOP) is calling on the County Commissioners Court to extend map deadlines to allow for greater community input. Currently, control of the county is split 2-2, which is both politically and demographically disproportionate. The district is majority nonwhite, with Latinos being the largest community of color, a statistic which should be accurately reflected in the redistricting process.

Texas Organizing Project (TOP) is concerned that the county redistricting process will mirror redistricting at the state level, which weakened the votes of people of color and shored up Republican power. These new maps will have significant political impact for the next decade in shaping not just Fort Bend County politics, but the policies that have the potential to transform how we experience our everyday lives. We need to ensure the votes of people of color are protected and that means drawing districts that don’t dilute their power. 

“During the last special legislative session, right-wing state leadership successfully shrunk the political power of communities of color across Texas through the redistricting process. Despite this, one way we can continue to win progressive policies that change everyday lives — from bail reform to COVID relief — in counties across the state is to work with county commissioners courts to draw lines for their precincts that actually reflect the Census,” said Brianna Brown, TOP’s Co-Executive Director. “Our theory of change has always centered on a strong local strategy, in our cities and counties, that builds the political power of communities of color eventually to statewide victories,” continued Brown.

“Although there are impending election deadlines, it’s clear that more time for thorough public input and consideration of that input is needed to ensure that Fort Bend County precinct lines accurately reflect growth and provide fair and equal representation. Taking the appropriate amount of time to slow down the process so the maps can fairly incorporate both community input and census data is critical not only for current residents who call Fort Bend home, but for all future residents as well,” said Fort Bend County District Attorney Brian Middleton.

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Texas Organizing Project organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris and Bexar 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 press release was sent out October 22, 2021.

The following is a statement from Michelle Tremillo, Co-Executive Director of the Texas Organizing Project (TOP) in response to the Texas House and Senate adjourning Sine Die, concluding the state’s third legislative special session:

“Governor Abbott and Texas Republicans proved to us again in this latest special session that it’s cruelty that drives their policy-making, not humanity and the issues affecting the daily lives of their constituents.

“From drawing redistricting maps that dilute the strength of voters of color, to passing policies that attack the dignity and violate the rights of transgender Texans, Abbott and his GOP enablers have once more prioritized callousness and discrimination over reason and progress.

“Since the very start, Abbott’s special sessions have been nothing more than partisan ‘dog and pony shows’ with the dual intention of scapegoating working-class Black and Latino Texans already reeling from this ongoing pandemic, and appeasing far-right extremists — notably the twice-impeached former president.

“These special sessions and the regressive policies they spawned have made crystal clear how pivotal next year’s elections will be to the future of our state. Coordinating with strategic partners, TOP remains committed to doing everything within our collective power to uphold Texans’ rights against Greg Abbott’s extremist agenda as we counter it by building a Texas For All where Black and Latino Texans are centered in advancing bold, progressive change that improves all of our communities.”

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Texas Organizing Project organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris and Bexar 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 October 19, 2021.

The following is a statement from Brianna Brown, Co-Executive Director of the Texas Organizing Project (TOP) in response to Governor Greg Abbott’s appointment of John Scott as Texas Secretary of State:

“Governor Abbott is endorsing Donald Trump’s lies and demagoguery with his new Secretary of State selection, John Scott. Scott recently worked with Trump to falsely challenge the results of the 2020 election in Pennsylvania. It’s absurd to put Scott in charge of election administration when it’s clear he does not believe in our democratic institutions or the security of our elections. Abbott’s selection further shows us that he acts in the best interest of Trump, not the Texans he was elected to serve.

“By choosing Scott, an attorney who represented the former president in radical efforts to overturn last year’s election, Abbott is signaling to all across the state that he supports the undermining of free and fair elections, as well as the sabotage of democracy itself.

“Abbott, who just months ago forced through discriminatory legislation suppressing voters of color, is now paving the way for even more voter disenfranchisement and deceitful audits, all in a pathetic attempt to satisfy a man who incited a white supremacist insurrection at our nation’s Capitol.

“Time is working against Texas voters. Absolutely all options must be exhausted by Democrats in Congress to ensure immediate passage of the Freedom to Vote Act and the John Lewis Voting Rights Act. Anything less is a dereliction of duty that leaves our state exposed to further attacks on our voting rights.”

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Texas Organizing Project organizes Black and Latino communities in Dallas, Harris and Bexar 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 October 21, 2021.