Our Open Spaces - Central Texas Interfaith Explores Green Space Equity
December 18, 2024 2pm
Partner Exclusive Webinar with Warinda Harris, Organizer, Central Texas Interfaith (CTI)
Central Texas Interfaith (CTI) is a non-partisan broad-based coalition of over 50 congregations, schools, health clinics, workers’ groups, and social service organizations in the 10-county area of central Texas. Founded in East Austin by its oldest institutions of color, we have created systemic change for over 35 years through institutional organizing.
As part of the People, Parks, and Power (P3) Initiative and in partnership with Austin ISD, CTI has been organizing to address inequities in access to and enjoyment of green spaces in Austin, with particular attention to the City’s historically underserved communities. Over the past two years, CTI has conducted over 100 house meetings (small group conversations) and over 2,000 one-on-one relational meetings with community members and stakeholders. We've listened to residents in East and South Austin speak about how they relate to outdoor spaces. Based upon community responses, CTI unveiled its Our Open Spaces campaign and adopted an agenda of issues related to green space advocacy:
• INCREASE PUBLIC ACCESS TO PARKS AND GREEN SPACES
• ENSURE SAFETY IN OUR GREEN SPACES
• PROMOTE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL WELLNESS IN OUR COMMUNITIES
• ENGAGE COMMUNITY IN DECISION-MAKING
Learn about this unique community partnership that seeks to not only improve access to green spaces for all but also actively engage these communities in the process and goal setting.
Warinda Harris is an organizer with Central Texas Interfaith (CTI), a non-partisan, multi-issue coalition of 50 congregations, schools, worker organizations, public health clinics, and non-profits that work together to address issues affecting the well-being of families and neighborhoods across Central Texas. Drawing upon 20+ years’ experience in interviewing, investigation, and storytelling, Warinda identifies, develops, and promotes community leaders, training them to share and shape their stories and build connections with others to implement public action. Her most recent work includes coordination of CTI’s partnership with the local school district to explore equitable access to Austin’s green spaces. Warinda earned a BA in English from Brandeis University and a University of Michigan Rackham Merit Fellowship. Warinda is a 2023 Edna and Laurence Williams National Organizing Fellowship recipient through Community Coalition. She also co-authored "Organizing within an HBCU: Huston-Tillotson University and Central Texas Interfaith" in Freedom Schools: A Journal of Democracy & Community (The University of Texas Press, 2024).
Webinar offered at 2:00 Central on December 18. 2024
A Zoom Link for the Webinar will be emailed to registrants on the morning of the event.
Sales for this webinar will end on December 17, 2024