Past, Present and Future in the City of Tampa
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+ YEARS OF50 FAIR HOUSING: Past, Present and Future in the City of Tampa I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they “will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. – the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King” Jr. By Michael Parker, artist IN AND OUT surrounded by two female faces looking in opposite directions, forming the space between the physical elements. The combination of all the central elements forms a symbolized keyhole shape. Together, the symbols are meant to bring to mind a feeling of ease and comfort, while being illuminated by the sunset. The relationship between the two images personifies basic masculine and feminine roles in uch of what we have of race, religion, gender or experience housing, specifically hinting at the intent of the Fair a household. Being welcomed, surrounded ourselves national origin. The passing of stairs and doors. Housing Act. embraced and comforted makes with in the present this law gave hope for residential The stairs ascending from the The west-facing image M for a higher quality of life. The environment is unimportant, and desegregation across the United center reach out on either side includes similar symbolism, using opportunity to have a home free it is easy to lose sight of what States. toward “windows” in the wall aerial views of Sulphur Springs from discrimination can promote is important. What can we, as a In celebration and recognition that frame the sky. and stairs in a symmetrical optimism and confidence. collective, look back on and be of the 50th anniversary of the The stairs in the center climb pattern. The utilization of This can help to make our proud of and know that it was Fair Housing Act, the In & Out and reach a set of double doors. more subdued colors and communities healthier. right and important? mural in Rowlett Park was Behind these images and along a complementary gesture In a place like Sulphur Springs, It has been more than 50 years created. The east-facing image the contours are aerial views evokes protection and shelter. where diversity is at the forefront since the signing of the Fair greets the sunrise and alludes of housing developments and a Throughout the image is the of life, freedom from constraint is Housing Act of 1968. Behind this to a welcoming and embracing repeating pattern of the boundary repetition of the key and keyhole more important than ever. act was a struggle for what is gesture. This underlying gesture lines of Sulphur Springs. These symbols. right. The act provided for equal is a collage of elements directly areas in the image change color The central staircases housing opportunities regardless related to how one might depending on the point of view, encompassing a keyway are 50+ Years of Fair Housing Credits Cover mural: Michael Parker, artist LEARNING GOING BEYOND Publication design: Stacy Rector, Fluid Graphic Design LLC THE TEXT Contributing writers: NEW WORDS Charles F. “Fred” Hearns, retired City of Tampa Department of When you study new things, you often come up against new and challenging vocabulary words Community Affairs director, candidate for Ph.D. in anthropology, USF and subject-focused terms. This publication has many new ideas, words and terminology for you Patricia A. Newton, City of Tampa Office of Human Rights to learn. What is a ghetto? What is public art? What does the word “fair” mean? While you read this publication, make a list of words and terms you do not know. Try to figure out the meanings by Investigations supervisor looking for clues in the sentences around them. Write down your best guesses, and then look up the Bobby L. Bowden, City of Tampa Community Affairs division manager words in a dictionary. As a group activity, make a list of the words your classmates identified and John W. Daniel, City of Tampa Commission of Community Relations see which ones stumped the class. Next, use these words for a news scavenger hunt. See how many George A. Davis, City of Tampa Commission of Community Relations of the words on the list you can find in theTampa Bay Times. The group that finds the most words Jodi Pushkin, Tampa Bay Times Newspaper in Education manager wins the game. 2 tampabay.com/nie tampabay.com/nie 3 FAIR HOUSING? • Title VIII of the proposed • The Fair Housing Act was the • From 1950 to 1980, the • This trend led to the growth • In 1988, Congress Civil Rights Act of 1968 was last major act of legislation total black population in of inner-city communities passed the Fair Housing known as the Fair Housing of the civil rights movement. America’s urban centers with large minority Amendments Act. This act Act. This section of the act In practice, housing increased from 6.1 million populations that were expanded the law to prohibit prohibited discrimination remained segregated in to 15.3 million. During these plagued by unemployment discrimination in housing concerning the sale, rental many areas of the United three decades, many white and crime. based on disability and and financing of housing States. Americans moved out from family status. This action based on race, religion, cities into the suburbs. With brought the enforcement national origin or sex. this housing movement into of the Fair Housing Act suburbia, much employment, under the control of the U.S. too, moved into suburbia. