"Prop A in the Context of Race and Policing in Austin, Texas: An Urgent Forum” | Tue. Oct. 19, 7pm CDT

The Department of Religious Studies and the Institute for Historical Studies in the Department of History invite you to a panel discussion on:

"Prop A in the Context of Race and Policing in Austin, Texas: An Urgent Forum”


Over the past two years in Austin, concerns over “safety” have motivated politically opposed efforts at developing public safety alternatives to policing and propositions requiring the city to expand the policing of public space. Protests against police brutality and police violence against protesters in the summer of 2020 has been followed by efforts at the state and local level to mandate and increase police funding. Within the context of the upcoming November 2nd election’s Proposition A that, if passed, would dramatically increase the funding of traditional policing in Austin, this panel convenes experts to discuss the social context and potential impacts of this proposed measure. How is this proposition representative of a broader backlash against attempts at remaking public safety in the wake of the summer 2020 protests following the death of George Floyd? While opposing groups involved in the reform, remaking, or defense of policing all uphold “safety” as their aim, do they share the same conceptions of that word? How are ideas of “safety” shaped by the historical contexts of Austin, the state of Texas, and the US?


Tuesday, October 19, 2021 • 7:00 PM - 8:15 PM (Central Time)
Webinar Registration: https://utexas.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_ukzfkCDOSaGWDFxJkc6L1w

Free and Open to the Public. Event details: http://bit.ly/3mynfl1