www.todoaustin.com
Shine on you crazy diamond.
VOLUME VIII / JUNE 2016
Juneteenth Events Immigrant Detention Mamis Skyline Theater
C E N T R O U R B A N O HABLA Austin
income immigrants throughout Central Texas since 1987.
World Refugee Day observed Commemorate the United Nations’ World Refugee Day on Saturday, June 18, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Bullock Texas History Museum with a naturalization ceremony, free food samples, live music and performances, and family friendly activities. The naturalization ceremony will be conducted by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. People from different parts of the world who came to the U.S. as refugees will be sworn in as new Americans. Austin’s World Refugee Day Celebration is an annual event in collaboration between the Austin Refugee Roundtable and the Bullock Museum. The museum is decked out in colorful world flags, and many participants wear the traditional clothing of their home countries and ethnic groups. Throughout the day, visitors of all ages engage in educational activities about the refugee journey and enjoy arts and crafts, face painting, storytelling, and games. The event culminates with live music and dancing by refugee groups and other local performers.
Central Health board openings The Austin City Council seeks applications from qualified individuals to serve on the nine-member Board of Managers of the Travis County Healthcare District dba Central Health. The opening is to fill a term that will run through December 31, 2017. The deadline to apply is Tuesday, June 14. Interested applicants may complete a City of Austin Boards and Commissions application. Innovation fellows program launched Austin City Manager Marc Ott launched an innovation initiative in May, the Design, Technology, and Innovation Fellows Program, to bring experienced designers, developers, data analysts, user researchers and other innovators to work for the City alongside civil servants. Fellows will serve as full-time employees of the City for a 1-year, extendable term. The first round of fellows will start on Sept. 6, and the City will begin accepting applications on June 1. Austin earns Humane Society nod The Humane Society of the U.S. launched a new program with shelters and animal care and control facilities in five communities across the nation, including Austin, to deal with urban wildlife conflicts in humane and effective ways. Wild Neighbors communities will receive training, resources and step-by-step assistance for implementing the most effective science-based techniques for solving conflicts with wildlife.
World Refugee Day will be observed at Texas History Museum.
Immigrant Heritage Month Join American Gateways as it celebrates volunteers, clients, and Immigrant Heritage Month on Thursday, June 16, 7-9 p.m. at Edward Rendon Sr. Park at Festival Beach (Fiesta Gardens). Enjoy complimentary food, beverages, and entertainment. American Gateways has been providing immigration legal services to low-
Delivering diversity in media to Austin
Solidarity for prisoners On June 9, Austin Anarchist Black Cross is organizing a solidarity demo at Travis County Jail in Del Valle to reach out to local prisoners and their friends and family. The initiative comes in the wake of an incident on April 4, 2016, where prisoners across Texas initiated a strike in multiple units. With help from the Incarcerated Worker’s Organizing Committee, prisoners began a rolling work strike for better living and working conditions, objective timelines for release on good/work time, and an end to a $100 medical co-pays that prevents access to health care.
Volume VIII, Number 2
for more than five years, TODO Austin
PUBLISHER/EDITOR // Gavin Lance Garcia gavin@todoaustin.com
printed journal, and TODOAustin.
ART DIRECTOR // Dave McClinton // dmdesigninc.com
com offer news, opinion, cultural
MANAGING EDITORS // Meredith C. Cox, Lesly Reynaga
arts and lifestyle stories written by, about, and for all ethnic communities in multicultural Austin.
ASSOCIATE EDITORS // Sonia Kotecha, Liz Lopez, Monica Peña, Katie Walsh, Erica Stall Wiggins, Yvonne Lim Wilson
Taking a step toward citywide equity By Lesly Reynaga
So many of us feel lucky to live in this beautiful city that continues to grow in the midst of an economic boom. Still, it is well-known that not everyone in Austin has been positively impacted by this growth, low-income minority groups being the most affected. Studies show that Central Texas’ level of income segregation ranks among the highest in the country. Likewise, segregation and gentrification have left their mark in our city through the decades as it’s revealed in racial distribution maps in our region.
help us change this by making equity a part of everything we are doing.”
Austin is one of a group of cities looking at city policy through an equity lens. Dante James, currently director of Portland’s Office of Equity and Human Rights and interim director of the City of Oakland’s Department of Race and Equity, explains the concept of achieving equity: “Equity is realized when one’s identity cannot predict the outcome. In this city, this state and this country, it is clear that one’s identity, certainly one’s race, can absolutely predict the outcome. Looking at the most impactful social indicators of success; it is not class, it is not gender, which are most decisive. It is race that is the ultimate predictor of the most detrimental outcomes in society.”
According to a recent study by research and advocacy nonprofit PolicyLink, if members of minority groups received equal employment and wage distributions as Anglo citizens in 2012, the Austin economy would have seen a 22 percent increase equivalent to $21.7 billion. Our city’s racial divides continue to bring higher poverty rates, isolated neighborhoods and lower education and employment levels to African-American and Hispanic populations. Affordable housing is one of the most prominent problems that is directly associated to race and socioeconomic-based inequities throughout the city.
Lesly Reynaga and Mayor Steve Adler
Mayor Adler has the City of Austin headed in the right direction with this significant step towards increasing opportunities for all to achieve their full potential. Although we cannot expect immediate results from this new measure, it can be the key to a brighter future for generations to come.
The good news is Austin City Council is listening. During his second State of the City address earlier this year in February, Mayor Steve Adler talked about several measures that will bring prosperity and opportunities to everyone in our city. One important topic in Adler’s agenda is the creation of a new Equity Office, a plan that has been in place since summer of 2015. “For too long, this city has not served everyone who lives here or taken into account the long-term effects of what we do,” Mayor Adler said. “Having an Office of Equity will CONTRIBUTORS // Alka Bhanot, Lauren Bruno, Roy Casagranda, Greg Casar, Cindy Casares, Lobo Corona, Nora De LaRosa, Laura Donnelly Gonzalez, Mark Guerra, Mari Hernandez, Yadira Izquierdo, Chaille Jolink, Ryan Jordan, Ali Khataw, Ramey Ko, Harish Kotecha, Julia Lee, Isabel Lopez-Aguilar, Otis Lopez, Vanessa Maldonado, David Marks, Cristina Parker, Raul Rangel Uribe, Paul Saldaña, Marion Sanchez, Blake Shanley, Dani Slabaugh, Corey Tabor, Sergio Tristan, Blanca Valencia, Bishop Joe S. Vasquez, Debora Kuetzpal Vasquez
CONTRIBUTING STAFF // Cat Cardenas, Evelyn C. Castillo, Rose Di Grazia, Callie Langford, Genoveva Rodriguez, Diana Sanchez, Lesley Varghese
WEB DESIGN // TODOAustin.com
PRODUCTION SERVICES // Anthony Garcia
TODO Austin // Multicultural Media for All of Austin. TODO
COVER // Solstice // Original photo by Pooneh Ghana
Having held the first town hall meetings last month, the City will continue to provide the Austin community with opportunities to share ideas and input on what’s envisioned for the new Equity Office in the coming months. For information on future town hall meetings, visit austintexas.gov (input can also be provided via email at EquityOffice@austintexas.gov). As we celebrate Juneteenth, World Refugee Day, Ramadam, Shavout and the first anniversary of the nationwide legalization of same-sex marriage this month, I invite you to engage in the conversation to help unify our diverse city. Austin is a free print and online journal for all of Austin highlighting our multicultural heritage and promoting the concept of community in an ethnically diverse city. Circulation throughout Austin, from the Westside’s Pennybacker Bridge to the Eastside’s Montopolis Bridge. TODO Austin is published by Spark Awakened Publishing. © 2016 Spark Awakened Publishing. All rights reserved. The views expressed here are the authors and should not be taken to represent those of Spark Awakened Publishing or of any of its associates or partners. ADVERTISING/SUBMISSIONS/EDITORIAL: info@todoaustin.com, 512.538.4115 TODO AUSTIN // JUN 2016 // TODOAUSTIN.COM 03
