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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 20, 2007
Contact:
, Austin Public Library, (512) 974-7528
Fax: (512) 974-7442
In Celebration of Juneteenth
Desegregation in Austin: Five Decades of Social Change
A Web Timeline Goes Live
Austin, Texas—In recognition of Juneteenth the Austin History Center (AHC) added to its long list of useful information about this city’s past when it went live this week with an annotated chronology “Desegregation in Austin: Five Decades of Social Change.”
The web-based timeline was several years in the making and provides an overview of the major events that shaped the desegregation era in Austin. According to Karen Riles Neighborhood Liaison at the Austin History Center, “This timeline is important because a comprehensive history about this divisive time in Austin’s history has yet to be written. Staff is often asked questions about this topic by customers making inquiries at the Austin History Center.” School desegregation facts comprise the bulk of the chronology, which is reflective of the discord caused by a community resistant to court-imposed, societal changes. says Riles.
It took Riles several years to complete the timeline, accessing primary and secondary documents housed in the archives at the Austin History Center and conducting oral histories with individuals such as former councilwoman Emma Long and activist William Astor Kirk.
As the local history collection of the Austin Public Library, the Austin History Center provides the public with information about the history, current events, and activities of Austin and Travis County. The timeline may be viewed on the AHC’s website www.cityofaustin.org/library/ahc/africanam.htm or call (512) 974-7480 for additional information.
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