Freeport’s East End Began in Segregation and Will End with Displacement
A federal lawsuit accuses Port Freeport of threatening residents of a minority community with eminent domain and coercing them into selling their property.
Michael Barajas
Michael Barajas is a staff writer covering civil rights for the Texas Observer. Before joining the Observer, he was editor of the San Antonio Current and managing editor of the Houston Press. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Ohio University’s E.W. Scripps School of Journalism.
Articles by Michael Barajas
Videos of Dallas Bail Hearings Show Assembly-Line Justice in Action
Footage obtained by the Observer shows cursory bail hearings that routinely last fewer than 15 seconds.
The Murder Conviction of Dallas-area Cop Roy Oliver is Nothing Short of Extraordinary
The case illustrates the high bar that prosecutors must clear for a conviction, particularly in Texas, where prosecutions for on-duty killings are virtually unheard of.
Professor Trill
Rapper Bun B on Port Arthur, resilience and the meaning of trill.
Port of No Return
A year after Hurricane Harvey, Port Arthur is fighting for survival. Will Texas' disaster recovery process push residents deeper into despair, or help lift them out of it?
A Texas-Style Gun(less) Debate After a Year of Mass Shootings
In his zealous rejection of “red flag” laws, Dan Patrick reminds us of the long odds anything resembling gun reform faces in the Texas Legislature.
In Texas, 3 Out of 4 County Jail Inmates Haven’t Been Convicted of a Crime
Pretrial detainees — legally innocent people who have been charged but not convicted of a crime — now occupy more beds in jails than any other group.
Who Gets Mercy on Death Row? Chris Young’s Execution Raises Questions of Racial Bias
The clemency process is a black box — one where hearings are rarely held and decisions are never really explained, making it nearly impossible to prove bias.
College Degree Options Are Disappearing for Women in Texas Prisons
In Texas, four-year degree programs for imprisoned women are expiring, even as more of them end up in the prison system.
‘Dumbfounding’ Ruling on Texas’ Gerrymandered Maps Steers Supreme Court Away From Race
The ruling sets a nearly impossible standard for proving allegations of “discriminatory intent,” the only way left to rein in states that pass racist voting laws.