Latest / Austin Signal / Margaret Gómez, longest-serving Travis County commissioner, retires
Transcript
- 0:08The number of uninsured kids in
- 0:10Texas has risen in recent years.
- 0:12New research finds 10% of Texans
- 0:14under six were recently uninsure.
- 0:16That's the highest of any state in
- 0:17the country. We're gonna have the
- 0:19latest data.
- 0:20And we will continue our series of
- 0:21last stories from the final days of
- 0:23some Austin ISD campuses.
- 0:25Today, bring your appetite and some
- 0:27Kleenex as we sit for one last
- 0:29school lunch.
- 0:30Plus, the Travis County Commissioner
- 0:32is retiring after half a century
- 0:34working for the county.
- 0:35Plenty more about those stories
- 0:37coming up on today's show.
- 0:39The Austin Signal is a production
- 0:41of KUT News, hosted by
- 0:43Jerry Quijano.
- 0:44And the Austin African-American Book
- 0:46Festival kicks off later this month,
- 0:48but they've got a special guest
- 0:49helping to start the festivities
- 0:50this weekend.
- 0:51More about that and this year's
- 0:54lineup. That's all next,
- 0:56right here on Austin Signal.
- 1:07Howdy out there, you are tuned in to
- 1:09Austin Signal.
- 1:10I'm your host, Jerry Keconnell.
- 1:12Thank you for listening here on
- 1:13Community Powered Public Radio.
- 1:15KUT News, it is Wednesday,
- 1:18the 3rd of June.
- 1:19The National Weather Service giving
- 1:21us a 30% chance of some showers
- 1:23tonight, 20%
- 1:25in the evening, in the late hours,
- 1:27and tomorrow, 40%.
- 1:28Kind of low chances, but I gotta
- 1:29say, they were around that
- 1:32percentage yesterday when
- 1:34we got a downpour here at the KUT
- 1:35studios.
- 1:36So as always, have multiple ways to
- 1:38stay weather aware, and keep it
- 1:40tuned in here to KUT for
- 1:42the latest.
- 1:44More and more children in Texas are
- 1:45going without health insurance.
- 1:47That's the finding of a new report
- 1:49from Georgetown University's Center
- 1:50for Children and Families, a
- 1:52nonpartisan health policy research
- 1:54organization.
- 1:55Olivia Aldridge is KUT's healthcare
- 1:57reporter. She is joining us now to
- 1:59discuss the numbers and what's
- 2:00behind the trend.
- 2:01Hi, Olivia.
- 2:02Hi, Jerry.
- 2:03So let's talk about those numbers.
- 2:05What does the data from this report
- 2:06show about insurance rates for kids
- 2:08here in Texas?
- 2:09The report especially zooms in
- 2:11on the youngest kids, those under
- 2:13the age of six, that sort of
- 2:15preschool-aged cohort.
- 2:17Nearly 11% of that age
- 2:19group in Texas didn't have health
- 2:21insurance as of 2024,
- 2:22and that's the most recent census
- 2:24data that we have available, which
- 2:26this report is drawing from.
- 2:28And that's up from 2022,
- 2:30when Texas was sitting at just under
- 2:328% uninsured
- 2:34rate for that age-group, which was
- 2:35already tied for the rate of any
- 2:37US state.
- 2:38Now Texas is firmly in
- 2:40that top spot, but the
- 2:42whole country did see an increase
- 2:44for this age demographic with
- 2:46about 220,000 more
- 2:48young kids uninsured,
- 2:50and Texas makes up a good bit of
- 2:52that.
- 2:53Actually, about half of that was
- 2:55three large states,
- 2:58kids from those states.
- 2:59That's Texas, Georgia, and Florida.
- 3:01You mentioned the age demographic.
- 3:03When we look at other demographics,
- 3:05are there particular ones that are
- 3:06most affected by these uninsurance
- 3:08rates?
- 3:09Right, yeah, so one interesting
- 3:11point is that, first of all, the
- 3:12uninsured rate is growing at a
- 3:14slightly faster rate for those
- 3:15youngest kids versus older
- 3:17school-aged children.