There is no justice for black girls in America By Kali Nicole Gross
Miracles are proof of the presence of God By Bishop Joe S. Vásquez Catholic Spirit
This week marks the anniversary of the tragic death of a 7-year-old black girl named Aiyana Stanley-Jones. Six years ago, Aiyana was killed while she slept at her grandmother’s house. Joseph Weekley, the Detroit SWAT officer who fatally shot her during a botched raid, is still on the police force. Despite being charged with involuntary manslaughter and two lesser charges, juries failed to reach verdicts and the charges were dropped in January 2015. The loss of this innocent girl is heartbreaking, and it is a stain on the soul of this nation. It’s also a sickening comment on the state of black girlhood in America. Earlier this year, news accounts and press releases made it seem like the moment for the recognition of black girls’ humanity had come at last. After years of lobbying, for example, the White House finally launched an initiative aimed at improving the lives of black and Latina girls — something similar to the program My Brother’s Keeper. More recently, The NoVo Foundation, created by Peter and Jennifer Buffett, launched a seven-year, $90 million commitment to “support and deepen the movement for girls and young women of color in the United States.” These developments follow the tireless work of organizations like the African American Policy Forum and the Human Rights Project for Girls as well as the careful research undertaken by scholars on the lives of black girls — from historians like LaKisha Simmons to social justice scholar Monique Morris to sociologist Carla Shedd. In April, the Black Girl Movement Conference in New York marked the nation’s first conference on black girls. This momentum is positive and necessary. Unfortunately, it does not overshadow the virulent hatred and misogynic feelings that jeopardize African American girls’ very existence. From the racist vitriol spewed at Malia Obama, a brilliant student who has been admitted to Harvard University, to the white supremacist’s bullets that whizzed past a 5-year-old black girl hiding among the dead during last summer’s shooting 04 TODO AUSTIN // JUN 2016 // TODOAUSTIN.COM
at the Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, to the beating and subsequent criminalization of a 16-year-old Spring Valley High School student by a school resource officer, black girls lives have yet to matter. Countless studies have now ticked off the ways that black girls are vulnerable to sexual assault and criminalization because of it. Studies have shown how black girls are suspended more than white girls and even black boys, who are themselves disproportionately targeted by school disciplinary policies. Research indicates that black children are regarded as violent threats, and black girls are viewed as loud, hostile and aggressive — stereotypes that eclipse their humanity and their youth. The failure to obtain justice for Aiyana is rooted in all of these issues. In order to upend these dynamics, we have to continue to fight and get justice for this child and her grieving family because we will not achieve substantive change for black children, let alone all black people, until we do. There is no moving forward until Joseph Weekley is punished for taking Aiyana’s life. There is no reconciliation until the humanity of our children is sacrosanct. There is no forgetting about Aiyana StanleyJones. She was 7 years old, asleep at her grandmother’s house. An officer shot and killed her and walked away. A peaceful rally will be held in Detroit outside the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center to remember Aiyana and all victims of police brutality. We all should demand that the Department of Justice investigate this case. We need justice for Aiyana and we need to turn the tide in this country for the sake of all black girls. Kali Nicole Gross is Public Voices Fellow, an associate professor and associate chair of the African and African Diaspora Studies Department at The University of Texas at Austin.
A miracle is an event or an act of God that goes beyond natural laws. According to the glossary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, a miracle is “a sign or wonder, such as a healing or the control of nature, which can only be attributed to the divine power.” For example, a miracle from Scripture is the parting of the Red Sea (Ex 14: 21-22). God intervenes in what is taking place and causes something to happen outside the laws of nature that benefits those involved. In the Gospels, Jesus cures many people, and the point of these miracles isn’t to astonish people, but rather to prove that the kingdom of God is present. I firmly believe miracles continue to take place because God does not abandon us. God is always intervening in our lives. I often think to myself: Where would I be if God wasn’t intervening on my behalf? Even after I make mistakes or I sin, God continues to intervene on my behalf. God is very attentive to all of our needs. We must remember that not every prayer will be answered with a miracle, and God’s decision to intervene in one’s life by a miracle is part of his divine will. The miracles that Jesus performed required that the recipient have faith. As Jesus told Bartimaeus just before he granted him his sight, “Go your way; your faith has saved you,” (Mk 10: 52). Miracles do not force a person to be convinced that God is acting on their behalf rather they are meant to strengthen one’s
faith. They don’t force us to believe in God rather they are meant to elicit faith in such a way that we can boldly proclaim that we believe in God. Miracles point to the reality of God. When a miracle takes place and it is to be attributed to a particular person, the miracle must be verified by the church. This is not to say that miracles don’t happen if the church hasn’t verified them. However, if someone who is ill from terminal cancer and through the intercession of a particular saint or potential saint is then cured, the church has to verify that cure. Doctors are brought in who will question and investigate to determine what happened. The doctors may or may not be believers or may or may not be Catholic; nevertheless, their task is to investigate objectively whether the miracle occurred. When Jesus works miracles in Scripture, he does so always by the hand of God. God works miracles, but through the intercession of different saints we believe that God listens to our prayers. We pray to the saints, and we ask them to help us. In much the same way as I would ask my brothers or sisters to pray for me if I were sick or if I were struggling with a difficult situation, I can ask the saints to pray for me as well. The saints are people who have died but whom we believe are alive and with God in heaven. Therefore, they have God’s ear, if you will. When we pray to the saints, we ask them to help us, we ask them to plea for God’s help on our behalf. Can we go directly to God? Of course, we can, but the saints are our friends and part of our family of faith who are praying for us. They are friends of Jesus and, of course, we want them to be on our side when we are battling illness or difficulties in our lives. When a miracle occurs after praying to a saint, we should remember that it is God who initiates the miracle. It is the saint who asks God to grant the request; however, the saint is not the one who grants the miracle.
In 1834 Williams Wells Brown wrote, “The Escape; or Leap for Freedom” that recounted Brown’s attempted escape from enslavement at the age of 20. “Leap for Freedom” is considered the first play published by an African American that has “endured.” Through William Wells Brown and countless others, we see that black theater is not a luxury but a means of survival that holds a special place in African American history. Black theater in Texas can be traced back to the 1800’s with minstrel companies and the playwriting of Sherman Dudley with his play “The Smart Set” that premiered in 1896. Black Theater has been the corner stone of arts activity since the turn of the century in Texas, taking early root in community centers, churches and historically black colleges. Our current exhibition, Stages of Struggle and Celebration: The History of Black Theater in Texas, showcases Texas State University’s Dr. Sandra M. Mayo and Elvin Holt’s groundbreaking research featured in their two books, “Acting Up and Getting Down: Plays by African American Texans” (2014), and “Stages of Struggle and Celebration: A Production History of Black Theater in Texas” (2016). The exhibition closes on Saturday June 25.
