Providence City Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris (Ward 11) will be hosting the opening reception for the City Council’s Black History Month Exhibit – Home? The Housing Struggle in Providence from 1950 through Today. The reception is open to the public and will take place on Thursday, February 22, 2018, at 11:00 AM in the Third Floor Gallery of City Hall, located at 25 Dorrance Street.
The exhibit, created in partnership with the Providence City Archives, takes visitors on a journey through Providence’s continuous struggle for fair and adequate housing in the Black community. Along the way, visitors will be introduced to figures that have fought in the battle for affordable and equal housing like Andrew J. Bell, Maria Lopes, Rose Viega, Asta Tigrai, and others.
“I’ve worked for decades on issues around affordable housing,” stated Councilwoman Mary Kay Harris, Ward 11. “When our City Archivist, Caleb Horton, came to me with the idea to focus this year’s exhibit on the housing struggle I was thrilled. Recently I was appointed Chairwoman of the Special Committee to Study Homelessness here in Providence by Council President Salvatore, and one of my main objectives is to find ways to address – what seems to be a never-ending struggle – the need for affordable and adequate housing. This exhibit will stand as a launching point for a community conversation that I hope to have over the next 10-months.”
The City Council is pleased to share that Representative Maria Lopes, one of the figures in the fair housing movement here in Providence and featured in the exhibit, will be one of our guest speakers along with Barbara Krank, and Brenda Clement, Executive Director of HousingWorksRI.
Home? The Housing Struggle in Providence from 1950 through Today runs Monday – Friday, from 8:30 AM – 4:45 PM through March 22, 2018. A guided tour with the curator is offered every Thursday at noon through the exhibits run. The curator will also offer a tour on March 1 and March 15 at 6:30 PM. For class or private tours, please call the City Archives office at (401) 421-7740 ext. 314.