- 3:19And then also, the un-insured rates
- 3:21tended to be higher for children of
- 3:22color and especially for American
- 3:24Indian and Hispanic Latino kids, and
- 3:26that's across the country.
- 3:28What seems to be driving this trend
- 3:30of falling insurance rates, at least
- 3:32here in Texas?
- 3:33The researchers behind this report
- 3:35attribute this, at least in part,
- 3:37to under-enrollment in Medicaid.
- 3:40So Texas-based policy organizations
- 3:41estimate that around half of
- 3:43kids in Texas who were uninsured
- 3:45actually could qualify for Medicaid,
- 3:48and many others would qualify for
- 3:50subsidized insurance through the
- 3:51Affordable Care Act marketplace.
- 3:53OK.
- 3:54So in Texas, eligibility for
- 3:55Medicaid is really narrow, but
- 3:57children who belong to low-income
- 3:59families are one of the primary
- 4:00groups who do qualify.
- 4:02But in 2023 and
- 4:042024, states had to
- 4:06go through this process of
- 4:08reestablishing thousands and
- 4:09thousands of people's Medicaid
- 4:11eligibility all at once at
- 4:13the end of the official COVID public
- 4:14health emergency.
- 4:16And a lot of people, including kids,
- 4:17were disenrolled simply for things
- 4:19like paperwork issues.
- 4:20So that's something that a lot of
- 4:22policy experts say has continued to
- 4:24have ripple effects.
- 4:26What does research say about why
- 4:28it's so important for kids to be
- 4:30insured at this young age?
- 4:32Children experience a lot of key
- 4:34development milestones in those
- 4:35early years.
- 4:36So parents are generally encouraged
- 4:37to bring their kids in for a lot
- 4:39more checkups during that time,
- 4:41just to make sure their kids are
- 4:42hitting those milestones, getting
- 4:44proper nutrition, getting
- 4:46vaccines that they need.
- 4:48So it's just a high impact time in
- 4:50a person's life to be receiving
- 4:52medical care, to set them up
- 4:53well for all the years to come.
- 4:56All right, that is Olivia Aldridge.
- 4:58She is KUT's healthcare reporter.
- 5:00We're gonna have more on her
- 5:01reporting in today's show notes and
- 5:03at kut.org slash signal.
- 5:06Great to talk to you, Olivia.
- 5:07Thanks, Jerry.
- 5:16Travis County's longest-serving
- 5:17commissioner is retiring this month.
- 5:20Margaret Gomez is stepping down
- 5:21after three decades in office and
- 5:23over 50 years as a county
- 5:25employee.
- 5:27As KUT's Katie McAfee reports,
- 5:29Gomez left a lasting impact
- 5:31through her service.
- 5:33It was standing room only in the
- 5:34Travis County Commissioner's
- 5:35courtroom this week.
- 5:36Dozens of elected officials and
- 5:38county workers gathered to watch the
- 5:39court take up an important agenda
- 5:41item.
- 5:42Now we're all here for item
- 5:44one, approve a proclamation
- 5:46honoring Commissioner Margaret Gomez
- 5:47for her extraordinary service to
- 5:49Travis County.
- 5:54Commissioner Gomez, who turns 82
- 5:56this month, originally planned on
- 5:57retiring at the end of her term in
- 5:59December.
- 6:00But after suddenly losing her
- 6:01ability to walk, she decided it was
- 6:03time to step down.
- 6:04However, she says her constituents
- 6:06can still expect her to be present
- 6:07in the community.
- 6:09I'm still hanging in here.
- 6:10I'm a taxpayer.
- 6:12I'm the voter.
- 6:14And I will still go
- 6:16out and try to get people
- 6:18to understand why they need
- 6:20to register and why they may need to
- 6:22vote.
- 6:22Gomez began her career in Travis
- 6:24County nearly 53 years ago,
- 6:26working for former County
- 6:27Commissioner Richard Moya, who was
- 6:29the first Mexican-American elected
- 6:31to public office in the county.
- 6:32In 1980, she became the county's
- 6:34first female constable after winning
- 6:36against a 14-year incumbent.
- 6:38She was re-elected three times, and
- 6:40in her tenure, cleared a backlog of
- 6:42more than 30,000 criminal warrants.