In Texas to raise funds, Clinton ignores immigrant family detention crisis The Democratic presidential candidate has said she is against the policy, but advocates say campaign promises are not enough By Cristina Parker
The ESB-MACC is currently soliciting photographs and other memorabilia for an exhibit that will be on display in the Community Gallery from June 30, 2016 to September 3, 2016. The photographs will depict the stories of local Mexican Americans as migrant farm workers during the 1940s-1960s. In the early to mid-20th century, hundreds of Mexican Americans from the Austin area would travel to work as seasonal migrant farm workers in family-owned farms or farming corporations throughout the country. These individuals would work in fields or orchards harvesting crops that could only be done by hand and required hard physical labor. Many traveled with family, friends, by themselves or labor contractors never knowing if they would make it to their destinations and if the crops would be bountiful. Living conditions were at times minimal. Some would live in labor camps, housing provided by their employers, small rental rooms or in chicken coops. Photographs will be scanned for exhibit use and originals will be returned to the owner. All other material relevant to the exhibit will be on loan to the ESB-MACC and returned at the end of exhibition. For further information please contact gloria.espitia@austintexas.gov. Immigrant rights advocates in Austin were disappointed Friday afternoon, May 20, when presidential candidate Hillary Clinton refused to speak with them about family detention during a fundraiser in Austin. They say she is wrong to ignore the issue, especially while visiting the state. Texas is home to two massive, for-profit family detention centers, which have been detaining Central American women with their children since 2014. The facilities are at the center of a legal battle over state efforts to license them as childcare facilities under lowered standards. According to a spokesperson for the department that would issue the licenses, the move was to help the Obama administration’s policy withstand a judge’s order to release the families. “Right now we need more from politicians than just words and promises that they are going to do something if elected president” said Alejandro Caceres, immigration organizer at Grassroots Leadership in Austin. “We need Hillary Clinton to use her political power to do everything she can to help end family detention as soon as possible.” Hillary Clinton said at a town hall last month that she would end family detention. But the women who are detained with their children can’t wait until next year. Private prisons are profiting off their pain every day right now — including several families who have already arrived at the Karnes and Dilley facilities in South Texas after being picked up in raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) last week. Advocates are asking Sec. Clinton to do more than make campaign promises and use her influence before November to push for an end to family detention and for a stop to the ICE raids on women and children.
Texas Tribune photo
According to National Public Radio, U.S. immigration officials are
ONGOING AT AARC: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 9:30-11:30 a.m. | RICE: Senior Tea & Coffee. Free. Community Room 8. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, 12-1 p.m. | RICE: Senior Lunch Social. Free. Community Room 8. Thursday, May 5 and 19, 10:30 a.m.-12 p.m. | RICE: Senior Tai Chi with Vince Cobalis. Free. Ballroom. UPCOMING EVENTS: June 4 and 18. -Longevitology Practice is offered to those who are interested in maintaining health without medical intervention. Event open to the public. Free. Saturday, June 11, 6-11 p.m.| Celebrando 2016 – Salsa & Heritage Festival. Celebrate Puerto Rico’s rich traditions with Bomba & Plena folklore masters direct from Puerto Rico -- Tito Matos and Tata Cepeda, plus hot salsa, performances, handcraft artisans, and comida criolla. For tickets please visit the Puerto Rican Folkloric Dance & Cultural Center website. Ballroom. Wednesday, June 22, 5:30- 7:30 p.m. | Meet the Buyer/Business Development Counselor This event is designed to help business owners learn more about the City of Austin’s purchasing processes and meet buyers from various City of Austin departments. Hosted by the City of Austin Small and Minority Business Resources (SMBR) Department. Free, please RSVP online. Ballroom.
planning to detain and deport immigrants who were part of the surge of Central Americans who crossed into the U.S. illegally over the past two years, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson said in a statement Thursday, May 12. NPR’s John Burnett reports that immigration agents are mainly targeting young mothers with small children, and unaccompanied youths who turned 18 after they entered the U.S. He says officials will be detaining people whose “asylum claims have been rejected.” Many Central Americans have fled their home countries due to gang violence. The ICE statement followed a May report from Reuters that said immigration agents are “planning a month-long series of raids in May and June.” The news service also wrote that “the operation would likely be the largest deportation sweep targeting immigrant families” by President Obama’s administration this year, after “a similar drive over two days in January that focused on Georgia, Texas, and North Carolina.” That roundup detained 121 people, most of whom were women and children. Both Sec. Clinton and Sen. Bernie Sanders released statements in May in response to the announcement of raids. Clinton said in a statement that she is “against large scale raids that tear families apart and sow fear in communities.” “I am concerned about recent news reports, and believe we should not be taking kids and families from their homes in the middle of the night,” she said. “Large scale raids are not productive and do not reflect who we are as a country.” TODO AUSTIN // JUN 2016 // TODOAUSTIN.COM 05
Join in Austin’s Juneteenth festivities
A.I.S.D. Performing Arts Center (1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd.). The pageant underscores growing healthy self-value in area youth, recognizing individuality and achievement while promoting and educating others about Texas African American history. Special guests Miss United Nations Sherrie Gerhart and Olympic runner Bill Rogers will present the 2nd By TODO Austin staff Annual Community Impact Award on behalf of the Greater East Austin Youth Association, one of the Washington, D.C. celebrates Emancipation Day first black- established charitable organizations in on April 16, which marks the anniversary of the Austin. Tickets are available for purchase online. signing of the Compensated Emancipation Act of 1862. Our country also recognizes January 1, Green and Clean Neighborhood Project 1863 as the day President Lincoln’s Emancipation The Juneteenth Green and Clean Neighborhood Proclamation became official. In Texas, however, Project will bring families together on June 11, from there is a more historically significant date known 7–9 a.m., with volunteers gathering at 13th St. and as Juneteenth or Freedom Day. It was on June 19, Chicon before starting their effort to pick up litter 1865, when official news of freedom were brought and waste from the surrounding area. to Galveston by Major General Gordon Granger: “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free,” read General Order Number 3. “This involves an absolute equality of rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.”
National Black MBA Association Chapter’s Gala The National Black MBA Association Chapter presents its 10th Anniversary Awards and Scholarship Gala on Thursday, June 16 at One World Theatre (7701 Bee Cave Road). Themed “VIS10N: Celebrating Our Past, Building Our Future,” the chapter celebrates 10 years of positively impacting the community through various charitable, educational and professional development acts.
The importance of Juneteenth continues to be celebrated to this day and there are plenty of Many local trailblazers and organizations have community events happening in Austin for all to paved the way for the creation of educational opportunities and economic growth for African join in the festivities. Americans and this year their contribution is The Greater East Austin Youth Association, a honored through this event. non-profit organization that provides structured sports activities for economically disadvantaged youth, organizes the Central Texas Juneteenth celebration every year. The 2016 program, scheduled for Saturday, June 18, features a day full of fun for everyone. The 2K Emancipation Run/Walk begins at 9:30 a.m. with participants starting at Comal St. and MLK Blvd. The community is invited to join families, friends, neighbors, organizations and businesses to raise awareness about the increasing prevalence of health disparities within the AfricanAmerican community. One of the annual highlights of Central Texas observations is the traditional Juneteenth Historical Parade at 10 a.m. along Comal St. and MLK Blvd. Known as a beautiful, vibrant experience, the annual parade is the signature event of the celebration with floats, marching bands, dancers, cowboys, horses, classic cars, candy and more of what the community has to offer.
The keynote speaker will be multi-industry leader Mel Parker. Guests to be honored at the gala include Robert F. Smith from Vista Equity Partners, Marilyn Johnson from the International Women’s Forum, and Deone Wilhite from the Travis County Commissioner’s Office. In addition to helping celebrate the National Black MBA Association Chapter’s past, sponsorships and ticket purchases will support the next generation through their Leaders of Tomorrow mentorship program, specifically their tech immersion and college readiness programs, scholarships and life skills development. Tickets are available for purchase online, which include valet parking, an open bar, music by DJ A/C and a four-course meal and fine wine samples. End the night with a serenade by Austin’s own Tameca Jones and her four-piece band. Carver Museum’s Juneteenth Celebration The Carver Museum and Cultural Center is celebrating Juneteenth on Saturday, June 18 from 12-4 p.m. at 1165 Angelina Street. The Carver’s Juneteenth Celebration will feature a family-friendly environment with live music, crafts and activities for kids, food, a marketplace with vendors and more.
