Sign and Share our Petition (2 min)
Tell Kitchen you Care by signing and sharing our petition with friends, family, and neighbors. The petition is crucial in showing Council Member Kitchen how many people in District 5 want to see change happen now!
Get a Yard Sign (2 min)
Tell Kitchen you Care by putting up a yard sign! Email, Tweet, and Facebook share a picture of you and your sign to Council Member Kitchen. We want to show the Council Member that constituents all around District 5 are united for change!
Reach out to Ann Kitchen (5 min)
Make your voice heard! During the current city budget process, we need sustained communication with Ann Kitchen to let her know we care about funding real solutions to address long-standing inequities faced by communities of color.
Email: Ann.Kitchen@austintexas.gov
A personal email gets attention from elected officials. Include your name, district, that you are a member of District 5 for Black Lives, and that you want $105 million dollars reallocated from APD to real people-centered solutions. Include a personal story or take your favorite parts of our auto-email. (2 min)
Call: 512-978-2105
Set a reminder in to call once a week until August 14, 2020.“Hi, my name is ____. I live in your district and I’m a member of District 5 for Black Lives. I want you to reallocate $105 million dollars from APD to real solutions, such as affordable housing, health resources, and direct financial assistance, that keep all communities safe and thriving.”
Talk to your neighbors (10 min)
A yard sign is a great conversation starter! Let your neighbors know that you are working at the local level to address systemic inequities. Help them get involved and empower them with a sign, petition, and information to make change!
Sample text for message
Dear Council Member Ann Kitchen,
As constituents of City Council District 5, we care. We stand in solidarity with Black and Brown communities in Austin and ask that action must be taken now to address systemic racism in our City. As our representative, we need you to use your voice and power to make change now. We in District 5, are asking for:
We are asking for you to fund real solutions: APD funding must be returned to 2013 levels immediately. The APD budget has ballooned over the past seven years, while affordable housing, employment opportunities, and public health resources have been underfunded. We in District 5 believe that real solutions require people-centered services that keep all communities safe and thriving.
We are asking for you to hold police accountable: City Manager Cronk must replace APD Chief Manley and his team, immediately. If Cronk refuses, terminate Cronk and replace him with a city manager accountable to Black and Brown communities. We in District 5 have lost faith that Manley can lead a department that cares for the lives of Black and Brown Austinites.
We are asking for you to demand Justice for Michael Ramos, Saraneka Martin, Brad Levi Ayala, and Justin Howell: Michael Ramos was killed by Austin police in April. Saraneka Martin, Brad Levi Ayala, and Justin Howell sustained serious injuries after “less-lethal” rounds were shot into crowds of protestors. We in District 5 call for full investigations of officers responsible for this violence and other acts of racial discrimination at APD.
As constituents of District 5, we care and are committed to realizing meaningful, long-lasting change in our City. More can be done and it is time to act now.