June 2021
AUSTIN DIVIDED
y r e v o c e Road to R
Table of Contents
Letters from the Editors.......................................................................................................................................6 AISD’s Equity Initative.............................................................................................................................................8 Visualizing the Divide in Education.............................................................................................................12 Race Affects Career Opportunities..............................................................................................................14 Black Workers with Front Line Jobs...........................................................................................................18 Black Workers Lack in the Austin Workforce......................................................................................19 Travis County Annual Income Map..............................................................................................................20 Divide and Conquer: Austin’s Segregated Past..................................................................................22 Mapping the Divide.................................................................................................................................................26 Police Brutality Plagues The United States, is Austin Part of the Problem?................28 Rioting and Violence vs. Protesting.............................................................................................................32 What to do When Approached by Police Officers...........................................................................33 The Genetrification Division in Aust in........................................................................................................34 4 Austin Divided
Protesters hold signs calling for justice in Stockholm, Sweden. (Photos from Unsplash, courtesy of Teemu Paananen.)
Letters From the Editors urna Mukherjee Hi, I’m Aurna. I am the fact check editor of this magazine. I make sure that the information in feature articles, graphics, and all else are true and factually relevant. Currently, I’m a freshman at LASA (Liberal Arts and Science Academy) High School. I have one dog who I begged for about 10 years to have, and finally got after calling many dog breeders whilst impersonating my mother. I also love singing, and have been doing it for as long as I can remember; in fact, I sing so much that my parents often spam me on Hangouts telling me to be quiet so they can focus on their meetings. As much as I read over this, I realize how privileged I am to have well to do parents who are with me every step of the way. I know this was not the case for my parents; my mother had a limited period of time to find a job after getting a scholarship to the University of Illinois at Urbana, and my father had to work to achieve a Master of Business Administration degree at UC Berkeley. Had my parents not been exposed to the career opportunities they needed, my life would have been drastically different, which is why I think it is important to highlight the struggle of colored people to avail of career opportunities.
edanth Ramanathan My name is Vedanth Ramanathan, and I’m a freshman at LASA High School in Austin, Texas. Throughout my childhood in Austin, I’ve always been blessed with a nice place to live and go to school, but I never realized that not everyone had that until I reached my teen years. As I started to see the racial structures in society I started questioning why certain things were the way they were, and started thinking of ideas in which they could be fixed. That’s why in our group, we decided to explore the roots of Austin’s history of racial inequality through different perspectives. When I analyzed Austin through a geographical lens, I learned so much about the dark physical divide that cuts through our city, and how it is something I didn’t have a full understanding of before. As an aspiring lawyer, and politician, this opened my eyes to the disenfranchisement of people based on race and the full aspect of what it does to an individual. In this article, I hope to shed light on these issues and share with you how they have dominated Austin for centuries. 6 Austin Divided
liana Legatt My name is Eliana Legatt. I am the copy editor for this magazine. I ensure all of the feature articles, cutlines, and everything else fit the Associated Press (AP) style. I am currently a freshman at the LASA High School in Austin, Texas. My current favorite book is Little Women, and I am slowly making my way through reading all of the great classics. I have big hopes and dreams for my future of becoming a lawyer; however, I am still undecided on what type of Lawyer I would like to be. I want to pursue this profession because I hope to change the world for the better. I chose to write my feature on police brutality in Austin. When the other editors and I initially decided on this magazine topic, the George Floyd case was prevalent in the news and our minds. Because of this, I wanted to write about the issue and how it may have relevance in Austin.
than Ojede Hello, my name is Ethan Ojede. I am a freshman in LASA High School and I have been grateful for my opportunities. I enjoy computer science and game development since I want to understand how software in electronic devices work. I plan to pursue a career path in computer science and use my knowledge to benefit others. The reason I wanted to create a magazine about racism and gentrification in Austin is because I have experienced racism and discrimination in my life. When I tell other peers at school that I can develop games or create websites, they sometimes don’t believe me, but they do believe it for people of other races. This bothers me since anyone can be talented in computer science or any other activity regardless of race.
harly Chatelain My name is Charly Chatelain, and I am currently a freshman at LASA High School. As a native of the cozy suburbs west of Mopac, Austin had always seemed like a sort of paradise to me. The cool culture, nice weather and kind residents caused me to fall in love with the city. Needless to say, when I figured out its dark history, it was shocking. To this day, Austin is the most severely segregated major city in the United States, yet it is also ranked among the nicest to live in, what a dichotomy. Since then, I have been able to see this first hand, and it only predicated my passion for this subject. What we aim to achieve through covering this topic is to dissect the many cogs in the machine of systemic racism in Austin and to show how it affects people and relates to history. My article is focused on racism in Austin’s education system.
