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Black Lives Matter-inspired street message now borders San Antonio’s Travis Park

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The completed street mural surrounds downtown's Travis Park.
The completed street mural surrounds downtown’s Travis Park. Courtesy Michael Cirlos | Centro San Antonio

By Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

Early Wednesday morning, artists and volunteers completed a poetic street mural around downtown San Antonio’s Travis Park in the familiar yellow block letters of the Black Lives Matter movement.

The project, meant to show solidarity with nationwide protests calling for social justice, was created as part of a public art program overseen by Centro San Antonio, a nonprofit dedicated to beautifying downtown.

The words, supplied by San Antonio poet laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson, read: “Jubilant and exuberant is the melanin of our skin / From despair, we have arisen.”

“For us, this art project was inspired by the evolution of the civil rights movement that’s taking place around the country right now,” said Matt Brown, Centro San Antonio’s CEO. “[Our program] is about how we make downtown into a giant canvas for artists to tell their stories or to put a conversation out there.”

Sanderson penned the poem at the request of Andi Rodriguez, Centro’s vice president of urban planning. It covers three of the four streets framing the park, which had a Confederate monument as its centerpiece until 2017.

Rodriguez began assembling the pieces for the project six weeks ago, roping in local artists Anthony Dean-Harris and Scotch! to complete the design and oversee the 20 volunteers who worked overnight to complete the painting. She also obtained approval from both the city and VIA, which had to reroute buses during the work.

San Antonio poet laureate Andrea "Vocab" Sanderson stands by completed letters of the mural.
San Antonio poet laureate Andrea “Vocab” Sanderson stands by completed letters of the mural. Courtesy Centro San Antonio

Sanderson, who assisted in the painting, was unavailable for an interview at press time. However, she posted a Facebook video overnight thanking those who worked on the project.

“Dear San Antonio, you’re going to wake up in the morning and you’re going to find out the poet laureate of San Antonio … has been working really, really hard to share a tremendous love letter with you,” she said in the message.

Artist Dean-Harris said he was honored to take part in the work, even if he would have preferred the language to be more direct in calling for the defunding of police or the abolition of the city’s police union.

“In the meantime, we do have a lovely message surrounding a park that once had a Confederate statue in the middle of it — and that’s pretty cool too,” he said.

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current.

The San Antonio Current, San Antonio’s award-winning alternative media company, has served as the city’s premiere multimedia source of alternative news, events and culture since 1986.

San Antonio council votes to spend biggest share of federal Covid-19 funds on workforce training

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COPS Metro Alliance's Father Bill Kraus speaks to council about the need for jobs training.
COPS Metro Alliance’s Father Bill Kraus speaks to council about the need for jobs training. Screen capture / TVSA

By Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

In a resounding a win for COPS Metro Alliance, San Antonio City Council voted Thursday to allocate $75 million in its federal coronavirus recovery funds to workforce development.

COPS Metro, one of the city’s most powerful community organizing groups, vigorously lobbied the council to use the federal dollars to help workers who lost jobs during the pandemic to receive retraining. Under the plan, the city would partner with Workforce Solutions Alamo and Project Quest, allowing residents to access weekly stipends of $450 and services such as childcare.

Council voted 10-1 to approve the plan, saying the training opportunities will allow the city to reshape is low-wage economy and residents to access work with better earnings, benefits and job security.

“It’s time to stop changing out the Band-Aid,” District 4 Councilwoman Adriana Rocha Garcia said of the job-retraining component. “This is about the wound.”

However, other community groups — including some frequently allied with COPS Metro — urged council to delay the vote, saying the city hadn’t allowed enough time for community input on how to carve up the $380 million in federal aid.

Activists argued that the $50 million allocation for housing security wasn’t enough to stave off a looming eviction crisis.

“This is about balancing the emergency and the long term, but you’re rushing through this without ample community input,” said Michelle Tremillo, executive director of Texas Organizing Project.

That concern weighed on District 1 Councilman Roberto Treviño, who asked staff to assure him that the city could shift more funds into housing protection if needed.

“In a couple weeks, I think we’re going to see a high rate of evictions, and it’s concerning,” he said.

The sole council member to vote against the plan, District 10 Councilman Clayton Perry, argued that federal funds — offered through the Covid-19 Community Recovery and Resiliency Plan — were intended as a short-term aid to small businesses not part of a long-term revamp of the city’s economy.

