NATIONAL TRUST FOR HISTORIC PRESERVATION
Assignment: Document Cultural Heritage and Displacement in Historically African American Neighborhoods
Kendon Photography was hired to capture a series of streetscapes to supplement National Trust for Historic Preservation’s equity report, which looked at a number of neighborhoods in American cities. The Saving Spaces team shared the goals of the assignment - to capture the built environment and the relationship between people and spaces - but left broad latitude for interpretation. One of their key priorities was to hire a photographer that they could trust as an ambassador for their work, as their research fellows and staff were not able to join on the shoot days.
The assignment started with pouring over maps and sun charts to identify locations in Mantua and Parkside, and followed with several trips to scout the neighborhoods, looking for peak activity times and spontaneous happenings that pre-production couldn’t identify. The scheduled shoot day arrived with overcast weather, so the assignment was split into two days, with a partial set delivered after day one for the client to review before resuming on the next sunny day.
With several major funders participating in the shoot, the client requested a broad licensing agreement that would enable ease of use for varied purposes and across many platforms. The final equity report which includes images seen here can be viewed and downloaded at savingspaces.org.
“Supported by the National Trust’s African American Cultural Heritage Action Fund (AACHAF) and the Ford Foundation, the Cultural Heritage and Displacement in Historically African American Neighborhoods study focuses on displacement in African American communities and its effect on cultural heritage, as well as the role of preservation in strengthening communities. It explores these complex themes in ten cities with significant African American history and populations, including Philadelphia. Results from this project are expected to advance national conversations around affordability, cultural heritage, displacement, equitable development, and reinvestment–particularly in cities with significant African American history and culture and within the field of preservation.
Project Methods + Case Studies
To address this topic Research & Policy Lab staff took a mixed-method approach, using a combination of statistical and policy analysis. To accompany this, Research Fellows from colleges and universities across the country have conducted qualitative research and developed neighborhood case studies on development and displacement. The case studies depict what these forces look like on the ground, adding depth to the findings, revealing new ideas about how neighborhoods change and identifying other challenges for further exploration in future research. In Philadelphia, Julia Cohen focused her case study on the majority African-American neighborhood of Mantua, using nearby East Parkside as a counterexample. Specifically, Julia explored the use of zoning as a tool to resist speculative development and gentrification and the role of community groups in this resistance. Throughout, Julia talked a fair amount about vacant lots and buildings, particular their use for community activities like gardens and their redevelopment for student housing.”