AISD’s Equity Initiative By Charly Chatelain
I
t took 26 years. More than two decades after the 1954 Supreme Court ruling on Brown versus Board of Education, Austin complied with its integration requirement. That’s more than two spells of a 12 year curriculum. From historic redlining to its enforcement of Jim Crow, racism is baked into Austin’s history; its education system is not an exception to this. In Austin there are perceived to be rich schools and poor schools, “good” schools and “bad” schools. The difference is that the “good” schools are majority white, and the “bad” schools are not. Often, the white schools get better resources, campuses and opportunities, while the
minority ones are forgotten and shut down. Students of Austin Independent School District (AISD) are affected by the legacy of segregation today. AISD has been putting a lot of effort into creating equitable learning opportunities for all students. The fight for equity in schools is not one that could be solved overnight. It could take decades. Two people at the forefront of the push for these opportunities are John Allen and Lupe Molina. Allen is a director for AISD’s equity team. He received his Ph.D. in Urban Education at The University of North Carolina, Charlotte where he wrote his dissertation on cultural sustainability
in education. Molina is the principal of Allison Elementary School, a small school in southeast Austin that is 96% Hispanic. Allen said he and the equity team have been pushing hard to create a framework of equity in AISD. Molina said she is working to implicate engaging learning programs at her school to pull the mostly minority and socioeconomically disadvantaged students into an academic atmosphere and enable them to excel. Molina and Allen said working to achieve these goals has not been easy, particularly in the last two years, which were marred by a school closing plan that targeted minority schools and global pandemic.
Graphic by Charly Chatelain
8 Austin Divided
Austin ISD’s headquarters in South Austin. The building hasn’t been in heavy use recently due to the pandemic. (Photo by Nicholas Cicale, 2020.)
“It was a prime example of 21st century racism.” -John Allen Allen said that bringing equity to education is his life-long passion. Allen said he wants to make a difference, and he believes that it can be achieved through cooperation and understanding. Allen said the equity team has been attempting to facilitate initiatives that will espouse equitable opportunity in the district since their inception in 2019. “Pushing for an equitable framework,” Allen
said, “is our main objective.” An equitable framework, as Allen describes it, is a state of mind where questions of equity, opportunity and diversity are asked in every decision and action. Allen said having an equitable framework would be beneficial for opportunity, particularly for the students
of AISD, who are majority minority and economically disadvantaged. Allen said when AISD published its plan for school closings in 2019, their primary intent was to ensure every student had access to a modern campus. However, Allen said the plan specifically targeted schools that weren’t performing well,
Allison Elementary in Southeast Austin. (Photo Courtesy of AISD.)
9 Austin Divided
Learning online, a child working on school from home using a chromebook. Millions of students were forced to stay home for learning in 2020 due to the COVID 19 global pandemic. (Photo by Thomas Park/courtesy of Unsplash.)
weren’t predominantly white and weren’t affluent. “It was a prime example of 21st century racism,” said Allen. The equity team at the time released a report that went into the details of the flaws of the plan. The report touched on many studies from the past that had demonstrated how school closures often caused hardship for the students who were required to leave their schools
Graphic by Charly Chatelain
10 Austin Divided
“Renovating and expanding the schools in question was entirely feasible, but AISD chose to neglect the interests of those disadvantaged students and instead take a shortcut for its own sake.” -John Allen
and would take, in this case, already disadvantaged children and dig them an even deeper hole. “Renovating and expanding the schools in question was entirely feasible,” said Allen, “but AISD chose to neglect the interests of those disadvantaged students and instead take a shortcut for its own sake.” The equity team and Allen were eventually able to host lectures on issues of discrimination and mindfulness for AISD staff to ensure that the continuation of the plan would take equity into account at every step. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in early 2020, everything shut down. This was a problem that hadn’t been faced at this scale in a century; panic, fear and chaos were ubiquitous. While
moms across the country were wrestling to the death for toilet paper, education was at a tough spot as well. AISD had to think of a solution for learning that took precautions for the pandemic, worked well for students and (most importantly) granted equal opportunity to every student. The first (half) semester of online learning, they were unable to achieve this as they figured out 100% online learning wasn’t super feasible and left less affluent students with a disadvantage. “This last semester [though] was definitely a success in that department,” Allen said. “I found that hybrid learning was a good compromise and it helped more kids succeed than we even anticipated.” Another person who was affected by the pandemic is Lupe Molina. “It was unlike anything I had seen in my scholastic career before,” Molina said. She said that at first (the first semester that was shut down), things were quite difficult and it was almost chaotic, but the next semester, with hybrid learning, worked out much better. “It’s remarkable,” she
“We want every child to be engaged. Learning has to become something special to them.” -Lupe Molina said, “how we were able to make things work with hybrid learning.” Though, she says, it did take adjusting to. Molina shares a similar passion to Allen. She became a principal because she wanted to give opportunities to children that she would have preferred in her childhood. “I didn’t have many good
teachers as a child,” she said. “They didn’t care about my success as a student.” Molina became an educator wanting to flip the script. She wanted children to be equipped with the tools to succeed, tools that weren’t readily available to her as a child. The truth is that children in most schools on the east side of Austin lack these tools to this
day. “Kids who go to Allison are equal to those who go to Kiker (a top elementary school in the district who is part of a sister school program with Allison),” Molina said, “so they deserve equal opportunities as students.” Students at Allison Elementary have access to many special programs, including dual language, the Creative Learning Initiative and STEM programs presented by Eastside Memorial High School at each level. “We want every child to be engaged,” said Molina. “Learning has to become something special to them.” People like principal Molina and Allen are working hard to bridge the gap in education. They know that a strong education can lead to better futures for minority students who are at an inherent disadvantage in Austin. They know that if they are given opportunities to fill their potential, they will be able to navigate a difficult society better. Maybe people like them can make it so one day every school can be a “good” school.
