A letter from president linder

The Austin NAACP has witnessed several objectives come to fruition based on the implementation of the 10-1 Austin City Charter in 2014.
First and foremost is maintaining African American representation in District 46 with Sheryl Cole and also maintaining representation in District 1 on the Austin City Council with the election of Natasha Harper-Madison. The work of Commissioner Jeff Travillion at Precinct 1 has established a solid foundation as we address inequities and disparities in Eastern Travis County. Electing officials who will conceptualize and write policies that address the needs of their respective constituents is the key to political empowerment.

Aligning city, county and state agendas is paramount and mandatory. Also, educating local voters about our Washington D.C. Bureau and its report card on all 50 states applies on a local level. Voter education and voter registration are inseparable and absolutely necessary.

Specifically implementing and understanding the work of the Civil Rights Division at the Travis County District Attorney Office has had a tremendous impact on reforming and 
improving the criminal justice system. We must consolidate all efforts to make public transportation available to everyone in Travis County. AISD must recognize that losing 1600 students as adjacent districts grow is directly related to its unwillingness and ability to confront City of Austin policies that are displacing African American and Hispanic students from East Austin. They should join our fight to mitigate gentrification. We are only consulted when bonds are on the ballot. After the resources are allocated, East Austin is always underserved. This must cease and desist.

We have established two important initiatives to address the unacceptable removal rate of African American children from black households. The first involves organizing parents and providing support and guidance from the beginning to the end of the process. A parental guide to understanding child protective services has been produced by the branch and will be made available to the public. The second aspect is providing a comprehensive support team at the initial hearing in court.

Our other primary focus will be reducing employment discrimination within the City of Austin and throughout Travis County and state government. This will require challenging the EEOC to adopt higher standards when investigating employment discrimination.

With that, happy New Year! Let's come together into 2019 reignited in our fight for civil rights in the City of Austin and throughout the state of Texas.

Nelson Linder
President Austin NAACP