Last year I announced that I would be throwing my hat in the ring to run for Houston City Council and this remains true. The general election will be held in 2019 which gives me less than a year to prepare for my run... Meanwhile, I noticed a fact that no one EVER BRINGS UP, the FACT that there is only ONE Black woman on Houston's City Council and FOUR women total. This is problematic because Houston has SIXTEEN council seats and women are the minority in this situation. The time has come that we ELECT more Black women to city government! Period!

Truth be told, I had been seriously considering a run in the upcoming special election to replace the late Council member Larry Green, BUT I became conflicted about that race. The conflict being: Why run now when we can put a Black woman in office and wait to run for one of the term limited seats?

With that said, We can't just elect the first Black woman who steps up without vetting them to make sure they won't block ordinances that protect Black people on the fringes like the Trans community and the black LGBT community at large. We need people who will have intergrity to govern with respect to separation of church and state, and the strength to be open and honest. We need people willing to do what many of the men on council have failed to do, we need someone who will represent the interests of ALL Houstonians and not their donors. It is clear that city government is going in the wrong direction and not taking the time to address racial and economic disparities in Houston's Black & Brown community. Instead, the focus is to criminalize the homeless, beautify the city, and pedal the "Houston is a welcoming city" lie.

We need to shift that focus to building institutions that will increase the ability for Black and Brown Houstonians to thrive in all areas of their lives. We need a clean slate in this city, Houston we have to do much better and elect more women.

ESPECIALLY BLACK WOMEN.

I wrote a piece recently that ruffled a lot of feathers about Laura Moser and how her words over the years are based in racism and microaggressions. Initially the reaction to my post was negative and many White folks showed their cards by attempting to tell Black people what is or isnt racist. A new development occurred in the last hour or so, Laura Moser acknowledged what I called out and APOLOGIZED. Before I go any further, here is the apology:

​"To all of my supporters, critics, and especially members of the black community, I want to address concerns raised about some of my past writing as a freelance journalist:

First, I want to apologize.

I now understand how my words – including those of my initial response – were hurtful and damaging to people and communities for whom I care greatly. Frankly, some of what I have written in the past demonstrated both my own privilege and my need for greater awareness of the full legacy of racism in America. I have no excuse, and I am sorry.

The reactions of many individuals close to me and of my fellow Houstonians have affected me greatly. As a result, I have taken time to listen before speaking out again on this issue. I have been meeting with members of my team, racial justice activists, and local community leaders about how best to move forward constructively.

All racism – whether it is intentional or unintentional – is a threat to our shared humanity. As a congressional candidate and as a human being, I have a responsibility to do better, and I will.

Going forward, I will be more deliberate about putting my values into practice. I will do more to educate myself, and I will continue to reach out to communities of color within my district and beyond.

I am fully committed to this work. This is only the start." - Laura Moser

SCREENSHOT OF APOLOGY BELOW:

While this apology is a welcome start, I now call upon Moser and any other candidate who is white to have conversation with constituents about racism whether it be overt or systemic. If we are to truly defeat Trump in Washington, WE must address the Trumps in our backyard. I am looking forward to speaking with Moser and any other candidate about REPRESENTATION on their staff(s) and in policy. Our votes are not free, and yes we want to live free from oppression, but to do so requires people to acutually address it head on. 

This apology is a far cry from her previous one:

I will be updating as things develop. STAY TUNED!

Every election cycle Texas has a Senate District convention followed by a State convention to develop policy platforms and a host of other changes that can be made within the Texas Democratic party. Please review the document below and consider being part of the process. Go to http://texasdemocraticconvention.com/ to sign up!

