In recent years, Texas has made strides in addressing racial discrimination. Much of the progress has involved ethnic minorities’ access to high-level private and public offices, including in state, county and city governments, as well as school districts.

But we needn’t go back too far to find blatant yet legally permitted exclusions, not only in employment but in ethnic groups’ choices of where to eat and live.

As recently as the 1960s, it was common to find segregated public facilites such as eating counters, drinking fountains and restrooms. Eating establishments openly displayed large signs declaring that African-Americans and Hispanics weren’t allowed, such as “WE SERVE WHITE’S (sic), NO Spanish or Mexicans.”

Things were worse in the early part of the last century.