We Will Sustain

We Will Sustain celebrates community organizers from the People Organized in Defense of Earth and Her Resources social justice organization who have advocated for the health and environmental sustainability of Austin and its historically disenfranchised communities. It features Peter Rivera, Susana Almanza, and Raymond Rivera. Peter Rivera served as the Chair of the Springdale-Airport Neighborhood Association and Board of Directors for PODER. His leadership was essential for protecting the Redbluff area of East Austin as a nature reserve for future generations to enjoy. Raymond Rivera serves as the chair of the Rosewood Neighborhood Association and Board of Directors for PODER and helped his brother Peter to preserve Rebluff’s natural history. Susana Almanza, the Director of PODER, is a dedicated environmental justice activist from East Austin. As a young activist, she served as a Brown Beret, fighting against police brutality and education and housing inequalities. She has stood up against the world’s most powerful transnational oil corporations to protest groundwater pollution and air quality and co-wrote the 17 Principles of Environmental Justice at the First People of Color Summit. With bold and bright colors, We Will Sustain attests to the lifelong efforts of three incredible activists to stand up against corporations to preserve East Austin for future Austinites.