AUSTIN, Texas — It was a "Party at the People's House." And that house is Austin City Hall.
The city's We All Belong initiative hosted the second annual party in partnership with the city's arts organization, Almost Real Things.
The purpose of the event was to bring Austinites together and allow them to fully be within the walls of their local government.
”Now more than ever, it's really important for not only a city, but everybody in the community to be vigilant about making sure that hate and hate culture doesn't take root in Austin," Alicia Dean, the strategic communications manager for We All Belong, said.
The event brought live music and art vendors, along with drinks and food.
Dean said City Hall can come across as all business at times. The point of Saturday's party was to show that it's much more.
”We thought, 'Why not open up the doors, literally, to the people's house and have a party and use that as a way to help spread our message and introduce people to city departments and other community organizations in a way that feels fun and engaging and less scary?'" Dean said.
Austin resident Imani Aanu said she felt encouraged by the event and the importance of spreading the message that hate should not be welcomed.
"I feel like, even if nothing else, having the city promote the idea that we all should feel safe because we all belong might tend to dampen the energy of any negativity around the city," Aanu said.
We All Belong was launched in July 2023, aimed at allowing more people the opportunity to speak about and report hate crimes with help from the Austin Police Department.
Dean said since the launch, there has been an uptick in reporting, which she notes is a good thing because it shows that the tools are effectively being used.
So far, about 45,000 people have visited the site, according to Dean.