As Fewer Americans Attend Church, 2 Austin Congregations Highlight Religion’s Uncertain Future

byKatrina L. Spencer

Two Austin churches — one largely white, the other largely Black — demonstrate the uneven realities of the city’s Protestant Christian congregations during a time when most Americans have stopped going to church. COVID-19 lockdowns exacerbated the decline in churchgoing and, when institutions reopened, many people simply didn’t return. It’s created an unpredictable landscape that churches are navigating.

Child-free Texans Raise Voices Despite Stigmatized Life Choice

byKatrina L. Spencer

Sending a message to his more than 40,000 followers on social media platform X in March, Houstonian Adrian C. Jackson told the world he had made a major life decision. “Might as well make this a public journey to inform & encourage other men,” he tweeted March 10. “The appointment is booked. I’m going through with it. I’m getting a vasectomy.”
Jackson is one of an increasing number of child-free Texans who intend to remain so. 

As Younger Drinkers Forgo Alcohol, Bartenders Are Mixing Up More Booze-free Cocktails

byKatrina L. Spencer

“A cocktail is interesting whether it has alcohol or not,” said Armando Garza, a bartender at the Roosevelt Room.
The Roosevelt Room and other Austin bars are tapping into the trend of consumers forgoing alcohol when they go out for happy hours, gatherings and celebrations. A 2023 Gallup report found that only 62% of 18- to 34-year-olds said they had occasion to drink in 2021-23, down from 72% two decades ago.

Mexican Actor Says Latinos Can Change Texas Politics If They Vote

byKatrina L. Spencer

Latinos in Texas have the power to change the state’s political landscape if they vote in greater numbers, Mexican actor Tenoch Huerta Mejía told a group of about 200 Central Texas residents Monday. 
“Somos un chingo,” Huerta Mejía said, referencing the fact that Latinos are a large part of the Texas electorate.
Huerta Mejía, who starred in the movie “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever,” was invited to speak on the University of Texas at Austin campus by NextGen America, an organization working to promote progressive public policy and increase voter turnout.

AfroTech Conference Reveals Black Women’s Paths to Tech Are Legion

byKatrina L. Spencer

Deejay Jasmine Solano is spinning hip-hop, R&B, soul and funk at the front of ACL Live in Austin. The floor has been cleared of dozens of chairs from serious panel talks from earlier in the week, and now Black people, mostly aged 25 to 45, are two-stepping and doing throwback dances from their teenage years.  […]

All Black Made Pop-Up Provides Alternative Selling Opportunity for Vendors

byKatrina L. Spencer

About 20 canopy tents lined a parking lot adjacent to Black Pearl Books on Saturday afternoon. Underneath each was a business owner displaying their wares: body oil, customized cups, paintings, lemonade, hair bonnets, apparel, candles, jewelry and more. While the sun beat down, 94 degrees and counting, the entrepreneurs offered smiles to shoppers at All […]

Can’t Eclipse the Fun: How Central Texans Experienced a Rare Celestial Show

byAnissa Sanchez, Katrina L. Spencer and Michelle Lavergne

After a summer spent trying to get away from the sun, Central Texans couldn’t take their eyes off of it Saturday — safely, of course.
Through protective glasses, they watched a solar eclipse in which the moon covered 93 percent of the sun just before noon.
Reporting Texas reporters documented how some Austinites celebrated and experienced Saturday’s heavenly event.