Susan Smith Richardson
By Susan Smith Richardson:
The Power of Words
It’s no small feat to harness the power of words. Words can free you or trap you; make you feel or make you think. The authors featured in our Fall Books issue have done so admirably, and on subjects from … Read More
Helping Neighborhoods Organize Themselves
A community garden. A voter-education campaign. A community center in a low-income apartment complex. These are some of the programs Charhonda Cox supports as the staff and project director for the Texans Together Education Fund. The Houston-based nonprofit helps communities … Read More
Preserving the State Cemetery
Will Erwin, senior historian at the Texas State Cemetery in Austin, describes himself as a “history dork.” His love of history attracted him to a job where he’s a Jack-of-all-trades. Erwin, 36, blogs, leads tours, helps with funerals, occasionally tends … Read More
Do the Boots Make the Man?
The governor may wear boots, but not all real Texans do.
On a Saturday afternoon in Austin, Allens Boots teems with visitors and newcomers to Texas. Tugging on boots and trying on cowboy hats, they want to buy a piece of the Texas mystique and the myth of the rural, rugged … Read More
Cultural Warrior
Harold McMillan believes that culture can be a political weapon. For more than 20 years, the founder and director of Austin’s DiverseArts Culture Works has documented and presented the music and culture of the city’s dramatically changing African-American community. Gentrification … Read More