Discourse in Democracy hosts Natasha Harper-Madison in virtual event

Austin City Council member Natasha Harper-Madison is speaking in Texas State University's online event, "Repping the (Grass) Roots: From Community Advocate to Elected Official," on Thursday from 6-7 p.m.

Harper-Madison is a native Austinite who has dedicated her life to serving East Austin. A community-level activist, she won election to the Austin City Council’s District 1 seat in 2018.

Growing up in poverty, Harper-Madison gained a deep and personal understanding of how important it is for Austin to prioritize affordability and offer pathways to economic mobility. After attending Arizona State University, she returned to Austin to work in her community as an entrepreneur. She served as board president of the East 12th Street Merchants Association and founded East Austin Advocates. In both roles, she deployed her skills for leadership and collaboration to advocate for small businesses and to help connect under-represented people with the resources they need to succeed.

Harper-Madison is passionate about government that serves the people and is active with Take5toVote, an organization that helps constituents engage with their government by providing training and breaking down barriers like identification issues and transportation needs.

She is a mother of four, ranging in age from 8 to 23, and married to Thomas Madsion, a lieutenant with the Austin Fire Department.

The virtual event is free and open to the public, although advance registration is required at www.eventbrite.com/e/repping-the-grass-rootsfrom-community-advocate-to-e.... The program, hosted by Discourse in Democracy in the Department of Political Science, will begin with a 20 minute presentation followed by questions from attendees. Questions should be submitted in advance to Dr. Marc A. Wallace at maw301@txstate.edu.