For my final project I plan to conduct research and develop a media archive surrounding the history of Johnsons Park and the Neighborhood Association. Initially the project will focus on the association's beginning and the reason for its' introduction into the community. I will also concentrate on the specific demographics within the communities served. This will include statistics and feedback regarding the levels of education, income, employment, and crime that exist in these areas. The project will include an overview of all JPNA programs currently underway and describe any recent successes or failures that have resulted from these efforts. As a major part of the project I will discuss the long term initiatives and goals of Johnsons Park and the Neighborhood Association. In order to most accurately document and present the history of this organization I will review newspaper articles, look through JPNA archives, participate in community meetings, and interview important members. Included below is an article out of Milwaukee’s Journal Sentinel that really inspired me to document the history of this association for my final project.
Johnsons Park is growing into its own
Cultural center would be latest part of redevelopment of area
By FELICIA THOMAS-LYNNfthomas-lynn@journalsentinel.com
Posted: Oct. 9, 2004
As the sound of saws and hammers signal the flurry of more homes being built throughout the Johnsons Park community, a new plan is being crafted to build a cultural center that complements the area's changing landscape.
Once a sea of boarded-up homes and vacant lots, the central city community is enjoying new prosperity as more people relocate there, bringing with them higher incomes and lower tolerance for the criminal element that, at one time, ruled the neighborhood.
"You have a whole new class of people of color coming in who are voters, who keep up with local and national politics, and who have views on how positive they want their neighborhood to be," said Tony Gibson, who heads the Johnson Park Neighborhood Association.
What they didn't want to see, Gibson said, was vast acres of the local park, at N. 17th St. and W. Fond du Lac Ave., which anchors the community, "gobbled up" by the proposed African American World Cultural Center.
No problem, according to organizers of the plan, which had called for a 45,000-square-foot facility that has been scaled down to 10,000 square feet. The performing arts facility and computer center and library have been cut from the plan.
"We had to re-approach the whole project," said Tyrone Dumas, chairman of the center's board.
"What we've done is taken into account the community and the new housing in the area. It really signals a new beginning. We're excited."
Dumas said the price for the facility drops considerably from $10 million to $2 million, a much more palatable figure that brings more partners to the table.
The center, which has county and city approval, has been in the planning stages since 1996. Because of difficulty in raising funds, the plan has stalled, Dumas said, adding that the goal is now to break ground next summer.
The revised plan breaths new life into the project, organizers say, and County Executive Scott Walker has placed $100,000 in the proposed county budget for the project.
Residents in the community - which is part of the Lindsay Heights housing development that is bounded by N. 12th St. on the east, N. 20th St. on the west, W. Walnut St. on the south, and W. Locust on the north - have worked hard to improve the area's image.
The shift began about two years ago when Gibson created the neighborhood association shortly after he moved into the area.
The group's first meeting was at his home, and "at the time there were five open and active crack houses across the street," Gibson said.
"The drug dealers were lined up across the street trying to intimidate the people coming to the meeting," he said. "It was very challenging."
But residents in the area didn't back down.
In addition to the monthly association meetings, residents use e-mail and phone tree lists to keep in touch with each other concerning any suspicious activity in the community.
When there were construction thefts at some of the work sites, the group - which now has 70 members - hired a private security firm to patrol the area.
"We're learning that with the right kind of neighborhood organizing, good elements can win out over bad elements," said Gibson, adding that the fight to reclaim the neighborhood is an ongoing battle.
Earlier this year, a 14-year-old boy was beaten by up to 20 people following an argument that erupted into a shoving match that ultimately moved to nearby Johnsons Park, only a few blocks from where Charlie Young Jr. was beaten to death by a group of children and young adults nearly two years ago.
Residents and organizers of the cultural center believe it will go a long way toward revitalizing the area.
To this end, the center will build upon the community's efforts to improve the neighborhood and highlight the area's history, said Rick Norris, a project leader.
He said the center's mission is to provide a positive image for African-American culture and help develop a greater public appreciation for cultural diversity.
Along with offering meeting and banquet space, the center will also have a cafe patio and outdoor stage for jazz concerts. The facility will also have a visitors center and exhibit hall where people can learn more about the site's history as part of the original route of the Underground Railroad.