To end the day’s festivities on a high note, the community comes together for an all-day Juneteenth Park Celebration at Rosewood Park (2300 Rosewood Ave.) with food vendors, exhibits, and live music from gospel to Hip-Hop to R&B, with a children’s area. For more information on the Greater East Austin Youth Association’s program, To top off the celebration, the Carver Museum will showcase a Tribute to Nina go to juneteenthcentraltexas.com. Simone--an American singer, songwriter, pianist, arranger, and civil rights activist who Miss & Little Miss Juneteenth Pageant The 2016 Miss & Little Miss Juneteenth Scholarship worked in a broad range of musical styles Pageant will be held on June 4, at 6 p.m. at the including classical, jazz, blues, folk, R&B, gospel, 06 TODO AUSTIN // JUN 2016 // TODOAUSTIN.COM
American healthcare practitioners and community healers at 5 p.m. at the Greater Austin Black Chamber (912 E. 11th Street). This event is in partnership with the Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department with support and resources provided by various community organizations and collaborators. Registration begins on June 1. In the Shadow of the Dome: Slave Life in Austin, Texas The Austin History Center invites you to “In the Shadow of the Dome: Slave Life in Austin, Texas” on Tuesday, June 21, 6:30 p.m. at Austin History Center. Andres and Juanita Tijerina, currently at work on an upcoming book by the same title, will speak about slave life and emancipation in Austin, as evidenced in the Travis County Slave Narratives that were recorded in the 1930s. This program will augment the upcoming Juneteenth celebrations and serve to increase our understanding of the historical roots of this celebration. The program is free and open to the public, and light refreshments will be served. and pop. Earning the title “High Priestess of Soul,” Nina Simone is an icon of American music and one The program is a two-part presentation on the of the most extraordinary artists of the twentieth slave narratives of Austin and Travis County, Texas. century. Some of the narratives appear in other publications, but most have never been published. The first part Carver Branch Library Juneteenth of the presentation is a review of the 1937 WPA Outreach Librarians, Carver Library and HEB project to interview Americans as part of the New present their Juneteenth celebration, “Community Deal administration. It explores the influence of Connection,” on Saturday, June 18, 11 a.m.-4 p.m. the interviewer, the typescript, and the interviewee at Austin Public Library George Washington Carver on the accuracy of the historical narrative. The Branch. second part of the presentation is a reading of The event begins with a community greet and selected narratives to demonstrate the nuances of meet in honor of Marian E. Barnes, followed by a the interviewer’s interpretation and the diversity of puppet show, “A Cool Ride in the Sky,” based on a persons interviewed. The conclusion reviews the book by Diane Wolkstein, DJ Mahealani, a summer history of the African-American freedmen of Travis reading journal collage with collage artist, and a County. performance by the Abundant Life Dance Troupe. Art is Cool On this Juneteenth, come experience a visual gallery featuring the work of seven dynamic artists whose work continues to reflect the rich heritage of the African American experience. On Saturday, June 18, mingle with artists and enjoy some of the traditional foods of Juneteenth including local favorites such as Franklin Barbecue and Niella Catering LLC. The event will be held from 6-10 p.m. at the Historic Dedrick Hamilton House on 912 East 11th Street. Juneteenth Music Festival The third annual Juneteenth Music Festival is Saturday, June 18, 6-10p.m. at Austin ISD’s Performing Arts Center at 1500 Barbara Jordan Blvd. The music line-up includes a variety of blues, funk, soul and New Orleans jazz. Featured artists this year include Jackie Venson and WAMM Nation Drumline. Juneteenth Health Fest The Juneteenth Health Fest is a community based event, free and open to the public that focuses on African American Health & Wellness. On Friday, June 17, screenings, health workshops and demonstrations will be facilitated by African
FEATURED JUNE 2016 EVENTS:
FRE
E
Juneteenth Celebration!
Saturday June 18th, 12pm-4pm A celebration of Freedom Day with live music, artist marketplace, food, and fun for the whole family!
George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center 1165 Angelina Street - www.carvermuseum.org
Dance in Public Places : LOTUS Saturday June 4th, 2pm - 4pm
Be a dancer or be an observer! Take part in this installation of dances inspired by Austin art! Hosted by Waterloo Dance
Asian American Resource Center 8401 Cameron Road - www.austintexas.gov/aarc
That RACKET! Musical Improv Workshop
St. Jude Medical Foundation™ for supporting Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure in Austin hospitals Quality improvement for patients. Performance improvement for hospitals. Get With The Guidelines®-Heart Failure is an in-hospital program for improving care by promoting consistent adherence to the latest scientific treatment guidelines.
Saturday June 25th, 1:30pm - 3:30pm
Have you ever wanted to be an improv guru? Here’s your chance to try it out! Mix and mingle with That RACKET and stick around for the show at 7:30!
Dougherty Arts Center 1110 Barton Springs Road - www.doughertyartscenter.org
Visit our Facebook page for all upcoming events! www.facebook.com/ArtsInParks The City of Austin is proud to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. If you require assistance for participation in our programs or use of our facilities, please call 512-974-4000.
www.heart.org/quality #austiniswhy
Good Times at Güero’s For great tunes and great rita’s! Please join us for live music on our outside jardin stage, every Wednesday through Sunday. THANKS TO THE FANS & BANDS WHO SUPPORT US!!!
JUNE Line-up
OUTDOOR SHOWS ARE “WEATHER PERMITTING” -----------------------------------------------------------------------THU 6/2 LOS FLAMES @ 6:30 FRI 6/3 THE BOB FUENTES SHOW @ 6:30 SAT 6/4 THE BREW @ 2:30 / EL TULE’ @ 6:30 SUN 6/5 DEBRA WATSON @ 12:00 / THE RECUPERATORS@ 3:00 -----------------------------------------------------------------------WED 6/8 KDRP RADIO SHOW @ 6:00 THU 69 BEYOND THERAPY @ 6:30 FRI 6/10 THE BOB FUENTES SHOW @ 6:30 SAT 6/11 THE TEXAS TYCOONS @ 2:30 / M.C. & THE MYSTIX @ 6:30 SUN 6/12 ERIN JAIMES @ 12:00 / BLUE MIST @ 3:00 -----------------------------------------------------------------------WED 6/15 KDRP RADIO SHOW @ 6:00 THU 6/16 GLENN COLLINS @ 6:30 FRI 6/17 THE BOB FUENTES SHOW @ 6:30 SAT 6/18 JIM STRINGER @ 2:30 / AUSTIN HEAT @ 6:30 -----------------------------------------------------------------------WED 6/22 KDRP RADIO SHOW @ 6:00 THU 6/23 AL DRESSEN SUPER SWING REVUE @ 6:30 FRI 6/24 THE BOB FUENTES SHOW @ 6:30 SAT 6/25 DON LEADY @ 2:30 / THE PETERSON BROTHERS @ 6:30 SUN 6/26 DR. ZOG @ 12:00 / CHICKEN STRUT @ 3:00 -----------------------------------------------------------------------WED 6/29 KDPR RADIO SHOW @ 6:00 THU 6/30 TEX THOMAS @ 6:30
1412 S. Congress Avenue • Austin, Texas 78704 Open Weekdays 11am-11pm; Weekends 8am-11pm
www.GuerosTacoBar.com
Solstice Festival brings community together through music and tech by The Octopus Project, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Mother Falcon, Ume, The Black and White Years, Megafauna, Zeale Rapz, RIDERS AGAINST the STORM (RAS), Hard Proof, Henry + The Invisibles, Young Tongue, BLUE HEALER, Heye Minds and The Bishops.
Based on a conversation with Fenchel, Friedman and Schuette headed the creation of a technology for the festival and called it Solstice. The technology of a way to bring people out on the streets. This was was built to help festivals power a web platform that how the Fête de la Musique was launched on June allows festival organizers and its participating venues and artists to schedule and manage thousands of 21, 1982, on the day of summer solstice. performances happening all over the festival cities. It was a huge success and now has over 40 clients in the U.S. and abroad.
Finally, artists such as SIP SIP, Wrestlers, Leach, KING NOTHING, Common Velvet, Lou Rebecca, Gui Dance and George West will offer after-party performances at Empire Control Room and The Parish, among other venues.
