Train Graffiti and Spatial Justice

When I was young, my parents spoke fondly of Tucson, AZ, where I was born. I only ever lived there a year, so I never remembered much about it. I later revisited the city on one of the many annual road trips my family used to take. One of the first impressions I had of the city was just how much graffiti there was, particularly in our old neighborhood. We lived in an adobe row house that had been built in the early 20^th century for the railroad workers, next to the train tracks. My parents told stories of how the house would shake like a bomb had gone off whenever a train approached, followed by a deafening “choo-choo.” But rather than the stereotypical poverty-stricken storyline that often accompanies neighborhoods adjacent to railroads, my parents described that time as simple and romantic—a dusty, bohemian scene reminiscent of the Old West. The colorful and persistent graffiti on the trains especially caught my eye.

I’ve never really given graffiti much in-depth thought beyond appreciating its aesthetic. After watching “Bomb It,” I’ve realized that much like other art, graffiti has meaning. Graffiti is unique because it is illegal, which adds a whole element to its creation. It serves a double purpose, because it is both what a specific piece is representing, as well as a way to gain power within public space.

This is especially true for graffiti on trains because they are not stationary. It is as if the graffiti is a way of gaining spatial power wherever the train goes, rather than just tied to one specific place. Therefore, the artist’s work will be seen by a more diverse, possibly larger group of people.

Furthermore, while the railroad system in the United States is not very glamorous and often overlooked, they are still one of the most common entities associated with industrialization. Graffiti serves as such a strong juxtaposition when featured on trains, as if it exists to rebel against and exploit the capitalist systems that led to post-industrial crumbling infrastructure. Graffiti on trains may be illegal but it serves as an underground public art that not only gives a voice to the marginalized but amplifies and carries it beyond their personal mobility. 

Fracking Affects Your Athens Community

Rural Appalachia is a major site of fracking because it is “abundant in natural resources”, which is a similar reason the region is most popular for coal mining. Like coal mining, fracking is a major industry and a major source of employment throughout Appalachia. Fracking is also extremely hazardous, creates toxic waste, is prone to mass spills and leaks, and creates long term effects for workers, surrounding populations, and the environment/Earth.

A study outlines that fracking contributes to toxic air pollution and hazardous ground-level ozone layers. High concentrations of volatile organic compounds which are known to be carcinogenic are found in the air surrounding fracking sites. The study says that, “More than 200 airborne chemical contaminants have been detected near drilling and fracking sites. Of these, 61 are classified as hazardous air pollutants, including carcinogens; 26 are endocrine-disrupting compounds that have been linked to reproductive, developmental, and neurological damage”(Concerned Health Professionals of NY). Waste-fluid from fracking is a significant source of water contamination. PFA chemicals (polyfluoroalkyl substances) found in fracking waste water are tied to cancers and other health effects are another major concern. Fracking waste can also contain radioactive matter, and the ODNR found that "fracking waste can be found in the environment for thousands of years and cause bone, liver, and breast cancer" (Dani Kington, Athens County Independent). Leaks and discharge of waste affect not only communities around the sites, but the land and wildlife as well. Waste-fluid injection wells are a major source of contamination in groundwater, and are also usually placed in low-income and marginalized communities.

I find it alarming that our own home of Athens County is an example of a community at risk of the harmful effects of fracking. Athens County is one of the poorest counties in Ohio, being a rural area lying in the Appalachian belt. In the past year, a fracking waste injection site in Torch, Ohio was suspended due to unsafe Class II injection wells. Faulty and unsafe wells can heavily affect our groundwater, and Appalachia is no stranger to hazardous chemical leaks affecting water sources, specifically referencing DuPont out of Parkersburg. The Athens Independent says that, "Activists refer to Appalachian Ohio as the region’s “dumping ground for toxic waste.”". I feel like many weren't aware of these wells in the first place, let alone know of their possible hazards. 

Health effects are not the only form of harm done by fracking. Economically alone, fracking affects adults in Appalachia due to a decrease in jobs after the fracking boom. Tied with other economic issues that Appalachians face, access to jobs, food, housing, transportation, and more can cause significant harm to families. Economic disparities exacerbated by fracking contribute to a growing problem of STD’s and crime (Concerned Health Professionals of NY).  Adverse birth outcomes, long term serious health issues, cancers, and more affect those near fracking sites. Overall, its clear that environmental justice is a major issue for already historically disenfranchised Appalachians. Through continued neglect of land and their resources, they are at a disadvantage. Effects from fracking harm their ability to thrive in a multitude of ways, and clearly impacts their beautiful land and their people for generations. This environmental issue is no doubt an illustration of power dynamics. Capitalist companies are given priority and lenient regulations to further productions etc.etc, while the communities they are in are suffering. Our lawmakers and policymakers are allowing this, I have strong hope for Athens County and Appalachian activists to continue in fighting the neglect and unsafe practices happening here!

https://athensindependent.com/torch-fracking-injection-wells-received-waste-containing-forever-chemicals-pfas-data/

https://insideclimatenews.org/news/13092023/ohio-injection-wells-suspended-over-imminent-danger-to-drinking-water/

https://concernedhealthny.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Fracking-Science-Compendium_6.pdf

https://e360.yale.edu/features/fracking-gas-chemicals-health-pennsylvania

GATS & Graffiti as a form of activism in public space

Reflecting on this semester's materials, Shabazz's (2016) speech about how place, space, and mobility matters in the fight for social justice stood out to me. Throughout his speech Shabazz (2016) traces the proliferation policy and laws of confinement throughout the history of the Black liberation movement. What stood out to me the most in this speech was that he highlighted Hip Hop's role in creating space for Black civic engagement, despite redlining practices that left school art programs underfunded. Accordingly, during the rest of the semester, I couldn't help but think of how graffiti (one of the four elements of hip hop), as a tool for civic engagement and it's relationship to geography and social justice. In this post, I discuss how graffiti makes meaningful contributions to other material we discussed throughout the semester. Specifically, graffiti writers like GATS are deeply interwoven into spacial memory, and visually represent resistance to hegemonic oppressors through art and space. 

