Shawnte Fleming: ‘Until Abilene becomes better for everybody, it is no good for anybody.’

April 2, 2026  | West Texas Tribune

Shawnte Fleming, founder of Let Us Breathe, was born and raised in Abilene and has never moved away.

“I have chosen Abilene as my hometown, so instead of complaining about what we don’t have and what is not here, I have dedicated my life and my time to say I want to be the change that I want to see here,” Fleming said.

Let Us Breathe started as a grassroots organization in 2020. Fleming’s goal has always been to provide safe spaces for people who feel like outsiders among the majority.

Fleming said she wants to face the discomfort that she’s noticed other races experience during Black celebrations and gatherings such as Juneteenth.

A group within Let Us Breathe called Dismantling Bias Racial Circles focuses on educating white people on how to thrive in diverse spaces.

“I really appreciate the white parents who have allowed their kids to go to school and to interact, because a lot of what we are seeing right now is white flight,” Fleming said.

She’s noticed a trend of people moving to the suburbs on the outside of Abilene to be in affluent, predominantly white areas. Fleming said people talk about Wylie like it’s its own city, when really it’s a school district.

Fleming said the racial divide in Abilene is not the fault of just one race or demographic and that most people are fed stereotypes from a young age that are not reflective of an entire race. For instance, Fleming said that she was raised to distrust white people.

“My uncle was murdered here by a white man … It’s still an unsolved case here. My grandmother died never knowing who killed her son,” Fleming said.

Fleming said she has since learned that there is good and bad in every race. She said her opinions of people now have nothing to do with their race, only their character.

“Some people that are white that come to us know exactly what it feels like to not fit in because everybody doesn’t have money,” Fleming said. “We come from the same space. They get it.”

However, Fleming said there are plenty of challenges that come with advocating for change as a Black woman in West Texas. She said some people have a problem with the name of Let Us Breathe, and others don’t have an understanding of what white privilege is or think that it doesn’t exist.

Let Us Breathe’s back-to-school program, Fresh Kicks Fresh Start, has a “rainbow coalition” of people who sign up to receive shoes and hygiene items every year. Fleming said at Fresh Kicks Fresh Start, people aren’t worried about Let Us Breathe’s controversial name or their mission; they just care about getting the resources they need.

Let Us Breathe doesn’t limit its services to people who qualify financially on paper. Fleming shared a story of a girl who reached out to her for a pair of shoes. Her family had recently moved in with her grandparents. The girl noticed that her mother and father were stressed from work and were frequently fighting. She didn’t want to put the extra burden of asking for shoes on them. Let Us Breathe had gone over budget that year, so Fleming bought the girl a pair of shoes herself.

While Fleming is striving for unity between different races, she said she also wants to see more unity within the Black community.

Growing up, Fleming said she saw Black businesses support each other and thrive. There were restaurants, record stores and barber shops that Fleming remembers the entire Black community of Abilene supporting.

“Now we are so divided as a Black community. It’s really scary,” Fleming said.

She is unsure of exactly what is causing the disconnect, but is committed to working with other Black leaders to restore Abilene to what it used to be.

Fleming remembers being able to walk from her house as a kid to a roller-skating rink and a bowling alley in community with other Black people. Now, there are very few places to go and do things, especially on the north side, Fleming said.

To help address that issue, Let Us Breathe is restoring the former Fannin Elementary School to become a community space for events and meetings. Fleming said they plan to host activities there, such as a jazz night, that will help Black people find community and share their culture with other races as well.

Fannin will also include a food pantry and warming and cooling station for families and individuals of all races who need support in those ways.

Fleming said a lot of people who grew up on the north side of Abilene realize how impactful Fannin will be. Former classmates of Fleming reached out and offered to help with roofing, painting and landscaping.

The redevelopment of Fannin could take between 10 and 15 years. Fleming said she believes the work the community is putting into the restoration process will have an impact on generations to come.

“Until Abilene becomes better for everybody, it is no good for anybody,” Fleming said.

Although Abilineans are different in a lot of ways, Fleming said, when tragedy or disaster strikes, the community comes together regardless of political, racial or religious beliefs to make things happen for the betterment of Abilene. For that reason, Fleming said she will always be on team Abilene and will serve the community for as long as she can.