CORRECTION: June Update Newsletter: Equity for All, Absolute Authority for None
The Juneteenth Protest will take place on June 19th, not the 21st.
Editorial
BEAUMONT MAYORAL RUNOFF ELECTIONS ARE ON JUNE 7TH!
We are halfway through 2025, and good news seems in short supply. Republicans have continued to break the federal government and several state governments, and though the courts have been our greatest allies, Trump has still placed many of his loyalists in positions of power, with some Trump appointees from his first term enabling his agenda. MAGA gains more closure of Project 2025 each day. While Trump garners more power, Congress seems powerless (or unwilling) to stop him. For many of us, this has been the worst year of our lives since 2020.
But in the words of former President Joe Biden, “you can’t love your country only when you win.”
We lost the election in 2024, and since then, we have experienced a few major victories, several large ones, and thousands of small losses. If any of these losses cause us to give up, to throw up our hands and admit defeat, to retreat into our worlds of streaming and social media, who shall fight for the most vulnerable of us? If these losses make us lose faith in those who advocate for us daily, who shall support them as they oppose MAGA? In the war between freedom and Christofascism, we shall suffer losses, and there will be days when those losses utterly horrify us. We shall believe that the end has finally come.
But so far, we have kept our democracy alive, and yes, it is still alive.
We are up against something more than just Donald Trump. He will not always be president, despite his wishy-washy claims of a 2028 campaign. We fight against the people who will insist we name our local junior high “Donald J. Trump Middle School.” We fight against the people who will petition to rename Martin Luther King. Boulevard to Donald J. Trump Boulevard. We fight against the people who will lionize the fascism and systemic racism of MAGA and beg our representatives to continue the mission.
We do not oppose Trump because we dislike him. We oppose him because we just want freedom. The appeal of the United States of America is that its people, at their best, have aspired to something better. Though history dots the timeline of America with hundreds of losses for the movement towards true equality for all, the country has pushed forward. The same federal government that aided robber barons in busting unions sided with unions decades later. The same federal government that interned the Japanese during World War II sent the military to desegregate schools in the South. Just because America has a history of dirty deeds does not mean it can never achieve the high standard we set for it. It just means that we have more work to do.
MAGA is the ugliness of America revolting against a country that values diversity, equity, and inclusion. But just because MAGA won in 2024 does not mean they will continue to win. Administrations may come and go, but if slavery, Jim Crow, the Trail of Tears, the War on Drugs, and Trump’s first term could not conquer the indomitable freedom of America, what truly can?
The more we treat MAGA as inevitable, the more we treat democracy as dead, the more we fight each other instead of fighting Republicans, the more Trump laughs. Our message is simple: “Equity for all, absolute authority for none.” We have to own it, live it, and keep it alive.
Trump is not unbeatable. We won against him before, and we sure as hell will win against him again.
What Have We Done for You Lately?
The environmental team trekked out to McFaddin Beach to clean up trash that washed up on the beach. They properly disposed of the waste and helped keep our ecosystem clean!
Several members of the Civic Action team have become voter registrars. At several SETXII events and other events, they have registered voters for upcoming elections. If you wish to join them, contact us, and we can help you find voter registrar training.
SETXII aided several local progressive candidates in the May 2025 local elections. In particular, we wish to be more involved in local politics. As a result, we have updated our calendar to include all city council meetings for towns in our county!
The Migrant Advocacy group has continued to create red cards reminding immigrants of their rights and distributed them throughout the area. We have also added a new link to our website where you can request some or print your own!
Every member of every team has continued to call their representatives to oppose Trump’s agenda. While it may seem as if Republicans have continued to ignore us, their constituents, we have seen several Republicans diverge from certain party lines. We shall keep up our hard work!
Jen and Adriana have crafted a petition regarding a major current issue in Texas, the shifting of tax burdens onto lower-and-middle-class property owners to entice corporations into the state. If you wish to sign this petition, please come to our social on June 8th!
