Juneteenth, Fort Worth, and the Sacred Work of Black and Brown Coalition, by Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D., June 19, 2026

Juneteenth, Fort Worth, and the Sacred Work of Black and Brown Coalition

by

Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

June 19, 2026

At today's National LULAC Convention in Fort Worth, Reverend Haynes offered a timely and powerful reminder on Juneteenth: “You don’t have a civil rights movement without a Black and Brown coalition” (Haynes, 2026). “Black and Brown” is, of course, an imperfect shorthand—one that cannot possibly contain the vast diversity of our peoples, histories, languages, cultures, and ancestral journeys

Yet it also names something real and necessary: our sheer numbers, our shared stakes, and our collective power when we refuse division. His words landed with prophetic force because they named what our histories have long taught us: our struggles for freedom, dignity, education, labor rights, voting rights, and democracy have never been separate. They have always been intertwined.

I am not exaggerating when I say that every invited visit I have ever made to speak in Fort Worth has been connected, intentionally, to the work of Black and Brown peace, unity, and coalition. Important leadership has been taking root there for many years. That is why Reverend Haynes’ words felt so resonant. Fort Worth is not merely a backdrop. It is a site of memory, organizing, and possibility.

Juneteenth itself reminds us of this deeper truth additionally underscored by Reverend Haynes. It commemorates June 19, 1865, when enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, finally learned of their freedom more than two years after the Emancipation Proclamation (National Park Service, n.d.; National Museum of African American History and Culture, n.d.). 

Dr. Opal Lee

And how poetic that in Fort Worth, we also honor Dr. Opal Lee, the beloved “Grandmother of Juneteenth,” whose lifelong advocacy helped make Juneteenth a federal holiday. In 2016, at the age of 89, Lee began walking from Fort Worth to Washington, D.C., to build support for national recognition of Juneteenth. 

Her 2.5-mile walks in major cities throughout the U.S. symbolized the two and a half years that Black Texans remained enslaved after the Emancipation Proclamation (National Juneteenth Museum, n.d.; National Museum of African American History and Culture, n.d.). Juneteenth became a national holiday, signed into law by President Joe Biden on June 17, 2021.

God bless Opal Lee! 

The power of one, no less. 

The power of mission and calling.

Reverend Haynes’ message was clear: in a nation “conceived in liberty,” the unfinished work of freedom belongs to all of us (Haynes, 2026). 

It is both prophetic and poetic that LULAC would gather on Juneteenth in Fort Worth, a city so closely connected to Dr. Opal Lee’s historic witness. This day calls us not only to commemorate emancipation, but to resist every effort to divide Black and Brown communities from one another.

His reminder that we do not have a civil rights movement without Black and Brown coalition speaks directly to the work many of us are trying to sustain across Texas. In Austin, Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe and I formed Black Brown Dialogues on Policy to deepen precisely this kind of relationship—one grounded in trust, shared struggle, policy analysis, legislative advocacy, and youth leadership. Black Brown Dialogues on Policy has brought together academics, students, community members, advocates, and lawmakers to confront anti-DEI policy, defend ethnic studies, and build solidarity across communities (Black Brown Dialogues on Policy, n.d.).

Through this work, we have mentored many young people into a vision of public life rooted not in division, but in solidarity, study, strategy, and service. That matters because coalition is not merely a response to crisis. It is how we practice democracy. It is how we build the relationships necessary to defend one another when the institutions around us falter.

This is the spirit of Juneteenth, too. It is not only a day of remembrance, but a call to solidarity. It asks us to honor freedom by defending it together. It asks us to remember Dr. Opal Lee’s Fort Worth-rooted witness and to continue building the bridges that others would prefer to see broken.

Our coalitions are not optional. They are the seedbed of democracy. From civil rights to educational equity, from voting rights to the defense of public institutions, Black and Brown unity remains one of the most powerful antidotes to authoritarianism, erasure, and fear.

So today, I honor Reverend Haynes’ words, Dr. Opal Lee’s legacy, National and Texas LULAC, Fort Worth—as well as Dallas, by the way—that boasts a long history of coalition work, and the youth we are mentoring into this struggle. 

Juneteenth is a celebration, yes—but it is also a summons. It reminds us that delayed freedom is still unfinished freedom, and that none of us gets free alone.

