Before our tour even began today, our group received a brief overview of the Hill District’s history from Terri. We learned about how the Hill District used to be a place where artists could express themselves, mainly through jazz. But as the decades went on, laws such as the Housing Act of 1934 and the displacement of over eight thousand residents destroyed this community. Moving on to the modern day, actions are continually being taken to improve this once-prosperous area. We also discussed the recent closing of Salem’s market, which was the only grocery store located within the Hill District. The main reason for the closure was that Salem’s market primarily sold high-quality meats instead of everyday products that the people in this community desperately needed. Although this grocery store was not the perfect fit, its closure still had a profound impact on the community. There is still hope for the grocery store to reopen, and the owner has been making efforts to reach out to the community to see what he can do to improve business. We started the walking portion of the tour by visiting one of only two black-owned banks within the state of Pennsylvania. When we were outside, we ran into the president of the bank and heard the story of how the bank came to own the entire building. Terri then pointed out a plaque that was put in place to honor the creation of the first modern EMS service. Several of the founding members are still alive today and tour the entire nation, telling their stories. After walking up the street for about a minute, our group was informed of the importance of the barber shops within the community. They are a place where men can go to talk about something as small as neighborhood gossip, all the way to discussing their mental health and issues that have been affecting them. Our group was then informed about how community members are building housing developments to cater to a younger audience. The older generation has been dedicating larger amounts of their time to creating a community that younger people would want to live in. Throughout today’s tours, the most important thing a community can do to succeed is to have strong community bonds.