Books
May 11, 2021
Annette Gordon-Reed Explores the Tangled Meaning of Juneteenth
In her new book ‘On Juneteenth,’ the Pulitzer Prize–winning historian takes on the Texas holiday that has gone national.
Race
Sports
April 29, 2021
A New Sports History Book Shows How Texas Athletes Have Always Fought for Equality
In ‘The Sports Revolution,’ Frank Guridy revisits the 1960s and ’70s, when Black, Latino, and female athletes pushed for change.
Texas History
April 19, 2021
Juanita Craft Helped Integrate the Texas State Fair—And Inspired the Next Generation of Civil Rights Activists
The subject of our latest Texans You Should Know history profile started 182 NAACP chapters and welcomed kids and power brokers alike into her South Dallas home.
Food
March 8, 2021
“A Matter of Life and Death”: Latino Food Workers Are Terrified as COVID-19 Restrictions End
They fear that the end of the mask mandate and the influx of spring break crowds is a recipe for danger.
Sports
March 7, 2021
A University of Texas Report Will Find That ‘The Eyes of Texas’ Has “No Racist Intent”
Texas Monthly has learned that the report, to be released Tuesday morning, attempts to offer a nuanced history of the school’s alma mater, which some have criticized for its origins in a minstrel show.
Politics & Policy
October 22, 2020
Who Is Austin’s Citizen Police Academy Meant to Serve?
Graduates say the 14-week program illuminates challenges that cops face, but glosses over issues of brutality and racism. Records show the alumni association enlists members as public advocates for APD.
Politics & Policy
September 14, 2020
#BlackAtSMU Tries to Pierce the “Bubble” of Southern Methodist University
In the spring, racial-justice activism flourished on the affluent campus. Now, as the fall semester kicks off, Black students and alumni are hoping to see change.
News & Politics
September 3, 2020
Why ‘Black Lives Matter’ Is So Divisive for Houston’s Vietnamese American Community
I’ve watched some of my elders espouse anti-Black hatred. Instead of blaming them, we should acknowledge the traumas that have shaped their views, and recognize the systems that failed us.
Books
August 19, 2020
Vivian Stephens Helped Turn Romance Writing Into a Billion-Dollar Industry. Then She Got Pushed Out.
Now, as the Romance Writers of America reckons with its history of racism, will she finally get her due?
Art
August 17, 2020
At UT and A&M, Visionary Takes on Yearbooks Celebrate the Beauty of Blackness
These distinct initiatives embody something I long wished for while studying at a predominantly white Texas university: a community of color connected through creativity.
Film & TV
August 17, 2020
In ‘Lovecraft Country,’ Black Characters Are Trapped in Racial Terror
The HBO series, starring Dallas native Jonathan Majors, gives depth to Black characters stuck in nightmare situations.
Politics & Policy
August 17, 2020
A Southwestern University Frat Tried to End Confederate Traditions—and Was Suspended
SU Kappa Alpha brothers believe they were disciplined for the content of a social media post; the national organization says they violated protocol.
Film & TV
August 15, 2020
Jonathan Majors, the Star of HBO’s ‘Lovecraft Country,’ Transforms His Rage Into Art
The actor, who grew up in the Dallas area, takes a leading role in the horror series adapted from the book of the same name.
Music
July 23, 2020
“This Is Exactly What’s Wrong With Austin”: A White Band’s Digitally Altered Photo of an Iconic Black-Owned BBQ Joint Infuriates Locals
The musicians in Midland, a popular country band, have entered the conversation about gentrification in the worst possible way.
News & Politics
July 16, 2020
“Black Austin Matters” Is an Artistic Challenge to the City
Activists say the city can’t yet claim that “Black Austin Matters,” given its record, and that’s why they painted the street installation.
News & Politics
July 15, 2020
Can the Black Lives Matter Movement Heal Paris, Texas?
Locals are hopeful that change can come to the Northeast Texas town that invented the spectacle lynching.
Music
July 14, 2020
A Lifelong Rock Music Aficionado on Finally Seeing Her Icons Embrace Blackness
After years of feeling isolated in my fandom, witnessing my favorite bands supporting Black Lives Matter has been both meaningful and conflicting.
Art
July 10, 2020
Why Visual Artist Jammie Holmes Took George Floyd’s Last Words to the Sky
In a new digital exhibition at Dallas Contemporary, Holmes challenges viewers to advocate for justice.
Art
July 9, 2020
A Look at MFAH’s ‘Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power’ Exhibit
The new Houston museum show exemplifies art as both revolution and witness, writes a Houston poet laureate.
Music
July 8, 2020
In a New Virtual Series, the Dallas Opera Tackles Race and Inequality
The performing arts institution is facilitating forward-thinking conversations with artists and educators online.
Texas History
July 7, 2020
Remembering Reginald Moore, the Activist Who Uncovered Sugar Land’s Dark Past
The discovery of a convict graveyard in 2018 vindicated decades of research and activism Fort Bend County had ignored.
Being Texan
July 2, 2020
Nine Texas Faith Leaders on How to Find Hope and Fight Injustice
We asked leaders from across the state and the religious spectrum to share their best words of wisdom.
Film & TV
June 30, 2020
Austin Filmmaker Ya’Ke Smith’s New Short, ‘Dear Bruh,’ Honors Lives Lost to Police Violence
"We need to have a good cry," Smith says. "Then I want us to hit the streets and demand real, systemic change."
Being Texan
June 29, 2020
How Latino Texans Are Addressing Antiblack Racism
Recent protests have sparked conversations about colorism, Eurocentric beauty standards, and how black Latinos are underrepresented in both English- and Spanish-language media.
