Transportation 

• Thanks to Councilmember Rudy Metayer, TxDOT hosted a meeting with BLC to explore how to make the IH-35 Capital Express Program more equitable. We’ve charged TxDOT with paying Huston-Tillotson University to consult on the program and adhere to our demands sent over in February thanks to Yasmine Smith. Demands can be found HERE.

Housing 

• The City of Austin recently released a map of potential locations for homeless encampments. The locations shown on the map have Black community leaders concerned about the overrepresentation of sites in low-income, underserved, and predominantly Black and brown communities.   
   
• The Black Leaders Collective stood in solidarity with elected officials, faith, and community leaders to voice concerns regarding the discriminatory placement of homeless camps around Austin.  
   
• Press Conference Speakers Included:  
  • County Commissioner Jeff Travillion, Travis County  
  • Mayor Larry Wallce Jr, Manor, Texas
  • Mayor Pro Tem Natasha Harper Madison, City of Austin  
  • Barbara Scott, President, Colony Park Neighborhood Association  
  • Rev. Daryl Horton, President, Baptist Ministers Union of Austin  
  • Nelson Linder, President, NAACP-Austin Chapter  
  • Anthony Jackson, Founder/CEO, We Can Now 
     
• Press Conference Video
  https://www.facebook.com/1270091492/videos/10226257132955976/
   
• Media Coverage: 
  KVUE: Austin-area Black leaders want a new list of potential homeless camps 
  KUT: Black Leaders Say Austin's List Of Proposed Sites For Homeless Camps Is Inequitable | KUT Radio, Austin's NPR Station
  KXAN: Austin City Leaders Explain Plans for Implementing Camping Ban
  FOX7 Austin: Activists Claim City Camp Map is Example of Austin’s Racist Policies
  KLBJ: News Radio: Austin’s Top News  

• BLC will be hosting our Housing Panel series June 25-28. Stay tuned for more info.

Education 

• BLC and other black leaders in Austin have been meeting with AISD superintendent, Dr. Stephanie Elizalde, monthly to move equity and accountability forward within the school district. We will use this same model in Manor, Pflugerville, and Round Rock ISD.  
   
• AJC member and BLC collaborator Asha Watts put together a scorecard for holding AISD accountable. It identifies quantifiable measures that are already out there, utilizing E3 Alliance, and clearly outlining the ambassador process to identify stories in the community and other important indicators.  
   

Health 

• As a continuation of the Feeding the Village initiative, BLC has partnered with Good Works to harness the power of black-owned restaurateurs and food trucks with tools and resources to feed communities in need. This partnership helps bridge gaps in food equity and cultural proficiency. Last week we served 250 meals thanks to Bobbie Mack and Tater Que! We have more partnerships rolling out this month which will feature the work of Word of Mouth Catering and The Avenue Bar + Grill.
   
• Many thanks to our coordinator, Clarence Guidry, for seeing our vision and executing! A special thank you to Joi Chevallier for her leadership, connections, and direction. 
   
• If you own or know of a food truck or restaurant and want in on this incredible opportunity, please contact us at leadership@blackleaderscollectiveatx.com.
   
• Congratulations to our collaborators Larry Wallace Sr. and Shannon Jones for the development of the 1st ever African American Men’s Health Center, this is Priority #3 on BLC's Agenda and we are so excited to see it come to fruition! 

Public Safety/Criminal Justice 

• BLC accepted an invitation from City Manager Spencer Cronk to meet with APD interim Chief Chacon. The meeting was held Thursday, May 26. The Public Safety/Criminal Justice issue group elected to open this conversation up to all members of the Black Leaders Collective. We questioned his intentionality toward the safety of Black bodies and equity. We also inquired about what the department has done to improve since last year’s rally.
   
• Thanks to the leadership and direction of 10K Fearless First Responders and the Austin Area Urban League, BLC is consulting with world-renowned Design-Thinker Calvin Mays to put together a holistic approach to disaster preparedness. Winter Storm Uri revealed that we were neither prepared nor have we implemented preventative measures for the future. BLC wants to ensure that we are in a much better place for the next disaster. If you are interested in contributing please email us at leadership@blackleaderscollectiveatx.com.

Economics + Workforce Development

• Thanks to BLC collaborator Meme Styles and Measure, we’ve completed and compiled data on the non-profit survey taken by 35 black-led non-profits. View the results HERE. 
   
• Meme has opened up conversations with philanthropy organizations such as I Live Here I Give Here and The New Philanthropist to start creating equity in philanthropy.  
  • We are working on a five-part panel series with Small Business Resource Enterprise to teach BLC collaborators and Black Austin at large how to:

1. How to Become a Vendor 
2. Certify to do Business with the City 
3. Keeping up with your taxes*
   • How to Find a Bid
   • How to navigate AustinFinanceOnline.gov
   • NCIS codes
4. How to Write a Proposal 
5. How to Submit a Proposal 

• We are also exploring how nonprofits can do business with the City of Austin and could potentially make this the 6th part of the panel series. 

Culture, Arts + Entertainment 

• BLC has been working with City Manager Spencer Cronk to get fireworks approved for Juneteenth; 2021 marks the 1st year that Juneteenth will be declared an official city holiday. Cronk has approved our request and the grand fireworks show is set for 9 pm on Saturday, June 19, at Rosewood Park. Thank you to our fireworks consultant and pyrotechnician Dewy Brooks for pulling this together for us.  
   
• Thanks to the support of the Carver Museum, Six Square, Austin Area Urban League, and Soulciti, BLC is moving full steam ahead with the creation of a children’s book that will highlight Black Leaders of Austin that came before us. Illustrations are nearly finished and we’ve started the process of content creation. We are currently in the fundraising phase. If you are interested in sponsor opportunities please reach out to us via email at leadership@blackleaderscollectiveatx.com.