AUSTIN, TX – The City of Austin Housing Department will host Black Land Matters, The Symposium on Friday, June 14, 2024, from 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Austin Energy Headquarters at 4815 Mueller Boulevard. For the second year in a row, event speakers and panelists will highlight the value of and ways to promote, secure, and preserve landownership among Black Americans. It will also explore how landownership encourages cultural sustainability and community and highlight available resources to help families protect their properties. Registration is free for attendees. Light refreshments will be served immediately following the event. Reserve a seat at www.SpeakUpAustin.org/BlackLandMatters.
“We are thrilled to host this symposium for a second year in Austin. These conversations are important to have as we seek to reduce displacement of families by highlighting the challenges of Black land loss and sharing information on the tools and resources available to keep their homes,” explains Mandy DeMayo, Interim Director of the Housing Department. “These discussions can also help us identify where to focus potential resources for future programs and services.”
The event will include conversations with local practitioners and national leaders sharing resources, highlighting successes and challenges all in an effort to prevent displacement specifically related to challenges with heirs’ property.
Nefertitti Jackmon, Community Displacement Prevention Officer for City of Austin Housing Department says an intersectional approach to address these multi-fold pressures is needed to help families connect the dots. This, in turn, will help more households protect their assets and close the racial wealth gap.
“This is not about rural properties only; heir’s property is a challenge that occurs in rural and urban settings,” Jackmon says. “This is a huge displacement pressure that households continue to face that we are only now beginning to discuss. For African American families it is irrespective of income.”
Local experts will highlight current work that is taking place in Austin, while writer and author Natalie Baszile (Queen Sugar) will discuss the power of storytelling to elevate the challenge of land loss and Shirley Sherrod, co-founder and Vice President of New Communities will discuss the vision and hope that her team had when they founded the first community land trust in the nation in 1969.
“We call this event Black Land Matters because there are so many matters between land, property, housing, safety, cultural sustainability and displacement,” shared Nefertitti Jackmon. “We can’t address every issue all at once, but it is important to elevate discussions around land loss because it does not happen one way.”
Discussion Topics for Black Land Matters:
Displacement Prevention – Taxes, Titles & Wills to Protect your Family Home
This discussion will explore the challenges families face in maintaining and protecting their land through tax assistance, estate planning and other services. Moderated by David Gray, Austin’s Homeless Strategy Officer; panelists include Sherwynn Patton (Executive Director of Life Anew Restorative Justice) and Marilyn Poole Webb (Partner at Webb & Webb Attorneys at Law PLLC).
The Power of Narrative
Jennifer Sanders (KXAN News) will lead a conversation with Natalie Baszile (Author) exploring stories about continued Black land loss which have helped elevate this ongoing issue into national focus.
Understanding Historic Origins
Nefertitti Jackmon will lead a conversation with Shirley Sherrod discussing influences behind starting New Communities Inc., addressing welfare rights, school integration voter education/rights along with other community organizing efforts.
Register online for Black Land Matters Symposium or visit www.austintexas.gov/housing for more information on displacement prevention resources.
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