"Welcome to West Oakland" iconic sign painted by GATS

GATS, (graffiti against the system), is a graffiti writer from Oakland who is a part of the group PTV (punks, thugs, and vandals). GATS is famous for the mask seen above, which takes on a lot of different variations. I have not only seen GATS' work up and down the west coast, but in almost every state I've visited. While GATS' political involvement is evident in the acronym, you do not need insider knowledge to be able to identify that graffiti engages people politically. Specifically, the act of directly reclaiming space (e.g., painting it) is a more active form of engaging in politics in that there is no waiting around for bureaucrats to make the wrong decision, there's no research to build a case for more grass or playgrounds, it spits in the face of the whole process of democratic decision making. "I can't think of a way that is a more direct way of speaking to people than writing it on a wall" (I am Other). 

          

        "I am Other" (part 1, 2, & 3) takes place during the height of the Occupy Wall Street movement             and detail GATS' graffiti philosophy while he works alongside other artists in the community. 

It comes as no surprise that graffiti art decorates protest routes as it is a symbol for unrest. Throughout the semester, we talked in-depth about social inequities that do not get adequate attention and go unresolved for decades. While I can not say graffiti is a solution for any of these (e.g., homelessness, ableism or racism in public space), I can say that it draws the attention of policy makers and provides us the opportunity to engage in unbridled freedom of speech. The video "I am Other" is a great example of how space, art, and activism coalesce and can be voiced through graffiti. Unlike traditional ways of engaging in politics, like attending town hall meetings or voting, graffiti is a direct way to engage in public discourse by reclaiming shared and private space. 

Graffiti is not intended to include everyone, and my point is that neither are the built spaces and places throughout the US. The bureaucratic machine is one that is slow turning, and my question is why not transform space ourselves? If the government does not take us into account, if the accommodations created simply further the colonial project and do not make housing more affordable or accessible, if the design of our environment locks kids indoors or makes them fearful of being outside, then why not paint over it? Why not make their idea of what we need from public space more "unattractive"? The visual landscapes that we walk through, in public and in private, are dominated by corporations, advertisements, and otherwise ugly, meaningless material. What makes monuments to capitalism worth our compliance? Graffiti artists take agency in these spaces and create something that is representative of themselves and their community; regardless of what anyone else might think of it. 

The Impact of Resistance on Well-Being

In class, we have been talking about resistance, and the power of the individual to influence their environment and push for change. We have discussed how resistance can take many forms, including activities of daily living such as dress, cooking, home-making, and more. It can also include larger scale resistance like protests, boycotts, or strikes. In recent media, these larger forms of resistance have been categorized as destructive or harmful, and smaller acts of resistance have been labeled as insignificant. Externally, this may or may not be true, depending on the context and the inertia behind a movement, but internally, resistance can impact an individual’s well-being and happiness. Arguably more significantly, resistance can directly save lives and protect individuals.

            Following World War I, the Nazis were scared of contagious diseases, and a Polish doctor resisted by creating a fake Typhus epidemic, saving an estimated 8,000 people from death or imprisonment over three years. Historically, countless doctors have enlisted in programs like Doctors Without Borders, or abandon their practices in order to assist those who have been impacted by violence or war. Resistance within the medical establishment continuously serves to outright protect individuals and further social justice movements.

 

 

Socially, inclusion within resistance movements has also led to an increased sense of satisfaction for many. Resistance is necessary within a context of power, as the two forces coexist. When power is being used or exerted on others, resistance is the natural antithesis as individuals advocate for themselves and any substandard living conditions or treatments. Engagement in resistance against powers that harm or negatively impact an individual can offer a sense of community, and help bolster the individual’s sense of self-worth through accomplishment.

Smaller acts of resistance, like a woman wearing pants in the 1930’s, may not have as obvious of an impact as doctors saving lives, but these small acts of resistance shift the paradigm, and can articulate new ways of thinking and new social norms. It is a method of challenging socially determined “truths” in order to change policies, procedures, and cultural norms to create a better and more socially just future.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8984666/

 

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/how-a-fake-typhus-epidemic-saved-a-polish-city-from-the-nazis

 

African context of public space

Throughout this semester, we have looked at many themes that border on the distinction between public and private space. Like my previous writings, I usually like to reflect on these class readings and discussions from my African perspective. In this blog post, I would also like to reflect on one of our class readings on public and private space from the perspective of the African Bantaba. Drawing inspiration from Mitchell’s article on the end of public space, I would like to talk about the functions of public spaces in the African context.

In his article entitled "The End of Public Space? People’s Park, Definitions of the Public, and Democracy", Mitchell discusses various issues regarding public space. He observes that according to the Vancouver, BC, Social Planning Department, public places are open and accessible for at least twelve hours a day, adding that public space is the product of competing ideas about what constitutes that space and who constitutes "the public." Public spaces are essential for the functioning of democratic politics and provide a space for marginalized groups to represent themselves as a legitimate part of “the public” (Mitchell, 1995).

Thus, he reveals that the ideal of the public sphere implies a notion of inclusiveness that becomes a rallying point for political activity. They also suggest that the reliance on electronic media for democratic politics is problematic and that public space is essential for democratic politics. Furthermore, they explore the transformation of public space into highly structured and commodified spaces, as well as its impact on social exclusion (Mitchell, 1995).

