Occupy Austin is looking attract more black support.
UPDATE: It appears that Occupy Austin has removed all of its original “Occupy the Hood” Facebook postings and comments. We have been unable to find the posts in several searches of their Facebook page.
According to Austin’s YNN, very few Occupy Austin protesters attended the event in East Austin. YNN reported that approximately 40 people attended the event. Curiously, YNN left the phrase “Occupy the Hood” out of all of their reporting.
AUSTIN, TEXAS – Occupy Austin announced on their Facebook page an event tomorrow that they have dubbed “Occupy the Hood”. Similar “Occupy the Hood” events will take place in cities around the country.
The Occupy Wall Street movement has been largely defined and criticized as being a group of angry, white males. The progressive business magazine FastCompany conducted a revealing study this month that found that 81.2 percent of Occupy Wall Street supporters are white and 61 percent are male. Only 1.6 percent of supporters are black. Hispanics only make up 6.8 percent.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 77 percent of the U.S. population is white and 12 percent is black.
Occupy Austin organizers are promising to address African-American issues.
“We need a large turnout of angry, upset, pissed-off citizens to come out and join us in saying that it is time to put the people FIRST and to insure equal access to opportunity.”
But the choice of the name “Occupy the Hood” isn’t sitting well with some Occupy Austin supporters.
African-American Jessica Brown wrote on the Occupy Austin Facebook page, “I think the first thing to ensure African-American issues are addressed is not to call it Occupy the hood, not all african americans live in the “hood” or “ghetto”.
Supporter Jeff Questad posted, “I hope a bunch of white people didn’t come up with that name, or this statement which sounds slightly liberal patronizing. I know the intention is good, but using that language and acting like African Americans have to be pursued so the movement doesn’t go forth without a contingent is a bad foot to start off on in my opinion.”
Johnny Mudbug Williams wrote, “Isn’t this just more segregation? do black people need their own occupy movement?”
Occupy the Hood will start at 2 p.m and protesters are meeting in the parking lot at the Simpson United Methodist Church at 1709 E. 12th St.
From the Occupy Austin Facebook page:
“This is part of a nationwide effort to insure that African-American issues are addressed in the Occupy movement. Speakers, entertainers and everyday citizens will address the disparities that keep Blacks at the bottom of the American totem pole. We will talk about what’s being done and what needs to be done and to have a chance at success we need YOU! We need a large turnout of angry, upset, pissed-off citizens to come out and join us in saying that it is time to put the people FIRST and to insure equal access to opportunity.”
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