Fort Worth Star-Telegram project spurred this racial equity effort in 76104 ZIP code
When the Star-Telegram published a series last year examining why people in Fort Worth’s 76104 ZIP code had the state’s lowest life expectancy, local nonprofit leaders and others were pushed to action.
Shawn Lassiter, founder and executive director of BRAVE/R Together, described the moment she first read the series. Working in education, she always knew that students and their families faced systemic barriers, but she said the article identified the issue in a way that called her to action.
“Man, it’s right in front of us that people are not living as long as others purely based on their ZIP code and the color of their skin,” Lassiter said. “It’s something I’ve always known ... but I think the article put it front in your face.”
The series was prompted by a 2019 UT Southwestern study that reported the average resident in the 76104 ZIP code didn’t live to see their 67th birthday, which is 12 years less than the average Texas resident. The series found the majority of early deaths were in neighborhoods east of I-35 that include majority-Black communities Hillside, Morningside and Historic Southside.
Ironically, the ZIP code takes in Fort Worth’s medical district west of the interstate. The series revealed I-35 was a barrier for Southside residents of color. Many can’t access the area’s healthcare options because of a lack of insurance or transportation or they are not aware of programs available to help. And their neighborhoods don’t include things such as grocery stories, pharmacies and doctor offices.
Since the series published, food drives have been organized, free pop-up clinics have come to the area, and organizations have planted backyard gardens for residents needing access to healthy produce. United Way of Tarrant County has been analyzing how best to serve the area since the start of this year.
One result was BRAVE/R Together, short for BRAVE/RACE Together, a community organizing initiative founded by both the United Way and Lassiter’s racial equity consulting organization, BRAVE/R. BRAVE/R Together is dedicated to fighting racial and systemic injustices with an initial effort in the 76104 neighborhoods of color. Focused on education, employment, housing and healthcare, the organization provides resources to people and organizations that have already been doing work in the 76104 communities.
“We are there to provide the guardrails, the structure, so that the people that are living in that community, working in that community, have their generations of history within that community — they’re the ones leading this and guiding us, frankly,” said Leah King, president and CEO of United Way of Tarrant County.
In its most recent push, BRAVE/R Together hopes to grant $100,000 to grassroots and nonprofit organizations working to solve systemic inequities in 71604. Organizations have until Dec. 3 to apply to receive up to $10,000 each.
BRAVE/R Together started by naming 10 community ambassadors, 76104 residents committed to serving their neighborhoods and sharing their passion with other residents. Community ambassadors each specialize in one of BRAVE/R Together’s focus areas, and their next task is to host meetings with neighbors to talk about problems they face in each area and what solutions might be.
Katrina Carpenter, who owns a cafe and catering business in 76104 , said she noticed business owners in her community were having trouble getting their businesses started.
They didn’t have access to funding in the same way people in other parts of the city did, she said. They didn’t know “who to talk to, where to turn, how to properly set up.”
Carpenter is now a community ambassador with BRAVE/R Together and will host her first meeting with business owners Monday, Nov 15. Carpenter said she often donated food to people in her community and would notice gaps they faced in access to food, healthcare and employment.
“It’s like once you hear something, it’s hard to un-hear,” she said.
Getting involved with BRAVE/R Together gives her a platform to do her philanthropic work, Carpenter said..
“I am encouraged at every meeting that we’ve had so far, just hearing how passionate each ambassador is about the work that’s being done,” Carpenter said. “I can only hope that we’ll be able to touch the hearts of the people that we’re working with and for.”
BRAVE/R Together has also started to name community ambassadors for the 76105 ZIP code, which takes in neighborhoods such as Stop Six and Polytechnic Heights, as it continues to branch out to other affected communities in the city.
In the coming months, BRAVE/R Together will conduct surveys to understand what residents want solved and explore possible solutions. They eventually hope to form an online platform to showcase this data and the organization’s progress.
“Our feedback from many members in the community is that there have been a number of people and organizations that have come into their community, made promises year after year after year, and they just either leave or they don’t see any progress, and our goal is to be 100% opposite of that,” King said.
To apply for a grant or learn more about BRAVE/R Together, visit bravertogether.org or email at contact@bravertogether.org.
This story was originally published November 15, 2021 at 5:00 AM.
