Texas’ oldest Black university was built on a former plantation. Its students still fight a legacy of voter suppression.

Alexa Ura:

To this day, officials in Waller contend the litigation over the 2018 early voting schedule is not a continuation of past suppression tactics. They balk at today’s Waller County being painted with too broad a brush based on a history in which current leaders say they played no part.

Although he grew up in the region, County Judge Carbett “Trey” Duhon didn’t arrive in Waller County until 2005, when his family bought a 10-acre plot on the northern end of the county and he opened his law practice in the area.

Since taking the helm of the county in 2015, he’s come to realize how the county’s decisions today are tormented by its past. But he rejects the notion that there’s any overlap and argues county leadership has actually moved to expand access for students during his tenure.