August 10, 2026
Dear Friends:
This is a reminder that the historic People’s Hearing on Threats to Diversity and Academic Freedom in Higher Education is taking place on Wednesday, August 12, from 9:00 AM to 11:45 PM at the Robert E. Johnson Conference Center at 1501 N. Congress, Austin Texas. The People’s Hearing will be followed by a press conference at 11:45 AM. We have a great lineup of witnesses and press conference presenters who will be offering testimony and commenting on the assault on Ethnic, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies at Texas colleges and universities.
The Texas Legislative Progressive Caucus, State Representative Lulu Flores, and the Latino Coalition for Excellence in Higher Education (LC4EHE) encourage everyone to prepare oral and written testimony so that we may issue a report on your voice and perspective concerning censorship, academic freedom, and authoritarianism in Texas higher education institutions. We will focus on the curtailment of Ethnic, Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies at the University of Texas at Austin and look forward to a rich conversation on the larger statewide threats to higher education.
These items will direct you to the following links:
the general invitation letter that you can share with friends and colleagues;
an event flyer;
a map noting the nearby Capitol Visitors Parking Garage and the Robert E. Johnson Conference Center;
a fact sheet on the threats to diversity and academic freedom
Connect livestream channel or on Facebook Black Brown Dialogues on Policy
Register electronically ASAP at: https://actionnetwork.org/events/austin-tlpc-peoples-hearing/. If you plan to testify, please click on this link background reading material to inform your testimony.
Regardless of whether you attend the hearing, you may submit your written testimony to Dr. Emilio Zamora at emiliosoliszamora@gmail.com. If you do attend and wish to present your written testimony, please register in person at the event before 9 AM. You may submit written testimony of any length; however, please know that oral testimony is limited to 3 minutes.
If you have any questions, call or write Neto Longoria (737) 359-5087, Rlongoria10@gmail.com or Alicia Perez-Hodge at (512) 736-8449, barriogirl40@gmail.com
In Solidarity,
Alicia Pérez-Hodge, Coordinator, LC4EHE
Emilio Zamora, Ph.D., Secretary, LC4EHE
María Del Carmen Unda, Ph.D., Deputy Coordinator, LC4EHE
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