Systemic Racism or Local Failure? The Eastside Dilemma our Community Must Address
San Antonio’s Eastside stands at a crossroads, caught in the tension between legacy and progress. As the Frost Bank Center’s future unfolds under Project Marvel, a storm of questions swirls—questions aimed squarely at the public officials who’ve held sway over this community for years.
Let’s not kid ourselves: the decisions about the Frost Bank Center are already in motion. The upcoming public meetings? They feel more like a bureaucratic box-checking exercise than genuine community engagement.
For nearly a decade, these same leaders have presided over the Eastside’s stagnation. The same problems persist. The same corruption festers. Yes, systemic racism and the hollow promises of “promise zones” play their part. But we cannot ignore the responsibility of our own Black public officials—leaders who were elected to address these issues and foster growth but seem more intent on benefiting from the status quo.
Take a hard look at the Eastside. The most visible sign of progress? A Starbucks, strategically placed near the Frost Bank Center, gentrification, and a new Church’s Chicken on S New Braunfels only because it burned down. Is this what progress looks like?
Eastside Exodus
San Antonio’s African American population as always been relatively small compared to Houston or the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. Today, barely 7% of the city is African American, with the Eastside historically serving as its cultural and political heart. But that dynamic has shifted. As families moved to suburban areas like Converse, Live Oak, Schertz, Kirby, and Cibolo, they took with them the collective power that once defined the Eastside. These municipalities fall outside San Antonio’s local elections, further diluting the Eastside’s influence.
This reality poses a critical question: what have our public officials done to stem this tide? At the upcoming town hall, it’s time to demand accountability. Ask them outright: Why did developers take over? Why did the Black community leave the Eastside? Is it because lining your pockets took precedence over serving the community you swore to uplift? Public finance reports and FOIA requests have already revealed that this is indeed the case in many instances.
The national political landscape may dominate our lives and minds right now, but local issues affect you just as much. It’s time to hold our leaders—all of them—to account.
Good night, and good luck.