Graphic by Charly Chatelain
11 Austin Divided
Visualizing the Divide in Education By Charly Chatelain From historic redlining to its enforcement of Jim Crow, Austin has been known for racist policies and politics for a long time. This map shows the modern repercussions of the racism within the base that Austin was built on, through the education system. This is a map of Austin Independent School District, with highways for reference, showing statistics describing particular schools’ socioeconomic and demographic milieus. It shows the racial and economic divide in schools, due to ineffective integration efforts and diversity initiatives in the past.
Mathews Elementary
Oth
Afr
Asi
His
Wh
Kiker Elementary
Other African American Asian Hispanic White
In 2015, The University of Toronto determined that Austin was the most economically segregated large metro area in the U.S. Austinites have long recognized the East Austin and West Austin divide, convening on I-35 as the most known boundary for this. Kiker is one of the lowest rates of economically disadvantaged, being far on the west side of Austin and having an almost 70% white student body. 12 Austin Divided
Andrews Elementary is one of the least funded and worst performing on standardized test schools in the district, with a STAAR passing rate of 60%. It primarily comprises of Black (15%) and Hispanics (77%) students who are overwhelmingly economically disadvantaged (97%). Andrews is also the school that is farthest east.
Hill Elementary Other African American Asian Hispanic White
Andrews Elementary
Other African American Asian Hispanic White
The way the Texas Education Agency measures the success of the schools is through STAAR (State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness) testing, a standardized tests students must take at least once a year after second grade. However, these tests has been criticized as discriminatory towards Spanish speakers in the past. Students from more affluent schools often have better access to tutoring, test prep and other resources that give them an advantage.
Mathews
ntary
Other African American
Blazier Andrews
Asian Hispanic Blazier Elementary Other
White
African American Asian
Kiker Hill 0
20
40
60
80
100
% Passing Rate for STAAR Tests % Economically Disadvantaged
Hispanic White
Sources: • austinisd.org. • texastribune.org. • Martin Prosperity Institute at the University of Toronto, 2015 economic segregation study.
Schools with more economically disadvantaged students tend to have lower STAAR passing rates. The only exception to this in these statistics is Blazier, a relatively new school with a new campus and many special programs to better suit students. 13 Austin Divided
Race Affects Career Opportunities Uncovering the racial injustice towards people of color through the lens of career opportunities By Aurna Mukherjee
S
he was sitting on her desk as her boss walked over and handed over her paycheck. It was the same as it had been for the last few years, but then, she noticed that her white colleague, who had less experience and tenure than her, had been consistently getting a higher pay than her. If someone were to ask any one person if racism is wrong, they would surely respond with a quick “yes,” yet this is a common problem in Austin; there is a struggle for career opportunities specifically for people of color. V Rohatgi, director of engineering at a high tech company and MH, vice president of institutional planning, development and evaluation at an educational institution, have both experienced and seen these issues firsthand. Rohatgi said the demographics of his department were not very racially diverse. “I did have my peer in HR (Human Resources) run demographic numbers, at least for my team, and it’s [not very diverse],” Rohatgi said. “You have other minority groups, [but] I haven’t actually met a Black engineer at [my company]. I’m sure 14 Austin Divided
Black employees working together on project. (Courtesy of Unsplash)
there are a few here and there, but very few. Hispanics, there are some, but very few. There’s mostly white and Asian males.” Rohatgi said that the disparity in race is likely influenced by a lack of promotion of STEM for young people of color. Rohatgi said many people of color do not have the same opportunities and exposure to STEM at a young age as others, leading to colored individuals steering away from these careers. “Look at it from a STEM
standpoint, is everyone learning the sciences and math? From genders to all minorities, the answer is not really,” Rohatgi said. “Then if you advance in higher education, you can start to see all of these opportunities start to close off for a lot of these different minority groups.” H is a Black woman of color, and has experienced this education gap through personal experience. H described a lack of racial diversity in her career, intensifying her issues with less
that she has
Group of colored employees gather to drink coffee while doing work. (Helena Lopes, Courtesy of Unsplash)
recognition compared to her white counterparts due to her race. H said her doctorate degree is the only reason she has gotten so far in her career. “I don’t think any of that would’ve happened if I hadn’t gotten my doctorate degree. As a woman of
color, I’m sure I would have never gotten those opportunities,” H said. Though she is qualified for her career, H said she is still affected by the lack of racial diversity at her organization. H said sometimes people are shocked
that she has a doctorate degree as it is rare for many African Americans to have one. H said because of this, she feels she always has to be one step ahead of her co-workers to prove her worth to the company she works in.
