Paul Hernandez facts for kids

Paul Hernandez (born September 20, 1946 – died September 24, 2020) was an important community leader in East Austin, Texas. He was known as a Chicano activist, which means he worked hard to improve life for Mexican American people. He also helped start the local Brown Berets group.

Paul Hernandez led efforts to stop the noisy Aquafest boat races on Town Lake (now called Lady Bird Lake). These races were bothering people living nearby. His work helped get the races moved away from the community. He also started El Centro Chicano, an organization that focused on helping people with housing, stopping unfair changes to neighborhoods (gentrification), and addressing police unfairness. Hernandez was also a spokesperson for El Concilio, a group of Mexican American neighborhood associations in East Austin.

Even after a health issue in the early 1990s, Hernandez remained dedicated to helping the East Austin community.

Early Life and Inspiration

Paul Hernandez was born in East Austin. He was the oldest of eight children. He went to Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic School and later to Johnston High School.

In his early 20s, Paul helped support his family by working at a company that made rings. There, he saw how workers were treated unfairly and paid very little. He experienced racism himself. When workers at the Economy Furniture Company went on strike, Paul learned from their organizers how to fight for better working conditions. He tried to organize his own coworkers, but the company fired him.

These experiences taught Paul a lot. He developed what he called a "mentality of resistance." This meant he strongly believed in fighting against unfairness and oppression. He deeply cared about how the political system in Austin negatively affected his East Austin community.

When Paul was young, he got pneumonia. While recovering in the hospital, a priest brought him books to read. These books, like "Rules for Radicals," helped him understand politics better. He realized he wanted to take action to make changes, not just react to problems.

The Brown Berets and Community Work

Paul Hernandez helped create the local chapter of the Brown Berets. This group promised to support and protect the Mexican American community. As their leader in the 1970s and 1980s, Paul spoke out against police brutality. He also fought against the boat races on Town Lake (now Lady Bird Lake) in East Austin.

Hernandez was a key person behind El Concilio. This was a group of Mexican American neighborhood associations working together. By 1997, El Concilio was one of the main political groups in East Austin. It continued the strong, direct action style of the Brown Berets from the 1960s and 70s.

Paul Hernandez was very important in helping form many neighborhood organizations. These included the East Town Lake Neighborhood Association, Rainey Neighborhood Association, Buena Vista, Barrio Unido, and Govalle neighborhood associations. He also supported alliances with other groups. His main goal was always to help residents learn how to protect themselves from gentrification. Gentrification is when a neighborhood changes in a way that makes it too expensive for the people who already live there.

To help with community issues, Hernandez started the East Austin Chicano Economic Development Corporation (EACEDC) in the 1980s. This organization's leaders came from the local neighborhood associations. Along with another group called Carnales, Inc., EACEDC helped build new homes in the Oak Springs area. These were some of the few new homes in East Austin for first-time, low-income homeowners. EACEDC also successfully worked to keep zoning rules that helped preserve the character of the Eastside. They also provided money for home repairs and sidewalks.

Fighting the Aquafest Boat Races

The Austin Aqua Festival started noisy drag boat races on the east end of Town Lake (now Lady Bird Lake) in 1964. The very loud races had a bad effect on the people living in nearby East Austin.

The East Town Lake Citizens Neighborhood Association, led by Paul Hernandez and Edward Rendon Sr., organized loud but peaceful protests. They demanded an end to the races. El Centro Chicano and the Brown Berets joined them. In 1978, police broke up one protest, and Paul Hernandez was badly beaten. Afterward, a police officer was suspended for using too much force. The Austin City Council then stopped the drag boat races. The summer of 1978 was the last time the boat races were held on Town Lake.

Paul Hernandez after being beaten by police during a protest in 1978.

After the races stopped, Hernandez helped the East Town Lake Citizens Neighborhood Association create a plan. They wanted to make the north shore of Town Lake, east of IH-35, a beautiful place. This area had been neglected. With a grant the neighborhood received, the area was improved and became a green, recreational park.

Public Service and Politics

Paul Hernandez also served the community in other ways. He worked as an aide for a state legislator, who is a person elected to make laws for the state. He also helped coordinate President Jimmy Carter's campaign in the local area. In 1984, he ran for state representative himself.

El Concilio and Paul Hernandez were very important in the campaign of Marcos de Leon. Marcos de Leon was an ally of Hernandez. He was elected Travis County Commissioner for Precinct 4 in 1991. A county commissioner is a local official who helps manage county government.