“A lot of folks don’t want to be retrained for a new job, they just want their old job back,” he said.

Early in the meeting, activists from the Black Lives Matter movement filled the chamber, urging council to slash police funding. Nirenberg periodically struggled to maintain control of the meeting as audience members broke into chants of “Black lives matter” and occasionally shouted out grievances.

Speaker Jennifer Falcon called out council for approving the city’s 2016 police union contract, which critics charge offers too much protection to cops who abuse the power of their position.

“You are complicit in the murder of black people,” she said.

“There will be accountability for police and for all of you.”

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current.

The San Antonio Current, San Antonio’s award-winning alternative media company, has served as the city’s premiere multimedia source of alternative news, events and culture since 1986.

Cops use teargas in San Antonio after vandalism erupts following peaceful anti-police brutality march

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Protesters walk through the streets of downtown San Antonio on Saturday evening.
Protesters walk through the streets of downtown San Antonio on Saturday evening. Photo by Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

By Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

Police used teargas to disperse people in downtown San Antonio after incidents of vandalism that followed a peaceful protest to condemn the death of George Floyd.

Shortly after the Saturday evening protest, a tense standoff erupted between a splinter group of the protestors and armed self-described protectors of the Alamo. After police in riot gear tried to break up deadlock, smaller groups appeared to move through downtown hurling rocks and breaking windows.

Around 10 p.m. police deployed tear gas on Houston Street and near the Alamo. Twitter users also reported that police were firing rubber bullets.

In a news release, city officials said they have declared a local disaster and issued a temporary curfew effective that will run until 6 a.m. Sunday and from 10 p.m. Sunday until 6 a.m. on Monday.

“The planned demonstrations from earlier today were peaceful and the organizations did exactly what they said they would do to keep others safe,” San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said in an emailed statement. “The situation was escalated by some bad actors whose only intent was to incite violence and cause destruction. The actions of a few do not represent the majority of those who came out to peacefully demonstrate.”

Police were not available for immediate comment on the tactics used to clear crowds out of downtown.

Earlier Saturday, Gov. Greg Abbott announced he had deployed more than 1,500 Department of Public Safety officers to San Antonio, Austin, Dallas and Houston to ensure that “order is maintained and private property is protected.”

Similar scenes of unrest erupted in cities from New York to Los Angeles, where police cars have been set on fire and stores have been looted following protests decrying the death of a Floyd, a black man, while in custody of Minneapolis police. Disturbing video showed Minneapolis cop Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck while he screamed that he couldn’t breathe.

San Antonio’s protest began in Travis Park around 5:30 p.m. A diverse crowd of more than 1,000 people, most wearing masks due to the pandemic, listened to speakers as volunteers moved through the crowd handing out bottled water.

As the march got underway in Travis Park, organizers urged the crowd not to engage in confrontations with bystanders.

“If you see someone antagonizing, do not engage with them,” one organizer urged the participants over the sound system. “That is what they want.”

The march, organized by the Autonomous Brown Berets de San Antonio, proceeded to police headquarters, then made its way back to the park. The crowd’s conduct appeared orderly the entire way there and back.

Texas Is Texas Freedom Force protestors stand in front of the Alamo Cenotaph.
Texas Is Texas Freedom Force protestors stand in front of the Alamo Cenotaph. Photo by Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

However, after 8 p.m., a much smaller splinter group made its way to Alamo Plaza, where a group called This Is Texas Freedom Force (TITFF) had assembled to “guard” the Alamo Cenotaph after someone tagged it earlier this week with graffiti. Members of TITFF, which opposes the redevelopment of the Alamo, were carrying long guns and military gear.

A standoff between the groups ensued, eventually boiling over into a shoving match. Eventually, police in riot gear assembled at the site. At one point, a TITFF protestor appeared to be struck in the face with a hurled bottle.

Posts on the Autonomous Brown Berets’ Facebook event immediately following the protest thanked the group for organizing a peaceful and meaningful event.

“Thank you for organizing such a nice, peaceful event allowing people to speak their minds and air their frustrations,” one person posted. “I was there about three hours and I did not witness any negative action from our side.”

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current. Read the original version here.

The San Antonio Current, San Antonio’s award-winning alternative media company, has served as the city’s premiere multimedia source of alternative news, events and culture since 1986.

