Abstract:
Founded in 1991 by a group of Chicana/o East Austin activists and community leaders, PODER (People Organized in Defense of the Earth and her Resources) seeks to redefine environmental, economic and social justice issues as basic human rights. The collection consists of correspondence and administrative records, reports, newspaper clippings, event fliers, grant proposals, video and audio recordings, radio programs, oral history interviews, and other documentation relating to PODER and their mission dating from 1972 to 2019, including information relating to the close of the Holly Power Plant, the Tank Farm shut down, BFI Recycling Center relocation and other environmental accomplishments.
Copyright:
The Austin History Center (AHC) is the owner of the physical materials in the AHC collections and makes available reproductions for research, publication, and other uses. Written permission must be obtained from the AHC before any publication use. The AHC does not necessarily hold copyright to all of the materials in the collections. In some cases, permission for use may require seeking additional authorization from the copyright owners. Consult repository for more details.
Scope and Content:
The PODER Records are arranged into four series: Organizational Records; Pathways to Collaboration; Youth Scholars for Justice; Subject/Issue Files. The <emph render="bold">Organizational Records</emph> series (1972-2019) documents PODER's operational activities; its media communications through various outlets including KOOP radio, Spanish and English language newspapers, and city council meetings; attendance at conferences and events relevant to issues of environmental and social justice; and its fundraising efforts. As a result, this series contains strategic plans; meeting minutes; agendas; materials from staff and volunteer retreats; bylaws, conference applications and related materials; press releases; event fliers; newspaper articles; and grant proposals . This series is divided into six subseries including: Administrative; Awards & Recognition; Conferences, Presentations & Writings; Events & Publicity; KOOP Environmental Justice Radio Show; and Proposals. The <emph render="bold">Pathways to Collaboration</emph> series (2004-2005) document PODER's efforts to re-examine and reflect on the philosophies and strategies guiding the organization's collaborative process. As a result, this series contains interviews with neighborhood groups, associations, volunteers and supporters; document reviews; articles; forms; and final reports. The <emph render="bold">Youth Scholars for Justice</emph> series (1992-2018) document PODER's efforts to engage and empower high school and college students of color to address educational, environmental, and economic issues that impact their daily lives. Several key issues addressed by YSJ over the years include: juvenile justice and its relationship to education (Zero Tolerance policies, etc.); environmental justice and health (community surveys and presentations to city council regarding the Holly Power Plant and Pure Castings Inc.); police/community relationship (racial profiling, police shooting, etc.); racial stereotypes in popular media; and youth electoral empowerment. PODER also facilitated increased participation by youth scholars in regional, national and global youth organization and social justice events including the World Social Forum, Youth Power Camp, and Southwest Key Youth Summit. The Youth Scholars for Justice program included workshops for youth on topics including: gentrification, art as a means of protest, presentation skills, immigration, nutrition, barriers to voting, and privatization. As a result, this series contains applications, schedules, program evaluations, exit interviews, calendars, strategic plans, goals, door-to-door surveys, slide presentation materials, transcripts, recommendations and final reports, research, poetry, visual art, photographs, printed materials, reading lists, correspondence, brochures, and educational activities. The <emph render="bold">Subject/Issues Files</emph> series (1975-2019) document PODER's varied activities surrounding isolated/key issues. This series is divided into subseries by subject including: African American Quality of Life study; Balcones Waste Management, Inc.; BFI Recycling plant;Cactus Rose Mobile Home Park; East Austin zoning issues; education; environmental racism/environmental justice; environmental waste; Roy Guerrero Colorado River Park and Festival del las Plantas; gentrification in East Austin; Govalle and Johnston Terrace neighborhood area; the grease trap; the high technology industries in Austin and its impact on the environment; Holly Power Plant; Longhorn Pipeline; Montopolis neighborhood; Nahui Ollin Healthy Communities; the Preserve Eastside Affordability Campaign; property tax protest; Pure Castings; Southwest Network for Environmental and Economic Justice; the tank farm closure; Texas Coalition Advocating Justice for Juveniles; Texas Civil Rights Project; Texas Fair Trade; Texas Network for Environmental and Economic Justice;Thrasher Mobile Home Park; Title VI complaints; urban transportation needs including the Saltillo District Redevelopment Plan; University of Texas projects and water issues. As a result, this series contains correspondence, transcripts, reports, surveys, statistics, articles, petitions, photographs, brochures, maps, ordinances, minutes, census data, memos, testimony, audio and video recordings that highlight PODER's work with local and national community/grassroots organizations to improve the environmental and economic conditions in East Austin.
Technical Requirements:
Access to digital content are only available through a dedicated workstation in the Austin History Center Reading Room.
Restrictions:
Open to all users. Advance notice is required for any audiovisual materials that do not have an access copy already created. Turnaround time for requested access copies will be no less than one week and is determined by the number of items requested and their duration.
Agent Name:
PODER
Agent Name:
PODER
Agent Name:
Montopolis Neighborhood Association
Agent Name:
Southwest Network for Environmental Justice
Agent Name:
Tokyo Electron
Agent Name:
Exxon Mobile Corporation
Agent Name:
/agents/corporate_entities/13169
Agent Name:
Longhorn Partners Pipeline
Agent Name:
Motorola
Agent Name:
Samsung Austin Semiconductor
Agent Name:
SEMATECH (Organization)
Agent Name:
Texas Coalition Advocating Justice for Juveniles
Agent Name:
Brown Berets, Austin Chapter
Agent Name:
PODER
Agent Name:
Almanza, Susana
Agent Name:
Alvarez, Raul
Agent Name:
Herrera, Sylvia
Agent Name:
Rivera, Gilbert
Agent Name:
PODER
Agent Name:
PODER
Agent Name:
/agents/people/28832
Subject:
City planning
Subject:
Community development -- Texas -- Austin
Subject:
/subjects/9643
Subject:
Mexican Americans -- Social conditions
Subject:
Race discrimination -- Texas -- Austin
Subject:
Latinos -- Texas -- Austin
Subject:
Gentrification -- Texas -- Austin
Subject:
Groundwater -- Pollution -- Texas -- Austin
Subject:
Housing -- Texas -- Austin
Subject:
Property tax relief -- Texas -- Austin
Subject:
Transportation -- Social aspects -- Texas -- Austin
Subject:
Water quality
Subject:
Zoning
Subject:
Urban transportation
Subject:
High technology industries -- Environmental aspects
Subject:
Hazardous waste site remediation -- Texas -- Austin
Subject:
East Austin (Austin, Tex.) -- Environmental conditions
Subject:
Austin (Tex.) -- Social conditions
Subject:
Montopolis (Tex.)
Subject:
Govalle (Austin, Tex.)
Subject:
Johnston Terrace (Austin, Tex.)
Subject:
Austin (Tex.) -- Race relations
Subject:
Holly Power Plant (Austin, Tex.)
Subject:
Color photographs
Subject:
Black-and-white photographs
Subject:
Photographs
Subject:
Files by subject
Subject:
/subjects/9822
Subject:
Digital file formats
Subject:
Digital audio formats
Subject:
Digital moving image formats
Subject:
Digital images
Extent (Number):
46.42
Extent (Number):
32.8
Extent (Type):
linear_feet
Extent (Type):
GB
Dates:
1972-2019
Dates:
1991-2008
Beginning Date (Creation):
1972
Beginning Date (Creation):
1991
Ending Date (Creation):
2019
Ending Date (Creation):
2008