- 6:45In 1995, Gomez was sworn
- 6:47in as the first female Mexican-
- 6:48American Commissioner and held the
- 6:50position ever since.
- 6:52Gomez will stay in office until June
- 6:5411th, and then the court will
- 6:55appoint George Morales to the
- 6:57position.
- 6:58Morales won the Democratic primary
- 6:59election for the seat last month and
- 7:01will likely run unopposed in
- 7:02November.
- 7:03Speaking to the crowd, Morales said
- 7:05Gomez taught him what servant
- 7:06leadership looked like.
- 7:08It was just simply showing up for
- 7:09the people in her precinct.
- 7:11People like Morales' own family.
- 7:13It was a routine for me to
- 7:15see Margaret as a young man in
- 7:17my home with my mother and my
- 7:19father when I lost family members.
- 7:21Margaret was the first one there at
- 7:23the coffee table with Panduce
- 7:25and coffee and consoling
- 7:27my family.
- 7:28After several more public
- 7:29commenters, Judge Andy Brown invited
- 7:31a final group to the podium to
- 7:33send Gomez off.
- 7:35All right, I think we've got
- 7:37one more speaker coming in.
- 7:39The door.
- 7:43Thank you.
- 7:46I'm Katie McAfee, and I'll stay.
- 7:57Summer has started for the Austin
- 7:59School District, and for staff at
- 8:0110 campuses that will not be
- 8:03reopening in the fall, it was an
- 8:04especially bittersweet end of the
- 8:06school year.
- 8:08KUT's Greta Diaz-Gonzalez-Vasquez
- 8:10takes us to Ridgetop Elementary,
- 8:12where the cafeteria staff were
- 8:14preparing that one last
- 8:16lunch.
- 8:19It's the last day of school at Reg
- 8:21Top Elementary.
- 8:22By 10 a.m.
- 8:23Hermelinda Sánchez de Loza and Maria
- 8:25Ponce have filled the oven with
- 8:26hundreds of burger patties.
- 8:28They have also chopped cucumbers,
- 8:30made soup potato fries, and served
- 8:31strawberries in individual trays.
- 8:34They move swiftly around the
- 8:36cafeteria kitchen in coordinated
- 8:37moves.
- 8:38Maria, who's a kitchen manager,
- 8:40continuously looks at the clock,
- 8:42counting down the minutes for
- 8:43starving kids to show up.
- 8:45Whenever she needs help, she yells
- 8:46Hermelindas name.
- 8:51The two know this kitchen to
- 8:53perfection, and each other too.
- 8:55Hermelinda has worked at Rich Top
- 8:56for 19 years, Maria for
- 8:5815.
- 8:59They know each other's family
- 9:01history and have comforted one
- 9:02another through rough times.
- 9:05They also know the name of every kid
- 9:06that walks through the launch line,
- 9:08which kids are siblings and which
- 9:10come from immigrant families.
- 9:12Hermelinde says she loves talking
- 9:14with them.
- 9:14Platicar con ellos.
- 9:15Uno nos cuenta sus historias y
- 9:17ahí vienen otras, vienen llorando.
- 9:19¿Por qué lloras?
- 9:20She says some of them tell her their
- 9:22life stories, others come to her
- 9:25crying, and Marina always finds
- 9:27a way to comfort them.
- 9:28She says seeing them smile and ask
- 9:30what's for lunch is the highlight of
- 9:32her day.
- 9:33Ver sus caras todos los días que
- 9:34vienen contentas ahora que hay
- 9:36delonche.
- 9:37Maria agrees.
- 9:38She says Rich Top feels like a big
- 9:40family.
- 9:41She says some kids they have seen
- 9:43grow since their moms were pregnant.
- 9:50Many of them come back to see them
- 9:52after graduating high school or even
- 9:54college.
- 9:55Maria and Hermaninda both thought
- 9:57they would grow old at Rich Top,
- 9:59but the school won't be opening its
- 10:01doors next year.
- 10:02Hermaninda says that in the last few
- 10:04days, kids have been telling her
- 10:06that they're going to miss her.
- 10:07Ay, unos me dicen, ay, la voy a
- 10:09extrañarle, o yo también.
- 10:12Pero sí.
