Keep Austin Safe: Studying Mutual Aid Organizing Following the 2021 Texas Energy Crisis
Abstract
This thesis investigates mutual aid organizing in the Austin Texas area by examining an extensive literature review on the history and methodology of mutual aid as well as the dilemmas that might arise with it. The literature review discusses mutual aid strategy throughout the coronavirus pandemic and in response to various natural disasters as an alternative to formal disaster responders like charities or other non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Mutual aid is applied to Austin Texas and its history of gentrification, addressing how gentrified neighborhoods and communities disproportionately suffered during the February 2021 electric outage in Texas. The analysis of this thesis suggests that an emergency preparedness strategy can be an effective method for mutual aid organizations to strategize according to Austin’s history of gentrification and environmental racism. A guiding philosophy of transformative justice can guide how the community strategizes and targets their action toward protecting every community member, including and most especially the ones most likely to be impacted by structural violence and discrimination.
Citation
Bomar, Jessica (2022). Keep Austin Safe: Studying Mutual Aid Organizing Following the 2021 Texas Energy Crisis. Undergraduate Research Scholars Program. Available electronically from https : / /hdl .handle .net /1969 .1 /196505.