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Texas



  • "If they were White and Insured, Would they have Died?"

    by Udodiri R. Okwandu

    Texas's new maternal mortality report shows that historical patterns of medical racism are continuing, and the state plans to do little but blame Black women for the inadequate care they receive. 



  • Texas's Abortion Ban Can Never be Made Humane

    by Mary Ziegler

    When abortion access depends on establishing that a pregnant woman deserves an exception to a ban, the law will inevitably prevent doctors from serving patients with problem pregnancies. 



  • Texas Legislation Takes Aim at University DEI Programs

    The legislature would prohibit the operation of DEI offices on public campuses in Texas and maintain a list of university staff who violate the law, with consequences for employment. 



  • A Different Kind of Unfree Labor Haunts a Houston Suburb

    by Ashanté Reese

    Texas's convict labor system was a first step in reasserting white dominance over Black labor through criminal law. The discovery of remains of convicted laborers on the site of a former prison farm show the need to reckon with unfree labor after the end of slavery. 



  • The History of Mexican Americans in Austin

    by Cynthia E. Orozco

    A historian works to develop a chronicle of Mexican American community events in the city of Austin with a local community newspaper. 



  • Can Americans Understand the Divisions in Latino Politics?

    by Geraldo Cadava

    Despite the lip service both parties pay to welcoming (and deserving) the growing Latino vote, do their non-Latino leaders actually understand the complexities of this large demographic category? Do they want to? 



  • What Must Be Done with Native Remains in Texas's Big Bend Region?

    Byron Schroeder ran into difficulty tracking down the story of a commerical artifact digging operation on private land. Past participants were reticent because, in addition to artifacts, some had removed human remains. The story highlights the divides between academic and amateur archaeologists and the ethics of digs.


  • What's Driving the Latest Texas History Wars?

    by John Willingham

    An organized and well-funded alliance of charter schools and conservative activists is leveraging the Critical Race Theory controversy in Texas to pursue the real prize: school education funding. 



  • Texas Leading the Nation in Book Banning

    Not suprisingly, books dealing with racism and LGBTQ themes are being targeted for removal from library and school shelves, even preventing them from being read voluntarily. 



  • At its 50th Reunion, La Raza Unida Asks How to Pass the Torch

    La Raza Unida grew out of civil rights mobilization in the 1960s and worked to mobilize the large, complex, and internally divided communities of ethnic Mexican Texans, focusing on education and voting rights, and struggling to bridge radical and moderate political outlooks. 



  • I was Fired for Asking My Students to Wear Masks

    by Michael Phillips

    Sometimes academic freedom is about the ability of professors to advocate on behalf of the campus community's health against administrators who prefer silence as a matter of political expediency. 



  • The Omissions of the "1836 Project" View of Texas History

    by Leah LaGrone and Michael Phillips

    The project, which will distribut a pamphlet to all people receiving a driver's license in Texas, is staffed by right-wing ideologues hand-picked by Governor Greg Abbott. Expect a whitewash of issues related to slavery and racism. 



  • Texas District Removes Graphic Version of Diary of Anne Frank

    “It’s disgusting. It’s devastating. It’s legitimate book banning, there’s no way around it,” Laney Hawes, a parent of four children in the Keller district, told JTA about the order. “I feel bad for the teachers and the librarians.”



  • Texas State Prof. Launches Harry Styles History Course

    Louis Dean Valencia realized during the pandemic that icebreaking conversations with students about pop music opened up many avenues for discussing historical subjects including the politics of celebrity.