I should quickly add that the idea of democracy and its connection to the public are a recent invention in the African context. That is not to say that democracy is nonexistent in Africa. It has always existed in traditional forms, far different from how it has logically existed in other cultures. One of the best symbols of that is the concept of Bantaba. According to Access Gambia, the Bantaba is a word that emerged from the largest ethnic group in The Gambia, the Mandinka. It means a “large tree” called Bentennie in the Mandinka language. In the traditional Gambian context, it is a meeting venue for village men.

The Mandinka word for tree is bant, and aba means meeting. Access Gambia adds that in modern parlance, it is used to describe “any wooden or cement construct which is located within the confines of a family compound or other property with a roof made of grass or corrugated iron sheets with pillars made of wood/bamboo or concrete. The structure itself resembles a gazebo” (Gambia, 2009). In nearly all villages in The Gambia, places like that exist where people gather to tell stories and take care of issues affecting their communities. Storytelling is a very important aspect of traditional life.

Well before the introduction of western education, knowledge was transferred from one generation to another through word of mouth, especially for societies without reading and writing. I remember as a child how we used to gather around night fires where our grandparents told us stories mainly about animal characters.

I believe that the notion of Bantaba has strong links with public space, as described by Mitchell. Since it is a community gathering space without the complexities of modern democratic ideals, the Bantaba has the following significance:

1.     Cultural and societal gathering: The Bantaba serves as a place where community members gather for cultural events such as masquerade festivals, wrestling contests, circumcision initiation rites, communal gatherings, and marriage ceremonies.

2.     Politics and decision-making: When communities are confronted with governance issues, they gather at the Bantaba to make decisions. It's akin to the modern concept of parliamentary democracy. All forms and manners of decisions are made at the Bantaba. From taxation, declaration of war, announcing new kings, and even courts. It’s a transparent institution that needs to be adopted in the modern governance of the continent.

3.     Economic Activities: The Bantaba is usually located at the market square, where people sell farm produce and conduct other economic activities. They buy and sell goods.

4.     Social cohesion: In the African context, social cohesion is strengthened through the Bantaba, as the Bantaba is a place where all members of society can interact, exchange ideas, and conduct social activities. In some cases, only old men are allowed to be at the Bantaba. But it is certainly the case that all genders can participate in the activities of the Bantaba.

I should also note that the distinction between public and private space is blurred in the African context. One explanation for this is that, as I have commented in class on several occasions, the traditional African society is communal and not individualistic. Communal interests supersede individual interests. What might be considered private space in the western concept often becomes a communal space, where community activities take place and where everyone can have access.

Even eating is usually communal. Instead of eating individually, people eat together. In my own culture, although many activities take place at community gathering places like the Bantaba, nothing stops them from happening in family compounds or residential areas. After the advent of independence, many African societies failed to incorporate these traditional values into their new democratic dispensations. For me, that is one of the primary reasons why democracy is not working well on the continent. Africans can do well to avoid copying and pasting democracy and give traditional and cultural values their rightful place in our budding state structures.

Bibliography

Gambia, A. (2009). www.accessgambia.com. Retrieved 11 23, 2023, from www.accessgambia.com: https://www.accessgambia.com/information/bantaba.html

Mitchell, D. (1995). The End of Public Space? People’s Park, Definitions of the Public, and Democracy. Annals of the association of american geographers, , 108-133.

 

 

 

Interesting article on homelessness, public spaces, and geographies of fear

I read an interesting article today in the Washington Post that seemed to connect with a lot of the discussions we've been having in class for the last number of weeks.  Here is the link:

https://wapo.st/3MNs4VI

I think you should be able to access it without a subscription!

The Ninth and Ninth Whale and Gentrification

    These last few class periods about the process of gentrification keeps making me think about this whale in the Ninth and Ninth neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah. Gentrification, as a tool for investors (be it the city, private or public entities), seeks to revitalize a specific space (Fraser, 2004; Whitson, 2017). Yet in that revitalization, the pre-existing identities of that specific space can become erased as a new meaning becomes the focal point. I also see gentrification as this method of “fixing” spaces that are somehow deemed in-need-of-fixing. By constructing a space as in-need-of-fixing, there becomes this need for someone or something to address it and place their meaning on top of the already established meaning. I also was curious to understand what happens when an individual within that specific space seeks to work through the process of gentrification. This brings me to the whale! 

    The Ninth and Ninth neighborhood in Salt Lake City is seen as the “quirky” neighborhood (Means & Jayswal, 2022). The city itself refers to the neighborhood as “one of its best kept secrets” (slc.gov). Our discussions about gentrification had me thinking about how citizens of specific communities engage with that process of gentrification happening right before them. The whale was met with immediate hatred, people complaining about how can a whale reflect the culture or identity of the neighborhood. INnresponse, the council behind the approval of the whale articulate that every few years, the whale will be repainted to reflect the neighborhood’s culture. Before the whale was placed in, a counter-protest (maybe counter-gentrification?) involved gnomes as citizens saw gnomes as more encapsulating the identity of the community. However, the whale still stands today, now with a church following (The Church of the Sacred Whale of Ninth-and-Ninth). 

    While a very minor instance of gentrification, I think the whale showcases a great example of that process. The neighborhood council saw something lacking in the neighborhood and commissioned an artist. The artist, a local of the neighborhood, created a breaching whale. The community is immediately confused and distraught about why the whale, who is it for, what does the whale symbolize for themselves. I do think the neighborhood did a good job of asking something within the community to create something. But I think it would be helpful for cities to continue to gain insight for their communities before create spatial changes that can create long-lasting impacts.

