This week we are all mourning the loss of civil rights hero  John Lewis, who passed away last Saturday. We at Precinct One are honoring his legacy by continuing his life's work -- breaking down systemic racism, strengthening voting rights, and advancing economic and racial equity.

	U.S. Congressman John Lewis and me at an event a few years ago.

Although we have lost John Lewis, there is reason to hope that we will achieve the goals of racial justice that he fought for. Not since the Civil Rights Movement of the 50s and 60s have we witnessed the level of mass mobilization, organizing, and action towards racial justice that we are experiencing today. In this new movement, we are doing the long overdue work of re-imagining and recreating systems that are not broken but discriminating precisely as they were designed. 

In Harris County, this starts with our electoral process. We cannot have a full democracy unless everyone has equal access to the ballot box -- where no one is mistakenly taken off the voter rolls, registered for the wrong precinct, or has to wait in line to vote for six hours.

That is why Harris County is moving away from our old system of elections administration, which is a vestige of the Jim Crow era. Currently, the Office of the Tax Assessor-Collector serves as the voter registrar, duties that were given to the office in 1902 for the purpose of collecting a discriminatory poll tax. A system established over one hundred years ago explicitly to suppress the votes of minorities does not reflect the values of a contemporary, diverse, Harris County.

By creating the Harris County Elections Administrator Office, we are removing the vestiges of Jim Crow and re-imaging a new system where our elections process is a year-round priority for the county, overseen by experts and where voting is accessible to every Harris County resident. You can read more about how we are modernizing Harris County elections in yesterday's Houston Chronicle op-ed, which was written by U.S. Congressman Al Green and me. 

In addition to strengthening voting rights, we are also working to address systemic racism and sexism in our economic system. Recently, the Houston Chronicle Editorial Board commented on Harris County's minority -- and women -- owned business (MWBE) disparity study, which showed that MWBEs are receiving only 9.1% of Harris County's contracting dollars, despite them being almost a third of the market.

"As the country grapples with its history of systemic racism and inequality, it must address these economic disparities," the Board urges. 

And we will. We cannot advance economic and racial equity if our existing systems are exacerbating existing inequalities.

Armed with the data from the study, Harris County will develop a program to provide minority -- and women -- owned businesses in our area the tools they need to succeed. Particularly at a time when small businesses and the working families that depend on them are struggling, we cannot let businesses run by people of color and women get left behind.

 

John Lewis was an inspiration and a friend to me for many decades. There will never be another John Lewis, but we should all strive to live every day like him, standing up for what we know is right.

"Do not get lost in a sea of despair. Be hopeful, be optimistic. Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble." - John Lewis