What if we could turn a moment of division into an opportunity to reclaim land for the community?

Recent incidents involving students at Huston-Tillotson University, a historically Black college in Austin, have brought attention to a much bigger issue: the displacement of Black communities, the loss of community ownership, and the growing disconnect between our neighborhoods and the institutions that have helped shape them.

Students have reportedly faced harassment over street parking, including messages written on their vehicles and negative graduation statistics used against them. This situation raises an important question: How do we protect the sense of belonging that our communities and HBCUs deserve?

We believe the answer must go beyond words. It must include ownership.

Our Goal: Purchase the Vacant Lot Next Door

We are raising funds to purchase the vacant lot next to the property involved in this incident.

Our goal is to turn a situation that has created division into an opportunity to invest in the community. Rather than allowing this moment to become another forgotten controversy, we want to take meaningful action by acquiring land that can serve a greater purpose.

This is about more than an empty lot. It is about ownership, dignity, Black history, and our ability to shape the future of the communities we call home.

Why This Matters

Huston-Tillotson University has been an important part of Austin's Black history for generations. Our HBCUs are more than educational institutions; they are places of legacy, opportunity, and cultural pride.

As neighborhoods change, the importance of preserving community spaces and expanding Black land ownership becomes even greater.

We believe our community deserves more than conversations about what is being lost. We deserve opportunities to invest, acquire property, preserve our heritage, and create something meaningful for future generations.

Through this campaign, we want to demonstrate what can happen when a community comes together with a shared purpose.

How Your Donation Will Help

Every contribution will bring us closer to purchasing the vacant lot and advancing our mission of community ownership and preservation.

Our priorities are to:

Raise the funds needed to purchase the vacant lot.

Establish community ownership and protect the property's intended use.

Explore opportunities to create a welcoming, beneficial space that supports our community and honors history.

Turn a moment of conflict into a lasting investment in our neighborhood's future.

Our plans for the property will be developed with the needs of the community in mind.

Help Us Turn This Moment Into Something Bigger

We cannot change every interaction, prevent every disagreement, or stop every consequence of gentrification overnight. But we can take steps toward a future where our communities have greater control over the land around them.

Imagine looking at this property years from now and knowing that people came together to purchase it not to create more division, but to build something that reflects the strength, history, and potential of our community.

That is what we are working toward.

Whether you donate $10, $25, $100, or whatever you can afford, you are helping us move closer to that goal. If you cannot donate, please share this campaign with others who believe in Black land ownership, preserving HBCU communities, and building generational opportunities.

We want to turn an empty lot into a symbol of what happens when a community decides to invest in itself.

Help us buy the land. Help us preserve our legacy. Help us build a future where our community has a stake in its own neighborhood.

Thank you for standing with us.

Cluren Williams