“It’s that kind of stuff that women of color, no matter what organization we are in we still experience.”- MH 15 Austin Divided
“We’re going to do this, but we got to take care of this white male over here.” - MH “You always have to dress better, you always have to carry yourself better, you always have to articulate yourself better. People of color have to be one step ahead because there’s an expectation or there’s an assumption that you’re not capable,” H said. H said she still faces blatant favoritism from white males over her. H said that there have been many instances where she describes something, but when it
is said by a white male, all of the sudden it’s gold. H said she got little recognition for being promoted to vice president in her organization’s letter because most of the focus was on her white coworker. “There was one little paragraph that said, “MH is being elevated to vice president, and it was like [ [saying] ‘we’re going to do this, but we got to take care of this white male over here,’ ” H said.
When describing the demographics of the organization, H said there is only a small minority of students and staff who are Black. “Our student body of African Americans is about 6 or 7%,” H said. “We have no executive vice presidents of color.” This is reaffirmed by a study taken to show the racial makeup of the student body at the institution, which aligns with H’s numbers.
Board of black employees working together. (Photo by Christina Morillo, Courtesy of Pexels)
16 Austin Divided
Hispanic employees working together. (Photo by William Fortunato, Courtesy of Pexels)
The disparity of African American students and staff is also affected by the shrinking African American population in Austin, leading to fewer African American workers and students. According to H, it is clear that, in this field, there is a lack of African American workers and students, which seems to keep repeating itself from generation to generation. She said that many people are shocked when they learn that she has her doctorate degree,
which leads to her asking, “why are you surprised?” However, these widespread stereotypes have the potential to be changed, and many industries are taking the steps to accomplish this. With more and more people recognizing this prevalent issue, there have been many efforts leading Austin in a more diverse direction. For example, even at Rohatgi’s company, 43% of the employees are ethnic minorities. People such as H have started to advocate for more diversity in STEM and technology,
but there is still much work to be done to be as diverse as possible. As Austin pushes for a more diverse workforce, H said she hopes that we can create a society where everyone can have the same response as her when asked if they have their doctorate degree, leading to a new, updated assumption that minority races are capable of achieving success in their careers.
“I have my doctorate degree, so why are you surprised?” - MH 17 Austin Divided
Black workers with front line jobs Careers of Black front line workers Story by Aurna Mukherjee
Blacks make up 17% of frontline workers, and only 3.2% of executives and senior level managers
Sources: • Fortune.com • Epi.org • Austintexas.org
Blacks lack in the Austin workforce
A breakdown of Black employees in major US cities Story by Aurna Mukherjee Blacks make up 7.83% of Austin’s population White households have a median income at $72,341 while Black households have
Percentage of black employees
a median income at $40,004
Atlanta
Sources: • hbr.org • census.gov • austincf.org
Austin
Baltimore
Boston
San Francisco
19 Austin Divided
Downtown Austin
$50,000
West Lake Hills
$100,000
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Travis County Annual Income Map By Ethan Ojede This map shows the estimated annual income of households in different regions of Travis County
Pflugerville
$40,000
Del Valle $30,000
Sunset Valley
$60,000
Sources -austintexas.gov -austinpolitics.net -www.tshaonline.org
21 Austin Divided
®Texas Department of Transportation
Divide and Conquer: Austin’s Segregated Past
By Vedanth Ramanathan
A
Interstate 35 has segregated Austin since 1962 (Photo by Texas Dept. of Transportation, 1962)
ustin, viewed as a cultural already taken a toll on hundreds of segregation and gentrification melting pot and one of the of people, which is why many view have slowly, but surely, permeated fastest-growing cities in this disastrous effect as a reality, through Austin. the United States, boasts a huge not a possibility. Racial inequality, Austin was a majority tech market, beautiful landscape geographic divide and the effects white town at the end of the and unaffordable Civil War in 1865, homes. Over the with many antipast century, these Black sentiments reasons have drawn still dominant in vastly different politics. In 1867 people to come the first majority live here. Behind African American this plastered cover neighborhood, photo of Austin, Wheatville, however, is a dark, was founded detrimental and and became unadvertised force incorporated into that ravages cities Austin. In the experiencing rapid following years, Austin Downtown Skyline with the Texas Capitol in the middle. expansion. In Austin, other similar (Photo by Vedanth Ramanathan,2021) this process has neighborhoods 22 Austin Divided
popped up around it. However, these neighborhoods were the only place where minorities could live without racial discrimination and it would be that way for the next few decades. In the 1920s, the problem of overpopulation in Wheatville was recognized and the city made a decision that would alter the course of segregation and gentrification in Austin for many
combat this, they used loopholes within the laws to create a proposal that would yield the same effects. In 1928, with the help of city planners, the 1928 master plan was produced. It stated that East Austin, consisting of Wheatville and other minority communities, would become the Negro District, the only area in the city where African Americans could access
Map of the Austin city plan in 1928 (courtesty of Eliot Tretter,2014)
decades. When the all-white Austin City Council convened to discuss this issue, they had in mind one solution; segregation. However, zoning was ruled to be illegal by the Supreme Court in 1917, which presented them a problem. To
schools and public services. Eliot Tretter is an associate professor of geography at the University of Calgary. Tretter said through the creation of a city plan for segregation purposes is horrible, it is not unusual. “There’s something called the