- Ashton

Today I was contacted by a very upset mother who told me about her daughter being assualted by an Humble ISD police officer during an altercation. As I listened intently to Ebony Dawson, the mother of Essence Prince, I could hear the pain and hurt in her voice. She went on to send me a statement, pictures, and video of the "the arresting officer," throwing "her to the ground in order to break up the fight. Using excessive force, "he then proceeded to put his knee and elbow in her neck and head. From there she was handcuffed and thrown in to glass and drug her." To make things worse "she is being charged with two felony assaults to a public servant. One for spitting -which was coughing a reaction of being chocked. The other for hitting the officer." Before I continue, Please review the statement provided by Ms Dawson about the brutal attack on her daughter Essence prince and video/images below:

"Hello,
 
My name is Ebony Dawson. I am in need of assistance with a police brutality case. My 16 year old daughter Essence Prince  was assaulted and was refused medical attention for approx. 5 hours.
 
Essence and another 10th grade student was involved in a fight yesterday March 9th. This fight took place approx. at 12-12:30 pm. I received a phone call from her principle 2:46. This call was missed due to a meeting that I was in. I was not left a message. I returned the call at 2:59. I was told that Essence was being suspended for a fight with another student. At 3:06 pm I received another call from Mr. Castillio, the principle I had just spoken with. He informed me that Essence was arrested.   He stated if she gets a felony she will not be allowed back on campus. I was never told that she had been beaten by an officer or possibly needs medical attention. I was told that she was already downtown at Juvenile.
 
I immediately left work. I started to call around to see where my daughter was. I found that she was actually still  at Humble ISD  police dept. I asked to speak to an officer. I spoke to an officer that informed me she was booking my daughter. She informed me I was unable to see her, I could pick her up from downtown once she was transported. I was told that she had already questioned my daughter. She stated that Essence said that she spit on the office because she couldn’t get her hands back in the cuffs.  The officer stated Essence is fine and I couldn’t see her.  I still proceeded to the station. I asked the officer what about the male officer chocking her. She said well he needed to do that to detain her. She was resisting arrest so he had to place his elbow in her neck. The officer also stated, well he really isn’t that big of a guy. I explained it doesn’t matter. She cannot match his weight. The officer told me when kids are fighting they can match the officers force and weight.
 
The videos show she can’t move there is no resistance in the video where he is on her neck. This child feared for her life. She couldn’t breathe. She has a trained office taking sleep tactics to bring her down..."

With the information provided, I am searching for an attorney who will work pro bono on Essence's behalf. Essence is scheduled to be in court Monday (3/12/18) mornng at 7:30am and "she is being charged with two felony assaults to a public servant. One for spitting -which was coughing a reaction of being chocked. The other for hitting the officer." The next steps will be to demand the identity of the officer so that he can be terminated and charged with assualt and excessive use of force. Our children, Black children are expected to learn in an environment that is hostile to them in a time when fools want to arm teachers that probably have implicit bias against Black people. I am calling for an investigation by Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg and the Texas Rangers. I demand that all charges be dropped and that Essence be reinstated to school or at least allowed to transfer to a school with a safer environment. 

#BLMHOU

Over the Past week I and Kandice Webber wrote pieces that address how White Progressives need to acknowledge their racism and that If we truly wanted REAL substantial change, I cant be to just go up against Donald Trump. My distrust of the multitudes of white people coming out to fight because Trump got elected has been confirmed. I warned folks about how White folks and their rented Negro friends would try to white wash movements by saying they see the error in their ways; the error of believing that we live in a "post racial society." The truth is that they came chanting Black Lives Matter all while trying to police our words for their comfort. They wanted "Peaceful" protest and tried to tell US how to do what we have done for years at a great level of success. 

They died down and many successfully started to listen and became white accomplices, while a great deal of whites slowly slipped back into their pre Trump ways. As I write this, many are upset with me and Kandice for our pieces. They are BIG MAD because they love to cheer us when we call out racism with CONDITION...

The CONDITION being that as long as we dont call them on their racist bullshit, and are kept comfortable as self declared "white allies," everything will be just fine. 

That is complete bullshit on an infinte scale, White people see things as finite and from there mediocre bubbles of privilege that STILL they refuse to acknowledge. What is even more insideous is that EVEN some who have acknowledged it want to hide behind the willful ignorance of unity and togetherness while glossing over issues of race and bigotry within the Democratic party. HOWEVER, it is false to say that white people who are "Liberal" or "Progressive" are not as bad as conservatives, the TRUTH is that they are WORSE. At least I can see a bigoted, inbred conservative red neck from a mile away, whites on the liberal side are always the ones to watch. They think that somehow they can tell a Black person what is or isnt racism, that the ills of this countries past are dead and gone when they are really alive and well. 

