'The Block' on the Chopping Block

[tekisui]

Two Buildings From Historic Black Community on the Chopping Block

"The Block", as it is known, in downtown Asheville will lose two of its standing dead. Two buildings built in before the 1920s in the historic black community will be demolished within months. What was once a vibrant and healthy community has degraded since the effects of Urban Renewal empty the Block of its life. Also known as 'Negro Removal', Urban Renewal was a federally funded program whose stated objective was renovating blighted communities. The label of blighted was arbitrary and handed down from local and federal boards.

In Asheville, the city took aim at the prime real estate near the heart of downtown. The Block held black doctors offices, barber shops, grocery stores, cultural halls, every business the black community needed and depended on. The city took over. They moved the people living in the neighborhood into what was supposed to temporary housing. Forty years later, third generations are being born in 'the projects'.

The homes were razed and the business left empty. The renovation part of Urban Renewal never came. People who left their homes were promised dollar lots to rebuild. That never happened. Now, the Block is littered with abandoned buildings. Scars of Urban Renewal. Two of those building will be coming down in the next couple of months. Owned by a church, the buildings are hurting the property value, and are a safety threat.

I went to photograph the buildings before they are gone. Much has already been lost to history. At least a few shots will help those still suffering the consequences remember what was lost.

42 S.Spruce St.








51 South Market St.




A bonus picture of Gerald Gardner. He is a homeless man living in the neighborhood. At 53 years old, he remembers Urban Renewal, and he watched his neighborhood crumble. In this picture, he is facing 51 S. Market St.


He is the article from the local paper about the upcoming demolition:
http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009907110322

[Tindalos]

1. Thanks for posting this

(I'm catching up on posts, so sorry for the late response.)

It's shocking (to me) that they would do that to the community. Besides the abhorrent racism, it also seems short-sighted of the city to destroy a thriving community. One has to wonder what they were thinking. That a new one would spring up overnight? That there would be no consequences or repercussions? Obviously that didn't go as planned. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. "Urban renewal" and "gentrification" aren't about improving the economy. They're codewords for screwing over the poor and undesirables (as defined by the powers that be).

[tekisui]

2. You are right. It was a land grab, with little to no thought

given to the people of the African-American community. I grew up in Asheville, and I didn't find out what had happened until last year. I took a class at school, where I learned about it. We held forums where people effected by Urban renewal came and told us what was lost. And, for many of them, it was the first time in 30 or 40 years that they had talked about it with others. It is a sad, shameful mark in our history.