Civil Rights & Social Justice
In Texas’s 33rd District, civil rights and social justice aren’t abstract ideals — they’re urgent, unfinished work. From police brutality and systemic racism to economic exclusion and predatory finance, the status quo has left too many families trapped and voiceless. Zeeshan’s campaign is about more than incremental reform; it’s about building real power for Black, Brown, and working-class communities. That means rejecting corporate money, fighting for reparative policies, and creating lasting systems of accountability and economic empowerment. This is a movement rooted in dignity, courage, and the belief that true justice means shared power.
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| Issues |  | Julie Johnson | Colin Allred |
|---|---|---|---|
Police Union & Corporate PAC Money | Rejects donations from police unions and corporate PACs that undermine accountability | Accepts corporate PAC contributions; has not pledged to refuse police union support. | Has received money from organizations like AIPAC and has not pledged to reject police union donations. |
Local Reparations Initiatives | Committed to launching a local reparations task force in TX-33 to provide housing grants, business support, and scholarships as redress. | Did not cosponsor H.R.40 while in office. Has not proposed or led local reparations efforts or task forces for Black communities in the district. | Did not cosponsor H.R.40 while in office; rejected support of reparations when attacked on the issue by Ted Cruz |
Predatory Lending & Payday Loans | Advocates capping interest rates to stop predatory payday lending and investing in community finance alternatives. | No significant record of spearheading or supporting legislation to cap payday loan rates or combat predatory lenders. | Has not introduced or led congressional efforts to cap interest rates on payday loans. |
Community Wealth Building | Proposes investing in public banks, cooperatives, and community credit unions to build wealth in underserved communities. | Has not introduced legislation, campaigned on, or supported establishing public banks or worker cooperatives. | Supports general economic development but has not championed public banking or cooperative ownership models. |
Moral Framing of Civil Rights | Frames civil rights as a structural change and moral imperative – emphasizing courage, dignity, and shared power, not just incremental fixes. | While she supports civil rights legislation, she does not typically use sweeping moral language about structural transformation. | Focuses on specific policies (voting rights, police reform) rather than a moral reframing of civil rights. He speaks to fairness and justice but generally within a legal/policy context. He has not been known to invoke a deep moral urgency or “transformative” rhetoric in framing civil rights issues. |
Dignity. Accountability. Real Economic Power.
In Texas’s 33rd District — and across America — the fight for civil rights is far from over. Police brutality, systemic racism, economic exclusion, and mass incarceration continue to destroy lives and divide communities.
Our campaign isn’t offering band-aids. We’re fighting for structural change. That means full accountability for public officials, real investments in Black and Brown communities, and a clear path to economic and social justice for all.
Repeal Qualified Immunity — Accountability for All
No one is above the law — especially not those entrusted to enforce it.
- Fully repeal qualified immunity for police officers, correctional officers, and other public officials who violate constitutional rights.
- Allow victims and families to sue for justice in federal court when law enforcement abuses their power.
- Support independent civilian oversight boards with full subpoena power in every city that receives federal funding.
- Tie federal police funding to clear anti-discrimination, deescalation, and use-of-force standards.
We will:
If public officials can act without consequences, we do not live in a democracy.
Support Federal Reparations — Starting in TX-33
Justice means not only acknowledging historic harms — but repairing them. Centuries of slavery, Jim Crow, redlining, and mass incarceration have created a massive racial wealth gap that still defines opportunity in America today.
- Support federal legislation to establish a national reparations commission and fund economic remedies for descendants of slavery.
- Launch a local reparations task force in TX-33 to:
- Document the specific harms of systemic racism in Dallas-Fort Worth
- Engage community leaders, historians, and residents
- Housing grants for Black and Brown families shut out of homeownership
- Business development support for Black and Brown entrepreneurs
- Debt-free higher education scholarships for descendants of enslaved and Native Americans
We will:
Develop local reparations programs including:
Reparations aren’t just about the past. They’re about repairing the future.
Build Community Wealth: Public Banks, Cooperatives & Credit Access
Wall Street isn’t coming to save our neighborhoods. If we want real economic power in TX‑33, we must invest in ourselves — and give communities the tools to build wealth from the ground up.
- Fund community-run public banks that reinvest profits into affordable housing, local business loans, and green infrastructure.
- Expand Black- and Brown-owned cooperatives, worker-owned businesses, and mutual aid institutions.
- Provide federal funding and regulatory support to expand credit unions in underserved areas across District 33 — including mobile branches, no-fee accounts, and small-dollar lending.
We will:
We’re done waiting on big banks. Let’s build an economy that works for us.
End Predatory Lending — Protect Working Families
In neighborhoods across District 33, payday lenders are everywhere — preying on the poor, charging sky-high interest rates, and trapping families in cycles of debt. These financial predators disproportionately target Black, Latino, and immigrant communities, stripping wealth from those who can least afford it.This isn’t financial assistance — it’s economic exploitation.
- Cap interest rates on all loans including payday and auto-title loans at 15% APR nationwide.
- Support federal legislation to ban exploitative debt collection practices.
- Expand access to low-interest microloans through community credit unions and public banks.
- Crack down on lenders using deceptive tactics, racial targeting, and aggressive collection schemes.
We will:
No one should have to choose between groceries and a payday loan. It’s time to hold these businesses accountable and give families real options — not debt traps disguised as help.
True Justice Means Shared Power
Civil rights are not just about laws — they’re about who gets to live in dignity, who gets to build wealth, and who gets to lead.
- Justice in the courts, accountability in law enforcement
- Investment in Black and Brown communities — not just punishment
- A multiracial democracy where power truly belongs to the people
Our campaign is fighting for:
This isn’t just a policy position. It’s a moral commitment.