- 10:14Hola, hola.
- 10:15¿Cómo están?
- 10:17Muy bien.
- 10:18When the clock hits 10.45,
- 10:20a line of kindergartners is waiting
- 10:22at the door.
- 10:23As kids walk through the cafeteria
- 10:25line asking what's for lunch, they
- 10:26talk to one another and ask for
- 10:28cheese on their burgers.
- 10:31There's only a hamburger today.
- 10:34Do you want a hamburger?
- 10:37Mariana and Melinda move as quickly
- 10:38as they can to accommodate kids'
- 10:40demands.
- 10:40Give him the cheese, Melinda,
- 10:42please.
- 10:43You're not going to eat it there.
- 10:43Maria helps kids pick between beef,
- 10:46chicken or veggie patties.
- 10:47She also helps them put strawberries
- 10:49on their trays.
- 10:50Hermelinda stands at the end of the
- 10:52line making sure every kid has
- 10:54money on their account and drawing
- 10:56ketchup smiley faces on their
- 10:57burgers.
- 10:58Do you want ketchup?
- 11:00Okay, let's put the ketchup
- 11:02As more kids keep coming in,
- 11:04Hermelinda and Maria have to balance
- 11:06between preparing more food and
- 11:07serving kids.
- 11:09Picture a scene from the TV show,
- 11:10The Bear, now at 20 to
- 11:1225 hungry kids at a time.
- 11:14It's ketchup!
- 11:21As the morning passes, Ermerinda
- 11:22keeps a smile on her face and has
- 11:24something to say to every kid.
- 11:27She asks almost every student in
- 11:29line which school they're going to
- 11:30next year.
- 11:30What school are you going to?
- 11:33You're going to go to school?
- 11:34I'm going to Michaelwood.
- 11:36She also makes an effort to speak in
- 11:38English to some of them.
- 11:40What? Last burger and then reached
- 11:41up.
- 11:43Wait, what?
- 11:44Last burger then reached out.
- 11:47And the effort is rewarded.
- 11:49Wait, PS, I love
- 11:51the alfredo pie.
- 11:52I can't believe you had some of my
- 11:54favorite foods for the last three
- 11:55days.
- 11:56Marco Mills, a third grade student,
- 11:58says the food at Ridgetop's
- 11:59Cafeteria is the best.
- 12:01I have bring it from home
- 12:03once when I was in
- 12:05kindergarten and I did not
- 12:07really like it. So I've just been
- 12:09having this for the past years.
- 12:11He says, besides spending time with
- 12:13his friends, of course, Mariana
- 12:15and Melinda are what make lunch
- 12:16special at the school.
- 12:18She is definitely nice and kind
- 12:20and very,
- 12:23very, I would
- 12:24say, caring, compassionate.
- 12:26And if I drop my food, she gives me
- 12:28a bit of the food for free instead
- 12:30of more money.
- 12:33Once kids have gone through the
- 12:34lunch line, they walk out into the
- 12:36courtyard where they have lunch at
- 12:38picnic tables.
- 12:39Because it's the last day of school,
- 12:40some parents like Alexis Morales
- 12:42came to have lunch with their kids.
- 12:44She brought food for her son as a
- 12:46special treat, but not for her
- 12:47daughter.
- 12:48My daughter actually today I told
- 12:50them that I was coming and I was
- 12:51like, what do you guys want?
- 12:52And she's like, oh, I want to eat in
- 12:53the cafeteria and I'm like, you
- 12:55don't like Donald's she was like no
- 12:57I wouldn't even come to you.
- 12:59I think okay
- 13:01Make it easy on me
- 13:02Her son did choose McDonald's,
- 13:05but Alexis says he loves
- 13:06Mariana Ramanino
- 13:07When he buys flowers for his
- 13:09teachers, he's always like, I wanna
- 13:10buy some for the ladies in the
- 13:12cafeteria. And I'm like,
- 13:14they've taken really good care of my
- 13:16baby.
- 13:18After more than two hours,
- 13:20Hermanina and Maria serve the fifth
- 13:22graders, their last class.
- 13:24Hermanina keeps drawing smiley faces
- 13:26and burgers.
