In 2007, Austin City Council designated a portion of Central East Austin the African American Cultural Heritage District (AACHD), to honor and preserve the rich cultural legacy of the once thriving African American community that founded this area.

You may not know this, as the district does not exist on any city map.

Rather than being preserved and promoted, Black culture has continued to be erased from this area since the district’s inception. Unchecked gentrification continues to ravage the district. Without immediate action, the presence of East Austin’s African American community and evidence of its cultural legacy will disappear.

Comparison with other districts in the city demonstrates that the AACHD has not been treated equitably. No strategy has been developed to help the AACHD achieve its stated goals, and the very presence of the district is barely acknowledged. The more recently created Red River Cultural District, in contrast, has received direct support in the form of streetscape improvements, wayfinding, and placemaking infrastructure, and the city manager is exploring funding for the preservation of historic buildings in the area. We think this a wonderful idea, and support the preservation and promotion of historic and creative spaces. We simply ask for equal treatment and consideration. This is about equity.

This Resolution asks that the Austin City Council honor their 2007 commitment and do the following:

• Put the AACH District on the map.
  Invest in appropriate signage, street art, historic neighborhood identifiers, and waymaking for the District.
• Develop the AACH District.
  Engage the Economic Development Department, Cultural Arts Division, and AACHD. Build a broad consortium of community-based organizations and cultural preservation professionals to build a strategy to move the District forward.
• Fund the AACH District.
  Establish a funding mechanism to meet the unmet needs of the District. Utilize appropriate funds from the Cultural Trust.
  Protect the AACH District.
• Empower the Urban Renewal Board and other city departments to strengthen incentives and restrictions that support historic and cultural preservation within the District.
• Employ the AACH District.
  Engage and employ local consulting groups with knowledge and lived experience in the District to craft a strategic long-term plan.
  Build the AACH District.
• Develop the plan to implement and build the Kenny Dorham Center Music Hub & Multi Arts Facility in the core of the historic Black Music district of Central East Austin.
• Build a sustainable, generational anchor institution that honors the birthplace of Austin's jazz and Blues music tradition.
  Unless the city acts now, and acts seriously, visible evidence of the founding African American community in East Austin will be erased because there have not been significant controls on gentrification and displacement.

Passing this Resolution will show that the city of Austin fully acknowledges and supports the African American Cultural Heritage District, its history, its impact, and its potential.