ACU seeks political balance, but Texas AG candidate Merritt on historic mission

The Chapel on the Hill is becoming a place of history.

Sure it has been used for many events, including weddings, nestled away in the Onstead-Packer Biblical Studies Buidling on the Abilene Christian University campus. Weddings, of course, are history in the making.

In March 2017, Michael Sis, bishop of the Catholic Diocese of San Angelo, led an Ash Wednesday Mass in the chapel. That was an unthinkable event not many years before, but a spiritually guided effort that showcased growing inclusiveness in the Christian community.

On Sunday afternoon, civil rights attorney Lee Merritt spoke briefly to a gathering of students and others, mostly Black. Running as a Democrat, he is seeking to become the first Black attorney general in Texas.

He is nationally known, his resumé filled with notable names and cases including Fort Worth resident Atatiana Jefferson, who was shot to death in her home in 2018, and Botham Jean, who was shot to death by an off-duty police officer in his Dallas apartment in 2017.

He was co-counsel for George Floyd's family.

Word spread more widely about Merritt's visit than it did for one by Republican AG candidate George P. Bush, who spoke to students at ACU in December.

Merritt was welcomed to the campus by Anthony Williams, who in April was named ACU's chief diversity officer. Williams also is Abilene's mayor, serving his second term. And he publicly has announced his support for Bush.

Bush and former Texas Supreme Court Justice Eva Guzman are challenging incumbent Dan Paxton in the Republican primary. Guzman also has appeared at ACU, as justice when court was in session at the Hunter Welcome Center. Jeffrey Boyd, a 1983 ACU grad, joined Guzman on the bench.

Merritt faces another attorney, former Galveston mayor Joe Jaworski, in the Democratic primary.

Williams said two visits were to give students a chance to hear two political candidates.

"We want to be fair and balanced," he said.

Regardless of party, there seems to be a great effort to oust Paxton, who was indicted in 2015 for securities fraud and in 2020 accused by staffers of abuse of office.

The Merritt visit was significant. It was an effort involving the campus's Black Student Union, Williams said, and local community activist Shawnte Fleming briefly spoke.

Before his ACU stop, Merritt visited three local historically Black churches - Mount Zion First Baptist, North 10th and Treadaway Church of Christ and Ash Street Baptist.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the first Black student at ACU. Billy Curl enrolled at then-Abilene Christian College in the fall of 1962.

He graduated with a degree in speech pathology in 1964.

Merritt was accompanied by state Rep. Carl Sherman Sr., who represents District 109. That Dallas-area district includes the communities of DeSoto. Lancaster and Cedar Hill, which are predominantly Black. He was elected in 2018.

"You've seen him countless times on TV," Sherman said in introducing Merritt.

Merritt spoke briefly, addressing the state's population, marijuana laws and how the "war on drugs" was more of a target on Black and brown communities than offenders. He took a few questions before posing for photos with attendees.

While his visit was more of a campaign stop, Merritt's appearance at a university in a very red county in Texas provided Black students, teachers and others in attendance an opportunity to see some reality of change.

That Merritt is viewed as a serious candidate for a high state office is historic.

Will he move on to face the Republican survivor in November? If so, can he become the first Democrat in ages to win?

That largely depends on people listening to his message — and those of Bush and the other candidates, making an informed decision and then voting.

This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: ACU seeks political balance with AG candidates speaking on campus