Being Texan
June 29, 2020
Two Rice Alums Are Building Solidarity Between Asian American and Black Communities
Dolly Li and Joey Yang started Plum Radio to talk about race, pop culture, and news from an Asian American perspective.
News & Politics
June 29, 2020
What I Learned as a Young Black Political Speaker in Liberal White Austin
The recent uprisings have confirmed for me that platitudes aren’t enough.
News & Politics
June 25, 2020
Texas Black Lives Matter Protesters Were Largely Local and Nonviolent, According to Arrest Data
The majority of apprehensions during the first week of demonstrations over police violence were for curfew violations, obstructing roadways, and other low-level offenses.
The National Podcast of Texas
June 23, 2020
Tavel Bristol-Joseph Wants the Culinary World to Have a Hard Conversation About Racism
On The National Podcast of Texas, one of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs on systemic racism and reopening in a pandemic.
Being Texan
June 18, 2020
Essay: Celebrating Juneteenth in 2020 Is an Act of Resistance
I’ve always observed Juneteenth, but this year the stakes feel higher than ever.
Being Texan
June 12, 2020
14 Resources for Teaching Your Kids About Racial Injustice
Recommendations from the creators of Texas’s new African American Studies elective.
Politics & Policy
June 11, 2020
The Texas GOP Gives Itself a Tough Task: Rooting Out Racism in the Party
After GOP leaders in 12 counties posted racist responses to the George Floyd protests, top Republicans declared war on bigotry in their party. It’s not going to be easy.
The National Podcast of Texas
June 10, 2020
Peniel Joseph on Black Power and the Struggle for America’s Soul
On The National Podcast of Texas, the LBJ School professor and author walks us through how protest, empathy, and action can dismantle racial oppression.
News & Politics
June 8, 2020
The Best Thing in Texas: A Black Trail-Riding Club Joined a Houston Protest on Horseback
Videos and photos of the Non-Stop Riderz at last week's Black Lives Matter march went viral.
News & Politics
June 5, 2020
A Q&A With the Organizer of the Black Lives Matter March in Vidor
A planned march in an East Texas town sparked doubts and concerns on social media that it was a racist stunt.
Music
June 5, 2020
Beyoncé, Jamie Foxx, and Lizzo Lend Their Voices to National Protests
“White people, this is your daily reminder that if you stay silent, you are part of the problem,” Lizzo said.
Politics & Policy
June 4, 2020
The Hero Myth of Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo
He has become a national celebrity for publicly supporting the George Floyd protests. But Acevedo’s record is decidedly less progressive than his rhetoric.
Politics & Policy
June 1, 2020
“I Can’t Believe This Is America”: On the Front Lines With the Volunteers Tending to Austin’s Injured Protesters
They thought they’d be treating heat exhaustion this weekend. Then police started firing rubber bullets and beanbag rounds.
News & Politics
June 1, 2020
‘How Can They Expect Peace When They Won’t Give Us Peace’: A Weekend of Demonstrations in Dallas Over Police Killings
Protesters took to the Dallas streets, joining nationwide demonstrations over the killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.
News & Politics
May 30, 2020
The Houston Years of George Floyd
Friends remember Floyd, who grew up in the Third Ward, as a gentle soul, a father, and a talented collaborator of DJ Screw’s.
Film & TV
May 8, 2020
The Texas Black Rodeo Circuit and a Tender Friendship Are at the Heart of ‘Bull’
A year after charming the Cannes Film Festival, Austin director Annie Silverstein's feature debut has been released on VOD.
Politics & Policy
April 13, 2020
How to Erase a Neighborhood
The East End neighborhood of Freeport was once a thriving community. Today, the few remaining residents are about to be pushed out by the port. What happened?
Food & Drink
February 17, 2020
Is Houston’s Jonny Rhodes the Most Subversive Chef in the Country?
Rhodes was an unproven 27-year-old chef when he launched Indigo, a tiny restaurant with a radical concept in a low-income Houston neighborhood. Now it's one of the hottest kitchens in the country.
Politics & Policy
April 5, 2019
Dolores Huerta, Wyclef Jean, and More to Join LBJ Foundation Summit on Racial Division
The free three-day event starts April 8 and is a follow-up to the LBJ Foundation’s 2014 Civil Rights Summit.
The Culture
January 29, 2019
Telling the Story of a Texas Freedom Colony Through Decades of Photos
”The Upshaws of County Line,” a new book and exhibit currently at Museum of the Big Bend, chronicles a safe haven established by African American Texans.
Art
September 26, 2018
Dallas Artist lauren woods is Locked in a Remarkable Museum Stand-off
An exhibition on police brutality prompts allegations, shutdown after curator is dismissed.
Art
August 24, 2018
Vincent Valdez, the People’s Champion
The first two installments of Vincent Valdez’s The Beginning Is Near trilogy—on view now in Austin and Houston, respectively—paint a picture of a fight for America’s soul.
Feature
June 22, 2018
The Jackie Robinson of Rodeo
Five decades ago, Myrtis Dightman broke the color barrier in professional rodeo and became one of the best bull riders who ever lived. But his imprint on the sport was only just beginning.
News & Politics
May 3, 2018
White Supremacist Gang Members’ ‘Vast Criminal Conspiracy’ Detailed
Dozens of gang members face charges ranging from trafficking methamphetamines to kidnapping.
The Culture
April 18, 2018
Christopher Scott’s ‘True Conviction’
More than two decades ago, Christopher Scott was wrongfully imprisoned for murder. Now he’s devoting his time to help free others.
Music
April 16, 2018
Beychella Was a Celebration of Beyoncé’s Southern Black Culture
As Coachella’s Saturday night headliner, Beyoncé chose to share the HBCU experience in a performance full of black cultural history.