- 13:27It should be Friday because this is
- 13:29my last class of the year.
- 13:30They ran out of burgers and with
- 13:32empty fridges they had to improvise
- 13:34grilled cheese sandwiches with the
- 13:35two ingredients they had left.
- 13:38Maria also had to ask the front desk
- 13:39for plates.
- 13:42Wait, I'm so sorry guys.
- 13:44Take that, take that, take that.
- 13:48When things finally slow down,
- 13:50they do the math.
- 13:51I hope it turns out well, Mrs.
- 13:52Marinda.
- 13:55They served over 306
- 13:57lunches on their last day.
- 13:59Once they're done, they clean the
- 14:00kitchen and sit to eat their lunch.
- 14:03Jermelinda thinks about the time
- 14:04they've worked together in this
- 14:05kitchen. It's always been the two
- 14:07of them.
- 14:12She says some other people have come
- 14:14and gone, but they always remain
- 14:16together.
- 14:17It doesn't matter.
- 14:18Maria says Hermaninda is her
- 14:20right hand.
- 14:21She's my right hand, she knows
- 14:23everything, she understands
- 14:25me. Hermaninda gets her.
- 14:27That's why it hurts to know they
- 14:29won't be together next year.
- 14:31Hermaninda thought she would retire
- 14:32from Rich Top.
- 14:34Instead, she'll be at Andrews
- 14:35Elementary.
- 14:36Maria will be at Riley Elementary.
- 14:39Maria says that's the hand they've
- 14:41been dealt.
- 14:42We've been touched like this.
- 14:44I'm gonna run away.
- 14:49They've made each other's life
- 14:51easier, Maria says, but she
- 14:52doesn't get to make the call.
- 14:58Hermelinda says that if she likes
- 14:59her new school, she'll stay there
- 15:01for a bit longer.
- 15:03If not, she'll retire and look for
- 15:04another job outside of the school
- 15:06district.
- 15:07But she knows she will miss Maria.
- 15:10All the screams, Hermelinde,
- 15:12what's missing?
- 15:14How many children are missing?
- 15:16She will miss María, yelling her
- 15:17name over and over again.
- 15:23I'm Greta Díaz González Vázquez
- 15:25in Austin.
- 15:30This is reporting as part of a
- 15:32larger group of stories following
- 15:33several of AISD's
- 15:35closing schools during their last
- 15:36days. The last lunch,
- 15:38the last track meet, the last
- 15:40community garden celebration, last
- 15:42senior walk, and of course the
- 15:43last day of school.
- 15:45If you've missed any in this
- 15:46fantastic series by reporter
- 15:48Greta Diaz Gonzalez Vazquez,
- 15:50we're gonna have a link to listen in
- 15:52our podcast's show notes.
- 15:57The Texas softball team returns
- 15:59tonight to the championship
- 16:01of the Women's College World Series.
- 16:03The defending champion Longhorns
- 16:05defeated Texas Tech last year for
- 16:06the program's first softball title
- 16:08and if they want to hold on to their
- 16:10championship they'll once again need
- 16:11to go through Tech to do so.
- 16:13It's a best of three series with
- 16:15game one tonight, game two tomorrow,
- 16:17and if necessary game
- 16:19three on Friday.
- 16:21First pitch for each night is
- 16:23set for 7 p.m.
- 16:25And more sports, several Austin
- 16:27Spurs alums will be on the
- 16:28basketball court tonight for game
- 16:30one of the NBA Finals between
- 16:32San Antonio and the New York Knicks.
- 16:34Keldon Johnson, Carter Bryant,
- 16:36and Julian Ciampani all spent time
- 16:37playing in Cedar Park as members of
- 16:39the Spurs developmental squad.
- 16:42It's a rematch of the 1999
- 16:44Finals when the Spur's defeated the
- 16:45Knicks for the franchise's first
- 16:47NBA title.
- 16:49Tip-off tonight is set for just
- 16:51past 7.30.
- 16:52There is an official watch party
- 16:54happening in East Austin,
- 16:56and KUT's audience engagement
- 16:58reporter, Chelsea Zhu, will be out
- 16:59there, so why not
- 17:01seek her out, get your
- 17:03voice on the radio?
