Embedded Files
“Over Developed Over Polluted: A Critical Look at Environmental and Social Injustice in Charlotte’s Historically Black Neighborhoods” is a digital history exhibit created to examine the environmental and social effects of over-development and pollution. Charlotte’s Brooklyn neighborhood was a foundational space for the Black community thrived within it and now lives on through fond memories. Urban development in the 1960s forced residents from this historic neighborhood into other areas of the city such as West End, another community established by Black Charlotteans.
The History of some of Charlotte's most historic Black neighborhoods and how environmental representation affects them today.
Here you can look through the archival material used to create the digital exhibit as well as other projects with similar themes.
The demolition of this once-vibrant area showed firsthand how racially motivated city influencers sought to gentrify and disrupt Black communities. The same harmful tactics used to drive Brooklyn residents away were being used in the neighboring communities of the historic West End. As if racially biased redlining practices weren’t enough, major roadways struck through the oldest neighborhood in Charlotte in an attempt to further devalue the space.
Now, residents are suffering from increased air pollution due to the harmful amount of vehicle exhaust coming from the highways. This digital exhibition will showcase the groundbreaking history for these neighborhoods, as well as the issues which plague the community today. It is our hope that by providing this knowledge we also send out a call to action so that the many residents still being affected by environmental racism can be heard. This project acknowledges the social, racial, educational, financial, and environmental differences in privilege that occur when researching and presenting various disparities. We hope you keep this truth in your thoughts while interacting with the exhibit.
Use this infographic to read through the key points of the project.
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