Thanks to Dr. Ana Coca for sharing Rev. Haynes' speech.

Sí se puede! Yes we can!

Happy Juneteenth! ¡Feliz Juneteenth!

Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

LULAC Council 4721, District VII

Education Committee Chair, Texas LULAC

References

Black Brown Dialogues on Policy. (n.d.). Virtual town hall: DEI and ethnic studies policy in the 88th session of the Texas State Legislature. https://youtu.be/xEi3Rtc0QQ0?si=eYxJeGqbnUQg3Xf1

Haynes, F. D., III. (2026, June 19). Remarks at the National LULAC Convention [Speech]. National LULAC Convention, Fort Worth, TX.

Jackson, A. (2021, June 17). Why 94-year-old activist Opal Lee marched to make Juneteenth a national holiday,Variety. https://variety.com/2021/politics/features/activist-opal-lee-juneteenth-holiday-1234998507/

National Juneteenth Museum. (n.d.). Dr. Opal Lee: The grandmother of Juneteenth. https://nationaljuneteenthmuseum.org/ms-opal-lee

National Museum of African American History and Culture. (n.d.). Our American story: Juneteenth, Smithsonian Institution. https://nmaahc.si.edu/explore/stories/our-american-story-juneteenth

National Park Service. (n.d.). Juneteenth National Independence Day. U.S. Department of the Interior. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/juneteenth.htm

The 87th Annual Texas NAACP Conference & Hero Award Recognition: A Personal Update by Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

87th Annual NAACP
Conference
Magazine

Write-up in the NAACP
Conference Magazine

Friends,

I have a lot going on at the home front at this moment. The short of it is that I have a rare form of face cancer and am focused on my health but also happy to report some good news.

Note: Feel free to visit me on my Instagram page @vlnzl for specifics.

This past weekend, I had the great privilege of attending and presenting at the 87th annual NAACP Conference in Corpus Christi, where I was honored with the organization's highest accolade, the Hero Award. I shared this distinction with the esteemed Robert Notzon, Distinguished Attorney and Chair of the Texas NAACP Legal Redress Committee.

This is in recognition of my co-founding, along with NAACP President Gary Bledsoe of Black Brown Dialogues on Policy together with my years of dedication and mentoring of students to be agents of change in the Texas State Legislature and the Texas State Board of Education. I am so deeply humbled and honored to receive this recognition.

With keynote addresses from Congressional Gold Medalists' Nathanial (Nate) Briggs—whose family's case, Briggs vs. Elliott of Brown v. Board of Education fame—and Dr. Terrence Roberts, a member of the Little Rock Nine, it was so powerful and humbling to learn about how vulnerable communities sacrificed so much for a more equitable education. Both of their presentations inspire the thought that what may often seem like "little" acts by isolated communities can escalate into course-changing directions for our country in ways that are beneficial to all. 

A special thanks to NAACP President Gary Bledsoe and Alberta Bledsoe for their outstanding leadership. Alberta chaired this year's conference. The team consisted of Sherley Spears (vice-chair), Members Linda Lewis, Carol Moore, Jeremy Coleman, Shevann Steuben, Skylahr Mimms (youth chair), and advisory members Hopeton Hay, Clyde Lemon and Casey Thomas. Congratulations to all for an outstanding conference.

Here are a few conference photos. My heart is full. 💗

UT-Austin students, Dr. Zamora & me

 
Alberta Bledsoe, 

Emilio & Me

I am soon exiting what the doctors call the “honeymoon phase” of my treatment. This period varies for each individual but typically lasts until the third or fourth week, after which there's often a noticeable shift into a more challenging stage. I'm already experiencing moderate side effects. 

Thankfully, my cancer was detected early, and the doctors are using the word "cure," for which I am incredibly grateful. I so look forward to being well.

Next weekend, I will be receiving another major honor—a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Association for Bilingual Education (TABE). I'm disappointed that I won't be able to attend this year's conference due to my health concerns as I enter the fourth week of treatment. I submitted a recorded acceptance message that I hope to share on Friday when I was supposed to have received it.

My receiving the Hero Award
yesterday PM

I am deeply grateful for the unwavering support of my husband, Emilio Zamora, the love of my life, who has stood by me throughout this journey. His calm strength and resilience mean the world to me.