Link from Sherry on urban design

Here is a link that Sherry shared with me about a real estate developer whose priority is "community, open space, and mobility":

https://culdesac.com/

It might be interesting to you!

Old Enough! and Urban Planning

In class last week I mentioned a Netflix show, called Old Enough!, which shows kids in Japan being independent and able to navigate cities safely at a very young age.  You can see the webpage for the show here.

Different people have argued that, while some of this is cultural, this type of independence is due to the built environment.  For example, in this blog post,  E. Owen Waygood, a professor at Montréal Polytechnique, is quoted saying: “There is an underlying cultural value—Japanese parents believe kids should be able to get around by themselves. And they build policies to support that. Japanese cities are built on the concept that every neighborhood should function as a village. That planning paradigm means you have shops and small businesses in residential neighborhoods, which means there are places to go—places these kids can walk to.”

Here is another blog post and podcast on the same show and topic that talks in more depth about the many planning decisions that make this possible.  It is on a podcast called 99% Invisible which is about urban planning.

Enjoy!

Current Zoning Practices and Creating Equitable Cities

The article “What Would a Non-Sexist City Be Like? Speculations on Housing, Urban Design, and Human Work” by Dolores Hayden discusses how cities' physical structure and design limits women economically, physically, and socially in society. The article talks about how typical suburban neighborhoods put an emphasis on private property and facilities, such as kitchens or laundry rooms. This article got me thinking about how modern planning practices perpetuate this inequality in urban design and disadvantages society in many aspects. There is an urban planning practice called Euclidian/ single use zoning. Single use zoning separates land use by type, only allowing one type of activity to take place on that plot of land, such as only residential, or only retail. This leads to lower density in cities and contributes to urban sprawl. As depicted in the article in this quote, “The greatest part of the built environment in the United States consists of ‘suburban sprawl’: single-family homes grouped in class-segregated areas, crisscrossed by freeways and served by shopping malls and commercial strip developments.”, most development is done using single use zoning. The article talks about how current urban structure can isolate women from society if they do not have access to forms of transportation. Denser cities where mixed use zoning is used would allow for more resources to be in walking proximity to the home, allowing for less transport needs. Mixed use zoning allows for multiple types of activities to take place on one lot, such as apartments above shops and restaurants, multiple types of shops or business sharing a lot, etc. This would be beneficial in creating a more just city because it could allow for communal facilities, or even facilities that cross private property lines. The article says “Because of residential zoning practices, the typical dwelling will usually be physically removed from any shared community space-no commercial or communal day-care facilities, or laundry facilities, for example, are likely to be part of the dwelling's spatial domain. In many cases these facilities would be illegal if placed across property lines.” Many current zoning practices are outdated, focus on private ownership, and create lower density areas that do not facilitate community interaction.

Hayden, Dolores. 1980. “What Would a Non-Sexist City Be Like? Speculations on Housing, Urban                     Design, and Human Work.” Signs 5(3):170-187.

Unseen Suffering: Homelessness and Spatial Justice in Gender-Based Inequality

Homelessness is a problem that affects cultures all around the world, and it sometimes goes unnoticed. Homelessness has a special and frequently disregarded aspect despite affecting people of all genders: the gender gap that significantly contributes to the exacerbation of this catastrophe.

Homelessness and gender-based concerns are related in a complex way that is entrenched in long-standing societal injustices. The equitable distribution of resources, opportunities, and services within a community is referred to as spatial justice, and it is a crucial lens through which to see homelessness.

Women who experience domestic violence, sexual assault, or other types of gender-based violence are frequently identified as victims of gender-based homelessness. Many women are compelled to leave their homes and look for safety in shelters or on the streets, frequently bringing their kids with them. The cycle of homelessness is perpetuated by the absence of accessible housing and support for these women, making it much harder to break free. In order to shed light on the connection between gender-based violence and homelessness, Jon et al. (2007) investigated the experiences of homeless women. Their work emphasizes the terrible conditions that women who experience sexual assault, domestic violence, or other types of gender-based violence must deal with. These women are frequently compelled to flee their homes in search of safety, frequently while hauling their kids behind them. Their study demonstrates how the cycle of homelessness is exacerbated by gender-based violence, and how the lack of accessible housing and assistance for these women makes their problems even worse.

With 42 women per 10,000 individuals suffering homelessness, the District of Columbia has the highest prevalence of female homelessness in the country, which is a sobering number that serves as a harsh reminder of the dire gender-based homelessness epidemic, (USC, 2019). The issue of homelessness disproportionately impacts women in the nation's capital when measured against the national average of 4.37 homeless women per 10,000 persons. Speer (2017) article connects well with this as it explores the mechanics of domestic space and its value, giving light on how homeless camps and housing initiatives contribute to how marginalized people see home. Given this situation, it is clear that homelessness has significant effects on women who experience domestic abuse, sexual assault, and gender-based violence.

The gender gap in homelessness is a complex issue that has a number of structural roots. Women who are homeless frequently face particular difficulties, such as an increased risk of domestic abuse and restricted access to secure housing. These women frequently have children, which makes it even harder for them to find housing and stability.

USC, Department of Nursing, 2019

We must take into account spatial justice as a crucial element in order to address these gender-based problems with homelessness. This entails giving excluded genders access to secure, inclusive environments in addition to housing. 

We need to help survivors of gender-based violence, provide affordable housing services, and invest in education that challenges preconceptions and prejudices in order to achieve spatial justice in the fight against gender-based homelessness. Creating a society in which everyone, regardless of gender identity or experience, has the right to safe and stable housing is not only an issue of social justice but also a step towards a more inclusive and equal world. The following website offers great help to homeless women and families to transition to housing and supportive services: https://womenofhopeoh.org/

Reference

 May,  Jon, Paul Cloke and Sarah Johnsen. 2007. “Alternative Cartographies of Homelessness: Rendering Visible British Women’s Experiences of ‘Visible’ Homelessness.” Gender, Place, and Culture 14(2):121-140.

