In the heart of Austin, the landscape is changing rapidly, with millions of dollars pouring into nonprofit organizations and churches, shaping the community’s future. As a longstanding resident of Austin, I want to share my personal experience of witnessing this influx of funds. I hope my perspective sheds light on a disconcerting reality: the funding often fails to reach the residents, leaving the community struggling and unimproved. In my 25 years in Austin, I have observed a lack of real impact, raising questions about the accountability and transparency of the nonprofit sector.
The nonprofit sector in Black communities like Austin has transformed into a booming business, fueled by donations often driven by narratives of trauma porn. Despite the promises of investment in underserved communities, the decision-makers and drivers of development are typically community-based organizations and churches. Major developments over the past few years have been spearheaded by these entities, but the benefits seem to circle back to them rather than uplifting the community as a whole. I want to call for a restructuring of operations, emphasizing the need for accountability and genuine community engagement.
One of the striking issues I would like to address is the acquisition of land and property by nonprofits and churches, leaving large portions of the community undeveloped and lacking essential institutions. Yes this article challenges the prevailing norms of leadership, highlighting the disconnection between those in power and the actual voices of the residents.
I advocate for a radical change in how the community operates and propose the creation of an Austin Residents Council to empower and protect the community. As Austin grapples with these challenges, it becomes evident that real change requires a collective effort to ensure that the people, not just the buildings, thrive in the face of this invisible investment.
One of the things I have learned from studying the dynamic of Austin is that community engagement has been reduced to passing out fliers and surveys. That is lazy and unacceptable in a community with a population of over 90,000. There is no way we should be discussing multimillion-dollar projects with 30-50 people — 30.2% of Austin’s population is under the age of 19 and 20.8% is between 20 and 34.
Yet you rarely see these age groups at the table when decisions are being made for this community. They are not being engaged, but the narrative is they are just not showing up. Much of the Black population is being left out of pivotal conversations about moving the needle in Austin. The saying goes that “People who profit from your ignorance will not educate you.” We have to make sure that we are not being left in the dark concerning our community.
If you’re interested in creating an Austin Residents Council that is formed, built and operated by residents, please email “Interested in ARC,” Root2fruit.youth@gmail.com.