I am also super grateful to the support of my chair, Dr. Pedro Reyes, and the staff, students, and faculty in my home department of Educational Leadership and Policy (ELP), as well as to College of Education Dean Charles Martinez, for his support in my hour of need.

I returned home from Corpus Christi this evening to these beautiful flowers from my department. Check out the cool t-shirt I'm wearing that I picked up at the NAACP Conference.

I miss everybody, too, and am so appreciative of their love and care. I will most definitely need your good thoughts and prayers in the coming weeks as I've shared. As you can perhaps sense from the photos, they're already working! 

Life is good. 😊🙏😊

-Angela Valenzuela

Black Brown Dialogues on Policy (BBDP)—Nov. 12th Inaugural Storytelling Event at the Texas State Capitol—in 2 Videos

Artist: Maribel Falcon @mariexmachina

Friends,

I am very proud of our work in Black Brown Dialogues on Policy in promoting awareness of the vitally important work of building interracial and interethnic coalitions of conscience. I encourage you to view our recorded Facebook live event on November 12, 2023 at the Texas State Capitol that I had also earlier announced on this blog.

Thanks for all that attended either in person or virtually. Thanks, as well to our co-sponsors as follows: the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the Texas NAACP, National LULAC, the Texas Center for Education Policy, and the Texas Latino Policy Center.

You can view the entire event from our BBDP Facebook page across these two videos.

Do listen, as well to the student voices who reflected on their own experiences, as well as on what was shared throughout the day.

The testimonies were awe-inspiring. The students melt my heart. 

My friends, this is the precise political work motivates community solidarity across struggles. It is exactly this coalitional work—of the kind that defeated vouchers recently—that holds enormous promise for a brighter future in our state and nation. 

Sí se puede! Yes we can!

-Angela Valenzuela

#BlackBrownSolidarity

Like us at: https://www.facebook.com/TeamBlackBrown

Twitter: @TeamBlackBrown

Instagram: @TeamBlackBrown

Website: blackbrownpolicy.org

Inaugural Black Brown Dialogues on Policy Story Telling Event—Sun., Nov. 12 10AM

Artist: Maribel Falcon @mariexmachina

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Nov. 8, 2023

Contact: Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D.

512-232-6008

blackbrownpolicy@gmail.com

In this moment of a dismantling of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Texas colleges and universities, along with toxic, polarizing battles in the Texas State Legislature and in local school boards throughout Texas, we invite you to the Inaugural Black Brown Dialogues on  Policy  Capitol Storytelling Event during the Texas Book Festival.

This in-person and online event takes place in the Member’s Lounge (E2.1002), at the Texas State Capitol on Sunday, November 12, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. CST in partnership with National LULAC, the Texas NAACP, Mexican American Legislative Caucus, Latino Texas Policy Center, and the Texas Center for Education Policy. Virtually, this event will be livestreamed and available live online at www.facebook.com/TeamBlackBrown.

Now, more than ever, we must come together as a Black and Brown community to amplify our collective power through community storytelling. Treat yourself on this day to oral stories of Black and Brown coalitional and partnership work that has been carried out throughout time in Texas. Author and Texas oral history researcher Dr. Max Krochmal will present from his book, Civil Rights in Black and Brown (University of Texas Press). UT History Professor Emilio Zamora and Texas NAACP President Gary Bledsoe will share instances in history when Black and Brown people worked together in solidarity. The Honorable Aicha Davis will discuss the importance of Black and Brown coalitional work at the Texas State Board of Education.

Former Ft. Worth ISD Board Member Dr. Jacinto “Cinto” Ramos, My Brother’s Keeper Director Rickie Clark, Round Rock ISD’s Tiffanie Harrison will present on local school board struggles. Independent Scholar Martha P. Cotera will share her wealth of experience in Austin and enduring accomplishments by Austin’s Black and Brown working class community. A panel of students will close the event with their reflections of what was shared and how we move forward.

“Organizing this event is a dream come true,” says BBDP co-founder Gary Bledsoe. “It is to our own detriment if we fail to come together as a Black and Brown community to address matters of mutual concern.” This event is free and open to the public. We encourage community members, university faculty, students, advocates, and lawmakers to attend in person and online.

For more information about the town hall meeting, please contact Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D. at blackbrownpolicy@gmail.com.

