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Black Leaders Ask Questions About Equity in $7.1 Billion Transit Plan

Join an online community discussion hosted by the Black Leaders Collective on Project Connect – Saturday, Oct. 3 at 11 a.m.

 REGISTER HERE: http://bit.ly/BLCProjectConnect

Did you know there's a $7.1 billion plan to improve Austin's transit system on the Nov. 3rd ballot? Learn what this taxpayer investment might mean for Austin's Black community.

Hosted by the Black Leaders Collective, this roundtable is an opportunity to learn from the leaders of Capital Metro, the City of Austin, Travis County and PUMA about the upcoming mobility plan and the bond items on the ballot. You will be able to ask questions after presentations by these representatives.
 
The discussion will address:

  • How proposed transportation plans benefit and detract from the quality of life for Black residents (i.e. housing displacement)
  • The anticipated amount of economic investment in Black businesses and Black communities as result of passage of this $7.1 billion plan
  • How equity is addressed in the plan
  • What improvements will be made to routes, buses and bus stops in Black communities
  • The anticipated amount of economic investment in Black businesses and Black communities as a result of the passage of this $7.1 billion plan

BLC TRANSPORTATION ROUNDTABLE, REGISTER HERE: http://bit.ly/BLCProjectConnect
 
PLEASE SHARE LIVESTREAM FACEBOOK EVENT

Find Out About Black-led Priorities Here

The Black Leaders Collective (BLC), a diverse and broad-based group of Black community leaders, announced plans to confront systemic racism and remove barriers that impede success for our local Black community – particularly those in Travis and Williamson counties.  

 

BLC formed in July against the backdrop of the killings of George Floyd and Mike Ramos, and widening racial disparities in wealth, health, education, and justice in Austin and surrounding cities. Following the group’s formation, BLC conducted a series of strategic planning sessions that resulted in developing The Black Leaders Collective Priorities & Action Plan.  

 

“We know it is our responsibility as leaders in the Black community to identify and solve issues that affect us today and will affect us in the future. The Black Leaders Collective has spent three months crafting our priorities and actions for 2020,” said founder Terry P. Mitchell.  

  

The plan addresses issues connected to the following priorities:  

 

·     Criminal Justice & Public Safety  
·       Culture, Art & Entertainment  
·       Economic & Workforce Development  
·       Education  
·       Housing & Displacement  
·       Policy  
·       Public Health  
·       Transportation  

 

“BLC will work to address these priorities through the end of 2020 and use it as a springboard for the next wave of visioning work we will do together in 2021 to further address breaking down systems of white supremacy in Travis and Williamson counties,” said Mitchell. 

DOWNLOAD: Black Leaders Collective Priorities & Action Plan

Black Community Together to Address Vandalism of Black Cemetery
"We wanted to uplift our ancestors and our community."

Black community leaders and Black-led organizations united on Sunday, Sept. 27 to celebrate and highlight the value and significance of Evergreen Cemetery after the site was vandalized recently. More than a dozen headstones were spray-painted with graffiti at the historical and sacred space. By hosting a community celebration, the group plans to redirect the negative energy caused by the vandalism.

Evergreen Cemetery, built in 1926, serves as a final resting place for nearly 12,000 Black residents.   

“This act of vandalism sent a clear message of disrespect, and we are taking it very seriously,” said Steven Brown, a fourth-generation Austinite with family members buried at the cemetery. Brown reached out to the Black Leaders Collective and other groups to organize a positive and uplifting community response. “This horrific act has only brought the Black community closer. We won’t let this, or anything, divide us.” 

More than 150 people joined the car parade and ceremony as a way to reclaim the graveyard as a space of peace, gratitude, and reverence for Black lives. Organizers said they want to protect their loved ones buried at the cemetery and show the respect and honor due to their ancestors. Contributions can be made to the Austin Parks Foundation “Friends of Black Cemeteries” fund to provide resources and support for future cleanups, additional security monitoring equipment, and funding for a detailed catalog of each of the Black cemeteries in Austin and Central Texas. 

A special thanks to Barry Franklin for helping to organize the event.

This event was powered by: 
Roslyn’s Novel
Black Austin Coalition
Black Leaders Collective
Fuller-Sheffield Funeral Home
King-Tears Funeral Home
Phillips-Upshaw Funeral Home
Austin Justice Coalition 
A Life Celebration 
The Austin Socialite 
Soulciti
The Flower Note

Photos by Hope Green

Want to Fuel the Movement?

Volunteer Opportunities with BLC

We are looking for help with the following to keep the movement going:

Social Media content

Website updates

Meeting Scheduling

Organizing groups and meetings

To find out more: leadership@blackleaderscollectiveatx.com
BLC Announcements
BLC is actively planning a by invitation only Living Legends Roundtable featuring our elder leaders.  This virtual event will be held at the end of October.  Be on the look out for an invite. 
 
Sign the petition to improve internet and technology access petition by the Austin Urban Technology Movement.
COVID-19 has disproportionately impacted those from underrepresented communities, exposing the negative effects of the digital divide and consequences of income inequalities. In Texas, more than two million households lack high-speed internet access and 4.1 million Texans are living in poverty.

A Food Drive at Givens Park is being planned for November by the Public Health Issue Group.  We will share more details soon.
 
Carver Museum Needs Input from Black Community 
The George Washington Carver Museum, Cultural and Genealogy Center is moving forward into the planning stages of an expansion project that’s been 22 years in the making. Saturday afternoon Beginning at 1:00pm until 3:00pm October 3, 2020 is the most Crucial Virtual Community Meeting # 2
http://austintexas.gov/CarverATXplanning
Join this important meeting to protect our cultural center.

Congratulations to Ms. Bobbie Mack on the opening of a new food truck! Check out Tater-Que here: https://www.facebook.com/TaterQue

 
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