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Latinos and African Americans Building Bridges in Texas

09:19 H | Topics: Activism - Justice - Race - Texas

Even though we are struggling against the same forces, African Americans and Latinos still also struggle in overcoming our own internalized racism. In Texas there is an attempt to bridge the gap that can exist bewteen the two diverse communities. The NAACP and League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) began four years ago by forming the Texas NAACP/Texas LULAC Partnership. The goal was to create change within each community but also between the communities. Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas State Conference of the NAACP, said:

There is some commonality in the Latino experience and the African American experience. It's not the same by any stretch of the imagination, but their interests are probably aligned with ours more than any other racial group in the country. We're much more likely to get our just desserts if we work together and not against each other.

The Texas NAACP/Texas LULAC Partnership organizes around common issues, mainly education and criminal justice. The coalition has worked on projects related to Texas redistricting, public school funding, racial profiling and police brutality, among others.

Via / Black Enterprise

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