WHEN: Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: Member’s Lounge (E2.1002), Texas State Capitol Annex Underground

Virtual: https://facebook.com/TeamBlackBrown

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY: Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D. and Gary Bledsoe, Esq.

BBDP Teach In, featuring NAACP President Gary Bledsoe, Esq., Emilio Zamora, Ph.D., and Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D., Moderator

Colleagues:

I am happy to share with you this

full video of an April 4, 2023, presentation, featuring NAACP President Gary Bledsoe, Esq. and Emilio Zamora, Ph.D., and myself as moderator.

This Black Brown Dialogues on Policy (BBDP) Teach In took place with UT Austin Policy Analysis masters' and Ph.D. students sharing opinions on the 88th (2023) Texas Legislative Session, addressing Texas politics, history, electoral power, political strategy, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) bills that are currently at play in the Texas State Legislature.

Besides moderating, my specific contribution is to suggest how the role of Gen Z youth in the current moment might could get amplified.

Thanks a million to BBDP member and documentarian, Lana Husband, for recording this important conversation.

Enjoy!

-Angela Valenzuela

#GenZ #Diversity

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdGvgHus8tA&t=1616s

Join Over 30,000 People that Have Signed on, Expressing their Support for #DEI in the State of Texas

SIGN ON TODAY -https://docs.google.com/.../1FAIpQLSfINihaX3zZV8.../viewform

 Thank you for 30K Signatures! Help Us Save Tenure, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion! 

 We're thrilled to share that we've reached an amazing milestone: 30,000 signatures on our Fight for DEI petition! Your support has been incredible, and we couldn't have done it without our amazing partners, including BBDP NextGen, Texas LULAC, National LULAC, the Texas NAACP, The Texas Black Legislative Caucus, the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, the Texas AAUP, the Pro-Truth Faculty,  Students Engaged in Advancing Texas, the Ethnic Studies Coalition of Texas, the Texas Legislative Education Equity Coalition (comprised of over 35 organizations), the Texas Association for Mexican American Chambers of Commerce, the Texas Association for Diversity Officers in Higher Education, the Texas Association for Chicanos in Higher Education, the Latino Texas Policy Center, the Mexican American School Board Association, and the many educators, students, and volunteers that care.
 But our mission isn't over yet as the House Higher Education Committee is likely voting on Senate Bill 17 (SB 17) as early as tomorrow, Friday, May 12^th .
Besides signing, do reach out to these offices listed below to register your concerns about SB 17 that brings down everything DEI in all Texas colleges and universities.

 

• Speaker of the House, Representative Dade Phelan: (512) 463-1000
• Representative Travis Clardy (512) 463-0592
• Representative John Kuempel: (512) 463-0602
• Representative John Raney: (512) 463-0698
• 
  

You may also submit written testimony at this link.

 

Additional ways that you can contribute:

 Share, Share, Share! Spread the word about our petition far and wide. Your shares are crucial in amplifying our message and reaching more people.

 Keep Signing Up! Encourage others to add their names to the petition. Every signature brings us closer to protecting tenure, education, and diversity.

 Engage in Dialogue! Foster conversations about the importance of DEI. Share your stories and inspire change within your community.

 Stay Informed! Educate yourself on the issues at hand. Knowledge empowers us to advocate effectively.

 Together, we can make a difference! Sign the petition, share our message, and stand with us in the fight for DEI!

-Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D., co-founder

(with civil rights attorney Gary Bledsoe, Esq. and Colette Phillips)

Black Brown Dialogues on Policy

Social Media Links:

• Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamBlackBrown
• Visit our Website: Blackbrownpolicy.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamblackbrown/
• Twitter: @TeamBlackBrown
• Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@teamblackbrown

#DontletDEIdie @teamblackbrown #SaveDEI #Diversity #Inclusion #Equity

URGENT MATTER. Anti-DEI bills SB 17 & SB 18 are getting heard in the Texas Legislature Tomorrow. Pls sign Petition & Share with Your Networks

To all Scholars, Students, Friends, and Colleagues:

URGENT MATTER. Anti-DEI bills SB 17 & SB 18 are getting heard tomorrow, Monday, May 8, 2023, in the Texas State Legislature—and refer to eliminating DEI offices and tenure, respectively. If you cannot make it to the capitol tomorrow, you can still provide commentary at this link: https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c290

It is not at all hyperbole to say that our state's DEI programs are under threat, and we need everybody's voice. These programs promote diversity, equity, and inclusion in our schools and communities, and they are essential for creating a more just and equal society, on the one hand, a global competitiveness, on the other. However some lawmakers want to destroy these programs, putting so much of our civil rights progress at risk.

