White couple berates Black students for parking in ‘their neighborhood.’ So students throw a cookout in front of their home
A parking dispute that led to a protest.
A white couple in an Austin, Texas, neighborhood became viral last week following a confrontation with a Black Huston–Tillotson University student over a parking dispute in what the couple described as “their neighborhood” near the school. In response, students organized a protest cookout—just steps away from the couple’s home.
On Oct. 5, Bri (@briii.likethecheese) shared the encounter on Instagram, which has since garnered over 1.5 million views. According to Bri, the couple had been harassing professors and students of the school for parking on the streets, allegedly leaving notes on the cars and blocking them from being able to leave.
Bri said that students and professors have been parking on the streets for years without any complaints from neighbors—until the couple moved in. In the video, Bri walked down to the couple’s home on East 9th Street, which was located near the gates of the school.
White couple claims historically Black neighborhood as theirs
Bri and the couple got into a heated dispute over parking, during which Bri informed them that it is legal to park on the street. However, the situation devolved when the couple began insulting the intelligence of Huston–Tillotson University students. “We paid $1.5 million for our house, y’all’s graduation rates are 25%,” the woman can be heard saying.
Bri later told the couple that they were living in a historically Black neighborhood, only for the woman to respond by claiming the neighborhood as theirs. “This is our neighborhood,” the woman said. According to Bri, she also requested that the couple stop touching the cars, which she claimed resulted in the woman threatening to call the police on her.
Bri criticized the couple and accused them of being racist for their remarks in her Instagram post, stating, “The fact that she degraded our school and said she paid 1.5 million dollars to gentrify our neighborhood and said we only have a 25% graduation rate is SO racist and disgusting.” She added, “See how quickly she screams at me and asserts her privilege over a Black Woman.”
A party in front of the couple’s home
Fox 7 reported that the confrontation led to students holding a protest along the street, specifically in front of the couple’s home. Students reportedly organized a cookout, complete with dancing, music, games, and signs. One sign said, “You bought a house, not our history. East Austin is ours.”
Police officers were dispatched to the neighborhood. However, the protest and interactions remained peaceful. One neighbor told the outlet, “Police are showing up three or four times a day, at least three or four deep. [The protesters’] voices were being heard. They were respectful; they weren’t disrespectful. They stayed in their lane.” The neighbor also noted that the couple is “feeling the consequences” of their actions from the previous week.
Meanwhile, the City of Austin’s Transportation and Public Works confirmed that parking is allowed on East 9th Street, except in certain areas such as intersections, in front of driveways, and corner clearances. “The curb is otherwise open for public parking,” the department said.
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