- 17:04Maybe we'll hear it on Austin
- 17:06Signal on Friday afternoon for game
- 17:08two.
- 17:09But for now, we got more Austin
- 17:11Signal coming your way right after
- 17:13this break. Thank you for being with
- 17:14us.
- 17:28This is Austin Signal.
- 17:30Welcome back.
- 17:31The Austin African-American Book
- 17:33Festival is celebrating 20
- 17:35years, and for more about that
- 17:36we are talking with the director and
- 17:38founder of the event, Roz Oliphant.
- 17:40Roz, thanks for being here.
- 17:42Thank you.
- 17:43So, 20 years is a long time,
- 17:45I'd like to ask you today if you
- 17:47could take us back to the moment
- 17:48when you realized that this festival
- 17:50was a necessity here in Austin.
- 17:52So I had a bookstore in
- 17:54Austin right on
- 17:5618th and Nueces.
- 17:58And when I
- 18:00closed the bookstore,
- 18:02people in the community kept asking,
- 18:04okay, so what's next?
- 18:06What are you gonna do now?
- 18:07We missed the signings
- 18:09and the book clubs and all those
- 18:11things.
- 18:12And so just really
- 18:14thinking about
- 18:16what the next chapter could
- 18:18look like.
- 18:19And I saw...
- 18:21The Harlem Book Fair,
- 18:23and I thought, wow, this
- 18:25would be a
- 18:27great way to
- 18:29grow my love of
- 18:31being a bookseller, my love for
- 18:33books, my loved for the community.
- 18:34This would be great way, to
- 18:37move from the bookstore
- 18:40to a
- 18:41festival. And so here
- 18:44we are.
- 18:45Yeah, two decades later.
- 18:46Yes. What are some of the challenges
- 18:48that come with running a festival?
- 18:49We launched our first festival last
- 18:51month, the KUT Festival.
- 18:52Yes, yes
- 18:53It was a lot of fun, but I didn't
- 18:55realize how much planning goes into
- 18:56it. It's a lot to orchestrate
- 18:58this day and there's so much to take
- 19:00in. Or what were some of the
- 19:01challenges that you encountered?
- 19:02Listen, listen.
- 19:03We show up to events and
- 19:05it looks like how hard can it
- 19:07be?
- 19:07Seriously, right?
- 19:08But behind the scenes there
- 19:11is a lot of work going on.
- 19:13So of course there
- 19:15have been many challenges,
- 19:17many, many challenges.
- 19:19You really have to love the work.
- 19:21And it takes a village to be present
- 19:23and to support, and that sounds
- 19:24really great that they were asking
- 19:26what was gonna be next, and when you
- 19:28presented them with what was next,
- 19:29it sounds like they have been
- 19:30supporting you through those two
- 19:32decades.
- 19:3220 years, what are we starting
- 19:34with the festival?
- 19:35How are you kicking it off in style?
- 19:37So this weekend,
- 19:40Saturday, June 6th,
- 19:42we are so
- 19:44thrilled to
- 19:46have Chuck D as our
- 19:48very special guest for
- 19:51a Prelude event.
- 19:52And this is really our party of
- 19:54sort.
- 19:54Okay, the official party before the
- 19:56festival, I like that.
- 19:57Yes, the official party before the
- 19:58festival because you know on the day
- 20:00of the festival there'll be
- 20:02you know elements of
- 20:04you know celebration but it's
- 20:06a fast-paced day but
- 20:08this really gives us an opportunity
- 20:10to have celebratory
- 20:13cake to mix and
- 20:15mingle to dress up
- 20:17and so uh
- 20:19just and we'll have some
- 20:20proclamations.
- 20:20We just recently received a
- 20:22proclamation from the city of Austin
- 20:23which was so touching.
- 20:26But we'll have several
- 20:27proclamations,
- 20:29and just a lot of people
- 20:31who have supported the festival over
- 20:33the 20 years will
- 20:35be there.
- 20:37And just a wonderful
- 20:39way for us to celebrate
- 20:41this milestone.
- 20:42Yeah, well congratulations on that.
- 20:43I love that idea too, because you
- 20:44know, think an after party is
- 20:46always great, but you're pretty beat
- 20:48down from the day already, you know?
