Brandi Waller-Pace is the founder of Decolonizing the Music Room and the Fort Worth African-American Roots Music Festival which will be in its 6th year on March 21st.

For more information, visit fwaamfest.com.

Join the 817 Gather Discord, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.

SHORT STORY 1: Union busting at Fort Worth Report

Fort Worth Reporter's Guild response to union busting

SHORT STORY 2: PACs funding Republican precinct chairs

Newly formed Tarrant shadow PACs turbocharge hyperlocal GOP precinct chair races

SHORT STORY 3: Prairieland Defendant updates

• Alvarado ICE facility ambush trial: Jurors view evidence, deputy body camera footage
• Surveillance video and cell phone evidence, day three of ICE Prairieland shooting trial continues

WINS:

Arts Forward

Long-awaited Palo Pinto Mountains State Park opens

Panther Island gets taxing district to pay for improvements, services

Construction for $63M Historic Southside urban village could start in summer

North Texas Community Foundation Awards $250K to Historic North Side Main Street Pilot

FWISD votes no to school prayer period

Black Women Lawyers Association honors Mary Ellen Hicks

Mosier Valley Park transformation will commemorate one of Texas’ first all-Black communities

LOSSES:

Oversight of Tarrant County purchasing questioned as lead role shifts

Digital checkouts at Fort Worth Public Library exceed those of physical materials for first time

ACTIONS:

Tarrant County seeks 200 more election clerks to staff March 3 primary polls

TXDOT Master Plan Survey

March 3 - Election day for Primaries

March 4 - 817 Gather at the Table

March 10 - Data center vote at Fort Worth City Council

March 15 - 817 Gather (Join us)

March 21 - FWAAMFEST (Get tickets)

Join the 817 Gather Discord, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.

For our very first live episode, we recorded at the VIP party for Tarrant County Democratic Party's annual fundraiser, Beyond Darkness.

We spoke with Texas State Representatives Salman Bhojani & Ramon Romero Jr about harnessing the power of diverse communities to build a progressive future.

Join the 817 Gather Discord, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.

BIG STORY: Nydia Cardenas, candidate for Tarrant County Commissioner Precinct 4.

SHORT STORY 1: Early Voting turnout

Tarrant County’s 2026 Primary: Democrats Are Showing Up

SHORT STORY 2: Resistance to ICE in North Texas

• No ICE Detention Center in Hutchins, TX
• UNT art students protest exhibit’s removal with a funeral for freedom of speech
• Man brandishes guns at Boswell High School students during ICE protest
• PrairielandDefendants.com
• Arlington man in ICE custody will return to Jordan after son’s death

SHORT STORY 3: Transit Progress

• DART's compromise gives money back to cities to avoid withdrawal elections
• Irving to consider calling off DART withdrawal election as transit agency weighs key changes
• Regional council votes to fund public transit as part of plan to save DART
• ‘Expand it, not abandon it’

WINS:

Progressive Texas organizers hail shock win as far-right Republicans left reeling

Taylor Rehmet sworn into Texas Senate District 9

7 Tarrant County districts reject daily prayer period in public schools under Texas law

FWISD students see gains

Panther Island bypass project moves forward after Trinity River dams, flood storage delays

LOSSES:

Hand-counted audit of Senate runoff election draws scrutiny ahead of Tarrant County primaries

Tarrant judge needs to learn that hearing public dissent is part of job

ACTIONS:

Now - Early Voting for Primaries (Polling locations & hours)

February 28 - Arts Forward summit (Get tickets)

March 3 - Election day for Primaries

March 4 - 817 Gather at the Table

March 10 - Data center vote at Fort Worth City Council

March 15 - 817 Gather

March 21 - FWAAMFEST (Get tickets)

Join the 817 Gather Discord, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.

SHORT STORY 1: ICE in North Texas

• New rules limit public speaking, discussion topics at Tarrant County Commissioners Court
• Free speech concerns raised as Tarrant County judge removes meeting attendees
• Texas “Antifa Cell” Terror Trial Takes On Tough Questions About Guns at Protests Against ICE
• They Say They’re Protesters. The DOJ Says They’re Terrorists
• ICE Just Bought a Massive Warehouse in Hutchins

SHORT STORY 2: Charter Amendments

• Fort Worth voters asked to give city manager more autonomy, increase council’s pay in May election

SHORT STORY 3: Data Centers

• $10B data center hits wall after Fort Worth leaders cite resources, land usage concerns
• Texas county rejects a moratorium on data center development amid AI boom

WINS:

Walk for Peace Buddhist monks arrive in Fort Worth for homecoming celebration

Tarrant Area Food Bank building a $3.5M Community Resource Center

Jury awards over $600K to former Tarrant sheriff’s deputy in retaliation case

LOSSES:

Gyna Bivens & Carol Ivey passed away

North Texas needs signature music festival to become major hub (Brandi’s Take)

ACTIONS:

February 17 - Early Voting begins for Primaries (Polling locations & hours)

February 20 - 817 Live recording at Tarrant County Democratic Party fundraising

Now - March 1 - Bull in a China Shop at Amphibian Stage (Buy tickets)

March 3 - Election day for Primaries

March 10 - Data center vote at Fort Worth City Council

March 21 - FWAAMFEST (Buy tickets)

Join the 817 Gather Discord, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.

