Capital Metro unveiled new exhibit plaques that celebrate the history and people of the East Austin community on Saturday May 12th.
For the past 18 months, Capital Metro has teamed up with several community partners to revamp the bus stop on the southeast corner of 12th and Chicon Streets. The agency and its partners worked closely with the community throughout this period and took feedback on the design during two community meetings.
“This new exhibit is just a snapshot of the larger story of Austin’s African-American community and their impact on the city’s East Side,” said Capital Metro President/CEO Randy Clarke. “I’m proud that Capital Metro is able to partner with many organizations on this project and that this bus stop exhibit will be able to tell this story for many years to come.”
Community partners include: Austin Community College, Austin History Center, Austin Revitalization Authority, Baptist Ministers’ Union of Austin & Vicinity, City of Austin Economic Development Department, East 12th Street Merchants Association, Greater Austin Black Chamber, Huston-Tillotson University, Six Square, Souly Austin and the Urban Land Institute.
“A historical installation like the one at 12th and Chicon is very important. I look forward to sharing the stories it will tell with my children and future generations who visit the bus stop,” said Creola Burns of the East 12th Street Merchants Association. “The main story is that, although some of the families who built this sacred community may not be able to afford to live here anymore, their contributions to East Austin are now memorialized.”
