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FREE Vol. 38 No. 11
March 13, 2024 ■ Also serving Garfield Park ■ austinweeklynews.com
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White woman on pilgrimage to talk about racism says a collective can end it
Not just any white woman – Rachelle Zola’s anti-racism work guides her way By DEBORAH BAYLISS Contributing Reporter
If someone said that an end to systematic racism in this country is possible – with reasonable doubt – the likely response would be to question the statement. Well, someone did say it, out loud and publicly. Her name is Rachelle Zola, a 75-year-old white woman who has led a privileged life in a country that was built for her. Zola said she not only believes it is possible, but that it’s possible within her lifetime. “We can do it if we have the collective will to do it,” Zola told the Austin Weekly News during an interview regarding her mission to do her part to make it happen. Her comments are not from the sidelines. Zola, a restorative practitioner, is out front, on a journey
PHOTO BY DION TURNER
Attendees participate in the free community breakfast before the summit.
Nearly half of ambitious plan to build a better Austin is underway Austin Coming Together’s plan to improve the economy and community has made impressive strides, and organizers expect to continue progress By JESSICA MORDACQ
See ZOLA on page 2
A group of people had a dream five years ago: Make the quality of life in Austin better. Five years and $100 million later, the groups’ projects are nearly half-way to that goal. The group, a community organization called Austin Coming Together, first published its quality-of-life plan called Austin Forward Together in 2018. The plan outlined a five-year effort, from 2019 to 2024, toward economic and community deSee ACT on page 4
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2024
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