Today, we got the amazing opportunity to receive a tour of the Lower Hill District by Terri Baltimore. She taught us about the history of her community, and I found it especially interesting that the connectivity between its residents is so strong. She shared stories of both pain and hope, which were both extremely moving and inspiring.
She took us down Centre Avenue, where today there are buildings including the barber shop, YMCA, Federal Credit Union, and many more. I found it especially compelling when she described the impact that barbershops and hair salons had predominantly on the community of men and women in like neighborhoods. In these spaces, people are able to find unity and can confide in each other, whether that is over mental health, relationships, or much more. They serve as places where people are accepted and welcomed among their community.
The Hill District was and still is quite a segregated community from surrounding neighborhoods. Terri explained that for people who are from the Hill District, they tend not to want to leave. They like the sense of community there, but that also comes with a lot of challenges within itself. The neighborhood finds itself in a “food desert,” which is a place that lacks a lot of food resources. In the past, people have had to travel quite far to get enough groceries to sustain their families. They had to take the bus or take Jitney’s to get where they needed. A grocery store was then put into the neighborhood, but it still did not satisfy the needs of the people, so they still found themselves spending money and time on obtaining their needs. Eventually, the grocery store was closed, and still is closed to this day, making grocery shopping inconvenient. This is just one example of a “failure” in their neighborhood.
I have explained one success and one failure we learned about in the Hill District today, but what I think really distinguishes the two is community engagement. The input of community members is a necessity, especially regarding large problems and projects. If community members accept an idea or decision, they are obviously more likely to engage with the community, and in turn, the business/idea does well. This is important, especially looking into the long-term effects of certain ideas or assets in the community.
Flipping the roles, I think business leaders play a huge role in supporting that community engagement and gaining their attention. One way that this can be done is by investing locally and prioritizing the purchase and sale of goods sourced in the community. To members of the community, this sustains the economy and shows that the businesses are on the side of the people.
I think today was a very informative tour, and I will be thinking about these major themes we discussed today. I gained a lot of insight into a neighboring community that I did not know prior to today!