- 20:49You kind of want to go home, so why
- 20:51not have your dessert first,
- 20:53and then you can do all the work
- 20:54later. Yes. Follow it up with that.
- 20:56I wanted to talk about some of the
- 20:57people that you bring into town, or
- 20:59some of people that you're shining a
- 21:00light on here in town, like Austin's
- 21:02poet laureate. He's going to be at
- 21:03the festival. Tell us a little bit
- 21:04about that.
- 21:05Yeah, so we are so
- 21:07proud of Zell Miller III,
- 21:09Austin's poet laureate, but this is
- 21:11what I need you to know about
- 21:13Zell being on program, which
- 21:15makes it noteworthy.
- 21:17When we
- 21:19did the very first
- 21:21festival,
- 21:23Zale was on program.
- 21:25Wow.
- 21:27As a matter of fact, Zell Miller
- 21:29III and Rashonda
- 21:31Tate were among
- 21:33our very first featured guests.
- 21:36And to be able to have
- 21:38both of them this year
- 21:41during our 20th anniversary,
- 21:43it is just like cherry on top
- 21:45for us.
- 21:47I wanted to ask you about some of
- 21:49the authors. I know you're probably
- 21:50pretty proud of everybody who's
- 21:51gonna be on the lineup, but I do see
- 21:53you've got a stack of books next to
- 21:55you, so I wanted ask you a little
- 21:57bit about some of the others that
- 21:58are gonna be speaking.
- 22:00For the 20th annual festival, which
- 22:02is happening Saturday, June 27th,
- 22:05we have our featured speakers,
- 22:08Nicole Hannah-Jones,
- 22:10John Hope Bryant, Zell Miller
- 22:12III, and Rashonda Tate.
- 22:14Nicole Hannah Jones, who is the
- 22:16creator of the 1619th
- 22:19project, her talk
- 22:21with Ashley Godot
- 22:23is going to be looking
- 22:25at history's through line
- 22:27and the relevant
- 22:30of the world we navigate today.
- 22:32Nicole Hannah-Jones, who's the
- 22:33creator of the 1619 Project,
- 22:36will be joining us to
- 22:38examine history's through line
- 22:39and its relevance to the world
- 22:41we navigate to today.
- 22:43We also have John Hope Bryant,
- 22:45who is the founder and CEO of
- 22:47Operation Hope, and he's
- 22:49going to be discussing how financial
- 22:51knowledge, capital, and
- 22:53opportunity shape individual
- 22:54outcomes and community
- 22:57stability.
- 22:58With John Hope Bryant, we're really
- 23:00looking at economic
- 23:02liberation.
- 23:03How do we attain it?
- 23:06What are some steps we can take?
- 23:09And Sylvia Holt-Rabb,
- 23:12who is a professor
- 23:13at Austin Community College,
- 23:16and the past
- 23:18economic director for
- 23:20the city of Austin is going to be in
- 23:22conversation with him.
- 23:24Okay, that sounds like a few great
- 23:26recommendations there.
- 23:27We're gonna have a link to the full
- 23:28lineup in today's show notes.
- 23:31We have been speaking to Roz
- 23:32Oliphant, founder and director of
- 23:33the Austin African-American Book
- 23:35Festival. They are celebrating 20
- 23:37years. We're going to have a to
- 23:38their celebrations in todays
- 23:40show notes, Roz.
- 23:41Thank you for your time.
- 23:42Thank you and we hope everyone will
- 23:44come out to the festival, it's going
- 23:46to be great!
- 23:48And that is it for
- 23:50today's show.
- 23:50Thank you for making us part of
- 23:52your day.
- 23:53There's more about today's stories
- 23:55at kut.org slash signal
- 23:57and in the podcast notes
- 23:59for today show.
- 24:01Rayna Sevilla is our technical
- 24:02director, Alexandra Hart is our
- 24:04producer and Kristen Cabrera is
- 24:06our managing producer.
- 24:08I'm your host, Jerry Kikano.
- 24:09We will be back at the same time
- 24:11tomorrow with more stories about
- 24:13our community.
- 24:14We hope you'll join us right here on
- 24:16Austin Signal.