Kessler plan in Dallas,” Tretter said. “It’s a very famous plan, and Kessler was a very important figure in [city planning]. It’s interesting how much Kessler’s plans for Dallas in the early portion of the 20th century don’t have a lot of concern about race and racial dynamics, which was interesting because it was an outlier compared to Robert Witten in Atlanta [who’s] plans are explicitly racist. However, I found out later that Dallas is known for developing a plan that has strong racial elements to it which went back to the pattern.” Though these plans were usually racially discriminatory in nature, Tretter said it’s hard to place the full blame on the city planners alone, though it makes sense why people do. “You can blame the planners because, in some sense, they were racist, but it’s kind of like there was that kind of dominant social order, and no matter if you blame or don’t blame them, they’re kind of seeing the world or kind of thinking about it, in certain kinds of ways are just largely just blind to it,” Tretter said. Though the city plan was put into effect in the early 1930s, the influx of Hispanic immigrants and other minority groups seeking a new life in the U.S. increased, and the racially concentrated zones in Austin had to be expanded further South. In these areas, the act of expanding but not making the area better fueled the deficiencies that are seen there. By using strategies such as redlining, a method used to divide and separate a city by geographic isolation, the combination of poor city decisions and the city plan has left its mark 23 Austin Divided
education,” Gordon said. “If you don’t have an education system, which accurately educates Black and Brown people, then you don’t have Black people who can enter into these kinds of competitive fields, and if you don’t have a pool of people that can enter into these fields, you’re not going to get in, and therefore they are not going to have the advantages of the highest salaries in the field. So the whole society is structured in race and structured in economic inequity.” In the 1990s, the economic inequity led to the quality of infrastructure in East Austin rapidly declining and economic problems in that area exponentiating. As a result, those with the money, mostly white families, moved out. What remained was the most divided and impoverished zone in Austin’s history.
Man walks to Sam’s BBQ in East Austin, located on East 12th and Poquito Street (Photo by John Langmore)
on Austin, something that can be seen even today. Though geographic separation plays a huge role in understanding Austin today, these policies also made a huge economic divide between white people and minorities. In a project done by the Statesman, it was found that the city plan and other segregation efforts had fueled economic injustice as well. “As the generation from the first wave of segregation gave way to the next, the aftermath of this act would also become clear… redlining denied minorities the compound interest 24 Austin Divided
of money that future generations could derive from.” (Zerr, Inheriting Inequality) Their exclusion from that wealth has exponentiated, through an increasingly complex mix of social dynamics such as forms of discrimination, disadvantaged schools, higher crime rates and other discriminatory acts. Edmund T. Gordon is an associate professor of African diaspora studies and anthropology at the University of Texas at Austin. Gordon said the minorities’ economic struggle begins with education. “The problem is
In the 2000s, with the creation of the computer and internet, companies looked to growing cities with a huge upside to be based in. For many, such as IBM and Motorola, Austin filled that role. This ushered in the century of huge growth, and consequently also marked the start of rapid gentrification, the process of poor neighborhoods being sold to wealthier citizens. “Gentrification, as a force, is not good in the sense that it leads to displacement,” Tretter said. “But the force of gentrification, there’s a force behind that. It’s not gentrification, it’s a whole set of dynamics around investment and capital flow, speculation and housing policy, etc.” Gordon said another issue that he sees every day is how the tech boom has uprooted people’s
“I just don’t see how a regional city like Austin is, in any way, sustainable.” - Eliot Tretter homes and livelihood by driving up property prices, leading to eviction. “Austin has become one of the centers of the tech economy in this country, and the tech economy in this country producing the kind of economic inequality which is conducive to it reproduces racial inequality,” Gordon said. “At Bowery, I live in a community that I’ve been in for 30 years and is being gentrified.
Houses that went for $80,000 when I was unemployed are now $500,000. At a price point like that, only a certain kind of person can afford to live in Austin.” Gordon described this process as a cycle that continues until everyone who can’t afford those houses is forced out of the area, replaced by a much wealthier individual; completing the process of gentrification.
Both Tretter and Gordon were skeptical about how Austin can come out of such a discriminatory and untenable state. “Texas is going to have some really interesting developments there in the next couple of years,” said Tretter. “In the sense that, I just don’t see how a regional city like Austin is, in any way, sustainable for a lot of reasons.” Gordon echoed the same reasoning, but also said there’s a simple way in which people can start helping - identifying the discrepancies around them. “Look around yourself,” Gordon said. “See that there is racial disparity. Do that kind of record ordering, surrounding and notice these things. The next step is doing something. I would say that doing the kind of research and thinking is important, but the city needs to think through how it’s going to develop in the future, especially now.”
Two Cyclicts walk in front of the Paramount Theater in Downtown Austin. (Photo by Charles Fair, Courtesy of Unsplash)
25 Austin Divided
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26 Austin Divided
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Police Brutality Plagues The United States, is Austin Part of the Problem?
Black Lives Matter (BLM) protesters in Charlotte, North Carolina cheer for justice after the death of George Floyd on 30 May, 2020. (Photo by Clay Banks courtesy of Unsplash.)