Speer, Jesse. 2017. “It’s not like your home: Homeless Encampments, Housing Projects, and the Struggle over Domestic Space.” Antipode 49(2)517-533.

Unsafe and unwell: How homelessness affects women and how to help. USC. (2019, April 5). https://nursing.usc.edu/blog/how-to-help-homeless-women/#:~:text=How%20Many%20Women%20Are%20Homeless,with%201.28%20per%2010%2C000%20people.

The Modern Homelessness Crisis: Echoes of Native American Racism and Colonization

            In light of Indigenous People’s Day last week, I wanted to shed some light onto the history of Native American housing in the United States. Often when it comes to housing, Native Americans are overlooked, only making up 1.5% of the North American population. Despite this, they account for 10% of the homeless population in the United States – a staggering disproportion. Why is this?

 

            Initially, Indigenous concepts of homes and living were disregarded by European settlers. They were viewed as inadequate, unsanitary, primitive and above all else 'savage'. Land was stolen, and communities were built on top of existing lands, a common feature of European colonialism. Native land quickly became a commodity that was bought and sold for personal ownership instead of shared, and it didn’t take long for Native Americans to be denied of their rights. Indigenous Americans were stripped of land ownership with the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which displaced them across the country from their native lands. Federal legislation like the Dawes Act (1887) and the Indian Removal Act (1930) have created a culture within the Native American community of distrust of the government or national agencies, making them more resistant to accept help. 

 

Image of the Pequot War. Source: Smithsonian Magazine

            In taking their land and labeling natives as ‘savages’, Europeans successfully morphed Native Americans into the 'other'. The history of colonialism has led to what seems to be an American tradition of displacing people to build housing. Unfortunately, Indigenous peoples are not the only group to fall victim to being othered and suffer housing crises and legal restrictions as a result. Along with Native Americans, African Americans are another historically oppressed group that face housing issues because of systemic racism. Marginalized communities in urban cities now face increasing threats of gentrification; losing the homes that give them comfort, safety, and stability, and increasing their risk of homelessness. Sadly, for Native Americans, multigenerational poverty and being excluded from housing opportunities are an effect of colonial displacement, which is why rates of homelessness amongst native populations are so high. 

 

            In class, we have discussed how the modern home is seen as a “white, middle class, masculine” place (Speer, 2017). However, the 'ideal home' marginalizes groups who live a home experience that is not ideal. This specific idea of a privately owned home that was established early in American history by European colonizers continues to put all minorities and marginalized groups at a housing disadvantage. In Minnesota, Native American homelessness is a special issue. Within 6 reservations, around 9% of the population are homeless, and 14% face housing insecurity, where people “double up” in houses that are overcrowded and have inadequate space. 

This is an image of Tent City, a homeless community in Minnesota with a large Native American population. Source: The New York Times

 

            Native American communities’ struggles to find equal housing, health, water, and food access today are direct effects of European views of home and land ownership being imposed onto them back in the colonial era. How we interact with our places sets a precedent, changing the way we view others who don’t interact with spaces the way we may do personally, which is a bias that natives fell victim to early on. The convergence of both historical displacement and legal discrimination have contributed to modern Native American homelessness patterns. Although homelessness is largely dependent on finances, it is more than just not being able to afford housing – there is often a historical and racist underbelly to the issue. 
 
            Below, I’ve linked some articles in case anyone wants more information on the Native American housing crisis and what is being done to combat it.

 

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-12-17/a-bold-fix-for-native-american-homelessness

 

https://palletshelter.com/blog/6-impacts-of-homelessness-unique-to-indigenous-communities/

 

https://www.wilder.org/mnhomeless/results/reservations

 

https://naihc.net/tribal-housing-assistance-resource-hub/

 

References:  

Micucci, J. (2023, March 14). Rooted in trauma: Homelessness in Native Communities. National League of Cities. https://www.nlc.org/article/2023/03/15/rooted-in-trauma-homelessness-in-native-communities/#:~:text=Today%2C%20Native%20people%20experience%20the,general%20and%20on%20Tribal%20lands.

 

Olivet, J., Dones, M., Richard, M. (2019). The Intersection of Homelessness, Racism, and Mental Illness. In: Medlock, M., Shtasel, D., Trinh, NH., Williams, D. (eds) Racism and Psychiatry. Current Clinical Psychiatry. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-90197-8_4

 

Otto, P. (2013).  Common Practices and Mutual Misunderstandings: Henry Hudson, Native Americans, and the Birth of New Netherland. Digital Commons @ George Fox University. https://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1064&context=hist_fac

 

Richard, M. K. (2023). Race matters in addressing homelessness: A scoping review and call for critical research. American Journal of Community Psychology, 1. https://doi-org.proxy.library.ohio.edu/10.1002/ajcp.12700

Speer, J. (2017). “It’s not like your home: Homeless Encampments, Housing Projects, and the Struggle over Domestic Space.” Antipode 49(2)517-533. 

 

Africa is not a country

In this class, we have dealt with human identities, how they are constructed, and how they impact our lives. I was fascinated by the article written by Kwame Anthony Appiah. The article, which was entitled “I am Jewish and Don’t Identify as White, Why do I check That Box?”, Appiah looks into the difficult link between race and identity. According to him, from an American perspective, there are two main problems with the way race is constructed in America. The first is that it believes that people with ancestry and physical characteristics are more similar than they are. Secondly, it was built on the notion that certain races are better than others, creating a situation where people of color are treated with disdain. Consequently, he believes that we should value each other’s unique identities instead of grouping people together racially.

