The Rio Grande region experienced a forced rebranding through the myth of the Magic Valley. Despite demographic and political changes, market forces like SpaceX continue to dictate the regional identity through arts and culture.
It has been a whirlwind since the Trucha launch in February 2021, when the country was reeling from an attempted insurrection and the rising COVID-19 related deaths. It is clear that now more than ever, we must be hyper-aware of our surroundings for the safety and benefit of the people in the Rio Grande Valley. Tenemos que ponernos Trucha!
The Blue Lives/Thin Blue Line flag, which has been turned into stickers on cars, or even decals on actual police cruisers, was born in direct racist and anti-Black response to the Black Lives Matter movement. Read more about how it started in late 2014, just months after the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.
Read life-long resident of Brownsville and member of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network, Emma Guevara’s commentary on how the majority of journalists paint an unrealistic and unfamiliar picture of our home when covering SpaceX Boca Chica. Learn more about her thoughts on how journalists can stop being so problematic when discussing our home.
Minor traffic violations can lead to suspension of your driver’s license, resulting in more fines or even jail time. This is just one way poverty is criminalized at the hands of the police, making it expensive to be poor. The criminalization of poverty happens at the expense of working-class communities living paycheck to paycheck. Learn more about how we can break down barriers to criminalization by helping each other through mutual aid.
The national debate surrounding Critical Race Theory (CRT), as much as vehement opposition to a vague concept could be called a “debate,” is intense. It is troubling when considering the incorrect definition of Critical Race Theory as used by those who oppose it. Read more from Rene Rocha about how CRT is and can be implemented in the RGV and its implications.
This month, Rio Grande Valley (RGV) municipality and county leaders are implementing new yearly budgets. Despite last summer’s nationwide awakening to racial police violence, these new budgets spend more on police than programs and services that keep us safe and healthy. Read more from Divest/Invest on what truly keeps communities safe.
October 19th is the national day of awareness for LGBTQ Centers that provide vital resources for our communities. Locally, the Rio Grande Valley is lucky to have groups and organizations that cater to the social services, youth support, medical treatment and entertainment of LGBTQIA individuals.
En enero, se presentaron más de 65 comentarios públicos a la Administración Federal de Aviación (FAA, por sus siglas en inglés) exigiendo el acceso al idioma en las audiencias públicas y las evaluaciones de la expansión del proyecto SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy en la playa de Boca Chica. La FAA está ignorando descaradamente la petición de los residentes afectados del Valle del Río Grande de contar con interpretación en español y subtítulos para las audiencias públicas en línea del 18 y 20 de octubre.
In January, more than 65 public comments were submitted to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) demanding language access to public hearings and assessments of the SpaceX Starship/Super Heavy project expansion on Boca Chica Beach. The FAA is blatantly ignoring the request by affected Rio Grande Valley residents for Spanish interpretation and closed captioning for the October 18 and 20 online public hearings.