We can't let that happen. Join us in signing this petition to show your support for DEI programs in Texas. You can access it here directly or at the conclusion of our under 2-minute video.

Together, we can send a message to our lawmakers that these programs are important and that they must be protected. Let's work towards a future where everyone is valued and included. Sign the petition now and share with your friends and family.

We are making a documentary of this initiative. Like the legislation itself, it's a work in progress.

Thanks to Lana Husband, an award-winning documentarian for her beautiful work and for being with us in the struggle. Thanks, as well, to all of our super-talented Black Brown Dialogues on Policy Design Team for their phenomenal commitment to this project.

There will likely be a press conference tomorrow early afternoon on the matter tomorrow, too. I'll update the blog to reflect this once I have details. Please share with your networks.

-Angela Valenzuela, Ph.D., co-founder

(with civil rights attorney Gary Bledsoe, Esq. and Colette Phillips)

Black Brown Dialogues on Policy

Social Media Links:

• Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeamBlackBrown
• Visit our Website: Blackbrownpolicy.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/teamblackbrown/
• Twitter: @TeamBlackBrown
• Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@teamblackbrown

#DontletDEIdie #teamblackbrown #SaveDEI #TexasForEquity #InclusionMatters

How George Floyd-inspired activism backfired in Texas, fueling a crackdown on protesters; And Pro-Diversity Protestors Fight Back

This legislature and this legislative session will go down in history as a vicious attack on our youth—especially youth of color—who are simply advocating for a more just, inclusive, and caring world. This generation has such enormous passion, power, and talent and that is precisely why state leaders want to reign them in.

If anything, legislators are doing the opposite, pushing them away. 

As recently issued by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2023) we should be focusing instead on addressing issues of sadness, violence, and suicidal ideation that so many of our youth are currently experiencing. These anti-youth campaigns weigh heavily on them and while that is exactly the point, this shouldn't be. Why not consider the value and virtue of a multiethnic and multiracial democracy? 

Personally and professionally, I feel strongly committed to the idea that a just and caring economy and society expresses and maintains its support for its children and youth. Sadly, this is a leadership that is devouring them—or at least, is attempting to do so. 

Ah, but I remember in this moment of pathos in Texas Republicans' anti-diversity agenda for those of us who have to bear the brunt of it:

 “They Tried to Bury Us, They Didn’t Know We Were Seeds.”

From the tiny seed, comes the fullness of all that is and will be.

Sign this petition against the Anti-Diversity Agenda and consider attending tomorrow's May 3rd, 2PM "Freedom to Learn" rally at the Texas State Capitol.

-Angela Valenzuela

References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). CDC report shows concerning increases in sadness and exposure to violence among teen girls and LGBQ+ youth. 

How George Floyd-inspired activism backfired in Texas, fueling a crackdown on protesters

Three years after Floyd was murdered by a police officer, Texas lawmakers tout anti-protester laws and expanded legal protections for law enforcement.

Jeremy Wallace, Texas Political Writer | May 2, 2023

Demonstrators yell the name of George Floyd whose death sparked protests throughout

 the country, in Willis, Wednesday, June 3, 2020. Approximately 130 people attended the rally.

Gustavo Huerta/Staff photographer

Three years after George Floyd was murdered by a police officer, Floyd's legacy has essentially been reversed in Texas. Instead of pushing for more oversight of police, Gov. Greg Abbott and Texas Republicans are cracking down on large protests and strengthening legal protections for officers who do wrong.

“I think we are in legislative hell,” said Ashton P. Woods, a co-founder of Black Lives Matter in Houston. “This is basically them weaponizing our work against us.”

In the days and weeks after Floyd, a longtime Houston resident, was killed by police in Minneapolis, Republicans and Democrats nationwide called for laws to keep bad cops off the street and for better training to prevent a repeat of what happened to Floyd.

While Texas did pass one law aimed at preventing police from using chokeholds on suspects like the one used on Floyd, other reforms regulating use of force, strengthening law enforcement misconduct reporting or ending police immunity protections have all hit dead ends.