In my life as an African, I have seen firsthand the general characterization of Africans as one and how it leads to a situation where some people think that all Africans are one, regardless of where they were born and raised. To illustrate this point, let me give an example. I was once traveling by bus here in the United States. I sat with an elderly woman from another race. We were having a conversation when she asked me a question which to be honest, I heard before: “Where is the capital of Africa?” I jokingly told her that the capital of Africa is The Gambia. She then asked where The Gambia was located. I took time to answer her question. I could see that she was genuinely interested in learning about Africa, and I am happy that I could help satisfy her curiosity. But I am sometimes taken aback when people I meet are fascinated by my ability to speak what they call very good English. They don’t understand how someone from Africa like me could speak “good English.”

At least the old woman had the opportunity to be educated about the Africa and change her perspectives about people on continent. Most people do not have that opportunity. They live with a certain conception and notion about Africa as a single country, with similar lived experiences. But anyone who has a little understanding about Africa and Africans will know that the idea many people have about Africa is not true. It is not the case that the African continent is one country with one capital, nor is it the case that all Africans are one and have the same identity. Africa is a diverse continent with more than 1,000 ethnolinguistic groups. These ethno-linguistic groups are as different as each other in their culture, history, norms, and values. An ethnic group in Eastern Africa can have similar physical features as one from The Gambia in the West yet have values and cultural norms that are as different as day and night. Even within the same geographical enclave as in my own country, The Gambia, two ethnic groups can physically look very similar, but have different cultural approaches to life.

Most of the conglomeration of the African identity as a single homogenous population began with colonization. Africa is one of the biggest continents in the world. In fact, it is the second-biggest continent in the world, but the colonialists had to congest the geography of its people as a way to show insignificance, which was then used to justify ruling the subjugation and colonial exploitation of the continent for centuries. In modern times, this “single story” of Africa is created by the media. In the eyes of the Western media, Africa is a poor, destitute continent with only wildlife. Therefore, many of us who grew up in Africa are supposed to have seen or interacted with lions and lived on trees.

I was told a story in class by one of my former professors. He said when he went to Australia in the 1970’s to study, one of his professors asked him whether we have houses on the continent and if we live on trees. He sarcastically retorted that no, we don’t have houses in Africa, and we live on trees. Conversely, he told him that their ambassador lives on the biggest tree in his country. Apart from the media, so-called charity organizations have been very instrumental in portraying Africa as a poor, hungry, and “uncivilized continent” to raise funds for their activities in Africa, some of which have never benefited Africans.

Binyavanga Wainaina tackled this matter in his well-published book, How to Write About Africa. In the book, the late Kenyan author says that when writing about the continent, always ensure you use words like darkness, safari, Masai, Zulu, Congo, Nile Drum, etc. He added that when writing about Africa, do not have a picture of a well-looking African except one that has won the Nobel Prize. Use the picture of an African with an AK-47. He further notes that when writing about Africa, treat it as a country and not a continent with grasslands, which are dusty with huge herds of animals. It was just a way to mockingly show how Africa is represented in the media. Unfortunately, centuries of such portrayals of Africans in the media have now encompassed an African identity. They inform people’s perceptions of us as a people. I have sat in classes where I felt like the Africa the professors were describing was vastly different from the one, I was born or raised in.

In a similar argument, Chimamanda Agozi Adichie, the Nigerian author, spoke about the danger of a single story. She argues that it stereotypes people, adding that stereotypes are not true and are incomplete. She advises that we should be cautious about the single stories we have of other cultures and people, adding that when we have multiple perspectives, we broaden our understandings.

References

Adichie, C. N. (2009, July). TEDGlobal. Retrieved 10 11, 2023, from www.ted.com: https://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_ngozi_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story

GOATS AND SODA. (2019, May 22). Retrieved 10 10, 2023, from www.npr.org: https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2019/05/22/725808622/binyavanga-wainaina-tells-us-how-to-write-about-africa

 

 

 

Blog Post 1 Homelessness in Quebec Canada by Sawyer Snow

 When thinking about this week’s readings I was really thinking about pricing and how that affects housing and its people. This article is about rising housing costs in Canada and how that is making the number of people who are homeless increase dramatically. This article states that “one in two homeless people can now be found in rural parts of the eastern province instead of mainly in Montreal as had been the case in the past according to a new report published in September.” Homelessness is spreading to other areas of Quebec and now it is becoming more noticeable and visible to some people. This goes hand in hand with the stat that “Nearly one in four homeless people found themselves on the street after being evicted from housing” that is according to a Quebec government report. Homelessness has increased so much that between 2018 and 2022 the number of them increased by 44 percent and by last year their numbers were 10,000. There is also a racial/cultural element to this “Indigenous people who represent five percent of the Canadian population are particularly over-represented in the streets especially the Inuit. Quebec is not the only place in Canada where homelessness is an issue it is currently spreading across Canada. The government estimates there are around 235,000 homeless who are in the country, however this is only counting people in shelters. We are underestimating the number by a lot. This article relates to what we are talking about in class because it is about the issue of homelessness but also the issue of housing expenses and a little bit about the racial effects on homelessness. In the article “What we learned from the deepest look at homelessness in decades” they talk about the amount of homeless people there are in California, as well as it being an issue of housing costs just like in Canada. In this article they use two framing devices to look at homelessness. One is that homelessness “is the interaction of three things: structural conditions, the thickness of the social safety net and then individual risk factors.” The second one being homelessness is a housing problem and not an amount problem. Part of that problem is the fact that every day a lot of people are at risk of becoming homeless. You can’t just address the current problem or group of people it's affecting; you have to find the root of the problem and try to solve it from there. 