Both San Antonio’s tenants and landlords are bracing for COVID-19’s turmoil

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San Antonio apartments stock photo. Shot by Folo Media. Used with permission.
FOLO MEDIA FILE PHOTO

By James Dobbins | San Antonio Current

The national economy is crumbling at its fastest pace on record. In a mere two weeks, 10 million people applied for unemployment benefits, with many millions more unemployed expected to file later this year.

The looming specter of economic depression has become a significant threat to the real estate industry and both renters and landlords. Small, middle-class investors face risk from the turmoil to come, as both their jobs and passive income evaporate.

Seth Teel, a broker and local real estate investor, usually receives his tenants’ payments on time. But, last Thursday, the day after rent was due, he hadn’t received a single check. As a landlord, Teel tries to work with his tenants by setting up payment plans.

“And, you know, they are not being paid a living wage,” Teel said. “I can weather a couple of months without payments. Unfortunately, I can’t file for eviction.”

Teel has one tenant he wants to evict due to non-payment, opening the unit for a more stable renter. However, because of the ongoing COVID-19 crisis, Bexar County has temporarily halted eviction hearings. With no rent coming in at the moment, that may be the least of Teel’s problems.

“I paid my bills this week and last week, and I had way more going out than coming in. In March, things just started to slow down. April is going to be even worse.”

Teel is preparing 60 days at a time. That’s how long he believes his business can survive without rent payments. After that?

“Push comes to shove, if I can’t work with lenders and can’t get a small business loan, I’ll go back to brokerage and put the properties up for fire sale.”

As one can imagine, the potential flood of desperate sellers dumping properties on the market later this spring is frightening for folks relying on their equity to survive the crisis.

Renters have even fewer options.

Trae, who asked his surname be kept private, is a resident of Cevallos Lofts in Southtown. The single father lives with his son, 6, and daughter, 8. His rent is $680 per month after government assistance.

After two job losses this year, Trae has been unable to pay his rent and now faces eviction.

“We have nowhere to go from here,” he said.

As a last resort, he had hoped to move into his parents’ house, but that option is no longer available. His mother just lost her job, and his father is facing reduced hours. And his sister will be moving back into their parent’s house after her life in Hawaii fell apart from a divorce.

“It’s a nightmare. A lot of places I’m looking to live have a long waitlist, a year, or two years because I’m low-income. I can’t even pay application fees,” he said. “The one place I found [accepting low-income] is not allowing move-ins because of COVID.”

Trae is selling his belongings and waiting for the eviction process to proceed once the courts reopen. For now, he continues to look for a new job and a place for his children to live.

If the crisis continues much longer — the expected peak of San Antonio’s COVID-19 spread may still be weeks out — Trae says his last option will be to live on the street.

“I’ve been homeless many times in my life after the Navy,” he said. “It’s not news to me.”

Kenny Wilson is a former banker and current CEO of the homeless shelter Haven of Hope. He hasn’t seen an increase in homelessness yet, but he expects that to change soon.

“We’re full,” Wilson said of the shelter’s capacity. “Unless the city and the state work something out, there’s going to be a backlog of delinquencies and an influx of people out of their homes.”

Wilson is facing reality head-on. The shelter and care facilities he manages, with the help of more than 200 employees, serve as the primary safety net for approximately 1,700 homeless individuals.

“It’s one thing to say we’re not going to evict anybody, but landlords have rights, too. They have to make money,” Wilson said. “Most of those income properties have mortgages.”

For now, Haven for Hope doesn’t have additional room and resources if a massive wave of the newly homeless people seeks out its services.

The full medical and economic catastrophe hasn’t even started in San Antonio. The city and county could see thousands of fatalities before the current wave of infections subsides.

The cascading effect of so much death and economic disruption has the potential to crush the local real estate and rental market, leading to countless foreclosures, evictions and increased homelessness.

With reduced property tax collections, the crisis may ruin the city budget, resulting in more service cuts.

Wilson summed up the dire situation: “There are so many tenants and mortgagees out of work they won’t be able to pay. But you got to get a stand-down for everybody from top to bottom. The knee bone is connected to the shin bone. It’s all connected.”

