Claiborne on the Verge: The Black Mecca in 21st Century America
Anna Livia Brand, Professor
Landscape Architecture and Environmental Planning
Closed. This professor is continuing with Spring 2024 apprentices on this project; no new apprentices needed for Fall 2024.
Black meccas have been characterized by their economic and political opportunities and their cultural and social characteristics. Known for drawing African Americans to specific urban territories, black meccas have historically brought Blacks great social, economic, and psychological benefits, despite the vast inequalities and denigration they have faced in America. Yet new realities of global economic restructuring, increasing inequality, and calls by politicians and urban planners to revitalize inner city cores that were abandoned to Blacks in the mid-20th century raise questions regarding the continued salience of the Black mecca in 21st century America. Robin Kelly (2003) argues that Black meccas are on the verge of transformation and this study engages this moment of transformation in New Orleans's Black mecca, Treme. Students working on this project will work directly with the project manager and a community partner in New Orleans to explore the changing dynamics of Black urban space in and along Claiborne Avenue, which was once the heart of Treme's cultural and business life until the I-10 expressway was constructed over its neutral ground median, decimating the Black business core. Students working on this project will contribute to a larger community mapping project that traces Claiborne's history as a thriving black urban sphere to its contestation and gentrification pressures in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Using critical race methodological approaches and community engagement, students will help build the framework for a digital humanities project on Black mecca histories and futures.
Role: Students working on this project will conduct archival research, newspaper research, community planning and demographic analysis, data entry, map analysis and critical cartography and will develop their qualitative research skills and knowledge of critical race methods. They will manage elements of the research project and develop their skills working with a team of researchers and activists.
In the Fall 2022 semester, I am looking for students particularly interested in working with me on the community mapping elements of this research. We have a community partner in New Orleans and are working to complete maps of the North Claiborne Avenue through the historically Black Tremé and 7th Ward neighborhoods. This work entails data entry in Microsoft Excel, evaluation of data and maps generated from this data and the ability to research any existing holes in our data set (archival research, etc.).
Qualifications: Proficiency in Microsoft Excel.
Willingness to learn project management skills and qualitative, critical race methods.
GIS, CAD and Adobe Suite skills preferred
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
Day-to-day supervisor for this project: Anna Livia Brand
Hours: 6-8 hrs
Social Sciences