But the Solstice team didn’t stop there. Fenchel next connected with business entrepreneur Matt Ford and developer Adrian Taveres, who brought the technology and the festival to Austin. During their first year in Austin, Ford and Taveres met long-time
By Lauren Bruno
Once a year the earth grants us the miracle of viewing the sun—the star of light we are closest to—at its highest point in the sky. It is the longest day of the year, and a phenomenon we call summer solstice. Months later the winter solstice occurs. It is the shortest day of the year with the least amount of daylight between sunrise and sunset. But the winter solstice does not occur without a promise of the return of the sun, after a prolonged period of darkness.
In 2006, New Yorker Aaron Friedman’s fascination with Fête de la Musique inspired him to create a comparable event in the U.S. The festival was called Make Music New York and was first celebrated in 2007. The festival spread to six other cities in the U.S., one of those being Madison, Wisconsin, where Friedman met developers and entrepreneurs Michael Fenchel and Mike Schuette.
Every year, nature reminds us that there is hope. The sun always returns and all of us—at least in Texas—bask in its glory. I personally define hope as being able to see light despite all the darkness. The summer solstice provides an opportunity for us to absorb the light and choose to become one with unity, mother earth and each other. What better way to honor that than by celebrating through the gift of music and art at Solstice Festival on June 17-18. This year, Solstice Festival will be taking over Pan Am Park (located at East 3rd and Chicon St.) and multiple other venues all around the city for two days of a variety of music, local art and family activities. The festival kicks off Friday, June 17, with parties at Empire Control Room, The Mohawk, Scoot Inn, Stay Gold, Sidewinder, The Blackheart, Sahara Lounge, The Gatsby and Spiderhouse Ballroom. Featured artists include Night Drive, Big Bill, Holiday Mountain, Ruby Jane and The Reckless, Tele Novella, Mama K and The Shades and Bamako Airlines. Zeale
Holiday Mountain
Golden Dawn Arkestra
Daniel Villasana, a local festival supporter, reminded me that the word “festival” comes from the Latin word festal, defined as a period of unrestrained joy. “I enjoy seeing my fellow human beings fully selfexpressed in their creativity,” Villasana stated. The story of Solstice Festival and its birth is an ode to the fact that music unites and technology is the ultimate connector. So here it goes.
According to the official event site, “the Festival brings people out of their homes and into the celebration. It’s a public feast for the ears that showcases the local talent of the community members you see every day, or the music you’ve never heard before.” It’s also intriguing that this musical celebration comes about through the theme of science, celebrating the rotation of the earth and the evolution of the music within it. The festival provides a cultural day that deserves Ume to be celebrated so we can enjoy the melodies and rhythms mankind has created in emotional Austinite and Special Events Live Chief Executive response to our lives here. Officer, Luis Zapata. With Zapata’s collaboration, Just three decades later, the festival is now Solstice Festival came to life in Austin on June 21, celebrated in more than 700 cities around 120 2014. On the inaugural event’s bill, 145 artists played at 35 venues and off-the-wall spaces around different countries. the city, all of them booked through the Solstice technology.
Solstice Festival’s inspiration didn’t begin in Austin. In fact, it didn’t even begin in our country. The idea came from a festival called Fête de la Musique— commonly referred to as Make Music Day—in the beautiful country of France.
I first performed at the festival in 2014. It’s evident that artists—myself included—have responded in an extremely positive and receptive way to the festival and technology. The whole concept was so appealing to me that I decided to reach out to Matt Ford and asked to meet with him to talk more about where solstice and the festival was headed next.
The origins of the festival date back to October 1981, when local composer and long-time supporter of the arts, Maurice Fleuret, became Director of Music and Dance at Ministry of Culture Jack Lang’s request. He applied a unique approach on music idealism: “the music everywhere and the concert nowhere.” Learning through a 1982 study on cultural habits The main event starts at 12 p.m. on Saturday, that five million French people, one child out of two, June 18, at Pan Am Park, featuring performances played a musical instrument, inspired Lang’s dream 06 TODO AUSTIN // JUN 2016 // TODOAUSTIN.COM
Now, let’s get real for a second.
Riders Against the Storm
The reality of the music industry right now in Austin and beyond is somewhat of a culture shock. We’ve gone from being an industry run entirely by record sales to a culture of one-million-plays-earns-asongwriter-$16.89 (based on San Antonio native songwriter and musician David Lowery’s experience cont. on pg 11
keepaustinplaying
Interactive Games Prizes & Giveaways!
7/14 4:30-7pm Palmer Events Center FREE All ages interactive play day! Rock Climbing Wall, Batting Cage & Bike Rodeo! Enter to win a bicycle, hoverboard, & more!!!
austintexas.gov/parks
Punk band Mamis embrace intersectional identities through music
“For me, Mamis is everything,” drummer Lisa Limón said. “It’s our mothers, it’s a cute name, it’s our energy. When people hear Mamis, maybe you’re thinking about the stereotype of cute, sexy latina women, but it means something more. We’re fierce, we’re representing our community and that’s what the name brings to the table.”
By Cat Cardenas
The four-piece band, comprised of Naomi “Mimi” Scabs (vocals), Ashley “Big Peach” (guitar), Nicole “Nice Nikki” (bass) and Limón have known each other for years, but got together to form Mamis just eight months ago. Ashley jokes that their time together has been a kind of gestation period, as they wait to birth their debut EP later this summer.
For Austin-based punk band Mamis, their name means more than mother, it means more than the name girls might hear if they’re catcalled on the street — it’s a term of endearment, a term of empowerment and a testament to the things they create.
In Austin, the members of the punk band agreed that as an all-female band, they’re somewhat of a rarity in the punk scene. Throughout many of their songs, they discuss women’s rights and female empowerment, hoping to make women feel like they can discuss these issues as well. “We want to create a space for women and women of color in Austin,” Naomi said. “A lot of punk revolves around men and it’s very male centric, we want to provide a space for women to be heard and respected and in the spotlight. For women of color to talk about what we want to talk about without being afraid.” Though they all had backgrounds in punk, their individual tastes range from dance house music to the traditional Jarocho music of Veracruz, Mexico. “Because we listen to all of that music, to me, it comes together to make punk,” Ashley said. “It always feels experimental because we’re always bringing new sounds to the table.” Together, the band members are just as diverse as their sound. Though they all come from Texas, some of the band members identify as Chicana or Mexicana while others identify as black or Latina. Naomi said their different identities combine and bring different influences to the music they create together.
photo by Leticia Contreras
“I’m from the border, but I also identify as queer
and as a person of color and a woman,” Naomi said. “I feel like these identities are marginalized and I feel like music is a place for me to talk about that.” For Nikki, who also grew up on the border, her identity has always felt like a balancing act. With Cuban and Venezuelan parents, she said she feels like she’s from two different places at once. But in playing music, she found her voice and embraced her identity. “I feel like I’m really living when I play this kind of music, where all voices are welcome,” Nikki said. “It’s free flowing, it’s more than notes on a page. It’s this idea that music evolves while it’s being played.” While the band is still young, Ashley said during the shows they’ve played, they’ve found that people resonated with how the girls embrace their identities and celebrate and discuss them in their music. “In the punk scene a lot of people aren’t really talking about shit, especially in Austin which is so unjust for so many populations,” Ashley said. “I feel so good about the track we’re on, I feel like we’re about to burst some shit. With the current political climate, it’s about to get pretty clear how folks are going to move forward. We’re happy to use our artistic vision to help.”
continued from pg 8 with Pandora in 2013). Major labels that used to be a huge support system for artists are now nickel and diming artists. An example is Sony, who recently submitted claims stating they “overpaid an artist $2 million dollars.” The entire ecosystem of the music industry now exists on a screen. Kids these days value their iPhone more than any beautiful vinyl record out there.
There are two ways you can look at where we stand now. But I personally think the optimistic way is the best. Here is why. Never before in the history of the music industry have we been able to connect with so many people like we can now! And it’s all because of technology. We have the opportunity to take control of every level of our craft and it’s just a click away. We are the creators.
