Black-owned businesses, neighbors supporting neighbors, and a world-class nightclub featuring famous jazz and pop musicians: that was the reality in Rochester's Clarissa Street neighborhood in the 1950s and 1960s. But urban renewal essentially tore that neighborhood apart.
A new exhibit at RIT City Arts Space tells a powerful story through photographs, archived video, personal stories, and interactive maps. Teen Empowerment and the Clarissa Street Reunion Committee put together the exhibit to challenge our city to think more deeply about the impact of policies. We discuss it with our guests:
- Katherine Sprague-Dexter, Clarissa Street elder and realtor
- Mekko Griffin-Mongeon, exhibit project manager, educator, and fourth generation Clarissa Street neighbor
- Jaylen Wims, youth history ambassador and senior at Pittsford Sutherland