From the Oct. 10, 2004, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Media Literacy
Frank Barrie
990649890
Film 150
There’s no place like White America
What is irony? When an image projects a symbol, phrase, or slogan meant to convey a message opposite its literal context it is said to be ironic. When you look at the two photographs, At the time of the Louisville Flood and Billboard, the irony is unavoidable. No matter how hard an ideology is pushed through whatever medium, either through the papers, on television, or on a billboard, truth speaks for itself. The preferences of audiences may differ completely but the truth within an image is undeniable. When I look at the billboards I am instantly reminded of an old phrase, “If I fake it, then I don’t have it.” The phrase is obviously out of context but matches the intended meaning behind these public encouragements. As the saying goes the images are projecting false realities as if they alone could hide the true stories behind the not so cheerful or optimistic faces of many African Americans during the early and mid 19th century.
Sturken and Cartwright argue “Societies function by naturalizing ideologies, making complex production of meaning take place so smoothly that it is experienced as a “natural” system of value or belief.” (1)
The two images, although slightly different in framing and technique, practically mirror each other. Both appear to have the same agenda. That is to persuade American communities that American ideals are above all others. The signs in the photos promote and ascribe equality among the diverse population within the United States. With energetic phrases like “There’s no way like the American way” and “I am so an American” the billboards strive to capture individuals and convince them. There is unmistakable irony in the setting of both photos. Both billboards stand tall in what appear to be low-income African American communities. Both slogans are filled with excitement and enthusiasm while the people in the photos stand tired, unhappy, and almost hopeless. Another contradiction within the pictures is that all caricatures presented on the billboards are white while all actual people in the photographs are black. It seems as though the billboards are almost an attempt to convince the black community that they don’t have it so bad, or moreover, to stop making such a fuss about being worse off.
The framing of each photo is unique. In At the time of the Louisville flood the framing is simple and easy to interpret. There is a long line of well-dressed African Americans that all appear to be waiting for something. A few of the individuals are carrying bags and baskets indicating that perhaps they were waiting for food or other necessities. As a backdrop there is a giant billboard. The photograph contains nothing else but the framing does seem purposeful. At first glance your immediately drawn to the picture in the background and the text laid over it. After reading the text and moving on from the billboard you find the long line of disgruntled citizens. The order of magnitude is evident; read the billboard then read the faces. There’s no doubt that the cheerful expressions of the white family are intentionally compared with the exhausted and depressing expressions within the long line. The caricatures on the billboard are white but the real people in the picture are black.
Similarly, the second photograph contains a massive attention grabbing billboard but this time with different technique and angling. As with the first photo, the large sign first draws the viewer’s attention. After reading the supporting text the viewer is then given the opportunity to look around, scope the scene, and get better acquainted with the community than in the previously described picture. Again there are well-dressed African Americans. One dreary elderly man waiting and what appear to be a mother and her two children turning the corner around a closed down convenience store. The children seem take part in an intentional comparison with the white boy on the billboard. This is very similar to the previously discussed photo. The two images may differ in presentation and delivery but the comparison of race leaves viewers with a very similar ironic resonance.
Roanld Takaki seems to be drawing on a similar comparison when he explains, “…the Civil Rights Movement was unable to overcome the structural economic foundations of racial inequality from African Americans. While the laws and court orders prohibited discrimination, they failed to relieve poverty among blacks.” (2)
At the Time of the Louisville Flood was taken in 1937 in the Great Depression Era. The text in the image is attempting to build hope and ignores injustices by projecting a false ideology. The irony here goes deeper than the issue of race. The billboard comes off as a desperate advertisement of life in the states, meant to combat the current economic condition and public morale. Billboard was taken in 1948 in the height of the civil rights movement. Despite better economic times and a heightened unity within the nation after WWII, racial classifications and inequalities still existed. The text on this billboard is again meant to boost societal confidence but targets a different issue, equal rights.
While the intent of the photographs may not have been to specifically point out the economic differences between races, they did. The pictures serve as literal proof of the inequality that existed during this time period. They also exemplify the manner in which Americans dealt with the inequalities between, and segregation from, the African American communities.
Work Cited
(1) Marita Sturken, Lisa Cartwright. Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. (New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2009) Page 69.
(2) Ronald Takaki. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. Revised Edition. (New York: Hachette Book Group, Inc, 1993) Page 396.
