Reflecting on the Semester

    I had a great experience in our course this semester. Not only was I able to contribute towards a meaningful community project, I was also able to get a glimpse into the kinds of research that goes into historic preservation. Coming into the semester I was nervous about the kind of work I would be asked to complete, but I was thankful that we were not forced into anything that we were not comfortable with. Watching through some of the interviews that we conducted, a part of me wishes I could have worked through my anxiety and led one myself. Though, I still got a portion of the experience by working on one of the profiles. The Saratoga St house research was a fulfilling project, not only was I able to learn about the lives of Poppleton residents throughout the early twentieth century, I'm able to share that with the displaced residents who might be interested to know more about their old homes. I'm also thankful for the skills I've gained, I think they will be useful for the kind of work I hope to do in the future. 

    I've taken public history courses before, but this was my first experience in the field on a public facing project. One thing that I will takeaway from this course is how pervasive the trauma is in a community like this that has gone through so much. My public history training up until this point attempted to prepare me for this fact, but it is tough to not be affected by it. Our projects goals were not inherently negative, but the trauma continued to show up. This was  evident in two of the most powerful interviews we conducted, both Jamaal and Damon revealed how devastating this development has been to the residents of Poppleton.

    I'm happy to help with the community event in any way that I can. I imagine that much like the community feedback meeting we had earlier in the semester I will help with setup, welcoming the residents as they arrive, and cleaning up after the event. I also hope to be able to offer my research to any of the displaced Saratoga residents who are curious to learn more about their old homes. I also hope to provide our guests with insights while we are on the walking tour. I plan to review the storymap the night before to refresh my memory on the information. 

One step at a time

     This week was difficult to say the least. Most of my time was spent preparing my thesis proposal. So, I wasn't able to get much research or editing done for the Saratoga St project. This week I plan to try and finalize the research so that I can begin to focus on the narrative portion. For my research I still need to investigate the owners of the properties, the residents of 1124 & 1126, and if there is any information about 1130 being torn down/destroyed. When it comes to the narrative, I think that there is something to be said about Black working class renters in Baltimore and their role in the community/as neighbors.

    Last week we were able to take a walk over to the Saratoga St houses. I hadn't been over to the houses in a few weeks, so it was good to have that physical experience. It reminded me that these are not just abstract homes that I am reading about. They are real places, where real people lived, that can still be saved. While we were there we got to talk with Curtis, he mentioned interviewing us after the semester. The thought of being interviewed made me a little nervous, but for now I am planning to do it.

    I was able to watch the interview between Sonia and Trinity. It's difficult to hear Trinity talk about missing her old home and her old friends. It really gives you a sense of how much trauma this process can cause a young person. Forcing so much upon someone who has almost no control over the situation feels almost abusive. Stories like this are powerful and will support our effort to humanize Poppleton. 

    I saw on the schedule that we're likely going to take a walking tour tonight. I'm not sure if we have anywhere specific in mind, but I think that I would like to stop by the Mencken House. Dean pointed out that it was built around the same time as some of our Saratoga St houses. The google images are outdated (it shows the house under construction), so I would like to see it in person and see if there are any similarities. 

Fieldwork Reflections

     Last week our class began to reflect on the interviews we have conducted so far. I was lucky enough to be present for our interview with Ms. Dottie, who was a pleasure to hear from. She seemed very comfortable during her interview, and it felt like a causal conversation. She had some wonderful insights on how Poppleton has changed over the years. I enjoyed hearing her talk about how she handled the Covid-19 pandemic, taking long walks around her home and taking in the sights. I agree with Dr. King that Lexi should try to take a walk around the neighborhood with Ms. Dottie. I think it will be a great set up for the profile. 

