Agenda - Housing & Transportation (1954-1968)

(Redlining, Housing Discrimination, Montgomery Bus Boycott, public transportation)

Opening: The Segregated Experience (9:20-9:35)

Set up two areas in the room - one that is comfortable, nice seating, fruit, music, etc, another that has less comfortable chairs, nothing else. As people come in select a few people to sit in the comfortable section and send most people to the less comfortable waiting area. Make sure the people in the less comfortable area can see what the people in the comfortable section have. As people are waiting, expand the space that the comfortable area has and make the people in the less comfortable area move and get closer to each other.

• Comfy area soothing beach scene and sounds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDY346OQCDo
• Music: Ghetto Brothers  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRxakq9dJXE

After 10-15 mins in this configuration, come together to discuss:

• Watch Robert Moses Interview: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/reports/the-next-american-system/video-the-master-builder-1977/?p=925

Debrief on Opening (9:35-9:45)        

What did you notice about the opening? What happened?

        At what moments did you feel powerful or powerless?

        At what moments was power negotiated?

        How did you feel community being broken down?

Intro and Definitions (9:45-10:00)

Film (9:45-9:48): Clip from Rubble Kings

Definitions (9:48-10:00) Define the following terms together:

Unemployment Insurance, Federal Housing/Mortgage and Redlining (Visual)

Close Read 1: Building Historical Context (10:00-10:50)

Building a deeper understanding of historical context and learn how policies impacted individuals and families

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/blueprintamerica/reports/the-next-american-system/video-the-master-builder-1977/?p=925 - Start at 16:05

Everyone receives: Remembering Robert Moses- NY Times, 1981 (reading)

http://www.nytimes.com/1981/08/01/nyregion/about-new-york-robert-moses-is-remembered-in-the-bronx.html?_r=0

Groups 1 & 2: http://www.theatlantic.com/video/iframe/371360/: Stop video at 3:46

Groups 3 & 4: NYC Slum Clearance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWGwsA1V2r4 Stop video at 4:05

Discuss

Question: Small group discussions based on readings (10:00-10:30)

1. How did urban planning and transportation policies work together to impact people of color in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
2. How did these policies impact families and communities?
3. What is valued, and by whom? In your discussion, identify any perpetrators, victims, bystanders and allies.

As you answer the questions above, consider the Art Center Framework: What breaks down community?  What builds community?

Debrief:  Groups will briefly shareback their responses to the aforementioned questions based on what they learned from their text and videos. (10:30-10:45)

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Close Read 2: Activist Responses (10:50-11:45)

Introduction/Transition:

Introduce Robert Weaver as someone squashing protestors and activist movements. Jerome Avenue gentrification.

Mention Clyde Ross leading protest against housing contracts:  

Prepare “Action” bags of materials for art-making activity. Provide each group with materials and they should create a public action that creates community.

• Instructions: Read the article and in your groups discuss the following questions: In what ways did the community organize to raise awareness on housing, gentrification and displacement issues? Based on what you learned, create an ACTION plan, document your process and we’ll regroup to shareback.

• Artivism: Redlining

• Action Bag: The Bronx map, markers, construction paper, chalk, post-its
• Challenge: Take the art outside of the space!

• #WhatPianoDistrict Social Media Movement- http://voicesofny.org/2015/11/whatpianodistrict-say-south-bronx-residents/

I'm from the Bronx, and...

• Action Bag: DSLR, Lights, microphone, SD card, imovie (computer)
• Challenge: Share on social media

• Walton Avenue Gentrification Mural by Alberto Serrano: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/30/nyregion/on-a-wall-in-the-west-bronx-a-gentrification-battle-rages.html?action=click&contentCollection=nyregion&module=NextInCollection&region=Footer&pgtype=article&rref=collection%2Fcolumn%2Fside-street-new-york-city

• Action Bag: Large Butcher paper, white comic strip, black markers,
• Challenge: Create a comic book protagonist that embodies the change that you want to make; also, take the work outside!

• Lorraine Hansberry, To be Young Black and Gifted

• Action Bag: Nina Simone, Lorraine Hansberry photographs, video camera, historical synopsis of Hansberry vs. Lee
• Create 3 tableaux that tell a story. Select a narrator
• Challenge: To be performed on Washington Avenue

• Cross Bronx Exp Testimonial

• Testimonial: The Battle of East Tremont Section
• Action Bag: Text, pen, paper, a microphone
• Create a collaborative spoken word piece, using text borrowed from the testimonial. If you are stuck, start with: we thought we would be here forever, it was a beautiful spring day, we lost
• Challenge: Perform the poem as if this is a call to revolution- a rallying cry- the seed that will start/continue the re-birth of Morrisania-

Shareback at 11:30: Groups share in the following order

• Artivism Group, Walton Avenue Gentrification, Lorraine Hansberry, Cross Bronx Testimonial , #PianoDistrict

Reflection: (11:45-12:00)

What is DreamYard’s role in preventing history from repeating itself?

How are we empowering our students to play an active role in bringing awareness to the effects of gentrification?