We form like Voltron....
GZA
Member of the Wu-Tang Clan
The quote I used above has been said by at least 3 different Wu-tang members. It refers to how the 9 members of Wu-Tang (each with completely different rhyme styles and on different record labels) work together as a single unit. Hearing that quote got me thinking about Louisville. How strong could our city be if its neighborhoods worked together as a single unit?
I'm not sure in my life time if I will ever know the answer to that question. I've been to every corner of this city and county. Prospect, West Point, PRP, Shawnee, Pee Wee Valley, and Shively. You name it and I've been there. From my travels around the city and county I can say one thing about us. We are still a very segregated city. I would even say hyper-segregated.
The West End is almost all black. Russell, Shawnee, California, Park Duvall, and Chickasaw are pretty much all black neighborhoods. The only West End neighborhood that is still predominately white is Portland. When I was a kid when you crossed Market street (the traditional dividing line between Russell and Portland) the neighborhoods went from all black to pretty much all white. It was literally that dramatic.
The same can be said for Eastern Jefferson County as well. You can almost the number of black families in Anchorage on one hand. But on the border of Middletown and Anchorage sit 2 small almost all black communities. Berrytown and Griffytown. NewBurg is almsot all black, while the surrounding neighborhoods are almost all white. Schnizelberg is almost all white while just a block a way Fort Hill is almost all black.
Don't get me wrong. There are semi-integrated neighborhoods. You're not going to find to many, if any neighborhoods with a 50/50 mix. Then again you wont in most cities. All of this segregation leads to an out of sight out of mind mentality.
The neighborhoods west of 9th street tend to get left behind when it comes to economic development. Left behind is putting it nicely. Usually, the only time the city talks about redevelopment of the west-end is when they want to move more light industrial into the area. Tear down whole blocks of housing and build chemical plants or warehousing. If you want to see an example drive South down 13th street (from Broadway) and take a gander. You'll see a big Porter Paint warehouse, and Sud Chemical among other businesses. When I was in high school this was once neighborhoods. I had several friends that lived on these blocks. Now, it's all warehouses and other such businesses. It wouldn't be as bad if most of the businesses employed people from the area. To bad they don't.
Living in Western Louisville is sometimes like living in a separate city. Every year Crusade for Children collects money on every major street corner in Louisville. Except the West End. There were zero Forcastle posters west of 9th street. IF it weren't for the handful of LEO newsstands in the West End we would have no idea what happens in the rest of the city.
When I was president of YPAL's diversity committee I would sometimes hold meeting Nia Center on 29th and Broadway. Out of a committee of about 100 people how many do you think showed up? 1. 2 if you count me. The most people I ever got was 5 at Expressions of You coffee house. I could go on and on, but I think you see where I am coming from.
You would think in 2009 things would be different. Not only is Western Louisville segregated by racial make up from the city of Louisville, but it is also segregated financially as well. If you don't believe me take a look at this study here.
There is a lot of potential here in Western Louisville. A lot. If the city would just help in the re-development of Western Louisville the city as a whole would benefit. If property taxes go up in the West that means more money for schools. If the residents can find better jobs then the tax base goes up. You get the idea. Unfortunately, Western Louisville is just the dumping ground for the city's poor, drug addicts, and other people that the East end doesn't want. Maybe one day the city honestly will try and reconnect the West-end and it's other minority communities to the rest of the city. Maybe.
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I admit to being completely ignorant about the West End. I know that I live in a bit of a Highlands/St. Matthews/Frankfort Avenue bubble. I would love to visit the West End more and write about more West End businesses and events on Consuming Louisville but I honestly don't know how to get the information on them. I don't know what businesses to start visiting.
ReplyDeleteFor example the coffee shop you mentioned, I've never heard of it before. Would you be willing to help me out by giving me some ideas on businesses to check out or maybe meeting me for lunch or coffee? I really would like Consuming Louisville to cover more of the city including all the neighborhoods you mentioned, I just need some help. Send me an email if you're interested.
While I understand that a lack of economic diversity and attention from Louisville businesses, but the actual racial diversity...is that something that can be blamed on outside sources? I recall a professor I had at UL. She had tenure and made good money and yet admitted she lived in the West End because she liked being close to other black people. I suspect that is a common sentiment.
ReplyDeleteThere are plenty of diverse areas in the East End, but they tend to be kind of unknown. Check out the Worthington Hills/Coldstream neighborhoods. Check out the apartment complexes along Westport Road.
There are two neat ways for people to mix it up in Louisville.
ReplyDeleteOne is on the bus. It varies from route to route, but the bus is definitely one place where Louisville is very integrated. One of the things I like about riding the bus is you see people from outside of your neighbourhood and job. If both parties are willing, its often fun to strike up a conversation.
Another way that the city has sparked interest in West Louisville is through the Mayor's Hike & Bike. I have to admit, I'd never been to Shawnee or Chickasaw parks before the Mayor's H&B. Now I bike there all the time, for fun. That has put those places on the map for me. I won't say I know all the neighbourhoods in between like the back of my hand, but I can get around, and know that the East's Conventional Wisdom about West Louisville is based on ignorance. I'm not the only white guy to remark on this trend, either. I'm thankful for the H&B for opening up this part of town to me.