Eternal vigilance: politics, race, and the struggle for educational equity in a Central Texas Community

Abstract

This article documents the emergence of a Mexican-American political consciousness in a Central Texas Community and the efforts to dismantle decades of inequitable, exclusionary educational policies and practices. We take readers into a community on the verge of profound change by exploring primary historical data and situating the voices of community leaders in a historical context. We employ a theory of change framework (RASPPA) to chronicle a community’s response to macro-level societal changes. To understand the need for Mexican-American activism in Central Texas, we providing a survey of literature that chronicles Mexican-American experience in Texas. This is a story about a community realizing its political capacity and leveraging its own agency for change. We take a walk-through history and use place, race, identity and courage to inform a new vision for educational equity.