Link to Article about Quebec:

Homelessness Explodes In Canada As Rents, Housing Prices Soar | Barron's (barrons.com)

Article for class: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/18/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-jerusalem-demsas.html 

Srebrenica and the Dirty Wars

    In comparison to the reading, Memory and the Landscape of Violence in Post-Genocide Cambodia it reminded me of some of the cases that I had studied over the summer in my human rights, law, and justice class. One of the cases that we examined was the Srebrenica massacre. The Srebrenica massacre involved the killing of approximately 8,000 Bosnian Muslim men and boys. Bosnia and Herzegovina was experiencing an ethnic conflict between Bosnian Muslims and Bosnian Serbs. With mass migration occurring within the country, these 8,000 men and boys were denied safety at the UN "safe zone" and were later killed as a form of "ethnic cleansing." Most of the victims were buried in mass graves where many people are still trying to identify the missing relatives involved. In 2000, they created the Srebrenica-Potočari Memorial Center and Cemetery. On the Srebrenica Memorial website, there is even a section where people can anonymously send tips if any information is available about knowing where someone could be or what had happened.

     From Memory and the Landscape of Violence in Post-Genocide Cambodia, "Commemoration is often used as a tool to create, erase, or reinvent an official history and collective memory, and thereby utilized to justify present forms of social representation and political presence" (Tyner et al. 856). One of the key points brought up is that the official story and reality are often times different and don't truly express those who were affected. A lot of governments tend to create memorials in order to hide the guilt or blame that has been brought upon them. In the case of Srebrenica, there is a strong sense of denial or exaggeration of the numbers involved. "In the absence of a societal consensus on the historical fact and moral delinquency of past violence, the possibility looms even larger that this violence will be repeated" (Srebrenica Memorial Center 2023). 

https://media.islamicity.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Srebrenica-genocide-memoria.jpg

    Another example that I learned about and was mentioned in class was Argentina's Dirty Wars. In my previous class, we primarily focused on advocacy groups such as the Abuelas and Madres de Plaza de Mayo. Groups such as these are important in keeping the memory of these events alive in order to prevent them from happening again. A reading that we focused on involved a woman involved in the Abuelas de Plaza de Mayo who got connected to her 'disappeared' grandson. After finding out about his true identity, he was able to connect with his grandmother and his Argentine identity. They state, "With the aging of the Abuelas, the grandchildren know that they will be the ones to carry out the project in the future. And the search will grow even more complex" (Cholakian Herrera 2020). Through continued attempts to raise awareness of this event, the Abuelas have been successful in reuniting family members and ensuring that the search will continue.

https://assets.editorial.aetnd.com/uploads/2019/03/mothers-of-the-disappeared-getty-496009048-feature.jpg 

Both of these events have led those who had been affected to rise up and stand their ground for justice to be served. While there are now memorials and organizations made, it was and has still become difficult to raise enough awareness to ensure that reparations are made. Before these classes, I was unaware that either of these tragedies had occurred. As mentioned in class, it is important to recognize events like these and truly understand those who are represented and those who are forgotten. What are some other ways that we can ensure that events like these don't happen again and how many other incidents have already been forgotten?

Links about Srebrenica: 

https://srebrenicamemorial.org/en https://www.icty.org/en/search-results?as_q=srebrenica 

https://www.hrw.org/report/1995/10/15/fall-srebrenica-and-failure-un-peacekeeping/bosnia-and-herzegovina

Links about Dirty Wars:

https://www.abuelas.org.ar/

https://www.history.com/news/mothers-plaza-de-mayo-disappeared-children-dirty-war-argentina

References: 

Cholakian Herrera, L. (2020). Decades After Argentina’s Dictatorship, The Abuelas Continue Reuniting Families. Latino USA. https://www.latinousa.org/2020/03/24/abuelascontinuereuniting/

Srebrenica Memorial Center. (2023). DENIAL. srebrenicamemorial.org. Retrieved October 1, 2023, from https://srebrenicamemorial.org/en/page/denial/29

Tyner, J. A., Alvarez, G. B., & Colucci, A. R. (2012). Memory and the everyday landscape of violence in    post-genocide Cambodia. Taylor and Francis Online.    https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14649365.2012.734847 

Wagner, S. (2010). Tabulating loss, Entombing memory: The srebrenica-potočari memorial ... Semantic Scholar. https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/Tabulating-Loss,-Entombing-Memory:-The-Memorial-Wagner/6fe144a227996910069191ff7ae197be9cb18ad6

"Make a memorial, no museum" Pulse survivors call for action

"Make a memorial, no museum" Pulse survivors call for action: By Mia Walsh

"The question of which memories are promoted and which cease to be memories at all is a political question," (Cresswell 89). This sentiment, though published 19 years ago, is felt by no one more than the survivors and family of the Pulse nightclub shooting of 2016. In an article posted on September 27, many survivors beg for a permanent memorial for the loved ones lost to violence.

There has been an interim- memorial put up in the lot across the street from the bar. This memorial, built by a non-profit/action group, has promised since day one to build a museum to go along with a permanent memorial. In the years that have passed, survivors are now calling for a memorial on the site of the bar, not in the space across the street. One mother of a survivor said "Where it should go is the same place that the person died. That is why it is called a memorial. In that place, not next door." 

This calls into the importance of performance in memorials. The family members in the article feel that without a permanent acknowledgment of the horror, there is no place to feel at peace. Only the terrible memories exist in the space. 

More comments from others include "It needs to be where it happened so we can honor our victims,"... "A museum of terror? They're going to make a circus of terror?"..."Make a memorial, no museum, that simple. We suffered a lot, we shouldn't keep suffering."