Hard Proof
hop and indie artist. “I don’t oppose larger festivals that do offer native artists to be billed with national headliners, but those events are more about the mass sound versus our city’s voices.” Tele Novella
Back to the story, my conversation with Matt Ford was filled with inspiration and reality. We talked about some of the major problems in the local music booking industry, mainly communication and organization, and ways we can aid in fixing those problems. We also talked about the amount of local talent and local venues that Austin has and the need for increased connection between the two. And, of course, we talked about the need for locally focused festivals.
Blue Healer
Local artists are voicing the benefits of small local events. “I enjoy smaller festivals in Austin like Euphoria, Levitation, and Solstice because they tap into the real sound of Austinites who work and create here,” said Zeale, a Solstice Festival 2016 hip
The development of Solstice Live has played a crucial part in the success of Solstice Festival, now in its third year. Through Solstice Live, artists build a following throughout the year, then they are booked for the festival and gain an even bigger The conversation with Ford hit me hard and made following, as well as the opportunity to play with me think about all the hundreds of local bands that bigger local Austin artists. just want a chance to be heard and an opportunity to succeed. It became clear to me in that moment In the words of Rodney Connell from local band that I wanted to join the Solstice team. Night Drive, “we’re very lucky to live in a city with so much focus on music. We have more than our It was not too long after Solstice Festival that the last fair share of festivals here and that’s particularly part of the technology, Solstice Live, was born. So great if you’re a musician.” many artists responded in such a positive way to the festival booking technology that it was evident a Our city holds great talent and motivated local booking technology was needed. musicians who, just like the summer solstice, remind us there’s hope in truly owning our city’s Solstice Live was built to connect artists directly with title as The Live Music Capital of the World for events and opportunities and help ease the process generations to come. of booking for the talent buyer or venue. Almost 900 local artists are currently on the platform and For the complete Solstice Festival 2016 lineup and over 1,500 shows have been booked in the last year. ticket purchases, visit solsticeatx.com. TODO AUSTIN // JUN 2016 // TODOAUSTIN.COM 11
To Do Música By Liz Lopez
BROWN SOUND NEWS Beloved 53-year-old Tejano and Country music singer-songwriter Emilio Navaira died Monday, May 16 in New Braunfels. Known to most as Emilio, he was the recipient of one Grammy Award and one Latin Grammy Award. In the words of Austin Tejano Music Coalition Vice President Ross Gomez, “There’s no replacing a legend.” According to Gomez, not many artists can go by a first name, “but when someone (in the Tejano world) said ‘Emilio’ you knew exactly who that was... His music will live on forever because legends never die.” The San Antonio native’s last shows in Austin were at Dance Across Texas in August 2015, as well as his headline performance at the Easter Seals Día de los Muertos Festival in October 2015. Austin Music Realty presents SIMS Foundation fundraiser “ROCK the FOUNDATION!,” featuring Patricia Vonne and her band (Rick DelCastillo, Robert LaRoche, Scott Garber, Hector Munoz), as well as Don Harvey & A is Red (including Naga Valli, Sarah Brown, Stefano Intelisano, Chris Downey and Kevin Flatt). The event is on Friday, June 3, 7 p.m.-10 p.m. at ONE-2-ONE BAR, 1509 S Lamar Blvd, Ste 600. Tickets for the event are $15. For more information on SIMS, visit simsfoundation. org. The Echocentrics released their second album, “Echo Hotel,” last month on Nacional Records. Featuring Natalia Clavier, James Petralli of White Denim, Tita Lima, Alex Maas of The Black Angels, Bill Callahan (smog), and Jazz Mills, it is available
Emilio Navaira
The Echocentrics
time, but it will be announced on their Advisory Board Facebook page, A.B. Cantu Pan-American Recreation Center Community Advisory Board. Chris Castaneda
at your favorite record store or via digital retail outlets. The vinyl will be available this month. nacionalrecords.com. A 2016 release by Julio el Catras, “Julito Candela,” is described as “Fun, Energetic, Club, Party Music. International Rhythms with a Tropical Beat.” Hear some of the tunes at julioelcatras.hearnow.com. Devin Banda’s next single titled “Yo No Soy Asi” will be released this month before her CD drops this summer.. A taping of the video will be held on Sunday, June 5 from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. in Austin, and the public is invited to cast to be part of it. Send an email to express your interest to Yoli Romo at ytromo@yahoo.com or call 512-969-8159. A Freestyle Mania concert is set for June 11 with Lil Suzy, Angel Gonzalez, Nocera and DJ Tury Q at Villa’s Taco Shack on 4406 South Congress. VIP meet and greet ticket with Lil Suzy and Angel Gonzalez are available and they include a poster and Angel’s limited edition (pre released) “Freestyle” album. The show is 18+ and there are general admission presale tickets that Angel will deliver personally! He can be reached at 512-6194424. Chris Castaneda has a new release, “The Electronoids,” a psychedelic concept album with fresh sonic sounds he and the fictional band The Electronoids created. For sale now at chriscastanedamusic.com. The Austin Tejano Music Coalition membership meetings are held every other Wednesday. For the month of June, the restaurant meeting place will be changed temporarily, as El Gallo will be undergoing repairs. Learn about the organization and the upcoming auditions for the Tejano Idol vocal contest by calling 512-912-6925 or visit austintejanomusicoalition.com. Austin Social Salsa Club has found a new home venue for Salsa Thursdays, the Sterling Event Center. To learn about the group or event details, contact Tricia Dallas via her Facebook page. The A. B. Cantú-Pan Am Advisory board meeting was held in late May to plan the 2016 Hillside Concert Series. The lineup is not available at press
12 TODO AUSTIN // JUN 2016 // TODOAUSTIN.COM
Jose A. Velasquez has a birthday coming up and the celebration will be a benefit concert for Latinitas. Enjoy the sounds of Bidi Bidi Banda at the Hard Luck Lounge (3526 E 7th St) on Saturday, July 23 from 8 p.m.-midnight. Door tickets are $10. For more information, contact Mr. Velasquez via his Facebook page. RECOMMENDED SHOWS Augustin Ramirez will be headlining a show on Friday, June 3 with guests, Elvira Sanchez, Tejano Boyzz, and DJ Old School. Meet and greet starts at 7 p.m. Ramirez was inducted into the Tejano Music Hall of Fame and in 2000, he won his first Grammy award for Best Tejano Album. Cover is $12 at Tropicana Bar & Grill, 1141 ½ Airport Blvd. augustinramirez.com. -------Bidi Bidi Banda says “Help us say adios to Austin as we kick off our first ever tour with a killer party at The Highball Austin!” Join the band on June 3 at 10 p.m., 1120 S Lamar Blvd. Cover is $5. bidibidibanda. com -------Join the Second Brazilian Music in the Garden, with Brazilian artist Paula Maya and her band at 7505 Islander Dr. from 4 p.m.-6 p.m. It’s a family-friendly day to share music, food, community and fun. There is a swimming pool, a fire pit and dancing. The event is BYOB and guests are welcome to bring heat resistant food to share. There is free street parking and please bring folding chairs and/ or blankets to sit on. Suggested donation is $10. paulamaya.com. -------Riders Against the Storm—Austin Music Awards Band of the Year honoree 2014/2015—will perform on June 7 with the Oxymorrons (BK, NY) at 3TEN Austin City Limits Live, 310 W Willie Nelson Blvd, Ste 1A at 8 p.m. 3tenaustin.com -------Buzz Guerra performs a Solo Acoustic Guitar in the dining/bar area of The Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa every Tuesday, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Check out his Facebook page for details on this and other shows. -------The Buddy Jale Group will be performing every second and fourth Thursday of the month at Tropicana Bar & Grill, 1141 ½ Airport Blvd. First
show of the month should be June 11. For more information, contact Buddy de los Santos via his Facebook page or the venue at 512- 436- 1027. -------The Chris Castaneda Project will perform Tuesday, June 14 and 28, at Cedar Street Courtyard, 208 W 4th Street from 8 p.m.-11:45 p.m. No Cover. goldmanrecords.com. -------Hell Camino is back at Hays Co. Bar-B-Que and Catering in San Marcos. Band members are Ed Alcala (Guitar & Vocals), Phil Avila (Drums), Noel Fuller (Vocals) and Richard Nieto (Bass & Vocals). Enjoy Rock & Roll on Saturday, June 4, 6 p.m.-10 p.m. at 1612 IH-35 S. -------Pachanga Panameña is a night of Panamanian culture, folkloric dancing, traditional foods and the sounds of DJ Chris. All ages welcome Saturday, June 4, from 7 p.m.-midnight at the Jewish Community Center, 7300 Hart Lane. Tickets can be found online. 512-331-1764. -------The 2016 Salsa & Heritage Festival is host to Bomba & Plena folklore masters, Tito Matos and Tata Cepeda, as well as Isaí Chacon, Flamenco Guitarist/Music Director, A’lante Flamenco and Orquesta Trabuko. Event held on June 11, at the Asian American Resource Center. Doors open at 6 p.m., show starts at 7 p.m. This is a ticketed event. prfdance.org. -------Enanitos Verdes y Hombres G will be performing on Friday, June 24, at The Coliseum Austin (9111 FM 812). Guests should be 18+. General Admission and Reserved tickets available online at thecoliseumaustin.com. -------For a unique 21+ show, check out Eastside Soul Session, featuring Afro-soul by Afrofreque (10:40 p.m.) meets 60/70’s Chicano-soul Big Band Tejano (midnight) on Friday, June 24. The evening starts with Macizo (7 p.m.), Aldo Caldo (8:20 p.m.) and Como Las Movies (9:40 p.m.) at The Sahara Lounge, 1413 Webberville Rd. As Manny Morales states, “This is going to be a ‘Dance Party’ like no other.” Cover is $8. saharalounge.com. -------Conjuno los Pinky’s will be performing on Saturday, June 25, from 9 p.m.-11 p.m. at Radio Coffee and Beer, 4204 Manchaca Rd. For updates, visit radiocoffeeandbeer.com.
