When Christian Menefee walks right into a courtroom or steps to a podium, he carries the load of a household historical past formed by public service and a reliance on authorities providers.
Menefee, Harris County’s first African American County Legal professional and its youngest ever, elected when he was 32 years outdated, is fast to level out that his rise was by no means inevitable. It was the results of a system that, at its finest, labored precisely because it ought to.
“My household benefited from the WIC program. I used to be a free lunch child at school,” Menefee, now 37, advised the Defender. “We obtained our first residence once I was in highschool by a VA down fee help program with simply $500 down. I went to school on a Pell Grant.”
He recalled his brother’s most cancers prognosis and remedy with their mother and father’ TRICARE navy medical health insurance.
“My household is an instance of when the federal government is doing its job, taking good care of folks, being considerate, useful and compassionate, anyone can have a good shot on the American Dream,” Menefee stated.
He views it as his job to make sure that the system continues to work — not only for youngsters like he as soon as was however for everybody in Harris County.
Which means suing the state of Texas and the federal authorities once they overstep, protesting air pollution in communities just like the Fifth Ward and defending voting rights and prosecutorial independence.
Behind the scenes
Menefee desires the county to know that the Harris County Legal professional’s Workplace quietly touches virtually each nook of county authorities.
“Ninety-nine % of the workplace is behind the scenes,” he defined. “County authorities could be very decentralized. The legal professionals are concerned in each single division as a result of nearly each single division has contracts that they’re gonna have to show or has questions on whether or not a selected choice is authorized beneath Texas regulation.”
Beneath his management, the workplace has grown to greater than 300 staff, from profession civil servants to current graduates. Among the many initiatives he’s proudest of is the Summer time Authorized Academy, a paid program that introduces highschool college students to the authorized discipline.
Standing as much as energy
Menefee’s tenure has additionally been outlined by confrontation with state leaders. From lawsuits difficult voter suppression to blocking environmental rollbacks, he has constructed a status for punching above his weight.
Most just lately, Menefee known as out what he labeled “textbook gerrymandering” within the governor’s name for a particular session to redraw Texas’ 4 majority-minority congressional districts: Three in Houston (the ninth, 18th, and twenty ninth) and one in Dallas.
“They’re coming again to attract maps, not to make sure that they’re higher consultant of the individuals who dwell in our communities…however to additional gerrymandering them to allow them to ship extra Republicans to Congress,” he stated. “It’s disgusting, it’s shameful. It’s not how our democracy ought to run.”
Menefee additionally challenged efforts to delay native elections for partisan acquire, referring to the Gov. Greg Abbott setting Nov. 4 because the election date to fill the vacant 18th congressional seat, a timeline that leaves the solidly Democratic seat vacant for no less than seven months.
“Now, there are leaders in Texas and the White Home that may do something doable to seize energy,” he added. “The governor delaying the particular election was for no cause aside from to maintain the margins tight in Washington, DC to assist the Republican get together in Congress. I don’t assume that’s proper.”
Menefee’s workplace additionally sued the Texas Fee on Environmental High quality and filed a Title VI grievance, which triggered an investigation by the Environmental Safety Company. His authorized group ultimately compelled modifications to concrete batch plant allow necessities. However, he warns, enforcement remains to be hobbled.
“The Fifth Ward is an traditionally African American neighborhood that has a big Latino inhabitants as nicely. It’s an environmental justice group,” Menefee stated. “There are larger charges of bronchial asthma, coronary heart points, decrease life expectancy than many different locations within the Harris County and Houston space…that is the quintessential environmental justice group that wants the federal government to step in and be sure that they’re not dying as a result of these amenities pop up and do hurt to their communities.”
Menefee factors to excessive earnings inequality, labor exploitation and the erosion of democratic norms as essentially the most pressing challenges forward, not only for Harris County, however for the nation.
Inside morale, exterior strain
When Menefee took workplace in 2021, he recollects the morale was low. Deliberately aiming to rebuild the workplace tradition, he promoted girls, folks of coloration and LGBTQ+ leaders, ensuring the workplace mirrored Harris County’s variety.
That has not shielded him from backlash.
“I’ve gotten dying threats. I simply don’t take note of it,” Menefee stated. “There are individuals who scroll social media all day lengthy and have a look at what everyone has to say about them. I simply don’t try this…I obtained elected the primary time round with about 55% of the vote. Which means about 45% of individuals didn’t need me for the job. And that’s okay.”
The legacy he hopes to depart behind
Now a declared candidate for Texas’ 18th Congressional District, Menefee stays in workplace as a constitutional “holdover” (Texas Structure: Article XVI, Part 17) till changed by the Commissioners Court docket.
In whichever place he holds, Menefee desires to be remembered as one who stood as much as bullies.
“Whether or not it’s Greg Abbott or Donald Trump or Ken Paxton, I’d hope that my legacy can be fearlessly standing as much as these of us,” he stated.
Recalling an interplay with an aged Houstonian, which he calls the “grandmama check,” Menefee stated she requested him to “give them hell out in Austin.”
“I used to be extremely pleased with that,” he added. “If that’s what my legacy finally ends up being in public service, I’ll take that each single day of the week.”