    Damon Barnes' interview was the most powerful so far and I think it will solidify the message we are trying to convey to readers. Like Sonia said near the end of the interview, this work "humanizes us.' Which to me is exactly what these projects can do for the people of Southwest Baltimore. Humanizing the people of these neighborhoods is what's necessary to make people care about the harm that this kind of development has caused. The story of Damon's father is just another example of how devastating that harm can be. And seeing how that stress has now passed to Damon makes it evident that generational trauma is a very real thing. Damon feels compelled to fight for Poppleton because his father cannot (connecting the past to present and future). 

    As for the work I am doing on the W Saratoga Street houses for the project, I think things are going  well. Last week I met with Dean to discuss my findings and clarify some things about the block books. I now feel confident that I can begin to investigate the owners of the properties, which will help paint a fuller picture. Dean also helped, by providing some useful information about the properties prior to 1900. Which he admitted to me was difficult to find, so I'm thankful for his help with that.

    During our meeting we also discussed prevalent themes and possible links to the present. I admitted that this was the area I was struggling with the most right now. I think that I can see historical significance in the W Saratoga Street properties, but I am finding it difficult to link that significance to the themes we are seeing in our interviews. I forgot to write down exactly what we discussed in class but, I remember that most center around a neighbor's role in the neighborhood. Since most of the residents of these homes are renters, I am having trouble pinning down their role in the community. I attempted to do so in my first draft, but I'm hoping that some feedback from the class might help going forward. 

    During the second half of class last week, we had the opportunity to explore the community and enjoy the nice weather. We tried to visit several businesses like City of Gods and Hollins Market, but, they were all closed. So instead, we walked the streets and spoke with some of the people we came upon. We spoke to some arrabers who were busy and seemed to think we were trying to sell them something, but it was interesting to see some of the livestock wandering the alleyway. I think the highlight of the walk was seeing some of the cherry blossom trees in bloom around the neighborhoods. I'm ready for winter to be gone so they are a welcome sight.  

    Here's the link for my draft again, just in case the hyperlink does not work.

 https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c1aQx_8pMd1LPX9LnO-JwF0epvtrLPXo950y10L7Raw/edit?usp=sharing 

Fieldwork Begins

     This week we begin our fieldwork for the 'I am your neighbor' project. My first assignment is to conduct historical house research on 1134 W Saratoga St. In preparation for our interview with Damon Barnes later this week. Who grew up there, when Poppleton was very different. Damon's father Thurston O. Butler owned that house until 2019. Resisting pressure from the city to sell his home, for roughly 14 years. Mr. Thurston watched as his neighborhood was slowly abandoned by its inhabitants, but held out hope. This process began in 2005 when the La Cite redevelopment project started to reshape Poppleton. 

    As far a I can tell at this stage of my research I believe the home was built at some point between 1880 and 1896. I have yet to find a record of its construction but I hope to continue my search over the course of the semester. I have come to the realization that this type of research is very time consuming, somewhat tedious, and almost feels like putting a jigsaw puzzle together. Each small piece of information alone will rarely reveal the entire picture, but together these pieces can tell a story. Luckily Dean prepared me for this and I am still enjoying the process.    

    Through my research I learned that Mr. Thurston and Sandra P. Butler purchased 1134 W Saratoga St from the city in 1982. The city acquired the property in 1972 which means that it was likely meant to be resold as part of Baltimore's Homesteading Program. This 'revitalization' program was introduced by mayor William Donald Schaefer to draw people back into the city. They hoped to achieve this by selling the vacant houses for $1 if the buyers agreed to invest in rehabbing the homes over a specified period of time. Based on the records available it would seem that no buyer acquired 1134 W Saratoga St during this program. Mr. Thurston instead purchased the home for the sum of $25,500 with a 30 year mortgage at 13.5% interest. 

