Jesse Jackson Comes to Town
In honor of the late civil rights leader, the Observer resurfaces an encounter between the reverend and Molly Ivins.
Austin
Editor’s Letter: Introducing Our March/April 2026 Issue
A note from the editor-in-chief
When Local Police Collaborate with ICE, Children Pay the Price
I know exactly what message the recent deportation of an Austin mom and her 5-year-old sends to kids. They learn that calling 911 is dangerous.
Austin’s Willy Baltazar Is a Man of Many Masks
From Veracruz to Texas, he keeps a centuries-old tradition alive.
At Barton Springs, Trans Existence Becomes Resistance
Following a transphobic incident earlier this year, community members gathered to "protect trans joy."
Why the City of Austin Wants Voters to Hike Their Property Taxes
And what Prop Q could mean for the future of local governments in Texas
A Night at the Screamo Bookstore
An Austin literary shop has branched out into loud concerts, cementing a place in the city’s DIY music scene.
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Austin’s Children Deserve More than a Test Score
The city's “F” schools overwhelmingly serve mostly low-income African-American and Hispanic children.
A Texas Writer Tackles a Subject ‘Beckoning in the Shadows His Entire Life’
Stephen Harrigan explores his own Catholic boyhood in Texas—and the prophecy left behind by a Portuguese prophet girl—in a compelling new book.