AUSTIN, Texas —
There's an ongoing effort to help minority business owners and creatives in Austin be more successful.
It's a network called ATX in Color. They primarily work through social media and are also working to develop an app.
At Black Pearl Books community is important to their story.
"Austin really supports the titles that we curate on our shelves focused on diversity, inclusion and representation," said Black Pearl Books, co-owner Eric Brooks. "The whole premise being that everyone that walks in the store should see something on the shelves that represents them."
Brooks says events turn out like a fairytale thanks to help from ATX in Color.
"They really helped push and promote businesses and community-based activities around Austin," Brooks said. "They have helped promote events that we've had in our store."
The network uses social media and word of mouth to share news and resources to help minority-owned businesses and creatives.
"I wanted to make sure that my efforts were about letting people be aware of other folks and their efforts. And if they tap into those to leverage what they're doing, then that's, you know, that's the role that I tried to play," said Muhammad Shabazz with ATX in Color.
Austin Area Urban League is a historic civil rights organization and the President and CEO supports what ATX in Color is doing.
"He is relentless in figuring out ways to connect people and get the resources and information out to the community for the purpose of improving quality of life," said President & CEO Quincy Dunlap.
Whether it's successful events, or letting a small business know about a new grant they qualify for, he says ATX in Color is leveling the playing field.
"When you have an institution like ATX in Color that actually, pushes forward certain brands, certain businesses, me, I'm going to spend money where it where the best, opportunity is. But I spend black too," Dunlap said.
Another chapter in their manual is working with creatives.
"The creative and the arts is really what Austin is rooted in. But on top of that are the communities that feed those," said Shabazz.
Helping them curate things like certain murals downtown that showcase diversity and make people feel included and represented across the city.
"As an Austinite, I want to make sure that Black folks, brown folks, Asian folks, all folks of color who may be new into town feel like they belong," said Austin Creative and Community Activist Marissa Rivera.
All work to make sure everyone in Austin gets a happy ending.
A representative from ATX in Color says their app is in the development phase, they are currently beta testing and hoping to launch it towards the end of summer.