Living in a Racist “Liberal” City
Back in 2000, I moved to rural Louisiana to teach in a school district that was struggling to recruit teachers. On one of my first days there, I went to get my hair cut on the main street.
As I sat in the chair, I started gushing about how excited I was to be in Franklin, Louisiana. The white hair stylist said, “Yeah, Franklin used to be a good town until all the Black people moved in.”
Having lived in more progressive cities growing up, I was shocked by her blatant display of bigotry and racism, and I was horrified that she was so comfortable sharing it with me out loud. She just naturally assumed that I was one of her.
I came to realize that all of our American cities are racist, and that at least in rural Louisiana the racism is a known fact and is acknowledged and named.
That’s why when I read Lakeya Omogun’s article entitled, “The Truth About Being a Black Woman in a Liberal City,” my heart sunk (once again) about the realities of living in Austin. (BEFORE YOU READ ANY MORE OF MY POST, YOU SHOULD READ HER ARTICLE. IT’S WAY MORE INTERESTING THAN WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.)
Lakeya writes about Austin: “Residents take pride in wearing a ‘liberal’ badge. The label blinds them to the ways in which they enact racism, whether outright or covertly.” She continues, “I wonder how a city can be defined as ‘liberal’ when its gentrification practices strategically keep Black and Brown people on the outskirts. Austin’s design and structure do not allow people from various racial backgrounds to rub shoulders.”
She articulates so clearly what is so disheartening and maddening about Austin. We white people pat ourselves on the back for being a “blue dot in a sea of red,” and yet we as a city prioritize things like nature trails, trendy restaurants, and the arts over things like affordable housing and educational equity.
And the worst part is that we don’t talk about these things nearly enough (and do very little to address them). We just sit back and smile when we are named best place to live in the nation.
“Best place” for whom?
2 Comments
V
Oh, I feel this so hard. We moved to Austin (where my dad’s family has lived my whole life) when I headed to grad school. We left shortly after there was an election with several (I think 11?) tax increases on it. Every single one passed… except the affordable housing initiative. Austin has a lot going for it, but it was disheartening to see clear proof that people were happy to pay for pretty much anything (schools! parks! cops! whatever!) except a safe, affordable place for their neighbors to live. Then there’s the fact that every time we mentioned where we lived (east side, where my family has been for over 30 years), someone would ask in surprise “but do you really feel safe there?!” We left for lots of reasons, but the subtle yet pervasive racism and classism was definitely a part of it. We’re back in Louisiana now, where at least the racists are usually honest with themselves 🙁
saracotner
Yes! I know exactly what you mean! It does feel a little like the tide is starting to turn in Austin, fortunately. For example, the mayor’s office is sponsoring a lot of trainings about dismantling racism. It’s a start, but we still have a long way to go!