“This is really about the soul of our community. Are we a community that invests in jails or are we a community that is investing in the longer term things that make us safe and whole like housing?” – Bob Libal
In an interview with Texas After Violence in July of this year, local activist and organizer Bob Libal dives into the realities of what kind of “plans” city government put forth – addressing language I’ve personally been ingesting for years here in Austin. Why have a “Master Plan” for the next women’s jail, when we could have a thoughtful, realistic plan to house folks who are dealing with homelessness? If – as a community – we trace Austin’s history, its priorities and so-called Master Plans, maybe we can better understand how to redirect our resources and energy, how to shift our language and our thinking away from the carceral systems and surveillance structures that exploit and harm our communities and instead, push into the nitty gritty next-steps of how we can transform our city for all of its citizens. Throughout his interview, Libal offered context for social movements and activism in Austin leading up to the past year, and reminded me (as an interviewer and Austinite) that all of this is about the “soul of our community,” and the potential of each individual in deciding exactly what that can and should mean. – Murphy Anne Carter
To read the transcript of Bob’s interview, click here.
Previous interviews related to decriminalizing homelessness and affordable housing in Austin include Alvin Sanderson, Marina Roberts, Tandera Louie, and João Paulo Connolly.
