On Friday, we’ll gather in Austin for The State of Public Safety Through Healing and Equity. Along with great local partners—Truth Be Told, St. Edward’s University Social Work Program, and Tomorrow’s Promise Foundation—the Texas Women’s Justice Coalition is hosting this free community event ahead of International Women’s Day. Attendees will hear from diverse panelists on public safety, participate in a guided healing circle, and convene for a conversation with leadership from system-impacted Texans, who will share how to get involved in fighting for change. Register to join us this Friday, March 1, at 6pm CT!

On Saturday, the Statewide Leadership Council (SLC) is headed to the Rio Grande Valley for our first-ever event in Edinburg! Reclaiming Our Voices, Building Better Communities is a free event by and for system-impacted people in the RGV. Attendees will get to know our coalition of formerly incarcerated and otherwise justice-involved Texans, learn more about navigating the legal and carceral systems, hear from other Texas organizations, and get an overview of current and future Clean Slate policies in our state. Register to join us this Saturday, March 2, at 11am CT!

Shining a light on injustice in Harris County (Houston). This month, our Houston-area team released a new policy brief and co-hosted an event focused on inadequate legal representation for people with the most severe charges in Harris County. “Absentee Advocacy: Failures in Harris County’s Capital Representation System” spotlights indigent defense for those facing the death penalty. When defendants cannot afford representation, the County’s elected criminal court judges control which attorneys are appointed to represent them. And although the county has a growing Public Defender’s Office, that office does not accept capital cases. This means that the judges presiding over cases choose the defendants’ attorneys.

After reviewing jail visitation logs and court filings, our team laid out several disturbing facts: Over a 5-year period, nearly half of the 603 defendants held in the Harris County Jail for active capital murder charges were visited by an attorney less than twice a year. 12 individuals were convicted but never visited by an attorney at all. The brief also highlights a model of public defender representation for capital cases already in place in 186 Texas counties, which we recommend Harris County embrace.

Amplify Austin is 1 week away! Amplify Austin is a 24-hour fundraiser that supports Central Texas nonprofits, and it launches on March 6 at 6pm. It’s fun, it’s fast-paced, and it’s right around the corner. 

In past years, our generous Amplify Austin donors have made it possible for us to deliver new research to our legislators at the State Capitol, to fight for youth justice and women’s justice, and to mobilize system-impacted people for change. 

This year, we’re proud to continue raising funds for our campaign to support Texas families. After helping pass a law to give some formerly incarcerated parents a way to regain custody of their children, we’ve been working to make family reunification a reality for more Texans. Now we’re taking the next step: creating a “know your rights” guide for parents about the child welfare system, which we’ll accompany with “know your rights” clinics! 

YOUR contribution will help us get more information into the hands of parents across the state, especially parents of color who are over-impacted by separation. 

Join us in amplifying hope for Texas families! 

The Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin provides a background of Black history in Texas. The exhibit, which you can view online, traces experiences from colonization in the 1500’s to the Civil Rights Movement. 

Prairie View A&M University publishes a Texas Black History Calendar, which includes entries on nearly every day of the year. The calendar notes birthdays and anniversaries of achievements by Black Texans and Americans. This resource also accepts new entries from community members!

Finally, the Texas Education Agency has compiled its own list of resources for Black History Month. The list includes both Texas and national resources, all focused on learning more about Black history and celebrating Black leaders.