CELEBRATES KLRU-TV, Austin PBS broadcast 18.1 / cable 9 klru.org
JUNETEENTH Get the complete list at klru.org
JUNETEENTH JAMBOREE Thursday, June 16 at 8 pm; Sunday, June 19 at 1 pm Learn how history can connect communities and families in a celebration of Texas’ African American heritage. KLRU and the George Washington Carver Museum and Cultural Center will host a preview screening on June 14 at 7 pm.
EYES ON THE PRIZE Sundays, June 19 from 2-6 pm; June 26 from 1-6 pm; July 3 1-6 pm KLRU will present the complete 14-hour documentary about the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.
EYES ON THE PRIZE: THEN AND NOW Tuesday, June 14 at 10 pm; Sunday, June 19 at 1:30 pm & 6 pm; Monday, June 20 at 10:30 pm Explores how far we’ve come, how far we have to go, the meaning of the ongoing struggle and next steps towards equality.
Also This Month
Operation Appreciation
Vicious Special
An Eastside Education
Each week, retirees from Georgetown, TX, give heartfelt thank yous to soldiers reporting for duty at Fort Hood as well as those injured in combat.
This comedic series tells the story of aging partners Freddie (Ian McKellen) and Stuart (Derek Jacobi), two men who have lived together in their Covent Garden flat for nearly 50 years.
Spend one semester at one of Austin’s lowest-income schools, as teachers, parents, administrators, and students fight to meet state accountability standards or watch their school be closed.
Tuesday, June 14 at 10:30 pm
Sunday, June 19 at 7 pm
Thursday, June 23 at 8 pm
KLRU-TV, Austin PBS is community supported. More than 85% of our funding comes from the public. PLEASE CONSIDER INVESTING IN KLRU.
Fair Housing Initiative kicks off at Planning & Neighborhoods Committee By Greg Casar AUSTIN CITY COUNCIL MEMBER
With the 50th anniversary of the Fair Housing Act approaching, it’s important for our City and our Council to come together to fight back against our increasing economic segregation. Yesterday at the Planning & Neighborhoods Committee meeting, I proposed a package of about ten policy priorities to kick off a comprehensive Fair Housing Initiative alongside
Council Member Renteria. The package includes stronger and smarter mandates for affordable housing construction from private development in our rapidly gentrifying areas, providing more and smaller housing options for families trying to live in expensive areas when those smaller housing types are often not allowed under current rules, challenging deed-restrictions or other private covenants that exclude moderateincome people or renters from some parts of our city, and committing more funding towards subsidizing affordable housing. We will continue the discussion at the Housing & Community Development Committee on June 6 and the Council Meeting on June 9. I hope through these meetings we can focus on big, proactive policy solutions that can help get us off the list of most economically-segregated areas in the country.
Latinos left behind in equitable development By Isabel Lopez-Aguilar
At a glance, Austin is a great place to live, learn, work and play, but below the surface significant portions of our Latino community are being left behind. State of Latinos ATX (SOLATX), is the first ever report on Racial Equity by LULAC District VII; this report calls on the City of Austin to implement 14 initiatives that will increase equity and affordability for the over 300,000 Latinos representing over 35 percent of the Austin population. Austin is a minority majority city and racial equity has been lacking. The 14 initiatives will address affordable housing, childhood early development, food access, healthcare and health, immigration reform, leverage growth in high tech to stimulate economic opportunity. According to Frances Acuna, a local LULAC member,” As a long-term resident in the Dove Springs community, I’d like to stay here but that may become impossible. It’s great that the City is growing and creating opportunities for some but for me and other families we can no longer afford to live in this wonderful city. My family and others are burdened with high housing costs and
Bollywood Meets Borscht Belt 2016 to benefit homeless children
TECH CORNEROffTop, JamFeed and TipCow
Hindu Charities for America and the Austin Jewish Community are coming together for the Fourth Annual Bollywood Meets Borscht Belt on Sunday, June 5 from 4 p.m.-7:30 p.m. This multicultural event provides an evening filled with fun, food and entertainment—all for a noble cause.
By Lauren Bruno
In 2016, entertainment will feature awardwinner local magician Cody Fisher. Fisher’s unique blend of comedy mixed with mindblowing magic has taken him all across the United States and over 20 countries worldwide. Additionally, there will be colorful, artistic acts including Bollywood dance, Mexican Ballet Folklorico and Jewish folk dancing. Attendees will savor a wide array of local Indian vegetarian culinary delights and Jewish desserts, complemented with chai tea from The Steeping Room. Event proceeds will benefit over 1,400 homeless children in Austin, Manor and Del Valle schools so they can receive school supplies for the upcoming school year. 14 TODO AUSTIN // JUN 2016 // TODOAUSTIN.COM
Two sponsorship levels are available. A $200 sponsorship includes two tickets, organization or individual’s name in the program, and online marketing via email, website and Facebook. A $500 sponsorship will provide a reserved table for 10 people—bring your friends, family, colleagues, and customers— as well as online marketing via email, website and Facebook. The event will be held at the Dell Jewish Community Hall, located at 7300 Hart Lane. Tickets are free for kids under 6-years old, $10 for kids ages 6-12 and $30 for adults—price includes dinner and entertainment. Festive Indian attire is encouraged. For ticket purchase and more information, visit hc4a.org or email info@hc4a.org.
we can’t spend as much money on food, health care and other basic necessities. We are hopeful that our City Council will put an emphasis on living wages, affordable housing, child care, health, and transportation costs. LULAC is trying to remind everyone through this report that equity matters.”
The Austin music tech scene is an everevolving community. Just as artists are constantly striving to devise new forms of expression through music, the tech scene in Austin is continually releasing ground-breaking platforms to help propel that expression. The Tech Corner is here to highlight new and upcoming tech companies contributing to the growth of the creative industry as well as the general community in Austin.
