2021 Westside History Symposium: In Memory of the 1921 Flood

Please join the Westside Preservation Alliance, Esperanza Peace & Justice Center, & Guadalupe Cultural Arts Center on Saturday, November 20th, for the second annual Westside History Symposium. The Westside History Symposium, highlights innovative work in community history, historic preservation, and social justice and this year will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the 1921 Flood. The symposium includes keynote speaker Dr. Char Miller, author of “West Side Rising: How San Antonio’s 1921 Flood Devastated a City and Sparked a Latino Environmental Justice Movement,” as well as a full day of panel discussions, a book signing, and a circle of remembrance. Please see the preliminary schedule below.

IMPORTANT NOTE ON IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE Seating will be capped at 100 to ensure social distancing at the Guadalupe Theater and advance registration to reserve a seat for this FREE event is required.
PLEASE REGISTER FOR IN-PERSON ATTENDANCE AT https://www.eventbrite.com/e/189067555147 (registration opens Monday, October 11th) OR BY CALLING 210-228-0201.

LIVESTREAMING will be provided for those who cannot attend the symposium in person.

PRELIMINARY SCHEDULE

7:30am • 1921 Flood Creek Side Remembrance – El Paso St. at Alazán Creek

8:30am • Check-in and refreshments at the Guadalupe Theater – 1301 Guadalupe St

9:00am • Welcome & Keynote – The History and Legacy of the 1921 Flood – Dr. Char Miller

10:00am • Panel – Community Organizing for Flood Abatement

11:10am • Panel – Restoration of the Alazán & Apache Creeks

12:00pm • Lunch & Book Signing

1:30pm • Artistic Interpretations

2:10pm • Remembering the Dead:

3:20pm • Tour of 1921 Flood Graves at San Fernando Cemetery #1 led by Sylvia Reyna – 1110 S. Colorado St.

4:30pm • Circle of Remembrance and Closing Reception at Casa de Cuentos – 816 S. Colorado St.

West Side Rising is the first book focused squarely on San Antonio’s enduring relationship to floods, which have had severe consequences for its communities of color in particular. Examining environmental, social, and political histories, Char Miller demonstrates that disasters can expose systems of racism, injustice, and erasure and, over time, can impel activists to dismantle these inequities. He draws clear lines between the environmental injustices embedded in San Antonio’s long history and the emergence of grassroots organizations that combated the devastating impact floods could have on the West Side.