As we honor Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. today, the words “I have a Dream” come to mind. But in 2022, with the current Texas political climate, it’s critical that we remember all of Dr. King’s teachings and that his “dream” included ending white supremacy by seeking systemic change.
A fact, many are quick to forget.
In the 87th Texas legislative session, Republican State Rep. Steve Toth authored a bill that would censor what teachers taught in their classrooms and order them to exclude material politicians believed “too controversial.” This includes highly subjective restrictions on discussions about the legacy of racism and discrimination in American history. Toth made an additional attack on our history by saying that the bill “echoes Dr. King’s wish that we should judge people on the content of their character, not [the color of] their skin.” Now, I never knew him, but I’m sure that Dr. King’s dream didn’t include banning the history of racism from our classrooms.
Let’s take a minute here to think about what’s happening. While we still mark a day on our calendar to celebrate the teachings of Dr. King, Republican-led legislatures are quickly taking the steps to erase what he stood… Read More
Photo by Blink O’fanaye – Flickr
A year ago we witnessed one of the darkest events in our nation’s history.
It was Jan. 6, 2021, when a pro-Trump mob inspired by the former president’s lies about the presidential election stormed the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. They threatened many lives and injured others, all because they were lied to and told that a free and fair election was stolen.
We can’t ever forget what happened in D.C. on that day. But just as important is that we never forget what happened in the aftermath and how the lies that fueled that terrible day have been and continue to be used — across the country and here in Texas — to attack democracy itself and make it hard for you to exercise your right to vote.
And that’s why if we are to prevent another day like the one a year ago or another far worse day, and if democracy is going to survive, we must hold those elected officials who told the Big Lie before Jan. 6, or continue to do so today, to account.
In Texas, it’s pretty easy to spot who has been… Read More
As 2021 comes to a close, TFN is looking back at some of the best and worst moments in and around the Capitol. But let’s be real, most of the moments are in the “worst” category as the regular legislative session was followed by three additional 30-day special sessions.
The result: Texans spent most of the calendar year fighting the far-right’s assault on their rights inside the Capitol.
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State Board of Education Rejects Most Proposed Health Textbooks That Included Information on Sex Education Topics
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
AUSTIN, Texas – The Texas State Board of Education voted today to adopt new health textbooks from just one publisher after critics attacked all of the textbooks for content — even in optional units — that addressed topics related to sex education. Digital textbooks for elementary and middle school offered by three other publishers failed to win approval.
Rocio Fierro Pérez, political coordinator for Texas Freedom Network responded with the following:
“This week offered yet more evidence that politics continues to trump education and teaching the truth in Texas schools, even when it comes to the health and lives of our kids. The votes this week make clear that the Texas State Board of Education remains very much in the textbook censorship business. It’s frustrating to see the health and education of millions of Texas students continue to be held hostage to the politics of ignorance and exclusion.”
Background Following the board’s preliminary rejection Tuesday of all middle school and high school textbooks submitted for health classes in Texas, publishers on Wednesday offered a variety of changes in an effort… Read More
Transgender Awareness Week takes place this week, Nov. 13-19. It is a week to uplift the trans community and their voices, and it’s a prelude to Transgender Day of Remembrance on Nov. 20.
This year’s Trans Awareness Week comes at a difficult time in Texas that has highlighted the urgent need to raise awareness.
Since 2017, the Texas Legislature has shamelessly stigmatized transgender people by prioritizing discriminatory proposals solely targeted at the trans community, including the infamous so-called “bathroom bill.” Those past efforts thankfully failed. But unfortunately, legislators this year were successful in passing a law that will ban trans youth from participating in school sports.
There are various reasons why those bills have been proposed at the Capitol — including just plain politics — and one of them is a lack of general awareness of what transgender really means.
So for this year’s Trans Awareness Week, we would like to introduce you to a few trans voices in Texas. Hear from them about the challenges they face and what they hope for in the future.
Ash Hall (They/Them)
What are the biggest issues facing the trans community today? The trans community, especially in places… Read More