REGULAR MEETING OF THE AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION TUESDAY, OCTOBER 6, 2026, AT 5:30 PM PERMITTING AND DEVELOPMENT CENTER ROOM 1401 6310 WILHELMINA DELCO DR AUSTIN, TEXAS Some members of the African American Resource Advisory Commission may be participating by videoconference. Public comment will be allowed in-person or remotely via telephone. Speakers may only register to speak on an item once either in-person or remotely and will be allowed up to three minutes to provide their comments. Registration no later than noon the day before the meeting is required for remote participation by telephone. To register to speak remotely, contact Nekaybaw Watson, 512-974-2562, nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov. CURRENT COMMISSIONERS: Alexandria Anderson, Chair Roger Davis Dr. Chiquita Eugene Joi Harden Daryl Horton Nelson Linder Antonio Ross Greg Smith Justin Parsons, Vice Chair Sophia Dozier Emmy Goss Weisberg Kyron Hayes Antony Jackson Patrick Miller Mueni Rudd AGENDA CALL TO ORDER PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL The first ten speakers signed up prior to the meeting being called to order will each be allowed a three-minute allotment to address their concerns regarding items not posted on the agenda. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the African American Resource Advisory Commission regular meeting on September 8, 2026. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. Presentation from the African American Youth Harvest Foundation regarding their programmatic overview. Presentation by Micheal Lofton, President/CEO/ Founder, African American Youth Harvest Foundation. 3. Discussion on activating African American voters before the November election. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. Approve the 2027 Annual Meeting Schedule for the African American Resource Advisory Commission 5. Approve a Recommendation to Council to Recognize the Recent APD Shooting & Create Supportive Measures to Provide Public Accountability. FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS ADJOURNMENT The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. For assistance, please contact the Liaison or TTY users’ route through 711. A person may request language access accommodations no later than 48 hours before the scheduled meeting. Please call or email Nekaybaw Watson at Austin City Clerk’s Office Department, at 512-974-2562 or nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov to request service or for additional information. For more information on the African American Resource Advisory Commission please contact Nekaybaw Watson at 512-974-2562 or nekaybaw.watson@austintexas.gov.
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION Recommendation 20261006-005: Recognition of Recent APD Shooting & Supporting Measures to Provide Public Accountability WHEREAS, on July 24, 2026, 17-year-old Anthoneil Williams II was fatally shot by Austin Police Department (APD) officers at a neighborhood park near Baden Lane and Dessau Road; and WHEREAS, subsequent official reviews and Austin Police Department disclosures revealed that Anthoneil Williams II was unarmed and the object in his waistband was a water bottle at the time officers discharged their weapons; and WHEREAS, while the shooting remained under active investigation, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis publicly stated that “all points” indicated the incident was a “suicide by police,” assigning a possible motive to Anthoneil Williams II before the completion of independent and thorough investigations; and WHEREAS, the National Police Accountability Project (NPAP), a national organization dedicated to police accountability and civil rights, specifically criticized APD's rapid characterization of Anthoneil Williams II's death as “suicide by cop,” raising concerns that assigning such a label before a meaningful investigation shifts attention away from questions of de-escalation, use of force, and governmental accountability; and WHEREAS, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a national organization of police executives and law-enforcement professionals, recognizes that encounters involving individuals believed to be seeking a lethal police response should prompt specialized crisis intervention emphasizing time, distance, communication, patience, and de-escalation, and has documented that many such encounters can be resolved without the use of lethal force; and WHEREAS, terminology such as “suicide by cop” or “suicide by police,” particularly when used before an investigation has established a person's intent, risks shifting responsibility for a police- involved death onto the deceased, making that individual the perceived causal actor in their own death while prematurely shaping public understanding of the government's use of deadly force; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin should use neutral, fact-based language when communicating about police-involved deaths and should distinguish between evidence concerning a person's possible mental or behavioral health crisis and the separate question of whether officers' actions, tactics, de-escalation efforts, and use of force were appropriate; and WHEREAS, repeated patterns of officer misconduct, insufficient de-escalation, and unjustified use of force have historically inflicted severe trauma and deadly harm across Austin communities; and WHEREAS, civilian oversight bodies, including the Community Police Review Commission, require unfettered access to all body-worn camera footage, dispatch recordings, internal affairs files, and investigative materials to ensure true …
AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION REGULAR MEETING MINUTES TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2026 The African American Resource Advisory Commission convened in a regular meeting on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, at the Permitting and Development Center. Chair Anderson called the African American Resource Advisory Commission Meeting to order at 5:37 p.m. Commissioners in Attendance: Alexandria Anderson, Chair Dr. Chiquita Eugene Roger Davis Sophia Dozier Emmy Goss Weisberg Daryl Horton Nelson Linder Patrick Miller Greg Smith Commissioners in Attendance Remotely: Joi Harden Kyron Hayes Antony Jackson Mueni Rudd Commissioners Absent: Justin Parsons, Vice Chair Antonio Ross PUBLIC COMMUNICATION: GENERAL None. APPROVAL OF MINUTES 1. Approve the minutes of the African American Resource Advisory Commission regular meeting on August 4, 2026. 1 The minutes of the August 4, 2026, regular meeting of the African American Resource Advisory Commission were approved during the September 9th meeting on Commissioner Davis’s motion, Commissioner Dozier’s second on a 13-0 vote. Vice Chair Parsons and Commissioners Ross were absent. DISCUSSION ITEMS 2. 3. Presentation from the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) regarding their relationships with African American families in Austin. Presentation by Stephanie Hennes, Faith-Based and Community Engagement Specialist, DFPS and Rachel Duer, Faith-Based and Community Engagement Director, DFPS. Presentation given by Stephanie Hennes, Faith-Based and Community Engagement Specialist, DFPS and Rachel Duer, Faith-Based and Community Engagement Director, DFPS. Presentation from Community Advancement Network (CAN) regarding their programming and priorities. Presentation from Jelina Tunstill, CAN Program and Operations Coordinator. Presentation given by Jelina Tunstill, CAN Program and Operations Coordinator. DISCUSSION AND ACTION ITEMS 4. 5. 6. Approve the creation of a public health working group that creates recommendations regarding Black maternal health and improving the social determinants of life for Black Austinites. The motion to approve the creation of a public health working group that creates recommendations regarding Black maternal health and improving the social determinants of life for Black Austinites with Chair Anderson and Commissioner Rudd as members was approved on Commissioner Miller’s motion, Commissioner Goss Wiesberg’s second on a 13-0 vote. Vice Chair Parsons and Commissioner Ross were absent. Approve the creation of a public safety working group that focuses on community policing, conflict resolution, decreasing gun violence and job training and employment opportunities. The motion to approve the creation of a public safety working group that focuses on community policing, conflict resolution, decreasing gun violence and job training and employment opportunities with Vice Chair …
RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL AFRICAN AMERICAN RESOURCE ADVISORY COMMISSION Recommendation 20261006-005: Recognition of Recent APD Shooting & Supporting Measures to Provide Public Accountability WHEREAS, on July 24, 2026, 17-year-old Anthoneil Williams II was fatally shot by Austin Police Department (APD) officers at a neighborhood park near Baden Lane and Dessau Road; and WHEREAS, subsequent official reviews and Austin Police Department disclosures revealed that Anthoneil Williams II was unarmed and the object in his waistband was a water bottle at the time officers discharged their weapons; and WHEREAS, while the shooting remained under active investigation, Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis publicly stated that “all points” indicated the incident was a “suicide by police,” assigning a possible motive to Anthoneil Williams II before the completion of independent and thorough investigations; and WHEREAS, the National Police Accountability Project (NPAP), a national organization dedicated to police accountability and civil rights, specifically criticized APD's rapid characterization of Anthoneil Williams II's death as “suicide by cop,” raising concerns that assigning such a label before a meaningful investigation shifts attention away from questions of de-escalation, use of force, and governmental accountability; and WHEREAS, the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF), a national organization of police executives and law-enforcement professionals, recognizes that encounters involving individuals believed to be seeking a lethal police response should prompt specialized crisis intervention emphasizing time, distance, communication, patience, and de-escalation, and has documented that many such encounters can be resolved without the use of lethal force; and WHEREAS, terminology such as “suicide by cop” or “suicide by police,” particularly when used before an investigation has established a person's intent, risks shifting responsibility for a police- involved death onto the deceased, making that individual the perceived causal actor in their own death while prematurely shaping public understanding of the government's use of deadly force; and WHEREAS, the City of Austin should use neutral, fact-based language when communicating about police-involved deaths and should distinguish between evidence concerning a person's possible mental or behavioral health crisis and the separate question of whether officers' actions, tactics, de-escalation efforts, and use of force were appropriate; and WHEREAS, repeated patterns of officer misconduct, insufficient de-escalation, and unjustified use of force have historically inflicted severe trauma and deadly harm across Austin communities; and WHEREAS, civilian oversight bodies, including the Community Police Review Commission, require unfettered access to all body-worn camera footage, dispatch recordings, internal affairs files, and investigative materials to ensure true …
