Around 30 people recently gathered at a Fort Worth co-working space to discuss ways to build a more inclusive community for all of Tarrant County’s residents. “Welcome to the one-year anniversary of the 817 Gather,” Nydia Cardenas, the event organizer, told the crowd. “Whether it’s your first time or your 12th time, you are welcome here.”
The monthly meetings, held every third Sunday and organized by the 817 Podcast, a weekly morning show focused on local politics, have become a hub for collective action to combat the influence of right-wing extremism and recent efforts by Tarrant County’s three GOP commissioners to consolidate power through precinct-level redistricting.
On June 3, county commissioners Matt Krause and Manny Ramirez joined fellow Republican Tim O’Hare, the county judge, in approving one of seven proposed redistricting maps, overriding strong public opposition and the dissenting votes of Democratic commissioners Roderick Miles Jr. and Alisa Simmons.