We spoke with grassroots organizer, Alexander Montalvo, the co-founder of Tarrant 4 Change and The Catalyst Project LLC. He shared with us why this moment in Fort Worth & Tarrant County is so crucial as a key moment of change that requires bold, upapologetic progressive leaders to meet the moment. He also spoke about how one of the best ways that we can bring about the change we need is to uplift diverse voices, and local support grassroot organizers who are doing this work every day.

Join the 817 Gather Discord, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.

BIG STORY: Candidates for Tarrant County Commissioner Precinct 2

• Jared Williams
• Amanda Arizola
• Gabe Rivas

SHORT STORY 1: County Commissioner’s Court Changes

New rules would limit Tarrant County jail discussion, resident input at public meetings

SHORT STORY 2: Fort Worth Charter Amendments

Doubling council salaries, expanding city manager’s authority could be on Fort Worth’s May ballot

• ✅City council salaries would be $50,000, the mayor's would be $60,000.
• ❌City manager would have the ability to create, consolidate, & abolish departments without a council vote.
• ❌City manager could fire department heads & council appointees without a written statement or public hearing.
• ❌Council could approve the budget at the same required public meeting, meaning that there would be no time at all for things to change based on public input.
• ❌Remove the requirement for public utilities to report to council.

SHORT STORY 3: FWISD Under Attack from the State

Fort Worth ISD loses appeal of state takeover, prompting a trustee’s resignation

Student walkouts prompt warning from Texas leaders — raising First Amendment concerns

WINS:

Buddhist monks on Walk for Peace journey to DC return to Fort Worth on Valentine’s Day

LOSSES:

The County Commissioner's Court & Fort Worth City Council meetings on February 10th.

ACTIONS:

Black History Month - Support black businesses & politicians.

"I'm Done Humming and Swaying" from Power by Design

February 10 - County Commissioner’s Court at 10am

February 10 - Fort Worth City Council at 6pm

Now - March 2 - filing is open for Fort Worth city council District 10 candidates

February 15 - 817 Gather (Join)

February 17 - Early Voting begins for Primaries

February 20 - 817 Live recording at Tarrant County Democratic Party fundraising (Get your tickets)

March 3 - Election day for Primaries

Join the 817 Gather Discord, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.

BIG STORY: Taylor Remet wins TX SD9

SHORT STORY 1: James Talarico & Jasmine Crockett debate

SHORT STORY 2: Wael Tarabishi died due to ICE

Son of Arlington man detained by ICE dies from rare disease / Disabled man, 30, dies alone after his solo caregiver dad is detained by ICE

SHORT STORY 3: Fort Worth Upcoming Bond Election

Fort Worth plans to devote $5M more to affordable housing after feedback from residents, council members

WINS:

Students walk out across Tarrant County protesting ICE

Fort Worth’s Opal Lee is now a Barbie

Tarrant County College offering first-ever bachelor’s degree next fall

People’s Commissioners Court calls for policy to prevent ICE agents access to FWISD campuses

Transit Wins in North Texas

One solution for North Texas traffic jams? Building near public transit

• TEXRail’s December ridership sets new record with 25% jump
• Bus extension to Fort Worth’s Cultural District starts Feb. 1
• Trinity Railway Express fare changes begin March 1
• Texas Transit Association names Trinity Metro the Transit Agency of the Year
• Friend of Public Transit of the Year award goes to… Ann Zadeh!

LOSSES:

Defense attorneys say lawyer’s removal from Juvenile Board list is ‘deeply troubling’

Islamic Games in Colleyville canceled for alleged ties to group Abbott calls terroristic

Fort Wort Report publisher & board decline to recognize Reporters Guild union

ACTIONS:

Donate to the Tarabishi family.

February 2 - Filing opens for Fort Worth City Council District 10 (Filing ends March 2)

February 4 - 817 Gather At The Table in District 2 (RSVP)

February 10 - Fort Worth City Council vote to approve the bond

February 17 - Early Voting begins for Primary Election

February 20 - 817 Pod will be recording live at Tarrant County Democratic Party fundraiser (Get tickets)

Join the 817 Gather Discord, and follow us on Instagram & TikTok.