TEXAS -- Thousands of Texans have turned out to protest against police brutality following George Floyd’s death.


What You Need To Know


  • Texas Democratic Party's first-ever African American Constituency Organizer

  • Motivated by rallies around George Floyd's death

  • Serita Robinson encouraging voters to make sure their voice is heard

Now, some political organizers hope they can continue to make their voices heard at the ballot box this November.

Serita Robinson is the Texas Democratic Party’s first-ever African American Constituency Organizer, tasked with mobilizing the state's black voters. 

 

 


A profile image of Serita Robinson as she works on her computer (Spectrum News)

 

“It has been a lot of big highs and a lot of big lows these last couple weeks,” said Robinson.

She took on the role just two months before Floyd was killed in police custody and says that moment motivated her more so than she already was in recognizing how important her work is.

“As the events of George Floyd’s murder kind of unfolded and became really public, there was for better or for worse sort of this desensitized--‘oh great, another person who looks like my brother or who I could very easily know or it could have been me was killed at the hands of police,’” said Robinson.

The momentum she’s seen from people rallying all over the country gives her hope, though. She’s hoping people will take that passion with them to the ballot box--both during the July primaries in Texas and this November during the presidential election.

“I know that for me, personally, if a candidate isn’t already talking about these issues, then it’s really going to be hard to earn my vote in November because once we get closer to November we start to see a little more pandering, ‘alright I need to drum up a vote in this community so I’ll go do this,’” said Robinson.  “I think black voters are really used to seeing that and can sniff it out a little bit faster.”

Robinson says this whole movement is 400 years in the making, in a lot of ways.

“Our relationship with America, our relationship with Texas is not an easy one. It’s very complex, it’s rich with injustices, as much as there is advancements,” said Robinson.

Her message to people speaking out about police brutality is to keep showing up and to use the opportunity they have to make people listen to them--whether that’s by rallying, having conversations or by voting.

While African Americans historically vote Democratic, Texas Republicans are also calling for police reforms and have largely condemned the death of Floyd.

Gov. Greg Abbott told Texas’ black lawmakers he’ll make police reforms a priority next session but has not detailed what that agenda would look like.