    Before the city acquired the property it appears that it was rented out to a number of black families and a variety of boarders. I noticed this trend by looking through the census records for 1134 W Saratoga St. I suppose that I am not surprised to find this since many homes were subdivided during this period. Of note I believe that one family, the Norman's, remained in 1134 for over 10 years. Based on the census records John and Anna Norman lived there from at least 1920 to 1930. Which I believe is somewhat rare for working class families during this time period. I thought it was interesting to see that Mr. Norman reported to the census taker that he worked as a marble cutter. Which means that he could have worked on some of Baltimore's iconic rowhouse marble steps. 

    Over the past couple of days I have begun looking through the Block Books for 1134 which will show the transactions that have occurred over the years. From these records I'm hoping to find out who owned the home and rented it out to the families listed in the census records. I plan to do this by looking through the city directories and newspapers available through the UMBC library. I'm not sure what I will find but I am eager to continue my research. 

Fieldwork Planning

     I think last week's community meeting went very well. It was great to meet some of the community members like Sonia and Curtis that we have been hearing so much about over the past few weeks. I was also glad to hear from some of the younger community members at the meeting, It was clear that while some of them were somewhat uncomfortable with all of the unfamiliar people around, they were still interested in working with us on this project. Just showing up to the meeting took some guts and I respect all of them for that. Personally I could have never done something like this when I was their age. I did some community projects while I was in the scouts, but that was just a small role in a much larger group.

    We got some great feedback from the community and I think we should try to include as much of it into the project as possible. One thing that stuck out to me was the fact that they hope these projects will serve to make residents of Poppleton proud of their neighborhood. I think it was Sonia who talked about how there is a disconnect between neighbors in modern society. She fondly remembered how things used to be in Poppleton, everyone knew everyone and they all looked out for each other. While we certainly cannot directly combat this sociological issue. I think that this kind of project can certainly contribute toward renewing that pride in a community and love for your neighborhood. 

    Their was also quite a bit of discussion about reinvestment in the rec center and its role in the community. Many of the community members stressed how places like the rec center and churches serve as hubs in the city where communities can come together. I think that's a powerful concept in modern society, providing a place for people to meet their neighbors face to face would ideally strengthen a community. I think that we should definitely try to include questions about the rec center in our interviews. Ideally we would document the older community members memories about it before it was closed. (Past) What they thought about it? Did they go there often? What types of things did they do there? What did it mean to them? We could also try to ask both the older and younger narrators about the closing of the center (Present) and what they hope it will become. (Future) How did you feel when it closed? What do you think was lost when it closed? What do you think it can bring to the community? How do you feel about the reinvestment project? Do you think that money should have been spent elsewhere? 

    Another takeaway from the meeting was the question, "what is Poppleton?" Several people spoke about the artificial boundaries created by the city that determine who gets what and how much they get. As we have seen these boundaries are constantly changing and evolving over time. I hope that our idea to create a map documenting this change is possible. One thing I think that we should take a serious look at this week is the logistics behind this idea and determine if this is possible. 

    I met with Dean earlier this week and began to discuss the historic home research portion of the project. He had some great insight into how to begin this process and the types of things to keep in mind while conducting research. Much like the profiles we both agreed that any kind of narrative or historical context would reveal itself through the research. So at the moment I am unsure where the project will lead and how it will fit into the themes we plan to address in our publication. This week I hope to get some feedback from the class and see what they hope we can get out of this portion of the project. Also I wonder if any of them are interested in participating in this research, I haven't had the chance to discuss it with them and certainly wouldn't want to exclude them.

    When it comes to selecting roles on the project, I am naturally drawn to the research positions. Though I am still open to assisting with the interviews whether that be on the recording side of things or supporting the interviewers with whatever they might need. With production I think my history background would be best used in the editing process. However I would love to learn some of the skills required for the Tech/Designers position. I'm always interested in developing digital skills that I can use on future projects. 

Community Meeting

     This week we will be presenting our project ideas to member's of the community for feedback. Even though it seems like this meeting will be fairly informal. I'm feeling a little nervous about the presentation, but I think that has more to do with my own social anxiety rather than the ideas we will be presenting. I feel some relief knowing that Dr. King has already established trust between the community and UMBC. I would feel much more stressed if we were coming into this project with the added layer of building that relationship. In that scenario I can imagine we would have to work much harder at this stage to ensure that they sign off on the project. 

