Can we give Austin to California?
The City of Austin has contracted the services of a systemic racism training group for $10,000 per day for instruction of the Austin Police Department (APD) as part of its “reimagining” of police initiative.
The contract with Joyce James Consulting (JJC) may be extended for up to five years and is not to exceed $2.9 million in total payment. In total, the contract provides for 58 days of consultation by JJC in the first year.
Founded by Joyce James, a former Associate Deputy Executive Commissioner of the Center for the Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities of the Texas Department of Health and Human Services, JJC provides “an interactive, revolutionary exploration into how systems of racism work.”
With critical race theory (CRT) serving as a foundation, trainings such as JJC’s are aimed at instilling an “anti-racist” underpinning within institutions and those who constitute them. CRT is a branch of the broader “critical theory” doctrine, and this branch specifically purports that racism is intrinsic in societal structures rather than simply interpersonal.
JJC’s training is called “A Groundwater Analysis of Racial Inequities.”
A contract amendment with source material for the trainings put together by JJC says, “The theories of action that can serve as the initial foundation for systems ongoing equity efforts include transformative learning, critical race theory (CRT), and adult learning.”
Photo: Getty Images North America
AUSTIN, TX - JULY 26: A person holds up a "Black Lives Matter" banner at a vigil for Garrett Foster on July 26, 2020 in downtown Austin, Texas. Garrett Foster, 28, who was armed and participating in a Black Lives Matter protest, was shot and killed after a chaotic altercation with a motorist who allegedly drove into the crowd. The suspect, who has yet to be identified, was taken into custody. (Photo by Sergio Flores/Getty Images)