Lowell Lecture
New York Streets, the West End, Villa Victoria, Tent City, Stop the Highway: “Progress” vs. Community Control in Boston’s Neighborhoods
Date & Time
Sept. 12, 2017 at 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location
Old South Meeting House
310 Washington Street Boston, MA 02108
Driving Directions
Speaker(s)
Giordana Mecagni, Head of Special Collections and University Archivist at Northeastern University,
Presenting Organization
Paul Revere Memorial Association
Topics
Contact
Patrick M. Leehey, Research Director, Paul Revere House (pat@paulreverehouse.org, 617-523-2338)
Many of the national trends, governmental policies, and institutional practices that have shaped Boston’s physical geographies have roots in structural racism – a network of factors that perpetuate racial inequality and result in highly segregated neighborhoods. Restrictive community covenants, redlining, urban renewal, divestment, and the placement of highways and mass transit have influenced where Bostonians live, and largely determine access to Boston’s amenities. However, Bostonians are resilient – communities’ acts of network building, activism, and resistance to imposed development in favor of neighborhood control have also shaped the geography of the city in a significant way. Giordana Mecagni, Head of Special Collections and University Archivist at Northeastern University, will illustrate the effect of community protest on Boston’s geography, as seen through examples collected by Boston’s many archival collections.