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A publication of The Texas Tribune
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Randi Lynn Tanglen

Professor, Austin College

Randi Lynn Tanglen is an English professor at Austin College in Sherman. This article reflects her views, not the views of Austin College.

Latest Columns

Immigration

Abolitionist resistance and “zero tolerance”

By Randi Lynn Tanglen,

Texans who are dispirited by recent immigration policy changes can be heartened by the moral courage of the abolitionists who came before them, resisting and even disobeying inhumane laws. They recognized the inequalities and injustices of their country, spoke out on behalf of the vulnerable and mobilized change — even if that change was still a long time coming.

Politics

Small-town Texas and the politics of silence

By Randi Lynn Tanglen,

I am a progressive Texan residing in a very red county in a very red state. Over the past ten years of living in Sherman, I have learned to hold my tongue in order to keep the peace. Damaging my relationships with friends, colleagues and neighbors, as well as concerns about my professional reputation in a small community once kept me from speaking my mind about the social and political issues that matter most to me.