John Washington III Says Texas Never Obtained Black Consent to Its 1845 Founding

John Washington III addressed what he called a foundational issue about consent and government, arguing that the State of Texas never obtained Black consent to its founding authority. "As a presidential candidate, I am addressing a foundational issue about consent and government," John Washington III said. In 1845, he said, Texas adopted a state constitution that excluded Black Texans from voting. "That means Black Texans could not give consent to that government's founding," John Washington III said.

John Washington III drew a distinction between legal jurisdiction and demonstrated consent. Texas today claims legal jurisdiction, he said, but legal jurisdiction is not the same as demonstrated consent from those who were excluded. Later events — including Reconstruction voting rights and limited convention participation — did not change the fact that the founding itself happened without Black consent, John Washington III said. "The principle of 'consent of the governed' cannot be satisfied by saying 'someone voted later, so everyone consented forever,'" John Washington III said.

"We are Americans and citizens under the federal Constitution, yet the historical record shows that Texas never obtained Black consent to its founding authority," John Washington III said. "Government exists to serve and protect the people, not to claim authority by default over those it excluded." John Washington III said his argument is not an argument against the United States. "This is not an argument against the United States," he said. "It is an argument for truth, accountability, and genuine consent of the governed."