From the Plantation to the Thicket: Juneteenth, Black Freedom, and ‘Marronage’ in Texas
Freedom in Texas was achieved both after—and before—formal emancipation.
Civil Rights
Why My Texas Town Took Action Against Flock Cameras
In the age of mass surveillance, local leaders like me must defend due process and protect our communities.
Reckoning with History: What Should Become of the Cesar Chavez National Monument?
"We have to have the correct individuals at the table that are helping lead these conversations. It should be taken out of politics."
Jesse Jackson Comes to Town
In honor of the late civil rights leader, the Observer resurfaces an encounter between the reverend and Molly Ivins.
As License Plate Readers Expand in Texas, Privacy Advocates Are Fighting Back
The Kyle City Council voted to apply for more state grant money for Flock Safety cameras despite a string of local-level contract cancellations of the booming surveillance company’s services.
‘La Gordiloca’ Lost at the Supreme Court but Won in Laredo
The citizen-journalist and social media provocateur's case against local officials was thrown out in a decision that horrified First Amendment advocates. But, at home, observers say arresting her proved more trouble for the government than it was worth.
‘Proudly Claiming Our Tears’: Fathers Stand Together for Their Trans and Nonbinary Kids
In “The Dads,” a new documentary that premiered at SXSW, men open up to each other about their hope, their fears, and their unconditional love for their children.
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Dolores Huerta Feared Speaking About Her Abuse for Years. The Farmworkers She Advocates for Understand.
They grapple with a system where their income, housing, or immigration status may depend on supervisors who perpetuate sexual violence without oversight.
How the Prairieland ‘Antifa’ Verdict Threatens the Anti-Trump Resistance
Last week's convictions related to a July 4 ICE detention center demonstration raise red flags about the right to protest. “This can happen to you, and if they can do it to you, they will.”
We Have the Power to End Family Detention in Texas—and We Must
We cannot let this cruelty continue. There are so many ways to take action, and even small acts make a difference when we do them collectively.