990649890
Film 150
There’s no place like White America
What is irony? When an image projects a symbol, phrase, or slogan meant to convey a message opposite its literal context it is said to be ironic. When you look at the two photographs, At the time of the Louisville Flood and Billboard, the irony is unavoidable. No matter how hard an ideology is pushed through whatever medium, either through the papers, on television, or on a billboard, truth speaks for itself. The preferences of audiences may differ completely but the truth within an image is undeniable. When I look at the billboards I am instantly reminded of an old phrase, “If I fake it, then I don’t have it.” The phrase is obviously out of context but matches the intended meaning behind these public encouragements. As the saying goes the images are projecting false realities as if they alone could hide the true stories behind the not so cheerful or optimistic faces of many African Americans during the early and mid 19th century.
Sturken and Cartwright argue “Societies function by naturalizing ideologies, making complex production of meaning take place so smoothly that it is experienced as a “natural” system of value or belief.” (1)
The two images, although slightly different in framing and technique, practically mirror each other. Both appear to have the same agenda. That is to persuade American communities that American ideals are above all others. The signs in the photos promote and ascribe equality among the diverse population within the United States. With energetic phrases like “There’s no way like the American way” and “I am so an American” the billboards strive to capture individuals and convince them. There is unmistakable irony in the setting of both photos. Both billboards stand tall in what appear to be low-income African American communities. Both slogans are filled with excitement and enthusiasm while the people in the photos stand tired, unhappy, and almost hopeless. Another contradiction within the pictures is that all caricatures presented on the billboards are white while all actual people in the photographs are black. It seems as though the billboards are almost an attempt to convince the black community that they don’t have it so bad, or moreover, to stop making such a fuss about being worse off.
The framing of each photo is unique. In At the time of the Louisville flood the framing is simple and easy to interpret. There is a long line of well-dressed African Americans that all appear to be waiting for something. A few of the individuals are carrying bags and baskets indicating that perhaps they were waiting for food or other necessities. As a backdrop there is a giant billboard. The photograph contains nothing else but the framing does seem purposeful. At first glance your immediately drawn to the picture in the background and the text laid over it. After reading the text and moving on from the billboard you find the long line of disgruntled citizens. The order of magnitude is evident; read the billboard then read the faces. There’s no doubt that the cheerful expressions of the white family are intentionally compared with the exhausted and depressing expressions within the long line. The caricatures on the billboard are white but the real people in the picture are black.
Similarly, the second photograph contains a massive attention grabbing billboard but this time with different technique and angling. As with the first photo, the large sign first draws the viewer’s attention. After reading the supporting text the viewer is then given the opportunity to look around, scope the scene, and get better acquainted with the community than in the previously described picture. Again there are well-dressed African Americans. One dreary elderly man waiting and what appear to be a mother and her two children turning the corner around a closed down convenience store. The children seem take part in an intentional comparison with the white boy on the billboard. This is very similar to the previously discussed photo. The two images may differ in presentation and delivery but the comparison of race leaves viewers with a very similar ironic resonance.
Roanld Takaki seems to be drawing on a similar comparison when he explains, “…the Civil Rights Movement was unable to overcome the structural economic foundations of racial inequality from African Americans. While the laws and court orders prohibited discrimination, they failed to relieve poverty among blacks.” (2)
At the Time of the Louisville Flood was taken in 1937 in the Great Depression Era. The text in the image is attempting to build hope and ignores injustices by projecting a false ideology. The irony here goes deeper than the issue of race. The billboard comes off as a desperate advertisement of life in the states, meant to combat the current economic condition and public morale. Billboard was taken in 1948 in the height of the civil rights movement. Despite better economic times and a heightened unity within the nation after WWII, racial classifications and inequalities still existed. The text on this billboard is again meant to boost societal confidence but targets a different issue, equal rights.
While the intent of the photographs may not have been to specifically point out the economic differences between races, they did. The pictures serve as literal proof of the inequality that existed during this time period. They also exemplify the manner in which Americans dealt with the inequalities between, and segregation from, the African American communities.
Work Cited
(1) Marita Sturken, Lisa Cartwright. Practices of Looking: An Introduction to Visual Culture. (New York: Oxford University Press, Inc., 2009) Page 69.
(2) Ronald Takaki. A Different Mirror: A History of Multicultural America. Revised Edition. (New York: Hachette Book Group, Inc, 1993) Page 396.
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