    So far I'm happy with the way that the project is shaping up and think that we will be able to meet our goals. I think that the interviews will give us some great stories about Poppleton for the written portion of our project. I am curious to hear the different answers we get to the the questions "what is a neighbor?" and "what is a neighborhood?" I'm sure that everyone will have a unique opinion on this since they are both very loosely defined terms. If we can pull it off, I think that the digital map idea could be a really interesting feature of our project. Being able to visualize how the neighborhood has grown and shrunk over the years will make it easier for people to understand how a neighborhood is constantly changing. I'm a little concerned about the logistical and technical requirements, but I'm confident that our class can handle the challenge. 

    I'm thrilled that I will be able to assist with the historical research for the 1100 block Saratoga St houses. It really adds another meaningful layer to the project for me. It feels like I have been given the opportunity to not only gain some practical experience, but to also contribute to the preservation of Baltimore's history. I was surprised to learn that I already have some of the skills that Dean Krimmell will be showing us later this month. Before I enrolled in graduate school I worked for a law firm that handled personal injury cases. Most of the information I learned there has not been useful to my studies, like if a driver is at fault for an accident with a bus. But, I did learn how to locate deeds and examine property records for some of the cases I worked on. I'm excited to see where the project will lead me and how I feel about this kind of work when it is done. 

    I really enjoyed the 'Watch Me Work' video about barbershops and salons on West Baltimore Street. I had never thought about the connection between hairstyling and mental health. I think its great that people like Donna understand the importance of the connections they can form with their clients. In addition to the fact that a good haircut can really boost their confidence. I also thought it was interesting to hear Troy talk about barbers being able to travel across the city into areas others cannot. These artificial barriers that separate the city add a unique layer to our questions about neighbors and and neighborhoods.    

Fieldwork Prep

     I left last weeks class feeling kind of emotional. The walking tour of Poppleton, the video of Angela Banks speaking, and our discussion all weighed heavily on my mind. I guess if I had to describe the feeling it would be a combination of sadness, worry, and excitement. Feeling sadness about what has happened to the current and former residents of Poppleton. Not to mention the countless others affected by these development practices across the country. Worrying about not saying or doing the right things as we being our fieldwork. Yet also some excitement about being involved in this project and doing more than just writing from behind a desk.  

    This week's readings covered the importance of oral history and how to prepare for the fieldwork involved in a project like the one will be conducting this semester. I found the oral history reading to be particularly interesting. I have yet to utilize oral history for a project in my academic career. This is partially because my senior project in undergrad was interrupted by the covid-19 pandemic. One of our assignments in my capstone course was to conduct an oral history interview. Given the circumstances this was scratched from the syllabus and we instead focused on digital research to complete our final papers. I thought it was interesting to read about the imprecise nature of oral history, in both its definition and interpretation. This complexity makes this whole process feel simultaneously exciting and intimidating.

    In the Shadow of the Ivory Tower was probably my favorite piece that we read this week. I immediately recognized the similarities between the Checkerboard lounge story and the universities that have shaped Baltimore City. Last semester I read an article about Hopkins use of eminent domain in East Baltimore around the hospital. Now its clear to see that this is the same process occurring in Southwest Baltimore around the University of Maryland BioPark. Prior to reading this I guess I had never put together the fact that higher education institutions have such a powerful position in the development of cities. I really liked Bernard Lloyd's phrase "town-gown friction," to describe this relationship.  

    As we move into the fieldwork I imagine my role in this project being primarily behind the scenes. I think that would include operating the video or audio equipment during the interviews. Conducting historical research as needed to supplement the stories and narrative that we will be creating. Writing some of the profiles and the narrative for the final project.