Presorted Standard U.S. Postage Paid Austin, Texas Permit No. 01949 This paper can be recycled Vol. 39 No. 4 Website: theaustinvillager.com Email: [email protected] Phone: 512-476-0082 Fax: 512-476-0179 June 10, 2011 Deliberate and Unafraid, Black Literary Voices FEDS EYE BLACK UNEMPLOYMENT Austin’s Fifth Annual African American Book Festival Souljah will headline the Sat- urday events. She is the au- thor of four national best-sell- ers including “The Coldest Winter Ever.” She appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live and the cover of Newsweek Magazine. RAPPIN’ Soul- jah will speak and sign Tommy Wyatt books Saturday, June 25, at 1:30 p.m. in the Boyd Vance Goodby Theater. Highland Mall! The year’s festival also showcases the work of Highland Mall has been Sister Souljah Roslyn Story, Dr. Tiffany Gill, both a source of pride and Dr. Moe Anderson, Evelyn The Fifth Annual Aus- source of controversy for the Palfrey, and Shirley Sprin- tin African American Book Austin community for a number kles. Festival: Deliberate and Un- of years. When the mall opened, The African American afraid, Black Literary Voices it took away a lot of the stores Book Festival promotes em- will be held Friday & Satur- (L to r) U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, President Barack Obama, and treasurery Secretary Timothy that were located in Hancock powerment through litera- Geithner Center, in central Austin. day, June 24 & 25 at 10:00 a.m. ture. In the past the festival percent in the past decade, the When Hancock Center each day on the grounds of WASHINGTON - The ment rates than the other ma- hosted such notable authors gap in the share of employed opened, many of the larger the Carver Branch Library and United States Department of jor racial and ethnic groups as Leonard Pitts, Sam blacks and whites who are stores were located in the down- the Carver Museum and Cul- Labor has released a new re- and the recent recession and Greenlee and Annette Gor- college graduates has not nar- town business district between tural Center, 1161 and 1165 port The Black Labor Force recovery period has largely don-Reed. The festival is rowed and a 10 percentage the State Capitol and the Colo- Angelina Street, respectively. in the Recovery. U.S. Labor reflected this pattern. made possible through a col- point gap remains. rado River. The major chain This year the festival features Secretary Hilda Solis spoke Nearly half (48.4 per- laboration of community, Black workers are more stores supported the new cen- The New York Times bestsell- with Black Radio Network on cent) of all unemployed writers and festival organiz- likely to be employed in the ter and moved away from down- ing author Sister Souljah and whether the government is blacks were unemployed 27 ers who seek to highlight the public sector than are either town. A few years later, High- education expert Dr. Jawanza doing enough for minorities: weeks or longer in 2010, com- literary works by and about their white or Hispanic coun- land Mall came to town and Kunjufu. Key findings of the re- pared to 41.9 percent of un- African Americans. terparts. In 2010, nearly 1 in 5 many of the stores moved again. Dr. Jawanza Kunjufu, port: African-Americans or employed whites and 39.3 The Austin African employed blacks worked for After that, malls became common the author of 32 books, has blacks made up 12 percent of percent of unemployed His- American Book Festival is the government compared to place in the Austin area and are been featured in Ebony and the United States labor force panics. Moreover, blacks re- free and open to the public. 14.6 percent of whites and continuing to pop up all over the Essence magazines and been in 2010. Overall, 18 million mained unemployed longer For more information about 11.0 percent of Hispanics. area. a guest on both Black Enter- blacks were employed or than whites or Hispanics in the African American Book Conversely, blacks are less One of the attractions for tainment Television (BET) looking for work, represent- 2010, with a median duration Festival please contact Peggy likely than Hispanics and the African American commu- and the Oprah Winfrey Show. ing 62.2 percent of all black of unemployment approach- Terry or visit www. aabook nearly as likely as whites to nity in Highland Mall was the He will address parents, edu- people. ing 26 weeks. fest.com. For more informa- work in the private sector, not opening of Priestley’s Ottoman, cators, and community activ- In 2010, about half of The unemployment tion about events at the Carver including the self-employed. a Black-owned men’s clothing ists at 10 a.m. Friday, June 24, blacks aged 16 and older