When did it become okay to talk down on Black people DEFENDING THEMSELVES, I personally was attacked by several CISGENDER WHITE MEN (STRAIGHT & LGBT). I was told that me posting screenshot of mediocre white men spouting their rediculous caucacity at me in defense of Laura Moser wasnt fair.

I captured tons of screenshots of the caucasity and here are some samples:

Meanwhile, Laura Moser decided to post a tepid apology about her words in the arcticles that I addressed in my most recent piece. Someone sent me a screenshot of a post that was set to "friends ONLY" from her private Facebook page. Not one word of apology was issued or attempt to reach an olive branch out to see how, IF, we could address this. Instead we got a trash apology that was not posted on any PUBLIC profiles of hers and attacked by her supporters and maybe staff. Is Brandon Wilke staff? Anyway look at this:

Moser's words looked nothing like an apology to me. To be honest, saying "...I am sorry, full stop." sounds more and more like Moser is saying that she is sorry for how she made us feel and not about her actual words on video and in print. As of now, NO ONE from Mosers campaign has reached out to me or other folks in the community to addressed the issues raised by Kandice and I. The only response has been from her self described "close friend" Brandon Wilke who has taken to trolling me and Kandice, really anyone who speaks out against moser... He (and his white friends) came for me when I didn't send for him:

If you notice in my examples, it has been a majority of white men and white adjacent men who have have taken serious issue with me and Kandice. Calling out racism is not burning people to the ground and I have always presented the FACTS in my written works. Lets define miserable from a white male lens.... miserable as in you don't like that you are losing power and my Black ass ain't scared to speak out on your power hoarding in Houston? Miserable as in fighting for my community to have a fair chance and being painted as angry because I made you uncomfortable and collected your saltine ass tears? Anyway, for Brandon and anyone else to defend Moser is to ally with her... its about time that the HRC gays lose their grip on candidates, electeds and ultimately their power to hide behind money.

Brandon WIlke is a great example of the multitude of white people who have decalared themselves cured of racism and calling themselves allies. It was ALWAYS my understanding that marginalized groups get to say who their allies are. It is ALSO my understanding that there is no cure for racism and that it is a constant process... a journey of unlearning racism in its various forms, acknowledgement of white privilege and using that privilege to help those that are marginalized. 

When did it become ok for white people, NON Black People of Color and rented Negroes to tell Black people what is or isnt racist? 

​"Why do we as Black people have to explain and defend ourselves why we think a person is racist? This is why I stay mostly stay away from the white LGBT community. Bunch of racist fucking hypocrites. ?" - Graham Maio

Anyway, when did doing what is right and good absolve you from being called out on your racism whether it was thirteen years ago or two hours ago? I am soooo curious as to how, but to be honest I have run out of the appropriate amount of fucks to give about it. My words and Kandice's words still stand and let this piece serve as a warning that you can no longer hide behind your whiteness and say what you want without record of it being kept. The gas lighting and anti Blackness is played out and many of us are immune to the bullshit.  And as for the rented Negroes who have something to say in defense of your white masters and are mad because we didn't support you or challanged you, we see you too... Joshua Butler.  Butler was mad at kandice weeks before the primary election for asking about the mortality rate of Black women during child birth and passed off as Kandice attaking him as opposed to helping to mainstream the issue. Rented Negroes always try and fail, especially when they attack BLACK WOMEN, and want to bring up the fact that Kandice has a white wife. 

In life we all make choices to be on the right or wrong side of history, and it seems as though Laura Moser and her tribe of Cisgender, white male friends and their rented Negroes love being wrong. In any case, don't come for me or Kandice and anyone else who stands on the right side of history for the greater good... I will leave you with this message I gave on Samantha Bee...