This documentary, titled "Urban Renewal Means Negro Removal", is a follow up to Deqah Hussein-Wetzel’s 2021 documentary, "Lost Voice of Cincinnati", about the wholesale demolition Lower West End for the construction of Interstate 75 during the mid-20th century. In the words of the famous James Baldwin, urban renewal…“it means Negro removal, that is what it means”.
Inspired by the first season of her podcast, Urban Roots which explored how Evanston, Avondale, and South Cumminsville were impacted by highways and urban renewal, Deqah’s new documentary will use archival photographs, historic aerials, and modern-day drone footage to illustrate the physical changes these communities experienced due to the construction of I-71 and I-74.
Interstates highways have a complicated place in American history; they provided those living outside the city center with direct access to downtown while systematically dividing and confining Black communities to specific geographic boundaries. These projects triggered socio-economic decline in BIPOC neighborhoods that continue to linger; themes present across the nation today. By highlighting these stories of adversity and resilience, this documentary will provide audiences with an immersive, human-centered way to understand the real life consequences of mid-century interstate highway construction..
Special thanks to Urbanist Media and the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library for partnering on this project to host Listen & Learns and archival scanning sessions so that community members could participate in this project!
See www.urbanrootspodcast.com for more information.
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