A South Dallas nonprofit that works with individuals transitioning out of Texas prisons aims to highlight the human side of incarceration. Trinity Restoration Ministries’ holiday gathering in a prison allowed children to celebrate Christmas with their fathers.
Texas
Iconic Alamo site celebrates special 189th anniversary: ‘Fabric of who we are as Texans’
The Battle of the Alamo
Learn more about the Battle of the Alamo with John Richardson, a historian with Alamo Trust, Inc. in San Antonio, Texas.
Encyclopaedia Britannica
Thursday marks the 189th anniversary of the Battle of the Alamo, where the Mexican army’s rout of Texas revolutionaries would later inspire the fateful defeat of Mexican forces under the battle cry “Remember the Alamo.”
The Spanish mission-turned-battleground is one of Texas’s most iconic locations, symbolizing state pride and independence and one of its most popular tourist attractions. Established in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero and relocated to its current location six years later, the site that came to be known as the Alamo was one of five Spanish missions built along the San Antonio River in what is now South Texas.
“The Alamo battle is part of the fabric of who we are as Texans,” said Kolby Lanham, the Alamo’s senior researcher and historian.
But it’s also a source of debate over how history is recalled and by whom, as some strive to offer perspectives that counter the mythology surrounding the event.
The buildup to the battle
Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821. Texas was a contested territory, and by 1836 the Alamo had become a military outpost as Texans fought to win independence.
That February, 189 Texan soldiers commanded by James Bowie and William Travis had locked themselves inside the mission walls as Gen. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna’s Mexican army approached, intent on a siege. Among those inside taking up arms against the Mexican forces were folk legend Davy Crockett, a Tennessee congressman, and Texans of Mexican descent, or Tejanos.
On Feb. 24, as Mexican troops amassed to several thousand strong and the two sides traded sporadic gunfire, Travis wrote a now-famous missive “to the people of Texas and all Americans in the world” pleading for reinforcements.
“I shall never surrender or retreat,” he wrote. “…. If this call is neglected, I am determined to sustain myself as long as possible & die like a soldier who never forgets what is due to his own honor & that of his country.”
Travis signed off, “Victory or Death.”
Why was the Battle of the Alamo significant?
By the morning of March 6, Santa Anna’s troops, numbering nearly 5,000, attacked at dawn. They quickly breached the mission’s north walls, overwhelming the occupants and killing nearly all of them.
“It becomes a rallying call for the Texas Revolution,” Lanham said. “Many people who maybe weren’t involved or who had sat on the fence joined the cause.”
Six weeks later on April 21, led by Sam Houston’s army and shouting “Remember the Alamo,” the Texans defeated Mexican forces at the Battle of San Jacinto, capturing Santa Anna and forcing the withdrawal of his troops.
The victory earned Texas independence. The territory would remain independent until 1845, when its Legislature approved United States annexation.
“With that final battle, Texas becomes a nation,” said Lanham, whose ancestors fought in the conflict. “When it joined the union, Texas already had this big, bold identity that came along with it, and people haven’t lost sight of that.”
Three years later, after the Mexican-American War, the U.S. would obtain most of what is now the American Southwest with the signing of the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo.
Why has the site ignited controversy?
The Battle of the Alamo has been depicted in film and pop culture for over a century, most notably in the 1960 John Wayne vehicle “The Alamo.” But such retellings have been criticized for oversimplifying the conflict with racial overtones and the myth of martyred white heroes, with damaging reverberations.
“The Mexican army won the battle of the Alamo, so you would think that would make it a point of pride for people of Mexican descent, but that’s not the case,” said Sarah Zenaida Gould, executive director of San Antonio’s Mexican American Civil Rights Institute. “Instead, over time the Alamo becomes this symbol of Texas greatness. … Many Mexican Americans have stories of growing up in Texas and feeling shame about the Alamo and their ancestors defending their own country.”
Scholars such as University of Texas anthropology professor Richard Flores have recently examined how characterizations of the site have both reflected the state’s struggle with its Anglo and Mexican identity and distorted the reality of what occurred. Such reexaminations have drawn scorn in recent years amid ongoing culture wars.
“History changes and adapts over time,” Lanham said. “Some people don’t really want the story to change. They love the way the story was told, and as things are added to the story they get uncomfortable.”
