via the CCAACC Facebook page

As South By Southwest takes over Austin through March 17, the Capital City African American Chamber of Commerce (CCAACC) in the city is promoting its new Black Technology Council, launched last month.

“Austin is becoming more of a technology epicenter in the US and it was important to me that the organization is aligned with the highest growth industry of the city, which is technology,” said Natalie Madeira Cofield, president and CEO for the CCAACC in Austin. “The Council was developed with the mission to accelerate engagement in entrepreneurship, identify and share best practices, and encourage inclusivity.”

The group launched in February, when they hosted an event featuring a live-stream of a TED Talk, and the Council also hosted a welcome event for black creatives who would be in Austin for SXSW. So far, companies including Google, Dell, Samsung, HP, and smaller tech startups have officially joined the CCAACC and its Black Technology Council, Cofield said, and the organization was featured on the cover of Black Enterprise’s March 2013 issue.

Lola Bakare, a co-chair of the Black Technology Council and the chief of staff/strategy innovation for Dell’s commercial business located in Austin, told MadameNoire that the city has a bit of a leakage problem, as blacks often move to New York, San Francisco, and other larger cities, and that Austin has a slightly smaller percentage of African-Americans compared to the national average.

“It’s critical for us to cultivate that same level of excitement and vibrancy in our city so we don’t have that brain drain and so we can attract people so we can continue to build,” she said. “The council is for everyone who is passionate about ensuring that people of color become a part of this community.”

Cofield added: “We aspire to have this council serve as a way to help Austin recognize its potential as a mecca for black tech talent.”

Image: in.gredients.com

A new grocery store in Austin, in.gredients, is selling all of its goods the eco-friendly way: without packaging.

We’re not just talking about loose potatoes and peppers. The way this works is you bring your containers from home, they fill them up with with your items, you eat the items and then bring your containers back to the store on your next shopping trip. If you don’t bring your own containers, they’ll provide you with recyclable and compostable containers. The few items that come packaged are meats and dairy (which is required by local law) and eggs.

In.gredients is striving to create a zero-waste, locally-sourced, healthier way of eating. In addition to be package-free, they rely on area farmers for their inventory. Eating locally and going organic are definitely trends right now as people try to find ways to eat better and be kinder to the environment. However, price is always a concern. After all, there was a good reason why Whole Foods was nicknamed “Whole paycheck.” But even that market has tried to bring prices down.

“Bottom line, buying in bulk eliminates the cost of packaging and allows the buyer to allocate exact amounts of in.gredients to recipes / buy only how much they need – making even traditionally expensive items more approachable. We care about lowering the cost barrier to healthy, local foods, and want to make good food accessible to everyone,” in.gredients writes on its FAQ page.

With the severe drought covering a good chunk of the country, prices are expected to go up. With that in mind, many shoppers will likely opt for a lower-cost option that will keep the fridge filled and bypass items that, though a little healthier and better for the environment, will deplete their budgets.

At stores where you do find packaging, there are efforts to make the packaging more useful. Tests using a “stoplight-style color-coding system” aim to give the important dietary information in a clear and easy way. A study conducted by Massachusetts General Hospital found that the simple system coupled with greater accessibility resulted in the consumption of healthier foods. The results were equally strong among blacks, whites and Latinos.

So are you shopping with eco-friendly, organic purpose? Or are you most concerned with sticking to your grocery budget? If in.gredients came to your neighborhood, would you grab some empty containers and head on down?

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We all know the racial profiling that comes with driving while black, but what about babysitting while white? That’s the type of discrimination Austin, TX, grandfather Scott Henson says he’s been subjected to when he’s been out an about with the five-year-old daughter of his goddaughter, Ty, who happens to be black.

On his blog, Grits for Breakfast, Scott detailed two instances in the past three years when he’s been randomly and aggressively questioned by police officers for no other reason, he says, than being a white man walking down the street with a little black girl. The most recent occurrence happened this past Friday when Scott was walking home from a roller skating rink with his granddaughter and was soon swarmed by several police squad cars with officers saying they received an anonymous tip that a white man had kidnapped a black girl. Scott said the officers ran up behind him and instantly cuffed him.

“Ty edged up the hill away from the officers, crying. One of them called out in a comforting tone that they weren’t there to hurt her, but another officer blew up any good will that might have garnered by brusquely snatching her up and scuttling her off to the back seat of one of the police cars,” he wrote on his blog.

Despite giving contact information of several people who could verify his relationship with Ty, Scott said police refused to call the numbers. Eventually, he was released without an apology, but not before 10 squad cars circled him on the bike bath where he was walking not far from his home. Scott says he endured similar treatment in November 2008, when Austin police were on the hunt for two suspected killers. Because he was insulted at the officer’s behavior, Scott says in each instance he was terse with police and felt no obligation to cooperate given their hasty judgement.

Although he doesn’t appreciate the unfair treatment, Scott says he’s less concerned with how the police manhandle him and more worried about the impact their actions are having on Ty.

“I’d like her to view police as people she can trust instead of threats to her and her family, but it’s possible I live in the wrong neighborhood for that,” he wrote.

That’s a pretty interesting perspective that may likely become more or less common as interracial relationships between black women and white men become more prevalent, and children from previous relationships potentially come into play.

Have you ever witnessed or heard of any racial profiling experience like this?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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(Huffington Post) — If you’re hunting for a new gig, and the phrase “willing to relocate” is included somewhere in your resume, keep in mind that some cities are much easier to find a job in than others. A job applicant in San Jose, for instance, competes with 8 fewer unemployed people for a job advertised online than an applicant in Miami, according to Juju, a leading online job search engine that scours thousands of employer career portals, recruiter websites, and online job boards.

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Madame Kim Kardashian was all smile as she exited NYC’s STK restaurant earlier this week — with her new boyfriend in tow. (Doesn’t he look a little like a young Russell Simmons in that picture?)

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