[ We want to tell your story. Have you been furloughed or let go from your job because of coronavirus? We’d like to interview you for a potential article. Will you email us? ]

Related
» As eviction lawsuits dwindle, tenants may get 60 extra days to resolve overdue rent during coronavirus crisis
» Number of people seeking housing assistance in San Antonio soared 6,700% last two weeks
» Landlords asked to forgive 25% rent for tenants impacted by coronavirus
» Evictions, property tax foreclosures in Bexar County suspended due to COVID-19 concerns
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» Looking back: The week downtown San Antonio became a ghost town

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current.

The San Antonio Current, San Antonio’s award-winning alternative media company, has served as the city’s premiere multimedia source of alternative news, events and culture since 1986.

Nirenberg plans to extend stay-at-home order through end of April

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Mayor Ron Nirenberg’s existing order is set to expire Thursday. Heron file photo

By Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

With the number of COVID-19 cases steadily rising, Mayor Ron Nirenberg plans to extend San Antonio’s stay-at-home order through the end of April, a spokesman for the mayor confirmed.

City council is expected to vote on the extension at its April 9 meeting. Nirenberg’s existing order, which became effective on March 25, is set to expire at the end of the same day as the council meeting.

On Tuesday, Greg Abbott handed down an order that was essentially a stay-at-home mandate that runs through April 30. The governor, however, refused to label his action as a “stay-at-home order.” (Read more here on the politics behind the governor’s verbal gymnastics.)

At present, there have been 229 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Bexar County, nine of those ending in death.

With Nirenberg and other officials warning that number will rise and data models suggesting Texas may not see its peak in infections until early May, many had predicted the mayor would push back the end date.

Now, it’s all but certain he will.

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current.

The San Antonio Current, San Antonio’s award-winning alternative media company, has served as the city’s premiere multimedia source of alternative news, events and culture since 1986.

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City of San Antonio and Luminaria Foundation to offer grants to artists during coronavirus shutdown

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BEN OLIVO | SAN ANTONIO HERON

By Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

San Antonio’s Department of Arts & Culture and the Luminaria Artist Foundation launched a program Wednesday to provide grants to local artists to help them offset lost earnings during the pandemic.

The newly minted Corona Arts Relief Program will offer grants of up to $600 to individual Bexar County artists for personal development and to make up for lost revenue from events cancelled since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak. The window of events covered runs March 13 through April 19.

The program will cover professional development including in-person or distance training, apprenticeships and conferences. Artists must include supporting documentation to show they actually did the development project. They should also be ready to share what they learned with others after COVID-19 restrictions are lifted.

Interested artists must apply online by April 14, 2020. Individuals may only submit one request.

[ We want to tell your story. Have you been furloughed or let go from the hospitality industry because of coronavirus? We’d like to interview you for a potential article. Will you email us? ]

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current.

The San Antonio Current, San Antonio’s award-winning alternative media company, has served as the city’s premiere multimedia source of alternative news, events and culture since 1986.

San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit suspends fares in response to coronavirus

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A VIA bus passes The Culinary Institute of America, San Antonio at the Pearl. Courtesy VIA Metropolitan Transit
COURTESY VIA METROPOLITAN TRANSIT

By Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

Beginning Saturday, San Antonio’s VIA Metropolitan Transit stopped collecting fares for VIA fixed-route bus service, VIAtrans trips and VIA Link on-demand services.

According to a news release from the transit system, it’s suspending all fares through 1 a.m. on April 1 in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. At that time, VIA will reevaluate and provide an update on how to proceed.

VIA President and CEO Jeffrey Arndt said the fare relief is among the steps the system is taking to provide safe service. Stopping the exchange of money maintains social distancing for bus operators, while giving financial relief for riders.

“We realize that public transit is a necessity for many in our community everyday, and perhaps especially during a crisis, including those whose work is essential during emergencies, or who may rely on transit as their only means of travel to workplaces, meal distribution sites, critical service centers, or other necessary trips,” Arndt said.

The San Antonio Current, San Antonio’s award-winning alternative media company, has served as the city’s premiere multimedia source of alternative news, events and culture since 1986.

Looking to help during the coronavirus crisis? City of San Antonio recommends these three ways

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Instagram / safoodbank

By Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

Many of us feel helpless as we watch friends, family members and neighbors struggle with the self-isolation and economic hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, there’s volunteer work you can do right now to aid those in need. The City of San Antonio’s Department of Human Services is encouraging residents to assist in the following ways to help other members of the community pull through this difficult time:

Donate hygiene kits: The city needs donated hygiene kits including hand sanitizer, disinfectant wipes, soap, bottled water, socks and snacks for outreach to homeless people. The items may be packaged in plastic grocery bags and can be delivered to residents’ nearest SAPD SAFFE substation. Check online for more information.

