The River and the Fever Dream
A converted digital camera can use infrared light to reveal Texas border militarization—in the same way the armed forces once scanned for enemies from the sky.
Bearing Witness
Alan Pogue has spent his life documenting progressive struggle. Along the way, he captured the history of the Observer, too.
Their Laws. Our Bodies.
Two years after the constitutional right to abortion was eliminated, what’s left of Texans’ reproductive rights is ambiguous.
Two Years Later, I’ll Never Stop Fighting for Lexi
A mother who lost her daughter, and a photographer who embedded in the southwest Texas town, reflect on the Uvalde tragedy.
Protect and Serve
How Black women and men cover, decorate, and celebrate their locks to embrace their pride.
For Firefighters, a Long and Very Hot Summer
In Maverick County, losing a grant meant stretching crews to cover extra shifts and lots of territory.
More Than Just a Number
Seniors, center stage!
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The Texas Observer Lives!
After a terrifying near-death experience, we live to muckrake another day.
Photo Essay: The Dignity of Work
Across four generations, one family of photographers has captured the history of Texas workers.
At Casa Juan Diego, Refugees Find An Outpost of Compassion
Since 1980, migrants fleeing poverty, violence, and natural disaster have come here for refuge from an intolerant world.