Civil Rights and Wrongs for October 26, 2021

This is a special edition in which we present excerpts from an October 19 panel discussion at the University of Texas, “Prop A in the Context of Race and Policing in Austin, Texas: An Urgent Forum.”  The event was jointly sponsored by the UT Department of Religious Studies and the Institute for Historical Studies in the Department of History.  Moderator Brent Crosson, Associate Professor in the UT Department of Religious Studies, introduces panelists:

• Monica Muñoz Martinez, Associate Professor in the UT Department of History
• Andrew Busch, Assistant Professor at Coastal Carolina University
• Gabriella Torres and Ashleigh Hamilton, Community Organizers with Communities of Color United for Racial Justice
• Jason McDonald, Assistant Professor at Truman State University
• Eliot Tretter, Research Fellow in the UT Department of Geography and Environment

The forum offers a succinct but disturbing portrait of law enforcement in the City of Austin and the State of Texas.  Historical developments illustrate how environmental policy has been realized in tragic and lasting geographical impacts.  During the era of Jim Crow, it is argued that APD actually became the instrument for carrying out racial oppression in Austin.     

In addition, we hear from Austin Sanders, Staff Writer for the Austin Chronicle, with news that the Austin EMS Association has joined the Austin Firefighters Association and AFSCME Local 1624 in opposing Proposition A.  He also discusses his article “Despite ‘Positive Strides,’ APD Academy Not Reimagined Yet” which covers the report presented to City Council this past Thursday regarding progress (or lack thereof) in implementing changes to police training.