Black residents of Austin are packing up, many citing a lack of cultural ties to the Texas capital as their reason for leaving town. According to local leaders who recently discussed the demographic trend, the Black population in Austin is on the decline, driven by more than just the high cost of living. The Urban Land Institute Austin hosted a panel that highlighted the dire need for a stronger sense of community and representation for Black Austinites.
Meme Styles, president of Measure, pointed out in a 2022 study that a "lack of belonging" was the second major issue after affordability causing Black residents to leave. "Eighty percent of respondents said that they are leaving because, they do not belong. These are Black folk that were not aware that there was a decline in the population in their own city, however, they were feeling as if they were not belonging," Styles explained, as the Austin Monitor reported. This sense of disconnect is palpable as Black inhabitants witness the transformation of their neighborhoods without understanding the full context of the changes.
Employers are also feeling the impact of this cultural void in the city. BiNi Coleman, CEO of the African American Leadership Institute, recounted to the Austin Monitor the retention issues companies face with Black employees who relocate to Austin from other areas. "We don’t have a problem recruiting people. ... It’s retaining them. Why do they leave? Six to 18 months and they’re gone," Coleman elaborated.
Quincy Dunlap, president and CEO of the Austin Area Urban League, argued that the solution lies in proper investment in Black communities. Dunlap told the Austin Monitor, "How do we get our community partners, and our corporate partners to connect to those solutions that are coming to town and make the right investments and then be engaged beyond writing the check?" He stressed the importance of cultural equality and opportunities as a foundational pillar for retaining the Black population in the city.
The conversation about diversity was echoed by Jenell Moffett of the Downtown Austin Alliance. She suggests that solutions should initiate from the heart of the city, pointing out that downtown businesses fail to reflect the diversity of the local populace. "Downtown is a neighborhood that’s supposed to be for everyone. So if we get this right, it should happen in a neighborhood that is engineered and structured and created innately for everyone, and we’re missing the mark," Moffett insisted. Her commentary underlines the urgency to cultivate a diverse business landscape downtown as a microcosm for the wider city.
