Austin Tx Reparations Happy Hour

Inspired by Portland Oregon's Brown Hope event - Austin's Reparations Happy Hour is a monthly program of local nonprofit, Counter Balance ATX, and is an intentional space for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people.

The idea is simple:

1. Show up! Black, Brown, and Indigenous people, this event is specifically for you.

2. Be nourished! Food and drinks will be provided by Counter Balance and the business sponsor.

3. Get ten! Receive $10 in cash as reparations**, paid for in part by white folks.

4. Build power! Every Power Hour will feature a 45 minute discussion about a local and relevant policy topic for us to collectively to weigh in on.

This event is for white people, too. (But don’t show up physically! Instructions are below.)

White people can show up and support by GIVING reparations. Instead of physically attending, your presence will be felt through your active financial support for healing, leadership, and community building within Portland’s black, brown, and indigenous community.

$10 will support reparations for one community member, and you are strongly encouraged to donate for more than one participant. Monthly donations are very much needed to sustain the Reparations Happy Hours and the programs of Counter Balance. You can make a one-time donation or recurring contributions online via Paypal.

**You do not have to attend the entire two hour event to receive reparations. Able-bodied participants are required to be physically present to receive their $10. If there are accessibility concerns that impact your ability to be physically present, please email info@counterbalanceatx.org  and we will work with you to ensure your eligibility for reparations.

FAQS
Because of course - there are all kinds of questions! :-)

— Is this a joke?
It’s real. It is a happy hour. It is reparations.

— So, white people buy "drinks" for people of color?

No. 

Black, Brown, and Indigenous attendees will receive $10 in cash and are able to use that money for whatever they want to. They can of course purchase alcohol at the event - or they can use the money for gas, buy a meal, or give to a firend.
— This is reverse racism! I can’t believe you’re excluding white people.

White people are included in this event. They are invited to contribute financially and to take positive action to support community building between Black, Brown, and Indigenous people.
Living in Austin, one the whitest major cities in the United States, it is impossible to go through a day without interacting with whiteness. Hosting an event that takes place for two hours a month does not separate us from white people. Black, Brown, and Indigenous people face racism daily in society and in our relationships. Reparations Happy Hour aims to create a space of healing, a place for us to feel pain with others who feel our pain. The perpetrators of our pain are not invited.
If it helps - think of it like a support group — you wouldn’t host an Alcoholic’s Anonymous group and then invite Tequila manufacturer in the room.
— Are white people going to be off the hook for slavery because they gave $10?
Bishop Bullwinkle said it best.. Counter Balance ATX is committed to elevating the conversation about Reparations, because action is sorely needed on a national and global level. We are joining other organizations across America and taking initiative. While we wait for Congress to do something, we call on folks to imagine what reparations in their own communities could look like.

— Is this a party?

Absolutely. It is a party with a purpose! In addition to being an opportunity gather and network - the Reparations Happy Hour is a community building event. This is a rare time for Black, Brown, and Indigenous people to come together and create stronger connections with each other. 

Every Happy Hour features a 45 minute discussion and calls to action about a local and relevant topic to elevate diverse leadership. 

— Calling it a Happy Hour diminishes the gravity and seriousness of reparations.
Reparations is a serious issue and should not be taken lightly. We believe we can hold space for the importance of Reparations, while at the same time raising the importance of of Happy Hours and similar social gatherings for communities of color.
Historically, Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities have been most prosperous when they built community: close, caring, and courageous communities that could come together and provide solutions. Living in one of the whitest major cities in the United States, our communities have been displaced and divided. Events like the Reparations Happy Hour are crucial to building community and continuing our journey to prosperity.

— Are Asian people invited to the event?
Yes.

Racism and colorism have a complex historical relationship. Some communities who identify as “brown” have benefitted from light skin privilege, and as a racial demographic, are better off than the average Black family. However, Asian Americans have been the targets of racial exclusion, repression and exploitation throughout US history. So yes - they deserve reparations, too.

— Are white passing, multiracial people welcome to the event?

This event is open to anyone who identifies as Black, Brown, Indigenous, and/or Multiracial. As long as someone does not identify as White in their daily lives, they are invited to participate in the event. 

We are putting our trust in our attendees to use their discernment and expect that they honor the spirit of why we're doing the Reparations Happy Hours.