I think this is a great example of why memorials can be created and why holding space is important. Just as in the examples of holding space in the Anne Frank house, there are some things a museum with artifacts cannot translate. 

Many people impacted by the Pulse shooting claim to feel that they are forgotten and the tragedy is being forgotten. While I was not impacted directly, I remember the day that this shooting took place in 2016. I was in the closet and shook to my core at the violence experienced by my community. I reflect on the anniversary of Pulse annually but hardly think about it more than that. I know that a memorial in Florida would be hard considering the political climate in the state, but I do think it could mean the world to those families who feel they’ve been left behind.

Sources: https://www.wesh.com/article/pulse-memorial-location-orlando/45342830, https://onepulsefoundation.org/2018/07/31/a-design-with-purpose-the-vision-behind-the-interim-pulse-memorial/

The Native American Occupation of Alcatraz Island: The Forgotten Memory

When learning about memorial landscapes and the metaphors used to scrutinize these places of memory, my mind immediately went to Alcatraz Island and its role as an arena. According to Cynthia D. Smith and Teresa Bergman, “Places like Alcatraz Island occupy physical space and therefore provide tangible evidence of the past with which visitors can interact” (165). What tangible evidence of the past is being presented and interacted with at Alcatraz?  

I visited San Francisco this past August, and while I did not step foot on Alcatraz or within its buildings, I did witness the “must-see” tourist attraction from the outside via boat. Apart from the isolated nature of the prison buildings, I noticed what was written on the walls— “Indians Welcome, You are on Indian Land”—bright red words painted by a group of Native Americans that occupied the island from November 20, 1969 to June 11, 1971. At the time, when the boat sailed past the island, I was not fully aware of the Native American Occupation of Alcatraz Island. For context, “On November 20, 1969, ninety men and women, calling themselves the Indians of All Tribes, issued the ‘Proclamation of the Indians of All Tribes,’ which pledged to transform the former federal prison into an American Indian cultural center, spiritual center, and museum, and then took over the island. For nineteen months, the protestors operated a school, day care, and health center. The number of occupiers eventually peaked at 400” (Bauer). The Native American protestors strategically used the landscape and its association with suffering, inscribed in the island, to speak on environmental injustice; they used a collectively recognized past memory to express present strife. “The ‘Proclamation of the Indians of All Tribes’ recognized environmental issues in Indian Country. After claiming the island, the Indians of All Tribes compared the environmental conditions on reservations to the former prison, ‘this so-called Alcatraz Island is more than suitable as an Indian Reservation, as determined by the white man’s own standards’” (Bauer).  

 

The occupation was as foreign to me as the rest of San Francisco. However, I was familiar with the narrative of Alcatraz Island that films, media, and the government have shaped to be the dominant memory: a chilling, impossible-to-escape, maximum security prison and penitentiary. Smith and Bergman further discuss the popularization of this idea of Alcatraz, “Most visitors to Alcatraz have some familiarity with the island’s use as a federal penitentiary, which is amplified through the shared public experience of touring this memory site” (165).  

 
In contrast to the heavy emphasis on “governmental authority, …visitors are denied the opportunity to publicly experience spaces relevant to the Native American Occupation. In the absence of such experiences, visitors are unlikely to identify with those who occupied the island or with the counter narrative offered by their story of civil disobedience as a response to the governmental abuse of power” (Bergmann and Smith). The graffitied phrases are the extent to which the Native American story is memorialized. In contrast, “the prison’s history and its ideology of incarceration are instantiated through the multitude of buildings on the island; the

Native American history of the island is represented by painted graffiti. These material traces of the past on Alcatraz are by no means equally compelling rhetorical resources…Even though Alcatraz’s varied historical past is well represented in banners, exhibits, and film, there are several powerful physical elements that work to diminish any memory of the site’s history as other than a federal penitentiary” (169, 160). Does this miniscule attempt to memorialize the Native American Occupation fall in line with the “we’ve done enough” excuse?
 

The Native American Occupation of Alcatraz Island was historic, groundbreaking, and profoundly instrumental in future non-violent acts of civil disobedience such as “such as Pit River People on PG&E land” and other “acts of cultural self-determination,” but its influence is not felt at the site itself (Bauer). According to Dwyer and Alderman, “The ability to commemorate the past is limited by competition and conflict among parties of social actors wishing to narrate the past differently.” This political contestation of the island makes Alcatraz act as an ‘arena’ where the Native American experience is fighting to be remembered, battling with other variations of memory associated with the island that have taken the spotlight. Specifically, “at Alcatraz Island, the physical and sensorial experience strongly shapes the constructed historical memories and focuses visitors on the disciplinary power of the state rather than the resistance efforts of the Native Americans” (Bergman and Smith).
 

The questions I ask all of you are: Why do you think the Native American experience with the island has been forgotten? Is the preservation of terracotta graffiti enough? Is the construction of a memorial experience geared away from the Occupation intentional? What can be done to reinscribe the Native American memory back into the island? 

 

References: 

Bauer, William J. “The Occupation of Alcatraz Island and Environmental Injustice in Indian

Country.” UC Press Blog, 8 Oct. 2021, www.ucpress.edu/blog/56876/the-occupation-

of-alcatraz-island-and-environmental-injustice-in-indian-country/. 

Bergman, Teresa, and Cynthia D Smith. Places of Public Memory the Rhetoric of Museums and

Memorials. University of Alabama Press, 2010. 

Dwyer, Owen J., and Derek H. Alderman. “Memorial landscapes: Analytic questions and

 metaphors.” GeoJournal, vol. 73, no. 3, 2008, pp. 165–178, https://doi.org/10.1007

/s10708-008-9201-5.