I get the most satisfaction when I help people. I'm glad I can do this. —Roy Velasquez

When the construction work dried up during the Great Depression, Roy Velasquez borrowed $5 from a friend for a taxi license and started Roy's Taxi. Using a phone at a filling station at Sixth and Chicon, he solicited the business of African-Americans who, in 1931, could not take taxis.

But his legacy is more than his business. He was known for his influence in the Democratic Party, and offered counsel on issues involving minorities to Mayor Tom Miller, Lyndon Johnson, and Harry Truman. He began his work in politics by selling the poll tax to Mexican-Americans so they could vote and, in 1935, founded the Austin Chapter of LULAC (League of United Latin-American Citizens).

Return to Defining Legacies: For Love of Austin.