AUSTIN, Texas — The Austin City Council is continuing its work in renaming assets with ties to the Confederacy.
According to a memo providing an update to Resolution No. 20200729-091, the council is calling for the use of a co-creative community-based renaming process designed for educating the public and restorative justice.
The city manager has been directed to select at least five City assets with latent Confederate history, which will move through a renaming process.
The Equity Office has worked with several local departments, including the Parks and Recreation Department (PARD), the Austin Transportation Department (ATD), the Watershed Protection Department (WPD) and the Law Department to identify department and division-level policies, practices and procedures for renaming these assets.
The five that were identified include:
- Metz Park & Metz Pool (District 3)
- Dixie Drive (District 2)
- Confederate Street (District 9)
- Plantation Road (District 5 and District 8)
The next steps will include convening a virtual working group involving community stakeholders "most directly impacted by the trauma of the institutions of colonialism, slavery, and white supremacy in early 2021, to begin community conversations around history and recommendations for renaming."
According to Brion Oaks, chief equity officer, staff plan to provide the next update in spring 2021 after consulting with members of Huston-Tillotson University.
"Staff will use a racial equity framework and co-creative methods of design to foster a process that is community-driven, transparent, and informed by history," the memo states.
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