PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — A community in North Philadelphia is fighting gentrification by paying tribute to two quintessential Black artists from the region.
Tinamarie Russell, founder of North Central Philadelphia Community Development Corp, is taking on gentrification in North Philly with the Sonia Sanchez and James Dupree Renaissance Garden, growing young minds and produce for local families in need.
"It's about reclaiming it and at the same time giving it life that can last into the future," she said.
Russell partnered with local organizations like Philadelphia Food Haven to get the job done, all while paying tribute to some of Philly's most treasured artists, world-renowned poet Sonia Sanchez and mixed-media artist James Dupree.
"The importance of having both Sonia and James Dupree is power in numbers," she said. "We're talking about multiple arists that came out of Philadelphia, that made Philadelphia great."
The garden adorned with a mural of both Snachez and Dupree is located near the intersection of Broad and Diamond streets, in the heart of a neighborhood that has seen the dark side of gentrification. Russell has called on youth from the area to get involved and help upgrade the garden in an effort to make it a central focus of art, history and activism, combating what she calls a theft of history.
"We can’t keep allowing people to tell our stories for us," said Ajia, who works alongside Russell. She believes youth must be involved in preserving the history of the Black community within Philadelphia, as she fears gentrification is erasing Black and brown contributions.
"We can't keep allowing people to write our stories for us and write us out of them. So we must be involved in our communities and what is being built."
Russell's organization is now working to reconstruct the garden in time for summer to welcome performers young and old to preserve the history of Black Philadelphians, she said, "so the youth of the day can tell the stories of the artists of the past."