YOU ARE HERE ATX

 A living Archive of Black presence, memory and belonging in Austin, TX

You Are Here ATX is an interdisciplinary storytelling practice by Robin Lindsey documenting Black life in Austin through photography, essays, oral histories, and community-centered experiences.

Rooted in the belief that everyday moments deserve to be remembered, the archive gathers stories of the people, places, relationships, and traditions that continue to shape Black Austin.

Little Free Library at Blackshear Elementary*, East Austin. Photograph by Robin Lindsey, 2026
*Founded in 1891 to educate Black children in Gregory Town, Blackshear’s history includes an early school library established in 1934, extending a legacy of learning and access that continues today.

EXPLORE THE ARCHIVE

Explore the archive through conversations, essays, photographs and share experiences.

ESSAYS

Personal and cultural reflections on place, identity, movement, memory and what it means to belong.

READ THE ESSAYS →

CONVERSATIONS

Meet the people building lives, creating community, and shaping Black Austin in their own ways.

ENTER THE CONVERSATIONS →

ARTIFACTS & GATHERINGS

Printed matter, exhibitions, installations, and shared experiences created through You Are Here ATX.

EXPLORE ARTIFACTS AND GATHERINGS →

PHOTOGRAPHY

Portraits and observations documenting the people, places, and everyday details of Black life in Austin.

VIEW THE PHOTOGRAPHS →

FEATURED FROM THE ARCHIVE


Begin with a few stories, voices, and observations from Black Austin.

You Are Here ATX
DSC_0169.jpeg
A CONVERSATION WITH ERINN KNIGHT
Read more →
A CONVERSATION WITH JUSTIN SHIELS
A CONVERSATION WITH JUSTIN SHIELS

Justin Shiels is a visual artist, creative director, and founder whose work explores joy, identity, and storytelling through design and community-centered experiences.

Originally from Memphis and shaped by years in New Orleans, he moved to Austin in 2019 after a series of creative and professional shifts that led him into independent practice.

Through So Curious — a stationery company and creative platform — he creates work and in-person experiences that center joy, connection, and representation through drawing, writing, and communal making.

This conversation is part of You Are Here ATX, an ongoing project exploring presence, belonging, and lived experience in Austin.

Read more →
IMG_7546.jpeg
A CONVERSATION WITH LEON HOLLAND

Leon Holland is one of UT Austin’s precursors -among the first Black undergraduate students to attend the university following integration in 1956.

Originally from San Antonio, he came to Austin for two simple reasons; it was close to home and tuition was $25. What he encountered, and what he built here, tells a much deeper story.

This conversation is part of You Are Here ATX, an ongoing project exploring presence, belonging, and lived experience in Austin.

Read more →

CREATED AND CURATED BY ROBIN LINDSEY


Robin Lindsey is a writer, photographer, and cultural storyteller whose work explores Black presence, memory, movement, and belonging. Through You Are Here ATX, she brings together personal reflection, documentary photography, and community conversations to preserve the everyday experiences that shape a city.

MORE ABOUT ROBIN →

THE ARCHIVE IS STILL GROWING

New conversations, essays , photographs, artifacts, and gatherings will be added as the work continues to unfold.

Follow the archive for new stories, photographs, and invitations to gather.

FOLLOW THE ARCHIVE
GET IN TOUCH