By Eliana Legatt Content Warning: This article discusses topics that may not be suitable for all audiences. fter the murder of George Floyd and the violence against activists in the Black Lives Matter protests in the summer of 2020, many people questioned the integrity of the police. The protests brought to light buried truths about racism in the United States, and forced many to face history in a new way. George Floyd was a 46-year-old Black man who the police were called on for allegedly paying for cigarettes with counterfeit money. Floyd was pushed to the pavement by Police Officer Derek Chauvin who was assisted by Police Officers Tou Thao, Alexander Kueng and Thomas 28 Austin Divided
Lane. Chauvin asphyxiated Floyd under his knee, causing Floyd’s death. In the United States, it is commonly recognized that law enforcement has used excessive force disproportionately on people of color over white people, and while it has been a discussed issue for decades, the murder of George Floyd made it a very prevalent issue that was forced to be recognized by all.
enforcement in the public’s eye. “[The police] looked really bad over the summer with the Black Lives Matter protesters… how they responded to the Alex Jones crowd, to the Trump crowd, how [they were] nice, gentle, and shaking hands or taking pictures with them,” said Andresen. “Then they were so over the top with the Black Lives Matter protesters. That created, obviously, a problem.”
Warren Andresen is an assistant professor of criminal justice at the school of behavioral and social science at St. Edward’s University. Andresen said the actions of the police in the protests in Austin had an effect on the perception of law
The contrast in the actions of the police toward more conservativeleaning figures, such as conspiracy theorist Alex Jones and former President Donald Trump, against more left-leaning movements, gave many people the concern
helped calculate numbers and statistics for the article. “That story was released, it was released for an hour. The editor pulled the story because he was uncomfortable that it did not show the police in a positive light,” Andresen said.
Protester in Charlotte, North Carolina holds a sign with the BLM fist. (Photo by Clay Banks courtesy of Unsplash.)
that this was a Republican versus Democrat issue. “The Austin Police will disagree with this, but they are covered in a pretty positive and constructive way,” Andresen said. “It would be very hard to do a story that was critical or negative.” Andresen said he was interviewed by a news outlet, that will remain anonymous, for an article criticizing the Austin Police Department (APD). Andresen
Andresen said the police should recognize there is an issue, and find a way to address the public, and assure them they will not be hurt or assaulted by the police. “Whether or not the police think there is a problem right now, there is a problem,” Andresen said. “A
“Whether or not the police think there is a problem right now, there is a problem.” - Warren Andresen large part of the population is feeling uncomfortable with what policing looks like today.” With perceived and legitimate violence against people of color disproportionately to White people, many feel unsafe.
Warren Andresen is a professor in the Criminal Justice Department at Saint Edwards University. (Photo courtesy of Warren Andresen.)
“The first big step would be for the police to reach out to the public, and to communicate a message that they are concerned about the relationship breaking down between them and the public,” Andresen said. “And that what they want to do is to win back the trust of the public.” Andresen said he does not see representatives of law enforcement filling this role as
The TheInfamous Story ofThin the Blue Line Infamous Thin By Eliana Legatt
Blue Line
The thin blue line originates from an incident in 1951 in LA called Bloody Christmas. Police officers arrested a few people who were Latinx on the charges of drunkenness and disorderly conduct. A few of the people being arrested assaulted the police, and were put in jail. The police officers then attacked the unarmed Latinx people in jail for the earlier assault, and a few reporters took photos. After the public heard about the story, the police had to explain their actions to avoid further criticism. The police chief at the time came up with the idea of the thin blue line, that police are the thin line between chaos and order, and to maintain peace, the police sometimes need to cause harm and violence to keep the public under control. Many people do not know the origins of the symbol, and wear it not knowing the implications of what they are actually representing. “A lot of white people may not understand the origins of that, but I think people of color, they get it at a gut level that something is off with that symbol,” said Andresen.
(Graphic by Eliana Legatt.)
needed. Andresen said there should be a dialogue between the police and civilians, allowing for there to be a rebuilding of trust. Andresen said Austin’s racist history plays a role in modernday issues and politics. Starting in 1928, Austin began forcefully segregating Austinites and moving people of color to East Austin. Andresen said now that real estate in East Austin is becoming more desirable, people of color are being forced out of their homes once again. Andresen said some people are not aware of the racist history and racial issues in Austin or do not talk about them. “If you do talk about them, it’s amazing how quickly nice people that are friendly, become irritated and unpleasant, and it changes how they feel about you if you bring that history up,” said Andresen. Dennis Farris is a former senior police officer. He served the first five years of his career at
the University of Texas Police Department, then he went on to work at APD from 1990 to 2015. “There’s been a lot of criticism of the Austin Police Department’s training academy, I will tell you that it is the best training academy in America, they actually get more training than they’re required to. Most police academies are six months long, APD’s is eight
“You have the right to protest, you don’t have the right to riot. Protesting is one thing, throwing rocks, water bottles, frozen water bottles... [or] having a Molotov cocktail in your backpack is not a peaceful protest.” - Dennis Farris
Protesters in Charlotte, North Carolina hold up signs about equality after the death of George Floyd. (Photo by Clay Banks courtesy of Unsplash.)
