Austin Justice Coalition launches economic justice campaign

This week, the Austin Justice Coalition announced the launch of the Justice Now: Economic Justice Campaign. The nonprofit said the initiative aims to address systemic economic inequalities in the Austin area.

The Justice Now campaign will leverage public awareness campaigns, grassroots organizing, partnerships with local businesses and policy advocacy to “create lasting change for marginalized communities,” according to the coalition.

Chas Moore, Austin Justice Coalition’s executive director, called the campaign a “powerful step” toward achieving economic equity.

“We believe that economic justice is an essential aspect of achieving true social and racial justice,” Moore said. “Through this campaign, we are dedicated to confronting systemic inequities, uplifting marginalized voices, and transforming our community into one that values and supports the economic well-being of all its residents.”

The campaign will center the needs and experiences of historically marginalized groups and advocate for policies and practices that promote fair wages, affordable housing, and equitable access to education and health care.

“By amplifying the voices of those most affected by economic disparities, AJC will advocate for transformative policies that dismantle systemic barriers and uplift marginalized communities,” the group said in a Wednesday statement.

The nonprofit is calling on community members, local businesses and any other interested parties to join the campaign: “Together, we can foster a more just and equitable society, where economic opportunities are accessible to all and no one is left behind.”

The plan notes that Austin is one of the most economically segregated metros in the U.S. while maintaining economic activity and low rates of unemployment. The nonprofit drew on the city’s Institutional Racism and Systemic Inequities report.

According to the campaign’s website, the plan includes developing a shortlist of Austin-founded corporations, creating a list of business objectives for each of those corporations and identifying objectives that overlap with the city’s Strategic Direction for 2023. With those areas of interest identified, the campaign will try to create and facilitate work on those projects, with an eye on reversing historic economic injustice.

Austin Justice Coalition already has ideas for partnerships in mind. “We would like to work with the University of Texas at Austin, which is both one of the city’s biggest employers and one of its biggest contributors to the rapid gentrification of urban areas predominantly inhabited by black and brown Austinites,” the plan reads. “Our hope is that we can collaborate on restorative efforts funded by reallocating $1 billion from UT’s endowment fund (just 5% of the fund) into the communities that it has negatively impacted for decades.”

The plan also calls for large retailers within Austin to commit to reserving between 10 and 15 percent of shelf space for products made by Black- and brown-owned businesses.

“Please join us as we move decisively from reparative words to reparative deeds,” the plan reads.

Photo made available through a Creative Commons license.

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