Urban Practice Fellowship Mapping Project

*My Google Map chronicling the Place Matters sites and boroughs I have visited during this fellowships.*

For my storytelling project with City Lore, I had a lot of freedom as to which Place Matters sites I chose to research and interview at. The first one was The Bronx Music Heritage Center (BMHC), next was the Word Up Community Bookstore (Washington Heights), then I spent the latter part of my fellowship in Harlem studying the Apollo Theater and the National Black Theatre. The common factor between the BMHC and Word Up were that they were located in areas that are known for having large Hispanic populations. The programs of both sites reflect the communities that permeate the area. For example, the BMHC had an exhibit up highlighting Latina activism in the Bronx. Another example is that Word Up makes it its prerogative to have multilingual literature.

Due to my research interests in African American/black history and culture, I focused more on the area of Harlem for the final two pieces. The Apollo and the National Black Theatre are known for not only showcasing but elevating black talent. While the Apollo showcased its talent in a way to make them mainstream successes, that was not the focus of the National Black Theatre. The NBT’s mission was to liberate through black art and performance.

Due to my attachment to black history and culture, studying landmarks and place was difficult for me because I am aware that maintaining a place takes capital and due to the fact that there are few blacks that have this, the majority of blacks are not associated with places(or homes) that stand the test of time. What I mean by places/homes that stand the test of time, I mean that blacks have a pattern of migration in this country; whether it be due to economic mobility,  the promise of job opportunities, or an increase in rent. My feelings about historic preservation are summed up in an article that I read in an NYU Museum Studies’ course I took during my time here (I am graduating in September). The article was called “Why We Need Diverse Writers’ Landmarks”:

“There are startingly few literary landmarks for writers of color. Literary landmarks – those plaques and preserved homes and libraries – are there to acknowledge and celebrate our literary heritage. Too often, writers of color are left out of the equation.”

The author makes the link between preservation of black writers’ homes and preservation of black history, and by not preserving their homes, there are less physical traces of black history. Even as I searched for African American history-related places on Places Matters, I found that there were many that no longer existed; this saddened me. Going into this Urban Practice Fellowship, I knew that I would be working with someone who believes in preserving marginalized history and culture, Molly Garfinkel. While I wish I came at a time in which projects that reflected African American history and culture were being highlighted, I learned a lot about what fuels City Lore’s exhibits and programs; and that is funding. The criteria of funding and grants is what keeps the organization running.