On Oct. 18, the YMI Cultural Center debuted “Urban Renewal Impact” by filmmaker Todd Gragg and researcher Priscilla Robinson. Supported by over fifteen years of investigation, the documentary brought together community elders and leaders to tell the story of the destruction and displacement of Asheville’s Black communities from 1965-1993.
Urban renewal was a series of redevelopment projects that followed the Housing Act of 1949. Signed into law by Harry Truman, the act allocated federal resources to local governments to rebuild private infrastructure, promising to provide “a decent home and a suitable living environment for every American family.” Over four decades, cities across the U.S. engineered similar plans to clear “slums,” targeting low-income, predominantly Black communities.
In Asheville, four neighborhoods were affected: Stump Town, East-End, Hill Street and Southside (East Riverside).
The East Riverside Redevelopment Program began in 1968, designating 407 acres of substandard housing for demolition and reconstruction. The city offered homeowners compensation based on the current value of their property—some homes were appraised for as little as $400, or roughly $4,000 today…