Outstanding Piece About Being A Black Woman in Austin

[Novacek]

Originally Posted by Raskolnikov

There is no denying that the fuel tank farm and power plant removals were positive. I never said the city council removed them to generate tax revenue. But did you know that UT Austin, with the city, tried to declare emminent domain declared on about 8 blocks of East Austin, and it was successfully fought and defeated? There could have been a stadium and new buildings east of I-35. At one of the last meetings, a city council person said "If this doesn't do it, the taxes will get you out eventually," and it was overheard by about 20 people.

So which was it, UT or the city? UT is a state institution, it doesn't have to get city approval.

Which council meeting was this eminent domain action supposedly discussed? Should be easy enough to find in the transcripts. Department » City Council | AustinTexas.gov - The Official Website of the City of Austin

[Nairobi]

Originally Posted by sxrckr

Houston is a "very black city" at what, about 20%? Mmkay then. I guess that means Dallas is too? Both places are Hispanic as the largest single group.
Look at Atlanta, DC, Chicago, and several smaller towns in East Texas for black cities.

Greater Houston and Chicagoland are both around 17% black. You can't just look at arbitrarily drawn city limits.

In both Dallas and Houston, Hispanics have only become the largest minority group over the past several decades. For most of their history, blacks have been the largest group, and their population continues to grow.

[Chiloquin2012]

Reading the majority of the previous replies to this thread, I can tell that many are unable to think outside the box...this woman who wrote this blog is simply speaking from her experience living in Austin and how SHE has observed her environment and has come to her conclusion about Austin and Texas in general. If you are not an African American woman, then you may not understand what it is she is describing, so of course, many of you will speak of statistics, critique and become defensive. I am sure many of you are not African American. I am however, an African American women who has lived in Austin for 5 years, served in the military and has been all over this country as well as overseas. I have seen some of what she has described of Austin and of Texas in general when it pertains to Austin being considered a liberal city and open-minded....Austin has great potential of being what it claims to be but there are underlying factors that have kept it from truly being great such as politics, the good ole boy system, pride and power. I think that the more people who migrate from California, other liberal states and cities looking for better job opportunities; the more Austin will have no choice but to change completely. Some people in this city are trying to hold on to a system or tradition that will not work in this so called mini Silicon Valley. All those who may have been born and raised here have seen the changes and they are only going to change more. There is a tug of war between conservatism and liberalism in this city. In the end, this is not a race issue but a cultural issue. In the years ahead, those of you who are looking for traditional Texas values; it won't be in Austin, TX for long...

[scm53]

Originally Posted by Chiloquin2012

I think that the more people who migrate from California, other liberal states and cities looking for better job opportunities; the more Austin will have no choice but to change completely.

Which in itself is a gross generalization - or dare I say it, stereotype?

I have four neighbors on my street, all from California - they make me look liberal. The issue is, who left California? I would propose - and there is research that backs this up - that the most conservative moved first. That they self selected a place with low taxes because they were attuned to that model. That they were so disgusted with what California had become, that they abandoned it.

To think that everyone who moves here is destined to change Austin sounds like a world view that inexorably links "liberal, progressive and great." Plenty of folks that don't think that way outside the Bouldin Creek Coffee House.

[Raskolnikov]

I agree with the poster who said that this reveals lots of people here cannot think outside the box, or imagine what it's like to be in someone else's shoes. Therefore, they resort to statistics and quick dismissals.

However- I think some terms are being thrown around/ introduced that some do not have the same definition of. "Progressive and liberal" mean different things to some people. To me, racism is not conservative. Neither is being progressive liberal. These terms are now meaningless. I would prefer to use the term "open minded" or "close minded."

Liberals in Austin can be EXTREMELY close minded, closet racist, condescending, and utterly selfish. This woman is pointing out the narcissism of Austinite liberals. They vote the "right" way but they don't personally connect with minorities, they don't really see them as human or appreciate them.

To be sure, conservatives can also be racist. And convinced that they are the 'more intelligent' ones. Conservatives all over Texas can be extremely OPEN MINDED about some things but closeminded about others.

Austin has a toxic mix, in my opinion, of so-called liberal progressives who are to the left what Pat Robertson is to the right. They believe they are "fighting the good fight" and they blindly cling to their political answers, even while the world is not that black and white. Yes, actually sometimes higher taxes for entitlements ARE bad. And yes, sometimes the best intentions (gentrifying East Austin) result in minorities (whom you pretend to care more about than conservatives) get screwed.

Anyway - I do not agree with the entire original article. I don't equate "liberal progressive and great" as the same things. I do equate open-minded with greatness. But liberal progressive blinders can be disastrous. As well as Republican conservative blinders.

[gpurcell]

Originally Posted by Chiloquin2012

I think that the more people who migrate from California, other liberal states and cities looking for better job opportunities.

As much as people complain about the Californians by far the largest number of migrants to Austin come from Texas and the surrounding states.

[scm53]

Originally Posted by gpurcell

As much as people complain about the Californians by far the largest number of migrants to Austin come from Texas and the surrounding states.

Depends upon what you call "Austin" - by one definition, the largest number of "migrants" come all the way from Williamson county.

As far as "surrounding states" - #1 non-Texas source is LA county.

[Debsi]

This has gotten completely off topic.