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Episode 5: Austin

Hosted by
Sara Schleede

Sara Schleede was an audio director with The Drag and host of the "35" and "Request Pending" podcasts.

After the Federal Highway Act of 1956, interstate highways all over the country plowed through Black and Latinx communities. When I-35 was constructed in Austin, it cemented a racial divide between the west and east sides of the city. Now that Austin grows in population and popularity, it faces more pressure to redevelop neighborhoods in East Austin, and longtime Black and Latinx residents are being pushed out.

Lou’s Bodega
Lou’s Bodega opened in 2019 on the corner of Cesar Chavez Street and Chicon Street in Austin, Texas. Photo by Sara Schleede

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