I am a Texan, born and raised. I love my state, even with its various challenges and imperfections. Texas has many significant historical tags: the battle of the Alamo, Roe v. Wade, and, of course, Juneteenth. On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger arrived in Galveston and declared that all enslaved people in Texas were free, over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation. That declaration seared into our state’s conscience the duty to defend freedom and to protect the dignity of every life.

One hundred sixty years later, I honor the early black leaders who were among the first voices in the United States to defend that dignity for the unborn, championing the values of life, family, equality, and freedom. As a board-certified obstetrician in Texas, I carry their legacy every time I counsel a patient. Their advocacy reminds us that true justice protects the most vulnerable.