S.H.A.P.E. Community Center, along with the Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, co-sponsored a teach-in to build momentum for a new initiative: The Texas People’s Tribunal. This political education event reviewed the history of enslavement, genocide, and colonialism with a focus on the atrocities specific to Texas. The goal was to connect the lineage of state sanctioned violence to our current systems and structures with an emphasis on the death penalty. Texas is by far the leader in executions with almost 600 in the modern era-more than the next six states combined. Harris County alone has executed more people than the next highest state of Virginia. These numbers do not include the police killings and deaths of folks inside the jail and prison walls.
The next event will take place Memorial Day Weekend, May 27-29, 2023, kicking off at the Pan-African Cultural Festival. The first official day of the initiative will be held on Sunday, May 28, 2023 at Thurgood Marshall School of Law. The final day will continue in Galveston, TX at the Old Central High School, and African American Museum. Please visit texaspeoplestribunal.com for more details.