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). THE ARTIST Source: The History Channel ichael Parker is a working artist based a mural for Boston’s Metropolitan District in the Tampa area. He has a versatile Commission. He is a 2008 Ucross Foundation Mapproach to engaging community resident fellow. members in the process of public art and In addition to In and Out, the mural at making it accessible to anyone. Rowlett Park, depicted on the cover of this Although Parker was raised in Boston, he publication, Parker created Leaders’ Row, a calls the Tampa area home. He has extensive three-dimensional public art installation at experience working with communities on Perry Harvey Sr. Park in Tampa. The installation public and community art projects. Parker has is a memorial to seven black leaders from the taught a wide range of art courses, including historic Central Avenue neighborhood. unique community classes, as a member of the “Leadership takes on many forms. Some arts faculty at the University of South Florida, leaders are forceful and dominant, while others the University of Montana and Hillsborough work behind the scenes and offer quiet support Community College. and encouragement,” writes Robin Nigh, He is currently very active in the Tampa manager of the Art Programs Division for the City Bay arts community, and as president of the of Tampa. SouthShore Arts Council, is directing a community “Regardless of style, the substance is the same. arts program that allows artists to collaborate Michael Parker’s work demonstrates leadership with and engage the Southshore community. in all its forms in his Leaders’ Row. Motivating, In addition to his numerous public art prodding, assisting, nurturing, financing the commissions, Parker’s work has been exhibited in dreams and aspirations of single individuals such places as the Tampa Museum of Art, the Gulf and whole communities, the men and women Coast Museum of Art, The Matthews Gallery in featured here provided both a bedrock foundation Tampa, Piazza Signorelli in Cortona, Italy and the to build upon and boundless success to strive Missoula Art Museum in Missoula, Mont. toward. Each one left their mark on the city and Parker has had numerous public art on the lives of those they inspired.” commissions across the country, including Artist Michael Parker of Ruskin poses in front of his mural named Exactly at the Rowlett Park racquetball courts in Tampa. [Luis Santana | Times] 2012 PUBLIC ART GOING BEYOND THE TEXT Art can be a very effective means of communication. Think about how our culture uses art to communicate ideas. Make a list of all the methods you can think of (cartoons, graphic novels, posters, advertising). Some other cultures have used pictures and symbols as a means of communication: hieroglyphics, pictographs and cave drawings. What impact did this form of communication have on each culture? How do we use pictures and symbols to communicate? Look through the Tampa Bay Times for examples of symbols that represent communication or make a specific statement. Using the articles and images in the Times as a guide, write a news article using only symbols. Share your story with your class. tampabay.com/nie 3 CHALLENGING THE STATUS QUO The United States Supreme Court ruled in 1948 forces members were returning back to the United in the decision of Shelley vs. Kraemer and in States from serving in the Vietnam War, they had 1968 in the decision of Jones vs. Mayer Co. that trouble renting and purchasing homes in certain housing discrimination was illegal. The rulings residential areas because of their race or national “outlawed the exclusion of African Americans origin. or other minorities from certain sections of “In this climate, organizations such as the cities; race-based housing patterns were still National Association for the Advancement of in force by the late 1960s,” according to the Colored People (NAACP), the G.I. Forum and the History Channel editors. Those who challenged National Committee Against Discrimination in these discrimination practices “often met with Housing lobbied for new fair housing legislation to resistance, hostility and even violence.” be passed.” As a large number of black and Hispanic armed Source: The History Channel HEAR PRESIDENT JOHNSON’S COMMENTS ABOUT THE SIGNING OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1968 ON THIS YOUTUBE VIDEO: YOUTUBE.COM/WATCH?V=Q11KVBJY0CS THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1968 One key portion of the Civil Rights Act of 1968 on the amended Senate bill until April 9.