Black-owned businesses accounted for about 28% percent of all businesses in Washington, DC, the highest ratio in the nation. Second, was the state of Georgia, where 20% of businesses were Black-owned, and the state of Maryland, with about 19% in Illinois. Learn more about these businesses here.

Reading through the draft Land Development Code over the last several weeks, Mayor Pro Tem Delia Garza noted that, for all its pages and nuance, the draft has a blind spot around housing equity. Read more here.

"We're talking about equity right now, and historic preservation, music, & cultural arts all need to be funded. If we're giving $1.2 billion to the convention center, that's hardly equity. We have money, let's invest it equitably, not in one big business called the convention center." - Nelson Linder, President Austin NAACP

Learn more about Prop B here. 

We found an interesting document on the history of racism in Austin. Check it out here!

Would you like to purchase an individual ticket, table, or advertisement, or to sponsor this year's banquet? Check out our Banquet Information page for more details about the event!

This week, the Capital Area Progressive Democrats honored Austin NAACP President, Nelson Linder, with the Kick Ass Award. 

The award ceremony will be held on October 7 at St. David’s Episcopal (301 E. 8th Street, 78701). There will be a cocktail hour at 5:00pm, and the dinner and program will start at 6:00pm.

The Texas Court of Appeals has ruled that the City of Austin must change the ballot language they used for November's 'unconventional' ordinance. 
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Opponents got the required number of signatures to put it on the ballot, giving voters a say when it comes to expanding the convention center. It's an unnecessary use of hotel tax revenue, according to opponents. Austin's NAACP President Nelson Linder sued the city claiming the ballot language doesn't accurately describe what the petition is about. Read more here.

In a sharp rebuke to the Austin City Council, the 3rd Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that the council abused its power in writing misleading ballot language for the upcoming election related to the expansion of the Austin Convention Center. Read more here.

Local NAACP President Nelson Linder is suing the city of Austin over ballot language for the upcoming Austin Convention Center election Proposition B. Read more here.