In 2021, authors Bryan Burrough, Jason Stanford, and Chris Tomlinson released “Forget the Alamo: The Rise and Fall of an American Myth,” exploring how racism and the desire to practice slavery played roles in Texas history. That July, an event promoting the book was set for Austin’s Bullock Texas State History Museum until Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, a member of the State Preservation Board, pressured museum directors to call off the event just hours before it was to take place.
“This fact-free rewriting of TX history has no place @BullockMuseum,” Patrick posted on social media. The move was criticized as censorship.
Gould said research bears out the book’s premise.
“A lot of Anglos who were at the battle were pushing to expand slavery,” Gould said. “That wasn’t the sole reason why it happened, but it was a complaint they had against the Mexican government, which had outlawed slavery in 1821.”
Historic site nearly lost to development
Following the Texans’ victory, Lanham said, the mission was vacated, its cannon disabled, and the outer walls torn down. As noted on the Alamo website, the site fell into disrepair until the U.S. Army took it over in the 1840s as a supply hub, only to be abandoned again with the building of a more permanent military garrison at Fort Sam Houston.
According to Gould, San Antonio experienced a power shift in the aftermath of the battle, with the site roughly marking an east-west divide between white residents and those of Mexican descent, who had become marginalized as the city grew.
“Until 1836, every mayor of San Antonio had a Spanish surname,” she said. “Not until 1980 would there be another.”
San Antonio expanded across the river as German immigrants moved into the area, and many mission buildings were lost. The chapel and long barrack are all that remain of the original compound, Lanham said, thanks to early 20th-century preservationists who fought to save them from development.
How is The Alamo remembered today?
At 6 a.m. Thursday, the Alamo was set to host an annual ceremony commemorating those who lost their lives in the historic battle. Jonathan Huhn, the site’s senior communications director, said this year’s 189th anniversary is special given that it marks the number of soldiers who fought to defend the site in 1836.
Today, the Alamo is one of Texas’ most popular tourist sites, visited by 1.6 million people annually. In March 2023, the 24,000-square-foot Ralston Family Collections Center opened at the site, part of a $550 million project to restore and revitalize the historic location that site leaders predict will raise annual visitor figures to 2.5 million.
The collections center houses Alamo artifacts, including items donated by rock legend Phil Collins, who became enthralled by Alamo lore as a child. The items will eventually move to a new visitor center and museum, expected to open in 2027, with the collection center available for traveling exhibits.
The future museum will feature eight galleries chronicling the 300 years of history encompassing the Alamo and the surrounding area, from the Indigenous inhabitants who settled along the San Antonio River thousands of years before European arrival, to the role adjacent businesses played in civil rights struggles.
It’s a step toward acknowledging the complex history around one of Texas’ most iconic structures.
Gould said the shame once felt by Texans of Mexican descent “has evolved into an understanding that the myth of the Alamo as a cradle of liberty was created for particular ideological purposes, and we shouldn’t just accept it at face value. These days people are more attuned to the idea that history has multiple perspectives and that it’s not a single narrative.”
The last time Karley Alejo spent Christmas with her dad was when she was 3 years old.
Now 16, Alejo walked into the gym at the Sanders Estes Unit, trying to make eye contact with her father, Julian Alejo, who was wearing a white inmate uniform and a red Christmas hat.
Julian Alejo, 43, who is serving a 30-year sentence for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, was one of 27 inmates at the Sanders Estes Unit selected to participate in the Christmas with Dads event organized by Trinity Restoration Ministries on Dec.19. This south Dallas non-profit organization operates a faith-based reentry program for individuals transitioning out of Texas prisons.
For the first time since Sanders Estes Prison was established 36 years ago, its gym was transformed into a holiday village for inmates to celebrate Christmas with their children.
Julian Alejo, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, talks with his 16-year-old daughter, Karley, during a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
“This makes it more authentic and personal. Being able to open gifts and not having to just take them home and talk about them,” said Karley Alejo. “You get to actually be here, to make memories with your family here. It’s amazing.”
Inmates and volunteers pushed the gym equipment to the side to make room for four Christmas trees surrounded by presents, a red carpet, long tables set up with crafts, books, board games, a face-painting booth and food.
For a couple of hours, the gym was filled with laughter, shouts, prayers and the sound of children running around. Christmas music played in the background while children sat on their dads’ laps.
At one point, Santa showed up, and families took photos with him. The portraits were just like any family would take during the holidays. Still, the tall walls, tiny windows, and the wired patio, along with the surveillance cameras, were reminders of where the celebration was being held.
