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Fighting for the rights of tenants in Harris County

February 10, 2021

No one should be facing eviction in the middle of a pandemic. Housing is a human right. Since last March, even with the CDC eviction moratorium in place and having been extended, there have been THOUSANDS of evictions filed in the City of Houston.

The CDC moratorium failed to protect the majority of these residents. Houston renters must come together and demand the swift, bold relief we need. We believe all deserve an affordable and safe place to call home.

That’s why our Housing Justice campaign this past weekend was engaging with apartment tenants in the Cypress Station area of Harris County to hear their concerns and let them know of their rights!

For more information on how to get involved in our Harris County Housing Justice Campaign, call or text Rai Prysock at (832) 652-6255.

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Raw Story: Democrats are ‘clearly poised’ for a Georgia-like victory in Texas: journalist

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Police accountability will officially be on the ballot in San Antonio

San Antonians have spoken and they’re calling for more police accountability in our communities. After months of petitioning across the city, the San Antonio City Clerk’s office last week verified that our ally Fix SAPD gathered the petition signatures needed to get the repeal of Texas Local Government Code Chapter 174 on the ballot for this May’s municipal election!

Because of the longtime existence of Texas Local Government Code Chapters 174 and 143, it’s nearly impossible to hold bad police officers and the institutions that enable them accountable for their actions.

That’s why TOP is supporting Fix SAPD in this effort, because to make true public safety a reality in our communities, we need to get rid of barriers that shield problematic police officers and their misconduct.

Now that the repeal of Chapter 174 will soon be on the ballot, JOIN US FOR A DIGITAL CAMPAIGN KICKOFF this Thursday, February 11, at 6 p.m.

RSVP FOR THE LAUNCH PARTY HERE.

For more information, call or text Jasmine Estrada at (210) 542-2262.

TOP in the news

Raw Story: Democrats are ‘clearly poised’ for a Georgia-like victory in Texas: journalist

TOP is YOUR organization!

Your contribution drives our work and allows us to fight for our neighborhoods every day.

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PAY YOUR DUES
DONATE

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We’re endorsing Biden and Harris

October 5, 2020

We’re proud to announce the endorsed candidates TOP and TOP PAC will be pushing to the 1.6 million voters of color we are engaging this cycle, the new voices of Texas who will make the difference in flipping the state. TOP members screened more than 40 candidates this year, including during the primaries, in six counties across Texas. The endorsements were earned by candidates who have shown a commitment to centering the concerns and issues of Black and Latino communities, and who will fight with us to deliver policy changes that will improve our lives.

In this political moment, when our communities are hurting and putting their lives on the line because they’re frontline workers and are on the streets fighting for justice, our leaders felt the need to lean in on the issues that matter. Our leaders fully understand the challenges of passing more progressive legislation and want to stand behind elected leaders who will share our values on key issues and commit to figuring out how they use their office to move us closer to systemic policy shifts. We are ready to fight to elect the candidates who will fight with us. Then, once they’re elected, we’ll keep pushing them to deliver.

For 10 years, TOP has worked to grow the electorate in Texas by engaging Black and Latino voters with little or no history in voting. And for the first time in decades, Texas is a battleground state. Already, our program has sent more than one million texts and called more than 900,000 voters. We’re not just trying to win an election; we’re building a movement. This is how we’re building our power. This is how we’re going to change Texas to work for us.

View a list of our endorsed candidates here.

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Energize and mobilize Texas voters with TOP

Early voting in Texas starts next Tuesday, October 13. We need your help contacting voters across the state to remind them of the high stakes of November’s election and help them cast their ballot. Our mission in 2020 is to further push our state toward a progressive future that will shift power into the hands of Black and Latino Texans. With your help, we can get one step closer to accomplishing this.

Join us for texting training sessions this Tuesday at 6 p.m. and Thursday at 12:30 p.m. In these trainings, we will show you how to use an app to turn out your friends and families to the polls.

Text or call Tempestt McHenry at 214-704-8114 or tmchenry@organizetexas.org to get the Zoom link to these trainings.

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“When is Juneteenth: Are we really free?” livestream this Saturday

TOP and Black Citizenship in Action this Saturday will present “When is Juneteenth: Are we really free?,” a safe space for Black people in Texas. This event will allow Black people from across the state to come together to discuss our citizenship identity in America.

