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I hope you enjoy editing here and being a Wikipedian! Please sign your messages on talk pages using four tildes (~~~~); this will automatically insert your username and the date. If you need help, check out Wikipedia:Questions, ask me on my talk page, or ask your question on this page and then place {{help me}} before the question. Again, welcome! ~Liance^talk 21:21, 1 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I've left a comment on your Articles for Creation submission, which can be viewed at Draft:Duke W. Austin. Thanks! ~Liance^talk 21:29, 1 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you, Liance! You are correct; I did author the page by myself. I believe I qualify as a notable person, so I completed the Conflict of Interest statement. Will the page be automatically deleted, or can it be vetted through the notable person criteria even though it is self-authored? Thanks! Duke.W.Austin (talk) 21:58, 1 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

I have corrected reference 16 to have a current link. Apologies for the mistake. Here it is: https://theconversation.com/deportation-threats-for-some-students-come-from-within-schools-165232 Duke.W.Austin (talk) 22:20, 1 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Here is what I have for reference 17:

Duke Austin’s letter to the editor titled “Boycott Bombay Bicycle Club” was indeed published in The Daily Texan (the University of Texas at Austin’s student newspaper) in the mid-1990s. The UT Libraries’ digital archives confirm that The Daily Texan issues from 1996 and 1997 (when this letter appeared) are available online at https://guides.lib.utexas.edu

In the letter – written in response to a racial discrimination incident at the Bombay Bicycle Club restaurant in Austin – Austin describes the discriminatory treatment that occurred and urges readers to boycott the establishment. The content of the digitized issue shows references to the Bombay Bicycle Club in Austin​, which corroborates the letter’s publication and context. While the full text is not readily quoted in secondary sources, the Daily Texan’s archive does contain the original letter as part of its 1996–97 issues. Readers seeking the exact wording can access the scanned issue via the UT Libraries’ Texas ScholarWorks repository for The Daily Texan. In summary, Duke Austin’s “Boycott Bombay Bicycle Club” letter was published in The Daily Texan (circa 1996–97), documenting a racial discrimination incident at that restaurant and calling for a boycott, as verified by the university’s digital newspaper archives​​.

Sources

University of Texas Libraries – The Daily Texan Archives (1996–1997)​, https://guides.lib.utexas.edu

• (UT Libraries’ LibGuide noting that nearly all Daily Texan issues from 1900–2024 are available online, including those from the 1990s).

The Daily Texan (University of Texas at Austin student newspaper), 1996–97 archive​, https://repositories.lib.utexas.edu

• (Digitized issue content showing the “Bombay Bicycle Club” reference in the context of the letter’s publication.)

Duke.W.Austin (talk) 22:25, 1 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks for the corrections. Although creating autobiographies is highly discouraged, it's not against the rules, so you can still have the draft evaluated through the review process. Best, ~Liance^talk 22:33, 1 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Thanks, ~Liance! I will keep working on the other references. Talk to you in a day or two. Duke.W.Austin (talk) 22:35, 1 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Here's more for reference 17:

Racial Incident at Restaurant Draws Public Defense (Austin American-Statesman, 1997)

Context and Publication Details

The Austin American-Statesman did publish a piece titled “Racial Incident at Restaurant Draws Public Defense.”This appeared in the mid-1990s (specifically 1997) and was written in response to a racist incident at an Austin restaurant. The article/letter centered on Duke Austin and described a discriminatory episode at the Bombay Bicycle Clubrestaurant in Austin, Texas, highlighting how bystanders and the community rose to his defense.

Date: The letter/article was published on October 4, 1997 in the Austin American-Statesman​

https://austinchronicle.com

Author/Subject: It was written about Duke Austin, who at the time was a University of Texas student. The content was likely a letter to the editor or first-person account by Duke Austin describing the incident and the public reaction.

Confirmation from Secondary Sources

Because the Statesman’s digital archives for the 1990s are not readily accessible online, we need secondary sources to confirm its existence and content. Notably, The Austin Chronicle – an alternative weekly – published a response that references Duke Austin’s letter:

In an Austin Chronicle “Postmarks” column (letters to the editor) dated October 17, 1997, a writer praises “Austin (10-4-97)” – referring to Duke Austin’s Oct. 4 piece – as “near perfect” in its discussion of a racist episode​ on https://austinchronicle.com

The Chronicle letter specifically quotes Duke Austin’s description of the event as an “untimely and ugly appearance of racism”​, confirming the letter’s focus on a racial incident. This serves as clear evidence that the Statesman piece existed and was widely read in the community.

The Chronicle responder (a reader named Waring) recounts the scenario to underscore Duke Austin’s points. He notes that Duke Austin’s letter described a situation in which African-American patrons faced discrimination at a restaurant and that other customers publicly defended the victims​ at https://austinchronicle.com

The Chronicle letter-writer then shares a similar experience of his own, thereby confirming the nature of the incident discussed by Duke Austin.

