Community Walk

i am accused of tending to the past

i am accused of tending to the past as if i made it,

as if i sculpted it

with my own hands. i did not.

this past was waiting for me

when i came,

a monstrous unnamed baby,

and i with my mother’s itch

took it to breast

and named it

History.

she is more human now,

learning language everyday,

remembering faces, names and dates.

when she is strong enough to travel

on her own, beware, she will.

--Lucille Clifton

RHAPSODY John Yancey

E. 11th Street, Charles E. Urdy Plaza

Objectives

At the end of the lesson, students will be able to:

define community and culture
identify features that shape the Austin community in gentrifying neighborhoods

Essential Questions

What is community?
How does gentrification shape communities?

Vocabulary

Community: A community is a collection of people with a unique shared identity.
Culture: Culture describes ways of living, beliefs, and practices that are passed down over generations.
Gentrification: Gentrification is a type of neighborhood change that happens when wealthier people and businesses move into historically disinvested neighborhoods. It is both a social change, as people and businesses move in and out of an area, and a physical change within neighborhoods, as new investments transform the physical landscape of buildings and opportunities.

Procedures

Warm-Up

Define community, culture, and gentrification
Think-Pair-Share: Do you think our class is a community? Why or why not?
Review photos of East Austin from John Langmore's Fault Lines project and take note of the characteristics that make East Austin unique: http://johnlangmorephotos.com/fault-lines/

Community Walk

Exploring neighborhoods is a way to learn about culture and discover unique features of a community. Make sure to bring your camera and notebook with you as you go on a community walk through Austin!

L.C. Anderson High School

L.C. Anderson High School has served students in the Austin community since 1889. Anderson High School has a long history of serving students in East Austin. You can learn more about the history of the school by clicking the following link: Original L. C. Anderson High School

Blackshear Elementary School

In 1891, Blackshear Elementary School opened to provide a free public education to Black students in the community, formally known as, Gregory Town. You can learn more about Blackshear by clicking the following link: Blackshear Elementary School History

Carver Museum

Formerly known as the "Colored Branch" the George Washington Carver Public library is Austin's first public library. Over time, the Carver Museum was built and this site serves as an African American cultural center. You can learn more about the Carver Museum by clicking the following link: George Washington Carver Museum (Cultural and Genealogy Center)

Colored Teachers State Association Building

This building has a long and rich history for the Black community in Austin. The building was designed by John S. Chase, Texas' first African-American architect. From 1952 until 1966 it housed the Colored Teachers State Association, an organization that played a central role in desegregating Texas public schools and winning equal rights and wages for the state’s African-American teachers. In 1972, the family of Ella Mae Pease purchased the building and it became a hair salon and a social center for the neighborhood.

Hillside Farmacy (Hillside Drug Store)

Stop for a bite to eat at Hillside Farmacy, and while you are there take note of the architecture. This restaurant was once known as Hillside Drugstore. From the 1950s to the 1970s, African American Doc Young and his family owned and operated this building as Hillside Drugstore.

Huston-Tillotson University

The Tillotson Collegiate and Norman Institute became the first college to open in Austin. Followed by Samuel Huston College in 1883, these higher education institutions developed into the prominent historically black universities, Huston-Tillotson University.

Mexican American Cultural Center

In the 1970s, a group of artists and cultural leaders wanted a venue for displaying and teaching Mexican American art, thus the idea for the Emma S. Barrientos Mexican American Cultural Center was formed. You can learn more about its history and events at the museum by following this link: History of MACC

Rosewood Park

Opened in 1930, Rosewood Park is Austin's first public park for African Americans. Rosewood Park is located near Rosewood Courts, Austin's first public housing facility for African Americans. You can learn more about Rosewood Park by following this link: Rosewood Park: A Historic Icon of Austin’s East Side

Victory Grill

In 1945, Victory Grill opened and gained national attention as a live blues, jazz, and soul club on the “chitlin circuit". Music legends such as James Brown, Ike and Tina Turner, Billie Holiday, Chuck Berry, and Etta James have sung on the Victory Grill stage over the course of its long history.

Reflective Activity

Photo or Picture Journal

During the community walk, make sure you take several photos with a camera to bring materials to draw pictures at each site. After the community walk, select your favorite photograph or picture to reflect on. Once you have selected your image, come up with a creative hashtag (#) to describe your picture. Then, write one paragraph to describe your image and hashtag.

You can download a template for this activity by clicking the following link: Community Walk Reflection

Extensions

Watch the "Culture" Flocabulary video and discuss different aspects of students' and our school's culture: https://www.flocabulary.com/unit/culture/
Write a letter to your favorite book character about Austin. Make sure to include unique features of the Austin community, including places and things to do, in your letter.
Create a class photo and picture journal by compiling students' journal reflections into one class book. Reflecting on Lucille Clifton's poem, I am Accused of Tending to the Past, be sure to make the history of the East Austin community "more human".

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