Once upon a Time in Texas: A Liberal in the Lone Star State

Focus on American History

by David Richards

"[David Richards is] one of the best civil-rights lawyers and one of the best all-purpose battlers for justice this state has ever produced.... One man/one vote, school desegregation, freedom of speech, the list of cases with David Richards' name on them as attorney for those getting shafted by unfair and unconstitutional laws goes on and on. So many of them seem self-evident by now. The shame of legal segregation is so clear to us at this point, we forget when it was worth a person's life to work to change it."

-Molly Ivins, Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Once upon a time in Texas...there were liberal activists of various stripes who sought to make the state more tolerant and more tolerable. David Richards was one of them. In this fast-paced, often humorous memoir, he remembers the players, the strategy sessions, the legal and political battles, and the wins and losses that brought significant gains in civil rights, voter rights, labor law, and civil liberties to the people of Texas from the 1950s to the 1990s.

In his work as a lawyer, Richards was involved in cases covering voters' rights, school finance reform, and a myriad of civil liberties and free speech cases. In telling these stories, he vividly evokes the "glory days" of Austin liberalism, when a who's who of Texas activists plotted strategy at watering holes such as Scholz Garden and the Armadillo World Headquarters. Likewise, he offers vivid portraits of liberal politicians from Ralph Yarborough to Ann Richards (his former wife), progressive journalists such as Molly Ivins and the Texas Observer staff, and the hippies, hellraisers, and musicians who all challenged Texas's conservative status quo.

275 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2002

About the author

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Reviews

[Daniel Lipsher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Richard’s makes a compelling case that many great and powerful Texans defy the stereotype often painted by the national media. I attended UT Austin in the 1980s and got to meet — and often know — many of the men and women featured in the book. Although Richards’ legal stories can be a bit too much inside baseball, my main critique is that these people, including his ex-wife Ann, were even bigger, funnier and more raucous than he allows. I spent many hours at Scholz Garden being entertained (and well lubricated) by the generosity, profanity and great humor of Jim Hightower, Gonzalo Barrientos and Ann Richards, among others (thankfully my dorm was within staggering distance). In the words of another great Texan, JoeBob says check it out.

[Andrea Katherine Barreiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yes Virginia, there are liberals in Texas

This memoir by David Richards (ex-husband of Ann) is a colorful and inspiring account of battles for voting rights, labor unions, and more. Seriously ups my respect for my adopted state and inspires me to keep up the good fight!

[Heidi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I may have learned more then I wanted to know about politics and the court system in Texas.

[Rolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

A folksy yet informative history of both Richards’ professional life and of the legal and political history of the 20th century Texas. Must-read for all lefty Texans.