In the city of Houston, districts around the city have been warped due to the process of gerrymandering. Gerrymandering is the redrawing of voting districts in order for political parties to gain an unfair advantage. Although many supporters of gerrymandering advocate for the process because it allows their preferred political party to advance further, it is quite damaging to voters. Gerrymandering prevents marginalized groups from presenting their community's needs.
The historical community of Tamina, located in Northern Houston has lacked fire hydrants, sidewalks, sewage systems, and effective water filtration since its establishing after the Civil War, when freedmen and their families settled along the railroad nearby. Not only have they been abandoned by their local town of Conroe, but the city of Houston also has refused to assist them. These issues have exacerbated during the Coronavirus pandemic, as there are also a lack of tests for the community.
Besides the negligence of Houston and Conroe to provide for the community, the citizens of Tamina are not giving up. They have begun the construction of community centers, and are fighting to create a new space for citizens to come together and organize. They are also lobbying for congresswoman Sheila Jackson to contribute to their fight against the Coronavirus pandemic, by sending testing trucks to the neighborhood. But Tamina still has a long way to go in order to receive the basic necessities that other nearby neighborhoods have.