On two occasions, all the dads left the gym for the mandatory headcount before returning to be with their children.
Julian Alejo has been incarcerated for 12 years and dreamed of spending Christmas with his daughter. The night before the event, he couldn’t sleep. He couldn’t believe he was going to see her open a Christmas gift.
“Even though I’ve been away from her for years, I still have to show her that I’m her dad, I love her, and I’m here for her, and I’m going to support her, and what she does,” Julian Alejo said. “I’m going to advise her wisely, and I’ve got to make sure I’m there for her.
‘It’s about the kids, not the adults’
For Karley Alejo, living all these years with her dad has shown her how incarceration affects families and how society sees the inmates.
“I just feel like a lot of the time, people believe that if you’re in prison, you did something awful, and you can’t change, and that nobody’s gonna forgive you, and you’re just here,” Karley Alejo said. “But a lot of the time, a lot of people don’t want that from themselves. They might have made a mistake when they were younger or older, but all the people here have families.”
Shagala Taylor, 50, decided to take Friday off from work to visit her brother, Larry Taylor, and bring his eight-year-old twins, Champion and Reagyn.
Larry Taylor, 43, who is serving a 45-year sentence for murder, was surprised by his son. The boy ran toward Larry Taylor to be picked up by ‘Daddy.’
After setting him down, Larry Taylor did the viral ‘floss dance’ with him. He gave his daughter and sister big hugs. Then, they sat down to wait for their turn to be called out for breakfast.
Larry Jr. Taylor, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, plays with his eight-year-old twins, Champion and Reagyn, during a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
“Sometimes people don’t understand because in their mindset, ‘Adults knew what they were doing,’ but at the end of the day, it’s not about the adult, it’s about the kids of the incarcerated individuals,” Shagala Taylor said. “You have to get out of that mindset and bring it down to the kids’ level, understanding how they’re feeling. Got to have empathy and sympathy. I wish there were more programs out here like this.”
Shagala Taylor added the regular visits are tough for the kids.
They last two hours, and there’s no physical contact. Sometimes there are crayons and books, but still, the kids get bored and don’t understand why there isn’t a playground or why “Daddy” can’t pick them up or sit them on his lap.
“At the end of the day, it’s about the kids. They didn’t have a choice to be part of it. Ground the adults but not the kids,” Shagala Taylor said.
Larry Taylor treasures the memories of wearing matching pajamas with his children before he was incarcerated in 2022. He hopes one day he and his children can do it again.
Following the example
Around 200 volunteers came together to create the one-of-a-kind event, the result of months of planning, said Richard “Chico” Smith, executive director of Trinity Restoration Ministries.
The congregation from Lakepointe Church in Rockwall provided approximately 60 volunteers and covered most of the event’s expenses. Volunteers from Templo Betania in Dallas also participated by helping with decorations, serving food and greeting the families.
“Jesus told us not to forget about the incarcerated,” said volunteer Carmen Vazquez, 52. “He set an example for us to serve everyone, especially those who need us the most.”
Lamar Simpson, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, holds his sleeping two-year-old son, Jamari during a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
With a radio in one hand and a sheet detailing the seating organization and event details, Robin Stephens, a 22-year-old program administrator at the prison, coordinated the event and ensured all guests and inmates followed the prison’s protocols.
Stephens saw the event as an opportunity for the inmates to feel hopeful and stay motivated.
Brodgrick Price, the senior warden at Sanders Estes in Venus, about 30 miles southwest of Dallas, approved the “Christmas with Dads” event to support the inmates’ rehabilitation. He had no budget for it, and that’s where the nonprofits and volunteers stepped in.
Price believes in providing inmates with the tools to be successful while incarcerated and, upon release, to rebuild their lives, “bringing people to change the thought process through a rehabilitative approach versus a punitive one,” Price said. “A lot of times, when somebody gets in trouble, people want to punish them, versus getting to the root cause of why the person is acting out.”
Price was amazed by how the gym was transformed into a holiday party for the children to celebrate Christmas.
Kevin Porter ties the shoelaces of his son, Levi, during a Chirstmas with dads event at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
“I am so glad I said yes to this because I can see a lot of lives are being touched,” Price said, adding that some of the inmates were serving 12-, 15- and even 45-year sentences. “For the kids to be able to come in here and sit with them and open a present in front of them, that touches me.”
