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The Austin Coming Together (ACT) coalition released a 15-minute documentary about their work on the Austin Quality of Life Plan and their ongoing efforts to make the plan a reality.
The Austin Quality of Life Plan, also known as the Austin Forward Together Plan, developed in 2018, is a compilation of community improvement strategies. ACT planned to hold regular community summits every year to update the community on their progress, but the pandemic made these types of large-scale gatherings impossible.
The documentary was created to create a summit-like experience by creating something that residents can watch together and share across the community.
The documentary Austin Forward Together debuted in a private screening on July 29 at the Kehrein Center for the Arts, 5628 W. Washington Blvd. It was made available to the public on August 18th on Facebook Live. ACT encourages residents to share the documentary via virtual or in-person watch parties as well as the link.
ACT is a coalition that includes a number of companies, nonprofits, and other entities operating in Austin, including Austin Weekly News. The coalition hired Digifé, a Streeterville-based video production company owned by Black, to create a documentary.
According to the documentation site, the company was mentoring youngsters from Austin at the Mic, a youth media partnership between ACT and coalition members Westside Health Authority (WHA) and Broader Urban Involvement & Leadership Development (BUILD) Chicago, a youth development organization.
Featuring several teenagers from the program, the documentary notes that the partnership was created to empower Austin’s youth by giving them the opportunity to tell their story.
The documentary documented divestments across Austin since the 1970s, particularly when it came to available jobs, public safety, and access to grocery stores. It highlighted the fact that while Austin residents spend $ 775 million annually on shopping and dining, nearly $ 160 million of that is spent outside the community.
The documentary touched on several initiatives ACT has worked on since the Quality of Life Plan was released, including granting grants to daycare in the area, using restorative justice to reduce crime and violence, and launching the Austin Eats initiative to distribute healthy food and more farmers to set up markets and build more community gardens.
The documentary illuminates the Pop Courts outdoor event space at the intersection of Chicago and Lockwood Avenues, which opened on June 17th. The short also touched on the future development of the Shuttered Emmet Elementary School, 5500 W Madison St, which WHA bought in 2018.
In his opening remarks, ACT executive director Darnell Shields said he hopes the documentary will challenge misconceptions about Austin and encourage viewers to get involved in making the Quality of Life Plan a reality.
“People outside of the area may think our community is just full of crime and violence, and I can admit that we have our challenges like any other community, but we also have beauty and our culture, architecture, history and respect for our neighbors “He said called. “We want and deserve our community to have the same opportunities as other parts of Chicago.”
Learn more about the documentary and its screening at https://austincomingtogether.org/aft/ or watch the documentary on ACT’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M6gMqdjd5Y .
Editor’s Note (Full Disclosure): Darnell Shields serves on the board of directors of Growing Community Media, the nonprofit media company that owns and operates Austin Weekly News.
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