30 Austin Divided
Dennis Farris is on duty at the Austin Police Department (APD). Dennis Farris worked at APD from 1990 to 2015. (Photo courtesy of Dennis Farris.)
months long,” Farris said. Farris said that Austin has also been incorporating de-escalation training in their training program before he began working at APD. Many states implemented similar programs more recently, or are now beginning to. Farris said some facts can be misconstrued by the media in some cases involving the police. “We don’t necessarily tell you everything when there’s a homicide. When there’s an officerinvolved shooting, you don’t necessarily get to hear the whole story yet, it has to be investigated,” Farris said. “When you don’t have the whole story, there are assumptions and things made [for example,] ‘well the reason they’re not telling you the stories are they’re trying to hide something,’ and that’s simply just not it.” It would be unethical for the police to share information with media outlets until the case has been investigated, but some articles that are published before investigations can distort the fact that the police have confidential information to be important facts the police are hiding. Farris said if police officers are investigating criminal violations, it is nearly impossible to avoid
complaints being filed against them, legitimate in meaning or not. When a police officer is alleged to have committed a crime, some articles include the number of complaints filed against them, but do not list their contents to provide the reader with context of the complaint and its legitimacy. Farris said his son is a police officer at APD, and he was on duty during the riots over the summer of 2020. Farris said rocks and frozen water bottles were thrown at his son, and that one rock opened a gash in his knee. His son is left anonymous for security purposes. “You have the right to protest, you don’t have the right to riot. Protesting is one thing, throwing rocks, water bottles, frozen water bottles... [or] having a Molotov cocktail in your backpack is not a
“A lot of problems that are happening in the Austin Police are basically problems that you have in Austin.” - Warren Andresen
Protester in Charlotte, North Carolina raises his fist in the air, with a sign reading the last words of George Floyd before his death. (Photo by Clay Banks courtesy of Unsplash.)
Texas. They’re cutting a police force; they’re taking money and putting it someplace else and all this other stuff. Somebody who lives in West Austin is not going to go without police. They will make a phone call to somebody of power and say ‘I want cops in my neighborhood,’ and the cops will be in their neighborhood.” Farris said this statement does not ring true for minority communities, and police resources and efforts will gravitate toward areas that
are majority white. Andresen said Austin’s history has directly affected society today, and this is represented in the police as well. “A lot of problems that are happening in the Austin Police are basically problems that you have in Austin,” Andresen said. “I think that this city and this county, in our political leadership were pretty segregated, and that trickles down into the police.” Warren Andresen’s opinions do not represent the opinions of St. Edwards University.
peaceful protest,” Farris said. Farris said many people are advocating for the police to be defunded, and in Austin, the police are currently being defunded. Farris said there will be negative implications for this, however. “When you have less police, the communities that are affected more by less police are the communities [that] are the main majority-minority communities,” Farris said. “This exists in Austin,
Fists in Charlotte, North Carolina are raised in respect for George Floyd at a BLM protest. (Photo by Clay Banks courtesy of Unsplash.)
Rioting and Violence vs. Protesting By Eliana Legatt
Stop the BloodShed The Black Lives Matter movement advocated against police brutality.
32 Austin Divided
Protestors hold signs about police brutality.
93% of the Black Lives Matter protests have non-violent demonstrators.
Sources - The Texas Signal, news article - ACLU - Dennis Farris, a retired police officer from APD
What To Do When Approached by a Police Officer By Eliana Legatt Lorem ipsum
You Have The Right to Remain Silent
Sources - KVUE, news article - abc news - ACLED, study published Aug. 31, 2020
Stay Calm
Keep Your Hands Where the Police Can See Them
33 Austin Divided
The Genetrification Division in Aust in By Ethan Ojede
Gentrification increases rent and displaces residents. (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock.)
T
The 1928 Master Plan for the City of Austin, which created a district in East Austin called the “Negro District,” contributed to gentrification and discrimination in Austin. Gentrification resulted in African Americans and Hispanics being segregated and marginalized when the plan was enacted. A fundamental question that, we as a society, must ask, is, how can the City of Austin develop without causing significant harm to some of the less fortunate residents? Addressing the challenges of marginalization and segregation may call for policies that can help to promote equity and inclusion. For instance, as the
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city develops, public resources can be directed in schools in low income neighborhoods in East Austin, which are dominated by African Americans and Hispanics. Education has long been viewed as a key mechanism for reducing the wealth gap between the top rich and the bottom poor. Therefore, giving more opportunities to kids in poor neighborhoods by equal distribution of resources and opportunities in schools can ensure an upward mobility for the less privileged and or underrepresented members of our society. As public schools in low income neighborhoods get more resources and a boost
in their ratings, it can attract kids from diverse backgrounds. Along with providing resources to schools, the City could also improve on other amenities in East Austin, such as public parks, public libraries, playgrounds, roads, etc. As Austin continues to experience tremendous growth, property values and taxes have been increasing at the same time. This is continuously causing more distress in low income communities, not only in East Austin but in other subregions around Austin, as well. A key solution to this is through government redistribution through progressive tax policies where the rich are taxed more
and the revenues are then used to fund welfare benefits to the bottom poor. Gentrification in Austin has disenfranchised African Americans by raising mortgage and property taxes and other things that hurt African Americans and Hispanics, financially. This leads to high rates of poverty which inhibits growth in African American and Hispanic communities. Poverty leads to lack of opportunities, poor education and a host of other issues caused by the history of redlining, systematic denial of various services, based on race. Even though segregation and discrimination improved over the years, African Americans are still struggling with the consequences as a result of increased gentrification. Urban development is mostly for profit in Austin and does not usually support previous residents but aids newcomers. Disadvantaged East Austin residents are indirectly being forced out of their houses by having to pay higher mortgages, leading to new residents moving in, who are wealthier and can afford these price hikes. Realtors, investors, and other figures, who are involved with development earn more money by allowing more wealthy people to live in East Austin while being unconcerned about residents who are being affected by the low-affordability of real estate in East Austin. Joni S. Charles, has a Ph.D. in economics and works at
“I think the heart and soul of Austin has really changed.” — Joni Charles the Department of Finance and Economics at Emmett and Miriam McCoy College of Business Administration at Texas State University, and has witnessed gentrification first hand. “Because we don’t have as many bus lines or a metro rail line coming to South Austin, you’re not going to have very many Black people in South Austin.
