WXXI News
What can residents of different generations learn from new mural in Rochester? The Clarissa Uprooted Pythodd Tribute mural on West Main Street at the edge of the Third Ward Historic District (now called Corn Hill) pays tribute to the legendary Pythodd Room jazz club, which was located in the Clarissa Street “Village.” From the 1800s to the 1960s, Clarissa Street was a thriving neighborhood with a booming Black-owned economy.
This hour, we talk with young people from Teen Empowerment and Clarissa Street elders about what we can learn from the past and how those lessons can impact the present and the future. Our guests:
- George Fontenette, member of Clarissa Street Legacy who grew up in Third Ward/Clarissa St. neighborhood and loved the Pythodd
- Roy McCurdy, Pythodd player who grew up in the Third Ward/Clarissa Street neighborhood and is depicted in the mural
- Sarah Adams, youth history ambassador for Teen Empowerment
- Taryn "Sunchild" Highsmith, musician, promoter, and entrepreneur who is depicted in the mural
- Nosym Tillmon, rapper and former Teen Empowerment youth organizer who is depicted in the mural