Volunteer at the Food Bank: The San Antonio Food Bank is seeking volunteers for tasks including distributing meals for seniors and out-of-school kids and to staff mobile pantries. Residents interested in volunteering can contact the San Antonio Food Bank Volunteer Services at volunteer@safoodbank.org or (210) 431-8388. Information is also available online.

Donate blood: To address a citywide drop in blood donations, the Alamodome and South Texas Blood & Tissue Center are hosting a blood drive running through Thursday, March 19. Slots to donate are available from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the South Plaza Concourse. However, they are restricted to an appointment-only basis. Safety protocols in place at the site include a temperature scan at entrance, beds spaced six feet apart for social distancing and a pre-screening questionnaire to avoid potential COVID-19 exposure. Calling 210-731-5590 for appointments.

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current.

The San Antonio Current, San Antonio’s award-winning alternative media company, has served as the city’s premiere multimedia source of alternative news, events and culture since 1986.

Fiesta postponed due to coronavirus, San Antonio festival will shift to November

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A group in the Fiesta Flambeau Parade breaks out into dance last year. Photo by Kara Hawley | Heron contributor

By Sarah Martinez | San Antonio Current

As more events are canceled and public spaces make modifications, officials have announced an update on San Antonio’s most beloved event: Fiesta.

At a Friday morning press conference, Fiesta Commission President Jeanie Travis announced that the 10-day festival, attracts hundreds of thousands of attendees annually, will be postponed in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Rather than get underway on April 16, Fiesta 2020 will run November 5-15.

“Our primary goal is to have a safe Fiesta that poses no risk to our attendees, our participants or our volunteers,” Travis said. “The tradition of Fiesta must continue, but at a different date.”

Mayor Ron Nirenberg said the fall dates were selected to allow time for the coronavirus pandemic to be resolved, while not overshadowing other scheduled public events. This year’s Fiesta will come right after Halloween and Dia de los Muertos celebrations, and not long before Christmas festivities.

“Is San Antonio not the kind of town that can have more than one party going on at a time?” Nirenberg rhetorically asked a reporter who questioned the timing.

Fiesta Commission Executive Director Amy Shaw said her group will meet with the various organizations and leaders involved in the festival to transition to the new date.

The announcement came after a separate press conference at which Nirenberg announced a public health emergency. As part of that action, gatherings of 500 or more people are prohibited for the next seven days, although that time span could be extended by a council vote.

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current.

The San Antonio Current, San Antonio’s award-winning alternative media company, has served as the city’s premiere multimedia source of alternative news, events and culture since 1986.

City evaluating Fiesta events on case-by-case basis for coronavirus risks, official says

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Girls wave at the Fiesta Flambeau Parade last year. Photo by Kara Hawley | Heron contributor

By Sanford Nowlin | San Antonio Current

The city of San Antonio is assessing the potential danger the COVID-19 virus presents during Fiesta on an event-by-event basis, Metro Health Director Dawn Emerick said during a Texas Public Radio appearance Monday.

The 10-day citywide festival, scheduled to kick off April 16, is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people to more than 100 events. Many of those attract packed crowds.

“You have to look at the entire environment,” Emerick said. “You have to look at the event itself. How big is the event? Where is it going to be held? Is it indoor? Is it outdoor? So, all of those things are going to be taken into consideration.”

Emerick told TPR the arrival of COVID-19 test kits could help officials decide whether to cancel or postpone Fiesta events. However, she added that no single factor that would prompt a decision to shut down the festival.

“All the things my smart staff do, we just don’t have that data,” she said. “So, I do think, over the next several weeks, we could have some data to make those determinations.”

Fiesta is one of the largest such festivals in the United States. Planning for the party is underway as other Texas cities cancel large-scale events including Austin’s SXSW festival and the Houston Rodeo.

This article is republished with permission from the San Antonio Current.

The San Antonio Current, San Antonio’s award-winning alternative media company, has served as the city’s premiere multimedia source of alternative news, events and culture since 1986.

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