The other remaining blacks typically move out of East Austin to places like Pflugerville and Round Rock. In the end, you’re not going to have very many black people coming to South Austin. This is exactly the way that these neighborhoods are zoned,” Charles said. Not only does gentrification worsen the quality of life for disenfranchised people by limiting opportunities and services due to red-lining but it can also marginalize them further. Gentrification also silently separates neighborhoods in Austin by limiting public transportation, association with the neighborhoods and other exploitative ways to delink neighborhoods. For example, Interstate Highway 35, a major Texas highway, is the main boundary between Downtown and East Austin. Limited bus lines to and from Downtown Austin is an example of gentrification separating neighborhoods and resulting in limited East Austin development. The connections
Looking up from the underground floor of the Texas Capitol building to the Capitol building. (Photo by Kourtney Smith, courtesy of Unsplash.)
35 Austin Divided
between East and Downtown Austin may be getting better with development, but this development is mostly exploited by richer individuals to make a profit rather than actually helping the communities where business developments are
house vibrant businesses or entertainment centers and not just boarded up and dilapidated or deserted areas. But it’s not an improvement where the richness of the culture is no longer there. For instance, when Black churches, so many
and development has gotten better, the original residents will not be benefited financially and will likely leave East Austin. The residents who can afford to stay will benefit slightly by having a safer environment, more services and other benefits that Charles
Residents protest to avoid being priced out of a neighborhood. (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock.)
taking place. Charles explained that development in Austin has its benefits, but it still has lingering consequences. “Those who do remain will probably say it’s good to have a vibrant neighborhood. It’s good to have less crime, it’s good to have police officers, who are there to protect, and not to just arrest. It’s good to have buildings that now 36 Austin Divided
of which used to be there to form the center for cultural and social activities, decide to move to areas which are cheaper to pay their taxes, the cultural heritage of this particular group gets wiped out. So if you know, in that sense, it’s not a big improvement, because it’s not the same kind of Watson as it used to be.” From Charles’ perspective, even though the safety, environment,
stated, but the East Austin culture and atmosphere will fade away since the development and gentrification doesn’t regard culture and traditions. Discrimination as a result of gentrification can be very subtle sometimes. This can indirectly invoke separation. Discrimination isn’t that prevalent anymore, but its limited presence still affects Austin. This problem can be amplified in scenarios where one
has to buy a house, apply for a job, look for better schools for their children, etc. especially in areas where ethnicity may play a role in stereotypes.
The effects of gentrification, discrimination and neglect can be openly shown when Chih highlights the issues that are only pointing towards East Austin.
Whether created by law, norms of society, discrimination and stereotypes can have several manifestations that are sometimes not easily recognizable.
Gentrification and discrimination have shaped Austin into what it is today. In this context, many people, who have
“Whether it’s by institutional practice, even if not by law, if you don’t hire a realtor who is looking out for your interest, or as progressive ideas about where Black people are allowed to live, then you end up being affected by a practice, if not overtly alienating but may end up being racist,” Charles said. Yao-Yu Chih, Ph.D., has a doctorate degree in economics and also works in the Department of Finance and Economics at Emmett and Miriam McCoy College of Business Administration at Texas State University agreed that gentrification and discrimination are ingrained in Austin. The years of discrimination against minorities and the marginalization of colored people have separated different ethnicities based on how they look and the stereotypes associated with them.
not had the opportunity to visit East Austin to make comparisons with other zones in the city may not directly realize the effects of gentrification. As a result, many people may be blindfolded to see Austin just the way it is and disregard the causes of why Austin is this way today.
“I don’t have any inside knowledge or knowledge about the gentrification process. Honestly. I and other people just see it happening.” — Joni Charles
“If you drive around Austin and you look at its map to compare and contrast developments in different zones, there are numerous socio-economic disparities. You can literally see that East Austin has a relatively higher health risk, and higher crime and so on,” Chih said. (Photo courtesy of Adobe Stock.)
37 Austin Divided
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