Digital Presentation ft. the East Austin Activists of the 1970s by Valkyrie Church.
This Digital Presentation briefly features topics covered in the research paper written for the course (MAS 337I) Tejana Cultural Studies Fall 2023, taught by Dr. Lilia Rosas at the University of Texas at Austin.
The Brown Berets are often recognized as a California militant organization created in the late 1960s during the rise of the Chicano movement. Although the organization found its beginning in Los Angeles, CA, chapters across the nation formed, including in East Austin, who formed the chapter in 1973 with Gilbert Rivera and Paul Hernandez. Throughout the 70's and 80's the East Austin Activists led community-wide efforts in pushing against the police brutality faced by Chicanos and made numerous efforts for the community's self-determination. Unfortunately, many of the reports made on this organization focus on the men of the group, while the Tejanas of the Brown Berets are brushed aside, their story either unreported or unhighlighted. This historical report intends to bring these women to the center of this history and stress the importance of their stories. Research was conducted at the Briscoe Center for American History, Benson Latin American Collections, and Austin Public History Center.