DaLyah Jones
Beyoncé Isn’t Possible Without Houston. Houston Isn’t Possible Without the Black Diaspora.
Texas Already Lacked Affordable Child Care. Then COVID-19 Hit.
The coronavirus has temporarily or permanently closed almost half of all child care providers in the state, leaving few options for low-income working families.
Jessica Nolen and her 5-year-old daughter had a morning routine. Fights with their alarm clocks first, some morning television, then quick berry smoothies, and always rushing out the door. By 8:30 a.m., they’d arrive at Opportunity School, a day care … Read More
Andrea Roberts Is Working to Define What Free Black Space Is
Through the Texas Freedom Colonies Project, researchers are working to liberate data on behalf of Black Texans.
In 1865, it was announced that more than 4 million Black people were freed, ushering in the Reconstruction Era. And although formerly enslaved people were told they were free, laws and leaders didn’t protect them from violence, unfair wages, and … Read More
What the Black Lives Matter Protests Mean for East Texas
Protests where I grew up–where lynchings and KKK marches have occurred in my lifetime–could signal a shift in the region long plagued by racial terror.
The first time I thought I knew someone famous was when I saw a man we called Byrd on television. I lit up. Byrd, a Black man I recognized as a friend of my dad’s, was speaking at a press … Read More
City Nature Challenge Can Help Us Find Resilience and Mindfulness at Home
This year, researchers are asking residents to become citizen scientists in their own backyards in hopes of collecting vital data in otherwise overlooked areas.
This month, as we continue to struggle with the realities of a global pandemic—and the cooped-up existence it’s brought forth—the arrival of the annual City Nature Challenge (CNC) offers a welcome reprieve. The worldwide community science competition, which aims to … Read More
COVID-19 Could Be a ‘Double Whammy’ for Those in Pollution Hotspots
Texans who breathe polluted air are more likely to have preexisting health issues. That means they're at a higher risk of getting seriously ill from the coronavirus.
Air pollution across the globe has sharply dropped, an unintended silver lining of COVID-19. But as coronavirus continues to spread, Texas environmental advocates are bracing for impacts that can’t be reversed by a few weeks of reduced industrial production and … Read More
Rapper TTBBY on How Growing Up in East Texas Shaped His Music
Tobias Traylor has overcome poverty, hurricanes, displacement, and mental health challenges, experiences reflected in his music.
Hailing from the north side of Beaumont—known to locals as Big Money Texas—26-year-old Tobias Traylor wants to make sure the world knows him as someone “real,” authentic. But in the Magnolia neighborhood, the Army veteran is still known as the … Read More
Upset: Incumbent Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton Ousted by Newcomer
A South Texas businessman and political newcomer, Wright has criticized commissioners for accepting donations from the same industry they regulate.
In a startling upset, first-time candidate Jim Wright defeated incumbent Texas Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton in last night’s Republican primary. Sitton conceded via tweet to Wright (not to be confused with the former U.S. House speaker with the same name … Read More
Five Times the Effects of Climate Change Loomed Over Texas in 2019
From sweltering droughts to a toxic algae bloom spreading in Texas waterways, the Observer takes a look back at the direct and indirect impacts of the climate crisis in Texas.
In 2019, the climate crisis captured the nation’s attention in a notable and urgent way. Perhaps it was a reaction to the Trump administration rolling back numerous environmental protections, or Greta Thunberg’s electrifying speech at the U.N., or climate change … Read More