As a church, we seek to see and meet injustice directly and respond like Jesus did during His time on earth. Our hope and prayer is to be a people who listen well, lament honestly, learn, and love deeply as we engage racial justice and reconciliation as followers of Christ in our city.
That’s why we’re partnering with organizations and individuals who know our city’s history to create “Know Austin, Love Austin,” a guided audio tour of racially-significant landmarks in our city.
The tour highlights locations across Austin, introducing its listeners to the historical importance of each site. Each stop includes a brief history of the landmark, remarks based on a Christ-centered perspective, and space for guided reflection and prayer.
We invite you to drive to the landmarks, listen to the history, and pray for God to continue bringing about healing and reconciliation in His church and this city.
It is our hope that this audio tour opens a door for us to see our city in a new way—that it educates us on the history of systemic racism and injustice and prompts us to be advocates for God’s justice and agents of meaningful change. We pray that this tour would arm us with the knowledge of the origins, results, and ongoing effects of injustice in our society and drive us to display the glory of the gospel in new ways.
The stops are all within a 10-mile radius, so feel free to start wherever is convenient for you. We’d encourage you to spend at least 45 minutes at each landmark to allow ample amount of time for prayer and processing.
Here’s how to best utilize this resource:
You can engage with “Know Austin, Love Austin” from anywhere, but there’s something unique about learning about a moment in history while standing in the place that moment actually happened. If you’re able, we encourage you to visit each landmark. Walk around and linger. Read any available plaques. Take your time. Bring a friend, family member, or community group. Share your observations, feelings, or thoughts. Pray and ask God to guide you and be with you while you engage with the resource.
We recommend having a journal with you as you engage with this resource. As you learn about each landmark, write down anything new or impactful. Be sure to explore any key reflections you may have experienced. If you’re with a group, share your observations and reflections with others. Take the time to thoughtfully participate as you work to listen, learn, lament, and love.
Use the guided prayer portion of each resource to respond in faith. Take hold of God’s perspective by asking Him to remind you of who He is, to help you to see what He sees, and love as He loves through the time you spend at each site.
#1: Introducing "Know Austin, Love Austin"
#2: Huston-Tilotson University
#3: St. John Regular Baptist Association
#4: Clarksville
#5: Rosewood Neighborhood Park
For our inaugural release, we partnered with Javier Wallace, a native Austinite with deep roots in Central Texas. Javier is Founder/CEO of Black Austin Tours and a PhD student at The University of Texas with a passion for anti-human trafficking efforts, especially within the sports industry. We’re excited for you to not only learn some local history, but to hear Javier’s story.
As we expand “Know Austin, Love Austin,” we’ll continue to include voices of community members in partnership with local organizations. New landmarks will be added here, so be sure to check back for new locations for you to explore and engage with.
Do you have any questions regarding this resource or The Austin Stone’s stance on racial injustice? We’re here to help!
As we continue to be a church that pursues mercy and justice in our city, our elders have posted their statement on racial justice. You can read that resource by clicking the button below.
