BLACK IN AUSTIN
Fifty female powerhouses: what it means to be a black woman in Austin. BY CHANTAL RICE AND COURTNEY RUNN
Judge Yvonne Michelle Williams
Dawn Okoro
Justice of the Peace, Precinct 1, Travis County
Artist
Working as a justice of the peace in Travis County since 2011 and practicing law since 1982 has afforded Judge Yvonne Michelle Williams a unique perspective on the black community in Austin, criminal-justice reform, fair and affordable housing and education issues. She is dedicated to continuing to dispense justice through her third term, which expires at the end of 2022. But for Williams, justice isn’t served unless it’s paired with a significant portion of grace. “As a judge, [I am] sworn to impartiality as [I] mete out justice,” she says. “We also have a certain amount of discretion— what I call grace—which we all dispense at one time or another. Whenever I can apply grace in my courtroom, I do, no matter the [person’s] race, sexual orientation, sex, socioeconomic status, religion.” Though her position, she has made a positive impact on the problem of truancy among local school districts and applied a compassionate approach to disrupting the so-called school-toprison pipeline, providing families with support and tools on how to navigate this phenomenon. “I [also] feel especially good about being able to marry same-sex couples since the U.S. Supreme Court gave them that right across the country,” she says. “Seeing the joy felt by these couples and their families has been truly rewarding.”
Dawn Okoro started her career with a passion for fashion illustration, photography and design. And with a bachelor’s degree in psychology with a minor in fashion design from the University of Texas—and a law degree from Texas Southern University—she was on track to take on any number of industries. Luckily for art lovers, Okoro chose a creative medium for her career and has been thriving ever since, dazzling viewers with her eye-catching painting, video and fashion projects. Her recent solo exhibition, Punk Noir, a series of large-scale paintings featuring black people who have what Okoro calls “a punk spirit,” showed at the Carver Museum in 2018. The show was so successful that it became a touring exhibition, visiting Seattle, San Antonio and Dallas, where the show is currently on view. “I have work on view at the South Dallas Cultural Center; the Urban Institute for Contemporary Arts in Grand Rapids, Mich.; and the San Antonio Central Library,” she says. “I am going to spend this year creating lots of new work and hopefully put on another solo show in Austin soon.”
Angela M. Ward Administrative Supervisor of Race and Equity for the Austin Independent School District Founder and CEO of 2Ward Equity Consulting
Angela M. Ward’s daily work centers on equity and inclusion. Ward has accomplished much in her career, including leading the launch of AISD’s focus on cultural proficiency and inclusiveness. “A major part of this work was to become a No Place for Hate district, which we attained. And [we] have maintained the designation as the largest No Place for Hate school district in the United States for the last six years,” she says. “Our office is leading cutting-edge research and implementation of restorative practices in the field of education.” Ward works to connect with her education colleagues both locally and nationally to collaboratively build spaces to expand knowledge of equity in education. “My passion is and has always been to achieve educational equity for black and brown students,” she says. “I am currently engaged in a research project aimed at eliminating disproportionality and disparities in discipline practice in education.”
Tam Hawkins CEO and President of the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce
Tam Hawkins’ zeal for volunteering and civic engagement— combined with her background in sales and marketing and real-estate development—and her breadth of experience in both the corporate and entrepreneurial spheres make her the ideal person to lead the Greater Austin Black Chamber of Commerce. She has ensured the chamber continues to highlight the work of black entrepreneurs in Central Texas, all while pushing for a more equitable community. “One of our most important themes is to encourage the area to search for ways to diversify spending, create opportunities for all to flourish,” Hawkins says. “I’m proud that our team created so many wonderful programs but my favorite one is the Taste of Black Austin, a photography and food history event that explores entrepreneurship through rich culture and connection,” she says. Next up for Hawkins: launching a new business.
Photos by Hakeem Adewumi, Art X Photography, Riley Blanks Photography, Leandra Blei, Weston Carls, Eric Coleman Photography, Shane Gordon, Richard Guillory, Madeline Harper Photography, Hey Sista, Dwayne Hills, Korey Howell, Mary Keating-Bruton, Cody Kinsfather, Brenda Ladd, Marsha Miller, Adam Moroz, Stephanie Ortiz Photography, Moyo Oyelola, Gabriel C. Pérez, Polsphoto, Lea Porche, Suzanne Pressman, Ismael Quintanilla III, Julia Robinson, Courtney Runn, Greg Smith and Jeremy Teel. Other photos courtesy of respective women.
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