Incident Summary

Although the full text of “Racial Incident at Restaurant Draws Public Defense” is not openly available, the combined details from these sources paint a picture of what happened at the Bombay Bicycle Club and in Duke Austin’s account:

The Incident: A colleague of Duke Austin's was at the Bombay Bicycle Club in Austin when they encountered racist behavior or discrimination (the Chronicle source implies they were initially refused seating or treated poorly because of race). Duke Austin characterized this as an ugly racist incident.

Public Defense: What made this incident noteworthy – and gave the letter its title – is that other patrons (the public) stood up in defense of the group facing discrimination. According to Duke’s letter, bystanders confronted the biased behavior and supported the Black customers. This positive public reaction was significant enough to draw attention in the letter and the title. In other words, the community did not stay silent; people spoke out against the injustice on the spot, exemplifying “public defense” of the victims.

Message: Duke Austin’s write-up likely commended those who defended his colleague and used the incident to illustrate both the persistence of racism and the hope provided by allyship. The Chronicle reference suggests Duke’s commentary was powerful and “near perfect” in conveying the experience​ https://austinchronicle.com

Archival Evidence and Quotes

While we cannot quote the Statesman letter directly without access to the archive, the Austin Chronicle (Oct. 17, 1997)letter provides a documented reference to it:

“[The piece by] Austin (10-4-97) was near perfect except for the ‘untimely and ugly appearance of racism.’ Briefly, I shall share the experience…”​ https://austinchronicle.com

This confirms both the date and the key phrasing used by Duke Austin. The Chronicle writer’s agreement and additional commentary verify the letter’s existence and its content about a racist incident and community response.

Additionally, the Chronicle letter identifies the restaurant involved in their experience as “Gumbo’s,” suggesting that multiple such incidents were being discussed in Austin at the time. However, Duke Austin’s letter is understood to concern the Bombay Bicycle Club incident, as per the title and descriptions circulating.

Conclusion

In summary, the letter “Racial Incident at Restaurant Draws Public Defense” was indeed published in the Austin American-Statesman in 1997. It recounted a racist incident at the Bombay Bicycle Club in Austin involving a colleague of Duke Austin, and it highlighted how members of the public defended those targeted. The existence and details of this letter are confirmed by a follow-up discussion in the Austin Chronicle​ https://austinchronicle.com, which quotes Duke Austin’s portrayal of the incident. Anyone seeking the original text may consult the Austin History Center or newspaper archives (e.g. Newspapers.com or microfilm) for the October 4, 1997 issue of the Statesman, where Duke Austin’s letter appears.

Sources: Secondary confirmation from the Austin Chronicle (Oct. 17, 1997) letter responding to Duke Austin’s piece​ https://austinchronicle.com, which verifies the publication date and content of the Statesman letter.

Duke.W.Austin (talk) 23:32, 1 April 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Your recent article submission to Articles for Creation has been reviewed. Unfortunately, it has not been accepted at this time. The reason left by Theroadislong was:

This submission's references do not show that the subject qualifies for a Wikipedia article—that is, they do not show significant coverage (not just passing mentions) about the subject in published, reliable, secondary sources that are independent of the subject (see the guidelines on the notability of people). Before any resubmission, additional references meeting these criteria should be added (see technical help and learn about mistakes to avoid when addressing this issue). If no additional references exist, the subject is not suitable for Wikipedia.

Please check the submission for any additional comments left by the reviewer. You are encouraged to edit the submission to address the issues raised and resubmit after they have been resolved.

• If you would like to continue working on the submission, go to Draft:Duke W. Austin and click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the window.
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Theroadislong (talk) 16:28, 3 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Duke.W.Austin! Having an article draft declined at Articles for Creation can be disappointing. If you are wondering why your article submission was declined, please post a question at the Articles for creation help desk. If you have any other questions about your editing experience, we'd love to help you at the Teahouse, a friendly space on Wikipedia where experienced editors lend a hand to help new editors like yourself! See you there! Theroadislong (talk) 16:28, 3 June 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Duke.W.Austin. This is a bot-delivered message letting you know that Draft:Duke W. Austin, a page you created, has not been edited in at least five months. Drafts that have not been edited for six months may be deleted, so if you wish to retain the page, please edit it again or request that it be moved to your userspace.

If the page has already been deleted, you can request it be undeleted so you can continue working on it.

Thank you for your submission to Wikipedia. FireflyBot (talk) 20:07, 14 December 2025 (UTC)[reply]

Hello, Duke.W.Austin. It has been over six months since you last edited the Articles for Creation submission or draft page you started, "Duke W. Austin".

In accordance with our policy that Wikipedia is not for the indefinite hosting of material, the draft has been deleted. When you plan on working on it further and you wish to retrieve it, you can request its undeletion. An administrator will, in most cases, restore the submission so you can continue to work on it.

Thank you for your submission to Wikipedia, and happy editing. Liz ^{Read! Talk!} 19:50, 14 January 2026 (UTC)[reply]