had rate for blacks has remained Branch of the Austin Public Few blacks are self-employed store. The store, owned by in the museum’s Boyd Vance a job and 17.5 percent of those high. In May 2011, the unem- Library please call 512-974- — only 3.8 percent reported Clarence Priestley, became al- Theater. A special workshop employed worked part-time. ployment rate for blacks was 1010 or visit www. cityof aus being self-employed in 2010 most a tourist attraction. It was for youth starts at 11:45 a.m. Blacks are the only racial or 16.2 percent; down only 0.3 tin.org/library. making them about half as a sense of pride for the commu- in the theater as well. ethnic group where women percentage points from the likely to be self-employed as nity. The store was very suc- Bestselling author Sister represent a larger share of the peak of 16.5 percent in March whites (7.4 percent). cessful for a number of years. employed than do men — and April 2010. Half of black workers African American youth more than half (54.3 percent) The past few months Six County Bond employed full time earned found the center to be the place of employed blacks in 2010 have seen private sector job $611 or more per week in to hang out on weekends, but were women, compared to growth in areas such as hearings set 2010, 80 percent of that were never really accepted by 46.3 percent among employed transportation and ware- earned by whites. The gap in the management. There were The Travis County Com- ing will be held in Downtown whites. Employed black housing as well as continu- earnings has been similar charges of harassment and over missioners Court will be Austin at 6:30 p.m., Monday, women still earn less than ing employment gains in throughout the recession and action by security personnel. conductging a series fo public June 20, 2011, at the Commis- employed black men. health care; both industries recovery period. That relationship between the meetings throughout the county sioners Court Chambers located More than a quarter of have a large share of black The average unemploy- community and the mall contin- in order to receive imput from at Travis County Administrtion employed black workers aged workers. However, blacks ment rate for blacks in 2010 ued until most of the stores have Travis County residents regard- Building (Ned Granger Build- 25 or older have earned a col- are more vulnerable to con- was 16.0 percent, compared moved out to other malls. ing a proposed 2011 Travis ing) at 314 W. 11th Street, Aus- lege degree, a share that ex- tinuing local government to 8.7 percent for whites, and We can expect the prop- County Bond Program. The tin. ceeds that for Hispanics, but job losses because they 12.5 percent for Hispanics. erty to take on a new look in the proposal is the result of rec- The second public meet- continues to trail whites. make up a disproportionate Historically, blacks have per- coming months and years as it ommendations made by the ing will be held in Precinct 1, While the share that are col- share of public sector work- sistently higher unemploy- will have a new owner. Austin 2011 Citizens Bond Advi- Travis County, and is, sched- lege graduates has risen 20 ers. Community College has been sory Committee (CBAC), a uled for 6:30 p.m., Wednesday, buying off pieces of the mall as 15-member committee of citi- June 22, 2011, at Travis Count Blackshear/O.L. Price Ex-Students the businesses moved out. ACC zens the Commissioners Court East Service Center located at is under contract for the final appointed in February 2011. 6011Blue Bluff Road, Austin. Reunion Honors a Favorite Son piece of Highland Mall land at The CBAC was charged with Precinct 4 Travis County Year Residency Program and this time. The former J. C. Penny studying and making recom- will host the third meeting, This year’s Blackshear/ Completed 4th Year building and surrounding park- mendations to the Court about scheduled for 6:30 p.m., Thurs- O. L. Price (BOLP) Ex-Students Association reunion is Friday, Chief-Residency “Fellow- ing lot is the last piece of the the need for a bond package. day, June 23, 2011, at Del Valle June 10, through Sunday, June ship” buy. The acquisition will include They were also challenged to Opportunity Center, 530l Ross 12, 2011. Once again the re- · University of Texas at approximately 17.3 acres of land prepare a capital improvement Road, #B, Del Valle. union committee has an excit- Dallas, TX with a Master of Sci- package and to present their A fourth meeting, in Pre- and more than 225,000 square ing list of activities for the en- ence in Medical Management cinct 2, is scheduled for 7:00 feet of space in the two-story proposals to the Count tire weekend.