Imagine Justice: State and Local Violent Tactics in West Texas, USA.

When I moved to West Texas from Boston, I was told that race relations are very smooth in this area and that “anybody could move in any neighborhood one choses to buy a house in”. Following my Sociological Imagination, I soon discovered that this was far from the truth and that the governing bodies encouraged deep economic, political and ideological divisions among the marginalized populations.

This presentation is based on two research studies I conducted as I readily integrated into the communities. The first one was the collection of Oral Histories from the small Black community (5-6%), starting with the early migrants in the region, who spoke about the inefficient role of local government in their settling efforts or getting appropriate jobs, in the segregated South Side of town. The study also included the large “Hispanic” population (50-60%) that resided mainly in the West side of town. The second study is based on the Triethnic (Black, Hispanic and Anglo, proportionately) Committee that was instituted in the early 80s to oversee the integration of “Minority” kids into the just desegregated school system in 1982 while mirroring the state violence implemented in many other cities of the US South. I became part of the committee in 1998 till 2018 when it was dissolved by the system based on the belief that the gender and racial injustices had already been transformed. In depth interviews in 2021 with several members of the committee presented a different image.

The intersection of race, and gender relations are examined in depth and issues of local and state government violent interference with migration, political and economic integration of the underrepresented populations and the unsuccessful efforts for social transformation and justice in the region are analyzed in depth.