INCLUSIVE ECOSYSTEM

Austin ranks among best U.S. metros for Black professionals

A new report finds that Austin is increasingly becoming a top city for Black professionals.

Photo by Getty Images

A study released by WalletHub in 2021 noted that the Lone Star State is among the most diverse in the U.S., and Austin, though still working toward more diversity, was ranked No. 38 among all U.S. cities. So maybe it won’t come as a surprise that the Capital City ranks among the country’s best cities for Black professionals.

A new ranking compiled by Black employees at Apartment List puts Austin at No. 9 (in a tie with Baltimore) among the best cities for Black professionals. The Apartment List employees judged 82 cities in four categories:

Business environment for Black professionals. Austin ranks 27th.
Black community and representation. Austin ranks 46th.
Economic opportunities for Black professionals. Austin ranks fifth.
Housing opportunities for Black professionals. Austin ranks 26th.

Apartment List combined the scores in each of those categories to come up with an overall score for each city. Austin’s final score was 57.1, with 100 being the highest possible score. The company released the ranking in conjunction with Black History Month.

Though Austin tied for No. 9 on the list, several other Texas cities fared much better. San Antonio was the top-ranked Texas city, with a final score of 66.08. Houston came in at No. 4 with a final score of 63.8.

Apartment List lauds Houston’s showing in three of the four categories, but dings the city for its relatively low score for housing opportunities. The website points out that 42 percent of black households in Houston spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing.

In 2016, Black Enterprise magazine dubbed Houston the country’s “Next Great Black Business Mecca.”

In a 2019 post on Medium, digital marketer and Los Angeles native Shameen Yakubu placed Houston at No. 2 on his list of the six cities he’d considered moving to as a Black professional. (San Antonio topped his list, and his LinkedIn profile indicates he now lives there.) Yakubu cited Houston’s large Black population, diversity, and affordability as some of the factors in the city’s favor.

“One of the things that [attracts] me to Houston is the number of [Black] professionals and entrepreneurs. Texas, in general, is a very pro-business state,” Yakubu wrote.

Other Texas cities making Apartment List’s top 10 include:

San Antonio, No. 3, final score of 66.08.
Dallas, No. 5, final score of 60.6.

In descending order, here are the top 10 cities for Black professionals, according to Apartment List:

Washington, D.C.
Atlanta
San Antonio
Houston
Dallas
Raleigh, North Carolina
Lakeland, Florida
Orlando, Florida
Austin (tie)
Baltimore (tie)

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This article originally ran on our sister site InnovationMap.

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SKIN IN THE GAME

Renowned Hill Country tattoo artist inks new sacred geometry app

Photo courtesy of Dillon Forte

Dillion Forte at his "tattoo ranch" in the Texas Hill Country.

In the world of tattooing, there may seem to be few better rat traps left to build, but Dillon Forte aims to change that. In October, the renowned Wimberley-based tattoo artist and entrepreneur introduced a new iPadOS app to bring ancient symbology into the digital age.

Forte has made a worldwide name for his black dot work (a contemporary take on stick-and-poke techniques) and ambitious undertakings like tattooing underwater and opening a “tattoo ranch.” His ink appears on Usher, Chris Hemsworth, and Kehlani.

Still, he is most recognized for his sacred geometry designs, using patterns to convey various meanings. His interest led him to create the Sacred Geometry Drawing App, a convenient way for novices and experts to develop and export their creations.

The app grew out of his own practice. Over the past decade, he has used tablets and freehand techniques to achieve his highly symmetrical artwork but grew to realize existing tools were not always easy to use.

“The app is an attempt and fulfillment of my desire to make sacred geometry accessible and bring the ability to create into the fingertips of as many people as possible,” Forte tells CultureMap via email, adding a tagline: “symmetry made simply.”

He says he wished the app was available when developing his signature style as a tattoo artist, but it was designed with a broad range of users in mind. He hopes that designers, educators, and artists will find a use for it.

A short intro to the app's capabilities is available on YouTube. It looks like a standard drawing app, starting with a blank canvas and some tools like pens, pencils, colors, and of course, straight line and dot makers.

A "symmetry index" anchors the functionality and expands it to something between 2D art and 3D modeling. In addition to generating shapes like repeating patterns and spirals, the app also creates 3D shapes with grids, so that the artist can map their design in real space or even create sculptures. There is also an index for explaining the spiritual meaning of some standard designs.

“Geometry often prompts an intimidating feeling when it comes to making art,” Forte continues. “The fundamentally complex and often academic nature of math-based art can induce a sense of fear in the potential user instead of creating a sense of awe. The purpose of the sacred geometry app is to cultivate the latter."

Creatives interested in constructing their own geometric masterpieces can download the app at the App Store for free, and in-app purchases are available.

technology apps tattoos arts