Upcoming Events
June 1st, 2025: Phone Banking for the Beaumont Mayoral Run-Off, 4:00-6:00 PM
Several SETXII members will call registered voters to encourage participation in the Beaumont Mayoral Run-off at the Downtown Event Center at 700 Crockett St., Beaumont, TX, 77701. Help us increase voter turnout!
June 2nd, 2025: Jefferson County Democrats Meeting, 6:00 PM-7:30 PM
The monthly meeting of the Jefferson County Democrats will occur at their headquarters at 2211 Calder Ave, Beaumont, TX 77701. Join them to get a head start on local midterm elections!
June 3rd-June 9th, 2025: Target Boycott, All Week
Since Target dumped their policies on diversity, equity, and inclusion, we shall boycott Target for a week. Boycotts of Target have caused foot traffic to decrease in their stores nationwide and have even led to a pay cut for their CEO. If you feel you can live without Target after this boycott, maybe even make it permanent.
June 7th, 2025: Vote in the Beaumont Mayoral Run-Offs!
Robin Mouton and Roy West are facing off against each other in the current mayoral election. If you are registered to vote in the city of Beaumont, please get out and vote!
June 7th, 2025: PFLAG Pride Fest Beaumont, 3:00 PM-11:00 PM
At Southeast Texas Stages (4155 Laurel Ave, Beaumont, TX 77707), PFLAG will hold a Pride month event that draws local LGBTQIA-friendly vendors from across the Golden Triangle. SETXII will have a table at the event with information about us and goodie bags. We will also help people register to vote!
June 8th, 2025: Southeast Texas Impact Social, 6:00 PM-9:00 PM
At Buckstin Brewing Company Beaumont (6280 Phelan Blvd, Beaumont, TX 77706), we will hold a social for all SETXII members. Come out and chill with your SETXII friends!
June 14th, 2025: Support a Star Service Day, 8:00 AM-12:00 PM
To show support of veterans on Flag Day, SETXII will deliver small gifts to the “stars” of the U.S. military. Want to sign up to give your special veteran a star? Do so here.
June 14th, 2025: LU Green Squad, 11:00 AM-1:00 PM
Lamar University’s Green Squad will recycle the following items at 4401 S M L King Jr Pkwy, Beaumont, TX 77705:
Flattened cardboard
Steel cans
Glass (all color - can include lids)
#1 plastic bottles (with caps and lids)
#2 plastics (detergent, milk cartons, shampoo)
Flexible plastics (plastic grocery bags, takeout bags, bubble wrap)
Thermoforms are separated from other #1 plastics
Please make sure these are pre-sorted!
June 14th, 2025: No Kings Day Protest, 1:00 PM-3:00 PM - ALL HANDS ON DECK
At Rogers Park, we will have a protest to show Donald Trump and all his minions that America is not a place for kings to rule. We need all hands on deck for this protest! We want to pack Rogers Park with as many people as possible! Please join us!
June 14th, 2025: Support Juneteenth in Beaumont, 4:00 PM-9:00 PM
We will attend the city of Beaumont’s celebration of Juneteenth at Main Street, Main St, Beaumont, TX 77701.
June 19th, 2025: Juneteenth Celebration and Protest, 4:00 PM-7:00 PM
We will protest the Confederate Memorial of the Wind Monument at I-10 and Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. in Orange, Texas. If you want to learn more about the history of this monument and why we wish to protest it, visit this site.
June 24th-30th, 2025: McDonald’s Boycott
Due to their horrible business policies and their part in getting Donald Trump elected in 2024, we will boycott McDonald’s for an entire week. If you wish, you can keep up the boycott indefinitely.
June 24th, 2025: PFLAG Monthly Meeting
PFLAG will hold their monthly meeting at 450 N 11th St, Beaumont, TX 77702. Join if you wish to be a part of an organization that advocates for LGBTQIA+ people.
City Council Meetings
Have you wanted to become more civically engaged? Want to read the petition Jen and Adriana wrote to your local city council? Do you want to complain about the I-10 construction? The event calendar includes a list of city council meetings all over the Golden Triangle.