“I was passionate about it, but I used to shy away from it because it made me angry, and I didn’t know how to articulate it and what to do with the anger.”
That’s how Tatikqua Austin describes how she used to feel about social justice issues. Now, in part with the help of CSNDC, Tatikqua has found her voice and has become an active member of the community, advocating for fair housing, green infrastructure, health care equity, and “anything related to social justice,” she says. She’s a graduate of CSNDC’s Green Infrastructure Certification program, and a member of CSNDC’s Housing Equity Army.
Tatikqua’s life experiences have given her a “never quit” attitude and brought her to a place of active civic engagement to counteract the injustices she sees. After she felt mistreated during the delivery of her first child, she became a doula to help other mothers avoid the sub-optimal care she endured. After she felt victimized by substandard conditions in her apartment and was subsequently evicted, she was determined to learn all that she could about tenant’s rights and now helps other people in the community address housing challenges. After she shut down her home-based hair care business because of the condition of her apartment, she pivoted to producing organic skin and hair care products. Tatikqua hopes to be a homeowner some day and would like to become a real estate developer to help her community.
“If I have property, I can actually help provide adequate living conditions to low-income families,” she says.