At 11 a.m. Saturday on TOP’s Facebook page, we will broadcast a panel discussion covering past and current events impacting Black citizens and how we organize our communities moving forward.

Share the Facebook event here.

For more information, call or text Terrance “TK” Koontz at 832-998-1886.

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Census deadline extended to Oct. 31. Fill it out!

Thanks to a recent federal court ruling, the last day to complete your 2020 Census is October 31. Don’t wait any longer; complete the Census today!

Remember that the Census determines how money is allocated for schools, roads, clinics and other important services. The Census count also goes toward determining the amount of representatives our communities have in Congress.

Visit my2020census.gov to answer the nine simple Census questions in your preferred language. Your immigration status does not matter; there are no questions about citizenship. Be counted!

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Let’s Talk About Voting

September 22, 2020

In the most consequential election of our lives, we have to do everything we can to make sure everyone who can vote does vote. And a big part of that is getting people excited and informed. TOP is taking part of several online discussions to connect voters of color, talk about the issues we care about and talk about what it will take to win in November.

Tomorrow, Tuesday, our executive director, Michelle Tremillo, will join Sen. Bernie Sanders and Sec. Julián Castro for a town hall with Univision titled Destino 2020: Votar es Poder (Destiny 2020: Voting is Power) on the importance of the Latino vote. Catch the livestream at 6 p.m. at live.berniesanders.com.

On Wednesday, our deputy director, Brianna Brown, will join activists, organizers and lawyers from around the country to talk about the work being done right now to grow the electorate and secure our democracy. Join us at 8 p.m. on Facebook for the Rise Up for Justice: Voter Suppression and the Right to Vote panel hosted by Black Voters Matters and the Othering & Belonging Institute at UC Berkeley. Share the Facebook event here. Spanish translation will be provided.

Last week, Crystal Zermeño, TOP’s director of electoral strategy, joined a panel on the Texas Tribune Festival to discuss TOP’s efforts to grow the Latino electorate. This year, TOP will connect with and engage more than 800,000 Latino voters who have rarely or never voted across five counties in Texas. Joining Crystal on the panel was Voto Latino President and CEO Maria Teresa Kumar. Watch the panel here.

Election Day is nearing. Make sure you are registered to vote here, and once you are registered to vote, sign up here to get important updates and reminders to help you cast your vote.

If you have any questions about voting or want to volunteer to help others vote, call or text Tempestt McHenry at 214-704-8114.

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Crucial Budget Vote Coming Up in Dallas

Working with In Defense of Black Lives Dallas, we have demanded transformational change to policing in the streets and at City Hall. We can’t let up now. A final vote on the city budget takes place this Wednesday.

We have to continue urging our elected city leaders to deliver that transformational change through a budget that reallocates funds away from the police department toward programs that build up and heal our communities.

If you’re a Dallas resident, sign up to speak at this Wednesday’s City Council meeting to let our elected leaders know that we can build a safer community by divesting from policing and investing in our communities.

Call the Dallas City Secretary’s Office at 214-670-3738 to sign up to speak on agenda item #92 or on the open mic portion. The deadline to sign up is Tuesday, Sept. 22 at 5 p.m.

For more information, call or text Carvell Bowens at 214-934-8558.

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CDC postpones evictions

September 8, 2020

Last week, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) issued a temporary halt on evictions nationwide through the remainder of 2020. For tenants who qualify, the CDC’s order helps keep them housed.

However, we don’t know when this pandemic will be over or when the economy will recover. Also, at a time when our economy is in shambles and unemployment remains high, it’s shameful how this order isn’t coupled with a form of rental assistance. Families still need long-term financial relief that will keep tenants from falling into a debt trap on January 1. Also, the CDC order leaves some tenants without adequate eviction protections.

We need long-term solutions that not only keep people housed, but give them a way to get back on their feet. At a minimum, the federal government should freeze rents and mortgages. No one should have to pay rent or mortgage while they’re unemployed or under-employed. This is the only way we can prevent a housing crisis that will make a recovery difficult if not impossible.

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Get the vote out with TOP

It’s crunch time! Texas is a battleground state, and our aim in 2020 is to further push our state toward a progressive future that will shift power into the hands of Black and Latino Texans.

The 2020 election is a critical opportunity to engage our state’s rising electorate and to elect progressive champions who will fight for the issues we care about.

If you want to help us turn out voters of color by texting and calling voters, contact Tempestt McHenry at 214-704-8114.

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