From Chinatown to Old Armenian Town to Germantown and the diverse communities of West Fresno, they all have stories. Before the 99 or 41 freeways were built, these neighborhoods were places of culture, history and belonging for communities banned from living in the housing tracts being built on the north side of town through a good part of the 20th century.
While redlining made it more difficult for banks to invest and for people to buy homes in these south Fresno neighborhoods, the freeways created a literal divide between them and the rest of the city.
Join us on Thursday, Oct. 1 to listen to residents and community advocates share stories about life before the freeways and the ways in which they’ve still found a path to celebrate their neighborhood history and culture.
Panelists include:
- Gwendolyn Morris, SJV Black Communications Network
- Van Der Mugrdechian, Armenian Cultural Conservancy
- Kathy Omachi, Fresno Chinatown Preservation, Inc.
We’ll also be curating visual displays of the neighborhoods before and after the freeways, created by urban planner Dan Zack.
We’ll be at Sombra, located at 616 Broadway in downtown. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the program will run from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. with light refreshments. The event is free to attend, but reserve your spot here at the link.
The event is co-hosted by Fresnoland and Facing Fresno, a project of Fresno DRIVE and the Central Valley Community Foundation.
