They reject government and ‘envision sovereignty as the vehicle to a freedom that has yet to be experienced by the African Diaspora’
A black liberation autonomous zone is forming in Austin, which is the Texas State Capitol. The developers of the city’s “sovereign citizen” collective reject state authority to “protect Black liberation and prosperity,” according to their published information.
“On Sunday, February 14th, 400+1’s L1 Collective led an eleven mile car procession around the perimeter of what is now 400+1 protected territory, renaming the area Orisha Land, and rejecting the state’s authority within it,” the group has written on its website.
“400 + 1 is a framework constructed to achieve and protect Black liberation and prosperity. This construct encourages diversity in skill and passion among its members while developing a unified ideology. 400 + 1 acknowledges the necessity of building upon the triumphs of our ancestors while critically analyzing the mistakes of the past. Ours is a youth-driven movement that envisions sovereignty as the vehicle to a freedom that has yet to be experienced by the African Diaspora,” according to fourhundredandone.com.
Police sources told Law Officer that Austin Police Department has recently become aware of this development. It has reportedly caught many people by surprise.
Orisha Land is a zone in East Austin. The 11 mile perimeter is formed by Manor Rd., 51st Street, Springdale Rd., 7th Street, I-35, Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., and Franklin St., according to the group’s map.
‘Orisha Land’ in Austin, TX
“Jordan’s Place, the capital of Orisha Land and formerly known as Rosewood Park, is located at 2300 Rosewood Avenue, on the side of the park closest to Pleasant Valley,” according to the website.
“Jordan’s Place” is named in memory of Jordan Walton who reportedly died in an officer-involved shooting on Feb. 10, according to the website. (Law Officer did not locate a press statement from Austin Police Department regarding the shooting. We made an inquiry and are waiting to hear back.)
The group says it is “specifically for the Black unhoused population; claiming and defending the park in a show of resistance against anti-Black violence, the gentrification of East Austin, and the state’s antagonism of those in Austin who are without housing.”
The group says, “Orisha Land is a component of 400+1’s broader #MartialtheBlock campaign, an effort to reclaim Black communities” due to their perceptions of injustice.
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