Dear Friends,

As many of you know, in October Kate Rogers was abruptly forced to resign her position as President and CEO of the Alamo Trust – a job she loved. Why? The Trust posted a tribute to Indigenous Peoples and to Christopher Columbus on the same day, October 13th. A week later, a couple of our state’s top elected officials said that they found some of the writings in Kate’s doctoral dissertation “troubling.” We should all be concerned that somebody went to the “trouble” to find her 2023 dissertation, which no one likely read after it was approved by her committee. This is still the United States of America…correct? And we do still have something called the First Amendment which protects this thing we call free speech?

So, what was so offensive in the 167-page document Kate wrote talking about the role of U.S. Historic Sites and Museums in supporting social studies teachers? She dared to suggest that the beloved Alamo could be a site for historical reconciliation – a place that brings people together rather than tearing them apart.

To be clear, there’s nothing “woke” about telling the full story of all that happened before the famous Battle of 1836 and all that happened after to shape what is now Military City USA – the 7th largest in the country. Facts are facts and history cannot and should not be rewritten. Mission San Antonio de Valero, which later became known as the Alamo, was literally built by the hands of Indigenous people – that’s a fact. So why shouldn’t we pay tribute to them in a social media post and a gallery inside the new Alamo Visitor Center and Museum?

As Colonel Travis suggested in his famous Victory or Death letter, defending freedom and liberty is not for the faint of heart and Kate is facing an uphill battle as she draws her own “line in the sand.” After much deliberation, she has decided to pursue legal action against the people who tried to silence her and wrongfully demanded her resignation. I hope you will join me in supporting Kate in this battle.

This is our chance to take a stand for the accurate and truthful telling of our collective history. Please click on the link below to offer your support by contributing to Kate’s legal fund – any amount is appreciated.

Kate is now calling on all Texans and All Americans in the World to stand up for our first amendment rights and the freedom of self-expression. I know that some of you may be thinking – “come on, everyone knows you can’t fight City Hall.” But stop and ask yourself, what are the implications for our state and our nation if we don’t at least try? Never surrender. Never retreat.