Support of these initiatives will remove barriers and increase access so all people have the opportunity to thrive. By removing these barriers there will be greater access to the determinants of equity. The community will experience lower health care costs, lower unfilled highskilled jobs, increased affordable healthy food, more affordable housing, increased childhood development, and equitable economic development.
A huge part of the creative industry is the fans. Some creatives refer to fans as the “lifeblood.” Artists create their own brand, which means they need to be up to date with the demographic they are catering to. On the contrary, the fans need to have outlets to stay up to date with the artist. Another incredible app coming out of Austin is JamFeed, a personalized music news app that keeps users up-to-date with all of their favorite artists, bands and festivals in real-time. JamFeed customizes the users’ music news daily so that they can stay in touch with all of the music they love all in one place. Find them at jamfeed.com. Lastly, the number one problem creatives face is financial instability. This last app
This month, we’re highlighting OffTop, an open hip-hop community that inspires users around the world to capture, share and discover musical expressions. OffTop’s mission is to connect the hip hop population with the resources and inspirations they need to create. The app is available for download on iPhone and Android.
confronts the problem head on. TipCow, an application for tipping artists, offers tools and services to collect tip donations, increase visibility, find new venues and grow artists’ fan base. The application uses PayPal or credit card so it makes it accessible to today’s population. For more information on the app, visit tipcow.me.
CELEBRATING
DIVERSITY
BRIDGE2BRIDGE From Montopolis Bridge to 360 Bridge, Everything Austin
Celebrate Puerto Rico’s rich traditions at Celebrando 2016 Salsa & Heritage Festival, with performances by Bomba & Plena, folklore masters Tito Matos and Tata Cepeda, Flamenco guitarist Isai Chacon, and Folkloric Dance. The event features Salsa dancing with Orquesta Trabuko, handcraft artisans and comida Criolla by Chago’s Caribbean Cuisine. Saturday, June 11, 7 p.m. at AAARC. prfdance.org
ASO Concerts in the Park LONG CENTER CITY TERRACE Kids dancing, couples lounging on blankets, old friends in their trusty folding chairs, lone bicyclists and pedestrians who have been distracted from their destinations-all united by the sound of music. Residents of the “Live Music Capital of the World” are invited to come enjoy the original kind of live music . . . before electric guitars and amps. The Hartman Foundation “Concerts in the Park,” presented by the Austin Symphony Orchestra, brings together ardent enthusiasts and unwitting attendees alike just as similar events did in town centers years ago. In its 14th summer season, these free ensemble concerts take place at the Hartman Concert Park in front of the Long Center City Terrace and will run on Sunday evenings from June 5-August 28 at 7:30 p.m. Each Sunday a different ensemble of the Austin Symphony will be featured at the park, located on the front lawn of the Long Center for the Performing Arts, performing music from jazz and light classical to pops selections and film scores. Concertgoers are encouraged to bring a picnic dinner and blanket and make it a group outing. The music and atmosphere will reflect a simpler time when performances of familiar classics in downtown gathering places were commonplace. It is the hope of the Hartman family that these free and very informal outdoor events will provide an opportunity for Austinites to become acquainted or reacquainted with the classical music experience at Austin’s new gathering place for the arts. These enchanting outdoor park concerts, which last one hour, are an ideal opportunity for Austinites to enjoy some of the Capitol City’s greatest pleasures – the fine music presented by the Austin Symphony and the magnificent cityscape views of downtown Austin. June concerts include June 5 – Strings, June 12 – Woodwinds, June 19 – Big Band, June 26 – Brass. The concerts are free and additional information is available at the Austin Symphony website, www. austinsymphony.org, or by calling 512-476-6064 or 1-888-4-MAESTRO (Toll-Free).
STATESMAN SKYLINE THEATER LONG CENTER
Expo Mujer TX offers group workshops, speakers, fashion, women’s health screenings, networking and personal enrichment focus groups, raffles and giveaways, beauty products and all manner of style tips for women. The free Latina-themed event aims to promote women’s growth and success, with topics of interest to women. Sunday, June, 12 11:30 a.m.-6 p.m. at Palmer Events Center. expomujertx.com Blue Lapis Light presents “Radiance: A Site Specific Aerial Dance,” June 13-18, at the Long Center. There is a presence, an energy that vibrates through all of life, a field of light connecting us to stars, planets, the earth, animals and to one another. The staging of this transcendent work will include performing on the building’s terrace, ring and columns, as well as the making of two “celestial harps.” bluelapislight.org An Eastside cultural arts/performance venue landmark since 1985, Santa Cruz Studio Theater’s profile is rising with a host of notable events during the coming summer. On the calendar in June are the Zine magazine release on Saturday, June 18; Just Joshing Comedy’s popular Santa Cruz Comedy Showcase on Saturday, June 25; and auditions for Leonard Manzella’s production, “Cages,” on Sunday, June 26, 3 p.m. Glass Half Full Theatre presents the newest session in their comedy series, Missionary Position: Pleasure Journeys for the Intrepid Lady Explorer (Session Three). Amelia Weatherbeaten (Caroline Reck) and Eleanor Dangerbottom (Cami Alys) are Victorian-era lady explorers and spokeswomen for Hartman’s Hygenic Towellettes for Ladies. June 2-18, 8 p.m. at Salvage Vanguard Theatre. glasshalffulltheatre.com Hysteria ’Zine presents its next artist market and ‘zine release on Sunday, June 19, at Byron & Blue (908 E. 5th St). Female identifying artists and makers from all over Austin will sell their wares in the artist market from noon5 p.m. The event will end with a listening room style performance from Kendra Kinsey at 6 p.m. Hysteria ‘Zine is a DIY, collaborative, feminist ‘zine focused on women’s issues. Church of the Friendly Ghost presents New Media Art & Sound Summit 2016 from June 22-26 at Salvage Vanguard Theater. With four days of sound art, new collaborations, short films, workshops, guided meditation, and audio-visual installations ending with a Goodbye Manor Rd. party at 6 p.m., Sunday, June 26. COTFG is a volunteer-run arts organization supporting creative expression and counter-culture community. nmassfest.org
By Meredith C. Cox
The Long Center for the Performing Arts has been a staple of the Austin music and arts scene ever since its opening in 2008. In fact, it’s one of the most important venues in Austin when it comes to promoting local talent – 80 percent of the performances at the Long Center come from local artists. While many people are familiar with the indoor theater, which has hosted numerous events like Jimmy Kimmel Live, Leonard Cohen and Bon Iver, as well as being the permanent home for Austin’s Ballet, Symphony and Opera, in the last four years the Long Center has begun to focus on memorable outdoor experiences as well. Events like Sound & Cinema, Trailer Food Tuesdays, and city-wide watch parties for games like the World Cup have brought thousands of people to the lawn of the Long Center. Based on the popularity of these events, the Long Center is debuting the Statesmen Skyline Theater at the Long Center this summer. The 7,000 person capacity, open-air venue overlooks Lady Bird Lake and has picturesque views of downtown Austin. Official performances begin on Saturday, June 11, with Boston’s 40th Anniversary tour featuring special guest Dennis DeYoung and the Music of Styx. The season continues with Steve Miller Band (July 26), Culture Club (August 2), the Goo Goo Dolls with special guests Collective Soul and Tribe Society (September 11), Needtobreathe (October 23), plus more concerts to be announced in the near future. “Skyline Theater at the Long Center will be a spectacular complement to Dell Hall, the indoor theater at the Long Center,” said Jamie Grant, former President and CEO of the Long Center. “We’re quite confident that Skyline Theater at the Long Center will help us fund even more free outdoor community events and activities and continue to maximize the use of this iconic community gathering place.” For more information and upcoming shows, visit sylinetheater.com. TODO AUSTIN // JUN 2016 // TODOAUSTIN.COM 15