You are invited to attend the Ceremony Honoring Joan Means Khabele at Barton Springs on Saturday, April 9th from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm. Free valet parking will be available the day of the event between 9:30 am and 12:30 pm.
From COA PARD | Barton Springs:
JOAN MEANS KHABELE
OCTOBER 22, 1942 – OCTOBER 11, 2021
In her senior year at Austin High School,
Joan Means Khabele’s courageous act of
swimming in Barton Springs to protest
segregation at the pool, sparked the civil
rights era swim-ins that eventually led to
the desegregation of Barton Springs Pool
in 1960. The public is invited to celebrate
her life and courage.
We will honor her courageous act of swimming in Barton Springs to protest segregation at the pool. Her bravery sparked the swim-ins, eventually leading to the desegregation of Barton Springs Pool.
The event will include a proclamation, speakers, a land acknowledgement, and water blessing ceremony performed by Geraldo Perez. The PBS documentary featuring Joan Means Khabele talking about her swim at Barton Springs will be screened at the pool. Additionally, we will have listening booths set-up for community members to share oral histories and personal experiences regarding race and Barton Springs.
The oral histories will become a part of an exhibit, virtual and physical, that will be featured at the Beverly S. Sheffield Education Center. Over the next few years we will collect stories about different communities as a way to try to tell the full history of Barton Springs. This is just the beginning.
Join us at the event and share the invitation with your network.
Contact: 512-974-6300
Physical Address: 2131 William Barton Dr., Austin, TX 78746
ART | library deco 