Instead, the bulk of the legislation passed since Floyd’s death has been focused on targeting the people who spent the summer of 2020 protesting in nearly every major city in Texas.

Since then, Gov. Greg Abbott has: 

• Signed a bill into law allowing felony charges for protesters who obstruct emergency vehicles from using highways and major roads
• Enacted another law that makes it a felony to use fireworks or laser pointers to obstruct police during a protest
• Last month called for the pardon of a man who shot and killed a Black Lives Matter activist during protests in Austin in 2020. Both men were armed

The shift is partially a reaction to a national increase in homicides and other violent crimes since the pandemic. In 2020, homicides across the country spiked with a 29-percent increase as a number of large cities — including Chicago and New York — recorded increases greater than 50 percent. In Texas, all major cities except Dallas saw homicides increase again from 2020 to 2021.

Speaking at a ceremony honoring fallen officers on Sunday in Austin, Abbott touted the restrictions on protesters as evidence of his strong support for law enforcement. 

"We passed a law to criminalize the conduct of protesters who harm or disrupt law enforcement officers in the line of duty," Abbott said. "We will not tolerate that in the state of Texas." 

Now, the Republican-led Texas Legislature is trying to pass legislation to protect officers from legal action when they use Taser stun guns or bean bag projectiles that can cause serious injuries. That comes after police in Austin last year were indicted for using bean bag rounds that caused life-long injuries for some protesters.

State Sen. Drew Springer, a Republican from Cooke County near the Oklahoma border, said law enforcement officers need better legal protection when using nonlethal force as they respond to dangerous situations. He said right now, a lot of officers will just use their guns because the rules and protections are more clear-cut than when they use Taser pistols or other less lethal weapons.

In Austin in 2020, as the protesters marched to the police station, he said officers were using the bean-bag rounds as instructed by their commanding officers and couldn’t have known the rounds they were using were actually defective and would cause more damage than normal. About three dozen protesters were treated at Austin hospitals during more than a week of protests.

“To be held criminally liable for that is wrong,” Springer said.

His bill, SB 2593, passed the Texas Senate last week and now goes to the Texas House.

Furthermore, the call of protesters to “Defund the Police” has turned into a rallying point for Republicans who passed laws in 2021 to punish cities and counties that reduce law enforcement funding in any way. The new law triggered a high-stakes accounting battle between Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar, a Republican, and Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo, a Democrat earlier this year.

The Democrat won in that case. Hegar accused the county of cutting its law enforcement budget but later dropped his attack as Hidalgo and others pointed to how law enforcement funding was actually increasing. Hegar in April rescinded the charge. 

'They're mad at protesters'

Floyd was killed on May 25, 2020, when Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin pinned him to the ground with a knee to the neck for more than nine minutes as Floyd gasped, "I can't breathe."

Chauvin was sentenced to more than 22 years in prison for murder.

While there was widespread outrage for how Floyd was killed that sparked bipartisan calls for police and criminal justice reform, State Sen. Borris Miles, D-Houston, said that is largely gone now in the Republican-led Texas Legislature.

“Now we’re having this backlash to George Floyd empathy,” Miles said.

Miles said the tough-on-crime agenda has left no room to even talk about the Floyd case.

State Sen. John Whitmire, D-Houston, said instead of “smart crime” programs to get people out of jail and back into society, the Republican political leadership in Texas is all about raising criminal penalties and locking people away for longer to send a tough-on-crime message.

Whitmire said he’s always approached those issues from the perspective that “you lock up people you’re afraid of, not people you’re mad at.”

But he said that philosophy is falling on deaf ears in the Legislature.

“They want to lock up everyone,” he said. “They’re mad at the protesters. They don’t like their position on the issues.”

Woods, the Black Lives Matter activist, said it goes beyond criminal justice and police reforms. He said recent political fights over critical race theory in classrooms and diversity, equity and inclusion programs on Texas college campuses all ramped up after protesters inspired by Floyd took to the streets to end systemic racism in Texas.

That hasn't stopped Black Lives Matter from staying active in Houston and around the state. They continue to do community organizing and participate in rallies for racial justice.

“They’re criminalizing us further for speaking out against the injustices that they are inflicting upon us,” Woods said. “So you want us to be silent while you put your foot on our throat? None of us is going to stand for that.”

jeremy.wallace@houstonchronicle.com