Frederick Pheiffer, 70, is an example of that rehabilitation. He was released four months ago after serving an 18-year sentence for murder.
Pheiffer graduated from the Trinity Ministries Restoration program and has been able to buy a car, get a job, and slowly reconnect with his family.
‘Those little things’
Adrian Casares was catching his breath after running behind his two sons. His 6-year-old wanted to kick the soccer ball, and his 3-year-old was trying to dribble a basketball.
Casares, 33, is serving a six-year sentence for aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon. As soon as he knew about the event, he signed up. He has had good conduct and earned ‘trusty level status.’ He’s now the barber of the officers.
Adrian Casares, an inmate at the Sanders Estes Unit prison in Venus, plays with his sons Ares and Atlas after a Chirstmas with dads event Dec. 19, 2025.
Azul Sordo / Staff Photographer
His wife, Gracey Turner, 23, drove about two hours from Temple to bring the kids to spend the day with their dad. During the whole ride, kids kept asking, ‘When are we gonna see Daddy?’
In past holidays, Casares, his wife and their kids used to make a ‘Christmas crack,’ similar to a cracker jack, with peanuts, sugar, and other ingredients. Then watch movies and open gifts in the morning.
“That’s something I miss the most for sure, those little things,” Casares said. “ I’m just taking it step by step, trying to change everything about myself for my family, my kids.”
For Turner, the hardest thing about her husband being incarcerated is raising the children alone. The event allowed them to have a family holiday, like they used to. She said this will be a memory her kids will remember.
They made crafts, shot Polaroid photos and collected animal-shaped balloons and bags of gifts.
The celebration lasted only a few hours. By the end, the Christmas trees and hats were put away by the inmates, the tables had been cleared, and the gym returned to its usual function.
The dads returned to their cells.
“Radical Islamist terrorist groups are anti-American, and the infiltration of these dangerous individuals into Texas must be stopped,” said Texas A-G regarding terrorist org. CAIR.
Air traffic controllers lost communication for about 10 minutes with a small Mexican Navy plane carrying a young medical patient and seven others before it crashed off the Texas coast, killing at least five people, Mexico’s president said Tuesday.
Authorities initially believed the plane had landed safely at its destination in Galveston, near Houston, before learning it had gone down Monday afternoon, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said. The cause of the crash remains under investigation. A search-and-resuce operation in waters near Galveston pulled two survivors from the plane’s wreckage, Mexico’s Navy said, while one remained missing.
Four of the eight people aboard were Navy officers and four were civilians, including a child, Mexico’s Navy said. Two of the passengers were affiliated with a nonprofit that helps transport Mexican children with severe burns to a hospital in Galveston.
“My condolences to the families of the sailors who unfortunately died in this accident and to the people who were traveling on board,” Sheinbaum said in her morning press briefing, without elaborating on a possible cause. “What happened is very tragic.”
U.S. Coast Guard Petty Officer Luke Baker said at least five aboard had died but did not identify which passengers.
The plane crashed Monday afternoon in a bay near the base of the causeway connecting Galveston Island to the mainland. Emergency responders rushed to the scene near the popular beach destination about 50 miles (80 kilometers) southeast of Houston.
Sky Decker, a professional yacht captain who lives about a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the crash site, said he jumped in his boat to see if he could help. He picked up two police officers who guided him through thick fog to a nearly submerged plane. Decker jumped into the water and found a badly injured woman trapped beneath chairs and other debris.
“I couldn’t believe. She had maybe 3 inches of air gap to breathe in,” he said. “And there was jet fuel in there mixed with the water, fumes real bad. She was really fighting for her life.”
He said he also pulled out a man seated in front of her who had already died. Both were wearing civilian clothes.
It’s not immediately clear if weather was a factor. The area has been experiencing foggy conditions over the past few days, according to Cameron Batiste, a National Weather Service meteorologist. He said that at about 2:30 p.m. Monday a fog came in that had about a half-mile visibility.
Mexico’s Navy said the plane was helping with a medical mission in coordination with the Michou and Mau Foundation. In a social media post, the foundation said: “We express our deepest solidarity with the families in light of these events. We share their grief with respect and compassion, honoring their memory and reaffirming our commitment to providing humane, sensitive, and dignified care to children with burns.”
Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board were at the crash site Monday, the Texas Department of Public Safety said, and a spokesperson for the NTSB said the agency was gathering information about the crash. The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said officials from its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol responded the crash.
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